Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1112: Hades Davos

At that moment, the familiar toll of a bell drifted from the northwest: nine consecutive rings, a brief pause, and then nine more.

The spectators around the plaza turned north, pleasantly surprised to discover a colossal golden statue towering over the Hill of the Gods, blindingly radiant in the sunlight.

"Oh! That's... the Statue of Hades!"

"The rumors were true! The kingdom really built a Statue of Hades to rival the Colossal Statue of Athena in Athens!"

...

Even though the glare reflecting off the statue was blinding, the citizens still strained their eyes, fixing their reverent gazes on the hill. Their faces were filled with excitement and fervor.

Soon, they realized the statue wasn't the only surprise. The newly rebuilt temple standing before them was equally breathtaking. It was taller, wider, and far more magnificent than before. Even more striking was the pediment above: its painted reliefs boasted far more vibrant colors than ever, sparkling brilliantly like a cluster of stars. (In reality, this was an innovative breakthrough born from the collective wisdom of the artisans, who had crushed colored glass forged from sea sand and mixed the fragments into the paint to create a shimmering effect under the sunlight.)

The Greeks had always believed that temples were the homes of the gods, and that the places where deities dwelled must be grand, resplendent structures. The rebuilt temple atop the hill undoubtedly matched their ultimate fantasy perfectly.

And so, under the direction and guidance of the Patrol Unit, the impatient crowds merged into streams of people and surged toward the Hill of the Gods.

Before long, the entire hill—save for the immediate perimeter of the temple at the summit—was completely surrounded by a sea of people. The crowd pressed against the security cordon formed by the Palace Guard. Packed shoulder to shoulder and back to back, they stood on their tiptoes, eyes wide as they stared intently at the temple and the giant statue.

Some observant citizens noticed the biggest difference between the exterior of the new temple and other Greek temples: the stone walls beneath the roof's pediment were evenly punctuated with small, square niches. Inside each niche rested a sculpture, creating a highly unique sight.

What the people standing far away could not clearly see was that these were no ordinary sculptures. They were not just the major Greek gods—Zeus, Hera, Apollo, and the like—but also the Goddess Amara of the Bruttians, the God Vosani of the Samnites, Jupiter and Diana of the Romans, and various other deities revered by the different races within the kingdom. These numerous divine statues stood within the stone walls, surrounding the central Statue of Hades inside the temple like a myriad stars surrounding the moon. The implication was self-evident.

Davos stood before the temple with a solemn expression. Beside him was the Scepter Priest, Praxinas, dressed in a pure white robe. Behind them stood dozens of Hades priests and holy maidens, all wearing the same white robes.

Praxinas coughed softly, leaning on his staff as he slowly took two steps forward. As he spoke, the priests echoed his exact words. Unlike regular criers, they spoke in perfect unison, matching his tone and emotion to create an amplified resonance. Because of this, even without anyone shouting hysterically, Praxinas's voice carried like a gentle breeze and soft rain into the ears of every single person on the hill:

"Citizens of Daionia, believers of Hades, today is a day worth celebrating! We have reforged a golden body for the great Hades and rebuilt his divine residence, so that he may dwell more comfortably within his temple and better bless us all!

"Before the founding of Daionia, the sacrifices Hades made for the Greek people remained buried and ignored. Not only did no one sing praises of his deeds, but people feared and shunned him. That was until the emergence of his descendant, Davos. In just twenty short years, he established a mighty kingdom and enshrined Hades as its patron deity. This has not only turned thousands upon thousands of people into believers of this great god, but it has also made the ideals Hades has always fought for—justice, strict discipline, dedication, and sacrifice—the guiding principles for everyone in our kingdom.

"This has brought great joy to Hades. To thank his descendant for the magnificent deeds accomplished in his name, he has handed down an oracle: he permits King Davos to bear his name! As long as Davos and his descendants continue to revere him and fulfill their rightful duties upon the mortal realm, he will forever protect this family. Anyone who attempts to maliciously violate them will suffer his eternal curse!"

At this, Praxinas turned back to look at Davos. He bowed low and said reverently, "His Divine Majesty, King Hades Davos, please wear your crown and accept the congratulations of your believers!"

Davos solemnly accepted the exquisite wooden crown—woven from ebony and ferns and resting on a black tray—and slowly placed it upon his head.

The surrounding crowd erupted once more into tsunami-like cheers: "Victory to His Majesty, King Davos!!!"

"Hail King Hades Davos!!!"

...

Ever since he landed in Magna Graecia more than twenty years ago—capturing Thurii, establishing Daionia, defeating Crotone, stripping Syracuse of its hegemonic throne, and reducing Carthage to an ordinary city-state to forge the most powerful kingdom in the history of the western Mediterranean—Davos's prestige within the kingdom had reached its absolute zenith. What was more, without figures like Kunogorata and Cornelius to keep him in check, not a single Senator voiced any opposition to the momentous decisions of this ceremony. This allowed Davos to effortlessly drape himself and his family in a halo of divinity.

...

It was a sunny morning, and Maximus was strolling down a street inside the military camp.

Though it was called a camp, the soldiers preferred to call it a military city. Compared to the nearby Etruscan towns, it truly resembled a city. The entire camp covered a square li and was enclosed by a five-meter-high wall built entirely from thick, square bricks, with ten-meter-tall watchtowers erected every fifty meters along the perimeter. The ground inside was paved completely with solid stone slabs, preventing water accumulation and mud during rain or snow. Walking on such smooth, hard surfaces always gave the soldiers a sense of grounded security—inside this camp built entirely of stone, they could withstand an attack from any formidable enemy.

The reason Maximus was here was because, after joining the Daonian Intelligence Department last year, he had received a new assignment while still undergoing training. He was ordered to apply, using his identity as a registered freeman, to join the mercenary legion currently being formed for deployment to the Etrurian border. Once successfully enlisted, his mission was to keep the legion under constant surveillance and regularly report any intelligence regarding its internal affairs and enemy movements in the surrounding area.

Initially, Maximus had mentally resisted the order because he did not want to be far from his wife and children. He had even intentionally performed poorly during his interview assessment in hopes of failing the selection. However, there simply were not many literate men among the registered freemen who had come to enlist. Maximus, who could write coherent essays in the Daionian script and knew how to calculate numbers, was exactly the kind of rare talent the newly established legion desperately needed. He was accepted on the spot and immediately assigned the role of a statistician in the Supply Camp.

And just like that, Maximus became a member of the Border Legion in Etruria. Afterward, he and all the other recruited registered freemen were gathered at the Thurii Military Camp for three months of training.

Those were three grueling months of pure hell. In order to quickly mold these rookies—men who lacked military training and had never even seen battle—into qualified Daionian soldiers capable of immediate deployment, the Ministry of Military Affairs dispatched a large number of Military Training Officers to subject them to high-intensity drills. Furthermore, they mandated that Maximus and the other logistics personnel participate as well. Their reasoning was sound: during critical moments in battle, the logistics personnel of every Daionian legion were expected to fight as auxiliary soldiers, and the Border Legion was no exception. Without military skills or familiarity with Daionian tactical formations, how could these support troops coordinate in combat? Therefore, they had to train alongside everyone else.

Fortunately, the training intensity for the logistics personnel wasn't quite as extreme as it was for the combat soldiers. Moreover, high-intensity training required ample food supplies, so Maximus frequently accompanied the legion's logistics officers into Thurii City to purchase provisions.

During this period, Maximus's knack for financial management and haggling with merchants fully shone through, catching the attention of the legion's upper echelon. By the time the three-month training camp concluded, Maximus had already been promoted to procurement supervisor—the third most important military post in the Supply Camp, subordinate only to the Supply Officer and the escort officer.

Not long after, the Border Legion, numbering over eight thousand men, marched north into Etruria.

By then, following multiple rounds of negotiations between the kingdom and the Etruscan League, an agreement had long been reached regarding the land to be ceded to Daionia. The location for the military camp had also been finalized well in advance. Thanks to the joint efforts of engineers dispatched by the Ministry of Military Affairs and laborers provided by the various Etruscan city-states, the camp already had a rough outline.

Maximus followed the legion headquarters into the camp, which was located not far from Florentia, one of the Northern Etrurian City-States. From there, the soldiers had to put their newly learned, still-unfamiliar construction skills to use in order to complete the entire base.

Throughout this grueling construction process, the new recruits further learned how to obey orders, endure hardships, and cooperate with one another. They thoroughly purged the undisciplined habits they had developed as registered freemen, gradually transforming into true soldiers of the Daionian legion.

And it was also during this construction process that Maximus's excellent organizational and coordination skills were put to full use. Thus, when the legion's Supply Officer was transferred back to the Ministry of Military Affairs a few months later, the Legion Commander issued a direct order: Maximus was to serve as the acting Supply Officer.