Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1131: Amicable Parting

Davos gave a brief nod of acknowledgment, then turned to Xenophon with a gratified smile. "To become an envoy of Sparta as a foreign guest... it seems you are truly doing well there, Xenophon!"

He patted Xenophon's shoulder once more and turned to walk back to his throne. "What brings you to Daionia as an envoy this time? To renew the Friendship Agreement? I recall it still has several years before it expires."

Gaesylus opened his mouth to speak, but Xenophon quickly stopped him. Choosing his words carefully, Xenophon said, "The war between Thebes and Sparta has dragged on for years now, inflicting massive damage on both the Peloponnese and Central Greece. To restore peace to Greece, Sparta has decided to negotiate a truce with Thebes and Athens.

"However, the two sides have slaughtered each other all these years. With heavy casualties and deep-seated hatred, successful peace talks won't be easy. Therefore, it is best to find a powerful nation to persuade both sides to sit down and negotiate—"

"So Sparta chose to come to us in Daionia." Having taken his seat on the throne, Davos leaned forward, interrupting with interest. "It seems our decade of friendship wasn't in vain!"

Xenophon and Gaesylus both looked awkward.

Xenophon coughed dryly and muttered, "Uh... well... Sparta did consider inviting Daionia to act as a mediator. But while Daionia is powerful, it lacks any influence on the Greek Mainland and would find it difficult to overawe the intractable Thebes and Athens. Furthermore, Sparta recently learned that Athens and Thebes have both sent envoys to Persia...

"As you know, Persia played a massive role in brokering the final peace treaty that ended the last Corinthian War. To prevent Persia from supporting our enemies, Sparta had no choice but to send envoys to Persia as well—"

"If Daionia lacks influence on the Greek Mainland, isn't that precisely because we strictly adhered to the Friendship Agreement signed with Sparta?! Despite being so close to the Greek Mainland, Daionia hasn't interfered in its politics for over a decade, and now Sparta complains about our lack of influence there!" Antaoris, one of the Ministers of State, could no longer hold back his complaints. "On the contrary, Sparta has covertly pulled strings in the western Mediterranean while this agreement has been in effect, causing several headaches for Daionia!"

Faced with the interrogations from the Daionian ministers, Xenophon grew tense despite his prior preparations. "Well... Daionia's adherence to its promises commands great respect from the Spartans! And because you defeated Carthage, your strength has grown even greater... Furthermore... furthermore, you are very close to the Peloponnese. So Sparta truly did think of seeking Daionia's aid first, it's just that the reality of the situation—"

"Alright, there's no need for superfluous explanations. Since Sparta has already decided to seek Persia's support, why send you to Daionia? Did Persia reject Sparta's request?" Davos asked with a faint, knowing smile.

Meeting Davos's profound gaze, Xenophon had the nagging feeling that this Daionian king already knew the whole story. In a sudden flash of insight, he dropped the excuses and spoke plainly. "Persia agreed to support Sparta, but demanded that Sparta sever its friendly ties with Daionia. Otherwise, they will switch their support to Athens and Thebes, subjecting Sparta to an unprecedented defeat! Thus, Sparta sent me here as an envoy to... end the Friendship Agreement that has lasted for over a decade with Daionia..."

Xenophon's words immediately triggered a considerable commotion inside the great hall.

"Sparta wouldn't hesitate to sever friendly ties with Daionia just to secure Persia's support. Aren't you afraid of offending us and sparking a new war?!" Alexis, the Minister of Military Affairs, demanded sharply.

Gaesylus, who had maintained his silence until now, finally burst out, "Right before we left, King Agesilaus told me that ending the Friendship Agreement with Daionia this time is truly a last resort. Once the peace treaty is signed, Sparta will restore ties with Daionia and sign a new Friendship Agreement. Please rest assured!"

He would have been better off saying nothing. The moment the words left his mouth, the entire hall erupted in outrage. Even the usually mild-mannered Haca spoke in a cold tone. "What is the meaning of this? Does Sparta think Daionia is so easily bullied?! Tearing up the treaty when you please, and renewing it when it suits you! You must understand that this is the western Mediterranean, and Daionia is its sole ruler. Every city-state and faction scrambles to rely on Daionia, viewing it as an honor to join the Daonian Alliance!

"With Daionia's current strength, we rarely sign equal treaties with other city-states anymore. Since Sparta fails to cherish this Friendship Agreement, once it is torn up, you Spartans will deeply experience a terrifying pressure unlike anything you felt during the Corinthian War or the Theban War!"

The moment Gaesylus spoke, Xenophon knew things were going to turn ugly. Seeing Gaesylus preparing to fire back, Xenophon hastily pulled him back, subconsciously casting a pleading gaze toward Davos.

"Enough." Davos raised a hand, suppressing the angry emotions of his key ministers. His expression turned serious. "We Theonians view our promises as our very lives. Once an agreement is signed, we will honor it no matter what happens in the future. But perhaps for Sparta, treaties are signed merely to be torn up. The Peloponnesian War ended in a truce, yet the Corinthian War erupted just a few years later. Not long after the King's Peace was signed, the Theban War broke out. Every single time, it was Sparta who first broke the treaty and provoked the war. Therefore, we were mentally prepared long ago for Sparta to cancel this Friendship Agreement. Cancel it if you must. But while canceling it is easy, securing it again will be difficult. You should know that many people of Tarantum and the Carthaginians still regret their choices to this day."

Hearing Davos's deeply meaningful words, Xenophon felt a sudden jolt of alarm.

Emphasizing his tone, Davos asked, enunciating every word, "I am officially asking you now, Xenophon. Is Sparta certain it wants to cancel this Friendship Agreement?!"

Xenophon hurriedly answered, "Yes! In order to reach a truce and restore peace as quickly as possible, Sparta has been forced into this. But I can guarantee that although the agreement is canceled, Sparta will still maintain peace with Daionia!"

"That is no longer up to Sparta." Davos smiled faintly. "It seems the King of Persia harbors a deep grudge against Daionia. However, for your sake, Xenophon, Daionia will not cause trouble for Sparta over this breach of contract!"

Overjoyed, Xenophon immediately expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, Your Majesty! The Spartans will engrave your goodwill in their hearts. We are willing to maintain lasting peace with Daionia and will never be manipulated by the Persians!"

Davos blinked dismissively. Resting his hands on the armrests of his throne, he smiled and said, "Now that official business is concluded, let's talk about private matters. Tonight, I will host a banquet for you in the Royal Palace. I'll also invite some of our old mercenary friends who fought alongside us in Persia, so we can catch up after all this time apart."

Having successfully completed the task entrusted to him by Sparta, Xenophon was now in a relaxed mood. He immediately declared, "I would be more than happy to attend this banquet, drink to my heart's content with my old comrades-in-arms, and make up for the regrets of the past."

Davos smiled and looked at Alexis and Minister of Commerce Marigi. "Tonight's banquet wouldn't be complete without the two of you. Consider this your advance invitation."

Alexis and Marigi quickly expressed their eagerness to attend.

The moment Xenophon and Gaesylus exited the Royal Palace, Antaoris, who had been holding himself back for ages, immediately asked, "Your Majesty, are we simply going to let it slide that Sparta so blatantly tore up the agreement?!"

"What else do you propose?" Davos looked at him and asked calmly. "Declare war on Sparta?"

"We should at least find a way to punish them for this insolent behavior! Otherwise, other city-states will think Daionia is weak and easily bullied!" Antaoris's tone remained unyielding.

Davos looked at him, then at the varying expressions of the other ministers. Pondering for a moment, he said, "A mere punishment won't inflict much damage on Sparta; it will only put them on guard. The Persians want to act as mediators to reunify the war-torn city-states of the Greek Mainland, likely to stir up trouble for us here in Daionia... The Spartans want to use Persia's support to become the hegemon of the Greek Mainland's city-states once again... They all have such beautiful dreams. But I suspect things won't go nearly as smoothly as they imagine..."

"Your Majesty means...?" Cyprolus was intrigued.

Davos did not answer directly. Instead, he smiled faintly. "All we need to do now is pay close attention to the developments of the war on the Greek Mainland and wait for a favorable opportunity to arrive."

...

Considering that several former mercenary Senators were still serving in other regions, the banquet was not held that night, but postponed until two days later. During those two days, Davos specifically dispatched someone to accompany Xenophon on a tour of most of the Thurii Region, allowing him to gain a deeper understanding of the Kingdom of Daunia.