Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1134: Daionia and Thebes Ally

Davos cleared his throat. "Pelopidas," he said earnestly, "I am told you played a crucial role in helping Thebes regain its independence, fight off the Spartans for years, and even gain a slight advantage over them."

Pelopidas brightened, sensing a trace of goodwill in Davos's words. "Thebes owes its current standing to the collective struggle of every citizen who loves our city," he answered modestly. "I merely did my utmost, just as they did. Compared to the mighty kingdom you have forged, what little I have done is not even worth mentioning."

"You're too modest," Davos said with a faint smile. Aside from Plato, this was the first time a prominent figure from the Greek Mainland had offered him such high praise. Mildly pleased, he tapped his armrest. "What brings you to Thurii?"

"Your Majesty," Pelopidas began solemnly, "10 days ago, Thebes was invited to Sparta to negotiate a truce. This war has dragged on for years, and the Spartans have laid waste to our lands. Our people are suffering, and we are more than willing to end the fighting and restore peace.

"However, Athens betrayed us during the talks. They joined forces with the Spartans and, backed heavily by the Persians, pressured us to dissolve the Boeotian League. Meanwhile, their own alliances were preserved under that very same treaty..."

Pelopidas outlined the general terms of the treaty before continuing, his voice thick with indignation. "Our envoys withstood the pressure and refused to sign. If we had accepted their demands and dissolved the Boeotian League, we would be utterly defenseless if Sparta ever broke the treaty and attacked Thebes again.

"Because of our refusal, the Persians threatened us. They declared they would throw their full support behind Sparta and severely punish Thebes... That is why I have come to Thurii today—to request Daionia's support on behalf of Thebes!"

Pelopidas paused. Seeing Davos sitting silently on his throne, thoughtfully stroking his chin, he pressed on. "Before these peace talks took place, we heard that both Sparta and Athens had dispatched envoys to Persia to seek support. In response, I also traveled to Babylon as an envoy for Thebes and was granted an audience with the King of Persia.

"In front of all three of us envoys, the King of Persia explicitly demanded an end to the war. He even said, 'Daionia harbors ambitions against Greece, and only by uniting can the Greek city-states resist an invasion by the Daionian Army...' That is why the King of Persia sent envoys to forcefully push for these peace talks in Sparta."

Thinking of this, Davos looked at Pelopidas and slowly asked, "And do you Thebans believe Daionia is a threat to Greece?"

"I think the King of Persia's words are an absolute joke!" Pelopidas said indignantly. "The Persians are foreigners. Ever since the Greco-Persian Wars, they have harbored delusions of annexing Greek lands and enslaving the Greek people. They haven't stopped interfering in the politics of the Greek Mainland for decades, and the endless wars in Greece today have a lot to do with them. Daionia, however, is a kingdom founded primarily by Greeks. Since its inception, it has coexisted peacefully with the Greek Mainland, never sparking a single conflict or war. A simple comparison makes it obvious who is good and who is bad.

"That is why I have come to beseech you, Your Majesty, to lend us a hand. Help Thebes fight the Allied Forces of Persia and Sparta, so that the Greek city-states may reclaim their freedom and peace, and no longer be under their control! If Daionia does this, it will not only preemptively shatter the Persians' conspiracies against Daionia, but it will also earn Daionia prestige and the support of most city-states in Greece!"

Davos nodded, revealing a troubled expression. "What you say makes some sense, but... Daionia and Sparta have maintained friendly relations for over a decade. Not too long ago, I even told the Spartan envoy that I 'would not punish them for prematurely terminating our Friendship Agreement—'"

"Your Majesty!" Pelopidas quickly interjected. "Daionia's commitment to its promises is renowned across the Mediterranean Sea. It is truly admirable! But in the 10-plus years that you faithfully upheld the Friendship Agreement with Sparta, what were the Spartans doing?

"From what I know, they violated the agreement's terms. They secretly maintained contact with Syracuse and actively harbored remnant factions from Magna Graecia that held deep grudges against Daionia. While you were locked in a war with Carthage, those very factions even raised armies to invade Daionian territory. It's hard to say the Spartans had no hand in instigating that...

"The Spartans are treacherous and cunning. They will use any means necessary so long as it benefits them—against Thebes, and against Daionia. Trying to deal with them in good faith is like cattle and sheep facing a vicious wolf; we are always the ones who suffer for it!

"Furthermore, it has been nearly a month since the Spartans tore up their agreement with Daionia. In this past month, you haven't taken a single hostile action against Sparta; you can be considered to have honored your word. On top of that, because of these truce negotiations, the war between Thebes and Sparta has been halted for some time. In the eyes of the Greek people, peace has already emerged.

"If Sparta launches another attack on Thebes after Daionia allies with us, it will make it even clearer to the Greek people who the true instigator of the war is. It will also allow the citizens of Daionia to clearly see how the Spartans treat a Daionia that has maintained friendly relations with them for over 10 years! Of course, if they actually respect Daionia's involvement and genuinely restore peace to Greece, I think that would be a good thing for everyone!"

Davos sighed and said, "It seems your account of being treated courteously by the King of Persia during your visit is true. You are indeed very persuasive."

Pelopidas felt a surge of joy, but he responded modestly, "That is only because everything I say is the truth."

Davos finally said with a serious expression, "In that case, I agree that the Kingdom of Daunia will form a military alliance with Thebes. I hope that this time, our sincere commitment will be met with mutual sincerity!"

Although Pelopidas had some confidence that he would secure Daionia's support, he never expected the King of Daonia to actually agree to a military alliance with Thebes. Unable to suppress the joy in his heart any longer, his face broke into a broad smile.

Shortly after, the Daionian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ansitanos, began negotiating the details of the alliance with Pelopidas.

A day later, Ansitanos arrived at the Royal Palace to report the situation to Davos.

"Pelopidas hopes that Daionia will support Thebes in unifying the Boeotia Region?" Davos frowned.

"Yes, Your Majesty. The Thebans seem to have a very strong obsession with this. I've heard that during their treaty negotiations in Sparta, the talks broke down precisely because the Spartans forcefully demanded they dissolve the Theban League..." Ansitanos reminded him diplomatically.

Davos tapped his fingers against the wooden table. He pondered for quite a while before saying, "Agree to it."

Before Ansitanos could respond, Henipolis asked with some confusion from the side, "Your Majesty, given the current situation, Sparta will definitely launch another attack on Thebes. Allying with Thebes at this time is already giving the Thebans massive support. Now we are also going to help them unify Boeotia. Isn't that a bit—"

"A bit like overestimating Thebes?" Davos picked up his sentence and said earnestly, "Heni, you need to look further ahead and not just focus on these minor, immediate gains. Even if the Thebans actually unify the Boeotia Region, that little amount of land is only equivalent to regions like Messapii and Peuceti; it will never pose any threat to us. But to achieve this goal, the Thebans are willing to defy Sparta, Athens, and Persia! This shows just how important it is to them! If we can help them, we will naturally earn double their gratitude, which will be of great help when we establish a foothold on the Greek Mainland in the future!

"Furthermore, letting our allies grow stronger so they can contend with powerful Greek states like Athens and Sparta will be even more helpful for Daionia's future entry into Greece, and more beneficial to the stability of order on the Greek Mainland..."

"Your Majesty truly thinks far ahead!" Henipolis praised loudly, thoroughly convinced.

Davos did not accept the flattery. He pointed at Ansitanos and said, "You simply haven't thought about it carefully. When your teacher came to report to me, he had already weighed these pros and cons clearly. He knew it in his heart."

Henipolis immediately looked at Ansitanos.

Ansitanos, however, said calmly, "Your Majesty, Henipolis is not an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is impossible for him to know the intricate relationships between the various Greek city-states in detail, nor does he spend his days pondering how to extract benefits from them like we do. How could he possibly make a perfectly accurate judgment..."

"See that, Heni? Your teacher still cares about you," Davos joked, a smile appearing on his face. Then, suddenly remembering something, he spoke seriously, "But what you said just now is also right. Since Daionia has given Thebes such massive support, we should also receive a greater return. Ansitanos, when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs negotiates with Pelopidas, you can append additional requirements to the alliance treaty. For instance, if Daionia takes military action on the Greek Mainland, Thebes must provide its full support..."