Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1154: Changing Commanders Before Battle

Although Davos spoke in a measured tone, Aristiras could still sense the anger behind the king's cold expression. He bowed his head in alarm and asked for punishment. "Your Majesty, this is a failure of the Intelligence Department! We failed to discover this in time, causing a loss to the kingdom. I request to be punished!"

"This is indeed your failure!" Davos suddenly raised his voice, his tone severe. "Even though Prosous was living under an assumed name and hard to investigate, if every matter were that simple, there would be no need for an Intelligence Department! Daionia has many foreign residents, and quite a few hold important positions. If anyone harbors ulterior motives, they could cause tremendous damage to the kingdom. Therefore, your Intelligence Department must do its utmost to thoroughly uncover the backgrounds of these foreign citizens in high office to ensure the kingdom's safety!..."

Davos paused for a moment, and his tone softened slightly. "...The Intelligence Department has performed many meritorious deeds in the past, and this is your first mistake. I will fine you half a year's salary as a warning to the department."

"Thank you for your clemency, Your Majesty!" Aristiras said gratefully, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Send Henipolis in on your way out."

"Yes." Aristiras walked out of the council chamber. Feeling a chill on his back, he realized his tunic was drenched in cold sweat.

When Henipolis walked in, the expression on Davos's face was much gentler than before. "Heni, draft a written order for the Ministry of Military Affairs."

"Right away." Henipolis immediately sat at the desk, taking out paper and a pen.

"Tell Alexis that there is no need to replace the commander of the Peloponnese expedition for now. Prosous will continue in the role."

"What if he doesn't carry out his orders, or even leads the army in rebellion... That is what you're thinking, isn't it?" Davos cut in with a hearty laugh, his face brimming with confidence. "The vast majority of the expeditionary soldiers are citizens who grew up within Daionia's borders. They love and support the kingdom that nurtured them. Should Prosous harbor any treacherous intentions, they would simply abandon him. Furthermore, Oliphus, Trotidis, and Secilian are also in the army! Sparta is a setting sun. After living in the kingdom for so many years and earning a massive reputation, Prosous won't abandon everything here to return to the Sparta he has always hated!"

Davos paused before continuing. "Besides, a dignified Spartan prince serving as the commanding general of tens of thousands of Daionian soldiers—if the various Greek city-states hear of this, it will not only showcase Daionia's power but also demonstrate our magnanimity. It might even produce a special sort of influence on the Greek Mainland..."

"I see..." Henipolis nodded thoughtfully.

"Draft a reply to Prosous in my name. The general idea should be... Hmm, 'I trust him completely. He shouldn't have any concerns and should continue fighting Sparta according to his own plans. I will support him fully, just as before.'... Once you finish, bring it to me to sign, then send it out as soon as possible."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

...

Upon returning to the Intelligence Department, Aristiras immediately convened a meeting to pressure his subordinates. He demanded that all regional directors intensify their strict investigations into foreign citizens in their respective areas. Kingdom officials, in particular, were to be thoroughly scrutinized to uncover their backgrounds before they arrived in Daionia. Anyone who made an error would be severely punished.

The meeting lasted until nightfall before Aristiras finally dismissed them. When he dragged his exhausted body home, he found his wife beaming, clearly in an excellent mood.

"Queen Christoya summoned me this afternoon. She said I've been working hard lately and helped her out a lot," Asuna said. (Ever since her marriage to Aristiras, Asuna had continued working in Christoya's commercial association. For the past two years, Christoya had been busy taking care of her grandson and poured less energy into the association, relying more on Asuna to assist Eunice.) "To show her appreciation, she gave me a great deal of wealth—a full two talents!"

Aristiras froze. He immediately thought of his docked half-year salary and realized this had to be King Davos's way of compensating him.

"I didn't plan to accept it at first and repeatedly declined the queen's offer," Asuna babbled on. "But then she asked me, 'Is that villa your family is building in Catania finished yet?' I thought about it, and she was right. We spent all our savings over the years there, and there are still some outstanding payments we haven't settled..."

As Asuna chattered away, Aristiras suddenly cut her off. "Did you tell the queen about the villa?"

"I didn't. Didn't you tell me not to say a word to anyone?" Her answer caught Aristiras off guard. Ever since the Intelligence Department had moved from the shadows into the light and gained the kingdom's formal recognition, their workload had surged. Growing older and feeling his energy wane, he had begun entertaining thoughts of stepping down. That was why he had purchased land and started building a villa at the foothills on the western edge of the Plain of Catania, intending to retire to his homeland in the future. But he had been doing this in absolute secrecy. He hadn't told a soul... So how did His Majesty know?

As the realization dawned on him, a chill gripped his heart.

...

A few days later, Davos received another letter from Leotychides. This time, he summoned the Minister of Military Affairs, Alexis.

"Alexis, Prosous has written to request his resignation as commander, and he has also asked to be transferred away from the expeditionary force in Sparta. What are your thoughts on this matter?" Davos asked gently.

Alexis was taken aback. Catching sight of Davos's placid expression, he thought to himself, 'My thoughts are exactly the same as what you just said, but you already rejected them last time.'

Naturally, he did not voice this. Instead, he furrowed his brow and spoke with apparent difficulty. "Your Majesty, Prosous is not only the commander of the Spartan expedition, but also the Legion Commander of the First Legion. The First Legion is our main combat force. The army is already in the war zone, and battle with the Spartan army could break out at any moment. For Prosous to request a departure at such a critical juncture will not only sap the troops' morale and combat effectiveness, but it will also severely impact our success or failure in the Peloponnesian War!"

Davos looked at him and said slowly, "However, Prosous confessed in his letter that, as a Spartan, he still feels a sense of longing for his homeland. He cannot bring himself to lead an army and fight his fellow Spartans with all his strength. That is why he asked to be recalled, so as not to jeopardize our campaign in Greece."

"And that is exactly where Prosous is at fault!" Alexis said sternly. "If he had confessed his true origins to Your Majesty before the army set out, we wouldn't be trapped in this dilemma. According to Military Law, he ought to receive some punishment!"

"...Hmm, since Prosous has lost the will to fight, forcing him to stay will only hinder the war effort, so we will recall him. Naturally, he must be punished. The Ministry of Military Affairs will deliberate on the matter in accordance with Theonian Military Law and submit a proposal for my approval."

At this point, Davos added earnestly, "However... it is not easy for the kingdom to cultivate an outstanding commander. After all these years of war, only you and Prosous have truly been able to stand on your own and lead campaigns across all borders for the kingdom—"

"Your Majesty, you are the kingdom's greatest commander!" Alexis quickly interjected.

Davos chuckled lightly, then gave a soft sigh and emphasized his words. "It is somewhat understandable that Prosous concealed his origins. Furthermore, he never secretly colluded with the enemy, and he confessed of his own volition... Let's not punish him too harshly."

Alexis hesitated for a moment before replying, "Understood, Your Majesty."

Davos nodded in satisfaction, then shifted to another topic. "Do you have any candidates in mind to temporarily take over as the expeditionary force commander and the Legion Commander of the First Legion?"

Alexis did not answer immediately. He fell into deep thought.

Davos first gestured for Henipolis, who was taking notes nearby, to fetch them something to drink, and then waited quietly.

After a long while, Alexis finally looked up. "Your Majesty, the soldiers of the First Legion are prouder and harder to tame than those of other legions. Their current first captain was only appointed last year, and I fear he has not yet fully established his prestige within the ranks. If he were to serve as acting Legion Commander, he would struggle to command the soldiers' obedience, making it difficult to unleash the First Legion's full combat potential. Since the First Legion is our main force in this campaign, we must be extremely careful in choosing its interim commander..."

"Hmm..." Davos nodded in agreement.

According to Theonian Military Law, if an exceptional situation arose during wartime and a Legion Commander was unable to perform his duties, the first captain could temporarily take his place. With the first captain now ruled out, the other captains had even less of a chance. Alexis made no mention of the third captain, Adoris, and Davos seemed to have forgotten him entirely.

"I have an excellent candidate—Ctesus. Does Your Majesty remember him?"

"Of course. He was the first officer I ever heard of who steadfastly refused a promotion to Legion Commander." Davos smiled and asked jokingly, "How many promotion offers has he rejected in total?"

"That... I don't know either. However, Ctesus served as the first captain of the First Legion for over ten years. Without a doubt, he holds the record as the longest-serving first captain in the kingdom's army. His prestige among the soldiers is sometimes even higher than that of the Legion Commander. During the Western Mediterranean War, when Amyntas was in command, Ctesus took temporary charge of the First Legion's battlefield operations on several occasions, and he performed exceptionally well..."