Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1161: Brothers

Leotychides let out a cold scoff. "Perhaps to the Arcadians, no matter how vicious the Spartans get, they're still kin. Meanwhile, regardless of what we Theonians have said or done, we remain foreign invaders. They might be wary of Sparta, but they will be far more suspicious of our true intentions for suddenly intruding into the Peloponnese..."

Crotokatax pondered this for a long moment before asking uncertainly, "General, do you think that with Sparta actively suing for peace, the Arcadians might reunite with them to fight us?"

"It is just a guess. Otherwise, several days would not have passed without the Arcadians sending a single envoy," Leotychides said cautiously. "However, the situation in the Peloponnese is inherently complex. I have been away for decades and am out of touch with the current state of the Arcadia Region, so my judgment might be off. It is also entirely possible that the Arcadians are willing to cooperate, hoping we can help them throw off Sparta for good."

Crotokatax frowned, his worry growing. "What if the Arcadians really do reconcile with Sparta and refuse to let our army pass through their territory?"

"Simple. Ignore them and force our way through. With an army as powerful as ours, they would not dare block us."

Leotychides's answer was uncompromising, but Crotokatax only frowned deeper. "But that will provoke the Arcadians' resentment."

"Our forceful invasion of the Peloponnese Peninsula as outsiders already sparked suspicion and resentment among these conservative locals. But as long as we utterly defeat Sparta, the other city-states of the Peloponnese will be awed by our might, no matter how dissatisfied they remain." Leotychides's flat tone carried a distinct hint of disdain.

Crotokatax did not entirely agree with him, but rather than voice his objections, he simply kept listening.

"Even if Sparta receives reinforcements from the Persians, our current forces can still defeat them fairly easily in a head-on battle. Not to mention, Your Highness has brought more than an entire legion as reinforcements." Leotychides cut straight to the point. "Is this massive force truly meant just to deal with a deeply weakened Sparta?"

With that, Crotokatax answered honestly, "Defeating Sparta is merely our initial objective. His Majesty hopes we can use this victory to unite the Greek city-states, dominate the political landscape of Greece, and drive the Persians out, turning Greece into a powerful shield for the kingdom!"

This fell exactly within Leotychides's expectations. His expression turned solemn. "It will not be easy for the kingdom to replace Sparta as the hegemon of Greece. These powerful city-states will not submit easily, especially Athens. Just like the Spartans, the Athenians view Greece as their own and will never allow an outside power to vie for it. Therefore, if you want to complete His Majesty's task, you must first bring Athens to its knees.

"Furthermore, you must be wary of the Thebans. They may be our allies, but they will not necessarily support our bid for control over Greece... In short, Athens, Thebes, Argos, Corinth... and even Elis—do not place too much trust in any of them. Your Highness, the only thing you can truly trust is the mighty army under your command. Win a few more battles, and you will eventually achieve your goal."

Crotokatax fell deep into thought. After a long while, he gave a solemn nod. "Thank you for the warning, General. I will bear it in mind."

"Before I leave, I hope Your Highness will grant me one request."

"Please, speak."

"My eldest son, Tertotis, is seventeen this year and not yet of age. He came to Messenia this time as my personal guard. Originally, I planned to take him for a walk through Spartan territory... but I can no longer do that." A rare trace of regret appeared on Leotychides's face. "However, after learning of his heritage, he refuses to leave with me. He insists on seeing his so-called motherland with his own eyes... So, I hope Your Highness can keep him here and fulfill his—"

"That is no problem at all. He can stay as my personal guard and enter Sparta with me when the time comes," Crotokatax agreed without hesitation.

After seeing Leotychides off, Crotokatax turned to his chief of staff. "Lord Plintors, what do you make of General Prosous's words?"

"Your Highness," Plintors said earnestly, "General Prosous possesses not only strong command abilities but also outstanding administrative skills. Whether it was pacifying the Sicels back then or handling the conquered territories after taking Cisalpine Gaul, his arrangements swiftly stabilized the region while aligning perfectly with the kingdom's laws... Moreover, he grew up here and understands the Greek Mainland far better than we do. We should take his words seriously. Just as he said, since we have no roots on the Greek Mainland, if we want to dominate the situation in Greece, we will likely have to rely heavily on military action."

Crotokatax looked thoughtful.

...

That evening, Adoris arrived at the main command tent.

Crotokatax came out to welcome him in person.

Upon seeing him, however, Adoris immediately snapped off a military salute. "Adoris, battalion commander of the First Legion's Third Battalion, reporting to the Commander!"

Crotokatax quickly waved him off. "Brother, it's just the two of us. Stop teasing me!"

"The kingdom's army relies on strict discipline. If I act casually around the Commander, I will be a laughingstock to my peers and the troops by tomorrow, and might even face impeachment from the military judges!" Adoris said sternly. "As the Commander, you must maintain the dignity of your rank."

Crotokatax flushed slightly and quickly returned a formal salute.

Only when they stepped inside the large tent did Adoris finally relax. He surveyed the empty space, his eyes landing on the feast laid out in the center. "Croto, did you invite me here for a banquet?"

"I've been stationed in Rome for the past few years. We brothers haven't seen each other in far too long! We're having a proper reunion tonight!" Crotokatax said warmly.

"A reunion is fine, but let's be clear—no drinking," Adoris warned.

"Don't worry. As the Commander, I wouldn't dare set a bad example," Crotokatax laughed, gesturing for Adoris to take a seat at the table.

"I never expected you to become the new Commander, Croto! I've been in the army all these years, and I still haven't even made Legion Commander!" Adoris sighed as he sat down.

"I didn't expect to become the Commander either!" Crotokatax replied with a sheepish smile. "Perhaps Father had his own considerations... Anyway, the ones actually formulating the plans and issuing the orders are Chief of Staff Plintors and the various Legion Commanders, so none of you need to worry..."

"Croto!" Adoris glared at him, a flash of anger in his voice. "Since you are the Commander, you must shoulder the responsibilities of the Commander. The lives of thousands of soldiers are in your hands. This is no child's play. You must brace yourself, carefully weigh their suggestions, and prudently issue the right orders. Only then will you live up to Father's expectations!"

"You're right to scold me, brother!" Crotokatax quickly admitted his mistake. "I will do everything in my power to be a good Commander, but I hope I can count on your support!"

"Of course I'll support you!" Adoris answered without a second's hesitation. "As long as you don't mess around, I will even rally every soldier in the First Legion to back you!"

"Thank you, brother!" Crotokatax ladled out a bowl of chicken soup for Adoris, then asked, "How are things with General Ctesus stepping in as the Legion Commander of the First Legion?"

"The Ministry of Military Affairs definitely picked the right man!" Adoris took a sip of soup, his tone laced with excitement. "Two hours ago, Ctesus arrived at our First Legion camp and called a meeting for all officers at the company commander rank and above. Let me tell you, it was a lively scene! Did you know that out of the eight battalion commanders and forty company commanders, more than half used to serve under him? They all crowded around him, calling him their old commander... It was only their first meeting, but the First Legion is already firmly under Ctesus's control."

Seeing the look of admiration on his brother's face, Crotokatax thought for a moment before asking, "And how is the troops' morale right now?"

"It's great... and also not so great," Adoris gave a contradictory answer before quickly explaining. "The men of the First Legion are itching to cross swords with the Spartans to prove that we are the fiercest warriors in the Mediterranean Sea. But when we landed in Messenia, the Spartans retreated. The troops were incredibly disappointed. They are eager to storm Spartan territory and conquer the city-state that has dominated Greece for decades. Instead, we are stuck here in Messenia, helping the Messenians build walls and houses... Even though the Messenians are grateful, the soldiers are harboring quite a few complaints."

"I believe their wish will be fulfilled soon enough," Crotokatax said. Then, remembering something, he pulled a few letters from his tunic. "These are from sister-in-law and our sister, Cynthia. Lately, they have been going to the Main Temple of Hades every day to pray, hoping Hades will watch over you and bring you home safely."

Adoris took the letters without looking at them and stuffed them straight into his tunic. He then put on a solemn face. "Croto, there is one thing I must warn you about. You cannot deny me important military assignments just because I am your brother, and you certainly cannot keep my company off the battlefield... If you pull something like that, I will no longer acknowledge you as my brother!"