Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1246: Preparations for the Games (3)

At this, Praxinas stood. Turning both palms toward the sky, he respectfully offered a priestly greeting to Davos.

Davos solemnly returned the priestly greeting. Under Daunian Law, the King of Daonia also served as the high priest of the Temple of Hades. "Make no mistake, my Scepter Priest," he said, half-joking. "The Theonian Rugby Games are a grand festival honoring all the gods, not just the great Hades."

"Your Majesty, that is indeed what we declare to the public," Praxinas replied earnestly. "But as the leaders of the priestly referee panel and the hosts of the Games, the Temple of Hades will undoubtedly use this event to expand our influence across the Mediterranean Sea, strengthening our oversight and communication with other temples. Kingdom law and our alliance treaties grant us the authority to supervise those shrines. Ten years ago, with your approval, we launched an annual assembly for temple priests from across the kingdom and our allied states. Yet, while domestic priests actively cooperate, our allied counterparts have proven reluctant and dismissive. The priests of Olympia, Delphi, and Athens are the most uncooperative. They either invent excuses to skip the annual assembly entirely or send lowly subordinates in their stead. We cannot hand down severe punishments, as their submission to the Temple of Hades is only nominal. Furthermore, using heavy-handed tactics to force compliance would violate the principles of religious freedom and the mercy of Hades.

"This time, the rumors that the priests of Olympia, Delphi, Corinth, and Athens are refusing to come to Thurii to serve as referees are entirely true. I suppose this is understandable. They all host their own games, and by traditional custom, they rarely invite one another's priests to referee their respective events.

"However, our Games are open to the entire Mediterranean Sea, and we have even extended an invitation to our enemy, Persia. The sheer geographical range and volume of registered athletes, the staggering wealth of the championship prizes, the vast array of sporting events—our scale will dwarf all other competitions. Naturally, these priests resent the launch of the Theonian Rugby Games, fearing it will siphon away the glory their traditional events have long enjoyed. I understand their anxiety. Still, this cowardly habit of covering their eyes and pretending they see nothing is both laughable and a bit pitiful.

"Based on what we know so far, the tourists flocking to Thurii to watch the Games will far exceed the attendance of any previous sporting event. They hail from every corner of the Mediterranean Sea, proving that the Theonian Rugby Games have become the focal point of the entire Mediterranean world. The absence of these four groups of priests will not affect us at all, because our other allies have actively dispatched the priests from their acropolis shrines. Delegations from Mantineia, Thebes, Argos, Euboea, Crete, and others are even being led by their high priests. Our priestly referee panel is fully staffed. Following their training, they have gained a solid grasp of the rules and penalty standards for each event. The panel has also discussed and established two main rules. First, the referees for each match will be chosen by drawing lots. Second, before a match begins, the referee's name and the deity they serve will be announced loudly to the athletes and the audience. The competitors in that match must then join the referee in swearing an oath to that specific deity, guaranteeing a fair contest.

"I firmly believe that once the Games conclude, several obscure deities and their shrines will start drawing public attention. Meanwhile, the already-famous deities will transcend their own cultural boundaries, spreading their renown across the entire Mediterranean Sea.

"The refusal of the priests from Olympia, Delphi, Athens, and Corinth to attend the Theonian Rugby Games is not our loss, but theirs. Your Majesty once said, 'The Theonian Rugby Games will not be a one-time event, but will be held every four years like the Olympic Games.' I am confident that by the second or third Games, we won't even need to invite them—they will be begging to participate."

"Well said, Praxinas!" Davos patted the armrests of his chair, his voice ringing with excitement. "The Theonian Rugby Games will spark a new trend with entirely new competition formats and an unprecedented scale. It will become the grandest celebration in the entire Mediterranean Sea, a radiant epic displaying Daionia's image and national strength!"

Stirred by the report, the others in the hall were visibly excited, whispering amongst themselves.

Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Your Majesty, we have no more questions. Now we're just waiting for the Games to begin!"

These words instantly drew a wave of good-natured laughter through the great hall, clearly echoing everyone's sentiments.

The speaker was Minister of State Haca. As a relative of Crotokatax, he had always done his utmost to assist the consul.

Davos took the opportunity to say, "My thanks to Crotokatax, Praxinas, Haca, Telys... and to every member of the preparation committee. The work you've done so far is outstanding! The Games begin in less than a month. I expect you all to remain vigilant and keep pushing hard until the event concludes with total success. We will celebrate your achievements then!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Crotokatax and the others immediately bowed in response.

"Hosting the Games is currently the most important affair in the kingdom. I expect everyone to fully cooperate with the preparation committee to guarantee its success!" Davos glanced around at the officials, his fingers lightly tapping the throne. After a moment, he continued, "We will set aside matters regarding the Games for now. Does anyone have anything else to report?"

"Your Majesty," Minister of State Haca said. "Since the start of this year, the Liguria Region has suffered two incursions from the Transalpine Gauls. While they caused no real damage, we cannot ignore the threat. Three days ago, the northern border commander, Hasdrubal, sent a dispatch requesting permission to lead his army through the coastal pass and launch a preemptive strike on the neighboring Transalpine Gallic settlements. He wishes to secure the northern border once and for all. However, the Ministry of Military Affairs has yet to give him a definitive answer. Do you have any specific reservations about this matter, Your Majesty?"

Ever since Daionia conquered Cisalpine Gaul and successfully crushed several Gallic rebellions, its grip over the middle reaches of the Po River Region had grown increasingly unshakeable. Terrified of Daionia's might, the Veneti of the lower Po River willingly submitted and became a vassal state. Only the Ligurians along the upper Po River displayed fierce hostility, frequently provoking border disputes that eventually sparked a war with Daionia.

Yet, unlike the conquest of Cisalpine Gaul, the war between Daionia and Liguria was a slow, grinding conflict of small-scale skirmishes. These battles typically involved the Border Legion stationed in the Po River Region clashing with one or two Ligurian tribes. Later on, with the Gallic Reserve Cohort stepping in to assist, and kingdom spies constantly working to divide and bribe the Ligurian tribes, the Daionian forces maintained absolute dominance.

Because Daionia fought close to home and mobilized relatively few troops for each engagement, the logistical strain remained light. Thus, this war of slow encroachment against the Ligurians dragged on for seven long years. It was not until last year that Daionia fully occupied the entire territory. Following the victory, a new Border Legion was dispatched to garrison the Liguria Region, while Hasdrubal was appointed as the military commander of the northern Italian border. He oversaw the two northern Border Legions and held temporary command authority over the Nineteenth Legion, stationed in the Po River Region, when necessary.

"The Ministry of Military Affairs has already briefed me on this. I highly appreciate Commander Hasdrubal's determination to secure the northern border," Davos answered, his expression turning solemn. "However, these two northern regions are vastly different from the rest of our territories. Both the Ligurians and the Cisalpine Gauls are incredibly fierce races. The Po River Region has been part of the kingdom for over ten years, yet the Gauls are still slow to integrate. That is exactly why we continue to station a Border Legion within their borders. As for Liguria, it was only recently annexed; the situation there is still highly volatile.

"Furthermore, according to the Ministry of Military Affairs' report, the Transalpine Gauls' raids pose no real threat to us. They can only invade through the coastal pass, where our Border Legion has already erected formidable fortresses. Our forces easily repelled their attacks without suffering any losses in the Liguria Region. Therefore, for a long time to come, the primary duty of the northern Border Legions will be to hold the line and maintain regional stability. They are not to launch risky offensives.

"Additionally, based on the intelligence we've gathered from Massalia over the years, the lands north of The Alps may be densely forested, but they are also vast, flat, and fertile. Thousands of heavily populated Gallic tribes live there. Without thorough preparation, we must not blindly cross The Alps, lest we trigger a protracted, grueling war between the kingdom and the Transalpine Gauls!"

"Your Majesty, if that is the case, should we have the Intelligence Department dispatch operatives to conduct a detailed survey of the Transalpine Gaul region? Then... we could divide and court the tribes that show goodwill toward our kingdom, laying the groundwork for any future wars..." Haca said thoughtfully. "Moreover... could the Ministry of Foreign Affairs send envoys to the Transalpine Gallic tribes bordering the Liguria Region to convey our kingdom's friendly intentions? If we can establish trade with them, I believe it would not only reduce their raids into Liguria, but also stimulate commerce along the northern border."