Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1282: Seeing the King Off (2)

King Davos's other biological daughter, Avia, rode in the Royal Carriage that followed. She remained hidden from view, leaving the citizens of Thurii lining the road slightly disappointed. Because the Daionian princess was shy and disliked public appearances, the people of Thurii had known little about her at first. It wasn't until she became the zoo director—interacting with tourists and children while caring for the animals—that everyone finally saw her pure, kind heart and grew to love her.

Christoya, Agnes, Cynthia, Avia, and the children shared two Royal Carriages, closely followed by two squadrons of royal cavalry.

Compared to their Persian enemies, the Daunian Royal Family's procession was remarkably simple, yet the people's love and support for them far exceeded anything the Persian royal family could ever hope to claim.

"Victory to King Davos!"

"Victory to the royal family of Hades Davos!"

...

The citizens cheered continuously, expressing their devotion to King Davos and his family alongside their best wishes for the impending war.

Intermingled with these formal cheers were shouts of personal affection: "May Hades bless the beautiful Princess Eunice!"

"May Hades bless the kind Princess Avia!"

...

Eunice giggled and teased, "Did you hear that, Antebris? Be careful, or I'll tell Ronia!"

"I don't even know that woman! She's probably just a rugby fan like you. Don't go spouting nonsense!" Antebris defended himself hurriedly. His wife, Ronia, was the daughter of a Thurii rugby team owner. Cheerful, open-minded, and deeply passionate about sports, she had constantly rejected Antebris's courtship, fearing that marrying into the royal family would restrict her freedom. Antebris had pursued her relentlessly, and they finally married after last year's games. This made him the last of Davos's children to wed, settling a lingering worry for Davos and his wives. Because this marriage had been so hard-won, Antebris cherished it all the more.

"Relax, Ante. Eunice won't go blabbing," Apox said lightly. "She wouldn't want to lose Ronia as a friend."

"Apox, you talk too much!" Eunice shot him a disgruntled glare. It was true that Eunice and Ronia shared similar personalities and interests. Ever since Ronia had married into the royal family, the two had quickly become fast friends. During last year's rugby and football championships, they had often appeared together in the stadium stands, becoming a beautiful fixture at the games.

Davos looked around with a smile, frequently waving at the cheering citizens lining the road, but the fine horse beneath him did not slow its pace. The procession soon arrived at the inner city dock.

Ministers from the Kingdom Administrative Office and various departments, along with Senators from the Senate, were already waiting there. Upon seeing King Davos arrive, they stepped forward in an orderly fashion and bowed respectfully.

Davos dismounted. Looking at the five Ministers of State who approached, he said solemnly, "After I depart for the Eastern Mediterranean, I leave the kingdom's affairs in your hands!"

"There is no need to worry, Your Majesty. His Highness Crotokatax has outstanding abilities, and we will support him with all our might," Haca said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, we will do our utmost to maintain the kingdom's stability and patiently await your triumphant return," Cyprolus said earnestly.

"Your Majesty, we will do everything in our power to secure the army's logistical supplies. You can attack the Persians without worry," Antaoris quickly added.

Davos smiled and nodded, then patted the shoulders of Bagulas and Adriancus, who hadn't spoken but wore resolute expressions. He had already arranged many matters beforehand; there was no need to say anything more now.

He smiled and acknowledged the ministers and Senators stepping forward to pay their respects as he slowly walked toward the pier.

By the time he reached the moored Double-Headed Dragon Flagship, only his family members remained by his side.

He stopped and let his gentle gaze sweep across each family member's face before finally landing on Patroclus, whom he had specifically called out from the crowd. With a solemn expression, he said, "Patroclus, I entrust the safety of the kingdom and the royal family to you!"

"Your Majesty—" Patroclus started, but seeing Davos's displeasure, he quickly corrected himself. "Father, I will do everything in my power to assist Crotokatax and maintain the kingdom's stability!"

Earlier, Davos had the Ministry of Military Affairs issue an order: transferring Hasdrubal to the position of Fourteenth Legion Commander to accompany him to Persia, and having Sextus take over as commander of the kingdom's northern border.

Then, he appointed his most trusted son-in-law, Patroclus, to command the Reserve Legion stationed at the Thurii Military Camp. The most crucial mission of this temporary assignment was that, should any unrest arise within the country—especially within the Italian Peninsula—he had the authority to mobilize reserve forces from any region to suppress it.

Patroclus had initially been unwilling to accept; he desperately wanted to participate in this grand war between Daionia and Persia. However, after a detailed discussion with Davos and some persuasion from his wife, Cynthia, he ultimately accepted the appointment.

Davos had personally led armies on campaigns many times before, yet he had never made such an arrangement. Why do this now? That was because Davos believed that since Persia was so vast and distant, the war would likely drag on for a very long time. Furthermore, the Kingdom of Daunia was committing almost all of its Regular Legions, leaving domestic defenses vulnerable. If an emergency occurred, the main army would struggle to return in time to help. Therefore, he needed his most trusted general to stay behind, marshal the remaining military resources, and safeguard the kingdom.

Of course, Davos had another important, unspoken reason: Patroclus was still young, yet he had already established a stellar military record and enjoyed immense prestige within the army. If he were allowed to return from the Persian war covered in even more glory, his influence among the troops would grow further, which would be detrimental to Crotokatax's rule over the kingdom. Even though Davos had observed him carefully over the years and found Patroclus's character completely trustworthy, he still had to plan for the future. He needed to prevent any future rifts within the Daunian Royal Family and ensure they remained harmonious.

Davos nodded. He looked at his son, the future king, and said deeply, "Take good care of your two mothers and your siblings. After I leave, the kingdom is in your hands. Do well!"

After their father-son talk the other night, Crotokatax naturally understood the true meaning behind Davos's words. Feeling the heavy weight of that responsibility, he took a deep breath and replied with unprecedented seriousness, "Yes, Father!"

"Your Majesty, don't forget to notify Agnes and me to go to Miletus when the time comes!" Christoya suddenly reminded him loudly.

Davos gazed at the still-charming faces of his two wives and smiled gently. "Just wait for my good news."

"Grandpa, I really want to go to Persia with you too!" Christod couldn't help but say.

Davos bent down with an affectionate expression. "You're still too little. Once you've learned your lessons at school and grown taller and stronger, Grandpa won't just take you to Persia, but to Egypt and Greece too. How does that sound?"

"Okay!" Christod nodded vigorously.

Davos smiled and lightly pinched the boy's cheek. Finally, under the watchful eyes of his family, he boarded the Double-Headed Dragon Flagship.

"Your Majesty." Palace Secretary Henipolis and former intelligence chief Aristiras, who were waiting at the entrance, bowed in greeting.

"Your Majesty, you're far too slow... ... We've been waiting on this ship so long our feet are growing mold!" The one complaining was Amyntas, who sat in a wheelchair. The other old veterans like Alexis and Philesius also came forward to pay their respects to Davos.

"Amyntas, you're so old now, yet your temper hasn't changed at all. You should know that you can't rush a war against a great power like Persia," Davos joked as he signaled to Henipolis. "Set sail."

Amidst cheers and farewells, the Double-Headed Dragon Flagship slowly departed from the dock. The moment it entered the Crati River channel, even louder cheers erupted from all around. The banks of the Crati River were equally packed with citizens, excitedly waving and shouting at this unique warship.

"Your Majesty, it seems the people are highly enthusiastic about this war!" Philesius said happily.

"Over the years, the citizens of Thurii have made great sacrifices for the kingdom. I suspect they are simply hoping the soldiers of the First and Second Legions will have a smooth and triumphant return!" Davos sighed.

The moment he finished speaking, Amyntas suddenly started coughing loudly.

Just as the Double-Headed Dragon Flagship sailed down the river, soldiers of the First and Second Legions were boarding troopships at the Port of Thurii. Meanwhile, at the Crati River Mouth, thousands of warships from the 1st and 2nd Fleets lay in wait. They had only been ordered back to the kingdom the previous month. Recently, they had been running back and forth between the Italian Peninsula and the Southern Gulf of the Peloponnese to secure the sea routes for the troopships transporting the kingdom's regional legions. Escorting the troopships of the First and Second Legions, along with King Davos's flagship, was their final—and naturally, most important—mission for this period.

The massive Fleet sailed out of the Bay of Thurii, crossed the Mouth of the Adriatic, passed by coastal islands like Korkyra, Cephalonia, and Zakynthos, and entered the Messenian Gulf.

Although Messenia was currently a vassal of the Kingdom of Daunia, most of its council members possessed Daionian Citizen rights. Furthermore, the Messenian citizens of helot descent were filled with gratitude and reverence toward Daionia. The interactions between the two were incredibly close; in practice, it was no different from the kingdom's own territory. At the same time, serving as a maritime trade relay station between the kingdom and the Greek Mainland had greatly stimulated its commercial development. Over the past few years, the port had undergone continuous expansion and was no longer the primitive facility it once was. It was now fully capable of accommodating this massive Fleet and supplying the needs of two entire legions.