Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 922: Exposure

"What did you say?!" Davos thought he had misheard.

"Your Majesty, we no longer need to attack the City of Satricum. The Romans are surrendering!" Henipolis repeated joyfully beside him.

Davos had lost his composure because if Satricum surrendered, Velitrae and its garrison of fewer than 3,000 men would be left completely isolated. It would fall to a single decree, meaning Rome would be utterly wiped out.

The thought that Rome—the empire that had dominated the Mediterranean Sea in his previous life—would soon be destroyed by his own hands made Davos feel as though he were dreaming. He pressed his hands against the hard desk to steady his surging emotions, then ordered in a deep voice, "Summon the senior generals to the main tent. Let them witness the Roman surrender with their own eyes!"

Aurus wore a white linen tunic beneath well-fitted dark red leather armor, with a bright red cloak draped over his shoulders. He tucked the corner of the cloak into the crook of his left arm, his hand grasping a scroll of Papyrus wound around a wooden spool. The short sword normally hanging at his waist had been confiscated by the guards before he entered. With his right hand resting on his hip and his chin held high, he strode firmly into the Daionian main tent.

Upon entering, he saw nine men standing on either side. Most wore black military uniforms and helmets topped with purple and red plumes. Having fought Daionia for months, Aurus knew this attire belonged to the senior commanders of the Daionian Army. Yet one man among them wore the uniform of a Roman officer and possessed distinctly Roman features. Finding him somewhat familiar, Aurus quickly realized this man must be Sextus, the commander of the Roman rebels whom his soldiers constantly cursed. He gave him a long, hard look.

Sextus met his gaze without flinching.

Aurus quickly gathered his thoughts and focused his attention on the center. The King of Daonia, also in full military attire, sat straight-backed on a wooden chair, watching him with a solemn expression.

Aurus immediately bowed in greeting and spoke loudly in Greek. "Honored King of Daonia, I am the envoy sent by the Roman Dictator Camillus. I am the Roman Legion Commander, Aurus Comineneus Cossus. By Lord Camillus's order, I present to you our letter of surrender."

"The reasons are explained within. You will understand once you read it," Aurus said, raising the wooden-spooled scroll in his hand.

Henipolis quickly stepped forward, took the scroll, and handed it to Davos.

As Davos unrolled it to read, Oliphus suddenly chuckled and whispered to Geogris beside him, "Looking at the way this Roman envoy strutted in, I thought he was here to declare a fight to the death. To think he actually came to surrender!"

Mindful of the Roman envoy's pride, Geogris did not reply.

Matonis, however, chimed in. "Yeah, what a disappointment! The siege was just about to begin, and the men were hoping to earn merits by breaching the city!"

...

Aurus turned a deaf ear to the mocking remarks passed among the Theonian senior commanders. He kept his eyes fixed on Davos, suppressing the nervous tension rising in his chest. He and Maecius had certainly considered sending an envoy to negotiate terms first to secure a more favorable surrender, which would have also aroused less suspicion from the Theonians. But the plague was spreading far too quickly within the city. In the single day they had spent deliberating, many more soldiers had fallen ill. A prolonged negotiation would undoubtedly waste precious time. By the time an agreement was reached, most of the city's defenders would have collapsed, making it impossible to hide the truth from the Theonians. Thus, they had opted for this strategy—writing a direct letter of surrender in Camillus's name to expedite the process.

"So that's how it is," Davos said, placing the letter on the desk and looking straight at Aurus. "Your food supplies are exhausted, and many Roman soldiers have lost their will to fight. They actually rioted outside Camillus's residence, demanding the gates be opened so they could go home... Aurus, is the situation inside the City of Rome really that dire?! I always thought the Romans were resilient and wouldn't easily yield. When the Celts occupied Rome, didn't you hold out on Mons Capitolinus for half a year? Why surrender so easily this time?"

"The invasion of the Gauls was entirely different from this. The cruelty of the Gauls enraged all the city-states and tribes in Latium. But you Theonians—" Aurus glanced at Sextus and sighed unwillingly, "I must admit, you have managed to sway many city-states to your side, including a vast number of our Roman plebeians. That leaves us fighting entirely alone... without a sliver of hope..."

These words from Aurus came from the bottom of his heart. Davos watched him and asked, "How is your Dictator, Camillus? I heard he collapsed from illness during the battle and has been comatose ever since."

Aurus replied unhurriedly, "Lord Camillus is not comatose. He is merely paralyzed in his limbs and bedridden. However, his mind remains sharp. He can speak, issue commands, and coordinate deployments without any issues. This letter was written exactly as he dictated it."

Henipolis suddenly interjected from the side, "You claim in the letter that the city is running out of food, yet your complexion doesn't look like that of a starving man."

Aurus raised his chin once more. "As I introduced myself earlier, I am a Legion Commander. If even a Legion Commander starves, how could I command my soldiers in battle?"

"Do the officers of the Roman army not share the hardships of their soldiers?" Geogris asked.

"The Roman Senate does have such regulations, but whether they are followed depends on the personal discipline of the Roman officer. This man belongs to the Comineneus Clan, which is the greatest among the Roman Aristocracy!" Sextus suddenly spoke up.

"Hah, I truly never expected to find a Roman inside Daionia's main tent," Aurus sneered, though inwardly he thanked Sextus for providing the explanation.

"In this letter, Camillus expresses his belief that I can provide a good way out for the surrendering Roman soldiers," Davos said with a smile, tapping his finger on the letter. "Since you belong to the Comineneus Clan, I'm sure you've already heard from the Roman families about how we handle the surrendering Roman Aristocracy. A massive clan like the Comineneus Clan will be completely broken up and dispersed across different parts of the kingdom. Can you accept that?"

Aurus's expression shifted, but he quickly replied with pride, "I trust that the people of our clan can survive and thrive no matter where they go!"

Davos gave a slight nod and asked, "Regarding the surrender, do all the soldiers in the city know and fully accept it?"

"They... have not explicitly voiced any opposition."

Hearing this, Davos harbored no further doubts. He swept his gaze across the generals on his left and right, then raised his voice. "Very well. Let us discuss how we will accept your surrender and the post-war arrangements."

Aurus breathed a sigh of relief.

Davos kept Tolmides and Henipolis behind to negotiate the terms of surrender with Aurus.

After Matonis, Oliphus, and the other legion commanders stepped out of the tent, they began discussing the surrender of Satricum's defenders. They all appeared both regretful and excited—regretful because they would not get to personally breach the City of Satricum and claim the glory of utterly defeating the Romans, and excited because the Roman war was nearing its end, meaning the army would soon march south to fight the mighty Carthaginians.

Just then, Matonis spotted Ctesus, a cohort commander in his legion, rushing toward the main tent. Following right behind him was Stesichodas, the director of the Field Hospital and a Senator.

Looking anxious, Ctesus noticed his superior and hurried over. Before Matonis could ask anything, Ctesus whispered a few urgent words into his ear.

Matonis's expression changed drastically. He immediately looked at Stesichodas and demanded, "Are you sure?!"

"It's only one person so far, so we can't be completely certain," Stesichodas replied with a grave expression.

"Come, follow me to see His Majesty!" Matonis declared, turning and rushing back toward the tent.

Though the other generals had no idea what was going on, they sensed the urgency and quickly followed.

Eager to wrap things up quickly, Aurus moved the negotiations along at a brisk pace. Once everything was finalized, he exhaled softly, stood up quickly, and prepared to bid the King of Daonia farewell.

"Your Majesty!" Matonis strode into the tent, hurried up to Davos, and whispered a few words to him.

The smile on Davos's face instantly vanished, replaced by a layer of frost. He drummed his fingers against the desk, tapping out a rapid, forceful rhythm.

A moment later, he fixed a sharp and authoritative gaze on Aurus, his voice slow and commanding: "Aurus, a plague has broken out in the City of Satricum!"

"What?!" Henipolis, Tolmides, and the others exclaimed.

Aurus felt as though he had been plunged into an ice pit.

After Aurus, Maecius, and the others had conspired, they chose Aurus to act as the envoy because he could speak Greek. As a prominent member of the Roman Aristocracy, Aurus felt that even a fake surrender should not compromise Rome's dignity. It had to be conducted according to traditional Roman etiquette; otherwise, the enemy would grow suspicious. Therefore, he handpicked a squad of soldiers who had been examined and found perfectly healthy to serve as his entourage. He also strictly ordered them not to speak a word about anything happening inside the City of Satricum once they entered the Davos Camp.

When they were finally permitted into the Davos Camp, Aurus went ahead to meet Davos. This small squad of Roman soldiers was left near the camp gates, where they quickly drew a crowd of curious Daionian soldiers. The scrutiny left the Romans feeling highly anxious.