Chapter 130
The instructor had told Arsines that the process of fighting in war was very short. Most of the time was spent on marching and camping, so a well-trained Amendolan militia had to first adapt and learn how to march.
Arsines trusted his instructor, who was said to be a famous warrior in the army. He followed the method taught by his instructor to control his pace and regulate his breathing to conserve his strength.
During the march, he also saw groups of Lucanian slaves carrying freshly cut tree trunks pass by them. In the past, he would have expressed his anger by cursing and throwing stones, but now he would not do so. On the one hand, he had adapted to the existence of these people. These slaves were the property of the city-state, and they were creating wealth for the city-state. Hurting them would not do him any good, and he would be punished instead. On the other hand, the instructor told them that this was the performance of the weak, and the real strong had to defeat their enemies on the battlefield. Arsines wanted to be a truly strong man!
The five-kilometer armed march was over, but it was not over yet. After a short rest, the recruits began the charge training. This was a training program that Arsines found slightly exciting. The fully armed recruits first lined up in a dense square formation, and when the drums sounded, they began to march. The drums went from slow to fast, and the recruits' speed gradually changed from a brisk walk to a jog. Finally, while running, they had to cross narrow trenches and cross ridges, so some recruits fell from time to time. The hardest part of the charge training was to maintain the formation while running. No one could stand out too much or fall too far behind, so that the square formation could rush to the target as a whole. The recruits often failed to attend to one thing and lose sight of another, and the instructor on the sidelines kept scolding them.
After the charge training, the recruits' hands and feet were all sore. Guns, shields, and helmets were thrown aside, and they fell to the ground, panting. But the training was not over yet. The instructor kicked and pulled, driving the recruits to the Sissno River.
The next training was swimming, which was a favorite of Arsinis and the recruits of the old citizens of Amendolar. Although Amendolar was a mountain city, there were many rivers in the territory, so the citizens all knew how to swim. Arsines and the others cheered, quickly took off their equipment, and plunged into the water. The cool water immediately took away the heat brought by the training, washed away the sweat and dust, and eliminated physical fatigue. Arsines and the others swam in the water for a while before coming ashore. At this time, the recruits had something to watch: many of the arrogant veterans who looked down on them clumsily learned to swim in the river. It was a fact that the Greeks were a seafaring people, and most of them could swim. But some cities were located in the mountains and inland, and there were few rivers. Naturally, the people did not have the opportunity to learn to swim since they were young, such as Thessaly.
Although the veterans were clumsy and kept choking, they still persisted in practicing.
Arsinis laughed and laughed, and then stopped. He remembered what the instructor had said when explaining the importance of swimming. When they were in Persia, they had to march with difficulty while fighting with the Persia. On the way, they had to pass through many mountains and rivers. Some of his comrades did not know how to swim, so they had to cross the river under the enemy's arrows. They slipped and fell into the river and drowned in vain. So in war, soldiers would encounter all kinds of unexpected situations, so it was best to learn all kinds of combat skills so that they could protect themselves and kill the enemy.
At this time, a loud cheer came from the front, awakening Arsines from his thoughts.
"What's wrong?" he asked his teammate who was looking down the river.
"I heard that the archon is swimming with the Persians." The one who answered was Melisande. His father had also died in the war, and his mother, who was in her thirties, had just married the new senator of the Senate, military affairs officer Felicius. Melisande was only 16 years old and had not reached the age to serve, but he stubbornly insisted on participating in the training. His purpose was the same as Arsines'. His adoptive father Felicius had no choice but to go to the Devers. The Devers specially allowed him to participate in the training, but he could not go to the battlefield until he was an adult. Because Arsines was close to him and was the youngest in the camp, they became good friends.
"The archon also came to swim!" Arsines was surprised.
"The Devers always asks others to do it, but he has to do it himself first. He is training with the veterans, so you don't usually see him. "The instructor's voice sounded in his ear.
Arsines nodded and ran downstream excitedly.
"Wait for me!" Melisande shouted.
The two of them squeezed through the crowd with all their might. Then, they saw five people paddling with all their might amidst the rapid beating of the drums in the river. One of them was paddling with his bare hands, his body tilting left and right. He was swimming like a big fish in a way that the two of them had never seen before, leaving the others far behind …
When the drums stopped, the man stood up, the Sissno River up to his waist. He was the archon of the Devers. Arsines had seen him at the referendum before.
At this time, the Devers smiled and said, "Who else wants to come down and compete?"
The soldiers who had been cheering loudly immediately quieted down.
Seeing no response, the Devers turned around and hugged the other contestants, ready to go ashore.
Melisande suddenly pushed Arsines, and Arsines rushed out of the crowd. Facing the eyes of the crowd, he shouted in a hurry, "I … I'll do it!"
The soldiers were in an uproar. "It's a child!" There was regret in their words.
"What's wrong with a child? Lord Devers is only a few years older than us! "Melisande retorted. The crowd was speechless.
"Well said, Melisande! Ambition does not depend on age! " The Devers smiled at Melisande. Because of Felicius, he recognized this young man. Then he focused his eyes on Arsines. "It is often the young who dare to challenge!"
Arsines walked up to the Devers nervously. The Greeks of this era were beautiful in the nude, so they naturally swam naked. The Devers were medium-sized and well-proportioned. His eyes were particularly sharp, but at the moment, they were covered by a smile on his face.
The Devers was also looking at Arsines. He smiled and said, "I don't think I've seen you before. Are you a recruit?"
"Yes, Lord Consul. My name is Arsines, son of Aligeras. " Arsines said nervously, "I … I may not swim as fast as you, but I am willing to compete with you."
The Devers praised him loudly. "As a soldier, you must have this kind of courage to fight! We, the soldiers of Amendolar, should and must have this kind of fighting spirit! "
When the Devers finished, the soldiers on the shore shouted in unison, "Victory! Victory! Victory! … "
In such an atmosphere, Arsines was suddenly not nervous, and his heart was full of strength. Of course, the result of the competition was that he lost.
The Devers patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him. "Train well, you will become a warrior!"
Arsines nodded vigorously. It was strange. The Devers was only two years older than him, but he felt like a respectful elder talking to him.
"Who is your instructor?" the Devers asked again.
"Matonis."
"Oh, that guy." The Devers smiled. "You will be happy to train under his guidance because he is very protective, but you will also feel pain because he is strict, especially for you."
This last sentence made Arsinis confused.
The Devers looked up and shouted to the soldiers around him, "Brothers, can I swim fast?"
"Quick!"
"Do you want to learn?"
"Yes!"
"I will write down the main points of my swimming movements and add it to the training section of the 'Military Law'. You will practice according to this in the future. I hope you can learn it as soon as possible!"
… …
After the swim, the sun was already in the middle of the sky, and it was time to eat. Traditionally, the Greeks only ate two meals a day, but the Devers thought that the soldiers had trained too hard and consumed too much energy, so they had to eat at noon to complete the day's training.
The soldiers took out the bread and cheese they had brought from home, while the military officer, Felicius, led his subordinates and slaves to provide each soldier with a bowl of mutton soup with meat. The money from selling the mutton was now paid from the disabled soldiers' fund in the weapon shop. In the future, the money from selling other items, except for weapons, would go to the Ministry of Military Affairs, so that the training expenses could be settled.
Arsines bit the bread and drank the steaming mutton soup, feeling his whole body gradually regaining strength. He said, "Melisande, I heard the old people say, 'The Consul is too powerful. All the laws and regulations are decided by him alone, and he doesn't give others a chance to discuss it. He wants to be a dictator. Today, it seems that the Consul is quite easy-going! "
Melisande, who was next to him, curled his lips and said, "Don't listen to those old people, they are just jealous! Because Lord Devers and the others have just become Consul and Senator of the Senate as soon as they became citizens of Amendarra, but they have the ability. Otherwise, do you think the Turís would have begged us to sign an equal alliance agreement? It's all because of them, otherwise they would have sent messengers to condemn us! I also hope that Lord Devers can be more forceful, not like before, when the Senate discussed a matter for a long time! Look at how much Amendarra has changed now! "
"You're right!" Arsines took a big gulp of mutton soup and looked up at Melisande. "It seems that you get along well with your adoptive father."
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