Chapter 345
Then, the other four got out of the car and moved forward.
People coming from the south had to cross the Krati River and enter Turín. There were two ways. The first was to enter the southern part of the city and take a boat from the dock to the main port of the Turín city. This was mainly for citizens of Diónia and visiting envoys from other cities. The second way was to cross the wooden bridge to the west of the southern part of the city, reach the delta where the two rivers converged, then cross the wooden bridge to the north bank of the Krati River and finally enter the main city.
After passing through the sentry post, the trio stepped onto the wooden bridge. Unlike his teacher, Lycassus stomped his feet curiously and patted the railing. From time to time, he craned his neck to look at the boats passing under the bridge. Suddenly, he yelled, "Look, what are they doing?!"
Nyx Stratos looked in the direction of his finger. Not far from the bridge, there was a group of teenagers swimming in the river. They were not playing in the water. Instead, they were in several groups, one after the other, rushing to swim from the north bank to the south bank and back. The Greeks were a race of the sea, and there were many people who were good at swimming. However, it was rare to see every child wearing leather armor in such an intense and exciting swimming scene.
"Are they in a competition?" Stasippus said uncertainly.
"They are in military training," a middle-aged man with a broken right arm, who had been leaning on the railing for a long time interrupted.
Stasippus looked him up and down and asked curiously, "Military training?"
"They are all students of the Turín Academy. According to the requirements of the Diónia Education Law, besides learning knowledge, they also have to undergo military training," the middle-aged man explained.
"It's too cruel for such young children to be forced to do such dangerous exercises! What if they drown because of their physical strength?! What if they get hurt by the boat?! "Nixtratus said unhappily.
In fact, not only were there instructors swimming in the river, there were also a few boats parked on the river, ready to rescue them at any time. However, the middle-aged man didn't explain much. Instead, he said calmly, "Ferocious enemies won't be spared just because they're young. Only by going through strict training can you kill your enemies on the battlefield and not be killed by them."
Nicestratus was speechless for a moment and simply walked away quickly. The men of Diónia, be they young or middle-aged, all spoke with an air of disgust. No wonder people called Diónia "little Spartans". Their methods were indeed cruel!
The middle-aged man ignored the departure of these foreigners and continued to pay attention to the children's training in the river. It was not until the instructor called them to the shore that he crossed the bridge unhurriedly and went down to the riverbank.
"Hey, Palliandorus, my brother!" An instructor saw him and came forward to give him a warm hug. Both of them were once soldiers of the 1st Division Amyntas Brigade, so it was natural for them to have a deep friendship. "Your son is still performing well as usual. Today, he won first place in his group in the armed swimming training!" The instructor praised him without hesitation.
"I saw it on the bridge."
"I say, Palliandorus, you've been so concerned about your son's military training recently. Are you planning to let him replace you as a soldier of the Legion of Dionysia when he grows up?" The instructor joked.
Unexpectedly, Palliandorus nodded seriously. "I want him to join the 1st Division."
The instructor was stunned for a moment and then advised, "My brother, although Patroclus has performed well, he hasn't been fighting for several years now. There are more than 10,000 people in the reserve team of the legion. It's not that easy to enter the 1st Division. Besides, he's not even 18 years old yet. Even if he's old enough to serve in the military, the officers won't be so eager to send a recruit like him to the battlefield. It's better to let him train himself in the reserve team to become a qualified soldier of the legion. "
Palliandorus thought about it and admitted that the instructor was right. However, he was still a little worried and asked, "I don't know the current situation of the legion. How long do you think it will take for Patroclus to enter the official legion after he enters the reserve team? Especially the 1st Division? "
The instructor smiled. "You should spend more time with your old brothers in the 1st Division, especially our boss, Captain Amyntas. He's the most sentimental. Do you know that he's just been appointed as the commander of the 2nd Division this year? If your son wants to enter the 2nd Division, he can just say the word. Even if you insist on letting Patroclus enter the 1st Division, with the friendship between Amyntas and Antonios, the commander of the 1st Division, it's just a word from him. "
Palliandorus silently listened to the advice of his comrade. Indeed, since he was injured, he had less contact with his comrades and officers. Now, for the sake of his son, it was time to make some changes.
"By the way, haven't you been studying in school recently, preparing to take the assessment of Turií and become the village chief? How are you doing now? "The instructor suddenly remembered and asked curiously.
Palliandorus smiled bitterly. "I didn't know a word before. Now that I'm old, my memory isn't good. Just remembering those letters is enough to give me a headache …"
"Then you have to work harder. I'm still waiting for you to enter the Senate in the future. Take care of us old comrades!" The instructor joked.
Palliandorus smiled, which was rare.
"Father!" Patroclus, who had already changed his clothes, walked over.
"School's over?"
Patroclus nodded. He was almost 17 years old, and he was taller than Palliandorus. Although he was not as strong as the instructor, his body was well-proportioned and strong. For students who were about to become adults like him, the school's afternoon classes were no longer ordinary sports competitions and military training. Instead, they were more rigorous and began to practice close to actual combat to prepare for entering the army.
"Palliandorus, don't forget what I told you," the instructor reminded him loudly when he saw the father and son walking away.
Palliandorus waved his hand gratefully.
"Father, what did you say to the instructor?" Patroclus asked curiously.
"About you entering the First Army …" Palliandorus told his son truthfully.
Patroclus let out a long whistle. "I heard from Stefos that it's impossible for a recruit like me to enter the First Army at the beginning. But I believe that no matter which army I'm in, I'll be the one holding the flag at the triumphal parade! "
Palliandorus patted the child's shoulder with relief. Although Patroclus had a jumpy personality, he was an extremely confident child.
When the father and son left the academy, Patroclus suddenly stopped and shouted, "Hey, Cynthia!"
Cynthia, who was going home with her classmates, turned around and smiled at him.
Patroclus winked. "The hairband on your head is loose."
Cynthia reached out to touch her hair and realized that she had been tricked. She immediately spat and scolded, "Annoying Parlow!"
Patroclus laughed and stared at Cynthia until she walked away before withdrawing his gaze.
As an experienced person, how could Palliandorus not understand his son's thoughts? It was just that most people in Turín knew the identity of the girl — the adopted daughter of the Consul Devers, and he was just an ordinary citizen of Diónia who had just obtained citizenship not long ago. The difference in status between the two sides was huge. However, his son was stubborn and had his own ideas since he was young, so he couldn't say anything. He only hoped that it was just a simple love from the child. When he grew up, everything would change.
… …
Cynthia said goodbye to her girlfriend and walked into her home.
The servant quickly came over and took her school bag. She immediately bowed to him to express her gratitude.
Today, the Devers' residence was expanded again, divided into three courtyards: front, middle, and back. The front courtyard was where the ordinary slaves lived, and the stables were also here; the middle courtyard was where the Devers worked and discussed matters, and there were also slave butlers and office workers' bedrooms; the back courtyard was where the Devers and their families lived.
Cynthia went straight forward, and wherever she went, the slaves saluted her, and Cynthia returned the salute one by one. This was the Devers' family rule, and although Cynthia didn't understand it, it had become a habit.
After entering the central courtyard, she even met Aristiras face to face. Cynthia was more afraid of this attendant of her father. She always felt that his eyes, which were less black than white, seemed to have some kind of magic that could see through people's hearts. In comparison, among the attendants of the Devers, she preferred the former scribe, Aristiras. Unfortunately, he had become a citizen of Diónia, and under the suggestion of the Devers, he had passed the Union's examination and become a judge in the Turín Court.
Cynthia pushed open the room in the back courtyard, and a familiar voice came, "Oh, Cynthia is back!"
Christoya stood by the garden and looked at her with a smile. Asuna was bending over to pull the weeds out of the flowers.
"Mother!" Cynthia called out and ran forward to give Christoya a hug. After a few years of being together, this sexy, elegant, and kind woman in front of her had replaced the image of her mother that was gradually fading in her heart.
"Be gentle! You rash little girl, don't scare your sister! " Cristoya subconsciously covered her slightly protruding belly and flicked Cynthia's forehead with a reproachful look.
"Sister, I apologize for disturbing your sleep!" Cynthia leaned close to Christoya's belly and said playfully.
Then, she suddenly shouted in surprise, "She kicked me! Mother, sister kicked me! "
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