Chapter 461
The Devers even had the leisure to look at the fountain on the southwest side of the square from afar. It could be said that this fountain, which the Devers had never seen before, had played a key role in his journey to become king. The underground spring that had been dry for five years had suddenly regained its vitality at such a special moment. Such a miraculous event made the Devers wonder: Is there really a god in this world?!
He could not help but look at the white Hades Temple on the hill behind the northwest side of the square …
Standing on the platform in front of the Senate Hall, overlooking the neatly arranged First and Second Legions in the square, as well as the people standing orderly on both sides of the Legions, the people of Diónia remained relatively calm under the command of the patrols even though they were eager to know the answer. The habit of obeying social order that the Diónia Alliance had cultivated over the years was quite effective.
The Devers sighed in his heart and shouted, "Warriors of the First and Second Legions! You've traveled thousands of miles and fought against the invading Sammonean people in the rocky, unfamiliar mountainous area. Facing the Sammonean people who outnumber us and are much more ferocious than our former enemies, you have no fear and fought bravely. You've completely defeated them and ensured that the northwest border of the alliance will not be threatened by the Sammonean people for a long time. The alliance should thank you! The Senate should thank you! The people should thank you too!
After going through a series of battles, you should have gone home and rested, but you can't now! You should know that when we were far away in Potentia, the army of Syracuse invaded Greece and defeated the Southern Italian Coalition in the battle. Many soldiers of the Fifth and Legio IV were captured, Siletina fell, Triene was captured, and Corunna surrendered. The vanguard of Syracuse has reached Asprusstom and Ciudad Crotone.
The Horsemen they hired have already invaded the Croton Plains, burning and looting our land, cruelly chopping off the heads of the women and children …
Syracuse's huge fleet roamed the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas, cutting off our trade routes, sinking our ships, blockading our ports, landing on our shores, slaughtering our people, burning our villages …
Our former ally, Tarantum, betrayed us when we were in trouble. Not only did it take over our ally, Metapontum, but it is also attacking Heraclea. It even sent its soldiers to burn, kill, and loot Amendolar and our land … Our land.
Also, Senators Petaru, Khadurk, and Burgam of the Senate were secretly bribed by Syracuse (Actually, there was no such thing. The three of them had rebelled long ago, and the Devers made Syracuse the scapegoat). During our most difficult time, they actually bewitched some of the Bruti citizens to rebel … "
As the Devers spoke, a commotion broke out among the soldiers who were listening attentively on the square. Many of the soldiers had learned about the situation during their journey into the city, but they did not expect the Alliance to be in such a terrible state. Even the Senate Senators had betrayed them!
Dave's face was solemn. He shouted again, "Brothers, after such a tough battle, you should have returned home to rest and reunite with your families. But facing the countless people of the Alliance who have lost their families and homes, can you stay at home with peace of mind?"
"No!"
"We don't want to rest, we want to keep fighting!"
"We'll regroup after we've defeated all the enemies!"
…
The soldiers shouted in agitation.
The Devers nodded, tears welling up in his eyes as he said in a choked voice, "There's a saying that goes, 'Only in danger will you know who the hero of the city is'. You might not know this, but after Legio IV's Legion Commander Dracos lost the battle in the South, he personally brought up the rear in order to protect his comrades and retreat. In the end, he was seriously injured and captured … The evil Syracuse people tried to humiliate him under Asprostum to lower the morale of the Fourth and Fifth Legions. For the safety of the Alliance … Dracos … slammed his head on the ground and died … "
The soldiers and citizens in the square could not believe their ears when they heard the news, especially the soldiers of the Second Legion where Dracos was once the Legion Commander. They shouted, "Lord Devers, is this true?! Legion Commander Dracos sacrificed himself?! "
"Legion Commander Dracos, how could such a strong guy … just die like that?!"
As the soldiers shouted, tears flowed down their cheeks. Cries could be heard in the square.
The Devers wiped his tears and continued to shout, "Before Legion Commander Dracos died, he shouted, 'Long live the Legion of Dionysia! Avenge me! 'This was his hope for us! As the supreme commander of the Diónia, I order all of you to not retreat until the enemies are defeated! "
"Avenge Legion Commander Dracos!"
"Fight to the death with the people of Syracuse!"
…
The soldiers in the square were riled up. They drew their swords and slammed their shields. "Boom! Boom! "A deafening roar rang out, and all the roars converged into one voice," Revenge! Avenge! Avenge! … "
The roars from the bottom of their hearts were like rumbling thunder, condensing the anger and sorrow of the soldiers, echoing through every inch of the land that was ravaged by the enemies …
Even the elders like Cunogorata and Cornelis, who stood silently in front of the Senate, could not help but shout "avenge". The Devers even waved his right fist and roared with the soldiers.
After a long time, the Devers retracted his fist and the soldiers gradually regained their silence.
The Devers gulped to moisten his hoarse voice and prepared to continue his speech. This time, his target was the citizens on both sides of the First and Second Legions. "Citizens of Diónia! The Alliance has grown from a tiny Amendola to the vast territory of Diónia. Although it has only been four to five years, we have been through many dangers and faced many threats from powerful enemies. We have united as one and finally defeated the enemies. We have overcome the difficulties and made it through. That is why Diónia is what it is today.
Today, an even more powerful enemy stands in our way. Syracuse is jealous of our rapid rise and wants to kill us completely to prevent our Alliance from growing into a nation that can threaten its hegemony. You have to understand that this is no longer a question of whether we will stop the war or surrender, but the key to survival is' either you die or I live '! Therefore, the people of Syracuse have mobilized all their forces and spent a huge amount of money and resources to launch this grand war. They want to completely destroy our Alliance, occupy our land, and turn us and our children into slaves, just like how they destroyed Siletina! "
The Devers paused. The square was dead silent. Both the soldiers and the citizens recalled the tragic scenes described by the Devers. Their faces turned pale and they shuddered.
"Citizens!" Dyvers' voice softened a little. "I know that in this war that has just begun, some of you have lost your family, some of you have lost your friends, some of you have lost your homes, some of you have lost your land … and we may lose even more in the future. However, we have no other choice. In order to prevent us and our descendants from suffering such a tragic fate, we must bravely fight against the cruel people of Syracuse to the end! As long as we unite, the citizens who have food to eat will help the hungry, the citizens who have shelter will help the citizens who have no shelter. We will help each other like a family and overcome this crisis! I, the Devers, the Consul of the Alliance, promise you that you will soon hear news of victory! After the dark night comes the light. After we overcome this crisis, the Alliance of Diónia will have a more glorious tomorrow! "
The Devers's final promise excited the depressed citizens.
"Sir Devers, we will never be slaves. We will fight with you to the end!"
"Sir Devers, as long as you are with us, I believe that we will win!"
"That's right, Sir Devers is blessed by God. With the blessing of Hades, we will not fail!"
…
"Everyone, don't forget the oracle that Hades gave us!" Just as the citizens were shouting excitedly, a voice suddenly reminded them, "Pluto said, 'Only when Sir Devers becomes the king can we obtain the final victory!'"
"That's right, he even used his divine power to revive the spring water to urge us to fulfill this oracle!" Another voice shouted.
…
The soldiers of the Legion were at a loss as they listened to the citizens talking excitedly on both sides. "Oracle … Sir Devers becomes the king" and so on.
Antonius vaguely guessed something. He looked up at the Devers on the platform in front of him.
The Devers calmly looked down at the square that had become a little chaotic.
Behind him, Cunogorata, Cornelius, and the other elders looked nervous.
At that moment, a shocking sentence was shouted from the mouths of countless citizens, "Let Sir Devers … be the king!"
"Let Sir Devers be the king!"
"King Devers!"
"King Devers!"
"King Devers!"
…
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