Chapter 497
At this moment, Dionysius swept away the gloominess from before and said loudly, "We need a victory to restore the morale of the soldiers!"
"Sir." Fasipesas cautiously reminded, "The people of Diónia have the advantage of the sea. They may not be willing to fight with us!"
"That's not up to them!" Dionysius sneered.
… …
At dusk, Diónia's reinforcements arrived at the City of Crimissa.
Governor Protesilaus and Legio VI's Commander Olivers led their troops out of the city to welcome them.
"Your … Your Majesty, you're finally here!" Plotsilaus had received the notice from the Senate a few days ago. Although he was surprised by the news that the Devers had become the King of Diónia, he did not have much objection. On the contrary, he was relieved to see the Devers.
"Sir Protesilaus, during this period of war, among all the cities of Diónia, you were under the greatest pressure, but you did very well! Under the heavy pressure of the Syracuse Army, you still managed to stabilize the City of Crimissa. On behalf of the Senate, I thank you for your efforts during this period! " The Devers said sincerely. According to Aristiras' intelligence, Protesilaus was not strict with Crimissa, which led to political instability. If it were not for Olivers's timely arrival, the situation in Crimissa would have been even worse. However, after realizing his mistake, he was able to follow the good advice and assist Legio VI in supervising the entire city. He was also busy arranging food and lodging for a large number of people who had fled into the city. He dealt with various matters in a timely manner, greatly alleviating the conflict between the people who had fled from the villages outside the city and the residents in the city, ensuring the stability of the city. Therefore, the Devers's words were not polite words but sincere praise.
"This is all thanks to Commander Olivers's full help!" Protesilaus looked at Olivers modestly.
"Yes, Your Majesty, our brothers of Legio VI have all become patrol members for the sake of Crimissa's safety!" Olivers said half-jokingly and half-seriously.
"It seems that your position as the patrol leader was not in vain." The Devers teased, "When the war is over, how about letting you be the patrol leader of a city?"
"Your Majesty, it seems that you have not cared about me for the past few years. I have not been the patrol leader for many years!" Oliver pretended to be aggrieved and said, "I'm now the assistant of the quartermaster in the Ministry of Military Affairs. According to regulations, after the war ends, I should be promoted to a higher position, such as a middle-level inspector."
The seemingly casual words of the Devers made Protesilaus' heart skip a beat. It seemed that even if the Devers became the King, he would still let the Senate exercise his authority like before. Dyfoss' seemingly casual words made Protesilaus' heart skip a beat. It seemed that even if Dyfoss became king, he would still let the Senate carry out his power as he did before.
"Personally, I don't think the post of inspector is suitable for you. You can consider the post of an intermediate judge." The following words of the Devers were obviously a joke. As soon as the words left his mouth, Olivers shook his head vigorously. "I can't remember so many items of the Alliance laws even if you beat me to death. The patrol leader suits me better."
The Devers laughed out loud. Everyone laughed along with him.
Amidst the laughter, the Devers turned to ask Protesilaus, "What difficulties does Crimissa have now?"
"It's mainly food and accommodation." Protesilaus blurted out, "There is not much food in the city. The people outside the city did not bring much food with them when they escaped into the city. Some of them only brought some rations because they were in a hurry. Furthermore, there are so many soldiers of Legio VI … If Your Majesty did not lead the army here today, I would have discussed with Olivers tomorrow and asked him to send soldiers to the Senate to request emergency food aid for Crimissa!"
"The city is indeed in a tight spot!" Olivers interrupted. "Lord Protesilaus even tried to persuade the people in the city to share their food with the people who escaped into the city. However … a small number of people expressed strong dissatisfaction with this."
The Devers stared at the two of them, then looked around at the other public officials of Crimissa and said with a serious expression, "Our war with Syracuse will determine the survival of the Alliance. In such a critical period, all the people of the Alliance should unite and fight against the enemy to defeat Syracuse and win a better future for the Alliance! Therefore, if anyone acts to undermine the stability of the Alliance and obstruct Diónia's preparations for war, they are no longer people of Diónia, but enemies of Diónia! The Senate and the city halls have the right to impose heavier punishments according to the Wartime Act, even the death penalty! Don't worry, just boldly manage the city! "
After hearing this, Olivers winked at Protesilaus, meaning to say: I'm right, right?
The Devers's serious words revealed a murderous intent, causing Protesilaus' heart to tremble. He said to his men one after another, "We understand."
"You don't have to worry about the food." The Devers comforted them again, "In the next few days, there will be a large amount of food being shipped from the port of Turín. Tomorrow, the army will be heading to the Croton Plains. There will be no more enemy cavalry here. You can arrange for the people who are hiding in the city to return to their homes, rebuild their homes, take care of the destroyed farmland, and prepare for next year's spring sowing … Master Protesilaus, you have to arrange these things well."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty." Protesilaus was greatly relieved when he heard the Devers's words, and immediately promised.
"Your Majesty, will Legio VI be heading to the Croton Plains as well?" Olivers asked hurriedly.
The Devers smiled and said, "Are you not planning to continue being the patrol captain in Crimissa?"
"We, Legio VI, are going to settle the score with the Syracuse Mercenary Cavalry, and avenge the people of Crimissa and our brothers who died in battle!" Olivers said in a deep voice. After Legio VI entered Crimissa, it was not that he did not send out troops in an attempt to drive away the enemy cavalry that was wreaking havoc in the Croton Plains. However, the inexperienced soldiers of Legio VI could not do anything to the galloping mercenary cavalry. Instead, a small unit was lured away from the main force, and in the end, they were attacked by the Celtic Cavalry and the Numibian Cavalry with javelins, killing all of them. Olivers was forced to retreat his troops back into the city, not daring to leave the city easily.
The Devers felt the fire in his eyes and nodded solemnly. "You will get what you want!"
Accompanied by the sound of military music, the marching column that was like a long dragon had almost reached the city gate. Only then did the Devers stop talking and followed Protesilaus and the others into the city, followed by the guards behind them.
"Although there is a lot of food this time, there are many places that need to be distributed, and there are a lot of people. Therefore, the amount of food that will be distributed to Crimisa City will not be too much. You have to control the amount of food that is distributed to each household. Try to make sure that the distribution is fair, and at the same time, try to maintain the distribution for as long as possible, so that the next batch of food can be delivered," Dyvers whispered to Protesilaus as they walked.
Protesilaus' heart tightened. It seemed that the food situation in Diónia was not as optimistic as what the Devers had said to the crowd.
So, he nodded cautiously. "I understand."
"Can the city of Crimissa accommodate more than 30,000 people?" the Devers asked again.
"After receiving advance notice, we have made some preparations. The empty space in front of the Temple of Hades and the Temple of Apollo has been reserved. The square occupied by Legio VI can be squeezed a little more. In addition, we have also discussed with some people with large residential areas to let some of the officers and soldiers stay there. After all, the army will only stay for one night. The city of Crimissa will try its best to let the soldiers stay there. "
After Protesilaus explained the arrangements they had made, he hesitated for a moment, and then said seriously, "Your Majesty, there is something I want to report to you."
"Speak."
"In the past few years, the swamp area near the Lacoeli River has been gradually transformed into a plain. At the same time, after it was incorporated into Crimissa, the population of Crimissa has been increasing rapidly. Now, there are nearly 15000 citizens and prospective citizens registered in the household registry of Crimissa, and more than 20,000 registered free people. Now, most of them live outside the city, farming and herding cattle and sheep … Moreover, the land on this plain has not been completely distributed, and there may be more people coming to Crimissa in the future. With such a large population, and the fertile land of the swamp plain and the Croton plain, agriculture will definitely prosper in the future. Moreover, Crimissa has a port, and trade will also flourish. By then, people living outside the city will probably hope to live in the city. However, the area of the current city of Crimissa is too small, and we have to expand the new city outwards … "
"Your consideration is very long-term, and I personally agree with you. You can write a proposal and submit it to the Senate for approval before allocating the funds for the construction of the city. However, this should only be considered after we defeat Syracuse and end the war, "said the Devers with relief. Turií wanted to expand, Crimissa wanted to expand … The rapid development of the Diónia Alliance surprised even him.
"Your Majesty, we still have to rely on you to defeat these d * mn invaders and restore peace and tranquility to Diónia!" said Protesilaus sincerely.
The Devers smiled. When he passed through the city gate and entered the street, his expression suddenly changed.
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