Chapter 60
The Devers looked over and saw a middle-aged man walk into the tent. He was of medium build and had a kind and amiable face.
The middle-aged man was also looking at the Devers. Although he had heard some rumors about this mercenary leader, he was still surprised by his young age when he met him in person. However, the Devers now looked a little different from when he fought at the Kentrit River half a year ago. Not only did he have a circle of stubble on his chin and a scar on his face, but the hardships and bloody battles along the way had also made him more experienced and murderous. His eyes were sharper and more threatening.
"Turií citizen Burcos greets the Devers!" The middle-aged man stepped forward and saluted the Devers.
"Turií?" The Devers was a little confused. He had never majored in history in his previous life, so he knew nothing about this city. The uneducated memory of this body was also of no help.
At this time, Christoya saw his confusion and explained softly, "Turií is located in the west of the Taranto Bay in Great Greece. It is the youngest Greek city in southern Italy. After Sybaris was destroyed by Crotone twice, the people of Sybaris who lost their home sought help from Athens. At that time, Pericles was the chief general of Athens. He responded to the request of the people of Sybaris and decided to build a new Greek city on the old site of Sybaris. So he called on all the cities in Greece, including Miletus, to migrate there. This is how Turií came about … "
"Madame, you are absolutely right. I respect your profound knowledge!" Although Burcos was surprised that a woman would appear in such an important meeting place, he still behaved politely.
"Sybaris … Sybaris …" The Devers felt that the name was a little familiar. He repeated it a few times and suddenly remembered. "Oh, is it the Sybaris where the citizens lived a luxurious life and even used the War Horse to train to dance but was defeated by Crotone with music?!"
"Yes." Burcos looked at Devers's excited expression and couldn't help but wonder if his ability was as magical as the rumors said.
The reason Dyvers remembered this story was because Sybaris's extravagant lifestyle had led to their downfall. It had become a fable in the West in his previous life, and this story was also related to the famous ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras. Italy! Devers pondered for a while and suddenly became interested. "Why are you looking for me?"
Burcos became nervous. At first, he was full of confidence, but the successive rejections from the leaders made him a little worried. Devers was his last hope. "Turís are being invaded by the indigenous people, so we want to hire you and your soldiers to help us defeat these indigenous people."
Devers and Cristoya looked at each other.
Burcos continued, "Of course, we will pay you handsomely!"
"How much can you pay?" Devers leaned forward and asked with interest.
Burcos felt hopeful and immediately perked up. "One Dalic gold coin per month for a soldier!"
Dyvers said nothing. Instead, he sat back down.
"Oh, I remembered wrong. It should be one and a half … Ah, no! No! It should be two. Two Dalic gold coins! " Burcos saw that Devers remained expressionless, and his voice trembled.
"What happened to Turís that made you so anxious?" Devers suddenly smiled.
Burcos thought to himself, 'Oh no, I underestimated this young man. At the same time, I was anxious to see if the hire would succeed. I gave myself away under the young man's silent seduction.'
"Burcos, if you want me to cooperate with Turís, then you better tell me the truth!" Devers said in a tone that did not allow for refusal.
Burcos, on the other hand, heard a glimmer of hope, so he adjusted his mood and said with a heavy heart, "The Lucanians, the indigenous people of Italy, have invaded the territory of Tulij. After a discussion at the Tulij General Assembly, they unanimously decided to send troops to repel the Lucanians. So, we sent ten thousand heavy infantry and a thousand cavalry, but we suffered a crushing defeat. The ferocious Lucanians slaughtered our soldiers wantonly. They cut their bodies into pieces and piled them outside the city. Less than three hundred citizens managed to return to the city. When I set off, the natives had not yet attacked the city, but they had already occupied the city of Amendola, north of Turís. This caused considerable panic among the Turís citizens. Now, they pin all their hopes on me! So … So … "As he spoke, Burkos's tears rolled down his face.
Devers, who had seen too many tragedies in the past year, had a heart of stone. He was familiar with Burcos' sadness and asked in surprise, "So many soldiers. Are they all Turís citizens?"
"Yes, Turís is one of the most prosperous cities in Greece!" Burcos wiped his tears and said proudly.
"Eleven thousand soldiers actually failed. Are the Lucanians very powerful?" Devers continued to ask curiously.
"No. Actually, there are only eight thousand Lucanians." Burcos was afraid that Devers would be frightened, so he could only say, "It's just that … It's just that the interior of Turís … Hmm … Hmm … The main thing is that they did not have a good commander. They advanced too rashly and fell into an ambush …"
"Oh, I see." Devers rubbed the stubble on his chin and asked again, "Why didn't you ask for help from the other cities?"
"We, the southern Greek city-states, have a defensive alliance, but for some reason, the natives have begun to invade the territories of the other city-states. Tarantum, Locri … and Crotone do not have extra forces to support us. Syracuse is also facing the attack of Carthage … I even asked for help from Sparta, but Sparta seems to be at odds with Persia. They rejected my request, but agreed to help me hire soldiers in Greece …" Burcos said helplessly.
"Greece is not lacking in soldiers now. Why did you ask for us?" Devers asked again.
Burcos immediately said in a flattering tone, "I had already recruited some soldiers in Ephesus, but I heard about you guys! I wanted to safely retreat from the hinterland of Persia. Your bravery and strength had already been proven. If I could hire you guys who are experienced in battles, then defeating the Lucanians wouldn't be a problem! Therefore, when I heard from the merchant ships anchored in Ephesus that they saw you guys in Chrysopolis, I immediately rushed over. I didn't expect you guys to be in Byzantine again. "
Burcos' flattery didn't affect Devers's thinking. He nodded and continued to ask, "Are the Lucanians strong? What types of soldiers do they have? How are their equipment? What are their combat strengths? … "
One question after another smashed into Burcos's brain like iron nails. At first, Burcos was able to deal with them easily, but later on, it became very difficult. This was because Devers had already asked some complicated questions. For example, how big is the territory of the Lucanians? How many cities are there? What do they do for a living? What is the political system like? How is their relationship with the outside world? …
Burcos tried his best to answer Devers's questions. At the same time, he was surprised that a mercenary leader could ask such complicated questions. After he felt that Devers was different from the others, his confidence increased. Only people who wanted to go would think about the details of the situation.
"I have a general idea of the situation." After Devers finished speaking, Burcos let out a long sigh. This was a few times more difficult than answering questions from citizens in a citizen's meeting!
"I think Timason, Zantiparis, and Cleano all turned you down, didn't they?" Dyvers said.
Burcos looked at him in surprise again.
"My military camp is at the back. You have to go through them to get to my place. From what I know, Timason wants to go back to Ioria, his hometown. Zantiparis and Cleano, on the other hand, received a high salary from Seth, the leader of a tribe in Thrace, and they are prepared to work for him. And Xenophon is with Anacossian right now. I'm your only chance, isn't I? "
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