Chapter 612
Today, among the bustling pedestrians, a group of rough-looking men with short black hair and beards, barefooted, wearing red short-sleeved coats and golden belts around their waists were rather eye-catching. One must know that with the rapid development of the Kingdom of Diónia, even the poor Bruti and Lucanians had been freed from the terrible situation of cold and starvation. In the hinterland of the kingdom, the pedestrians had never seen such a tribe dressed so shabbily, and they looked a little unfamiliar, so the pedestrians around them were whispering to each other.
Finally, a man on a horse came out from the herdsmen who were herding a herd of cattle and sheep in front of them. He came to the group of men in red and asked carefully in Greek, "May I ask if you are the Samonians?"
A few of the men in red obviously understood what he said, but they did not answer immediately. Instead, they looked at the only man in the center wearing a short-sleeved white robe.
The man in the white robe stepped forward and said in Greek, "We are the Samonians from Abenilum. What can I do for you, people of Potentia?"
Although the people of Potentia looked the same as the Lucanians in other areas, it had been more than ten years since the other Lucania Municipality was merged into Diónia. Under the influence of Diónia's culture, religion, and customs, not only had their daily life begun to change, but even the newborn children's names had begun to have a Greek flavor. Only Potentia, which was the latest to join the Kingdom of Diónia as a "free city", still maintained the cultural customs of the Lucanians.
However, if the people of Diónia could distinguish the difference, how could the Samonians, who rarely appeared in the territory of Diónia, be able to distinguish the difference so easily? Although the man on the horse had doubts in his heart, he did not rashly ask. Since the Southern War, the Samonians and Potentia had maintained peace for ten years. One joined the Kingdom of Diónia, and the other became an ally of Diónia. The peace would probably continue to be maintained. However, the man on the horse knew the temper of the Samonians, so he did not say anything more. He just smiled and said, "I'm just here to get to know each other so that we can take care of each other on the way to Turií." After that, he solemnly performed the Samonian etiquette and rode away.
When the other pedestrians learned that the group of men in red were Samonians, they did not feel too much panic despite the Samonians' notoriety. Instead, they avoided them because they were in the territory of Diónia. The powerful Kingdom of Diónia had allowed its people, including its affiliated states, to enjoy ten years of peace. No force dared to provoke its majesty. Even the mountain bandits were almost extinct in the territory.
The traveller who sailed from Catanae to Lygium, and passed northward through Magna Graecia, the mountains of Bruti, the mountains of Lucania, and finally to Campania, and slept in the open air for ten or twenty days, would be safe from any danger but that of wild beasts, and would even be able to appeal to the temple of Hades in any of the cities of Dionysia.
Safety. This was the greatest benefit that Diónia gave to the people living in this land after it unified Southern Italy. It was also the point that these people who often traveled and did business felt the most. Therefore, the only thing they needed to worry about when trekking in this mountainous area was the wild beasts in the mountains. However, in fact, this road had been crowded with people for years, and the wild beasts had also wisely stayed away. In recent years, there had been no news of wild beasts attacking people and livestock.
In the following days, whenever it was time to rest, the man on the horse in front would take the initiative to chat with them. He would even warmly invite these Samonians to have a meal with him. The cured meat jerky and hot mutton soup could not be compared to the cold coarse bread that the Samonians carried with them. The enthusiasm of the man on the horse finally dispelled the Samonians' vigilance. After getting along with them for two days, this group of pedestrians finally walked out of this mountainous area.
"Chief Gherni, we'll reach the mountain pass fortress after we pass the foot of the mountain!" the man on the horse said excitedly.
Gherni was the son of Vilanne, the great chief of Hilpini, the former head of the four major Samonian tribes. Ten years ago, the Samonians invaded Potentia and suffered a crushing defeat. His father died in the chaos, and he was eventually captured by the people of Diónia and stayed in Potentia and Lucania Municipality for nearly two years.
Gherni looked ahead, a little lost in thought. He was familiar with the mountain pass in front because before he was released to Samonia, he was brought to Turií and stayed in the central city of the Kingdom of Diónia for several months. During this period, he was even received by the King of Devers who had defeated them many times …
At this moment, a complicated feeling arose in his heart. Gherni said loudly, "Hurry up, we're going out of the mountainous area!"
His subordinates shouted excitedly and helped the Potentia herdsmen drive the cattle and sheep, carrying the goods, and moving forward together.
After spending two days together, the pedestrians found that the Samonians were actually very easy to get along with. As long as one treated them sincerely, they would definitely do their best to help them.
After passing through the foot of the mountain, the speed of their advance slowed down because there was already a long queue in front of the mountain pass fortress.
Originally, there was only one checkpoint at the mountain pass. The western exit of the mountain road was already guarded by the La River Fortress. The Senate of Diónia did not plan to build another fortress here. However, since the Turií – Neutum road was built, and the road was extended to Lucania in the following years, the Potentia area was annexed to the Kingdom, and the Samonians and Campanians took the initiative to form an alliance … The influence of the Kingdom of Diónia in the north was increasing, and naturally, the trade and cultural exchanges between Turií, the center of Diónia, and the central west coast of Italy had become more frequent.
Every day, not only was there a lot of people on this road, but also carts and livestock often traveled on it. In addition, when there was strong wind and heavy rain in the mountainous area, broken trees and fallen rocks would block the road, so the road needed to be maintained frequently. Moreover, the "Law of Diónia" also stipulated that "all cities should do their best to ensure the safety of the people." The mountain road was winding, and it would take three days to complete the whole journey at a normal speed. In addition to the remote location, there were many pedestrians, robberies, injuries, and other incidents occurred from time to time, and there were also attacks from beasts … Therefore, since the Senate assigned the safety of this mountain area to Turií, the Turií City Hall regularly dispatched personnel to patrol the road, repair the road, and protect the safety of pedestrians. In order to allow them to focus on their work, the checkpoint was expanded and rebuilt into a fortress.
As the number of pedestrians on the road increased, the merchants of Turií also found a business opportunity. Because of the more than three days of trekking through the mountain road, it would take at least half a day to reach Turií by the time they exited the mountain road, and most of the pedestrians could not eat or sleep well in the mountainous area. Without a good rest, it was impossible for most pedestrians to continue their journey. Therefore, the merchants built hotels, restaurants, and shops here … After a few years, the fortress had become a lively town in the mountains.
Finally, it was the turn of the herdsmen of Portentia. The soldier who was inspecting at the city gate looked at the herds of cattle and sheep behind them, frowned and asked, "Is there anyone among you in charge?"
"Me!" The man on the horse squeezed in front of the soldier.
"Where are you from? What are you doing in Turií? "
"From the area of Portentia near Kopsa, to Turií to sell cattle and sheep."
"How many cattle? How many sheep? "
"12 cattle and 108 sheep."
The clerk next to him calculated in his mind and said, "You have to pay 12 Opol to pass."
The man on the horse was stunned and asked, "Why do I have to pay?"
"This is your first time using this road to sell livestock in Turií, right? It's difficult to maintain roads in the mountains. When there are a lot of cattle and sheep, they will eat the vegetation on the side of the road. When it rains, it will easily block the road with mud. Besides, the cattle and sheep's feces are all over the road, so it's very troublesome to clean them up. The smell can also easily attract wolves. Therefore, the Ministry of Roads has stipulated that for every ten cattle and sheep that pass through this mountain road, one Opol will be charged as the road maintenance fee and extra pay for the road builders. There's a notice posted on the wall over there with the seal of the Senate. If you don't believe me, you can take a look, "the soldier said reasonably.
Twelve Opol did not actually cost much, but the man on the horse was straightforward. "No need, I believe you."
After paying, the herdsmen drove the cattle and sheep slowly through the city gate.
Gherni and the others stood in front of the city guard. Before he could ask, Gherni answered directly, "We are Samnai people from Abenilum. We were invited to participate in this year's rugby competition." As he said this, he also took out a letter. "This is a certificate from Kopsa's governor, Csima."
In fact, they had already checked it once when they passed through Ra River Fortress. The soldier looked at Gherni and then at the other Samnai people beside him. He said politely, "Wait here for a while. The people who will welcome you to the athletes' camp will be here soon."
After a while, a young man walked out of the city gate. He had short blond hair, thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a slender body. Although his face was still childish, he was in high spirits. He hurried to Gherni and the others, a mixture of excitement and curiosity on his face. When he walked up to them, he carefully looked at them.
Gherni was slightly displeased.
At this time, the young man smiled. "Turií welcomes you, brave Abenilum warriors! I have been appointed by the Senate to be responsible for bringing you to the camp. "
His smile was very bright, immediately dispelling the Samnai people's unhappiness.
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