Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece

Chapter 1104: Appointment of the Border Legion Commanders

Since he was the only Senator to voluntarily drop out of the election, Davos found his self-awareness particularly rare and commendable.

In the end, Teriphias was successfully elected.

Next, Kesima was elected Regional Administrator of the Bruttii Region, and Latigenes was elected Regional Administrator of the Lucanian region. The kingdom's most critical territory—the Thurii Region—was the last to hold its election.

Because the original Thurii Region functioned much like a standard region and its towns made up the vast majority of Davos's newly drawn Thurii Region, Davos had followed the advice of several Rotating Chairmen and officially abolished the old macro-regional administrative unit. The Senate had approved the change, thereby preventing any future jurisdictional clashes between a Regional Administrator and a macro-regional one.

Everyone had initially expected this to be the most fiercely contested seat, prompting many capable Senators to deliberately step aside and compete for other regions instead. However, the very first name called out by the master of ceremonies instantly chilled the hearts of the remaining hopefuls: "Lord Alexis!"

If the Minister of Military Affairs, Alexis, was participating in the nomination, then he most likely represented the collective will of the entire Military Faction within the Senate.

"I nominate Lord Hylos," Alexis said. His voice was not loud, but it dealt a heavy blow to those who still harbored a sliver of hope.

Like Alexis, Hylos had started out as a mercenary, established numerous military merits for the kingdom, and served as Minister of Military Affairs. Where Hylos differed, however, was his exceptional track record in civil administration. Long before the Western Mediterranean War, he had served as the administrative official for multiple towns. After stepping down as Minister of Military Affairs, he had traveled far into the Samnite mountains to become the administrator of Beneventum, where he delivered outstanding political achievements.

He was a rare, all-around talent capable of handling both military and civil affairs. More importantly, during the expedition to Persia over twenty years ago, he had forged a close relationship with King Davos, and today he remained one of the king's most trusted ministers.

As a result, what was expected to be the most intense final round of the election turned into a completely one-sided affair. Securing over seventy percent of the votes, Hylos was smoothly elected Regional Administrator of the Thurii Region.

Once the dust settled on the final results, the lengthy meeting drew to a close. The Senators were a mix of excitement and disappointment; their reactions varied, and many seemed as though they hadn't quite had their fill of the proceedings.

Davos cleared his throat and finally spoke. "Congratulations to the Senators who have become Regional Administrators. The hard work you have poured into your past administrative duties has earned the recognition of the majority of your peers today.

"However, the joy of this promotion is only temporary, for you will now face far greater trials. You must manage more towns and govern a larger population. The difficulties will undoubtedly multiply. Even some of the administrative experience you gained in the past may no longer apply to these new affairs.

"This requires you to put in even more effort, continuously practicing and solving problems to figure out an effective method for regional governance—one that future generations can use as a reference. I also hope you will guide these regions to even greater prosperity and live up to the recommendation and trust your fellow Senators have placed in you!

"As for the other Senators who aspire to join their ranks in the future, I hope you will continue working hard and achieve further political success to win the approval of both your peers and myself. I trust you will eventually stand where they do, becoming Regional Administrators or vital ministers of the kingdom. The kingdom's territory is vast and its population immense; it requires an increasing number of outstanding administrative talents to manage this constantly expanding, great nation. You are the elite of the kingdom, and you must shoulder this heavy responsibility!"

Davos's speech swept away the disappointment lingering in the hearts of many Senators and ignited the hopes of even more. Amid a round of enthusiastic applause, the meeting officially adjourned.

Over the next few days, the newly elected Regional Administrators gradually departed for their respective jurisdictions. As the kingdom's very first Regional Administrators, their primary task was to follow the regional administrative framework established by the Kingdom Administrative Office and select officials they deemed suitable to staff the entire management structure.

Half a month after the publication of the new Immigration Act, recruitment for the border defense legions also began.

Seeing that the situation was set in stone, the freemen within the kingdom began making choices for their futures. Eventually, many young freemen rushed to Thurii. Following the requirements laid out in the public notices, they flocked to the Thurii Military Camp, preparing to go through registration and selection to become hired soldiers of the Kingdom of Daunia.

Meanwhile, the two newly promoted Legion Commanders traveled to their respective posts. Patroclus headed north to Rome to take over the Fourteenth Legion, replacing Plintors.

(Plintors had also established a stellar record of merits during the Western Mediterranean War, and Davos had wanted to place him in a critical role. However, considering that Plintors originally hailed from the Mountain Scout Corps and was subsequently transferred straight to the Army Staff, he lacked a deeper familiarity with legion affairs and a proper service record within a regular legion. To prevent any future criticism, Davos deliberately assigned him to form the new legion in Latium after the war. Over the past few years, Plintors's performance had been highly satisfactory, leading Davos to decide it was finally time to recall him and place him in charge of the Ministry of Military Affairs Staff Office.)

Sextus, on the other hand, boarded a ship bound for Southern Iberia to take over the Eighteenth Legion, replacing Chalcides.

After the Western Mediterranean War, Chalcides—formerly the first cohort commander of the Eighth Legion—was promoted to Legion Commander for his merits in defending Selinus. However, his seniority was ultimately quite shallow. To prevent idle gossip among his peers, he followed Davos's advice and actively volunteered to form the Eighteenth Legion in Southern Iberia.

This was undoubtedly the most bitter, exhausting, and troublesome assignment available. At the time, the Kingdom of Daunia had yet to secure complete control over Southern Iberia. The vast majority of the territory was still governed by members of the Magonid family, and the local populace consisted entirely of Phoenicians, Carthaginians, or indigenous Iberians. Barely any Theonians had migrated there. As a result, Chalcides faced heavy constraints upon his arrival.

Despite this, he overcame numerous difficulties. After several years of relentless effort, he built the Iberian military camp, formed the Eighteenth Legion, and did his utmost to train the local citizens in accordance with Military Law.

Yet, Chalcides clearly could not direct his forces as easily as his own arms and fingers, lacking the perfect coordination seen in other legions. Compounded by the lack of cooperation from many local officials, the Eighteenth Legion proved rather ineffective at defending the territory against incursions by the indigenous Iberians.

Now that Bagulas had become the new Regional Administrator, he would undoubtedly strengthen control over the territory and purge those unqualified officials. Moreover, an additional Border Legion was going to be deployed to the Southern Iberian Region. The Eighteenth Legion, which had been stuck in a defensive posture all this time, was finally receiving a prime opportunity to counterattack. Unfortunately, right at this crucial juncture, Chalcides was recalled to Thurii. This would likely remain a major regret in his life.

Not long after, the Ministry of Military Affairs also announced the names of the commanders for the two Border Legions currently being formed, a revelation the generals had been highly anticipating.

One was Stiphylos. He had already served as a cohort commander during the Western Mediterranean War, but because his military merits were not quite as dazzling as those of his close friend Patroclus, his promotion to Legion Commander had been delayed by two years. Even then, due to a lack of vacant positions, he had been stuck at the Thurii Military Camp training line officers. Now, he had finally landed a real, active post.

In the eyes of many Daionian generals, the fact that the border legions were entirely composed of freemen made them seem a grade lower than the existing legions. However, according to the regulations set by the Ministry of Military Affairs, the ranks of their Legion Commander and the various levels of line officers were identical to those of other legions. Furthermore, at this current stage, all of those positions were filled by the kingdom's formal military officers (though squad leaders were not considered officers).

The name of the other Legion Commander, however, caught the generals completely off guard: Hasdrubal. He was a core member of the Magonid family and had previously served as the main force fighting against the Daionian Army during the Western Mediterranean War.

Why him? Many generals were utterly perplexed, and some even quietly approached the Ministry of Military Affairs to ask for an explanation.

The public justification was twofold: Hasdrubal was a Senator of the kingdom and also a high-ranking military officer. (After Southern Iberia was annexed by the Kingdom of Daunia, the Iberian army originally commanded by Mago was ordered to disband. However, considering Hasdrubal's prestige among the local populace, and to facilitate the formation of new legions in Iberia, Davos specifically created a high-ranking military post just for him: Chief Military Training Officer of the Southern Iberian Region. The underlying goal was for him to urge the local populace to actively participate in military drills, while a group of subordinate Military Training Officers handled the actual, concrete affairs. Hasdrubal clearly did not take this post seriously. The dual blow of defeat and surrender, coupled with his inability to wield genuine military power, had left him demoralized for several years. Even so, this military post was never stripped from him.)

Additionally, he had followed Mago on campaigns through Iberia for ten years, accumulating a wealth of experience fighting fierce indigenous forces in the mountains. This was precisely the kind of expertise needed for the upcoming border defense operations.

The real reason Davos appointed him as a Border Legion Commander was more strategic. After transferring Haca, Hasdrubal, and several other key members of the Magonid family out of Southern Iberia, the kingdom planned to conduct a major reorganization of the region, which had yet to be fully brought to heel. This applied not only to civil administration but to the military as well.

By making Hasdrubal a Legion Commander of the kingdom and securing his willing service, Davos could leverage his influence to diminish the hostility of the officers and soldiers from the former Iberian army living in that region. It would give them renewed hope, thereby ensuring the stability of the territory.

Of course, Hasdrubal truly was a capable military talent, which was another major reason Davos was willing to reinstate him. However, Hasdrubal was entirely unfamiliar with Daionia's military structure and tactics. He would have to deeply involve himself during the recruitment and training of the freemen in order to truly transform into a Legion Commander of the Kingdom of Daunia. Following the banquet that one night, during a frank and open conversation with Davos, Hasdrubal had finally—and earnestly—expressed his willingness to put in the effort.