The Rise Of An Empire In Ancient Europe-Chapter 32 - A Remarkable Start (Part 2)

"They might say, 'Oh, great ancestors! It was your heroic deeds that gave us strength, inspired our confidence, and enabled us to achieve unprecedented feats!!'"

"Will there really be such a day?" Timasion said breathlessly, clenching his fists tightly.

The leaders were also drawn into Juleios's hypothesis, captivated by the vision. Little did they know that decades later, a Macedonian named Alexander would use the story of the Greek Ten Thousand's retreat to inspire his troops on their campaign against the Persian Empire...

While the soldiers were immersed in the magnificent imagery Juleios had painted, he took a wooden stick handed to him by Asistes and shifted his tone:

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

"Soldiers, some of you might ask, 'Juleios, everything you say sounds great, but there's a key question...'"

Seeing that the soldiers were still listening intently, Juleios continued:

"When it comes to fighting, I won't say much. Leaders like Clearchus, Timasion, and others, along with most of you here, are seasoned warriors who fought in the struggle against Athens and ultimately triumphed."

Hearing this, Xenophon pursed his lips.

"What I want to discuss is how we handle this difficult situation. Each of us is like this stick in my hand—" Juleios held up the stick and snapped it effortlessly. Then he picked up another and broke it as well: "It's easy to break a single stick. But when they are bound together—" Juleios grabbed the remaining sticks and walked to the edge of the platform, where he approached a tall and strong soldier.

"Brother, what's your name?" he asked.

"Ebertas," the soldier replied.

"Try breaking this." Juleios handed him the bundle of sticks.

The soldiers watched Ebertas closely. His face turned red as he strained with all his might to break the sticks, but it was futile.

"Thank you, brother!" Juleios patted him on the shoulder gratefully.

Ebertas, embarrassed, scratched his head with a sheepish smile.

"Soldiers, you've seen it yourselves. A single stick can be easily broken by someone as thin and weak as I am. But when they are bound together, even the strongest warrior can do nothing to them. What does this tell us?"

Xenophon nodded; he now understood Juleios's point. He wasn't the only one. A soldier shouted, "Unity! It's unity!" Others quickly caught on after the reminder.

"That's right—it's unity!" Juleios exclaimed. By now, he was completely in his element, radiating confidence. He even changed his address:

"Brothers, we come from various city-states across Greece. Differences in customs and personalities have caused small conflicts and minor grievances among us. But under the great goal of survival and making history, all such issues should melt away like snow under the sun!

"We must unite like our ancestors, who resisted the Persian invasion. Stand together tightly, unmoved by Persian rumors, trusting our comrades to guard our backs! We must also unite our wisdom to solve the challenges ahead. Brothers, don't leave every problem for the leaders to solve; take the initiative to come up with solutions. Nothing can defeat us when we unite! We will be as strong as Ares himself! If we are united, we can create miracles! Every step we take forward is a step in making history. Let's fight side by side!"

"Hurrah!!!" The deafening cheers from the soldiers shook the heavens and echoed endlessly.

"Juleios! Juleios!..." The crowd roared his name. Many were moved to tears, and some even pleaded: "Say more! Juleios, say more!"

As Juleios stepped down from the platform, soldiers surrounded him, lifting him and passing him along like a victorious general returning from battle.

This left Cleanor, who was about to go on stage, dumbfounded. With the morale already boosted to this level, was there any point in anyone else speaking?

"At least in speech-making, he surpasses any of us!" Xanthippus admitted sincerely.

"Wars aren't won with words. In the end, it's spears and shields that decide everything!" Timasion retorted begrudgingly.

Watching Juleios being tossed in the distance, Xenophon couldn't deny a twinge of jealousy. As Hieronymus wasn't good with words, Xenophon had obtained Clearchus's permission to speak on behalf of their camp. He had carefully prepared, hoping to showcase his talents before the entire army. But now, in this situation...

Clearchus inwardly agreed with Timasion's words. Spartans had always been annoyed by the Athenians' glibness, just as Athenians disliked the Spartans' rigidity. However, he couldn't deny that Juleios's performance exceeded all expectations, not only achieving but surpassing the goal of inspiring the troops. Clearly, this young man's selection as a leader wasn't solely due to divine favor; he also had genuine talent.

Meanwhile, the captains in Menon's camp were just as amazed. Watching Juleios being cheered by soldiers from other camps, even Arintas, who had reservations about Juleios's leadership, said to Antonios, "Our new leader seems pretty good."

Antonios smiled. "Juleios,Juleios, you never fail to surprise!"

...

Eventually, Clearchus took the stage again to announce that the army would break camp the next day and march north, explaining the preparations and precautions needed.

With that, the assembly ended.

As the soldiers dispersed, they enthusiastically reminisced about Juleios's speech, praising him as a "true messenger of the Divins."

Back in Juleios's camp, his soldiers proudly escorted their new leader, their heads held high, spreading his deeds to those who had stayed behind.

Finally free from the excited soldiers, Julieos returned to the tent he had previously occupied, only to realize suddenly that Menon's command tent was now his new home.

As he approached his new quarters, Mersis stood at the entrance. With a strange expression, he said, "Juleios, someone is waiting for you inside."

"Someone? Who is it?"

"You'll know when you go in," Mersis said, jerking his chin toward the tent with a sly smile.

Curious, Juleios lifted the curtain. Standing in the center of the tent was a tall, graceful woman with a stunning figure...

Since his rebirth, Juleios had seen Greek and Egyptian women in Mersis's baggage unit and Helpus's medical unit—some of whom were quite attractive. But never had a woman, merely by her silhouette, stirred such desire in him...

Where did Mersis find her? Juleios couldn't help but swallow hard.