"At first, I didn't know what 'the western Mediterranean' referred to, but today, when the envoy from Thurii came to me, I understood that my dream was being fulfilled!" Juleios exclaimed with a surge of excitement, briefly recounting the story of Bourkos.
"Thurii wants to hire us to fight the indigenous people?" Kapus asked, his expression thoughtful.
"Yes," Juleios confirmed. "I've heard that the entire region of Greater Greece is under threat from the indigenous tribes. Thurii is merely the city-state suffering the most."
The officers exchanged glances, their faces marked with uncertainty. Antonios broke the silence, standing up and saying, "But Persia is far away from us, and Thurii is just as distant. Fighting in Thurii isn't much different from fighting in Persia!"
Juleios gave Antonios a discreet nod of appreciation. On the surface, Antonios's remark seemed critical, but it set the stage perfectly for Juleios to elaborate. With a serious tone, Juleios addressed the group:
