"First, regarding the issue of peace, His Majesty Hilde's meaning is this: the Kingdom of Byzantium and the Kingdom of Scythia are indeed in a state of war, but in the past year, there has been no friction or new conflict between our two countries. We are just in a state of war, and neither side has suffered any losses. Therefore, if we cease fire now, it is the best option. We don't need to worry about the losses, and we can also avoid future losses."
"Yeah, indeed."
Idantyrsus nodded.
"We have indeed not committed any acts of war since the war began."
"Yes, in this way, even if there is peace, no one will suffer losses."
Section 4: Cooperation in the Long Term
Seeing Itantirsus' attitude, Alcibiades smiled and nodded.
After all, peace is the prerequisite for all subsequent actions. Without peace, everything that is to be discussed next will be meaningless. It can be seen that the Kingdom of Scythia and Idantirsus himself have no intention of continuing the war. Fighting with the Kingdom of Byzantium, a well-deserved giant country in this region, is also something that the Scythians do not want to see.
"Then I shall take it that Your Majesty is willing to make peace with our country?"
"It doesn't matter."
Idantyrsus smiled and patted his thigh.
"Daughter, you don't object, do you?"
"This is naturally a good thing. How can I object to it?"
Tomyris lowered her head slightly and agreed to the proposal for peace. However, she still had some worries in her heart. She always felt that this matter was not as simple as she thought. Hilde's sudden request for peace sent a signal that made people care too much. However, Tomyris really had no clue, so she could only choose to remain silent.
"Then it's settled!"
"This is the best. In this way, after the armistice agreement is signed, our two countries will return to a peaceful state."
Alcibiades took down a scroll made of parchment from his body.
"Regarding peace, Her Majesty Queen Hilde's conditions are not very specific. In addition to the restoration of friendship between the two countries, she also hopes that no military zone will be set up on the border to show the trust and friendship between our two countries. At the same time, Her Majesty Queen Hilde proposed to build a road from our country to here to facilitate the communication between merchants of the two countries."
"Building roads?"
Idantyrsus couldn't help but frown.
"If your caravan comes, I can send a guide to escort your caravan to the destination and build a road. I'm afraid it's better to forget it."
"It's like this. When I came here, I took a look. Although this is an endless grassland, which is very suitable for riding horses, once it rains, the grassland will become very muddy. War horses can still pass smoothly, but if it is a carriage, the wheels will easily sink into the grass. In this case, the caravan will be trapped in the grassland alive, and the merchants will also be in danger. Such a bad business environment will make merchants from our country and other places unwilling to set foot here."
Alcibiades knew.
Idantyrsus must have had some doubts.
He then continued to explain:
"And in fact, we all know that there are great conflicts between the Byzantine Kingdom and the Scythian Kingdom. I had not yet come to the Byzantine Kingdom, so I am not particularly clear about the previous incident, but I know that this incident is likely to become a hidden danger. Therefore, promoting trade between our two countries is also a necessary measure to avoid another war in the future. If the people of our two countries need to rely on each other to live a good life, then who would be willing to fight?"
"Is this what you think?"
A faint smile appeared on Idantyrsus's face.
This made Alcibiades sense some danger.
"It was indeed my idea. In fact, the idea of trading with the Kingdom of Scythia, including the idea of building roads, was all my idea. I know that the Scythians are brave and fearless, and Princess Tomyris, a great hero, is here. But our Byzantine Kingdom has a large number of soldiers and food, and Her Majesty Hilde is the oracle of Lady Athena. In many battles, she has defeated many arrogant oracles. So in my opinion, if the war between the Byzantine Kingdom and the Kingdom of Scythia is resumed, it will be a disaster for both countries."
Alcibiades did not shy away.
Instead, he took all of these on himself.
"So! In order to consolidate the peaceful relationship between our two countries and prevent such things from happening to our two countries, it is necessary to promote exchanges and trade between our citizens. Only when we cannot do without each other can the past conflicts be resolved and the relationship between our countries be permanently consolidated."
"..."
Idantyrsus frowned slightly.
You can see that he is thinking.
"Your Majesty, what do you think?"
"What you said makes sense. I know that you Greeks are very good at speaking and persuading others, so I need to think carefully about it. First of all, you have to tell me, if we start a trade with the Byzantine Empire, what can we buy from the Byzantine Empire?"
"All kinds of utensils that are conducive to life, such as high-quality pottery, as well as crops and agricultural products, such as wheat, goat cheese, and wine. Our Byzantine Kingdom has winemaking technology that other countries do not have. Not only can the wine be preserved for a long time and withstand long-distance transportation, but it can also make the wine more mellow through a magical method. I believe that the warriors of Scythia will definitely be happy to taste such fine wine."
Idantyrsus nodded.
What Alcibiades described were indeed some of the necessities that the Scythians needed in their daily lives.
After all, the Scythians were a nomadic people living on the grasslands, and their nomadic economy was very fragile, so the Scythians often needed to buy all kinds of food and Greek handicrafts from outside. However, the geographical location of the Scythians was quite remote, so many of their goods could only be purchased from the Cimmerian Kingdom of Bosphorus on the northern coast of the Black Sea. However, since there was only this one purchasing channel, these Hellenized Cimmerians would often cost the Scythians a lot of money.
If only we could have one more trading partner.
That's a good thing too.
"And what will you gain from us?"
"Many, many. For example, the war horses of the Kingdom of Scythia are what we need. The cavalry of the Kingdom of Byzantium needs to rely on high-quality war horses, and these can only be provided by the Kingdom of Scythia. In addition, there are animal furs, high-quality cattle and sheep, slaves, and even Scythian mercenaries. His Majesty Hilde will welcome the warriors of Scythia to join the army of the Kingdom of Byzantium. Of course, we will also provide a lot of rewards."
Idantyrsus nodded.
“So that’s why the road was built?”
"Indeed."
"Well, this matter still needs to be considered in the long run. Let's not rush it for now. It won't be too late to build the road once we feel it is necessary."
Chapter 4, Section 5: Tomyris's Concern
Although Idantirsus did not agree, for Alcibiades, this was already a victory. As long as Idantirsus experienced the benefits of trade, he would definitely choose to build the road. And even if he did not build the road, Alcibiades had many ways to locate Idantirsus on the prairie.
But to Tomyris, the proposal made by Alcibiades seemed a little dangerous. She agreed with what Alcibiades said that building roads could make trade smoother. After all, this problem had previously troubled Scythia's own caravans. Every time they purchased goods from the Cimmerian Kingdom of Bosporus, they would encounter a lot of trouble on the way back here because the prairie was not suitable for horse-drawn carriages.
But this suggestion was made.
A Byzantine.
This forced Tomyris to pay attention.
After all, this is a Byzantine Kingdom. The Byzantine Kingdom is a typical agricultural and commercial country. Roads are very important to the Byzantine Kingdom. If a road is built from the Byzantine Kingdom to the Scythian court, then if a war breaks out in the future, wouldn't it mean that the Byzantine Kingdom can rely on this road to advance straight into the country?
Therefore, she was quite glad that her father did not agree to this proposal directly, but chose to consider it later, which gave Tomyris some time to persuade Itantirsus to withdraw his idea. If this road was really allowed to be built, then for the Scythians, it might do more harm than good.
"So, these are our thoughts on trade. Since Your Majesty has agreed, let's sign the agreement today. I will return to the Byzantine Kingdom in a few days and personally hand this agreement to Your Majesty Hilde. This means that our two countries have restored peace and are moving in a better direction."
Alcibiades lowered his head slightly.
"What do you think, Your Majesty?"
"Sure! This is a great thing. Let's hold a banquet tonight. The wine you brought will be available for everyone to taste at that time."
When Idantyrsus said this, he turned around and looked at his daughter: "I'll leave this matter to you. Do you have any objections?"
"No."
Tomyris did not show any dissatisfaction.
"Well, in that case, you can leave first and have a good rest. I will ask Tomyris to arrange a place for you to stay. It must be hard for you to travel such a long distance. I hope that as you said, our countries can always maintain a peaceful relationship."
“It will definitely happen.”
After saying this, Alcibiades withdrew first.
After watching him leave, Tomyris said to her father in confusion, "Is this really okay?"
"What could be the problem?"
"I am a little worried about this sudden request for peace, as well as the trade and gift-giving. You know, Hilde is a very smart woman, and she has divine power. I am worried that Hilde is not really seeking peace, but is just setting a trap for us to fall into."
"I don't think you need to worry so much. What kind of trap could it be? The wine was not poisoned. I knew they wanted to build a road, so I naturally did not agree. Trade is fine too. Trade is good for both sides, isn't it?" Itantirsus smiled confidently. "Some things are not as complicated as you think. Peace is also good. In this way, we don't need to worry all the time about whether the Byzantine Kingdom will march north. Maybe they know in their hearts that they have no chance of winning if they want to fight us."
"..."
The confidence of my father.
To Tomyris, it seemed more like unnecessary arrogance.
But Tomyris couldn't point out this problem directly. She could only lower her head helplessly, and then said to her father: "I understand. Then I will go and arrange their accommodation and the evening banquet first."
"Well, let's go."
After leaving the king's tent, Tomyris felt a little complicated. She didn't know what to say, because she always felt that there must be something complicated here, but Tomyris hadn't figured it out yet. So what on earth was Hilde doing?
Tomyris was a relatively simple person, and because of this, she could sense something uncomfortable about Alcibiades. Although Alcibiades spoke very seriously and was impeccable in everything she did, she always gave Tomyris an indescribable feeling of hypocrisy.
But it's just a feeling.
Without evidence, Tomyris dared not speak rashly.
She had no choice but to follow her father's instructions and start preparing for the banquet. The Scythian court had not held a banquet for a long time. As they had always been shrouded in the shadow of the Byzantine Empire, the Scythians had no mood to hold banquets or anything like that. But this time was different. The thing that everyone was most worried about was now over, and war would not fall on their heads.
After hearing the news, almost all the Scythian nobles breathed a sigh of relief.
Peace with the Byzantine Kingdom was really exciting for the Scythians. However, Tomyris did not like this feeling. Therefore, she always treated the power gap between the Byzantine Kingdom and the Scythian Kingdom very calmly. She was very clear about the power comparison between the two countries. However, she would not be like these nobles who were relieved when they heard that they did not have to fight with the Byzantines.
This made Tomyris feel that they were a bit cowardly.
And to the visiting envoy, Alcibiades.
Tomyris arranged for them to live in an area not far from the royal tent.
This place was once used to accommodate Hilde and others, and now there is no problem in turning it over to Alcibiades and others to live in.
"your Highness!"
Alcibiades smiled and said to Tomyris:
"You don't look very happy."
"I've always been like this."
"If you have any concerns or confusion, you can tell me. I understand your feelings. The war between the two countries ended just like that. You may think there is some conspiracy behind it."
The fourth tune, the sixth section, secretly tell you the princess
"…I'm very sorry. You're right. I shouldn't have doubted your sincerity. But this matter really concerns me. You suddenly want peace without any signs. This is a little hard for me to accept. I think that not only me, but other people will also find it strange after knowing this, right?"
"Your Highness is right."
Alcibiades also smiled and nodded.
"I understand your concerns, but I still feel uncomfortable being suspected like this. If you just don't know why His Majesty Hilde made such a decision, then you can come to me, sit down, and I will talk to you."
"OK."
Tomyris did not refuse.
There is actually no reason to refuse.
Tomyris never worried that Alcibiades would dare to do something here. Doing bad things in front of an oracle was really too much for her patience, so she followed Alcibiades into his tent with confidence. After the two sat down, Alcibiades smiled and said, "I understand your concerns, Princess, but you may not know the current situation of the Byzantine Kingdom."
"what's the situation?"
"You should know that the strength of the Byzantine Kingdom is rapidly expanding. Both its population and military strength are worthy of this region. It is much stronger than the original Thracian Kingdom. It is also because of this that the Byzantine Kingdom is bound to be involved in various international disputes. Just a while ago, His Majesty Hilde personally went to Athens and joined the Delian League. Now it has officially gone to war with the Spartans. At the same time, the Byzantine Kingdom has also begun to face pressure from the East. The Persians have made a comeback, and their army has once again stepped into Anatolia and began to threaten the Greeks living in Asia Minor and the Byzantine Kingdom."
"The Persians are coming back?"
"Yes, there is no such possibility. Once the Persians come back, it will be a disaster for us. As you know, just 100 years ago, the Persians also entered the territory of the Scythians. I love that time, the Persian King Cyrus died at the hands of Queen Tomyris, who has the same name as you. But no one knows whether it will happen again this time. But if the Persians really want to attack the West, their army will inevitably step on the territory of the Byzantine Kingdom. In other words, once the Byzantine Kingdom is annexed by Persia, the next step of the Persians will definitely be the Scythians."
Tomyris heard this.
She also frowned a little worriedly.
Tomyris was not afraid of the Thracians before, but he was really worried about the Byzantine Empire led by Hilde. This time, the biggest threat came from the Persians. There was no one living in this world who did not know the reputation of the Persians. This terrifying legend about the Persians also deeply affected everyone, including Tomyris.
Although the Persians were defeated by the Greeks, in everyone's mind, Persia was still the huge empire with a population of tens of millions and a vast territory. Everyone was afraid that the Persians would make a comeback. They defeated the Persians last time, but could they stop the Persians' ambitions again this time? That is why when Alcibiades put the blame on the Persians, Tomyris did not doubt it.
This is perfectly normal.
Seeing Tomyris's reaction.
Alcibiades smiled and continued, "Now the Persian army has begun to besiege the city-states of Ionia, and His Majesty Hilde led the army to drive away the Persians, which barely preserved the independence of Ionia. But no one knows whether the Persian emperor will personally lead the army and launch a general attack on Ionia. If so, it will be a world-shaking battlefield. Therefore, the Byzantine Kingdom needs to maintain good relations with all the surrounding countries. When necessary, everyone will form a coalition to jointly resist the Persian attack. In order to devote himself to the plan to resist the Persians, His Majesty Hilde feels it is necessary to restore peace with the Kingdom of Scythia. The Kingdom of Scythia has very high-quality cavalry and abundant war horse resources. After restoring peace, when our common threat comes, with the help of the Scythians, we will definitely be able to successfully drive the Persians back."
"If that's the case, why didn't you tell my father about this just now?"
Tomyris was also a little confused.
If it had been said just now, then the idea of forming an alliance would have seemed very reasonable.
But Alcibiades smiled and shook his head.
