"What have you been working on lately?" Davers asked with a smile.

"In addition to helping the mint committee in the Senate design the molds and tools for silver coins, we've been working on pulleys lately." Mentotik Els said truthfully.

"Pulley?!" When Davers heard this, his heart moved.

"Last year, when you defeated Crotone and annexed Turiyi, didn't Acheta come to Amendolara?" Matthicoris said with a big grin.

Davers didn't care, he nodded.

"He saw our new waterwheel and was very interested, so he talked to us about how it works, and he also mentioned that he has recently become interested in mathematical mechanics and has begun to study the application of pulleys......" Mattikoris said with some embarrassment, "So...... I ......" he glanced at Mentotik Els: "Let's get started...... Studied pulleys ......"

Davers understood. Don't look at Acheta as an important figure in the Pythagorean school and a genius in mathematics, these two in front of him are just ordinary disciples, but in academics they have a competitive spirit that is not inferior to anyone, especially Matticoris, he has strong energy and strong curiosity, desire to explore, and now under the conditions of a prosperous life, he devotes all his energy to research, and wants to compete with Acheta academically.

"How's the research going?" Davers softly interrupted Mattikoris's stammering, although he returned a lot of science knowledge he had learned in school in his previous life to the teacher, but he didn't even know what a pulley was, it was just the basics of physics in junior high school.

"We have created a mathematical formula for the labor-saving nature of pulleys, and we have proven it to be correct many times. Of course, with those number symbols you invented, we saved a lot of time and energy. Now we are further experimenting with multiple pulley combinations in order to refine its theory...... By that time, this discovery will surely change the entire Mediterranean world! Can you imagine that a person can pull up a boulder by himself with a pulley, more than ten meters high! Can you imagine a person using a pulley to pull a small boat on his own! ......" As soon as Matticoris spoke of mathematics, his eyes lit up and his hands danced.

Davers was not as surprised as they expected, but said with a smile: "I believe that this research and invention of yours will bring great convenience to the lives of the people of the Alliance!" ”

The two looked at each other, a little frustrated. As a god of Hades, Davers seems to have long seen the future development prospects of a mathematical research, so that every time they stand in front of him, they always have no superiority of scholars.

Mattikoris complained, "If you hadn't asked us to help them mint coins, our research would have progressed faster!" ”

"Isn't minting coins just proving your abilities to the Pythagoreans?!" Davers laughed and said that when he handed over the coinage to Tritto Demus, he actually did not consider these two disciples of the Pythagorean school, but the high requirements he put forward made Tritto Demos very difficult, and finally Tritodemos took the initiative to find Davers and asked Matticles to help them, because after Pythagoras was expelled by the Crotonians decades ago, he stayed in Metapontum and designed an elaborate coinage die for Metapontum, As a result, the coins of this Greek city-state, which was not well-known in Greater Greece, were very popular, so he thought of asking Matticoris of the Pythagoreans to help.

"Compared to the time of the Pythagorean teachers, the school has developed a much more complete study of the design of coin dies, so—" Mentotice Els had said modestly, and Matticles snorted, "but the hydraulic press is something they do not have, so we are indeed better than them in the silver coins!" ”

After being together for so long, Davers basically understands the two young people in front of him. At the beginning, most of the Pythagoreans were reluctant to come to the remote town of Amendolara, so they forcibly assigned these two unknown Gentile disciples, which dealt a big blow to the two sensitive Leotines, and under the long-term intentional or unintentional guidance of Davers, the two people who were in a humble position in the school at the time had gradually deviated from and disagreed with some of the ideas of the school, and had the intention to compete with the original teachers and classmates.

Davers smiled slightly, took out a piece of papyrus, and said, "I have a drawing here, on which a device is drawn, which involves the use of pulleys, I wonder if you can make it?" ”

"I'll see! Let me see! As soon as Davers finished speaking, Mattichris couldn't wait to snatch it from Davers.

Mentotice Els leaned over, looked at the drawings, and asked, "What is this device called?" ”

The people of Syracuse call it a ballista, and it is said that it can shoot a dozen pounds of stone hundreds of meters away. Ten days earlier, the Syracuse had used it to repel Carthaginian reinforcements. Davers said seemingly calmly, but his heart was not at peace.

When Aristiras reported to Davers about the Battle of Mordia, he was astonished. Dionica's catapults are still in the trial production stage, while Syracuse's ballistas and belly bows have appeared in Motia in large quantities, and have successfully sunk many Carthaginian warships, and their strength and accuracy are not comparable to Dionia's crude catapults, which shows the gap between Syracuse and Dionya in military engineering technology. This put Davers under pressure, and he immediately ordered Aristiras: at all costs, get the blueprints of the Syracuse ballista!

For Aristiras, who hated Syracuse, he certainly couldn't ask for it, and after paying a lot of money, he got this rough image of Syracuse's ballista.

Hearing the name "Syracuse", the two scholars, who had also lost their mother state, looked at it more seriously, and they couldn't wait to get into the drawings.

"Mentotik Els." At this time, Davers asked, "I wonder how the last time I told you about attracting and recruiting more of your classmates to Dionya in order to expand the scale of the institute and further promote the study of mathematical theory and applications?" ”

Mentotik Els looked away from the drawings with some reluctance, and said helplessly: "Your Excellency, since the school has vigorously condemned us for violating the rules and giving public lectures, many of my classmates have cut off correspondence with me, and only a very few foreign students with good relations have listened to my introduction to the good environment in Dionya and are willing to come to Dionia. ”

"As long as they are willing to come, the promise given by Dionia will be fulfilled! In addition, if they have any other needs, you can tell me directly, and I will try my best to meet them! Dionya will create the best environment and conditions for you to study, discuss, and research, and I am sure that you will be able to achieve as much success as Tarantum in spite of your small numbers! ”

Davers's unreserved support for the Institute of Mathematics made Mentotik Els grateful and his ambition was aroused, and he said solemnly: "We will not let you down!" ”

"How did you discuss sending teachers to teach at the new school?" Davers asked again.

"Originally, we were a little hesitant because of the lack of manpower, but now that some new students are coming, I discussed with Matticollis and thought that you are right, going to the school to give lectures can help us sort out the mathematical theories we have mastered, consolidate the basic knowledge, and at the same time expand the influence of the institute, maybe we can get new inspiration in the communication with students...... We'd love to send someone, but there's one request. ”

"What requirements?"

"If we find a talented student in mathematics in the school, we hope to give him special training and join the graduate school in the future." Mentotik Els said with some caution, because this was his and Matticoris's selfishness, and since they had fallen out with the Pythagoreans in Tarantum, they also wanted to develop their own academic community to compete with the Pythagoreans.

"Of course that's fine, but you have to ask for the student's permission." Davers did not hesitate to agree, in fact, he was glad to see this, and the fact that Mattikoris and Mentotice-Els were able to consider the problem from their own interests showed that they were getting further and further away from the Pythagoreans of Tarantum, both emotionally and in action.

"In addition, in normal times, I also plan to let those engineering engineers in various legions go to the Institute of Mathematics to serve as your assistants, so that you can not only solve the problem of insufficient manpower, but also closely combine theory and practical application."

"Of course, the Institute welcomes them to help!" Mentotice's Els is better at dealing with things than Matticores, and he tactfully: "But we don't have enough money to pay them." ”

"You'll have it soon." Davos smiled and said: "The water mill you designed has been tested, and the efficiency of grinding flour has been increased several times, which can save a lot of time and animal power for the people, and I have ordered people to build water mills in Amendolara, Turiyi, and Crimesa, and the price of grinding a pound of flour is very low, less than a third of Opol, I believe that the people will be willing to use the water mill after trying." According to my agreement with you, the Institute will receive 20% of the proceeds from the application of the device you invented, which I think will be a significant expense and will be completely at your disposal. I hope you will make good use of this money, especially to reward the main inventors, and encourage their enthusiasm, only then will more people be inspired to invent better devices, and you will also earn more. ”