Alexander understood what Menicus was implying and understood the angle he was coming from.
There is a reason why there was rarely a standing army in ancient times, the notable exception being the Romans.
But since the Romans could do it, Alexander asked himself why he could not do it too.
So he decided to educate his military commanders a bit, "It is true that most of the time, soldiers are levied in times of war and disbanded when the war ends." He started.
"But why is that? Why does the government let go of such experienced people? Why can't we have a strong standing army like Exolas and a strong economy like Cantagena? Why do we have to pick and choose," He asked passionately.
And then answered his own question, "This is because we live in an agricultural society, where the primary product is food. And a farmer can typically only produce a surplus of ten percent.
This means that nine farmers are needed to feed just one non-farmer."
