Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1026: Establishing a New Order in Africa (1)

At that moment, the guards outside the gates shouted, "The chiefs of Numidia have arrived!"

Dozens of Numidians, dressed simply and still covered in the dust of battle, walked anxiously into the courtyard.

Only then did the commanders realize why so many dining tables had been set up.

Davos stood up. With a smile on his face, he said loudly, "Welcome, new friends of the Kingdom of Daunia! Please, sit down!"

As soon as Davos finished speaking, Henipolis translated his words in a loud voice. He did not speak Numidian; he spoke Carthaginian. Over the years, while assisting King Davos with intelligence related to Carthage, he had taught himself the language and now spoke it quite fluently. Since the Numidians had been under Carthaginian rule for so long, most of their chiefs could speak it as well.

After Henipolis finished translating, Davos immediately began to applaud. The commanders followed his lead, clapping one after another.

The Numidian chiefs felt the goodwill extended by the Theonians and relaxed slightly, taking their seats as the soldiers guided them.

Seeing everyone seated, Davos picked up a wine cup and declared loudly, "Today is a day worth celebrating! Under the brilliant command of our generals, the heroic fighting of our soldiers, and the cooperation of our new Numidian friends, we have utterly defeated the Carthaginian army! From now on, we will no longer be on the defensive, but on the offensive! And we will keep attacking! So, to this glorious victory, let us empty this cup!"

"Cheers!"

...

All the commanders grew excited and raised their wine cups high. Some, like Matonis and Oliphus, even banged on the tables and shouted boisterously.

After hearing Henipolis's translation, the Numidian chiefs also raised their wine cups.

Everyone downed their drinks in one gulp.

Davos immediately filled his cup again and continued, "This second cup is dedicated to our new Numidian friends. In the past, Daionia and Numidia were strangers to each other, separated by a vast distance. Before this war, we fought each other many times—though, of course, you were forced to do so under Carthaginian coercion. However, there is an old Eastern saying: no fighting, no acquaintance. Forced into this war, both our sides eventually came together. Despite never having cooperated before, you placed your unconditional trust in us and took tremendous risks. You executed the plan perfectly in today's battle, making our victory much easier and keeping our casualties low! On behalf of all the officers and soldiers of Daionia, I thank you!

"Furthermore, I promise you in the name of Hades that the commitments we made to you earlier will not change! Daionia seeks a long-term alliance with Numidia, and for that, let us empty this cup!"

After hearing these words, the Numidian chiefs finally put their minds at ease. Excitedly raising their wine cups, they stood up and said with trembling voices, "Good! ... Good! ..." before gulping down their drinks.

Davos then raised another cup of wine and said earnestly, "Although we have won a great victory this time, Carthage remains a powerful city-state. Neither Daionia nor Numidia should drop our guard. Instead, we must continue to strengthen our cooperation and constantly launch offensives to thoroughly defeat the Carthaginians! Only then can we guarantee Daionia's security and ensure that the freedom of the Numidians will never be taken away again! To this end, let us empty this cup!"

Everyone at the gathering raised their wine cups high and drained them.

Davos let out a small burp. Wiping the wine from his lips, he looked around at the crowd and smiled. "Today is a joyous occasion. I originally wanted to offer a few more toasts, but I was afraid you would criticize me and say, 'I've been fighting all day and I'm starving! How can just drinking wine fill me up?' So, from now on, eat to your heart's content. Because we were in a rush and our conditions are limited, the food isn't particularly lavish. However, since Carthage so generously delivered military rations to us, there's no limit on food tonight!"

The commanders understood the teasing in Davos's words and burst into loud laughter.

Fearing the Numidians might not understand, Henipolis added his own explanation while translating, prompting knowing smiles from them as well.

To help the Numidians relax, Davos had specifically instructed Henipolis beforehand not to mix water into the wine.

As a result, the Thurii Wine tasted incredibly sweet and delicious. However, after downing three large cups of wine on an empty stomach, many were already feeling a bit drunk. Their previous restraint and nervousness were gradually cast aside. Coupled with their genuine hunger, they grabbed the food on the tables and gorged themselves.

The sound of chewing filled the courtyard, and the atmosphere began to grow lively.

Although Davos was also somewhat hungry, having passed forty years of age, he had been paying more attention to his health in recent years. He ate slowly and chewed his food carefully.

After a while, a Numidian stood up. Emboldened by the alcohol, he said loudly in Carthaginian, "R-respected King of Daonia, we believe in your promise to allow us Numidians to regain our independence! B-but we have utterly betrayed the Carthaginians, and they must hate us deeply. Furthermore, the greedy Carthaginians have always coveted our lands. Even if they choose to retreat this time because of their defeat, our Numidian tribes remain incredibly weak compared to Carthage. Once Carthage recovers from this defeat, they will certainly double their revenge against us. When that time comes, what can Daionia do for us?"

His words resonated with several Numidian chiefs, who quickly echoed his concerns.

After listening to Henipolis's translation, Davos did not answer right away. Instead, he asked, "Are you an East Numidian or from Western Numidia?"

"I am from the Salmu Tribe in East Numidia. I am Krigg, the son of the chieftain."

Davos nodded. The Numidians he had instructed Henipolis and Tolmides to invite to this banquet were all either tribal chiefs from Western Numidia or influential figures from the various tribes of East Numidia.

Davos knew very well that compared to the Western Numidians, Carthage exercised much stricter control and deeper oppression over East Numidia. This caused the East Numidians to fear Carthage deeply. When he had sent spies deep into the Carthaginian camp to forge an alliance with the Numidians, the Western Numidians had been far more proactive. Today, they had also been the first to launch the rebellion. On the other hand, although the East Numidians had larger numbers, fewer of them had answered the call. This, of course, was partly due to their different unit structures within the Carthaginian army. Ultimately, it was only after seeing the main force of the Carthaginian army—the Iberian army—completely routed and the soldiers of the Theonia Legion charging right at them that they hastily joined the rebellion. It was more of a desperate act to save themselves.

Davos was quite understanding of this. His expression remained gentle as he said, "Through our cooperation today, I believe both our sides have seen each other's sincerity. And since we share a common enemy, why don't we extend this cooperation and make Daionia and Numidia long-term allies?! Whether it is a year from now or five years from now, as long as another faction dares to attack either one of us, the other will take the initiative to declare war on that faction. Together, we will combine our strengths to defeat the enemy. What do you think?"

"Establish a long-term alliance?!" Krigg thought for a moment before a relieved smile broke across his face. "This is an excellent proposal! That way, we will have nothing to worry about!"

"Becoming long-term allies sounds great! I agree!"

"I agree!"

"When do we form this alliance?!"

...

Many Numidians excitedly voiced their approval.

At that moment, another East Numidian stood up and raised a concern. "Respected King of Daonia, we East Numidians live in the interior of Africa, while the coastline is controlled by Carthage and its Phoenician Allied States. You in Daionia are far away in Italy and Sicily. If Carthage sends an army to invade our lands in the future, we won't be able to relay the news to you in time. By the time you find out, I fear many tribes will have already been plundered and destroyed by Carthage. If that happens, an alliance won't seem to be of any use."

The excitement on the Numidians' faces rapidly faded, especially among the East Numidians. Their compatriot's words made them suddenly realize that an alliance with Daionia wouldn't magically eliminate the danger they faced.

Davos laughed heartily and declared, "You don't need to worry! Daionia has no intention of stopping after wiping out the Carthaginian army on the Island of Sicily. We are also preparing to land in Africa, attack Carthage's Phoenician Allied States, and ultimately launch an assault on the City of Carthage itself!

"Only by utterly defeating Carthage will this greedy city-state sign an agreement to return your lands and free your brothers whom they have enslaved.

"At the same time, Daionia will establish several towns on the coast of Africa. In this way, we can monitor the Carthaginians closely, strengthen our connection with you, and conduct fair trade to improve your lives..."

At this point, Davos noticed that the Numidians were staring at him with bright eyes, expressions of excitement once again spreading across their faces.

The surrounding Theonian commanders all looked surprised. After all, Davos hadn't revealed his plans to anyone else, except for sharing a portion of them with Henipolis. However, men like Amyntas and Matonis also had shining eyes. To them, this meant that even if the war in Sicily ended, the overall conflict would continue, giving them more opportunities to perform meritorious deeds.

Davos immediately added, "Of course, the Daionian Army is completely unfamiliar with Africa. We will need the full assistance of you Numidians. Together, we will work hard and ultimately force the Carthaginians to surrender!"