Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1027: Establishing a New Order in Africa (2)

"Excellent! We are more than willing to attack the City of Carthage alongside Daionia!" Joy swept across the faces of almost all the Numidians. Davos's words had completely dispelled their doubts, and they eagerly voiced their readiness to forge an alliance with Daionia.

A voice spoke up abruptly. "Respected King Davos, I am Tinum, chieftain of the Massylii Tribe in Western Numidia, and I have a question. Daionia is a kingdom, while Numidia is not only split into east and west, but also divided among many tribes with vastly different interests. Once we ally with Daionia, if war breaks out between our tribes, whose side will Daionia take?"

Davos studied the tall, gaunt Numidian chieftain with his hawkish gaze. He was already familiar with the man's name, and he answered with utmost sincerity. "Chieftain Tinum, I have heard of the significant role you played in bravely rising up to resist the Carthaginian army. I am immensely grateful for your courage, and I will not forget your tribe's contributions!"

Davos held his gaze. Although he did not explicitly state that his previous promises would remain unchanged, he knew Tinum would understand the implication.

Sure enough, Tinum smiled and offered a slight bow in return.

"You raise an excellent question. I want to emphasize that the alliance Daionia offers Eastern and Western Numidia is not like the one between Carthage and the Phoenician City-States. As you all know, those cities are forced to obey Carthage's orders. What I intend to establish is an alliance of equals. Every Numidian tribe, regardless of size or military strength, will stand on equal footing with Daionia. You can rest assured that Daionia will honor our covenant, respect each of your tribes, and never interfere in your internal affairs.

"Of course, if internal conflicts do arise and you actively request Daionia's help, we will do our best to mediate. But we will never show favoritism, heavily back a single side, or provide supplies and troops. Put your minds at ease! Besides, from what I know, you Numidians are a relatively united people. Your tribes have largely avoided major conflict..."

Davos's compliment about their unity was only a superficial truth. The actual reason ran deeper: the tribes of Eastern Numidia were exhausted from defending against the Carthaginians' relentless encroachment. With their very survival at stake, they had no energy to waste on tribal expansion. As for the Western Numidian Tribes, Carthage kept them under tight control. Acting as the alliance leader, Carthage ruthlessly crushed any ambitious tribe that dared incite conflict. The Massylii Tribe had suffered several harsh lessons of their own before finally falling into line. As a result, the tribes across the Numidian region had huddled together for safety over a long period, maintaining not only peace but genuinely amicable relations.

However, the shrewd Davos would never mention whether the Numidian tribes could maintain that peace once the Carthaginian threat was eliminated.

Raising their wine cups one by one, they toasted Davos in gratitude. The king and his generals lifted their own cups in return, and the banquet's atmosphere swelled with renewed enthusiasm.

...

When the banquet concluded late in the night, the Numidians stumbled out, tipsy and utterly satisfied. The generals also departed in high spirits, excited that the war would not be ending anytime soon.

Only Henipolis stayed behind, following Davos into the drawing room.

Servants brought in a basin of hot water and clean linen. Davos soaked a cloth and laid it across his face. He immediately felt his pores open under the steaming heat; it drew out the lingering haze of the wine and left him sharply refreshed.

He lay back for a long while until the cloth cooled. Only then did he sit up and pull it away. Seeing Henipolis still sitting quietly beside him, he asked in surprise, "Heni, is there something on your mind?"

"Your Majesty," Henipolis said softly, bowing his head. "We have already routed the Carthaginian army. You said at the banquet tonight that we will be landing in Africa to attack the City of Carthage. In that case, is there still any need to negotiate with the Carthaginians?"

"Of course we must continue negotiations," Davos explained patiently. "Our troops cannot afford to relax against the Carthaginian remnants that fled into Segesta and Mazara; we have to press the offensive. And then there's Mazara, Segesta, Eryx, the Sikanoi... Subduing these remnant forces on the Island of Sicily and securing our rear will take time. Realistically, it will be a while before our army can land in Africa.

"During this delay, I don't want the Carthaginians seeing through our true intentions. If they do, they will spare no effort to mount a full defense, which would cause enormous difficulties for our landing forces. We have to keep putting on an act to lower their guard and buy ourselves time."

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid this recent victory will only make the Carthaginians more anxious to negotiate. If we stick to our previous terms, it's highly likely they will simply agree to them."

Henipolis's reminder gave Davos pause. A moment later, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Heni, you make a very good point. Since we've secured a major new victory, it's only natural that we demand even more concessions. It's the Carthaginian envoy's own fault for not agreeing to our terms earlier."

"Exactly. I even went out of my way to warn that envoy, Okriton, during the last round of negotiations," Henipolis said with a wicked grin.

"This new condition... will be for the Carthaginians to cede Southern Iberia to us. What do you think?" Davos asked.

"...The gold and silver mines in Southern Iberia are a crucial source for the Carthaginian precious metal trade. We already took Sardinia, and now we're asking for Southern Iberia. If Carthage agrees, their precious metal trade will be ruined, and their treasury revenues will plummet. They won't agree so easily. Furthermore, the Magonid family spent over a decade pouring their blood and sweat into developing the Southern Iberian inland. It is the very foundation of their power; they will absolutely never agree! That will force a long cycle of haggling, neatly achieving our goal of stalling for time..." Henipolis analyzed earnestly.

"Indeed! In Carthage, the hostility between the Magonid faction and the Hanno faction runs deep. The fact that they constantly hampered each other during the war paved the way for our victory," Davos sighed. He left the rest of his thoughts unspoken.

Davos remembered from his past life's history that after the First Punic War, Carthage ceded Sicily to Rome (with Sardinia being forcibly ceded later). Yet, relying primarily on the wealth and manpower accumulated from developing Southern Iberia, Hannibal's family had managed to inflict catastrophic devastation upon Rome during the Second Punic War... Therefore, his proposal wasn't merely a delaying tactic. He had firmly made up his mind to conquer that treasured land, denying Carthage any chance of a resurgence.

"Your Majesty, are we really going to capture the City of Carthage... and completely wipe out Carthage?" Henipolis's voice pulled Davos from his thoughts.

Seeing the Palace Secretary's conflicted expression, Davos chuckled. "What, can't bear to see it go?"

"I'm just... worried that attacking the City of Carthage will result in massive casualties for our army..." Henipolis was not being entirely truthful. Despite his hostility toward the Carthaginian envoy during negotiations, as a highly educated Daionian Citizen, his years spent analyzing Carthaginian intelligence had cultivated a deep appreciation for the culture the Carthaginians had built. He was reluctant to see such an ancient, glorious city-state completely destroyed.

Davos did not expose the lie. He simply replied in a mild tone, "In ancient times, there was a giant serpent. It was ferocious, its strength unparalleled, and no one dared provoke it. But it had one flaw: it was unspeakably gluttonous. It fed from dawn to dusk, and in the end, it actually ate itself to death..."

Henipolis blinked. "Your Majesty, are you worried the kingdom is expanding too quickly... and that it might lead to ruin?"

Davos held out his hand, counting off his fingers one by one. "Campania, the Samnite mountains, the Latium region, Corsica, Sardinia, all of Sicily, and if possible, even Southern Iberia and the new towns in Africa... In this single war, the territory Daionia has conquered already exceeds our original borders. It will take vast amounts of time, manpower, and material resources just to digest those lands and assimilate their populations into the Kingdom of Daunia. It is not an easy task.

"Across the sea lies Africa, an even vaster continent. We are completely unfamiliar with it, whereas the Carthaginians have lived there for centuries and hold massive influence. Attempting to completely annihilate them would carry a heavy toll! And even if we did destroy Carthage, would we truly be capable of taking its place in Africa?"

Davos fixed Henipolis with a solemn gaze.