Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1060: Alexon

Eunice and Avia had come to the Hill of the Gods because Christoya had caught a severe cold. Despite intensive treatment, five or six days had passed without a full recovery. Hoping her mother would heal quickly, Eunice had decided to pray to Hades for protection.

The Main Temple of Hades was under reconstruction. To avoid disturbances, the priests had long since notified believers to worship at the other Temples of Hades in the outer districts of Thurii whenever possible. But every time her parents had fallen ill in the past, Eunice had come to the main temple to pray, and it had always proven quite effective. Thus, she stubbornly chose to visit the Hill of the Gods anyway.

As the group ascended the hill, they immediately alerted the Scepter Priest, Praxinas.

Rebuilding the Main Temple of Hades was a top priority for the Kingdom of Daionia, and even more so for the priesthood of Hades. Praxinas spent almost every day at the construction site, overseeing the building's progress and coordinating solutions for any problems that arose. He had even skipped several Senate meetings for it.

Upon learning the two princesses' intent, Praxinas did not dare neglect them. He immediately had the priests prepare a temporary shrine so they could offer their prayers.

After Eunice and Avia devoutly prayed for their mother, Eunice's interest remained piqued; she wanted to tour the entire construction site.

Praxinas had some misgivings about this request. King Davos had only visited once to give a speech when the project began, and had not returned to inspect the site in the months since. Therefore, the priest wasn't sure if Eunice's request came from Davos's own instructions.

Regardless, he knew Eunice was deeply favored by Davos. Not daring to slight her, he personally accompanied the two princesses, guiding them around and providing a detailed explanation of the whole project.

Having served as a priest of Hades for over twenty years, Praxinas was not only eloquent but also exceptionally knowledgeable in Hades theology (most of which came from texts compiled by the priests themselves). He turned the dull, tedious process of temple construction into a lively tale, captivating both the princesses and their guards.

The construction site was entirely a man's world. The sudden appearance of two beautiful young ladies of such noble status naturally caused a stir among the craftsmen and laborers. Under the strict supervision of the foremen and the intimidating presence of the royal guards, however, the men only dared steal quiet glances. If anything, it made them work with even greater vigor.

As for Eunice and Avia, even though half the men in sight were bare-chested, they felt no discomfort. Having grown up watching athletic competitions in Thurii, they were long accustomed to the sight.

The group chatted and laughed as they toured more than half the site. Eunice suddenly stopped, pointed ahead, and asked, "Who is that?"

By the steep cliff on the western side of the Hill of the Gods stood a man, standing as motionless as a statue.

Compared to the bustling construction site where everyone was hard at work, this person's behavior stood out far too much, bringing a look of displeasure to Eunice's face.

Praxinas hurriedly explained, "His name is Alexon. He is a Tarentine, not one of the craftsmen or laborers working on the temple."

"A Tarentine?" Eunice asked in confusion, still suspicious. "They're building a temple here. Aren't ordinary people forbidden from entering right now?"

Displaying excellent manners, Praxinas patiently explained, "Princess, he is a candidate registered for the design competition for the hilltop Statue of Hades, and he has passed the preliminary selection. However, he made a request. He said he had never been to the Hill of the Gods before and hoped to conduct an on-site inspection to find inspiration so he could design the perfect statue for the summit... We initially refused him, but he actually trespassed into the Royal Palace to petition His Majesty. He was arrested by the guards as an intruder, but when His Majesty heard about it, he actually agreed to the request. Therefore, we had to allow him in. He has been here for two days now, though he hasn't wandered around. He spends most of his time standing quietly right there."

The biggest difference in this reconstruction of the Main Temple of Hades was that a giant Statue of Hades would be erected on the hill right in front of the temple. Not only would the people of the entire city be able to see its towering figure, but citizens, travelers, and pedestrians across the Sybaris Plain, the nearby mountains, the ports, and the coast would also be able to witness its radiant glow, highlighting the supreme majesty of the patron deity of the Kingdom of Daionia.

King Davos and the Senate required that the statue not only exceed the Colossal Statue of Athena in front of the Parthenon in size, but also feature an extraordinary and peerless artistic design. Therefore, at Davos's suggestion, the Temple of Hades teamed up with the kingdom's Sculptors Guild to host an unprecedented design competition. Any sculptor or painter within the kingdom could submit a design for the giant hilltop statue, ensuring the most outstanding and flawless work would be chosen.

However, candidates first had to pass two rounds of preliminary assessments. The judges were all famous architects and painters of the Kingdom of Daionia. As a result, ninety percent of the entrants were eliminated to weed out the unqualified. For this young man to have passed the preliminary selection, his skills were clearly exceptional.

Intrigued by Praxinas's introduction, Eunice walked straight over and stood before the man, discovering he was a youth in his early twenties. His arms were stretched out and his eyes slightly narrowed, letting the mountain breeze flutter his loose clothing as he wore a look of sheer intoxication.

"What are you doing?" Eunice asked curiously.

The young man remained motionless, as if he hadn't heard her.

Eunice grew a bit angry and said loudly, "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

The young man named Alexon slowly turned his head and replied with dissatisfaction, "Excuse me, please don't interrupt my thoughts. Also, please step aside. You're blocking my sunlight."

Showered with her parents' doting affection since childhood, Eunice had never had anyone dare speak to her in such a tone. Her brows instantly drew together in a fierce scowl, and she snapped, "Hey, do you know who I am?"

Alexon didn't answer. He just waved his hand repeatedly in annoyance, gesturing for her to leave.

Now Eunice was truly furious. "I am the daughter of King Davos! I order you to get off the Hill of the Gods immediately, or I'll have the guards throw you out!"

This time, Alexon faced Eunice directly, showing no fear on his face. Instead, he spoke with serious, unyielding composure: "I am standing here by King Davos's decree. I'd really like to know—whose word carries more weight? His Majesty's orders, or yours?"

"You!..." Eunice's rage was choked off by his words; for a moment, she truly didn't know how to respond.

"Sister, it's time for us to go home!" Avia's timely shout offered Eunice a way out. She immediately answered back, then glared at the young man and spat, "Your name is Alexon, right? I'll remember you. Just you wait and see!"

Alexon completely ignored her threat. He turned his head away and went back to quietly overlooking the base of the hill.

Eunice stomped her foot hard and turned on her heel to leave.

After seeing Eunice's group off, a subordinate asked uneasily, "Priest Praxinas, that Tarentine insulted our princess. Should we...?"

Praxinas shook his head and said, "That was just a squabble between youngsters; leave him be. As devout believers of Hades, we ought to possess broad and merciful hearts. Otherwise, how will we convince the masses?"

"You are right, I was mistaken," the priest immediately admitted his fault.

Praxinas rubbed his forehead and said, "I'm going to rest for a while. Once Lord Heracleides, the construction minister, arrives, come tell me immediately. I still need to inspect the project's progress with him."

"Yes."

...

Davos finished the day's state affairs early. Hurriedly leaving the Royal Palace, he rushed back to his hillside mansion and went straight to Christoya's bedroom, asking with concern, "How are you? Are you feeling better today?"

Before Christoya could speak from the bed, Agnes spoke up from the side. Agnes had stayed away from the Temple of Hera these past few days just to care for her. "Herpus came by again just now to examine her. He said her physical condition is much better than before, and she should fully recover in two or three days."

"That is wonderful news!" Davos sat by the bed and stroked Christoya's hand, speaking earnestly. "The weather has been great lately. I suggest you have the maids help you up to take a walk in the garden. Getting some sunlight will help you heal faster."

Christoya shot him a glance, violently yanked her hand back, and turned away. "Leave me alone," she sighed sorrowfully. "I won't get better. Just let Persephone take me to Elysium!"

"Sister, don't talk nonsense—" Agnes quickly tried to coax her. Davos discreetly waved his hand to signal her not to worry, then said, "Clotho is busy with state affairs right now, and you aren't severely ill, so I didn't summon him back—"

"Alas, I'm dying..." Christoya immediately began lamenting again.

"However, he agreed to send Chris back." Davos's next words brought Christoya's wailing to an abrupt halt. She suddenly whipped around. "Really?!"

Davos gave a teasing smile. "Are you cured now?"

Christoya swatted him and asked urgently, "Is it really true?!"

"A king does not speak in jest," Davos said with a smile. "I estimate our good grandson will be home the day after tomorrow."

"That is wonderful!" Agnes wore a rare look of excitement. "I wonder how tall Chris has grown! The last time he left, he wasn't even a year old. He was taken to Rome before he could even walk..."