Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1107: North African Elephants

Okriton was not surprised. According to his intelligence, the Etruscan League had suffered greatly from Gallic raids to the north in recent years and had been forced to rely on Daionia's aid. Last year, Daionia had specifically dispatched an army to garrison the northern border of the Iberian Alliance to secure its territory. It was only natural that the Etruscans would show some token of appreciation.

"And what about those ships up ahead? Are they Etruscan too?" Okriton asked with interest, looking toward a large cargo ship among the forward vessels that featured high sides and a deckhouse.

"I took a closer look when I passed them in the skiff just now. Although most of their sailors are... Phoenicians, it seems..." His attendant spoke with a mix of hesitation and anger. "The passengers are dressed like Numidians and Mauretanians!"

However composed Okriton usually was, he found it hard to stay calm. The Carthaginians blamed half of their defeat in that war on Numidian betrayal. Since then, the Numidians—who had once served them like slaves—had turned around and begun frequently raiding Carthaginian lands. Past or present, the Numidians remained a sore spot for Carthage.

Okriton quickly suppressed his emotions and asked in a low voice, "How did they manage to bring so many ships as well?"

"It seems many of the ships are carrying horses," the attendant answered.

Okriton understood immediately. "That is about the only thing the Numidians have to offer."

"My lord," the attendant said softly, hesitating. "They are all presenting gifts to Daionia, yet we brought nothing. Isn't this..."

Okriton lifted his chin. "The fact that Carthage sent an envoy to attend is the best gift Daionia's Festival of Hades could receive!"

While Okriton was lost in thought, the Etruscan delegation finished unloading their goods and departed the docks. Next, it was time for the ships of the Numidian and Mauretanian delegations to enter the inner city docks.

After a while, the sounds of neighing horses and shouting people arose, making the docks exceptionally lively.

Suddenly, deafening exclamations erupted from the shore, echoing endlessly. Even Ocreton, waiting outside the harbor, could hear them clearly: "Gods, what kind of monster is this?! It's so huge!"

"This might... perhaps it's a giant bull from Lucania..."

"Idiot! Do bulls have noses this long? Besides, a bull's horns grow on its head, but its horns grow beside its mouth."

"Then you tell me, what is it?"

"I've never seen one before either, so how could I know? But we can ask these Mauretanians."

...

Hearing these cries of alarm, Okriton felt surprised. Had the Mauretanians actually brought elephants from the inland regions of Africa all the way to Thurii?!

Although he had never seen one, he had heard of them. Farther south of the territories held by Western Numidia and the Mauretanians, there were quite a few elephants. More than half the ivory traded in the markets of the City of Carthage came from there.

In fact, ivory was equally popular in Thurii, especially during the recent reconstruction of the Temple of Hades, which had required purchasing it in large quantities. However, when the true owners of that ivory stepped out of the cabins and onto the shore, they still utterly shocked the onlookers. "To think there are such giant beasts in this world! Could they be the descendants of some ancient monster?!"

Compared to the shouting and wildly speculating citizens nearby, the Thurii officials who had come to welcome the delegations were more worried than shocked. They feared how much damage these giant beasts would cause to the city if they went berserk, as they looked very difficult to control. The residents of the inner city were Senators, important ministers, and citizens of extraordinary status. If massive casualties occurred, lowly officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs like them could not bear the responsibility.

The Mauretanian envoy repeatedly explained to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials that although these animals looked massive, they actually had gentle temperaments and would not easily hurt anyone.

He also instructed the mahouts to direct the elephants to kneel before the officials and use their long trunks to perform various comical actions like waving and nodding. Even this did not completely dispel the officials' doubts, though it made the surrounding crowd cheer even more enthusiastically.

Fortunately, it wasn't long before several hundred members of the Palace Guard arrived. On King Davos's orders, they were to escort the elephants to specially built enclosures on King's Hill.

Thus, under the careful direction of the mahouts, the three elephants—one male, one female, and a calf—took slow and heavy steps. Treading upon the flat, solid roads of the district, they marched toward the western side of the city along the exact route used by armies during a Triumphant Return.

Hearing the news, the residents of the inner city stepped out of their homes. Even some Senators stood by the roadside, curiously observing these giant beasts they had never seen before.

With the Palace Guard striving to maintain order, the excited crowds did not cause the elephants to panic. Instead, the animals got to enjoy a rare taste of the honors typically reserved for soldiers in a Triumphant Return, making the people even more eager for this year's festival.

By the time the ship carrying the Carthaginian delegation entered the docks, it was already afternoon. Okriton had waited on board for nearly four hours, so the moment he stepped ashore, he grumbled crossly to the Daionian official who came to greet him. "For a city as large as Thurii to have such a tiny harbor... it prevents any visiting foreign envoy from feeling the grandeur of Daionia as the most powerful nation in the western Mediterranean. Instead, it feels cramped and stingy!"

The Daionian official did not get angry at Okriton's blunt offense. Instead, he frankly admitted it. "You are quite right. We have also recognized this as a major problem. This inner city river port was built before the kingdom was established. At that time, its capacity was sufficient. However, visiting foreign envoys have been far too frequent over the past few years, and many of them do not arrive empty-handed—"

At this point, he glanced—intentionally or otherwise—at the solitary passenger ship behind Okriton. "Therefore, this river port is no longer adequate. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already reported the issue to His Majesty. Although the riverbanks of the inner city are now completely occupied by buildings, leaving no extra space to construct a new port, His Majesty has already convened several executive meetings with the ministers specifically to discuss it. I believe a solution will be found before long."

Ocreton nodded in understanding. In truth, he merely wanted to vent some of his frustration; he did not care whether Thurii's river port issue was resolved. Changing the subject, he asked seriously, "I request an audience with King Davos. I have important matters to discuss with him on behalf of the Carthaginian Senate. Could your... ah... Ministry of Foreign Affairs relay this request for me?"

The official looked at him and said earnestly, "According to the kingdom's administrative regulations, all diplomatic affairs fall under the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you have any requests, you must first write a letter and submit it to the Ministry. After our supervisor, Lord Ansitanos, reads it, he will judge its importance and decide whether it should be discussed with us or forwarded to His Majesty for a decision..."

"However, quite a few envoys have arrived over the past few days, and all of them have requests. I hear the letters in Lord Ansitanos's office have already piled up into a mountain. Furthermore, he still has to teach classes at the Theonia Akademia. He is stretched too thin, so even if you submit a letter, I'm afraid it will take some time before you receive an answer."

Okriton was dumbfounded. His previous negotiations with Daionia had all taken place during wartime, where he would meet directly with King Davos in the military camps. He had never expected that securing an audience in Thurii would be so complicated. For a moment, he did not know how to respond.

Seeing his silence, the official suddenly said, "Actually, there is another way to resolve your problem."

"What way is that?" Okriton asked immediately.

"Seeing the sheer volume of diplomatic affairs during the festival period, His Majesty worried that Lord Ansitanos wouldn't be able to handle it all. Therefore, the day before yesterday, he arranged for a Rotating Chairman of the Senate to assist him in temporarily managing diplomatic matters. You can go directly to him; perhaps he will take you to see His Majesty."

"Go directly to him? I don't need to submit a letter first and wait for his approval?" Okriton asked, a little confused.

"Other envoys might not be able to, but you might, because you are a Carthaginian," the official said with a meaningful smile.

Okriton's heart stirred. "What is the name of this... Rotating Chairman?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"Haca."

Just as he suspected... Okriton flashed a bitter smile, experiencing a complex swirl of emotions he couldn't quite name.

...

Early in the morning at the royal residence, Davos finished his exercises and walked into the dining room, only to find Christoya and Agnes sitting alone. "Where are the children?"

"They hurried through their breakfast and went to see the elephants. Eunice and Brillantes have always loved joining in the excitement, but it's the first time I've seen the usually composed Apox act so eager," Christoya complained.

"As long as the children are happy, that's what matters. It means my decision to bring those elephants up the hill was the right one," Davos said, sitting down at the table.

Agnes immediately brought him a piping hot bowl of Wheat Porridge and said with a bright smile, "Avia dragged me to see the elephants yesterday evening. She was so thrilled when we got back that she insisted on sleeping in my room, and she chattered excitedly for a long time. That's the first time I've ever seen her talk so much."