Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1110: Revenge (Continued)

Hearing this, Okriton looked shocked before flushing with anger. He couldn't help but shout, "Why would you do this?! Even if there is a grudge between your Magonid family and Lord Hanno, you are a Carthaginian! The blood of Queen Dido, the founder of Carthage, flows in your veins. How could you do something that threatens the survival of every Carthaginian!..."

"Did you come all this way just to lecture me?" Haca's voice was soft, but it swept over Okriton like a cold wind, chilling him to the bone. It instantly dispelled his anger and restored his calm. "I... Lord Haca, even though you now serve Daionia, you are still a Carthaginian. I hope you will stop letting the East Numidians raid Carthaginian territory. Leave your people a way out!"

Okriton humbled himself, his tone earnest.

"I am doing this to give our people a way out." Haca dropped his lazy demeanor, looking entirely serious. "If Carthage continues to secretly oppose Daionia like this, it won't do Carthage any good! In a few years, you will find Carthage completely isolated in the western Mediterranean. Even your closest friends in the Phoenician Allied States will distance themselves from you, one by one..."

"Ever since signing the peace treaty with Daionia, Carthage has spent the past few years adapting to the new order and restoring trade. We have never entertained the thought of secretly opposing Daionia, nor have we taken any hostile action! I don't know why you would say such a thing, Lord Haca. On the contrary, Daionia inciting the East Numidians to invade Carthage is the real violation of the treaty. Does Daionia intend to tear up its vaunted reputation for keeping its promises and declare war on Carthage once again?!" Okriton spoke with righteous indignation, his voice full of grief and anger.

Haca stared at him coldly and softly uttered a single phrase: "The Massylii Tribe."

Those words instantly punctured Okriton's feigned anger. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but Haca continued, "Do you need me to recite the exact transcript of the secret negotiations between Carthage and the Massylii Tribe?"

Okriton instantly deflated, feeling a surge of dread at the terrifying extent of Daionia's surveillance over Carthage.

"Carthage's secret plotting with the Massylii Tribe shows that the Carthaginian Senate still clings to certain illusions. But since you have witnessed the magnificence of the great city of Thurii with your own eyes, you must know that even if the Massylii Tribe receives your aid and actually unites the tribes of Western Numidia, they would be nothing more than a minor nuisance to the mighty Kingdom of Daunia. We would only need to easily deploy two or three legions to completely pacify them. For Carthage, however, this would be a disaster threatening the very survival of the city-state. The Kingdom ordered the East Numidians to attack Carthage specifically to make you realize just how pitifully weak Carthage is now!"

"For example, Carthaginians never used to care much for bathing, but ever since the Theonians invented public bathhouses, Carthaginians have fallen in love with soaking in the baths. Or how Carthaginian merchants used to hate traveling inland because the roads were so inconvenient; but ever since the Theonians paved their broad, flat highways, Carthaginian merchants have frequently ventured deep into the mountainous regions of Bruttii and Lucania to chase profits... And take the Water Pipe I just mentioned to you: the moment it begins to be used in the ordinary residential districts of the Kingdom, I guarantee it won't be long before the Carthaginians figure out how to manufacture it, so they can enjoy fresh water without ever leaving their homes... There are many more examples like this.

"Look at the Carthaginian people. Although they claim on the surface to hate Daionia, in reality, they constantly watch every new thing Daionia creates and enjoy the massive trade network Daionia has built... So why not let Carthage fully integrate into this system? That way, Carthage's safety will be thoroughly guaranteed, and the people can comfortably enjoy everything Daionia has built. I believe that with the abilities of the Carthaginians, it won't be many years before they become even wealthier than before!"

Okriton fell silent.

Haca said no more either, gently swirling the warm bathwater with his hand.

After a while, Okriton asked in a low voice, "Do you mean... Carthage and Daionia should form a true alliance?"

"With Carthage's current crippled strength, it is impossible to establish an equal alliance with Daionia; it can only become a subordinate ally." Haca was very blunt. "Of course, I recommend that Carthage become a free city of the Kingdom of Daunia, just like Tarentum. You should know how comfortably the Tarentines are living right now..."

Okriton's expression turned ugly. He forced himself to suppress his surging anger, only to hear Haca say leisurely, "I know you cannot make this decision yourself. Ultimately, the Senate will have to decide. But I hope you make that decision quickly. We already have solid proof of your collusion with the Massylii Tribe. Once the Massylii stir up chaos in Western Numidia, Daionia's envoys will travel to Carthage to question you about violating the peace treaty.

"At the same time, the three legions in Sicily will rapidly assemble, ready to land in Africa at any moment. When that happens, Carthage's situation won't be as relaxed as this little chat between you and me."

Okriton's face changed drastically. He hurriedly said, "Lord Haca, we do have some verbal agreements with the Massylii Tribe, but those were only directed at the East Numidians—"

Haca unceremoniously cut him off. "Our discussion on this matter ends here. Go back and think carefully about the choice Carthage must make, and let those foolish senators think about it as well. Now let us talk about another matter—the other reason you came to Thurii to meet with His Majesty.

"Haven't you found it strange? A few years ago, the precious metals that Daionian merchant ships transported out of Iberia were sold indiscriminately to all Carthaginian merchants. But starting last year, they began selling exclusively to merchants belonging to the Neutral Faction..."

Okriton looked at the eerie smile that crept onto the young man's face across from him. His heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he said in shock, "Could it be you—"

"That's right. That was also my suggestion to His Majesty," Haca said nonchalantly. He turned his head toward the servant. "The water is getting a bit cold. Have them heat it up some more."

"Master, but your health—"

"I feel very good today. A higher water temperature won't matter."

The servant glanced at Okriton's ugly expression. Though a bit worried, he didn't dare disobey Haca's orders, so he quickly ran to the wooden door and relayed the instructions to the slaves waiting outside.

Okriton, of course, was not going to suddenly lash out and hurt him, but the way he looked at Haca was now filled with guard and caution, as if facing a formidable enemy. This sickly-looking young man was utterly terrifying. Every measure he had implemented against Carthage struck heavily at its most vulnerable points.

Haca slowly took a sip of wine. Looking at the bright red liquid remaining in his wooden cup, his gaze turned solemn and distant. He murmured, "When I was five and just starting to understand things, I learned from others why I was different from the other children. It was because I would likely die in a few years;

"When I was nine, my father returned from a crushing defeat in Sicily. He spent his days in depression, often locking himself in his room when he heard the mockery of others. In the end, he took his own life...

"When I was thirteen, I followed my older brother to the strange, barbaric land of Iberia. My uncle Mago told me, 'This is to secure a bright future for the Magonid family.' But I actually understood in my heart that it was because my uncle had failed in the power struggle within the City of Carthage, and had to find an escape route for himself;

"When I was twenty-seven, the Carthaginian people, incited by certain people over the total annihilation of our army in Sicily, furiously attacked the senators of the Magonid faction. It made it impossible for them to survive in the city, forcing them to flee to Iberia with their families. But Dido and I decided to find a way to survive for ourselves...

"After experiencing so much, I understood a truth: doing the wrong thing leads to punishment by the gods, and a heavy price must be paid for it. The Magonid family ending up in this state today is simply the result of constantly paying off its debts! But—"

Haca's gaze stabbed into Okriton like a blade, his voice turning deadly cold. "What role did your Hanno faction play in that war?! The military commanders you so fiercely recommended—Monteadno, Annobas, and the rest—were all incompetents! Their repeated failures not only consumed a massive amount of Carthage's war resources, but also frequently battered the confidence of the Carthaginian people! While my uncle and brother were fighting desperately in Sicily, not only did you fail to give them your full support, but you used every method possible to reduce their aid and slander their achievements!... If I didn't know for a fact that you were all native-born Carthaginians, I would suspect you of being the Theonians' inside men!"