Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1243: The King's Sons-in-Law

"How will we know if we don't try?" Sosicles pulled his hand free. After a few steps, he muttered, "Big Brother Stas is just too honest."

Peicestas was Hylos's second son. Because Hylos had married Sostratus's eldest sister, the two boys were cousins. Peicestas was older, but his strict upbringing had made him a stickler for the rules. Sosicles was younger, but Sostratus was deliberately grooming him to inherit the family business, leaving him much more flexible and shrewd.

Sosicles went back and told the servants to keep a close eye on the children. Then, he strolled southward along the zoo's outer wall at a leisurely pace.

The Thurii Zoo, officially the Thurii Kingdom Zoo, occupied a hill bordering the Crati River. Though established seven years ago, construction had never completely stopped. Because the hill sloped gently to the east but dropped off steeply to the west and north, with the river to the south, a perimeter wall only ran along the eastern foothills. Originally, the zoo had just a single gate. As visitor numbers surged, however, navigating the crowds became both unsafe and inconvenient for Avia. A side gate was eventually built at the southern foot of the hill, reserved exclusively for her, the Palace Guard, and the zoo staff.

From a distance, Sosicles noticed a scattered group of people standing near the side gate. Evidently, they shared his goal but hadn't succeeded.

He puffed out his chest, walked right up, and addressed the gate guards with absolute confidence. "I am Axicus's younger brother. I have important business with him!"

A guard quickly summoned his commanding officer and whispered to him. The officer looked Sosicles up and down before saying, "Wait here a moment."

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Beside the river near this side gate stood a massive waterwheel and a long stone aqueduct. Built directly into the wall, the channel drew water from the Crati River into the zoo, eventually emptying into an artificial lake not far from the main entrance.

Suddenly, the crowd around one pit erupted into deafening cheers. The animal hiding in the pool below had finally climbed onto the bank. It had an enormous mouth, tiny ears, and a thick, cow-like body supported by four stout, short legs. This was a hippopotamus from the Nile. As it twitched its little ears and opened its maw to spray mist, the visitors cheered in waves.

In a corner beside this pit, one man stood out from the rest. He sat in silence, a wooden board propped up before him. On it rested an unfinished painting of the very hippopotamus at the bottom of the pit.

The incessant screaming was clearly breaking his concentration. In a fit of annoyance, he threw his brush to the ground. He glared at the excited tourists, though his anger soon dissolved into helpless resignation.

Just then, a plain-looking young man hurried over and said attentively, "Brother, it's so hot out. Have some fruit juice to quench your thirst!"

The moment he spoke, a nearby servant quickly unstrapped a wooden chest from his back. He pulled out a tall clay jug and two clean wooden cups, popped the stopper, and poured a vibrant green juice. Then, he opened another wooden box wrapped in layers of cloth, used wooden tongs to fish out a few ice cubes, and carefully dropped them into the cups.

Bystanders who caught sight of this elaborate routine couldn't help but scrutinize the two men. After all, anyone using ice to cool off on such a scorching day was definitely no ordinary person.

The painter didn't stand on ceremony. He snatched up a cup and drained it in one gulp. Crunching on an ice cube, he mumbled, "Not bad. Apple juice. Pour me another."

The servant quickly took the cup and refilled it.

"Tell me, Axicus, are you usually this extravagant just to drink water?" the man asked. For someone drinking another person's juice, offering criticism was perhaps a bit much.

The young man didn't mind at all. He took a sip himself and explained, "I run myself ragged every day; I'm not that delicate. This was all prepared for Avia."

The painter fell silent.

Curious, the young man asked, "Brother, haven't you been busy helping City Hall with the sculptures and designs for the sports meet? How do you have the free time to come out here?"

"I already finished it for them, so I came out today to clear my head."

"If you were coming to the zoo, you should have told us beforehand. If older sister Eunice finds out we didn't take good care of you, Avia and I will definitely get an earful!"

These two men were none other than King Davos's two sons-in-law: Arexes and Axicus.

Arexes looked a bit uncomfortable. In the past, whenever he sculpted or painted, he could go for long periods without eating or sleeping, immersing himself entirely in his work. It took a massive toll on his health. After they got married, Eunice demanded he change those terrible habits. The two had argued over it a few times until Davos finally intervened. Only after the king sat the couple down for a talk was Arexes willing to compromise. Eunice took meticulous care of his daily needs from then on, allowing him to throw himself wholly into his art. As a result, his sculpting and painting skills continued to reach new heights, eventually making him the top sculptor in the entire kingdom.

"I have hands and feet. Why would I need you to take care of me?" Arexes scoffed, before lowering his voice. "If you really want to help, kick all these tourists out!"

Axicus hastily shook his head. "I can't do that! Avia wanted to restrict the park to just a few hundred people earlier, and it took me forever to talk her out of it. The outside of the zoo is packed with tourists right now. If we cause a riot, we'll be in huge trouble!"

"Tell me, you spend every waking moment orbiting around Avia now. Have you completely abandoned your father's business?" Arexes couldn't help but ask.

Axicus scratched his head, dodging the question. Instead, he asked, "I heard the Theonia Akademia is planning to establish an arts academy and wants you to be the dean. Is that true?"

Arexes hesitated. Staring at the painting on his wooden board, he said softly, "It's still under discussion. Nothing is set in stone yet."

Although Arexes had his own studio and a few apprentices, that was entirely different from becoming a dean tasked with teaching and managing dozens—if not hundreds—of students. It was precisely because of this crushing pressure that he had snuck out to paint alone these past few days to clear his head.

Confirming the news brought a surge of joy to Axicus. As the largest iron manufacturer in the Kingdom of Daunia, his father not only maintained a leading edge in weapons, armor, and civilian ironware, but had also begun venturing into metal crafts. For example, the Statue of Star Player Antebris had been designed by Arexes and forged by the Theos Ironware Workshop. However, their family still lacked a deep foundation in the craft industry and suffered from a shortage of skilled sculptors. In the kingdom's metal craft market, any sculptor with a shred of fame was either working independently or already cultivated by a rival workshop. The impending establishment of the Theonia Arts Academy would be fantastic news for their family's crafts division.

As Axicus was lost in thought, a zoo gatekeeper ran over to inform him that his younger brother was looking for him.

He froze in surprise. He didn't have any brothers, only a single younger sister. Who had the gall to impersonate his brother?

Axicus decided to go and see what was going on.

Approaching the side gate, he spotted a young boy waving wildly at him and shouting, "Big Brother, it's me!"

Axicus laughed in sudden realization. Since both Theos and Sostratus were major merchants in Thurii and members of the Thurii Chamber of Commerce, their two families interacted frequently. Moreover, as Sostratus was focused on grooming his second son, he often brought the boy along on visits. Axicus actually quite liked this clever, quick-witted kid.

"What brings you here?" Axicus asked with a warm smile.

"Big Brother, you have to help me!" Sosicles put on a pitiful face. "The sports meet is about to start, so my house is packed with guests. My dad forced me to bring their kids to the zoo, but when we got here, we realized the wait is incredibly long. It's so hot out, and the younger kids are about to melt..."

"How many are there?" Axicus frowned.

"Five, counting me. But I also saw my cousin Peicestas in line just now, and he brought about seven people with him. Could we all go in together...?"

"Peicestas?" Axicus blinked in surprise before it immediately clicked. The only person this little guy would call a cousin was the son of Xenos, the Regional Administrator of the Thessaly Region. He thought for a moment before replying, "Alright. But you guys will have to wait outside for a bit. I need to go tell Avia first. It shouldn't be a problem."

"Thanks, Brother!" Sosicles said gratefully. He watched Axicus walk back through the side gate, mount a Bruttian Horse brought over by a servant, and disappear in the blink of an eye. Inwardly, his mind began to wander. There were rumors that the only reason Princess Avia had chosen Axicus was because he followed her around like a dog every single day. Even after marriage, he was still exactly the same, completely lacking any ambition or drive of his own. People said he was a disgrace to the young upper-class citizens of the kingdom...

Sosicles used to scoff at such gossip, assuming it was nothing more than sour grapes from jealous rivals. Now, however, it seemed there might actually be some truth to it.

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The Bruttian Horse trotted along the flat flagstone path, carefully navigating through the bustling crowds of tourists until it reached a courtyard halfway up the mountain, encircled by a tall iron fence.

Axicus swung down from his mount and sprinted eagerly toward the wooden cabin at the back of the enclosure. In the yard, several antelopes instantly stopped grazing, shooting wary glances at the sudden intruder.