Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1264: A Sudden Incident

"Is something wrong?" Christoya asked, unable to hide her concern.

"An important administrative matter urgently needs my attention," Davos replied. "I'll go take care of it and be right back. I'll leave things here to you and Agnes—make sure the children enjoy their meal."

The two queens, Crotokatax, Eunice, and the others were entirely accustomed to Davos leaving in the middle of a gathering. The banquet simply carried on in its lively atmosphere.

Davos headed straight for the front courtyard, where Aristiras was already waiting in the study.

"What happened?" Though Davos kept his tone calm, he knew the truth: his intelligence chief coming here while the people of Thurii celebrated the successful opening of the Theonian Rugby Games was no small matter.

"Your Majesty, I just received a report from the Africa Region," Aristiras said, his expression grave. "On its way to Thurii, the Egyptian envoy's fleet encountered a severe storm in the waters between Cyrenaica and Hadrumetum. It may have been completely destroyed."

"May have been destroyed?" Davos raised an eyebrow, clearly dissatisfied with such a vague assessment.

Aristiras hurriedly explained, "The storm struck at dusk, and no other ships were nearby to witness it. It wasn't until the second day, when a Phoenician merchant vessel rescued Egyptian sailors who had been drifting at sea for over half a day, that we learned of the situation. They reported it immediately to Hadrumetum. By the time our intelligence personnel there dispatched this report, the entire Africa Region had already sent out a massive number of ships to scour the waters. They also deployed the Numidian Light Cavalry Legion to search along the coast. I believe a more detailed report will arrive soon."

"The heavens have unpredictable wind and clouds," Davos murmured. "No wonder the Egyptian delegation failed to arrive at the Port of Thurii on time..." Tapping his fingers gently against the wooden chair, he fell silent in thought for a moment before letting out a helpless sigh. "May Hades grant that Tachos is safe and sound!"

Davos glanced at him and smiled. "Asuna and the children went to the arena today to watch the opening ceremony of the games, didn't they? Did they enjoy it?"

"It was spectacular!" Aristiras replied without hesitation. "Pollis hasn't stopped excitedly chattering about it since he got home. Asuna has already decided to take them back to watch more matches tomorrow."

"There are events across several arenas tomorrow; deciding which one to attend can be quite a headache," Davos said earnestly. "If you can't get your hands on tickets, go find Ribaso. He'll arrange them for you."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty," Aristiras said gratefully.

"Alright, I won't keep you any longer. Today is a joyous day for all the people of Thurii. Hurry back and celebrate with your children."

Davos watched with a smile as Aristiras took his leave. Left alone in the study, he sat in silence, his deep gaze fixed on the hazy night through the wooden window.

After a long while, he murmured softly in Chinese with a thoughtful look in his eyes, "When fortune arrives, heaven and earth cooperate..."

He walked to the study door and instructed Ribaso to fetch Crotokatax.

Once Crotokatax arrived at the study, Davos informed him about the Egyptian envoy's fleet encountering the storm.

Crotokatax was shocked. "This is a disaster! If Tachos died in that storm, Egypt will be thrown into chaos!"

"Why do you say that?" Davos asked, his expression entirely calm.

"Father, you are testing me again." Crotokatax offered a wry smile, but continued. "The current political situation in Egypt is highly complex. Pharaoh Tanib is bedridden and incapable of governing, so state affairs have largely fallen to Tachos. Since taking over, Tachos has swiftly overhauled Egypt's long-standing national policies, suppressing and restricting domestic religious factions. This has already provoked immense resentment among the priesthood. Furthermore, Pharaoh Tanib's relative, Nectanebos, is dissatisfied with Tachos's rule. He covets the Egyptian throne and is even rumored to have secret ties with foreign factions...

"It is precisely because his grip on Egypt is unstable that Tachos took the risk of personally leading this delegation to Thurii to attend our games, hoping to secure our full support. But if he perished in that storm... Pharaoh Tanib is gravely ill and unable to govern, and there is no second heir with enough prestige to stabilize the political landscape. Be it the priesthood or Nectanebos, they are highly likely to seize the opportunity to rebel..."

Davos nodded. "And how do you think we should handle this situation?"

Crotokatax thought long and hard before answering. "I think we should first dispatch more men to accelerate the search for Tachos's whereabouts and confirm whether he is dead or alive as soon as possible. If Hades has blessed him and he is still alive, everyone wins. We should bring him to Thurii immediately and arrange for physicians to treat him to ensure his health.

At the same time, we must send messengers racing to Memphis to inform Pharaoh Tanib and the Egyptian officials that Tachos is safe and sound, preventing any rumors from causing turmoil in Egypt. Once the games conclude, we should deploy an elite legion to carefully escort Tachos back to Egypt. This will demonstrate Daionia's support for him to the Egyptian people, helping him stabilize the political situation.

"But if Tachos perished..."

Crotokatax paused for a moment, his expression turning grave. "Then not only must we return Tachos's remains to Egypt immediately, but we must also send an envoy to confer with Pharaoh Tanib. We'd need him to designate a successor as quickly as possible, establish ties with that successor, re-establish the friendship and alliance between our nations, and promise our full support for his rule in Egypt.

"At the same time, we must begin mobilizing some legions and fleets. The moment a rebellion erupts in Egypt and we receive their plea for aid, we will immediately deploy troops there to assist in putting it down..."

Davos listened carefully, and when Crotokatax finished, he spoke in a mild tone. "You've thought this through very thoroughly. That is indeed the most standard way to respond to such a crisis."

Taken aback, Crotokatax asked in confusion, "Father, what do you mean?"

Davos held his gaze, his voice low. "Years ago, when Daionia was still weak and facing immense pressure from Syracuse and Carthage, Egypt forged an alliance with us. It could be said they provided us with tremendous help, especially with grain.

"But times change... As the kingdom grew more powerful, Egypt increasingly became a burden. During the war five years ago, even as we poured all our strength into conquering the Greek Mainland, we were forced to divert a portion of our forces to help defend Egypt. Over the years since, we've stationed no small number of troops within their borders."

Tapping his fingers against the armrest of his chair, Davos's gaze grew even deeper. "With the Greek Mainland absorbed into the kingdom's sphere of influence, Egypt has become the frontline in our struggle with Persia, and the King of Persia seems utterly obsessed with reconquering it... Yet Egypt's current situation is only growing more unstable. Even if Tachos is still alive and secures our support, considering his past governance style and methods, his conflict with the Egyptian priesthood will only escalate. I fear Egypt's political landscape will remain in constant turmoil. Add to that an external enemy like Persia... Are we in Daionia supposed to dispatch reinforcements time and time again to help him maintain domestic rule? Do not forget, Daionia and Egypt are merely brothers. We are not parents who give endlessly without expecting anything in return."

Crotokatax's heart skipped a beat at those words. He immediately tried to persuade his father, "Father, hasn't the executive council already passed a resolution to launch an offensive against Persia? We urgently need Egypt's strong support right now. Once we defeat Persia, Egypt will naturally stabilize. Even if the conflict between the future Pharaoh and the priesthood escalates, it will be a very easy problem for us to solve by then. Therefore, I don't think dissolving our alliance with Egypt is a good idea, nor does it align with the kingdom's long-standing traditions!"

Davos merely smiled. "If Tachos is still alive, the kingdom will naturally support him. But if he has already perished, and with Tanib not long for this world... according to the intelligence we've gathered, Nectanebos wields immense power. It is highly likely he will successfully usurp the throne. Will Daionia and Egypt still be allies then? A Nectanebos backed by Persia could only ever be our enemy!"

"Father, as long as we dispatch reinforcements in time, we can stop Nectanebos's rebellion," Crotokatax reminded him. "Even if Nectanebos beats us to the punch and successfully usurps the throne, we are more than capable of utterly defeating him and installing another of Tanib's descendants as Pharaoh."

Davos was noncommittal, instead remarking quietly, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush... An allied nation is merely an ally at the end of the day. They come with endless trouble and complications; they are never as convenient to use as one's own."

Crotokatax abruptly went wide-eyed. A moment passed before he asked in utter astonishment, "Father, are you planning to... conquer Egypt?"

Davos looked at him, speaking in a deep voice. "Possessing Egypt holds immense strategic significance for the kingdom's future development! Over these past few years managing state affairs in Thurii, you must have gained a deep understanding of the kingdom's grain production and supply. Although no further droughts have occurred in recent years and the harvested grain has been relatively abundant, the rapid population growth in Thurii and its neighboring regions means local grain production is entirely insufficient for self-sufficiency. We must import massive amounts from places like Sicily, Rome, and Africa, and that quantity increases year by year. Yet the grain output in those territories remains almost constant. If this continues, there will come a day when consumption outstrips supply...

The Po River Region is crisscrossed with waterways and densely forested; fully developing it will still take a long time. But Egypt has been the granary of the Mediterranean Sea since ancient times. To possess it is to have a long-term guarantee of grain!

"Furthermore, once we defeat Persia and occupy territories along the coast of Asia in the Eastern Mediterranean, having Egypt nearby to provide them with support will make the kingdom's rule there much more secure."