Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 957: Nelia

Nelia was completely absorbed in the book in her hands, its pages cut from Papyrus, when she suddenly heard a soft voice. "What are you reading?"

Nelia looked up instinctively and saw a handsome boy standing in front of her.

In Apox's eyes, the girl before him had a lovely face and beautiful long hair. Her large blue eyes seemed veiled in a fine mist, giving her an air of poetic melancholy and mystery.

"May I ask who you are?" Her crisp voice, bright as a songbird's, pulled Apox from his daze. Faced with her question, he felt an inexplicable wave of nerves. "I am... I'm Eunice's younger brother."

"Ah! You must be Apox... His Highness! Princess... Eunice mentions you to me all the time!" Nelia exclaimed, hurriedly standing up.

"Just call me Apox," he corrected her, squeezing out a smile. "Otherwise, you'll be breaking the school rules."

Despite the noble status of King Davos's children, the king had explicitly instructed Thurii School to enforce a special rule: his children were forbidden from using their authority to gain preferential treatment. He wanted teachers and students alike to treat them normally, allowing them to experience an ordinary life. Having only recently moved to Thurii from Brindisi, Nelia still wasn't used to this dynamic.

"I'm sorry! I won't... call you that again." Nelia lowered her head, apologizing in trepidation. Her family had recently relocated from Brindisi back to Thurii because the families of the fallen sailors at the Brindisi naval base harbored deep resentment toward Miltias's household. That animosity had severely disrupted their lives, forcing them to move away. The ordeal had also left a mark on Nelia's young mind, keeping her in a constant state of sensitivity and tension.

"It's alright." Noticing her anxiety, Apox quickly changed the subject. "What are you reading?"

Apox didn't take it. "Teacher Ansitanos wrote that, didn't he? I've already read it."

Ansitanos had visited Egypt several times, combining his observations with historical accounts to write a travelogue. Since the text contained no state secrets, a few copies had been transcribed and placed in the Thurii Museum for the public to borrow.

Nelia, however, sharply caught the implication in his words. She looked at him in surprise. "You call Scholar Ansitanos your teacher?!"

"Yeah, I just came from his lecture." Apox raised his brows slightly, an unconscious desire to show off stirring within him.

"But I heard he doesn't teach at the school," Nelia said in confusion. The moment the words left her mouth, she realized how that sounded and hastily tried to backpedal. "I didn't... I didn't mean to imply—"

"It's okay. Anyone would find it strange," Apox smiled to reassure her. "Teacher Ansitanos granted me special permission to attend his lectures at the academy as a thank-you. I gave him some historical records regarding Egypt."

"Oh, really!" Nelia's face lit up. Completely casting aside her previous anxieties, she asked eagerly, "Then, Your High... you must have studied Egypt's history extensively! I heard there's a monster in Egypt that looks like a horse but is vastly stronger, and it lives in the Nile. Is that true? I didn't see any mention of it in ."

Feigning modesty, Apox said, "I wouldn't say extensively, but I do know quite a bit about Egypt. The monster you just mentioned is likely what the Egyptians call a 'hippopotamus.' It absolutely exists, but it lives in the middle and upper reaches of the Nile. Teacher Ansitanos spent his diplomatic missions in the lower reaches, so he probably never saw one. Out of academic rigor, he left it out of his book."

Seeing that Apox really did know a great deal about Egypt, Nelia's excitement spiked. "Then what about..."

When Eunice finally came to call Apox onto the field, she found the two of them chatting and laughing on the sidelines. She eyed them with an odd expression. "You two are getting along pretty well! Warmed up to each other fast, didn't you?"

Nelia's face instantly flushed crimson.

Forcing himself to remain composed, Apox asked, "What is it, Second Sister?"

"It's your turn to play."

"Got it," Apox replied. Then he turned his head and asked, "Nelia, do you know how to play football?"

"I... I can play a little," Nelia said softly.

"Then let's go play together. The famous Athens scholar Plato once said, 'The youth of a city-state should participate more in sports, as this helps them grow into healthy, noble-spirited citizens...'"

Seeing Apox deliver a long-winded speech at a time like this—and Nelia actually nodding along earnestly—Eunice's smile grew even stranger. "So sorry!" she said deliberately. "We can only sub in one person!"

"Then sub Brillantes out too," Apox said without hesitation.

"Why are you subbing me out?!" The sharp-eared Brillantes had overheard and immediately voiced his loud displeasure.

Ultimately, both Apox and Nelia took the field.

"Incoming!" Eunice shouted. She deliberately launched a powerful kick, sending the ball rocketing toward Nelia to test her actual football skills. To her surprise, the seemingly frail Nelia controlled the ball effortlessly, bringing it to a gentle stop right at her feet.

"Not bad!" Eunice shouted in praise.

Apox's eyes lit up even more.

As Brindisi was a purely naval military stronghold, all its citizens were either in the navy or the cavalry. Besides military training, they were fiercely passionate about every kind of sport. Each year, they fielded teams to compete in the kingdom's Rugby championship and football matches, and they had won the football finals multiple times. It made sense: Brindisi's population consisted primarily of sailors who spent their years battling the wind and waves at sea. With their powerful physiques, sturdy stances, and excellent balance, they possessed a natural advantage in football. Their resulting success had turned the sport into a craze that swept the entire city. From young children to the elderly, the people of Brindisi loved both watching and playing the game. Naturally, Nelia had absorbed this culture.

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While the boys and girls played a happy game of football under the glow of the setting sun, Daionia Senator Cornelius dragged his exhausted body back to his mansion.

Before he could even sit down, his wife Hesia rushed over to him. "Is our boy, Eucheris, doing well? Which legion was he assigned to? Have you written a letter to the Legion Commander asking him to look after him? ..."

"Haven't I told you already? Daunian Law dictates that administrative officials must not inquire into or interfere with the internal affairs of the military—especially during wartime!" Cornelius complained. "Every day when I come back, you bombard me with the same questions. You might not be tired of it, but I certainly am. Can you just let me catch my breath? I haven't even changed my tunic yet..."

"Eucheris is our only son! This is his first time on the battlefield, and he's facing the terrifying Carthaginians. Shouldn't we be worried?!" Hesia said furiously, her eyes turning red. "I'm only asking you to check on him, not use your power to pull him out of the war! What is so hard about that?! If you don't have the courage to ask, I'll go find Lord Hylos myself!" She stomped her foot and spun around to storm out.

Cornelius hurriedly chased after her and grabbed her arm. "Ah, Hesia, stop making a fuss! You wouldn't be able to see Hylos even if you went. After the Senate meeting, he didn't go home—he headed straight to the Ministry of Military Affairs."

"Then I'll go find him at the Ministry of Military Affairs!" Hesia shot back without hesitation.

"The Ministry of Military Affairs is full of gossiping mouths!" Cornelius said anxiously. "If you march in there, the whole city will know that I am playing favorites for my son. Do you want the tribunes to impeach me?!"

"I... I'll let the tribunes impeach you then!" Hesia said stubbornly, though she stopped walking.

Seeing her halt, Cornelius pressed his advantage. "I have worked diligently in Daionia for years, and His Majesty trusts me deeply. Why else would he have announced, right before leading the army to war, that I and the other four Rotating Chairmen were to jointly manage the kingdom's internal affairs under my leadership? I get along well with all my colleagues, and I haven't made a single enemy.

"His Majesty and my colleagues all know I only have one son. The conscription roster clearly lists 'Cornelius Eucheris.' Aside from me, who else in the kingdom bears the name Cornelius? Anyone paying attention will surely look after him. Right now, whose children in the Senate aren't marching off to battle? Even His Majesty sent his newly-of-age son, his adopted son, and his son-in-law to the front lines. You know that Raphias's second son died in battle in Latium, and Tritodemus's son-in-law was so severely wounded he had to undergo an amputation... As the Rotating Chairman of the Senate, taking the initiative to inquire about our boy's situation right now will only give others ammunition against me..."

"But he's our only son! I just wanted to ask!" Hesia cried, her tears finally falling.

Truth be told, twenty years ago, Cornelius's previous wife and children had all perished in the war between the Lucanians and Thurii. It was only later, after the Daunian Alliance was established and the region stabilized, that Cornelius had remarried. He had been over fifty at the time, and was overjoyed and incredibly protective when his new wife unexpectedly became pregnant and gave him a son. But right now, all he could do was hold Hesia and sigh deeply. "It's because he is a boy!"

Just then, a servant walked into the backyard. Seeing the scene, the servant froze, momentarily unsure of what to do.

"What is it?" Cornelius asked.

Hesia hurriedly wiped away her tears.

"Master, Lord Hylos has come to visit."

Cornelius's heart stirred. Seeing his wife cast a hopeful gaze at him, he nodded slightly. "Quickly, invite him in!"