Volume 6: The Meeting of Two Heroes, Chapter 46: Davos's Father-in-Law

“Henipolis, calm down! I’ve already sent Helpus to Laüs. Once I’ve taken care of things here, I’ll head to Laüs myself tomorrow!” Davos said loudly.

“Thank you, my lord. Thank you…” Henipolis was already sobbing uncontrollably.

Davos felt sorry for him, but he couldn’t let him wallow in grief. He knew that a cerebral hemorrhage was an extremely dangerous illness, and with the medical standards of this era, even Daonia could do nothing. If Avinogis woke up, it would be a stroke of luck. They had to plan for the future of Laüs.

“Henipolis! Henipolis! Look at me! Look at me!” Davos shook him by the shoulders and shouted.

Henipolis lifted his head dazedly, his face streaked with tears and snot.

“I need to tell you that Daonia’s doctors have dealt with your father’s condition many times before, and the outcomes weren’t good.” When Davos said this, pain twisted Henipolis’s face.

“Listen, boy. You’re twenty-five years old, a proud Daonian man! If your father truly doesn’t recover… you must bravely take up the burden he carried. Look after your mother, look after the people of Laüs, just as your father did! Do you understand?! … Do you understand?!”

“I… I understand…” Henipolis nodded through his tears.

“Good. Go pack your things quickly and head straight back to Laüs. We’ll meet again there!” Davos gave his thin shoulder an encouraging pat.

Henipolis wiped his eyes as he staggered out, then suddenly stopped. “My lord, I… if I run into trouble, can I ask for your help?”

“Boy,” Davos said gently but firmly, “I told you, I regard you as my own child. Whatever trouble you face, I’ll help you with all my strength!”

---

“What happened? I saw Henipolis leaving in tears.” Cheiristoya came in holding Crotonkatax.

“Father, I saw Henipolis crying. He’s so old and still crying,” little Crotonkatax piped up.

Davos scooped up his child. The little one was nearly five now and quite sturdy. “Your brother Henipolis’s father has collapsed and hasn’t woken up yet.”

“Ah!” Christhoya gasped. “Is it serious?”

Davos nodded heavily.

Cheiristoya’s expression dimmed as well. Then, thinking of something, she asked, “Is Henipolis going back to prepare to take over as magistrate?”

“Who else in Laüs could?” Davos replied flatly.

“Father,” little Crotonkatax tugged at his cheek, worried. “Will you collapse too?”

Davos looked at his son, then at Cheiristoya, and answered earnestly, “For your sake, I can’t.”

---

Atillikrus. Agnes’s father. His family was among the earliest settlers of Rhegium, a prominent noble clan. Decades ago, the famous Rhegian tyrant Anaxilas came from this very family, and he had even formed a marriage alliance with Gelon, the tyrant of Syracuse. Later, they fell out with Gelon’s successor, Hieron, over issues with Locri.

Originally, Dionysius had courted Agnes not only for her beauty but also for her family’s influence in Rhegium and their ties to Syracuse. But in the end, Rhegium chose Daonia, and Atillikrus married his daughter to Davos, the Daonian magistrate. Because of this, Atillikrus had been elected one of Rhegium’s generals for two consecutive years.

Atillikrus used Rhegium’s strategic location to expand his family’s maritime trade, especially with Massilia and Sagunto, reaping substantial profits. He also owned two shipyards, among the best in all of southern Italy. That was why the Daonian Senate had approved building ten new triremes this year, awarding six to Atillikrus’s shipyards. Of course, it was also a gesture to win Rhegium’s favor within the Daonia Alliance.

But when the father-in-law and son-in-law met, the scene wasn’t nearly as harmonious as one might expect.

“What did you say?! You want Rhegium to hand over its six existing triremes to Daonia?”

“Yes. We’ll still pay you the price of new ships, and you can use the new ones to replenish your fleet. Isn’t that good?”

“No, it’s not good at all! We can’t give you our current warships—it would heavily weaken Rhegium’s fleet!”

“It’s only a few months’ wait until you get the new ships.”

“That won’t work either. The Messinians have the tyrant of Syracuse backing them now, and they’re getting bold. We need enough ships to keep them in check! Why can’t you wait a few more months? Rest assured, the ships from my shipyards will be delivered to Daonia on time.”

“Our navy is intensively training new tactics and urgently needs new ships to familiarize and drill with the formations…”

“New tactics? What tactics are so urgent?!”

Outside the hall, a slave overheard Atillikrus’s voice rising like an argument and rushed to tell Agnes.

Agnes felt helpless. She had grown up under her father’s roar, and even now, as the wife of the most powerful magistrate in southern Italy, she still felt daunted trying to interrupt her father’s discussion with her husband. So she went to find Cheiristoya instead.

Cheiristoya was walking in the garden. After hearing Agnes’s plea, she glanced at the sky and smiled confidently. “Don’t worry, sister. I’ll go talk to them.”

She gave a few instructions to Asina, then walked to the hall. After listening for a moment, she entered and said with a smile, “Davos, Lord Atillikrus, sorry to interrupt. Dinner is ready, and the children are waiting. Would you like to finish your meal first, or—”

“Of course, we’ll eat first,” Davos said, immediately uneasy at the thought of hungry children. He stood up and said to his father-in-law, “Let’s eat and come back to this.” With that, he rose.

Atillikrus glared at Cheiristoya, but since she was pregnant, he couldn’t say much and could only follow her out of the hall with resignation.

---

“Davos, honestly, the fish soup your household makes is far better than what your restaurant in Rhegium serves. Are you holding something back?” Atillikrus, a fish lover, was very pleased with the dinner prepared especially for him and had forgotten his earlier displeasure.

“No secrets. The restaurant has too many customers and not enough time; the chefs can’t cook it properly. Here, the fish alone was marinated for over an hour,” Davos explained.

“Hmm, well done!” Atillikrus praised, taking another big gulp. “Did you try that fish sauce I sent last time?”

“Yes, I did. It’s got a unique flavor—salty, savory, and a sharp kick. My chefs are experimenting with it as a condiment, pairing it with different foods…” Davos said.

“That’s Phoenician fish sauce, from Gades. Gades isn’t just famous for silver; this stuff is well known across North Africa, Iberia, Carthage, western Sicily, the Egyptian coast, and the coast of Asia Minor. Many places regard it as a delicious seasoning…” Atillikrus took a sip of wine, rinsed his mouth, and continued, “In Gades, there are only two kinds of processing workshops: one for refining silver and one for making fish sauce. They’re roughly equal in number.”

“Ah, Gades.” Davos knew the town. It sat at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, famous for its silver. Originally a settlement founded by the powerful Phoenician mother city of Tyre in Asia Minor, it was now under Carthaginian control. He hadn’t expected it to have this industry besides silver.

“They say this fish sauce is made from… uh… a mixture of rotten mackerel entrails and vinegar. I—” Atillikrus had just started when a retching sound interrupted him. Agnes leaned over the table and began vomiting.

At first, Atillikrus frowned at his daughter for cutting him off, but then realization struck. He turned to Davos with eager eyes.

“I hadn’t had a chance to tell you yet,” Davos said with a smile. “Agnes is pregnant.”

“Excellent! Finally pregnant! You’ve been married over two years, and Cheiristoya is nearly due with her second, but Agnes’s belly hadn’t shown. I was worried Artemis was punishing her—since she was first a priestess of the virgin goddess Artemis, then transferred to Hera’s priesthood, and then got married. But now I can rest easy!” Atillikrus laughed joyfully, raising his cup. “This is great news! Davos, we have to drink to this!”

“Agreed!” Davos raised his cup, and they both drained it.

Atillikrus set down his cup and belched.

Seeing Agnes still retching, Davos gestured to Cheiristoya to have someone help her retire to rest.

Then Atillikrus said, “Davos, since we’re in a good mood today, I’ve decided to agree to your earlier proposal. Rhegium will hand over… uh… the six triremes in its fleet for your use. As for your other suggestions about joint training of the two fleets, I’ll need to discuss them with the Council back home before I can give you an answer.”

Cheiristoya, sensing that Davos and Atillikrus were about to dive back into business, quickly ushered the children away.

---