This is great.
Hilde has been observing this since he came here.
But fortunately, there is no oracle or the breath of gods here. It is also possible that the gods believed in by the Carthaginians are different from the Greek gods and will not show up easily... But the Persian gods have already appeared, and the Greek gods are in a mess. Then Hilde is quite curious whether these Canaanite polytheistic gods and Egyptian gods will appear.
But it hasn't appeared yet, which means it's still quite safe.
And the Carthaginians had no defenses against themselves.
Maybe he doesn't know Hilde's strength.
More than an hour later.
Hilde's team finally arrived at the gate of the palace.
At this point, the elephants stopped, and Hilde and the others got off the elephants with the help of the soldiers. Hannibal also came over in person and said to Hilde with a smile: "I wonder how you feel about the Carthaginian war elephants?"
"Very good. I have heard that the Carthaginian war elephants are very powerful. Today I see that they are indeed so."
Hilde patted the war elephant's thigh.
"It's a pity that Greece can't keep elephants."
"War elephants are good, but they are too heavy."
"But a war elephant can make a phalanx of soldiers tremble with fear."
The Palace of the Carthaginians
"I don't think your troops will be afraid of elephants."
"I hope I will never have the opportunity to verify this."
Hilde replied with a smile.
Hannibal didn't know how to respond.
Hilde and Hannibal exchanged superficial pleasantries.
But in fact, they all expressed their own attitudes.
Both sides gave each other enough face, but Hannibal of Carthage was a little aggressive, compared to Hilde's peaceful willingness. Of course, this also shows that Hannibal's character is like this. Hannibal is probably a character like a battle maniac. Therefore, although he knew that Hilde's Greek Empire was strong, he did not want to lose the upper hand, so he did not show too much weakness in his words.
And, it's also because of Sophia.
Be wary of Hilde.
Even hostility.
Sophia looked at Hilde with some concern, but Hilde was still at ease, just like when she was in Greece, without any change. Hannibal also changed the subject, turned his head to look at the palace in front of him, and introduced it to Hilde: "This is the palace of Carthage. As a distinguished guest, you are invited to stay in the palace during your stay in Carthage. We will definitely provide you with treatment that matches your status."
"Thank you for your trouble."
Hilde also saluted with a smile.
"As expected of Carthage, a wealthy country, the royal palace is so luxurious."
"you flatter me."
Hilde's words are actually a kind of irony.
However, Hannibal did not hear it, instead he proudly puffed out his chest and said:
"Of course! After all, Carthage is a city of wealth!"
"Is it……"
The Carthaginians did have the confidence to do so.
After hundreds of years of business, trade and colonial development, the economic strength of the Carthaginians was not inferior to that of the Greeks. Moreover, as a stable political entity, the Carthaginians were not like the Greeks who were divided into many city-states and consumed each other. The Carthaginians' wealth was accumulated and used to continuously expand their territory and establish new colonies. Even if a war broke out, the Carthaginians would unite and face the outside world in unison. Apart from the Greeks, the Carthaginians' biggest enemy was the Nubian Kingdom in the south and some local indigenous people.
but……
Compared with the Greek Empire, it is still far behind.
Hilde still has this confidence.
At least from what we see now, the scale of the Carthaginian palace is much smaller than the imperial palace in Byzantium.
However, it was impossible to say this in front of Hannibal. Hilde, Sophia and Rod just smiled and came into the palace at Hannibal's invitation.
Because Hilde came too quickly.
Hannibal was indeed unprepared.
Therefore, generally speaking, a banquet must be arranged after a distinguished guest like Hilde arrives here. However, since there was no time to prepare, the banquet had to be postponed to the evening. Now everyone in the palace began to get busy, preparing ingredients and making dinner. At the same time, Hannibal also invited Hilde, Sophia and Rhodes to the garden. Although there was no sumptuous banquet, Hannibal was still able to present Carthaginian wine and snacks.
Carthage is located in North Africa. The food here is not much different from that in Greece, but the taste is different. Hilde is not very accustomed to some simple snacks. However, after all, it was just a greeting. Hilde simply ate two bites to give Hannibal some face. Then, she smiled and said to Hannibal in front of her: "We came all the way from Corinth to Carthage. What we saw and heard today really lived up to our efforts."
"Ah, Collins, that is a very far place indeed."
Hannibal still knew where Collins was.
So, when Hilde said this, Hannibal showed an expression of obvious surprise.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Where."
"But what is the important matter that has brought your country all the way here?"
"As a newly born country, we just want to establish diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Carthage and live in peace with each other as friendly countries."
"That's it."
Hilde's words actually left Hannibal a little confused.
After all, he didn't know enough about the Greek Empire.
However, now that Basileus has arrived, Hannibal has learned from his own officials that the Greek Empire does exist. He knows that the Greek Empire is not a fictitious country, but a real, powerful force that has unified all of Greece and is gearing up for Sicily. Basileus is here in person, and the Greeks of Carthage are welcoming him, which means... this is unlikely to be a lie. Therefore, Hannibal did not dare to neglect it, nor did he dare to say that he did not know about the Greek Empire.
Therefore, Hannibal had to say awkwardly:
"Look, you've all been very tired today. Why don't you rest here for a while and wait until the dinner to enjoy yourself and have a day off."
"So much the better."
"Okay, that's it!"
Hannibal stood up and instructed the people around him:
"Don't neglect the distinguished guests who have come from afar!"
"Yes!"
Hannibal left first, and the court officials who stayed behind took good care of Hilde and the other two.
Sitting on a wooden lounge chair, Hilde looked at the blue sky above her head and couldn't help but smile and said, "A few days ago we were still living in that nasty place of Corinth, but in the blink of an eye, a few days later, we are now sunbathing in Carthage."
"yes……"
Hilde's sigh.
For Sophia, it means even more.
This is my hometown which I have been away from for more than ten years.
"Sister Sophia?" At this time, Rhodes turned around and asked curiously, "Is your former home here?"
"Well... B-but I haven't been to the palace very often."
"I haven't been here very often, but at least I've been here?"
"Yes, yes, with my parents..."
"You are indeed the royal family of Carthage." Hilde was not mocking, but was just teasing Sophia on purpose. "However, Hannibal's attitude is obviously not very good. When he left just now, he was staring at you."
"Is there any trouble?"
"trouble?"
Hilde sneered.
"Who dares to cause trouble to me?"
"Um……"
"The more he does this, the more curious I am. What happened to your parents that made the King of Carthage so nervous? This is very intriguing, isn't it?"
The third chapter, the second section: Hannibal's little thoughts
"I...I don't know either."
When mentioning these things.
Sophia is always flustered and uneasy.
So, Hilde thought it would be better not to mention this matter now.
"Well, it's okay though, don't take it too seriously."
"Um……"
Rhodes, who was standing aside, probably knew the situation.
However, as the daughter of a fishing family, she obviously did not understand how tragic and helpless the struggle within the royal family was. She looked at Sophia's hesitation, just smiled slightly, then stood up, walked behind Sophia, and hugged her gently.
"Sister Sophia, it's okay."
"Rhode..."
"Sister Hilde and I will protect you."
"Ok, I know."
"So, no matter how terrible the enemy is, we can face it."
With Rhodes' comfort, Sophia patted Rhodes' arm gently.
"Don't make the topic so serious. No matter what happens to Carthage, it has nothing to do with me. I am not a Carthaginian now, but a Greek."
"Haha, that's true."
Hilde's hearty laughter echoed in the lounge.
----------
After Hannibal told his people to take good care of Hilde and the others, he quickly returned to his office. Along with him came the palace minister and the Carthaginian general. After several people walked into the room with stern expressions, a sturdy general closed the door and stood at the door.
And Hannibal walked in.
He started to complain:
"Why is she back!!!"
"Your Majesty, please be patient."
The one who comforted Hannibal was the current Carthaginian court official, Hamilcar Barca.
He was already a middle-aged man in his fifties, but he looked healthy. He was strong and sharp-eyed, giving people the impression of a battle-hardened warrior, not a civilian. When he said these words, Hannibal, who was still complaining just now, immediately shifted his gaze to Hamilcar in front of him. From his reaction, it can be seen that Hannibal trusted this elder who was more than ten years older than him very much.
"Hamilcar, what do you think?"
"Indeed."
"Please say!"
"First of all, Your Majesty, don't panic. That woman only calls herself Alyssa. We are not sure whether she is really the Alyssa we sold to the slave traders. Moreover, even if she really insists that she is from the Mago family, what evidence does she have? A slave? How could the glorious Mago family have slaves in Greece? How many Carthaginians still remember this incident?"
"Well...you're right."
Hannibal calmed down a little.
“Not many people know about this.”
"Moreover, the other party came all the way here. As the king of a country, he took the initiative to come here in person. He must have something to ask of us. According to rumors, Hilde, Basileus of the Greek Empire, is a very wise and courageous monarch. Although that woman named Alyssa is her woman, how could a wise monarch affect his decision-making and plans because of a woman? What do you think is the possibility that Hilde will tear her face with us for Alyssa? It's almost zero."
"..."
After saying this.
The tension on Hannibal's face had obviously disappeared a lot.
He sighed deeply, then, as if thinking about something, he walked to the side of the room in a trance and looked at the scenery of Carthage outside the window.
