Chapter 507
The commanders could not bear to see Crotone suffer, but the Devers knew that he could not let Syracuse take the initiative. If he led his army to cross the Neto River, he would fall right into Dionysius's trap. Time was more important. Just as Antonios had said, Hilos would need time to take down Laos and lead his army to attack Syracuse's rear. Therefore, he needed to buy time until Hilos's army successfully attacked Triene. By then, it would be Diónia's turn to take the initiative in the war!
However, the Devers's beautiful plan was not so easy to realize. The people of Syracuse had been firing rockets at Crotone's citadel, and the people of Crotone had been fighting the fire non-stop, sending messengers to the Diónia camp again and again.
After being rejected by the Devers, some messengers cried in front of the tent, "Please save the people of Crotone! We're running out of water, and everyone is drinking urine, but what about the children?! My child is only two years old! I'm willing to use my life in exchange for his life, please save us! … "
Some messengers cursed, "Devers, everyone says that you're a great general who has won every battle in Greece, but I think you're just a coward! People of Diónia, are your hearts made of iron?! You're watching your allies struggling in the fire a few miles away, but you're not willing to help!
"Pfft! What do you mean by the people of Diónia always keep their promises? That's all a lie! You liars, even if the tens of thousands of people of Crotone are smoked to death or burned to death, we'll curse you in hell! "
…
All the Diónia soldiers who heard their cries and curses lowered their heads in shame. Even Felicius, Antonios, and the other commanders pleaded with the Devers several times. One could imagine how much pressure the Devers were under. He sat alone in the tent, his hands tightly gripping the armrests of the wooden chair. Although he did not say a word, his heart was gradually loosening. After all, he had to watch tens of thousands of lives being burned to death because of him. How could Dyvers remain indifferent to this!?
Fortunately, it was already evening. Considering that the Dionysian Army couldn't cross the river at night, Syracuse stopped attacking Crotone's citadel.
That night, Devers did not sleep well. He knew that even though he was lucky enough to escape today, the cruel and cunning Dionysius would continue to use this method to force him to fight tomorrow. What should he do then? … What's the situation with Hilos? There had been no news for so long. Although he had cultivated the Great Dao, it was still slow to transmit news across the mountains!
… …
Lysias and Myron were even more troubled. Not only did they have to rescue the injured people, but they also had to worry about the increasing shortage of water.
If it were not for Myron, who was well-versed in military affairs, Lysias would have scolded the Diónia and the Devers for their 'ruthlessness'. He even thought to himself: If … I really can't hold on any longer, I might as well surrender like Syracuse …
In the Syracuse barracks, Dionysius was restless. The Devers' patience had shaken him. Could it be that the Diónia would rather watch their allies die than lend a helping hand? … Perhaps, the Devers really don't dare to fight us on land. If this goes on, it will be disadvantageous to Syracuse. Do we really have to retreat …
That night, Dionysius could not sleep until he heard a commotion outside the tent.
When the intelligence officer, Adrostini, broke into the tent, he had just turned over and sat up on the bed. "What's going on? How can you be a guard captain? How can you just let someone break in? "
He scolded the guard captain who came in after him. Adrostini, who was next to him, was terrified. He hurriedly knelt down and begged for forgiveness. Trembling, he said, "My … My Lord … There's urgent news from Triene. Diónia has captured Laos!"
"What?! Diónia has captured Laos so quickly?! Is this news true?! "Dionysius's expression changed drastically as he asked.
"It's a spy who ambushed us in Laos. He risked being chased by Diónia and secretly rowed a boat to Triene. There's no doubt about it! It's said that Diónia instigated a riot among the poor people in Laos. They attacked from both inside and outside, and that's how they managed to capture Laos. "Adrostini had calmed down and explained seriously.
"Does this mean that Diónia in Laos will be heading south soon?!" Dionysius muttered anxiously.
"My Lord, maybe … maybe we should retreat …" Adrostini mustered his courage and said softly.
"Retreat?!" Dionysius suddenly looked at him. The cold glint in his eyes scared Adrostini so much that he knelt down again.
Dionysius stared at him and a strange smile gradually appeared on his face. "You're right. We should retreat!"
After that, he turned to the guard captain and ordered, "Immediately inform Fasipesas, Astagras, Akhilita, Phoebidas and the rest to come to the tent for a discussion!"
Adrostini heaved a sigh of relief and sat on the ground. Only then did he realize that his back was drenched in cold sweat.
… …
The next morning, the Croton Plains was shrouded in a light fog. It made the warm seaside a little chilly.
Dyvers woke up early in the morning to have breakfast. As usual, he had bread, oatmeal, and beef jerky, just like any other ordinary soldier. The only difference was that there was an extra fish. It was the catch of the Daenian Fleet stationed at the mouth of the Netto Estuary when they had nothing better to do yesterday. They sent quite a lot to Dyvers, and he shared most of it with the escorts.
Although the breakfast was good, the Devers did not have much of an appetite.
At that moment, Martius accompanied Y 'Zam into the tent.
"Your Majesty, my men have brought good news! The enemy is dismantling their camp and retreating! "
The Devers were shocked when they heard the news from Y 'Zam.
"My men snuck into the enemy's camp and heard the Syracuse soldiers whispering in panic. They said that Triene is under attack by the Dionysian Army …" Y 'Zam explained excitedly.
"Has Lord Hilos conquered Laos? Why didn't we receive any reports? "Martius was confused when he heard the news, so he interrupted.
"The time it takes to pass through the mountains in the west to get here is different from taking a boat to Kenapetia and then to Triene," Y 'Zam explained. He then said excitedly, "Your Majesty, we-"
Before Y 'Zam could finish, Martius also shouted excitedly, "Your Majesty!"
Seeing the desire in their eyes, the Devers knew what they wanted to express. Even the usually quiet and cautious Guard Captain Martius was like this, let alone the other soldiers. The morale and morale of the army were like this. It was the general trend. The Devers sighed and said loudly, "Martius, call Tormid. Tell him to inform all the commanders, hmm … and the Midolades to come to the tent for a military meeting!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Y 'Zam, order your soldiers to continue monitoring the enemy's movements. Report to me immediately after confirming that the enemy has retreated and crossed the Tachinadi River!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The two of them performed a military salute and left as fast as the wind.
After giving the order, Devers also felt relieved, and his body became much more relaxed. He turned around and sat down, grabbing a piece of bread and taking a bite. He was a little hungry now.
… …
"Midolades."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Gather all the engineering battalions and put them under your command for now. Immediately build four pontoon bridges on the Neto River. You must provide all the ships needed. You must fulfill the requirements of the engineering battalions as soon as possible. No excuses!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Also, at the lower reaches of the Neto River, you must lead all the warships to ferry the soldiers across the river. After the entire army crosses the river, you must lead the fleet to the coast between Crotone and Sileten. Monitor the movements of Syracuse's army. The specific measures are up to you. "
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Ledes!"
"Yes!"
"Your cavalry will be the first to cross the river. I want you to withdraw all of them and monitor the enemy's retreat to the south. Report to me immediately. However, do not engage in battle with the enemy, especially when they encounter the hired cavalry! "
"Yes, Your Majesty." Ledes was a little depressed. He knew that the Devers did not trust the cavalry. Although he was not satisfied, he had to admit that the foreign cavalry was indeed stronger than his men. He secretly clenched his fist.
"Commanders and commanders, come over here. Take a look at the location where your army and troops are going to cross the river. Make a final confirmation! I want you to organize your soldiers and cross the Neto River as soon as possible. Then, quickly regroup. Can you do it?! "
"Yes!" The commanders replied in unison. They crowded in front of the map and carefully looked at the marks that the Devers had made on the Neto River.
"Your Majesty, why does it look like you're making arrangements for a battle? It doesn't look like you're going to chase after the retreating enemy!" Amyntas could not help but ask as he looked at the map.
Not only him, but the other commanders also had similar doubts. The legions lined up along the river and crossed the river at the same time. After crossing the river, they quickly formed their own columns. The positions of each legion seemed to be special. Also, the cavalry was not sent to chase after the enemy, but to scout …
The Devers scanned them with a deep gaze and said in a deep voice, "There's no rush in chasing after the enemy. As long as Syracuse retreats, we will follow the enemy. A large army like that will eventually fall into chaos. I'm worried that the enemy will retreat and then return. You must know that the commander of Syracuse's army, Dionysius, is a cunning man. I'd rather be cautious than take a risk, especially now that we have the upper hand in the war! "
… …
When it was almost noon, the fog had dissipated under the continuous sunlight.
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