Chapter 522
After giving the order to retreat, the Devers turned around and headed for the Syracuse camp.
Along the way, there were corpses and wailing wounded soldiers. Their blood flowed into the sea and dyed the coastline red. Crows that smelled death came in flocks and pecked at the fresh flesh. They did not hide when they saw the humans, only cawing when they saw them. Under the bloody light of the setting sun, the battlefield that was littered with corpses was indescribably strange and desolate, causing Dyvers' excitement from his victory to dampen down.
When they arrived at the Syracuse camp, there were already many wounded soldiers from Diónia lying on the ground. They were all injured during the pursuit. The wounded soldiers from the Diónia camp on the north bank of the Neto River had already been treated. The wounded soldiers in the Syracuse camp were treated by doctors from the city of Asprustum. However, it was obvious that there was a shortage of manpower. Many of the wounded soldiers could only lie down and wait.
When the Devers saw this, they immediately got off their horses and walked toward the wounded soldiers.
"Your Majesty?!"
"It's Your Majesty, the Devers!"
"Your Majesty!"
"Sir Devers!"
…
As soon as the Devers walked closer, the wounded soldiers cheered excitedly.
"Warriors, I'm here to treat your wounds." The Devers pressed his hands down slightly and said with a gentle expression, "Please wait patiently. You will all be treated and recover soon!"
"It's a blessing from the gods to be able to receive your treatment, Your Majesty! Don't worry, we won't make a sound. We won't disturb your treatment! "One of the wounded soldiers said loudly.
"That's right! We'll all be quiet! "The other wounded soldiers agreed.
The Devers found the soldier who spoke familiar and asked, "What's your name?"
"Tapirus, Your Majesty. I'm the manager of Cristoya's restaurant in the city of Turín, and I've been recruited into the Spear Brigade as a captain. "The wounded soldier answered fluently. It turned out that after the Devers gave the order to chase, the soldiers of the Spear Brigade also threw away their weapons like the enemy because it was inconvenient for them to run with their spears. They didn't wear any armor, so they naturally ran briskly and captured a lot of defeated soldiers. However, Tapirus' luck was not good. The wounded soldier he caught up with was fierce and refused to surrender. Instead, he drew out the military saber hanging from his waist and slashed his thigh. If it wasn't for his subordinates swarming over and beating the enemy down, he would have probably been sent to the Netherworld Prison.
"Oh, I know you." The Devers remembered seeing this man in their house, so they went to check his wound.
The Devers didn't just have the theoretical knowledge of treating diseases and injuries. During the six months of war in Persia, he often went to help when there was a shortage of medical staff. Therefore, he was also very experienced in treating injuries. Even the guards around him were very familiar with the materials and steps of treatment. While the Devers were treating Tapirus, Martius had already begun to order his men to find clay pots to boil water, find cloth, cut down trees, and make wooden boards.
The sharp Greek saber had cut open a wound on Tapirus' left thigh that was so deep that bone could be seen, and it was badly mangled.
The doctor asked Tapirus to endure the pain and raise his left leg, then reach out and press around the wound. Only then did he say with a smile, "Tapirus, it seems that the Hades really cares for you. Although your wound is big, it didn't hurt the main artery, nor did it sever the tendons or bones. Therefore, it's not a big wound, and you'll recover soon. "
Although he didn't understand the medical terms the Devers were talking about, the news made Tapirus very happy. He thanked the Devers profusely.
The Devers stood up and said to Martius, "After the water is boiled, clean his wound and bandage it …"
Martius nodded to show that he understood.
The Devers walked to a wounded soldier who was screaming the loudest because of the pain and squatted down in front of him. It was a young Bruti soldier. His face was pale, and he looked at the Devers with an uneasy expression. Ever since the wounded soldiers promised to keep quiet, he clenched his teeth and didn't say a word, but his childish face was covered with sweat. His right shoulder drooped abnormally, and his right calf was bent outwards. He held his right shoulder with one hand and touched his foot with the other. His body was hunched, and he looked like he was in pain …
It turned out that he was too excited when he was chasing the enemy. When he crossed the Tachinadi River, he didn't slow down. As a result, he fell on the bank of the river, and his right shoulder hit the ground first, causing a dislocation. His comrade behind him couldn't dodge in time, and he stepped on his right calf, causing a fracture.
The Devers put his hand on his right shoulder, and the wounded soldier suddenly shivered.
"What's your name? Where are you from? Which legion are you from? "the Devers asked softly.
"Mu … Mukhru, lives in Cosenza, and … with General Hieronymus … came over …" The wounded soldier endured the pain and stuttered. Although his accent was a little strange, he was still one of the most fluent Greek among the Bruti. He seemed to feel embarrassed that he wasn't a legion soldier, so he emphasized, "But my father is a company commander in the Fifth … Fifth Legion!"
"Oh, you and your father are good citizens of the Alliance!" The Devers praised sincerely. He knew that living in Cosenza meant that the soldier's family had left the tribe and become a true citizen of the Alliance.
"But … But when I got here, I found out … that my father has died in the Sirium … in the Sirium …" Perhaps he was infected by the Devers' gentle gaze, but Mukhru said the words that he had been holding in for the past few days. Tears finally flowed out of his eyes.
The Devers' mood became a little heavy because of this. He comforted softly, "Mukhru, you didn't lose your father. He has turned into a spirit and gone to the carefree Elysium. In the future, when the Hades Celebration is held every year, go to the Hall of Valhalla in the Temple of the Hades in Cosenza to pay your respects to him. Maybe he will meet you in your dreams … "
"Is this true?!" Mukhru's eyes lit up when he heard this. He seemed to have forgotten the pain, and looked at the Devers with hope.
"Of course it's true!" The Devers comforted him and took advantage of the moment when he was happy and relaxed to exert force with both hands.
"Ah!" Mukhru screamed, and everyone around him was shocked.
"Alright, you can move your right arm now, but don't use force with your right arm for the next two days!" the Devers instructed.
Mukhru turned his right shoulder in surprise and nodded repeatedly.
"Lift your right leg a little and let me see," the Devers said again.
"Your Majesty, will my leg recover?!" Mukhru immediately did as he was told, and at the same time asked with anticipation and unease.
The Devers did not answer him immediately. He carefully examined Mukhru's right calf. Although it was badly bent, the bruising under the skin was not serious, and there was no obvious hematoma. The blood vessels should not have been injured. He then reached out to the calf and carefully massaged it.
Out of absolute trust in the Devers, Mukhru endured the pain and did not make a sound.
After further examination, the Devers confirmed that apart from the broken bone, there were no large fragments or torn tendons in Mukhru's right calf. He heaved a sigh of relief and said confidently, "Don't worry, after treatment, you only need to rest for three months, and your calf will be as good as before!"
Mukhru finally smiled. He thanked the Devers sincerely. "Your Majesty, thank you very much!"
… …
When Agathia received the news and called a few doctors from Aspuztum City, the Devers had already treated more than ten injured soldiers. With the doctors taking over, he did not continue with the treatment. Instead, he talked to Agathia about something important. "This camp in Syracuse cannot accommodate all the legions. Tonight, we need twenty to thirty thousand people to rest in Aspuztum City, especially these injured soldiers!"
"Your Majesty, I've already asked the people in the City Hall to arrange this matter. It's not a problem at all!" Agathia's reply surprised the Devers. He could see the problem and take the initiative to solve it. This was the quality of an excellent government official. He did not expect Agathia, who had been stationed outside for a few years, to have honed this skill.
Looking at Agathia's slightly aged face (in fact, he was only 40 years old), the Devers did not know if he had walked out of his previous troubles. They could not help but feel a little emotional.
At this time, the sky was getting dark. The pursuing soldiers returned to the camp in Syracuse one after another. They began to rebuild the large number of tents abandoned by the defeated soldiers. Bonfires were lit everywhere, and the entire camp became lively and noisy …
Following the soldiers back to the camp were the captives from Syracuse. According to the previous practice, they were stripped of their armor and clothes. Their naked bodies were exposed in the late winter evening. Even though they were at the seaside, they were still shivering from the cold. The Diónia soldiers who were in charge of escorting them did not have the slightest bit of mercy. If they were slow or disobedient, they would stab them with their spears, causing them to scream in agony.
The onlooking soldiers only laughed and even scolded the captives.
The Devers did not stop the soldiers. He knew that since the time the Syracuse army landed in Greece, more than 10,000 Diónia soldiers and civilians had died in the hands of the Syracuse soldiers. The outskirts of the cities of Asplostum and Crimissa were in ruins. The soldiers needed a channel to vent their anger. Moreover, compared to the heavily injured soldiers of Syracuse who fell on the way back to the Western Courtyard, howled in pain but no one cared, and could only close their eyes and wait for death in the end, these captives were considered lucky.
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