Chapter 883
At this time, Zantiparis's troops were reduced to 7,000, but this was still three and a half times the number of Segovani's troops.
For two days in a row, the Kautini warriors repelled the enemy's attack, but they also paid a lot of casualties. Abella City was even more ruined, and Segovani already had the intention to retreat. At this time, he received the bad news that "Beneventum has fallen". That night, he abandoned the people of Abella and Cesaras in the city and led his army to quietly retreat to Kauttim.
The next day, the people in the city found out that they had been abandoned by Segovani. The few remaining Abella and Cesaras warriors decided to surrender to the allied forces outside the city. However, the Naconian warriors were full of hatred and had suffered a lot of losses, and of course, Zantiparis rejected them. Because of the Devers' order, Abella was a small city in the eastern plains of Campania that connected Kauttim and Beneventum. Its location was too important and must be completely controlled by the Kingdom of Diónia. In order to avoid future management problems, Zantiparis felt that it was more appropriate to directly occupy it.
The Diónia allied forces launched an attack. In an instant, they broke into the city and occupied Abella.
The Naconian warriors brought the captured Kautini warriors to the corpses of the original Naconian leaders and sacrificed them.
… …
On the east side, Alexis only rested in Beneventum for a day and dealt with some simple matters in the city. She had Borlett split half of the army to guard the city, while he personally led the rest of the army westward. They passed through the mountain path and arrived at Kawutim.
After Zantiparis captured Abella, he also led the troops eastward without stopping and successfully met up with Alexis's troops in Kauttim. They had a force of nearly 30,000 people.
Kauttim's garrison was less than 2,000 people, which made the tribes in the city very panicked. Some leaders united and suggested to Segovani that they could surrender to the Diónia allied forces to protect the people in the city.
Segovani did not even think about it and flatly refused.
The indignant leaders anxiously argued with him, but this angered Segovani, who had become increasingly irritable due to repeated defeats. He captured the leader and chased the others away, declaring that he would fight the Diónia Alliance to the bitter end.
This crazy move caused some tribes to be at odds with each other. That night, many tribes left the city to secretly collude with the Diónia Coalition Army.
How could Alexis let go of such a good opportunity? She immediately attacked the city the next day.
Kautim soon fell, and Segovani also died on the city walls. At this point, the two most powerful tribes in the Samonai alliance, Hilpini, were completely subdued, and most of Kautim was also subdued. The remaining Kautim towns in the north, such as Capua and Calatia, could not support them alone. It was only a matter of time before they were conquered.
Just when the Diónia Coalition Army met in Kautim, Contrec and Bardani gathered the largest military force that the two tribes could muster — 5000 warriors — and wanted to carry out a surprise attack on the Dionysian Army in the east.
However, the cautious Capus did not continue to enter the mountains after occupying Equuvium. Instead, while stabilizing the local order, he continuously sent out reconnaissance teams to investigate the surrounding terrain in detail.
As a result, the movements of the Samonai army were discovered, and he immediately prepared to defend.
The surprise attack of the two Samonai tribes eventually turned into a frontal attack. After paying some casualties, they had no choice but to retreat.
Subsequently, the news of the fall of Beneventum and Kautim came one after another. Contrec and Bardani were shocked and had no choice but to lead their respective armies back to their tribal territories to guard against the upcoming attack of the Diónia Coalition Army.
… …
"Your Majesty, good news! Zantiparis led the army to not only capture Lola, but also defeated the main force of Kautim who came to help! " Tormid hurried into the tent and said excitedly.
"Oh!" Devers hurriedly took the battle report. After reading it carefully, he suddenly smiled and said, "This is indeed good news! Kautim's defeat, the Naconians' surrender, and the victory of the Samonai war has been decided! Zantiparis has made a great contribution! This is his first time leading an army on his own, right? "
"Yes, Your Majesty. Zantiparis was about to retire from the army before. It was the Ministry of Military Affairs who temporarily recruited him to Lucania to form a reserve army. Because of the outbreak of the Samonai war, he led the army to participate in the war in Campania … "Tormid said in such detail out of selfishness. He had a good relationship with Zantiparis, and they both came to Greece together. So, he hoped that Zantiparis, who was over 60 years old, could still have a good development in the kingdom.
Of course, Devers knew that Tormid and Zantiparis were on good terms, but he did not care about what Zantiparis was hiding. Instead, he patted the battle report and said with a sigh and regret, "Whether it is the capture of Lola or the defeat of Kautim's main force, Zantiparis has shown excellent military command ability! I shouldn't have let him become a prosecutor of the Ministry of Military Affairs in the first place. He wasted all these years in vain! I still don't know enough about them! … "
Tormid did not say anything, but he was happy for his friend.
Devers sighed for a while, then loudly praised, "This time, the strategic plan of the Ministry of Military Affairs for Samonai is also very good! Alexis in the east, Zantiparis and the Campanian allies in the west, and Abenilum and Potentia in the middle. The three armies worked closely together and took turns to attack. The Samonai could not focus on the east, and could not focus on the west. Their defeat was destined! "
"Yes, Your Majesty." Secretary Heniboris also smiled and said, "Just like you said before, although the Samonai are hungry wolves, we Diónia are lions. Even if the wolf bites the lion a few times, it will not cause much damage. But if the lion gives the wolf a claw, half of its life will be gone."
"We have to be greedier. We want the entire life of this wolf." Devers joked, then said, "Henri, go and take out the map of the Samonai region and put it on the table."
Herniopolis grunted in acknowledgment. He then went to the bookshelf filled with all kinds of documents. Crotocatax also came over to help him.
"Tormid." Devers continued, "Regarding the letter from the Ministry of Military Affairs saying that 'the increase in the number of troops participating in the Samonai war has caused a shortage of military rations', I have thought about it. In the future, the rations of the troops led by Alexis and Zantiparis will be supplied by us."
"Your Majesty, you mean … to transport military rations from Rome to Campania?" Tormid asked out of politeness. In fact, he was not surprised, because the food stockpiled in Rome was indeed very sufficient. Not only were the military rations seized from Rome, but also the rations plundered from almost all the aristocratic residences in Rome. There were also rations collected from the conquered cities of Latin and Etruria. The shocking amount was enough to supply the army of Diónia in Latinum and the people in Rome for half a year.
"Lead the young people in the General Staff Department to draw up a more detailed food supply plan based on the situation of the army in Campania, as well as the food and transportation situation in Rome. Then submit it to me for review, and then send it to the Asistes for him to arrange," Devers ordered.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Devers rubbed his chin and thought for a while. He then said, "It seems that we should also send people to the Etrurian and Latin Allies to ask for military rations …"
"Father, isn't the food reserve in Rome still very sufficient?! Besides, it will be harvest in another two months. Most of the farmlands outside Rome, Vei, Gabi, and other cities have not been destroyed. Now, they are being well taken care of by the people of Rome. I believe that there will be enough food to supply the army of Latinum and Campania, and even the army of Sicily. There is no need to ask for food from the new allies, which will deepen their dissatisfaction with us. "Cloto Catax was a little worried.
Devers looked at him with a smile. "I'm glad that you did not stay idle in Rome. You have made a more detailed understanding of the areas we have occupied. That's how it should be! However, the reason why I sent people to ask for food from these allies is not because we are short of food, but to solve their confusion. "
"Solve their confusion?!" Cloto Catax was confused.
Devers smiled and patiently explained to him, "In the past, Rome was at war every year and often asked for food and soldiers from these allies. They are used to it. But now, these cities have surrendered to us, Diónia, and we have been fighting alone without asking for any help from them. I'm afraid they will be confused and even worried that after we destroy Rome, we will turn against them. "
Crotocatax suddenly understood. "So, asking for food from them is to show them that Diónia has indeed regarded them as an ally."
Devers continued, "This is just one of the purposes. In addition, I will ask the messenger to ask for food from them at the same time, but at the same time, we will not set a rigid limit on the amount. In this way, the amount of food provided by each ally will be just enough for us to make a rough judgment on how sincere they are to Diónia! "
Cloto Catax was deep in thought.
Devers glanced at the map that had been placed on the table and said, "Clotho, you have just heard the news that 'Zantiparis led the army to defeat the main force of Cautini at Lola', and Alexis has also arrived at the city of Beneventum. Capus has also attacked the Hilpini Mountains from the east … The defeat of the Samonai people is only a matter of time. If you were to deal with the conquered Samonai Mountains, what would you do? "
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