Chapter 893
He turned to look at Miltias with bright eyes and reprimanded him loudly, "Miltias, ever since the establishment of the Dionian Navy, it has been a tradition of our navy to charge forward bravely. However, you did not follow the established plan to patrol the waters west of Sicily because you were afraid of the strong winds and waves. You missed the opportunity to land the Carthaginian army in Sicily and deal them a heavy blow. I am very disappointed in you!"
Miltias was still listening attentively to Sykrian's adventures. He sighed inwardly. If it weren't for this old officer's good luck, his superb stamina, and his swimming skills, ordinary sailors would have become Carthage's captives.
When he suddenly heard the last few words, his face flushed. He did not argue, but lowered his head in shame.
"Fortunately, I'm back now," Sykrian said in a low voice. "You can return the command of the fleet to me."
Miltias suddenly raised his head. After meeting Sykrian's sharp gaze, he immediately avoided it. After a moment, he met Sykrian's gaze again and summoned his courage to say, "… My lord … The command of the Sicilian fleet was granted to me by His Majesty and the Ministry of Military Affairs. I … dare not transfer it without permission, because it's against military law!"
Miltias' objection stunned Sekerian. His face showed some displeasure, and he tried his best to speak in a calm tone. "You don't understand what I mean. You can continue to be the commander of the Sicilian fleet, but I will be commanding the fleet. You have to know that if it weren't for me being trapped in Lili, you wouldn't have become the commander of the Sicilian fleet! "
What Sykrian said was indeed the truth. The letter that the Devers wrote to the Ministry of Military Affairs specifically mentioned the appointment of the commander of the Sicilian fleet. That was why Miltias was initially appointed as the acting commander of the Sicilian fleet. However, due to the failure to find Sekerian and the drowning of Flarios, the Ministry of Military Affairs finally decided to appoint Miltias as the official commander of the Sicilian fleet.
As the former commander of the Diónia Navy, Sykrian had won every battle since the founding of the Diónia Navy. He had a high prestige in the navy, and the three commanders — Midolades, Flarios, and Miltias — were his subordinates. It was inevitable that Miltias would feel nervous when facing the powerful Sykrian.
However, Miltias had been in charge of the Fourth Fleet for so many years, and was no longer the captain of the Devers' flagship. He had gained some confidence and authority (this was one of the reasons why the Devers split the navy into four). More importantly, Miltias thought about the huge mistake he had made, and was now thinking about how to make up for it in future battles. If he were to hand over the command of the fleet to Sykrian now, it would be a mistake that could not be made up for by the end of the war. Everyone would credit the victory to Sykrian, and he would become the laughing stock of the navy …
Miltias had already considered the pros and cons of the situation, so he calmed down and spoke in a more forceful tone. "Lord Sykrian, you were once my superior and also an elder of the Senate. I still remember what you said, 'As the captain of a warship, you must set an example for your crew. Fulfill your duties, command your crew, and fight bravely …' I believe you know very well that since the founding of the kingdom, there has never been a general in the army who did not fulfill his duties and enjoy the benefits of a promotion. I don't want to be the first!"
Miltias said with a serious expression, and then he smiled bitterly. "Of course, if you think I'm incompetent, you can apply to the Ministry of Military Affairs to remove me from my position as the commander of the Sicilian Fleet …"
Sekerian's face darkened, and his gaze on Miltias sharpened.
Miltias faced him calmly without fear.
The two stared at each other, and the atmosphere in the room became tense. Even the servants who were cleaning the table hurriedly left.
After a moment, Sykrian's face twitched a few times, and he squeezed out a smile. "Very well, Miltias. As a commander … you must have this kind of imposing manner."
Although Sykrian was powerful in the Diónia navy, he was not unreasonable. If Miltias did not cooperate, he could not forcibly usurp the command of the fleet. That was not only a violation of military law, but also the laws of the kingdom. Given the temperament of the King of Devers, he was likely to be sent to prison in anger. As for directly requesting to the Ministry of Military Affairs to remove Miltias and replace him as the commander of the Sicilian Fleet, that was too overbearing. It would arouse the disgust of some people in the royal navy, and damage his own image.
Sykrian had been in a high position for more than ten years, and was no longer the young and impulsive poor sailor. Naturally, he had a lot of concerns. After a while, he said disinterestedly, "In a while, send a fast ship to send me back to the naval base in Catania … I should also pay my respects to Flarios and the brothers who died in battle …"
Miltias did not know what was going on in Saterian's mind, but he was relieved that Saterian had stopped pressuring him. Of course, he could not wait for Saterian to leave, so he did not urge him to stay. "Yes, my lord. I will arrange it immediately."
With that, he quickly left the tense room as if he was avoiding the plague, and strode towards the courtyard.
At that moment, the wooden door was pushed open, and Leotychides's adjutant, Mukru, walked in. "General Miltias, Commander Prososus invites you to the governor's mansion. He has an urgent military matter to discuss with you!"
When Miltias heard this, he was delighted that a pillow had been delivered to him just when he wanted to doze off. He did not ask about the urgent military situation and turned around. "Sir, I have to make a trip to the city to discuss the battle plan with the army."
"Without affecting the overall strategy, we must protect the interests of our fleet as much as possible!" Theodore walked out of the living room leisurely. On his way here, he had already heard about how Leotizides had incorporated tens of thousands of crew members into the legion, so he reminded him of this.
Mukru stared at him with wide eyes, and shouted in surprise, "Sir Sykrian, you're still alive?!"
… …
As soon as the two highest officers of Diónia in Sicily met, Leotychides said, "Agrigento has sent an urgent request for help. There are tens of thousands of Carthage troops attacking Agrigento City."
On the way here, Tagrou did not reveal any urgent military matter to Miltias, so when he heard this, he was a little surprised. "Tens of thousands of Carthage soldiers attacking Agrigento City?! That's impossible! These few days, our patrol ships on the coast east of Serinus did not find any traces of Carthage's army advancing east, and Minoa City is also very peaceful! "
"Carthage's army did not go through the south coast. They are most likely going through the central mountains." A trace of regret appeared on Leotychides's face. "We were tricked by that Carthage General Margo! He besieged Serinus to attract our attention, but secretly sent some troops over the mountains to attack our allies in the rear. "
"Aren't there Sikels in the mountains? Why did they let Carthage's army pass so easily … "Miltias remembered this Diónia ally that he had not yet met and asked doubtfully.
"I was careless this time. Although the Sikels haven't sent any news, I'm afraid they have already been defeated. Some of the soldiers that Margo brought from Iberia are very good at fighting in the mountains. The fall of Celdim is a good example. " Leotychides's voice was slightly anxious. "Agrigento has lost many soldiers in the battle of Minoa. A few days ago, because Carthage besieged Serinus, they also sent some reinforcements. I'm afraid that Agrigento City is now empty of troops. We need to help immediately! There are no extra ships in the port. I need your fleet to immediately send 6,000 reinforcements to Agrigento's port! "
Miltias knew the urgency of the situation. Once Agrigento fell, not only would the neighboring Gela and Minoa be in danger, but the Dionysian Army's land route would also be cut off. Under the attack of Carthage's army, the situation on the south coast of Sicily would become complicated. Thus, Miltias did not say anything like "the Sicilian fleet is used for battle, not to transport troops …". Instead, he immediately replied, "I'll go to the port now and get the fleet ready. When the soldiers you sent arrive, immediately send them to Agrigento."
Miltias's straightforwardness made Leotychides heave a sigh of relief. He then asked, "I heard from Tagrou that Therian is still alive and has returned to Serinus' port?"
"Yes, it's the blessing of the Hades! He's going to Catania's naval base … to stay for a while and pay his respects to his fallen brothers. " Miltias wanted to show his joy, but he remembered that Therian wanted to take over the fleet, so his expression was a little strange.
Leotychides looked at him and said faintly, "Therian must have suffered a lot during this period. He should take a rest."
Therian's return would naturally involve the issue of command of the Sicilian fleet. Compared to Therian's forcefulness, Leotychides was more willing to work with Miltias, who had become proactive after making a mistake. Thus, his words revealed a hint of support for Miltias, which made Miltias happy. After all, if the Ministry of Military Affairs really considered this issue, they might also consult Leotychides's opinion.
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