Chapter 326

“Apologies, Lords!” Philesius bowed slightly to those around him, unable to hide the joy on his face as he spoke excitedly, “I was late because I had to receive a messenger from the Third Legion at the Ministry of Military Affairs. He brought good news—”

Philesius looked around at the senators and announced loudly, “The Third Legion has defeated the rebel forces of Pyxus and Grumentum outside the city of Grumentum! Except for a very few who escaped, most were captured, while the Third Legion suffered only a few dozen casualties. Legion Commander Hieronymus is leading the grand army toward Pyxus city. It is reported that the city is empty of troops; taking Pyxus is only a matter of time!”

The venue instantly boiled over with excitement: “Wonderful! This is truly a glorious victory!”

“Pyxus! We will finally possess a coastal city on the west coast that truly belongs to us!”

…

The senators, who had broken out in a cold sweat just moments ago due to Polyexis’s description, erupted in unprecedented cheers.

Polyexis stared dumbfounded at these jubilant senators, unable to recover from this sudden reversal for a moment… After a long while, he said unwillingly and faintly, “…I didn’t expect Hieronymus could also create a great victory like Lord Davos…”

“No.” Philesius corrected him loudly, “In fact, this victory was planned in advance by Lord Davos together with the Third Legion, and it also received help from our two allies, Laos and Elea. Otherwise, how could they win so easily!”

“Oh…” Kunogelata, Cornelius, and the others wore expressions that said ‘it should be so’, and then proceeded to inquire about the details of the battle with interest.

Polyexis fell silent.

***

The Battle of Punat had been raging for over an hour. The battle line, initially a jagged straight line, had turned into a curved crescent moon.

On the Theonian right wing, the troops led by Triphias maintained almost their initial position. The Bruttian left wing, composed of warriors from over a dozen tribes, failed to unite effectively into a single force to maintain sustained pressure on the Theonian right phalanx.

In the Theonian center, warriors from Vergae, Ambalia, and parts of Consentia launched fierce attacks. After a period of stalemate, the phalanx of the First Legion began to retreat gradually, causing the entire center to concave inward. The proud soldiers of the First Legion indeed tried their best, but the long period of camp construction beforehand had consumed too much of their stamina. After donning heavy armor again, they were somewhat exhausted and slightly overwhelmed.

On the Theonian left wing, the Second Legion and the Consentia warriors were still locked in fierce combat. The Consentia warriors, washing away the shame of their previous failed siege, relied on their superhuman endurance honed from living on the plateau since childhood (in modern terms, high-altitude dwellers have more red blood cells and higher oxygen-carrying capacity) and their larger physiques compared to Greeks to maintain high-intensity attacks for a long time. The Second Legion only maintained parity thanks to solid defense and full cooperation between battalions.

On the extreme left wing lay the only area where Theonia held an absolute advantage. The peltasts led by Epitenes had inflicted casualties on the Bruttian cavalry from the start. In close-quarters dogfights, the Bruttian cavalry suffered losses against the experienced Theonian peltasts. If this hadn’t been a battle crucial to the survival of the Bruttian people, the cavalry leader would have long led the remaining cavalry to flee. But to prevent the Theonian peltasts from supporting other battlefields, he led his subordinates to keep a distance from the Theonian peltasts, using the cavalry’s speed to roam the periphery and launch surprise attacks on isolated Theonian light infantry. But Theonian javelins and arrows were no joke either; the number of Bruttian cavalry was still decreasing bit by bit.

However, the light infantry led by Tspites encountered some trouble. Although the Bruttian light infantry could compare with Theonia neither in numbers nor capability, the angry Bruttian light infantry, after suffering at the hands of the enemy, abandoned ranged attacks. Instead, they charged up to engage Tspites’s troops in close combat with javelins and short blades.

Tspites could have retreated to open up the distance, which was standard light infantry tactics. But Tspites, who had followed Davos in campaigns for a long time, knew well: As part of a grand battle, a sudden retreat by the light infantry and freedmen I lead would expose Epitenes’ flank and cause huge losses to the peltasts currently engaging the enemy cavalry. Therefore, Tspites did not retreat but braced himself to fight the Bruttian light infantry. He had few peltasts to begin with; the freedmen could handle shooting arrows and throwing javelins, but asking them to fight fiercely in close quarters against the ferocious Bruttians made them unable to hold out for long.

Fortunately, Davos still held quite a few cards in his hand. Upon learning of the predicament on the extreme left wing, he quickly dispatched the Mountain Reconnaissance Battalion. These light troops, armed with leather shields and short swords, sprinted all the way to the extreme left wing, immediately joined the fray, and quickly turned the tide.

Amidst the dust and fog, a messenger cavalryman galloped rapidly toward Davos at the rear of the formation.

Tolmides hurried forward to meet him.

“Lord Commander, Capus sent someone to report an emergency. The soldiers of the First Legion can’t hold out much longer; they are so tired they can barely lift their bronze shields!” Tolmides reported to Davos urgently upon receiving the message.

“It seems the First Legion has reached the limit of its physical strength,” Davos concluded.

“Not just the First Legion. Earlier, Drakos also sent someone to report that some soldiers of his Second Legion began to feel dizzy and weak. He didn’t even dare order a rank rotation for fear of causing major chaos,” Tolmides reminded him.

“If our soldiers are tired to this extent, the Bruttians, no matter how good their stamina is, probably aren’t doing much better.” Davos gazed ahead. The front was filled with flying dust and moving shadows, and the roar of killing shook the sky, yet he seemed to see where the opportunity for victory lay.

“Go quickly and notify the two Besidiae chiefs, Brim and Krellu. Were they not clamoring to go into battle and kill the enemy? Now the opportunity has come! I want them to lead the Besidiae warriors immediately to the left wing, attack the enemy’s flank, crush the Consentians with the swiftest assault, and show us the prowess of Besidiae warriors!”

“Yes!” Tolmides answered excitedly.

“At the same time, Ledes’s Cavalry Battalion should have rested enough. Have them go immediately to assist Epitenes and Tspites in quickly routing the enemy’s cavalry and light infantry. Then, turn north, cut across the battlefield, attack the rear of the enemy’s center, and pincer them with the First Legion to crush them in one fell swoop!” Davos clenched his right fist and swung it down heavily.

“Understood, Lord Commander!” Tolmides led two messengers, mounted his horse, and galloped to the left; he wanted to deliver the order personally.

Davos turned his head to look at the two units far to the left rear of the phalanx that had not yet participated in the battle. At a distance of several miles, they were mere hazy shadows, impossible to see clearly.

After quite a while, Tolmides hurried back. “They have moved out.”

“Sound the attack bugle!” Davos ordered immediately.

Doo! Doo! Doo!… The high-pitched military bugle cut through the din of slaughter, spreading across the entire battle formation.

“It’s the attack signal! Brothers, hold on! Our reserves are moving out!” Xanthipparis’s spirits rose upon hearing the bugle.

Before the battle, Davos had told his battle plan to the two Legion Commander, who in turn conveyed Davos’s tactical intent to their subordinate Chiliarchs, Captains, and Squadron Leaders. Therefore, even in such a passive situation, the defense lines of the First and Second Legions could still hold because the officers had confidence in their hearts. Now, they finally awaited the signal to attack.

“Beat the drums! Beat the drums!” Xanthipparis shouted the order with a voice already hoarse from yelling.

Drums beat, and military standards pointed forward. Although the soldiers’ bodies were weary, their spirits were roused.

Almost all Chiliarchs of the First and Second Legions were doing the same thing as Xanthipparis.

***

When the sound of the bugle reached Pianlun’s ears, he was in the midst of the Bruttian right wing, struggling forward with his warriors. Although every step was extremely difficult, the Consentian warriors were advancing.

The Theonians are failing! Such a thought flashed through Pianlun’s mind. Despite his exhaustion, the desire for victory spurred him to exert even more effort.

But just then, the Theonian bugle shook his heart: Could the enemy have reinforcements?

A sense of urgency welled up. Being in the midst of the formation, he couldn’t grasp the overall situation; he could only intensify efforts to crush the enemy in front of him. “Descendants of Brutus, push harder! The enemy is failing!…” he shouted. His personal guards shouted along with him, infecting other warriors… The Consentian warriors used their remaining strength to attack desperately.

But the defense of the Second Legion also strengthened significantly. Instead, the advance of the Bruttian center and right wing became even more difficult than before.

Under the leadership of Brim and Krellu, over two thousand Besidiae warriors—who had been holding back for over an hour with nowhere to vent their energy—sprinted all the way, bypassing the outer flanks of both armies. Roaring, they pounced ferociously on the rear of the Bruttian right wing.

The heaven-shaking shouts and thundering footsteps caused the Consentian warriors to look back in panic. They saw countless Bruttian warriors, dressed similarly to themselves but with ferocious expressions, waving spears and charging viciously toward them.

“It’s the Besidiae! We are surrounded!!…” The Consentian warriors turned in panic to resist.

At this moment, Ledes’s Cavalry Battalion easily routed the struggling Bruttian cavalry and light infantry. Just as the Cavalry Battalion, Reconnaissance Battalion, and light infantry abandoned pursuing the routed troops and marched majestically north—preparing to cross behind the enemy’s right wing to attack the rear of the Bruttian center—the exhausted Consentian warriors began to crumble under the fierce attack from the Besidiae in their rear…