Volume 5: The Hegemon of Southern Italy, Chapter 101: Probing Attack

Davos was in good spirits, but he didn’t joke with the earnest man. Instead, he said seriously, “Your Third Army Corps is stationed in both Nerulum and Grumentum. That makes you a key force in stabilizing the Lucanian region. If Daonia goes to war with the Bruttians, do you think Pyxous and Potentia will seize the chance to start their own fight and try to take back Grumentum?”

What Davos said set Sestas and Hieronymus thinking.

After a moment, Hieronymus spoke dejectedly. “Sir, are you saying the Third Army Corps should stay put to guard against incursions from Pyxous and Potentia?”

“Not just guard against them.” Davos gave a slight smile, then said in a firm tone, “If they dare tear up the peace agreement, then Daonia will be bold enough to take Pyxous and Potentia while we conquer Bruttium.”

Fight on two fronts?! Sestas and Hieronymus exchanged glances. They marveled at the young magistrate’s extraordinary boldness, but they also couldn’t help feeling some worry.

“Don’t forget Elea,” Davos reminded them.

“What good is Elea’s paltry strength?” Sestas dismissed it.

But Hieronymus, a veteran of many battles, suddenly thought of something from Davos’s smile. His spirits lifted. “Sir, I’ll discuss with Butler how to lure them in.”

“When I see Avinogis, I’ll also propose using their port. I’m confident he’ll agree.” Davos smiled.

…

“Magistrate Avinogis, you seem to have put on quite a bit more weight in the two months since I last saw you.” Davos made the half-joking remark to the magistrate of Laüs, who had come to greet him.

Avinogis chuckled and patted his noticeably protruding belly. “What can I say? Daonia is just too formidable! With your protection, everything in Laüs has been developing well. I don’t have to worry about a thing. The only thing that keeps me on my toes is whatever new dish your wife’s restaurant comes up with—and whether I can be the first to taste it!”

Davos looked at his quivering, plump face and couldn’t resist reminding him, “I suggest you don’t eat too much at each meal. Try to bring your weight down a bit. It would be good for your health.”

Avinogis seemed to recall something and slapped his forehead. “Oh, I almost forgot—you’re also a remarkable physician! Since you say so, I’ll try to control my weight gain.”

“Thank you for trusting me.” Davos caught the implication: Avinogis said he would *control* the gain, not *reduce* the weight. Clearly, he wasn’t taking his body that seriously.

Davos remembered when he first met Avinogis—solidly built back then, now a full size larger, but all of it fat. Then he looked at Achradamas beside him, who was leaner than a year ago. He had heard that Avinogis had handed over most of the city’s administrative affairs to his younger brother. *People… once they lose their sense of urgency, their goals, and learn to indulge in pleasure, it’s hard to get them back on track,* Davos mused.

“Magistrate Davos, this… this Second Army Corps of Daonia seems… seems a bit off!” Achradamas stared at the troops marching past under their raised standards and spoke up in confusion.

“Brother, I hear the Daonian army has been replacing its equipment recently. Of course it looks different from before!” Avinogis cut off Achradamas’s words and then ordered his brother, “War with the Bruttians is about to start. Go seal off the port and all roads outside the city immediately. No one is allowed in or out!…”

Davos nodded repeatedly. Avinogis was still the same man who had seized the right moment to ally with Daonia and overthrow Lucanian rule—the descendant of Sybaris. His body might have changed noticeably, but his mind remained sharp. With a keen military instinct and lightning-fast political reactions, he had completed all the necessary arrangements almost without Davos having to ask.

A hurried trumpet call sounded. Soldiers quickly retreated down the hillside. Rocks and logs chased after them, rolling down. When a soldier was unlucky enough to get hit, nearby comrades rushed to help him. Cries of pain rang out from time to time…

Watching this from the foot of the hill, Capus wore a gloomy expression. He couldn’t help sighing. “The terrain is too disadvantageous for us. The army corps can’t exert its strengths at all.”

“These past few days of attacking haven’t been a total waste. At least we took one of the enemy’s camps and pushed our attack line this far.” Antonios tried to comfort him.

“We didn’t take it; the Bruttians withdrew on their own. We haven’t even seen the enemy’s face yet, but our men have already suffered more than three hundred casualties!” Capus said with pain.

“Mostly external injuries and fractures. After treatment in the medical camp, most will recover normally. Not many died. That’s already pretty good. War always involves casualties. Remember back in Persia…” Antonios continued to console him.

“But our men aren’t dying in battle against the enemy. Dying like this is just too frustrating! The guide says Vergae is still five or six *li* away from here. Five or six *li* of mountain paths this rough all the way! By the time we reach Vergae, our men might all be dead!” Amyntas roared in irritation. “When is the Second Army Corps going to start moving?! It’s been so long without any news! If I’d known this, Capus, you should have insisted that our First Army Corps take that task!”

“It’s precisely because the First Army Corps is too famous. If we didn’t attack here, how could we make the Bruttians believe this is our main thrust? Only this way can we draw the bulk of their forces here!” Alexis said calmly, with admiration. “Only the Commander would dare do such a thing! Who would have thought that we risk the precious lives of our citizens to attack Vergae, just to maneuver the enemy?”

“Shh!” Capus made a wary gesture and looked around. “Let’s hope the Second Army Corps completes its mission successfully, so that our brothers’ sacrifice isn’t in vain!”

“Chief, the Greeks are retreating!”

Hearing his excited subordinate’s report, Saru was not delighted, but rather disappointed. “The Daonians run like rabbits. If they had crossed that ridge, and we had rolled all the rocks we stored on the mountain path, they wouldn’t have been able to escape. They would have lost even more men!”

“Don’t worry, as long as they keep trying to attack Vergae, there will be plenty more chances like this!” Sedorum stood up and praised him. “We have held out against the enemy for three days! Daonia sent their so-called ‘strongest army,’ the First Army Corps, to attack. Not only did they make no progress, but they also suffered heavy casualties! Saru, you’ve done well!”

“At this rate, we can keep the Daonians from reaching Vergae for a whole month!” Saru said confidently. “Great Chief, I think we can handle these Greeks on our own. Let the Cosentians go back. They occupy our houses, eat our food, and don’t even fight. The warriors are angry!”

“The Cosentians mostly eat their own provisions. We are now allied with them, and there will be many more opportunities to fight together. You need to get used to it and persuade our warriors not to complain too much.” Sedorum spoke to him patiently. “Besides, looking at the current situation, the Daonians haven’t used their full strength yet. They are still adapting to the terrain. Remember, they have a Lucanian contingent and troops from Laüs, neither of which have appeared. We can’t underestimate the enemy. Have you forgotten how the Lucanian tribal alliance once reached our city walls?”

“I haven’t forgotten!” Saru clenched his fist.

“Yesterday, news came from Clampetia that the Greeks there tried to use a mountain path to sneak an attack, but were discovered in time and driven back. We also need to watch out for the Lucanians coming around over the ridges. But precisely because the large Cosentian army is stationed in the city, we can fight the enemy here without worry.” Sedorum continued to persuade him.

Saru nodded silently.

“The later the Daonians arrive at Vergae, the faster their morale will drop, and the more their food supplies will dwindle. The better our chances to defeat them! Then the glory of the Bruttians will arrive!…” Originally intended to persuade and motivate Saru, Sedorum himself couldn’t help getting excited as he spoke.

The setting sun was almost behind the mountains. Darkness slowly fell over the land.

Herdsmen brought their cattle and sheep home early. Children who had been running wild in the hills all day were called back by their parents. In the darkness, the mountains belonged to the beasts.

Outside the town of Besidia, the wilderness was already deserted. The occasional howl of wolves could be heard. The Crati River, after roaring all day, seemed even louder in the quiet of dusk. The sound of its waves had been the same for thousands of years. The residents of Besidia were long accustomed to it; in fact, they felt the louder the waves, the more the river protected them. So they slept peacefully, lulled by the crashing water.

But they did not know that on the opposite bank, in the dense forest, thousands of Daonian soldiers were on the move. The sound of the rushing water covered all their noise.

The upper reaches of the Crati River had cliffs on both sides, but not entirely. In front of the hollow where Besidia sat, there was a beach about ten meters long, where the people of Besidia often came to draw water and wash clothes. About forty meters upstream from the opposite bank of this beach, there was a gentle slope leading down to the river. The jagged rocks by the river could accommodate about ten people.