Volume 5: The Hegemon of Southern Italy, Chapter 103: Taking on the Heavy Responsibility

To successfully cross the rope bridge in the dark and reach the opposite bank, the soldiers needed not only courage but also skill. Although it was only about a hundred meters, crossing was very time-consuming, and clumsy soldiers moved as slowly as snails. Their comrades waiting behind were anxious but dared not make a sound, because several companions had lost their footing, fallen into the river, and disappeared.

It was already late at night, and a third of the First Battalion had yet to cross. Drakos felt pressed for time and could not wait any longer. So he ordered the company commander of the First Battalion, who had not yet crossed, to organize the remaining soldiers to cross, and reminded Adrianx, the battalion commander of the First Battalion who had already crossed, to immediately lead the First Battalion at first light to assault the defense camp along the riverside path, seize it, ensure the Second Army Corps could smoothly enter the territory of Besidia, and then join forces to capture the town of Besidia.

…

Most of the soldiers who had crossed lay quietly and orderly on the riverbank under the command of their respective platoon leaders and squad leaders, resting as much as possible to calm their nerves and regain strength and energy for the upcoming battle. A smaller portion of the more alert soldiers slipped into the woods, using the tools they had brought to quietly saw down small trees and cut branches, making crude wooden ladders.

Adrianx, as battalion commander, took a few guards and crawled to a spot not far from the defense camp, observing its layout by the faint light of the campfires.

At that moment, he felt someone tap his back. Turning his head, he saw it was the First Platoon Leader.

He quickly followed him back, crawling until they were far from the camp before sitting up. "What is it?"

"That brave man who swam across the Crati River has urgent business and wants to see you."

"What urgent business could he have? Is he about to die?!" Adrianx said impatiently.

He had been irritated these past few days. He had obtained Davos's approval to organize a delegation to the Isthmian Games instead of following the Second Army Corps on the expedition to reinforce Tarentum. The expeditionary force returned with glory, but the delegation he led became a laughingstock across Greece. After returning, a few senators in the Senate criticized him for it. Although Davos and the former mercenary senators defended him and he wasn't severely condemned, he still felt deeply humiliated.

Just then the Bruttian war broke out. His old friend Drakos, understanding his feelings, approved the First Battalion, under his command, to cross first and take on the critical task of capturing the defense camp and supporting the entire army corps—a good chance for him to prove himself and wash away the shame. So he had been holding a fierce determination.

Adrianx hesitated a moment, but considering Seclian's contribution, he decided to spare the time to see him.

Seclian was being treated by the doctor who had crossed the river. Aside from superficial wounds, his most serious injuries were two broken ribs on the left side and some damage to the left lung. The doctor had set and immobilized the broken bones and bandaged his wounds.

When he saw Adrianx, he struggled to get up, but the doctor stopped him.

"Just lie down!" Adrianx noticed his serious injuries and softened his tone. "I hear you want to see me?"

"Yes... Battalion Commander..." Every time Seclian spoke, it tugged at his lungs, and pain twisted his face. His voice was like a broken bellows, rasping. He said with effort, "I heard you gave the order to attack the enemy's defense camp to the east only at first light..."

"Yes, that's the legion commander's order." Adrianx thought he wanted to fight. "You need to rest now—you don't have to take part in the next battle."

"If... if we attack the defense camp first... the enemy in the town will know we're here... and defend with all their strength... making it harder to take Besidia, and our brothers will suffer more casualties... Why... why not directly attack Besidia?!... I swam across this river... I know they would never expect... we..." Seclian spoke anxiously, panting harder. The doctor quickly told him to stop talking and rest.

Though his voice was broken and unclear, Adrianx understood his meaning: Besidia was unprepared; we should take it by surprise!

Adrianx's eyes lit up: leading a battalion to capture a town independently would surely wipe away his previous disgrace! Daonia already had considerable successful experience in surprise attacks on towns—capturing Amendolara, capturing Nerulum, capturing Grumentum. The key was sudden action, fierce attack, rapid advance, delivering the greatest blow to the enemy in the shortest time to throw them into chaos. Davos had summarized this and written it into the tactical section of the Daonian Military Code.

Adrianx still remembered Davos's repeated emphasis: "Dare to take risks, but also plan carefully."

Now he had made up his mind: not only would he take the defense camp, but he would also launch a surprise attack on Besidia! So he had to think carefully about the situation in Besidia.

Davos had once written a booklet about Besidia (actually Antrapolis's achievement), and the officers of the Second Army Corps could recite it by heart. Adrianx closed his eyes, and a rough sketch of the town appeared in his mind: Besidia was a small town, its walls not of stone but of double-layered wood (the Bruttian region, surrounded by Greek city-states, was heavily influenced by the Greeks; the walls of each town varied according to economic strength and threat level—Clampetia, Cosentia, and Vergae had stone walls, Besidia had wooden walls, and Ambarnia only crude wooden palisades). There were about 3,000 warriors in the town. Based on continuous observation and scouting from the opposite bank in recent days, Besidia had sent no fewer than 2,000 men westward and they had not yet returned. So, including the defense camp, the remaining forces in Besidia should be roughly equal to the First Battalion. With careful planning against a careless enemy, and preparation against unpreparedness, the possibility of taking Besidia independently was very high!

Adrianx hadn't thought of it before because he was used to following orders from above. Now, after repeated deliberation, he decided to send 300 men to attack the defense camp while he personally led 700 to surprise Besidia.

He immediately called the company commanders and platoon leaders to re-plan the attack and sent more soldiers into the woods to make more ladders. Naturally, the commotion was a bit louder than before, but the night and the rushing river provided the best cover. The Besidians, who had known peace for a hundred years, had built no watchtowers outside the town. The only sentries on the wooden walls had long since fallen asleep. Inside Besidia, all was still.

Time passed minute by minute. For Adrianx, it was agonizing. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

But the night would eventually end. When a glimmer of light appeared on the horizon, he sat up, shook the messenger beside him awake, and whispered, "Notify all company commanders to begin the operation!"

The messenger alerted the company commanders, who alerted the platoon leaders, who alerted the squad leaders, who woke the soldiers one by one.

The soldiers yawned, picked up their wooden shields and spears, a few shouldered the ladders, and began moving forward unsteadily behind their officers.

No drums, no bugles—everything proceeded in silence. The soldiers' eyes were groggy, fixed on the swaying military banner ahead. As the column slowly advanced, the scattered formation gradually became orderly, and the drowsiness on the soldiers' faces was replaced by alertness.

150 meters... 100 meters... 50 meters... The column had reached the ditch in front of the town walls, yet there was still no sign of movement on the walls.

The ditch, three meters wide and three meters deep, was filled with countless sharpened stakes. The soldiers could not cross it by hand, and there was no open space on the other side—just the looming wooden wall.

They placed the ladders, jamming one end into the earth, with soldiers bracing them. The other end wasn't long enough to reach the top of the wall—no matter. When a soldier climbed to the far end of the ladder, he stretched his arms up as far as he could, grabbed the top of the wall, pulled himself up with force, and vaulted over.

On the walkway, a sentry wrapped in animal fur was sleeping soundly against the wall. The vibration and noise from the wall battlement made him wake with a start, but it was too late. More than a dozen ladders were set against the wall, and more than a dozen soldiers crossed over at once, quickly filling the walkway. Before the sentry understood what was happening, he was either killed by a spear or taken prisoner.

Then the soldiers on the wall quickly opened the city gate. Following the pre-arranged plan, each company commander led their soldiers into the town, splitting them into three groups and advancing swiftly along the streets.

Success! Adrianx waved his hand excitedly: "Sound the horn!"

The bugle and drum sounded together, and the soldiers shouted, instantly throwing the town into chaos like an earthquake. Whether they were naked men coming out to see what was happening or those hastily grabbing weapons and rushing out their doors, they were met by the advancing soldiers, who thrust their spears without hesitation. Immediately, screams filled the air... The bloody slaughter terrified the Besidians, who hid in their houses, not daring to move.

Although Besidia was built in a mountainous area, it lay in a valley and was actually a flat town. So the First Battalion advanced quickly. Ahead was the Great Chief's Mansion in the town center, which also housed the council hall.

The commotion in the town naturally woke Kanalu, who was still dreaming. He had just sat up, still groggy, when his men burst in: "Chief, it's... it's bad! The enemy has broken into the town!"