Chapter 689: Theonia v Rome (III)

Amintas’ words surprised Phryntor, but he didn’t refuse and said, “Alright!”

Aristonos then looked at Amintas after hearing him say, “I need your help!”

Amintas waved his hand and said, “Aristonos, you will be under his command.”

“Understood!” Aristonos agreed and immediately brought the heralds to Phryntor.

“Go and inform the Volscians in Setia and Privernum immediately of how we will intercept the Roman soldiers plundering the food supplies and how this is likely to result in the Roman army leaving their camp to fight us. So have them prepare by gathering their soldiers so they can come to our aid as soon as we engage in a major battle with the Romans!”

After receiving Phryntor’s order, the two heralds immediately rode away.

Phryntor then asked Aristonos, “Did you bring a slate?”

“Yes.” Aristonos took from his horse’s mat a small blackened square slate and a white stylus, a standard item for a legion’s adjutant, to avoid mistakes in conveying the legatus’ orders in the event of a fierce battle. In addition, it also served as a tactical illustration board. And since Aristonos had come from the Army Staff, he certainly knew how to use it.

“Mark the Roman camp as the centre, Setia about a kilometre to its south, Privernum about eight kilometres to its south and the camp we were going to build about four kilometres to the southwest…” True to his reputation as a wise member of the Army Staff, Phryntor, even though he had just arrived in Volsci yesterday, already knew about those things.

Aristonos listened to Phryntor as he marked the Roman camp as the centre, then drew each position on the board and wrote their distance.

With his temperament, Amintas didn’t have the patience to analyse and calculate this data, so he just listened a few words. And since the only thing he wants is the result, he quickly left the place and looked north, anxiously awaiting the news the mounted scouts would bring.

On the other hand, Ledes’ men kept a vigilant eye on the Roman camp not far to the east to prevent the Roman cavalries from suddenly going out and threatening their officers’ safety.

In fact, Amintas didn’t have to wait long.

Not long after Ledes sent out his cavalry, the cavalry brigades and centuriae that had scattered before sent someone back to report the enemy’s situation, “Reporting to the legatus! The third centuria of the second cavalry brigade found more than a hundred Roman soldiers in the south.”

“How far are they?”

“About five kilometres!”

“Reporting to the legatus! The first centuria of the fourth cavalry brigade found about a hundred Roman soldiers six kilometres to the north.”

. . . . . . . . . . . .

With one cavalry returning to report one after another, Amintas’ expression increasingly became excited. Then he shouted, “Phryntor, the Romans must have more than a thousand soldiers out there, right?!”

“Per our current statistics, there are more than ten centuriae of Roman soldiers outside,” Phryntor answered hurriedly.

Adjutant Aristonos also presented the slate, where he drew the icons representing the towns, camps, units and distance…

Amintas felt dizzy when he looked at it, so instead of looking at it, he said excitedly, “There’s no need for us to wait for the other scouts to return. With more than ten centuriae of Roman soldiers already outside, their general could not simply abandon them. So we should attack them to draw out the Roman army and fight them here!”

Ledes and Phryntor saw Amintas’ determined gaze.

Phryntor responded without hesitation, “We should inform the First Legion to speed up their marching speed so they can intercept these Roman soldiers before they can return to their camp!”

“Tell the First Legion that if a brigade, centuria or even a platoon arrives late, they will receive a severe punishment following the Military Law!” said Amintas, with a hint of viciousness in his stern tone.

“Understood!” Under Amintas’ influence, the adjutant Aristonos seemed fiercer when giving orders to the heralds.

“Amintas.” Ledes rode on his horse with a serious expression and said, “I am now going to rush to the north to organise my cavalry and try to delay the Romans who are out gathering provisions from returning to their camp!”

“Thank you!” said Amintas, who seldom express his gratitude. Although the Ministry of Military gave Amintas the overall command in aiding the Volscians before coming, Ledes and he is, after all, both legatus equal in rank in their positions. (In fact, with Ledes being the one to establish Theonia’s cavalry, he was potentially in command of the entire Theonian cavalry.)

“There’s no need to thank me since I also want to get more achievements for my First Cavalry Legion,” said Ledes frankly. Then he added, “After I leave, you should take care of your safety!”

At Ledes’ reminder, Amintas and Phryntor left the Roman camp with several cavalries.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

The First Cavalry Legion’s attack on the Roman cavalry roaming the area from Circeii was to clear the surrounding, cover the Romans’ eyes and ears, and protect the First Legion’s march and camp. In the end, they even went around Roman’s camp and headed north.

On the other hand, the marching speed of the First Legion was much slower. After all, the First Legion had just arrived at where they would build the camp when Amintas made a plan to lure the snake out of its hole. After putting down their armour and weapons, the army officers commanded the soldiers to pick up pickaxes, wooden frames and other tools and started digging trenches according to the camp design made by the engineers after surveying the terrain.

But suddenly, a herald sent by Amintas arrived.

After receiving Amintas’ order, all the senior centurions sounded the salpinx to gather without hesitation, despite their doubts.

“Captain, are we going to attack the enemy camp? Is that why you ordered us to put on our armour and weapons?” A centurion asked.

Senior centurion, Patroclus, shook his head to indicate that he didn’t know what was happening. And since the order Amintas gave was somewhat vague, he could only say, “Quickly have our brothers speed up forming; our sixth brigade can’t lag behind the other brigades!”

“Don’t worry, captain. Our brothers won’t embarrass you!” a centurion immediately responded.

Despite his youth, Patroclus has a high prestige among the soldiers. After all, apart from winning numerous battles that made him the kingdom’s hero, he also had an additional identity that amazed the soldiers: He is the son-in-law of the great king Davos.

Apart from the six heavy infantry brigades, one light infantry brigade, and one light armoured brigade, there is also the engineering camp(because of the possibility of needing to attack the enemy’s camp) and the reconnaissance camp, totalling more than eight thousand men. After arranging into several columns, led by cavalry, began marching at normal speed to the north.

But instead of feeling dissatisfied for having to march again, the soldiers of the First Legion were very relaxed because of the flat terrain and the cold weather in late autumn. At the same time, the still energetic soldiers excitedly talk about, ‘Will we participate in a battle?’

After more than twenty minutes of marching, Amintas’ herald arrived again with a much clearer order: The whole army was to march to his position to intercept the Roman soldiers who had left the camp to plunder!

Xethippus, Patroclus….and the other senior centurion became excited and immediately issued orders. Then the salpinx sounded rapidly, and their heralds galloped between the marching columns.

Soon after, the officers’ shouts rang out one after another, and the marching noise became a rumble…

. . . . . . . . . . . .

After Camillus took Antium and Astura, he wanted to take Setia quickly, so he didn’t order the cleaning up of the many Volscian villages behind them.

But with the Volscians responding quickly by moving their armies into Setia and Privernum, the Roman army had to set up camp and confront the enemy.

At the same time, Camillus sent various Roman centuriae to the rear to collect provisions to reduce the pressure on their food supply. At the same time, he took the opportunity to clean up these Volscian villages that might become a potential threat while collecting provisions, such as capturing the abled men in the villages and crushing the resistance of the Volscians…

. . . . . . . . .

Early in the morning, Cadmus, a Roman centurion, received an order to take his men to the north to collect provisions.

But the previous provision gathering had already emptied the Volscian villages near the Roman camp. Thus, like the other officers, Cadmus’ centuria had to march nearly five kilometres to the north before finding a village with oil and a river where they could fish.

So he rushed in with his soldiers, like a wolf into a flock of sheep. After killing dozens of Volscians, Cadmus’ provision gathering became smooth.

But just as they were forcing the Volscians to fill their wagons and stolen wagons with the provisions, a Roman cavalry arrived and said, “The enemy is attacking us, so the military tribune, Camillus, orders you to return to camp immediately!”

Although Cadmus felt pity about the many goods they still hadn’t loaded, he didn’t hesitate to call up the scattered soldiers.

Just then, he saw many black armoured cavalries appear outside the village.

‘They don’t look like Volscian cavalry!’ Cadmus felt puzzled, but the person who could solve his doubts was already gone.

But instead of feeling nervous, Cadmus was already used to the incompetence of the Roman cavalry. So he calmly left the one hundred and twenty Roman soldiers to guard the wagons full of spoils while he grabbed a few Volscians to pull the pack animals and quietly depart from the village.

Suddenly, the black armoured cavalry quickly approached them.

But even after that, Cadmus continued telling his soldiers not to worry too much and to remain vigilant. As a veteran, Cadmus had seen many times how the Roman cavalry and the surrounding forces’ cavalries attacked, so he knew that in front of the Roman soldier’s long shields, the cavalry’s stabs were ineffective and would instead make them fall off their horses easily.

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