"Stop attacking Catane?" Marco said angrily with a look of hatred on his face: "Don't forget, the Senate forced me to drive the Dionians out of Sicily within a year, and the time is running out. There are more, so I need to strengthen the attack!"
"I can't attack anymore, Lord Margo!" Pomirka urged urgently: "I will write to the Senate and explain in detail the reasons for our stop attacking."
"It's useless, those people in Hanno won't listen to your explanation." Marco sneered disapprovingly.
But Pomirka heard a bit of slack in Margo's words, and he said: "But Lord Ace Yaruba will support me, and Pretakuba..."
When Marco heard this, he put down the leg of lamb in his hand, and said indifferently: "Okay, as you said, we will withdraw to the west first."
Pomirka did not expect that Marco, who has always been stubborn, would agree so simply, and was a little stunned for a while.
Of course he didn't know that after the failed attack on Palagonia during this period of time, Margo felt a little uneasy. He had realized that whether it was Serinus, Palagonia, Dionia Everyone has shown a terrible ability to defend the city. The Carthaginian army with many cavalry, especially the Iberian army, gave up the field and mountain battles that they were good at, and carried out one brutal siege battle after another. Abandoning his own strengths is completely worth the loss, and today's fire has made him make up his mind.
"You mean withdrawing to western Sicily?!" Pomirka then came back to his senses with a look of surprise. He just suggested to stop the siege, but he never thought of completely giving up the results obtained in the previous months.
"There's no way out!" Marco made no secret of the hatred in his eyes, slamming the table with his fist: "We go deep into the east, the transportation line is quite long, and the dominance of the Sicilian waters is still occupied by the Dionysians. The Senate also sent the newly formed fleet to Sardinia, and we can only rely on land to transport rations. You should know how huge our army is, and the daily consumption of rations is naturally huge, and it still counts now. If it weren't for the grain transportation workers, if it weren't for the grain reserves and some assistance from the Syracuses, I'm afraid our army grain supply would have been very tight! Now, Dionia's fleet is increasing the amount of food we have. Convoys and raids from the empty rear...
As you said, the Dionysians are very capable of defending the city. It is impossible for us to capture Katanai in a short period of time. The main force of Dionia is about to arrive. Something went wrong…”
Marco didn't say any more, but Pomirka couldn't help shivering and fell into contemplation.
Margo continued to eat the leg of lamb, until Pomirka said with determination: "... Since the situation is so serious, I agree with your opinion... I will write to tell the situation here to Lord Ace Yaruba, he is experienced and wise, Will understand our current situation, and intercede for us in the Senate, reduce the criticism of other senators against us... But what will happen to Syracuse once we retreat to the west?"
Marco sneered and said disdainfully: "Syracuse wants to be our Carthaginian ally, that's just their wishful thinking, the noble Carthaginians will never do anything with these cunning and shameless Syracuses. Friend! They thought I didn't know that for such a long period of time they stood still in Taunis and did not threaten the Dionian allies at all. Are they fighting against the Dionians?! We Carthaginian merchant ships are in More people were killed and injured in the storm at sea in ten days than they were killed in the battle under Taunis! Since Syracuse wants to take advantage of our war with Dionia to preserve its strength and gain more benefits... Hehe, It only deserves to be a stone that we use to involve the Dionysian reinforcements and prevent them from advancing westward with all their strength!"
Pomirka looked at the resentful look on Marco's face, and suddenly remembered that Marco and his cousin Himilco suffered a crushing defeat in front of the Syracuses more than 10 years ago. It seems that he has always been worried about it. This attitude is not surprising, and the behavior of the Syracuses during this period really made Pomirka unhappy, so he did not want to persuade him to fulfill the covenant, but reminded: "Without our support, the tin The Rakuza face the attack of the Dionian army alone, and they will most likely choose to surrender."
"Surrender? Become the second Tarantum?" Margo laughed suddenly: "These shameless Syracuses think they are the masters of Sicily, and are born nobler than the people of other Sicilian city-states, they will easily Submit to the Dionians?!"
Indeed, over the past 10 years, Syracuse has been surrounded by the increasingly powerful Kingdom of Dionia and its allies and friendly city-states, and there have been conflicts from time to time, which shows how unwilling the people are... Pomirka is thinking about it. , but listened to Marco continue: "As long as our Carthage maintains a strong strength, the Syracuses will not easily fall to Dionia, so before retreating, we must attack Parra with all our strength tomorrow. Gonia!"
Pomirka was shocked and said hurriedly: "These days, the Numibian army stormed Paragonia, and the losses were not small. In addition to today's fire, without rest, we want them to attack Paragon immediately. Gornia, I'm afraid—"
"Let the Iberian army and the Phoenician army be in charge of the siege tomorrow!" Margo's sudden interjection made Pomirka choke.
The more than 10,000 Iberian troops who followed Marco to the plains of Catania were very strong in combat, but these days they have been guarding against the Barracks of the Dionysians and Leotines of Catania against Palagonia. The reinforcements were not involved in the siege battle, but there were several battles with the enemy attacking from the north, and the losses were very small. In order to capture Paragonia, Margo is finally willing to send his own troops to the battlefield! And there is also a Phoenician army that is not weak in combat... Pomirka murmured in his heart, but continued to say: "Who will defend the enemies in the two directions of Kathanai and Leotine? It depends on these experiences. An army with many sieges, heavy losses, and low morale?"
Marco heard the reproach implied in Pomilka's words, and he sneered: "Although their siege is blocked, they can still defend themselves. After all, there are more soldiers than the enemy. Those young officers sent by the Senate. Haven't they been clamoring for the soldiers to go to the battlefield, and I'll give them a chance."
Pomirka was startled, and was about to dissuade him when Margo suddenly stood up and said in a deep voice, "I have sent a messenger to Agilion to inform Hasdruba that he will lead the army to come here early tomorrow morning. If Katanai's enemies really dare to attack, we can just expand the results!"
Having said this, Margo stared directly at Pomirka: "Even if we want to retreat, we must let the soldiers understand that nothing in Sicily and in the Western Mediterranean can stop their attack! Therefore, Palagonia must be destroy!"
"Bulge!" Marco slammed his fist heavily on the table.
… … … … … …
Adjutant Taglu hurried into the hall: "Lord Commander, I just received a report from the scout, and the commander of the Brelu Legion led 4,000 soldiers to Paragonia!"
"What?!" Leoticides, who had always been expressionless, couldn't keep his calm at the moment, and said angrily: "Didn't I already give him an order to stick to the camp and not lead the army to attack?! How dare he Violating the military order, damn it!"
After all, Tagluo was a Brutite, and Brelu was a Brute general he respected. He couldn't help but want to defend Brelu: "Uh... Maybe it's because the Carthaginians were suffering from Palau. After the fire of Gonia, he launched a fierce attack on Paragonia today without taking a rest. The commander of the Brelu Army was probably worried that Paragonia would be difficult to hold, so he sent troops to harass the Carthaginians. I don't dare to attack the city with all my strength... Although the soldiers he led are few, but these days he has led his troops to attack several times, and he has been able to return safely. I believe there will be no problem this time."
"Stupid!" Leotidides said coldly: "In the past, the cavalry of Carthage was deployed to the south, and it was difficult for our scout cavalry to detect the battle situation in Paragonia, but this time it can be easily obtained, What does this mean?! Moreover, because we burned the weeds on the plain of Catania, the Carthaginian cavalry has seldom penetrated into the hinterland of the plain these days, but today a large number of Carthaginian cavalry have gone to the west of Catania. face, cut off our connection with Hena, and can't understand the movements of the enemy in Agilion, what does this mean?!"
With the hint of Leotidides, Tagluo thought for a while, and was immediately startled: "This is... is this a trap?! The commander of the Brelu Legion is in danger! Lord Commander, you... you should lead the troops. Go save them!"
Leotidides made no reply with a livid face.
… … … … … … … …
Two days later, it was still in this hall, but it was no longer just a few people such as Leotizides and Tagle, Amyntas, Matonis, Lizaru, Olivers, and Trotty. 7 army commanders of Lass, Brelu, and Leotizides, 3 cavalry commanders of Ryders, Kuzius, and Asitemis, Sicilian fleet commander Sekelian, and mountain reconnaissance corps commander The two staff officers of Izam, Thormid and Printoles, in addition to the Governor of Sicily Cypros... crowded the entire hall.
In the center of the shining star sits King Davos of Dionia.
Thanks to Mijie Little Carpenter for the tip! Your support is what motivates me to write! !