Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1120: A String of Victories

Lacking a navy, the Gauls could only attack by land, nullifying their numerical advantage and leaving them entirely unable to breach the city. Furthermore, having rushed from Florentia in such a hurry, their provisions were nearly exhausted.

Consequently, the Gauls dispatched their tribes to pillage neighboring villages for grain. The autumn harvest had recently ended, leaving Etrurian households well stocked. Because the Gauls had arrived with such terrifying momentum, the vast majority of the populace had fled in a panic without time to pack provisions. As a result, the foraging Gallic warriors reaped a bountiful harvest, quickly alleviating their food shortage.

Although rations were no longer a concern, the Gallic chieftains realized that Fufluna was no Florentia. Taking it quickly would be difficult. Thus, the idea arose to "ignore it for now and turn our attacks elsewhere."

Yet, just as they reached a consensus, the Daionian Northern Coalition appeared.

This time, Patroclus did not adopt the conservative strategy of constructing a camp first. Instead, he immediately arrayed his troops in formation just one li outside the Gallic camp.

Based on his observations over this period, Patroclus had concluded that the Gauls prided themselves on their ferocity and ruthless bravery; the likelihood of them marching out to meet the challenge was high.

Sure enough, even though a portion of the Gauls had not yet returned from gathering forage, the great chieftain, goaded by his commanders, decided to lead the remaining Gallic warriors—numbering just under 30,000—out of the camp to fight.

Patroclus had already learned from his scouts that these warriors were still scouring nearby villages for supplies. He immediately dispatched a small contingent of allied troops to ambush and obstruct their return. At the same time, he sent out all his light infantry to launch a ranged assault while the Gallic army was still forming its lines.

More than half of the Gallic warriors wore only straight trousers and unlined shirts, with some fighting entirely bare-chested. Aside from their wooden shields, they had no defensive gear. In contrast, the Daunian Allied Forces boasted over 4,000 light infantry. The 2,000 light infantrymen of the Theonia Legion acting as the vanguard were exceptionally well trained. Led by them, the volley of arrows and javelins fell as dreadfully as hailstones from the Alps. This inflicted significant casualties on the Gallic ranks, forcing the warriors to abandon their formations and charge recklessly toward the enemy.

Amid relentless screams, the Gauls bellowed, brandishing their greatswords and hacking viciously at the men hiding behind the long shields.

But they quickly discovered that their sharp greatswords could not cleave through those thick shields, nor could they easily sever the enemy's sturdy pikes. Even when they managed to knock aside a shield and land a blow on a body, it would not inflict fatal damage on an enemy protected by a neck guard, an iron helmet, and double-layered chainmail unless struck with immense, precise force. In response, the opposing soldiers would swiftly draw their waist-swords for a ferocious thrust, instantly incapacitating even the most robust Gaul.

Only then did the Gauls realize they were no longer fighting the Romans of the past—men who would charge wildly in flimsy armor with bronze spears, only to rout instantly upon hitting a wall of resistance.

They were now facing a terrifyingly powerful foe armed from head to toe. Exquisitely equipped and rigorously trained, these soldiers fought with seamless coordination, leveraging the collective strength of their unit while possessing superb individual combat skills. The pikes and short swords they thrust were aimed with lethal accuracy at the Gauls' vulnerable faces, necks, abdomens, and legs—punishing the warriors for their lack of armor.

Furthermore, the Gallic warriors were outnumbered by the Daunian Allied Forces. It was simply not an equal fight. As long as the Daionian soldiers serving as the main force—most of whom were Romans and Latins—could banish the terrible shadow the Gauls had cast over their hearts for more than a decade and remain steadfast in the face of roaring, greatsword-wielding savages, victory in this pitched battle was beyond doubt.

Patroclus had already led the army to a defensive victory at their camp, then followed it with a predawn raid on the Gallic encampment to achieve another miraculous triumph. The allied soldiers had drawn immense confidence from these exploits. Riding high on morale, the Daionian soldiers facing their former nightmares felt no fear. Instead, they thirsted for military merit to earn rewards from the kingdom.

Less than an hour into the fierce battle, the Gauls began to falter. Seizing the opportunity, Patroclus ordered a portion of the allied reserves to launch an assault on the Gauls' flanks.

By noon, the Gauls were routed, and the coalition led by Patroclus secured yet another sweeping victory.

When the news reached Rome and its surrounding regions, the populace erupted in cheers. They organized spontaneous parades, dancing and singing through the city streets. Eventually, they ascended Capitoline Hill to offer robust black cattle and sheep to the Temple of Hades and the Temple of Diana, devoutly sacrificing to the two great deities in gratitude for their protection.

Similar scenes unfolded across the Latin city-states and the Southern Etrurian City-States. The gloom cast by the Gallic invasions more than a decade ago was finally swept away by the dazzling string of victories forged by the Daunian Allied Forces.

As Asistes finished reading the battle report from the front lines, he could not help but marvel, "The younger generation is truly formidable! His Majesty has a flawless eye for talent!"

...

At the royal residence in Thurii, Cynthia sat alone in the inner courtyard, looking faintly depressed.

Before long, a little boy of six or seven darted out of the parlor, pulling a three- or four-year-old toddler behind him.

"Parpiras, slow down! Careful! Don't let your little brother fall!"

"Don't worry, Grandmother! I'll take good care of my brother!"

"I told you not to run, yet you're still sprinting outside with him. How can I not worry!" Christoya gently scolded. At this moment, she displayed none of the decisive bearing of a merchant guild leader; she was the very picture of a traditional, doting Greek noblewoman fussing over her grandchildren. "Chris, come here to Grandmother!"

"No! I want to play with my brother!" the toddler stubbornly cried out, clutching Parpiras's hand.

Christoya widened her almond-shaped eyes, on the verge of losing her temper.

"Sister, let Chris play with Parpiras. The servants are watching them; nothing will happen," Agnes said reassuringly as she stepped out the door right behind them.

Christoya was not convinced. Her face fell as she replied, "We're going to the zoo, not the city stadium or the market. Those wild beasts don't care who we are. If he gets bitten or hurt, it will be no laughing matter! His mother will surely have plenty to say: 'I told you not to separate Chris from his parents when he's this little, and look what happened!' ... She might even use it as an excuse to take Chris back to Rome!"

Saying this, she took two steps forward, bent down, and reached out her hands. "Chris, hurry, come to Grandmother."

"No!" the little boy remained stubborn.

"Parpiras, you will take your brother and stay close to your grandmother. No running off on your own, do you hear me!" Cynthia stood up, speaking to her son in an authoritative tone.

"Understood, Mother," Parpiras quickly replied. Tugging Chris by the hand, he obediently returned to Christoya's side.

Christoya immediately grabbed each of them by the hand. Only when she had a firm grip on both children did she finally relax. Glancing around, she asked, "Where is Eunice?"

Molina, the head of domestic affairs waiting by her side, instantly replied, "Princess Eunice already left for the zoo early this morning with Princess Avia."

"Grandmother, let's go find Sister!" Chris shrilly urged, violently shaking Christoya's hand.

Christoya frowned, bent over, and said earnestly, "Chris, Grandmother has told you this many times. You must remember! Eunice and Avia are your father's sisters, so you should call them 'Aunt.' Otherwise, people will laugh if they hear you! Remember, call them Aunt!"

"...Aunt... Aunt..."

"That's right. Call them that from now on whenever you see them. If you get it wrong again..." Christoya purposefully put on a stern face. "...Grandmother is going to spank your bottom."

"Chris likes Grandmother, and Grandmother likes Chris. Grandmother won't spank me," Chris declared, wrapping his little arms tightly around Christoya's thigh.

"You clever little rascal." A smile broke across Christoya's face. "All right, Grandmother won't spank you, but you can't get it wrong anymore."

Chris nodded vigorously.

Christoya affectionately pinched his little cheek, then turned to Agnes. "It seems Avia truly loves animals. She's usually such an introverted child; Eunice is always the one dragging her around to do this and that. It's rare for her to take the initiative like this!"

Agnes smiled and said, "She does like animals a lot, but the main reason is that her father told her, 'Once you come of age, I'll let you manage the zoo.' That's why she runs off to the zoo whenever she has free time. She claims she needs to study the animals'... habits in detail?"

Christoya chuckled. "If you ask me, Avia takes after you in that regard. Normally, you barely care about anything other than presiding over the Temple of Hera. But ever since the zoo began construction, you've called in sick multiple times just to skip the Temple of Hera and run off to the zoo."

Agnes gave a sheepish smile. "Outside of festivals, the priestesses handle the temple's daily affairs. The chief priestess doesn't need to go every day. Just look at Praxinas."

"Heh, that's exactly what I used to tell you. But how did you reply? 'I am a priestess of Hera, so I ought to serve by her side every single day...'" Christoya teased, playfully mimicking Agnes's tone.