Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1177: Battle of Tegea (3)

With a roar from the soldiers of the Theonia Legion, nearly 20,000 javelins hurled through the air, blotting out the sky. The Spartan Coalition's charge halted instantly, swallowed by a continuous wave of agonizing screams.

The badly shaken soldiers of the Spartan Coalition had barely lowered their round shields when they were horrified to see countless more javelins raining down on them.

Although Agesilaus had warned the mercenary commanders before the battle to watch out for the Theonia Legion heavy infantry's javelins as they closed the distance, the mercenaries—having never fought the Theonians before—were still woefully unprepared.

Seizing the moment the javelin volley shattered the Spartan frontline, the legionaries shouted the name of Hades and charged. The Daionian formation, stretching over four li long, crashed into the Spartan Coalition with the force of a landslide.

The soldiers of the Sixth Legion were harboring a great deal of resentment. Their officers had told them the commander had placed the Fourth Legion on the right wing to face the Spartan Warriors, and the First Legion on the left wing as the main vanguard. Stuck in the center, the Sixth Legion was only there to pin the enemy down.

Why was the Sixth Legion relegated to a mere holding force?! The soldiers swore to show the young prince their true might. Bellowing with rage, they channeled every ounce of their strength into the long shields on their left arms and slammed fiercely into the enemies struggling to reform their ranks. Their right hands thrust spears like lightning through the forced openings, precisely skewering the foes hiding behind those round shields...

The Sixth Legion's unreserved, all-out offensive immediately threw the frontline of the Spartan center—already reeling from the javelins—into even deeper chaos.

The Fourth Legion's charge was more restrained. Facing the renowned Spartan Warriors, they had to remain on guard. But when they closed the distance and engaged in close combat, the Spartans' counterattacks were not nearly as sharp as expected. Under the legionaries' ferocious assault, the Spartans seemed just as passive. While this brought the soldiers some relief, it also left them faintly disappointed.

Over on the left wing, the soldiers of the First Legion bore the heavy responsibility of winning the battle. They charged with equal ferocity, but the mercenaries—who had just endured the volley of javelins—slowly stepped back in striking unison. This unified retreat greatly blunted the First Legion's momentum. At the same time, the mercenaries launched vicious counterattacks from behind their steady defense, inflicting casualties on the First Legion's vanguard. This forced the legionaries to abandon their reckless advance and patiently engage the enemy in a grinding melee.

However, Agesilaus had anticipated this and deepened the columns of his left wing and center before the battle. Relying on this superior pushing mass, they withstood the legionaries' impact and gradually stabilized the battle lines.

As the brutal clash between the formations settled into a stalemate, cavalry scouts hurried back to the command center to report to Crotokatax: their cavalry on both flanks had routed the Spartan cavalry and were currently in pursuit.

A hint of a smile finally broke through the tension on Crotokatax's face. He knew perfectly well that their meager number of cavalry could hardly turn the tide of a massive battle involving tens of thousands of men, but a victory was still a good omen.

He was just about to say something to Plintors to ease his own nerves when he caught the faint, distant blare of military bugles. He froze, thinking he had misheard.

But the bugle calls continued, growing clearer by the second.

He instinctively scanned the fog-draped, roaring battlefield, unable to pinpoint where the horns were coming from.

Plintors was already issuing orders to Muklu with a grave expression. "Those aren't our bugles! Send out a few staff officers immediately. Have them scatter and scout the surroundings. Find out where that bugle call is coming from as quickly as possible!"

"Yes, sir!" Realizing the gravity of the situation, Muklu hurried off to execute the order.

"Lord Plintors, could it be Spartan reinforcements?!" Crotokatax asked, deeply worried.

Plintors turned and pointed to the rear, his demeanor calm as he offered reassurance. "Rest easy, Your Highness. Even if Spartan reinforcements have arrived, we can still crush them!"

Positioned behind and to the sides of the command center were large phalanxes. These included not only the 3,000 heavy infantry of the Seventh Legion, but also three light infantry cohorts from other legions and the Mountain Scout Corps, totaling 7,000 men. Plintors had held a full quarter of the entire army in reserve. It was a fiercely bold decision, but right now, it gave Crotokatax tremendous confidence.

Not long after the staff officers departed, a cavalry scout returned. "Commander! Roughly four to five thousand soldiers have surged out from the City of Tegea! They are blowing their bugles and marching straight toward the battlefield!"

"So it was the Tegeans sounding the horns!" Crotokatax realized.

"We saved Tegea, yet the Tegeans never sent anyone to make contact or thank us. The battle has been raging for quite a while now, and only just now do they send troops out..." Muklu muttered.

"The Tegeans suffered heavy losses from the Spartan army's previous assaults. With a battle of this scale unfolding right on their doorstep, it's perfectly understandable that they remained vigilant..." Crotokatax reasoned, still considering things from the Tegeans' perspective. Then, his excitement grew. "But now they aren't just joining the battle, they're sending out so many troops! This will definitely help us secure a swift victory!"

"Bring me the current battle map!" Plintors ordered.

A staff officer immediately handed over a wooden board carrying a rough map of the battlefield, sketched out based on the latest intelligence gathered by the cavalry scouts.

Plintors took it and his face instantly darkened. "Our cavalry has already routed the Spartan cavalry, yet you failed to update this in time!"

"I... I haven't had the time yet."

"Battlefield conditions change rapidly. Be slow once, and you will be slow every time! How do you expect to properly assist the commander like this?!" Plintors reprimanded him.

"I was wrong, my lord. I will fix it immediately!" The staff officer bowed his head, reaching out to take the wooden board back in shame.

But Plintors did not hand it back right away. Gripping the board, he asked the scout in a deep voice, "What is the exact position of the Tegean Army?"

Today's Daionian scouts underwent specialized training. Not only were they expert riders with a strong sense of direction and sharp eyes, capable of swiftly estimating enemy numbers, but they were also highly skilled at reading and drawing maps. The scout only needed a single glance at the board before pressing his finger down without hesitation. "They are right here!"

Plintors focused his eyes on the spot: the Tegean Army was positioned to the rear flank of the Daionian left wing, just south of the City of Tegea.

"Your Highness, we must immediately send someone to inform the Tegeans to march around the rear of the Spartan formation and strike the Spartan right wing," Plintors suggested to Crotokatax, tracing the maneuver on the wooden board.

Crotokatax understood at once. He glanced around and said, "To show proper respect to the Tegeans, Muklu, I must ask you to make the trip."

"Understood."

"Wait! Take that guide from Mantineia with you, Carixenus. It will make communicating with the Tegeans much easier."

It was a thoughtful arrangement on Crotokatax's part, and Muklu gladly accepted the order and rode off.

Plintors gazed thoughtfully toward the north. Dust and fog completely obscured his vision; he couldn't see the Tegean Army two li away at all.

A faint sense of unease crept into his heart, but for the moment, he couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from.

Agesilaus also heard the incessant blare of the horns. He stood up once more and looked to the north. A ripple of emotion finally broke across his usually placid face. "The Tegeans have finally come out. It is time for our warriors to take action."

As the battle dragged on, Max, fighting in the vanguard, grew increasingly astonished. His soldiers were giving it their all, yet the enemy was not losing any ground. In fact, through the narrow eye slits of their Corinthian helmets, he could sense a cold, bloodthirsty glare in their sharp eyes. It felt as though they still had strength in reserve.

Where had the Spartans recruited such soldiers? They were incredible! Max realized the First Legion was in for a bitter fight.

Just then, a chorus of roars erupted from the enemy lines, growing louder and louder. He instinctively tightened his grip on his long shield and yelled to his men, "Hold your defense! Hold your defense!..."

But what happened next completely shattered his expectations. Amidst their roaring, the enemies in front of them turned in perfect unison and fled.

The vanguard of the First Legion was stunned for a moment, but they quickly broke into cheers and surged forward in pursuit.

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

Muklu had only just ridden away when the Daionian Army's rear command center received glorious news: the Spartan right wing had collapsed, and the First Legion was in pursuit.

"Fantastic! The First Legion truly deserves its title as the strongest legion in the kingdom! It seems we have already won this battle!" Crotokatax was so thrilled he practically danced on the spot. His earlier anxiety and worry vanished without a trace, and he even suggested, "Lord Plintors, should we dispatch the reserves? Otherwise, the battle will end before they've earned any glory."

But Plintors showed no joy. Instead, he looked deeply confused. "Strange! According to the scouts' previous reports, the Spartan right wing was mounting a stubborn defense and the First Legion hadn't gained much ground. How did they suddenly collapse without any warning?"

"You suspect they are feigning defeat?!" Crotokatax gasped in surprise, then shook his head. "That's impossible! In a battle this massive, having thousands of men fake a retreat at the same time is something even our own legionaries would struggle to execute flawlessly. One slip-up would trigger a total collapse of the formation. There's no way a makeshift band of mercenaries could pull it off."