Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1178: Battle of Tegea (4)

Crotokatax's offhand remark struck Plintors like a flash of lightning. His eyes suddenly widened, and he smacked his thigh hard. "Mercenaries certainly don't have the discipline to execute a large-scale feigned retreat, but there is one city-state on the Greek Mainland that frequently uses this exact tactic to achieve victory!"

Crotokatax, having spent time on the general staff, was not lacking in military knowledge. He blurted out, "You mean the Spartans?"

"Exactly, the Spartans! We've fallen for Agesilaus's trick!" Plintors said urgently, a hint of anger in his voice. "No wonder their left wing has performed so poorly. They aren't Spartan Warriors at all; they're just wearing Spartan armor. The real Spartan Warriors are still on their most familiar flank—the right! Agesilaus used this cheap trick to deceive us!"

Crotokatax realized the gravity of the situation. He tried his best to suppress his panic, but anxiety still bled into his voice. "Quick... send out the messengers! Notify... notify Legion Commander Ctesus immediately! Tell him they're facing Spartan Warriors, and they're feigning defeat! Do not pursue! Beware of a counterattack!"

"Send more messengers to Legion Commanders Trotidis and Oliphus. Tell them to seize the opportunity while the enemy is faking a retreat and their formation is in disarray. Press the attack! We might find a breakthrough in our center and right wing!"

Crotokatax swiftly adopted Plintors's suggestions and issued the orders. He gradually recovered his composure, adding with a hint of relief, "Lord Plintors, thank goodness you saw through the Spartans' scheme in time! As long as we respond promptly, this feigned retreat will actually turn the battle in our favor, won't it?"

Crotokatax's words made Plintors freeze once again.

Suddenly remembering something, he shouted, "Bring me the battle map again!"

Taking the wooden board from a staff officer, Plintors swept his sharp gaze across the map, finally focusing on a blue vertical bar in the corner. Beneath it was a line of tiny text:

Crotokatax's heart jolted. A terrifying thought immediately formed in his mind, and he couldn't help but shudder. "You mean... the Tegeans lied to us? They and the Spartans were actually putting on a show? But what about those corpses...?"

"Your Highness, we have no time to worry about the details!" Plintors jabbed a finger at the map, speaking with burning urgency. "The Tegean Army is now behind the First Legion. I am certain they will join the Spartan army in a pincer attack against them. This is Agesilaus's true scheme! We must send reinforcements immediately!"

"Ah... yes, reinforcements..." The moment Crotokatax imagined the consequences, his mind went blank with panic.

"Quickly, notify the Seventh Legion! Rush to the left wing and reinforce the First Legion!" Plintors hastily issued the order in his stead.

Receiving the command, the messenger instinctively looked at Crotokatax.

Crotokatax waved his hand and said urgently, "Execute the order given by Chief Staff Officer Plintors!"

The messenger turned his horse and galloped toward the rear.

To their surprise, it wasn't long before Tagetinos rode over and confronted them. "We haven't received any reports of the Tegeans attacking the First Legion. This is entirely your speculation. If the Tegeans haven't betrayed us at all, wouldn't the Seventh Legion be marching for nothing? If an emergency arises elsewhere in the meantime, the Seventh Legion won't make it back in time to help!"

"If we wait for a report of a Tegean attack before sending reinforcements, it will be too late! If anything goes wrong, I will take full responsibility!" Plintors replied without backing down.

"I gave the order." Crotokatax stared at Tagetinos. Though his voice was quiet, his tone brooked no refusal. "Execute it immediately, Legion Commander Tagetinos."

Unable to argue further, Tagetinos glared at Plintors, then hastily delivered a military salute from the saddle. "Yes, Commander. May Hades bless us!"

He spurred his horse and rode back. Even from a distance, his roar could still be heard: "Brothers, your chance to earn glory has arrived! Look alive and follow me! Double time to the left wing!"

"Hoo-ah! Hoo-ah! Hoo-ah!"

Watching the billowing dust kicked up by the Seventh Legion's advance, Crotokatax felt his heart settle slightly. He said earnestly, "Lord Plintors, I trust your judgment!"

"Thank you for your trust, Your Highness!" Plintors offered a bitter smile and murmured, "Though I actually hope my judgment is wrong."

...

"Congratulations, Legion Commander! Our First Legion has already routed the enemy's right wing!" the captain of the guard excitedly told Ctesus.

Although Ctesus was thrilled, he also felt somewhat puzzled. "Strange. Earlier, we thought the enemy facing us wouldn't be simple, and that the First Legion was in for a bitter struggle. Yet victory arrived suddenly, without warning. Pteris, what do you think the reason is?"

Ctesus turned to his Staff Officer.

"Legion Commander, I believe... we should notify the companies not to rush their pursuit of the routed enemy. They need to rein in their men, maintain formation, and pursue cautiously to prevent any accidents," Pteris advised carefully.

Ctesus hesitated. They had finally broken a formidable foe; if they didn't press their advantage and instead slowed their pursuit, it would give the fleeing enemy a chance to catch their breath. All their hard-fought progress would be wasted.

At that moment, a First Legion scout cavalryman rushed over to report. "Legion Commander! The Tegean Army is rapidly approaching us!"

"Those shameless Tegeans! They didn't come out to help when we were fighting tooth and nail, but now that the enemy is routed, they come running to steal the credit! Bah!" Ctesus spat, looking disdainfully toward the rear, where the bugles sounded incessantly. Through the hazy dust, he could now clearly make out the raised Tegean banners and the dense throngs of men. Furthermore, the front of their formation was rapidly fanning out to both sides...

Having fought and bled through decades on the battlefield, Ctesus suddenly felt a dark premonition. It drove him to shout, "The Tegeans are too close to us! Go tell them immediately to stop tailing us. Tell them to piss off somewhere else and fight the Spartans!"

After the messenger received the order and rode off, Ctesus muttered, still uneasy. "Something isn't right. Looking at the Tegeans' posture, it doesn't look like they're here to pick up scraps. It looks like they're preparing to charge..."

"Legion Commander, you must stay on guard. Although Tegea is now our ally, we don't know them at all, and we've never fought alongside them," Pteris reminded him with concern.

Hearing his Staff Officer's words, Ctesus finally shed his hesitation. He immediately issued a command. "Notify the companies at the rear to halt their advance at once. Form up facing the rear and prepare to defend!"

Five or six messengers spurred their horses simultaneously, rushing forward to deliver the orders to the advancing companies.

"Legion Commander, some soldiers will hold their ground to defend, while others are still pursuing. This will scatter the First Legion's forces. It would be better to simply halt the entire legion!" Pteris advised.

Ctesus had not expected to face such a difficult choice in his very first battle as Legion Commander. A partial defense and partial pursuit could guard against danger while expanding their gains, but scattering their forces carried immense risk. On the other hand, if the entire legion halted its pursuit to set up a defense on the spot, and the Tegeans bore no ill will toward the First Legion? Then the victory already in their grasp would slip away, which would be a tremendous pity...

This was one of the reasons Ctesus had always been reluctant to serve as a Legion Commander: making choices was simply too troublesome.

But he didn't have to agonize for long. He saw with his own eyes the messenger who had gone to intercept the Tegean Army suddenly tumble from his horse and collapse motionless onto the ground, a javelin jutting from his back.

"The Tegeans are the enemy! Sound the bugles immediately! The whole army must halt!" Ctesus roared frantically.

Originally, he and his Staff Officer had been closely following the First Legion's advance alongside the guard unit, the scout cavalry, the Mountain Scout Squad, the messenger squad, and the bugler squad. Now that the situation was critical, they spurred their mounts forward desperately. Otherwise, the First Legion's command center would bear the direct brunt of the Tegean Army's charge.

"Woooo!... Woooo!..." As the First Legion's bugles blared, the Tegeans unleashed earth-shaking war cries and accelerated their advance. At this point, they were no more than two hundred meters away from the trailing companies of the First Legion.

Upon receiving Ctesus's orders, the officers of these companies and platoons hurried to gather their scattered soldiers and reform their ranks. However, there was no time left to establish a unified defensive line. Countless Tegeans surged forward like a tidal wave, crashing into the porous interior of the First Legion as if intending to drown the Daionian soldiers completely.

"Shield wall defense!"

"Brothers, don't panic! Hold the line! Our reinforcements will be here soon!"

Amidst the sheer chaos, the frantic shouts of the First Legion's officers rang out continuously. One by one, the small platoon formations stood firm like unyielding rocks against the surging tide.