Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 968: Morbal

Of course, the assembly was not without dissenting voices. The senators of the Hanno faction repeatedly argued that the military commander Mago was avoiding battle out of fear. He had hastily ordered his army to retreat before the main forces of Daionia had even landed, handing their hard-won gains right back to the enemy. For this, they demanded he face severe reprimand.

Other senators cautiously raised a different point: judging by recent signs, Daionia had likely already pacified Rome and Samnium in the north and was now concentrating its full strength against Carthage. The scale of the war would only continue to grow, and the drain on their national strength would accelerate. If this dragged on, Carthage would be unable to sustain the effort. It would be better, they suggested, to seek peace talks with Daionia.

These proposals failed to make waves in the assembly, for the insightful men within the Senate recognized that Carthage had reached a critical juncture. As Asyaroba had declared, "This war against Daionia concerns the very future of Carthage. We must exert every ounce of our strength to win! Even if we seek peace, we must use war to force the enemy to the table. Only then can Carthage protect its interests!"

The following day, Adrusbal traveled personally to Utica to meet with Morbal. He explained the dire predicament Carthage now faced, emphasizing that both the senators and the citizens desperately wanted him to come out of retirement to lead the navy out of this crisis and save Carthage.

Driven by his love for Carthage and a strong sense of responsibility, the man—now past seventy years of age—agreed to take up the mantle of naval commander.

...

Mago's attempt to lure the enemy out ended in failure. The Daionian main forces firmly held Minoa and the surrounding hills, while Lizarus's troops remained entrenched in Henna. Remembering the bloody lesson of the small city of Palagonia, Mago refrained from launching a direct assault on the Davos Camp positioned on the high ground. Furthermore, due to the difficulties of supplying his army with rations, he chose not to send Hasdrubal back to Kephaloidion with his troops. Thus, despite the massive armies gathered across Western Sicily, an uneasy calm settled over the region.

The war front in the east was just as quiet, yet the people in the Inner City of Syracuse remained fraught with tension. Even though the two Daionian armies were busy fortifying their camps and constructing siege weapons rather than attacking, the Syracusans knew the truth: once the assault finally began, it would be devastating.

On the naval front, the New Carthaginian Fleet stationed in Sardinia had received its orders from the Senate. Annobas did not dare disobey; seizing the early morning hours before the Daonian Fleet could begin its patrols, he led his ships south.

Upon receiving the news, Davos did not immediately order the Third Fleet to abandon their harassment of Sardinia and sail south to Sicily to reinforce the navy's strength. Recently, newly constructed warships from Magna Graecia had been steadily pouring in to join the Sicilian Fleet, causing their numbers to surge to three hundred ships. With even more vessels on the way, the fleet was completely capable of facing the Carthaginian navy's challenge on its own.

Secilian led the reinforced main body of the Sicilian Fleet to station back at the Port of Selinus, initiating a total blockade of the waters off Western Sicily.

...

Inside the City of Carthage, Annobas's estate welcomed a guest.

Although Annobas had closed his doors to visitors, the moment he heard the guest's name from his servant, he immediately hurried out to receive him, respectfully welcoming the man inside.

Entering the drawing room, Morbal set his wooden cane aside and unceremoniously took the seat of honor. "I hear you are facing the Senate's inquiry tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes, Teacher," Annobas replied respectfully, a surge of joy rising in his heart.

"I told you not to call me that," Morbal said bluntly. "I may have taught you how to command in battle when you were a Flagship captain, but that was simply the proper transmission of the Carthaginian navy's traditions. I did the exact same for every Flagship captain. I am not here to plead your case before the Senate, nor do I have the time for it. I came to ask you: what are the combat characteristics of the Daonian Fleet? After all, you have fought them several times. You must have a deep understanding of their methods."

Though disappointed, Annobas kept his feelings off his face and recounted the events of the two naval battles he had personally commanded. (Naturally, when discussing the battle at Sardinia, he twisted the facts to match the contents of his battle report). In addition, he detailed the naval battle of Saedium and the ambush on the Eastern Phoenician Fleet—two engagements he had not participated in but understood well.

Morbal listened with absolute focus, never interrupting Annobas's account from beginning to end. However, the wrinkles on his face seemed to multiply and deepen as the story went on. By the end, his sparse white eyebrows were knitted tightly together. He stroked his beard, pondering in silence for a long time before finally speaking. "From what you are telling me, the Theonians have adopted an entirely new set of tactics."

"Yes, Te— ah. In my view, the Daonian Fleet prefers to rely on boarding tactics as their primary method, supplemented by ramming," Annobas explained. "In other city-states of the Mediterranean Sea, including our own Carthaginian navy, it is the exact opposite: they prioritize ramming, with boarding as a secondary option. But unlike standard boarding maneuvers, the Daunian Navy utilizes the so-called Corvus Warship, employing a uniquely constructed wooden bridge. They can flexibly deploy it to firmly latch onto ships approaching from any direction, allowing their boarding tactics to reach their maximum potential..."

Hearing this, Morbal immediately pointed out: "Since the Theonians are installing wooden bridges on their warships, it must increase the ships' weight and disrupt their balance. The speed and maneuverability of their warships would also inevitably drop. Have you developed any effective tactics targeting these two points?"

Annobas choked on his words for a moment before scrambling to defend himself. "Although I only personally fought Daionia twice, I designed tactics targeting the flaws of the Daonian Warships both times! Unfortunately, during the first battle, I wanted to use the sea's wind and waves to assist our navy, but I didn't expect a full storm to break out. The second time, I tried to lure the Daonian Fleet out into the open sea to crush them with a pincer attack, utilizing our warships' superior handling. But they ultimately saw through it..."

Morbal said nothing.

Annobas's heart steadied, and he continued. "The Theonians likely realized their fleet's shortcomings as well. They possess another type of Warship that is narrower than standard triremes, but faster and more maneuverable. These vessels support the Corvus Warships in battle, making up for their clumsiness... These are the tactical traits of the Daunian Navy. However, there is something even more demanding of our attention. Although some in the Senate claim that because the Daunian Navy has only existed for a dozen years, it cannot possibly compare to our own long-standing maritime traditions, I believe their fleet is incredibly well-trained. Their ship-handling skills are not inferior to ours, and the coordination between their warships is quite seamless. They often deploy a seemingly chaotic offensive formation that disrupts the enemy's lines upon contact. Yet, even in the middle of a melee, they are able to coordinate and protect each other. This is impossible to achieve without extensive, long-term training.

"Furthermore... I suspect the Daunian Navy, much like us, possesses a comprehensive signal communication system for naval operations, allowing them to adjust rapidly when facing sudden ambushes and unexpected variables...

"Additionally, it is worth noting that the Daonian Fleet possesses incredibly high morale. During the ambush on the Phoenician Fleet and the naval battle at Sardinia, the Theonians were initially at a disadvantage. The fact that they ultimately managed to snatch victory from defeat has a great deal to do with this..."

Annobas poured his words out in an endless stream, doing his utmost to convey every formidable aspect of the Daunian Navy he had learned. Of course, underneath his tactical breakdown lay a hidden plea to Morbal: the reason he had failed to secure a victory during his tenure as naval commander was partly bad luck, but mostly because the enemy was simply too strong. He still harbored the hope that the highly respected Morbal would speak a fair word for him in the Senate.

Morbal listened to Annobas's lengthy speech with a solemn expression. Still saying nothing, he grabbed his wooden cane, rose to his feet, and headed for the door.

Having spent years at Morbal's side, Annobas understood his temperament. He didn't offer any words to make him stay; instead, he respectfully saw him out.

The moment Morbal stepped out of the front gates, he stopped in his tracks. He turned to Annobas with a severe look. "Forming a circular formation to face the enemy at Sardinia was a grave mistake! And filing a false military report was an even greater one!"

A massive shock jolted through Annobas, and his limbs turned instantly cold. The old man had already investigated the exact details with someone else beforehand, yet he had still come here just to bait him into talking!

"But if I were you, under the circumstances at the time, I likely would have ordered a circular formation as well... Aside from that, the tactics and strategies you implemented during your time as naval commander were not greatly flawed." To Annobas's ears, Morbal's next words sounded like divine music.

Morbal lifted his wooden cane and gave Annobas a firm tap on the shoulder, advising him: "When you face the Senate's inquiry tomorrow, tell them the entire truth. I will voice my opinion as well. I believe anyone with a bit of sense will be able to rationally judge right from wrong."

Overjoyed, Annobas didn't hesitate for a second and immediately promised, "Thank you, Teacher! I will truthfully recount the exact details of every battle!"

In truth, Morbal did not appear at the Senate the next day. Instead, he sent a letter to the assembly. In it, he defended Annobas's defeats from a military perspective, while simultaneously requesting that the defeated commander be assigned as his deputy to assist him in fighting the increasingly formidable Daunian Navy.

Thanks to Morbal's tremendous prestige and Hanno's protection, Annobas ultimately escaped punishment from the Senate.

As for Morbal, who had skipped the assembly, he was currently dragging his aging body as he led his subordinates between Carthage and the ports of several neighboring city-states. He was personally inspecting the progress of the newly built Warships and recruiting experienced veteran sailors.