Just then, a thunderous cheer erupted: "Davos! Davos!! Davos!!!…" The shouts were so orderly and loud, they drowned out all the noise, causing even the leaders to pale in comparison.
"Those are Menon's mercenaries!" Timason said, craning his neck to look in the direction of the sound.
"Now they should be called Davos' mercenaries!" Hieronymus said enviously.
Davos on the platform smiled and said, "Greek warriors, I am Davos of Thessaly, and I will replace Menon as your new leader!"
After the soldiers on the platform relayed his words, the soldiers of Davos' own company immediately stood up, applauding and cheering for him, leaving the other soldiers looking at each other in bewilderment: Were these guys crazy?!
Some who knew the inside story began to show off their knowledge to their companions: "I heard this young man is favored by Hades, and every 'oracle' he receives is incredibly accurate!"
"I heard he even miraculously revived a dying soldier. Yes! It's that guy standing behind him!"
"He also invented some things that are very useful to us! Like this on my leg... uh... a legging..."
The soldiers spread the word. In the blink of an eye, the way they looked at him changed, with less contempt and more curiosity.
Davos' words reached their ears again: "Just now, Chirisophus' speech was very inspiring, but it was just too short! It's like when a man and a woman are doing that thing, and the woman is just starting to get excited when the man finishes. How uncomfortable would that woman be!"
The soldiers below didn't expect such vulgar words to come from the mouth of this young man, who still seemed a bit immature. They were stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Hahaha…"
Many people even took the opportunity to make obscene jeers…
"This young man is interesting!" Many soldiers nodded and said with a smile.
"Nonsense! Too outrageous!" Timason looked at Chirisophus and cursed repeatedly.
Xenophon was also very surprised. The Davos he knew was a young man with unique insights and polite manners; he shouldn't be so crude.
Chirisophus didn't say anything. Although Davos was making fun of him, he wasn't angry. Chirisophus, who had lived in the military camp until he was thirty, knew the soldiers' thoughts well. He didn't know if Davos was doing it by accident or on purpose, but in any case, this vulgar joke had made the soldiers feel closer to this overly young leader. It also made Chirisophus look forward to the upcoming speech.
"When I came up just now, I saw you all looking dejected, some even with tears in your eyes. You are afraid! Afraid you won't be able to return to Greece! You are dreading! Dreading that the Persians will wipe you out! But, think about it carefully. When we were deep in Persian territory, when our employer Cyrus the Younger was killed, and we didn't know what to do, the Persians, who had many times more soldiers than us, didn't immediately attack us and wipe us out! What did they do?"
Davos slowly aroused the soldiers' interest with his questions.
"Everyone here is very clear. The Persians spent effort to negotiate with us, and provided us with abundant food, and accompanied us for such a long journey... They spent so much time, money, and effort, only to deceive our leader and have him killed!" Davos said slowly, then he paused and asked loudly: "Soldiers, tell me! Who is afraid?! Who is dreading?! It's the Persians! They are more afraid than we are! They are afraid of our bravery! They dare not fight us head-on! They are cowardly and only dare to use these conspiracies in secret! They are more afraid of us than they are of their gods, to the point of violating the oaths they made before the gods!
Now they have killed our leader, and even in our confusion, they still don't dare to attack us immediately, and still want us to surrender! Facing such cowardly Persians, what do you have to fear! You must know that we Greeks are a race that fears no threat! Decades ago,
King Darius of Persia led a large army and conquered all the races on this land. When he pointed the next target of conquest at the still weak Greek city-states across the strait, soldiers, please tell me, did Greece surrender?!" Davos leaned forward, stretched out his right hand, and asked the soldiers on the platform loudly.
"No."
"Too quiet, I can't hear you! Please tell me, did Greece surrender?!"
"No!"
Davos was still not satisfied: "The voice is as small as a cowardly Persian! Say it again, did Greece surrender?!"
"No—! ! !" The soldiers shouted, their emotions beginning to be stirred up.
"Yes! We Greeks did not yield! At Marathon, the Athenians defeated the Persian army with fewer troops, sending Darius scurrying back to his lair, where he died of illness a few years later. His son Xerxes, in order to avenge him, gathered an unprecedentedly large army and invaded Greece again. But, we Greeks will never succumb to tyranny!
Soldiers, tell me, where did we inflict heavy losses on the Persians?!"
This time, Davos didn't need to guide them any further, the soldiers eagerly spoke: "Salamis!"
"Plataea!"
"And Thermopylae!"
…
Davos took over: "Yes, the Greek people united and defeated the Persians again, which made Greece a free and fertile land, and brought decades of peace and prosperity. Soldiers, can any of you tell me the names of some of the generals and soldiers who participated in the battles against Persia back then?!"
"Miltiades!"
"Aeschylus!"
"Philippides!"
"Leonidas!"
"Themistocles!"
"Aristides!"
"Pausanias!"
…
One name after another was shouted out by the soldiers one after another. At first, it was the names of the generals, and then the names of the participating soldiers… The Greco-Persian Wars had only passed for about eighty years, and had almost affected the entire Greek world. The mercenaries still remembered it vividly, and many of the soldiers present were even descendants of those who had participated in the war. They couldn't wait to proudly make their ancestors' names known to the public. Even Xanthippus, Cleanor, Hieronymus and these leaders couldn't help but participate. The atmosphere of the entire venue began to boil…
Timason couldn't help but widen his eyes, realizing that he had underestimated this young man.
After a long time, the shouts from all directions weakened…
Davos continued to speak with passion: "These names in your mouths, they were written into history by Herodotus, and written into your memories! They have become the heroes of Greece! Their spirit is as immortal as the gods! We have grown up listening to their stories since we were young, and after we grow up, we take them as examples, and we yearn to accomplish the same earth-shattering feats as them! Now—soldiers, you have an opportunity, an excellent opportunity to become Greek heroes like them and be written into history!" At this point, Davos paused again.
The eager soldiers stood up and asked impatiently: "Tell us! What is the opportunity?!"
"Haven't you noticed?!" Davos said loudly: "Although our ancestors defeated the Persians, it was either on Greek soil or at sea. No Greek army has ever been able to invade the Persian Empire. And we have already penetrated deep into the heart of Persia. As long as we work together to defeat the Persians, overcome numerous difficulties, and finally return to Greece victoriously, then we will have created history! Our deeds will be written into books and composed into ballads, and sung throughout Greece. Beautiful girls and lovely children will pester us, asking us to tell our adventure stories! Our descendants will also be as proud of us as we are today! More importantly—"
Davos took a deep breath and said excitedly: "Our deeds will inspire future Greeks! Let them know that the Persians look strong, but are actually weak inside. They are just a clay giant. A country is like a person, with times of strength and times of aging. When Persia and Greece go to war again one day, the Greeks will take us as an example and invade Persia along the route we once took. When they achieve victory and come to the battlefield where we once shed our blood, when they sacrifice to us and praise us, what will they say?!"
The soldiers listened with fascination.
"They might say, 'Oh, great ancestors! Your heroic deeds have given us strength! Inspired our confidence! And allowed us to accomplish unprecedented feats!'"
"Will that day ever come?" Timason gasped, clenching his fists as he murmured.
The leaders were also seduced by Davos's hypothesis, lost in its allure. But they didn't know that, in history, decades later, a Macedonian named Alexander would use the Greek retreat of the Ten Thousand to inspire his soldiers, embarking on a campaign to conquer the Persian Empire...
As the soldiers were immersed in the beautiful scene fabricated by Davos, he reached out to Asistes for a wooden stick, his tone shifting: "Soldiers, some may ask, 'Davos, what you say sounds great, but there's a crucial issue. First, we need to return to Greece safely.'"
Seeing that the soldiers were still listening attentively, Davos continued: "Regarding combat, I don't want to say much. Because Chrysophus, Timason, and the other leaders, as well as all of you present, are very experienced in battle. Most of you participated in the struggle against Athens and ultimately achieved victory. This is something the Persians, who enjoy comfort year-round, cannot compare to."
Hearing this, Xenophon curled his lip.
"What I want to say is that in such a difficult situation, each of us is like this wooden stick in my hand—" Davos picked up the stick and snapped it in two with a slight effort. Then, he broke another one: "It can be easily broken. But when they are all gathered together—" Davos grabbed all the remaining sticks, walked to a tall, strong reserve soldier by the platform, and asked: "Brother, what's your name?"
"Erbertas," the soldier said.
"Can you try to break them?"
The soldiers stared intently at Erbertas, watching his face turn red as he tried his best to break the handful of sticks, but ultimately in vain.
"Thank you, brother!" Davos patted him on the shoulder, expressing his gratitude.
Erbertas blushed and scratched his head sheepishly.
"Soldiers, you have all seen it. A single stick can be easily broken even by a thin young man like me. But when they are gathered together, even the strongest warrior cannot do anything with them. What does this demonstrate?"
Xenophon nodded, now understanding Davos's intention. Of course, he wasn't the only clever one. Some soldiers shouted loudly: "Unity! It's unity!..." After some soldiers reminded them, everyone understood.
"That's right, it's unity!" Speaking of which, Davos completely let go, his spirits soaring, and he even changed his address: "Brothers, we come from various city-states in Greece. Usually, because of different customs and personalities, we have some minor conflicts and disagreements. However, we are all Greeks of the same blood. Under the great goal of safely returning home and creating history, any internal problems we have should melt away like ice and snow under the sun! We must unite closely, just like our ancestors who resisted the Persian invasion, and confidently entrust our backs to our teammates to protect! We must not only unite in spirit but also unite our wisdom. When facing difficulties on the way home, brothers, don't leave all the problems to the leaders to solve. You must actively think of solutions. As long as we think of solutions together, then no problem can stump us!
Brothers, let us unite like one person! Then that person's strength will be as powerful as Ares! Wisdom as profound as Athena! The enemies and difficulties on the road will be easily crushed by us!" At this point, Davos raised his fists high and shouted: "Brothers, please remember, we can create miracles as long as we unite! Every step we take forward is creating history! Let us fight side by side!!"
"Roar!!!!!..." The cheers from below shook the heavens and the earth,
lasting for a long time.
"Davos! Davos!..." The whole audience chanted his name, and many people shed tears of excitement. Some even pleaded: "Say a few more words! Davos, say a few more words..."
As soon as Davos walked towards the wooden platform, the soldiers flocked around him, lifted him up together, and then passed him from front to back, like a general returning in victory.
This stunned Cleano, who was about to go on stage: The morale of the soldiers had been stirred to such an extent, was there any need for others to go up?
"At least in terms of speeches, he surpasses any of us!" Zantiparis sincerely praised.
"Fighting is not about talking; in the end, it has to be resolved with spears and shields!" Timason said unwillingly.
Watching Davos being tossed up in the distance, it was impossible for Xenophon not to feel jealous, because Hieronimus was not good with words. Therefore, Xenophon obtained Chrysophus's consent and prepared to take the stage on behalf of the leaders. He had made careful preparations, wanting to show his talent in front of the entire army, but now this situation...
Chrysophus actually agreed with Timason's words in his heart. Spartans had always been annoyed by the eloquence of Athenians, just as Athenians disliked the Spartans' rigidity and conservatism. However, he had to admit that Davos's performance exceeded his expectations, not only achieving but also surpassing the purpose of boosting the morale of the entire army. It seemed that this young man was chosen as a leader not only because of the name of the gods but also because of his talent...
The centurions of Menon's camp were also full of surprises. Watching Davos being surrounded and cheered by soldiers from other camps, even Amyntas, who had some opinions about Davos being elected as the leader, couldn't help but say to Antonios: "Our new leader seems to be not bad." You should know that before, he always called Davos "little guy."
Antonios smiled: Davos, ah, Davos, you always give people surprises!
...
Finally, Chrysophus went up again, announced that they would break camp tomorrow and march north, and informed the entire army of the precautions that needed attention and preparation.
The general meeting ended here.
The soldiers who dispersed still reminisced about Davos's speech with relish, praising: This "favored one of the gods" is indeed worthy of his reputation!
The soldiers of Davos's camp, amidst a chorus of praise, surrounded their new leader and returned to the camp with their heads held high, and then publicized his deeds to the soldiers who stayed behind.
Davos finally got rid of the excited soldiers and returned to his original tent, only to suddenly remember that Menon's military tent was his new home.
When he walked to his new home, Melsis was standing at the tent door. He greeted him and said with a strange expression: "Davos, someone is waiting for you inside."
"Who is it?"
"You'll know when you go in." Melsis pointed his mouth towards the military tent, his expression rather wretched.
Davos curiously lifted the curtain, and standing in the center of the tent was a person, a woman, a tall, slender woman...
Since Davos was reborn, he had seen Greek and Egyptian women of this era in Melsis's baggage camp and Herpus's medical camp, some of whom were quite beautiful, but there was absolutely no woman who could stir his desire just by looking at her back...
Where did Melsis find her? Davos couldn't help but swallow.
Just then, the woman turned around at the sound, and Davos couldn't help but widen his eyes. The woman had a head of bright golden hair, simply styled into a bun, piled softly like clouds behind her head, revealing a snow-white and slender neck. Below her smooth forehead were two curved eyebrows, and her bright eyes were as blue as the Aegean Sea. Long, curved eyelashes veiled the light in her eyes, adding a touch of hazy allure. Her nose was not perfectly straight, but had a small curve, which lessened her heroic spirit and added some playfulness and softness. Her lips were evenly thick, with a bright crimson color, and her delicate, white face was as smooth as a goose egg, ultimately outlining a slightly sharp chin with a perfect curve…
Despite having seen countless beauties on television in his previous life, this woman's beauty still made Davos feel dizzy and mesmerized…
She lightly parted her lips, revealing her clean, even teeth: "Respected Chieftain Davos, my name is Christoia."
"…Um…Um…" Davos subconsciously responded repeatedly, without even thinking: Who is Christoia? Do I know her?
Obviously, Christoia had seen many men lose their composure in front of her. She didn't show any contempt, but instead took a step forward and said softly: "I am Christoia, the daughter of Proniphas, a nobleman from Miletus, and a concubine of the Persian Prince Cyrus the Younger. Now I seek your protection!"
A concubine of Cyrus the Younger?! Davos shuddered and suddenly remembered what Olyphus had told him before, blurting out: "You are that… the woman who escaped from the Persian soldiers when Cyrus the Younger was killed!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt something was wrong and quickly said: "I'm sorry! I shouldn't… shouldn't—"
"It doesn't matter… it's all the arrangement of the Goddess of Fate." Christoia's expression dimmed: "I was lucky enough to escape back, but my other sisters are all…"
Her sorrowful and pitiful appearance made Davos's heart flutter again. He cursed himself for being useless: He was almost married in his previous life, and he's not even a virgin!
But after all, it was his first time being alone with such a beautiful woman at close range. He coughed slightly unnaturally and asked: "Where were you before?"
"Clearchus was a trustworthy leader. He sheltered me for the sake of Cyrus the Younger. But alas…"
Although Davos was attracted by Christoia's beauty, his mind was still clear, so he continued to ask: "Although Clearchus is dead, Timaeus has become the new leader. You can completely let him continue to protect you. Now that we have started a war with the Persians, you don't have to worry about anything anymore."
"However, Timaeus doesn't have Clearchus's prestige in the military camp. He can't control those who want to… want to humiliate me." Christoia's face flushed red, and she was on the verge of tears.
Davos had no intention of admiring her beauty. At this moment, he had calmed down and naturally thought more. He thought to himself: I publicly advocated for unity at the army conference, and as soon as I came back, a beautiful woman from Timaeus's camp ran into my tent. Those who don't know the situation will think that I am greedy for beauty, disregarding friendly forces, and kidnapping her!
While he was pondering in silence, Christoia became anxious when Davos didn't respond: "I heard that you are Hades's 'Favored One'. All the soldiers in the entire military camp respect you and chose you as the leader. That's why I took advantage of your all-army conference and the lax management to sneak over here. For the sake of the gods, you must help me!" In her anxiety, she stepped forward, grabbed Davos's hand, and pleaded.
The two were close at hand. Davos could smell the fragrance emanating from her beautiful hair. Lowering his head slightly, he could see her snow-white and full Breasts. He suppressed the urge to hug her and said: "Don't worry, I will help you." Saying that, he took a step back and shouted outward: "Assistus, come in!"
Christoia exclaimed "Oh!" and hurriedly stepped back, her face flushed with shame again.
As Davos's messenger, Assistus had been waiting outside the tent. Upon hearing the order, he immediately entered.
The scene inside the tent stunned him.
"Go find Chrisopus and say, 'Christoia, a concubine of Cyrus the Younger and a woman from Miletus, wants to follow our military camp on the march. Ask him if he agrees.'"
"…Assistus!…Assistus! Did you understand?"
"…Oh…Oh…I understand." Assistus came back to his senses, hurriedly withdrew his gaze, and answered in a panic.
"You understand, but you still don't leave!"
"Yes! Yes!!" Assistus didn't forget to steal a glance before leaving.
"This little fellow!" Davos scolded with a smile: "Don't blame him, it's because you are too charming!" He couldn't help but tease.
Christoia chuckled: "Chieftain, your age seems to be even younger than his, but I haven't seen you acting like him."
Davos smiled awkwardly, and the tent fell silent for a moment.
"Will Chrisopus agree to let me stay?" Christoia asked first, somewhat worried.
"I think there shouldn't be a big problem. You are free, not anyone's slave. You have the right to choose where you want to go." Davos comforted her and said: "In fact, seeking refuge with Chrisopus is the best choice."
"I don't like Spartans!" Christoia replied very simply.
For some reason, Davos felt relieved.
Hearing the words 'You are free, not anyone's slave', Christoia suddenly felt like crying. Her eyes wandered over Davos. After a moment, she said softly: "Chieftain Davos, where are you from?"
"Just call me Davos." Davos corrected, and the remaining memories flooded into his mind: "I am from Thessaly, my hometown is a village near Macedonia."
"You came out to be a mercenary at such a young age, aren't your parents worried?"
"My parents have already passed away."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know…" Christoia apologized repeatedly.
"It's okay." Davos waved his hand. He didn't feel anything. For the parents of this body, he, who had been reborn, really didn't have any feelings, but Christoia's question reminded him of his parents in his previous life, and he couldn't help but feel sad.
Christoia quietly looked at him in silence, and suddenly felt a wave of emotion. On the one hand, the young age of this leader and the experience of losing both parents aroused her maternal desire for protection. On the other hand, his calmness beyond his age made her feel like she was talking to a leader who was older and more stable. This difference highlighted Davos's mystery, which greatly attracted Christoia.
"They all say you are Hades's 'Favored One', is that true?" As soon as Christoia blurted out these words, she realized that she had been too presumptuous.
However, Davos didn't mind and asked in return: "Do you believe it?"
"I believe it!" Christoia immediately made up for her previous mistake.
Davos smiled and said slowly: "In times of difficulty, people will always find a deity to rely on, so that they will not always be in fear, which leads to mental breakdown. But if you rely too much on the gods, instead of relying on your own efforts to get out of the predicament, what you will eventually get is only accelerated destruction…"
Christoia opened her mouth slightly, thoughtfully…
…
I don't know why, but the two of them actually chatted very speculatively.
For Davos, the depression and distress since his transmigration were finally released.
As for Christoia, this daughter of a noble from Miletus lost her mother when she was young, and her stepmother didn't care about her… After growing up, Miletus was besieged by Cyrus the Younger. In order to protect her family and power, her father, who was the only one who loved her, sent Christoia to Cyrus the Younger. Cyrus doted on her very much, but in private, the other concubines made things difficult for her out of jealousy. After Cyrus the Younger died, she fled to Clearchus's camp. Every day, she felt very uneasy facing the lustful gazes of the guards in the baggage camp and several captains… Today, she was able to confide the depression she had been suffering to a person she had just met…
Just as they were talking happily, Assistus came in, followed by Tormides, the messenger of the entire army.
"Chief, Tolmides is here on the orders of Cersobleptes to confirm if the situation is true," reported Asistes.
Tolmides also stepped forward and saluted.
"Alright," Davos nodded in agreement, understanding that this was normal procedure. With Cersobleptes' caution, he had to confirm that Christoia had voluntarily requested to come to Davos' military camp and had not been coerced.
Tolmides, who was known as the best messenger in the entire army, was clearly much better than Asistes. He calmly faced the beautiful and charming Christoia, asked her about the situation in detail, and after receiving her affirmative answer, he turned to Davos and said, "Since Christoia voluntarily requested to come here, Cersobleptes and several other leaders said before I came, 'Although Cyrus the Younger is dead, he has always been a good friend to the Greeks! We must not forget his help to Greece! We must take good care of his concubine, who is also our Greek Christoia! This is the way we Greeks treat our guests!' I hope Chief Davos will take good care of Christoia and not let her be bullied!"
I'm afraid they can't forget Cyrus the Younger's help to Sparta! Davos slandered in his heart, and then asked, "What is Timas' attitude towards this matter?"
Tolmides understood what Davos was worried about and replied without hesitation, "Chief Timas has no objection to this!"
"That's good!" Davos nodded: "Asistes, take Christoia to Mercis and let him take care of the arrangements!"
"Yes!" Asistes replied excitedly.
"Thank you, Chief Davos." Christoia walked out calmly.
"Christoia! If you have any difficulties, you can tell me directly!" Davos couldn't help but shout again.
"I will." A smile flashed across Christoia's face.
After the two left, Tolmides smiled at him and said, "Chief Davos, you are indeed the 'Blessed by the Gods'. Not only do you give good speeches, but even the most beautiful woman in the mercenary camp takes the initiative to get close to you!"
"The best messenger in the entire army not only delivers orders accurately, but also speaks so well!"
The two laughed.
Tolmides looked at this young but experienced leader and asked seriously, "I noticed when I came in that there were no guards outside your tent."
Davos didn't directly say that it was because he was in a hurry and hadn't had time to arrange it yet, but humbly asked for advice, "Before today, I was just an ordinary soldier. The brothers in the camp trusted me and unanimously elected me as the new leader. If I immediately arrange guards and isolate myself from the brothers, will it make them think I've changed?"
Tolmides said sternly, "Military regulations are military regulations. They are formulated to ensure victory in battle! Look at how much chaos the killing of Clearchus and the others has caused to the entire army. You should know that your safety is very important to your military camp! At the same time, setting up guards can also prevent irrelevant people from frequently entering and leaving the military tent, disturbing your thinking and rest. This point is also equally important!"
Davos nodded and said, "Thank you for your teaching, I understand!"
Looking at Davos's humble appearance, Tolmides didn't feel a trace of contempt in his heart. He said affirmatively, "It's not easy to be a good leader, but I believe you can do it!"
"Thank you for your encouragement!" Tolmides' words dispelled Davos' last trace of worry.
After seeing Tolmides off, Davos immediately said to Asistes when he returned, "Go find Antonios and have him send the Silaus squad as my guard team."
"Understood!" Asistes turned to leave, but was stopped by Davos: "Asi, I'm new to being a leader and I'm not very familiar with military affairs. If there are any omissions, you must point them out to me directly."
Asistes blinked and said without hesitation, "Then I'll say one thing first.
You should add two more messengers to me, otherwise it will delay the time to deliver orders when the battle really comes." Indeed, with fourteen centurions, plus the supply battalion and the wartime hospital, it would take a lot of time for only one person to deliver orders, and in battle, time is life.
I overlooked it! Davos hurriedly said, "Okay, you can choose the personnel from the entire camp."
"And horses."
"Find Mercis."
Asistes rushed out.
… … … … … … … … … … … …
"Silaus, you've finally arrived, come in quickly!" Davos greeted him happily.
"Chief!" Silaus immediately saluted.
"We're all good brothers, just call me by my name in private." Davos gave him a warm hug.
"I said long ago that Davos wouldn't forget us even if he became the leader! He's not Menon, he's Davos!" Matonis punched Davos in the chest.
Davos chuckled: "I've increased your tasks, don't you blame me."
"The treatment of guards is better than ordinary soldiers, you're taking care of us. Don't worry, with us here, absolutely no one can hurt you!" Matonis patted his chest, making a guarantee.
"Protecting me is your duty, Matonis. If I get hurt, you'll be punished! At that time, I'll only give you half the food!" In front of his former teammates, Davos deliberately created a relaxed atmosphere.
"Damn it, you're even more terrifying than Menon!" Matonis scratched his head, complaining.
Everyone laughed.
"Davos, don't worry, I'll arrange the guard matters properly!" Silaus said solemnly.
Davos nodded.
… … … … … … … … … … … …
Next, Davos called Marigis to be his guide.
Clearchus' death made Marigis feel apprehensive. At the same time, with the Greek mercenaries at war with the Persians, he no longer had to worry about being discovered, and he readily agreed to Davos' request.
Davos asked him in detail about the terrain ahead and the situation of the surrounding barbarians, especially the Ducae…
Just as he sent Marigis away, he found Matonis standing fully armed at the tent door. Seeing Matonis staring intently ahead, Davos didn't disturb him. As he turned around, he suddenly saw two short javelins crossed on Matonis' back and paused.
Allowing Greek hoplites to be equipped with javelins could be said to be a failed proposal by Davos. At that time, he thought of the Roman hoplites in history and hoped that the Greek hoplites, who could only fight in close combat, could also have short- to medium-range projectile firepower to attack the fast-moving Persian cavalry, and he had this proposal. Who knew that in the following long period of time, the Greek and Persian armies were safe and sound, and the two javelins they carried became a burden, which was not conducive to marching. Most of the soldiers threw away the javelins, only the Silaus squad firmly believed in Davos and still carried the javelins, but they cut the javelins into one meter long, inserted them on their backs, and fixed them with straps, so that it was convenient to insert and remove them, and it was also easy to carry.
Perhaps there will be a day when they will be useful in future battles, Davos thought to himself.
That night, Davos didn't sleep peacefully. After all, the next day was the first time he led troops on a march, and it might also be the first time he led troops in battle. It was impossible not to be nervous, and he tossed and turned until late at night before falling asleep.
The next day, he was awakened by Asistes.
"What time is it now?" Davos asked a little guilty.
"The soldiers are eating, it's still early from the departure time," Asistes said, bringing him breakfast: two pieces of bread, a slice of cheese, a sausage, and a glass of water.
"It's very rich, is this what the soldiers are eating too?" Davos asked, pointing to the breakfast.
"Almost. Because there may be a battle today, you must eat more to have strength," Asistes replied.
Davos was relieved.
After eating, after a while, a long bronze horn sounded in the camp. Davos began to put on his armor. All the other equipment remained the same, only he changed to a red helmet with feathers on top.
The soldiers were also dressed neatly, came out one after another, and began to dismantle the tents and send them to the supply camp.
Then, they began to line up.
"First Company! First Company!…"
"Second Company! Second Company is here!…"
"Brothers of the Fourth Squad of the Fifth Company, come over here quickly!…"
Shouts rose and fell, accompanied by the neighing of horses and the mooing of cattle from time to time. The supply camp was putting harnesses on the pack animals, and the entire camp was like a noisy market…
After a long while, Adjutant Philesius came to report: "The entire army is ready."
Davos announced with a straight face: "Let's set off."
Before, he didn't feel it so clearly in the squad, but now as the leader, overlooking the overall situation, he discovered the problem. In his previous life, although he wasn't a soldier, he had watched movies and browsed forums, so he knew that one of the foundations for an army to win battles was strict discipline and rapid mobility. During university military training, even emergency assembly was calculated in minutes. Now, it took more than an hour from the bugle call to the completion of the formation. This kind of procrastination extinguished half of his excitement of being a leader.
Now, without any military prestige, he could only quietly observe, record all the shortcomings, and think about solutions. He could only talk about rectifying the army and reforming the military system when the time was ripe, which would probably be a long road.
After nearly half of the troops had left the camp, Philesius said: "Leader Davos, it's time for us to set off too."
Davos nodded. Hiilos had already led his horse over. Yesterday, when Davos learned that the leader had a horse to ride, he was quite nervous, as he couldn't ride a horse in his previous life. Who knew that after getting on it, he could control it freely. It turned out that one of the most skilled horse-riding races in the Mediterranean world at that time was the Thessalians. The original owner of this body had herded sheep and horses since childhood, and the remaining memories and instinctive muscle memory were enough for Davos to control the horse freely.
He grabbed the reins, leaped onto the horse, and with a slight squeeze of his legs, the warhorse raised its head and neighed softly, moving its hooves and trotting forward.
Davos held his head high and sat upright on it. Yesterday, Tolmid's words made him no longer consider sharing the joys and hardships with the soldiers and giving the horse to the old, weak, and disabled soldiers. Now he needed to sit high on the horse, constantly reminding the soldiers: he, Davos, was the leader of the entire army! As for those ways to win people's hearts, he would wait until he became a world-renowned general to talk about them.
Riding on the horse, looking at the mighty and expansive advancing army, Davos naturally felt a surge of pride in his heart: This is what a real man should be!
Davos controlled his horse to walk slowly, with Philesius and Asistes following closely behind, followed by Hiilos's guard on foot. After leaving the military camp and proceeding further, they would reach the meeting point for the entire army.
Davos thought his team was slow, but he didn't expect that other teams hadn't arrived yet. It seemed that procrastination was a common problem for mercenaries, and everyone was used to it.
Xenophon's Spartan team had already stood in front. When Davos rode over to greet them, there was a small commotion in the passing teams. Other soldiers in the military camp recognized him as the leader who gave the wonderful speech yesterday, but some people were still jealous and dissatisfied that a young man with the scent of milk still clinging to him was actually high above them, saying bad things that questioned his commanding ability, making Asistes, who was following closely behind, blush with anger.
But Davos turned a deaf ear and only cared about moving forward.
Only Xenophon's team was as quiet as if they hadn't seen him, prompting Davos to carefully examine these true Spartan warriors: they were wearing full armor, arranged in neat formations, each with a sturdy physique, standing silently, like tall and upright green pines, becoming a unique landscape in this noisy gathering place. And in their sharp and murderous eyes, Davos felt that once this silence erupted, what a powerful force it would unleash! Body, skill, tactics, discipline, combined into one, this is the Spartan warrior!
Davos looked at them enviously: When will I be able to command such elite soldiers! Later, he learned that only about one-third of Xenophon's troops were true Spartan warriors, and the rest were Perioeci.
On both sides of the Spartan army were teams composed of small mercenary groups such as Sosis and Pasion. After the army meeting, most of them joined Xenophon's team, and several other leaders also had teams joining, but no one was interested in Davos's military camp.
Davos also felt very helpless about this.
Davos's army formed the formation very quickly this time, because it basically followed the order when leaving the camp: the outermost side was the heavy infantry column, divided into four columns, with the first column arranged in order to the rear; the inner side was the light infantry column, divided into two columns, so that the length of the light and heavy infantry columns was the same, about half a mile long from front to back. When the enemy attacked from the outer left wing, the marching column soldiers could immediately turn right, with the heavy infantry in front and the light infantry in the rear, quickly forming a conventional battle formation. The baggage camp was located on the inner side of the light infantry, on the left side of this huge central open space. Davos and his guards were between the light infantry and the baggage camp.
After about half an hour, the camps completed their formations, and the sound of the copper horn rang again, finally they could set off.
The marching speed was not fast, mainly due to the drag of the baggage camps. Tents, food, medicine, items, and other supplies that could not be carried by people had to be carried by cattle and horses. Horses could not carry too heavy carts, otherwise the horse gear would compress their necks and tracheas, leading to suffocation; bulls were stronger than horses, but their endurance was not good, and their temperament was not very reliable.
Davos saw Melchis shuttling back and forth in the baggage camp, handling unexpected situations, and occasionally greeting soldiers to help. Davos secretly rejoiced that he had listened to Melchis's advice and sent him a company in advance to assist the baggage camp. Finally, Davos's gaze fell on Christoia among the women. Although they were all dressed the same, her figure and temperament were like a crane standing out from a flock of chickens, making her easily recognizable.
Christoia seemed to sense something and turned her head to look over here.
Davos quickly retracted his gaze.
"At this marching speed, we can't even travel five kilometers in an hour," he said.
"It's already good that there are no Persian incursions," Philesius said with a sense of relief. As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion came from behind.
"What happened?" Davos asked anxiously.
Asistes immediately sent a messenger to the rear to investigate.
After a while, the messenger rode back: "It's the Persian general Mithradates! He brought about thirty cavalrymen and is loudly trying to persuade us to surrender not far from the right wing of the entire army!"
A war of attrition! Davos's brow twitched.
"Mithradates is a general of Cyrus the Younger, but his trick won't work. We've already been fooled by the Persians once, only a fool would be fooled a second time," Philesius said calmly.
Davos nodded and said: "Monitor Mithradates, continue to scout!" At the same time, he asked Asistes to send another messenger, so that they could alternately send back news.
...
"More than twenty soldiers have abandoned their weapons and ran towards the Persians!…They…they have surrendered to Mithradates!"
Davos's heart was agitated. Obviously, Philesius had overestimated the wisdom of the mercenaries. Moreover, Hieronimus's troops had been arguing endlessly about electing a leader yesterday. Now, Mithradates easily used lies to tear a seam in Hieronimus's not-so-united troops. Would it cause a snowball effect on the entire army? Davos began to worry.
"Mithradates has circled to the rear of the entire army and is shouting to the troops of Clearchus!…About ten more soldiers have thrown down their weapons and ran towards the Persians!"
Damn it! Davos's worries were coming true.
Philesius also looked nervous.
It seemed that Mithradates was preparing to circle around the mercenary army's huge formation, constantly undermining the soldiers' morale. Moreover, he would soon come to the front of Davos's troops!
"It would be nice if we could drive him away," Asistes said resentfully. But he also knew that this was impossible. The opponent was light cavalry, coming and going like the wind, and the mercenaries had no cavalry at all.
"Why not just shoot him with a javelin!" Matonis drew out the javelin on his back and shouted loudly in the guard.
"How to shoot?! By the time you take the javelin out, the Persians will have run far away! Besides, the javelin doesn't shoot as far as the Persian horse bow!" Asistes retorted.
A flash of inspiration flashed through Davos's mind. He eagerly asked the messenger: "When Mithradates was shouting, how far was he from our formation?"
"About a hundred meters away."
"When the surrendered soldiers ran over, did the Persians retreat?"
"No."
...
Davos asked a few questions in a row. After receiving the answers, facing the puzzled gazes of Philesius and the others, he pondered for a moment, and then said to Philesius: "Now, I have an idea, do you think it will work?"