Chapter 424: Allied Forces
The wind of late autumn blew through the wilderness, bringing some signs of winter.
The sun rose in the east, but the light was obscured by the clouds, and it seemed a little dim.
Hundreds of miles west of the Aigario Mountains, the goddess of dawn Eos just showed her beautiful face.
The endless camps were built on a hill, and next to it was a branch of a river.
This is a suitable place for garrison, occupying a geographical advantage and close to a water source.
Obviously, although they did not think they would be attacked here, the commander of this army did not take it lightly.
The soldiers on guard and patrol were distributed in light and dark, which seemed very methodical.
In the camp, the army was cooking and preparing breakfast.
"How is it? This is your first time leading an army to go out. Do you feel nervous now?"
On a huge rock on the hill, Mod, wearing armor, asked with a smile.
Over the years, the young man has matured a lot, but his personality has not changed much.
"Nervous... maybe a little."
"But I feel more excited."
Shaking his head slightly, Odysseus said with a smile: "Aren't you?"
"Under the guidance of the gods, we will destroy the city and defeat the army of the great powers of the world and spread our reputation."
"The ancient heroes did this, but now it's our turn."
"Hahahahaha... That's right."
"The ancient heroes have done this, but now it's our turn."
Laughing loudly, Mod took a sip of wine.
Yes, whether it's him or Odysseus, even Argos, Mycenae, Tiryns, Thebes, and even Troy.
The kings and generals of these kingdoms came here with similar feelings, and never questioned the victory of this war.
Although they were going to attack Athens, a kingdom protected by the goddess of wisdom, this time they had the help of the gods.
Compared to the difficulties of the war, they cared more about who would lead the coalition to win this victory.
Even if Odysseus knew the situation in Eleusis, the beasts that could break through the city walls were only because there was no one to restrain them.
This kind of thing will not happen again here.
"But then again, Odysseus, my friend."
"Ithaca is just a small country on the sea. We should have accepted the will of the sea god and launched an attack from the sea under the leadership of the Kingdom of Pylos."
"But I didn't expect that you were valued by the queen of heaven and the oracle allowed you to command the army of Argos."
Looking back at the tents on the hill, Mod had to admit that the big countries on the continent were much stronger than them.
"Look at these soldiers and their weapons and equipment."
"Ithaca doesn't have so many minerals, so many people, and so many clergy. This is really enviable..."
"But there is one thing they can't compare to, that is, there is no hero like you who can command the army."
"Only the wolf king can lead the wolf pack, otherwise they are just a group of jackals, fleeing in front of the beasts!"
"Hahaha..."
After taking another sip of wine, Mod's face turned a little red.
Odysseus just smiled at this, but he didn't mean to refute.
There are still many heroes on the human continent, such as Diomedes, the king of Argos, who is very brave.
It's just that maybe he is not as good as him in wisdom, so the queen of heaven did not give him the command of the army in the end.
In addition, he heard that Hector of the Kingdom of Troy will also participate in the siege of Athens in the future.
That is also a hero with extraordinary martial arts, and Odysseus has heard of him a long time ago.
And Aeneas, who is also a general of Troy.
Moreover, according to rumors, Aeneas is the offspring of the mortal Anchises and the goddess of beauty Aphrodite, and is also a natural demigod.
He is famous for his archery and has a great reputation.
However, in the Trojan army, he still did not rank above Hector.
From this perspective, the Trojan Kingdom at that time was also very strong.
In addition, Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, Menelaos, the king of Sparta... Although these famous people in the world have never done the same great things as Theseus, no one will deny their strength.
Even Odysseus himself, although he never belittles himself, only thinks that he can surpass others in wisdom, but does not think that his military power is unique.
"Unfortunately, King Theseus is dead. I have no chance to fight him on the battlefield."
"Maud, how far is it from the coalition meeting place?"
"About three days' journey, it's very close here. But Odysseus, have you really thought about what to do when the time comes?"
With bright eyes, Mod looked at his friend.
"We all know that the coalition needs a commander, at least a nominal commander."
"Even if the gods ordered us to attack Athens, they never made any regulations on this."
"Anyway, if it were me, I would only listen to your command, not those foreigners who have nothing to do with us."
"After all, they may be good at fighting, but the victory or defeat of the war has never depended on one person."
"... Let's talk about this matter later."
It was a bit of a headache, but Odysseus knew that he couldn't back down.
Because he also knew very well that since the Queen of Heaven could choose him to lead the army of Argos, it would be impossible for him to obey the orders of other gods' believers.
This is not the original Trojan War, and Athens does not have the indestructible wall cast by the gods.
At least now, no one thinks they will fail, so there is no possibility of compromise.
"Let's go and meet the heroes of various countries first. If it doesn't work, we will split up into several groups."
"Although once the Aigario Mountains are broken through, it will be much easier to go later."
"But there is never more than one road to Athens."
The more powerful people are, the more superstitious they are about power.
In this regard, Odysseus did not think he could easily convince the leaders of other city-states.
So he planned to meet at the place agreed by the countries first, and then take it one step at a time.
So after breakfast, a huge number of troops immediately set out.
The place where the coalition forces met was a plain by the river, which was once a place where passing caravans often rested.
The arrival time of each country from Athens was different, so it was impossible to reach the same time. Odysseus asked himself if he was the faster one.
Try not to be the first to clash, after all, the gods are still watching them... With this idea in mind, Odysseus arrived at his destination three days later.
However, what he didn't expect was that what was waiting for him was not the coalition forces that arrived first, but a group of defeated soldiers.
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To the west of the Aigario Mountains, there is a Kiphisos River.
The meeting point arranged by the coalition forces in advance is here, because it is convenient to ensure the safety of logistics.
The vast plains along the river are enough for the army to station, but when Odysseus arrived, he only saw a large area of rolling mud and the wailing of wounded soldiers.
In the distance, thousands of knights' lances were stained with blood, and the figure in the lead was somewhat familiar to Odysseus.
However, when they noticed his arrival, the team of knights did not stay for long, but quickly went away.
Obviously, they did not intend to face Odysseus's strict military appearance now.
"What's going on?"
"What just happened here?"
A shocked voice came from beside him, but Odysseus didn't bother to respond.
His expression was a little solemn, and he rode his horse to the camp in front without hesitation.
The approach of the army undoubtedly attracted the attention of the soldiers here, and the flags of Ithaca and Argos were so bright.
As if relieved, Odysseus saw that a large number of soldiers no longer maintained their formation.
And in the army, some people rode their horses to approach him.
"Excuse me, is this His Majesty Diomedes of Argos?"
Odysseus heard the voice of the visitor from a long distance.
"No, I am Odysseus of Ithaca."
"In compliance with the orders of the gods, I was able to lead the army to participate in the alliance of the countries."
"What's going on with you, did the Athenians raid your camp?"
As the two sides approached, Odysseus also saw the appearance of the visitor.
The broken armor was stained with blood, but the whole person seemed to be soaked in water.
Looking around, he roughly guessed what had happened before.
And the following exchange between the two sides confirmed his guess.
These soldiers who arrived first were the vanguard of Mycenae. As one of the most powerful kingdoms in the world, their army was not weak.
No matter how brave the Athenians were, it was impossible for them to be defeated by these people alone.
However, it was obvious that the Athenians were not rigid, they were wise.
In addition to the power of magic, they also had the assistance of wizards.
So right beside the Phisos River, the Mycenaeans witnessed what it meant to be merciless to water and fire.
"So, they moved stones upstream of the river and cast a temporary dam."
"But this crudely made dam did not last long and was washed away by a heavy rain."
"So the Athenians used witchcraft to manipulate the river water and flooded your camp, and then took the opportunity to attack you?"
Looking at the surrounding environment, theoretically, the ground after the flood could not allow horses to gallop, which was not reasonable.
However, the words of the Mycenaean vanguard in front of him were so convincing that Odysseus had to believe them.
The coalition forces of various countries were approaching, and the Athenians dared to leave the pass.
I have to say that their leader was quite courageous.
"But by the way, have I seen the commander of the knights just now?"
He frowned and then erased the inexplicable sense of familiarity from his mind.
Maybe he had seen it, but Odysseus had no time to pay attention to these trivial matters now.
This was a show of strength and a reminder.
What the priests of the church could do was often related to the gods they believed in, and there were few believers of the sea god on the mainland.
So that the wars of various countries often put things related to water behind their minds and did not make corresponding preparations at all.
"Wait until your king arrives."
He spoke in a deep voice. This area could not be used as a military base.
So Odysseus signaled the army to continue moving forward and comforted the general who would probably not end well.
"We will retaliate, and we will show the Athenians the power of heroes from all nations."
Pre-war duels are still common in this era.
Of course, Odysseus will not take action.
This time, the unlucky one is Mycenae, so the one who will respond should be Agamemnon.
"——Odysseus."
A call came from behind, and Mod was coming quickly.
Obviously, he also knew what happened here.
But unlike Odysseus, Mod's tone was a bit light.
"What did I say, Odysseus, they are all no good."
"Look, at the beginning, they suffered a loss at the hands of the Athenians."
"If you ask me, that Agamemnon is no match for-"
"- Ahem."
With a light cough, Odysseus indicated that there were others here.
Seeing this scene, Mod also restrained himself a little.
"Well, actually he is still very capable, but he may not be that powerful."
Maud continued with a sneer.
But in his heart, with such a thing, the Mycenaeans should not have the face to be the commander of the coalition again.
