It can be said that Abydos took a very big risk.
But they had no choice.
For one reason, they were once closely connected with Sparta.
The Byzantine Kingdom pointed out the situation of Abydos directly, and the Byzantine Kingdom was also a member of the Delian League, which meant that if Abydos compromised, it would be very likely to be liquidated in the future. Rather than handing its fate completely to the other party, it was better to stand up and resist now. Once it won, the Byzantine Kingdom's plan to directly rule Ionia would inevitably fail.
After eating and drinking, Golgopas stood up. His strong and huge body was like a mountain in front of the thin nobles of Abydos. After seeing Golgopas's strong body, the nobles felt a little relieved. After all, they didn't know what was going on with Hilde, the queen of the Byzantine Kingdom.
"When to set off?"
"If you are willing, you can set off today. The army is almost ready, and now they are waiting for you to lead them to the battlefield."
"Ah... this is really troublesome. I don't want to fight this war, but I feel that if I don't take action, I will have no choice but to stay here and drink. Then let me get to know the Queen of the Byzantine Kingdom for a while. I hope she can bring me unexpected surprises."
Golgopas was also very confident.
He was not at all panicked about the coming war.
He is the oracle of Dionysus. Although Dionysus is the god of wine, he is also one of the twelve main gods of Olympus and possesses supreme divine power. Golgopas not only inherited Dionysus's love of drinking and carnival, but also obtained powerful divine power from Dionysus. Golgopas is not an oracle who is very good at fighting, but precisely because he possesses the divine power of Dionysus, he can make the soldiers under his command fall into a state of carnival, making them brave, fearless and powerful.
As for Golgopas himself, his strong body proved that he was an extremely powerful being. Although he was not like some oracles who had extremely exaggerated fighting strength, he was still able to fight back and forth when facing some strong enemies. Of course, Golgopas had not met any oracle, and no one knew how strong he was. At this time, information was very closed, and no one knew the specific actual level of each oracle, so the people of Abydos were still very confident in Golgopas, although he was a very troublesome oracle.
Golgopas was not wearing any armor, his upper body was naked, and he did not carry any weapons. Next to his mount were two pottery jars for drinking wine at any time. Because Golgopas was going to the expedition, the people of Abydos specially provided a large amount of wine in the army's supplies. All of this wine was for Golgopas to drink during the march. Therefore, this might not be like an expedition, but more like a trip. The people of Abydos had no way to deal with such a situation.
Therefore, the coalition forces led by Golgopas set out from Abydos and headed south. The 3-man army was advancing at a relatively slow pace. It was not that the army was unwilling to increase the speed, but Golgopas was not in a hurry at all. He ordered the army not to advance too fast and to maintain a steady forward momentum.
It is precisely because of this.
When Hilde's scout team detected this troop from Abydos.
The troops led by Golgopas had only advanced 50 kilometers, but in comparison, Hilde's army had advanced at least 100 kilometers during this period of time and was only 30 kilometers away from Gysion, the outpost of Abydos.
"Abydos sent troops?"
When Hilde learned the news.
She was ordering the troops to set up camp in a plain area outside of Gysion, because in less than two days, the troops would begin preparing to attack the city-state of Gysion. Gysion was only a relatively small city-state with a population of about 3. It was also a typical Ionian city-state and a commercial city.
Gysion was the vanguard of the Ionian city-states that opposed Hilde. If Gysion could be successfully captured, it would pose a huge threat to the safety of Abydos. In this case, Abydos would be forced to make a choice, either surrender or fight to the death.
Of course, Hilde felt that the biggest possibility was resistance.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so stubborn.
So after hearing the information reported by the scouts.
Hilde knew what was going on.
Sure enough, things turned out just as I expected.
Abydos couldn't help it and prepared for a decisive battle.
But it's also good this way. Although the Ionian region is now in a cooperative state with Hilde on the surface, the Ionians are definitely not convinced by Hilde. This battle can serve as a warning to others.
Chapter 1: Determination to get better
That was of great significance to Hilde's next plan, and even directly ruling the Ionian region became a very quick matter. So Hilde did not reject this war, after all, it was also an important time for the First Legion to train its soldiers.
"The other side might have an oracle."
Dione said suddenly.
"You remember this incident?"
"Yes... Most people would have run away in fear when they heard Sister Sissi's words. Now they dare to lead an army here, which means they must have someone to rely on." Dione also made a thorough analysis. "So I think Sister Sissi will be in trouble again this time. If the other party really has an oracle, they will definitely fight with Sister Sissi."
"Don't worry about that. My level is not something that any oracle can beat. If the opponent really intends to fight me to death, then let him see my true strength."
Hilde reached out and gently touched her head.
"You are quite smart, little girl. It seems that I was right to take you to the battle. This is also good... As for the next step, we will have to wait and see the specific situation later." Hilde thought for a while, then called Amyntas in.
"His Majesty!"
"You should know the situation in Abydos, right?"
“Of course! These arrogant people actually dared to lead the army to resist us, so Your Majesty, please hand these guys over to me, to our First Legion. We will definitely let them know the consequences of offending the Byzantine Kingdom!” Abydos said here, bowing his head heavily, “This time, we must make sure they never return!”
"Don't get too excited. According to our intelligence, the enemy's strength is about 2 to 3. We only have a little over 1 troops, not counting the allied forces. Of course, the enemy's overall strength is definitely not as good as ours, so we can easily defeat them. But the question is, why did the people of Abydos dare to attack us?"
Hilde's question made Amyntas stunned for a moment.
"Is it because they have an oracle?"
"Yes... probably because of this reason. It is basically a foregone conclusion that there is an oracle in Abydos, so the enemy army will definitely bring the oracle with them this time. If the enemy army really has an oracle, then the possibility of a direct battle between the two armies will be reduced, because I have to deal with the enemy's oracle first."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand!"
Once this battle involves the Oracle, it will no longer be a battle between two armies, but a contest between two Oracles. Hilde has no idea what the Oracle of Abydos is like, and she doesn't even know if she is a man or a woman. If the opponent's Melancholy is a disgusting existence like Cleopatra, Hilde will really despair of these gods.
However, when the two armies are fighting, it is possible that the oracle will not take action. Hilde is still cautious about his own strength. Hilde always feels that that kind of powerful thunder and lightning power may be dangerous, so Hilde never uses his power against ordinary armies, even if doing so can save the lives of all the people in his troops.
"It would be nice if Sister Xerxes were here."
Dione suddenly said this.
Hilde was a little surprised.
"Do you really want her to be with us?"
"Yes, because Sister Xerxes really likes us and she really wants to help us. So, if Sister Xerxes were here, the enemy would be wiped out immediately."
“Hahaha, that’s a bit too much. You have to understand that although Abydos is our enemy now, in the future these city-states including Abydos will become part of the Byzantine Kingdom, and the people living here will become citizens of the Byzantine Kingdom. If we kill one more person on the battlefield now, it means our kingdom will have one less citizen in the future.”
"Then if we can make the other party surrender without losing anyone, is that the best option?"
"Of course, but this is only an ideal situation. It's best to be like this, but if there is no way to make it like this, then we can only fight. If we want to achieve something, there must be some sacrifices. What we have to do is not be afraid of these sacrifices, and look at everything we have experienced and all the battles with integrity."
Hilde smiled and looked at Dione.
"We must understand the meaning of our current fight. If we fight so that more people can have better happiness in the future, then even if this road is filled with blood and fighting, we have no choice but to continue walking on it."
"I understand!"
Dione also smiled and nodded.
“In fact, I have always understood it.”
"……Yeah?"
"Sister Sissi, I still remember the moment you killed the chief. I was so scared at that time. I thought I would also lose my head like the chief, but in the end... I am still alive today." Dione seemed to have made up her mind. She raised her head and smiled bitterly. "Sister Sissi has always treated me like a child. In fact, I know everything. I also know that Sister Sissi has been worried about what happened before... I don't blame you at all. What I want to say is that after all this time, I have known that Sister Sissi is a kind person."
"Really...what are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Hilde was also a little surprised.
Dioni's words really exceeded her expectations.
"I just speak my mind."
"Now that you've said that... I do feel guilty about you, but I hope you don't take it too seriously. You're a good kid, and I give you everything because I like you, not because I feel guilty about you. But at the same time, I hope you can become an excellent person, which is why I'm bringing you to the battlefield this time, so that you can deal with various military matters with me."
"But can I do it well?"
Dione looked at Hilde a little nervously.
"I always feel like... I'm not good enough."
"How do you know if it works if you don't try? Including the orphanage in the future, it will all be handed over to you. The children in the orphanage will all depend on your care. There will be no time to hesitate. You must do a good job."
Chapter 1, Section 2: The imminent battle
(My wife is back home today, a short absence makes the heart grow fonder. I am not feeling well, so I will only update one chapter. Please understand.)
Hilde's words sounded rather tough.
But this also represents Hilde's attitude.
If you want to do it, you must do it well.
Moreover, Hilde herself knew that sometimes there were many things in the world that one could not do well but had to do them despite oneself, just like Hilde coming to Byzantium was not something Hilde wanted to do, but she had no power to change it. She could only do her best in this desperate situation to open up a new world. That's it.
Therefore, Hilde sincerely hopes that Sofia, Dione and others can do the same. Sofia is timid in doing things and always feels that she can't do it well. Now that she has become an oracle, although there are potential dangers, Hilde still hopes that Sofia can face this matter well. Therefore, Hilde will hand over Ephesus to Sofia to manage. She must do this personally in order to grow. Even if she messes up, it doesn't matter. Hilde can help her bear the consequences.
Hilde has the same attitude towards Dioni.
She is not young anymore, almost sixteen years old.
When she grows a little bigger, she will be a complete woman.
Diony is smart. It took her only two years to go from a little girl who didn't know much Greek to an assistant who can speak Greek and Thracian fluently and help Hilde translate official documents. So Hilde is very satisfied with this. Since Diony has this idea for the orphanage, Hilde really wants to give it a try.
“So, I believe you can do it.”
"Um...Okay, Sister Sissi."
"That's fine."
Seeing that Dione also nodded happily.
Hilde also breathed a sigh of relief.
"If there is a war next time, you should stay behind and don't run around. After all, the other side has an oracle and it is easy to get into danger. If you hide behind me, this won't happen." Hilde touched Diony's head, "Don't worry, I will solve the problem of Abydos smoothly."
"Yes! I believe Sister Sissi will be fine!"
I heard Dione say this.
Hilde also smiled.
The battle that followed was the decisive battle in Ionia.
Soon, according to the predetermined intelligence, Hilde's army remained motionless, waiting for the Abydos army to enter the battlefield. In three days, the Abydos army slowly moved from Abydos to Gysion. Now Gysion was already facing a great enemy. After all, the army of the Byzantine Kingdom was right in front of them. The mighty Ionian Alliance army seemed to have more troops than Gysion. Therefore, if the enemy attacked the city at this time...
Obviously there will be big problems.
And after the army of Abydos arrived.
The Githionites were visibly relieved.
The mighty army arrived at the plain under the city of Gysion.
Golgopas, who was in charge of commanding the Abydos army, now swaggered into the city of Gysion and announced Abydos' plan without any care. Although the archons of Gysion were somewhat dissatisfied with Golgopas' rudeness, they thought carefully that Golgopas was an oracle after all, and was the only magic weapon to defeat the enemy, so they could only swallow their anger.
"How many troops are there in the other army?"
Golgopas sat in the Archon's chair.
Pick up the wine jug and start drinking.
The Archon knelt on one knee, lowered his head and said, "Right now, the Byzantine Kingdom and its followers have a total of about 30,000 people, but... at present, among these 30,000 people, only the army of the Byzantine Kingdom can fight, a total of 11,000 people, and the remaining 20,000 are from other city-states. Naturally, their combat effectiveness cannot be compared. Therefore, if we want to defeat the other side, we must defeat the army of the Byzantine Kingdom. Otherwise, our victory will be useless."
"Oh……"
Golgopas simply waved his hand.
I don't know whether he listened to it or not.
"Master Oracle, what should we do?"
"Have they not attacked since they came?"
"No, we have been here for several days, and the army has stayed here without any movement. We thought that the enemy was planning to withdraw, but now it seems that the Byzantine army is looking for an opportunity for a decisive battle, so this is the case. Therefore, Lord Oracle, you are here this time. The enemy must be determined to fight a decisive battle with our army in an attempt to defeat us and capture us in one fell swoop. So, what do you think about this?"
"Head-on confrontation."
Golgopas picked up the wine jug and took a few big gulps.
"Why, are you still afraid you can't win?"
"This, this...our military strength?"
"Didn't you say that the enemy only has 10,000 elite troops? Then we will just fight against their 10,000 troops. After we defeat the enemy army, even if the Byzantine Queen comes, it won't be of much use. She can't kill all 30,000 of us by herself, right? This is obviously unrealistic!" Golgopas stood up suddenly and walked towards the archon. "Don't worry! Don't be afraid! Lord Dionysus is ready. It's tomorrow! It's tomorrow! After tomorrow, we will make sure that these people from the Byzantine Kingdom will never come back!!!"
"Yes!"
Is Golgopas's arrogance justified?
No one knows this.
However, they had never seen any other oracles, so they could only believe it.
The army of Abydos immediately began to prepare. These warriors, known as the strongest warriors of Ionia, began to prepare some weapons and equipment for tomorrow's battle, striving to be in better condition tomorrow. As for Hilde, she probably guessed that the other side would fight tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, so Hilde was not worried at all. She asked her troops to have a good rest first, and she stood on the sentry post and looked into the distance. Anyway, Hilde didn't need to sleep at night.
