"Of course I understand."
Idantyrsus nodded.
"For our common enemy."
"Yes, I need you to tell me more about the King of Thrace's situation."
"Of course you can. You Greeks certainly don't have a very good grasp of the Thracian king's situation. But it doesn't matter. I am willing to share with you everything we know." At this point, Idantirsus couldn't help but burst into laughter. "However, I never thought that one day I, a barbarian in your eyes, would be able to teach you."
"Your Majesty, I don't think you are barbarians. In fact, both Thracians and Scythians have things worth learning. Even in the most developed Athens, the Athenians have things that are despised and hated by the gods. This is normal... So, what we can do is to actively learn the parts that are beneficial to us and overcome the parts that are disadvantageous to us. I think I can learn a lot from this trip to Scythia."
"Okay, I like your attitude."
Idantyrsus patted his thigh and said:
"Then let me first tell you about the situation of the King of Thrace."
"I'm all ears."
"This Thracian King is a character that has only appeared in the past three years. At least, we Scythians had never heard of such a person three years ago. We have connections with many tribes in Thrace, and we must know that there is such a terrible character as the Thracian King. Therefore, we can be sure that the Thracian King is a person who appeared out of thin air three years ago. His appearance can be said to have completely changed the situation of the Thracians..."
"Well, he simply conquered all the Thracian tribes."
"Indeed, he was very fast. When we knew nothing, his Adelisia tribe had already conquered all of Thrace. Thrace was actually a unified kingdom back then, but after the Persians marched west and Darius I broke up the Thracian kingdom, the Thracians never had a chance to gather again... and the emergence of a king should have been a good thing for the Thracians."
Speaking of it.
Idantyrsus shook his head.
"But unfortunately, he is not a highly respected king."
"Indeed."
Hilde agreed.
During the reign of the Thracian king, many things happened. Although the Thracians were indeed unified, the unification brought about clear classes and layers of exploitation. Except for the Adresia people, the living conditions of other Thracian tribes were very bad. It can be said that the Thracian king followed the path of the Spartans. The Spartans maintained their lives by enslaving the Helots, while they themselves were fully armed and became the most powerful warriors.
The same was true for the Adlicia tribe where the Spartans were located. They used violence to rule over the lower classes of people by taking the slaves who produced food and tools from other Thracians. However, in this way, the Thracians lived in even greater hardship. The Thracians themselves were not a nation with high productivity. Under such oppression, a large number of Thracians could not lead a normal life, and it was natural that some troubles would occur.
Just as Hilde was thinking.
Idantyrsus said something that surprised her.
"It is said that this Thracian king was blessed by the sun god Apollo and was the oracle of Lord Apollo."
"Apollo!?"
Hilde was also quite surprised.
Of course, what surprised her even more was yet to come.
"Yes, we couldn't believe it at first, but... my daughter is also an oracle, the oracle of Lady Artemis. From Lady Artemis, my daughter learned that the power of the King of Thrace did come from Lord Apollo. We couldn't imagine that Lord Apollo would support such a cruel monarch. Fortunately, we also had the support of Lady Artemis. My daughter was able to lead the army and mediate with the King of Thrace to avoid tragedy."
"..."
Hilde thought about it for a moment.
Indeed, the Scythians had an oracle, and it was through this oracle that they relied.
Only the Scythians were able to resist the Thracian king.
"So, Her Highness the Princess is the Oracle?"
"That's right, I'm useless and have to rely on my daughter for protection."
"That's not the case. Your daughter is favored by the gods and becomes an oracle, especially by Lady Artemis. This shows that she is an excellent woman in all aspects. It is also your credit to raise such a daughter." Hilde did not forget to praise Lady Idantirsus. "I think you don't know yet, but I am also an oracle, the oracle of Lady Athena."
"Ah, that's it."
Idantyrsus immediately stood up.
"Master Oracle, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"You don't need to care too much about my identity. Now, I am meeting you as the king of the Byzantine Kingdom to discuss with you how to deal with the things that are coming. Therefore, my identity as an oracle is actually not important." Hilde smiled and expressed her attitude in a neither humble nor arrogant manner. After hearing this, Idantirsus couldn't help but pat his thigh and laughed. Both of them were kings of a country, so they could naturally understand the deep meaning of this.
(Happy New Year everyone!!!)
Chapter 4, Section 1: Oracle Tomyris
"I was abrupt."
"do not mind."
"In that case, Lady Hilde's strength should not be inferior to that of the dog girl, and she is also the oracle of Lady Athena, so her strength must be extraordinary. Even so, let me get straight to the point." Idantirsus cleared his throat and said, "Now, the alliance between us Scythians and the Getes is actually not very stable. The offensive of the Thracian king is particularly fierce, and we Scythians have begun to be unable to bear it. We are now retreating again and again, just like when we fought against the Persian army led by Darius I, stretching their supply lines and looking for flaws to attack. However, the other side dragged the battle into a war of attrition, but we did not have the confidence and ability to start a war of attrition with the other side. Therefore, a few months ago, my daughter really couldn't stand this kind of consumption, so she led the army to attack, catching the Thracian king off guard. The other side hurriedly withdrew its troops, and only then did they breathe a sigh of relief."
"It's winter now."
Hilde thought for a moment and explained:
"So, the other side will definitely launch the next wave of offensive after the spring."
"That's true. So, if the Byzantine Kingdom is willing to join us in attacking the Thracian Kingdom, next spring will be the final moment. By that time, our Scythian army will mediate with the Thracians in the north to delay their army, while your army can march straight in from the south, attack their lair, destroy their supplies, and force them to return to fight a decisive battle with the Byzantine Kingdom's army. At this time, you and I will attack them from both sides, and the Thracian army will definitely be defeated."
Hilde also kept Idantirsus's suggestion in mind.
This may be the safest way.
However, the beginning of spring next year was still a little early for the Byzantine Empire.
Although the Byzantine Kingdom now has a population of more than 300,000, in fact, because Samos has just been ruled by the Byzantine Kingdom, it is still very far away from the hinterland of the Byzantine Kingdom. Therefore, the army of Samos has not yet been transformed into an army that the Byzantine Kingdom can use. Now, relying only on the Byzantine Kingdom's army of less than 20,000 people to sneak attack the rear of the Thracians is still a bit difficult. So Hilde simply said:
"That may be difficult."
"what happened?"
"We are outnumbered."
"How many troops does your country have now?"
"We currently have two reorganized legions, totaling 23,000 people."
"Is that all?"
"If I am given more time, this force can be increased to 35,000, because I can't abandon all defense forces and send out the whole army. There are too many people who are eyeing the Byzantine Empire. I hope you can understand the situation we are facing. If it is early spring, there is no way to guarantee that an army of more than 20,000 people can completely wipe out the Thracians. Moreover, I still need enough time to conduct reconnaissance in the Thracian region, determine the attack route, and plant spies..."
"Yeah... you're right."
Although it is a bit regrettable.
However, Itantirsus also knew that war must not be fought too hastily.
To fight the Thracian king, you must be fully prepared and strive to win with one strike, and directly annihilate the enemy's army. This is the most important thing. If you can't do this, if the enemy finds your flaws, it will be bad. So, Idantirsus also thought for a while and continued:
"If the beginning of spring is not an option... can your country support our operations?"
"Of course. After the spring, our country will exert pressure on the border of the Kingdom of Thrace, and the other side will definitely not be able to concentrate on attacking the Kingdom of Scythia. But at the same time, if the other side turns its forces and directly attacks our country, I hope that the Kingdom of Scythia can also provide sufficient help to our country." Hilde looked at Idantirsus, and was sizing up his series of reactions. "If possible, I hope that a treaty can be concluded between our two countries."
"of course can."
Itantirsus was also straightforward.
He agreed immediately.
However, Hilde had some doubts in his mind.
That is, if the other party really agrees, whether this agreement will be effective for the barbarians.
Hilde didn't know either, but in this world, it's better to rely on yourself than on others. The Byzantine Kingdom has the Persian Empire as its big money sponsor, but that doesn't mean Hilde can easily become the queen. If something really happened to the Byzantine Kingdom, the Persian Empire was far away and couldn't come to help. In the end, doesn't it still depend on your own efforts?
So, Hilde also had his own plans.
The agreement still needs to be signed.
But just don't take it too seriously.
If you take it seriously, something really bad will happen.
On the same day, Hilde signed a cooperation treaty with Itantirsus to jointly defend the Thracian Kingdom. The general content of the treaty was that the Kingdom of Scythia and the Kingdom of Byzantium would form an alliance. If either of the two sides was attacked by the Thracian Kingdom, the other side must provide military assistance. If one of the two sides launched a war against the Thracian Kingdom, the other side must also provide military support. The purpose of the alliance was to jointly resolve the Thracian Kingdom and the Thracian King.
After signing this treaty.
Idantirsus invited Hilde to join their celebration.
Barbecuing, drinking, and martial arts competitions.
Such were the main contents of the Scythian celebrations.
Amyntas and his warriors could not help themselves. With Hilde's permission, they started to compete with the Scythian warriors. Whether it was wrestling or fighting, both sides were determined to win. Amyntas was skilled in martial arts, and his fighting skills were naturally very strong. He defeated several elite Scythian warriors in a row. However, the Scythians were not to be outdone. In the next equestrian event, Amyntas and his men were completely defeated.
Watching the Scythians' superb horsemanship and horseback fighting skills.
Hilde was also a little envious.
I wish the Byzantine Empire's cavalry could be as skilled as this.
"Your Majesty Hilde."
"Your Majesty Idantyrsus."
At this time, Idantirsus walked up to Hilde.
"Excuse me, are you still able to eat it?"
"Of course." Although he said that, there was indeed a lot of barbecue left on the plate in front of Hilde. "By the way, if we start from here, how long will it take for us to see your daughter?"
"Oh, if we go west and ride a horse, it will take about five or six days to get there."
Idantirsus asked curiously:
"You ask this because you plan to meet my daughter?"
"Yes, although it may be a little abrupt, I would like to meet with the oracle of Lord Artemis."
So far, the only oracle that Hilde had seen in person was the Persian Emperor Xerxes. However, Xerxes was the oracle of the Zoroastrian god of Persia, and had nothing to do with the oracles in Greek mythology. On the contrary, Hilde had never seen an oracle from Greece. She had only heard that there was a hero among the Spartans who was said to be the oracle of the god of war Ares. Of course, whether it was true or not, Hilde had never seen it in person, so she naturally had no idea.
"If you want to go, please let me arrange for troops to escort you there?"
"Thank you."
Hilde wanted to refuse.
But this is the other party's territory after all, so Hilde still thinks it would be better to have someone escort him.
"Then we'll leave tomorrow?"
"No time to lose, tomorrow!"
"it is good!"
Idantirsus hastened to fill Hilde's glass with wine.
Hild was also curious about what kind of existence the daughter of Itantirsus, the oracle of Artemis, was. It was said that she was revered as the "Sun Devouring Wolf" and was a hunter with superb combat skills. Even the terrible King of Byzantium could not taste the sweetness under her hands. It was such a princess who led the main force of the Kingdom of Scythia and was able to stop the King of Thrace. She was even able to defeat the army of the Kingdom of Thrace.
Later, Hilde learned more from Itantirsus.
Her Royal Highness's name is Tomyris.
She was the second daughter of Itanthurus' nine children.
The Scythians were a martial nation. Both men and women had to learn the skills of horseback riding and archery. The princesses of the kingdom had to learn even more. Since she was a child, Tomyris had mastered very advanced hunting skills. She could easily capture wolves and wild horses on the grasslands. Her archery skills were even among the best in the Scythian Kingdom. This time, with the power of Artemis, Tomyris became even more powerful.
He is truly a well-deserved hero!
As for the Kingdom of Scythia.
This country has a total population of only over 80,000 people. If you count the Getes who live together with the Scythians, there are only 150,000 people. Now, the Scythian and Gete coalition forces have a total of more than 30,000 people, which is almost all the available troops of the two countries. However, the Thracians ruled by the Thracian king probably have no less than 300,000 people. Therefore, the problem faced by the Kingdom of Scythia is that if they are defeated and suffer heavy casualties, it will be equivalent to the destruction of the country and the extinction of the race.
Hilde could also understand the tension of the Scythians.
Therefore, she wanted to meet the powerful princess even more.
After all, this was a hero who was able to turn the tide and lead his army to defeat the Thracians time and time again.
After the banquet, Hilde and Amyntas found a high ground outside the military camp, set up a tent and rested for a while. At this moment, Hilde was lying on a simple blanket, listening to the crackling sound of the burning firewood next to her ears, and she was muttering in her heart.
This Tomyris.
Is she pretty?
Chapter 4, Section 2: The Jealous Maid
"Sissi, are you having wild thoughts again?" Sophia sat next to Hilde and gently massaged Hilde's shoulders. "What's wrong? Are you happy to see the princess?"
"Ah, that's not what I meant."
