However, Archidamus simply extended his hand to stop Lysander, then smiled and replied to Aristocles: "In war, pure bravery is meaningless. I led my soldiers, including those from other allies, here because I gained their trust. If I made inappropriate choices that led to heavy casualties among them, it would not only be irresponsible to them, but also... to the gods and the city-state."
"You are absolutely right."
Aristocles also smiled and responded.
"I'm superficial."
"Your Excellency, Archon, there is no need to do this."
Archidamus raised his hands and looked seriously at Aristocles.
"We are allies now, as we were before and are now, so we should be firm in our ambitions. Our goal is nothing else but to defeat Hilder and liberate Greece from Hilder's hands."
"Yes."
"Then let us fight the enemy together."
Aristocles and Archidamus bumped fists.
Even though both of them were insincere.
But this kind of superficial work still needs to be done enough.
After parting with Aristocles, Lysander followed Archidamus and expressed his dissatisfaction in a somewhat resentful manner. He frowned tightly and could not help but complain to Archidamus: "I can't believe it! Aristocles is the oracle of the same god as me, and also the oracle of Lord Hermes. But why did Lord Hermes choose such a coward as his oracle? I feel that the Corinthians will hold us back."
"no need to worry."
Archidamus shook his head.
"It's not just today that the Corinthians are holding us back."
"Too……"
"Besides, you should not complain about Lord Hermes. In any case, Lord Hermes is a god, and he must have his own considerations when making such a decision. Although Aristocles may not please us, he is the archon of Corinth after all. In Corinth, a world where money is respected, he can become the center of power here, which shows that he must have his own strength and level."
"Yes, I was reckless."
Lysander lowered his head in resignation.
Archidamus turned and looked at the young general.
"You still have a lot to learn, but your future is bright."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
For Archidamus.
He was very fond of this young man.
At the beginning, the Spartans had three oracles, but the oracle of Hades was killed by Hildreth, and the oracle of Ares, Brasidas, also died in the battle with the oracle of Apollo. Now, of the three oracles, only Lysander is left. As for Lysander, Archidamus' attitude towards him is very different.
He was completely loyal to Sparta and to the king.
And now the other two oracles of Sparta...
It's completely different.
Ares found a new oracle, and Hercules also chose his favorite candidate in Sparta, but both of them were closer to the gods. Ares did not even choose the right candidate among the Spartan generals, but instead chose a Spartan who was poor in Sparta, and Hercules chose a woman.
It could also be something deliberate on the part of God.
Now, these two oracles are quite far away from Archidamus.
Archidamus could only trust Lysander completely.
Even if something unexpected happens in the future.
Archidamus could only rely on this naval commander.
After the dispute with Aristocles was settled, the armies had reunited.
There was a high probability of a battle in Megara, so Archidamos ordered the troops from Argolis to lead the charge. The Argolis army had no actual combat experience, so Archidamos communicated with the Argolis commander about this possible skirmish, hoping that the Argolis soldiers could see blood and avoid any problems on the battlefield.
As for the Corinthians.
Archidamus had no expectations at all.
And the scout troops sent out.
Soon they got the information they wanted.
Today, Megara is still in the hands of the Megarans.
There was no fighting in Megara at all. Instead, the Megarans were trembling and first closed all the city gates. However, with the military strength of the Megarans, it was impossible to defend for too long, whether it was the attack of the Byzantine Kingdom or the coalition of the Spartans. However, since Megara was not handed over to others, this was good news for Archidamus.
He estimated the time and distance.
From here to Megara.
It will probably arrive at night.
At that time, the troops would rest for a night and then set out again the next day during the day and would be able to enter Attica.
All of this seems to be going smoothly.
And at this time.
Tomyris was hiding on a mountain near Megara. She stood on the tallest tree on the mountain and looked at Megara from a distance. Her eagle-like eyesight allowed her to easily see the Spartan and Corinthian scouts in the distance, who came here in two groups to investigate. Now, not to mention the Spartans and Corinthians, even the Megarans didn't know that Tomyris was here.
"Their scouts just left."
Tomyris jumped down from the tree.
The officers below watched Tomyris land lightly on the ground nervously.
That's a tree several dozen meters high...
"The enemy will definitely come to Megara in a swaggering manner and will definitely camp here at night, so we can catch them off guard at that time..."
Chapter 10, Section 8: The City Blessed by Hera
"Yes."
The officers nodded quickly.
It seems that Tomyris has made her own plans.
These soldiers and officers were almost all Scythians.
Hild trusted Tomyris very much, and did not place too many Byzantine officers in the Scythian army. In addition to some riding instructors and staff officers, the Scythian army was still led by Tomyris. Of course, the Scythians would obey Tomyris' orders no matter what, so even if the Scythians were not very obedient to the Byzantine Kingdom, as long as Tomyris was loyal to Hild, there would be no problem.
This is also Hilde's plan.
And Tomyris, now leading 10,000 cavalrymen, was lurking in the forests around Megara.
Cavalry are not suitable for fighting in the mountains, but because the Scythian cavalry often fought with the Thracians, it was normal for them to go deep into the Thracian forests and mountains. Therefore, these cavalry took the opportunity to lurk in the mountains and forests.
With the help of trees, they achieved perfect hiding.
And, most importantly.
In order to stay hidden, Tomyris's troops did not light fires.
All the soldiers brought food such as biscuits and dried meat. After the troops arrived here, they ate some dry biscuits and drank some water, which solved the problem of food. It was also because of this that it was basically impossible for the enemy to discover their presence.
"Next, we have to wait for the show to begin."
Tomyris exhaled.
She picked up a scone and ate it.
"How's the sentinel situation?"
"Any hunter who strayed into the mountains was captured by us."
"Ah, very good."
This place is very close to Megara.
It is also because of this that Megara's hunters would come to this forest to hunt and would run into Tomyris's cavalry. Therefore, Tomyris sent out nimble soldiers to ambush around the forest, and if any hunter strayed into the forest, they would be caught on the spot. Of course, if they resisted, they could be killed on the spot. During the war, even civilians must die if they threaten the smooth implementation of the plan.
The hunters couldn't think of it either.
In this mountain area that I am very familiar with.
There were actually 10,000 cavalrymen hidden.
The Scythian horses were all muzzled to prevent them from making noises and being discovered. The soldiers were not allowed to talk during meals, and even when they were resting, they were not allowed to say a word unless they received an order. Under the leadership of Tomyris, this army followed orders and looked like an elite unit.
After Tomylis had made all the preparations.
Just in the mountains and forests, waiting for the other party to arrive.
And now, here in Athens.
The army of the Byzantine Empire has begun to approach the walls of Athens.
Standing on the wall of Athens, you can see that at the end of your sight, the soldiers of the Byzantine Kingdom appear from the horizon like waves. They march in neat rows, approaching Athens step by step. The feeling of oppression is indescribable. Just witnessing it with your own eyes will make you feel a breathless pressure. Those soldiers who have never seen the Byzantine Kingdom army feel fear from the bottom of their hearts.
"It's finally here."
Nicias stood at the top of the city gate.
He looked at the scene in front of him and shook his head helplessly.
"It looks like this will be a tough battle."
"Why worry so much?"
Hera smiled and walked over to Nicias.
Her eyes were also fixed on the scene in the distance.
"I have already arranged the game. In this contest, we will definitely be the winner in the end. However, Athens may need to hold out for a while, waiting for Hilde to fall into this trap." When Hera said this, her body was suspended in the air, floating above Nicias. "Aren't you worried that the Athenians don't believe you? Don't worry, I will prove to all of Athens that they are protected by the gods. The gods will surely respond to your piety!"
"Thank you, Master Hera!"
Nicias did not dare to look up.
At this time, Hera had already flown into the air above Athens.
The extremely nervous people in Athens suddenly heard a gentle and elegant female voice.
"People of Athens, I am Hera, the Queen of Heaven, the ruler of the three worlds, and the wife of Zeus."
"Now, Athens is suffering, facing an enemy more vicious than the Persians. You are afraid and trembling, because the enemy is too powerful and too evil! They destroyed many city-states and countless people's homes along the way, and killed or enslaved the faithful believers of the gods one by one. The beautiful cities turned into ruins, and the lush farmland was burned. The warriors who defended the city-state were ruthlessly slaughtered, and the wives, sons and daughters they protected became the toys of the Byzantines."
"We can no longer sit idly by. The tragedy of the Greeks is like a sharp knife that cuts a piece of flesh from our hearts. Such pain is indescribable! So! Athenians, you don't have to worry! The gods are with you! The gods will bless all Athenians and all the soldiers who fight for Athens! In the name of Queen Hera, I declare to you that Athens will never be conquered by the Byzantine Empire!"
Hera's figure.
Suddenly appeared in the sky above Athens.
People looked up and could see Hera floating above Athens.
The goddess's heroic presence almost made one's breath stop. The feeling was truly indescribable.
The soldiers were dumbfounded, but soon they burst into thunderous cheers. They had been worried that the gods were lying to Nicias, that the gods had abandoned Athens, and that Nicias was just trying to make a desperate attempt. However, after such a miracle, the problem that everyone was most worried about was finally resolved.
Whether it is the soldiers or civilians in the city.
They all happily took to the streets.
It was as if they had now defeated the Byzantines.
The Byzantine army was only a few kilometers away from Athens.
After Hera witnessed this scene, she gently waved her hand, and a breeze with divine power drifted out in all directions with her as the center. Soon, it spread to all places, and a barrier shining with faint golden light directly wrapped up the city of Athens. Although people did not know the function of this barrier, they could see it with their naked eyes and could feel the divine power on it.
Abundant divine power.
That is something that humans can never achieve in this lifetime.
"Long live! Long live!!!"
"Long live Lady Hera!!!"
The soldiers raised their arms and shouted.
Chapter 10, Chapter 9: The Plan Behind Hera
Nicias was deeply moved when he heard such cheers.
Hera still fulfilled her promise.
