The Rise Of An Empire In Ancient Europe-Chapter 145: After Victory

The garrison captain of Castlon waited for a long time, but the cavalry did not return, and the commotion from the Crotone camp seemed to have subsided.

Out of suspicion, he personally led ten cavalrymen, exiting the city from the southern gate.

They crossed the pontoon bridge, went west through the small forest (where Alpons’ light infantry had already hidden the scouts’ corpses and removed any traces), and found nothing unusual until they climbed the high slope at the bend of the Trionto River.

The sight before them was shocking: the vast flatland where the Crotonians had camped was in utter chaos.

Collapsed tents, scattered weapons, and horses and pack animals running and wailing everywhere.

Even more horrifying were the dense piles of corpses, severely wounded soldiers writhing in pain, and the blood-soaked red ground. At the center of the camp stood many fully armed soldiers surrounding a larger group of disheveled people, from whom rows of captives, hands tied behind their backs and strung together, were continuously being escorted out...

An overwhelming sense of fear gripped the patrol captain’s heart: The Crotonians have been defeated?!

Before these terrifying and unfamiliar enemies could notice them, the captain hastily turned his horse around and galloped back toward Castlon.

"Legatus, the Castlon cavalry has returned to the city," Ledes reported as he hurried over.

"Asistes, inform the seventh brigade and the Lucanian brigade to ambush in the forest. It is very likely that Castlon—or rather, Melansius—will send us another big gift! Ledes, continue monitoring the movements in Castlon!" Juleios gave his orders.

"Yes!" Ledes left to carry out the instructions, while Asistes sent messengers north.

After a while, Juleios asked Asistes, "How long ago did we notify Melsis’ cavalry to set out?"

"About half an hour ago... Legatus, there’s too much in the baggage area! Some of the pack animals were injured during the attack, and others scattered. We currently lack enough beasts to carry all the supplies," Asistes said with slight concern.

Juleios smiled faintly and pointed to the nearby captives squatting on the ground under the threat of swords and spears. "Aren’t those ready-made ’pack animals’? Make them carry the supplies all the way back to Thurii. It doesn’t matter if they move slowly; it’ll exhaust their strength anyway."

"Oh, why didn’t I think of that! Legatus, you always come up with the best ideas!" Asistes exclaimed dramatically.

"If only your ability to work could grow as quickly as your ability to flatter!" Juleios joked. After their great victory, he was in a relaxed mood and shared a laugh with Asistes. Then he said, "Come on, let’s go see the soldiers—they are the true heroes of this victory!"

In the captives’ fearful and sorrowful eyes, they saw a dazzling golden banner slowly approaching from the distance. Under the banner was a general wearing a unique purple, white, and red-plumed helmet, appearing on the battlefield. The previously ruthless and fierce enemies suddenly erupted into thunderous cheers:

"Juleios!!"

"Juleios!!!"

"Victory!!"

"Victory!!!"

Among the Crotone captives, the clever ones quickly realized that this general was likely the Amendolara ruler, Juleios, whom they had insulted during the siege of Amendolara. These enemies, who had once been mocked for their cowardice, now had the Crotonians trembling under their spears.

The chief general of Castlon, Amyklis, was shocked upon receiving the garrison captain’s urgent report. He immediately sent people to notify Melansius and his subordinates.

Melansius, sleeping soundly in an inn with a high-class courtesan, was forcibly woken and extremely displeased. However, after hearing his subordinate’s anxious report, he was immediately alarmed. Clinging to a shred of hope, he said, "Perhaps enemies broke into our camp and were captured by our soldiers..."

Timaras shook his head in deep worry. "The Castlon soldiers said that the banners carried by those fully armed troops, though indistinct from afar, were of a unique shape and design—definitely not Crotone’s banners! Melansius, we must rescue them!"

"...Ah...ah, you’re right, you’re right..." Melansius, who had been basking in triumph, now found himself struck by an unexpected blow. Unable to suppress his panic, he said, "Quick! Let’s go find Amyklis and have him mobilize all of Castlon’s citizens to join us in the rescue!"

Amyklis, of course, could not fully comply with Melansius’ request. He had to ensure the safety of Castlon first. However, he did not dare to refuse Melansius outright and offend Crotone, especially since Castlon soldiers were also trapped in the camp. He quickly gathered 700 citizen-soldiers, who were placed under Melansius’ command, to proceed with the rescue.

As Melansius led his troops in a hurried march toward the camp, Timaras advised him to proceed cautiously. Melansius retorted, "According to Castlon’s information, the enemy has fewer men than we do. They probably relied on a sneak attack to win.

Now that they’re still there trying to capture all our soldiers, our surprise attack will certainly catch them off guard.

It will also spur our surrendering soldiers to fight back. With an assault from both inside and out, the enemy will be defeated!" Like a desperate gambler, he hoped for one last big win to recover all his losses.

However, when his column passed through the forest, they were ambushed by Amendolara’s light infantry, who had been lying in wait.

Under Epitenis’ command, the light infantry unleashed volleys of arrows, stones, and javelins, inflicting heavy casualties. Amid the chaos, the low-morale Castlon soldiers panicked, and the Lucanians, wielding Greek swords, charged into their ranks like tigers attacking sheep...

"Legatus, the Crotonian reinforcements have been defeated! Aside from a few who escaped back to Castlon, the rest were either killed or captured!" Ledes reported excitedly upon his return.

Juleios nodded calmly, not overly jubilant. "This was a carefully planned ambush; victory was inevitable."

Noticing Juleios’ composed expression, Ledes added, "The Lucanians also captured two Crotonian generals, Melansius and Timaras!"

"Oh!" Juleios smiled, not because the enemy commanders had been captured, but because he saw an opportunity. "The Lucanians have earned another great merit and can have another six months of their sentences reduced."

When the Lucanians split the Castlon column into several segments, Melansius’ years of military experience told him that defeat was inevitable.

He immediately turned to flee, but the Lucanians seemed determined to capture him. After suffering a few casualties, they pinned him down and, through sheer force, dragged him before Juleios.

"Melansius, we finally meet," a calm, youthful voice sounded by his ear.

Melansius struggled to raise his head. His handsome face was covered in scratches from being dragged over gravel, and his vision was blurred by blood. Blinking hard, he saw a young, unfamiliar face before him.

"Who...who are you?" freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

"I am Juleios, the ruler of Amendolara," came the reply.

"Amendolara? Juleios?" Melansius, whose head had been repeatedly struck, was a bit slow to react. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Amendolara?! Amendolara!! You are despicable! Attacking us in secret without declaring war!"

"Olympian champion, you’re too self-absorbed!" Juleios sneered. "When your army trespassed into Amendolara’s territory without permission and burned down our buildings, the war had already begun. As for a sneak attack, I vaguely recall an athlete’s saying: ’The victor proves their strength with actions, while the defeated can only mask their weakness with excuses.’ Am I correct?"

Melansius slumped his head in despair and after a moment, softly pleaded, "I hope you can treat my soldiers and me kindly. Crotone will pay Amendolara sufficient ransom."

"Whether you’re treated kindly is not for me to decide."

"Then... who decides?"

"The surviving citizens of Thurii!"

When Melsis arrived at the Crotone camp and saw the piles of supplies, he beamed with joy. But his mood quickly soured because the carts could not cross the river.

Juleios, calm and collected, said, "That’s easy to solve. We’ll cross at the ferry."

Thus, after the Amendolara soldiers and the gathered citizens finished collecting everything valuable in the Crotone camp (including weapons, armor, and linen shirts from the deceased enemies), they formed a long line and headed east. Passing through the forest, they reached a point where Castlon city on the northern bank of the Trionto River was visible.

Juleios could even hear the panicked cries of the enemy atop the city walls. Jokingly, he said to Melsis, "Didn’t you say we didn’t have enough pack animals? We can borrow some from the Castlonians."

Melsis actually sent someone to request pack animals.

From the city walls, the chief general of Castlon, Amyklis, and others saw a spectacle: fully armed Greek hoplites marched boldly from the southern bank. Behind their shield and spear escort were dejected, bloodied captives carrying heavy loads and stumbling along, followed by jubilant civilians in plain clothes and supply-laden pack animals. The long column bypassed the city and headed toward the ferry.

The expressions of the Castlonians on the walls were tense and a bit bewildered, but not angry or greedy, because more than half of Castlon’s citizen-soldiers had been lost, leaving the city’s defenses insufficient. They dared not provoke this fearsome army.

"Where... where did they come from?" a council member asked nervously.

Amyklis, observing the column’s direction, said uncertainly, "They’re heading north, likely... Amendolara’s forces."

"Could they be the mercenaries who defeated the Lucanians?!" General Georgilos exclaimed.

"Highly possible!" Amyklis, after Georgilos’ remark, felt more confident in his guess. "Perhaps only they would dare defeat the powerful Crotonians!"

"They... they’ve sent someone!" someone called out in a trembling voice.

Everyone on the walls, from soldiers to generals, became tense.

"We are citizens of Amendolara. Governor Juleios has sent me to borrow 100 pack animals from you. Once we’ve transported our goods, we will return them!"

The visitor’s clear voice reached the people on the wall, leaving them exchanging glances.

Juleios! The famed hero of Thurii! The governor of Amendolara!

Amyklis smiled bitterly. "This counts as the second time he’s saved Thurii, but he’s also dragged the Castlonians into trouble."

After a brief discussion among the generals and council members on the wall, they surprisingly agreed to the request. It wasn’t because of Juleios’ reputed integrity but, as Amyklis explained: "Amendolara has annihilated and captured Crotone’s massive army. The geopolitical landscape in northern Magna Graecia will undoubtedly shift significantly. We must act cautiously. Moreover, many Castlon citizens may have fallen into Amendolara’s hands. Leaving a good impression could help us in future negotiations."

At dawn, some of the surviving Thurian citizens watched in astonishment as the Amendolara citizens who had come to their aid crossed the pontoon bridge and headed south. They were anxious: Could the Amendolarans be abandoning us?

By noon, all the Thurians, along with some freemen and slaves, awoke to find the camp deserted.

Despair consumed them.

They collapsed to the ground, wailing in hopelessness. Even when a few people, like Cornelius and Stromboli, tried to reassure them with words like, "The Amendolara forces are fighting Crotone’s army and have already won," they refused to believe it. Some even cursed angrily in their agitation.

Just then, someone shouted in alarm: "Look! Look! An army is coming!"

The Thurians hurriedly looked back and saw a powerful and majestic army marching across the pontoon bridge. Leading the way was a strange and unique military banner.

"That’s our army! The Amendolara army! They’re returning victorious!" Cornelius, Amendolara’s city administrator, who had previously opposed war with Crotone during the senate discussions, now cheered like a child, unrestrained.

Kunogorata stared blankly at the approaching Amendolara army, with a single thought reverberating in his mind: The Amendolarans won! They actually won!! They defeated the powerful Crotonian army!!

The Thurians were skeptical.

But soon, as the vanguard stepped onto the northern bank of the Crathis River and drew closer, they saw clearly: beneath that unique banner was none other than Amendolara’s young and gentle governor, Juleios.

Fully armored but without a helmet, he smiled warmly, waving to them. The blazing sunlight reflected off his gleaming armor, making him look like a god.

At this moment, sharp-eyed citizens noticed someone walking directly behind Juleios’ horse.

The man had his hands tied behind his back, was completely naked, and stumbled forward as he was dragged along.

Whenever he slowed down, the spears of the guards left a new wound on his body. Why did this person look so much like the demon Melansius, who had ordered the burning of Thurii?! Could it really be true that the Crotonean army was defeated by Amendolara?!

The facts were undeniable. Behind the vanguard, they saw Amendolara soldiers armed with spears, escorting a line of similarly naked young and strong men, burdened with heavy loads, staggering as they marched southward. The column stretched endlessly, disappearing into the distance...

The citizens of Thurii gazed at this unbelievable sight. Tears streamed from their eyes as they cried, laughed, and shouted. They hurled objects at the Crotonean soldiers, and some even rushed forward to beat them. Each person seemed like a madman...

Juleios stood atop a hastily constructed wooden platform, watching as the Thurian citizens, both young and old, quickly gathered before him. His expression was solemn, yet his emotions were fiery as he spoke loudly:

"People of Thurii! In these past few days, the Crotonians invaded your homeland. You lost your loved ones, your homes, and were left helpless, weeping over the ruins! But the gods have not abandoned you. They sent your neighbors—the brave people of Amendolara—who feared no powerful enemies and defeated the demons who destroyed Thurii! From now on, with our joint efforts, we will rebuild a stronger Thurii—a city free from foreign invasions, a better home for all of us!"

Tears streamed once more from the eyes of the Thurians. They cheered and, as if worshiping a deity, bowed to Juleios, the hero who had saved Thurii twice.

Juleios ordered the captives, led by Melansius and Timaras, the high-ranking Crotonean officers, to be brought onto the wooden platform. He handed them over to the Thurian citizens to decide their fate.

The cheers of the Thurians reached a climax. They surged forward, venting their anger with stones, wooden sticks, fists, and teeth. The Crotoneans quickly became unrecognizable, reduced to a bloody mess, yet the Thurians did not stop. Even when their enemies fell to the ground, barely breathing, the mob continued their violent retribution...

Watching this gruesome scene, Ansitanos sighed and said, "From now on, Thurii will never be the same..."

Kunogorata, pointing to Juleios, who stood to one side of the platform observing the execution, said with a heavy expression, "Not ’perhaps,’ but certainly, Thurii will never be the same!"

Ansitanos fell silent.

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