Chapter 117: War Is Not Only Fought with Swords 2
Chapter 117: War Is Not Only Fought with Swords 2
Surenas drove his horse as fast as he could without resting.
He switched to another horse nearby when his horse got tired and shortened the time.
When Surenas arrived at Ctesiphon, he went straight to Orodos.
He demanded an explanation in a confident voice in front of all the nobles.
“Shahanshah clearly entrusted me with full authority in this war. Why did I receive such an order from you?”
Orodos sneered and asked back.
“Do you really not know and ask me? Are you thick-skinned or do you think I’m a fool?”
“I’ve heard the rumors that are spreading among the people. But they are all worthless nonsense. Why would I make a secret deal with Rome?”
“Then what is the reason for not fighting properly with the Romans? Did you get scared because they looked too strong? Is that what you call an excuse!”
Orodos shook the letter that Surenas had sent and yelled angrily.
“That’s why I can explain it to you fully. The reason why I made that choice is…”
Surenas pointed out the dangers he had felt one by one.
But Orodos and the other nobles still looked unhappy.
They understood that fighting against the Roman army could be dangerous.
But there was no such thing as a war that was not dangerous.
They were too proud of their cavalry to avoid combat based on intuition.
“Your words sound like well-crafted excuses. Yes, there may be some truth in what you say. If the Roman army was so thoroughly prepared, even if our army won, the loss would be severe.
Maybe we could even lose. But the genius strategist Surenas I know would have inflicted tremendous damage on the Roman army even if he lost. Then, no matter how strong the Roman army was, they could not continue their expedition.”
“That’s…”
“I can see your thoughts roughly. Even if you inflicted quite a lot of damage on the Romans and brought them to the negotiating table, you thought it would be meaningless if you lost. So you planned to end this war in a way that would maximize your reputation and power.”
In fact, Orodos was not sure that Surenas had made a secret deal with Rome.
He just thought that there was a possibility that Surenas had tried to use this opportunity to his advantage as much as possible, considering his ability.
Even if that was not the case, it did not matter.
If Surenas won against the Roman army, Orodos’s position would shrink in a matter of time.
If he lost the support of the nobles as well, maintaining the throne would be almost impossible.
Whether Surenas was a traitor or not, Orodos could not follow his plan.
It would have been different if strange rumors had not spread in the capital and major cities, but there was only one choice left since the nobles were already shaken.
“Wise Shahanshah! Please listen to my story…”
Orodos raised his hand and cut off Surenas’s words.
Then he looked around the audience with a seemingly solemn expression.
“I think I can no longer entrust the lives of our Parthian army to Surenas. I will strip him of his command and imprison him until all suspicions are cleared. Anyone who has any objections, speak up.”
There were no objections from the nobles who would have opposed him normally.
It seemed that there was no way out for Surenas.
He desperately sent a look of help to the nobles he was close with, but no one opened their mouths.
Rather, some of the nobles turned their heads away from Surenas’s gaze.
Those who envied Surenas’s reputation, including Mutares, expressed their agreement actively.
“It is a wise decision. I think it is impossible to entrust military authority to someone who is suspected. “
Surenas felt a serious sense of crisis at the situation that was turning around.
‘I don’t understand. How can things go like this.’
Everything was going against Surenas in an unnatural way.
He did not expect the situation to turn out like this even though he had planned a strategy that would sacrifice some of Parthia’s losses.
He thought there might be some dissatisfaction, but that was something he could compensate for after the war ended.
‘It’s because of those rumors. They shook the hearts of the nobles.’
No matter how hard he thought, he could not guess how those rumors had spread.
Did someone among the nobles set a trap to slander him?
Surenas stared at Mutares who was smiling bitterly.
But soon he concluded that it was unlikely.
The rumors in the capital accurately predicted what actions Surenas would take.
It seemed impossible for someone like Mutares to plan such a sophisticated slander based on such a precise prediction.
‘The only ones who would be happy if I fell from power are the Roman army. But even if it’s Rome…’
For a moment, the name of the young commander who was leading the Roman army crossed Surenas’s mind.
A remarkable person who rose to the core of Rome’s power at the age of not even thirty.
The Roman army he led showed an unusually calm attitude in this war.
Surenas had tried to lure him into a decisive battle, but he seemed to not care at all.
He could not have failed to see his intention, but why did he not show any sign of impatience?
He did not understand it at the time, but now he knew the reason.
He had prepared a backup plan in advance, so he could wait leisurely for the situation to reverse.
‘It’s a grave mistake to take your eyes off your allies behind you while focusing on the enemy.’
He had made the biggest mistake of assuming that the enemy was the same type of general as himself.
It was an army led by someone who had reached the peak of Rome’s power at the age of thirty.
He should have always kept in mind that he would use all kinds of tricks and schemes to plot against him.
“Shahanshah, and wise noble comrades. It seems that your minds are already firm, so I will not make any lengthy excuses. But the most likely person who orchestrated all this is the commander of the Roman army. There is no one in Parthia who can stop him if I step down. Please keep this in mind and reconsider your decision.”
When he mentioned the Roman army, some of the nobles flinched.
It was true that they could not think of anyone who could repel the Roman army if Surenas stepped down.
Mutares quickly stepped forward again, sensing this atmosphere.
He could not leave him alone if Surenas regained his position, because he had openly opposed him.
“It’s arrogant to say that there is no one who can face Rome except yourself. You think that we have to accept whatever you do because you have such a thought.
What nonsense is it to say that there is no one who can face Rome in our army? Parthia’s cavalry is the strongest among all the surrounding countries.
We are an empire that inherits the bloodline of the great Persia. Don’t you all know that Rome’s main force is nothing but infantry, no matter how strong they are? If I have a chance, I will prove this fact right away!”
Mutares’s appeal restored the mood of the nobles who were slightly swayed.
Orodos gestured and soldiers flocked to Surenas’s side.
Surenas kept shouting desperately as he was dragged out by the soldiers.
“Whoever takes over the command, remember this. You have to be careful when you engage with the Roman army! If you have to fight a decisive battle, you have to arrange a formation that can retreat at any time to minimize the damage to your allies!”
Surenas’s plea did not stop until the gate of the palace closed and his voice was no longer heard.
Orodos’s cold voice covered it.
“He doesn’t admit his mistake until the end. I entrust Surenas’s successor to Karen and Mutares. I will give you an additional 2,000 heavy cavalry that I had left out to deter Armenia, so make sure you show some results.”
“Just leave it to me. I will clearly prove that Parthia does not only have Surenas.”
“…I will do my best.”
Mutares and Karen bowed their heads and left their seats.
Orodos ignored Surenas’s advice completely.
If he followed Surenas’s policy half-heartedly, he might only arouse unnecessary sympathy for him.
Now that things had come to this point, going completely against Surenas’s opinion was the best choice he could make.
Who was right and who was wrong?
The outcome that would come out would prove it.
※※※※
“It’s a bit strange…”
“Yes?”
“I mean, the Parthian army. Their movement is different from before. Is there a problem with their command system?”
Surenas’s downfall had not yet reached Marcus’s ears, but he could tell right away that something was wrong with the Parthian army.
They had moved so precisely before, but now they showed a movement like a loose screw, which made him feel uneasy.
Antonius also nodded and agreed with Marcus’s opinion.
“Did they change their policy? It doesn’t seem like they are trying to restrain our rear as before. They seem to be trying to secure a position that is good for them to fight.”
“They must have been pressured from the center. Even if Surenas was there, he would have no choice but to obey if the king and nobles urged him to fight a frontal battle.”
“Then we should also prepare ourselves.”
“That’s right. But this could also be a deception to lure us in, so be more careful with scouting.”
Marcus did not let his guard down even though it seemed that things were going according to his plan.
He knew well that when he felt that victory was near, it was the most dangerous moment.
But the scouts who went out brought back unexpected results.
The scouting party of Publius, who encountered a small Parthian scouting party, annihilated the enemy and captured prisoners.
The words that came out of the prisoners’ mouths were so shocking that a commanders’ meeting was immediately convened.
“Are you saying that the enemy’s commander was dismissed and a new general took over the command?”
The legionnaires, including Antonius, opened their mouths wide.
Marcus spoke in a calm tone as much as possible.
“That’s right. The reason why the Parthian army’s movement was strange recently was because there was confusion in the process of reorganizing the command system.”
“What else did the prisoners say?”
“We couldn’t get any more information out of them. In fact, the word that the commander had changed was also something that one of our soldiers who was familiar with Parthian heard them complaining among themselves. But he reacted too strongly and the Parthian soldiers realized that their words had leaked. After that, they shut their mouths and didn’t say a word.”
“Then it doesn’t seem like they deliberately leaked false information.”
“That’s the most likely possibility.”
It would be a kind of gamble to plan on the Roman army overhearing their conversation in Parthian, especially when they didn’t spill anything themselves.
The person named Surenas that Marcus had identified was not the type of general who would do that.
Besides, it was the Parthian side that was showing signs of rushing to fight, not the Roman army.
The purpose of leaking false information is to induce the enemy to take a certain action.
But Parthia was not waiting for the Roman army’s move, but rather initiating the battle themselves.
Considering various aspects, the probability of Surenas being dismissed was over 90%.
In fact, this was not what Marcus had intended.
What he had aimed for was to drag Surenas to the battlefield by the pressure of the king and nobles.
He never imagined that he would be removed from his position as commander.
As a result, he had a lot of things to think about all of a sudden.
‘No, how can they think of replacing the top commander in the middle of a war? Orodos is not normal either.’
He couldn’t help but shake his head at the absurd situation.
On the other hand, the faces of the legionnaires were filled with admiration, emotion, respect and reverence.
Antonius spoke on behalf of everyone’s feelings with a trembling voice.
“Did you foresee everything from the beginning, sir?”
There was a moment of silence, and then Marcus’s mouth opened very slowly.
“Of course.”
“Wow!”
A voice of praise erupted from the gap between the commanders.
“You are amazing. You had perfectly controlled all possible scenarios even before the war started.”
“I can’t think of any other way to express it than to say that you have the wisdom of Minerva.”
“I think it’s appropriate to call you Imperator now. We are ashamed that we can’t follow your vision.”
Marcus’s face turned red with embarrassment at the excessive praise from the legionnaires.
He wondered if they were joking, but there was no lie in their expressions.
Marcus tried desperately to suppress his smugness and nodded solemnly.
“It was just a bit of luck. And we haven’t won the war yet, so it’s too early to toast. I’ll accept proper congratulations after the war is over.”
“That’s right. We haven’t even fought with their main force yet, but we were too relaxed.”
“Yes. Remember that arrogance and complacency are the shortcuts to defeat.”
“Yes!”
A spirited voice filled the barracks.
※※※※
The saying that arrogance and complacency are the shortcuts to defeat was one of the truths that applied regardless of time and place.
But the problem was that those who were truly arrogant did not realize that they were arrogant.
Mutares, who took over the command of the Parthian army, insisted loudly that they should fight with the Roman army as soon as possible.
“We have 13,000 archers and 4,000 heavy cavalry. It’s absurd to avoid fighting with such an overwhelming army. The Romans may have more numbers, but most of them are infantry. If we fight in a space where we can maximize our mobility, we can’t lose even if we want to.”
“But didn’t they say that the Romans were well prepared? Surenas had a point. If their weapons are superior to ours, we should be careful when we fight.”
“The lack of weapons cannot be an excuse for defeat! The inferiority of weapons can be compensated by spirit and mobility.”
Karen, who shared command with Mutares, felt a headache.
But surprisingly, this argument resonated with the soldiers.
It wasn’t because Mutares’s argument was really convincing.
It was because the soldiers’ blood had been suppressed to the point of explosion without having a proper fight.
“Mutares, can you be sure that Surenas’s concern is really a misunderstanding?”
“Of course. Surenas was grossly overestimating the enemy. Parthia is a horse-riding nation. It’s absurd not to fight in this vast terrain.”
Mutares took a breath and added passionately.
“The Roman army is weak. They will surely retreat. The fear of their new weapons is too much worry!”
The soldiers agreed with him as if they nodded their heads.
Karen couldn’t dissuade him any more since the soldiers’ morale was so high. Maybe he could win easily unexpectedly.
He hesitated for a while and sighed and nodded his head.
“When the Roman army crosses the plain…let’s gamble on it.”
“Wow!”
A cheer erupted as soon as he finished his sentence.
Some people stood up and clapped their fists.
“Let’s show them the power of our horse-riding nation. Once they taste this properly, they won’t dare to cross this land again.”
Everyone nodded in agreement with Mutares’s words.
Karen also thought that he might be able to win easily since the soldiers’ morale was so high.
The Parthian army moved quickly. Since the entire army was composed of cavalry, they could move much faster than the Roman army.
Karen and Mutares stationed their 17,000 cavalry army on the flat plain of Mesopotamia and waited for the enemy to come.
The Roman army led by Marcus soon revealed themselves.
The splendid silk flags and the huge cavalry that seemed to exceed 15,000 of the Parthian army swaying in the distance were truly a spectacle.
If they only looked at the number of cavalry, the Roman army was much less than them, but Marcus secretly rejoiced.
The fact that the Parthian’s main force, the cavalry, was so large meant that their forces were concentrated on this battlefield.
If he defeated them here, he could occupy the region more easily than expected.
The time for the decisive battle came quickly.
The first to move was the Parthian army.
“Brave army of Shahanshah, let us show our strength. Annihilate the barbaric invaders in one breath!”
As soon as Mutares’s order fell, the Parthian cavalry began to charge.
“Wow! Kill the Romans!”
The sound of bloodthirsty shouts and horse hooves filled the plain.
While the heavy cavalry distracted them from the front, the archers spread out and took their positions.
The Parthian army moved in a textbook-like swarm tactic.
Marcus’s eyes flashed coldly as he watched their movement.
His sword, which he slowly drew out, pointed straight at the Parthian army.
“Army, trample down the enemy without a trace of mercy!”