Chapter 119: The Hero of Victory
Chapter 119: The Hero of Victory
As Antonius and Publius successfully drove back the heavy cavalry of Karen, the main force of the Roman army was also having an easy time in the battle.
In fact, when Antonius managed to lure away the heavy cavalry and disappeared, Marcus felt a bit stunned.
He had planned to use a baiting strategy, but he did not expect it to work perfectly in one go.
He had prepared multiple schemes, but it ended with just one step.
He felt like he had been a fool.
The situation was like that.
Mutares was moving his archers around aimlessly, continuing to launch futile attacks.
Of course, only the Parthian archers were suffering one-sided losses.
The legate next to him came over and said.
“This is a great success! This battlefield is completely dominated by the Imperator from start to finish.”
“···Haha, yeah, well. That’s what I expected.”
Marcus let out a nervous laugh and secretly bit his tongue.
Who would have thought that those powerful Parthian cavalry would become such easy prey just because their commander changed.
He had prepared so thoroughly, but he did not even get to use his proper schemes before the tide of the battle turned.
He wondered if Surenas, who had inflicted a terrible defeat on his father Crassus in the original history, had felt this bitter when he saw the Parthian cavalry collapse under the incompetent command of Mutares.
‘At least I want to see the face of the man who commanded the archers.’
He felt a pity for the Parthian cavalry who were falling apart because of their commander’s absurd orders.
He did not intend to spare them, but he decided to take the ones who surrendered as prisoners.
Meanwhile, Mutares, whom Marcus wanted to meet face to face, was cursing his incompetent soldiers in his mind.
How come they could not inflict any damage on the enemy and only die like this?
He tried to strike the enemy’s left flank, and he shot arrows at their right flank, but he did not see any effect.
Instead, he lost many Parthian cavalry to the arrows that flew back at them.
He had already lost a thousand cavalry in the initial arrow barrage, and he suffered a similar loss this time.
Out of 13,000 archers, 2,000 had just disappeared meaninglessly.
‘Parthian cavalry is the strongest? What nonsense. They can’t even handle those infantry.’
Mutares refused to admit that there was a problem with his command ability.
He blamed only his soldiers and changed his plan to join Karen and attack the Roman army together.
He divided his forces into two halves and placed the troops he led on the right side where Karen was expected to return.
The archers on the left side were supposed to distract and harass the Roman army from the opposite direction.
“Damn it, what is Karen doing? He went to deal with those Roman archers······.”
He grumbled as he watched the battlefield.
Then he saw a cavalry unit raising dust clouds in the distance as they ran towards him.
“Oh, they finally arrived. Good, then we can join forces with Karen and attack the Roman army together.”
Mutares smiled triumphantly as he was about to give an order.
That’s when he realized something was wrong as he observed the approaching cavalry unit.
They seemed too many to be Karen’s heavy cavalry.
“Co, could it be the Roman army···then does that mean Karen was defeated?”
He was late to notice because of the dust clouds.
Mutares panicked and looked around.
But the enemy was already too close, and the main force of the Roman army was also slowly advancing.
The archers on the left side might be able to escape safely, but it did not look easy for the cavalry on the right side to get away.
It was a fatal mistake to rashly move to the right side without forming a proper formation.
Mutares started to look for a way to survive rather than a way to win the war.
‘This damn bastard. This is not my fault!’
It was inevitable because Karen’s incompetent heavy cavalry had lost first.
He convinced himself and did not give an order to retreat.
Instead, he shouted something else loudly.
“We will all die if we retreat from here! Brave Parthian cavalrymen, fight honorably. The battle is not over yet! I will lead the soldiers on the left flank to flank the enemy cavalry from behind. Then we can easily disable their cavalry and secure an escape route!”
Mutares made up a plausible excuse and ran away without looking back with only a few guardsmen.
The archers on the right side took Mutares’ words as their last hope and fought hard, shooting arrows.
But they did not need much time to realize that they had been deceived.
Mutares had joined the archers on the left side and left the battlefield leisurely.
In other words, they were used as bait to buy time for their commander to escape.
The noble who took over the temporary command cursed at Mutares’ back.
“Mutares, you son of a bitch!”
It was a word that represented the feelings of all the Parthian soldiers on the battlefield.
Marcus looked at the Parthian army that was fleeing with an unbelievable movement and shook his head in disbelief.
Cavalry had the advantage of being able to retreat quickly when the situation was unfavorable, unlike infantry.
That’s why Marcus had prepared various traps to prevent the enemy cavalry from escaping.
He was confident that he could capture a quarter to a third of the enemy cavalry.
But Mutares had thrown away half of his allies as bait to save himself.
Marcus shook his head and used the soldiers who knew Parthian to loudly urge them to surrender.
“Your commanders have all fled! If you surrender, you can save your lives! Surrender and drop your weapons!”
The Parthian soldiers did not hesitate for long.
The nobleman who had cursed at Mutares with all his might was the first to throw his weapon to the ground.
“I surrender, I surrender! I support Sanatruces, not Orodes. Please guarantee my original position and territory!”
It was easier to overcome his psychological resistance when he thought that he was not surrendering to the enemy, but joining another royal family.
The other Parthian cavalrymen also expressed their willingness to surrender without any hesitation.
Marcus accepted all the surrendering ones and praised the victorious soldiers.
“You did well. You are the proud legion of Rome. Even Parthia, which is called the strongest in the East, was no match for you. Now let’s march and take over the enemy’s capital! Victory is right in front of us.”
“Hooray for Imperior Marcus!”
“The manifestation of the great Marcus! The ruler of the East!”
The soldiers raised their weapons and stomped their feet.
Out of 17,000 cavalrymen, only 5,000 returned safely to Parthia, while the Roman army suffered almost no damage.
He had not expected such an overwhelming victory, but the enemy’s incompetence made it possible.
Marcus gave time for the few dead bodies to be collected and the wounded to heal.
Anyway, time was on his side now.
There was no need to hurry anymore.
The Roman army resumed its march leisurely and subdued the nobles’ territories one by one on the way to Ctesiphon, the capital of Parthia.
Many of the nobles had already joined Sanatruces, and the local lords surrendered without much resistance.
The rumor that Orodes’ army had been defeated at Charax also had a decisive impact.
“I am not surrendering to Rome. I just recognize Sanatruces as the legitimate shahanshah.”
Orodes’ support was already miserable, so there was no need to worry about anything.
The Roman army grew stronger and stronger as it approached Ctesiphon, the capital of Parthia.
Marcus was relaxed, but Orodes was out of breath.
Mutares sweated profusely and blamed everything on Karen for his defeat.
He exaggerated how miserably his heavy cavalry had fallen for the trap, how they had been annihilated without a fight.
But Orodes did not want to hear that.
He did not care who was responsible for the defeat at this point.
The important thing was how to deal with the Roman army that had come close enough to touch their noses.
“You have to evacuate the capital first. Retreat to a stronghold in the provinces and regroup.”
Orodes nodded his head at Mutares’ suggestion, thinking that he had no choice but to do so.
Parthia was not an agricultural nation anyway.
It was not over even if they gave up the capital.
They could continue to resist as much as they wanted.
“Good. You are right. Let’s go to Sakastan first, where Surena’s territory is. It will be easy to take over his territory since he is gone. We will use that place as a base to form a resistance group and when the nobles in the provinces rise up together, the Romans will be helpless.”
“That is a wise decision. I will follow your decision until my last breath.”
Mutares bowed his head and shouted with a voice full of loyalty.
But Mithran looked at Orodes and Mutares with a meaningful gaze.
One of the few remaining powerful nobles in power, he analyzed the situation coldly.
Evacuate the capital and continue fighting?
He saw no hope in that story.
And the incident broke out the next day.
※※※※
“What’s going on?”
Orodes, who was preparing to flee, shouted irritably when he heard a commotion outside.
One of his guards ran in with blood all over him and knelt down.
“Shahanshah, you have to hide quickly. It’s a rebellion. A rebellion has broken out!”
“What? A rebellion?”
Orodes jumped up in shock and grabbed the shoulders of the kneeling guard with both hands and shook him.
“Did the rebels get here? What is Mithran doing?”
“The rebel leader is Mithran. All the nobles who agreed with him joined the rebellion.”
“The nobles joined Mithran?”
Orodes realized then how things were going.
He lost his strength to flee and slumped down on his seat with a sigh.
“Where is Mutares?”
“He tried to run away as soon as he heard about the rebellion, but he was caught. There is no time. You have to escape quickly…”
Before the guard finished his report, Mithran arrived with heavily armed soldiers.
Orodes clenched his fists in anger as he saw their blood-stained weapons.
“Mithran, you bastard. I trusted you so much, and now you betray me. What’s the point of taking the throne when the Romans are invading?”
“You are greatly mistaken.”
Mithran lowered his head and spoke in a toneless voice.
“I have no interest in the shahanshah’s position, not even a speck of dust. I only raised an army for the sake of the country’s stability.”
“Raising a rebellion is for the country’s stability?”
“It’s not a rebellion, but a transfer of power to the rightful heir. If you evacuate the capital and flee, this war will only drag on without any meaning, without any significant outcome.”
“So you mean to join Sanatruces?”
Mithran nodded curtly.
“Yes. If this were a war against foreigners, it would make sense to move around and resist from provincial strongholds. But what if Sanatruces takes over the capital and proclaims himself shahanshah? Many of the provincial nobles have already sided with him. There is no point in struggling in this situation.
It will only waste the national resources and spill more blood. Accept your defeat with honor, as befits a shahanshah.”
“Didn’t you execute Mithridates? Do you think Sanatruces will forgive you?”
“I was only the executor by order, but the ones who actually killed the king of Media were you and Surena. Everyone knows that.”
Orodes dropped his weapon of self-defense and muttered dejectedly.
“Heh, hehehe… Is this how it ends? Me, Orodes? In such a ridiculous and futile way…”
“Accept it. Parthia needs a new shahanshah.”
Mithran coldly dismissed Orodes, who had almost lost his sanity.
Orodes was dragged away by his subordinates and imprisoned in the underground dungeon of the palace.
Ironically, the room where he was confined was right next to the one where Surena was held.
Surena did not mock Orodes’ situation, nor did he rage at him for not trusting him.
He just guessed what was going on and let out a short sigh of pity.
Mithran, who had captured all those who followed Orodes to the end, sent a letter to Marcus.
He said he would open the gates and recognize Sanatruces as shahanshah, and asked him to acknowledge their positions.
Marcus agreed readily.
He did not forget to ask Sanatruces’ opinion formally.
Sanatruces said he only wanted to execute Orodes and Surena, and he did not care about the others.
When the agreement was signed, the rest of the events proceeded swiftly.
The Roman legion entered Ctesiphon without any resistance.
Marcus and Crassus walked proudly through the streets of Ctesiphon, one of the greatest cities in the East.
The nobles who had agreed to recognize Sanatruces greeted the Roman legion politely.
Mithran, who came out as the representative of the nobles, personally came to the front of the palace gate and greeted them.
“I congratulate you on your return as the true shahanshah. All the nobles of Parthia acknowledge your authority, Sanatruces.”
Sanatruces smiled contentedly next to Marcus.
“I accept your loyalty. I know that many of you have opposed my family in the past. So I swear here. The only ones I will hold accountable are Orodes and Surena, who led his army. I will not blame any other nobles, so tell them to rest assured.”
Mithran’s lips curved into a thick smile at Sanatruces’ declaration.
It was practically giving him a pardon.
He breathed a sigh of relief and led Marcus and Sanatruces into the palace.
There were three prisoners waiting there to mark the end of Parthia’s restoration.
Orodes, Surena, and Mutares were kneeling down, waiting for their fate.
One of the nobles who followed Marcus into the palace saw Mutares and sneered.
“I can understand Orodes and Surena, but why is that bastard there? Is he trying to get some merit?”
The few Roman officers who knew Parthian laughed out loud at the scathing sarcasm.
The faces of the Parthian nobles around them froze like ice.
Mutares, who sensed the atmosphere around him, suddenly stood up and raised his voice.
“Long live Sanatruces, the great shahanshah!”
The soldiers were too surprised to stop him.
He shouted praises for Sanatruces out of nowhere, and everyone looked at him with disbelief.
Especially Orodes’ expression was priceless.
Mutares did not pay attention to anyone around him, but just poured out his words with an impassioned tone.
“Sanatruces! You have suffered so much!”
Sanatruces looked at him with a dumbfounded face.
He did not know what to say to him.
Mutares bowed his head as if to touch his forehead to the ground and raised his voice.
“Finally! The royal power of Parthia has returned to the rightful successor. What a happy day! I have been working hard for Sanatruces’ restoration under the water until now.”
Marcus, who received the translation from the interpreter, looked at him incredulously.
He stepped forward and crossed the floor of the palace.
Mutares lifted his head.
Marcus looked down at him and asked.
“Are you the commander who led the cataphracts at Charax?”
Mutares answered smoothly, as if he had practiced beforehand.
“Of course! Think about it. How could the Roman army have achieved such a great victory without me? I am the greatest contributor to this war! Long live Imperior Marcus of the glorious Rome! Roma invicta!”
What could Marcus say?
He was speechless and burst into laughter.
Not only Marcus, but everyone around him opened their eyes wide and gaped.
Orodes tried to rush at Mutares, but was restrained by the soldiers.
Sanatruces and Crassus just stared at Mutares with disbelief.
Antonius and Publius bowed their heads and covered their mouths to suppress their laughter.
But no one could refute Mutares’ words.
Strictly speaking, they were true.
Marcus turned away from him and approached Surena, who had not moved at all.
“Do you have anything to say?”
“…I failed to give faith to my lord whom I served, and I lost in the war. What can I say?”
Surena was dignified.
He did not beg for his life like Mutares, nor did he make any lame excuses.
Marcus had intended to kill him.
He had not fallen for the bait that lured him into a battle, but had tried to negotiate calmly and wage a long-term war.
He was a commander who devised a near-perfect strategy with limited information.
He was too talented to spare, and not a good person to use either.
But when he saw his face, he changed his mind.
He did not blame his lord who foolishly did not trust him, and he seemed to sincerely think that he was responsible for the defeat.
‘He is a brilliant strategist and a loyal man.’
He felt a surge of emotion as he thought that far.
He wanted him.
He wanted to have this excellent tactician under his command and let him use his abilities freely.
Marcus leaned slightly and spoke his mind directly.
“Let me be frank. Surena, become a Roman citizen. And join me.”