v6 Chapter 198： Target: Sicily

Fimtien rushed to Taurine and prepared to take the remaining Lijim troops stationed there to Medma and participate in the siege.

In order to prevent the Rocky Army from attacking the city and attacking the city again, Hilos also sent a brigade to build a simple wooden blockade to the mountain road leading to Lockley, and sent a reconnaissance squad to monitor the movement of the Rocky.

Hilos, who had a certain siege experience, led the army to carry out his siege plan in an unhurried and orderly way. The citizens who returned to Lockley did not immediately go to the northern border to repel the invading Caenranians. .

Due to the shackles of Diopantos, the Rocky Army needed a new commander-in-chief, but Demodokas appointed his own confession, but it was opposed by the council. The reason was: Lockley At a time of distress, there is an urgent need for a man of military abilities to lead the civics to defend Locke, while the candidate of Demodokas lacks experience in war, and there is no prestige in the military. It is difficult to command soldiers. Once the battle fails, Locke There will be only one unit lost, so it must be prudent!

This is the second time in two days that the council has refuted the proposal of Demodokas. This has never happened before. De Modokas endured anger and watched the parliamentarians unanimously elected McGary. The old man of McGaris has led the army and Crotone for many times more than a decade ago. In the past few years, he has been squeezed by Demodokas and has to stand by.

At this time, in the face of the strong demands of everyone, De Dodocas had to agree to this appointment, so that his political opponents served as the army coach, but he was deeply touched.

McGaris immediately reorganized the team and led more than 6,000 people to attack the enemy.

After burning a village, the Coulenian army did not face the enemy positively. Instead, it quickly retreated to the border of its own city-state territory, but did not stay away. Instead, it camped and continued to maintain deterrence against Lockheed.

The cautious McGarys worried about the conspiracy of the Cologne people, feared that they would ambush, did not attack, and also stood at the border, and the two sides formed a confrontation.

....................................

In the early morning, the Lijim people flocked to the port. They were not only to bid farewell to the Dionya Fleet and the First Corps, but also to the nearly 1,000 soldiers and their families who had just joined the Sicilian team.

Most of them were the fugitives of the Sicilian city-states that were destroyed by Syracuse, such as Katanay and Naxos. In order to counter the Syracuse's two new city-states (Messina and Tindares) across the Strait, Lijim built a city on the Mile Peninsula. However, I did not expect the Syracuse army to move quickly, and soon broke the new city. Some people were killed and some people fled into the mountains. Some people were rescued by the Lijim people and returned to the city by ships.

Now the Liji people have prayed that this unit will go all the way to Sicily, and don't repeat the same mistakes.

The Dionysian fleet and dozens of Lijim ships sailed out of the port. In front of the fleet was Seychelan's ship. The young Danish Navy commander stood on the side of the ship and looked across the shore. There was a trace of regret. In front of his finger, he said to Antonios, the head of the first army on his ship. "Messina is not far ahead. Why don't we attack him first! It is very close to Lijim. It is easy to get support from Lijim. After capturing Messina, we can block the strait and completely eliminate the warships in the port!"

Antonios squinted at Seclair's appearance as a sneak peek, and he knew that the young man was radical and arrogant. If Amintas is here, he will definitely criticize him: "What rights do your navy have for the Legion!"

But Antonios wouldn't do this. In fact, when Daves asked him for his opinion, his initial consideration was also on the Millai peninsula between Tindares and Messina, both of which were newly built. The strength is not too strong, and away from Syracuse, it is easy to be taken as their base in Sicily (formerly Messina City was captured in the attack of Syracuse when the commander of Carthage Commander Chimilco attacked Syracuse. And destroyed, two years ago when Dionysius led the army northward and expelled the Carthaginians on the north coast, they rebuilt the city.)

"I thought about it before, but I was opposed by my Majesty," Antonios said euphemistically.

"Oh, why?" Seckenley heard the word "Your Majesty" and his dissatisfied look disappeared.

"Time." Antonios spit out a word: "It takes about a few days to attack Messina, and in these few days, the Syracuse people got the news of 'We attack Sicily'. We will be prepared for defense. When we attack again, the difficulties will increase. Messina is too far from Syracuse, and its fall will not cause too much influence on Syracuse’s sphere of influence. The big impact, we must have no chance to guard against Syracuse, raiding the nearby city-states, causing panic and chaos in the area he controls, and more opportunities will be created in the chaos... 'This is the original words of His Majesty ""

Seklelyn listened carefully and sighed: "It’s still a comprehensive consideration! But in this way, our risk will become bigger.

Antonios smiled: "Are you afraid of these difficulties?"

Seklelyan immediately said arrogantly: "I am hoping that the fleet in the port of Syracuse can be attracted, so that my fleet can defeat them and let the Diorian Navy completely become the master of this sea!"

The two laughed with confidence.

The fleet traveled south along the east coast of Sicily, and there were many merchant ships on the way. They saw this large-scale mixed fleet, especially the "gems, black hair, twin forks" drawn on the sails. The signs are shocked. There are big things happening in the foreboding. Some are hurriedly retreating, while others are turning around to speed up their return. It is obviously ready to return to report.

Seclair’s flagship is unmoved, and his fleet is already sailing at the fastest speed, not far from the destination.

And Antonios has been watching the coast on the side of the ship. He has never been to Sicily before. The map is completely different from the immersive feeling.

Davers once told him that from the south of Messina to Taoromeon, the land can only go to the narrow passages near the coast, and this road is thirty or forty miles long. ”

It seems that it should be true now, because it has been sailing for three hours from the port of Lijim. In his eyes, the mountains on the other side have never been broken, overlapping, continuous, and seemingly soothing, clear Good looking, like a picture. But Antonios knows this because it is far from his own five or six miles. According to experience, these peaks are not as high as a kilometer, and it is really difficult to climb.

"Anthony's adult, that is Tauro Menian." A middle-aged man next to him said to the other side.

This man is La Odesian, originally a Naxos nobleman. Naxos fell behind. He led his family to flee to the interior of Sicily, near Achillion, and gathered with other city-state exiles. A larger village. Due to the constant intrusion of the Syracuse League and the hatred of the Sikels, their days have been quite difficult. Later, I heard that Li Jim had to build a new city for these exiles, and he was happy to go. Who knows that the rapid reaction of the Syracuse people destroyed the newly built Millai New Town, and some of his relatives also died in the war, he fled to Lijim.

Despite the twists and turns, his determination to rebuild his home has not changed, but has become stronger. So when he heard that Dionia was going to attack Sicily, he took the initiative to find Antonios with his remaining relatives and asked to join.

At this time, Antonios heard the words, looking at it: I saw a city on the high ground near the coast. The most amazing thing is that it is a twin city. The two stone fortresses are located on the high ground and are each other. Easy to defend and difficult to attack and hold on to this narrow coastal passage.

“I heard that this is the city that the Carthaginians built for the Sikels?” Antonios recalled some brief information about the city and asked indefinitely.

"Yes, in order to win over the Sikels, General Carmelki, who made these indigenous people join his side when Carthage attacked Syracuse, built the Taoromeon for the Sikels. ......"La Odesian said with some gloating: "The later Syracuse's lord attacked Tauro Menon because the terrain is steep, it is impossible to use siege equipment, and it has been impossible to attack it. Finally, the Sikels took the initiative to surrender and got it. Now the owner of this city is the abominable Campania mercenaries!"

Antonios listened to his explanation and looked at Tao Luomeni’s fascination: if he chose to attack Messina at first, even if he succeeded, he could not break Tao Romenian from the land and enter Syracuse. The core area of ​​control, but only the sea... And the West Kelly is a force that King Duffus suggested he could contact...

"... attack Sicily, you have to remember, ‘three points by the military, seven points by diplomacy.’...” Antonios thought back to Daves’s solemn reminder before his departure.

The fleet continued to move forward, and Antonios’ vision was wide open: the mountains that had been seen to be drowsy disappeared, and the rolling hills appeared, and the southerly land became more and more flat...

Antonios's gaze is attracted by the farther scene on the land: it is a majestic mountain, even if it is nearly 20 miles away, its mountains are still so clear, showing a huge trapezoid, straight into the sky, as if standing upright a pillar. What's even more amazing is that the other peaks are emerald green, and it is gray and old and mysterious. This is the legendary Hervisto's melting pot of the gods - Mount Etna in Sicily .