Chapter 197: The Gallic Civil War 3

Chapter 197: The Gallic Civil War 3

< 197. The Gallic Civil War 3 >

Sextus had no more hesitation.

He put his plan into action as soon as he made up his mind.

If he could not win, he would retreat.

It seemed like an obvious choice, but it was not easy to make such a decision.

He had led his legion with great momentum and launched a preemptive strike, but he was counterattacked and driven away.

It was a huge blow to Sextus’s reputation and dignity as the commander-in-chief.

In Rome, the civil war was ultimately about showing one’s prestige to the clients who followed him.

If he showed a poor performance, the foundation that Pompey had left him could be shaken in an instant.

That’s why the Roman commanders could not easily choose to withdraw without fighting at all.

The retreat was also a heavy burden for Sextus.

As soon as this news reached Rome, he would be ridiculed and shamed.

But he could not risk a battle that had a much higher chance of losing because of his pride or dignity.

As long as he survived and retreated, the opportunity would come again.

Sextus decided to endure any criticism that would pour on him.

The important thing was to seize the final victory.

A miserable winner was better than a glorious loser.

That was the conclusion that Sextus, who carried the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers, had reached.

His lieutenants did not raise any objections either.

The retreat was swift and secret.

If he tried to pull out his troops clumsily, Caesar would not miss the gap and attack him.

Sextus, who had read Caesar’s tactics, knew well how one of the Gallic tribes had perished like that.

So Sextus moved his troops as if he was going to engage in a battle, drawing Caesar’s attention.

Caesar did not forget to block the south route, thinking that Sextus might try to escape.

But Sextus overturned Caesar’s expectations and turned his troops eastward.Reaad the latest stories on novelbin(.)com

His legion, which joined with the fleet that had been waiting to transport the supplies, immediately began to retreat.

The supplies that were overloaded to transport the soldiers were thrown into the sea without hesitation.

Caesar’s legion arrived a step late and could only watch Sextus’s legion disappear into the sea.

There was no way to catch the enemy who went out to sea because the naval power was overwhelming on the other side.

Caesar’s eyes sparkled as he watched the stern of the ship disappearing in the distance.

“He doesn’t care about his face and runs away like this.”

He had to admit it.

Caesar realized that Sextus had more excellent qualities than he expected.

Sextus’s retreat was neat and flawless.

He did not just run away, but sent some cavalry back to counterattack Caesar’s pursuers.

It turned out to be futile due to Caesar’s appropriate response, but thanks to that, many soldiers were able to board the ship in time.

He had driven away the enemy, but he did not inflict any fatal damage in reality.

As soon as he returned to the camp, Labienus asked him about his next plan.

“What will you do? Will you march to Hispania right away?”

“There is no reason to give the enemy a chance to breathe. If they reorganize their forces, the civil war may last longer than expected.”

“Sextus’s economic power is overwhelming. He didn’t suffer a terrible defeat either, so his clients won’t turn their backs on him because of this one loss. I also think it will be difficult for me if the war drags on. I will prepare the legion so that we can chase them right away.”

Caesar had six legions available at the moment.

Sextus had a little over seven.

But if Sextus reformed his line and replenished his troops in Hispania, he could easily mobilize ten legions again.

Caesar had no choice but to station some troops in Germania, so his military power would inevitably fall behind over time.

Moreover, the area that Caesar ruled did not match Sextus’s territory yet.

The land of Gaul and Britannia was still being reclaimed, so their productivity was not high enough yet.

It was enough for each tribe to be self-sufficient, but it was too much to feed Caesar’s legion and prepare for a long expedition.

He inevitably had to import food from Rome, but the person who held the naval supremacy in the Mediterranean was Sextus.

He would break into the heart of the enemy who had more than seven legions with five legions?

If Caesar said he could win, then he could win.

“But Sextus might also know that it’s better for him to keep dragging on time. Will he fight us?”

“We have to create a situation where he has no choice but to fight. This time Sextus won’t be able to escape without coming out.”

Labienus nodded and jumped on his horse.

Hurry up and get ready to march. His voice echoed.

It was a voice that trusted the commander’s decision and ability completely.

He had long forgotten the worry that it might be dangerous.

※※※

The news of Caesar’s march also reached Sextus’s ears.

He had safely arrived in Hispania and was replenishing his troops to fend off Caesar’s counterattack.

Thanks to that, the number of legions under his command had reached nearly nine.

So when he first heard the report, he wondered if he had heard something wrong.

“Five legions? Are you sure?”

“Yes. Right now, the immigrants are pouring in from the east of the Elbe River, so we have deployed additional troops to defend against them.”

“And yet, he dared to march this way with only five legions? Does he think so little of me...?”

Sextus bit his lip slightly, feeling resentful.

On the other hand, Gabinus and Pompey’s faces were full of color.

“This is a clear blunder by Caesar. No, rather than a mistake, he is undoubtedly underestimating us.”

“That’s right. No matter how brilliant Caesar is in battle, we have almost twice as many troops as him on this side.”

They had a completely opposite attitude from when they were pushed back by Caesar and in a state of panic until recently.

That was natural, since the difference was only one legion before, but now they had four more legions than him.

Moreover, unlike before, the area where the battle would take place was their own backyard.

It would be strange if they didn’t feel confident.

As a result, many clients who followed Pompey and Gabinus urged Sextus to attack.

In fact, Sextus wanted to be more cautious and make Caesar impatient by dragging out the situation.

He had the advantage of time, so there was no reason to go out and fight him.

But the clients were adamant.

The enemy was right in front of them, but they only had half as many troops as them.

If they didn’t confront them here, they would be branded as cowards.

Moreover, Caesar’s army was loudly taunting Sextus as a coward who ran away from a fight with his tail between his legs.

If he kept tolerating this, it was only a matter of time before his reputation as a patronus would be shaken.

Being prudent was good, but if it went too far, it became indecisive.

Sextus had already shown his back and fled once in Gaul, so he needed to show something at this point.

Swayed by the earnest requests of his subordinates, Sextus finally made a decision.

“...Fine. Let’s go out to the plain and fight Caesar’s army.”

“Wow!”

As soon as his words fell, cheers erupted from the audience.

The clients who followed Sextus clapped and praised him for making the right decision.

But Sextus didn’t hear any of that.

His mind was focused solely on Caesar’s five legions that were slowly approaching.

‘I had no choice. If I kept ignoring the clients’ words here, I wouldn’t have earned their trust. I had to fight.’

What had already happened was done. Now he had to think about how to win.

Still, Sextus didn’t feel the crushing pressure he had felt before.

The difference in troops was almost two to one, and the area where the battle would take place was familiar Hispania.

All the conditions were in his favor.

There was no way he would lose in this situation.

This was the thought that had been in Sextus’ mind since he set out for war.

< 197. Gallic Civil War > End