The defeat came so quickly that Pianren still didn't want to believe it, because he felt that victory was so close to him: "Attack! Go on the offensive! The enemy will be defeated in no time!! ......" he shouted as hard as he could, trying to stop the soldiers around him from fleeing, but he was nearly pushed down.

"Great Chief, go! If you don't leave, you won't be able to leave!! The guards forcibly pulled him back.

………………………………

"Commander, we've won this battle!" Tolmide came to report with a happy face: "The enemy has fled on all fronts!" ”

This result was expected by Davers, his face was calm, and he said: "This battle is not over yet, it is not enough to repel the enemy, it depends on the final result!" ”

Normally, in a head-on battle, the losing side rarely loses more than 10% of the soldiers, and after a rout, if the pursuit is done properly, the casualty rate of the losing side will often increase dramatically, because the defeated army has no fighting spirit to resist.

So Davers kept the trumpet of the attack blowing.

The Ionian soldiers simply threw away their heavy brass shields and helmets, held their guns in both hands, and continued to pursue forward despite their tired bodies, cooperating with reinforcements rushing from the flanks to encircle and annihilate the enemy.

The Bessinian warriors, the light infantry and freedmen under the command of Epitenes and Tspit, and the mountain scouts of Izzam drew a "big net" from the right flank of the Bruti army to the rear of the center. Although the "net" is not very strong and the mesh is too large, it is enough to deter the Brutis who just want to flee for their lives.

Amid the shouts of Ionians everywhere, some of the routs simply threw away their weapons and sat down on the ground.

The Ryders Cavalry Brigade pursued the fleeing enemy in an extremely dispersed and wide two-way horizontal formation. The horse-strong cavalry swept back and forth like a thick fence......

It was near dusk that the Dionian cavalry stopped their pursuit, and when they returned from the bloody and frightening heights of the Cosenza plateau, which was full of routs, the soldiers of good deeds later gave them the nickname "Blood Cavalry", which eventually became their official name.

By this time, the battle was over, and Dionya had won a great victory at the cost of 1,500 casualties, resulting in nearly 5,000 casualties and more than 5,000 prisoners of the Bruti League.

Ryders rushed to see Davers, only to be told that the Commander had gone to the crematorium.

Walking on the battlefield strewn with corpses, Davers's joy of victory has long since disappeared without a trace.

The soldiers laid out their dead teammates neatly on the grass, and they couldn't see their heads at a glance. They carefully pasted two opol on the eyes of the deceased, and prayed to Hades with tears in their eyes.

Looking at the pale faces that seemed familiar, Davers's steps were a little heavy. Finally, he stopped, and a dozen soldiers on the side of the road in front of him were weeping around a corpse, the first of whom he happened to know, the company commander of the Second Legion, Ktyppus.

His heart moved, and he stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Who is the deceased?" ”

"Lord Commander!" When the officers and soldiers saw him, they hurriedly saluted.

In the gap that got out of the way, he saw the face of the deceased, a face all too familiar. Arcinis, a warm and cheerful young man from Amendolara, a hero of the Second Crotone War, a standard-bearer at a triumphal ceremony. In the final attack of this battle, Arcinis, as the leader of the detachment, rushed to the front, only to be stabbed in the chest by a spear thrown by a bold enemy who was not in a hurry to flee for his life......

Listening to Kteppus's bitter words, Davers took the two Opol from the soldier's hands and placed them on Arcinis's closed eyelids...... A year ago, this brave young man had boldly tried to swim with him, but now his body was as cold as a stone. At this moment, how much Davers hopes that Hades really exists in this world, so according to Dionia's respect for Hades, he will definitely be able to give these Dionian soldiers who died in hell preferential treatment......

Emerging from the group of soldiers, Davers walked a little further, then stopped, looking at several burning crematoriums in the distance with a gloomy expression......

After a long time, he said to Tolmid, who had been silently following behind him, "Do you think...... This time Dioonia launched a war against Bruti...... True or False? ”

"Uh......" Tolmid didn't know how to answer for a moment.

However, Davers's expression quickly became resolute, and he replied in a firm tone: "Of course it is! In this era, either we destroy others, or others destroy us, and there is no other way but to strengthen ourselves! ”

Tolmides agreed with Davers's words: in the Eastern Mediterranean, he had seen the oppression of the weak races by the Persians, and the tyranny of the Spartans in Ionia and Asia Minor; After coming to the Western Mediterranean, he also heard about the power of Carthage and the tyranny of Syracuse. But what he didn't expect was that what Davers was worried about at the moment was Rome, a Latin city-state in central Italy that he had never heard of.

…………………………

"Lord Commander, brothers of the First Legion, and soldiers of the Reserve...... They are taking time to rest. They're so tired! He fell asleep almost as soon as he fell to the ground, and he didn't even have time to take off his cuirasse. Cappus said with some heartache.

"This battle ...... Whether it was the First Legion, the Second Legion, or the other teams, they all gave their best and fought quite hard! Davers sighed, but he reminded Capuz, "However, it is autumn, and the night in the mountains is much colder than in Turiyi." Brothers fall to sleep after a fierce battle and sweat all over, be careful of catching a cold! Now that our medical camps are overcrowded, I don't want any more injuries and illnesses! ”

Anton Rios, beside Davers, who had once again served as a military officer in the army during this expedition, and who was obviously already somewhat familiar with the position, suggested this: "I think I can ask the auxiliaries of the baggage battalion to take out the blankets that the soldiers of the First Regiment carry and cover themselves." ”

Davers nodded in agreement, and he looked back at Dracos, the commander of the Second Legion, with his head slightly bowed, his hands behind his back, and his left leg shaking slightly.

Davers looked at him carefully and asked, "Can our camp be built by night?" ”

"The brethren of the Second Legion are taking the captives to build up, while the Mountain Brigade, the Bessinian warriors, and the Allied forces under the command of Trifias and Gorkis (Castelon's general) are also building camps under the direction of the engineers...... Before the night comes, it will definitely be built! ”

Trifias and Gorkis also nodded after Dracos mentioned their names.

Davers thanked them both, and then asked, "How are the Bruti captives doing?" ”

"We severely punished a dozen captives who dared to resist, and the Bessinians set an example by the side, and they behaved quite obediently."

Davers nodded, he paced back and forth a few steps, and said in a deep voice, "Don't abuse them!" If a Buruti is found to be unable to continue working, they should be allowed to stop and rest...... Oh, it's up to you to decide what to do. ”

"Yes."

"What's the matter with the wound on your right hand?" Dracos was thinking about how to complete the task given to him by Davers, not noticing that Davers had already walked behind him.

He hurriedly retracted his hand, took two steps back, shook his head and said, "No...... Nothing, stabbed by soldiers...... The ...... who was accidentally wounded by a bayonet gun"

He shook his head, and a blood groove under his jaw happened to be reflected in Davers's eyes, and Davers, who was respected by Phelps as a teacher, knew that near this wound was the vital carotid artery, and you can imagine the thrill of the scene and the luck of Dracos.

At this moment, Davers's face sank: "You rushed to the front again, didn't you!" How many times have I told you, you are the commander of the army commanding more than 7,000 people, not an ordinary soldier, if you die in battle, how much impact it will have on the whole battle, do you know? Ionian military law is just child's play for you, isn't it! If you don't want to comply, don't comply! ……”

Davers scolded bitterly, and Dracos drooped his head, not daring to speak.

In the eyes of outsiders, a young man reprimanded a strong man in his 30s like a father training a child, which is a bit funny. But the high-ranking generals of Dionya and the important figures of the allies around him also looked serious, and they tried to hold their breath as much as possible, which showed the power of Davers.

"Temporarily hand over the command of the Second Army to Adrianx, and you immediately go to Staceikodas (the director of the medical battalion of the expeditionary troops, one of Herps's right-hand men), bandage the wounds, and then go to the military judge to be punished!"

As soon as Davers finished speaking, Dracos replied yes and turned and ran away as if he had been pardoned.

"Commander, actually...... By the time of the final attack, the soldiers were very tired, and Dracos wanted to use this method to encourage them......" Antonio explained to Drax in a whisper.

"Arcinis, you should all know each other. After the victory in the second battle with Crotone, he was the standard-bearer at the triumphal ceremony and is now a detachment leader of the 2nd Legion, a very promising young officer! Davers let out a long sigh, "I just paid for the river crossing to Rojon for him...... The junior officers learn what the commander of the regiment does, and I don't want to see that there are always vacancies in the positions of officers of the Second Legion. This Dracos, who will not die in battle, will have to be beaten well! ”

After Davers said this, it was difficult for Capps and Antonios to say anything more.