Cledeth, a new generation of generals who distinguished themselves in the Carthaginian Wars. He was reinstated in this crusade and was appointed to command the Second Roman Legion of the 24th Expeditionary Force. This legion used to be the personal guard of the former king Aloyos, and its equipment and combat effectiveness were the strongest among the imperial legions.

The young general, Clydes, once commanded this legion to successfully carry out the "elephant hunting" military operation, and was very charismatic in the army. Therefore, the emperor entrusted him with important tasks, firstly, to express the cultivation of young and promising generals, and secondly, to commend and affirm the loyalty of the Thessaros family.

Clydes followed in the footsteps of Thessaros and Leocharius on the land of Asia Minor. As soon as he came ashore, he pushed forward to probe the enemy. As he advanced to the Hemas, Thessaros knew it was time for him to act.

So they decisively attacked the city. Because his son advanced to the Hemas, it meant that Pergamon had become an isolated city, without reinforcements.

The siege engines opened gaps in the tall walls, and the Macedonian phalanx calmly entered the city to clear the besieged enemy. The defenders consisted mainly of the Pontus Bronze Shield Pikemen, and an elite Pontus General Guard.

The bronze shield spearmen belonged to the elite infantry of Pontus, and are said to be the descendants of Alexander's phalanx army that conquered the world, similar to the phalanx of Greece and Macedonia, armed with a 4.5-meter spear and carrying a small copper shield, thinking about this honor and social status. This kind of soldier has strict discipline and good training.

The cavalry of the elite general guard of Pontus came from the Cappadocian cavalry, armed with heavy guns, and the charge was extremely destructive and capable of effective melee combat. They are in the same vein as the Sarmatian mercenary cavalry, with similar performance and strong impact.

No matter how strong the individual combat capabilities of the Pontus army were, the sparse defenders simply could not compete with the powerful Macedonian legions. The Macedonian phalanx advanced all the way to the square, and the battle ended. The defenders of Pontus were all wiped out.

With the capture of Pergamon, Macedonia opened up a solid beachhead landing position in Asia Minor: Bithynia and Phrygia, through which supplies could be easily and continuously transported ashore to support the follow-up of the troops.

Leocharius continued to advance with his troops, invaded Galatia, and laid siege to the city of Ankara. The Pontus army, which operated at about the same time as him, was the coastal defense force of Mithridatis, mostly infantry. Instead of confronting the invading Macedonian corps, the cunning Mithridates bypassed them in an attempt to recover Nicomediaa. His strategy was to cut off his rear route, besiege and annihilate Leo Charles' forces.

Fortunately, the Campania Legion is not alone. When the Invincible Legion and the Second Roman Legion found out about the whereabouts of the Pontus army, they immediately surrounded and intercepted it.

As the commander-in-chief of the crusade, Thessaros decided that his legions would remain on hold for the time being, defend their strongholds, and be ready to respond to the other three fronts.

At this time, Emperor Podare Ríos, who was far away in the capital Rome, was satisfied. The seizure of the rich coastal areas of Asia Minor brought Macedonia a very considerable gold income. Even the real-time financial situation immediately turned into a profit. Besides, the ransacking of the cities of the East and the plundering of wealth is part of the operation.

As early as the attack on Scythia, the capture of the Bosphorus was strategically important. That is to develop it into a starting point for a surprise march into Asia Minor, attacking Pontus itself from behind.

However, now the trial site has become a wasteland, overgrown with weeds. Another serious rebellion broke out in the important city of Cesonise on the peninsula, and the Macedonian garrison officials and security forces were driven out of the city. Troops from neighbouring countries are being brought in to assist in the crackdown. The Governor of Scythia was alarmed, and he sent a small border guard to reinforce him. The Macedonians, who had the upper hand, took control of the situation and severely punished the fanatics.

As it stands, there is no need to strike from the rear. The Macedonian army's offensive in Asia Minor was unstoppable, attacking from multiple fronts at the same time, and all of them made progress.

The Invincible Legion, also led by a young general, competed with the Second Roman Regiment. It seems that they have no intention of cooperating, but to see who finds the enemy first and destroys them.

The Emperor gave the Invincible Legion to Apalos, his cousin. Apalos was the son of Ducarus, a strong military commander, and a member of the imperial family. Flattered by gaining the trust of his royal brother, he wants to fight and make a name for himself as soon as he lands on Asian soil.

Mithridates did not disappoint him and was crashing into his arms. The battle began.

There was a reason why Apalos was one step ahead, he dropped his siege equipment and moved lightly. As a result, his ranged attack is only as strong as a foot archer.

Apalos observed the enemy army, the configuration was not complicated, almost all infantry, a general's cavalry, no bow troops. The infantry is fairly strong: brass-shielded pikemen, hill soldiers, and standard oriental infantry. The most threatening Bronze Shield is only two phalanxes. The battle plan takes shape.

The Macedonian phalanx pressed in on all fronts, and the archers were placed on the left flank to face the bronze shield spears. The cavalry was divided into left and right wings, with heavy cavalry on the right flank, ready to attack.

Mithridates had no choice but to fight, and he was preparing to attack the city. Ordinary infantry was placed in the first line, and the bronze shield and himself hid in the second line, attacking at a critical moment.

The Macedonian archers drew their longbows and aimed their shots. The bronze shield infantry fell to the ground, and the small round shield simply could not provide them with sufficient protection. The bow and arrow hit them in the arms, arms, legs, and feet, and were wounded; Neck, face, chest and abdomen, hit death. The cannon fodder in the front row also suffered a blow, raising their shields to cover them.

Macedon's bow and arrows were swift and fierce, and in a moment the bronze shield left a wide belt of corpses on the ground. They had no choice, they couldn't run away. The Macedonian pikemen pressed closely.

Having eliminated the equal forces, Apalos ordered an attack, and the Pontic infantry came under great pressure. The guns they held were no more than one meter, and the phalanx soldiers were 4.5 meters, and it was difficult to go around the side in a tight formation. The result of the engagement between the two sides can be imagined, the Macedonia overwhelmed the mixed infantry in the east, and the swords and guns clashed. In just one minute, the Pontic infantry line began to rout.

The heavy cavalry on the right side of the Macedonia launched a flank attack, and the hill soldiers also completely fled. Mithridatis' cavalry was flanked on both sides by spears, and all of them were disposed of by the spearmen.

The Invincible Legion won, destroying the Infantry Legion of the Coastal Defense Corps of Asia Minor.

With friendly flank escorts, Leo Charles could safely attack Ankara.

Ankara is the central city of Galatia, and its strategic location is important as it can reach any corner of the other provinces. The governor of Asia Minor, Opato, personally led a heavy army to Ankara. However, his mission is more defensive, so the troops are in the old configuration. There were few new types of cavalry, and the main forces were the Sickle chariot and the Eastern infantry.

The charge of the Scythe is indeed destructive, but it is very unstable.

So where is the new main battle group in Pontus?

(End of chapter)