Feidun rushed to Tao Ruina and prepared to bring the remaining Lijim troops stationed there to Medema to participate in the siege.

In order to prevent the Locre army from attacking again from the rear while the coalition forces were siegeing the city, Hilos also sent a brigade to build a simple wooden village to block the mountain road leading to Locre, and sent a reconnaissance team to monitor the movements of the Locre people at all times.

Hilos, who had certain experience in siege, was slow and led his army to implement his siege plan in an orderly manner. However, the civilians who returned to Locre did not immediately go to the northern border to repel the invading Coulenians.

Due to the capture of Diopantos, the Locre army needed a new commander. However, Demodocas appointed a confidant of his position, but was opposed by the members of the Council. The reason was that Locre was in a critical period and urgently needed a person with military talents to lead a citizen to defend Locre. Demodocas's candidate lacked war experience and had no prestige in the army, so it was difficult to command soldiers. Once the battle failed, Locre would lose its only unit, so he must be cautious!

This is the second time the Council has refuted Demodokas' proposal in two days. Such a situation has never happened before. Demodokas suppressed his anger and saw that the members unanimously elected Megalis. The old man, McGaris, led his army to fight Crotone many times more than ten years ago, and he had many victories. In recent years, he has been squeezed by Demodokas and had to stand aside.

At this time, facing the strong demands of everyone, Demodokas had to agree to this appointment, allowing his political enemies to serve as the head coach of the army, but he felt deeply cold.

McGarys immediately rectified his team and led more than 6,000 people to attack and face the enemy.

After burning down a village, the Kaurenian army did not face the enemy head-on, but quickly retreated back to the border of its city-state territory. However, they did not stay away. Instead, they set up camp and continued to maintain a deterrence against Locre.

The cautious McGarys was worried about the conspiracy of the Coulenians, and was afraid of ambushing the ground and did not attack. They were also firmly guarding the border, and the two sides formed a confrontation.

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In the early morning, the people of Lijim flocked to the port. They not only bid farewell to the Dionian fleet and the First Legion, but also to the nearly 1,000 soldiers and families who had just joined the cross-sea expedition to Sicily.

Most of them were fugitives from the Sicily city-states that were captured by Syracuse, such as Katanai and Naxos. In the past, Lijim built two new city-states (Messina and Tindares) that Syracuse built on the Mile Peninsula in order to compete with the two new city-states (Messina and Tindares) that Syracuse built on the other side of the strait. However, the Syracuse army moved quickly and quickly captured the new city. Some people were arrested and killed, some people fled into the mountains, and some were rescued by Lijim people and picked them up by ships.

Now the Lijim people pray that this army will go well in Sicily and will not repeat the same mistakes.

The Dionia fleet and dozens of Lijim ships sailed out of the port together. In front of the fleet was Seclian's ship. The young Dionia commander stood by the side of the ship, looking at the opposite shore, with a hint of regret in his eyes. He pointed ahead and said to Antonios, the first legion commander of his warship, who was riding on his warship: "Messina is not far ahead, why don't we capture him first! It's very close to Lijim, and it's easy to get Lijim's support. After capturing Messina, we can block the strait and completely eliminate the warships in the port!"

Antonios looked at Seclian with a squinted look. He had known that this young man was radical and arrogant. If it were Amintas here, he would have criticized him: "What right does your navy have to point fingers at the legion!"

But Antonios would not do this. In fact, when Davers asked about his opinion, his initial consideration was to land on the Mile Peninsula between Tindares and Messina. Both city-states were newly built, not very strong, and far away from Syracuse, and were easily taken down as their base for advance in Sicily (the former city of Messina was captured and destroyed when the army led by the Carthaginian commander Himirco was attacking Syracuse. Two years ago, Dionysius led his army north to expel the Carthaginians on the north coast, and rebuilt the city).

"I thought so before, but I was opposed by His Majesty." Antonios said in a tactful tone.

"Oh, why?" As soon as Secrean heard the word "Your Majesty", his expression of dissatisfaction disappeared.

"Time." Antonios said a word: "'It will take about a few days to attack Messina. In these days, the Syracuse people have long received the news that 'we attack Sicily' and will be prepared to defend themselves. When we go south to attack, the difficulties will increase. Messina is too far from Syracuse, and its fall will not have much impact on Syracuse's sphere of influence. We must take advantage of Syracuse's lack of defense to raid the city-state nearby, causing panic and chaos to the area under his control, and more opportunities will be born in the chaos...' This is the original words of His Majesty."

After listening carefully, Secrean sighed: "Your Majesty is considering it comprehensively! But in this way, our risks will be greater.

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

Secrean 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 that the Dionian Navy will become the master of this sea area!"

The two of them smiled with confidence.

The fleet sailed south along the east coast of Sicily and encountered many merchant ships along the way. They saw this large-scale mixed fleet, especially when they found the "gem, black hair, double-stranded fork" logo drawn on the sails. They were shocked. They had a premonition that something big happened. Some retreated in a hurry, while others turned around and accelerated back south, obviously preparing to go back to report the news.

Secrean was in charge of the flagship and was unmoved. His fleet was already sailing at the fastest speed and was not far from his destination.

Antonios has been looking at the coast from the side of the ship. He has never been to Sicily before. What he sees on the map is completely different from the immersive feeling.

Davers once told him: From Messina to Taurumenang, he could only walk on a narrow road near the coast by land, and this road is thirty or forty miles long."

It seems to be true now, because it took almost three hours of sailing from Lijim Port. In his eyes, the mountains on the other side have never been broken, overlapping and continuous, looking soothing, clear and green, pleasing to the eye, like a picture. But Antonios knew that this was because it was five or six miles away from him. According to experience, these peaks were not less than a thousand meters high, and it was indeed difficult to climb.

"Sir Antonios, that's Taurumenan." A middle-aged man next to him pointed to the other side and said.

The man was named Raodisian. He was originally a noble Naxos. After Naxos fell, he led his family to flee to the inland Sicily. Near Agilion, he gathered with the exiles of other city-states and gradually formed a larger village. Due to the continuous invasion of the Syracuse Allies and the hatred of the Sikels, their lives were quite difficult. Later, he heard that Lijim was going to build a new city for them, and he went there happily. Unexpectedly, the rapid reaction of the Syracuse people destroyed the newly built Mile New City, and some of his relatives died in the war, and he fled to Lijim.

Although after going through twists and turns, his determination to rebuild his home did not change, but became stronger. Therefore, when he heard that Dionia was going to attack Sicily, he took the initiative to lead the remaining relatives to Antonios and asked to join.

At this time, when Antonios heard this, he looked closely: he saw a city standing on the high ground near the coast. The most strange thing is that it is a twin city. Two stone fortresses are located on the high ground, supporting each other, easy to defend but difficult to attack, and guarding this narrow and long coastal passage.

"I heard that this is a city built by the Carthaginians for the Sikels?" Antonios asked uncertainly, recalling some brief information about the city he learned.

"Yes, in order to win over the Sikels, the indigenous peoples were allowed to join his side when Carthage attacked Syracuse, they built Taoromenian for the Sikels..." Raodician said with some gloating pleasure: "Later, when the Sikels attacked Taoromenian, the tyrant of Syracuse attacked Taoromenian, because of the steep terrain, they could not use siege equipment and could not capture it. In the end, the Sikels surrendered voluntarily and obtained it. Now the owner of this city is the abominable Campanian mercenaries!"

Antonios listened to his explanation and looked at Tauromenian in a daze: If he had chosen to attack Messina first, even if he succeeded, he would not be able to break Tauromenian by land and enter the core area controlled by Syracuse, but could only go through the sea... The Sikels were a force that King Davers suggested that he could contact...

"...Attack Sicily, you must remember, 'Three points depend on military affairs, and seven points depend on diplomacy.'..." Antonios recalled the words Davers solemnly reminded before leaving.

The fleet continued to move forward, and Antonios's vision suddenly opened: the mountains that had already seen make people sleepy disappeared, and there were rolling hills. The more south the terrain became, the lower the terrain became...

Antonios's eyes were attracted by the farther scene on the land: it was a majestic mountain. Even if it was nearly 20 miles apart, its majestic mountain was still so clear, showing a huge trapezoidal shape, entering the sky, like a pillar standing upright. What's even more strange is that other peaks are emerald green, while it is gray, and it looks ancient and mysterious. This is the legendary melting pot of Hervestos' magic weapon-Etna Volcano in Sicily.

Thank you Zhan Billy for your unswerving reward! Your support is my greatest motivation for writing!!
Chapter completed!