As long as they broke through the defense line that the Tino Alliance had built up over the years, they could enter the interior of the Tino Alliance.
With the terrifying combat power of the Spartan heavy infantry, they can destroy anyone they want!
Even if they invaded Athens and captured the Acropolis, which was said to have never been conquered, it was not impossible!
Compared with this great prospect, the reward of 50 million gold coins is really dispensable!
"He really is from Sparta. This guy really knows how to talk!"
After hearing what Eulibiades said, Xia Zhe chuckled and nodded silently.
A reward of 50 million gold coins is no small sum!
How could Eurybiades not want it?
Xia Zhe is, after all, a veteran player who has played simulation games tens of thousands of times. He is well aware of the huge gap in financial resources between Sparta and Athens.
If the Spartan army were not made up of iron-blooded warriors, their reliance on logistical supplies would be far lower than that of the Athenian soldiers.
I'm afraid the outcome of this protracted war in the South has already been decided.
If we could really get 50 million gold coins, it would definitely be enough for Sparta to eat for ten years!
Xia Zhe felt that Eulibiad's statement of "not wanting a single gold coin" was just diplomatic rhetoric.
However, at the moment, the two sides were talking quite well, and he had no intention of refusing to pay the money. He could just listen to the polite words and not take them to heart.
It’s more important to hurry on your way.
Thinking of this, Xia Zhe quickly proposed that the two armies join forces, and then adjust the direction and set off.
There is no need to go around in circles anymore, just head straight north and head straight for Botaitia.
In that case, if everything goes well, we can arrive in seven or eight days and solve the problem once and for all!
After the two fleets joined forces, the total number of warships exceeded nine thousand.
Such a huge military force made Eurybiades and Hector feel much more secure.
There was no objection, and both agreed with Xia Zhe's opinion.
The entire army marched north with great fanfare, no longer hiding anything, striving to return to the Great North as quickly as possible.
Two days later in the afternoon.
On the deck of Stoby's flagship.
Xia Zhe was listening with great interest to Eulibiades talking about the Spartan warriors and Leonidas.
Suddenly, Hector came hurriedly with two Corinthian generals, looking solemn.
"Something terrible is happening! According to the reconnaissance of several outposted reconnaissance ships, the main force of the Athenian navy has already arrived ahead of our army with the help of the ocean currents and is heading south at full speed. They will encounter our army within one or two hours!" said Hector.
"How many ships do they have? Will we have time to turn around and retreat?" Eurybiades asked hurriedly.
"There should be no less than 12,000 ships! And they are all Athenian standard warships, with no vassal state ships with poor combat effectiveness! As for retreat, it is too late! The Athenian navy has also locked our position, and their ships are faster than ours. A battle between the two sides is inevitable!" Hector answered affirmatively.
Twelve thousand ships!
And they are all Athenian standard warships!
Hearing this, all the commanders present, except Xia Zhe, looked very unhappy.
The Tino Alliance cannot afford to lose this batch of gold and must take it back.
Everyone knows this.
However, no one could have imagined that the Athenian navy would arrive so quickly and in such large numbers!
What’s even more terrifying is that the Athenian navy seemed to have foreseen the future and actually used the power of ocean currents to cut off the coalition forces’ route to the north in advance.
This forward-looking tactical operation reminded everyone that the commander of the Athenian navy was by no means mediocre!
"I have a bad feeling. The commander of the Athenian fleet is probably not Pericles, who is good at domestic affairs but has mediocre military ability." Eurybiades said solemnly.
Everyone nodded silently upon hearing this, and the atmosphere on the deck seemed quite depressing for a moment.
"So what if Pericles is not leading the army? Why do you all act as if someone has died in your family?" Xia Zhe asked in surprise.
He really couldn't understand what Eulibiades meant.
So what if it wasn't Pericles who was in command?
Why does everyone look so scared?
"Alas! My king doesn't know. Although the Athenian navy is powerful, not everyone is qualified to command 12,000 main warships! Apart from Archon Pericles, only one person has this authority." The Prime Minister sighed.
"That's right! This man is Themistocles, known as the Greek naval god! He is so famous, and his skills in naval battles are superb! Anyone who meets him at sea can only sigh that they have bad luck!" Hector continued.
Next, everyone talked about it and praised Themistocles, who was known as the god of the navy.
This man is truly capable as he has gained the unanimous approval of all Athens' enemies.
The more Xia Zhe listened, the colder he felt inside. If he hadn't been leaning against a sturdy chair, he would have collapsed to the ground in fear.
Themistocles was the greatest contributor to the Athenian navy's unrivaled strength.
Back then, he defied all odds and firmly believed that prioritizing the development of the navy was the right path, even breaking with many of his old friends for this.
After that, after ten years, a powerful fleet was finally built for Athens.
At that time, everyone felt that this was a futile effort that was a waste of time and money!
However, less than a year later, a huge change suddenly occurred!
The previous Persian king, Darius I, had dispatched his fleet without warning, intending to directly attack the southern part of the Greek mainland, relying on the island chain south of the Aegean Sea.
This fleet was surprisingly powerful, and its combat capability far surpassed that of the fleets of the major southern countries at that time.
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