Chapter 481 Reorganization
"Thessalonica was razed to the ground. Haha, it seems that the old man Areobinders made such a stupid decision this time." Andrew rode his horse outside the window of the carriage, surrounded by Luca's loyal guards. On the Greek Avenue leading to Athens, a reorganized army of thousands of people was following the team closely.
"He is indeed crazy. He is afraid that I will fail. He just doesn't want to be buried with me!" Luca replied. He looked solemn and unhappy. He knocked the silver wine glass in his hand back and forth on the window, quietly listening to the "clang clang" sound made by the knocking. The sound seemed to attract his attention. "It's a pity for the more than 2,000 soldiers. These idiots really believed Areobinders' nonsense. I'm sure they will hate me even after they die. They must think that I am the instigator of all this."
"Luga, don't forget, this is not your fault. After all, these two thousand men followed Areobinders closely. They are his subordinates and can only obey his orders." Andrew explained while riding his horse: "Fortunately, the soldiers around him reacted in time, otherwise Areobinders would have killed you."
"This is all thanks to you, Andrew." Luca stopped his meaningless actions, then heaved a long sigh, smiled and continued: "Fortunately, we have a tight control over the Thracian Field Army. I had expected that we would not be able to hold on, but I didn't expect it to end in such a situation."
Andrew: "Areobinders is a coward. He must be scared to do this. After all, Attila has been invincible all the way. He can see his resistance before the war."
"If you surrender, you can survive. If you resist, you will be killed. There are many examples like this. Areobinders just wanted to take a gamble, but I completely angered Attila and made him break the rules." Luca picked up the empty wine glass and carefully looked at the carved patterns on it. Although it was not as exquisite as those in later generations, it was also lifelike and beautiful. I don't know which master created it. Luca was fascinated by it for a while, probably trying to distract himself.
"Luga, what are you thinking about? I see that surviving this disaster doesn't make you happy." Andrew asked curiously.
"Oh, that's enough, Andrew." Luca came back to his senses and stroked his forehead. He said to Andrew tirelessly, "You should also understand our current situation. Look, we have lost Thessalonica. Maybe we won't see this city on our maps in the future. Damn it, I can't think of anything else we can do to resist Attila. Without the strong city walls, we can only fight Attila on the ground."
"Army! Army! I need more troops." Luga kept repeating. He couldn't help but clench the wine glass in his hand. Listening to the clacking sound of the wine glass in his hand, he seemed to have a deeper plan in his mind.
The fall of Thessalonica marked the destruction of the greatest resistance to Attila in the Macedonian province, and the destruction of other small cities was only a matter of time. At this time, Athens was flooded with refugees and beggars everywhere, who never tired of telling stories of escape and the horror of the Huns.
No matter if they were nobles or commoners, no matter how old they looked, it did not mean they were wise. Compared to seeing it with their own eyes, they were more willing to believe the rumors of the refugees. Everyone heard the key points in the language passed down by word of mouth, and outlined the terrible appearance of the Huns in their heads, and successfully frightened themselves, and then used the talent of language to spread their imagined demons everywhere, so that fear spread. Before the Huns came, the Athenians had been defeated by their own rumors.
A Roman army appeared outside the city, and they were actually flying the flag of the Thracian field army.
"Isn't the Thracian Field Army fighting the Huns on the front line? Why are they coming here?" The soldiers looked at the army that was getting closer and closer from the distance, and they began to argue privately.
The Duke guarding the city, the Greek Arletto, was informed, and he hurried to the city wall and looked at the huge army waiting below.
"The Thracian field army..." He looked at the snake depicted on the flag of the standard-bearer below and couldn't help but murmured: "Why are they here?"
Seeing that the gates of Athens had not been opened for a long time, Luca was getting impatient. His legs were weak from the long ride, so he wanted to find a comfortable and soft bed to sleep. However, he had been waiting for half an hour, watching the soldiers staring at the heads sticking out of the walls, but nothing happened. He hurriedly got off the carriage and looked up at the walls of Athens, shouting, "Hey, why haven't you opened the gates yet? Do you think we are barbarians who have changed their clothes?"
"Hey, why are you here?" Arreto asked Luca and introduced himself: "I am Arreto, the Duke of Athens. Who are you and why are you here with so many Roman soldiers?"
"Okay, okay, you damned Athenians! What book made you so alert?" Luca cursed secretly, then raised his head and looked at Arletto and said slowly and gently: "Dear Duke, I am Luca, Flavius Luca, the adopted son of your Basileus, and the current supreme commander of the Thracian field army."
"Flavius, I recognize you. You once stepped forward and turned the tide of the battle when Basileus was fighting the Sassanids! I remember you, Flavius Luca." Luca was caught off guard by the fact that the city gate would be opened after a simple introduction. However, it didn't matter. Looking at the open city gate in front of him, he couldn't help but sneer.
The adopted son of Basileus, the commander of the Thracian field army, these titles are not something that anyone can bear.
Fame always comes faster than the person himself. For a time, the rumor that "Basileus' adopted son brought the Thracian field army that had fought bloody battles with Attila to guard Athens" made the soldiers, citizens and even refugees in Athens flock to the streets, watching Luca and his army slowly passing by.
"Son of Theodosius, save us!"
They fired in unison and shouted loudly, and the sound was like a prayer to God. Even hiding in the carriage could not escape their pleading and prayers.
Luga naturally understood what he should do, but begging was just begging. If they were asked to go to the battlefield, they would definitely step back, shut their mouths, and watch quietly.
"Andrew!" Luca called out.
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"What's the matter, Luca?" Andrew came closer and listened carefully.
"Gather all the nobles. I need to hold a banquet to show my determination!"
(End of this chapter)