Cleo looked bewildered. Although Eutagus was incredibly strong, he was a man of few words.
He had excellent relationships with all the chiefs and was extremely obsequious toward Mithridates. What was wrong with him today? Why had he suddenly become so talkative?
"Enough, Eutagus! I hereby declare that you have disobeyed my orders, resisted the new methods of warfare, and are hereby dismissed from your command. Get out of here!" Mithridates roared, unable to continue tolerating the reckless barbarian leader.
"You..."
Eutagus was so angry that he pointed at him with his finger, but he could not speak.
"Your Majesty, should we give him another chance? Eutagus did not intend to offend you."
"Yes, let us forgive him this time, considering the courage with which Eutagus usually fights."
"..."
All the tribal chiefs raised their voices to protect Eustagus.
Eutagus was skilled in interpersonal relations and maintained a good relationship with them. They had also participated in the boycott of the reforms implemented in the army. In this way, could Mithridates not also strip them of their military power?
What they did not know was that Mithridates really intended to take advantage of this opportunity to strip them of their power.
"Go ahead, leave. We will see."
To his surprise, Eutagus left furiously, which angered Mithridates.
This left everyone stunned. What was wrong with Eutagus today? Why was he being so talkative and irrational?
However, Cleo had a gloomy expression; such an event before an important battle was not a good omen.
At that precise moment, a messenger approached on horseback with an anxious expression.
"Your Majesty, our army has discovered enemy scouts in the vicinity of Lake Ikeniz."
"Really? Excellent! This time I am going to show the Romans the fruits of my military reforms," Mithridates said with a serious expression.
"His Majesty is a great strategist and will undoubtedly achieve a great victory over the Romans."
"Well said, we must decisively win this battle against the Romans."
The generals and tribal chiefs were quick to speak up.
However, Cleo had a gloomy expression, hoping that His Majesty would be more prudent and not repeat the mistakes of the past.
---
Both sides detected the presence of the other almost simultaneously, and their scouts became embroiled in a fierce battle, while Septimus ordered his men to camp near Lake Iznik.
The camp, with nearly 100,000 soldiers, stretched for kilometers, occupying the northern shore of Lake Iznik.
In the military camp, Septimus closed his eyes while observing all the surrounding terrain through the scout clones.
Septimus had 9 clone legions and one regular Roman legion, as well as more than 4,000 cavalrymen and various allied forces, including Thracians, Cretan archers, and more than 10,000 men under Macaro, bringing his total strength to more than 90,000 men. His forces were outnumbered by the enemy.
However, Rome had a history of fighting many battles with fewer troops.
On the other hand, the combat power of a clone legion could surpass that of two or three classical Roman legions.
In Republican Rome, the Roman legions possessed strong combat power and deterrence.
The idea of infantry as kings on the battlefield was already deeply rooted in Rome.
Before the invention of stirrups, the combat effectiveness of cavalry was very limited.
Cavalry had a secondary role in warfare, and its main function consisted of scouting.
During the last few days, the clone scouts had understood the situation of the enemy army through different means.
From night raids or information gathered from captured enemy soldiers.
The clone scouts and allied forces managed to understand the army of Pontus.
Septimus knew that the logistical situation of the Pontic army was very precarious, suffering from a severe shortage of food.
Consequently, Mithridates spared no effort in sending a large number of troops to gather provisions.
However, the Pontic army currently concentrated its forces on attacking Nicaea with the purpose of alleviating its precarious situation caused by the lack of food.
The logistics of 300,000 men could not easily be maintained with the current levels of production and depended heavily on plunder.
Even the Romans, with their vast extent of controlled land and allied kingdoms, had never organized an army of such magnitude.
Knowing the location of Mithridates's army, the clone legions prepared for a direct confrontation.
Septimus had no intention of playing with Mithridates's army.
The army of the Kingdom of Pontus could self-destruct due to the lack of decent logistics and avoid the loss of thousands of clone legionaries' lives.
But Septimus had no intention of retreating and playing with the Pontic army.
The clone legions did not fear direct confrontation, and casualties would not affect the morale of an army formed by the united will of a single person.
Even if Mithridates's 300,000 soldiers were seasoned warriors, the clone army would resist until the end.
For Septimus, the most troublesome thing about the Pontic army was its war chariots.
The Pontic war chariots were equipped with scythes on both sides. Once these chariots charged into the enemy ranks, they caused terrible casualties by dismembering the soldiers' legs.
At that precise moment, Julius Caesar suddenly burst into the tent.
Septimus calmly observed him, waiting for his message.
"General, a man named Eustagus has joined us with more than a thousand cavalrymen. He claims to be a tribal chief of Dandaria and to have been under Mithridates's command. He is dissatisfied with Mithridates and has come to join us," said Julius Caesar.
Septimus's expression changed slightly as he thought.
"Did he give any specific reason?" Septimus asked while frowning.
"He said that Mithridates had reprimanded him publicly and stripped him of his military power. He was unwilling to lose it, so he gathered his men to join him," Julius Caesar said after arranging his words for a few seconds.
Septimus's mind suddenly became clear. He suddenly remembered that, in the original history, someone from the Pontic army had pretended to defect and join Lucullus in an attempt to assassinate him, but ultimately failed.
Could it be him?
Septimus smiled knowingly and asked Julius Caesar to bring him in. Shortly afterward, a tall man with large, round eyes entered, wearing armor and sporting a thick beard.
Upon entering the main tent, Eustagus immediately saw Septimus surrounded by two guards and knelt on one knee.
"The sinner Eustagus pays homage to General Septimus."
"Who are you? Why did you betray Mithridates?" Septimus asked calmly.
"I am the tribal chief of the Dandarians. Thanks to Mithridates's arrogance, my tribe is currently facing many problems and…"
Eutagus embellished the story of what had happened that day.
Septimus looked at Eutagus, who quickly said, "Well... Mithridates would not be so arrogant and rude, but he is extremely cruel."
"Mithridates killed his mother, his brothers, three sons, and three daughters; he was absolutely bloodthirsty."
Septimus smiled slightly at the reputation he shared with Mithridates.
Eutagus had an incredibly strong physique comparable to that of a bodybuilder, and it was very amusing to see him complaining just like a child.
"Stop talking, inform me about the situation of the army in Pontus. We have some information, but not many details," Septimus asked calmly, as he had no intention of continuing to waste time with a barbarian chief.
"Of course, I know everything about the army of the Kingdom of Pontus. I am willing to tell you everything I know, General. Mithridates's army has infantry..." Eustagus recounted in great detail.