The Best Defense Is Offense! 2/3

With the long night stretching on and nothing to do, Samael and Jason finished their Honey Wine from the bottle and then pulled their old friend aside to play chess in the captain's cabin to pass the time.

Unfortunately, after several games, Jason, this terrible chess player, basically didn't win a single game. Although he played boldly and his moves were often unexpected, he seemed more like a gambler trying to recoup his losses than a competent chess player.

The saying goes that nine out of ten gamblers lose. In a game like chess, which emphasizes mental skill, it is undoubtedly much more difficult to rely on luck or sheer audacity to defy the odds.

Therefore, Samael won without any pressure and thus couldn't gain much of a sense of accomplishment.

It's a pity that high-level players like Gilgamesh, Athena, Themis aren't here; otherwise, this kind of entertainment would be quite interesting.

After several setbacks and being battered and bruised on the chessboard, Jason's gambler's competitive spirit was aroused. With a quick thought, he activated the Sorcery Array on the Argo and summoned his cousin Odysseus for a shameless off-board appeal.

To increase the game's difficulty, Samael turned a blind eye to Odysseus's behind-the-scenes advice and calmly fought two opponents at once.

It must be said that Odysseus was indeed a strategist, with a meticulous plan, and he managed to fight Odysseus to a standstill.

Samael, after all, had been repeatedly defeated by the three great masters Gilgamesh, Athena, and Themis. He had dealt with almost all types of opponents. His advantage lay in his rich experience and deep strategies. Even against the generally conservative Odysseus, he could still win more often than lose.

However, seeing the two sides exchanging blows and fighting fiercely, Jason was unwilling to be just a tool responsible for placing pieces. He couldn't resist the urge to play and, relying on his intuition, added his own understanding to his moves in a few steps.

In a short time, Odysseus added wildly imaginative and risky moves to his otherwise meticulously planned strategy, employing a completely different style, using the conventional as a basis and the unconventional as a supplement, which greatly increased the pressure on Samael, who quickly lost several games in a row.

Unexpectedly, the collaboration between these two cousins produced a wonderful chemical reaction.

As the score was steadily closing in and a tie seemed imminent, Samael, while in high spirits, became even more cautious and careful.

During this time, Sisyphus, who was on night watch, quietly slipped into the room, stood behind Samael, and gave his superior advice.

Not long after, Odysseus also boarded the Argo and offered advice on the spot.

The situation returned to two-on-two, and Samael simply stopped pursuing victory and treated it as a casual pastime, which suddenly made the scene more lively.

At the end of the game, Samael pressed down his King, gave his seat to Sisyphus, and stood up to look at Odysseus, discussing important matters.

"Is the handover complete over there?"

"Yes, it was arranged two days ago. The five Hassan who came were Hundred Faces, Yan Zui, Zhen Guan, Ying Bo, and Calamity Jane Mi, as well as one-third of the Assassins of the cult. However, I did not see the old man you mentioned."

"That's normal. The old man has his own plans. He will appear at the right time and place, when he is supposed to, and strike with deadly accuracy before fleeing far away. That is the true essence of an assassin."

Samael didn't take it to heart, recalling his past experiences and explaining with a light laugh.

"The Order has agreed to cooperate, but has only sent one-third of its strength, which is rather lacking in sincerity."

Odysseus frowned, reminding him that the past enmity Pan-Hellenic Alliance and the Assassins' Order made it difficult for him to let his guard down against these assassins.

Samael toyed with an exquisite assassin chess piece in his hand, his fingers twirling as he pursed his lips and whispered.

"It is my destiny that, due to various reasons, the collective power of the Assassins' Order will not be directly deployed to the battlefield against the Persian army."

Then, the ancient serpent raised its eyes, its expression meaningful.

"Of course, they have greater advantages if they stay in Persia..."

A larger area?

A look of doubt crossed Odysseus's face as the assassin's pawn was pushed onto the sand table on display. The strategist seemed to be deep in thought at first, but then the fog in his mind suddenly dissipated under the sudden thunder, and his pupils contracted sharply.

"Persia? You're plotting against Persia!"

"Otherwise what? Does this guy only get to take a beating and never fight back?"

Samael glanced at Odysseus, then placed the assassin's chess piece on the Persian Pantheon marked with flames. He turned to reveal the entire sand table, overlooking the mountains, rivers, and seas filled with various flags and intricate power struggles, and a smile played on his lips.

"Hot Spring Pass now has a Persian army of 300,000 men and thousands of warships. It has almost emptied the heartland of Persia. This battle has reached the point of exhausting the country's strength. The enemy's heartland is already empty."

According to intelligence gathered by the Assassins' Order, the fully-fledged Meteor Legion, the Undying Army, and the arcane mages seem to have been gradually redeployed, leaving the Persian Empire as nothing more than a shell!

Samael tapped rhythmically on the sand table with his five fingers, a cold smile appearing in his eyes. He methodically integrated the current situation and deduced the battle plan for his three exceptionally intelligent comrades present.

Currently, 300,000 Persian troops are gathered at Hot Spring Pass, while the Hunnic Empire has already retreated to the grasslands to recuperate.

The reinforcements from the Pan-Hellenic Alliance marched from north to south, including the Viking Fleet from Northern Europe, Amazon Warrior from Rome, and the legacy left behind by Athens, numbering approximately 200,000, with even more elite soldiers.

The Egyptian fleet would sail from south to north to jointly attack the Persians. Ramesses II had at least 200,000 to 300,000 troops under his command.

In terms of military strength alone, our side has an absolute advantage.

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a sense of unease, as if the wheel of fortune had turned.

There was a time when the Pan-Hellenic Alliance was besieged on all sides and attacked from both sides. The Battle of Septim was also Athens' darkest moment, causing panic among the Greeks. They feared that one day Rome would fall and the Persians, Egyptians, and Huns would simultaneously send troops to Greece and march on Athens. Many people secretly began to plan to join the Persians.

For example, the situation reversed; the Persian army of 300,000 at Hot Spring Pass, seemingly formidable, was actually isolated and without support.

The Nordic countries, Rome, Greece, and even their former ally Egypt all joined forces to prepare to annihilate this Persian army.

The once-weak party, on the verge of collapse, has transformed into the dominant party with all the advantages.

If nothing unexpected happens, we will be able to finish the job in one fell swoop very soon.

"Don't be too happy yet. Our alliance with Egypt isn't very reliable. Ramesses II standing by and watching. It's not impossible that they might help the Persians at a crucial moment to prevent Greece from becoming too powerful. So even if we have the advantage, it's unlikely that we can win the Battle of Hot Spring Pass in one fell swoop."

Samael pondered for a moment, then calmly poured cold water on the situation, unhesitatingly speculating about the Pharaoh with the worst possible malice, and offered a strategy to break the deadlock.

"The best way to end the century-long Iliad War is not defense, but offense!"

The war should not be confined to Greece; victory or defeat is not always determined by the situation itself, but can also be viewed from a broader perspective.

Since everyone's attention is focused on Hot Spring Pass, why not strike at the root and destroy the Persians' stronghold first, cutting off their foundation?

The ancient serpent narrowed its eyes, a dark, murderous glint appearing deep within its vertical pupils.

"So, Your Majesty, this card you've gone to so much trouble to protect can finally be put to use?"

Sisyphus stepped forward, pulled up the Roman eagle banner of the Seven Hills, and pushed it forward with a joyful smile.

"Haha, with the Assassins' Order and the Roman Legions taking advantage of the situation, the Persians are in for a lot of trouble. Brother, when are you going to make your move?"

Jason couldn't help but grin and come closer, hooking his arm around Samael's shoulder with a smug look on his face.

Samael stroked his chin, a meaningful smile curving his lips, and looked up at the approaching night, speaking softly.

"At the very moment the Hellenic Army assembled and set off from the Icarus Port, following my and Nero's orders, Pompey, Octavian, Antony, Scipio, along with four full-strength Roman Legions and 2,000 Amazon Warrior who had been reinforced from the Amazonian tribes, assembled on the eastern front."

They should already be marching on Persia!