B4 Chapter 8: Fellow Citizens
Celebrations to commemorate the new legion ran late into the night. The raucous festivities had the newly minted legionnaires in higher spirits than ever, drunk off liquor and their new classes. Tiberius presided over a slew of games, feats of strength, and the execution of a few prisoners in rather fantastic style. Much of the populace turned out as well, both as spectators and active participants. Their already positive disposition toward Tiberius had only improved further after the defeat of their age-old enemy, and the quality of life improvements to their city and lives certainly didn’t hurt either.
Quintus stood by his side the entire time. The man remained more or less silent, deep in thought as he surveyed his newly minted men. Likely, he was preoccupied with the upcoming skill selections of his men. Already, Tiberius had noted no small number of them sneaking off to visit a class stone, undoubtedly to see the vast sea of available skills for themselves and perhaps try some out. Neither he nor Quintus stopped them. After all, the actual coordination of such things would wait. Giving them one day of rest to enjoy themselves was no great ask. Tomorrow, they would truly get to work.
Early that evening, Tiberius excused himself to allow the people to enjoy their own celebrations away from his gaze. Not an hour later, he heard a knock at his door.
“Enter.”
Quintus stepped into the study. Tiberius raised a thick eyebrow. “Retiring from the festivities already?”
“You could say that. You could also call it a tactical retreat.”
Tiberius allowed himself a small smirk and beckoned his old friend over to the desk. “Care to join me for a drink, then?”
Quintus eyed the seat warily. To his surprise, he shook his head. “It would be improper, Emperor. And I will need to be at my best tomorrow to wrangle the men.”
He sighed inwardly. It was no surprise. Donning the mantle of emperor had granted him much—and also taken much away. Quintus trusted Tiberius and still treated him with the loyalty due a Legatus who had seen them both through so many wars. Tiberius had no doubt that his old Primus Pilus would follow him to the ends of the earth. But no longer did they speak plainly as friends. Not for over a year.
For some reason, the distance felt particularly keen at this moment.
“Very well,” Tiberius leaned back in his chair, trying to emulate some small part of that long-forgotten familiarity. “I assume you are here to report.”
Quintus nodded before launching into it. He gave a detailed accounting of the men’s training progress, their strengths and weaknesses. How they’d handled various situations Quintus had faced them with. The last part had been an effort to identify what sorts of roles this new legion would be best suited to tackle. He finished with a recounting of the area boss fight and the subsequent ice dragon attack.
“...It is not a foe that I suspect we can defeat by simple attrition,” Quintus finished. “The vast majority of our attacks proved to be of little effect. The mages in particular saw their attacks rendered useless by its scales. And after speaking with others, I have reason to believe this dragon was merely a juvenile.”
Tiberius hummed in thought. “What do you recommend?”
“Prioritization of powerful single-target attacks. The firearms the engineers have developed can tear through large groups of even powerful enemies, and our siege engines are capable of dismantling structures as well. But neither is entirely suited for a foe like this. It is a gap in our capabilities that I believe we should address.”
“There are a few specialists that may be able to fulfill that role,” Tiberius pointed out.
“Perhaps. But I believe that combining their abilities with weaponry designed to strike a moving target with overwhelming force would be the best solution.”
The emperor nodded. “I agree. I will have Gaius and Sylendor prioritize such measures.”
“Thank you, emperor.”
The emphasis on fighting off large numbers rather than individual foes was one of many holdovers from the campaign against the orcs. Since most of the Legion’s troubles thus far had stemmed from foes with outrageous numbers, that was where most of their efforts had been directed thus far. Especially considering the lingering remnants of that enemy that had made themselves scarce.
Quintus bowed his head slightly. The respectful gesture stung slightly. He set it aside.
“In the meantime, I will have Gaius and the First Legion take over patrols in the north. You and the Third Legion will move eastward to reinforce the Second Legion cohorts stationed there.”
“Eastward?” The new Legatus frowned. “Not west?”
“No. Already, I have men from the First Legion overseeing the mining operations there. The resources available near Corwyn Pass are plentiful enough to occupy the miners for quite some time, and it will take significant effort to prepare that land for settlement. There have also been reports of dwarven sightings in some of the mountains, though those are new reports. I will not risk pushing deeper into that territory until the Third Legion has better found its footing.”
Whether or not the orcs massed even now and recovered their numbers for another assault, Tiberius couldn’t be certain. But if they did, he had no doubt they would return with revenge on the mind. And Rome would be ready.
Quintus obviously wanted to press the matter, but he didn’t. Tiberius understood. The last campaign had not gone exactly as the man had hoped. In truth, he also wanted to rush forth and claim that land, if only for the levels it would assuredly give them. But the threat of the orcs was fresh in the mind of the populace, and few were willing to risk settling there yet. Best to wait until it was more easily defensible.
“It will be done.” Quintus intoned. “But… you mentioned reinforcing the elves. Are they under attack?”
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“Not exactly. There have been incursions into the Great Ruthin Forest from its easternmost edge. Their source is unclear. You and your men will investigate and neutralize the threat if necessary.”
The incursions had been minor so far, and mostly composed of beasts and other loose groups of monsters. But from the reports of the elves, their composition and tactics were far from regular. Perhaps they were just due to migrations or some other simple explanation. But if they were some sort of scouting force or attempted invasion, then caution would be well warranted.
Quintus frowned. “It will be done. But… the forest is the elves’ home. Would we be a help there, or simply a hindrance?”
“Likely the latter. So long as you remain in the forest, that is.” Tiberius said. “It will be a good experience for your Legionnaires. It is also likely that your investigation will take you beyond the forest’s easternmost edge.”
He saw the new Legatus crack a small smile. “I see. Then they will need someone to stand between the enemy and their bows.”
Tiberius hid a smile. That was certainly part of it. The other part was a bit more complicated. Though the elves were citizens of the empire and provided a full third of his Legionnaires, he had no real delusions that they were as loyal to him as they claimed. Culturally, they were some of his staunchest supporters. Still, the Second Legion would defend their province before anything else, he suspected. Best to have someone watching over them.
All of that remained unsaid as he spoke. “Precisely. Not to mention that such backup will grant you peace of mind, should any issues arise. Though from your reports, your Legionnaires will be well prepared. And if you should discover barbarian lands beyond the forest in need of civilization…”
Quintus grinned at that. “Understood, emperor.”
He allowed himself a small chuckle at Quintus’s obvious enthusiasm. A glimmer of his old friend shone through for a moment. Unfortunately, it was time to ruin that good mood.
“One more thing,” Tiberius continued. “The Grand Mage is prepared to become a Legionnaire. I have decided that he will join you as an officer.”
Quintus’s body went rigid. “Sir?”
“A ritual will be performed tomorrow—a precautionary measure, given the novelty of this situation,” Tiberius continued as though Quintus hadn’t spoken. “Given his level, the loss of stat points may well kill him without such precautions. Should things go well, he will accompany you to the Great Ruthin Forest and beyond.”
Quintus remained silent. Tiberius could tell that he was barely holding his tongue, debating the wisdom of speaking his thoughts aloud. He simply waited, letting the silence grow until Quintus finally gave in.
“Forgive me, emperor. I am merely… surprised.” Quintus said through gritted teeth.
“I expect you are.” Quintus had never agreed with the expedited path to citizenship that Tiberius had paved for the Third Legion and auxiliaries, necessity that it was. It was a discussion they’d had many, many times, and one more reason for the growing distance between them. “Yet I would hear your reasoning.”
Quintus let out a long, slow breath. “My men are one matter. They, at least, have been training and performing as auxiliaries for at least a year. However, I still maintain that is not nearly enough time. If it were five, then—”
Tiberius held up his hand, cutting him off. Quintus grimaced before continuing. “But this man… He is powerful, I grant you that. But he is also old and untested.”
“He has seen battle, in his time,” Tiberius pointed out. “And he has undergone no small amount of training, as any new recruit has.”
“He has seen battle as a coward fighting from afar, not in the thick of things. Nor has he joined us in the field on account of his experiments and research. How am I to accept a comrade whom I would not trust to hold a shield at my side?”
The emperor allowed his Legatus to finish venting his grievances.
“It is necessary. Those experiments and research have provided invaluable insights into our own abilities, the workings of this world, and how to better leverage our skills. They have also provided us with both half and full mages.”
“Mages who were powerless against this dragon,” muttered Quintus. Tiberius’s eyes narrowed slightly at the interjection.
“If you presume that he would be similarly powerless, then you are a fool. I have no doubt that he would be a match for a creature such as that, resistant to magic or not. And that is without access to our mana pool.”
The room fell silent in the wake of Tiberius’s declaration. He saw Quintus’s hands clench at his sides. “I am not blind to the necessity, emperor. I understand that we need more men. More than just a single additional Legion. I can accept the citizenship of the elves who keep to Rome’s ways. I can even accept the reasoning behind such…expeditious… grants of citizenship. But I fear that it is too fast. I am as eager to expand our holdings as any, but in rushing, we dilute the spirit of Rome.”
“Without more citizens, we will have no empire.” Tiberius cut him off. “Without more citizens, we will have no more legions. Swarms of auxiliaries are not enough. We have only come so far in this world because of the unique benefits afforded to us by the [Legionnaire] class. I need more men, not just to conquer, but to see to all corners of our empire. Did you not listen to what I said? We have at least three, possibly four threats to our empire on the horizon, and only two legions to manage them. We cannot continually split our focus in half, sending a few cohorts where a full legion is necessary. Not if we want to accomplish anything past simple defense. There are roads to be built, farms to be protected, and people to be seen to. Otherwise, we risk rebellion, starvation, and failure.
“You speak about the spirit of Rome. I tell you that the spirit of Rome will sputter to nothing should we fail. What is better, to be molded by one’s surroundings and live on? Or die as a rigid cast of a time long past?”
The words rang in the room. At some point, Tiberius realized that he’d risen to standing. Quintus relaxed his hands as his face smoothed. “I understand, emperor. Forgive my insolence.”
With that, Quintus fell to one knee. Tiberius looked down at the Legatus. This was it, then. An acknowledgment of how things had changed.
He gave a tired sigh and sat once more. “Rise.”
Quintus did. Tiberius allowed his stony expression to soften only slightly, his words consoling. “I did not entrust you with the training of these men as punishment. I did it because I trust you beyond all others, Quintus. If anyone can make true Romans of these men, it is you. I entrust you with the Grand Mage for similar reasons. He is and will continue to be one of the most powerful assets we have in any Legion for a long time. Gaining access to his skills will allow your men to immediately leverage power far beyond their level, even by our standards. You requested powerful single-target offensive capabilities. I am giving them to you.”
The man nodded. It was clear that the explanation did not entirely mend the previous argument. But it did seem to mollify him somewhat.
“That being said, I understand your concerns.” Tiberius gestured with his hand. “You may request two cohorts of experienced Legionnaires from the First Legion to exchange with your own.”
Quintus blinked in surprise. “But Gaius—”
“Will make do,” Tiberius said simply. “His men are still numerous and the strongest available. He will not object to taking on some of your own to give them experience, nor granting his to better serve as models.”
The expression Quintus made was… conflicted. Tiberius had gotten far better at reading such things from dealing with this world’s nobility and increasing his charisma. But the Legatus didn’t object. “Thank you, Emperor.”
He waved to dismiss Quintus. “I expect to see you tomorrow at dawn for the ritual.”
The former Primus Pilus saluted sharply and left.
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