Strictly speaking, it can’t really be considered an army.
One of the units even consists of farmers and herdsmen wielding manure forks. Their equipment is extremely rudimentary, numbering in the hundreds, with less than a third holding decent weapons. Most lack armor, and only a few are equipped with simple leather armor, a couple who seem like leaders wear the tattered scale armor of the Roman Border Defense Army.
Another unit is well-equipped, resembling the Roman Field Army, but clearly mercenaries, appearing to be imperial mercenary soldiers. Their weapons and armor are close to those of a regular army, equipped with bows and short crossbows, using their forces of dozens to resist nearly ten times the enemy.
Of course, most of the enemy consists of farmers, indentured farmers, and slaves. If they were facing such a scale of regular army, they would have already lost.
——Bagada people [Exiles] [Rebel Army]!
——Empire personal contingent (Manor Guard) (Foreign Barbarian Mercenaries) (Private Knight)!
The difference in strength between the two sides is extremely disparate.
The bodies of the rebel army are scattered along the roadside, completely unable to break through the wagon barricade ahead. At least dozens of corpses lie by the road, with many more wounded by arrows wailing in pain. They have attacked multiple times but were repelled each time. Despite their morale collapsing, they have not retreated, with many staring fixedly at the food supplies on the wagons.
These rebels appear gaunt and malnourished, with only a few dozen actually capable of fighting, while most are merely cannon fodder.
The empire calls these commoners Bagada people, whereas they refer to themselves as ’Exiles.’
Meaning people without any land, house, or property.
They are the truly bankrupt.
For hundreds of years, the empire has suppressed countless rebellions, yet the uprisings have never ceased, because within the empire, there continuously emerge bankrupt common people. The empire’s exploitation of the populace is relentless, with ongoing war further draining their lifeblood. The bankrupt are left with only two paths.
One is to become slaves and indentured farmers.
The other is to become exiles, fleeing to the western regions, becoming marginalized individuals wandering outside civilization.
As long as the empire exists, commoners will continually transform into ’Exiles.’
Duncan essentially counts as an exile too.
The border village of Bulan was massacred by fleeing soldiers, and he fled to the Gaul Region with no land, no house, no place to settle down—a true vagabond, just on the brink of rebellion.
But he’s cheating with great martial strength, carving out a bloody path for himself.
As for other exiles, they weren’t so lucky. They joined the rebel army and were suppressed and massacred by the Roman Protectorate—Aetius a few years ago. The surviving remnants continue fleeing west. If not for the massive invasion by the Huns, they’d likely still be hunted down by the foreign mercenary corps of the Barbarians.
These exiles were completely scattered. They’ve fled to deep forests and mountains. Some became bandits and robbers, while others retained the rebel army’s organization, building mountain camps deep in dense forests, emerging to plunder when survival became impossible.
Perhaps influenced by Spartacus’ uprising, these exiles, after plundering the empire’s noble estates, slightly aided the impoverished. Hence, many at the social bottom—indentured farmers and slaves—actually supported them secretly, even providing some intelligence.
Their early slogan was ’Make the slave owners the slaves,’ which led to multiple suppressions and massacres.
"These people are simply born Qihuo Army!"
Duncan thought of an army during the Five Barbarians’ Invasion of China.
These were people striving to survive in the cracks.
Duncan watched those gaunt and sickly exiles, even though they were thoroughly crushed—whether in equipment and weapons, military skills, or personal physical fitness—continuously surging forward, leaving behind a dozen bodies, then retreating briefly, reorganizing, then surging forward again, leaving even more bodies.
They couldn’t break through the wagon barricade, yet were reluctant to retreat.
These people only want to survive, just to stay alive!
They face a brutal era of chaos, comparable to the Five Barbarians’ Invasion of China in the Central Plains. The commoners have no choice but to succumb to the empire’s oppression and die, or resist and be exterminated as rebels.
Since it’s a dead end either way, why not revolt with fury!
That’s how the Exile Rebel Army camp emerged.
Duncan knew what he had to do next.
The number of his forces only depends on how corrupt the empire is, and how many people are driven to despair!
Whether it’s establishing roots on the British Isles (emigration) or rebelling in the west of the empire, he needed such a group of people, a group who fought for survival!
In this utterly chaotic era where human lives are like grass.
Only the ’Qihuo Army’ could truly be loyal to someone like him coming from a lowly foreign background!
To hell with the empire, this wave is going to be based on the rebel army.
[Note 1: Exile Rebel Army, the lowly commoners on the empire’s western periphery who rebel if they cannot survive. Facing the empire’s exploitation, Barbarian invasions, and threats from the Huns. Compared to other forces, the rebels are unorganized, undisciplined, poorly equipped, primarily composed of farmers, indentured farmers, and slaves, but are the easiest to recruit. A path for survival, a mouthful of food is all they need.]
[Note 2: These exiles are a mixed assortment, large in number, eventually absorbed by the Franks, aiding the rise of the Frankish Kingdom, supplementing a vast amount of young labor force and military resources.]
[Note 3: One branch of Law of Cause and Effect deduced, Human Form becomes Aetius’ adopted son, stemming from the Roman Empire’s tradition of adopting sons, essentially replacing identity, shedding the commoner origin. If the empire’s emperor lacks suitable offspring, they’ll adopt an heir as a son. Among the early 17 Roman emperors, 7 were adopted successors.
Similarly, in noble families, if lacking sons or the descendants are unimpressive, they’ll have an adopted son take charge (generally will marry a daughter), inheriting their power, status, and political legacy. The adopted son has legal inheritance rights.
In the empire’s tradition.
Once someone is adopted into a family, no matter their previous identity (whether Barbarian or commoner), their identity now aligns with the family that adopted them.
These adopted sons receive treatment no different from biological children.
Noble adoptions usually select other female family members to marry them. An adopted son inherits the family name, political legacy, and is socially recognized and legally endorsed.
Within that branch, when Human Form died, it means one of Protector of the Realm—Aetius’ selected legitimate heirs died violently on the battlefield.
Duncan initially didn’t know the adopted son’s status was so high, later realized that the adopted son’s death was nearly akin to losing a biological son.
Because the empire’s political aristocrats only choose the promising junior as an adopted son.
Additionally, Roman tradition adopts adult sons. Trajan was adopted at 45, designated the imperial heir, and conquered the largest territory in Roman Empire’s history.
In the empire’s later period, adopting offspring is similar to Ding Yuan recognizing Lu Bu as an adopted son, more for political purposes, yet the adopted son’s status remains high.]