Bubius thought for a moment and said, "Brothers, we are not idly strolling; our various teams are busy evacuating. The city is quite chaotic, and if these Sarabians secretly gather together to cause trouble, we will have big problems! So, we must patrol seriously to ensure that all Sarabians stay quietly in their rooms, to ensure that our main force can evacuate smoothly. Don’t you think our task is important?"
"Yes!..." Although the soldiers’ responses were mixed, everyone’s spirits lifted.
"Brothers, let’s be cautious on the street ahead, and make sure nothing goes wrong!" Centurion Stags reminded.
Without his reminder, the soldiers who had carried out patrol missions several times knew that the team was about to enter the slum area of Sarabia City. Since the occupation of the city, most Sarabian people have been compliant with the rebel army’s orders, but the slum area occasionally stirs up trouble. Perhaps it is because the residents here are perpetually poor and have no scruples, liking to fight recklessly.
The soldiers braced themselves, drew their short swords, reorganized their formation, and slowed their pace as they entered the narrow and winding alleyways, their wary eyes scanning each dilapidated house along the street.
The team walked a short distance, rounded a corner, and suddenly saw seven or eight people standing in the middle of the road ahead, making everyone tense up.
"Who are you?! Why haven’t you obeyed the city hall’s order to stay quietly at home?!" Centurion Stags shouted loudly.
The soldiers simultaneously struck their square shields with their short swords to intimidate.
Seeing the soldiers approaching aggressively with their blades in hand, the few people shivered in fear.
Only one of them remained somewhat calm and quickly replied, "We...we are Sarabians and want to...want to join Free Italy, become soldiers like you, resist the Romans, and fight for freedom!"
He was a bit nervous at first, but soon his words became fluent and resonant.
"Sounds nice." Stags sneered. "But I know you, Casaridaoa, the notorious rogue of Sarabia City, who often bullies slaves and extorts money. You think you can fight for freedom? Don’t sully such a sacred word!"
Stags’ face darkened, and he shouted, "Get back to your houses quickly, otherwise—"
"Roar!!" The soldiers again struck their shields with their short swords and shouted in unison.
The group was already pale and pulled at Casaridaoa, stammeringly persuading, "Forget it, let’s... let’s just go back..."
Casaridaoa shook off his friends’ pull vigorously, and said loudly in defiance: "More than ten years ago, many towns in Italy resisted Rome (the Roman Alliance War), and Sarabia was one of them. My father was the Great Captain of the Sarabian army, but the Romans eventually won, and Sarabia surrendered.
My father was seriously injured and passed away shortly after returning home... The Sarabian councilors feared Rome’s wrath and did not provide compensation as stipulated. My mother had to raise me alone, enduring great hardships... and eventually fell ill from exhaustion..."
Tears shimmered in Casaridaoa’s eyes; he took a deep breath and emphasized, "Do you think I don’t want to work for money?! But in Sarabia, those nobles and rich people only buy slaves for labor and will never hire commoners!
I once thought about seeking work elsewhere, but my mother’s health did not allow me to leave; I had no choice but to make some money this way to buy medicine for my mother. Do you think I want people to say behind my back that I’ve shamed my father’s name? He was a hero who fought against Rome!..."
By the end of his words, his emotions were so intense that his face appeared slightly distorted.
For a moment, the soldiers were touched. They had no idea that the notorious rogue had such a complicated and heart-wrenching story behind him.
Bubius broke the silence: "Since you have a mother to take care of, why do you want to join us?"
Stags cleared his throat: "Great Captain, this kid’s mother just passed away a few days ago, and he was unable to leave the city. We helped with the burial."
"I want to join you, not just to repay kindness," Casaridaoa exclaimed excitedly. "You say you are the army of the poor, fighting against the Romans, nobles, and rich people who oppress the poor...
From observing these past few months, I know you’re not just talking. You defeated the Romans in Campania, wiped out those despicable nobles and rich people here, and your ranks are filled not only with slaves but also with commoners, and they seem to be living well... So I want to join you, become a soldier of Free Italy, and, like my father, bravely fight against the Romans!"
Bubius watched the impassioned Casaridaoa for a while and then turned his gaze to the others: "And why do the rest of you want to join?"
Encouraged by Casaridaoa’s example, one young man gathered his courage and said, "My... my situation is the same as Casaridaoa’s; my father died at the hands of the Romans. Now the Romans rule Sarabia, they retaliate against us, making it impossible for us to survive. I want to join you and fight those damned Romans!"
"Me too!" the others chimed in loudly.
Seeing Bubius become somewhat tempted, Stags softly reminded, "Great Captain, remember that we stopped recruiting six days ago!"