Cleobrotas sat in silence for a moment, then said, "But if that Maximus harbors ill intentions, by doing this we’re letting a beast into our home! You know he has 16,000 soldiers under him!"
"Of course, I am well aware of the risks, but if things go that way, our tribe will fall a few days earlier at most! However, if things turn out as I hope, then our tribe will have a chance for revival!" Acoupaigos’s murky eyes gleamed: "We must put our trust in Karsipengpas. He has roamed the world for many years, and I’ve heard he’s well-regarded among pirates. The pirate ships he commanded hardly ever encountered danger, and his men never engaged in disputes. It shows he has a good eye for people and knows how to avoid danger. I believe this time he won’t be wrong either!"
"Since the Great Chief has thought it through, I have no further objections," Cleobrotas replied.
Acoupaigos became cheerful: "Now that you agree, the other elders won’t oppose it either. Tomorrow, I’ll call a tribal meeting. With me, you, and Karsipengpas supporting it, this land purchase proposal will surely get approved. By then, I want you to go meet this Maximus first—"
Acoupaigos gently patted Cleobrotas’s arm and said gravely, "Take a good look at him and his men. If you find him trustworthy, you can make an agreement with him there, and then lead them to our Alde; if you sense danger, pretend you need my further consent, hurry back, and we’ll block the mountain path, avoiding any contact with him!"
Cleobrotas suddenly felt immense pressure, hesitating as he intended to refuse.
But Acoupaigos, with a glass of wine in hand, looked earnestly at his friend and said, "Kleo, we’ve grown up together, supporting each other to where we are now. You’re like a brother to me. Whether here or on the battlefield, I’ve always trusted you the most. This time, I hope you can shoulder this burden and help me make this crucial decision! Even if we make a mistake, it’s no big deal. So many tribes have perished, the Alde will just be another!"
Inspired by his words, Cleobrotas took the wine glass and drank it in one gulp.
.....................
Maximus’s army marched eastward around the Adriatic Bay. As they approached the bay’s top, they saw a towering city before them.
Aquileia was the name of the city. It was built by the Romans after fully occupying the Northern Italy Province as a military fortress. Its initial purpose was to defend against attacks from the east, especially the Boyi people, as this largest Gaul Tribe once on the Po River Plain had been driven into the eastern hills by the Romans. They might return for revenge any day.
But a hundred years had passed without a sign of the Boyi, and Aquileia had become the commerce center of the Northern Italy Province’s easternmost part.
Situated at the crossroads of Roman civilization and the barbarians, it boasted a broad, smooth highway. Products like wine, olive oil, and luxurious crafts flowed eastward from here, while iron goods, leather products, slaves, and livestock came westward. Daily caravans painted a vivid picture of its thriving trade.
Nonetheless, Aquileia still carried the burden of military defense. A Roman legion was stationed in the city, but they were ordered south by the Northern Italy Governor Casius to quash rebels and were entirely annihilated. Fortunately, the city still had a 500-strong City Guard and 2000 emergency-recruited soldiers. Aquileia lay at the frontier, constantly threatened by barbarians. The surrounding residents, mostly martial, despite being newly recruited soldiers, were not weak in combat.
Vileius was the camp commander of the legion. With a straightforward nature and often unappreciated by the Legion Commander, the Commander left him to guard the city before heading south, inadvertently saving him from the disaster and making him one of the legion’s few survivors.
Upon hearing news of the approaching rebels, Vileius did not panic. He dispatched men to urge neighboring residents to seek refuge in the city and ordered his soldiers to fully arm themselves, taking positions on the city walls for defense. However, he turned away the caravans from markets outside the city.
These caravans had to nervously shelter within the markets, hastily ordering their guards to pick up weapons and prepare to resist the rebels that could snatch at any moment.
It wasn’t long before the rebels arrived.
From the city walls, Vileius could see clearly. Off in the distance to the west, a squad of cavalry appeared on the main road. Clad in leather helmets and armor, wielding round shields and long spears, they approached the city quickly, dispersed their formation, scouted around Aquileia, sent some riders back along the road, and then had some continue scouting nearby markets, while others paused to observe from afar...
Vileius found the actions of this rebelling cavalry very familiar and suddenly recalled how the legion’s cavalry scouted in advance before deploying. Now the rebels had mastered it—
Unsure of how to express his feelings, Vileius soon saw a long line come into view with a decorated flag waving at its head. Following the flag was a row of soldiers with brass long horns slung over their shoulders, then another flag, featuring a large "1" in a field of red. Four columns of soldiers with neat formation marched closely behind. Each wore a helmet and segmented armor, had a short sword hanging at the waist, and carried a long shield... Each section of the column was accompanied by an officer with a helmet decorated with horizontal plumes, who should be the rebel Centurion. These rebel soldiers were all armored, and their armor seemed well maintained, or else it wouldn’t gleam so brilliantly in the morning light.
Narrowing his eyes, Vileius focused on the scenery below the city, his teeth grinding audibly: This wasn’t just rebels, it was the spitting image of a Roman legion! How many of these armors came from the bodies of his fellow soldiers?!
The rebels, reaching less than a mile from the city, started to leave the main road, deploying into a massive hollow square on the open field...
Soon after, Vileius saw their supply train appear—carriages following one after another, impossible to count...
God, how much wealth of the Northern Italy Province people have these damn rebels plundered!... In Vileius’s angry gaze, the carriages, led by several unarmored rebels, slowly moved into the center of the formation... He noted with shock that there were even lots of women among these rebels!
After more than an hour, the rebels began marching around the city in a wide front... Half an hour later, they left Aquileia behind.
By this time, Vileius had rushed to the eastern city head, where his cavalry captain anxiously asked, "Commander, shall we pursue?!"
Long accustomed to dealing with the barbarians, Vileius knew that they fearlessly fought and greedily plundered, but upon returning loaded down, they lost their will to fight, and their ranks became severely disorganized. If suddenly beset by a fierce attack, they would crumble swiftly... To him, it was the common folly of untaught bands, barbarians and rebels alike.
Additionally, within Aquileia was a 300-strong Gaulish cavalry, a privilege of the Northern Italy Province army near Gaul. They could enlist some Gauls willing to serve Rome. These Gaulish cavalry were auxiliaries of the legion, yet their charge was truly formidable.