NOVEL NEXT B2 Chapter 44: All Hail
B2 Chapter 44: All Hail
Conquering a city was always a worthwhile venture. Even in the simplest of assaults, the excitement and sense of accomplishment sent Tiberius's heart pounding. Pluto, it was practically the purpose of his life.
Subduing it afterwards was torture.
It was boring. It was tedious. It was usually far more difficult than it needed to be. And it practically never involved even the slightest bit of excitement. Even on the rare occasion that someone did resist by force, their bright idea was always shot down with brutal efficiency. What chance did resistance have at this point, when their armies had already been dealt with?
No, the aftermath of conquering territory was never something Tiberius had particularly looked forward to. There were some commanders who just left it to their underlings, or others who did take some kind of sadistic pleasure in instilling fear among the populace. But not him.
Tiberius looked out over the city from the balcony of the baron's mansion. He once again made an effort to keep the population intact as much as possible. Of course, he and his men had to make a few examples, but that was only to be expected. He was aiming for minimal casualties, not zero. After all, with the effort they'd spent to take the place, leaving it as a bloody ruin would simply be wasteful. Not when civilians and laborers were in such short supply.
Though he was still considering demolishing the infrastructure altogether. The city itself had no strategic importance and could benefit from renovation. No, the only real important thing was its status as the seat of the barony. So long as the System recognized it as such, then Tiberius had no qualms about molding it as he saw fit.
He looked over the line of pikes in the distance, their neat line on clear display for the public. It had been three days, and things had mostly settled down. The people had stopped trying to riot sometime during the second day when a few dozen of the ringleaders were executed. The sight rather intentionally reminded them of the fate of the baron and his party.
That was another rather fortunate development. Evidently, the men who had followed the baron as he sallied forth hadn't been just anyone. They'd been other leaders and respected members of the city. A group of local heroes, essentially. Meaning that Quintus hadn't just cut off one head of the hydra. He'd effectively destroyed them all, cauterizing the stumps before any could erupt into a more troublesome urban rebellion. It had utterly broken the town's spirit.
As Tiberius scanned the streets below, he saw the Legionnaires escorting a group of the town's men toward the outskirts of the city. Very few among them were of fighting age, most too young or too old to be of real use in combat. At least, by the standards Tiberius was used to. Who was to say that was still the case in this world?
Most of the able-bodied ones would be added to the workforce to alleviate their lack of laborers. Those with valuable skills would obviously be put to work in their relevant fields as well. As for the rest… well, there were other options as well.
The sight made Tiberius think. So far, most of their auxiliaries had been sourced from Habersville as conscripts or volunteers. They'd picked up a few from Stonester as well, but most of their men were needed to help rebuild the city. Well, "needed" might have been a strong term. The Legion obviously could do it themselves, but that would mean taking them away from campaigns and training and the mountain of other projects that required their attention.
But as the scale of their conquests continued to grow, the need for additional manpower in the military department also did. Perhaps they would need to allocate a portion of these people to train as auxiliaries as well.
Of course, it was always dangerous to arm a captured populace. Much less train them well in combat. But Tiberius didn't have much of a choice. He wasn't naive enough to believe that his Legion would continue to emerge from battles without serious losses. They would need a way to replace their fallen men at some point. And if Tiberius wanted them to be even remotely competent, he needed them to start training yesterday.
He'd have his own men as officers, and they wouldn't be given full training. Not at first. They would belong to archery units or something of the like until they proved themselves worthy of more. That, or until he had a better way of ensuring loyalty. Maybe there was some sort of skill or System-enforced oath one could use to that effect. He made a note to ask Marcus about it next time they spoke.
That was a matter for the future. For now, just taking inventory of the city and its resources would take weeks. He didn't need to oversee all of it, but he wanted to at least get the process rolling.
"Sir! The tribunus laticlavius is nearing the city. He will arrive shortly."
"Good. Have him meet me in the study."
At a wave from Tiberius, the messenger rushed away. The Legatus turned away from his inspection of the city and headed back inside.
One could argue that having Gaius come and personally check in was a bit superfluous. That was what reports were for. But he wanted an in-person update on Habersville, and having the young officer there meant he could ask questions and follow-ups as they came to mind. Besides , he was honestly grateful for the interruption.
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Tiberius retreated to the baron's study in preparation for the meeting. A short while later, a knock on the door heralded Gaius's arrival. But he was not alone.
"Gaius. Envoy Iladrien." Tiberius greeted the pair as they entered. "I did not expect to see you so far from the forest."
The sharp-featured elf bowed. "Emperor Tiberius. It is a pleasure. I intended to await your return in Habersville, but your second convinced me to accompany him instead."
Tiberius looked to Gaius and nodded. "I see. I trust this means that negotiations have been progressing well?"
"Indeed, Legatus." Gaius stood straight, his bearing the picture of formality. "That is one of the reasons I requested Iladrien's presence."
"By the order of the senate of the Great Ruthin Forest, I have been granted the authority to negotiate on the behalf of my people." Iladien explained. "News of Rome's return has both shocked and pleased them, sparking much debate about what the future may hold. However, there are some points of consensus."
"Oh?" Tiberius raised an inquiring eyebrow. The fact that things were progressing even this quickly surprised him. He had never known a senate to reach any sort of consensus without multiple appropriately long and drawn out sessions of arguments and bickering.
The fact that the envoy had not only taken word to his people but also returned so quickly suggested that these decisions had taken no time at all to agree upon. It was enough to make him wonder if the word "senate" meant the same thing here as it did at home.
The Legatus leaned back in his seat. "Then, by all means. Enlighten me."
"The Great Ruthin Forest wishes to rejoin the Roman empire." Iladrien stated plainly.
Tiberius blinked. That was certainly more straightforward than expected. Of course, he had hoped to gain the elves as allies. Their apparent strength and value as trade partners were enough to make such an arrangement desirable. Maybe later on down the line they'd be able to annex their territory as well.
But if they wanted to join the empire immediately… well, that was the kind of proposal Tiberius had expected to float himself. Float and have shot down so they could meet somewhere in the middle.
"The terms and conditions of our joining comprise a large part of my discussions with Sir Gaius here." Iladrien gestured to the officer by his side. "However, this is not the main reason that I decided to accompany him. Rather, I wish to offer you a gift on behalf of the senate."
The elf produced a small chest from somewhere beneath his cloak. He reverently opened its lid and folded back the blanket of velvet that lay atop its contents.
A circlet comprised of two laurel branches sat atop a cushion within. The branches, rather than being made of wood, were of pure gold that shone so brightly that it practically glowed. Not a single speck of tarnish could be picked out along its surface.
Even from this distance Tiberius could see the incredible detail that had gone into the circlet's construction. It looked more like someone had dipped real branches into liquid gold rather than anything wrought by human hands.
"The crown of the first emperor." The envoy announced. He set it before Tiberius before stepping back and bowing with a flourish. "A relic that my people have watched over for many millennia."
Tiberius inspected the crown more closely. Up close, he could see very subtle engravings of eagles in flight along the branches themselves. The design was very clearly Roman, in a style that might have been in vogue some sixty years ago. It was actually just starting to come back around, and he could definitely see an emperor wearing this as ornamentation.
Of course, an emperor needed no crown. But the way the envoy spoke of this artifact, it seemed as if it held more than just ceremonial importance.
Tiberius reached down to touch it, then hesitated. He felt something from the circlet. Something… strange. A thrumming power, as though the circlet itself were alive.
His eyes narrowed, Could it be a trick? Flicking his attention to Iladrien, he saw the elf watching him expectantly.
"This crown is enchanted." Tiberius said. It was not a question.
"Indeed it is." Iladrien readily admitted. Tiberius waited for him to elaborate, but no further explanation was forthcoming.
"How do I know this is not a trap? That you do not intend to do me harm with this item?"
"I would never dare to harm a Roman emperor." Iladrien met his gaze levelly. "I swear it."
Tiberius's frown deepened. He didn't miss the very specific wording that the envoy had used. He said that he would never harm an emperor—not that he wouldn't harm Tiberius. And while the elf had been using the term "emperor" to refer to him, there was something in his eyes. A question. Doubt. A kind of challenge.
The Legatus looked down once again at the crown and he understood. This was no trap. This was a test. A test to see if he was who he said he was, to see if he was worthy of that title
A test that he had no intentions of failing.
Tiberius reached down to pick up the crown. It felt heavy like gold should, but also warm. The metal hummed softly in his hands.
He had no need to prove himself to the envoy. That was not his goal. But he could feel that same question thrumming within the item itself. Asking him who he was, if he was truly worthy.
Without hesitation, he lifted it higher and placed the laurel crown upon his brow.
There was a slight pulse as it made contact. Tiberius felt a searching sensation wash over him in a ripple, the tingle almost causing him to involuntarily shudder. Then, almost as soon as it had appeared, it vanished.
A flash of light filled the room. Not the blinding white of a level up, though. This was a warm gold that centered on Tiberius. He heard the Legionnaire guards around him react as the sensation of a summer breeze ruffled their hair and the plumes of their helmets.
Iladrien's eyes went wide. When he spoke, it came out as a whisper. "It's true. It really is true."
Tiberius met the elf's stare. "Have I passed your test, then?"
Immediately, the elven envoy dropped to his knees and bowed his head. He clasped one fist to his heart in salute. "Forgive me for ever doubting you. I simply needed to be certain."
He raised his head and Tiberius saw tears welling in his eyes. "All hail the Emperor of Rome."
This time, when he used the title, Tiberius saw nothing but reverence in Iladrien's gaze.