Chapter 21: Defeat
"Alright everyone load your asses up onto the transports! We are leaving in ten minutes and if you aren't on the carriages then you will be walking back!" Shouted the Roman commander from atop one of the carriages that was now fully loaded.
Kellen saw the Roman commander wave towards him after his order so he headed over to his carriage. As he walked over to the carriage, Kellen briefly looked over his shoulder at the previous encampment that was now a desolate and empty clearing as if the mass amount of tents had never even stood there before.
'They sure move quickly...' Thought Kellen as he arrived near the commander's carriage and hoisted himself up onto the back of it where two rows of benches lined the sides.
The commander was at the end of the benches near the coachmen of the carriage and motioned towards Kellen for him to sit across from him.
Kellen nodded his head and took his offered seat across from the commander while making sure the longsword, which he had picked up from the battle, was situated in a position that would not hinder his seating.
"You did pretty well in the battle kid and acted as a proper Roman soldier would and should. Although your techniques are a little strange and old looking, they do seem prominent and have potential." Said the commander as he removed his strange helmet that a Roman commander would have worn back in Kellen's old world, and revealed the face of a battle worn man in his mid-twenties.
'I think I can tell where this will be leading but I'm still uncertain of whether or not I should really be joining them...' Thought Kellen since he still didn't have much information on this Roman Empire or its Legionnaire Gods.
"I have a little proposition for you that could be quite beneficial for your future... We have a military Academy that was developed by one of the Legionnaire Gods after the Great Purification to help build up our prestigious empire. This academy admits only the best of the best of the newer generations and trains them to become high ranking military officials and then possibly even another Legionnaire. I think you have the capabilities to become a strong power in the Roman Empire, especially after seeing your performance in the last battle, and I'm willing to recommend you to the academy if your interested..." Said the commander as he sternly stared towards the young mercenary.
'Holy shit! I thought he would just ask me to join the company...' Thought Kellen as he considered the surprising proposal from the commander.
"Is a mercenary like me even eligible for something like this? I'm not from this area either..." Replied Kellen.
"The Roman Empire isn't a bunch of sticklers like those snobby kingdoms. What we respect and admire is power and strength proven through war! Although you are still somewhat young, you have proven yourself to be that of a soldier on the battlefield and earned my respect! If this is not the truth and legacy of our great empire then I wish for the Legionnaire Gods to strike me down on the spot!" Exclaimed the commander with devotion.
'Kid! I would take the offer... The academy should be the perfect place to learn more about the changes we've missed and the current time period. There should probably be a library in this academy with some useful information regarding the Roman Empire and possibly even information about your targets as well!' Advised Osiris.
"Does this academy have a library?" Quickly asked Kellen.
"Of course! The Roman Military Academy is the Acme of knowledge throughout the human continent." Bragged the commander as he tried to impress the kid into accepting his offer.
Kellen leaned back on the wooden bench and pretended to pondered for a few moments before answering.
"It's decided then. If you are willing to accept me then I will not refuse your offer sir." Answered Kellen with a smile.
The Roman commander smiled as well before heartily laughing and extending his right hand towards the young mercenary.
"Good! Good! And there are no need for formalities as I am now your future's benefactor. Call me Strom from here forth."
Kellen accepted the hand shake and was about to introduce himself before pausing for a second.
'Wait I shouldn't be using my real name in case I end up running into one of the Laboratory Romans... What should I go by? Well, it has been like a billion years or something, and there's no way they could have survived that long. Right?' Thought Kellen.
The trip to the Glacial Kingdom took only a day and a half which Kellen spent by chatting with Strom. He learned of the commander's odd life of growing up in the slums of a kingdom conquered by the Roman Empire and eventually escaping poverty by joining the Roman military and advancing through ranks to his current position. However, along the way his younger brother whom followed him to the military lost his life.
Kellen guessed that this was probably the reason for Strom's friendliness towards him since he had used a fake background of similar origins and reminded the commander of his younger brother. He told Strom that he was a war orphan from a similarly conquered kingdom and had survived to this day through some mercenary work which taught him the useful skills he had shown in the last battle.
Due to their similar origins it was easy for Strom to bond with the young mercenary, and Kellen began to see Strom as the classic elder brother figure. Strom had pushed this role onto himself after forming their close relationship but refused to admit it.
"Hey little bro! We will be arriving at the capital of the Glacial Kingdom soon. Make sure you stick close to me so you don't get lost or into any trouble!" Said Strom as he ruffled Kellen's hair like the act of an older brother.
"Who's your little bro you old uncle!" Replied Kellen in a mocking voice as he brushed of Strom's hand and looked towards the city they were approaching.
The Glacial Kingdom was one of the few original bordering kingdoms next to the Roman Empire but had finally fallen after the last battle. Its capital housed a massive amount of people of different origin and had many traders who had traveled to seek profits from the war against the Roman Empire.
However, after today the Glacial Kingdom would just be another one of the many kingdoms conquered and under the rule of the Roman Empire.
When their carriage reached the massive gate leading into the city a few of the gatekeeping guards wearing the Glacial Kingdom's uniforms halted their passage.
"We don't accept any Roman dogs into the Glacial capital city! Turn around and go back where you came from trash!" Mocked a few of the guards.
"Oh really? Well after we execute your king here I guess you guys can be next... I have a lot of free time now that the war is over." Replied Strom as he grinned and showed them their King who was now a war prisoner of the Roman Empire.
The guards who halted their procession gulped down their saliva and turned pale, while a few behind them began to cry after realizing their defeat.
"Le... Let them... Pass..." Finally said the guard who had originally mocked them as the gate they guarded opened up and revealed the grand city.
Kellen chuckled to himself as the carriage passed the guards through the gate into the city and made its way to the center plaza.
"Some Roman officials will come to oversee the execution and new management that will be set in place over the conquered kingdom. Our job is to guard this useless King until the time of execution and await a Legionnaire's arrival." Said Strom as the carriage finally came to a halt in the center plaza square.
"A Legionnaire will show up?" Asked Kellen suspiciously.
"Well... They won't be involved directly in the matter... Usually they just make sure nothing disastrous happens while we convert the conquered Kingdom into a city-state of the Empire. Until then we will set up a base for operations." Replied Strom as he motioned for everyone to unload the carriage and guard their prisoner.
A temporary base of operations was created in a café next to the plaza where the soldiers would guard and house their prisoner. The café was small but it allowed the soldiers to keep a close watch on their prisoner and make it easier to defend under any potential attacks.
Kellen and Strom positioned themselves outside the café and chatted while monitoring their surroundings for any of these potential threats.
"How long does it normally take for these officials to get here?" Asked Kellen as he scratched his chin while scanning the crowd in the plaza.
"It shouldn't be too long I'd imagine... I would guess they'll be here in three days to a weeks time." Said Strom as he scanned the crowd as well while playing with a small strand of electricity that sparked between two of his fingers.
Kellen was surprised by the commander's relaxed demeanor while they guarded the defeated King.
"Shouldn't we be prepared and on guard for any attacks since we are in the enemy capital?" Confusedly asked Kellen.
"Ah... Don't worry! We took down their army and have their King hostage! They probably won't try anything..."
Kellen nodded his head before turning his watch back towards the bustling crowd before a few strange cloaked figures darted across the crowd that caught his attention. However, he lost sight of them in the massive crowd and could only scratched the back of his head.
'That shouldn't be anything threatening... Right?' Thought Kellen to himself.
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I'll be starting my classes tomorrow but I'll try to keep up with regular updates! I'm planning on writing a bunch today so I can try to continue to release on schedule throughout next week. Depending on time management with all my classes I may cut the releases to one chapter a day momentarily but I'll keep you posted if I do decide to make that change. Much love guys!
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