The day's fighting had come to an end, and the savage Britons were finally kept out of the high walls of the camp. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info But this is only the first wave of the offensive, everyone in the camp knows that they only have one night's rest, and at dawn the barbarians will attack the camp again. They gathered here, not by chance, but by premeditation.

"We must send someone to break through and tell Caesar the information."

"No way, the barbarians have surrounded us all around, and when you see the fires, they camp around our camp. The breakthrough of the cavalry will only be in vain. ”

"Kagaras, even if you're right, we can't stay here and die."

When it got dark, the question of whether to break out or hold on was again hotly debated within the camp. Several centurions thought that since they were here, besieged to death by the barbarians, it was better to make a desperate bet and rush out, and perhaps there was still hope of victory.

The final verdict was that both Dennis and Apis were in favor of the breakout plan. After all, the grain convoy was wiped out, and the food in the camp was not enough to last for two weeks, even if the army held on for half a month, half a month later, it would be defeated due to famine. What's more, if he doesn't break through, Caesar doesn't know the situation here at all.

……

"What are you going to do with those slaves?"

After the meeting, Dennis went to Apis's military tent, both out of concern for Apis' injuries and to unify the slaves in the army with Apis.

"Tomorrow's breakout, do you think more than a thousand legionary infantry is enough?"

Faced with Dennis's question, Apis did not answer directly, but asked another question in a roundabout way.

But Dennis was also a smart man, and he knew that Apis had something to say.

"You mean, you want those slaves to take their weapons and break out with us?"

Dennis asked directly. This idea was not unthought in the old centurion's mind, but after turning it over and over, Dennis still felt that the risk was too great. It shouldn't be so risky. Even, in order not to leave any trouble, all the Germanic slaves in the generals were to be executed before the breakout, because they were also anti-Roman.

"Hmm. Outside the barracks, there were now at least five thousand British soldiers, as well as a certain number of chariots, and the druids looked like they were in battle. This may be the main force of the tribe that fled into the forest in Britain. We now have only 1,200 legionnaires, most of them wounded, and the danger of tomorrow's breakout is very great, and if we arm those slaves, we may be able to help the legion. ”

Appis said slowly. There was still a dull pain in his chest, and it was clear that the gladiatorial battle with the barbarian leader during the day had caused some degree of internal injury.

"Appis, I've thought about it too, but it's too risky. Those Germans, Gauls, I don't know if they were a threat to us, and if, in the process of the breakout, they helped the Britons to attack us, then we would be even more passive. There's a huge risk in itself, and I don't want anything to go wrong then. These Germanic people, like the Britons outside the camp, were savages, and the barbarians were not to be trusted. ”

Dennis was quick to respond.

"There were more than 500 slaves in the camp, half of whom were fighting slaves who were even former warriors. They were not farmers, nor artisans, they were beasts more brutal than the Britons. Tomorrow's breakout, more than a thousand legionary infantry will certainly not be enough to withstand the siege of the British, and we need these slaves to take up arms and fight together. Although it is very risky to do so, if we do not do it, we have no hope of breaking through and succeeding. As long as these barbarian slaves are obedient when the time comes, they will be able to cover the evacuation for us. ”

Appis retorted.

In the military tent, the originally harmonious atmosphere was broken again.

"How do you get them to be obedient? They were enemies of Rome, and do you think a group of Germanic people will help us break through? They will only bite us back when we break through and help the Britons besiege us. ”

Dennis's fears were not unfounded, there had been many cases of slaves rebelling against their masters in Rome before. And now, the army has reached such a critical moment that letting these barbarians take up arms at this time is tantamount to killing themselves.

"I will promise to give them freedom, as long as they fight side by side with us this time and break through. Tomorrow morning I will give a speech to all the army slaves, telling them that if they take up arms this time and march with the legions, they will be free and will no longer be enslaved by the Roman legions. ”

Appis replied with an oath, but such an answer seemed childish to Dennis.

"You don't have that power, Apis, and don't forget, you're only a centurion. At most, it's a centurion of the Eagle Banner Centurion, you don't have the power to free the slaves of these legions, not even the chief centurion, only Caesar has such power. None of us have the right to set these slaves free! ”

Dennis's answer is indeed true, in Rome, only mercenary people, or consuls and legion commanders, have the power to free legion slaves, and these slaves come from Gaul, from Germania, but temporarily go to Britain with the legion, and when they return to Rome, they still have to become Roman slaves.

"I don't have that authority, but I can write to Caesar and tell him about the situation we have here, the special situation. The freedom of five hundred slaves for the safety of a thousand Roman soldiers, I think Caesar would have agreed. ”

Appis replied confidently in front of Dennis.

Dennis shook his head, he sighed, how could he have met such a stubborn partner. At the same time, Dennis also threw out a cruel question -

"If your plan succeeds, we promise to give these slaves freedom, and these Germanic slaves did not rebel against us during the breakout, but after the breakthrough was successful, Caesar did not allow these slaves to be released and gave them freedom. So what do you do when the time comes? Your promises to them will be a big failure in your life, and your credibility will be wiped out. Appis, have you thought about such a question? ”

The question that Dennis throws is so cruel, indeed, at this moment, whether it is Apis or Dennis, both of them are just centurions in the legion, and they have no power to dispose of the legion's slaves, and if Caesar does not agree, all of Apis's promises are empty words. The Romans valued credibility very much.

"If that happens, Dennis, we'll take these slaves hostage and execute them. Dead people can't speak, do they? ”

After saying this, even Apis himself felt his own coldness and cruelty, and he was so cruel to those who helped, even saved his life. But this is the cruelty of reality, since he accepted the title of "son of the gods" crowned by Caesar that day, and erased all the merits of his comrade-in-arms named Faobi, he has lost his bottom line and principles, and all the cruelty may be the right way from a certain point of view......