"Centurion, the barbarians are here again. Pen ~ Fun ~ Pavilion www.biquge.info"

At dawn the next day, the guards reported to Appis the latest movements of the British tribal army.

When Appis hurriedly put on his cloak and walked to the wooden wall of the camp, the scene before him was beyond Appis's imagination, and even a veteran of a hundred battles like Seklas could not help but exclaim - the barbarians were more numerous than anyone could have imagined, and they gathered from all directions, as if they had been predetermined, and at least a few thousand troops occupied the open space outside the camp......

"Why didn't they attack our camp?"

Sekras asked curiously.

"These Britons, they are not stupid, they have fought many times with the Roman legions, and they know the power of the fortifications outside the Roman legion camp. I suspect their leader doesn't want to storm our camp. ”

Faced with Sekras's question, Dennis answered calmly. After all, he is the most senior centurion in the entire brigade, and Dennis actually has more actual combat experience than everyone here.

"Then what do these barbarians want to do?"

Seeing the leader of the Celtic tribe standing outside the camp, standing outside the range of the Roman catapult, Sekras asked with a frown.

"They must have meant to fight."

Dennis continued.

"One-on-one gladiatorial fight?"

Appis then asked Dennis. Dennis was indeed more familiar with the characteristics of the barbarians than with Appis.

"I guess yes, they don't want to attack the city directly because they are afraid that they will not be outnumbered? Or maybe it's because there aren't enough siege weapons, so they want to end the battle the way they do. ”

"Their way?"

"A one-on-one gladiatorial battle between the chieftains, where the victorious side has absolute power and the losing side must surrender."

Dennis carefully answered every question from Appis and Sekras.

"This is impossible, no matter which side is defeated, the remaining soldiers will definitely fight to the death to win a real victory, this is not a clash between tribes, but a clash between Rome and the barbarians, and the rules of the battlefield no longer apply."

As soon as Dennis's words fell, Sekras immediately replied. This is also what Apis thinks, if these barbarians really think so, then they are too naïve, it is at stake for the life of every legionnaire, who would be stupid enough to hand over the camp and leave it at the disposal of the barbarians.

"Yes, but I suspect that this is not the real intention of the barbarians, they want to use this ritual to kill our commander, and then kill our camp in one fell swoop when there is no one to lead and command. to achieve their sinister ends. These Britons were as cunning as the Germanic peoples. ”

After a brief conversation, Apis and Sekras understood the reason for their current situation. Dennis's guesses and explanations make everything clear. The British's plan was simple: they were to fight in a gladiatorial battle, to kill the Roman officers in a one-on-one gladiatorial duel, and take advantage of the opportunity to attack the city.

However, they will not suspect that our commander did not really go into battle, but simply sent a soldier into battle?

Apis wanted to ask this, but swallowed back when the words came to his mouth, because this is in ancient Rome, all values, outlook on life, and style of doing things are different from modern times, in postmodern warfare, commanders generally hide in some dark, unknown corner, in front of the computer screen, commanding thousands of troops and horses to fight the enemy in a decisive battle, but in ancient Rome, if the commander is also so cringe, it will only make the soldiers feel that their commander is too bad and a person without courage, Then the prestige of this general in the legion will be plundered, and even soon a new replacement will appear.

Apis did not allow such a situation to occur, he still had a long way to go, the glorious Roman Empire, the peak of power, had not yet set foot in it, and at present, he must not lose his hard-won military position because of such a small war.

"I'll go out and fight their leader."

After a moment of thought, Appis spoke again.

"They are barbarians, and no Roman commander has ever been able to defeat a barbarian leader in a gladiatorial fight before."

Dennis was surprised to say that although he was dissatisfied with Appis's prestige in the army, Dennis was a traditional Roman after all, and in the face of foreign enemies, this old Roman centurion would still abandon his selfishness and stand with the Romans.

"You don't believe in my abilities?"

Apis replied with a smile, in fact, looking outside the camp, the stout and fierce barbarian leader, Apis did not have the certainty of victory, but the more this time, the more he could not be cowardly, as a commander of a brigade, if he coaxed, the soldiers would be even more cowardly, when the time comes, let alone gladiatorial fighting, even if the barbarians have no brains to attack, the soldiers will not be able to hold the camp.

"We all know what you're capable of, but the barbarian leader is a beast, a real beast, bloodthirsty and brutal. There are no rules in gladiatorial fights, they will do everything to defeat you, kill you, they don't follow the rules, Appis. ”

Dennis gave his opinion.

This statement reminded Apis of his distant days in the Graeus family of Rome, the cold and terrible underground arena. In that underground gambling city-like place, every day is full of bloody killings, inhumane fights, and there, there are also irregular gladiatorial fights, and the two sides of the gladiatorial fight do not even use weapons to fight, but end each other's lives by tearing each other's flesh and skin with their bare hands. Appis witnessed the underground gladiators who were madly tortured their opponents to death in order to survive. And I also spent a time there, and now I think back that in addition to living in the forest, the days in the underground arena will be the darkest and most painful years for me.

However, Dennis didn't know this, and everyone in the room didn't know this. At most, they know that Apis was a gladiator in the Colosseum for a while.

"I'm going to defeat them."

Despite Dennis's concerns, Apis persisted in the end.

"By the way, also, be ready to take me back to camp at any time, these barbarians will break the contract at any time. Like you said, they're beasts. ”

Appis finally confessed, and under the astonished gaze of Dennis and Sekras, he walked down the wall and picked up his shield and sword.

The loud horn had sounded, and the barracks resounded with the enthusiastic cheers of the soldiers. "Son of Rome protected by the gods." The legionnaires believed that their commander was the one Mars protected, that Apis would bring victory to them, that the eagle banner would be raised again, in this savage continent.