In the Balkans in late autumn, with a cool breeze, in the fortifications and moats of the built city, Apis looked up at the starry sky and stroked the ring in his hand, which was a token he had given to Emma. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 infoIn Rome, a ring is not just a ring, it can represent a person's identity, knights or nobles, or even commoners, have their own exclusive ring, Apis once gave this ring to Emma for safekeeping, which means that from now on, we will be together like this. But at that time, he was still a regimental commander, and he expected that he was likely to be involved in endless political struggles and power struggles in the future, and it was impossible for him to marry Emma as a public figure, so he told this Germanic girl the cruelty of reality, but her resolute character made her resolutely decide to leave her.

Thinking of this, Appis couldn't help but feel sad, after all, it was also the person he had paid his feelings to. It's just fate that makes people, if he knew that he had today, he didn't have to get involved in the power struggle in Rome anymore, and he was just a commoner, then he would have married Emma at that time, regardless of other people's discussions, a commoner, and there was not so much pressure from public opinion, just wait until everyone around her accepts her. But now, when she has become a complete civilian, Emma has also left herself. Life is so unpredictable, and Apis lamented that he had traveled from modern times to ancient times, but he could not control the fate arranged by God.

"Are you missing that Germanic woman?"

Crane saw Appis's mind by the campfire, because Crane was present when Apis gave it to Emma when the ring was present.

"Sort of, alas."

Appis sighed, the starry sky at night was a distant thought that disturbed people's minds.

"To tell you the truth, she was lucky to meet you, and if it were someone else, she would have been ravaged like a slave a long time ago, but you gave her freedom and respect. But she left you anyway. ”

Crane is a big man who can't comfort people, and he wanted to say something comforting, but when he said it, it took a different taste. Appis smiled wryly, indeed.

"The snow wolf will not be tamed after all, and she may not have been born into the world of the Romans."

Appis said in amazement.

"Appis, my brother, I don't understand one thing, when I was with you at the gladiator school in Graeus, you said that you loved Octavia of Octavian, why did you later pick up a Germanic woman and give him affection? This is the first time I've heard of this kind of thing, that a Roman aristocratic woman is far better than a barbarian? ”

Beside the campfire, where there were only two people, Crane asked calmly and curiously.

"Feelings? Maybe. This thing is a very strange phenomenon, and for many years, many people have tried to explain the answer and why, but they have failed, women are not just a body for men to vent and enjoy, they have their own souls, some love their bodies, and some love their souls. That's why things are complicated. I've been in love with Octavia, but I've also been in love with the comfort Emma has given me, and I revel in that feeling, and there's an unreal beauty. As time went on, Octavia was pregnant with someone else's child, which I never let go, but if I didn't have a trace of affection for her, it wasn't. It's just that it's no longer intense, but if it's gained or lost, it seems to be an emotion, but it's ethereal. That's how I feel about Octavia right now. I do miss her more than Emma does. ”

At night, a thick bonfire burned continuously, outlining Appis's tired and sad face. Klein sat in front of his good brother and listened to this large pile of "complicated" words. It's like a so-called love poem written by a poet, and I can't understand it.

"Okay, okay. You have your feelings, you have your stories. I can't understand it, I can't help anything. However, I still hope that you will cheer up, and tomorrow may be the day of our decisive battle with Pompey. You've been waiting for this day for a long time, haven't you? When you're on the battlefield, don't get bogged down by sadness. That's it. ”

Crane said, stood up, walked over to Appis, and patted him on the shoulder. Then, he walked to the couch of the military tent.

When the breeze blew, Appis felt a chill.

……

"Soldier, set up the catapult."

"Archer, come to the front!"

"Brothers, today is the day of our decisive battle against Pompey. Polish your weapons, put on your armor, and victory is ours! For Caesar, for Rome! Jupiter is with us! ”

At dawn the next day, the commanders of both sides, according to the prior arrangement, pulled all the legions out of the tents and laid out a long formation on the plains of Thessaly.

Appis stood on the center-right flank of the line, which was usually the main battlefield of infantry phalanxes, where Caesar placed a series of capable men and two flanks led by Lepida and Antony. In the final decisive battle, Caesar sent all his cavalry. Fifteen hundred Gallic cavalry and five hundred Germanic cavalry, that's all Caesar's cards. Anthony was on the right wing, dressed in military uniform, arrogant. It was the most crucial battle he had for Caesar's forces against Pompey, and everyone knew what it meant to be in that position.

And after being removed from the army, Apis once again entered the war as an ordinary centurion. In the middle of the road, as far as the eye can see, there is only a dense crowd of people, and weapons and armor rubbing against each other make a unique metallic sound. On the vast plain, 30,000 infantry from Caesar's camp were constantly moving, forming a neat phalanx, and even such an efficient Roman legionary infantry still spent a lot of time lining up on this plain. Seeing that the rising sun had risen from the horizon to the sky, the phalanx of the ten legions had not yet been completely lined up. There was only a cloud of dust.

On Pompey's side, it seems, too, is so dusty that it almost obscures their whereabouts. The land of Greece is not like Italy or Gaul, where there are tall grasses and shrubs, and here, a lot of the surface is sandy and gravel, rather than fertile soil and lawns. Therefore, as far as the eye can see, the sky and the earth are muddy and yellow. Caesar and Pompey's Roman legions lined up in this barren land, and a sense of historical majesty and tragedy suddenly struck, making Apis suddenly have an indescribable tragedy. The two great men of history have finally reached the pinnacle of the struggle for power, and when all political means cannot achieve the goal, there is only the sword and the legion. (To be continued.) )