The bright sun, the light clouds, and the thin morning mist shrouded Caesarea, and everything was so calm, and the people went about their lives as usual, without feeling any discomfort.

Occasionally, it will be noticed that the soldiers, who used to stay in the barracks all day, are now often found on the streets, in public baths, in taverns, in groups of threes and fives, and some with their own families. These big-headed soldiers actually don't have much money in their hands, but because they don't leave the army all year round and have nowhere to spend it, they always spend a lot of money, which can be regarded as a small prosperity of Caesarea's service industry.

This small change did not affect everyone's lives, but some of the more perceptive people sensed it and began to worry about the future of Rome, which was somewhat of a good thing.

The soldiers took their salaries and went to the baths and taverns in groups. Those with family members chose to stay with their families, eating not very appetizing but familiar bean soup mixed with fish and meat, and secretly, stuffing the hard-earned money in their hands under the pillow.

"Give all the troops who go a day off, pay them two months' salary in advance, and let them reunite with their families. ”

This was Theodore's order the day before, and Mesimus agreed, but asked Theodore to let him go home as well to see his family.

Theodore agreed without hesitation.

This battle is completely different from the past, the opponent is not even human anymore, and judging from the situation described by Elendil, when its strength is against the human army, it can even be described by the word "crushing".

The Roman legions were strong, at least among the heavy infantry known to man, and they were notoriously strong in willpower, conquering the entire Mediterranean, and standing proudly in front of everyone.

But what if the opponent is not human?

Human beings will always be afraid, especially when facing something they can't recognize, the fear in their hearts will be infinitely magnified, and if this thing that makes them afraid is still very strong, it will be even more difficult to say.

They will run away, they will cry and surrender, and there is nothing wrong with that, because that is not something they can overcome.

Like the Polish hussars in World War II, the courage to charge with a German heavy tank group in the face of a cavalry gun is almost incredible.

Theodore didn't know how many Roman soldiers had the same idea as Quintus, but even if they couldn't understand it, they would still resolutely carry out their orders, because they were Roman legions, invincible Roman legions. They will not break their loyalty until they die for the sake of glory!

Two infantry wings and one archer wing are all composed of veterans, and some of the more potential recruits are arranged to serve as squad leaders and other low-level positions. Although Quintus has repeatedly intimidated these recruits in his "declaration of appointment", telling them that they will definitely be allowed to go into battle, in the end, this guy still takes care of these "little guys" in every way, at least until they grow up, and should not let them fight against such a terrible opponent.

Rome will be held up by these men for the next twenty years. But for now, leave it to the veterans!

Accompanied by Valens, Theodore walked to the temple.

The Romans are a bit like the Chinese in terms of faith - they believe in everything and believe in nothing, which is also a common scene in polytheistic beliefs, they rarely become fanatical because of religion (except for cults, of course), but at the same time in order to comfort their spiritual shijie, they are very persistent in faith, almost everything in Rome has a god to manage, even husband and wife quarrel have a special god. At the same time, the Romans were also very active in "importing" the gods of other peoples, probably because they felt that the more gods they had, the more effective they were, and when they prayed to God, they could ask for a few more, and it would be safer, and they might succeed in any of them.

Of course, because there are so many gods, not every god is made up of special priests, most of them just have a small temple, the specific situation depends on what the people in this area mainly believe, politicians mostly believe in the god king Jupiter, scholars and craftsmen are the sun god Apollo and the goddess of wisdom Minerva, warriors are the god of war Mars or the moon goddess Artemis (she is also the goddess of hunting), merchants and sailors believe in the god Mercury and Neptune, the god of the sea, and many old people and judges are followers of Pluto, the king of Hades (he is in charge of judgment and justice) 。

The temple built by the high priest of Flavi is dedicated to the main beliefs of Caesarea today - Jupiter, Minerva, and Mars.

The temple sits directly opposite the central square of Caesarea, and the sculptures of the twelve main gods are specially erected in each corner of the square, and the center is a three-meter-high marble pedestal, erecting a six-meter-high flagpole, on which the golden laurel flag of Rome is flying, this area called "the square of the gods" by the citizens has become one of the attractions of Caesarea, and foreign merchants like to stay here for a while to appreciate the carving art of the Romans.

The roof of the temple is supported by tall marble columns, the deep vestibule is mysterious, and the white walls are carved with anecdotes of the gods and heroes. The innermost main hall enshrines the six-meter-high full-body statues of the three main gods, and there are various prosperous patterns on the round roof, and there is only a ray of light from the roof in the enclosed space, which makes people feel like they are in the heavenly realm, and they can't help but have the idea of worshipping.

"Good afternoon, dear Caesar, I hope that I, the old man, have not disturbed your prayers. ”

A dull sound came from behind, accompanied by the "snap-pop" sound of the cane striking on the ground, and the old man in the linen robe slowly came out from behind, and there was never any joy or sadness on his meticulous countenance.

"I think you know what I'm here for, right, High Priest Flavi. Theodore said softly, nodding slightly in respect of the elder: "The legions need the blessing of the Roman gods and a sign of victory!"

This kind of thing was common in ancient Rome, how could it be so lucky, every time there was an auspicious omen? It was the commander-in-chief at that time who discussed with the priest in advance, and you could get an auspicious omen for me anyway, so that the soldiers could fight with peace of mind; but sometimes the priest's hand would slip, but it didn't matter, because as long as he didn't see it, this divination didn't count, and then the priest could have opened his eyes and said nonsense, anyway, he saw it, and he said what it was.

"Huh. A sly smile appeared on Flavi's wrinkled old face, and he slowly walked to Theodore's side, standing reluctantly: "Don't worry, the sacrificial ceremony is ready, I will first introduce you to a priest, who can be responsible for praying for the warriors when you go on the march!"

As he spoke, he beckoned behind him, and out of the shadows behind the column came a very sturdy young man, wearing a very ordinary linen robe, but the underneath the clothes looked bulging, and when he looked at it, it was actually a leather armor?!

Priests wear leather armor?

Before Theodore could come to his senses, the young man fell down on one knee in front of Theodore, stroked his chest and bent over: "Salute you, great Caesar!"

"This boy is a priest of the new god of war, Mars, who is not only proficient in doctrine, but also in weapons such as daggers and spears, and is only suitable as a priest of the army. Flavi said simply.

"Mars's priest, you?" said Theodore, looking down at the dark-skinned "priest" in front of him.

"Yes, Caesar. ”

"Then tell me, will we be able to win?" Theodore helped him up and made him look at him: "Under the protection of Mars!"

The priest did not answer immediately, but looked into Theodore's eyes, and looked carefully as if there was an answer there, either what he wanted or what Theodor wanted.

"The gods can only point the way in the direction of victory, my Caesar. The priest bowed his head, his hands relaxed and lowered: "And the rest, we need to reach out to get it." ”

"True victory is not up to the gods, it's up to you, Caesar. The priest raised his head, his eyes clear, with a childlike clarity: "How much do you know about the enemy, and how much do you know about us, the key to victory is here." If you already know, why bother asking the gods?"

"If I didn't know, it was for the soldiers to die in vain. ”

Theodore spoke immediately with a thoughtful look, and the young priest's words suddenly enlightened him, and many plausible things suddenly understood a lot, and knowledge could not be left on paper after all, it was only a pale argument.

"Thank you, High Priest Flavi, for finding me a good priest who is well-versed in doctrine. Theodore put his hand on the priest's shoulder and bowed his head slightly in homage to Flavi. The older High Priest just smiled, and walked slowly back into the shadows with his cane and hunched back.

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

"Pack up your equipment, bring everything with you, don't lose your life because of a momentary effort!" Valence stood in the hall of the castle and commanded the knights of the Imperial Guard to pack up their things: "Bring both shields, we are likely to have to defend this time, it is not enough to bring only cavalry shields, don't forget that your mission is to protect Caesar!"

Theodore sat at the long table in the hall, waiting quietly, his purple horsehair helmet on the table, and the jewel set in his forehead was facing Theodore's eyes.

"Your Excellency, you're all ready. Valence stood behind Theodore and whispered.

"Let the knights assemble, right in the square, and let all the soldiers assemble there, and let them take another look at the city they are guarding before leaving. Theodore said tepidly, holding his chin with his right hand and waving his hand behind him: "Let me be alone for a while, and I'll be there later." ”

"Understood. Valence bowed his head and made a "soft" gesture towards the knights behind him. The willing knights nodded, took steps, and left the castle one after another.

The quiet sound of the wind echoed in the castle, and the melodious birdsong came from outside the gate, which made Theodore feel relaxed, slightly curled the corners of his mouth, closed his eyes, and heard a faint fragrance from the tip of his nose.

"If you want to come to me, it's a little late, Helena. Theodore didn't look back, but he heard the cramped footsteps behind him, which made him smile.

"How do you know it's me?" the somewhat annoyed girl turned from behind and muttered at Theodore's smiling face, "Maybe, maybe it's an assassin!"

"Assassins don't have the sound of your footsteps, they don't deliberately tiptoe, but they make their voices as casual as possible, but very indistinct. Theodore smiled and shook his head and shrugged: "Of course, if it's really an assassin, then ............"

"Bump-" Theodore kicked the back of the chair under him, and the long sword drawn from his waist made an extremely sharp grinding sound, and before Helena could recover from it, the sharp blade was on her shoulder.

"That's what I'm going to do. Theodore smiled mischievously, then casually inserted the sword back into its sheath and spread his hands at Helena: "Still have questions?"

"You've always been like that. Helena lowered her head and her eyes were colorless: "I always don't care what others think, I just think it's appropriate, and I'm still very ungraceful!"

"Because, uh, we're friends. Theodore laughed.

............ Quiescence.

Neither of them spoke again, just like that, perhaps waiting for the other to speak first, or planning to enjoy the rare silence.

"You're leaving?"

"Hmm. ”

"To war?"

"And orcs. ”

"Will you come back alive?"

"I try. ”

Helena didn't ask any more, bowing her head so that Theodore couldn't see her expression, but the "woo-woo-woo" sound from the twitching of her nose was clearly recognizable.

"Helena, my dear Helena. Theodore stepped forward slowly, and gently embraced the little girl, and she did not resist, her arms wrapped around Theodore's back, and her little head hung on his shoulder.

"Can you not go?"

"No way. ”

“weishenme？”

"Because I'm Caesar!" Theodore patted her on the back and slowly let go, "I must do what I say, and at the same time think about the future of Rome." ”

"I hope that when I return, you will come and meet me, at the triumphal ceremony. Theodore let go slowly, turned and strode out, leaving the castle hall without looking back.

Confidence, courage, dignity may not be worth a person's life, but they can give people the courage to fight the enemy to the death.

"Theodore!"

As soon as he reached the vestibule, a shout came from behind him, which made him pause. Turning around, Helena, holding her helmet, hurried over.

"You pulled this!" Stretching out her hands and handing the helmet to Theodore's hands, Helena looked up at him, gasping for breath in her mouth and her chest rising and falling.

“xiexie。 Gently taking it, Theodore put it on: "Is there anything else?"

"Hmm!" Helena stepped forward, tiptoed, and kissed him lightly on the cheek in Theodore's somewhat stunned eyes.

"Don't think about it, it's just a tradition, it's a farewell gift. The girl blushed and looked at Theodore as if warning: "When the knight goes on the expedition, as a parting blessing, I hope you can return safely!"

Theodore didn't answer, but just cocked the corners of his mouth mischievously and looked at the girl suspiciously, which made Helena's cheeks redder.

“zaijian。 ”

"Hmm, Zaijian!"

..................

In the square, more than 1,000 Roman soldiers were ready to go, neatly lined up in a phalanx, with their heads held high, waiting for their leader's review.

Theodore rode Weber silently past them, and only the sound of horses' hooves and breathing echoed in the square.

"Is there anything else you want to say, my lord?" asked Mehemus, from the side.

"No more. Theodore shook his head, walked to the front of the entire formation, looked down at the entire army with his chin tilted, and gently drew his sword from its sheath and raised it high above his head.

"Romans, go!"