Augustus Road

"Whether you are Sulla's friend or Sulla's enemy, I believe I have repaid you twice as much." - Sulla's epitaph

————————————————————————————

"Then." Adiana said softly, and then moved her eyes to Poti, who was still crying, "You are the only one left. I am not willing to insult you in front of so many imperial soldiers, and I will not give you the gift." Soldiers, thank me for my kindness! But you must die and be buried for my aunt."

Poti nodded. Just as Calabis was about to shout "No", two Pontic cavalry scouts carrying bucklers hurried over and shouted: "Not far away, a large group of Romans appeared. It seemed that they were from Sili." The remaining troops in West Asia.”

Uteris and Hybrida smiled, it must be Apis who led the army - but Adiana smiled even more happily, "The envoys who were sent back were of great help again. They gave the specific location Tell the Roman reinforcements to save us the trouble of looking for them. Buffalo Texile, your chance to annihilate the organized Romans has come. Use your cavalry's strengths. Remember, even if the sun sets soon, Don't give the Romans a chance to build fortifications."

After nightfall, the entire land of Lekdania seemed to be trembling and burning - just as Apis led three brigades, plus two thousand Galaxia auxiliary light infantry, they had just crossed a small river and were preparing to rush to Lekdania. When Asia was reinforcing the three regiments that had all been captured, Pontus' "Bison" Taxile followed Adiana's instructions in advance and commanded his cavalry to launch a wave attack on the Romans.

All the Pontic cavalry, holding pines in one hand, like countless shining meteors, rushed in front of the Roman soldiers whose feet were still stained with wading frost. Then, regardless of the target, they howled loudly and threw the weapons in their hands. The javelin was thrown out, and then escaped with a blow. The second group of cavalry continued to fight in relays in an instant. Their purpose was simple, not to give the Romans a chance to prepare and set up camp.

Taxile lived up to his nickname "Bison". He was a master of cavalry tactics and was much stronger than the opponents the Romans had encountered before. Under his command, the Pontus cavalry was divided into three wings and six echelons. Under the night, they advanced and retreated in an orderly manner, taking turns to harass the Roman soldiers.

The commander of the Romans, Apis, stood behind several shields, with several light javelins flying overhead from time to time. His eyes turned around following the dynamics of the battlefield. The expression on his thin face illuminated by the torch was very calm: But He knew very well in his heart that half of the three brigades under his command formed a line to fight. Although they were in front of the fierce attack of the Pontic cavalry, they did not panic and established a foothold in front of the river. What he was really worried about was How long can the Galashians on the flanks, these soldiers of the Asia Minor slave state, maintain their willpower under the overwhelming offensive of Pontus?

Just behind the Apis formation, the remaining half of the Roman soldiers were sweating profusely in the winter night. Amid the shouts of killing from the front, they were waving their shovels and pickaxes and building fortifications frantically. This was the Romans' goal when facing battle. Last resort: Once encountering an enemy attack, half of the front team will engage in battle, and the other half of the rear team will build defenses at all costs regardless of what happens.

The key point of the entire battlefield, just as Adiana predicted, is whether the Romans can persevere and repair the fortifications.

"Bidoita, tell the bison to find the weak point of the Roman formation and break through it, like tearing a thin cloth. The Romans' formation has the most elite heavy infantry in the center, but they are on the wings. The cavalry and servants are much weaker." Adiana on the chariot gave a high-five and ordered Biduita.

After Biduita left, Adiana showed her shell-like white teeth and chewed hazelnuts leisurely. Sometimes she sighed slightly and said to Calabis next to her: "Sometimes I envy the amphora. If your body is as good as mine, then I will definitely be the one to inherit my father's throne."

But she found that Calabis looked at her under the lantern with strange, disgusted and wary eyes.

Adiana combed her chestnut hair with her hands, "Calabis, are you afraid of me, just because of the scene where I stabbed Albona?"

"No, I don't know. I just feel that my perception of Her Majesty the Queen has deviated from before, but I will be self-aware. As a slave, what I need is the ability to adapt to everything."

"You said this with melancholy and hypocrisy." Adiana bit open a hazelnut forcefully. "Am I not merciful enough? I forgave the Third Army, I let go of my brother's envoy, I would also like to grant Bodie a dignified death immediately."

"All of this is just your careful arrangement in advance." Karabis said with a little resentment, thinking of what would happen to Poti soon.

"Shut up! No wonder the philosopher said, don't be too nice to slaves, they are a group of people who only know how to push their limits." Adiana gritted her teeth and said, "Calabis, don't forget, it was me who taught you to kill - -Since you can kill the first one, you won’t be afraid to continue killing the second one - In this world, there are always some people you must kill. One day, you will be full of gratitude and thank me for teaching you this life. Required skills.”

Carabis remembered the scene at the pass of Sophiene, when he made an Armenian soldier drink the tip of a bronze spear under Adiana's scolding. This was a scene that tortured him for many nights, and his hands were stained with human blood. "If I don't kill that man, he will kill me." This was the explanation he had always given himself, and now this explanation was completely broken by Adiana's theory: there is no compulsion in killing people. As long as it is necessary, you can kill people for self-defense today, and you will kill people for profit tomorrow.

At this time, the servants turned up the fenders of Adiana's carriage one by one, locked them, and the whole carriage became a closed box. Then the servants lit the bronze footlights and the incense. Adiana was a little sleepy, like a beautiful kitten, half lying on the silk pillow, and there was a soft curtain between her and Carabis standing outside.

"Carabis, Carapis..." Seeing the absent-minded look of the "ampherty", Adiana laughed again behind the curtain, "I am from the Mithra family. Do you think that the strength of a family depends on humility, honor and warmth? Wrong, such a family has long been eliminated by the world. People in a strong family must always believe that they are superior to anyone else. Only by constantly making themselves stronger like my father can they survive. Otherwise, it would be bad like you. You actually want to save Potti, and you actually want to get her **** reward, but you can't do it. First, you have no ability at all, and second, some of your outdated ideas have bound you - maybe you should really do like Hebrida, directly lift Potti's skirt, tear off her clothes, and give her what a lowly woman deserves to enjoy. "

Then Adiana suddenly pulled open the curtain, stood in front of Carabis in soft and loose underwear, touched his chest with her hand, and said half teasingly and half scoldingly: "Maybe men have different statuses, but in front of women and prey, they should all be like beasts." At this time, there was a snort of horses outside the carriage, and a messenger shouted: "Your Excellency, disturbing your sweet dreams is really a crime worthy of death, but I must report to you the best news of the night. Our cavalry has broken through the enemy's left wing."

Hearing this news, Adiana smiled and ordered Carabis: "Light a torch, go to the front and observe carefully, and then come back to tell me the details of the battlefield." After that, she scattered her chestnut curly hair, pulled back the curtain, lay on the couch, raised her white arms, and said lazily "Go."

;