Chapter 182 Trust
With this outfit, this exaggerated appearance, and the appearance and age of the person in the center, I dare to conclude that this person is indeed Valentinian III, because he is only 18 years old this year. It was the first time I met someone of such a noble status, and I couldn't tell whether I was excited or disdainful. Although he was young, about five or six years younger than me, he was one of the few people in the world with the highest power. In comparison, I was just an ordinary person, and being mediocre was my best label.
"Go ahead!" Valentinian III looked at me coldly, "Tell me what you brought!"
"Instructions that can get you out." I didn't say any more useless self-introductions. I thought that saying so much at this time would only make them distrust me even more.
"So, which department are you from, and what position do you hold? Stranger, I have never seen you here before." Valentinian III said slowly, and in front of me, he slowly drew out the ornately decorated sword on his waist. The sunlight above my head shone through the layers of leaves, shining on the shiny sword. Valentinian even used the reflective surface to flash my eyes. He was threatening me, reminding me that he always had the initiative. But I guessed that he didn't dare to kill me this time, and he couldn't kill me!
Oh, of course you haven't seen me, I said to myself, and couldn't help but raise my head high. At this time, even if I was talking nonsense, I had to show my strength. I said to him in a stern voice: "I am Orius Luca, the centurion of the 300-man team of the 1st Flag Brigade of the 14th Twin Legion!"
"The Fourteenth? The Twin Legions?" It seems that my long string of words confused Valentinian III. He looked at me with a puzzled look, probably because he couldn't believe his ears. He turned his head to look at the middle-aged man standing behind him. He was also dressed gorgeously and had wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, but his face was still very neat and tidy, which was very different from those unshaven barbarian soldiers. But that face was indeed familiar, as if I had seen it somewhere before. But no matter how I recalled it, I felt that I didn't remember it clearly. I didn't dare to recognize the other people randomly. Time has indeed changed people too much, not to mention the guys who I only met once.
"Mr. Littorius, you are Aetius's right-hand man, so of course you should know whether this man is the centurion of the Gemini Legion as he said." Valentinian pointed at me and asked Littorius, but this middle-aged man didn't even look at me and said directly to Valentinian: "Oh, my Caesar, to be honest, I haven't seen him in the legion of Lord Aetius, well, strictly speaking, it's these two, so." He shook his head, and it seemed that he didn't want to recognize us. After all, he was a high-ranking officer and naturally couldn't recognize the minions. When it came to his affairs, he pretended not to know and shirked the responsibility.
"Then have you forgotten the bloody battle outside Narpan two years ago?" He pretended to be stupid, but I didn't care. I had plenty of stories for him to recall. But it really worked. When the past was mentioned, he really paused. I continued, "The wound on my stomach was left at that time. Of course, you are high up and don't recognize us insignificant frontline soldiers, but to the survivors, I am still your old subordinate. You are good. You have forgotten a lot of stories by being transferred from the Seventh Gemina Legion to the Eighth Comrades Legion."
"What?" Littorio probably couldn't believe his ears. He raised his head and stared at me with his equally red eyes. Because of his excitement, his lips were trembling and he couldn't speak clearly. He must have recalled something. He stammered, "You, are you really a member of the Seventh Gemina Legion?"
"No, it's the two of us!" I turned my head to indicate to them that there was also Andrew, but Andrew was still snoring, and it seemed that he had been hit hard. "The two of us are still..."
"And brought back the flag of the legion!" Littorio was even more excited. He almost shouted, pointing at me, breathing heavily. "So those two people were you!" As he spoke, a burst of rage burst out from his eyes. It seemed that this matter really made him extremely uncomfortable, or that the flag had brought shame to him, so he tried every means to find us, but he had found us without any effort. I was now standing in front of him, intact and without the ability to resist.
"What's up, Littorio?" Valentinian, who was standing by, might have been tired of our nagging, or he might have been a little uncomfortable with not having a role anymore, so he interrupted and asked Littorio, "So, he is really your old subordinate?"
"I, I..." Lito hesitated. He didn't dare to deny it, otherwise there would be no way to explain the military flag. In the end, he could only nod and say, "Caesar, I suddenly remembered that he and the guy over there were once my subordinates. So much time has passed, and I can't figure out their whereabouts. But we met here. I have to say this is God's arrangement!"
"Tell me, kid!" He stepped forward and grabbed my arm. He was much more restrained in front of Caesar, at least the fierce light in his eyes was gone, but his hand was like an eagle's claw, firmly embedded in my flesh. "You said you were from the Gemini Legion, so why are you here? The Gemini Legion is far away in Ludinum, and Mr. Aetius is far away in Rome. How did you know this place? If you can't give me an explanation, I will treat you as a spy sent by the Bagaudas."
"Rhine! The last decisive battle against the Burgundians south of the Rhine!" I did not lie, but shouted directly: "Because of our fierce attack, we penetrated too deep into the Burgundian army and could not get out for a while. Before we could come to our senses, we were thrown into the river by the kerosene barrels of our own army." Then I nodded to them and asked them to look at Andrew. "The scar on his back was caused by the fire." It was reasonable and well-founded, which was enough to shut Littorio up! At this point, I choked up, because I thought of the past. I continued with a crying voice: "We have been wandering for a year, being savages for nearly a year, wandering around in this area. Recently, we heard that Caesar personally attacked and suffered setbacks. I thought that even if it was not good enough, we had to repay Caesar's kindness, so I came to lead the way and help Caesar out of danger. Who would have thought that I would meet my former superior. It doesn't matter if he doesn't recognize us, but I beg you to consider Caesar's safety!"
Litorius was speechless because of what I said. He could only look at Caesar Valentinian III, hoping that this boy who was only eighteen years old would make the decision!
"Clap, clap, clap" I never thought that Valentinian III would actually applaud. Then I heard him say, "Wonderful. To be able to survive so many disasters and appear here, you can indeed be said to be a loyal person of the empire!" As he spoke, Valentinian's face was heavy, and he raised his sword and cut the ropes that tied me.
Holy shit, it worked? I was secretly surprised by Valentinian III's affirmation, but I ignored the pain in my body and stood up and said, "Thank you Caesar for your trust!"
"Okay, stop talking nonsense!" Valentinian III sheathed his sword, looked at me and said, "Tell me, do you have any way to get me out? As long as my legion and I get out, I swear I will not treat you unfairly!"
"Then please get me a map, Caesar. I just fainted and don't remember the way!"
After that, a map was spread out in front of me. The plants and rivers on it were marked in detail, exactly the same as the map I remembered at that time.
That was much easier. I secretly estimated the place where I was caught, and then slowly reasoned and roughly understood the direction.
"So we've been in this forest all along!" I said, and I had an idea in my mind. I put away the map, looked at them and said, "Let's go, I know the way!"
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(End of this chapter)