Chapter 443 None

Autumn is already in its late stages, but the temperature is still warm. This is the benefit of the subtropical Mediterranean climate. There is no need to prepare heavy winter leather clothing for the soldiers.

Of course, the reduction in logistical support also greatly increased the enemy's chances of launching an offensive in winter. They had already understood from the pile of "demon" corpses that it was the Romans who had done this, so they were eager to retaliate. After all, these guys had been giving them a headache for quite some time. According to the nature of the barbarians, they would take revenge for any grudges they had, and they would certainly not swallow their anger just because of the unfavorable current situation.

Luca had a period of peace, but his life was not easy, because Fitanius, Augustus's envoy, had not left yet. Luca knew too well the specific reasons why these officials were reluctant to leave, so he accompanied these guys to banquets every day and ate all the precious delicacies that could be found in Iberia.

This guy is not ungrateful. Luca is afraid that he will go back and talk nonsense in front of Valentinian. Although he has an indescribable intimacy with Valentinian, Valentinian even regards Luca as a life-saving straw. But this guy with thorns all over his body and extremely insecure is extremely fragile inside. He cannot stand stimulation, let alone betrayal. Nonsense is enough to collapse his fragile defense line. This crazy guy, God knows what choice he will make when such rumors reach his ears.

"This bastard from Ravenna is like a god now!" On the way back, Andrew saw that there was no one around, so he complained loudly to Luca: "Look at how arrogant he is at the banquet, as if we are his servants. Luca, you have to cheer up, you are the captain of the soldiers, far superior to him as a general commanding the army!"

"It's not important, Andrew, it's not important at all. Although his rank is lower than mine, he is Augustus's envoy and inspector after all." Luca burped, reeking of alcohol, and the aftereffects of the wine gave him an unbearable headache. Even so, he was still able to keep himself awake and not be unable to think and talk nonsense.

Luca went on to say, "As long as we can bribe this envoy of Augustus to shut up, and don't ask him to praise us everywhere after we go back, but only ask him to go back without saying a word against us and the inspector to keep quiet, then Augustus will definitely not have unnecessary suspicions. However, we must speed up in order to quickly defeat the Alans in front of us. As for the rest, it won't be too late to deal with them when the time comes."

"But Luca, you have to consider what if this guy is an ungrateful person?" Andrew said worriedly, "There are too many bastards like this, so many that we can't tell whether they are the kind of guys we imagined. Otherwise, when you think the time is right, tell me and I will call a few soldiers to kill this bastard and find a place to bury him! Then send an inspector down and tell them that they were robbed by the Alans and left no bodies. If they want the bodies, they can find the Alans and let them find them for them!"

"No! We can't do this, Andrew!" Luca immediately rejected Andrew's proposal. Luca continued, "This is a sensitive period. After all, everyone in the hall heard Fitanius slandering me. No one can guarantee it. Only God knows how many people are suspicious of me. If the inspector dies at this time, all the blame will be directed at me, which will only be more disadvantageous to me at that time."

"So we can only let it go?" asked Andrew.

"This is the only way we can do now, Andrew, my friend." Luca found it difficult to speak. After all, this was like a gamble.

In a small fishing village outside New Carthage, because it was within the sphere of influence protected by the Roman army, the Roman soldiers coming and going gave the local villagers a silent message: even the Alans could not break through the heavy defenses and arrive here.

They lived an easy and happy life under the protection of powerful military forces. Fishing and then selling it to the army was the source of their money. Diligent guys were always able to accumulate a considerable fortune.

But the good times did not last long. Winter came and the weather was warm and humid. It rained again that day. In the heavy rain, everyone went home to take shelter from the rain. No one was stupid enough to go out to sea to fish at this time.

But there are always such "fools" who go out to sea in the rain to make more money. Franco is a young man, and his years of experience at sea have given him strong muscles. Every time he goes out to sea to fish, he will trade with the nearest military camp. After all, hundreds of mouths always need such "vegetarian dishes" to fill their stomachs, and he can also make a lot of money according to the type of fish.

There was a girl at the east end of the village, her name was Carmen, she was an adult girl who helped her parents with work at home, her buttocks were plump and attractive, and she always caught Franco's eye inadvertently. This was the most beautiful girl Franco had ever seen, and beautiful girls were not short of suitors, and Franco was one of them. He was an ordinary person, and it was difficult for him to get the favor of this beauty, but he was unwilling to give up, and always thought about how to make Carmen look at him with new eyes.

He had some savings, but they were all low-quality copper coins or denarii. He had never seen a solidus coin because he heard that it was not only made of gold, but also had a depiction of barbarians surrendering to the Roman Augustus. It was not just a coin, but also a work of art, something that Carmen could hardly refuse.

When it rains, fishermen are unwilling to go out to sea to fish, so no one can compete with him for the fish in the sea. He can catch a full boat and then sell the fish to the soldiers at a higher than usual price, even at the risk of being scolded by these burly guys as a guy who is obsessed with money.

He didn't think much of it, because maybe he could collect enough money and find a soldier to exchange his denarius for a solidus, and then he could come to Carmen and present the solidus in his hand to the beauty of his dreams in front of all his rivals.

"Oh, look at that, your jealous eyes, and the dull expressions when you look at Souledes!" Franco was so engrossed in the thought that he couldn't help but start talking to himself mockingly. In his mind, he had vividly imitated the scene and was immersed in it.

"Carmen will definitely be grateful to me for the Solidus I gave her. I am a man who can earn Solidus, and I can support her. She will definitely fall in love with me for this, and then she will snuggle in my arms and listen to me telling the story on the Solidus gold coin. Oh, the story on the gold coin, my God, I haven't figured out what it says on it. I have to think about it carefully, otherwise she will laugh at me if I can't say anything at the critical moment." Franco was not fishing at all, he was clearly daydreaming, but he was willing to indulge in it, as if this was his certain future.

"The great, oh, Roman Augustus, uh. Leading the army, fighting against the barbarians, oh, which barbarians, what kind of background."

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It was raining so hard and I could only see a small boat going farther and farther away.

(End of this chapter)