Chapter 701 Zeno
In the 453rd year of the birth of Saint Jesus, Luca was already very weak.
It shouldn't be like this, he thinks he shouldn't. Although he is in his forties, it is not his time of death yet.
He had no physical illness, but somehow, he was becoming increasingly weak mentally from the headaches. His face was pale and he looked very weak. Luca blamed all this on the fact that he drank a sip of river water mixed with the blood of the victims on the Sharon Plain.
Yes, these are all curses, the side effects of the killings he spread. It even gave birth to another strange yet familiar individual in the subconscious. He was sleeping like a baby, but every breath brought pain to Luga.
"I must be sick, I must be sick." Luga comforted himself over and over again in his heart. Until now, he could only use this to comfort himself. After all, there is no medical means to find out what disease he has. After all, minor illnesses that would not be a big problem in the future are incurable now.
Along the way, he held the map of Eastern Rome in his hand and studied it carefully. After all, he needed help from other parts of the empire. If he only relied on the field armies in the Balkans to maintain his rule, the loose federation of Rome would inevitably be completely shattered into pieces.
Therefore, Luca did not dare to make any mistakes, even though every step forward was a risky one.
There was a slight clanging sound when he got off the carriage, but he still adjusted himself, took a deep breath, and calmly concealed his slightly painful expression.
Facing Zeno who was kneeling on the ground, Luca reached out his hand, bent down, and stroked his head.
Zeno put a lot of effort into meeting Basil. He wore the kind of costume he would wear on festivals, completely ignoring the fact that the dirty ground would stain the silk on his body.
"Your hair has just been washed and is still a little damp." Luca smiled and said to Zeno, "You really should learn some Latin or Greek so that you can be recognized by the civilized Romans."
Zeno then hurriedly wiped the dirt off his face, so as not to make Basileus unhappy because of his embarrassment. He knelt on the ground and looked up at the interpreter beside Luca, who was translating Luca's words into Isaurian.
"&$&!"
"What did he say?" Luga looked at the translator beside him in confusion.
"He said, I understand." The translator answered cautiously.
Luca nodded slightly, then signaled Zeno to stand up and lead them into the town not far away.
Although this place is called a town, strictly speaking, it is more accurately described as a colonial settlement.
The town is located on a high ground. The wooden city wall surrounds the highest point of the high ground into an irregular circle, and the houses inside are scattered in twos and threes.
Behind the wooden walls, there are some watchtowers scattered around the town as a defensive force, guarded by guards carrying bows and spears.
Rather than calling it a town, it is more like several villages surrounded by a wooden fence-like wall.
The Isaurians had lived and multiplied here for generations. When they learned that Augustus was coming, everyone thought it was the first time in history. They put down their busy work, walked out of their houses, and stared with wide eyes at the pair who came in from the city gate escorted by fully armed guards.
The children opened their eyes wide, looking in surprise at the guards dressed in gorgeous armor. The guards wore horned helmets, scale armor, and purple cloaks. They looked much more majestic than the guards in sheepskin.
Their eyes were full of envy. Who wouldn't want to dress so well that they think they look handsome while walking on the street and enjoying the envious looks of others?
When they saw a man wearing a golden crown, holding a golden scepter, and wearing a purple toga embroidered with various gold patterns, they realized that the person who could wear such luxurious clothes must be an extraordinary person.
When the adults of Isauria saw Luca, they bowed their heads and saluted to express their respect for Augustus.
"In the past, all the Augustus of the past stayed away from this place, not to mention the scholars who mastered the veil of civilization. This is why this place has remained stagnant while other places have become more civilized." Luca frowned as he looked at the bumpy road under his feet and said, "This scene makes me feel like I've returned to the time when Julius Caesar was on an expedition to Gaul. Fortunately, he was riding a warhorse, and I was walking."
"%#$*+..."
"I'm so sorry, Caesar, this is the best city we have."
"So how many troops are there in this city?"
"More than 500 people."
"So few..." Luka shook his head slightly and asked, "How many towns like yours are there?"
"About twenty or so." The translator listened and translated: "Other towns are even smaller, and can only maintain more than a hundred soldiers."
"So if war breaks out, how many will you mobilize?"
"Usually when a war breaks out, the central government will send field troops to our place, and we will usually send a few hundred people to accompany them until the war is over."
"So, if Constantinople doesn't have time to respond or ask you to take care of yourself, what will you do?"
"There are about 20,000 soldiers who can be fully assembled."
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"It's too little, it's really too little!" Luga couldn't help but clench his fists when he heard this.
Well, after all, the army that can be assembled in the barbarian area by gathering warriors from all over the place is just a mob.
Thinking of this, Luca raised his head and looked at the soldiers on both sides of the road. They were wearing bronze helmets, looking like ancient Greeks.
Because they were once known as mercenaries of the Greeks, and because of the long-term lack of legal coverage, the Isaurians still lived in a semi-barbaric state.
The court officials and even the Privy Councilor Demisius believed that this was just a land called Rome filled with barbarians!
Because the Isaurian region is adjacent to Cappadocia, and because there is no civilized education in Isaurian, there are often bandits and robbers all over the region. After all, the looted things are extremely delicious.
"Zeno, I need you now, I need you to serve Rome!" Luca came to the door of the town's council hall and stopped. Looking at the narrow space inside, Luca felt disgusted. He decided to explain the problem clearly here.
"What is it? Caesar!"
"I need you to gather an army of at least 10,000 men."
"Is there anything we need to do?"
"There are many unstable elements in Rome now, and the damage they cause far exceeds the damage caused by those bandits and robbers."
"Does Caesar mean that we should wait upon your orders, and that you will be the final commander?"
"Yes, I need followers." Luga shrugged and said self-righteously: "As for followers, the more the better."
(End of this chapter)