Chapter 71: Plundering the Village (Part 1)

This march was not smooth, because we were ordered to search for villages where Burgundians might be found. Rather than searching, it was more like looting. However, the field legions would not do such dirty work, but the auxiliary legions. By the time we arrived, there was nothing left in the looted village.

Ten full days passed. It was autumn and it rained continuously. The dirt road was already muddy. In addition, the shoes could not withstand the long journey and broke early, making the journey even more difficult.

Roman sandals made of woven leather belts, originally worn in spring and summer, are rarely seen in the current legions. However, at this time, in the face of such severe cold and humidity, the officer in charge of logistics actually gave us this thing. Wearing it, I have to stop and warm my feet after walking for a while. Every time I sit down to warm myself by the fire, I am a little glad that I belong to the regular field legion. Even if the supplies are tight, there will be sandals to wear. To be honest, I began to blame Andrew for the centurions walking in front. If he hadn't handed in the military flag, we wouldn't have come to the field legion. It would be so much better to go to the auxiliary legion. Looking at the fur boots they looted on their feet and the leather sandals on my feet, I think I already know who the hell is the stepmother's child! The humid air, the chain mail on many soldiers has been rusted, so people have no time to care about it. Because the further north you go, the lower the level of civilization. Looking around, there is basically no trace of civilization except the muddy road under your feet. On both sides of the road, there are only jungles and plains full of wild grass. It is really hard to imagine that this was once a region ruled by Rome for hundreds of years.

"Centurion Andrew." I asked loudly to the leading centurion Andrew behind me (I didn't mean to call him that. Andrew asked me to call him that since he became a centurion): "Where are we?"

"The Great Sequanoron Province, at least it used to be!"

Andrew spoke, moving his arms continuously. It must be said that the period of recuperation made Andrew's arms recover quickly. This should be attributed to the title of centurion. At least he had special meals and had no intention of sharing weal and woe with the soldiers. What I couldn't understand was that the soldiers were also happy with it.

“I really can’t stand it anymore!”

Looking at the sandals on my feet that were already covered with a layer of mud, the chill that spread from the instep to my head made my entire scalp begin to numb. It's too cold. If it continues like this, rheumatism will be a small matter. Amputation will be a real big problem! Although I thought so in my heart, I looked back at the soldiers behind me. Because of the cold weather, and they had their own preparations, they didn't have a big problem with clothes to keep warm. It was just shoes. Some even went barefoot.

"Hello, Andrew."

I came out of the hundred-man team and joined Andrew's hundred-man team behind me.

"Oh, you are wrong, you should call me Centurion Andrew!"

Andrew puffed out his chest and repeated it to me again.

"Fuck, good, good!" I nodded quickly. After just ten days, it seemed that Andrew had become obsessed with the position of centurion. "Okay, Centurion Andrew!" I deliberately emphasized the word centurion, thinking, damn, you are a centurion, I am also a centurion, we are equal. I thought so in my heart, but I didn't dare to say it openly, so I continued: "Centurion, look at how shabby the soldiers' equipment is. If this continues, let alone Worms, even on the battlefield, I'm afraid they will collapse halfway through the charge!"

"Really?" Andrew stared at me with disbelief on his face. Then he stepped out of the team and lowered his head to carefully look at the feet of the soldiers passing by. As I said, many soldiers' shoes were torn.

"Lujia, you're right, there really are people who go barefoot!" Andrew said, his face solemn. He looked at me and said, "What can you do?"

I lowered my head and thought for a while, thinking that now that it has come to this, I don't care about the regular army or other unconventional ways. If I encounter the next village, I must rush ahead of the auxiliary army, otherwise there will be deaths!

"Well, Andrew."

"Centurion Andrew!"

"Okay, okay, Centurion Andrew, oops, you see I forgot again." I grumbled for a few words, then got to the point and said, "Look, let's think of a way to forcibly occupy the next village before the auxiliary legion, so that we can leave with clothes and shoes!"

"You mean robbery?" Andrew looked at me with a puzzled look, and said righteously: "I remind you, Mi, Luca, the villagers in those villages were once Roman citizens after all. If you rush up to rob them like this, there might be a fight and someone might die. Don't you think it's disheartening? Where is the justice you showed when you saved Anais?"

"Alright, alright, I didn't say I wanted to rob you. Just follow me with your team!"

"Okay then, Luka, but I still have to remind you not to steal. Your reputation is already bad enough!"

"Got it, got it"

I couldn't stand Andrew's endless chatter, so I quickly ran away and returned to my own group. When I saw the horn player Briss, I said to him, "Quick, blow the horn, get the team running, and let's go to the front to improve our lives!"

Brice immediately took out his French horn and blew a rapid, rhythmic blast, "Quick, run! Improve your life!"

As soon as they heard that their lives were going to be improved, the soldiers' spirits that had been drooping suddenly became strong again. They followed me along the roadside, not knowing whether they were wearing sandals or barefoot. They left behind the auxiliary legion's centurions one by one. The old men and young men also watched us pass by in front of them with puzzled faces. I think they must be wondering what our army was thinking.

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"Hey! The first battalion in front, and the second battalion, what are you doing?"

The chief centurion Guy's roar came from far behind, but he could roar as much as he wanted. Fortunately, Andrew and his team followed closely behind. Along the way, we overtook not only the slowly advancing centurions, but also the cavalry advancing on both sides of the road, until we saw several barbarian mercenary spear phalanxes at the head of the auxiliary legion! The overtaken troops and their leaders only cared about moving forward, not daring to stop or even question our actions. This might be the advantage of a regular legion.

Here, we came out of a forest and into a grassland-like open space. The road continued forward and I saw a large village in the distance.

"Hey, Andrew," I called back, "I see the village! We've got our shoes!"

(End of this chapter)