Chapter 219: Legion of Fear
November of the 355th year of the Pendor calendar.
While Leon was creating enemies, Emperor Marius of the Bacchus Empire was considering how to deal with the enemies created by the Bacchus themselves.
Two months ago, Emperor Marius personally climbed the city wall of Siyuan City and started a difficult and long battle to defend the capital with the rebels of Hira Yuzas.
His Majesty the Emperor personally stood on the city wall, which was a huge encouragement to the people of Siyuan City, and the morale of the soldiers in Siyuan City was naturally boosted.
But the battle was still extremely difficult.
The rebels' military strength has been increasing. The rebels of Hira Yuzas and Demossis Augustus probably gave up all their territories and put all their military strength into the battle to besiege Siyuan City.
By early October, the rebel force had reached more than 6,000 people, three times the number of Siyuan City defenders.
They were once the main force in the Imperial Legion.
More than one hundred shadow centurions led more than three thousand peasant soldiers as before the reform;
Six hundred Imperial Immortals formed an extremely strong assault force. The only good news was that almost no one among the Imperial Guards rebelled.
Three hundred imperial knights brought with them more than two thousand followers.
In addition, Olega Castle southeast of Siyuan City had been captured by the Snake Cult, and the Snake Cult's army of thousands of people also launched an attack on Siyuan City from the south.
If the enemies on both sides are added together , Siyuan City is facing tens of thousands of enemies.
However, at present, Siyuan City has only 1,200 soldiers of the Imperial Immortal Legion, plus more than 1,000 garrisons and some temporarily recruited militia. The total military strength is only 3,000, and there is no advantage in terms of eliteness.
Of course, Siyuan City is the capital after all, and the reserves of various materials are sufficient. Emperor Marius has always been confident and commanded with confidence.
In the eyes of Emperor Marius, the large number of enemy troops was not a problem. After all, it would be difficult to supply them with so many people, and the rebels would sooner or later have problems with food.
Moreover, the attacking side is always more likely to reveal flaws. As long as we defend Siyuan City firmly , it shouldn't take long to find an opportunity to defeat the enemy in one blow.
The various reserves in Siyuan City are enough to support the city for more than a year, and the people's morale is not a problem.
So he was not too worried at first. As long as he proceeded steadily and did not make any mistakes, the rebels would have to withdraw within a month.
But Emperor Marius once again encountered an unexpected situation.
The siege lasted for more than two months. Instead of withdrawing, the rebels fought more vigorously, with no sign of running out of food or fodder.
Over two months, the rebels of Hira Yuzas launched five large-scale attacks from the north, while the Snake Cult's army also attempted three times from the south.
Although the enemy's full-scale attacks were repelled by Emperor Marius every time, it was not a solution to continue like this.
October has passed, and the enemy has probably already snatched up the newly harvested grain in the surrounding areas. It is unlikely that we can expect the enemy to cut off food supplies.
On the contrary, Siyuan City has now been locked down and turned into an isolated city.
After all, we are facing enemies on two sides and have no support, so it is indeed difficult to operate.
Emperor Marius tried to lead the Immortal Legion out of the city to attract the rebels and the Snake Cult to the same battlefield.
But for some reason, the Snake Cult's army would always retreat on their own initiative when faced with such a situation, as if they were deliberately restraining their troops from coming into conflict with Shira's rebels.
Emperor Marius's plan to let his enemies fight each other also failed.
This was a situation that Emperor Marius had never encountered before - had the heretics such as the Snake Cult actually become smart?
The rebels were also consciously restraining their troops from coming into conflict with the Snake Cult, and the enemies on both sides blocked Siyuan City from the south and the north.
Since the assault failed, the rebels and the Snake Cult almost simultaneously launched the tactic of wearing out the enemy.
Or it could not be said to be a coincidence - the rebels made trouble during the day, and the Snake Cult moved out at night, and in a siege it was hard to tell whether they were attacking by force or feinting, so we always had to deal with them.
Therefore, the troops of Siyuan City were divided into three parts by Emperor Marius, and they worked in three shifts to defend the city, but it made it difficult to defeat the enemy in one battle.
Siyuan City fell into a passive situation, and the war has continued to this day.
Although neither the rebels nor the heretics could break through Emperor Marius's defenses, Siyuan City could not contact the outside world.
The current layout of the palace is exactly like a front-line command center.
Emperor Marius stood in front of the map again.
But this time the map has been changed to the defense map of Siyuan City.
"Alina, is there any more information that can be passed on recently?"
Emperor Marius now looked quite bad. The long battle to defend the city had made him quite tired. The soldiers could take turns to rest, but it was difficult for him to get a good rest.
Now he looks thinner than he was two months ago, and his cheeks are sunken.
But his eyes remained firm and his expression remained calm.
"Your Majesty, I haven't received any news from the outside world for nineteen days. But I can confirm the situation in the city..."
Alina was now wearing light armor, but she obviously didn't know any martial arts. She didn't even have a sword, only a dagger on her waist.
It seems that the dagger is not meant to be used on the enemy...
"What is the Senate going to do to me?"
Emperor Marius laughed sarcastically: "Those guys who only know how to eat, drink and have fun, what else can they do besides wasting time chattering on the podium? Do they really dare to kill me? If it weren't for these bastards who have been holding me back..."
"They did a good thing a few days ago. All the hooligans in the city have been hidden by them these days... Maybe they will transform into an army tomorrow..."
Alina walked over to the map and pointed to an area behind the palace.
"Oh, it seems that they have improved and are brave enough to use force... Shira Yuzas and Augustus have been harassing us non-stop these days, creating fatigue. It seems that this is their purpose? It seems that they don't know our plan... This is all thanks to you. Thank you for your hard work, Alina."
Emperor Marius picked up the wine glass again and drank a glass of red wine to calm himself.
"All the Vipers have returned to Shadow Wolves tonight. We have confirmed that they are hiding behind the Imperial Palace, near the North Gate. If nothing unexpected happens, they will have those hooligans move to the North Gate tomorrow morning. I think they may attack the Imperial Palace."
Alina looked at the exhausted Emperor Marius, shook her head and sighed: "Your Majesty, you'd better not drink so much. You've become so thin..."
"Alas, this is my only hobby, Alina. Don't worry, I won't fall until all the enemies are dead. Do you think we should wait for them to come to us, or should I lead the troops to find them directly?"
Emperor Marius was about to walk over to the metal wine jug and pour another glass, but seeing Alina's worried look, he looked at the glass in his hand, sighed, and finally put the glass down.
"It's too dangerous to wait for them to come. You'd better go to the city wall, it's safer to be among the troops. I'm not sure if they have other intentions. If they catch you, it will be all over... I will lead the Shadow Wolves to find them quietly - and this way no one will say anything bad about you."
Alina gathered her hair, put on the hood of her cloak, and put a hideous mask on her face.
The mask was painted with devilish oil paint, and beneath the mask, the soft eyes were full of bloodshot.
"I don't really care who says anything... You shouldn't be stained with blood, kid."
The sharp look in Marius' eyes turned into kindness at this moment, and he shook his head at Alina.
"Of course I don't care at ordinary times, but now that the city is surrounded, you can't be suspected at this time. I will take care of them. Bloodstained... Thousands of innocent people died because of my plan. I have already committed a serious sin. What blood should I be afraid of?"
After Alina finished speaking, she picked up a wolf-head-shaped emblem from the table and left the palace hall through the secret door behind the screen.
"Alina...ah..."
Emperor Marius stretched out his hand, sighed, and then subconsciously wanted to pick up the wine glass, but after squeezing it, he put it down again.
"Someone! Follow me to the city wall!"
He picked up his sword, put on his crown helmet, and walked out.
That night, His Majesty the Emperor was directing the battle from a high tower on the inner city wall, and everyone could see him waving the royal eagle flag from the tower.
The brazier beside him remained burning all night.
That night, the palace was set on fire and the entire bedroom was burned to ashes.
Fortunately, his Majesty the Emperor fought hard on the city wall all night.
The next morning, even bigger news came: twenty-five noble lords were assassinated, several taverns north of the palace were burned down, and a gladiator training camp was littered with corpses.
Emperor Marius immediately announced that there was a traitor in Siyuan City, and released the enemy's secret troops into Siyuan City from a secret passage yesterday evening, killing many "loyal and brave men" in the Senate.
The dead included several senators, more than twenty senior officials, and their families.
Emperor Marius indicated that the enemy might still be in the city, and immediately launched a city-wide search.
But when the search was underway, a troop wearing gray and black equipment appeared near the north gate. They suddenly killed the militia that came to relieve the guard, and then opened the north gate!
——Obviously, this is probably the 'secret force that sneaked into the city'!
The rebels outside the city also saw a great opportunity and rushed forward shouting "Kill Marius", showing great cooperation, as if they had known that the north gate would be opened.
But just after the rebels broke into the north gate, a large number of soldiers stood on the city wall, and the "secret force" suddenly attacked the rebels.
The effect of this battle was remarkable. Thousands of rebels died inside and outside the north gate. The remnants of the rebels were pursued by the Immortal Legion and their retreat broke through the siege line they had set up in the north.
Emperor Marius, wielding his sword of the orator, pursued him all the way and almost reached Hira Uzas.
Fortunately, Hira Yuzas fled after killing several immortals, otherwise the exhausted Emperor Marius might have been killed by this powerful rebel...
In any case, the rebels were almost completely defeated, and Emperor Marius won a brilliant victory.
But this victory could not be complete, because Siyuan City was still facing the Snake Cult army in the south, and the troops could not pursue too far.
Although the rebels suffered heavy losses, they were not destroyed. However, they would certainly not be able to besiege the city again in the short term.
A passage was finally opened in Siyuan City.
After returning to Siyuan City, Emperor Marius had thousands of captives and hundreds of prisoners.
"Child...are there really so many traitors in the Senate?"
Emperor Marius saw Arina waiting for him behind the screen in the hall of the palace.
"That depends on how you define 'traitor', Your Majesty. I can only say that those I ordered the Shadow Wolves to kill were either traitors or heretics associated with the Snake Cult. There were no innocent people."
Alina was still wearing the mask, her eyes bloodshot.
"...they should be brought to justice, as should the captives and prisoners ..."
Emperor Marius finally picked up his wine glass and took a long sip.
"Your Majesty, I think we should let them charge at the Snake Cult's army, or else make their entire family enslaved... This is the Senate's usual method, isn't it?"
Alina closed her eyes and her expression could not be seen behind the mask.
Marius said nothing.
After a moment of silence, Alina opened her eyes and said softly, "Your Majesty, when facing a powerful enemy, it might be better for a wise emperor to exercise dictatorship..."
"No, Alina. Don't pin your hopes on the emperor's wisdom. I will die anyway... A dictator may be able to preserve the family's status, but he will definitely not consider the lives and lives of the people."
Emperor Marius drank the red wine in the glass and exhaled: "I have seen what the Kingdom of Sarleon was like when it was ruled by the Mad King... I would rather not be an emperor than let my country suffer in the future!"
"But, as long as the Senate exists, you will always be constrained..."
Alina lowered her head, her voice getting lower and lower.
"My child, the Senate may indeed be sick, but what we should do is to cure it, not to deny the meaning of its existence. The power of the emperor must be limited, otherwise people will only continue to chase the throne of the emperor, and no one will pay attention to the responsibilities and obligations of this profession."
Emperor Marius stepped forward and gently patted Alina on the back: "Child, do you want to try sitting in that position for a while..."
Alina shook her head. "I don't like sitting there... Your job is too tiring. I'd rather be a librarian."
"Hahaha……"
Emperor Marius laughed. "My child, when I was your age, I was indeed a librarian... and I said the same thing then - that a dictatorship might be better."
Alina was stunned.
"I really wish you were a boy... Then there would be much less resistance, and I could easily make you a general, and then let you enter the parliament..."
Emperor Marius suddenly began to sigh.
"You have two sons, sir, and both are men of high character."
Alina's eyes widened noticeably.
"But you don't like any of them, do you? The eldest is upright and honest, the second is brave and good at fighting, they both have good qualities. But the eldest is inflexible, at best he can only be a judge; the second is irresponsible, at best he can only be a general... If you let them become emperors, they will definitely die..."
Emperor Marius stared at Arina and smiled bitterly: "Only you, Luciana...you are what an emperor should be like, but I can't let you enter the parliament, and my son is not worthy of you."
"Your Majesty... you must have drunk too much."
Alina stepped forward and tried to take Marius's wine glass.
"No, I haven't, child. I am sober, you know, I never get drunk... Go to the City of Knowledge, Luciana, and take my guards with you, your father will definitely need support."
Marius stopped Alina's hand and smiled at her: "It will be dangerous for you to stay here. I found a messenger of the Snake Cult in the rebel camp outside the city today."
"They have joined the Snake Cult? No wonder the Shadow Wolves are so cooperative... I can't leave, Your Majesty..."
Alina exclaimed in a low voice.
"No, it's not surrender, but an alliance. The envoy of the Snake Cult came from the Legion of Terror... Alina, if the Legion of Terror comes, I won't be sure to protect you. Let's go... Leave Siyuan City and help your father. This is your mission. After stabilizing Boshi City, let your father bring back those gladiator rebels."
Marius took his sword of the orator from the table and said: "Take my sword and do whatever you think you should do. If anyone dares to disobey, you can judge him with my sword."
…
In mid-November, Emperor Marius organized a "death squad" of 1,500 people and launched an attack on the Snake Cult army in the south.
There were a small number of deserters in the "Suicide Squad", a small half of them defected in the battle, and almost all of the others were killed in the battle.
These so-called death squads were not actually very brave. They were just prisoners captured from the rebels and family members of some big shots in the city who had died in assassinations.
But these 1,500 men played a big role. Emperor Marius led the main army behind him to force back the Snake Cult army and burned down the Snake Cult's camp and baggage. The Snake Cult army had to retreat to Fort Olega.
At this time, Marshal Kailos, who had not been heard from for a long time, finally appeared with his army.
He seized the opportunity of the Snake Cult army's retreat and launched a surprise attack on their way to Olega Fort. The Snake Cult army was defeated and Olega Fort was recaptured.
But bad news always comes with good news. On the second day after the army led by Kairos recaptured Olega Castle, the coastal village of Qiza Village under Olega Castle was massacred, and a larger Snake Cult army appeared on the coast of the Bacchus Empire.
That's the Legion of Dread.
"How many enemies are there?"
Emperor Marius looked at the messenger sent by Kairos, and for the first time there was some uneasiness on his face.
"It doesn't look like too many, maybe three thousand, your majesty. But... eight of the ten scouts I led were killed by their five knights... None of them died."
The messenger who brought the news was a shadow centurion, but at this moment this battle-hardened warrior seemed extremely nervous: "Your Majesty, I am absolutely no match for those guys wearing horned viper armor..."
"Are there many horned viper warriors like this?"
Emperor Marius frowned.
"There are no less than 200, and there are more than 1,000 knights. They look much stronger than the Imperial Knights... In fact, I think everyone in that unit has the fighting power of a knight, Your Majesty... Moreover, their horses..."
It seems that the Shadow Centurion has explored everything very clearly. He is a very professional scout.
"What happened to the horse?"
"Their horses look like they came from the underworld! Five javelins couldn't knock down a horse..."
