Chapter I - It did what?

From its beginnings, the Arkonian Empire made the decision to divide the territory into three large regions: Afriki, Oriens, and Asians, with their respective capitals: Anko, Raecum, and Lugrum, each having a council; their petitions and requests had to be approved by the Senate, its seat being in the Curia Nat¸ located in Raecum.

After Philipart's unsuccessful expedition to the south of the Arachian peninsula, the senators divided the rank of magister militum into two: per occidentem and per orientem, the latter being the controller of the soldiers of two regions: Oriens and Asians.

However, the growing power of Crásico led to a series of meetings where they saw the idea of dividing the rank into three.

Each magister would have control of the legions of each of the regions...

Curia Nat, Raecum, capital of Oriens

First month of 576

"Tricosto Rufos!" Amarico Corvio, who had risen from his seat, addressed in a violent tone the one standing in the center of the room announcing the beginning of the meeting.

"Senator Amarico, what is the meaning of this! You know very well that it is forbidden to interrupt! And even worse, in such a vulgar manner!"

The aggressor did not let himself be defeated by compliance nor by ethics, remaining standing, analyzing Tricosto's serene expression that, for his own criteria, was of the most repulsive.

"No! You! How is it possible that you are so calm when magister Philipart has risen against us?!"

His words provoked the uprising of the senators, who began to talk among themselves, criticizing the rebel and shuffling ideas on how to confront him.

"That is exactly why I have called this meeting! Why are you behaving like animals? We are civilized men!"

The senators fell silent, and along with Amarico, hesitantly, resumed their seats, focusing their attention on Tricosto's next words.

"First of all... Does anyone have any questions?

"I do!" Adino Lenas stood up, Rufo gave him the floor. "How do you explain the betrayal of your brother Prisco?"

Silence invaded the room, the senators looked at each other at the challenging tone with which he had questioned.

Tricosto made an effort to remain calm.

"I really wouldn't know how to answer him. I didn't expect that from Prisco...."

"You told us we could trust him when we appointed him Anko's praefectus!" His tone was no longer challenging, but claiming, accompanied by his now reddened face.

"Worse!" Alexirico Longo joined Lenas in his complaint. "How is it possible that the Anko council has made decisions without even consulting us!"

The validation of Philipart's magister title, the awarding of legions to him, and his appointment as dictator, were actions taken behind the Senate's back.

"Not a fucking letter of warning!" Amarico added. "Now we have a military conflict to deal with!"

"Now, please calm down…," he tried to get them to be prudent again.

"No!" Adino interrupted. "The regent of Philipart, what was his name...? Ah, Kazet Noman! Under Cynther's orders, he built a wall that spans the entire border between Afriki and Oriens! And he commissioned the construction of a huge fleet; and the raising of levies throughout the region of Afriki for the creation of legions by the score!"

"Guards!" At Tricosto's shout, the doors of the hall were roughly opened.

Then, soldiers entered, surrounding the senators' seats.

"This looks familiar...," whispered Tricostus Ebucio to himself.

"Forgive me for having to resort to this, but you left me no choice," he began, "do you think I am not aware of how badly my brother and the entire Anko council have acted? It is only today, a week after the New Year's holidays, that we find out everything that happened in Afriki."

The senators were silent, cautious.

"As I was saying... Just because of everything that is happening, I have summoned you here today. Philipart, who prepared Afriki for a long war, caught us off guard. The best thing we can do now, is to send one or many military leaders to the Afriki border, to defend it, while we prepare Oriens."

"And how will we do that?" Asked one of the senators.

Tricosto smiled to see that they were already willing to listen to him.

"We have to entrust Tito Lepido," who is praefectus and leader of the council of Raecum, "with the defense of our capital, as well as the construction of a wall to completely surround it."

Adino raised his hand to ask for the floor. Tricosto hesitated, fearful that he would again cause a disturbance.

"We should also commission Ópiter Moxoto," the person in charge of the central port of Oriens, Catega, "to build a fleet equal or better than Afriki's. After all, we have more economic and labor possibilities than they do. After all, we have more economic and labor possibilities than they do."

His words reassured Tricosto, seeing that Adino, despite everything he had said, was willing to collaborate.

"I think it's a good idea," said Rufo. "We must also choose the leader(s) who will lead the defense."

He lowered his head, squinting his eyes in an attempt to think of a prudent man capable of taking charge of the mission in a good way.

"How about Urso Asiático?" Amarico gave the option.

"No, it is true that, in spite of his failures, we were going to appoint him magister Asians, but he is not the right man for this. He already has enough with the tribes of the Regio Inexplorata. It must be someone else," he looked up, sighing, not knowing who to choose.

"How about...?"

"Senators!" Interrupting Adino, a man wearing light leather armor entered the room.

"Ba-Basileus Arcadio?" Tricosto took a few steps back at the sight of him.

"Would someone be so kind as to explain to me the bribes made to the praefectus so that they would refuse to give me supplies?" He ignored Rufus, positioning himself in the center of the room.

The senators ducked their heads, avoiding looking at his face.

"Why are you here, Agricola?" He called him Tricosto by his surname, not noble, in an attempt to bring him down from the cloud he had entered. "Wasn't it enough that you had threatened us so that you could carry out your expedition? We have much bigger problems now."

Hearing that question, his moistened eyes were fixed on the ground.

In a choked voice he began:

"I don't know what to think, sir...."

The cause of his sadness was obvious to all, and although they were ambitious men, they could not help but feel a slight pang of sorrow at his trembling body and teary eyes. He was hurt by the sudden betrayal of the one he believed to be his best friend.

"Ivette and my son...."

"What about them, Agricola?" Tricosto, seeing him vulnerable and unable to attack, approached.

"I thought it would be you who could do something against my family…," he lied, avoiding saying that his actions had been carried out on Montag's advice.

The senators, swallowing saliva, looked at each other sideways, as if they were hiding something.

"And I entrusted them to him, to Philipart! I sent them to him to take care of them!" He fell to his knees, hitting the ground with his fists. "Now he's a rebel, shit!"

Tricosto, seeing a golden opportunity, bent down towards him.

"Calm down, calm down, before you arrived, we were discussing the actions we could take to deal with Philipart. If you agree to collaborate with us, we'll get your wife and son back."

His expression brightened at the prospect of seeing his family again.

"And what do you want me to do?"

"You can start by recommending someone who is capable, until Oriens is ready, of defending the border with Afriki."

For a moment he was silent, thinking about the few people he knew.

He focused on one in particular.

"Cneo Nobilior," he uttered fearlessly.

The senators rose from their seats, booing Arcadio for whom he had just recommended.

"Please, gentlemen! It was Cneo himself, after receiving me, who told me about the problems that the Nobilior had with the Senate...."

They were silent, waiting for his next sentence.

"Based on what he told me, he is someone very capable when it comes to war; having been one of the most skilled generals that Linus Victorinus ever had."

"We know that," Tricosto interjected, "what's your point?

"That, in times of war, we can't put, in the middle, the political or personal problems we have. What matters now is to face... Philipart.

As if his words had convinced them, they resumed their seats.

"What do they say?" Tricosto asked them, receiving silent nods from everyone. They didn't want to prolong the problem any longer, they were already wasting too much time. "Having cleared all this up," he turned to Arcadio, "now tell us, why did you come here?

The Basileus' face paled as he remembered the real reason for his arrival.

His body trembled, his eyes drowned in tears.

"What is it, Agricola?"

"Crásico has just declared himself in rebellion!"