Chronicle Legion:Volume 1 Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Legatus Legionis (1)

Part 1

"The die is cast." "I came, I saw, I conquered." "Et tu, Brute?"

These were all famous quotes of Julius Caesar.

Although the name of Caesar later became the etymological source of "kaiser," meaning emperor, Julius Caesar himself had not ascended to the throne during his lifetime. His final position was "dictator in perpetuity."

Caesar was born in 100 BCE.

He hailed from a patrician family but one limited in wealth and influence.

Not an empire yet at the time, ancient Rome was nearing the end of its republican era. It was a large and prosperous nation with expanding borders and vast territories. Seeking even greater power, those in power kept engaging in political struggles and internal strife.

This was the kind of political scene that Caesar had entered.

Over the course of decades, he rose from being just a young politician with nothing of note except for his family background to become a consul of the Roman Republic and governor of the province of Gaul.

He succeeded as a military commander to put down rebellions in Gaul, defeated political rivals on the battlefield, and wielded unrivaled authority within Rome's borders.

Finally, Julius Caesar obtained the position of dictator.

Unfortunately, he was assassinated at the age of fifty-six after laying the foundations of the future Roman Empire.

His heir, Octavian, became the first emperor, styling himself as Augustus—

One could call Caesar a rare politician and soldier, but he was clearly not so "simple" a character.

A great orator, excellent prose author, master strategian, popular with the people, charming, brazen...

One time when he was kidnapped by pirates, he even complained that they were asking for too low a ransom.

He accumulated massive debts equivalent to a country's defense budget and it never weighed on his conscience. Only after more than a decade when he attained ascendancy did he finally repay all his debts.

Rumor had it that he had slept with the wives of fully a third of the Roman senators.

Hair loss accompanying advanced age was reportedly one of the things that troubled him.

The soldiers in Caesar's army also nicknamed their commander "the balding womanizer." Caesar accepted it with a laugh, cultivating a camaraderie of sorts between himself and his army.

In any case, Caesar was neither a saint nor a noble-minded man.

Fast forward to the year 1998 at the end of the twentieth century. After careful contemplation, Julius Caesar solemnly declared, "Perhaps it is time that I made up my mind to go through with surgery. What do you say?"

"Your Excellency's appearance has become our national symbol and that includes your receding hairline. Please do not stoop down to cheating with methods such as hair transplantation."

Caesar's staff officer cautioned the generalissimo who was checking his hairline with a mirror in his hand.

This was Lantau Island in Hong Kong, part of the Eastern Roman Empire's territory.

Their location included the Roman army's tutelary fort and the East Asian Administration Region Command Center.

The two of them were talking in the commander's office belonging to Generalissimo Caesar. Ever year, he spent one third of his time in Hong Kong, another third in Japan, and the remainder spread over other places.

Speaking to Caesar was Alexis Yang, a member of the military staff.

This man's Chinese name was Yang Zhongda. Thirty-four years old. His slender appearance could be considered handsome and graceful, but the unkempt facial hair around his mouth and chin contributed to an impression of wildness.

"Putting that aside, please listen to a report about the rebellion in Japan first."

Yang projected a visual image. He was a noetic master. A map of Imperial Japan appeared before them along with a report on the Restoration Alliance.

"The Restoration Alliance formed by self-proclaimed loyalists worrying about their country... Bluntly stated, the Kinai Fiefdom is nothing more than a puppet while the British Empire plays triple roles as mastermind, supporter, and provider of combat troops."

"Britain's target is Lord Tenryuu the sacred beast of Japan, isn't it?"

"According to rumors, the sacred beasts back at England will not live much longer. Your guess could very well be correct."

Natural resources such as oil and precious metals were often the seeds of international conflict.

And the godlike sacred beasts were the sources of mystic powers. The possession of potent mystic powers allowed countries to secure wealth, prosperity, and military strength. This was how the modern world worked.

Adhering to this golden rule, the Eastern Roman Empire succeeded. Failing to do so, America fell into decline.

An imperialist state's top priority was to ensure the continued blessings of sacred beasts.

"The Restoration Alliance's proposal of 'reforming Imperial Japan starting from the west and rescuing the Empress' seems to be garnering favorable reactions from the western fiefdoms of Japan. Perhaps they wish to reenact the Meiji Restoration where Satsuma and Chōshū took over the imperial court."

Yang extended his index finger and drew a circle on the west side of Japan on the map.

Over there were the regions of Kyūshū, Chūgoku, and Shikoku. Yang was an expert on the Far East region and well-versed in Japanese affairs and history.

"Then again, the Alliance is rallying behind a slogan of 'The Empress must be rid of Caesar's corrupting influence and the Eastern Roman army has to be expelled from the islands of Japan.'"

"That sounds very familiar."

"They are raising a banner of great justice, just as a certain guy called Caesar did in the past."

Ten years ago, there had been American military bases distributed across the islands of Japan.

Condemning the American military for "unjust interference in the internal affairs of Rome's ally, Japan, and infringing upon the rights of the Japanese Empress," Caesar had led an army of a thousand Legions to march on Japan. Styling himself as the protector of Japan and the Empress, he defeated the American forces garrisoned in Japan.

Riding in as the triumphant conqueror, Caesar became Japan's true ruler in all but name.

This was identical to how he had become Queen Cleopatra's lover and the conqueror of Egypt way back before the Common Era.

"By the way..." Caesar raised a point of doubt, "Ten years ago, I won over the incumbent Empress' trusted advisers and the Kantō Fiefdom, who then invited me to lead an expeditionary force to Japan. Now the British Empire wishes to employ the same method... What I fail to understand is why the Kinai Fiefdom would be willing to assist them."

"My sentiments exactly," Staff Officer Yang nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't be surprised had it been Kyūshū or Shikoku helping the British since those fiefdoms have kept their distance from both Rome and the current imperial family. However, the Kinai Fiefdom's Governor General... I recall that he is supposed to bear dislike for Rome and hatred for Britain."

"Furthermore, he is a stubborn guy who never listens to advice." Caesar smiled with amusement. He had met all twelve Governor Generals who served as Japan's regional lords and was familiar with their personalities. "Well, were he the selfish boss of an old-fashioned corporation, he might actually have a chance to shine in the business world."

"In that case, why would he let the British be in control?"

"Perhaps someone used a kind of magic to melt the Kinai Governor General's stubborn heart, instilling warm feelings of friendship for Britain."

"Magic huh? That sounds especially convincing coming from a guy who died two thousand years ago," Staff Officer Yang responded seriously to his commander's joke.

After all, in this modern age where Legions, retainer beasts, spirits, and other mysterious beings played an active role, positing "this kind of possibility" was frequently necessary.

"The spellcaster might not necessarily be a noetic master. It is not the kind of miracle that can be performed by ordinary human-level masters. Spirits and retainer beasts are impossible too, because those things don't understand the intricacies of the human heart. The high-level skills of 'mind control' are beyond them."

The noetic master and staff officer of the Roman army analyzed on his own initiative.

As a side note, he was only a middling noetic master. The most he could accomplish was "using noesis to deceive targets with illusions" like a Japanese ninja.

"Wouldn't such an ability be a specialty of Your Excellency's peers, the Resurrectees?"

"Of course, we are capable of many supernatural feats, but this sort of thing is beyond us too," replied Caesar with a shrug.

"You are well aware, yes? Our Feats of Arms... are purely abilities to take the illustrious accomplishments from our past lives and reenact them in the present. They are useless outside of the battlefield."

"Then magic is out of the question?"

"It would be premature to jump to conclusions." Winking to Staff Officer Yang, Caesar said, "They have always been the ones to bring brand-new mystic powers to the world. When those women prayed to the exalted sacred beasts for 'weapons to protect their nations,' the sacred beasts granted them Legions. When they prayed for 'victorious heroes,' we were revived."

The man whose name became synonymous with emperor smiled confidently.

"In this world—The sacred beasts are willing to listen to certain people's selfish and personal requests."

Part 2

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Part 3

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Part 4

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