Capítulo 3: Castra Sol Rubrum
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The air outside the shelter felt different, and the sensation on my skin was unlike anything I'd experienced before. It was my first time feeling the sun on my skin, and it was a strange sensation. According to the data I extracted, we are in the year 2274, and there were many visible changes in the area, especially the aridity of the land, considering that this land was once considered fertile. But it was difficult to expect anything from the land, especially when it had been bathed in radiation by nuclear missiles during the Great War.
It was clear that society had regressed several centuries in technological advances because the few houses I found on the way to the legion's settlement were made of tin and wood.
And they were raising some horrible beasts, cows with two heads that looked monstrous, in addition to the difficulty they had in tilling the land or the resilience that seeds had developed to grow in such dry and possibly irradiated soil.
All of this was much different from what I had imagined, but considering that slavery had returned, it meant I had to prepare for the worst and not let ancient values prevent me from joining the government that dominates this area.
It didn't take long to reach the place where the legate's cohort had settled, where there were several guards at the city gates.
"Wearing our colors without being a legionary, you seek your death, profligate," said one of the legionaries dressed in his football gear.
"Ave, true to Caesar. No, I am a subject of the legion and have come to this settlement by the legate's invitation to fulfill his orders for the next tribute payment from my tribe," I replied to the legionary, who widened his eyes at the mention of his officer.
"Ah, I did hear about you from my comrades, about the bloodthirsty loner tribe that inhabits the hills. Avoid trouble and continue with what you're doing," the legionary responded.
"Thanks. By the way, who is in charge of the legionaries? I made a promise to join your legion once I resolved some matters, and I will soon be ready, but I need to know as soon as possible whom I should speak with," I asked the group of legionaries.
"I'll take you to our decanus right away," said a legionary who began leading me through the city.
The city seemed badly damaged by fire, but I focused on keeping up with the legionary who led me to his commanding officer. We entered a fortification in the heart of the city, and I immediately saw who was in charge because he wore a different helmet.
"Ave, true to Caesar. Decanus, this is the legion's subject who wishes to join our ranks," said the legionary.
"Ave, true to Caesar. Return to your post. I am Decanus Flavius. What brings you here?"
"Salve, I just wanted to ask if there were any additional requirements besides showing up to join our lord Caesar's legion," I said respectfully.
The decanus looked me up and down.
"You have the right build for the legion, good physique and condition, as I see. Do you know how to use that, or did your parents give it to you to avoid hand-to-hand combat like a coward?" said the decanus.
"I wouldn't miss a shot to the forehead of a profligate from over five hundred meters away, and I can defend myself in close combat," I replied to the decanus.
"I would tell you to prove your words, but ammunition is scarce, so go to that cabinet over there and put on your new uniform, which will be with you for life," said the decanus.
"I'll finish resolving some issues regarding the supplies my tribe must deliver to the legion, and then I'll be at your service, decanus," I replied.
"Then don't waste any more of my time," said the decanus, returning to his work of keeping inventory for the legate's cohorts.
Without wasting much time, I went in search of merchants in the area because my first option, using what I had been taught, was bars, but that wasn't a realistic option in any settlement controlled by Caesar's legion, as alcoholic beverages are prohibited. It took me some time to realize that there was no such option.
Finally, I managed to find merchants who were quite close to the river, where a hastily constructed bridge connected us to another city that also flew the legion's flags.
These animals, incredibly mutated by radiation, made me extremely nervous. These brahmin were very important animals for the local economy as they were a source of transportation and food for the wasteland's inhabitants.
Eating this animal's meat was considered a small luxury due to its price, which, for the moment, didn't make much sense to me, as I still couldn't determine the exact value of the silver and gold coins that the legion used as currency.
I had brought some things in the bag I had when I left to see their value and to determine how much I could get by selling agricultural products from the shelter's hydroponic farms, as well as the animals that had been bred for generations in the shelter to maintain protein intake with more variety than just mushrooms. But it was only chickens and rabbits, as anything larger would have consumed significant shelter resources.
Finally, I approached one of the merchants who had much more attractive merchandise and seemed wealthy, as he had several heads of cattle.
"Ave, I'd like to ask your expert opinion: do you think any of this has value?" I said, pulling out canned food and preserves, leaving them with the merchant, who looked about forty years old.
"Ave, let me see... jams, fruits, vegetables, and canned food... Well, the jam is still good, it has a fresh blackberry flavor... And your fruit and vegetables have a good color, but I don't usually buy canned food unless I can guarantee it's less than a hundred years old, so you were unlucky with your loot in that regard. But for the rest, I could offer you one gold coin and twenty silver coins for everything you have here," the merchant examined everything and opened a jar of jam to eat it with a kind of cracker.
"Mmm... these were canned three months ago. It's carrots, rabbit, garlic, potatoes, and tomatoes—in short, rabbit stew," I replied to the merchant, who suddenly seemed very interested.
"Where did you get this? As far as I know, there isn't a single canning plant around here that hasn't been looted," said the merchant.
"We produce it in my tribe, the same tribute we offer to Caesar," I responded.
The merchant stared at everything for a few moments and then glanced at the other merchants in the area.
"Seven gold coins for everything you have here, kid. But when you have more, come directly to me and no one else. I'll give you a good price. I can get your products not only to Red Sun City but also to Flagstaff and Phoenix. Just get me a stable amount that you can sell me each month, and we'll make a lot of aurei together," the merchant said with a barely contained smile.
"Thanks for your knowledge. I'll ask around with others to be sure," I said as I slowly started to put my items back in the bag.
"Listen to me, kid, I'm your best option. I can take your stuff far. That food is quality—you won't see the typical tribal or legion subject eating it. Only the richest artisans or legionaries who have accomplished great feats will be dining on it," said the merchant, who was visibly upset.
I kept packing my products into the bags, watching as he grew more desperate while eyeing his potential competitors.
"Alright, alright, look, ten gold coins for everything here as a sign of our friendship, five silver coins per preserve, five silver coins per jar of vegetables and fruits, and forty silver coins for the canned goods," the merchant said, his voice tense as he looked around.
"Six for everything and forty-five for the cans, and you've got a deal," I responded.
"You're killing me, kid. That's the best I can do," the merchant said, clenching his fist.
"Well, I'll try my luck elsewhere. I'll probably find someone else in the other city," I said with a smile.
I saw the merchant turn red and clench his fist.
"Kid, come back..." the merchant said, holding back his desire to insult me.
"Fine, you've got a deal. Give me that now," the merchant said, handing me ten gold coins.
"Thank you, it's a pleasure doing business with you. Do you sell raw materials?" I asked in a friendly tone, noticing the merchant sweating after our negotiation.
"What do you need?" the merchant asked as he began to relax.
"Steel, if possible. Otherwise, quality iron and coal, aluminum, and canning jars. If you can get me that, we can finalize a deal right now. I must emphasize that everything will be used for the tribute we offer to the Legion, so avoid any tricks. We both know how the Legion can act when their tribute is at stake," I said, looking at the merchant.
"I can get it for you, but much of it is scrap from looted buildings. If you need it from a mine, I can get that too, though it won't be cheap. And don't worry, you don't mess with the Legion—I learned the hard way, almost getting crucified for a small mistake," said the merchant.
"Good. North of here, you'll find a castra belonging to my tribe in the hills. Tell them you come on my behalf at the gate, and they'll deliver the products I just showed you. You'll use what you owe me to obtain those resources for me. Understood?" I said, looking directly at the merchant.
"Yes, very clear. Good heavens, where did you come from, kid? You're too skilled at negotiating for someone so young," the merchant said, quite surprised.
"Hard times make strong men," I replied, saying goodbye to the merchant and returning to the decanus.
I then returned to the Legion post and changed my armor to that of the Legion, though they allowed me to wear the rest of my riot armor as long as it didn't alter the appearance of a legionary too much.
Thus began days of training considered brutal by normal standards, but honestly, for me, it was just another Monday. Our instructor made it clear that to turn someone into a legionary, you had to break the man to reform him into the perfect soldier, ready to die at the orders of Caesar. All the slaves captured by the Legion or born within it to be turned into legionaries were suffering greatly.
There was a lot of hand-to-hand combat training, which was the most abundant in the regimen, aiming to find the strongest and eliminate the weakness of the Legion recruits.
There was no firearms training—the bullets were too scarce. For that reason, the legate's legionaries pounced on our ammunition like hyenas. Every bullet was reserved for when the legate's cohorts finally began to conquer the East under the orders of the mighty Caesar.
This would open up many opportunities for me if I managed to position myself in the right place at the right time.
For a month, I underwent the rigorous training of the decanus, and although the trainer focused a lot on me, trying to break me, someone who had already been broken once couldn't be broken so easily again.
And as for favoritism, well, it seems that was a lie, because I could frequently slip away from the camp and the city, using the excuse that there were problems with weapon production and that I had to observe it personally. The decanus himself sent me because every sword counted in this mission.
With the help of freedmen, we began to set up a good-sized foundry outside the shelter, converting the cremation furnace. It didn't take long for us to finally complete the Legion's order, even delivering more than they had requested, several months ahead of schedule.
I hope the legate will look upon me favorably when an opportunity arises.
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