A standard Roman-style camp appeared on the distant horizon in front of Animusfia and Nero.
"Hmm, do you want to attack?"
Nero said as he looked at the camp.
It seems that His Majesty the Emperor is not that proficient in military affairs.
"No, Your Majesty. Although we have achieved a great victory, in fact, the remaining troops are still only one legion."
Animusfia shook her head and then elaborated:
"According to the information about the surrender and my visual inspection, there should be about a legion of soldiers stationed in this camp. Directly attacking the built fortifications is not a good option for our army."
"so what should I do now?"
"Caesar, as the general, has retired. Even if there is still a legion commander in this legion, it is not a concern. In fact, we have no need to fight at all. They have no way to retreat and there is no need to fight to the death————"
Animusfia's gaze did not linger on the camp and the flag, but instead cast towards the sea behind the camp.
There was no trace of ships on the blue and calm waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
It looks like he has already returned.
"With just one word, I can make them surrender."
Animusfia said confidently.
"Really? If we can recruit an entire legion without a fight, Rome will be able to launch a counterattack!"
"The counterattack begins now, Your Majesty."
The black magic power solidified in Animusfia's hands, and then slowly took shape.
A round object appeared in his hand.
However, Animusfia did not directly show the things in her hands to Nero, but deliberately covered them behind him.
Animusfia had no intention of not letting Nero notice it, but she had absolutely no intention of letting her see it.
"What do you have in your hand, Governor?"
Nero's eyes became suspicious.
"Is it something I can't see?"
Animusfia denied it calmly:
"It's not anything special, Your Majesty, it's just not enough to catch your eye."
"Really?"
Nero, who turned over and dismounted at some point, came close to Animusfia, and his delicate and small nose almost touched his cheek.
"I never lie, Your Majesty."
"Then let me see————"
As if wanting to take advantage of him, Nero suddenly walked around Animusfia and looked behind him.
However, as the gorgeous Flower of the Seven Hills and the revered Majesty Augustus of Rome, Nero's child-like height was really difficult to surpass the modern adult men of the 21st century.
However, the plumpness in front of the girl's body is beyond the reach of ordinary people. This needs to be discussed separately.
Still can't see anything.
"Really, Yu is going to be angry!"
Nero, whose curiosity was not satisfied, said angrily.
"Okay, Your Majesty. Let's stop the fun. There are still business matters waiting for me to deal with——"
Animusfia forcefully left the game again, blocking Nero's sight while giving orders to the soldiers behind her.
"Don't make any noise and surround this camp along the coastline."
The soldiers took action.
"As for your Majesty, you will stay in command of the central army, but this is just in case. Please trust me and wait for good news."
He turned to look at Nero.
"Hmm..."
Uncharacteristically, Nero nodded obediently, but there was a bit of disappointment in his eyes.
Ever since she met Animusfia, apart from her childlike and willful mischief, Animusfia had basically given orders.
The position of Augustus and the governor, the position of the master (Dominus) and the servant (Servus).
It seems to be completely the other way around.
But Nero unexpectedly felt that there was nothing wrong with it. Even if Animusfia was named as her co-ruler at the next moment, Nero would not think there would be any problem.
Simply doing this would make you feel a little lonely.
She can also be regarded as Augustus who is good at dancing between the Senate and the Guards in the complicated palace, and can successfully gain a foothold.
How could Nero, who had a mother like Agrippina and whose life was filled with conspiracy and poison, be an innocent child?
But if possible, she wants a palace without all of this——
Just as Nero's Rome was now shaped by Animusphia.
Nero no longer had to wonder whether his commander in chief would be bribed to assassinate him, nor did he have to worry about the rumors in the Senate.
Not to mention that her wine would be poisoned, like her stepfather Claudius.
.....I'm just a little worried that the Governor will leave him.
Nero's first lesson after inheriting the name of Augustus was to poison her half-brother, Claudius' biological son, Britannicus.
Trust was harder to find in Rome than in Augustus.
At least there will always be an Augustus in Rome, but trust is less common.
Now, as if in a dream, she had become the real Augustus, a god walking on earth. No one dared to disobey or touch anything with Nero's name on it.
Even Caesar, whom she had always idolized, eventually fell to her sword.
But this was different from the imperial government she had always longed for before. Nero got applause, but he didn't get the applause he wanted.
Nero was loved, but the love was not directed at her, she just happened to be there.
Animusphia gave Nero an imperial estate, but it was not Nero's imperial estate.
But something is better than nothing. Without Animusphia's existence, even if she did not die on the Palatine Hill, she would have been expelled from Rome by the Senate.
So Nero quickly returned to his usual attitude.
"I'll be waiting for you right here, Governor."
Animusfia nodded and said:
"Then, I will take the first step, Your Majesty."
His figure was gradually covered with a layer of darkness, and finally blended into the ground, becoming part of the shadow of the low shrubs in the sunlight.
Only the black image on the ground that ordinary people cannot notice is passing quickly like the sunlight blocked by the floating clouds in the sky.
*********************
Octavian Augustus, who had just led his fleet back to the port of Masselia in Gaul, looked back at the sea to the southeast with some surprise.
This port was first established by the Greeks who were trying to colonize the Mediterranean. In order to avoid the Carthaginians in the south, the Greeks decided to colonize the southern side of Gaul and Corsica north and west.
Massalia came into being.
Corsica was later captured by the Italians, but Masseria remained.
Since then, it has been an allied city-state of Rome, providing assistance to Rome in wars. The reason why Caesar's expedition to Gaul was able to achieve such success was due to Masseria as a supply port.
It is also the only place where you can go directly to Rome from the sea, bypassing the Alps.
During the Second Punic War, Hannibal initially planned to go around the Alps along the coastline, but was blocked by Scipio near here. With his whereabouts exposed, Hannibal finally decided to take his soldiers with him. War elephants climb mountains and ridges.
If it had not been for the response from the tribes of Gaul in the south of the mountain after crossing the mountains, Hannibal would have been exhausted here, not to mention the three subsequent defeats of the Romans.
This could not be a better place to serve as the hub of the attack.
Whether it is attacking Gaul from Rome or attacking Rome in reverse from Gaul.
But what Octavian never expected was that Caesar had already left.
As the adopted son, Octavian knew exactly what kind of abilities Caesar had. Not to mention that he led three legions this time. Unlike Varus, a waste who could be wiped out by the barbarians in the Germanic forest, Caesar's military talent was genuine.
Therefore, in less than two days, he received the news of Caesar's defeat, which made Octavian think that the magician in green was deceiving him.
...But he doesn't have the need or motivation.
Especially after that adult also confirmed the news.
The paddle boat that had just docked turned its bow again.
In this calm sea that can be called a lake, although the sail can occasionally be effective, it is almost useless most of the time.
Especially in a Mediterranean environment like the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is surrounded by land islands and belongs to the Mediterranean, the efficiency of a hand-operated oar is much greater than that of a sail.
Several rows of oars extending to both sides like centipede legs on both sides of Octavian's huge several-story-high flagship began to shake collectively.
The oars on the upper and lower floors slap the sea surface alternately. They are obviously human, but they are coordinated like machines.
Regardless, Octavian now had to take action himself.
The legions remaining in Rome have not yet been completely wiped out, and they still need a commander if they want to continue the attack.
