The next morning, the entire Roman Imperial Palace was on high alert.
They watched in disbelief as a small, well-organized legion marched towards the palace at a rapid pace.
They couldn’t fathom how these soldiers had managed to traverse the city of Rome and appear directly outside the palace.
Every soldier seemed energized, holding weapons of the same design, with over half of them wearing armor, though most were made of cloth or leather, with only a small number of iron armors.
Even with this level of equipment, they were still considered below average within the Roman Empire, only slightly inferior to the soldiers maintained by the great nobles.
It wasn’t until the legion approached the Imperial Palace that the guards guarding the palace were able to make out the leader - a knight riding a warhorse.
Such a sight was not uncommon for people of this era.
Even if the Roman Imperial Palace had never encountered such an event, the guards immediately reacted and maintained their vigilance.
The leading knight rode forward.
“Allow us to report, we are soldiers under Lord Ning Cuo, and we are here by his command to assist!”
Naturally, the guards guarding the palace gate didn’t respond.
But they immediately informed Ning Cuo.
They felt a small sense of relief in their hearts.
The two sides remained restrained until Ning Cuo appeared.
The entire infantry legion, led by the knight, knelt down in unison, their faces solemn.
“Lord Ning Cuo, we have come to serve you in accordance with your will, your command is our direction.”
The well-organized legion, their coordinated movements, their loyal and devoted stance.
Yet it gave Ning Cuo a headache.
These were real soldiers, well-equipped, not the cannon fodder he had imagined.
This meant that he, as their leader, would have to provide them with sufficient food and supplies.
To ensure their fighting strength.
This was a considerable expense.
“Are these the soldiers you recruited?”
Nero, who had come upon the scene, stood on a high platform, looking like a lion surveying her territory.
She stood with her sword in both hands, and her demeanor showed that she was still somewhat surprised by this turn of events.
“Your Majesty, these are my men.”
Ning Cuo nodded; these were the soldiers he had recruited earlier.
He hadn’t expected them to appear in this way.
He hadn’t expected the cannon fodder the system had assessed to be this capable.
But come to think of it, on the land of Mount and Blade, war was a common occurrence.
Those who could survive, even if they were cannon fodder, must have been through countless battles.
It was only natural that they would have some resources.
Nero nodded, looking at Ning Cuo with a newfound respect.
As the Emperor of the Empire, she had been on the battlefield before; in terms of ordinary Roman soldiers.
Few armies could maintain such high morale and such sincere loyalty.
After all, the Roman Empire was rotten to its core.
Unless they were a personal guard trained from childhood, the cavalry or infantry gathered temporarily were mostly for show.
Where did Ning Cuo get such a force of seasoned veterans?
Nero wasn’t stupid; she had naturally investigated Ning Cuo’s background.
He had skills but a low status, a typical Church missionary.
If the soldiers before her were a legion trained by the Church, Nero wouldn’t have been surprised.
But the uniform appearance of these soldiers, along with their unmasked fierceness, clearly showed that they were veterans of the battlefield.
Why would they be so loyal to Ning Cuo?
It was an extraordinary occurrence.
Nero didn’t think too much about it; she ordered the soldiers into the palace, but instead of leaving, she patiently watched the unfolding events.
The leading knight gave orders, and the soldiers behind him, all holding shields and weapons, with several short spears strapped to their backs, marched into the palace.
“Lord Ning Cuo, the First Legion Squad salutes you, my name is Toller.”
The tall, strong knight dismounted and knelt, his gaze fixed on Ning Cuo, filled with reverence, but still maintaining his posture, swearing allegiance.
“Hmm, you’ve been through a lot.”
Not knowing what to do, Ning Cuo simply responded vaguely, fearing that he might say the wrong thing and arouse Nero’s suspicion.
“Lord Ning Cuo, we originally followed the Crusaders on their campaigns, but it was only after receiving your command that we withdrew from the front lines. We are all willing to give everything for you, even our lives.”
Toller’s words briefly explained their origins; although he said he was reporting to Ning Cuo.
Everyone present heard it.
Nero tapped her sword hilt.
They came from the Crusader battlefield.
A group of elite soldiers, completely disregarding the so-called will of God, withdrew from the front line upon a single command, sailed across the sea.
Then, without anyone’s knowledge, they marched directly to the Roman Imperial Palace; what kind of caliber was that?
For a moment, Nero was a little bewildered, but she was happy inside.
Like attracts like.
The fact that they could ignore the Crusader’s orders meant they didn’t follow that so-called God.
And Ning Cuo had sworn allegiance to her; although she didn’t understand what kind of charm or ability he had.
To have a knight leading an elite legion willingly come to serve him.
But a stronger ally was always a good thing.
She was most concerned about how many secrets Ning Cuo was hiding.
...
“My dear Emperor, don’t you find it strange?”
Ning Cuo finished his simple meal and looked at Nero across the table, unable to help but voice his concerns.
Nero nodded slightly, and as she looked at Ning Cuo, she unconsciously flipped her hair.
“What’s strange?”
“Those people from the Senate, they haven’t made a move in days.”
The greed of the Senate during the Roman decline was unimaginable; they were even willing to defy death.
Using their lives as leverage to force Nero.
But after their last confrontation, they had not shown their faces again.
To say they were afraid?
That was simply a joke!
“You need not worry, they are of no importance.”
Nero’s tone was still proud, as if she didn’t care about those people.
Even if the Senate was causing trouble, if they truly angered Nero.
She alone could quell any disturbances.
Ning Cuo was stunned for a moment, then he realized that the girl before him was the Divine Emperor who possessed extraordinary power.
The Senate wouldn’t be able to cause a major disturbance like in history, and then threaten the Roman Empire.
Just as Ning Cuo was nodding in agreement, a system prompt sounded in his ear.
【Emergency Mission Triggered: Defend the Roman Imperial Palace】
【Completion Conditions: Successfully protect the Roman Imperial Palace from assassination, protect the Emperor Nero from harm.】
【Rewards: 300 Hegemony Points, one Heavy Cavalry.】
Why did this mission suddenly trigger?
Ning Cuo immediately felt uneasy.
He ran quickly towards the window, wanting to see what was happening outside.
He had just approached the window when Toller, who was guarding outside, rushed over.
From his nervous expression, Ning Cuo could tell how serious the situation was.