I stood there, devastated, looking down at Mannes’ body lying still on the cold ground. The fire in the camp had been extinguished, but the flames inside me hadn’t. Tears blurred my vision, and I felt an overwhelming sense of loss. Mannes hadn’t just been a commander; he was like a big brother to me. In the few short weeks I had spent with him, he had shown me kindness, strength, and the value of camaraderie. He had been a mentor in more ways than I could have ever imagined, guiding me through situations I was barely prepared for. Now he was gone, and I couldn’t comprehend how I was supposed to move on without him.
For someone who had only been a part of my life for a few weeks, Mannes had left a lasting impact. He had a way of understanding people, of leading without imposing. He treated me as an equal, trusted my judgment, and respected my role as quartermaster even when I doubted myself. I could always count on him for guidance, for advice when things got tough. He had a calm presence, always making you feel like everything would be okay, even when the world around us was full of chaos. Losing him was like losing a piece of myself.
As I knelt beside his body, Silvana stood quietly beside me, her eyes filled with tears. The two of us had sat there for what felt like hours, mourning the loss of our leader, our friend. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the equites approaching. His face was grim, and his voice held a weight of seriousness that immediately grabbed my attention.
“We captured the one who killed Mannes,” he said, his tone measured. “It was none other than Cassius.”
The name hit me like a punch to the gut. Cassius. Mannes’ trusted friend, the man who had been with us throughout this journey. My fists clenched, and my body tensed as anger brewed inside me, every fiber of my being screaming for vengeance. Cassius had been Mannes’ companion for years, and to hear that he was the one responsible for this betrayal—it was unthinkable. My vision blurred, but this time it wasn’t from tears. It was from the raw rage that surged through me.
I stood, unsheathing my sword in one swift motion, barely aware of my actions. Every inch of my soul wanted to rip Cassius apart. How could he do this? How could he kill the man who had trusted him so completely? My muscles tightened, ready to strike. If not for the equites stepping in and grabbing me, I would have ended him right there.
“Not now,” one of the equites said firmly, holding me back. “This isn’t the time to lose your composure. We need him alive to extract as much information as we can. You’re the quartermaster now, Augustus. It’s your responsibility to lead this mercenary unit and finish the mission. You have to think clearly.”
Their words hit me hard. As much as I wanted to kill Cassius at that moment, I couldn’t. The weight of responsibility settled heavily on my shoulders. I had never served in the army before—never held a position of leadership like Mannes. They didn’t trust me as they trusted him, and that made it harder to negotiate with the equites. But they were right. Cassius was a valuable source of information, and as much as I hated it, he needed to be kept alive.
I glanced at Cassius, who was bound and being watched by two equites. Disgust boiled in my chest as I looked at the man who had killed Mannes, someone I admired. How could I forgive him? How could I let him live after what he had done?
But the burden was mine now. I had to see this through. If I acted recklessly, it could jeopardize everything—our mission, the lives of the men who followed me, and the trust of the equites. I had to play this smart, no matter how much I wanted to give in to my anger.
“I’ll hand him over to Garios when we reach Lageta,” I said quietly, forcing the words out through clenched teeth. “We’ll get the information we need from him, and then… then we’ll see.”
Silvana and the recruits stayed close to me throughout the night, offering their support in the only way they knew how. They comforted me and told me that, for them, I was now their leader. But the weight of those words made me feel hollow. Could I take Mannes’ place? Could I lead this mercenary unit the way he had?
Me and Silvana sat close to Mannes’ corpse, keeping vigil as the night dragged on. We had decided to cremate his body per his religion once we reached Lageta. It was the least we could do for him—an honorable farewell under the presence of the pontifex, the priest-like figure who would oversee the ceremony.
Throughout the night, Silvana and I talked in hushed voices about the betrayal, about how someone as close to Mannes as Cassius could commit such an unforgivable act. Neither of us had an answer. We fell silent again, watching over Mannes’ still form, our thoughts heavy.
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Then, out of nowhere, it happened. That same robotic voice I had heard in my head before—this time, louder, clearer.
*Congratulations on being the first player to reach the tutorial stage – (1/7).*
I froze, staring ahead as the voice continued, and then, visuals started appearing before my eyes. Words, icons, and symbols floated in the air, something I had never experienced before. It was as if the system had unlocked a new layer of itself.
*Conditions met: Lead a party of 20 or more men. Have at least 1 companion. Have at least 1000 denars.*
*Character Menu
*To unlock more abilities, complete the Tutorial stage.*
A surge of disbelief hit me. I was the first player to unlock this. Then, I heard something about an achievement, rewards … but there was an error.
*ERROR: Inventory still in the locked state.*
I watched as more details flashed across my vision.
*Update completed… Calculated Passive XP*
My stats began appearing in front of me:
Augustus
* One-Handed: Lvl 3
* Two-Handed: Lvl 0
* Polearm: Lvl 0
* Bow: Lvl 0
* Crossbow: Lvl 0
* Throwing: Lvl 0
* Riding: Lvl 0
* Athletics: Lvl 4
* Crafting: Lvl 2
* Scouting: Lvl 0
* Tactics: Lvl 3
* Roguery: Lvl 3
* Charm: Lvl 3
* Leadership: Lvl 2
* Trade: Lvl 4
* Steward: Lvl 4
* Medicine: Lvl 0
* Engineering: Lvl 0
Denars: 5445
Party Upkeep Cost (Daily): 120
Food Supply: <7 Days>
Companions: Silvana (Archer)
Renown: 21.5/50 (Stage 0)
Influence: None
Inventory:
Armour- Chain mail + Bronze helmet
Weapon - Eagle Sword
The information was overwhelming. My abilities, my party’s stats, the denars we had, our food supplies—it was all laid out in front of me.
I could open and close the character menu at will, just by thinking about it. The interface responded instantly, and I watched as the numbers, the stats, all hovered before me like some strange vision. For a brief moment, the weight of Mannes’ death, the betrayal of Cassius, all of it faded into the background. The game mechanics I had once thought were just part of the simulation had become deeply intertwined with my reality.
But as soon as the notifications stopped, the weight of everything came crashing back down on me. Mannes was dead. Cassius had betrayed him. And now I was left to lead this mercenary unit with an impossible task ahead. I glanced over at Silvana, who had been silent during the whole exchange. Her face was tired, worn by grief, but she was still there—loyal, determined, and ready to follow me, even after everything that had happened.
I stared at the floating numbers and the prompts in front of me. This was the world I was living in now, a place where strategy, survival, and leadership meant everything. And if I was going to keep this mercenary group together—if I was going to see this mission through—I needed to accept the reality in front of me. I needed to be stronger, smarter, and more calculated than I had ever been.
I closed the character menu with a thought, the words vanishing as quickly as they had appeared. My hands clenched into fists.
Mannes had always believed in me. He trusted me, even when I didn’t trust myself. Now, I had to live up to that trust.