The march to the barony’s seat was uneventful. Even as they made camp and set watches that night, Quintus couldn’t help but expect some previously unseen force to pop out of hiding and ambush them, or a group of adventurers to take them by surprise. Yet even as the distance between them and their destination shrank to only a few hours of marching, no such threat arose.

It made him feel a little paranoid, especially considering that he’d put his best centurions on watch and increased their scouting of the surrounding areas. But that was fine. The Primus Pilus would bear any accusations of such a thing in the name of being thorough. He would not allow his men to suffer because of his complacency.

Besides, if something was going to go wrong, it would happen soon. As far as he could tell, it was the last chance the baron had to make some sort of counterplay. Any cards he had remaining would be revealed here.

It was right as they’d begun striking camp for the morning when the latest reports came in. Quintus saw the outriders as they approached, their strides carrying them across the hilly terrain as though the caligae around their feet had wings attached to them. One alighted before him with a smart salute. “Primus Pilus.”

He nodded. “Report.”

“The barony’s seat is in turmoil. People stream in and out of the gates in such a constant rush that its walls resemble a leaking dam.”

“In and out?” Quintus pressed. “It’s not an evacuation then?”

“It doesn’t appear so. Not a well-organized one, at least. Granted, a good number of the people are fleeing the city. But there are also lines of carriages and wagons attempting to enter.”

Quintus hummed thoughtfully. If they were trying to get supplies in to weather a siege, that would certainly make sense. But if the lines were as long as he claimed, then they certainly weren’t going about it very efficiently. And that was an opportunity they could exploit.

“Is there any evidence of an incoming attack?” He asked.

The outrider shook his head. “No, sir. No evidence of additional fighters anywhere in sight—nothing past the city’s guards, at least.”

Quintus didn’t worry too much about them. No guards had ever given them much issue yet.

“Understood. You are dismissed.” The centurion nodded to the man. “Have you and your men rest up before you head out again.”

“Yes, sir!”

The man turned just as Quintus remembered something else. “One more thing. Did you or your men see any evidence of horses?”

The outrider’s face split into a grin. “We did indeed, sir. Not battle mounts, and certainly not enough for a full cavalry unit. But the fact we’ve seen any at all proves that this world’s inhabitants aren’t playing some sick joke on us.”

Quintus chuckled at the Legionnaire’s reaction. From everything they’d seen, horses definitely did exist in this world. Yet neither Quintus nor anyone else in the Legion had seen a single live one since appearing here. The fact that the city might have some made it worth conquering all on its own.

It was immensely frustrating that they hadn’t been able to procure any mounts for their own men. At the same time, though, the scarcity of the beasts might work in their favor here. It meant that a cavalry charge, which would be the most effective way of breaking through his encirclement, was almost certainly out of the question.

As the man hurried off, Quintus was already readjusting their approach with the new information in mind.

The carriages and wagons outside the city were an obvious priority to capture. With any luck, they would contain sufficient food to maintain the siege for weeks without having to delve into their own supplies. Even if they carried other kinds of goods, that was still loot that the Legion could put up good use. They had enough people with varied professions that practically anything of value could find a use in someone’s hands.

The men readied themselves for battle. He pushed for them to hurry, aiming to take advantage of the situation while it persisted.

As usual, the auxiliaries lagged behind schedule, though not as much as usual. His threats from the day before had done their job of spurring the men to action. Still, given that it had taken them an extra hour’s march in the dark to reach the Legion’s base camp the night before, they would likely be an hour or two late to the city siege as well.

Which was why he was graciously giving them a head start at the low cost of some sleep. A price that none of the baggy-eyed conscripts and recruits saw fit to object to.

In all honesty, they could have afforded to let the men follow after the other cohorts. Really, they were just there to gain some experience and provide fire support. But marching like they were was experience as well, and who was Quintus to deprive them of an opportunity for growth?

With everything Quintus had seen and heard, the Legion would have no trouble taking this city themselves. He’d be shocked if the barony was able to mount a sortie so quickly after their last engagement. And once they were inside, their recent practice with city fighting in Stonester would give them quite the advantage, no matter what preparations the enemy had managed to make.

Quintus rallied the troops and, once his centurions confirmed that everything was ready, they began to march. The scenery practically blurred as the men hustled toward the city, each stride eating up more ground than should have been possible at a sprint. Before long, the Legion found themselves cresting a final ridge and overlooking the city.

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It was by far the largest settlement they’d encountered in this world yet. The city was at least five times the size of Stonester and made Habersville look like a mere speck by comparison. Even the walls appeared to have been constructed by someone competent for once. Still it was a hovel compared to Rome. But Quintus had to admit that for barbarin savages it wasn’t bad.

As the outriders had reported, the city looked like a hornet’s nest that had been kicked over. People rushed in and out of its gates, most of them in an obvious state of panic. One that only intensified as the Legion’s forces appeared over the ridge.

As the first several ranks marched down the hill towards the city, alarm bells and horns started sounding in the distance. Quintus smiled as he watched the portcullis from the nearest gate swing shut, leaving several dozen wagons pulled by oxen stranded outside. The farmers and merchants that owned them began shouting, some even banging on the gates ineffectually.

“Secure the wagons and their cargo.” Quintus ordered. “Prioritize gaining supplies for now. Then we will begin the siege in earnest.”

The men continued their advance toward the lines of stranded merchants and farmers. Many tried to turn around and flee at the sudden appearance of these aggressors, but didn’t have space or any sense of organization. The panic agitated the oxen other beasts of burden, causing them to pull carts into each other and tangle into a mess that stymied any attempts to flee.

Of course, they wouldn’t be able to escape anyway. These were not the only ranks of Legionnaires approaching, after all.

More men appeared over hilltops and rises as the Legion began to encircle the city. Their ranks slowly closed like a tightening noose as the alarms from within the city seemed to take on a more insistent tone. More concentrated Legion forces streamed down the roads to stifle the obvious avenues of escape.

Quintus continued issuing orders as the advance continued, ensuring everything continued to go smoothly. Capturing any supplies was their first priority. But capturing the stranded citizens and their beasts would certainly be a nice bonus. Besides, the way the city immediately turtled up only reinforced the idea that they wouldn’t be counterattacking anytime soon.

As their encirclement reached the first of the wagons, the Legionnaires quickly made to subdue the farmers accompanying them and seize the cargo. But to his surprise, they had to back off.

The men quickly fell back as a shower of arrows peppered the ground where they’d just been. Whether or not the projectiles would have been effective was up for debate. But no one particularly wanted to find out yet. Still, the fact they’d been launched at all was strange.

The guards couldn’t possibly think they’d be effective at this distance. In fact, the best they could probably hope for was to shoot flaming arrows at the supplies and deny them to the Legion. Yet as Quintus watched another few volleys arc skyward, they seemed especially careful to avoid hitting their own people or supplies.

The decision simply made him shrug inwardly. All the better. Perhaps this could also be taken as evidence that the city would surrender. Tiberius wouldn’t arrive with battering rams for a few days, so they still had an opportunity to do so.

The Legion waited just out of arrow range and ensured the farmers had nowhere to go as they attempted to untangle themselves. Said farmers awkwardly huddled against the wall like frightened deer staring down a pack of wolves.

But rather than simply stare them down, Quintus’s men had better things to do. Like set up a perimeter.

A large portion of the Legionnaires pulled shovels out of their packs and began digging a trench around the city. Mounds of dirt began to pile high as they built a pair of berms on either side of it. One would effectively ward against attempts to break the siege from within the city. The other would prove quite useful in defending against any sort of relief effort from reinforcements.

Between their numbers, their experience, and a few men with specialized skills, the construction proceeded rapidly, although Quintus was certain he read utter confusion on the faces of the guards manning the wall above. No matter. Once that was done, they would simply need to wait for reinforcements and additional weaponry.

A runner came careening around the exterior of the city wall. Quintus gave him a quizzical look as he snapped out a salute. “Message from the Pilus Posterior of the third cohort, sir!”

“Proceed,” Quintus ordered. He didn’t hear or see any signs of battle, so the leader of the third cohort likely wasn’t in trouble or need of assistance. What was it then?

“There was a carriage of note that was attempting to leave the area, sir. Approximately twenty minutes after our forces appeared. They attempted to charge through our lines and failed. We have its passengers detained.”

“I see.” Quintus said simply. “And what makes the Pilus Posterior believe that this carriage is truly of note?”

“The other wagons and such made way for them as they left the city. The carriage itself is fine, and the luggage and attire of its inhabitants suggest that they are wealthy. We have taken them as possible political prisoners.”

Quintus smiled. “Good work. Tell Appius that I am pleased.”

He looked over the state of the construction efforts. They didn’t need his direct supervision, not for this.

Quintus turned to a pair of his centurions. “Oversee things in my absence. Send a messenger if I am needed. I’ll be speaking with the third cohort’s leadership.

The men saluted as Quintus followed the messenger around to the other side of the city. A few minutes later they rounded a final corner and saw what the man had been talking about.

An ornate carriage with a broken wheel listed to one side in the newly-trampled grass, two restrained horses standing before it. Its door hung open and swinging in the breeze as its occupants knelt before it with their hands bound. Two of them obviously appeared to be servants, each dressed in a strange style of black and white finery. The other two were female—one a woman in a satiny blue dress and the other a young child.

The carriage sat further away from the city than he expected, making him wonder if it really had made it through the Legionnaires’ line. But a rather dense field of arrow shafts protruding from the ground closer to the wall told a different story. Quintus presumed the city’s guards had attempted to fend off the Legionnaires, forcing them to take the carriage further away.

Quintus approached the kneeling figures. They were encircled by a ring of Legionnaires that shifted aside at his approach. The woman huddled protectively over the child despite her bindings, glaring up at Quintus with a fire in her eyes that he couldn’t help but respect. He had seen warriors with less intense gazes.

Everyone remained silent. Quintus studied the prisoners for a few moments before he decided to speak.

“Someone must hate you very much to send you directly into our arms.” He remarked. The woman’s eyes narrowed as the little girl sniffled a bit. Still, neither spoke.

One thing was certain, these people were definitely important. It wasn’t just the richness of their attire and carriage, either. The woman held herself like someone of great import, almost like a senator’s wife. Maybe they could use her as a bargaining chip.

“Good work.” Quintus told the men. “We will see what can be done with them.”