Chapter 315
No one is easier to trample than an army whose formation has completely collapsed.
From the moment they scattered, Satavahana's grand army became nothing more than easy prey for the Roman army.
Nearly two hundred thousand troops had clashed on this battlefield, yet the outcome was decided in just half a day.
In truth, from the moment their right wing collapsed under the legion led by Achilles, this clash could no longer be called a battle.
Of the one hundred and twenty thousand enemy soldiers, only about thirty thousand managed to flee.
Ninety thousand were either killed or captured.
"What are our casualties?"
It was a sweeping victory that would elevate her reputation as Marcus's successor, yet Sophia showed no signs of excitement.
Trajan, calmly compiling the reports, shared her subdued demeanor.
"Our losses are minor. We have some wounded, but the vast majority of the fatalities came from the forces led by Swati."
"A satisfactory outcome."
"What should we do with the prisoners?"
"It is best to leave that to Swati. It lets us play the part of being generous."
"He might slaughter them all. When I saw him earlier, he looked completely unhinged."
Recalling the recent battle, Sophia frowned.
Trajan was right.
Perhaps the rage he had suppressed for years had finally exploded.
More relentlessly than anyone else, Swati had ordered his men to hunt down and kill the fleeing soldiers.
The fact that only thirty thousand men managed to escape was entirely due to his near-mad pursuit.
"If he executes all the captives, it could backfire. If the opposing factions realize they will die whether they fight or surrender, they will never yield."
"Swati knows exactly what he is doing. In fact, he probably wants them to fight to the bitter end. It gives him the perfect excuse to wipe them all out."
"Is that wise?"
"Of course not. But while it might be bad for Swati, it does not hurt us. Honestly, I am much more concerned about Achilles. Where is he right now?"
"He took his legion and headed south. He figured Swati's methods would drive more people to join the rebel forces, so he went to crush them before they could..."
Their younger brother had changed.
Of course, that was not necessarily a bad thing.
Achilles had simply grown into his role, displaying the competence expected of a general and a commander.
Having observed the battlefield themselves, Sophia and Trajan knew this better than anyone.
"Agrippa was amazed. He called his troop maneuvers almost divine."
"I was surprised too. At first, I thought he was just charging recklessly, but he was actually directing his forces with a perfect read on both our troops and the enemy."
"Is it because of his training at the academy?"
"You cannot teach something like that. It is closer to an innate talent."
Normally, a sibling showing such exceptional talent was something to be celebrated.
However, in front of Trajan, Sophia could not bring herself to blindly rejoice.
"Let's observe him a little longer. We cannot judge if his talent is the real deal based on a single battle."
They did not yet know if what Achilles displayed today was his absolute limit, if he had pushed past his usual capabilities, or if this was merely a fraction of his true potential.
'Come to think of it, Surenas didn't do a single thing during the battle. Now that I recall, he was staring at the left wing the entire time.'
She knew Surenas was originally brought along as an insurance policy, there to take command of the legions if an unexpected disaster struck.
Since the battle ended in a sweeping victory, it made sense that he never had to step in.
Yet, thinking deeper, Sophia realized there had to be more to it.
'Surenas is one of Father's most trusted confidants. Would a man like that follow us just to act as an insurance policy? Trajan and I are important, certainly, but I get the feeling he is here for another reason.'
Pushing her memory to its limits, Sophia reviewed Surenas's exact movements during the clash.
Without a doubt, from the very start of the battle to its finish, his eyes had been glued to the left wing.
At the time, she assumed it was because their forces were dominating on that front, but now she saw it differently.
'Was he watching Achilles? That would explain it.'
It was Marcus who had given the order to hand Achilles a legion and let him take direct command.
And Surenas was Marcus's greatest confidant.
Even though Sophia was Marcus's chosen heir, she always treated veterans like Surenas and Spartacus with the utmost respect.
Naturally, she never gave them orders this way and that.
Therefore, if Surenas was persistently focused on something, he was almost certainly acting on Marcus's direct orders.
'He gave Achilles a legion and told Surenas to evaluate his abilities... It makes perfect sense.'
In all of Rome, there was scarcely anyone who possessed greater military prowess than Surenas.
If one had to name anyone, it would be the retired Caesar, or her father, Marcus.
Since neither of them could travel all the way out here, Surenas was truly the only optimal choice.
The question was why Marcus had given such an order.
'He did not tell Trajan his reasoning, let alone me. Why? Was there no need to mention it? Or... is this another one of his tests?'
Marcus loved his children, but he constantly threw problems at them and rigorously evaluated their abilities.
The worst part was that the majority of these tests began suddenly, without a single word of warning.
Trajan had already received failing marks multiple times, and Sophia had narrowly avoided failure on a few occasions herself.
This could very well be another one of those cases.
They had won the battle, but that was merely the prelude.
A heavy tension settled over Sophia's face at the thought that the real trial might just be beginning.
※※※
"Hahahaha! Excellent work, truly!"
After a full three-month subjugation campaign, Swati's opposing factions had been completely eradicated.
In truth, the grand outcome of the war had been decided the moment they suffered a crushing defeat in the pitched battle.
Even so, terrified by the relentless purges, they had wagered their lives in a desperate resistance.
Having not yet built up his own power base, Swati had no choice but to rely entirely on Rome's might to crush the rebels.
Trajan had originally planned to step in, but Achilles asked to handle it himself.
Sophia gave him full authority, allowing him to execute his plans exactly as he envisioned.
The results were shockingly absolute.
Dividing Satavahana into twenty operational zones, he launched a simultaneous subjugation campaign in every direction.
Before the rebel forces could even properly assemble, they were defeated piecemeal and dragged back to the capital.
And just a moment ago, under Swati's orders, every last one of them had been executed.
All of this had taken a mere three months.
It was an astonishing blitz that pushed the mobility of their cavalry to the absolute limit.
"I knew Rome's power was formidable, but I never imagined it would be to this extent. The term 'divine army' must be meant specifically for the Roman army."
"There are no more obstacles to stabilizing Satavahana, correct? Keep in mind, the citizens of Rome must never again feel that their lives are in danger here."
"I can assure you, that will absolutely never happen again. After all, there is no one left to oppose me."
"Then that is a relief."
"If anything troubles you during your stay, please let me know at once. I shall take my leave now. I have much to oversee in preparation for the coronation."
Swati bowed his head and walked away humming.
Watching him leave, Trajan shook his head.
"Installing an obedient king is fine, but is he really going to be all right?"
"I told you, it will not be an issue. He just purged everyone who could have been his hands and feet, so he is completely powerless on his own. I will plant people loyal to me around him, so eventually he will have no choice but to move according to my will. Tadius and I have already finished talking it over."
"You have already settled everything regarding the North India Company? When did you find the time?"
"While you and Achilles were busy suppressing the rebellion."
Trajan inwardly marveled at his sister's thoroughness.
At the same time, he felt a twinge of pity for Swati, who was rejoicing at becoming king with guaranteed autonomy.
Sitting on the throne, he probably felt like he had the whole world, but economic control had already left his hands, and scarcely any of his vassals would actually be his own people.
Would it truly make him happier to know reality, or to remain ignorant as he was now?
It was probably slightly better for him to just live in ignorance like this.
"Oh, by the way, did you look into what we discussed earlier?"
"Yes. In fact, I just called for him so we could hear what he has to say. He said he would be here shortly. What do you think? Are Achilles's talents and abilities truly beyond doubt?"
"It is undeniable. At least when it comes to battles utilizing cavalry, he is definitively above me."
"Is that so? Then... Ah, perfect timing. He's arrived."
While the siblings conversed, Surenas arrived and cautiously stepped into the room.
He offered a polite bow in greeting.
"I was told you requested my presence."
"Yes. You must be suffering in this distant foreign land because of us, aren't you? I am sure you wish to return to Rome quickly, so I am sorry."
"Not at all. Ever since my youth, I have wandered through countless lands waging war. I am quite accustomed to living away from home."
"Still, are you not bored? If anything is even slightly uncomfortable, I will have it addressed immediately. If you were to fall ill, I would not have the face to see my father."
Sophia's voice was filled with deep affection.
Before she was old enough to know better, she used to call him 'uncle' and play in his arms.
Even though they maintained polite formalities with each other now, the deep affection that had built up over the years was not going anywhere.
"Watching the two of you grow is my greatest joy. If you continue exactly as you are, I could ask for nothing more."
"Do you not mean the three of us? From what I saw, your attention seemed especially focused on the third."
At Sophia's pointed remark, Surenas gave a wry smile.
"...So you noticed."
"It would be stranger if I had not. Were you not just drafting a report for Father regarding Achilles before you came here?"
"Hahaha... I thought I was being subtle about it, but you saw right through me. That is indeed insight fitting for the successor to Augustus."
"Seeing you smile like that, it seems getting caught was nothing troubling. Might we hear about it? I want to know exactly why I received no prior word about this."
Sophia cut straight to the question she had been holding in her mind.
She was the supreme commander of this expedition.
Nothing like this should happen without her knowledge.
Her demand was perfectly justified and logical.
"There was no specific agenda. I simply felt there was no need to complicate your thoughts until the war was concluded."
"Complicate our thoughts? Why would it do that?"
"Well... the two of you care deeply for Achilles, do you not? Augustus worried that if you thought your brother might leave Rome, it would needlessly complicate your thoughts."
"What on earth are you talking about? Why would he ever leave Rome?"
At this completely unexpected answer, even Sophia could not hide her shock.
From the darkening dusk until the dead of night, Surenas revealed to the siblings the true nature of the conflict Achilles had been harboring.