Chapter 1356 Back Home

Bending down, Julian picked up a handful of dirt from the ground and threw it towards the sky, watching it scatter everywhere in the air. Closing his eyes, he could feel how the faint scent of the breeze mixed with the distinct smell of fresh earth ground refilled his exhausted spirit after such a meeting with the despicable magus.

Now that he was finally back home, Julian checked the symbol on his arm.

[Julius Kaesar]

[Battle Power: 165 (135)]

[Spirit Force: 988 (910)]

[Acolyte rank 9 - peak stage 9 pillars]

[Earth: 3 pillars]

[Fire: 3 pillars]

[Metal: 3 pillars]

Even though he knew what would happen when he returned, Julian still revealed a slight frown as he saw his strength being restricted. Some of the restrictions came from the fact he was currently in a lower realm planet, while another originated from the injuries he still suffered from the use of his unique skill.

However, Julian was not worried; as even with his injuries, he was most likely still the strongest person on Earth.

Taking one last look at the nostalgic scenery, Julian took a deep breath and clapped his hand.

"Alright, There's lots of things to do."

Cautious as he had always been, Julian spent the first day of his return to Earth in secret as he gathered every bit of information about what happened in the year he had been gone.

Arriving upon a small town occupied by the Romans, he made a simple visit to a local town tavern. There, he heard a lot of rumors, gossip, and talk circulating amongst the populace.

It didn't take long for him to learn about the huge battle between the New Britannia and the Roman Republic that happened six months ago. Apparently, the conflict was still ongoing , and was generating much tension between the two sides.

Julian quickly felt anger bubbling within as he made this discovery. After all, he had promised Emery that such things would not happen.

Fortunately, the ruler of the New Britannia, King Arthur Pendragon, and his renowned Knights of the Round Table were able to hold the Romans' plan of invasion at bay.

Another rumor that caught his attention was about a terrifying female witch who aided the young king in his quest, annihilating hundreds of Roman soldiers.

To confirm the validity of this information, Julian went ahead and visited several pubs. He even secretly looked for one of the Roman survivors from the massacre at the Forbidden Forest for more precise details about the event.

This information made Julian feel relieved.

"I guess your friend Morgana is more than fine, Emery." With a smile he took out a clay bottle and said to himself "Then you won't mind if I keep these pills, right?"

The reviving pill Emery made was a god like medicine afterall. It could help save anyone below the magus level from death.

Now that he knew the overall picture of the current situation, Julian finally started the first part of his plan. With a relaxed demeanor, he made his way to the Roman garrison built over the previous Cantiaci palace.

Needless to say, his abrupt appearance surprised and alerted everyone in the garrison. Shortly thereafter, the new Legatus commissioned by the Roman Republic in his absence greeted his arrival.

"Legatus Julian, your arrival here is truly a pleasant surprise. Many thought you were dead."

Hearing such words, Julian immediately gave the story he had prepared prior, about how he went under the radar to carry out a secret mission mandated by the Roman senate.

Even though his story was hard to believe, thanks to his high status in the senate and the fact he still had many of his legionnaires in charge of the garrison, the new Legatus did not dare to oppose Julian without direct evidence or order from Rome.

"Now that you are here, our two powerful legions can finally crush those arrogant Britons!" the Legatus said with renewed vigor.

Julian did not respond to those words. He decided to ignore the man for now and went to see his surviving men who were still assigned to the Britannia garrison. It didn't take him long to see familiar faces he hadn't seen in a long time.

The Eagle of the Ninth, consisting of five thousand strong legionnaires, and amongst the eighty centurions, more than half were men who were loyal only to him.

He called for the senior centurions to gather before him and instructed them to not act upon any order that would harm Britannia. He then dispatched a delegation carrying a message for King Arthur, informing the latter of his return as well as a request for peace.

Of course, this action immediately drew the ire of the new Legatus. Unfortunately for the latter, before they could accuse him of anything, Julian decisively accused him first of treason and swiftly ordered his execution.

"Legatus!! You will not get away with this! Never!"

With the death of the new Legatus, not only had Julian gained control of all the Roman soldiers on Brittania, he could now be sure that none would dare to harm Britannia for a while. At least until Rome received word of his actions.

Julian wasn't the least bit worried if he was found out.

Now that the matter of the Legatus was taken care of, he told one of his senior centurions to take charge of the garrison while he himself would be heading back to Rome. Taking only a dozen of his most loyal centurion, Julian boarded a small boat and sailed across the sea.

To further his goals, Julian planned to increase his authority over the Roman Republic. In order for that to happen, he couldn't go home as a Legatus who disappeared without a word for a year; he needed to return as a hero.

With that thought in mind,  he arrived at the Gallic shore. With a chuckle to himself as he realized his luck, Julian found exactly what he needed.

Four Roman legions, numbering over twenty thousand men, have spent the last four months fighting against the confederation of Gallic tribes united under the leadership of Vercingetorix of the Arverni tribe.

The famous Gaul and thirty thousand of his men had stood their ground and continuously repelled the Romans' advance from behind their fortified settlement.

Under the glimmering light of the stars, during a windy cold night, Julian casually walked toward the settlement. The Gaul lookouts did not even bother to sound the alarm seeing a single roman approaching their wall.

To their shock, with one simple touch, the stone walls that were able to resist the siege of tens of thousands of Romans crumbled apart.