12 Prove your worth

"Emperor, your horse is now ready." His butler led him to his favorite horse named, Alpha as this horse is the most beautiful, fastest, and strongest horse that could carry the heaviest load in their stables. Amulius often use this horse in battle and even in casual walk. His first destination for today is the Curia, his personal visit to the Orc fortress will cause an uproar inside and outside the Senate.

"Emperor, please think about it before going there. You will be surrounded!"

"Please reconsider, our town has just been founded for a year. Your absence will cause chaos in the management and decline of morale to the people."

"Emperor, please reconsider this!"

The whole Senate was shocked to the sudden announcement of Amulius that he will have a personal visit to the Orc fortress. Most of the Senators are against to this, they suggested that he can just send anyone or a Senator instead of him coming to the Orc fortress personally. His uncle was even speechless of his bold move. Amulius' move is either a brave move or a foolish one, since the Orcs are never to be trusted.

"I should go personally. As this visit will affect all of our fate including this town. I might be gone for a year but I promise that I will be back as soon as possible. My only order before I go is to make our population double, do anything necessary. It might be a rude move to our women but they are very important to our civilization. If everyone agrees, I want every women of age to be married as soon as possible and they should bear child every year or as much as possible. If you see any viable option other than this, you may do so. But remember that our population growth is very important at least in our current time." Amulius ended his address to the Senate. He left the Curia, and went to his last destination before leaving the town.

"Is there someone named Aurelia here?" Amulius went to the house of Aurelia which was reported to him by his guard. He couldn't afford to leave without saying a word to Aurelia, the person who took his first and he took her first.

"What are you doing here lord?" Aurelia went out of her hut since they couldn't afford to build a brick house yet.

"Who is he Aurelia?" Aurelia's mother also went out of the house upon noticing that someone visited their house. Her tone is somewhat scolding to Aurelia since they couldn't afford to marry-off Aurelia yet since she is the only one who feed their family including her three younger sisters. Aurelia is making denarius through sewing toga and tunics. She then sold her products to a shop in the marketplace.

Amulius did not make a sound as he noticed that there are coins outside their house. He concludes that Aurelia was not taking the money that he regularly sent.

"Why are you not taking the money that I'm sending you?"

"I am not a whore, Emperor Amulius." Aurelia said in a resolute tone. Her mother was also shocked in when she mention that the person before them is the Emperor. A normal person couldn't tell that he is the Emperor since he is just wearing a common toga.

"Dominus Imperator, please have mercy." Aurelia's mother quickly bowed to the ground as soon as she heard that the person before them is the Emperor. Her three sisters who just came out of the house also bowed to the ground as her mother signalled them to bow to Emperor Amulius.

"You are mistaken Aurelia, I never viewed you like a whore or retreated you like one." Amulius' tone became compassionate as he felt her feelings.

"I know that you have slept with lots of women after I left. That's why I never returned." Aurelia said in a mad tone to Amulius. She knows that she does not have value in the eyes of Amulius since she is just like any other Plebeian in the town. Even before she met Amulius, a lot of men are wooing her. Even a few Senators visited her promising the world to her, she all turned them down since she knows that these men will just use her and leave her after they had enough. But in the case of Amulius, there was an official imperial decree mentioning her presence before the Imperator. She doesn't have any choice since the order of the Emperor is absolute. However, there are also benefit after he met Amulius, there are no men wooing her and they are acting now as if they didn't wooed her.

Amulius has nothing more to say. He thinks that he said enough to Aurelia, and it's time for him to leave the town. Amulius left without saying more to Aurelia. She herself was now in puzzled of what that meant. She is not afraid to the Emperor or anyone in town, she cannot allow anyone to molest her or any of her family member. Her innocent-looks during their first meeting completely changed to a strong-willed character.

Along the way, Amulius mind is still in shambles. He was trying to forget his recent visit to Aurelia since he feel guilt upon remembering it. His mind is also occupied of what may happen once he arrived in the Orc fortress. He couldn't think of any other way or plan since everything that will happen there will be out of his control. However, he trusted the word of the Orc chief, he will not be harmed but if he did not show up, his town will be levelled to the ground.

Amulius just brought 5 equites who were former elite legionnaires. Their journey was solemn and they encounter no danger along the way. A month ago, he notified Shadow of his encounter with the Orc chief which surprised Shadow since they did not noticed the Orc chief passed in their security zone at all. Since then, Shadow increased their surveillance to the fortress. They even planned for an escape route for Amulius just in case.

"Imperator, we are glad that you had a safe journey. Please, follow me." The diplomatic agents that he first sent to the fortress welcomed him at the entrance, then they led him to the House they prepared for the Emperor. There was no sign of the Langyako even after he entered the fortress. There was even no one from the orc faction who welcomed him, even Gaguka who asked for his help earlier. The Orcs were just staring viciously at him, they were gossiping among each other about him.

"Is that the leader of the human tribe in the east?"

"Yah, it was said that they live at the mouth of the river!"

"Lucky for them, they were not eaten by the river itself!"

"I heard he came here to marry the daughter of the chief?"

"I doubt he will win her. Look at him, his body is just like a child!"

"I think won't last a round. There are also other men from other race asking for her hand!"

"Yes, yes! There are trolls, dwarves, elves, other humans, and even Orcs from other strongholds!"

Listening to the gossips of the orc bystanders, he sweat his forehead. Looks like what Langyako said to him was just an empty threat, he just wants him to join the competition to fight for marriage of his daughter! 'What a scam' Amulius has no other choice but to continue, because even if he backs out now, the orcs will not allow him to back out. He spent the night with a broken sleep, thinking of something that is not yet happening. Until the next morning, he was asked to seat in a row together with other men.

"Good day everyone. Today will be the first day of the competition where the prize will be the Orc princess! Chief, is there something that you want to say?"

"I appreciate all your efforts of coming here. Lets get to trouble!" Langyako drunkenly said to the crowd. He is very happy of this event, since this is what makes his subjects happy too!

"Okay, first round is a royal rumble. You see that wide ring to our right? That is where you will fight to death until there are 10 contenders left. However before we proceed, I would like to know if there will be any of you who will back out now? No one?... Then, contenders enter the ring. " The host is a parrot-man who is naturally a world speaker where every word that he say is understood by anyone regardless of their language. That is also the same for him, he understood every word other people say. " Well then, let the trouble begin! "

Amulius is in his full battle armour, he have his steel sword that was first produced by Romavena, his steel Pilum and steel coated round shield. His first move is defensive stance where he would not go aggressive at all and await the other players to tire themselves.

Inside the ring, Gaguka is inside wearing his leather armour and big axe, no one dares to fight him. There is also a troll who was throwing javelins to the elf, in response the elf also shoot arrows back to the troll. A human wearing a knightly armour with a symbol of crescent moon and a star, was fighting another elf and a orc. The ring is actually chaotic, and the orc viewers are cheering their bet fighters to the side.

'So this is what makes the orc happy. Then, we Romans are somewhat similar with these Orcs!' Amulius said in his mind as he decided to join the ramble. It is orc versus human versus elf versus troll versus dwarf versus beastmen versus an ogre versus another orc versus another human and so on and so forth. The ring is very chaotic but Amulius could not deny that he's enjoying this. No one can see his face inside his helmet, but he is actually smiling every time he swing his sword and pierce his pilum.

Amulius' first victim is the Ogre which was caught unprepared because it was fighting a lot of contenders at once. Amulius jumped and stabs it at the back piercing it to its heart using his pilum. Nothing matters here but killing, so honor in fighting is not honorable at all. After he killed the Ogre, the stunned contenders who was just fighting the ogre is next. He slit the throat of the elf who has not yet come back to reality, and Amulius went to his next target which is an orc wielding an iron mace. This time, the orc was not caught in surprise, it evaded his sword swing and hitted back with his mace which Amulius also evaded. Due to his adrenaline rush, Amulius' reaction time is quicker that his normal. He sliced the thigh of the orc, and as it cried in agony, he slit its throat to finally end its life.

The chaos continued until there are only 10 of them left standing. Of course, Amulius passed the first round along with Gaguka, the full-armoured Human Knight, an elf archer who was also adept in daggers, the troll who was good in throwing javelins, the dwarf who has explosives in his endless pockets, the beastman who is a half lion with superb strength and animal instinct, a goblin who has blades with potent poison, another human with Han features who was very good in martial arts and he did not even wear any protective gears and without any weapons with him, then finally a long-haired orc who wield a long blade and he did not even make a move in the ring.

"Looks like we have tough competitors today! We enjoyed the first round, we will probably enjoy the second round even more! Before we begin the second round, Chief Langyako has something to say. "

"The Gehlgica tribe is very amused of your performance, I would like everyone to clap your fist for their marvelous performance! Before we begin the second round, you all need to rest first. Everyone, be back here after lunch." Langyako walked out of his chair along with his daughter who was covered with silk cloths that is why her appearance is not yet revealed to the contenders.

Amulius and the other contenders went to their designated rooms to rest. They were not provided with any food or water since Orcs has different culture and hospitality is not in their vocabulary. Luckily, Amulius has diplomatic agents here before this event. He also has merchants inside the fortress who gives him food and water. While he is resting alone in his room, someone entered the room.

"If you are to lead the Gehlgica tribe, prove your worth and win my daughter's hand." Langyako said to the stunned Amulius. After saying that, Langyako left the room without waiting a reaction from Amulius. Everything seemed to sync into Amulius' mind.

'Looks like the the divide and conquer tactic of my ancestor JC is not applicable in this situation.'