A few days later, in a camp, dozens of prisoners escaped under cover of night due to the guards' negligence.
In the night, Coriolan, battalion commander of the Fourteenth Legion's Sixth Battalion, watched the prisoners flee into the wilderness. He turned to the officer beside him and said, "Send someone to report to General Cassius. Tell him the loudspeaker has been released."
"Yes, sir."
The officer standing to his left answered and then turned to leave.
More than ten minutes later, the sound of gongs and drums rang out, and over two thousand prisoners were driven into an open area.
Around the clearing, more than six hundred soldiers drew their longswords and waited for further orders.
For a time, the camp was terrifyingly silent.
Coriolan stepped onto the platform, clasped his hands behind his back, and calmly looked at the prisoners crouching on the ground. "Just now, some people took advantage of a gap in the patrols to escape this mining site."
At those words, disbelief filled the eyes of the prisoners.
The prisoners crouching at the very edge turned pale with fright when they saw the sword-wielding soldiers only a few meters away.
If someone had escaped, they would surely all be punished together.
In the silence, fear rapidly spread among the prisoners, along with resentment toward those who had fled.
Why did they run?
Why hadn't they taken him with them?
Once he saw the moment was right, Coriolan wasted no words and slowly raised his right hand.
Seeing this, the more than six hundred soldiers standing around them raised their longswords and waited for their general's command.
Among the prisoners, a young man saw this and rose directly to his feet. "General, I would like to ask something of you."
Hearing the Common Tongue spoken with a