Maximus rushed over in large strides and stood by his side. Hamilcar glanced at him and then looked forward again: "The Romans are here." Although Hamilcar tried his best to appear calm, Maximus could still sense the tension in his tone.
Maximus raised his eyes and looked into the distance. In the near view, he saw Roman Cavalry advancing steadily toward the wine farm in a fan-shaped formation, ten n per squad. In the far view, a long column stretched out, led by two Banner Carriers draped in wolf pelts, holding aloft an eagle insignia and military flag. Behind them ca several horn players carrying long horns, followed by Roman Legion Soldiers arranged in five columns. Each soldier wore a red cinched tunic, a Gaul Helt, segnted armor, carried a red large square shield in the left hand, a heavy spear in the right hand, a Roman Short Sword on the left waist, and a short dagger on the right waist. They marched with heads held high, exuding confidence and readiness for combat rather than re marching. At the end of the column followed nurous auxiliary soldiers equipped with leather helts, Chain Armor, long spears, and long shields. Even the equipnt of these less-regarded Roman auxiliary soldiers far surpassed that of most rebel soldiers. At the very back of the line, a dozen carts and so slave laborers accompanied the column.
The sunlight glead on the polished armor and helts of the Roman Army, radiating dazzling brilliance...
Hamilcar and Maximus squinted their eyes, holding their breath, as they watched silently from a distance for quite a while.
Hamilcar exclaid indignantly, "There's far more than two or three thousand soldiers—this is over 4,000!"
"Approximately 4,300," Maximus replied with certainty.
"I need to inform Spartacus imdiately!" Hamilcar turned and ran toward the camp.
Maximus did not move, continuing to observe the advancing Roman Army. They weren't moving very fast. After about half an hour, they had gotten near the olive oil farm about three miles below the slope. By that ti, the rebel forces had almost finished forming their battle lines.
Spartacus, Cross, and several other leaders also ca near Maximus to observe the enemy's movent.
Hamilcar, however, grabbed Maximus and whispered harshly in his ear, "As the leader of the Supply Team, you should be with your n at this mont, not wandering around here!"
Maximus snapped out of it. His curiosity about the Roman Legion had montarily made him forget his duties. He quickly apologized and humbly asked for advice, "Teacher, I was wrong! What should I do in a situation like this?"
Hamilcar replied solemnly, "The Supply Team mainly consists of won, the elderly, and children. You should gather them together and calm their nerves! Also—"
He lowered his voice even further, "You need to prepare the carts, load them with supplies, just in case—"
Hamilcar did not finish his sentence, but Maximus understood his aning. He nodded seriously and turned to run back.
The rebel formation was directly behind him. The first rows were mostly Gladiators, all heavily ard. Maximus could hear several people shouting his na, but he had no ti to respond at that mont.
As Maximus rushed back toward the farm, the Roman Army passing the olive oil farm halted their advance. They faced the rebel formation and began arranging their lines...
Spartacus, standing on the hillside observing the scene, said gravely, "The Romans are preparing to attack!"
"Our brothers are ready. Let them co to et their deaths!" Enomai shouted boldly.
Behind them, the Gladiators seized the mont to roar, riling up the rest of the rebel soldiers: "Roar!!! Roar!!!..." In an instant, the morale of the rebel forces surged.
The Roman Army, unaffected by the provocations, ticulously ford their formation at an unhurried pace. They originally marched in an ard formation. As they pivoted to face the rebels, each cohort regrouped, gradually assembling into the Roman Army's traditional checkerboard formation. Their speed in forming up was much faster than the rebel troops. Oddly, however, the auxiliary soldiers at the back separated from the main formation, set down their weapons, and headed toward the carts parked at the rear. They took out shovels, hoes... and similar tools, beginning to dig around the olive oil farm.
This peculiar action left Spartacus and the others puzzled. The auxiliary soldiers of this Roman Army numbered over a thousand, accounting for more than a quarter of the entire force. With so many soldiers not joining the battle but instead digging, what could they possibly be doing?
Not long after, the Roman Legion soldiers had finished forming their lines but remained stationary. anwhile, the sweating auxiliary soldiers had dug a shallow trench encircling the olive oil farm. The excavated soil was used to construct earthen walls on the inner side of the trench...
"The Romans are building a camp!" Hamilcar suddenly realized.
"Are they still going to attack us?" Antonix imdiately asked.
"The Roman Army has a habit of constructing temporary camps on battlefields. If they are defeated, they retreat to the camp for defense to ensure their safety. I didn't expect them to take such precautions against us. Perhaps once they finish building, they will launch an attack." Spartacus, who had experience fighting alongside Roman forces in Little Asia and had so understanding of their strategies, said this, though he sounded uncertain.
"How long are we supposed to wait?! Why not take the initiative and attack them while they're fewer in number?" Enomai said impatiently.
"Since we've already planned our strategy ahead of ti, we should stick to it!" Spartacus said sternly.
Even Cross, who usually prided himself on his bravery, agreed with Spartacus this ti. Seeing the orderly and imposing Roman Army below made him feel a bit uneasy.
Thus, the rebel army quietly waited on the hillside, while the Roman Legion remained still at the foot of the hill, with only the auxiliary soldiers busy working.
As ti went on, the chatter among the rebel forces grew louder. Their once dense formation began to scatter. Soldiers, attempting to ease their tension, started chatting and laughing, and so even sat down on the ground due to the blazing sun and prolonged standing. Spartacus and the other leaders had to rush to their respective units to boost morale and maintain order.
anwhile, similar issues arose in the Roman Army, though the veteran team officers were more effective in managing their troops, maintaining better discipline compared to the rebels.
The two sides thus confronted each other from several miles apart. By midday, the Romans had nearly completed their trench, and the corresponding soil walls had been fully erected, leaving designated entrances and exits. Only then did their Commander, Grabo, order his soldiers to withdraw inside the walls and into the olive oil farm.
The Roman Army did not attack as Spartacus had expected. He felt both disappointed and sowhat relieved seeing his exhausted soldiers lying across the hillside...
That day, no battle occurred, but the Roman Army's proximity made the tension within the rebel ranks palpable. Spartacus and the other leaders hastily convened a eting, deciding to stick to their original plan and wait for the Romans to initiate the attack. Simultaneously, they resolved to tighten the camp's security to guard against potential ambushes.
On the Roman Army's side, Grabo was equally wary of a rebel attack. He instructed the auxiliary soldiers to continue laying traps and placing caltrops outside the trench. Additionally, several scout patrols were arranged to keep watch throughout the night within the camp.
Although the day passed without incident, many had restless nights, including Maximus. After all, this was his first experience with war, both in this life and the last.
At dawn, as the rooster crowed, Maximus leapt from his bed and rushed to the kitchen.
He didn't even need to urge them; Acronis had already gathered her team and busied themselves, knowing all too well what fate awaited them if the rebels lost the battle. All they could do was prepare hearty and delicious als promptly, ensuring the soldiers were well-fed and fueled for the fight ahead.
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