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Legatus Gaius's eyes narrow, and your hopes for an easy resolution drain away like water in a sieve. Greed might be his nature, but the raw display of silver and the theatrical presentation have, in some unfathomable way you can't even begin to guess, tipped him off that something is afoot. The other Romans in his entourage are dissatisfied that you are only offering a bribe to their leader rather than spreading the wealth around.
Your approach also had some flaws. One, thinking it was enough to bribe the highest-ranking Roman only; second, publically offering the bribe rather than privately and subtly.
"But, of course, an ignorant King would go down this route." The envoy's head can somehow shake itself despite being detached from a physical body. The rest of the Romans give a nasty laugh as they toady up to their superior and burnish his overinflated pride.
"Something needs to be in those cages before lordly silver is paid out. You should first show us this arbitrariness of a King."
Smug.
If there is a word that represents the Roman envoy best, it is one word. He has the temerity to act as though he has you all figured out.
And they're all laughing at you... Again!
<span class="mu-r">Let No Insult Pass! - 4s also count as successes in addition to 5s and 6s. Use 1 per day.</span>
The silver twists and deforms in your powerful grip as anger takes hold and grants strength hereto unknown to you. You can feel the silver ooze past your fingers like clay. The display of raw strength catches the attention of the Romans; their eyes widen as ice dust begins to dance in the air. The temperature has clearly dropped a few degrees as Beira's blessing takes hold.
<span class="mu-r">"That can be arranged for the offense of lèse-majesté."</span>
You coldly stare at the envoy and his entourage. Your eye falls upon Atticus, the Roman who offered his personal slave for sale in the late evening drinking party last night.
"Vassals, seize that man and put him in the gibbet!" You point to the intended victim, and your Baphomets spring into action with spears and axes at the ready. Shock gives way to panic as the Romans realize what you intend to do, and a scream of horror erupts from Atticus as he is dragged towards the awaiting iron cage.
Gut instinct is telling you that despite boasts, these Romans are not as powerful an empire as they claim. The strange request to furnish their Emperor with a troop of Baphomet warriors, the secret letter of Augustus on conspiracies trying to overthrow them, coupled with the multitude of emperors in their history and the cowardly conduct towards Agreste, is more than enough proof.
The great Roman Empire suffers from division and many weaknesses. Resoluteness and confidence should brim in these Romans all the time if Roma has far greater power than Camelot. <span class="mu-r">A weak Kingdom is meat for the strong, and yours will be the one feasting in the end.</span>
