Maximus did not refute, nor did he resist. He allowed Gaius to grab him. However, Gaius's fist did not land on Maximus because the slaves around him hugged him tightly.
The small commotion in the square made the slave management officers who had yet to leave very unhappy. The person in charge of the slave camp, Icarus, was even angrier. He immediately ordered the soldiers to arrest Gaius.
When Gaius was pinned to the ground with his hands behind his back, he was still cursing. The foreman gave him a slap on the face, causing his teeth to fall out and blood to flow. Half of his face was swollen at once. Only then did he mumble incoherently, but he was still glaring at Maximus fiercely.
Maximus did not dare to make eye contact with Gaius. He stood motionless. Even when Gaius was taken away, he did not raise his head.
The slaves were quickly led to the mine by the foreman. He was the only one left in the huge square.
At this time, the person in charge of the slave camp, Icarus, walked over and patted his shoulder. He said sincerely, "You did the right thing! Those stupid people can't see the situation clearly. The kingdom is so powerful. What can their little plot do? It's a joke! … "
Maximus felt that his words were a little harsh. He raised his head and asked, "Sir Icarus, now that I've regained my freedom, can I leave now?"
"Of course, you're a free man now. However, you've stayed in the slave camp for so many years and know nothing about the outside world. If you suddenly leave here and live in a city in the kingdom, I'm afraid you won't be able to adapt. If you're not careful, you might violate the laws of the kingdom and affect your future development. It's better to stay in the camp and work as a worker here. After all, you're very familiar with this place, and you're well-educated. You can even write Daorian. You can definitely become a manager here. This will also help you become a citizen of Diónia earlier. While you're working for the camp, you can slowly familiarize yourself with the city of Turií and our kingdom … "
The reason why Icarus said these words to keep Maximus was that after receiving the order from the slave management office, he had specially sent someone to understand this Roman slave who had been pardoned. After learning that Maximus had outstanding abilities, he had the thought of cherishing talent and wanted to add a capable subordinate to his camp.
"Thank you, Lord Icarus, for thinking so highly of me. I will consider it carefully." Although Maximus admitted that what Acarus said made sense, he didn't want to stay in this place any longer, so his words were a little perfunctory.
Acarus could see it too. He still had a smile on his face as he patted Maximus on the shoulder and said, "Go back and think about it. Even if you don't have this plan now, my words will still be valid for a year. By the way, you can now go to the camp management office to register and receive your Slave Emancipation Bronze Plate. "
Because of the great publicity surrounding his pardon, he was able to complete the formalities quickly. Even the rent he had not paid was waived by the clerk, who said, "This is a special notice from the Slave Office. Thank the merciful King of Devers!"
Maximus finally got the bronze token that all slaves dreamed of. The bronze token was rectangular and only the size of an index finger. The word "freedom" was engraved in the middle and there was a number on top.
The bronze token was very simple to make, and it seemed easy to imitate it. However, in reality, this bronze token was only a proof of identity. It was for the inspection team to see. The real important thing was that his name was removed from the Kingdom's Slave Office. Whether it was public or private, as long as a slave was purchased or added, they had to register with the Kingdom's Slave Office. They had to record the slave's appearance and characteristics, give him a fixed number, and brand it on the slave's buttocks.
On the one hand, the Slave Office would check on the slave's living conditions every year according to the name list. If they found that the slave might have been abused or destroyed, the court would come looking for them. On the other hand, if the slave escaped, the Slave Office would provide the escaped slave's information to the inspection team in each town to capture him. Once he was caught, not only would he suffer a terrible fate, but he would also never have the chance to regain his freedom.
After Maximus' name was removed from the slave register, it meant that he was already a free man.
Maximus carefully placed the bronze token on his chest and strode back to his home.
When his two children came out to welcome him happily, the heavy guilt in his heart suddenly disappeared. I didn't do anything wrong. My children shouldn't be trapped in this cage. They should be like other children, happily studying in the school of Diónia …
"Maximus, you … you must have sneaked back from the mine! What should we do?! Go back! Go and apologize to them … "His wife, Fulvia, was panicking. She had misunderstood her husband's appearance at home at this time.
"Fulvia, we're free!" Maximus said excitedly to her as he held the child in his arms.
"What did you say?"
"I'm saying that I'm a free man. This is the bronze token I obtained!" Maximus handed the bronze token to his wife.
Fulvie looked at the bronze plate carefully a few times, still unable to believe it. "This is … Is it real?!"
"Of course it's true. We can leave this place now! Let's leave now! "Maximus said with a firm expression.
Fulvia did not respond. She held the bronze token tightly in one hand and covered her face with the other. Hot tears flowed down her fingers …
"Mom, why are you crying?" The two children tugged at Fulvia's clothes with concern.
Maximus walked forward and hugged his wife tightly. He said in a deep voice, "Fulvia, from now on, we're no longer slaves! The children will no longer be slaves! We'll have a better life! "
"Yes! … Yes! " Fulvia choked with sobs as she nodded repeatedly.
Maximus had not accumulated any valuable belongings in the slave camp over the past few years. The family quickly packed their bags and walked towards the camp gate.
Seeing the heavily armed guards standing guard at the entrance of the camp, Fulvia and the children subconsciously hid behind Maximus.
However, not only did the guards not stop them, they even congratulated Maximus. It seemed that the news of "him being pardoned" had spread throughout the camp and he had become a celebrity in the slave camp.
Walking out of the camp, Maximus took a deep breath of fresh air. Before he could savor the smell, he saw a person walking towards him. His heart sank.
"Congratulations, Maximus!" The man said loudly with a smile on his face. He was a completely different person from the sinister and ruthless expression he had when he interrogated him in the camp.
Maximus braced himself and said, "Thank you for your help, sir!"
"It has nothing to do with me. It's all because of His Majesty's kindness!" The man said seriously. He then asked, "Now that you're a free man, what are your plans?"
"I'll first go to the Turií registry to apply to become a citizen of Diónia. Then, I'll find a job to support my family." Maximus did not know why the man asked this question, so he answered carefully.
"This is indeed the most common method of survival for freed slaves, but the situation has changed now." The man's lips curled up slightly as he spat out.
Maximus' heart skipped a beat. He was about to ask, "What situation has changed?"
However, the man said, "Are you interested in working for us? Our intelligence department is directly under His Majesty's jurisdiction. Not only is the salary high, but it's also easy for you to make contributions. You'll become a citizen of Diónia in a shorter time."
Maximus did not really understand the political system of Diónia. However, he could roughly guess what they did from the literal meaning of the word 'intelligence department' and his previous experience. He was very conflicted about it. Being called a traitor by his own people was enough to break his heart once in his life. He did not want to experience it a second time.
"I'm sorry, I just want to live a normal life," Maximus said calmly.
The man seemed to have expected his answer. He did not show any dissatisfaction. He shrugged and said, "Alright, I hope everything goes well for you! This is our reward for you, and also a little token of our appreciation! "
The man took out a heavy pouch of money and handed it to Maximus.
The word 'reward' stung him. He instinctively wanted to reject it.
"Take it. You'll soon know that it's not easy to live in Turií. You can't live without money," the man said seriously as he looked at the two children behind him.
Maximus hesitated. He then felt his wife squeezing his arm tightly. Yes, he had spent all his hard-earned salary on learning the language of Diónia. He did not have much savings …
He lowered his head and took the pouch of money. He was a little ashamed as he said softly, "Thank you …"
"If you change your mind one day, you can look for me at the white house next to the inspection office in the outskirts of Western City. If anyone stops you, tell them that Tratus asked you to come."
Maximus nodded, indicating that he heard it. However, he did not respond. He held the two children, brought his wife, and walked towards the east with a bag on his back.
"Boss, it's fine if he doesn't want to. He's just a bait anyway. Even if he doesn't cooperate, as long as we keep a close eye on him, we can continue to capture those accomplices who want to take revenge on him and avenge Servius and the old aristocrats of Rome."
"The number of Rome citizens in Turií is increasing. However, we now lack people who can truly understand them and gain their trust. Moreover, I've checked Maximus' past. He's also very capable." Tratus looked at the backs of Maximus' family as they walked away. A playful smile appeared on his face. "When he hits a wall, maybe we still have a chance."
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