Titan: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 4) by Jez Cajiao (beach books .txt) 📗

him by the wrist and pulling him to his feet. “There’s no need to kneel in my presence. I’m a man like any other.” I smiled at the startled Prefect. “Thank you for the gesture, but from now on, you stand with me. I’m proud to have the Legion join me, as it will make saving the empire far easier, but I tell you now, Amon never required an honest man to kneel twice to him, and neither will I.”

Romanus blinked in surprise and tightened his grip on my wrist, as we shook once and I released him. He quickly beckoned two more Legionnaires forward, introducing them as they took my offered hand in turn.

“Thank you, my lord. This is Tribune Alistor, second in command of the Legion of Dravith, and Restun, Centurion Primus. They are my right and left hands, respectively. Alistor deals with the men in a commander’s role, as well as providing me with counsel and overseeing legalities and negotiations that I haven’t the time for. And Restun… well, Restun is the Legion’s heart. The men follow me, but they’d die for him,” Romanus said, smiling at the men with pride.

The first man nodded to me, as though uncertain, stepping back as quickly as possible. Where the dark-haired Tribune was slender, wiry, and clearly fit, considering he moved with ease in full Legion armor, the Centurion Primus was tall and exuded a palpable aura of health and strength. When the second man stepped forward, he grasped my wrist and squeezed hard, pumping it up and down quickly while clearly judging me as he released my wrist and stepped back.

“It’s good to meet you all,” I said, smiling and turning to the fourth man, who’d needed no introduction. “I see you there, Augustus. Thank you, my friend.” I stepped forward and ignored the offered hand, instead giving him a bear hug and slapping him hard on the back.

He laughed and returned the gesture, reminding me that, while I had the physique of an Olympian now, he was a true titan. The massive number of physical points he’d clearly accrued over the years had changed him at a seemingly molecular level. I stood around the same height, but his muscles… he looked as though he’d gone past the mere standard of humanity, instead resembling a Greek marble statue of the god of War that had simply stepped down from a pedestal one day and strolled off.

“I have to ask, though…” I paused, looking from one to another. “If Restun is the Primus, what is your rank again, Augustus?” I asked him curiously.

“Ah, common confusion there, Jax,” Augustus replied, and I noticed the flinch from Alistor as Augustus used my first name instead of my title. “I am the Primus of the second maniple. The Legion is split into four active maniples, with a fifth that deals in support, combat engineers, blacksmiths, and general camp followers for example. Each maniple has a specific function and is led by a ‘Primus’. Then the Centurion Primus is responsible for leading us. When we last talked, you mentioned a similar role in your own background, a ‘First’ Staff Sergeant, as opposed to the Staff Sergeant?” he reminded me.

“Ah! Totally understand now. Restun, it’s a damn honor to meet you, Primus!” I said, grinning, before turning back to the Prefect. “It is an honor to meet you all, of course, but I hope you understand Prefect, Tribune? I was an enlisted soldier in my home… my realm. The equivalent of a new Legionnaire? So I hope that you can understand my awe at meeting a man like Restun!”

“Hah!” Romanus barked, grinning at me. “I know what you mean, Lord Jax. I rose through the ranks with the Primus watching over me. If he snapped an order now, I’d probably salute and drop into pushups without a pause…”

I shared a smile with him and Augustus, gaining a respectful nod and slight grin from Restun, while Alistor remained at the back, watching me quietly.

“So, my lord, while this is our first meeting, Primus Augustus has been filling us in on your adventures and your plans, as he understands them. This the captain of the ship, obviously awaiting your formal acceptance…” Romanus said, gesturing to a tall elven woman, who had remained patiently off to the left, watching our small group, and waiting for her invitation to join.

“Lord Jax,” she said smoothly, stepping forward and offering her right hand with a smile. “I am Athena, captain of the Battleship. It is an honor to meet you.”

“The honor is mine, Athena,” I said formally, privately wondering about the way she was dressed. Her smart white shirt and black trousers provided a crisp background for a blindingly gaudy red sash. A dozen or more bangles on each wrist chimed as she moved, making it clear that tiny bells were hidden amongst them. As most of the people I had encountered in the UnderVerse were either slaves, Drow, or Legion, I had come to expect drab, functional attire. Oracle caught my surprise and noted privately through our bond that this was the official Airship captain’s uniform, in part to make them easy for the crew to identify at a glance.

“So, are you happy to confirm my position as captain?” she asked bluntly, and I blinked.

“How did you get the position?” I countered, and she shrugged nonchalantly.

“Elise came begging, said she needed a captain crazy enough to run a gauntlet, especially one that’d be able to put up with the ship only being bare bones, letting her team build it as we flew.”

“And you said yes?” I asked her, and she grinned wryly at me.

“Well, it helped that she was asking while she was smashing open the cage that they’d been holding me in…” she admitted, dipping her right hand into the neck of her high collared shirt, and lifting a thick black collar up into sight before dropping it back down with a shrug. “I’d have done it for that