Rainer was livid. However, he pulled his cutting glare away from Commius and focused on Alexios, collecting himself with a quick, deep sigh.
"That changes nothing!"
Rainer declared in his defense.
"The prior agreement was that as long as I was first on the wall, I would be recognized as the Son of Mars, making my freedom unavoidable by divine mandate."
He briefly cleared his throat with a difficult expression.
"Granted, that wasn't fulfilled. But the second agreement was hinged on bringing you the Chief's head. Which I fulfilled. Based on this alone, my freedom should be granted!"
Alexios slowly shook his head as Rainer argued his case, and then he spoke.
"I never promised to free you if you brought me Teres' head."
Rainer froze, and then let out a wry smile because he knew this as well.
At the time, the siege had already begun and he was starved for time. Every second spent haggling about the details of an abrupt deal that may, or may not be guaranteed, was a second lost relinquishing the reward of the original agreement: freedom.
Rainer scoffed imperceptibly, shaking his head in self-mockery at his pitiful situation. Then he glanced at Alexios.
"So what did you say? What was the governor told about me?"
Hearing this, Alexios gestured apathetically with a hand.
"It is simple, you failed the condition of the first agreement. Thus, I branded you as you remain: possessed, cursed, a daemon slave—but one expressly under my control... So that you may not be slain while unconscious."
Rainer's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"You what!!"
Alexios, unmoved by his outburst, calmly went on.
"Due to your—peculiar position. The governor was unwilling to grant manumission to a being that could potentially decrease public order and bring about chaos if let loose—so he left you under my care."
"Fffuker!!!"
Rainer breathlessly suppressed his outraged curse.
He understood Alexios' plan, ever since Kotys told him about this he had an inkling—but he remained hopeful. He didn't think he would be so insulted by mortals!
Breathing chaotically, his sharp eyes darted about the ground as he tried to rein in his emotions.
'I? Enslaved!? What would the other Qegons do in my place?! Perhaps, I'm getting soft... Magenta alone would have slain them all already!'
With a dark expression, he clenched his fists and closed his eyes.
Suddenly, the room began trembling ominously as a heavy pressure fell upon the hall.
The soldiers paled, and many had strained expressions. It felt like their armor was suddenly made out of tungsten.
Rainer had been patient, he had suppressed his base instincts, he had tried to hold on and be friendly, given his past life's relationships with the Roman auxiliary cohorts—
But he was slipping.
The soldiers and officers looked around in confusion, the suppressive atmosphere filling them with terror, and a few began panting as if lost for breath.
Rainer slowly opened his eyes and the discombobulating golden patterns hidden within them flared to life, like the filaments of a tungsten bulb, blazing hot with electricity.
His imposing gaze landed squarely on Alexios and he gulped hard, expression turning grim.
The sun seemed to brighten up the room, spiking up the temperature even as breathing rapidly became difficult.
Seeing that the moment was right, Rainer opened his mouth and spoke lightly, but his voice carried and seemed to echo across realms.
"𝕸𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖘 𝖈𝖆𝖓𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖊𝖓𝖘𝖑𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖜𝖍𝖎𝖈𝖍 𝖎𝖘 𝖎𝖒𝖕𝖔𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖍𝖊𝖓𝖉."
Alexios ashened and drew back trembling, no longer able to maintain his composure.
"If you try to escape you shall be marked a fugitive, and when you are caught, a fate worse than death awaits you!"
Alexios frantically warned, and Rainer scoffed imperceptibly to himself, smirking as if darkly amused.
"𝕹𝖔𝖜 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖑 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖐𝖘 𝖙𝖔 𝖒𝖊 𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖋𝖆𝖙𝖊..."
Alexios desperately shot out an arm.
"But this can change! You could be freed within a year! Two at most!" He spoke with increased haste, sensing an impending doom.
Rainer's head tilted slightly and the pressure infinitesimally dropped.
"𝕬𝖓𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖑…?"
"Yes!" Alexios quickly affirmed and elaborated. "The governor has returned to his province. That is my cohort's official destination alongside Legio XIV Gemina Martia Victrix. I want you to become my personal guard until we meet him in his province.
"During this time you shall protect me with all of your being. Do this and I will provide for all your basic needs. Ultimately, I will convince the governor of your divine status and your manumission shall be granted with haste. Your service will not surpass two years."
Rainer blinked, and soon the golden patterns faded. The pressure and temperature quickly fell as well, returning to normal as well.
Sensing this, everyone visibly let out sighs of relief.
Rainer placed a hand on his chin, contemplating the idea with a distasteful frown.
"A slave guard?"
He inquired with a dissatisfied glance.
"Yes! For two years." Alexios informed with a relieved expression.
Rainer scoffed lightly, pondering a bit before letting out a sigh.
"Fine. But I have a few conditions of my own."
He turned to Alexios and listed out his conditions.
"I only guard you for one year, nobody orders me around, I get a say in shared loot, I am exempt from manual labor, and I can go wherever I want, anytime I wish during encampments."
Agricola grimaced at the terms as Alexios mulled over the conditions.
Agricola wanted Alexios to reject those terms, feeling they were way too exploitative. He felt that if Alexios agreed to this, Rainer could simply loaf around, leeching off of their allotted resources while bereft of accountability.
"Praefect Kyriako—"
Alexios stopped him with the raise of a hand and nodded to Rainer.
"Very well."
Immediately, the soldiers all eased their aggressive stance.
Rainer let out a sigh of relief.
Although he didn't like his more honorable slave guard status, he was pleased with the situation. He felt being fed and clothed while he basically did nothing but guard was a way better alternative to running over the hills, fighting for survival as a fugitive slave.
Also, considering that a Camp Prefect rarely fought, preferring to command at the backlines during engagements—he was basically jobless.
Furthermore, the power he just flaunted was the most he could do with his current body. A few more seconds spent sustaining that pressure, and he would have found himself violently spasming on the ground like an epileptic patient having a seizure while bleeding through his nose.
He idly wondered how such a sight would look to the auxiliaries then.
Rainer scoffed softly to himself at the thought before switching and offering Alexios a theatrical smile.
"Well, boss! I am in your service."