Chapter 19:
The smell of charred sand lingered over Rome as Lucius picked his way through the wreckage of the Colosseum's eastern gate.
Workers hauled away blackened stones while children darted through the ruins, their laughter clashing with the grim task at hand. One boy kicked a half-melted ball between two piles of debris, his bare feet kicking up puffs of ash.
The system's damage report scrolled relentlessly:
[Post-Inferno Status:
- Stadium Integrity: 58%
- Public Morale: Shaken but resilient
- Nero's Mental State: Dangerously inspired
New Threat:
- Greek fire remnants unaccounted for
- Underground betting rings reorganizing
- The bear has developed a taste for expensive wine]
A hand gripped Lucius's shoulder. He turned to find Nikias, his face still smudged with soot.
"They're calling us the Ashen League now," the Greek said, nodding toward a graffiti-scarred wall where someone had crudely painted FC Roma's crest in charcoal. "Has a nice ring to it."
Vulso lumbered up behind them, dragging a sack of salvaged equipment. "Less talking, more rebuilding. The Ostia Dockers are already recruiting from the shipyards."
Lucius hefted a scorched goalpost fragment. "Then let's give them something to fight for."
Nero's solution to the Greek fire problem was predictably unhinged.
At dawn, a procession of terrified alchemists marched into the Campum Ludus, carrying vats of a gelatinous substance that reeked of vinegar and crushed pearls.
"Behold!" Nero announced, dipping a torch into the sludge. The flame guttered out instantly. "Fireproof salve! Your players will be invincible!"
The system's analysis was scathing:
[Imperial Innovation:
- Effectiveness: 90% flame retardant
- Side Effects:
- 45% chance of skin turning purple
- 20% chance of spontaneous hair loss
- 100% chance of smelling like pickled fish]
The Vestal acolyte took one whiff and declared it "unholy." The bear, however, rolled in it.
Nikias backed away. "I'd rather burn."
Lucius eyed Nero's hopeful expression. "Perhaps… reserve it for *special* matches?"
The emperor beamed. "The All-Fire Derby! Coming soon!"
The creature formerly known as Diana's Sacred Guardian had become a menace.
After its heroic lion-tackling and subsequent wine binge, the bear now:
- Stole food from the Vestals' temple kitchens
- Terrorized local dogs (it mistook their yapping for "tactical trash talk")
- Demanded belly rubs from terrified referees
The system's behavioral log was concerning:
[Subject: Ursus Footballus
Status:
- Addicted to grapes
- Imprinted on Nikias (follows him everywhere)
- Recently tried to "dribble" a stray cat]
"We can't keep it," Lucius said as the bear attempted to climb onto a dining couch beside Nikias, snapping the frame.
"Tell him that," Nikias grumbled, feeding the beast a sausage.
Julia Antonia sighed. "The Temple of Diana wants it back. Something about 'sacred duties.'"
The bear, as if understanding, hid behind Vulso.
While Rome rebuilt, the remnants of Domitia's network stirred.
Whispers spread:
- In the Subura, a new betting ring offered odds on "which team burns next."
- At the docks, sailors spoke of a woman in a lion-cloak buying passage to Carthage.
- In the Senate, someone was bribing officials to oppose league funding.
The system connected the dots:
[Pax Football League Survivors:
- Leadership: Unknown (Domitia's heir?)
- Resources: Significant (Greek fire stocks missing)
- Tactics: Psychological warfare (fear of flames)]
Lucius's informant—a one-eyed former slave from the mines—confirmed the worst. "They're not just betting on matches now. They're rigging them." He pressed a wax tablet into Lucius's hand. "Next target: Gaulish Champions vs. FC Roma."
The tablet listed:
- Referee bribed
- Goalposts pre-sabotaged
- Halftime wine drugged
The system's warning was stark:
[Match-Fixing Detected:
- Goal: Discredit Lucius's leadership
- Method: Ensure FC Roma loses brutally
- Fallout: League fractures, Nero withdraws support]
Lucius's counter-strategy required finesse:
1. The Vestals would "bless" the Gaulish match, allowing hidden surveillance.
2. Julia Antonia would leak false tactics to the bribed referee.
3. The Germanic defectors would pose as bookmakers, tracking the fixers.
And the bear?
"Distraction," Lucius decided.
Nikias groaned. "It's always the bear."
Match day dawned with unnatural heat.
The Circus Flaminius was packed despite the lingering stench of fire. Gaulish fans, already drunk on imported mead, bellowed war chants. Roman plebs waved banners stained with soot—the new Ashen League colors.
The system's pre-match alert was grim:
[Threat Assessment:
- Sabotaged goalposts: Confirmed (west side)
- Drugged wine: Replaced (thanks to Vestals)
- Unexpected Variable:
- Gaulish team also suspects foul play
- Their "mead" is actually Greek fire antidote]
The match began with a handshake—and a very pointed glare between both captains.
First Half:
- The bribed referee made blatantly bad calls against FC Roma.
- The Gaulish players, suspicious, ignored their advantages.
- At 35 minutes, Nikias "accidentally" kicked the ball into the referee's face.
The crowd roared approval.
Halftime:
- The Vestals "tested" the wine, "discovering" poison.
- The exposed referee cracked, naming his benefactor—a Pax lieutenant.
- The Germanic faux-bookmakers dragged the man away "for questioning."
Second Half:
- Play turned brutal but fair.
- Vulso scored off a Gaulish defender's intentional "mistake."
- Final whistle: 2-1 to FC Roma.
The Gaulish captain spat at Lucius's feet—then grinned. "Next time, no tricks. Just football."
The system approved:
[Outcome:
- Match-fixers exposed
- League unity strengthened
- New Rivalry: Gaulish "Rematch Clause" activated]
That night, Lucius tracked the Pax lieutenant to a riverside warehouse.
Inside, he found not a criminal mastermind, but a teenage girl—Domitia's orphaned niece, her hands still bandaged from burns.
"She left me nothing," the girl hissed. "Just her cursed lions and debts." Her eyes gleamed with desperate fury. "The league owes me."
The system's profile was tragic:
[Claudia Domitia Calvina
Age: 16
Motivation: Reclaim family honor
Resources:
- 3 remaining fire-lions
- 1/4 of original betting network
Threat Level: High (but malleable)]
Lucius made an offer: "Work with us. Help rebuild."
She laughed bitterly. "As what? Your mascot?"
"As the keeper of beasts." He nodded to the shadows, where the bear sniffed curiously. "Starting with him."
By week's end:
- Claudia was installed as the league's "exotic animal supervisor" (under Vestal watch).
- The bear got a partner—a one-eared lion cub from Domitia's litter.
- Nero announced plans for a fireproof stadium (with water cannons).
The system's final alert was cautious:
[Stability Restored:
- Ashen League reputation: Recovering
- Greek fire threat: Contained (for now)
- New Challenge:
- Gaulish rematch demands "Brennus Rules"
- The bear and cub keep stealing sacramental wine
- Claudia may still be plotting]
As Lucius walked through the Campum Ludus at dusk, he spotted Nikias—asleep on a bench with the bear curled at his feet, its paw possessively draped over the Greek's ankles.
Somewhere, a child kicked a ball against a wall, the rhythmic thump echoing through Rome's wounded streets.