DLERB -Chapter 176 Rome Bursts Into Laughter — “The Eastern Barbarians’ Fishing Boats Dare Call Themselves a Fleet? Drag Them Back Here as Sacrifices!”

Rome. The Senate.

Inside the magnificent hall, a group of senators dressed in white robes chatted loudly among themselves.

“This year’s olive oil prices should rise again.”

“The slaves in Gaul are becoming more and more disobedient. We need to teach them a lesson.”

“I heard Lord Caesar has found himself a new lover?”

Just then—

“BANG!”

The heavy doors of the Senate chamber were slammed open by a human body.

A figure stumbled and crawled into the hall.

It was Marius.

He was drenched from head to toe, seaweed hanging from his hair, looking like a drowned dog freshly dragged from the sea.

His leather armor was torn to pieces, and his face was covered in mud mixed with tears and seawater.

“Monsters!”

He collapsed onto the smooth marble floor, his voice no longer sounding human, but more like the wail of a terrified beast.

“T-there are monsters… on the sea!”

The entire chamber instantly fell silent.

Every senator stopped speaking.

All heads turned toward the uninvited intruder.

A few seconds later—

“Pff…”

Someone burst out laughing first.

Then—

“HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

The entire Senate exploded into deafening laughter.

“Which legion’s drunkard wandered in here to lose his mind?”

“Look at him! Did a dolphin scare him so badly he pissed himself?”

A fat-bellied senator pointed at Marius, laughing so hard tears streamed down his face.

“This is one of Rome’s soldiers? What a disgrace to the Empire!”

Marius paid no attention to the ridicule around him.

His teeth chattered violently, and his entire body shook like a leaf in an autumn wind.

“Mountains…”

“They were moving mountains!”

“Black… an endless sea of black mountains that blocked out the sun itself!”

He screamed incoherently while wildly waving his arms through the air.

“And dragons! Golden eyes! Mouths bigger than our ships!”

“It’s coming! They’re all coming!”

His insane rambling only caused even louder laughter throughout the hall.

“What did he say? Dragons? Those lizards from Eastern myths?”

“He must have been frightened so badly his brain broke.”

“Drag him out! Don’t let this madman dirty the Senate floor!”

“Silence.”

A calm, steady voice rang out.

The Chief Consul, Caesar, rose slowly from his seat.

Step by step, he descended the stairs and stopped before Marius.

At once, every laugh in the chamber died away.

Caesar looked down at the miserable soldier sprawled at his feet.

There was no anger on his face.

Instead, there was a trace of amusement.

He drew the short sword from his waist and lightly tapped Marius’s muddy cheek with the ornate scabbard.

“Raise your head, soldier of Rome.”

Caesar’s voice was soft, yet filled with unquestionable authority.

“Tell me—what kind of monster frightened you into this state?”

Marius struggled to lift his head.

The moment he saw Caesar, it was as if a drowning man had found his final lifeline.

“My lord! It’s true! It’s all true!”

Crying desperately, he tried to grab Caesar’s leg, only to be kicked away in disgust.

“It was the Easterners!”

“The Easterners’ ships! Their ships… they were black mountains!”

“Hundreds of them! No—thousands! They covered the sky!”

“Easterners’ ships?”

Caesar looked as though he had just heard the funniest joke of the century.

Straightening up, he turned toward the assembled senators and spread his hands theatrically.

“Gentlemen, did you hear that?”

“This poor fool claims those Eastern cowards who spend their days raising silkworms and weaving cloth are coming to attack us—with moving mountains!”

“HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Caesar himself burst into laughter first.

The senators followed immediately, erupting into even louder, more unrestrained laughter.

The entire Senate chamber was filled with cheerful amusement.

Just then—

“Lord Caesar!”

General Antony strode into the hall clad in full armor.

He saluted Caesar with a military gesture, not even sparing a glance for the trembling Marius on the floor.

“They are merely Eastern barbarians. Such matters are beneath your concern.”

Antony’s voice rang like a great bell.

“Perhaps a few of their fishing boats lost their way and drifted into our waters.”

“Since they’ve delivered themselves to our doorstep…”

A savage grin spread across his face.

“Then let them witness what a true ruler of the seas looks like!”

Turning around, Antony made an inviting gesture toward the senators.

“My lords, please follow me!”

Caesar followed with great interest.

The senators also rose one after another, as though going to watch an entertaining play.

Passing through a long corridor, they arrived at the enormous plaza behind the Senate.

Instantly—

Everyone stopped in their tracks.

Across the plaza stood a perfectly ordered formation of one thousand gigantic crossbow machines, brand new and gleaming with cold metallic light.

Every single war machine resembled a steel beast poised to strike.

Dark runes flickered faintly along the bow arms.

This was Rome’s ultimate weapon—

Built with the full power of the empire using blueprints they had “purchased” from the Easterners.

“Jupiter’s Wrath!”

“So beautiful…”

One senator could not help but gasp in admiration.

“This is the power of the gods!”

“With these, we can conquer any nation in the world!”

Caesar walked slowly toward one of the Jupiter’s Wrath ballistae.

He extended a hand and gently stroked the cold metal surface as though caressing a lover.

“What a marvelous creation.”

He murmured softly.

Then he smiled.

“Come to think of it, we truly should thank those foolish Easterners.”

“It was they who personally handed us the key to conquering the world.”

The surrounding senators laughed knowingly.

Antony stepped beside Caesar and slammed a fist against his breastplate.

“My lord! Rome’s First Fleet has fully assembled at the harbor!”

“All warships have already been equipped with Jupiter’s Wrath!”

“Give the order!”

His voice burned with eagerness for battle.

“I guarantee that before nightfall, we’ll drag back those Easterners’ broken ships—and their heads along with them!”

Caesar turned around.

He looked at the thousand engines of death filling the plaza.

Then he recalled the terrified soldier from earlier.

A surge of unprecedented ambition rose within his chest.

Eastern ships?

Moving mountains?

Perfect.

Then let this strange vessel become the very first sacrifice offered beneath the banner of Jupiter’s Wrath!

Let the entire world witness the terror of Rome’s fury!

Suddenly, Caesar drew the short sword at his waist and pointed it toward the heavens!

His voice thundered across the plaza—across the entirety of Rome itself!

“Rome’s First Fleet—all forces, advance!”

He paused briefly before unleashing a victorious roar with all his strength.

“Go!”

“Bring that so-called giant ship back to me intact!”

“ROAR!”

“For Rome!”

Antony and all the soldiers roared together like crashing tidal waves!

The senators raised their arms and shouted in triumph!

When the news spread, the entire city of Rome erupted into celebration.

Countless citizens flooded into the streets, cheering joyfully as though victory were already within their grasp.

They sang songs, scattered flowers through the air, and celebrated the arrival of yet another glorious Roman victory!