=PART-1

    The oared sh.i.p.s, or the galley sh.i.p.s, were the type of sh.i.p.s that were propelled mainly by rowing.

    The year when Kol had arrived was, 77 BC. It was right around this time when the oared sh.i.p.s were starting to be replaced by the sailing sh.i.p.s.

    In truth, the sailing sh.i.p.s were invented four hundred years prior, somewhere around the fourth century BC, but because the time was too backward, they were still considered new.

    Many factors determined the result in any battle that involved both sailing sh.i.p.s, and oared sh.i.p.s. Like the weather, wind speed, wind direction, range and lethality of artillery, maneuver capabilities, firepower, accuracy, the material of the sh.i.p.s, tactics employed by captains, and even the number of combatants that each ship carried.

    The seabed pirates had both oared sh.i.p.s and sailing sh.i.p.s in their ranks. So, when it came to the sailing ship tactics, mainly the following three factors constrained what their leader, Tyrallus could order his fleet to do.

    1. The pirate warsh.i.p.s, like any other warship from this period, could not sail directly into the wind. Most could sail not much closer than 70 degrees off the wind. This limited the maneuverability of a fleet during battles at close quarters.

    2. The warsh.i.p.s of this period carried all the artillery on the sides but were very weak at its bow and stern. The sides of the ship were built with strong timbers, but the stern, in particular, was fragile with a flimsy structure.

    3. The third constraint was the difficulty of communicating at sea. Even though Kol only had one warship, but the pirates, who had the numerical advantage, lacked group tactics, which made their numerical advantage almost meaningless.

    As Tyrallus put a hand on his shoulder and whispered a few words, the meek and fearful Laurus seemed to have suddenly been granted a backbone. He straightened his back and looked at Kol with brightened eyes. The fear that he displayed a moment ago seemed nothing more than an illusion.

    Suddenly, he addressed Kol directly, "Your highness, could you tell me if you have any connections in the empire? After all, since you have just arrived, you need proper rest after such a long journey. The same could be said for your men. I could deliver a message for you in your stead.".

    Such mannerism could be considered impolite to the title Kol had assumed. Laurus had not only addressed Kol directly, but he also did so without proper respect, and not to mention asking a personal question to a prince.

    If it was not someone who knew him with at least some semblance of companionship, then even in his kingdom, no one would dare to talk to Kol in such manner. After all, these were still ancient times. His kingdom had not yet completely started to operate from the shadows.

    Hearing what Laurus just said, coupled with what they were just talking about in each other''s ears, Kol came to a realization. He did not reply. Instead, he just gave his diplomat a look and signaled with his hand. Then he proceeded to mentally converse with the captain of his ship through telepathy.

    The diplomat knew what Kol meant. So, he replied to Laurus in Kol''s stead, "Lowly one! Although we do not know why you would need that information, we can deliver our own messages. Not to mention, no message even needs to be delivered as we have no connections here."

    As he called him ''lowly one'', Laurus became angry, but after listening to what he had to say after that, both Laurus and Tyrallus were overjoyed. At this point, they could no longer conceal their greed.

    Laurus replied, "I see! In that case! For talking to me in such a manner, and for ruining my friend''s sh.i.p.s just now. You must understand why I have to do this.". After completing his sentence, he looked at Tyrallus.

    The human diplomat acted his part as he replied in anger, "What do you mean, you lowly one? Are you actually, trying to accuse his royal highness? Where are your manners? Have you forgotten your place?".

    As soon as the signal was given, the situation turned for the worse. Laurus''s men suddenly drew their swords and attacked the soldiers on Kol''s side. As both the parties were busy conversing with each other, the attention was drawn away from them.

    Normally, Laurus''s sudden lack of respect could distract Kol''s men. His men could take advantage of everyone''s surprise to deliver a lethal blow to Kol''s soldiers, but unfortunately, even if we ignore the fact that they were not ordinary soldiers, they were prepared beforehand and blocked Laurus''s men with the swords they carried.

    The vampire soldiers were using swords. After all, they had to maintain their acting. After blocking the enemy, they did not wait for an order but proceeded to finish them off. In this period, if someone intended to harm a figure of authority, then they had to be put down on sight. No orders were needed. It was understood.

    On the other hand, as Laurus''s men attacked, the pirate oared ship that was parked on the side opened its entrance as tens of pirates carrying different weapons charged at Kol''s men from behind.

    Sage was already ready for them as she drew her swords and met them alone. She was like a tiger in a heard of sheep as she reaped their lives.

    The act indeed had to be maintained, but that did not mean that Kol would leave himself or his men vulnerable. They were not allowed to use the vampire abilities that seemed too shocking, like vamp speed, but when it came to super-strength, it could easily be explained considering that they were in a time where people still believed the myths to be real. Revealing that these soldiers had the most revered ancestries, and were better trained, was all the explanation needed.

    The swords that Sage carried looked too heavy for anyone to lift, but she wielded them like feathers. She took full advantage of her sword''s long reach as she slashed at the three men charging from the front. As their heads flew high, their bodies'' center of gravity shifted to the front, towards Sage, who took advantage of the fact that others had not reacted yet and pushed one of the now-dead bodies at the enemy''s left flank. Then pushed the remaining two bodies back towards the enemy advancing from the center, and then charged at enemy''s right flank herself.

    Her actions seemed flawless as if practiced countless times. Only a couple of seconds had passed since she had beheaded the first enemy, and now she had finished slaughtering the enemies of the right flank. After all, there were not many of them in total, only a couple dozen pirates could be hidden inside that small ship.

    Laurus and Tyrallus could not fight. They solely relied on their men. So both of them retreated behind in guard as they watched the numbers of their men reducing rapidly. They had the numerical advantage, but it proved useless. The difference in strength was overwhelming.

    Ennius was a greedy noble and would surely ask for a big portion of wealth for himself. Laurus wanted to finish everything before he arrived so that he could claim more wealth from the sailing ship for himself, perhaps even some noble slaves. Laurus got excited just thinking about torturing noble slaves. He had never experienced such p.l.e.a.s.u.r.es.

    As the situation turned for the worse for Laurus and Tyrallus, and as the numbers of their men kept reducing, suddenly the sky was lit with flame as large fireballs fell from the sky.

    These fireballs were fired from the long-range artillery mounted on some of the pirate sh.i.p.s that were parked in the ocean. When Tyrallus had signaled his men to attack, they also launched a signal in the air to the pirate sh.i.p.s that were parked farther away. This time, Tyrallus brought a total of eighteen sh.i.p.s with him. Kol''s sail ship had already destroyed five of them upon their arrival, and now Tyrallus had only thirteen sh.i.p.s left.

    The fireballs were surprisingly accurate as most fell on Kol''s ship. Unfortunately, the captain had already received Kol''s warning as a blue magic barrier surrounded the sailing ship. The fireballs had no effect at all. Kol''s sail ship absorbed the ambient mana from the ocean to function. The ship''s defenses could even hold against the modern-day gunpowder artillery, let alone these little fireballs.

    Not long after, the sailing ship started and went into the depths of the ocean to deal with the enemy pirates. Kol''s ship was much faster, had greater firepower, longer range, could sail in any direction, and more advance defenses. The pirate sh.i.p.s stood no chance. Not to mention, there were still around fifty vampire soldiers hidden inside the sailing ship. They did not have to hide their abilities in the depths of the ocean.

    Before long, explosions could be heard coming from the ocean, followed by fire.

    On the other hand, it seemed that the fighting was coming to an end on the ground as last of the enemy pirates fell to a sword strike of general Sage.

    ------------Scene END-----------

    =PART-2

    Ennius had not arrived with such fanfare as Laurus did. He only had a couple of guards with him.

    Diotimos had taken advantage of the fact that on one paid attention to him, to run away to inform Ennius of what was happening at the harbor.

    One had to praise his wit. As soon as Laurus''s men attacked Kol''s soldiers, Diotimos realized that the situation had gotten out of hand. In the confrontation between two parties that he could not afford to offend, the only way out was to lure a third party with similar status.

    It was not like Diotimos held any loyalty towards his master. In truth, Laurus was the very definition of a sociopath narcissist. He loved to torture his slaves and acted violently in situations where he did not have to fear the consequences. He also d.e.s.i.r.ed the approval of the crowd.

    It could be said that no one was loyal to him. Even his men only worked for him for his money. But in the end, the law was the law. If the master was found guilty, then so were the slaves. Diotimos did not want himself, or his fellows to die.

    ------------Scene -Honored Guest.

    There were dead bodies everywhere on the shore. The fire that was burning the defeated pirate ship had lit up the horizon. Kol''s white sail ship could be seen returning from the ocean as the light of fire reflected the overbearing, yet beautiful appearance.

    Laurus along with his three slaves were kneeling on the ground on the side as Kol''s diplomat was conversing with Ennius.

    In the beginning, Kol did not send any instructions or intervened in their argument. Unlike Laurus, Ennius was a real noble, and even though he acted more like a businessman than a noble, and even though his title was low, but considering that Kol''s kingdom was far away from the Roman Republic, and Rome was Ennius''s motherland, so him being a noble of the Roman Republic, only had to pay as much respect to Kol as he would, to any other noble of higher status than his own.

    Even after a few minutes, the diplomat was still trying to explain why it was justified to execute Laurus, and Ennius was still arguing that Laurus was a Roman citizen, and so his crime had to be proven before the judgment could be given.

    At this point, Kol interrupted, "Alright, this is enough! We are tired from the long journey, so let us discuss this matter some other time. Lord Ennius, do you have a place in mind where we could stay the night?"

    Ennius was a smart man. He immediately inferred that Kol did not care much about this argument. Like most other nobles, he only cared about his own well being and lived in the moment. Those were his assumptions about Kol.

    As the Aedile of the city, Ennius held most of the decision making authority. He could very well be considered the owner of the city. Unfortunately, the only thing he could not do was collect taxes. The Aedile did not have the authority over the taxes as the city''s wealth still belonged to the Roman Republic.

    Unfortunately, the only thing that Ennius cared about was wealth. He was a gifted merchant who was born a noble and knew how to take full advantage of his title to advance in his business. He had allies everywhere, even among the pirates. In truth, even Tyrallus was introduced to him by his other friend named Heracleo, the leader of the Cilician pirates.

    When Kol revealed his intentions to rest, Ennius was overjoyed. It was obvious to anyone that Kol brought much wealth with himself, and Ennius had many ways to swindle it out of him. He could not wait to offer to entertain Kol as his honored guest.

    Ennius spoke, "Your highness, apologies, but our city does not entertain many guests of your status, especially at this hour, but if you would humble my villa with your presence, it should be enough to accommodate you and your men.", after he spoke, without waiting for Kol''s reply, he gestured towards one of his men who stood beside him.

    As Ennius''s subordinate left to make preparations for Kol''s arrival in the villa, Kol agreed to Ennius''s proposal.

    ------------Scene END-----------

    Kol left two of his vampire soldiers and the human diplomat at the harbor, to make arrangements when his sail ship would arrive.

    With the speed of the magic ship, it should already have arrived at the docks, but as Kol observed with his mental abilities, he discovered that two of the pirate sh.i.p.s were carrying slaves, and one ship carried all the wealth of the pirates. His men were now dealing with the matter as per instructions given by Kol.

    Kol along with some of his human subordinates and general Sage with her vampire soldiers were following Ennius, his two guards, plus the still alive Laurus and his three slaves to Ennius''s villa.

    Ennius had given his responsibility of guarding the city, to Laurus. In truth, Laurus handled most of his responsibilities while Ennius just preferred to focus on being a good businessman.

    ------------Scene -Made Submissive.

    Ennius was sitting together with his wife, Laeta as they entertained Kol, who was sitting in front of them. They mostly inquired about his travels and where exactly his kingdom was located. Seemingly just casual conversation, but Ennius was trying to gain information from him while Laeta was genuinely curious.

    Laeta was a beautiful woman and possessed a kind nature. It was very difficult to find someone genuinely good in these troubled times, especially among the upper class. They would not be where they were if they maintained their morality even within such a harsh society, but Laeta was different.

    As they were chatting, general Sage, who stood behind Kol suddenly put a hand on Kol''s shoulder and whispered a few words in his ears. The sailing ship had returned and it carried many slaves, along with all the wealth that belonged to the pirates.

    As he heard her, Kol spoke to Ennius and Laeta, "Ha! It seems that these pirates carried a lot of slaves and wealth with themselves. My men have already collected everything and are on their way to your villa. Come Ennius, my friend we must handle this wealth properly.".

    As Kol spoke, Ennius knew what he meant. He looked towards Laurus. This brute was so impulsive, so unbecoming of a true Roman. This prince was obviously, a proper noble. He would share his wealth for appropriate benefits.

    Ennius thought that Kol meant to divide the wealth he acquired from the fallen pirates, with him. So, he happily pulled his wife along and followed Kol to the garden.

    Before long, Kol''s men arrived. They were holding a few slaves and a few containers filled with gold coins. This was not everything that the pirates possessed, but that was the most these men could carry with them. They would have to run back and forth a few times before they could deliver everything to the villa.

    So, Ennius ordered his men to help them carry everything to the villa.

    After most of Ennius''s men had followed Kol''s men, not many people remained in the villa. Other than Ennius, Laeta, Kol and general Sage, all those who remained were the guards at the gates, a few remaining slaves that stayed behind, and the soldiers holding down Laurus and his three slaves.

    As everyone left, Kol sat down with Ennius and Laeta, and controlled the guards at the gates through telepathy, ordering them to silently close the gates. No one noticed the closing gates as their attention was focused on Kol.

    As soon as the gates closed, Kol suddenly launched telepathy. It was as if the time inside the villa had stopped. He simply froze everyone''s brains at the same time. This attack that utilized his telepathic ability was quite similar to Professor X.

    Afterward, Kol proceeded to work on Ennius''s brain to a deeper level. He was going to make him completely loyal to him. After all, Kol had just arrived here. He could use some help in blending in this noble society, and perhaps come in contact with the first emperor, Augustus. That way, the entire Roman Empire could do his bidding and search for Malivore for him.

    It only took a few minutes. After finishing up with Ennius, he proceeded with Laeta. After all, she was his wife and could realize something strange about her husband''s behavior.

    Even on Ennius''s other men and close slaves, Kol implanted a subconscious hint, so that they would think that their master''s behavior towards him was normal.

    As everything was settled, and Ennius''s and Kol''s men had delivered everything, Kol stood at the center of attention, examining all the goods delivered with an expressionless face. Suddenly, he asked Ennius, who was following behind him, "So Ennius, what do you think we should do about this vermin you call Laurus.?".

    Without wasting any time, Ennius replied, "Of course, he shall receive lashes till his death.".

    In the eyes of the astonished crowd and the full of despair Laurus, Kol nodded in agreement, with a mild, "Hmm!".

    As the order was given and Ennius''s men dragged him away, Laurus still held a semblance of hope in the beginning as he tried to threaten Ennius of revealing the knowledge of his dealings with the pirates, but as no one cared for his meaningless threats, in the end, Laurus could only scream like a pig on the chopping board.

    ------------Scene END-----------

    =PART-4

    Afterward, Kol ordered his men to transfer everything that his sail ship carried to the villa as well. He intended to use it as his own.

    A few days had passed and Kol learned that he had traveled to the year, 77 BC. He possessed no knowledge of the show, Spartacus, but from the history books, he knew that The Third Servile War, also known as The Gladiator War, or The War of Spartacus, started somewhere in the year, 73 BC. Since the years before the BC were counted in reverse, then he had arrived four years earlier than The Third Servile War.

    Kol was very conflicted when figured that out. The Malivore had not even arrived at this time. Kol was too early. He intended to arrive two years earlier than Malivore, but instead, he had arrived nearly two hundred years earlier.

    The Malivore had crossed the time and traveled to the year, 181 AD.

    Now Kol had to decide whether to stay in this period and wait for Malivore to show up, or make another attempt at crossing time.