While a prudent general must take his time to plan, I realize that comfort breeds complacence. So as my scouts range across the beaches and jungles, I have made sure to lead our main force out on regular raids. Our targets have been weak - mostly small villages or unsuspecting convoys - but they resist enough to keep my men's instincts sharp. Letting them keep the meager spoils of these exercises has helped morale as well.

  Our actions have not gone unnoticed, however. My scouts say many tribes are avoiding our territory altogether now. Good. A fearsome reputation will serve the Legion well.

  Gaius Marcellus Nerva

  Victory through discipline

  沉穩(wěn)之將，必有時(shí)序。朕知生于憂(yōu)患，死于安樂(lè)。朕之哨騎越叢林、跨海濱，朕引中軍攻伐如常。朕所襲者，皆為弱小，或乃孤村或乃商旅。彼之抗?fàn)?，令朕之軍士血?dú)夥絼?。時(shí)常如此演習(xí)，將振三軍士氣。

  新軍動(dòng)向，業(yè)已為人知悉。探馬報(bào)曰周遭部落唯恐避朕不及。誠(chéng)然，可怖之名愈盛，可為新軍所用也。

  天命昭昭，勝必有法

  蓋烏斯·馬塞勒斯·涅爾瓦 諭

  Who could have imagined that a simple convoy would give the New Legion its first taste of adversity? Before today, the idea would seem absurd.

  They must have seen our approach, because just as we spotted our prey, we found our left flank beset upon by a pack of beasts. Though the creatures were smaller in size and number, they struck fast, they struck together and they never lingered. By the time we chased them off for good, the convoy was long gone. Impossibly, I spotted but a single rider throughout it all. Who is she? If Mars has blessed me, does Minerva harry me?

  No, I was simply unprepared. I will not be again.

  Gaius Marcellus Nerva

  Victory through discipline

  僅一鏢隊(duì)之力便可挫新軍之銳，使朕嘗厄運(yùn)所臨?于今日前，此乃何其荒謬之想乎?

  彼必已洞悉朕之動(dòng)向。當(dāng)朕游獵之時(shí)，左翼竟為群獸所困。其形體雖小，為數(shù)亦少，卻迅如風(fēng)。彼此協(xié)同，進(jìn)退有序。待朕驅(qū)散群獸，商隊(duì)早已遠(yuǎn)遁。謬矣，朕睹一單騎女子于其中。其女何人耶?倘若戰(zhàn)神佑朕，莫非智慧女神(Minerva,羅馬智慧女神)逗朕乎?

  非也，朕未及備，略失一策，豈可造次。

  天命昭昭，勝必有法

  蓋烏斯·馬塞勒斯·涅爾瓦 諭

  It seems that some of our neighbors have grown weary of our raiding. Today, I received an envoy from the Golden Arrows who proposed a lucrative trade agreement between our two tribes, with the caveat that we never encroach on the territory or convoys of the Golden Arrows or any of their allies.

  I have no interest in trade agreements, but I do know how to seize an opportunity. So instead of accepting right away, I proposed that we ratify the agreement with his tribe's leaders on a neutral site.

  I have planned long enough. It is time for the New Legion to resume its march.

  Gaius Marcellus Nerva

  Victory through discipline

  朕之毗鄰業(yè)已疲于應(yīng)付新軍之襲。是日，金箭部落遣使議和。其旨在邦鄰之間共建商貿(mào)，互不侵犯。

  朕對(duì)貿(mào)易之事素?zé)o雅興，然朕明察決不錯(cuò)失良機(jī)。朕未立即允其和約，著其首領(lǐng)于中立之地再議，共商此計(jì)。

  朕謀此久矣，此正新軍再起之良機(jī)。

  天命昭昭，勝必有法

  蓋烏斯·馬塞勒斯·涅爾瓦 諭

  News of my rather definitive response to the Arrows' proposal has spread quickly, but few seem keen to act on it. Who can blame them? Without their leaders, the Arrows quickly folded, and the New Legion grew significantly in power practically overnight.

  The other tribes only managed to interrupt their cowering long enough to send another envoy, a man named Edmund Rockwell. Given the results of the last one I received, I almost didn't believe it, but apparently this man is special. The other tribes seem to respect him as a neutral party and expert on the island. We shall see.

  Gaius Marcellus Nerva

  Victory through discipline

  朕對(duì)金箭部落之所為流傳甚廣，但未及有人聲張。何人可責(zé)其乎?部落群龍無(wú)首，金箭自當(dāng)垮臺(tái)。新軍之力，崛起于一夜之間。

  余部落皆縮首度日以期避朕軍勢(shì)。其又發(fā)一使，名曰羅克韋爾(Rockwell)。朕實(shí)難料于金箭使臣之事發(fā)后，彼仍遣使以向朕。羅克韋爾絕非常人，諸部落皆以其為中立之人士，亦尊其為深諳本島之專(zhuān)家。朕拭目以待。

  天命昭昭，勝必有法

  蓋烏斯·馬塞勒斯·涅爾瓦 諭

  I did not expect much from Edmund Rockwell, but he has surprised me. He has a curious way of speaking, but he clearly possesses a razor sharp intellect and a wide breadth of knowledge. Though we only met for half a day, I gained invaluable information about this island, which is apparently called the ARK.

  I shall have to send a scout to pinpoint where Rockwell lives. In addition to his expertise on the ARK, he is known to create elixirs that have extraordinary effects. It would behoove me to keep those out of my enemies' hands.

  Gaius Marcellus Nerva

  Victory through discipline

  朕未期羅克韋爾許朕良多，實(shí)乃驚訝。其言語(yǔ)雖甚怪異，然其所學(xué)甚廣，才智敏銳。朕與其相見(jiàn)半日，所獲咨訊無(wú)價(jià)。朕得知此島名曰方舟。

  朕當(dāng)遣使以查明羅克韋爾所居之處。除方舟資訊之外，羅克韋爾精研于食藥。其方劑效果非凡。此人決不可落入敵手。

  天命昭昭，勝必有法

  蓋烏斯·馬塞勒斯·涅爾瓦 諭

  It seems I was not the only one who was skeptical of Rockwell's ability to curb my ambitions. The nearby Painted Sharks mustered up the courage to harass several of our coastal fortresses, but in doing so, they confirmed their nature. During their raids, they only attacked from the air and sea. They patently refused to set foot on land.

  If the Sharks are at home in the ocean, then I will pull our coastal forces back and attack their outposts on the mainland. Once their island fortress is cut off from support and supplies, I can whittle it down to rubble at my leisure.

  Gaius Marcellus Nerva

  Victory through discipline

  朕非擔(dān)憂(yōu)羅克韋爾之能可鉗制朕之宏圖。近鄰繪鯊部落逞其勇，擾朕沿海之要塞。凡此數(shù)戰(zhàn)，其性露也。其襲源于?？眨瑥奈刺ぷ汴懮?。

  若繪鯊部落構(gòu)營(yíng)于遠(yuǎn)洋，則朕將令沿海之軍力回?fù)羝潢懮仙谒?。待彼供給斷于新軍，則朕可于其營(yíng)墟之上閑樂(lè)矣。

  天命昭昭，勝必有法

  蓋烏斯·馬塞勒斯·涅爾瓦 諭

  The incident with the convoy was no fluke. The rider has returned, and this time we had plenty of warning. Reports of some "Beast Queen" joining forces with the Sharks reached my ears days before the siege. Her ranks have swelled since the convoy but there is no doubt it is her. Not only did she help break the siege, but for the first time in its existence, the New Legion is in full retreat.

  This cannot continue. I will not allow it. I will conquer the Sharks, as I will conquer the entire ARK, but first I must destroy this so called queen.

  Gaius Marcellus Nerva

  Victory through discipline

  昔時(shí)鏢隊(duì)之事絕非偶然。女騎士又現(xiàn)江湖矣。戰(zhàn)前朕便耳聞獸林女王與繪鯊部落聯(lián)攜之傳言。如今其獸群威力更甚。朕雖有備，然不期其突破重圍，生平首嘗大潰。

  是可忍孰不可忍。朕必將征服繪鯊，一統(tǒng)方舟。當(dāng)其首，朕須先滅女王。

  天命昭昭，勝必有法

  蓋烏斯·馬塞勒斯·涅爾瓦 諭

  Li Mei-Yin, the Beast Queen of the Jungle. That is the name of my foe. It is a name that I have already grown weary of, but soon I will never hear it again.

  It turns out that she is a mercenary not beholden to any tribe, including the Painted Sharks. So as satisfying as it may be, I need not actually defeat her. I must simply divorce her from her employers, and I know exactly how to do it. The seeds of my victory are already planted.

  Gaius Marcellus Nerva

  Victory through discipline

  朕之?dāng)常双F林女王李梅盈也。朕素厭其名，然速將除之。

  朕聞悉其乃雇傭義兵，非繪鯊部人，無(wú)所屬矣。誠(chéng)可喜也，朕無(wú)須勝她，只消離間其與雇主即可。朕深諳此道，朕之勝利可期也。

  天命昭昭，勝必有法

  蓋烏斯·馬塞勒斯·涅爾瓦 諭