"I'll have the chain mail."
My strength stat is at 85 so I shouldn't have any trouble wearing this chain mail. Quinn will probably have to take the plate mail and be inconsolable if I don't wear chain mail.
I put on the chain mail and barely feel a thing. It's like a slightly more noticeable shirt. I get a purple scarf to avoid chafing. I know this scarf, it's called a focale. I used these scarfs while in Colosseum madness to distinguish my chosen skull goblins resulting in them becoming goblin censors. Theirs were blue and mine… was purple. But shouldn't it be red for Roman legionaries?
Seeing my questioning gaze, the legionary winks at me and mouths the words 'Emperor's orders'. Ah, Vespasian is behind this. But isn't he hiding his identity here?
Figures…
I get a belt that holds down the chain mail shirt and serves to hold a dagger called pugio and the gladius, a Roman short sword. Finally, I get to put on the Roman helmet or galea as they call it and leave the changing room.
Quinn is already out of the changing room and talking to a handsome legionary wearing purple undergarments and chain mail. However, this legionary is different from the others. My instructor's assessment immediately springs into action and gives me the details.
His class is phantom centurion. There is no neo prefix and the word phantom is certainly abnormal in this context.
Incarnation?
Aha, must be nice having dungeon points to do literally everything.
I walk over to the two and hear that they are discussing something regarding the number of legionaries in one legion. As I approach, they stop and Vespasian offers me his hand. We shake hands and I can feel the callouses on his hands.
"Nice to see you again, Mister Goldilocks."
"Guy! I told you to address me casually! Don't ruin my image in front of another enthusiast! Just call me Titus."
Vespasian seems a bit stressed as he keeps glancing over at Quinn. Is he that desperate to impress her?
Guess I better not ruin his image any more then.
"Sorry about that, Titus. Seeing this incredible park you built just felt a bit intimidating. But thank you again for those VIP tickets and letting us skip the waiting list."
"Anything for my friends! And to think you would be the father of such a bright young lady! Fortuna must have smiled upon you and your wife!"
"Thank you for the flattery but I think my daughter in question wishes to get on with playing a Roman legionary."
"Being a Roman legionary! I'm not playing!"
"Sure, sure."
Quinn seems very serious about this and Vespasian immediately offers to give us his personal guidance. I guess I should mentally refer to him as Titus while in the alpha plane or I might say something I shouldn't.
Titus guides us to where shields and javelins are being distributed and we all get a Roman shield, a scutum, and a heavy javelin, a pilum. Quinn of course criticizes that we should be getting two javelins, a lighter and a heavier one, but Titus just tells her that they are a pain to carry and people drop them all over the place.
While we are approaching the training ground inside the inner reaches, I catch Quinn's envious stare at my chain mail. She probably had to wear plate mail because the chain mail was too heavy for her.
"Jealous of your father's strength?"
"Anyone who's leveled up a bunch of times can do that! But yes, I am envious of your more accurate Roman experience."
"But you do realize that you look much more like a Roman to most of the people around."
"That's because they are ignorant! The large part of Roman legionaries wore the lorica hamata! At least you had the good sense to choose it."
Yeah, good sense in what my daughter wanted.
We approach the training ground where a lot of struggling people learn how to fight like a legionary. However, Titus diverts his course over to a second training ground where I see a group of neo legionaries training.
"Aren't we supposed to go over there?"
"No, I can't concentrate when surrounded by people who constantly complain about how hard and uncomfortable the training is. I mean they are allowed to complain since makes the Roman legionaries seem more impressive, but I don't want to hear it. Hence we are training here."
The neo legionaries all salute Titus as we enter the training grounds and walk over to a set of dummies.
"First lesson, the most common way a Roman fights. Scutum in the left to form the impenetrable shield wall they are known for and gladius in the dominant right for a quick but deadly offense. Any questions?"
"What about left handed people? Shouldn't they switch?"
Quinn looks visibly uncomfortable at my question. Is this some sort of taboo for Romans?