48 Hours a Day

Chapter 882: Assassination

Commodus did not even have to make an introduction—everyone already knew that the man under the helmet was Altrus.

Even with his face hidden, there was no doubt that this was the closest the people had ever been to Commodus’ most mysterious advisor.

Right now, Zhang Heng was probably the one among the crowd who knew that that person was Altrus.

It wasn’t that anyone was unaware that Altrus could’ve probably used a substitute, but that no one believed that he would actually use one.

This was the day that he would step out of the shadows and into the limelight, something that would earn him unparalleled authority.

In life, there were always moments, such as the crowning ceremony of a prince or on a newlyweds’ wedding night, where there was just no way anyone would let someone else take their place. Clint knew this very well. If he were Altrus, he would be there in person no matter what.

What more, Altrus was but a name. Whoever showed up and stood next to Commodus would naturally become Altrus—the Altrus everyone recognized. Even if he was a fake, it was true that he would become the second most powerful person next to Commodus from now on.

Clint looked at the figure with an inexplicable expression on his face, fists clenched. He knew that if Altrus revealed his face, it would basically mean that he had already lost this battle.

Even though the majority was on his side, Clint knew it was only because Altrus never showed his face. So, the closer they were to Clint, the closer they would be to the center of power. In a sense, Clint was a representation of Commodus’ will.

But starting from today, it would no longer be that way since there was someone who better embodied Commodus’ will, where all power and authority would forever have a center. Soon, all these people behind him would become Altrus’ followers.

And it was because of this that Clint feared that Altrus would come forward.

But it would appear that there was nothing he could do to prevent this from happening.

Zhang Heng, on the other hand, conjectured that Altrus would most likely use a stand-in. But when Altrus’ stand-in really did show up, Zhang Hend had a strange feeling that there was some part of Altrus’ plans that he had yet discerned.

Due to his condition, Altrus could not appear before the people. It was simply not a question if the person standing next to Commodus would be him. Moreover, if Zhang Heng was right, if Altrus were to die, he could not be brought back to life again.

But using a substitute would also complicate things. Just like everyone present thought, once Altrus’ stand-in came forward, in addition to Commodus’ endorsement, he would become the real Altrus. Even if Altrus were to reclaim his identity right now, no one would believe him. Of course, with Commodus present, it would not turn out too bad.

Since all of Altrus’ power came from Commodus, Commodus could also take it all back, which would greatly limit the substitute. However, the problem lay in the fact that if the substitute were to reveal his face to the public, Altrus couldn’t wield his authority as freely as he could before. He would have to go through the stand-in and give orders on his behalf.

This extra little coupling in the middle was not insignificant since it would make it seem that Altrus’ cane had suddenly doubled in length. Altrus would undoubtedly find a cane of such length unbearable.

Zhang Heng did not know how Altrus planned to finish this show. There was also something else that caught his attention. The person who assassinated him was none other than Lucilla’s husband Pompenus, which surprised Zhang Heng since Pompenus had always kept to himself.

He had fought alongside Aurelius and gradually climbed the army’s ranks to become a general under Aurelius. And after his marriage to Lucillia (she was said to be a bad wife and rumors were rampant about her in Rome), Pompenus became one of Aurelius’ people.

As a result, he was often handed important duties.

When Aurelius passed away, Pompenus became the top horse in the military. But even at such a propitious position, he remained the same. He was still as conscientious, humble, and gentle as before, still respectful towards his wife, Lucilla. He allowed her to go around and do as she pleased, turning a blind eye to her misconduct—it was the one thing he had in common with Ole.

Zhang Heng could not wrap his head around why this military bigshot would want Altrus killed for no reason. Altrus had practically no association with Pompenus at all, and he had never done anything to harm Pompenus in any way…

As Zhang Heng was trying to piece the puzzle together, Commodus finally introduced “Altrus” to everyone present, but he allowed nobody to get to know him. Instead, he immediately set out for the barracks outside the city.

Sebutul quickly gathered the troops to guard Commodus’ carriage.

As for “Altrus,” he did not share Commodus’ carriage, electing to ride behind instead. However, considering his special status, the Praetorian Guard had also assigned a small troop to escort him; and the rest accompanied by two small squadrons.

This was during the early days of Commodus’ reign. The war had just ended and coupled with the gifts the young emperor had distributed to solicit the hearts of the people when he ascended to the throne, the civilians in the city generally led a decent life. Public order had also improved, so naturally, no one wanted to cause trouble to the emperor.

Having heard that the emperor was traveling, a large group of civilians had gathered on both sides of the street, cheering for him. Commodus waved back at the people from the carriage, maintaining the image of an emperor in touch with his people. However, it resulted in the troops having to move slowly. They only left town at noon.

Fortunately, once they left the city, they could pick up speed.

Sebutul, the military tribune, breathed a sigh of relief. The civilians were too enthusiastic, and it was a little too chaotic for his liking, but Commodus did not allow him to use harsher means to disperse the civilians, so he was distraught. Fortunately, there were no major mishaps in the end. They would be much safer once they were outside the city. There were several military camps nearby, and the whole area was secure.

Just as the military tribune thought so, the troops suddenly stopped. He rode to the front and found that a donkey cart carrying smoked fish had overturned and blocked a section of the road in front of the small bridge. Other than the military, there were also a few travelers, including a group of Jews.

The military tribune, knowing that the young emperor enjoyed showing his compassion, ordered a few of the soldiers to help the owner of the donkey cart. However, as they were doing so, his gaze fell upon the group of Jewish people, and he could sense that something was wrong.

The Jews were covered from head to toes, and their waists bulged. Sebutul had some military experience and was about to warn the soldiers around him, but the Jews were too quick. They had already removed their overcoats, revealing the armor underneath.

Then, one after another, they drew out their weapons.