CHAPTER 331: CHAPTER 210 GOWES ENTERS NIX TRIBE

Seeing everyone around him shouting eagerly, Gowes felt both angry and somewhat heartbroken. He sighed and nodded helplessly.

Emmerich continued, "Since you all wish to join the Nix Tribe, put down your weapons to avoid misunderstandings. Rest assured, once you complete the formalities and become members of the tribe, your weapons will be returned to you."

The Skodisqi people, having resolved their feelings and with no resistance left, complied obediently.

Only then did Emmerich breathe a sigh of relief and said, "Captain Hagux, you see—"

Hagux, who had been observing silently, smiled meaningfully and said, "You’re still the one who makes it work, Emmerich. Please take the trouble to lead them to the Agricultural Department."

Hagux then instructed the Centurion to gather the Skodisqi people’s weapons from the ground and take them to the Military Department for registration, to be returned to them later.

As the soldiers picked up the weapons, they made sure the Skodisqi people marked their weapons and informed them of the exact time to collect them from the Military Department... thoroughly ensuring that the Skodisqi people believed the Nix Tribe had no intention of seizing their weapons.

"Come with me." Emmerich led the way at the front, followed by the Skodisqi people, with two cavalrymen trailing ten meters behind to promptly report any unexpected events.

As they proceeded, they passed through patch after patch of farmland, sparsely lined with wooden stakes. People were busy sowing wheat in the fields, and even as a large group of strangers passed by, none stood up to take a look.

"It seems the Nix Tribe doesn’t have many tribesmen." Gowes sidled up to Emmerich, casually commenting.

"The population of the Westeni village exceeds ten thousand, which isn’t small. However, these official tribe members have more land allocated to them, often with just two or three people working in fields that range from dozens to over a hundred acres, making it seem sparse," Emmerich explained. "When we reach Snowdonia, the population is even larger, and the fields there are busier than here."

"So much land yet so few people; can they manage to cultivate it all?" Someone questioned, though their eyes reflected envy.

"Rest assured, they can manage," Emmerich replied, pointing to three people working in the nearby field. "Look closely, do you see anything different about them?"

"...Nothing different."

"Oh, the younger man’s clothes are quite tattered, and he looks very thin; he doesn’t seem to belong to the family."

"Exactly, they are not a family," Emmerich chimed in. "The man and woman are a couple, official tribe members who own eighty acres of land. Two people couldn’t cultivate that much land, so they hired an Aldean."

"Sage, you mean he’s an Aldean?! How could someone from the Alde Tribe come to another tribe to farm?" Gowes was astonished.

"A few years ago, the Alde Tribe suffered heavy losses from a Pannonian attack, leading to hardship among some smaller affiliated tribes. They thus reached an agreement with the Nix Tribe, allowing struggling tribesmen to accept employment from the Nix Tribe to help with farming in exchange for wages to improve their living conditions...

This agreement has only just begun, so not many Aldeans have come here for work yet. However, they eat better here than back home, and the Nix tribesmen treat them kindly. I believe more Aldeans will come for work in the future."

Emmerich looked back at his curious compatriots, raising his voice, "Aldeans helping with farming only provide a small portion of labor. The main force in helping manage all the tribe’s fields are the reserve tribe members.

Currently, there are over ten thousand reserve tribe members in the Nix Tribe. One of their primary tasks is cultivating lands, and they have been helping with sowing in Snowdonia recently. In a few days, they might move to Westeni to continue their work, and you will join them then."

Emmerich said this to prepare his compatriots mentally, and having been enslaved for over a decade, they were not resistant to work, only surprised by the number of reserve tribe members in the Nix Tribe.

A curious Gowes asked, "Are these reserve tribe members mostly Skodisqi people?"

Emmerich hesitated slightly but decided to speak truthfully, "The vast majority are, but there is also a small portion of Segestica people!"

With these words, the group erupted in murmurs: "What! Even Segestica people joined the Nix Tribe! Sage, they are our enemies, and seeing them makes me want to kill them; how could we work alongside them!..."

"Quiet! Listen to me!" Emmerich shouted loudly, bringing temporary silence to the crowd.

He surveyed everyone and spoke seriously, "The leader of the Nix Tribe, Maximus, once said that regardless of whether they are Pannonians, we Skodisqi, or Aldeans, Boyi people, Dacians... any race on this Great River Plain, as long as they are willing to join the Nix Tribe and contribute to it, the Nix Tribe will warmly welcome them, striving to provide them a better life than before.

However, after joining the Nix Tribe, there should no longer be distinctions like Pannonians or Skodisqi; everyone should let go of past grievances as Nix people, working together for the strength of the Nix Tribe—"

"Easy to say, with the deep hatred we have for the Pannonians, how can we just let it go!"

"Not to mention, so many of our companions have died at the hands of the Segestica; this feud must be avenged!..."

The crowd began to clamor again.

"Even if you join the Nix Tribe, you can still seek vengeance against the Segestica Tribe or the Pannonians in the future!" Emmerich shouted again: "Though Nix Tribe and Segestica may not be fighting right now, the hatred runs deep, and conflict could arise once more at any time.

When that happens, you will also take up arms and head to the battlefield to defeat the Segestica army, capture and kill the Segestica tribal leaders and nobles you despise, forcing the Segestica tribesmen who discriminated against you to kneel and beg for mercy. Even if they choose to surrender and are forced to join the Nix Tribe, by then your status in the tribe will be higher than theirs, and you can find other ways to humiliate them, venting your anger...

Of course, you can also regret now; before joining the Nix Tribe, there’s still time to leave. But leaving now means you will never have the chance to exact revenge in person."

The group suddenly fell silent again, looking at each other but not one speaking up to leave.

One of Emmerich’s main tasks in recent months was to persuade Skodisqi people fleeing from Brochi to Nix Tribe not to leave in anger because of Pannonians in the tribe. He had become adept at this, and seeing his methods work again, he felt a pang of guilt but did not regret it.

As a Druid mainly responsible for medical care, Emmerich’s hatred for the Pannonians wasn’t as intense as his compatriots. Instead, he somewhat agreed with Maximus’s viewpoint: Pannonians and Skodisqi, two races that have been enslaving and oppressing each other for decades, could only be reconciled by a powerful external force. Otherwise, the cycle of hatred would never end!

"Since we Skodisqi have made a commitment, we must stand by it! What are you waiting for? Follow the Sage to register with the Nix Tribe!" Gowes shouted loudly at this moment.

Emmerich was surprised, having expected Gowes to be the most resistant among them. His previous attitude suggested so, yet now he was helping to speak in Emmerich’s favor. Emmerich looked at him in amazement.

The group was silent for a moment longer until someone asked, "Sage, you mentioned there are ways in this tribe to vent our hatred on Segestica people?"

"You’ll find out after dinner," Emmerich teased, then said loudly, "Since no one has any objections, let’s speed up and move forward."

There was no response, but they continued following Emmerich’s lead, crossing through the fields to the Kupa River, where the silence broke upon stepping onto the wooden bridge: "Was this bridge really built by the Nix Tribe?! ... Ah?! Really?! A wooden bridge this large in less than a month!"

"... What? Not just this one! There’s another bridge at the Snowdonia Village?! The Nix is truly impressive!"

"Indeed! My former tribe lived by the Sava River for years, and no tribe ever built a bridge, not even a pontoon bridge; crossing meant taking a boat which was very inconvenient."

"Not to mention on the Dev River, my tribe was by the Sava, which is narrower than the Delaware, and still, no bridges were built."

"This Nix Tribe is truly unique!"

"Absolutely unique! Look at how long this bridge is! How wide! And so sturdy!"

...

Everyone was amazed by the wooden bridge beneath them, looking around continuously. Some even jumped like children, stamping on the bridge, while others leaned over the railings, peering down...

Suddenly, someone pointed to the other side and exclaimed in surprise, "Look over there, what is that?!"

Following his finger, everyone saw a huge wooden disk spinning continuously on the water about a hundred meters beyond the opposite end of the bridge...

"That’s a water wheel!" Emmerich answered.