CHAPTER 406: CHAPTER 284: DISPUTE WITH ALDE

Pigeris took over the conversation, jokingly saying, "Because of your instructions, Leader, we hurried all the way here with hardly any rest. Volenus was so exhausted he could barely breathe and almost needed someone to carry him."

"Nonsense, I’m in great shape, nothing of the sort happened!" Volanus immediately retorted.

"I really apologize to everyone for making you rush here so quickly! It’s just that after we’ve just conquered this place, there are many problems, and we urgently need everyone to work together to implement our pre-planned strategy and quickly turn this into our tribe’s territory!"

Maximus first apologized to everyone, then urgently said, "Let’s put the matters of the Segestica Territory aside for now and talk about what’s happening on your end."

"I’ll start." Quintus glanced at the others, seeing them nod, he said, "After our large battle with the main force of the Panoni Alliance Army, I hurried to the camp occupied by the Second Legion, and by the next day, there was no sign of the Pannonian Army.

Instead, the Aldean leader came with an army of over 4,000 men, and there was a small conflict with us over the military provisions left by the Panonians in the camp. It was Pigeris who resolved it...

Later, we learned that after the main force of the Panoni Alliance Army was defeated in battle, they split into several paths and retreated east over the hills. It was only then that the Aldeans sent troops to reclaim their land along the Kolana River, and we abandoned the occupied camp and retreated from the Kolana River.

However, during the retreat, Lebilus organized people to transport the divided grain and provisions from the camp back to Snowdonia. Now Flanitnus, along with the Military Affairs Department and the Second and Fourth Legions, are managing tens of thousands of prisoners, and probably won’t be able to come here for some time."

"The small conflict we had with the Aldeans at that camp by the Kolana River was actually quite simple—" Pigeris took the floor and earnestly explained to Maximus: "The Aldeans believe the grain and provisions in the camp were seized by the Panonians from their villages along the Kolana River, and now that they have reclaimed the Kolana River territory and need to resettle the tribes there, those grain and provisions must be returned to them, otherwise, they won’t last till next autumn...

I told the Aldeans that this invasion by the Panonian Army came with great ambitions, not only occupying the Kolana River coast but also continuing to threaten the security along the Murenica River! It was thanks to the bloodshed by our Nix Army in fierce battle that allowed the Alde Tribe to survive! We Nixanians sacrificed many soldiers in the intense fight, which should have been met with gratitude and reciprocity from the Alde Tribe, yet they repaid us with treachery!

Know that the camp was conquered by us, and the grain and provisions inside are our spoils of war, in combat whoever seizes it owns it, which is an Illyrian tradition..."

Pigeris spoke with some pride: "The Aldeans felt guilty and didn’t dare to grab those grain and provisions from us again, but their situation was indeed quite dire, so later I reached an agreement with them that we take sixty percent of the camp’s supplies, they take forty percent, and after next autumn’s harvest, they’ll double that forty percent and return it to us... Of course, this agreement still needs your approval, Leader."

Maximus nodded and said, "You did well! After all, Aldeans are our allies, and they have helped us a lot before, and essential supplies like salt and iron are obtained from them. Moving forward, we need to focus on stabilizing the situation here, so our relationship with the Aldeans has to be improved! How about this, amend the agreement so it’s still sixty-forty, but they won’t need to repay the forty percent."

"Yes, Leader, you’re always thinking ahead," Pigeris flattered.

"Did you negotiate with the new Great Chief of the Aldeans, Alistacas?" Maximus asked again.

Pigeris smiled with slight disdain: "No, this new Great Chief is quite proud, didn’t even meet me but instead first sent Ambrosius, an elder from their tribe, to negotiate with me.

This Ambrosius spoke in a sarcastic tone, hinting that we took the Aldeans’ stuff, but I put him in a bind, and then it was Cleobrotas who negotiated with me. Leader, your relative is indeed formidable; he didn’t argue but only told me how difficult the current situation of the Alde Tribe was... Later, I reached this agreement with him."

"Cleobrotas indeed has capabilities," Maximus said with interest, "but he doesn’t have a harmonious relationship with Alistacas. Even though he’s now related to me through marriage, when Alistacas encounters difficulties, he still first thinks of his father-in-law."

"Leader, when I was negotiating with them, I found out something—" Pigeris spoke mysteriously in a low voice, "I heard Alistacas is very angry with you!"

"Why?" Maximus asked in surprise.

"Because the morning after the battle, you quickly returned with your army to the territory, but at that time, Alistacas was leading the Aldean army enthusiastically to your camp, wanting to meet with you, and ended up missing you. I heard he was quite furious, feeling that you were putting on airs, looking down on him..."

Maximus found it amusing: "I was hurrying back to the east of the Kupa River to fend off the Segestica Army’s incursion, and I didn’t know he would come at that time. His anger is quite unreasonable."

Quintus interjected: "Leader, this new Great Chief of the Alde Tribe has such a quirky temper, even though he is now allied with you in marriage, I’m still worried that the alliance between our two tribes might not last long!"

"The future is the future," Maximus replied indifferently, "if the alliance indeed breaks someday, it might not be us who should be worried, and even if Alistacas has malice towards our tribe, he alone can’t decide the will of the entire Alde Tribe."

Quintus pondered after hearing this.

"Leader," Pigeris continued, "during my negotiations with the Aldeans, Budocaribas, the Xisaites, and other Aldean tribal leaders with whom we have friendly agreements also proactively approached me, saying they have important matters to discuss with you.

I told them ’you are leading your army to the east of Westeni for resisting the invading Segestica Army’. Surprisingly, instead of joining the Aldean army to reclaim the Kolana River coast, they followed us to the newly occupied camp at the Kupa River. Then upon learning that you had already led your army to attack the Segestica Territory, they came here today with us again."

Maximus was intrigued: "You mean they have entered this camp?"

"Yes! Knowing you’re keen to see us and that it was so late, they didn’t foolishly just barge in." Pigeris, after a teasing remark, said seriously, "Although they haven’t revealed their purpose all the way here, based on my observation, I’m sure this time they must be here for land-related matters!"

"Oh." Maximus, hearing this, didn’t show much emotion and responded quickly: "If they are indeed here for land, we can consider it, but now isn’t the time for discussion on this...

Volenus, Capito, there are over ten thousand prisoners on the Kupa River side, what measures have you taken to handle this issue and ensure the security of that territory?"

"Leader, there are more than ten thousand prisoners! Look, after the two battles, we captured nearly 12,000 Pannonian soldiers, and after occupying the camp to the east of Westeni, we captured nearly 10,000 civilians from the entire camp as well.

The Fourth Legion soon after captured the last camp of Segestica along the Kupa River. Although most of the people from the camp escaped with fleeing soldiers along the river to Brochi Territory, knowing the Alliance Army of Segestica and Desitia was being encircled, there were still nearly 1,000 who, harboring false hopes and unwilling to leave, were captured by the Fourth Legion... So in total, there are over 22,000 prisoners over there—"

"Not just that," Capito interjected: "If we include the 4,000 Scodisqi slaves who voluntarily joined us after the Second Legion occupied the Kolana River camp, our tribe suddenly has an additional 27,000 people, which is quite a substantial number!

Although we have obtained grain and provisions from the two Pannonian armies, it’s only enough for a month’s supply for them. Of course, if we also collect all the grain from the Segestica citizens in the newly acquired camps along the Kupa River, it should last for more than two months."

"But there’s still a long five to six months before next year’s autumn harvest, and we can’t think of a better solution for now, so we must ask you, Leader, to think of something!" Capito earnestly said, "Regarding how to control the numerous prisoners, we’ve currently imprisoned all the captured Pannonian soldiers in a military camp by the Kupa River, a total of about 14,000 people (including warriors from the newly occupied Segestica camps), under centralized supervision by the Second Legion. Other prisoners must stay in the camp next to that military camp, under supervision by the Fourth Legion—"

"Let me add a note here," Quintus said: "The Second Legion has also dispatched 300 men to stay in the easternmost camp to defend against the Brochi people."

"As for the newly joined 4,000 plus Scodisqi slaves, they’ve been relocated to the vacant reserve tribe members’ houses in Snowdonia Village, led by the Agricultural Department, with coordination from the Public Works Department and the Military Department for supervision. Our tribe is now busy with war and is extremely short of labor, so we’ll rely heavily on them in many areas moving forward," Capito continued.