CHAPTER 445: CHAPTER 323 ESTABLISHING THE MILITARY INTELLIGENCE BUREAU

"Thank you, Leader!" Spukala responded happily.

"How are those craftsmen of Segestica performing?" Maximus asked again.

"Most of them are performing well! They are very curious about building the wooden bridge, hence very eager to learn. They not only work actively but also often ask questions..." Spukala praised sincerely.

Maximus said, "You should select a few more well-performing craftsmen from Segestica to be included in the merit report list. I will instruct the Civil Affairs Department to also record their achievements, shortening the time for them to become Official Tribe Members, and this will inspire other craftsmen from Segestica to follow their example."

"I understand, Leader." Spukala nodded in agreement.

"Leader, Camillus and his group have arrived," Capito whispered from the side.

Maximus looked up and saw Camillus leading a group to the bridgehead on the West Bank. He immediately strode forward to meet them.

"Leader, Third Legion Commander Camillus reporting to you!" Camillus stood at attention, with his right hand forming a fist over his chest, offering a standard military salute.

Maximus returned the salute immediately, then warmly grasped his hand and said enthusiastically, "Camillus, you, the Conqueror of the Segestica East Bank, have finally returned. Everyone missed you greatly!"

Camillus hastily shook his head and said, "Leader, don’t tease me. If it weren’t for you leading us to successive victories over the Pannonian armies, causing the Segestica to nearly lose their defensive capability, sprinting long distances to seize the Segestica West Village, throwing their populace into panic, and then having Glicus and others infiltrate the East Village as internal support, I wouldn’t have been able to easily lead the brothers to capture the East Village, and effortlessly suppress the tribes on the East Bank... All these merits are entirely due to you, Leader!"

"Alright, Camillus, it’s only been half a month, and your words have become so flattering!" Maximus teased.

Camillus answered earnestly, "Because after managing the East Village for half a month, even with your support and guidance, I was still so busy every day I could barely cope, now I truly understand how challenging it is for you to be the leader!"

Hearing this, Maximus felt a deep sense of comfort, and he solemnly said, "Despite having this and that favorable conditions, you still took great risks advancing alone to the East Bank this time. But not only did you capture the East Village and stabilize the entire East Bank, you also basically completed the task assigned to you by the Political Affairs Hall, so even if you don’t want it, the merit and reward belong to you and the Third Legion!"

Camillus promptly said, "Leader, any merits, I will naturally accept, otherwise, the soldiers will come after me for it."

Maximus burst into laughter then explained, "The Ministry of War will determine the achievement levels based on the actual battle situation faced by your Third Legion. The Civil Affairs Department will then accumulate the soldiers’ past battle merits to finally decide on their promotion levels... The Civil Affairs Department has been working day and night, by tomorrow, the calculation and upgrading of the Third Legion soldiers should be completed, and it will soon be announced to them.

However, regarding your merits, it will have to wait until the distribution of lands on both banks of the Sava River is completed, and our Main Camp has relocated, then together with the department chiefs, other Legion Commanders, and those tribesmen who performed exceptionally well in this war, you’ll receive the tribe’s award, so you will have to wait a little longer."

"No problem, I can wait," Camillus instantly expressed, feeling elated inside, as it meant the merits he gained were not insignificant, and the tribe would announce his achievements to the broader tribe members.

Maximus walked towards the Third Legion team officers behind Camillus, warmly calling each person’s name, praising their outstanding performance during this action.

Maximus had been closely watching the situation on the East Bank, repeatedly inquiring about the messengers sent by Camillus every day to report across the river. Hence, he was well acquainted with the Third Legion’s actions on the East Bank, which allowed him to precisely commend each team officer now, making them all very pleased and proud, heightening the atmosphere considerably.

Finally, he came before the only individual in the group not donned in armor.

This person immediately bent down, and with utmost respect, greeted, "Honorable Leader Maximus, Glicus salutes you!"

Maximus quickly stepped forward, helped him up, looking at him kindly, "Glicus, it has been over a year since we last met, hasn’t it?"

"Yes, Leader!"

"I truly didn’t expect that when I sent you back here, you would provide such significant assistance to our tribe over the past year!" Maximus emotionally patted his shoulder strongly, "The news of Andres bringing the Pannonian Tribal Alliance to attack us again, it was your advanced warning that allowed the tribe to be well-prepared, reducing losses and repelling the enemy!

The news of Andres’s serious illness, Cabdes acting on his behalf, and the Skodisqi people raiding their territory... were all informed by you, giving us the upper hand in truce negotiations with the Segestica!

When the Pannonian Tribe Alliance assembled a large army aiming to destroy our Nix, it was you who noticed the signs early, enabling us to be well prepared, turning what could have been a disaster for Nix into a glorious victory!

Then, it was through you that we learned about the scarcity of troops within the Segestica Territory, allowing us to boldly advance with our army into the Segestica Territory! You then infiltrated as an internal support, aiding the Third Legion to successfully seize the East Village, and further assisted Camillus, stabilizing the situation on the East Bank!..."

After hearing Maximus’s remarks, the humble demeanor on Glicus’s face gradually gave way to the pride welling up from within.

Meanwhile, the surrounding team officers were astonished; they hadn’t expected that this Segestica "traitor" who aided them in capturing the East Village had long joined the tribe and made such astonishing contributions to it, earning their respectful gazes.

"In light of these merits you’ve achieved, initiated by the Civil Affairs Department, I approve your promotion from Reserve Tribe Member to First-class Tribesman of the tribe, granting you eighty acres of land and a mansion! Your official promotion and award command will be delivered during the tribe’s commendation ceremony, allowing all tribesmen to know your contributions to Nix!"

Eighty acres of land and a manor—this was a privilege only the Pannonian nobles could enjoy. For Glicus, who came from a civilian background, it was a prospect beyond his imagination. As for being a First-class Tribe Member of the Nix... based on information he gathered from Third Legion soldiers during this period, many Nix soldiers who had been following Maximus in battles for long also only attained this status following the victory in this war, yet he, a captive, managed to achieve the same status in a little over a year—how could he not be overjoyed!

This truly is a tribe that disregards one’s background and values abilities only! Leader Maximus indeed means what he says!... Feeling elated, Glicus bowed again in gratitude, "Th... Thank you, Leader!"

"Thank you for what? This is what you deserve!" Maximus once again helped him up.

Despite leaping directly from Reserve Tribe Member to First-class Tribe Member, a jump of three ranks at once! Nevertheless, none of the nearby team officers felt discontented, truly, as Maximus stated, the merits Glicus accrued entirely justified such a promotion!

While filled with excitement, Glicus suddenly remembered something, hesitated slightly, then gritted his teeth and reminded, "Leader, it’s best not to openly promote and commend me. If my deeds become known to tribesmen, the enemy might find out too, and in that case, I wouldn’t be able to infiltrate Brochi, Mazi, and other Pannonian territories to gather information for the tribe anymore!"

"It’s good that you consider the tribe and don’t concern yourself with personal honors!" Maximus responded with a smile, comforting, "But you don’t need to worry, now it’s different from before. I won’t send you personally to do these tasks any longer. Instead, there will be a Military Intelligence Bureau established under the Ministry of War, subordinated to the Staff Department, and you will be appointed as the Chief Officer of the Military Intelligence Bureau, specifically responsible for arranging your subordinates to collect intelligence on neighboring forces, providing substantial intelligence support for the tribe’s strategic planning and external warfare!"

"I... as the Chief Officer of the Mi... Military Intelligence Bureau?" Glicus was stunned. As an ordinary tribesman, he was suddenly elevated to a noble status (in his view, the officials of the Nix Tribe were nobles), inducing inexplicable pressure.

"Yes, Glicus, you shall become the Chief Officer of the Military Intelligence Bureau under the Ministry of War of the Nix Tribe!" Maximus declared firmly, then encouraged him, "I believe you can handle it because you’ve done it before.

In the Segestica Territory, secretly recruiting subordinates to gather various pieces of information for you; during our attack, spreading rumors and acting as an internal collaborator; once we captured the territory, you helped pacify the populace and stabilize order... Your performance has been remarkable!

You must summarize these experiences well and thoroughly train the personnel of the Military Intelligence Bureau. I believe the Military Intelligence Bureau will become a powerful weapon for the tribe’s development and expansion!"

"Leader, rest assured, I’ll put in my best effort!" Encouraged by Maximus, Glicus gained confidence and solemnly pledged.

"Congratulations, Glicus, soon, we’ll be colleagues in the same department!" Camillus congratulated haltingly in the Illyrian Language. During this period, it was thanks to a lot of help from Glicus that he managed to accomplish the tasks assigned by Maximus, and he’s genuinely happy for Glicus becoming the Chief Officer of the Military Intelligence Bureau in the Ministry of War.

"Glicus, record the names and achievements of those who followed you in serving our Nix and submit them to your superior, Staff Department Chief Quintus. After verification by the Ministry of War, the Civil Affairs Department will award them with recognition and promotion."