CHAPTER 453: CHAPTER 331: SNOWDONIA AND TODLEDUO

Xie Pangbo, once a servant of a noble in Sarabia, was forced to join the rebel army. Tasked with selling plundered pottery at the Sarabia Port market, his outstanding performance earned him the trust of Commerce Officer Pigeris, gradually winning his allegiance.

After the establishment of the Nix Tribe, he was promptly promoted to Deputy Officer of the Commerce Department, primarily tasked with establishing and managing markets. In a little over a year, under his significant contributions, the Nix Tribe’s markets went from non-existent to flourishing.

Thus, when various department chiefs were recommending candidates for the administrative roles of several towns, Pigeris included his name in the list.

Maximus chose Xie Pangbo to serve as the administrative chief of Snowdonia for several reasons. Foremost, Snowdonia had been the initial center of the Nix Tribe, where substantial efforts had already been made in town construction and management, resulting in remarkable and consistent order. Furthermore, the plan was to migrate some law-abiding new residents into the town, keeping administrative challenges minimal—this circumvented Xie Pangbo’s lack of administrative experience.

More importantly, the handicraft district located within Snowdonia’s territory was the tribe’s core economic asset. Though some operations would later be relocated, it would still necessitate governance by an administrative lead attuned to such developments and eager to further promote them. Xie Pangbo, having hailed from Sarabia—a commercial town rich in craftsmanship—and previously involved in such work as a slave, was undeniably the fitting choice.

Additionally, Snowdonia bordered the Alde Tribe. Coal and iron ore from the Alde Tribe were regularly transported here, and Alde tribesmen occasionally frequented the local market for trade. Maximus was keen on strengthening trade relations with the Alde Tribe and prioritizing the development of Snowdonia into a key commercial hub in the tribe’s western region. This would not only yield greater profits for the Nix Tribe but also foster closer ties with the Alde people—an endeavor perfectly aligned with Xie Pangbo’s expertise as a former Commerce Department officer.

Considering the primary focus of the Nix Tribe’s current development along the Sava River, with stability needed near the Kupa River, preserving amiable relations with the Alde Tribe became imperative. The Snowdonia administrative chief’s diplomatic skills would thus play a pivotal role here, and this posed no issue for Xie Pangbo, whose past reflected a knack for persuading and charming customers to boost sales.

Moreover, there was an unspoken agenda behind Maximus’s decision—ensuring that not all four towns’ administrative chiefs were recommended solely by Volenus. Hence, Xie Pangbo emerged as the most suitable choice for Snowdonia.

Indeed, soon after Xie Pangbo assumed his role, he took swift action that greatly pleased Maximus.

When Kefisofon and his entourage arrived in Snowdonia to deliver congratulatory gifts to Alistacas, Xie Pangbo added to the gift list several chairs and recliners meticulously crafted by the woodworking workshop (produced based on ancient Chinese furniture designs that Maximus had personally sketched to enhance seating comfort) alongside elegantly crafted long-necked, fine-eared pottery jars from the pottery workshop. While these jars lagged in quality compared to the refined pottery of Greece, their exceptional feature lay in their bottle art.

The bottle painters meticulously depicted figures on the jar bodies using mineral pigments. These portraits broke from the traditional styles of wooden-stick men and linear figures normally seen in pottery art. Adhering to Maximus’s patient guidance, which aligned with the modern artistic principles of "three segments and five eyes," the resulting portraits, though unworthy in Maximus’s eyes, were enough to astound the era.

Upon learning of Xie Pangbo’s initiative to enhance the offerings, Maximus felt reaffirmed in his decision.

That said, Xie Pangbo’s initial days as Snowdonia’s administrative chief were far from smooth, plagued by persistent meddling from too many parties—leaders’ wives, Chief of Internal Affairs Acronis, department officials who had yet to relocate, and the families of various department heads. Faced with a deluge of trivial matters, his inability to refuse made him utterly exhausted. It was only recently that he finally found some peace.

As Xie Pangbo returned to the village, two pressing thoughts occupied his mind: first, he needed to relocate the administrative hall to the main building, unwilling to remain crammed into the same office space as his subordinates; second, he must immediately dispatch people to the Murenica River area to gather intelligence. Should news about the wooden chairs and pottery jars fail to spread amongst the Alde populace, he wouldn’t hesitate to subtly stir the currents.

The Nix party marched ahead while the Aldean group followed behind. While the combined population of both tribes, including children, barely exceeded 20,000 people, the convoy stretched from Kupa River’s South Bank all the way to Kolana River’s East Bank, extending up to the North Bank of the Murenica River—a span of over ten miles.

Nix Soldiers stationed along the fields and roadsides no longer ignored the passing convoy. They turned their gaze instead, standing upright to salute the tribe’s elite, including the leaders’ wives and department heads’ families. This was an expression of respect for the tribal hierarchy.

When they glimpsed the sprawling and plodding procession of the Nix entourage at the rear, a sense of cheer spread across the soldiers’ faces, particularly among new recruits from the Second and Fourth Legions. Knowing the migration of these comrades and their families would vacate housing and redistribute farmland for their use, the recruits eagerly anticipated enjoying the affluence and happiness of seasoned Nix tribesmen.

By afternoon, the vanguard reached Westeni. The thousands of Second Legion family members residing in the village, also bound for migration, awaited alongside the road and joined the convoy, swelling its size even further.

Meanwhile, other residents of Westeni, under Administrative Chief Reyus’s supervision, had prepared provisions of food and water.

The convoy paused briefly, allowing them to rest, replenish their strength, and reorganize before continuing their journey.

At dusk, the vanguard finally arrived in Todleduo.

However, Nexia and her group were denied entry to rest. This recently occupied village, although formally recognized by the Political Affairs Hall as one of the tribe’s towns, was currently designated as a settlement for foreign auxiliaries stationed near Kupa River.

Previously, the Nix Army besieging the village deliberately relaxed its vigilance, enticing the Segestica citizens inside to escape under the cover of night—only to capture them in one fell swoop. Except for the punished leader Anrotas, his relatives, and other clan leaders, over 7,000 Segestica citizens became prisoners held within the village.

Around the adjacent camp, over 12,000 Pannonian warrior captives and another 1,000 prisoners captured from an eastern village occupied the vicinity, bringing the total count of prisoners to over 20,000, making supervision extremely challenging.

Rapidly, though, as First Legion Centurions stationed themselves across villages by the Sava River, the Nix Tribe launched widespread persuasion efforts among the captives. Results were most significant among Todleduo’s Segestica citizens. Witnessing the Nix Tribe’s courage, the allies’ devastating defeat, and the execution of Anrotas and other clan leaders in front of them, their despair for Segestica and awe of the Nix Tribe reached its peak.

Additionally, proximity to the Nix Territory exposed them to the rich harvests borne of the Nix tribesmen’s diligent agricultural labor on fertile lands, alongside their impressive wooden bridges and waterwheels. When the benefits of joining the Nix Tribe were expounded upon, over 6,000 citizens enthusiastically complied. Only a minority hesitated.

Those citizens who joined the Nix Tribe were relocated in batches to the Sava River’s banks.

Next came the Segestica warrior captives. Shattered by defeat, the death of their Great Chief, the surrender of his son, and relentless persuasion from former Segestica recruits-turned-allies, over 1,000 chose to join the Nix Tribe themselves. They were promptly sent to rejoin their families along the Sava River.

With time, once other Segestica warrior captives’ families personally visited to persuade them, most of those who initially resisted were expected to change their minds. However, they would need substantial efforts and prolonged waiting before achieving Reserve Tribe Member status within the Nix Tribe.

The most obstinate captives were undoubtedly warriors from larger Pannonian Tribes outside of Segestica. Their territories remained unclaimed by the Nix Tribe, and their families unscathed. Though they tasted a bitter defeat, they still believed their tribes had the strength to resist the "foreign newcomer tribe" over the long term. Promises of surrender benefits proved futile, with only a few warriors capitulating for personal reasons—the vast majority remained unyielding.

After deliberation, Maximus and department chiefs decided that Second and Fourth Legions would select the most defiant, difficult-to-manage captives, particularly those prone to incitement, and exchange them with Karsipengpas for Segestica captives sent there a year ago. These captives were dispatched to Alde’s iron mines.

Recently, over 3,000 strong captives were escorted to Alde by Second Legion Soldiers. As the exchange team had yet to return, the remaining prisoners totaled around 10,000—rendering management significantly easier.

Additionally, Snowdonia and Westeni each requisitioned over 1,000 foreign auxiliaries to fill the labor shortages caused by the removal of Reserve Tribe Member recruits who had joined First and Third Legions.