CHAPTER 457: CHAPTER 335: BUDOCARIBAS’S NEW DISCOVERY

"Casius, what you said is absolutely brilliant!" Manas excitedly slapped Casius on the shoulder, and in that moment, all his previous grievances dissolved: "Yes, let us work together and help our teacher make the tribe even stronger!"

"Mm!"

...

From within the tent came bursts of joyous laughter—a reflection of the youths’ beautiful hopes for the future.

.....................

Early the next morning, the migration convoy left the camp and continued toward the Sava River.

Previously, due to the war, the Nix Army had dismantled the floating bridge to the west of Todledo and taken the boats and wooden planks. After the war, they quickly rebuilt the bridge.

The convoy crossed the floating bridge and traversed the dense forest. Due to the slow pace of travel, they reached Lin Kou Village near dusk.

Budocaribas looked at Lin Kou Village with some emotion: a month ago, when he first arrived, it was merely a small settlement. Now, most of its wooden walls had been dismantled and it had been transformed into a checkpoint, guarded by only a few soldiers who inspected passersby. The houses in the village and the outside camp had merged into one area, with specific individuals appointed to manage it, allowing newcomers to settle in without fear of sleeping in the wild, just like their prior situation outside Todledo Village.

He vividly remembered that camp outside Todledo Village one month ago, filled with Pannonian prisoners, so intimidating that they dared not approach...

As the migration convoy settled into the camp, some Nix tribesmen, carrying bundles and retrieving supplies from the carriages, took their wives and children and began to leave the group one after another...

Curious about this, Budocaribas couldn’t help but ask the camp overseer, who was helping him arrange accommodations for the tribespeople, "Where are they going?"

"Probably to their new homes. Their new homes are likely in villages nearby, so they can return directly," the overseer replied.

Realization dawned on Budocaribas. "So you’ve already divided the houses and fields of the Segestica Tribe among your tribesmen. Then the Segestica people in those villages must have been driven out, right?"

"Driven out?" The camp overseer was momentarily stunned, then shook his head with a smile. "We didn’t drive them out. Some Segestica people who refused to accept our rule fled, others who resisted joining our tribe were sent beyond Ophelia, but quite a number of Segestica people willingly joined our Nix Tribe and remain in their original villages, living peacefully alongside the old tribesmen we settled there."

Budocaribas, who had much contact with the Nix, knew they had previously integrated Segestica prisoners into their tribe, but their numbers were small and posed no threat. Now, however, they were in Segestica territory. If every village still had many Segestica people, the potential danger could be significant!...

After leading the tribes through Lin Kou Village, Budocaribas’s sense of vigilance rose naturally. And now...

He couldn’t help but ask, "Aren’t you worried that those Segestica people remaining in the villages will harm the tribesmen you’ve sent to settle there? These tribespeople have wives and children with them!"

Budocaribas’s voice was filled with intense questioning, sounding quite agitated.

The camp overseer calmly explained, "You have nothing to worry about. The Segestica citizens who remain in these villages have sincerely joined our tribe. They are now members of the Nix Tribe—why would they harm their own people? These tribespeople didn’t just move into the villages today. They’ve already been living there for over half a month and have been coexisting harmoniously with the former Segestica residents. There hasn’t been any conflict to date, so there’s no reason to worry!"

"Really?" Budocaribas asked, still skeptical.

"You can go check the nearby villages yourself," the overseer replied, his words stirring curiosity in Budocaribas. After all, he intended for his tribespeople to settle here long-term, and with many Segestica people still inhabiting this land, understanding how they lived under Nix rule was crucial to him.

Learning that Budocaribas intended to visit a nearby village, the overseer did not object. As a subordinate from the Commerce Department, his duty was to ensure the Alde Tribe settled at the Sava River with peace of mind. Thus, he assigned one of his subordinates to accompany Budocaribas’s party.

Additionally, he requested Lady Nexia to dispatch a squad from the 200 soldiers escorting the convoy to safeguard Budocaribas and his party.

Budocaribas, along with several tribal leaders and nobles, left the Lin Kou Village camp, following the Commerce Department staff member to the nearest village.

Shortly after leaving the camp, Budocaribas came to a halt. He noticed groups of people hurrying toward the forested mountains on the right side of the road, their expressions solemn. Meanwhile, others emerged from the forest, their faces radiating serene smiles...

Curious, Budocaribas asked, "Where are they going?"

"They’re going to worship at the Danu temple," the Commerce Department staff member explained earnestly. "In that forest, our tribe built a temple dedicated to the great Danu Goddess. She is the Mother of the Earth, the Source of Water, the nurturer of all things. People from our tribe, whether Pannonian or Skodisqi, deeply revere her. Since the temple’s completion, worshippers have visited daily. These tribespeople probably found some rare free time and are hurrying to worship once more before sunset."

The Danu Goddess... Budocaribas was unfamiliar with this deity’s name, as she was clearly not an Illyrian god. Still, he noted an important detail: "You’re saying that both the Segestica people and the Skodisqi people worship at this temple?"

"Of course. Haven’t you seen? Some of those going to and from the temple are Skodisqi, while others are Segestica," the staff member said, pointing to the nearby crowd.

Budocaribas and his companions scrutinized the people closely. As seasoned warriors in conflicts against the Segestica and Skodisqi, they were well-versed in their appearance. Upon close inspection, they found the statement accurate.

Although the two groups were not walking together—each maintained their distance—they nonetheless moved freely in the same area without Nix soldiers overseeing them. For Budocaribas, who understood the enmity between these two peoples, this lack of conflict was astonishing.

"It’s not just the Segestica and Skodisqi people who are worshipping at the temple, is it? I think I saw some of your original tribesmen too," observed one sharp-eyed Alde tribal leader.

"Exactly. Many of our original tribesmen also believe in the Danu Goddess and visit the temple regularly. In fact, the number of her followers is growing, and I myself count as one of them," the Commerce Department staff member said proudly. "After all, our leader is the offspring of the Danu Goddess, who blesses the entire Nix Tribe!"

"What?!" exclaimed Budocaribas, incredulous. "Leader Maximus is Illyrian. How could he possibly be the offspring of some Celtic goddess like Danu? That’s simply—"

But seeing the increasingly stern expression on the man’s face, Budocaribas stopped himself mid-sentence.

Clearly agitated, the staff member retorted, "The claim that our leader is the offspring of the Danu Goddess has been endorsed by all the Skodisqi and Segestica priests! Not only that, but since the leader guided us to settle here, both the wars and our daily lives have gone smoothly, proving the Danu Goddess’s favor upon him! If you don’t believe me, you should visit the Danu temple and see for yourself. The Danu Goddess Statue, sculpted personally by our leader, is something no mortal could have created!"

Though Budocaribas’s group remained skeptical about the claim that "Leader Maximus is the offspring of the Danu Goddess," they knew better than to pry further into the Nix Tribe’s internal beliefs, given the other party’s firm stance.

Along the way to the village, Budocaribas and his companions even walked on the same dirt road as some Danu Goddess worshippers.

These worshippers cast Budocaribas and his party curious glances, but whether or not they realized they were Aldeans, none displayed overt hostility—let alone made any aggressive gestures.

Soon, the destination village came into view. Its layout bore some resemblance to the Aldean settlements, though it lacked protective wooden walls. As the sun set, wisps of cooking smoke rose above the homes. The surrounding fields had already been plowed, yet no one was visibly working.

Familiar with Budocaribas’s intentions, the Commerce Department staff member led them past the village to the other side.

The group halted, spotting more than 20 villagers still working the land. Their farming methods differed slightly from those along the Kupa River: groups of four or five worked a single plot. One person led an ox, another focused on guiding the plow, and after some time, others took turns. Meanwhile, an older villager meticulously removed debris from the freshly plowed field...

The staff member provided commentary along the way: "Due to the war, some households lack strong laborers. One village came up with a method to address this by pooling everyone’s efforts. Those with strength farm the fields, while the less able contribute in other ways, such as clearing debris or cooking meals. Those who own iron plows or oxen provide them for communal use... This system improved the village’s overall farming efficiency. When officials from the Agricultural Department discovered this approach during an inspection, they reported it to the Political Affairs Hall. Now, the system is being promoted throughout all villages..."

Budocaribas fell into deep thought: similar issues plagued the Alde Tribe. Years of war had left many households with more women than men. When they lived in the mountains north of the Murenica River, where farmland was scarce, the problem was less pronounced. But now, with each household settling into plots as large as twenty acres near the Sava River, many families would face labor shortages. Perhaps adopting the Nix approach could be a solution...