Rome Must Perish-Chapter 320 - 199: Establishing a Pledge

Tenodolotis looked at him and said with a bitter smile, "Leader Maximus, don’t misunderstand me. I’m just a bit emotional and have no intention of asking for this land! We lost this land because we couldn’t defeat the Segestica people; it was our failure as leaders!

Previously, you signed a pact with Great Chief Acoupaigos, which included a clause stating, ’If you seize the land occupied by the Pannonians, then that land will belong to you and your team.’

At the time, we all took it as a joke, many of us including myself believed that once you waged war with the Pannonians, you would quickly be wiped out by them, making the pact meaningless and even possibly dragging our entire Aldean tribe into the conflict.

The truth proved that we were the ones to be laughed at; real heroes can create miracles! Leader Maximus, you defeated the great Pannonian army multiple times with a team of fewer than 20,000 people, which included many elderly, women, and children. You avoided the risk of our tribe being exterminated; you are a great benefactor to our tribe!"

"You’re too kind, you’re too kind!" Maximus replied humbly, though he was still cautious at heart, "May I ask what your request is?"

"The place where our tribe originally lived is now what you call the Westeni village." Another leader named Cleonidas took over the conversation, looking troubled, "Having lost the land, I led my tribesmen to retreat west of the Codona River, initially temporarily residing on the land of another tribe, but the Great Chief couldn’t lead an army to defeat the Pannonians to allow us to return home.

Over time, my tribesmen had more and more conflicts with the tribesmen of the land we borrowed, and in the end, we had to move to the uninhabited mountains, where many tribesmen fell ill and died, and to this day, my tribe still leads a difficult life...

I’m sorry to have complained so much to you; what I wanted to say is that we Aldeans have always kept our promises and will never ask you for the lost land, but we hear that you once told the Great Chief, ’You would march east and conquer the Pannonians.’ At that time, many in our tribe thought you were boasting, but you showed us with actions that you are fully capable of doing so.

When you next attack the Segestica people, some of us want to lead our warriors to join your ranks and avenge the Pannonians together...

Once we achieve a great victory, we hope you could generously allocate a few small plots of the newly conquered land to our tribes so we can escape our current hardships. Then Leader Maximus, you and your Nix Tribe will be our greatest benefactors, and anything you require in the future, our tribes will do our utmost to assist!"

They indeed came to ask for land, but this way of asking was unexpected, yet a... good thing... Maximus had countless thoughts spinning in his mind, and facing the expectant eyes of a few, he didn’t immediately respond, instead, he asked, "Leader Budocaribas, Leader Ciciliotes, do you share their viewpoint?"

"Of course!" Ciciliotes answered straightforwardly. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Budocaribas sighed, "My tribe’s situation isn’t much better than theirs; before you arrived, my tribe was stationed in that narrow place as the first line of defense against the Segestica people, enduring significant casualties over a year and more, and the tribesmen lived in constant fear. Now, thanks to you, the tribe is safe, but there isn’t much land for us to cultivate; we don’t want to continue living by relying on other tribes’ support..."

Maximus nodded understandingly and asked, "Is this your idea or have you discussed it with Great Chief Acoupaigos?"

The leaders exchanged glances, and Budocaribas solemnly said, "We did mention this to Great Chief Acoupaigos; he didn’t express a clear stance but didn’t object either. After all, he signed the pact with you and is embarrassed to make additional requests. Moreover, if he were to make this request for a few tribes, those other tribes dwelling in the mountains might also have opinions. Besides, he is not in good health right now, and we feel reluctant to trouble him too much, so after deliberation, we decided it would be best to talk directly to you."

"Great Chief Acoupaigos is not in good health?" Maximus keenly caught on to the thing he cared most about from their words.

"Old injuries from the past have never healed, and every winter he coughs incessantly. This year seems to have worsened; when I went to him, he was having difficulty walking and had to sit down to talk to me..." Budocaribas said honestly.

Maximus stroked his chin: It hasn’t been long since the last meeting with Acoupaigos, and although last time it was evident his health wasn’t very good, he could walk and talk without much trouble... Apparently, he was forcing it but can no longer hold on, having no energy to restrain these leaders, otherwise, if it were me, I would never allow subordinate tribes to negotiate with foreign powers privately...

In an instant, Maximus thought of many things, but he didn’t realize that Budocaribas and the others were lying.

Budocaribas and the others did seek out Acoupaigos but only to ask him to help them retrieve part of their lost land from the Nix Tribe, which Acoupaigos rejected outright, leaving them disappointed. Ciciliotes then blurted in anger, suggesting they go directly to negotiate with the Nix. Acoupaigos ignored this.

However, the subsequent event where the 30,000-strong Pannonian army besieged the temporary camp and was eventually repelled made them realize that even if they could reclaim the land, the Pannonians would not sit idly by. Should the Pannonians initiate another attack, they would find themselves fleeing once again under the pressure, realizing that only under the military protection of the Nix could they possibly keep their homeland. Driven by faith in the Nix’s military might, they secretly decided to approach Maximus themselves.

Maximus, abandoning his earlier seriousness, spoke sincerely, "Our Nix Tribe was once also in crisis; thanks to your help, we could settle here peacefully. So when you’re in need, we are also willing to lend a helping hand. You wish to send warriors to follow us in attacking the Pannonians and secure a better settlement; I completely agree to this request!"

Budocaribas and his companions immediately showed signs of joy.

"However—" Maximus shifted his tone: "Our Nix Tribe has experienced a series of battles and sustained significant casualties. We’ve just settled here, and our tribesmen need time to rest and recover. At the same time, we must invest time in building our homes and cultivating our new land to ensure next year’s harvest... So we cannot possibly attack the Pannonians in the short term!"

Maximus spoke reasonably, leaving Budocaribas and others without grounds for argument. Ciciliotes asked a bit reluctantly, "How long will it be before you attack the Pannonians again?"

Maximus held up one finger, "At least a year."

The leaders exchanged looks and held a quiet discussion, agreeing that having endured for several years, now that there is hope, waiting another year or two would not be a problem.

Budocaribas cleared his throat lightly and said, "Leader Maximus, we are willing to wait! But we hope to establish an oath with you and hope you will consent."

"That won’t be a problem," Maximus immediately responded, "But I have one request as well; after defeating the Pannonians, the settlement land each of your tribes will acquire must be designated by me and not freely selected by yourselves."

"That won’t do!!—" The leaders almost unanimously responded in opposition.

But Maximus’s demeanor was stern, and his voice firm, "If not, then I’m afraid I cannot enter into any oath with you!"

The leaders’ faces changed, and Cleonidas couldn’t help but shout, "If you don’t agree to let us choose our own lands, then we cannot agree to your demands for purchasing ore and grain!"

Maximus’s face darkened, "Is the decision to sell or not sell ore and grain up to you? Even if you don’t sell, I have my ways to deal with it!"

Seeing the tense atmosphere in the hall, Budocaribas exchanged glances with the other leaders and quickly intervened to mediate, "Leader Hashikphilos is merely worried that the land allocated in the future might not meet all the tribesmen’s needs, but considering it would be the Nix Tribe leading any future war against the Pannonians, it’s only right for Leader Maximus to allocate the land."

"Is this your collective opinion?" Maximus looked at the others.

"...Yes... yes..." The leaders responded one after another.

Maximus spoke in a moderated tone, "Rest assured, when distributing the land, I will certainly consider meeting your tribe’s land needs as much as possible."

These words brought a sense of relief to everyone.

Budocaribas immediately said, "Leader Maximus, please establish an oath with us."

"Certainly." Maximus smiled, "Before establishing an oath, I have another suggestion. Currently, your tribesmen are living hard lives, and my tribe has just settled here and is busy building homes and cultivating land; manpower is indeed quite tight...

During the time when we are not launching another attack on the Pannonians, why not have your tribesmen come to our tribe to help with the work? We will offer them some compensation, this way, everyone benefits; what do you think?"