CHAPTER 355: CHAPTER 234: THE JOY OF HARVEST

"Oh, I see now, I understand."

"That’s right, the Sage told me the same thing! Now it’s wonderful—Leader Maximus is the offspring of the Goddess Danu, and he’s married the daughter of Great Chief Hamsted. We have nothing to worry about anymore!"

"Indeed, with the protection of the Goddess Danu, our suffering compatriots will surely soon gain their freedom!"

"Not only must we ensure freedom for all our tribesmen, but we also need to avenge ourselves against the oppressive Pannonians!"

"Yes! Absolutely!"

...

The noisy chatter of the Skodisqi Reserve Tribes naturally reached the ears of the nearby Pannonian Reserve Tribes, stirring up unrest.

"Perintus, did you hear that? Those lowly slaves believe that the leader of Nix is the reincarnated offspring of the Goddess Danu. It’s absolutely absurd!"

"I have ears, of course I heard." Perintus glanced at his companion with a cold snort, "If you think it’s nonsense, then why are you so flustered?"

"I... I am not flustered!"

"Alright, even if what they’re saying is true, it would still be a good thing for us, wouldn’t it? We’re also tribesmen of the Nix Tribe. Moreover, like those lowly slaves, we also worship the Goddess Danu. If the leader of Nix is truly the offspring of the Goddess, won’t we too receive divine protection?"

"But our tribesmen in the north might—"

"If you have the energy to question things, you’d better take care of yourself first." Perintus interrupted his companion impatiently, "We are now tribesmen of the Nix Tribe, and yet you still worry about Seg... other tribes. If they continue to falter and are repeatedly defeated by Nix, I think they’ll eventually become tribesmen of Nix too... Uh, maybe that’s even a good thing. At least they’ll also receive the protection of the Goddess Danu. Don’t you agree?!"

...

Maximus could not hear the lively discussions among the reserve tribesmen. He walked steadily along the soft footpath between the fields, toward his plot of land.

Back when the land was divided, he intentionally chose a piece of land near the mountains and less fertile as a gesture of humility, so the journey here took some time.

As he bent down and used a sickle to cut the first handful of wheat ears, the crowd along the path erupted into deafening cheers. Then like waves, they surged toward their own fields.

This wasn’t because Maximus was showcasing his authority as the leader, requiring his personal action before everyone else could begin harvesting. Instead, although most official tribesmen remained skeptical about the belief that "Maximus is the reincarnated offspring of the Celtic worshipped Goddess Danu," they were convinced that their leader was favored by some Divine being. Thus, a consensus was reached—letting Leader Maximus harvest first might bring divine blessings to the whole tribe, ensuring a smooth harvest.

Maximus bent his waist, using his sickle to harvest large handfuls of wheat. Nexia, on the other hand, remained half-crouched, harvesting small bunches. Florist Luscia was packaging the harvested wheat into bundles and placing them on the ground, with remarkably swift movements. Do not be misled by her frail appearance; back when she was a slave in the Segestica Tribe, she had done plenty of hard labor.

On the surface, the trio seemed to work quite seamlessly together, exuding the harmonious aura of a family collaborating in unity.

But as time went on, Maximus grew somewhat impatient. His deep interest in agriculture stemmed from understanding its importance as the lifeblood of the tribe, yet spending an entire day as a diligent farmer harvesting wheat felt like a waste of his precious time.

Just then, Volenus personally arrived with a team of reserve tribesmen.

"Leader, we’re here," Volenus said quietly as he approached Maximus from behind.

Maximus straightened up, handed his sickle to Volenus, and rubbed his slightly achy back. He said, "I need to visit the Iron Workshop. Kadesos informed me that the blacksmiths have completed the crossbows and are waiting for me to inspect them."

Maximus paused, then added solemnly, "I’ll leave this in your hands. Your department, the Agricultural Department, is the supervisory team for today’s wheat harvest. You must take responsibility and organize all departments to help the tribesmen complete the harvest smoothly. If you encounter any problems that cannot be resolved, send someone to the Iron Workshop to inform me immediately."

Volenus felt the weight of his responsibility but answered as calmly as he could, "Rest assured, Leader. Our Agricultural Department will get the job done."

Maximus nodded and looked toward the reserve tribesmen behind Volenus. "Thank you all for your hard work!"

Confronted with his gratitude, the reserve tribesmen seemed so nervous they didn’t know how to respond. Some even hastily lowered their gaze, unwilling to meet his eyes.

Their uneasiness wasn’t out of guilt or wrongdoing but stemmed from the fact that they were Skodisqi people who had come to believe the rumors about "Maximus being the reincarnated offspring of the Goddess Danu." This reverence was overwhelming, so...

Maximus took just one glance and understood what was happening. A fleeting thought crossed his mind: had Emmerich gone overboard with the propaganda?

The thought passed quickly, and he dismissed it. Turning to Nexia, he asked, "Would you like to rest for a bit?"

"I’m not tired at all; no need to rest," Nexia replied, passing another bundle of harvested wheat to Florist Luscia behind her.

"What about you?" Maximus turned to Florist Luscia.

"I’m not tired either. I’ll work alongside Sister Nexia," Florist Luscia replied firmly, despite the sheen of sweat beginning to form on her forehead.

Maximus said no more but surveyed the field. His tribesmen mingled with the golden waves of wheat, akin to fish swimming in the sea, occasionally surfacing to take a breath of fresh air. Some spontaneously began singing songs from their homeland, stirring those nearby to join in. Before long, the wheat fields echoed with a medley of voices in different languages, their melodies conveying not the fatigue of labor but the joy of harvest...

The cheerful scene set Maximus’s mind at ease. He quietly circled the mountains’ base toward the main road, avoiding attention.

On the road, he saw that the transport teams waiting there had also gotten busy. They loaded bundles of wheat onto cattle carts or donkey carts. Once filled, members of the Agricultural Department would mark each cart with the name of the tribesman to whom the wheat belonged. Then, one by one, the carts full of wheat bundles headed north...

Maximus knew all too well where these carts were headed.

In recent months, the engineering teams under the Public Works Department had been working tirelessly on a significant project: constructing the communal threshing grounds.

During a harvest, simply cutting down wheat wouldn’t suffice. The harvested wheat needed to be spread across open, solid ground for drying; then heavy stone rollers drawn by livestock had to repeatedly press the wheat to extract the grains fully. Afterward, the stalks had to be forked away, the grains gathered, and dusted to separate impurities like sand and broken husks before finally bagging the clean grain...

The process was rather complex and labor-intensive, and given the current state of the Nix tribesmen, they lacked the time and resources to construct individual threshing grounds and the necessary tools. These tasks naturally fell to the tribe as a collective.

Thus, the engineering teams cleared grass and trees along the riverbanks to the east of Snowdonia Village and west of Westeni Village. They leveled the ground, added fine sand and gravel, and topped it with lime-kilned cement mixed into slurry to form the final surface...

The engineering teams employed Roman Road construction techniques for the threshing grounds, completing them by mid-August—one after another.

Simultaneously, craftsmen built heavy stone rollers, while carpenters crafted numerous wooden forks, brooms, and shovels. For this harvest, the Nix Tribe had mobilized its entire population, sparing no effort.

Maximus, seeing everything proceeding in an orderly manner, felt reassured. He entered Westeni Village, crossed a wooden bridge, reached the north bank, and arrived at the Iron Workshop area he had dubbed the "industrial zone."

Kadesos, leading a group of blacksmiths, was already waiting at the entrance.

Maximus glanced around the group, noticing their anxious expressions. His first words were, "Don’t worry. I’ve already told Agricultural Supervisor Volenus to make sure the reserve tribesmen harvest your family’s fields first.

I know you’re all married, and with your wives overseeing the fields, rest assured there won’t be any issues. By the time we’re done here and you rush back, chances are your wheat will already be harvested, and you won’t even need to lift a finger."

As expected, those words eased the blacksmiths’ tension.

The group escorted Maximus to the Iron Workshop’s long-range weapon testing area.

The testing area had been established on Maximus’s earlier suggestion during his inspections of the Iron Workshop, and the tribe had allocated an additional plot of land for it. Originally intended for testing javelins and crossbow cannons, this time it was being used for the first trial of a newly developed weapon—the crossbow.

Maximus stepped into the shooting gallery and immediately noticed a crossbow resting on the wooden table behind the railing. It resembled a wooden stake affixed with a bow. As it hadn’t been varnished, the bow and arm made of wood retained their pale yellow hue and visible grain patterns, akin to unpolished raw stone. However, its structure was strikingly similar to what Maximus had seen in records of Qin crossbows from his previous life.

He picked up the crossbow—it was slightly heavy.

While Maximus examined the crossbow closely, the weapon master Sistos, who was primarily responsible for its creation, began explaining, "Leader, we tested more than ten types of wood for the crossbow’s arm before settling on oak. Oak has a hard texture, is resistant to wear, and proves durable. Though it’s heavier compared to other woods, this weight is advantageous. During the launch of arrows, it provides better stability for the bow. In testing with arms made of different woods, its accuracy rates were the highest..."