CHAPTER 376: CHAPTER 255: BRICKS’ AMBITION

Quintus actually predicted the advance route of the Pannonian main alliance forces! ... This not only impressed all the generals but also allowed them to set their minds at ease and continue to implement the new plan.

At night, the Nix Soldiers blew their horns and shouted. They made a stance as if they were going to attack the camp at night, scaring the Segestica people inside the camp into staying alert. The Nix Army continued to create noise in shifts, while Anrotas and his tribesmen couldn’t get a good night’s sleep...

Early the next morning, a minority of Nix soldiers continued to feign attacks on the camp, a few continued to guard the pontoon bridges, and the fleet patrolled the river, but most soldiers, after roughly setting up the camp, went inside the camp tents to rest. Yet, soldiers occasionally wandering around the camp and countless cooking smoke that rose with the hours allowed the Segestica Warriors standing on the wooden walls to still feel the presence of the Nix Army...

At night, the Nix soldiers continued to cause a commotion outside the camp, while the Segestica people gritted their teeth inside the camp, helpless...

Deep into the night, the Segestica people, exhausted after two days of torment, finally couldn’t hold on and fell into a deep sleep. It was at this moment that the main force of the Nix Army, under the bright moonlight, began to quietly withdraw from the camp...

On the third day, the feigned attacks on the camp, the guarding of the pontoon bridges, the land and water blockade, soldiers wandering in the camp, numerous rising cooking smokes, and the night’s commotion... everything proceeded as usual.

Anrotas and his tribesmen didn’t notice anything unusual, only that their hatred for Cabdes was growing day by day...

... ...

A seemingly endless line snaked along the riverbank... Watching all this from the small hill beside it, Bricks felt full of ambition.

This year, it was Bricks’ turn to preside over the tribal alliance. He quickly issued invitations to convene a tribal alliance meeting, and at the meeting, he proposed forming an alliance army to swiftly eliminate the newly arrived Nix, to avert future troubles against the Dacians. Through his efforts, the proposal was passed.

At that time, other Great Chiefs were surprised by Bricks’s rare display of such aggressive drive. After he explained the reason, everyone understood: the Nix had intruded into Brochi’s territory, plundering wildly and inciting many Skodisqi slaves to escape. To this day, it still happened from time to time. If left unchecked, it could likely spread to other major tribes’ territories, undermining the stability of the entire Pannonian Alliance... This was the primary reason other tribal leaders agreed to this proposal.

They simply did not realize that Bricks had another reason for initiating this war — to expand Brochi’s territory.

In fact, contrary to Andres’s disdain, Bricks was not merely seeking a life of comfort without ambition.

Bricks had previously presented such an image out of necessity. After all, his territory was surrounded on three sides — south, north, and east — by other Pannonian Tribes. Only the west seemed open for expansion, but it was mostly mountainous and hilly, occupied by the Aldeans. He didn’t want to take too much risk, so he focused his efforts on managing his territory first, especially since it had only been a few years since they defeated the Skodisqi people and reclaimed lost land. This gave the impression that while other tribes (except Mazi) were aggressively expanding, he was content in his own land.

It was not until Segestica dealt a heavy blow to the Aldeans that Bricks seized the opportunity to advance westward, defeating the army patched together by the Alde Tribe residing to the west, sweeping through the entire hilly area, and even advancing to the east bank of the Kolana River.

However, due to issues with military supplies, the general discomfort of his tribesmen with mountain living, and the Aldeans’ terrain-based harassment at his rear, Bricks, fearing greater losses, had to painfully retreat, abandoning the newly occupied vast hilly land.

But he did not stop there; he began dividing the land beyond the western border to some tribal nobles, persuading them to lead their tribesmen to settle there, wanting them to gradually get used to mountain and hilly living, to slowly consume toward the west until reaching the banks of the Kolana River...

Unfortunately, this plan was completely destroyed after just a year or two by a sudden raid from the Nix.

Frustrated, Bricks realized the Nix were a major threat, and he felt that, despite the natural barrier of hills and mountains, Brochi’s western border was still somewhat unsafe, so he proposed a two-pronged military advance under the guise of "facilitating the march of a large army and better defeating the Nix," which gained the approval of most Great Chiefs.

Thus, naturally, his route became the main force, led by his tribal army, leading over forty thousand troops marching mightily toward the banks of the Kolana River. At that time, they would conveniently sweep aside the Alde Tribe living by the Kolana River, once again heavily striking the Aldeans. Afterward, trusted Brochi nobles whom he had arranged would lead their tribesmen to occupy the remaining villages left by the Aldeans at the banks of the Codona River and settle down, thereby pushing the western border line to the Kolana River in one fell swoop. The vast hilly area in between could slowly be filled by tribesmen, and in the future, they could use the Kolana River as a springboard to continue conquering the Aldeans’ Murenica River...

Of course, for this plan to be realized, the most important thing was to defeat the Nix.

Knowing this clearly, Bricks did not bother to argue with Cabdes about "his army having to be the first to engage the Nix."

The biggest problem with the offensive route from Brochi’s western border to the banks of the Kolana River was the supply of military provisions. The journey was distant and transportation inconvenient, plus the sizeable army could easily be forced to retreat halfway due to a shortage of food.

Bricks had previously suffered in this regard, and unwilling to accept it, he hadn’t been idle after retreating; he had repeatedly personally led people into the hilly areas to explore and had long since identified the best marching route.

Due to having nearly two months of preparation time for this expedition, he ordered his subordinates to secretly lead the tribesmen into the area and set up several camps along the predetermined marching route, stockpiling the gathered provisions in the camps ahead of time and stationing a few warriors there. Since these camps were far from the northern mountain ranges, the Nix scouts hadn’t detected them, let alone the Aldeans who were huddled at the banks of the Kolana River, afraid to move east.

With adequate preparation in advance, the Pannonian Army, which Bricks was part of, had a relatively smooth march, reaching another small river only half a day after leaving the Kupa River.

This river meandered westward and eventually joined the Kolana River. The terrain on both sides of the river was relatively flat, and several Alde Tribe villages were once built here. Now, several temporary camps constructed by Bricks were distributed from east to west along the river.

Three days later, the Pannonian Army approached the Kolana River.

Since Maximus hadn’t informed the Aldeans in advance that "the Pannonians might launch a major offensive," it was only a few days ago, after it was clearly confirmed that two Pannonian armies were setting off, that he had Pigeris inform the Aldeans.

The upper echelons of the Aldean tribe were shocked upon receiving this news. They sought help from the Nix on one hand and urgently convened the elders to discuss countermeasures on the other.

Pigeris responded to them without hesitation: Leader Maximus would gather all the soldiers to aid their allies, but he hoped that before his army arrived, they would hold on to the villages by the banks of the Kolana River, not allowing the enemy to pass smoothly.

Alistacas, acting as the Great Chief, readily promised.

However, at the Alde Tribe meeting, southern tribe leaders headed by Ambrosius unanimously agreed that the Pannonians were coming with great momentum and an enormous army, and it would be hard to resist even if the tribe gathered all its strength. To avoid excessive losses, they suggested temporarily withdrawing to preserve strength, allowing the Nix to confront the Pannonian army alone for a while, as it had been done in the past. This would let the tribe observe both sides’ battles before responding.

Alistacas was very displeased. As the soon-to-be Great Chief, he did not want to tarnish his credibility and was eager to showcase his bravery. Yet, apart from a few elders like Cleobrotas and Budocaribas opposing, other leaders chose to retreat (due to the urgency, most northern and western leaders couldn’t arrive promptly).

Alistacas was reluctantly forced to agree to Ambrosius and others’ proposal.

Yet, the Aldean tribesmen at the Kolana River, who had lived there for generations, couldn’t just withdraw at a moment’s notice. While leaders exhausted their words to persuade them, the Pannonians, like a tide, surged to the north bank of the Kolana River. Facing the unwilling Aldeans, they effortlessly broke through village after village, even crossing to the south bank to sweep through the Aldean villages settled there.

This caused panic among the entire Aldean tribe because the Pannonians were closing in on the Aldean’s main camp.

The terminally ill Acoupaigos, upon hearing this devastating news, was so shocked he died immediately.

The Aldean’s upper echelons, however, had no time to hold a funeral for him. They carried out an emergency military mobilization while continuously sending people to seek help from the Nix.

... ...

"Madam, Capito requests an audience," Naisuya walked into the main hall of the main house and respectfully said to Nexia.

Before Maximus led the army away, he appointed Capito as the temporary City Lord of Snowdonia, responsible for managing the entire town, while Nexia, as the First Lady of the Nix Tribe, needed to represent him in overseeing the main house. If there were important matters, Capito had to inform her and obtain her approval before proceeding.