CHAPTER 393: CHAPTER 372: PERSUASION TO SURRENDER

"Thank you, Leader!" Oluus and Pequot almost spoke in unison to express their gratitude.

Maximus laughed heartily: "It seems you two have a great rapport. How about always being good partners in the Fourth Legion in the future to win more victories for the tribe?"

The two exchanged a glance but did not respond.

Maximus noticed and laughed again: "Just a joke. Even if I wanted to, the current situation wouldn’t allow it. After obtaining this victory against the Pannonians, more people will join the tribe. Not only will the Fourth Legion be fully staffed, but I think a Fifth Legion will also be established. At that time, the position of Legion Commander will undoubtedly be yours, Pequot!"

Leader Maximus, who held the power of the Nix Tribe, made a promise in person. To conceal his excitement, Pequot quickly asked, "Leader, after winning this battle, what should we do next?"

"Of course, it’s our turn to attack next!" Maximus stated very directly: "After this great battle, the reserve tribesmen will likely become official tribe members, and many official tribe members will be promoted. The tribe will follow the decree to grant them corresponding lands, but there’s not much land left within the territory. Naturally, we’ll have to obtain more land from the enemy!"

"So, should we attack Segestica next? Or Brochi? Or both?" Oluus asked.

"Brochi’s territory is still too far from us. Let’s start with Segestica." Maximus pointed to a nearby village and said solemnly: "We need to conquer it quickly, then lead the army through the dense forests on the opposite side of the river to attack the Sava River Plain!"

"Leader, please assign the task of attacking the village to our Fourth Legion!" Oluus volunteered for battle.

Maximus shook his head and said in a gentle tone: "Your Fourth Legion has suffered too many casualties. What you need to do next is to rest well. Of course, the Fourth Legion can’t be completely idle, I have an important task to give you."

"What important task?!"

"Assist the Political Affairs Hall and the Second Legion in guarding our prisoners."

"Ah, guarding prisoners..." Oluus and Pequot felt disappointed because this meant the Fourth Legion would not be involved in the next attack on Segestica.

"Don’t underestimate this task." Maximus solemnly reminded: "We achieved a great victory on the east bank of the Kolana River, capturing over 6,000 Pannonians, and had another complete victory here, capturing over 6,000 prisoners again, totaling more than 12,000 people.

If these prisoners are not well-guarded and start a riot, not only will it cause significant losses to the tribe, but it will also prevent the army from concentrating on combat. Our plan to rapidly strengthen the tribe through victory in war would fall apart.

But if you manage to guard the prisoners well, you might gain new recruits and labor for the tribe, which would mean another great merit for the tribe!"

Oluus and Pequot exchanged a glance and said helplessly: "Leader, the Fourth Legion is willing to stay to guard these prisoners, but the soldiers have no experience in this."

"Don’t worry, Volenus and Flanitnus will arrive soon, and they will teach the soldiers how to guard prisoners." Maximus reassured the two with a few words of encouragement and then said: "You two have fought hard for most of the day and must be very tired. Quickly take the soldiers of the Fourth Legion to the camp to get a good rest and recover. You might need to fight again tonight."

"Fight again tonight?" Oluus felt surprised.

"Just my speculation, we might enter that village without needing to fight at all. Alright, I have to go see our neighbors now." With that, Maximus turned and mounted his warhorse.

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

By dusk, the pursuit of the routed soldiers by the Nix Army had long ended, and the cleanup of the battlefield was basically completed: our soldiers’ bodies were collected, the enemy’s bodies were heaped together and burned, weapons, armor, and even clothing left on the battlefield were picked up, and the enemy with less severe injuries were carried back to the camp on Maximus’s special instructions to receive care from the medical team...

The battlefield, stained with blood, was filled with smoldering, burning piles of corpses emitting the smell of charred flesh. Crows cawed amidst the gray smoke in the sky, while many bold crows moved back and forth on the ground unafraid of the soldiers, picking at scattered pieces of flesh, broken hands, and limbs that hadn’t been collected.

About ten thousand soldiers from the First Legion and parts of the Third Legion had already been assembled. They were fully armed, under the command of the Legion Commander and team officers, forming a long four-column line five miles in length in a semi-circular formation surrounding Anrotas’ village. Although exhausted, they tried their best to hold their heads high and glared fiercely, exerting a great deterrent on the Segestica Warriors preparing for defense on the wooden walls of the village.

Maximus, wearing dazzling armor and a towering feathered helmet, rode his horse slowly to the front of the village gate. Facing the people on the wooden walls, he shouted loudly: "People of Segestica, I am the leader of the Nix Tribe and the Commander of the army, Maximus! On the battlefield not far ahead, your tribe’s coalition with the Desitia Tribe suffered a crushing defeat. Thousands of warriors’ bodies are being burned, and over 6,000 have been captured. Surely, you can all see this, can’t you?!"

Standing on the wooden walls, the Segestica people could indeed see the dense cluster of prisoners squatting under the guard of countless soldiers between the Nix formation and the camp. Everyone felt extremely dejected, but no one dared respond.

"You might find it strange, shouldn’t our Nix Army be defending against other Pannonian Tribal armies to the south?! How could most of the Nix soldiers return here?!"

Maximus paused briefly, took a deep breath, and shouted with a tongue of thunder: "That’s because the day before yesterday, we engaged in a great battle on the east bank of the Kolana River with a larger Pannonian army. In the end, we achieved a great victory. Not only did we defeat the invading enemy, but we also captured several thousand more Pannonian warriors, which is why we could confidently return to assist!"

"Impossible!" Anrotas shouted aloud in disbelief. He had barely remained calm after witnessing the destruction of his reinforcements, knowing that the main force of the Pannoni Alliance Army was attacking from the south of Nix Territory, and as long as the south was victorious, his tribe would remain unharmed. But Maximus’s words hit him like a hammer.

"I, Maximus, do not have the habit of lying. In a rush to get here, the prisoners captured to the south couldn’t be brought in time, but you can look at this——"

Maximus waved backward, and immediately a squad of soldiers walked out of the formation, holding high the things in their hands: they were broken flags, including the fish flag of the Brochi Tribe, the bear flag of the Mazi Tribe, the sheep flag of the Disone Tribe, and the snake flag of Perustai... More than ten flags made of burlap or fur displayed in front of the Segestica people on the wooden walls, causing a great commotion.

"Impossible, impossible, fake, all fake!..." Desperately hoping, Anrotas shook his head neurotically, but his voice was drowned out by the commotion generated by his tribe members.

Maximus raised his right fist, and the soldiers in the formation shouted in unison: "Roar!!!" Instantly, the people in the village were scared silent.

"People of Segestica!" Maximus shouted sternly with an authoritative face: "The Pannoni Alliance Army has been defeated twice by my Nix. Very few managed to return alive, and you are now surrounded by my army. No army will come to rescue you!

I command you to surrender to me immediately, and I will treat you well for the sake of us both being Illyrians! If not, I will order my brave soldiers to launch an attack, break through this village, and build new bonfires with your bodies!"

Maximus pointed to the dozens of black smoke columns blazing not far away and ordered sternly: "Now tell me, will you surrender or not?!"

As soon as Maximus finished speaking, Legion Commanders Fesaros and Camillus ordered the soldiers to strike their square shields with short swords and roar simultaneously.

This deafening and unified sound was like heavy hammers pounding on the fragile hearts of the Segestica Tribe, turning their faces pale, making their legs tremble, and even causing some to tumble down from the wooden walls into the village...

"Ma... Leader Maximus!" Anrotas looked at the fierce young leader below the wooden walls, grasping the wooden post tightly and trembling as he shouted: "I am willing... I am willing to lead my tribe to submit to you, honoring you as... as the Great Chief!"

Maximus’s eyes flickered, and he responded coldly: "The Nix Tribe has no Great Chief, only one leader, and that’s me! You must lead your people to surrender to Nix, becoming fully Nixes, and there are no other paths! Do you understand?!"

Maximus finished speaking, and the soldiers again made threatening gestures.

Although Anrotas was still panicked, Maximus’s demand made him hesitate. After hurried consultations with the nobles around him, he bravely shouted: "Ma... Leader Maxim, the request you made... is of great significance to me and my people... I must discuss it with all my tribe members, and only after reaching a consensus can I give you an answer. I hope you can grant me... grant us a little time!"

Maximus stood serious, staring at Anrotas without saying a word.