CHAPTER 412: CHAPTER 290: PLANNING FOR THE NEW TERRITORY

Maximus smiled, "Of course, the relocation of the main camp can be discussed later. Right now, we need to focus on handling current affairs. I hope that within the next three days, the Agricultural Department can start distributing land to the tribesmen. During the distribution, there should be a ceremony to gather people from every village, reward the tribesmen who are to receive land, and distribute it publicly to help those hesitating Segestica people make up their minds quickly.

I believe the tribesmen of each village should be composed of a part of the Skodisqi Reserve Tribes, a part of the Segestica Reserve Tribe, a part of the Skodisqi Reserve Tribes, a very few Segestica Official Tribe Members, and some old Nix tribesmen... This way, it ensures the stability of every village while speeding up the integration of new tribesmen, and it also helps Segestica people and Skodisqi people, who are enemies, gradually adapt to each other’s existence—"

When Maximus said this, he noticed Volenus furrowed his brow, like the character "川", so he continued, "Of course, measuring land, arranging suitable tribesmen to settle in the villages, accurately allocating land according to merit, holding a reward ceremony... this is quite a heavy and complex set of tasks, not something the Agricultural Department can accomplish alone!

I will be stationed here and will work together with the chief officers of other departments to assist the Agricultural Department to complete this most important task of our conquest of Segestica. Starting tomorrow, the Political Affairs Hall meeting will be held at any time, we will stay in this courtyard, solving problems immediately through discussion, what do you all think?"

"Good!" Volenus responded first, finally relieved. With the leader’s support and assistance from other departments, the pressure was significantly reduced.

Everyone else also agreed readily; they all understood that at this crucial moment, united effort was necessary.

Maximus turned to his trusted Public Works Officer, "Capito, the foremost task of the Public Works Department is to quickly build a wooden bridge over the Sava River, connecting the camp across the river, allowing us to support Camillus, stabilize the situation in the eastern territory of Segestica more quickly, and expedite the annexation of the eastern territory!"

Capito raised his head and replied, "Leader, after receiving your order, our Public Works Department is ready. Gaius has brought the engineering team over with the First Legion, accompanied by engineers like Spukala. We have also brought some timber, but it’s definitely not sufficient to build a bridge over the Sava River, although I heard Segestica people excel at boat-building and fishing. I believe there should be plenty of timber in this camp and other villages, and we will need the First Legion’s soldiers to help us collect..."

"Very well, Capito, your Public Works Department has prepared well!" Maximus nodded in satisfaction and promised, "Today we’ve indeed found a lot of timber in this camp, as well as some iron materials. After the First Legion soldiers have garrisoned all villages, collecting timber will also become their task. I believe, in four or five days, we’ll have gathered the materials needed to build the bridge!

"Spukala and others will need a few days to carefully survey the Sava River, measure the terrain on both sides, then draw out the bridge design..." Having personally supervised the engineering team in building two wooden bridges over the Kupa River, Capito, with some experience, confidently promised: "As long as materials are adequate and manpower is sufficient, within a month, we will have a wooden bridge on the Sava River, connecting the east and west camps."

Maximus was very pleased, "Good! Good! If you can build a wooden bridge over the Sava River within a month, I believe it will indeed greatly shock the Segestica citizens, making them more in awe of us Nicos!"

"However, the Segestica territory is not stable; a wooden bridge under construction, exposed outside, is easily sabotaged, so you should ask the leader to send troops for protection!" Capito reminded.

"Quintus, you are in charge of the task of protecting the bridge and the engineering team. It must not go wrong!" Maximus said in a serious tone.

"Yes." As the temporary military leader of Segestica territory, Quintus was naturally eager for the wooden bridge to be completed as soon as possible, so protecting the bridge was his undeniable responsibility.

"Capito, besides building the wooden bridge, the Public Works Department might also need to build a temporary camp next to this settlement to accommodate the increasing number of Foreign Auxiliaries."

"Leader, our Public Works Department can design and supervise the construction of the camp, but we don’t have much manpower. We hope that soldiers of the Third Legion in the settlement and the newly joined Skodisqi slaves can become the main force for building the camp."

"Hmm... that’s feasible. By then, you can discuss with Quintus and Volenus."

"Understood."

"Sidonius, your Legal Department also needs to take action. Actively publicize our tribe’s decrees to the Segestica citizens and Skodisqi slaves in this camp and all villages. The courts should also be established quickly and be ready at all times to handle any potential disputes..."

"Yes."

"Karina, the Civil Affairs Department must quickly sort out the achievements and rewards that the team officers and soldiers of the First and Third Legions should receive, to facilitate the Agricultural Department in land distribution. In addition, the new tribesmen joining the tribe and the allocated land must also be documented and archived well..."

"Yes."

"Horace, although our attack here went smoothly without any casualties, your Medical Department will still be quite busy. Hospitals in the camp need to be established quickly, but the people here are not used to going to hospitals in the short term, so you’ll need to assign medical teams to the villages to check patients and provide treatment... The Medical Department has always been a powerful tool for quickly integrating outsiders into the tribe, and I believe this time will be no exception."

"Rest assured, Leader. Our doctors and nurses take pride in treating patients and will do their best."

"Excellent! Pigeris, when Budocaribas comes over tomorrow, you will come to see them with me."

"Yes, Leader."

"Everyone, let’s end tonight’s meeting here. We’ve spent so much time that you all couldn’t have dinner properly. You wouldn’t blame me, would you?"

"No, no, compared with the crucial task of conquering Segestica, what is one meal worth."

"Pigeris, what you said is something everyone loves to hear! Too bad there’s no wine tonight, let’s just have a bowl of porridge, and start working hard from tomorrow!"

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

The next day, a group of people from the Alde Tribe walked into the Segestica West Village Chief House.

Maximus, with a full smile, warmly came out to greet them, "Elder Budocaribas, Elder Xisaites... welcome, welcome! It is such a pleasure to see you all here!"

Budocaribas and others immediately bowed and in unison said, "Leader Maximus, congratulations on defeating the Pannonians and winning a glorious victory!"

Maximus immediately sensed that these leaders from the Alde showed a much different attitude towards him than before, not only much more respectful but also seemingly rehearsed, otherwise diverse leaders from Alde wouldn’t have spoken so uniformly.

When one bestows favor upon others, one surely expects something in return... Maximus thought to himself, his expression turning solemn, "Thanks to the Danu Goddess’s protection, otherwise, with the Pannonian army invading, we Nix were indeed at risk of being wiped out!"

Danu Goddess... Hearing this, Budocaribas and the others had a slightly strange expression. They had long heard from Nix helpers that in the past few months, the Nix Tribe began venerating the Celtic Deities, and there were even rumors that "Maximus is the offspring of the Celtic Deities."

They’re opinionated on this, believing Maximus, being Illyrian, should, like other Illyrians, venerate deities such as Ares and Poseidon, instead of mixing with the Celtic Druids.

But at this moment, everyone just glanced at each other without speaking.

Maximus noticed this and still kept smiling, "Come, come, let’s go inside; we can sit down and talk at leisure."

The group entered the hall, where attendants had already arranged an equal number of wooden chairs inside.

Once everyone sat down, Maximus knowingly asked, "After we defeated the main force of the Panoni Alliance Army in the Kolana River Hills area, learning that the allied forces of Segestica and Desitia had crossed the dense forest, preparing to attack our Nix’s Kupa River territory, I hastily led the army back to the tribe. How did the battle go on your side afterward? Was the main force of the Panoni Alliance Army driven away? Were the lost lands along the Kolana River recovered?"

"The Pannonians have all been driven away, and the lands along the Kolana River have been recovered..." Budocaribas expressed gratitude, "Thanks to Leader Maximus leading the army to defeat the Pannonians in a great battle, they completely lost the courage to continue fighting, so we drove them away without experiencing any battle, and recaptured the lost land. Once again, it was the Nix who saved our Alde!"

"Nix and Alde are allies, it’s what we ought to do!" Maximus responded solemnly.

"Once, when Great Chief Acoupaigos agreed to let Leader Maximus and his tribesmen settle on our territory, some people opposed it, but now it seems it was the wisest decision!" Budocaribas commented with great emotion.

"Not only that, the agreement that Nix signed with our tribes last year was also opposed by some at the time, but now it is clear it was a very wise decision indeed!" Similarly emotional, Xisaites said, with a hint of deeper meaning.