"They are somewhat late in coming!" Maximus murmured softly, then stood up, took the lead out of the tent, and opened his arms enthusiastically as he approached the incoming Attutmus, saying, "Attutmus, welcome to your arrival!"
Attutmus, facing the young Maximus, was not as arrogant as Cross or Enomai, but instead had a look of apology: "Maximus, I’m sorry! I was busy setting up camp just now and came late!"
"Your army is marching behind, so it’s naturally later for you to set up camp than us; we all understand, so the meeting is just starting..." Maximus warmly grabbed Attutmus’s arm and walked shoulder to shoulder into the military tent, saying, "Judging from today’s marching situation, we should pass through the Samnium Mountain Area smoothly. I have some new ideas, and we need both of our teams to discuss and see if we can implement our previously planned strategies more effectively."
"That’s great, Maximus, you have better ideas. I must listen carefully!" Attutmus’s face beamed, expressing genuine delight. The previous military plan had been almost entirely devised by Maximus and Quintus; having been a sailor for decades, Attutmus knew little of strategic planning. He was astounded by such a comprehensive development plan for Apulia and proactively coordinated his army’s actions with Maximus’s forces after leaving Campania and heading south together.
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Three main ethnic groups primarily inhabit the Apulia region: the Doni people, the Puqieti, and the Apulians.
Their ancestors came from Illyria across the Adriatic Sea, so they all spoke the same language. Over generations, they developed this once-barbaric area into a prosperous and affluent region.
Later, the Romans conquered the area by force, officially naming it Apulia, but the local populace never fully submitted to Rome. During the Second Punic War, they supported Hannibal, and in the Roman Alliance War that occurred over a decade ago, most of this region aligned with the Samnites to resist Rome. After their defeat, they faced some repression from the Roman Senate, which led to a decline in this region.
Now, the so-called "Free Italy" slave rebel army had arrived, making the Apulian people nervous. However, reports kept coming in that puzzled them: this rebel army, which had been rampaging in Campania, had not committed any atrocities while crossing the Samnium Mountain Area. Upon entering the Apulia region, they passed towns like Acay on Minucia Avenue without stopping, only spreading the word that they were the Free Italy army, formed by the poor to help them live better lives, and to aid Italians in freeing themselves from Roman oppression and regaining independence...
This propaganda quickly had an effect: some impoverished Apulians flocked to them, while some affluent citizens adopted a wait-and-see attitude. However, the nobles and officials scoffed at the rebel’s propaganda, although many hoped that maybe these rebels were in a hurry to head south to plunder the wealthy Great Greek City-States?
The Apulians, hoping for a stroke of luck, were in fact incapable of expelling a rebel army of over 30,000 people (including Attutmus’s forces).
The Apulians’ lack of resistance allowed the rebel army to advance along Minucia Avenue and successfully cross one of the major rivers of the Apulia region—the Ophidus River, where on the south bank lay one of the once-largest city-states of the Apulia region—Canosa (Canusium).
This time, the rebel army didn’t bypass the city but chose to camp nearby, sending out cavalry to scout around, and the following morning sent an envoy to meet with the Canosa Governor.
The Canosa Governor, out of curiosity and fear of the rebel army, met with this envoy.
The envoy was none other than the Business Officer Pigeris under Maximus’s leadership. Originally, he wasn’t the first choice for this envoy position, but upon hearing the news, Pigeris volunteered. At first, Maximus hadn’t agreed to it; after all, going to Canosa had certain risks, and Pigeris was a rare talent under his command, so he was reluctant to let him take the risk. But after Pigeris persistently requested, Maximus eventually nodded in agreement.
As the army marched south, Pigeris had to halt his thriving maritime trade at Pompeii Port. Having grown accustomed to being busy, he couldn’t allow himself to be idle throughout the campaign. Encountering this rare opportunity to exert his talents, he naturally couldn’t pass it up, especially since this marked the first step of Maximus’s army in reopening maritime trade, and as a Commerce Officer, he certainly had to make a contribution.
Feeling somewhat anxious, Pigeris, under the escort of the City Guards, entered Canosa City. Seeing the chaotic order within and the fear on the citizens’ faces when they looked at him gradually eased his tension, leaving him with more calculations in his mind.
Upon entering the City Lord’s mansion and meeting the Canosa Governor and his subordinates, Pigeris already had a condescending mindset.
The administrative governor from Rome put on a stern face, trying to keep his tone civil but his voice slightly trembling: "Reb...Reb...Um, the envoy, originally you have no right to meet me, considering your identity, but since you have not infringed upon the Apulian people since entering Apulia, I made an exception to see you... Are you here to negotiate peace with Rome on behalf of your army? If so, I... I am willing to promptly convey your demands to Rome and do my utmost to mediate, ensuring that you are not only spared from punishment but also receive favorable arrangements...