Hmm... For example, if you join the auxiliary troops of the Roman Army, your leaders can become high-level team officers in the auxiliary troops. After their service ends, they can not only become Roman citizens but also receive land and wealth... However, during the negotiations, to show your sincerity, your army must stay far from Canosa. Do... do you understand?"
Pigeris laughed, a bold and unrestrained laugh. "I think you’ve misunderstood. My Free Italy army has come here not to submit to Rome, but to assist the Apulians in their fight against Rome for independence!"
The administrative official’s face turned deathly pale, and he shouted through gritted teeth, "Damn rebels, how dare you! This is Roman territory. If you don’t surrender quickly, once Rome brings in their main army, you will all be nailed to the cross! Think carefully about this!"
Pigeris ignored him and swept his gaze across the Canosa officials and local council members in the hall. He announced in a loud voice, "We, Free Italy, are fighting for the independence of Apulia. Naturally, you Canossa people must contribute your share. Our leader hopes that you can provide 1,000 tons of wheat and 1,000 pounds of smoked meat... deliver these supplies to the military camp outside the city within two days. At that time, we will continue south to engage the Romans. Otherwise—" Pigeris snorted coldly, his threat unmistakable.
Everyone present turned pale. A lavishly dressed Canossa council member furrowed his brows and said sorrowfully, "There’s no way we can gather so many supplies. Can’t we reduce the amount—?"
"Canosa will never yield to the enemy! We absolutely will not agree to your unreasonable demands!" The administrative official responded firmly this time. He knew full well that if he did so, once he stepped down and returned to Rome, there would be dire consequences awaiting him.
Yet his resolute stand didn’t stir any collective indignation among the others. On the contrary, everyone ignored him and began whispering among themselves, discussing in hushed tones.
Pigeris noticed this and his smile grew wider. "In two hours, our leader will lead the army and wait outside the city. We hope the envoy you send will provide him with a satisfactory answer."
........................
Pigeris left the city, letting out a long exhale before riding his horse straight toward the military camp three miles away.
Outside the central army tent in the camp, Maximus was waiting anxiously. When he spotted Pigeris’ figure, he immediately strode forward to greet him. "Thank the heavens! Pigeris, you’ve finally returned safely! Any longer and we’d have deployed the army to Canosa to rescue you!"
Pigeris felt a wave of warmth in his heart and quickly said, "I didn’t encounter any danger, thanks to the fact that the Canossa people were utterly terrified of our military might. They fear our siege; they wouldn’t dare harm me even slightly."
Maximus laughed heartily. "Come, let’s head to the tent so you can share with everyone what you witnessed inside Canosa City."
Inside the large tent, two groups of people were huddled together—one studying a chart of Canosa City, the other discussing various matters. Among them were several great captains under Maximus, such as Fesaros and Torrelugo, as well as key figures from Attutmus’ army.
Maximus stepped into the tent and raised his voice. "Everyone, the brave Pigeris has returned safely. Let’s have him share his observations from inside Canosa City."
The tent quickly fell silent, with all eyes turning toward him.
"Our earlier actions seem to have successfully misled the Canossa people," Pigeris began loudly. "Although Canosa City is relatively large, it doesn’t appear to have many people inside. I saw them urgently recruiting city guards on the streets, some of whom were elderly with greying hair, wearing robes. This shows they lack enough young citizens to serve as soldiers, and they also lack sufficient armor to equip them. They haven’t had time to gather reinforcements from other towns either. Both from the faces of their soldiers and their officials, I saw fear. The Canossa people lack the will to fight, and I believe we can successfully capture this city!"
"Leonidas, who recently joined us, wasn’t wrong when he said the Apulia Region has been declining in recent years," Maximus remarked thoughtfully.
Marching from Benevento to here, Maximus could sense the sparsely populated Samnium Mountain Area. Though the Samnium region was famously barren, characterized by its poor soil, even the agriculturally and pastorally renowned Apulia Region was similarly desolate. It was evident that the Roman Senate had put considerable effort into guarding this region, which had opposed Rome during the Marci War.
According to Leonidas, after Rome’s victory in the Marci War, they seized vast stretches of fertile land as public property under the pretext of punishing the Apulians. Additionally, Rome repeatedly offered generous wages to recruit a large number of Apulia’s young and able-bodied men, drafting them into the Roman Army and sending them to fight in Little Asia... These measures undoubtedly weakened the strength of the Apulia Region, consolidating Rome’s control. However, now they are to the advantage of the rebel army.
"Maximus, since the circumstances are favorable for us, let’s besiege the city immediately!" Attutmus suggested heatedly, his gaze sharp.
"No need to rush. Whether or not we launch an attack depends on whether Canossa agrees to our demands," Maximus replied calmly.
"We deliberately asked for an excessive amount of supplies. There’s no way the Canossa people can deliver," someone pitched in.
"That may be true," Maximus reasoned, "but since we’ve given them a deadline, it’s better to wait for their response first. If the Apulians come to see us as deceitful or untrustworthy rebels, it could hinder our plans for the upcoming battles." Maximus advised.
"Fine, as you say," Attutmus agreed readily.
Though Attutmus was a straightforward man unaccustomed to academia, his decades of experience at sea had taught him one key truth: skilled captains must lead the ship and make sound judgments, experienced helmsmen must steer the course, and as the boatswain, he must rally the sailors in wholehearted cooperation. Only then could the crew navigate safely and arrive at their destination successfully.
Even now, as a rebel leader, this principle continued to guide him. He knew his own shortcomings—his lack of strategic insight and expertise in commanding battles. Over the months, through careful observation, he had come to admire Spartacus’ exceptional leadership among the rebel leaders, as well as Maximus’ unique qualities. Young as Maximus was, he exuded boldness (his naval raid of Pompey made him the first rebel leader to conquer a town), command (his army rarely mistreated Campania civilians and adhered to rigorous military training), and orderliness (his camp operated in an organized manner, with trade ensuring sufficient supplies). These traits had convinced Attutmus to follow Maximus’ lead during their southern campaign and heed his advice along the way.
"In fact, we could use more time to prepare for the siege. Although we began cutting timber before leaving the Samnium Mountain Area and had the engineering unit busy making wooden ladders and planks in the camp yesterday, the siege carriages are still complex in design. So far, we haven’t managed to finish even one," Maximus pointed out.
Attutmus hadn’t spoken before one of his subordinates interjected, "We don’t need siege carriages. The Canossa people are few, and their defenses are lacking. If we storm the city in full force, we can easily take it."