Usually, the Illyrian Pirates would disguise themselves and sneak into the ports and towns of Italy by boat to purchase grain. After all, due to the supply from various provinces, grain prices in Italy have always been quite cheap. However, this year is different from previous years. The rebellion sparked by the gladiators has nearly swept through the entire southern part of Italy, causing massive destruction to farms, cutting off trade routes, and showing no signs of being quelled in the short term. Naturally, this has led to a rise in grain prices in various towns, and merchants have also begun to hoard and manipulate prices. It’s now impossible for the Illyrian Pirates to easily buy grain.
Alakosia soon returned with Pigeris following behind him. As soon as he entered the room, he said with a smile, "Karsipengpas, long time no see. Thank you for bringing another Illyrian friend to us!"
Karsipengpas responded, shook Pigeris’s outstretched hand, and took the opportunity to introduce Onomabatis.
After some small talk, Pigeris quickly got to the main point, saying seriously, "I just heard from Alakosia that you want to buy some grain from us...
To be truthful with you, hundreds of people join our troops every day, so our demand for wheat is enormous. Therefore, the goods we trade at the port with you and other foreign merchants, apart from iron ore, are primarily wheat. Moreover, Romans have increased their patrols near Sarabia Port with their warships; future trades with foreign merchants might be cut off—"
He intentionally paused for a moment, noticing a look of disappointment on Karsipengpas’s face, then emphasized, "However, our Leader Maximus is an Illyrian, and he is very concerned about his fellow people. He once specifically told me, ’If you encounter difficulties, as long as we can, we must help you solve them.’ Thus, I decided that you don’t need to buy wheat. We will a batch of grain to solve your tribe’s food shortage problem."
Karsipengpas displayed a look of disbelief and, usually quick-witted, he was now stammering: "This... this is... too generous! ... But there’s no need to ... we have money... we can buy..."
"Karsipengpas, thanks to your help during this time, we have had a sufficient supply of iron ore. These grains are our gratitude to you, so please don’t refuse!" Pigeris said in an uncompromising tone: "Is ten thousand pounds of wheat enough?"
The reason Pigeris specified this amount is that through multiple dealings with Karsipengpas, he knew the population of the pirate captain’s tribe was less than 400, and this amount would last them several months.
"Enough! More than enough!" Karsipengpas expressed his heartfelt gratitude, took a deep breath, and resolutely said, "You in Free Italy have been so good to me, so I won’t say more thanks. I swear by Ares! If you need my services in the future, please just say the word. I, Karsipengpas, will do everything possible for you!"
After sending Karsipengpas and his companion off, Pigeris asked, "How many Illyrian Pirate Captains has Karsipengpas introduced to us so far?"
"Should be the 7th one now," Alakosia calculated and replied.
"This Karsipengpas indeed has a wide network and genuinely wants to engage with us. So, spending some grain to win his friendship is definitely worth it," Pigeris muttered to himself with a hint of self-satisfaction.
Alakosia couldn’t help but ask, "Pigeris, Capito manages our grains, will he agree to 10,000 pounds to him?"
"Do you think I was lying when I said what Leader Maximus said earlier? These were the points the leader emphasized repeatedly in meetings. Capito wouldn’t dare disagree unless he wants to go against the leader..."
As Pigeris spoke, he was lost in thought, "Why does the leader value these Illyrian Pirates so much? From the start, he had me select you from the army specifically to manage trade with them, telling me to find ways to help them and befriend them... it can’t just be because he carries Illyrian blood, right?"
Alakosia listened quietly beside Pigeris but felt firmly in his heart: Leader Maximus is an Illyrian, of course, he stands with us Illyrians!"
"Oh, it’s getting dark, I must hurry and find Capito to finalize the grain donation, then I’ll send someone to notify you. You can then gather some labor to weigh out ten thousand pounds of wheat at the warehouse, set it aside so that Carlsiphengpas and his crew can quickly load it onto their ship at first light to be returned to his tribe smoothly."
"Understood, Pigeris, I will wait here for your notification and then handle the subsequent matters properly. Don’t worry."
Under the city of Metapontum, the sound of battle was deafening. The rebel army launched a fierce attack from the east, west, and north simultaneously. Numerous soldiers used ladders and assaulted the city walls like ants, pushing siege carriages to hit the city gates, and even built a siege tower intending to climb directly onto the city walls...
The soldiers of Metapontum stood on the city walls, vigorously defending. The citizens all took action, tirelessly delivering stones, wood, and oil. Additionally, ships full of reinforcements from nearby city-states like Tarentum, Heracleia, Croton, and Turi entered the port to support this town...