Spartacus finished speaking and forcefully thrust the short sword backward. Accompanied by a piercing scream, the blade pierced the prisoner’s abdomen and then sliced downward, causing intestines to spill out along with a flood of blood...
The gruesome scene terrified the other prisoners and drew gasps from some of the rebel soldiers.
Spartacus swept his icy gaze over the soldiers across from him and harshly commanded, "Next, it will be your turn to execute these Roman prisoners!..."
Spartacus had used a similar method last year, and now he had no choice but to repeat it. He wanted the tens of thousands of new recruits who had joined the forces in Great Greece to personally kill all the prisoners captured in this battle, so they would no longer fear killing.
Compelled by the situation, Spartacus had to resort to brutal measures.
While the reinforcing rebel soldiers were slaughtering countless enemies and staining Mateninum’s coastal waters red with blood at Womans River, the soldiers of Maximus’s army had already returned to camp to rest. They were utterly exhausted after the battle. Meanwhile, the medical camp had become busy; there were so many wounded soldiers that they found it difficult to cope.
Upon learning this during his visit to the medical camp to comfort the wounded soldiers, Maximus immediately ordered that a dozen tents in the camp be vacated for the medical camp’s use. He also instructed Capito to assign more personnel to assist the medical team in treating the wounded.
Afterward, he returned to the command tent to hear the casualty reports from Akegu, Casius, and the others regarding their forces during the battle.
"...The First Legion suffered 198 deaths and 356 injuries, of which 53 were serious; the Second Legion suffered 231 deaths and 262 injuries, including 116 serious injuries; the Third Legion endured 444 deaths, including two Centurions, and 572 injuries, with 212 of them serious—" Akegu’s voice grew increasingly subdued, his face filled with sorrow. Perhaps among these fallen soldiers were friends he had known well.
Maximus cleared his throat softly and said in a grave tone, "On the battlefield, there is no mercy for weapons. Death is inevitable. The fortunate thing is that this time we were victorious. Their deaths ensured our survival. Even in death, they will be remembered by us forever! When it’s your turn to fight someday, will you be able to display the same courage and wisdom as they did to achieve victory and secure a better life for everyone?!"
"We will!" Akegu, Casius, and several other young attendants, emboldened by his words, stood tall and responded loudly.
"Good. I look forward to the day you become heroes!" Maximus nodded and said, "Now, continue with your report."
"...The Guard suffered the loss of 119 soldiers, with 214 injured, 75 of them seriously. The cavalry lost two soldiers, and 13 were injured, all with minor wounds," Akegu said, his voice gradually returning to normal.
Maximus fell into deep thought after hearing the report: overall, the army had achieved a victory against overwhelming odds, and the casualties were not too severe. The Third Legion, however, suffered the heaviest losses, with over 1,000 casualties out of a total of 4,000 soldiers. This was primarily due to an ambush they encountered while pursuing fleeing enemies.
The Guard also had a high casualty rate. This group, which had only joined the ranks less than a month ago, lacked the long-term rigorous training that other legions had undergone. During battle, they were not adept at relying on organized formations to withstand assaults and instead depended more on their individual bravery. This nearly led to their collapse under the relentless attacks of far more numerous Roman soldiers.
Nevertheless, the First and Second Legions, despite being at a disadvantage in the final stages, maintained relatively low casualties in formation-based engagements. Presumably, the Romans had a similar experience. Once a side is routed, however, tens of thousands can disappear in the blink of an eye...
These lessons are worth reflecting on! ... Maximus snapped back to the present, noticing the attendants’ gazes still fixed on him. He then said, "You’ve done well. It seems I can entrust you with even more responsibilities in the future."
The attendants smiled brightly, one by one.
Maximus’s words were heartfelt. From the beginning, when he gathered these children to impart knowledge and systematically assigned them tasks, to later selecting older ones to serve by his side as scribes and orderlies, to now asking them to handle post-battle casualty statistics for the first time, they had performed admirably. This gave Maximus confidence in his plan to develop the army’s younger generation. Although they couldn’t transform into frontline soldiers in a short time, they might soon occupy critical roles in Maximus’s larger strategy.
"Alright, go summon Volenus, Capito, Acronis, Flanitnus, Quintus, the three Legion Commanders, Oluus, and Pequot."
.....................
"Leader, Acronis cannot come. She’s busy directing her subordinates to prepare food. Tonight, we’ll be feeding not just ourselves but also over 50,000 reinforcements," Capito reported.
"If not for their timely arrival today, we’d all be done for. A life-saving debt is worth at least a feast, wouldn’t you say? Haha, we mustn’t be stingy," Maximus said, half-joking but with a deliberate undertone. He then asked, "What was the damage from the commotion in the camp earlier?"
"Minimal," Capito replied. "Five tents were damaged, and three mules ran off but were later recovered. About a dozen people sustained minor injuries. As for the Sarabians who incited the disturbance and attempted to escape, we killed four of them and captured the rest."
Maximus looked at him and asked, "Do you believe we should execute these escapees as per military law?"
"We cannot execute them!" Capito replied firmly. "Military law applies to our people, not to the prisoners. Besides, these troublemakers who tried to escape are blacksmiths, potters, charcoal makers, and gold and silver craftsmen. They’re extremely valuable to us!"
Smart thinking! ... Maximus silently approved, though he voiced a stern response. "But these people have caused us a great deal of trouble and must be punished! In the future, whether we’re marching or resting, tie them up with ropes, assign guards to watch over them, and halve their food rations. Also, take them to the riverbank where the executions are taking place. Let them witness the consequences and learn a lesson!"
Maximus then turned to Pequot, whose right arm was wrapped in linen, and asked with concern, "Pequot, how’s your injury?"
Pequot moved his bandaged right arm slightly, his expression indifferent as he said, "Just a slash from a Roman. I went to the medical camp earlier; it’s nothing serious. I just need a few days to recover."
"That’s good to hear!" Maximus sighed in relief. Looking at the army’s officers, he raised his voice to commend them. "This time, when the Roman army attacked, you led your troops in stubborn resistance and held out until reinforcements arrived, achieving a major victory! This victory has changed the precarious situation of Free Italy and given us a chance at survival. Everyone should thank you for this!"
"Leader, since we’ve achieved such a great feat, shouldn’t there be some rewards?" Fesaros asked earnestly. "For example... distributing the armor and weapons stripped from the Roman soldiers to our troops. After all, it’s thanks to our soldiers fighting for their lives that we won this victory. We can’t let the other units take all the spoils!"
It turned out that after the victory, Maximus’s soldiers, exhausted beyond measure, had returned directly to camp to rest, leaving cleanup and battlefield salvage largely to the reinforcements.
Maximus smiled and said, "Don’t worry. Spartacus is a reasonable man. I’ve already discussed this with him in advance. He has agreed to allocate 10,000 sets of Roman legionary weapons and armor to us. Once they’re done executing the prisoners, they’ll send the equipment over. Fesaros, you’ll be in charge of receiving it later."