Acoupaigos continued: "The envoys of the Skodisqi people often visited various tribes of the Pannonians. The Pannonian leaders were like dogs, desperately trying to please them. Otherwise, if the envoys were even slightly dissatisfied, they would be punished. Back then, it was common for Pannonians to escape to our tribe, and we always treated them warmly, as if welcoming long-lost brothers. When I was a child, I even met a few Pannonians who had fled from the north within our tribe..."
He let out a deep sigh and said wistfully, "Perhaps because the Skodisqi people had become masters, and the Pannonians had served them too well for too long, they began to lose their former bravery and gradually failed to maintain control over the Pannonians. Yet, just over ten years ago, for reasons unknown, the Skodisqi people fought a battle with the Romans, and the Skodisqi suffered a crushing defeat. It’s said that many Skodisqi warriors died—"
Quintus, who had been quietly listening behind Maximus, couldn’t help but ask, "Great Chief, who was the commander of the Roman Army that fought the Skodisqi?"
Acoupaigos gave him a displeased look but still replied, "Not too sure. I heard it was someone named... named Sc... Scip... It was a strange name anyway."
"It must have been Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus, the great conqueror of Carthage and Scipio’s great-grandson," Quintus explained as he lowered his head to address Maximus, who was glancing at him. "He once served as a Governor and also as the governor of the Northern Italy Province. Over ten years ago, during his tenure as governor of Northern Italy, it’s said he won a battle against the Gauls. However, when the news reached Rome, it didn’t spark much interest among the Romans. I suspect the battle he won might be the one the Great Chief referred to."
"Just look at it, a victory the Romans didn’t even care about brought disaster upon us Alde Tribe!" Acoupaigos mocked bitterly, his eyes fixed on Quintus: "You’re a Roman?"
"I used to be, but now I am a soldier under Maximus," Quintus replied calmly.
"Quintus has a deep hatred against the Romans. He has helped me several times in defeating the Roman Army and has personally killed some Romans," Maximus explained from the side.
Acoupaigos withdrew his gaze and looked into the distance again: "The Skodisqi people suffered a crushing defeat, their strength greatly diminished. The Pannonians seized the opportunity to rise in resistance, completely overthrowing the Skodisqi people and becoming the masters themselves.
But after they assumed power, they evidently forgot about the selfless help we Illyrians had given them in the past. Instead, they sought to impose the humiliation they had previously suffered onto us, invading our lands in turn..."
Acoupaigos sighed again: "Although the Pannonians lived like dogs in the past, they did learn a great deal from the Skodisqi people. They now have sharp longswords, sturdy armor, and even make the Skodisqi people lead the charge. More importantly, they are numerous... No matter how courageous our warriors are, they cannot stand against their numbers!"
"You say the Pannonian tribes are numerous. Just how many of them are there?" Maximus asked with concern.
Acoupaigos thought for a moment and replied, "I’ve heard that the Pannonians now mainly consist of seven major tribes: Brochi, Andizeti, Ditione, Perustai, Mazi, Desitia, and Segestica. These major tribes are further subdivided into many smaller tribes with a structure somewhat similar to our Illyrian tribe system.
But the difference is... perhaps due to their long-term enslavement by the Skodisqi people, they learned a hard lesson and became more united, forming a Pannonian Tribe Alliance. They discuss matters collectively and support one another in times of need... In this respect, we Illyrian tribes fall far behind. To this day, our tribes are still entangled in internal conflicts, which is why we can’t defeat them!"
Acoupaigos spoke bitterly, his face clouded with anger, clearly recalling painful past experiences.
He turned to look at Maximus and said in a grave voice: "The Pannonians once claimed they had a 100,000-strong army capable of defeating any surrounding tribe!"
"A 100,000-strong army?!" Maximus exclaimed in surprise.
"That number might be true because about 80–90 miles east of Validosi lies the Sava River, where one of the large Pannonian tribes, Segestica, resides. Several years ago, the tribes under Segestica’s control invaded my tribal territory along the Kupa River. I personally led troops to the east of Validosi to engage the Segestica Army in a fierce battle. At that time, their warriors numbered over 20,000. As for the outcome, I... was defeated..." Acoupaigos’ lips twitched, forcing out the final sentence through gritted teeth.
For a moment, Maximus didn’t know what words of comfort to offer.
"If it weren’t for this, you wouldn’t have come to this place either." Acoupaigos laughed self-deprecatingly, though his smile was tinged with bitterness. "But don’t worry. The Pannonians may seem formidable, yet they have many enemies as well.
To the south of their territory is us, the Alde Tribe, now their mortal foe; to the north are the Celts. It’s said that northern Pannonian tribes are expanding further northward, leading to conflicts with the Celts there; to the east, supposedly, are the Dacians. That area is too distant for me to know much about, but judging by the Pannonians’ current behavior, it’s unlikely to be peaceful there either.