We asked the captives, and they said the supplies were military provisions reserved by their tribe for the upcoming large-scale attack on the Aldeans. Aside from grain and meat, there were also plenty of iron materials and timber... The warehouses are right next to the leader’s residence. Tonight, all the supplies you brought from the eastern village can be temporarily stored there."
"Looks like we’ve helped the Aldeans a great deal this time." Maximus joked lightly, though he let out a long sigh of relief inwardly: the food issue was resolved, as long as the war didn’t drag on for too long.
"Exactly, leader! If not for your decisive actions, we wouldn’t have dared to fight this battle! And thanks to your wisdom, we have won so effortlessly and achieved such a great victory. This truly is... simply amazing!" Gaius loudly praised, his excitement evidently genuine for the most part.
Maximus smiled faintly without voicing his inner concerns. He looked ahead, where the buildings took on a distinctly different arrangement: three houses formed a "U"-shaped pattern surrounding a courtyard, with wooden fences encircling the area.
Seeing Maximus walking into the courtyard, scanning left and right, Gaius hurried to follow and said, "This is where the nobles of this tribe reside."
"From the structure of this residence, it seems the Segestica nobles have servants attending to them."
"Yes, leader, they have their own Skodisqi slaves. According to the captives, the leader of this tribe also has a small number of Pannonian servant slaves."
"Oh? Such is the case." Maximus rubbed his chin, gazing at the residence in front of him and recalling the stench-filled hut he had seen earlier. He fell into contemplation.
Gaius did not dare to interrupt. The group walked forward a bit more before he quietly said, "Leader, up ahead is the main residence."
What loomed before Maximus was a wooden wall, as tall as the outer wooden walls of this village. Skirting around the wooden wall to reach the main entrance, they found themselves facing a residence twice as large in length and height as ordinary houses, with a flag bearing the image of a stag planted atop its roof.
Seeing Maximus staring at the flag in a trance, Gaius hastily explained, "Leader, you previously ordered us not to damage the buildings of this village, so we—"
"It’s fine, let it hang there for now. It won’t be long before we replace it with our own." Maximus responded magnanimously. Then, pointing at an object diagonally in front of the main residence entrance, he asked, "What is that?"
A white stone, taller than a person, stood upright in the dirt. There was a strange symbol engraved on it, surrounded by a circle of smaller stones.
"The captives said this is their sacred Spirit of Nature."
Spirit of Nature? Druids?... Maximus recalled conversations he had had with his Gaulish subordinates, discussing the customs of the Gauls, which frequently involved mention of their revered Druidism. He had not expected the Pannonians, as an Illyrian branch, to believe in this too—perhaps they had adopted it from the Skodisqi people.
Maximus turned his attention away from the white stone and noticed that the space enclosed by wooden walls was rather broad. The main road leading from the gate to the residence divided the area into two sections. One side was scattered with eight or nine grass huts, while the other side was an open space with level ground...
"This is the Segestica people’s training ground." Gaius explained. "Originally, several wooden racks stood around the edge of the field, adorned with weapons and shields, but we have since taken them."
The leader of this Segestica tribe had actually built an "inner citadel" at the center of the village!... Maximus surveyed the surroundings, marveling at his army’s good fortune. If not for the Skodisqi slaves killing this leader and triggering a revolt that plunged the village into chaos, the soldiers—even if they had stormed the village—would have faced a leader who could defend the main residence with remnants of his troops, greatly delaying their occupation of the entire village.
After examining the main residence, Maximus refrained from heading outside. He turned to Gaius and asked, "Where do you plan to place the Segestica prisoners I brought tonight?"
"Behind that row of longhouses, near the river, there are dozens of houses similar to the longhouses. However, they lack walls and are open on all four sides. The interiors are filled with straw bedding. Previously, these were where the Skodisqi slaves slept, referred to by the Segestica people as ’pig houses.’ They’ll be perfect for arranging the Segestica captives, letting them taste the conditions of their slaves."
There was a hint of vindictive satisfaction in Gaius’ words. Having been enslaved for many years himself, he bore a natural resentment toward the Segestica people due to similar past experiences.
"Earlier, you mentioned there were over 3,000 Skodisqi slaves here, yet I brought more than 6,000 Segestica captives, twice their number. How can they all fit?" Maximus asked again.
"Let the captives squeeze together. If there’s truly no space, they can sleep outside the houses. The weather is hot right now, so sleeping outdoors will be cooler. Keeping them concentrated will also make it easier for us to maintain control." Pequot interjected, not the only former slave among them.
Maximus gave him a glance and said, "Good idea. Let’s settle it that way. Gaius, you don’t need to accompany me any longer. Go assist Camillus and Oluus in quickly settling the troops. It’ll be dark soon."
"By the way, has dinner been prepared?"
"Acronis and her team are working on it. They’ve slaughtered ten sheep and dozens of ducks, saying the soldiers deserve a feast to celebrate their victory."
"That’s a good arrangement." Maximus nodded approvingly.
After Gaius left, Maximus turned to Akegu and said, "Go bring in that old Skodisqi man we mentioned earlier."
Not long after, the elderly Skodisqi man was brought into the main hall of the residence, where Maximus sat at the head seat, appreciating the unexpected comfort of the chair he was seated on.
The chair was made of oak, heavy and sturdy, polished smoothly. The seat was hollowed out and interwoven with thin ropes made from reed stalks tied to the edges. Animal hide lay over the woven surface. Despite his weight, sitting on the chair’s resin-webbed seat didn’t cause it to collapse; rather, it provided remarkable softness and comfort. The hide was tanned skillfully, smooth and pliable, demonstrating the Segestica people’s craftsmanship in woodwork, weaving, and tanning.
"Respected leader, Skodisqi Druid Emmerich pays his respects to you!" The old man bowed humbly and greeted fluently in Illyrian.
Hearing this, Maximus immediately examined him closely: he was tall and skinny, with pale, long hair and a beard growing untidily around his head, making his skull appear large. His wrinkled face resembled tree bark, save for his still-bright eyes. His tattered clothing made him seem like a withered tree adorned with fluttering cloth strips standing in the hall...
The image was strikingly similar to the characters Maximus had seen in fantasy films or novels in his previous life. He jestingly asked, "You’re a Druid; can you perform magic?"
"What is magic?" Emmerich looked puzzled.
Maximus coughed lightly, putting away his playful tone. He asked seriously, "What kind of Druid are you?"
Upon hearing this, Emmerich realized the young leader from outside the mountainous area had some understanding of Druids, and his spirits lifted. He earnestly replied, "In the Skodisqi Tribe, I primarily taught knowledge and treated illnesses."