"Over a decade ago, the Segestica people utterly defeated the Skodisqi Tribe I belonged to, killing the Great Chief and all his immediate family members, leaving behind only his five-year-old daughter. This child, at such a tender age, became a female slave of the Segestica people, growing up under the harsh lashes and merciless blows of their whips and sticks..."
"Later, she was gifted by the Great Chief of the Segestica people to Wallis, the master of this village. Wallis himself was a cruel and ruthless wolf among the Segestica, frequently abusing this child in public to humiliate all the Skodisqi people in the village. He believed that the delicate little girl would be tamed like a dog, but what he didn’t know was that she had never forgotten the overwhelming hatred of her tribe’s extermination. When your army attacked this village, she seized the opportunity and stabbed Wallis to death—"
Maximus listened quietly, his expression showing surprise: "The Segestica leader was killed by a girl?!"
"Indeed. However, she was seriously injured by Wallis’ dying counterattack and fell into a coma..." Emmerich implored earnestly: "I beg the leader to give her the best medical care, and after she recovers, to provide more care for her. She is far too frail and weak to endure heavy labor."
"What is this girl’s name?" Maximus asked with interest.
"Florist Luscia," Emmerich replied. "Translated into Illyrian, it means ’flower.’"
"Florist Luscia..." Maximus murmured the name softly, then gazed at Emmerich and asked bluntly: "What does this girl’s existence mean to you Skodisqi people?!"
"Our tribe has been annihilated, what more could we dare to hope for?" Emmerich said with a bitter smile, speaking cautiously. "But back then, the Great Chief treated the clansmen well, so the child’s existence represents for everyone a nostalgic longing for the goodness of the past, amidst the hardship of slavery..."
Maximus pondered briefly, then nodded and said, "I understand. I assure you that Florist Luscia will be well cared for! Where is she now?"
"At my earnest request earlier, the tribe’s doctors should have carried her into a large courtyard and are treating her alongside other injured soldiers. Since they won’t let me in, I’m uncertain about her current condition," Emmerich said worriedly.
"You are now the medical officer of our tribe. Not only will no one stop you from going there, they’ll likely form a line to welcome you instead," Maximus said, half-jokingly and half-seriously. He stood up, waved his hand, and said, "Let’s go; we’ll head there now."
The Medical Department’s temporary medical camp in this village was established next to the leader’s main residence, in the section where the Segestica nobles lived. Helios had repurposed several courtyards into wards for the injured.
When Horace hurried out from the courtyard, his pale gray linen robes stained with fresh blood, Maximus frowned: "Horace, as the Chief Officer of the Medical Department, you should oversee the overall situation, allocating personnel and medical supplies, rather than acting like an ordinary doctor in the field. If your subordinates urgently need you but can’t find you, wouldn’t the entire medical camp fall into chaos?"
"There’s no chaos; everything has been arranged." Horace quickly explained: "It’s just that the camp has too many wounded, and we’re understaffed, so I had to go in personally to lend a hand."
"How many injured are there?" Maximus asked casually.
"The wounded brought in earlier total over 450, plus the 330 who were already here but couldn’t yet be moved to the temporary camp. And since our medical personnel were split into two groups, staffing has been a bit tight."
Horace, fearing Maximus might misunderstand, clarified further: "Actually, most of our own soldiers’ injuries aren’t serious, and we have relatively few casualties. The majority of the severely injured are Segestica and Skodisqi soldiers. The Segestica injuries are mainly stab wounds, which we’re experienced in treating. However, among the Skodisqi, some injuries are from repeated trampling and are extremely severe. Even Minujus has been at a loss to handle some of them."
Maximus cast a glance at Emmerich nearby. Though Emmerich’s face showed deep concern, he surprisingly managed to hold his tongue.
"Who’s in charge of the temporary camp?" Maximus asked.
"It’s Ikechiu. The injuries of those sent to the temporary camp are relatively minor, so treatment there should be manageable."
Ikechiu, a Roman Army slave who joined the Medical Camp alongside Horace, was known for his diligence and shared a close bond with Horace. He was likely Horace’s favored candidate for another deputy medical officer position.
"Having many wounded is not a problem. If treatment is administered according to my previous instructions, it shouldn’t be this hectic." Maximus reminded.
Maximus’ prior instructions were clear: treat his own troops as thoroughly as possible, ensuring even the gravely wounded were cared for; make a concerted effort for Skodisqi soldiers; and for severe Segestica injuries, they could be left unattended.
Horace, of course, hadn’t forgotten Maximus’ directives, but with his strong sense of responsibility, it was apparent he couldn’t entirely neglect the critically injured Segestica soldiers. He instead pivoted, saying, "Leader, I think you’ve allocated too few personnel to our Medical Department. Look at how this one battle has left our entire medical camp overwhelmed and scrambling. We should increase the number of positions in our Medical Department so we can better handle future wars."