"But no one would have expected the Aldeans to act out of desperation and lead the mercenaries here. Whether we regret it now or complain, the fact is that these mercenaries are not only here but also planning to settle down. If we don’t take advantage of their current small numbers and send troops to eliminate them, more outsiders will likely come over the mountain in the future. By then, it will be a significant problem for us!"
The one speaking was Bricks, which surprised Andres.
Actually, there was nothing strange about it. Although Bricks held personal grievances against Andres, he had also benefited from the war against the Illyrians, aligning their interests. Moreover, the rebel army currently controlled the midstream banks of the Kupa River. However, instead of flowing directly into the Dawa River within the Segestica Territory downstream, the Kupa River detoured southward into Brochi’s land, raising concerns for Bricks about a potential threat to his territory from this enemy force.
"Mercenaries only work for money," Demikas said sternly. "The Aldeans hired them to resist Andres’ attacks and even reclaim their lost land, but they would never allow them to attack our various tribal territories. What you’re saying is mere speculation. Even if we were to eliminate this group of enemies, we should at least wait until the situation with Antosy is resolved. Fighting on two fronts simultaneously is by no means a wise strategy!"
Maitilis, seeing Andres standing there with a grim expression, quickly interjected, "Alright, everyone has expressed their views. Let’s vote on this matter."
"I agree," Temagis was the first to speak.
Bricks followed up, "I agree as well."
Then, Demikas and Pagiras both expressed their opposition.
Andres naturally supported his own proposal.
Antosy hesitated for a moment. Wary of impacting the aid from other tribes, he also voted against it.
That made the vote tied at 3:3.
"I support sending reinforcements," Maitilis’ final declaration of support brought a sigh of relief to Andres.
"How many warriors do you need?" Maitilis asked and quickly added a reminder, "Since we also need to support Antosy, we can’t send too many people to you."
"All I need is 25,000 reinforcements. I just hope they’re not all ordinary tribesmen. I’ll deploy 5,000 of my own warriors, making it a total of 30,000. We’ll surely be able to destroy this enemy and rescue my people!" Although Andres came to ask for aid, his tone remained firm.
.....................
The Murenica River flowed silently, as graceful as a demure maiden. The evening sun’s golden glow draped over its surface like a shimmering veil, mesmerizing those resting by its banks with its beauty.
However, the river’s tranquility was soon broken by countless soldiers plunging into its waters. Their frolicking and splashing imbued the river with a lively energy.
On the riverside near the inner camp of the temporary encampment, a group of women stood watching.
"Anfel, staring at your lover again?" A teasing voice came from behind. Anfel showed no trace of bashfulness from being exposed; instead, she retorted, "Isn’t everyone looking at their lover?"
"You cheeky little thing. You’ve grown bolder," a slightly older woman walking up to Anfel scolded playfully.
The older woman was Minnie, a former vineyard slave back in Campania responsible for grape cultivation and harvesting. Now, she served as a group head chef in Maximus’ rebellion army’s Supply Camp.
A group head chef managed 20 to 30 members, overseeing 3 to 4 stoves and providing meals for a large battalion of soldiers. This system was conceived by Acronis, under Maximus’ guidance, after much experimentation. Responsibilities were assigned individually to prevent slacking off among the ranks.
There were 30 such cooking groups in the rebellion army. Acronis further encouraged competition by having these groups evaluated monthly, recognizing the best-performing group with public praise and material rewards. This greatly boosted morale among the cooks and ensured the entire army was well-fed.
"Minnie, stop laughing at me. The only reason you’re not standing here watching is that your lover isn’t on that side but over there," Anfel teased, pointing toward the direction of the inner camp’s large tent.
Minnie, unshaken, responded curiously, "How did you know?"
"One time, the head was chatting with someone, and I happened to overhear," Anfel answered casually.
"Acronis and his big mouth!" Minnie muttered in slight annoyance, though not truly upset. Those women who had joined the rebellion army early on shared deep bonds, forged through countless hardships.
"Lanlan, Volenus is old and seems so dull. How did you end up liking him?" The flames of Anfel’s gossip burned brightly.
Minnie shot her a disapproving glance. "Volenus isn’t dull! He can read and calculate. He handles the little things in the camp effortlessly. Don’t be fooled by his age—he’s always running around the camp and has plenty of energy!"
"So, Minnie, you like knowledgeable, capable men!" Anfel leaned closer and lowered her voice. "Then why not go for the leader?"
"You foolish girl, don’t say such nonsense!" Minnie was startled, scolding in a hushed voice. "The leader is like a Divine to us. He’s beyond our reach! Nexia has liked him for so long, and yet nothing has come of it."
"Nexia? The head nurse of the Medical Camp likes the leader?!" Anfel’s eyes widened, nearly exclaiming in disbelief.
Minnie instinctively smacked her lightly, nervously glancing around before scolding, "What are you shouting about? I’m warning you, keep this to yourself! If Nexia finds out, what would happen if you ever need to visit the Medical Camp? She might just make things difficult for you!"
"No way," Anfel replied with skepticism. "It’s just liking someone. Everyone here has someone they fancy. No one keeps secrets about it or makes a fuss when it’s discovered..."
"Hmph, but Nexia’s affection is for the leader! The leader’s been tirelessly focused on leading us to safety out of Italy, building a new home, and making the army strong. No one dared disrupt him! Nexia could only quietly show her best side to him. A year has passed, and it seems she hasn’t made any progress. If you expose this, imagine her frustration!"
"The Supply Camp wasn’t even established yet when Nexia and I joined. I know her well. Don’t underestimate her delicate appearance; underneath, she has a fierce tenacity! You’d better remember to keep this secret buried, got it?!"
"Got it, Minnie. Don’t worry!" Anfel grumbled impatiently, "You call the head a big mouth, but I think you have a big mouth too."
Minnie couldn’t do much about Anfel and switched to discussing serious matters. "The soldiers will be done bathing soon. Is dinner ready?"
"Everything’s set. We’ve prepared five barrels of onion and lamb stew. A thousand flatbreads have been baked. The fava bean and wheat porridge is ready but will need the stew barrels to be emptied before we serve it. Each soldier also gets a small piece of smoked pork..."
Anfel lowered her voice. "During the day, I led my team to the mountains to gather some herbs and re-smoked the pork we got from the Segestica people’s settlement. The aroma is much better now. The soldiers will love it, and our group’s ratings will definitely receive this—" She proudly gave a thumbs-up.
"Well done!" Minnie praised her generously, feeling a bit sentimental.
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