"You better take good care of your wife first," Maximus teased.
After making a joke, Maximus looked at Pusilola and said gently in Illyrian, "I’m glad you chose Gaius. He is capable and trusted by everyone. You will be very happy marrying him—"
Clearly, Maximus was trying to flatter Gaius, which made Gaius quite grateful.
But halfway through his words, Maximus suddenly stopped and stared at Pusilola’s face, uncertainly asking, "You’re not a Skodisqi, you’re a Segestica?"
The Skodisqi and Pannonians have ruled each other for decades. Due to various reasons, there have been many intermarriages, causing their appearances to become similar, but there are still noticeable differences. Maximus, who had paid attention to these differences, noticed something wasn’t right after a closer look.
"I’m a person of Segestica. My original husband died in battle, and I became a widow," Pusilola tried to keep her tone calm.
Maximus didn’t pay attention to the hint of resentment in Pusilola’s words. He was only thinking about one thing: this was the first marriage between a tribe member and a captured Pannonian woman. It was a good start and an excellent example!
His mind raced, and he asked in Latin, "Gaius, did you know that the wife you are going to marry is from Segestica?"
"I just heard her say it."
Maximus said solemnly, "Your marriage is a great thing for our tribe! After this group’s matchmaking is over, you two will return to the center of the field, and I will bless you both again in front of everyone!"
Hearing this, Gaius knew his choice was correct, and he became excited, repeatedly saying, "Thank you, leader!..."
Pusilola looked at Gaius with confusion.
Gaius wanted to explain to her, but unfortunately, the language barrier prevented him from doing so, and he had to seek Maximus’s help.
"Gaius, you should step up your learning of the Illyrian language," Maximus reminded him with a smile.
"It’s precisely to learn Illyrian well that I chose such a wife," Gaius joked lightly in a relaxed mood.
So Maximus repeated what he had just said to Pusilola in Illyrian.
After Pusilola listened, she felt the young leader’s care for her marriage. She instinctively touched her abdomen, and after a fierce mental battle, she finally made up her mind. She looked at Maximus earnestly and said, "Leader, while you bless our marriage, I hope you also bless the child in my belly!"
Maximus was surprised, and he instinctively looked at Pusilola’s abdomen.
"It’s probably only three months, not showing yet, it’s my deceased husband’s. He was your enemy, but the child is innocent. Please allow him to grow up healthy!" Pusilola pleaded, her face full of appeal, and as she bent her knees to kneel to Maximus, Maximus quickly supported her.
"What... what’s going on?" Gaius, still in the dark, was puzzled by the situation.
While Nexia didn’t understand what Pusilola said, she could somewhat sense the situation and stepped forward to comfort the emotional Pusilola.
Maximus pulled Gaius aside and whispered, "The woman you chose is pregnant, did you know?"
"She’s pregnant?!" Gaius was wide-eyed and stunned for a moment before looking at Maximus.
Maximus, devoid of any emotion, said, "It’s her deceased husband’s child, seems like only three months."
Gaius smiled, "Leader, this is a good thing! At my age and physical condition, who knows if I can have a child in the future. This is the Divine pitying my past, a special gift to me. I will treat him as my own son and raise him well!"
Maximus observed his expression, feeling it was genuine, and after considering his words, said, "Gaius, your kindness truly impresses me! I hope that while blessing your marriage, we can also bless that child. You know, among the Pannonian families we captured, some children have fathers who fell to our short swords. If our people, when marrying their mothers, could raise these children well like you, that would be wonderful!"
"Leader, I don’t mind letting others know I married a pregnant wife. On the contrary, once it’s public, I won’t have to worry about gossip later," Gaius was not only clear about the gains and losses involved but also very determined, "As long as it can help the tribe, I am willing to let my marriage and my future child be an example for everyone!"
At this moment, Maximus truly saw Gaius in a new light and repeatedly said, "Very good! Very good!—"
"Leader, leader!" At this moment, Quintus came over. Since he resolutely refused to participate in matchmaking, Maximus temporarily had him command the soldiers, responsible for maintaining order in the entire venue.
Seeing him approaching, Maximus couldn’t help but tease, "What’s wrong, Quintus? Are you coming to find me at this time because you’ve changed your mind and also want to find a wife?"