"What kind of compensation are you referring to?" Pigeris asked with interest.
"I would like your tribesmen to work in my tribe, primarily to help my people cultivate the land. In the Nix Tribe, many of the tribesmen were previously engaged in warfare or other trades and are not skilled in farming. Your tribe, on the other hand, has lived along this riverside land for generations, understanding the nature of this soil and being much better at cultivating it...
By next year’s harvest, I plan for your tribesmen who come to assist to receive at least 10 to 20 percent of the land’s yield, possibly more. The exact amount will depend on negotiations between our tribesmen."
The tribal leaders conferred softly among themselves for a while, eventually expressing that they were willing to consider the suggestion from Maximus.
At the request of the Aldean leaders, Maximus quickly drafted an oath with them. The gist was: When the Nix Tribe attacks the Pannonians, these Aldean tribes will send troops to aid them. In the event of victory, Maximus must distribute some of the newly conquered Pannonian territory to these tribes. The land allocated must suffice to support all their tribesmen. The leaders of these tribes must encourage their tribesmen to work for the Nix Tribe, with compensation decided through negotiations between their people...
The oath was carved onto a wooden plank, and both sides signed their names or pressed their handprints on it. Aside from a joint declaration to their respected divine beings to abide by the agreement, there was no elaborate ceremony. Pigeris and the others hoped that the arrangement would remain secret and not be known to others.
Maximus, of course, was happy to comply.
After the matter was concluded, the tribal leaders declined Maximus’s invitation to a feast and hurriedly left Snowdonia. Halfway through their journey, Tenodolitis paused on the riverbank, turning to look back at the bustling village.
"Stop looking. Since we’ve signed the oath, it’s equivalent to abandoning the land that once belonged to us. But I trust that Leader Maximus will honor the agreement and allocate us lands that won’t be much worse than what we had before," Cleonidas consoled.
"No, it’s not that I can’t let go of our past land. It’s that I’m looking at that—" Tenodolitis raised his right hand, pointing toward the wooden bridge spanning across the Kupa River. Though many craftsmen were still hard at work on it, its frame was already completed, and the bridge deck was almost done, making it passable...
Before entering Maximus’s hall for negotiations, the Aldean leaders had made a point to stop by the bridge’s foundation, examining it closely.
At this moment, Tenodolitis remarked with deep emotion, "I’m looking at that bridge—a real bridge! Our tribe lived here for decades, always troubled by crossing the river. We built a few floating bridges, only to have them washed away every rainy season, so we largely relied on boats...
But they’ve been here just a few months, and they’ve already built such a large bridge! The Pannonians, Boyi people, Skodisqi people, the rumored Dacians, and even us—who among us could have done this?"
"None of the groups here could," Pigeris interjected, "but the Nix Tribe can fight wars and has the capability to construct such a grand bridge. Their settling here might be with the intent to transform everything. That’s why we’re willing to forge an oath with Leader Maximus. I believe we’ve made a wise choice."
The other tribal leaders nodded in agreement.
Cleonidas asked, "Pigeris, your tribe is currently split between the two shores, depending on a fragile floating bridge for connection. Didn’t it collapse suddenly last year, causing many to fall into the water? Why didn’t you just ask Leader Maximus to build you a wooden bridge one?"
Pigeris shook his head and replied, "Today, we’re here to discuss serious matters. I can’t let personal issues interfere with the group’s goals. Besides, we’ll get new territory in the future. If we’re going to build a bridge, it should be there. Why waste time building one at that cramped location?"
"It seems you’re genuinely confident that you’ll get land from the Nix Tribe."
"It’s our only hope, isn’t it?" Pigeris’s rhetorical question left the others in silence.
Soon, Ciciliotes loudly declared, "I think we should do all we can to assist the Nix Tribe, making them stronger and more capable of defeating the Pannonians. That way, we’ll not only get land but also other rewards from Leader Maximus, like a bridge..."
.....................
After the Aldean leaders left, Maximus fell into deep thought. Through the recent oath, he realized that the Aldean tribes were far from united: divisions existed between tribes that had lost their lands and those that had not. Moreover, Great Chief Acoupaigos was rumored to be seriously ill... There might be opportunities here...
Maximus tapped the armrest of his chair lightly, not noticing Akegu approaching him: "Leader, Pigres has requested to see you!"
"Oh, Pigres is back. Let him in."
Pigres entered the hall, and Maximus scrutinized him for a moment. "It doesn’t seem like you’ve brought any good news."
"Leader, there’s no good news, but there’s none that’s bad either." Pigres sat down in the nearest empty seat, took a large sip of water, then said, "The Segestica people rejected our request for them to withdraw from both sides of the Kupa River. However, they recognize the lands we currently occupy and assure that they won’t demand their return."
"They want to reclaim the lands we hold?" Maximus let out a scornful laugh.
"However, regarding our proposal that ’if they desire a ceasefire, they must provide compensation,’ they didn’t outright refuse. Instead, they offered this: ’If we release all captured Segestica warriors and their families, they are willing to pay a considerable ransom, including a vast amount of grain and livestock...’"
"Hmmm..." Maximus mused for a moment, then said, "It seems the Segestica people are desperate for a ceasefire, which aligns with what I’d previously learned... The Segestica Great Leader is gravely injured and unable to govern, and our former captive, the nobleman Cabdes, is temporarily in charge. The entire tribe is in turmoil...
Currently, the Segestica tribe is in poor condition, and they have no choice but to submit temporarily. Therefore, we absolutely cannot release all of the Segestica captives. If we let them recover their strength all at once, they’ll become a headache for us later. I think we can release between 500 and 1,000 of them. You determine the exact number, but the ransom must be substantial to address our grain shortage."
"Understood, Leader." Pigres’s eyes gleamed as he emphasized, "I have an idea. After we decide the number of captives to release, we could ask the Segestica people to list the names of those they want released. We could reference that list but don’t necessarily have to follow it entirely..."
After a brief moment of thought, Maximus grasped Pigres’s meaning: allowing the Segestica leadership to decide which captives to release would shift some of the tension onto them. Families of those not released would harbor resentment towards their leaders. Moreover, the Segestica leaders would most likely prioritize releasing captives of higher status, further exacerbating conflicts with ordinary tribe members... It was an overt strategy—one the Segestica leadership would recognize but still have to accept.
"Good idea. Let’s do it this way," Maximus praised.
Pigres chuckled slyly and added, "The Segestica envoys also proposed that the ceasefire agreement’s initial term be set at one year. If both sides strictly adhere to its terms during this time, they’re willing to renew the agreement..."
"One year? It seems we and the Segestica people are thinking along the same lines." Maximus smirked.
"Yes. What these Segestica envoys are trying to do is buy themselves a year of peace to address their tribal troubles and recover some strength. Once the ceasefire expires, they might well declare war on us," Pigres said with slight frustration.
"Aren’t we thinking the same?" Maximus tapped his fingers on the armrest confidently. "Ceasefire, peace—ultimately, the ownership of this land will still be decided by force."
........................
By early December, it was already winter. Despite Snowdonia and Westeni being not too far from the coast, the temperature here was noticeably colder compared to Italy’s mild winters. While snow hadn’t fallen, the midday sun offered little warmth. Living by the river made the cold damp, and when the wind blew, it pierced to the bone, an unpleasant sensation indeed.
However, on this day, despite the overcast skies and colder-than-usual weather, the majority of the Nix Tribe had gathered in the fields outside Snowdonia Village.
Tens of thousands of people formed a loose, massive circle. Each of their faces glimmered with eager anticipation, their gazes fixed on the center of the circle, where a simple wooden stage had been erected. On the stage stood their leader, Maximus, holding a long horn made from tree bark to his lips. In a booming voice, he proudly announced, "My tribesmen! Today, I have summoned you here to fulfill something you have long awaited—the distribution of land!"
The moment his words fell, an uproar erupted. Cheers reverberated like thunder, deafeningly loud and unceasing.
With a warm smile, Maximus surveyed the ecstatic crowd. He made no effort to quiet them down, for he knew they had been longing for this moment for far too long.