Maximus, upon hearing this, fell into deep thought.
Flanitnus waited for a while. Seeing that Maximus still hadn’t said anything, he grew slightly uneasy and secretly shot glances at Quintus.
Though the two often vied with each other, this was a significant matter for the Military Department, and Quintus naturally couldn’t stand idly by. He cleared his throat lightly and began, "Leader, your previous method of awarding merits was more detailed. It could thoroughly incentivize the soldiers to fight and more accurately showcase their performance on the battlefield...
However, to implement it, it requires many subordinates skilled in arithmetic and a substantial amount of time to record the soldiers’ merits. In the course of a war, which often consists of many battles, this would demand even more effort, with an increased risk of errors in the records.
We all know from experience leading troops that if soldiers earn merits but are not rewarded promptly, their morale will be affected. They might even grow disunited and blame each other—this is certainly not what we want, as it entirely contradicts the purpose of our Twenty Peerage System.
The method proposed by Flanitnus is simpler and rougher, but it allows our Military Department to record merits more efficiently and helps foster camaraderie among the soldiers. After all, we are now employing Rome’s tactics, relying not on individual combat prowess but on the cohesive formations of the legion units—"
"Enough, no need to say more. I’m not that stubborn," Maximus said calmly. "If we’ve discovered during implementation that the current method of recording soldier merits and promotions is impractical, then it should be revised.
Alright, Flanitnus, your method seems more effective and convenient to me than the previous one. Here’s what we’ll do: you, Quintus, and Lebilus—yes, the three of you—work together after this to deliberate and draft a comprehensive new plan for recording soldiers’ merits and promotions. Once it’s ready, bring it to the Political Affairs Hall for collective review and revisions. It must be finalized and announced to all the tribes before our war with the Pannonians begins, so we can implement the updated Twenty Peerage System!"
"Understood!" Flanitnus and the other two responded, a mix of tension and excitement in their voices.
.............................................
After everyone left, Maximus eased the solemnity on his face. He started tapping his finger thoughtfully on the wooden table: It seems some political systems transplanted from my previous life still need to be continually improved through practice to better adapt to new environments and maximize their effectiveness within the tribe.
While he was pondering, his Attendant entered. "Leader, Lord Pigeris requests an audience."
"Leader, great news! The Aldeans have agreed to allocate thirty percent of the annual salt mine output to our tribe!" Pigeris exclaimed excitedly the moment he entered the room.
"Thirty percent of the salt mine?!" Maximus stood up in surprise. "I remember before you set off, we discussed that in this negotiation with the Aldeans, we would aim to secure twenty percent of the salt mine output. I didn’t expect you to negotiate for thirty percent!"
"Leader, it wasn’t entirely my doing," Pigeris said humbly, glancing at the map on the wooden table. At Maximus’ prompting, he took a seat on a wooden chair.
"The First Legion’s stellar achievements made the negotiations go incredibly smoothly," Pigeris explained modestly. "In fact, I initially only proposed twenty-five percent. The additional five percent was voluntarily offered by the Aldeans."
"Voluntarily offered by the Aldeans..." Maximus immediately grew cautious. "What additional demands did they put forward?"
"The Aldeans made two requests," Pigeris replied seriously. "The first is that they hope we can help them permanently secure the salt mine. If the Otarlat people or other tribes invade their southern territories and threaten the salt mine, we must send troops to repel the invaders and protect the mine."
"As allies, it’s natural for us to assist them in defending against aggressors according to our treaty. The Aldeans are just being cautious!"
Maximus smirked and chuckled. "It’s understandable. Last year, when the Pannonians attacked us, they didn’t dispatch a single soldier to aid us... This request, I can agree to. What’s the second?"
Pigeris’ expression turned perplexed. "According to Cleobrotas, who negotiated with me, this second request was proposed by their Great Chief, Acoupaigos. He hopes that you, Leader, would marry his granddaughter, Geniandafra.
I specifically inquired about her. Geniandafra is the only child of Cleobrotas’ elder son, Nikaredes, and the daughter of the Aldean Great Chief. She’s sixteen years old and is said to be quite beautiful..."
The moment Pigeris mentioned the second request, Maximus—ever the political creature—instinctively recognized this as a golden opportunity and of course felt it should be accepted without hesitation.
However, he displayed a troubled expression and fell into silence.
Seeing this, Pigeris hastily tried to persuade him. "Leader, the Aldeans have made this request to forge a closer bond with our Nix Tribe. By marrying Geniandafra, you would be united with both the Aldean Great Chief and their most respected elder, Cleobrotas. This would ensure we receive the Aldeans’ assistance in any future conflict with the Pannonians.
Moreover, this would eliminate the reservations of the Aldean tribes in the north about interacting with us. Those Aldean tribespeople who have lost their lands and are struggling to survive would no longer hesitate to join us..."
Maximus, however, hesitated and said, "I understand the benefits of marrying the Aldean Great Chief’s granddaughter for our tribe, but... I already have two wives. What will the tribespeople think if I take a third?"
"Leader, the tribespeople won’t resent you; on the contrary, they’ll be even more grateful!" Pigeris passionately argued. "It’s obvious to everyone: the high salt mine share the Aldeans granted us is clearly part of Geniandafra’s dowry!
We’ve long been short on salt, even to the extent that it affects our tribespeople’s agricultural work and military training. Should you marry Geniandafra, this problem would be entirely resolved. The tribespeople won’t have to worry about the lack of salt sapping their strength, and they’ll also be able to preserve more meat from slaughtered livestock or river fish they catch.
Leader, this marriage of yours will significantly improve the lives of the tribespeople!"
Maximus sighed softly and said helplessly, "Alright, bring this matter up at the next Political Affairs Hall meeting. If no one raises objections, you and Ritual Officer Kefisofon shall handle the wedding arrangements."
"Understood! I promise to make the wedding a grand celebration!" Pigeris responded excitedly.
"It doesn’t need to be too extravagant," Maximus reminded him gently. "Don’t forget about Nexia."
Pigeris’ heart skipped a beat as he recalled the warm help he had received from the Leader’s wife on a recent hospital visit for his injured leg. Feeling a twinge of guilt, he replied somberly, "Yes, Leader, you’re absolutely right."
Not wanting to dwell on this topic, Maximus shifted the conversation. "Did you discover anything while accompanying the First Legion to the southern regions of the Aldean tribe?"
Pigeris immediately caught on and said, "Leader, on this southern expedition, I found significant internal issues within the Aldeans."
"Oh?" Maximus leaned forward in interest.
"The Aldeans are currently divided into three factions: the northern tribes living in the mountains and along the upper Kupa River, the southern tribes along the Murenica and Kolana Rivers, and the western tribes in the mountains and hills...
The northern tribes have either lost their original lands or have barren territories. They are desperate for change, but the Aldean collective lacks the capacity to help them, which is why they’ve turned to us...
The western tribes face similar issues with barren lands, which weaken their strength. However, many among them have followed Karsipengpas into piracy, and the looted goods allow them to scrape by. Because of this, Karsipengpas holds substantial influence among the western tribes...
The southern tribes are the strongest. However, they fear that the northern tribes, whose homes were destroyed by the Segestica people, will move southward and compete for their land and wealth. As a result, they’ve united tightly, unwilling to make compromises. This displeasure extends even toward Great Chief Acoupaigos, who has repeatedly called for more support for the northern tribes.
Among these southern tribes, the strongest is Acoupaigos’ Main Camp, followed by Ambrosius’ tribe. Ambrosius is adept at building relationships and happens to be Alistacas’ father-in-law. While the southern tribal leaders outwardly follow Alistacas’ orders, I’ve noticed they seem to pay more heed to Ambrosius’ advice. He tends to keep a low profile, almost as if he’s Alistacas’ Attendant..."
"Interesting." Maximus stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Do go on."
"Leader, your new grandfather-in-law—" Pigeris began with a playful tone but faltered slightly under Maximus’ gaze. He cleared his throat awkwardly before continuing, "This Cleobrotas, although greatly trusted as a tribal elder by Acoupaigos, seems to be distanced, even excluded, by Alistacas. The southern tribal leaders also don’t seem close to him, while he has better relations with the northern and western tribal leaders.
The main reason for this is that several measures implemented in recent years by Acoupaigos to assist the northern tribes and ease internal tribal conflicts were enforced by Cleobrotas. Naturally, this has harmed the interests of the southern tribes to some extent.
Another reason is that Cleobrotas’ tribe is not located along the Murenica and Kolana Rivers but in the hills between the Murenica River and the western mountains. It’s considered a fairly large tribe and, strictly speaking, should be classified as part of the western faction...
Nonetheless, Cleobrotas doesn’t seem to mind Alistacas’ exclusion. During the recent southern campaign, he actively assisted Alistacas. According to what I’ve gathered, Acoupaigos and Cleobrotas grew up together like brothers and share a profound bond. It’s possible Cleobrotas views Alistacas as a nephew or son."