Florist Luscia responded gently, "I’m not tired, my sister takes good care of me."
Maximus, his emotions surging, reached out his hand toward her slightly rounded belly.
Florist Luscia said softly, "The doctor said the baby is still small and doesn’t move yet, but he is very healthy."
Maximus nodded and withdrew his hand, the excitement on his face quickly fading. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn ⓝovelFire.net
At that moment, Acronis leaned forward from behind, "Leader, it’s been more than a month since we last met—you’ve lost some weight."
Maximus touched his own face, "Have I?"
"Yes." Acronis said with concern, "It seems you’ve been too busy lately, not eating or sleeping properly. But now that we’re here, you don’t have to worry anymore; we’ll take good care of you!"
Maximus laughed heartily, "The new main house we’re living in now is bigger than before. I’ve been waiting for you, my capable chief steward, to take charge of it properly! I haven’t eaten your cooking in ages, so tonight make a lavish dinner—we’ll celebrate together."
"Yes, Leader, leave it to me! I won’t let you down!" Acronis said confidently.
Maximus then turned to Nexia and said, "You’ve walked three days—surely you’re all tired. Return to the main house and rest for now; I’ll join you there tonight for a proper reunion."
"Leader, don’t worry about us; you can go ahead and attend to your duties. We’ll take care of ourselves," Nexia responded thoughtfully, then glanced around. "Florist Luscia, Geniandafra, let’s go to the main house."
"Okay, sister," Florist Luscia responded immediately.
Under Maximus’s smiling gaze, Geniandafra reluctantly murmured a reply.
Led by an attendant, Maximus’s three wives, Acronis, and her team entered the camp first.
Afterward, Maximus enthusiastically welcomed the arriving families of Nix officials and the tribesmen’s families...
By the time the entire Nix migration group had settled into the camp, his throat was hoarse and his waist and legs sore. But it was not yet time to rest, as the Alde migration group had also arrived closely behind.
Maximus strode forward, "Haha, Elder Budocaribas, welcome, welcome! You certainly kept us waiting!"
Budocaribas said apologetically, "Actually, we were eager to come early, but you know how it is—the Great Chief’s funeral and Alistacas’s succession were significant events for our tribe. We had to attend, which delayed us quite a bit. I deeply apologize for keeping you waiting!"
"No matter the reason, it’s good that you’re here! Was the journey smooth?"
"Smooth, very smooth! Thanks to your meticulous arrangements and care!" Budocaribas replied gratefully, then remarked with deep emotion, "This time, I’ve noticed significant changes here! Just a month ago, when I last came, we still needed military escorts. Those Segestica people hiding in various tribes glared at us with hatred...
This time, I saw many Segestica people and Skodisqi people along the way. They didn’t show hatred or fear, only focused on working in the fields. Some were even helping each other... You Nix people are truly remarkable—bringing two former enemy tribes to the point where they can coexist peacefully in just over a month!"
Maximus replied honestly, "I wouldn’t call it peace—just barely able to coexist. There are still many issues, but as long as everyone has the desire for a better life, I believe the people here will come to coexist more harmoniously."
"You’re right, everyone desires a better life—that’s why we chose to come here," Budocaribas replied, then asked with concern, "Seeing how stable things are here puts my mind at ease, but I wonder—where will our settlement be?"
"We’ve got everything arranged, just waiting for your question." Maximus gestured behind him, "Bring the map forward."
Immediately, two attendants carried over a wooden map to Maximus.
"Elder Budocaribas, take a look." Maximus pointed to the map and explained, "This is the Sava River. This is our Nix’s new main camp—Ophelia. This entire area represents the territory we’ve fully controlled. We’ve allocated these locations for your settlements—here, here, and here, involving four former Segestica villages.
We’ve already relocated the residents of those villages, so you can move in directly. Based on the information you relayed to me through your messenger, your group consists of nine tribes, totaling 8,300 people.
Since your tribe has relatively more people and the other tribes each have fewer than 1,000, I suggest two or three tribes share one village. Additionally, this particular village is the largest, with the most fertile land and a nearby lake. Given your tribe’s population of over 2,000, it’s best suited as your tribe’s settlement."
The detailed and intuitive map was impressive, but Budocaribas had no time to appreciate it. He stared at the black dots representing the villages, marked with red symbols, and his mind raced.
Previously, the messenger had relayed information about the proposed settlements, but Nix hadn’t completely controlled this area at that time, so the arrangements were tentative.
Now, the settlements marked on the map had some differences. The four villages were not connected but separated. Three villages were east of the Sava River, south of Ophelia East Village, while the village proposed for his tribe was west of the Sava River, south of Ophelia Western Fortress. The location indeed featured a lake and proximity to the river, surrounded by other villages, with no apparent security issues. However...
Budocaribas furrowed his brow, hesitated briefly, then couldn’t hold back and said, "Leader Maximus, the settlements you allocated differ from what you previously mentioned. Why not let our tribes settle closer together? Being dispersed might make our tribesmen uneasy!"
Quintus chimed in to reply, "We wanted to do so for easier management for both your tribes and ours, but the challenge was relocating all the residents of adjacent villages. For example, this one—"
Quintus pointed to a village on the map near another marked settlement, "More than half of the Segestica people in this village have voluntarily joined us Nix, becoming part of our tribe. Some elderly folks insisted they wouldn’t leave no matter what, saying things like, ’Even if I die, my bones must rest on my family’s land.’...
We put considerable effort into reassuring these Segestica people who willingly joined us. Naturally, we couldn’t forcibly relocate them, which would only provoke dissatisfaction and anger, harming regional stability, wouldn’t you agree? So we’ve done our best to relocate the villagers and managed to gather these settlements..."
Budocaribas found no counterarguments and remained silent.
Maximus spoke up, "Elder Budocaribas, if you’re dissatisfied with our arrangement and want your tribes to settle together, there is one alternative."
"What alternative?" Budocaribas asked eagerly.
"There are two areas of Segestica territory not yet under Nix’s control—the northern region and the Gonami Lake area in the south," Maximus pointed to the map and explained, "The Gonami Lake area near Brochi is not something we plan to act on for now.
The northern Segestica tribes still hold some power, but I’ve heard the Yapode people—who have enmity with Segestica—have recently been clashing repeatedly with the northern Segestica tribes. If they hear news that Segestica’s core territory has been occupied by Nix, they will undoubtedly launch another war against these local tribes. At that time, we’ll assess the situation and might send troops to occupy this region, after which we can allocate part of the land for your settlement."
Privately, Budocaribas shook his head. This was merely Nix’s plan and depended on when the Yapode people would strike; it wouldn’t happen soon. He had already brought his tribe here—should they return to wait? And what would the people along the Murenica River think of him?
Quintus observed Budocaribas’s expression and added, "You don’t need to worry. We’ll build roads connecting these villages and construct several more wooden bridges across the Sava River. Even if your tribes don’t settle together, the convenience of travel here might exceed what you experienced living in the mountain regions."
Budocaribas paused and then asked, "What settlement arrangements did you make for the Xisaites tribesmen?"
Quintus pointed to three spots on the map.
Budocaribas examined them closely: three villages, still scattered across the area and not adjacent to the Alde tribes’ settlements.
Budocaribas sighed and said, "Leader Maximus, please give me a moment. I need to discuss this with the other leaders. By the way, may I borrow this map for now?"
Budocaribas carried the wooden map back to his group.