Rome must fall.

Chapter 287 Foreign Auxiliary Citizens
Volenus took over the conversation and said, "For the prisoners in the camp, we still use the old method, just give them enough food every day, use hunger to reduce their resistance and wear down their ferocity...

We were relatively tolerant of the captives in the village. We gave them enough food every day and allowed them to walk around the village. We even allowed them to climb the wooden wall, look at the barracks, and call out to their relatives in the barracks... Before we left, the situation of the captives was relatively stable—"

When Vorenus said this, he looked at Capito.

Capito said seriously: "Chief, we have discussed it and found that although there are more prisoners, as long as the food problem is solved, we can take care of them all.

Now that we own the territory of Segestica, the tribe's territory has become larger, but the actual labor force that can be mobilized has decreased, because after this war, all the reserve members of the tribe have become official members.

We were originally planning to build a road from Snotia to Westney, and now we have to extend this road here; we were originally planning to build a dam on the Kupa River, and now we may have to prepare to build a dam on the Sava River as well...

In short, we now need more labor to build our new territory, and we can't give these captives to the Aldi people for nothing like we did last time."

Maximus smiled and said, "You have led the tribesmen and arranged everything in the tribe very well. I have nothing to worry about! As for the issue of prisoners you mentioned, I think the same as you. In the past, we were not strong enough, so we had to give most of the Pannoni prisoners to the Ardi people. Now I think our tribe is capable of swallowing these prisoners-"

As Maximus was speaking, a servant came in: "Chief, the food is ready!"

"Come on, serve the food quickly! Let's eat first, and then we'll continue talking after we're full." Maximus called on the servants to put the food on the table.

Quintus, Volenus and the others had been traveling all day and were indeed very hungry. They stopped talking and just took big bites of bread and drank oatmeal porridge, wolfing it down. It was only after a long time that they slowed down their eating.

Maximus then said while breaking the bread: "What Capito said just now is right, we defeated the Pannonian coalition, and now we have more land, but if there are not enough people, these lands cannot be fully utilized!

However, Capito also said something wrong. Although we have completely defeated the Segestica people and occupied their main camp, we do not really own their land. That is why I urged you to come quickly, discuss some measures as soon as possible, and then lead your men to implement them as soon as possible.

We must complete the annexation of Segestica territory as soon as possible while the Segestica people are still weak and the other Pannonian tribes are unable to fight us again in the short term due to their defeat in the war! "

"Chief, you have always been wise. You must have come up with a good way to conquer this land. We just need to work hard to implement it." Cornelius couldn't help but say.

Capito glanced at him.

Maximus smiled and said, "I have been thinking about this for the whole afternoon and I do have some new ideas, but I still need to discuss them with you."

Everyone put down their bowls of porridge and focused their eyes on Maximus.

Maximus waved his hand and said, "I just said that we should discuss while we eat. It seems that you are all full, so I will ask them to take away the remaining food."

Everyone laughed and picked up the food again.

Maximus broke off a small piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth. While chewing, he said, "When you came here, you saw that the Segestica people here were afraid of us, but this fear was not enough to make them surrender to us. Last night, I showed the five or six thousand Segestica people in the village the kindness of the Nix tribe to them, and told them the many benefits of joining our tribe. I also asked the Segestica recruits to persuade them. In the end, how many people do you think are willing to join our tribe?"

"More than 1000 people?"

"About 800 people?"

"That's too many. I think there are only 500 people."

... "Only 103 people." Maximus squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth.

Everyone was stunned.

"Only 103 out of five or six thousand prisoners are willing to join. This is really too few!" Capito expressed his disappointment directly.

"Although there are fewer people, I think this is a good start. After all, they have lived in the Segestica tribe for generations. It will be difficult for them to suddenly join a strange and hostile tribe. After a long time, they will realize that the fact that we, the Nyx, are the masters of this land will not change, and they will naturally choose to join..." Volenus comforted.

"That's one reason you said, but there are other reasons." Maximus picked up the empty porridge bowl, motioned to the attendant to scoop another bowl, and then said: "I met with the Segestica people who had just joined the tribe this afternoon. After talking with them, I feel that the tribe's twenty-title system still has some flaws-"

"No way, chief! The system of twenty titles is the best system you have formulated for our tribe with the blessing of the gods! The reason why our tribe was able to defeat the powerful Pannoni tribal alliance after only settling here for one year is mainly because of this magical system! It is the best and we cannot easily change it because of some captives!..." Cornelius said excitedly.

"Yes, chief..." Although the others did not praise the system of twenty titles to the sky like Cornelius did, they also expressed their concerns about the revision of the system of twenty titles.

Maximus more or less understood their thoughts. After all, before this war, he had announced that after the victory of this war, all nine departments would receive first-class merit... They were afraid of moving their cheese!
Maximus sighed in his heart and said calmly: "Don't worry, listen to me... No system can be perfect when it comes out, it is always in the process of continuous improvement. Didn't we finally modify the twenty-rank system in order to better reward merits and promote ranks in our army? This time, I want to add another rank to the original tribesmen of our tribe!"

"Which level?" everyone asked in unison.

Maximus drank a mouthful of porridge and said slowly: "Before, in addition to the official tribesmen in our tribe, there were also reserve tribesmen, and the reserve tribesmen were mainly composed of three groups of people, the slaves of Skodischi, the captured people of Segestica, and some Segestica warrior captives who were persuaded by their families. They are all people who are willing to join our tribe and work for the tribe. The Segestica captives who refused to surrender were sent to the Aldi people as slaves.

But the situation is different now. We have occupied the territory of Segestica and have many Segestica prisoners, most of whom are unwilling to join us.

What are these captives to our tribe? Are they reserve members? If so, if we force them to work for three years, do we really have to follow the law and make them official members? If they don’t accept, isn’t that a blasphemy against our sacred system? If they pretend to accept, isn’t our tribe in danger with these restless people around? "

Maximus's series of questions stunned everyone. Sidonius was the first to react: "The leader is right. I remember that the first page of the Twenty Titles clearly states, 'All foreigners captured by the tribe and foreigners who voluntarily join the tribe will be reserve members of the tribe...' Now it seems that this is indeed a bit problematic."

Capito then said, "I think we should add another level below the reserve tribesmen. From now on, any captives who refuse to join the tribe will first be slaves!"

As soon as he said this, Volenus, Cornelius, Pigris, Carina and others all changed their expressions. The word "slave" hurt their sensitive nerves.

Maximus took over the conversation and corrected him, "No, we in the Nix tribe will not have slaves! I suggest that we set up a level of 'foreign auxiliaries' below the reserve tribesmen. Foreign auxiliaries come from captives captured by us in foreign wars who are unwilling to join the tribe. They will be forced to do labor under the tribe until they realize their mistakes and reconsider joining the tribe."

"Foreign auxiliary people..." The others murmured the word softly, and they all understood in their hearts: in fact, these captives were slaves of the tribe, just with a less sensitive name.

Volenus said directly: "I think the chief's idea is very good. The term 'foreign vassal' is very suitable for these captives of the Pannoni tribe... Well, foreign vassal - people from outside, who do not belong to our tribe, but can assist the tribe in work. Although the tribe strictly controls and supervises them, it is very tolerant to allow them to join the tribe and become a member of the tribe. Therefore, foreign vassal is completely different from those slaves in Italy!"

"That's right, foreign auxiliary people are not slaves! I agree to set up this level below the reserve tribesmen!" Pigris immediately expressed his agreement loudly.

The others had no objection, and even Sidonius said seriously: "Since foreign vassals are not members of the tribe, and the twenty-noble system is for tribal members, I don't think it is necessary to change the twenty-noble system to twenty-one."

"Yes, the foreign vassals are only appendages of the tribe. The name of the Twenty-Title System cannot be changed, and it sounds nice too." Pigris agreed loudly again.

(End of this chapter)