Rome must fall.

Chapter 293 Negotiations with the Aldei Leaders

But Maximus did not respond, but frowned and said: "Hey, but I heard that because I led the army away too quickly, your great leader Aristakas thought I didn't want to see him, so he got very angry. I'm afraid this will affect the friendship between the two tribes!"

"Tsk, who is Aristakas? He thinks he can shake the alliance between the two tribes..." Cicelyteses just sneered a few words when he was interrupted by Budokaribas with a cough.

"Captain Maximus, Alistarcus has just become the chief and is still a little uncomfortable with it. He is a little impulsive, but he is very receptive to advice. He regretted his anger that day and said he would send someone to apologize to you..." Budokaribas said solemnly, "In fact, he is very grateful to the Nix tribe and respects you, the chief. Besides, you and he are relatives by marriage... The alliance between our two tribes is unbreakable."

Aristakas respects me? Really? ... Maximus looked at the sincere Budokaribas and laughed in his heart: Although you made up a lie to protect your leader, you still inadvertently revealed your attitude towards him, "a little impulsive". Aristakas is over 40 years old, but in your eyes, he is still a child? ...

"I feel relieved after hearing what you said." Maximus looked relaxed, then he remembered something and said, "You have come from afar, I should have treated you warmly, but now the war is going on and supplies are tight, I can't give you good things to treat you, please understand!"

"Captain Maximus, we are the ones who should apologize. You are so busy with your work, we shouldn't have come to disturb you, but..." Budokaribas considered his tone, trying to speak more tactfully.

Cicelytes next to him was a little impatient and interrupted, "Captain Maximus, to be honest, we didn't participate in Aristakas's recovery of the Corana River. It had nothing to do with us. At that time, we heard that you led your army back to Nyx and were going to fight the army of Segestica again. We wanted to take our people over to help you, but we were persuaded by Pigris. He told us not to worry and said that you would be able to easily defeat the army of Segestica again-"

"Chief, they really wanted to do this at that time, but I stopped them... I forgot to say it before." Pigris on the side said in a low voice with fear in his eyes.

Maximus nodded slightly.

"...Sure enough, not long after, we heard the news that the Segestica army was surrounded and annihilated, and the village by the Kupa River was captured by you. We also heard that you led your army to invade the territory of Segestica. After discussing it, we followed your tribe's team and came here -"

Cicelitses paused for a moment, as if he was thinking about something, then he gritted his teeth and said loudly: "Captain Maximus, we signed an agreement last year, and you promised that 'once the Nix tribe occupies enough land, you will give us some...'

Now you have defeated the Pannoni, and have taken over all the land along the middle reaches of the Kupa River. You have also captured the main camp of the Segestica people and occupied more land... So... So we came this time... to ask... to ask..."

Under Maximus's sharp gaze, Cicelytes began to stutter.

Before he could finish his last request, Maximus smiled and said, "Don't worry, my Nix tribe has always kept its promises. I think now is the time to fulfill the agreement."

The Ardei leaders were overjoyed. Cicelytes felt relieved, but he asked another question: "Really?!"

"Of course it's true!" Maximus said very seriously, "But I have to tell you the truth. I don't plan to give you the land along the Kupa River, because I plan to use it as a stable rear base for the Nix tribe! -"

Maximus ignored the commotion in the hall and continued to speak loudly: "The land I want to give you is here - the land along the Sava River! You have all seen along the way. The land here is as fertile and flat as the Kupa River, and the area is larger, the roads are more convenient, the rivers are wider, and there are fewer wild animals... It is definitely better to settle here than on the Kupa River!"

Maximus repeated what Volenus had said before and emphasized: "And I promise you that the land I am going to give you here will not be close to the Pannoni, so that you will not experience war again, nor will it be close to the river bank that is prone to flooding, so that you will experience waterlogging, nor will it be close to the mountains, so that you will have difficulty in farming. In short, you can settle down on the land I give you with complete peace of mind, and live a peaceful farming life, so that your tribe can regain its vitality!"

After Maximus finished speaking, the hall became more lively. A group of Aldei leaders no longer cared about being polite. They gathered in twos and threes and discussed in low voices. Some even had heated arguments about this, including Portokaribas and Cicelitses.

Maximus leaned back in his chair, ready to watch the show while waiting.

After a while, Budokaribas finally couldn't help it and said loudly: "Chief Maximus, we are very grateful that you can fulfill your promise and give us land! But...but the Sava River is too far away from our main village! And it is not adjacent to the original Ardi territory. If we settle here, it would be like...as if we are leaving the tribe. This will not be agreed by the chief and other elders! And the people of our tribe will find it difficult to accept it!" "So you rejected my proposal and don't intend to ask me to fulfill the agreement?" Maximus asked quietly.

"No, it's not!" Porto Caribas said hesitantly, "We beg you to reconsider whether you can give us the land along the Kupa River?"

"I've already said that we won't give away the land along the Kupa River!" Maximus frowned and said in a deep voice, "You all know that we, the Nix, rebuilt the villages of Westni and Slotia, built wooden bridges, water wheels, and many empty houses, and carefully cultivated the land there... The people have put in so much effort, do you think they will be willing to give up their land?"

"Captain Maximus," Budokaribas quickly defended, "We don't dare to hope to obtain the land of Snotia and Westney, but you captured two villages on the Kupa River two days ago. Can you consider giving us some land?"

Maximus laughed and said, "I think your idea is very strange. Is the land on the Kupa River that I just seized connected to Aldei's territory?"

Budokalibas's expression suddenly changed.

"Not connected." Maximus answered directly: "It's even closer to Brochi's territory. So how far are those territories from your main camp of Aldi?"

Budokaribas did not respond.

"If we go fast, it will take three or four days." Maximus continued, "And how long does it take to get here from the newly acquired land of the Kupa River? - Only one or two days. That means the time required to get to your main camp of Ardei is even less than that of the tribes of Chalcympas and others who live in the mountains to the west."

At this point, Maximus shrugged his shoulders and said, "Look, not bordering the Aldei territory and being too far from the main village... these are not reasons! I don't know what you think, but you came to me to sign the agreement because you lost your homeland and your people were living in hardship. The Aldei chief and other elders couldn't help you at all. You came to me to avoid the decline of the tribe, right? Now I have fulfilled the agreement. If you don't accept it, I don't think there will be such an opportunity again in the future!"

There was silence in the hall.

"I don't give a f*ck!" Cicelytes suddenly yelled, "Aristakas and those guys can blame us if they want. It's their fault that they not only have no ability to help us take back the land, but also often look down on us! I led my people to settle here, and I don't plan to leave the tribe. If the main village is going to hold a tribal meeting, I will rush over to participate! If the main village is going to hold a ceremony, I will rush over to participate! And from now on, I will never beg them for anything at every meeting... Chief Maximus, I am willing to lead my people to settle here!"

"Captain Cisserites." Maximus looked at him with admiration and encouragement in his eyes: "I think this is the most wise decision since the great chief Achoupagos!"

What Cicelytes said was not only to convince himself, but also to convince his companions, so several leaders expressed their willingness to lead their people to settle in the Sava River.

The other leaders looked at Budokaribas.

These Ardei leaders and nobles in the hall seemed to be one, but they were actually divided into two parts: one part came from the tribe that originally lived in the plains along the Kupa River, headed by Budokaribas; the other part came from the hilly area that once lived east of the Korana River, headed by Siselites... Maximus had long been aware of this.

Under the silent urging of his companions' anxious eyes, Budokaribas was still making a final attempt: "Captain Maximus, if we all settle down on the Sava River, I am afraid that it will cause Chief Aristakas' dissatisfaction with you, which will greatly affect the friendship between our two tribes!"

Maximus smiled and said, "On the contrary, I think Aristakas will be very grateful to me, because after he takes office, he will be able to solve the problems that his father has been unable to solve. He will no longer feel the pain of you complaining to him every time you hold a tribal meeting, but he is powerless to do anything, don't you think?"

(End of this chapter)