Rome Must Fall

But Maximus didn't respond, but frowned and said: "Hey, but I heard that because I led the army to leave too quickly, your chief 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, Aristakas is nothing, he wants to shake the alliance between the two tribes-" Cisselitses just sneered and was interrupted by Budokaribas with a cough.

"Captain Maximus, Aristakas has just become the chief, and he is still a little uncomfortable. He is a little impulsive, but he is very receptive. He regretted it after he got angry that day, and said he would send someone to apologize to you..." Budokaribas said solemnly: "In fact, he is full of gratitude to the Nix tribe, and he also respects you, the chief. Besides, you and him are relatives... The alliance between our two tribes is unbreakable."

Aristakas respects me very much? Is it true? ... Maximus looked at Budokaribas with a sincere face and laughed in his heart: Although you made up a lie to protect your great 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? ...

"Hearing what you said, I feel relieved." Maximus looked relaxed, then remembered something and said: "You came from afar, I should have entertained you warmly, but now there are constant wars and supplies are tight, I can't take out good things to entertain you, please understand!"

"Captain Maximus, we should apologize, you are so busy, we shouldn't come to disturb you, but--" Budokaribas considered the tone and wanted to say it more tactfully.

Cicelitses, who was standing 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. When we heard that you led your army back to Nix and were going to fight the army of Segestica again, we wanted to rush over with our people 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-"

"Captain, they did want to do that at the time, but I stopped them... I forgot to say it before." Pigris, who was standing next to him, whispered in a low voice.

Maximus nodded slightly.

"...Sure enough, it didn't take long for us to hear the news that the Segestica army was surrounded and annihilated, and the village by the Kupa River was also captured by you. We also heard that you led the army to invade the territory of Segestica. After discussion, we followed your tribe's team here-"

Cisselitses paused for a moment, as if brewing 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, owned all the land along the middle reaches of the Kupa River, and captured the main village of the Segestica people, occupying more land... So... So we came this time... to ask... to ask..."

Under the gaze of Maximus, Cisselitses 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 it's time to fulfill the agreement."

The Ardi leaders were overjoyed, and 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 the stable rear of the Nix tribe! -"

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

Maximus borrowed what Volenus had said before, and emphasized: "And I promise you that the land I will give you here will not be close to the Pannoni, so that you will 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 Ardi leaders no longer cared about politeness, and gathered in groups of three or two to discuss in a low voice. Some even had a fierce debate because of this, including Portocarribus and Cicelitses.

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

After a while, Budokaribas finally couldn't help but said loudly: "Captain 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's like...it's like we want to break away from 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 plan to ask me to fulfill the agreement anymore?" Maximus asked quietly.

"No, no!" Budokaribas said hesitantly: "We beg you to reconsider, can you give us the land along the Kupa River?"

"I have already said that I will not give away the land along the Kupa River!" Maximus frowned and said in a deep voice: "You all know that we, Nix, rebuilt the two villages of Westney and Slotia, built wooden bridges, water wheels, so 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 dare not hope to obtain the land of Slotia and Westney, but you seized two villages on the Kupa River two days ago. Can you consider giving us some land?"

Maximus laughed: "I think your idea is very strange. Is the land on the Kupa River that I just seized connected to the territory of Aldi?"

Budokaribas's face changed immediately.

"Not connected." Maximus answered directly: "Even closer to the Brochi territory. So how far are those territories from your main village of Aldi?"

Budokaribas did not answer.

"If you walk fast, it will take three or four days." Maximus continued: "And how long does it take to get here from the newly acquired Kupa River land? - Only one or two days. That is to say, the time required to get from here to your main village of Aldi is even much less than that of the tribes of Calsi Pampas who live in the mountains to the west."

At this point, Maximus shrugged: "You see, not bordering the Aldi territory, too far from the main village... these are not reasons! I don't know what you think, but you came to me to sign an agreement because you lost your homeland and the people of the tribe lived in a difficult life. The chieftain of Aldi and other elders could not help you at all. In order to avoid the decline of the tribe, you came to me, 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!"

The hall was silent.

"I don't care!" Cicelytes suddenly shouted loudly: "Aristakas and those guys can blame us if they want. It's their fault that they are not only unable to help us regain the land, but also often look down on us! I led my people to settle here, and I am not going to leave the tribe. The main village is going to hold a tribal meeting, I will rush over to participate! The main village is going to hold a ceremony, I will also rush over to participate! And I will never beg them every time at the meeting in the future... Chief Maximus, I am willing to lead my people to settle here!"

"Chief Cicelytes." Maximus looked at him with appreciation and encouragement in his eyes: "I think this is the most wise decision after Chief Acoupagos!"

Cicelytes said a lot of words 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.

Other leaders looked at Budokaribas.

The Ardi 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, led by Budokaribas; the other part came from the hilly area that once lived east of the Korana River, led by Cicelitses... Maximus had long been aware of this.

Budokaribas was still making a final attempt under the silent urging of his companions' anxious eyes: "Leader Maximus, if we all settle down in the Sava River, I'm afraid 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 should 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 pain because you complain to him every time you hold a tribal meeting, but he is powerless, right?"