Pigeris looked distressed. "Captain, it's already late at night. Seksepis sleeps over by the sheep pen in the evenings. How about I call him tomorrow morning?"
"Alright." Maximus composed his expression, looked at the three of them, and said solemnly, "If we want Spartacus and the other leaders to approve my suggestions and solve the problems faced by our Supply Team, from now on, our Supply Team must perform much better than before. We need to make the soldiers in other units realize the importance of our team, so that they would be willing to see our team grow stronger."
The three exchanged glances, seeming unsure.
Maximus continued, "You three are all diligent and responsible, but we can do better. For instance, Acronis, in the kitchen you oversee, the breakfast consists of barley porridge, two pieces of bread, a piece of cheese, a bowl of broth, and a small portion of vegetables. Dinner is a small piece of smoked at, two pieces of bread, and a bowl of broth... It's been virtually unchanged for more than twenty days. The soldiers eat just to fill their stomachs. While it's not easy to provide enough food for this many people, if you could put in a little more effort to make the als tastier, the results would surely be better.
For example, adding dried seaweed and clam at to the soup could enhance its flavor. Four days ago, I rember we seized so from a large estate. Or, brushing honey water on freshly baked bread, occasionally roasting two or three extra sheep to give the soldiers so barbecue, or slaughtering so chickens and ducks to make broth for them—"
"But Captain, if we do that, our daily expenses will be enormous!" Acronis couldn't help but interrupt.
"Everything we have is looted; there's no real expense involved. There are plenty of estates here. Once we exhaust the good food, we'll seize other high-quality supplies," Maximus replied with a dismissive laugh.
Acronis ca from a difficult background, as did Hamilcar. Frugality was ingrained in their bones, and Maximus understood this. But as the newly appointed Supply Team Captain, he couldn't continue maintaining the status quo. He needed the Supply Team to show significant improvents quickly to earn the recognition of the soldiers, though he kept these thoughts to himself. Instead, he said righteously, "The brothers who joined our ranks have suffered plenty in the past. Now, as we prepare to fight the Roman Army, they could die on the battlefield at any mont. Providing them with tasty food and giving them a reason to appreciate life is the least our Supply Team can do for them! If we put more thought into making better als and occasionally surprising them, they will be filled with gratitude towards us. And when we make requests, their support will co naturally."
Maximus's words deeply moved Acronis, who imdiately declared, "Captain, you're absolutely right. I'll do my best to make the food better."
Pigeris quickly followed up, "Does the wagon team need any changes too?"
Maximus nodded approvingly at him, looked at Gaius, and said, "Regarding the transportation team and the warehouse, I indeed have so ideas, but now is not the ti to discuss them. We'll address them later."
"Oh." Pigeris responded uneasily.
"That's it for tonight's eting. Everyone hurry and get so rest so as not to affect tomorrow's work." After finishing his sentence, Maximus rembered sothing and called out to Acronis, who was about to leave the room.
"Captain, don't worry. I'll make sure breakfast is ready early tomorrow morning," Acronis quickly replied.
Maximus realized she'd misunderstood and smiled, saying, "Bring Akegu, Casius, Gaurus, Naisuya... all the children here. My room may be small, but squeezing in with the children is still better than having them sleep in the yard."
Naisuya, Acronis's youngest daughter, bead with joy and said, "Alright, I'll go call them right now."
After the three had left, Maximus fell into deep thought. Based on their earlier behavior, his three headn showed distinct characteristics. Acronis was passionate and willing to follow orders; Pigeris was proactive and had ideas—perhaps his background as a rchant before becoming a slave contributed to his ticulous thinking. Gaius, however, displayed a laid-back attitude, likely due to his old age and lack of desire to strive anymore.
Hence, Maximus felt dissatisfied with Gaius as a headman but currently lacked a better candidate to replace him. For now, he could only observe and decide later. This was why he'd decided to bring the children into his room—not just for their physical well-being but also because their learning ability was higher. He intended to ntor them rigorously, so they could beco useful as soon as possible.
..................
At dawn, Maximus awoke without disturbing the still-sleeping children and went alone to the kitchen.
The kitchen was smoky and bustling with activity: people were stoking fires, boiling porridge, kneading dough, baking... Despite previous renovations to the kitchen that connected it with several adjacent rooms, the area still seed crowded. The oppressive heat soaked through the workers' thin clothing, and so simply worked shirtless.
Acronis's voice towered over the noise. She stood in the center of the kitchen, gesturing wildly as she loudly directed her team.
Maximus watched silently from the doorway for a while before turning to return to the main building. He climbed to the third-floor rooftop and gazed into the distance.
When the uprising force first arrived, the area around the estate was lush green. Regularly spaced trees were draped in grapevines, with clusters of small grapes nestled among layers of green leaves like embedded erald beads. Now, both the trees and vines had been stripped away by the soldiers. The dark-brown soil was cluttered with scattered tents of varying sizes and shapes, alongside crude wooden shacks, extending far beyond the estate. Around the tents, there were no earthen walls, no fences, no trenches. The open spaces between the tents were filled with people sleeping soundly... This was far from resembling a military outpost—it was more like a refugee camp.
It was precisely because of the chaos in the camp that Spartacus had decided to abandon staying in the estate and instead lived in the camp, sharing hardships with the soldiers. Inspired by him, Cross, Antonix, and many other gladiators followed suit, fostering good relations between the gladiators and the enslaved recruits.
However, discipline within the camp remained a serious issue. For instance, every morning, when the Supply Team pushed so prepared breakfast out of the estate gates on wooden carts, the camp dwellers would rush forward like starving ghosts to steal food. Even with team officers yelling to stop them, their efforts were only marginally effective. Only when the patrol units arrived with sticks to knock people back could order be barely maintained.
Observing the chaos at the estate gate, Maximus sighed inwardly: Hopefully, the upcoming military training will transform these ignorant and disorderly slaves into a competent army!
After breakfast, Maximus took the children to the warehouse.
Gaius, who was taking a stroll to aid digestion, saw them and asked in surprise, "Captain, what are you up to?"
"You're short on hands here, aren't you? I'm having them co and help you," Maximus pointed at the children behind him.
"Them?! A bunch of kids? They don't know anything and will just cause trouble. There's no way this will work!" Gaius shook his head repeatedly.
"No one is born knowing everything. While they're young, their arithtic skills are far better than others'. If you teach them more, once they learn, your workload will lessen in the future." Maximus's reasoning intrigued Gaius.
Akegu, who had been previously instructed by Maximus, seized the opportunity to say, "Grandpa Gaius, we'll listen carefully to your instructions and work hard for you!"
"Let make it clear upfront: anyone who doesn't listen to will be sent back and banned from returning here. Understand?!" Gaius's stern words did not intimidate the children, who eagerly nodded.
Watching Gaius lead the children into the warehouse, Maximus felt assured and turned to leave.
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