Sistos ignored him.
A blacksmith nearby mocked, "Kadesos, he doesn’t dare speak to you now. Do you rember what he said last ti? He claid you were lying, saying if Free Italy really distributed land to him, he’d eat the sheepskin he uses for bedding. Honestly, we’d love to see him eat that sheepskin now."
The blacksmiths burst into laughter. Sistos couldn’t hold back and muttered under his breath, "They’re all talk; the land hasn’t even shown up yet!"
"Still talking tough, huh?" A blacksmith pretended to stand up. "How about I go tell Lord Capito right now that you don’t want the land the tribe allocated to you?"
"You damn well better stay put!" Sistos finally yelled angrily.
Capito’s stern voice imdiately rang out: "You—what’s the problem?!"
Under Capito’s icy glare, Sistos grew nervous and stamred, "I... we were just discussing... how to improve iron ore slting, and then... then we got into an argunt... I’m... I’m sorry..."
"Is that right?" Capito glanced suspiciously at the others.
"Y... yes..." The blacksmiths quickly nodded. Capito remained skeptical but took the opportunity to respond, "Your enthusiasm deserves praise. After my speech, make sure to share your ideas during the discussion."
Capito’s words left Sistos and the blacksmiths utterly dumbfounded.
After exchanging awkward glances, they truly started whispering about iron slting issues.
.............................................
Three thousand young and able-bodied n of the Skodisqi Tribe were the new lifeblood of the Nix Tribe. To ensure this force could be harnessed effectively and swiftly by the tribe, Maximus assigned a team of seasoned elites to rigorously train them in military discipline instead of engaging them in camp construction or farming.
Although the training was grueling and exhausting, not a single Skodisqi recruit slacked off or avoided hard work. Having been enslaved by the Segestica people for over a decade, they were remarkably resilient and industrious, rivaling even the veteran ex-slaves who had joined the rebel army at its inception. Moreover, they understood that mastering military skills was crucial to fighting alongside seasoned tribal warriors in battle and defeating the Segestica people, who had once cruelly oppressed them.
The daily training regin was intense, and at night, they also joined the team officers on patrol. The Nix Tribe ensured their food supplies were generous, with three solid als a day, substantial portions, and even occasional servings of at. The stark contrast to the ager fare they had endured among the Segestica Tribe was like night and day, and their physiques gradually grew stronger.
Thanks to Maximus’s repeated instructions, the Illyrian instructors remained strict during training but showed genuine concern for the recruits afterward. When injuries arose during drills, the dical Camp promptly provided care and treatnt. Through this daily interaction, the Skodisqi recruits’ sense of belonging to the Nix Tribe steadily deepened.
The individual charged with delivering a speech about the new decrees to the recruits was First Legion Commander Fesaros. He was an Illyrian and one of the key figures overseeing the new soldiers’ training. Outgoing and lively by nature, he enjoyed speaking, despite his limited literacy (he had reluctantly attended a few days of literacy classes under Volenus’s watchful eye, as mandated by Maximus). While unable to fully commit the specifics of the new decree to mory, he was still the ideal pick for addressing the recruits.
Fesaros was particularly animated when discussing the Twenty Peerage System introduced through the new decree, adding his own flair to the presentation: "Let tell you, even though you are currently reserve tribe mbers, you don’t necessarily have to wait three years in the tribe before being promoted to ordinary tribe mbers with your own land and house.
Take the last major battle against the Segestica people. All of you participated, and in the end, we triumphed. You contributed to that victory, and by rit alone, your ti to advance to ordinary tribe mbers could have been shortened. But back then, this new decree hadn’t been issued, so it didn’t count.
But no matter—our tribe is already at war with the Segestica people and the Pannonians. Battles with them in the future are inevitable, so there’s no need to rush. Your foremost priority now is to train harder, learn how to protect yourselves better in combat, learn how to kill the enemy more effectively, and learn how to cooperate with your comrades to achieve victory on the battlefield...
I believe that if you follow the tribe’s arrangents and obey the leader’s orders, after several battles, you will gain your own land and live in comfortable houses. With more victories, you could even rise to beco respected Barons or Viscounts, leading your own troops to avenge the Pannonians!
Our Leader Maximus has made it clear that no matter whether soone joined the tribe early or later, everyone is equal. As long as you are capable and willing to work hard, you can beco one of the New Nobles of the Nix Tribe, ensuring your descendants will have a bright and prosperous future..."
The recruits originally had no resentnt about being classified as reserve tribe mbers, as it was already a significant improvent compared to their prior conditions. After Fesaros’s speech, they beca even more excited and passionately motivated. They eagerly finished their als in a few bites and couldn’t wait to resu their training...
However, in their exhilaration, they remained oblivious to an odd detail: those who delivered their food were invariably male and never female. This was because Maximus had unapologetically prioritized addressing the marriage needs of his veteran soldiers who had followed him for over a year before considering these new recruits.
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