Chapter 471: Chapter 339 Acquaintance
"Of course." The person in charge joked with a smile: "You’ve been to my place several times already and are still so polite. If you act like this next time, I won’t hand over anything to you."
The envoy replied, "My lord, don’t you wish to quickly send them all away, so you can be much more relaxed here?"
The person in charge laughed heartily and said, "Next time you come, I’ll treat you to a good meal, let’s settle it like that!"
"Thank you, my lord!" The envoy did not refuse.
After the envoy left with the slaves, the scribe said to the person in charge, "My lord, this person only joined the tribe last year as a Reserve Tribe Member and has not been an official subordinate of the Administration Department for long, running errands daily. Your rank is higher than his, and you are an elder of the tribe, there’s no need to be so courteous to him."
The person in charge glanced at him and said merely, "He’s a good one, you’ll understand in time."
More than just good... In the view of the person in charge: now the tribe’s population exceeds a hundred thousand, with the Segestica people making up more than a third, but there are very few officials of Segestica origin within the tribe. This envoy, despite his low rank, is reportedly one of the first Segestica people who voluntarily sought refuge in the tribe, and holds a certain prestige among the Segestica citizens. He is hardworking and capable, and is likely to be heavily utilized by the tribe in the future, becoming a role model for the Segestica people in the tribe. Befriending him can certainly do no harm!
The Nix Tribe has been established for two years, and this year Maximus implemented official grades and determined salary levels. Among the Nix tribesmen who initially fought for food and freedom, a few have developed a desire for promotion and begun to intentionally ponder on matters of the officialdom, including the person in charge.
The captives arranged themselves into two lines as usual, walking on the dirt road beside the main road towards the construction site.
The envoy walked at the front of the line, while the thirty soldiers sent by Snowdonia, responsible for "escorting the captives," followed at the rear.
After moving a certain distance from Snowdonia Village, one of the captives following the envoy couldn’t help but quietly ask, "May... may I ask if you are... Uncle Siris?"
The envoy turned his head and a smile appeared on his originally serious face, "It’s me."
"It’s really you, Uncle Siris! You’ve changed so much, I didn’t dare recognize you at the square just now!" the captive exclaimed excitedly.
"You’ve changed quite a bit too, Tirisis, but I recognized you at the square. However, in such a setting, it wasn’t convenient for me to acknowledge you." Siris explained apologetically, then pointed to his left hand, asking with concern, "What happened to your hand?"
The captive named Tirisis instinctively retracted his left hand, then extended it again, revealing a few scars clearly visible on the back of his hand. The five fingers were curled like chicken claws, unable to extend freely...
"When I was digging a mine in the Alde Tribe, a rock fell and hit this hand of mine. Later it became like this. The doctor here looked at it a few times and said all the tendons are severed, impossible to heal... Luckily it didn’t smash my hand to pieces, at least I can still use it to help the right hand hold things..." Tirisis said in a low voice, with a bitter smile on his lips.
"These two years... you’ve suffered quite a lot!" Siris’s eyes softened, his words low.
"Ah..." Tirisis shook his head vigorously, as if trying to shake off the past hardships, then urgently asked, "Uncle Siris, my wife! And my two children! How are they now?! Are they doing well?!"
"They are all doing very well!" Siris’s tone rose, "They still live in the old village, but the tribe has given you a new home, which is much larger than your previous cramped house, allowing your family of six to live comfortably!
The tribe also allocated fifty acres of land to your family, not far from the western end of the village, carved out from your former clan leader’s land, you should know, that’s good land! Your wife has planted wheat there, I went to check, and it’s growing very well, definitely a good harvest!
And your old father, who used to cough a lot, the tribe’s doctor cured him, and he’s much more spirited than before... Your family is doing much better than when in the Segestica Tribe, the only shortfall is that there’s no pillar in the household, lacking strong labor. When farming before, it was still the village chief who organized others to help your family. Now that you are home, everything will be fine!"
Although Tirisis always hoped his family would be safe and sound, he couldn’t believe his ears after hearing Siris’s words. He asked again, uncertain, "Uncle Siris, is everything you said true?"
"We were once tribesmen of the same tribe, why would I lie to you, you’ll see everything clearly when you return home." Siris said earnestly, "Oh, and you should thank your wife. When the Nix first entered our village, everyone was a bit scared, it was your wife who first stood up courageously to inquire if you, who had gone to war and never returned, were still alive. If you were, she implored the Nix to release you, promising that you would join the Nix Tribe...
Later, the tribe’s leaders decided to collect names of war prisoners the villagers hoped to have released, and then sent people with the list to the Alde Tribe to exchange for you..."
The words of Siris lingered in Tirisis’s ears, his expression dazed, but his emotions surged violently: the army’s disastrous defeat, his own capture, being sent like cattle and sheep to the Aldeans, enduring abuse, becoming disabled, and later being brought back to the banks of the Kupa River by the Nix, and learning that his tribe had been destroyed by the Nix... Despite the over two years of hardship teaching him to yield, resentment was deeply rooted in his heart, even if he had heard from the leading Nix officials about the various positive changes in the lives of Segestica citizens at the Sava River, he didn’t quite believe it due to his grievances. But when these words came from Siris, whom he was familiar with and respected, his mood became exceedingly complex: his disasters stemmed from the Nix, yet his family was treated well by them...
He suddenly felt bewildered, yet the entire group became restless.
"Uncle Siris, my tribe is just east of yours, its leader is Mitydes, do you know how they’re doing now?"
"Uncle Siris, my father is named Magras, you were comrades when young, and always kept in touch, do you know how my family is doing now?"
"Uncle Siris, my sister married into your tribe, her name is Sadena, has she ever told you how my family is doing?"
...
Suddenly, quite a few people surged towards Siris, all trying to ask questions, causing some chaos in the entire group.
The soldiers saw this and immediately rushed forward from the back, forcefully pulling the people attempting to return to their positions and restore the formation.
"Everyone, quiet down! Listen to me properly!..." Siris had to shout loudly: "You all walk properly for now, and tonight while resting, I’ll tell you in detail about the changes at home, and answer every one of your questions, okay!..."
Under his repeated shouting, the group finally returned to order.
"Captains of each squad, you need to take responsibility, manage your team members, and if I see anyone disobeying orders and not walking properly next, the squad he belongs to will not be allowed to participate in tonight’s gathering with me!" Siris threatened loudly again.
The construction of roads had utilized a large amount of labor, and to prevent chaos and improve efficiency, the tribe implemented a militarized management system, with squads and centurions, along with team officers, and through such training, these Alde captives began to initially adapt to the way of life as Nix people.
With Siris’s warning and reminders, the captives instinctively returned to their work state during road construction, and as they were eager to know their home’s current situation, the marching speed of the whole group continued to accelerate.
During the journey, they saw a few sections of the road not yet fully completed, with busy workers casting envious glances at them, and even fellow citizens in similar situations shouting, hoping they could bring greetings to their families.
Before the sun had set, they arrived at the "camp" beside Todledo City.
In fact, it was no longer called a "camp". By the end of last year, after repeated proposals by Business Officer Pigeris, the Political Affairs Hall ultimately issued a decree, drawing a few captives from Todledo under the guidance of Public Works Department engineers, to renovate the camp, filling the moats, removing the earthen walls, dismantling many tents, and building several long wooden houses suitable for multiple occupants to live in...
Today, this area, a mix of tents and wooden houses, has greatly reduced and has officially been named the "Nix’s House Inn," but the person in charge remains Manas.
Siris had come several times, and was acquainted with Manas, handed over the documents signed by the head of Snowdonia Foreign Auxiliary Management Office to Manas for inspection, then it was up to him to arrange for everyone’s meals and accommodations.
At dusk, Siris gathered everyone to fulfill the promise he made earlier.
Early the next day, the group left the inn, continuing their journey along the riverbank. It wasn’t long before they were surprised to find that the floating bridge on the Kupa River had been replaced by a real wooden bridge, and not far from the bridgehead on the opposite bank of the river, there was a new dock, not only with some vessels moored, but also a relatively large camp on the shore.