Rome Must Perish-Chapter 267 - 169: Announcing the New Decree

Valgius spoke passionately, "The first decree: We will settle here in the form of a tribe, officially naming the tribe as Nix. From now on, we can claim to outsiders that ’we are the Nix people’! The Dragon Flag you raised during the battle with the Pannonians earlier is the official flag of the Nix Tribe."

"Nix, this name sounds smooth. What does it mean?"

"Can’t we keep calling ourselves Free Italy?"

"Oh, that beast on the flag is a dragon?! It’s drawn so well, looks almost alive—quite scary!"

"You don’t know, do you? It was painted by the leader himself."

"What?! The leader can paint?!"

...

Everyone began discussing noisily.

"What’s all this noise?! Quiet down! Listen to Valgius finish speaking, then ask questions!" Torrelugo shouted, restoring silence to the resting area once again.

"The second decree—" Valgius continued, "Leader Maximus is the chief of the Nix Tribe. All significant matters within the tribe require his final decision before implementation. No one is allowed to challenge his authority; violators will be punished according to the severity of their offense!"

Regarding this decree, the soldiers and women present not only did not have any objections, but were somewhat puzzled: Everyone had always regarded Maximus as their leader, so why was it necessary to state this explicitly?

In fact, when this decree was brought up for discussion, some department chiefs harbored similar doubts. The reasoning that Maximus provided was: The Nix Tribe would inevitably grow larger, with more people joining the tribe. They would no longer be as mutually acquainted as the original members. To ensure newcomers follow orders and recognize authority instead of acting independently, it was crucial they understand from the outset who the tribal leader is, along with the heads of various departments...

But in reality, anyone with political insight would know that a leader relying on prestige and social convention is entirely different from a leader mandated by law and demanded obedience from the populace.

This second decree was quickly approved by the department chiefs not only due to Maximus’ accumulated prestige but also because of the third decree.

"The third decree: The Nix Tribe will establish nine departments to manage various tribal affairs. The first department is the Agricultural Department, responsible for overseeing the distribution of farmland, planting, and animal husbandry... After consultation between Leader Maximus and other key figures, Volenus has been appointed as the head of the Agricultural Department; the second department is the Public Works Department..." Valgius spoke clearly and fluently, concisely summarizing the roles and chiefs of the nine departments for the audience.

This decree stirred waves among the crowd.

For most soldiers, their previous concerns were primarily personal matters like food, accommodation, and weapons. They rarely paid attention to the power shifts within the rebel army’s leadership. Aside from Leader Maximus and their immediate supervisors, they were largely indifferent to changes within the army’s higher ranks. Being long relegated to the social lower class, they hadn’t developed political sensitivity and typically obeyed orders as long as the tasks weren’t too troublesome, rather than questioning them.

The women, even more so.

However, this time the situation was slightly different. While most people remained indifferent to the appointment of department chiefs, women from the kitchen crew raised a question: "Why is Female Camp Captain Karina appointed as the chief of Civil Affairs Department, but our leader (referring to Acronis) isn’t included in these appointments?"

These women were under Karina’s management during nighttime accommodations in the Female Camp, as well as during marching commands. Karina’s strict governance had led to moments of reprimand, and naturally, some dissatisfaction among them. Moreover, Karina was initially subordinate to Acronis, so their objections were hardly surprising.

Valgius offered only two sentences in response: "Acronis has already been appointed by Leader Maximus as the Chief of Internal Affairs, responsible for managing the leader’s household affairs."

The women, led by Anfel, immediately quieted down.

Anfel, drawing from her own experience as a female slave, naturally believed that Acronis had made the optimal choice—no job was better than directly serving the leader.

Now that the tribe would settle here and prepare for an independent lifestyle, several departments were closely tied to their lives, prompting questions from the crowd. The most commonly asked one was: Why impose a land tax?

Valgius had deliberately brought up the "Tithes" taxation policy when explaining the Finance Department’s duties, under prior instruction from Maximus, as a way to gauge the public’s reaction.

In the preceding days, Maximus had instructed department heads to spread the news about the "Tithes" among their subordinates and prepared them to offer explanations to anyone who reacted strongly.

Perhaps due to these efforts, when the policy was officially announced, people kept asking questions but were able to control their emotions.

Valgius then conveyed Maximus’ earlier explanations to the department leaders with an even more tactful tone, concluding with the words: "...Leader Maximus stated that these taxes come from you and will be used for you. He will soon enact a law allowing you to appoint representatives annually to oversee how these taxes are spent, to prevent any corruption..."

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