Chapter 18: Military Commanders Assembly

Chapter 18: Military Commanders Assembly

While the majority of gladiators were still indulging in daily killings, looting, and excessive drinking, Maximus had already keenly realized that the Military Commanders Assembly had become the highest authority in the entire rebel army. He began finding ways to become a part of it as soon as possible, in order to gain greater influence over the rebel forces. Now that he had finally achieved his goal, how could he not be happy?

Dont get too excited! Although you can participate in the Military Commanders Assembly, youre just a participant. You can suggest ideas, but you have no decision-making power! Crixus coldly said.

Crixus words poured cold water on Maximus excitement, his expression stiffened briefly before looking to Hamilcar.

Hamilcar nodded.

Sit down, we have other matters to discuss, Spartacus said without further explanation, urging them to proceed.

Maximus let out a sigh and expelled his frustration: Well, being present is better than not. At least Im in, and Ill work harder to become an official member in the future.

Maximus adjusted his mood and found an empty wooden stool to sit on.

Weve all agreed to start training the troops, but we need to come up with a plan on how to proceed with the training, Spartacus looked at the others in the room and asked, Do you have any suggestions?nove(l)bi(n.)com

Training the troops is simple, Oenomaus interjected, After dinner, before the sun sets, let our gladiator brothers in each unit serve as instructors and train our newly recruited brothers using the training methods from the gladiator school. I believe that within two or three months, the combat abilities of the new recruits will significantly improve.

The schools training methods are too rigorous. Doing that might cause dissatisfaction among the new recruits. Weve already had enough fights and brawls in the camp recently. If we provoke more conflicts and clashes, it could Artorix expressed his concern.

Let our gladiator brothers lower the requirements. Theres no need to be as strict as in the school. Moreover, after implementing that method Spartacus mentioned earlier, it will definitely foster a more friendly atmosphere among everyone, so you dont have to worry about that, Crixus mentioned that method which referred to the airing of grievances promoted by Maximus in the supply team.

Crixus pondered for a moment and said, We need to train our brothers individual combat abilities and conduct collective training. After a whole day of training, their physical exertion will be significant. Can our brothers endure it?

I have considered your concern as well. We can provide them with an additional meal at noon. When our brothers are well-fed, they will naturally have the energy to continue training, Hamilcar replied, looking at Maximus. How much food do we have in stock?

We have 600 tons of wheat, 200 tons of barley, 1,000 kilograms of smoked pork, 750 kilograms of smoked fish, 240 sheep, and 23 cows Maximus answered quickly without much thought. If we calculate based on our current army of 5,000 people, its enough to feed us for half a year. If we add an extra meal at lunchtime, ensuring that our brothers eat well and have the energy to continue training, it will last us for over three months. Moreover, we will also capture new farms to obtain more food, so theres no need to worry about food shortages.

Maximus looked at everyone, confidently suggesting, We can even add more meat to the lunch and provide diluted wine. This way, our brothers will be more willing to train when they are well-fed and well-hydrated.

Well, thats a good idea. As the new leader of the Logistics Team, you will be responsible for these matters, Hamilcar said.

Alright, Maximus quickly nodded, showing respect for the former leader.

No one else objected, and the decision to conduct military training was finalized.

Since we have already looted all the nearby farms. We should discuss which direction to attack next, Crixus reminded.

For now, lets not go south. Its close to the coast and has multiple towns. They may not dare attack us, but will still hinder our farm raids and supply transport. To go east, the journey is far and we have to bypass Mount Vesuvius. Its better to go north first. When we become stronger, we can consider other options, Spartacus had long considered this.

Despite Crixus and Oenomaus often boasting to their respective subordinates about being able to easily defeat any enemy, deep down, they still had some fear of the Roman army. Thats why they unanimously agreed to establish their base on the mountainside. Now, with the possibility of Roman army attacking at any time, they were even less willing to lead their forces away from the main stronghold and approach hostile towns. Therefore, they naturally didnt oppose Spartacus suggestion.

Oenomaus added, If we attack east, we can have Omarkel monitor Via Annia. In case there are more weapon-carrying wagons passing by, we can intercept them and distribute the weapons to our brothers. We have too few weapons at the moment!