Rome Must Perish
Chapter 53 - 52 Learning in Battle

Chapter 53: Chapter 52 Learning in Battle

"Don’t be hasty." Maximus said calmly to the three men, "Our purpose this time is to apply what the brothers have learned during training into actual combat. We can’t act chaotically like before..."

Torrelugo was straightforward, "Alright, we’ll listen to you. Just tell us what to do."

Maximus turned around and shouted, "Crossbow Cannons, ready!"

The ten Crossbow Gunners at the rear immediately lifted two Crossbow Cannons from the cart and placed them at the front of the formation, assembling them under the guidance of the military advisory group.

"Target the wooden gate of the farm!" After Maximus gave the order, two lead balls were launched, hitting the wall near the wooden gate, leaving two pits and causing a commotion among the opponents inside.

Another two rounds of lead balls were fired, but the wooden gate remained unhit, though many cracks appeared on the surrounding wall.

"These Crossbow Cannons are intimidating, but they’re not that effective. Might as well have the brothers charge directly!" Torrelugo couldn’t help but shout.

Before Maximus could respond, a member of the military advisory group interjected, "They’ve only trained for a short time, missing the target is normal. How about we handle it instead?"

"No need, we have plenty of time. If we don’t train them properly now, how can we expect them to perform in major battles in the future?" Maximus said loudly on purpose.

Hearing Maximus’ words, the Crossbow Gunners focused harder, and the next two rounds of bombardment not only hit the wooden gate but also collapsed part of the adjacent wall, leaving a large gap at the front of the farm.

Ignoring the chaos within the farm, Maximus issued orders with composure, "Fesaros, lead the First Squadron to attack the main gate."

"Yes!" Fesaros responded excitedly.

"Hold on!" Maximus followed up with a question, "If you approach the gap and the enemy keeps throwing javelins at you from the wall, what will you do?"

Fesaros thought for a moment and answered, "We’ll form a turtle formation and push through."

"Then that’s the plan. I want to see how well your First Squadron has mastered the turtle formation." Maximus then turned to Torrelugo and Camillus, "Second and Third Squadrons, have your Soldiers retrieve long ladders from the carts. Once the First Squadron has drawn the enemy’s attention, Second Squadron will climb the front wall of the farm and Third Squadron will circle around to attack from the rear. Torrelugo, you’re injured, stay behind and command, don’t join the assault."

"Don’t worry, Maximus. I’m not stupid, I’d like to live a few more years." Torrelugo laughed heartily.

The three Centurion groups swiftly moved into action.

Within moments, three hundred Soldiers charged toward the farm a hundred meters away, their figures spread across the flat fields as they ran, creating a significant momentum that stirred a sense of commanding boldness in Maximus.

Of course, though the Supply Camp managed resources, not all three hundred Soldiers were fully armed. Over half the Soldiers in the Third Squadron wore only simple garments and wielded wooden spears, which is why Maximus directed them to attack from the rear to minimize unnecessary casualties.

There was no alternative. The rebel army had grown rapidly in numbers, and the stock of weapons and armor was severely insufficient. As the head of the Supply Camp, if Maximus prioritized his own squad’s equipment needs, dissatisfaction among other leaders would surely arise. However, after today’s battle, the equipment of the Soldiers in the Third Squadron should be significantly improved.

The fighting quickly ended. In fact, when the Crossbow Cannons broke through the gate and the fully armed Guard Soldiers began their assault, many of the enemies inside the farm were already disheartened. Still, the three Squadrons focused on thoroughly executing the tactics Maximus had laid out, ignoring offers of surrender and capturing everyone after storming the farm.

Learning that the troops had secured the farm with only five Soldiers lightly injured, Maximus did not revel in the victory. Instead, he asked Flanitnus, "What’s your assessment of this battle?"

Flanitnus replied seriously, "The tactics you planned and the Soldiers’ entire execution were flawless, which made the battle proceed smoothly with minimal casualties. However—" Flantillus shifted his tone to evaluate, "You were attacking only a farm. The enemy was merely a group of farm guards who couldn’t pose a real challenge. If it were a small town defended by a hundred Roman Soldiers, the lightweight Crossbow Cannons wouldn’t be able to break through the gate. What then?"

Maximus responded immediately, "Attacking a small town with three hundred Soldiers against a hundred defenders would be unwise. I’d abandon the attempt unless the number of troops increased to a thousand. Only then would I consider it."

"What if you had 1,000 Soldiers?" Flanitnus pressed.

"I’d begin by constructing a camp..." Maximus pondered aloud, "...We may lack heavy Crossbow Cannons, but the Supply Camp has builders. We can make Siege Carriages, correct?" He glanced at the military advisory group as he spoke.

Flanitnus nodded.

"Siege Towers, then?"

"We can make them, though they’ll take considerable time." Flanitnus reminded.

"That’s fine. During that time, we can focus on other things." Maximus stomped the ground lightly. "With this loose soil, we could deploy Soldiers to quietly dig tunnels leading beneath the town’s walls, causing them to collapse."

"Experienced defenders would anticipate that."

Maximus calmly replied, "But they’d still need to allocate forces to guard against it. A hundred defenders won’t be sufficient to fully cover the entire town’s walls. I’d first use lightweight Crossbow Cannons to bombard the ramparts, disrupt their morale, then use Siege Carriages and Siege Towers to attack the gate and walls directly, diverting their attention. Meanwhile, others would scale the walls using ladders, and the tunnels would play a covert role... such a coordinated assault—could they hold out?"

Flanitnus paused briefly before saying, "But if you commit all your forces and the enemy receives reinforcements?"

"There you go, raising the stakes. At first it was just a small town, now there are reinforcements, and soon you’ll say my supply line is cut too... With you as the enemy’s ally, how could I possibly win?" Maximus joked.

Flanitnus said seriously, "I believe you’ve learned a lot already. All you lack is experience."

"It’s rare for you, my instructor, to give praise. Makes me feel a bit proud." Maximus laughed heartily and waved his hand, "Let’s head to the farm and reap the fruits of our victory. Volenus, go ahead and inventory the supplies."

"Got it." Volenus headed toward the farm, followed by Akegu, Casius, Magus, and several other youths. These children listened to Maximus’ lectures every night and practiced during the day in the warehouse. Their arithmetic skills had advanced rapidly, and they were now capable of aiding the Supply Camp significantly.

"Let’s get to work."

Maximus’ next task was a public trial in front of the newly freed farm slaves. The captives would then be handed to the slaves for punishment, often resulting in execution by the outraged slaves who, in turn, would mostly volunteer to join the rebel army. Some, due to their favorable impression of the Supply Camp, would proactively request assignments there.

This strategy—raid, trial, and recruitment—had proven highly effective for Maximus during these expeditions.

Once the trial concluded and Volenus finished inventorying the supplies, Maximus listened to his report with a frown, "Such a large farm, so many people, yet so little grain?!"

"That’s normal." Volenus, familiar with agriculture, explained, "The wheat in the fields outside is ripe and ready to harvest. With fresh grain available soon, there’s no reason for them to store much older grain."

Maximus considered briefly and suggested, "How about we stay here another day? Have the Soldiers help the slaves harvest the wheat in the fields. After collecting it, we can transport it back."

The rebel army’s rapid growth had caused significant strain on food supplies, prompting leaders to send teams to gather provisions urgently. This was why the Supply Camp Guard was permitted to raid over these past few days.

"We’re too far from the camp. What if enemies attack while the Soldiers are harvesting?" Volenus expressed concern.