Rome Must Perish

Pigeris looked distressed. "Captain, it's already late at night. Seksepis sleeps over by the sheep pen in the evenings. How about I call him tomorrow morning?"

"Alright." Maximus composed his expression, looked at the three of them, and said solemnly, "If we want Spartacus and the other leaders to approve my suggestions and solve the problems faced by our Supply Team, from now on, our Supply Team must perform much better than before. We need to make the soldiers in other units realize the importance of our team, so that they would be willing to see our team grow stronger."

The three exchanged glances, seeming unsure.

Maximus continued, "You three are all diligent and responsible, but we can do better. For instance, Acronis, in the kitchen you oversee, the breakfast consists of barley porridge, two pieces of bread, a piece of cheese, a bowl of broth, and a small portion of vegetables. Dinner is a small piece of smoked meat, two pieces of bread, and a bowl of broth... It's been virtually unchanged for more than twenty days. The soldiers eat just to fill their stomachs. While it's not easy to provide enough food for this many people, if you could put in a little more effort to make the meals tastier, the results would surely be better.

For example, adding dried seaweed and clam meat to the soup could enhance its flavor. Four days ago, I remember we seized some from a large estate. Or, brushing honey water on freshly baked bread, occasionally roasting two or three extra sheep to give the soldiers some barbecue, or slaughtering some chickens and ducks to make broth for them—"

"But Captain, if we do that, our daily expenses will be enormous!" Acronis couldn't help but interrupt.

"Everything we have is looted; there's no real expense involved. There are plenty of estates here. Once we exhaust the good food, we'll seize other high-quality supplies," Maximus replied with a dismissive laugh.

Acronis came from a difficult background, as did Hamilcar. Frugality was ingrained in their bones, and Maximus understood this. But as the newly appointed Supply Team Captain, he couldn't continue maintaining the status quo. He needed the Supply Team to show significant improvements quickly to earn the recognition of the soldiers, though he kept these thoughts to himself. Instead, he said righteously, "The brothers who joined our ranks have suffered plenty in the past. Now, as we prepare to fight the Roman Army, they could die on the battlefield at any moment. Providing them with tasty food and giving them a reason to appreciate life is the least our Supply Team can do for them! If we put more thought into making better meals and occasionally surprising them, they will be filled with gratitude towards us. And when we make requests, their support will come naturally."

Maximus's words deeply moved Acronis, who immediately declared, "Captain, you're absolutely right. I'll do my best to make the food better."