Rome Must Perish

Maximus teased, "Pigeris, you are my Commerce Officer, and you should have your own subordinates, but you’ve never mentioned it before. I thought you preferred working alone."

"Leader, you never told me that either!" Pigeris protested loudly.

The crowd burst into laughter.

After laughing heartily, Maximus said, "Alright, I’ll formally inform you now: as the Commerce Officer, you’re entitled to a team of five subordinates. Discuss with Volenus to figure out what kind of people you need, and once your choice is made, I will review and approve it."

Pigeris immediately objected, "Five subordinates are way too few. The port is huge, and there will clearly be lots to handle. It’s impossible to manage it all."

Maximus’ expression darkened slightly. "For now, that’s the most I can allocate. If the port’s workload genuinely proves overwhelming in the future, we’ll add more. But considering you’re about to start work immediately, new recruits may not adapt quickly. I’ll assign a few Attendants to assist you temporarily."

Pigeris was overjoyed. "That’s perfect! That’s perfect!"

"Casius, take a few men and help Pigeris with his tasks."

Already eager, Casius promptly responded, "Yes, Leader!"