Rome Must Perish

Maximus vaguely remembered Vorenus reporting on the charcoal workshop in Sarabia. Realizing the importance of this resource, he said gravely, "I understand. I’ll ensure the expeditionary forces bring you enough wood. You must get the charcoal workshop operating properly as soon as possible—"

He paused momentarily and then said solemnly, "The Roman Army could attack at any time. When that happens, we might have to abandon this place. Therefore, Capito, you must do everything in your power to produce enough weapons in the shortest time possible!...

Weapon workshops and charcoal workshops are excellent assets, extremely useful to us. You must exert significant effort to control the craftsmen and laborers, and do your best to win their allegiance. I noticed in the workshop earlier that most people seemed indifferent to our arrival. Even Kadesos, who appeared obedient, was asking about his former master’s situation as we left. This shows they still resist us in their hearts...

But it’s not a big deal. Back then, Pessianaxis and his son were even more defiant. And now, they’ve become one of us. You should encourage them to express their grievances, care about their health, and improve their living conditions. I believe, given enough time, they will accept us."

Capito remained silent. As a former Roman citizen from a relatively affluent family, he was not particularly enthusiastic about the idea of assimilating slaves. After all, during decades of military service, Roman Soldiers had always coerced slaves into working with the threat of short swords and strict decrees.

However, after joining the rebel army and influenced by the environment, he had no choice but to adopt a more amicable stance toward the slaves. Eventually, he realized the freed slaves, treated as equals, displayed far greater enthusiasm for their work than before. Gradually, he began to accept some of Maximus’s practices, though treating slaves—once viewed as mere livestock—as equals or brothers was nearly impossible for him.

Nonetheless, as a manager, Capito only needed to follow Maximus’s instructions and delegate tasks to his subordinates, so he didn’t have much resistance to this.

Maximus continued, "...Ensure more people are trained in charcoal burning and weapon forging, so we can expand production in the future.

Additionally, inform the engineering team, especially Spukala, to deeply explore the facilities, layouts, and structures of the charcoal and weapon workshops, study their operating principles, and draw schematics... This way, we’ll be able to build these workshops and facilities ourselves someday and completely master the techniques of charcoal burning and iron smelting!"