Chapter 258 - 164: Dispatching Spies_2
After all, the rebel army had already defeated the Segestica people three times, and the disastrous defeat in that one battle had utterly broken the courage of these Segestica prisoners, naturally filling them with fear towards the leader of the rebel army.
Upon seeing this situation, Emmerich quickly took over the conversation and explained, "Leader Maximus, here’s the situation..."
It turns out that this young man was named Jilipus. Although he was a Pannonian, he did not come from the Segestica Tribe but from the Mazi Tribe.
Jilipus was an ordinary tribesman of the Mazi Tribe. He had been childhood sweethearts with his wife, and they married after growing up. His wife was very beautiful and had many suitors, including the second son of the tribe’s Great Leader, Maitilis. Unlike others, even after they were married, this son continued to pester his wife. On one occasion, he even attempted to assault her, and if not for his timely arrival, his wife might have been humiliated.
In his anger, Jilipus complained to the Great Leader Maitilis. Since many people witnessed the incident, Maitilis couldn’t openly defend his son, and the son also couldn’t deny it, so he received a light punishment, which left him resentful. At the beginning of summer, during the tribe’s sacrificial ceremony to pray for a good harvest, the carefully prepared live sheep for sacrifice disappeared. Following his son’s hint, they found the sheep dead and skinned in the wood shed behind Ligpus’ house.
Maitilis was furious and had Jilipus arrested. Without listening to his defense, Jilipus was judged guilty of the grave crime of intentionally sabotaging the sacrifice.
According to tradition, intentional sabotage of a sacrifice was punishable by death. However, when the Pannonian leaders rebelled against the Scodisqi rule, they swore with their tribesmen to focus all efforts against the strong enemies and never to engage in fratricide, staining their compatriots’ blood.
Moreover, after the Priest communicated with the Holy Spirit, he also announced to the people that the Spirit of Nature did not wish for the land to be tainted by Jilipus’ impure blood.