Maximus had other considerations he didn't voice: As one of the younger members among the escaped gladiators, having previously betrayed the group, his sudden elevation to the upper echelons of the rebellion, even being part of the often undervalued Supply Team, was likely to evoke jealousy. Hence, he decided to proceed with low-key actions.
Acronis had not thought that far ahead. Out of respect for Maximus, she patted her chest and loudly declared, "Captain Maximus, don't worry, I'll supervise them (her) to do their work well!"
Maximus nodded, looking around the group in the courtyard, and said in a loud voice, "From now on, I am the captain of the Supply Team! There's no need to worry, everything will continue as before, just keep doing what you should do, and then gather in this courtyard at night to learn and hear me tell stories, okay?!"
"Okay!!!" everyone shouted in unison.
..........................................
Maximus's statement that "everything in the Supply Team will not change" was just a platitude to stabilize them. After the Supply Team members listened to the story and went their separate ways to rest that night, he gathered several team leaders for a meeting.
The meeting was held in Maximus's bedroom.
Maximus's bedroom was a single room in the main building of the wine farm. Although Maximus was already familiar with the others in the room, he examined them anew under the candlelight tonight: Acronis, the fierce woman in charge of the kitchen; Gaius, responsible for guarding the warehouse and managing materials, a thin and elderly male slave; Pigeris, the leader of the team responsible for transporting materials outside, was quite robust but had a limp on his left leg.
The upper echelons of the Supply Team didn't seem impressive at first glance, but Acronis was skilled in kitchen affairs, Gaius was among the few slaves who could read and write, and Pigeris had excellent carriage driving skills. They had their expertise, and they shared a common feature—hatred for the Romans.
Acronis needed no elaboration. Gaius was a Sabine, who once had a few acres of self-sustaining land, but after land annexation by Roman nobles, he ended up heavily in debt, losing his family. Pigeris, a Greek from Little Asia, was forced into the war between Pontus and Rome, then captured by the Roman Army after an injury, becoming a slave...
All three were older than Maximus, yet when they looked at young Maximus, their eyes held respect, not only because Maximus had worked with them and taught them knowledge over the past month but also because the gladiators who initiated the revolt were their benefactors, the backbone of their team. From leaders to centurions, even some centurions were gladiators; therefore, to them, it was appropriate for Maximus, as one of them, to hold an important position.
Maximus was pleased by their respectful attitude and straightforwardly asked, "You three have been heading the Supply Team for some time now. What are your views and suggestions on the work you are handling?"
The three were taken aback. They hadn't expected that Maximus called them for a meeting in the dead of night just to ask for their suggestions. The previous team leader, Hamilcar, always issued direct commands and never consulted with them, let alone asked for their advice.
Maximus, seeing their silence, realized their caution. He smiled and said gently, "Spartacus said, 'Once you join our team, everyone is brothers and sisters.' We are all part of the Supply Team, and its matters are everyone's matters. You must have noticed some issues during your work. If we discuss solving them together, we can improve our Supply Team, can we not!"
Maximus's words eased their concerns. Acronis spoke first, "Captain Maximus, then... then I'll speak up."
"Speak boldly!"
Acronis bit her lip and said, "The kitchen... the main problem is there are too many women. They work hard but often get harassed by soldiers from other teams. Though Spartacus once ordered 'No one from other teams to enter the wine farm,' people still frequently sneak in! The patrols guarding the farm don't bother to stop them, especially those from the Second Team often barging into the kitchen, harassing my subordinates, scaring them so they can't work well! Captain, you've got to address this; otherwise, the kitchen will turn chaotic, and nothing will get done!"
Maximus frowned. He was aware of this issue and had brought it to Hamilcar's attention before, but Hamilcar dismissed it, viewing it through the lens of the mostly young male rebellion members whose high energy made them curious about women. He believed that allowing a little exchange with the Supply Team women helps boost morale, as long as it didn't escalate into actual violations.
Additionally, the Second Team was under Cross's command. Due to Cross's leniency, the team had poor discipline. Spartacus, considering Cross as one of the rebellion leaders, feared their strategy's affection by confronting him on this issue. Naturally, Hamilcar was even more dismissive.
Maximus knew tackling this issue would be difficult, but he seriously noted it down on the wax tablet with his iron pen, then asked, "Very well, any other issues?"
"Yes!" Acronis, now encouraged, spoke louder, "Although we have over a hundred people assigned to the kitchen, they have to cook porridge twice, make soup twice, mill grains, knead dough, bake bread, and distribute food to all the battalion camps... they're busy from dawn till dusk without rest.
Despite the hard work, it's barely satisfying the entire team's needs, and as more people join every day, if we don't get more hands in the kitchen, soon there will be people going hungry. Plus, we need more stoves, ovens, and mills... otherwise, even if we have more people, without those resources, we can't produce enough food."
Maximus solemnly nodded, noting it down on the wax tablet, and asked again, "Is there more?"
"Also our sleeping conditions—" Acronis continued, "Our Supply Team lacks tents. We sleep in the courtyard during clear skies and huddle under the warehouse and main building eaves when it rains. This is inconvenient for all the women in the kitchen and makes illnesses more likely."
Maximus frowned again.
Since Spartacus and several leaders chose this place as their base, with the rapid team expansion, the wine farm couldn't house so many people, so it became a materials base, and the Supply Team responsible for it naturally stayed within the farm. Other than the rebellion leaders, the over four thousand soldiers stationed on the hills and fields around the farm also lacked tents but deemed the Supply Team's lodging conditions better than theirs, and thus wouldn't agree to share even a single tent...
"This is indeed a problem." Maximus knew it wasn't easy to solve, but he maintained a stance of seriousness and noted it down.
"I've said everything." Acronis looked at Gaius and urged, "Old man, if you have any difficulties, hurry up and tell the captain!"
Despite the three Supply Team leaders not knowing each other before joining the rebellion, their similar tragic experiences and frequent work encounters over the past twenty or so days built a good camaraderie.
Gaius nodded at Acronis, then, unhurriedly, said, "There are three issues with the warehouse that need solving. First, others frequently sneak in to pilfer things like smoked fish, meat, and wine. We can't stop them and even get beaten, while the patrols serve no real purpose and sometimes even partake in the theft;
Second, the amount of materials we now acquire is growing, and the few farm warehouses are already overcapacity. Storing them in the courtyard makes it hard to guard, and rain or wind could damage them, on top of the fire risk;
The third issue is... I'm old, and my abilities are dwindling. Managing materials for one farm was challenging but doable, but now we have materials from over ten farms piling up here. My subordinates didn't understand arithmetic before and only learned a bit during this month under your instruction, captain. I need some skilled in arithmetic, otherwise, the Supply Team's accounts will end up in chaos..."