The kitchen was filled with tension. Maximus stayed there only briefly before having to step outside to avoid being in the way.
In that moment, he suddenly felt somewhat lost: He had come to this era, wanting to change the doomed fate of Spartacus' rebellion army. Yet when it was time to fight the Roman Army, he could only observe and wait for the outcome of the battle, completely powerless.
If only I could command an army to join the fight! ... This thought suddenly emerged in Maximus' mind.
As Maximus was mulling over his thoughts, several figures flashed before his eyes. He immediately snapped back to reality and shouted, "Akegu, Casius, what are you doing?!"
"Te... Teacher, we were thinking of going to the kitchen to help," Akegu stammered in response.
The title "Teacher" was something Maximus had instructed them to use. Considering the effort he had devoted to teaching the children, he certainly lived up to that title.
"Didn't I tell you before? During this crucial time, you must not wander around! You need to stay with Uncle Vorenus at all times so that I can find you quickly in case anything happens. Do you understand?" Maximus said sternly.
"We just wanted to help a little..." Casius quietly explained, but immediately bowed his head when Maximus glared at him.
"Teacher, we were wrong. We'll go back right now, please don't be angry!" Naisuya quickly admitted her mistake, and the other children chimed in quickly as well.
Only then did Maximus' expression soften, and he nodded: "Since this is your first offense, I'll forgive you this time."
The children respected Maximus deeply and didn't want to make him angry, so they obediently turned and went back to the main building.
Maximus followed them to the front yard, where he ran into Pigeris.
"Captain, do we need to load everything onto the carts like we did yesterday?" Pigeris asked urgently the moment he saw Maximus.
"Of course." Maximus answered without hesitation. Seeing Pigeris' lingering confusion, he added firmly, "We must prepare for the worst and hope for the best."
Pigeris felt somewhat reassured by these words and led his team to move the supplies.
Maximus then ascended to the rooftop of the main building. A moment later, he watched as the people from the kitchen pushed wooden carts loaded with steaming hot food out of the farmhouse gates. At this time, soldiers would usually rush over to snatch up the food, crowding the entrance completely. But today, they were absent, and the food carts made their way smoothly to the camp.
On the surface, this seemed like a good thing, but Maximus felt uneasy. He had hoped that today would unfold as usual, which would indicate that the soldiers were not affected by the arrival of the Roman Army yesterday. However, recalling that even he hadn't given his usual evening lecture to the supply team last night, it was clear that everyone shared the same nervousness and anxiety when it came to real warfare.
Realizing this, Maximus forced himself to remain calm, as his behavior as the supply team's captain would influence the morale of his subordinates.
After breakfast, Maximus instructed Seksepis to drive the cattle and sheep to the back hill of the farmhouse. Then, he ordered the rest of the supply team to gather inside the farmhouse.
By now, daylight had fully broken, and the sun hung diagonally in a clear sky.
"Woo! Woo! Woo!..." The urgent sound of copper horns echoed throughout the camp.
The Romans are here?!... Maximus hurried up to the rooftop again, looking out toward the horizon.
In the distance, the fully armed Roman soldiers were orderly marching out of the camp they had built yesterday, directly forming ranks in the fields...
After about half an hour, the Roman Army had formed their traditional three-line formation. Behind this formation was a tighter array of auxiliary soldiers, who were followed by ten carts, while each wing was flanked by 50 cavalrymen.
The copper horn sounded long and loud.
The Roman Army started advancing slowly toward the rebel camp.
It seems the Romans are really going to attack this time!... Maximus felt a surge of tension as he shifted his gaze to the nearby scene.
While the Roman soldiers were forming ranks, the rebel army also began to take action. In fact, after breakfast, the rebel soldiers had already been standing by in the camp. Having gone through yesterday's experience, although the formation was still noisy and chaotic, they were quicker to assemble this time. By the time the Roman Army reached the base of the hill, the rebels had completed their formation... This brought Maximus a brief moment of relief.
Soon, he saw Spartacus standing at the front of the formation's centerline. Spartacus shouted something loudly, and the gladiators in the front ranks swung their spears and swords, roaring in unison. The new recruits were inspired by this and began shouting one after another, until the entire rebel army's formation was filled with a deafening roar...
Though many of the slaves who joined the rebellion were still clad in single-layer clothing and held tools like hoes, pitchforks, and wooden sticks in their hands, their hatred for the Romans had been awakened. Now, as they faced the well-equipped Roman Army at the hill's base, there was no trembling or fear but rather rage burning in their eyes.
Even Maximus, positioned at the rear, could feel the shift in morale, and a sliver of hope for victory stirred in his heart.
At this moment, the Roman Army halted their advance. They began to adjust the slightly disordered ranks at the base of the hill, while soldiers jumped out of each cart, carrying wooden structures which they moved through the gaps in the formation to set up in front of the ranks. Then, they busily worked around these wooden frames.
"What are those things they're setting up in front of the ranks?!"
"Why haven't those Roman dogs attacked yet?!"
...
The soldiers behind Spartacus murmured among themselves.
"Those are Roman crossbows!" Spartacus loudly explained to the soldiers, quelling their paranoia, "They're like the slingshots children play with, capable of shooting stones. But in terms of accuracy, it's not great. It's difficult to hit anything..."
No matter his expression or tone, Spartacus appeared quite relaxed, but inwardly, he grew anxious: How could I forget that the Romans use this tactic in pitched battle!
"Report to the Legion Commander, all crossbows are installed and standing by for your orders!" Vidnius saluted Grabo and reported.
"I see." Grabo glanced at the seasoned camp commander before him, a veteran he had appointed against opposition. This old soldier had once served as a centurion under Sula and achieved impressive results in the wars of Little Asia. Ever since Vidnius assumed his post, he had organized every aspect of the military—marching, training, encampment, and discipline—flawlessly, earning Grabo's trust.
"Proceed with the plan. Let those insolent slaves taste the terror of war!" Grabo sneered, pointing contemptuously at the rebel forces on the hill.
Upon receiving orders, the Roman crossbow gunners began cranking the handles, pulling back the double-layered spring arms until they were locked by metal hooks. Then, a lead ball was placed on the sliding rail.
This was a small lead ball, weighing only half a talent (a standard crossbow lead ball weighs about one talent, roughly 26 kilograms). This reduced weight allowed it to travel farther. Unlike regular lead balls, this one was wrapped in oiled cloth. Once ignited, the crossbow gunners quickly pulled the trigger. A "whoosh! whoosh!" sound sliced through the air as ten flaming projectiles shot forth, flying toward the hillside and landing over the rebel ranks.
The rebel soldiers largely breathed a sigh of relief, but Spartacus was suddenly alarmed. He hadn't anticipated that the crossbows would fire not lead balls but firebombs, and their landing zone was none other than the rebel camp not far from the formation.
The rebel camp had never been systematically planned, with tents clustered closely together. No fire precautions had been taken, and as it was early summer, the weather was dry, and materials were flammable. The fire bombs ignited the tents as soon as they landed...
Maximus saw five or six spots of flame erupt around the farmhouse and froze for a moment before realizing the danger. He hurriedly rushed downstairs and shouted to Acronis, Pigeris, and the others in the front yard: "Quick! Gather people to extinguish the fires in the camp! Go put them out!"
Leading the personnel from the supply team, Maximus dashed toward the camp, completely forgetting to inform Spartacus.