Chapter 536: Chapter 404 Nix Kingdom
In the summer of that year, a major event occurred within the Nix Tribe.
After the annual summer harvest festival, the leader Maximus declared that he had received the divine oracle of the Goddess Danu and officially proclaimed himself king...
A sacred coronation ceremony was held in the tribe’s center—Yeriboli.
To avoid alarming nearby powers and triggering unfavorable associations, no envoys from friendly tribes were invited to witness the ceremony. Nonetheless, the event was grand, and the citizens of various towns plunged into jubilant celebrations.
After Maximus donned the crown, he first announced that August 25th would be designated as Nix’s National Day, allowing citizens in all towns to hold celebrations and revel freely. He then issued new decrees and adjustments to the government structure to accommodate the kingdom’s establishment while promoting numerous officials to higher positions...
From then on, the Nix Tribe, possessing the plains along the middle and lower reaches of the Kupa River, Sava River, and Delaware River, and the western plains along the middle reaches of the Danube River—covering an area close to 90,000 square kilometers and home to over a million people—officially entered the era of the kingdom.
After the autumn harvest, King Maximus announced the convening of a high-level kingdom meeting.
Nix originally had two traditional significant meetings: one was the Political Affairs Hall meeting, attended by the leader and the chiefs of the nine departments; the other was the Tribal Assembly, initially attended by the leader and various departmental officials and held monthly. However, as the territory expanded and the number of officials increased, it eventually evolved into a gathering of fourth-level and above officials in the tribal center.
The high-level tribal meeting was established only a few years ago. In addition to the leader and the chiefs of the nine departments, participants included citizens with a rank of third-class viscount or higher, integrating not only kingdom officials but also outstanding talents from various sectors who had made significant contributions to the kingdom, thereby showcasing the superiority of the Twenty Peerage System.
The meeting venue was the Political Affairs Hall in the royal palace, one of King Maximus’s main venues for handling political affairs and also the fixed site for the Political Affairs Hall meetings. Though smaller in size than the palace’s grand hall, it adequately accommodated forty to fifty people.
The most prominent feature within the hall was the massive three-dimensional Mediterranean terrain map placed at the center, painstakingly sculpted by Maximus himself with soil and pigments. Rolling mountains, winding rivers, dense forests, tranquil seas—it resembled a vivid geographic masterpiece that astonished Nix officials and citizens seeing it for the first time, intensifying their reverence for King Maximus (believing it to be divinely inspired by the Goddess Danu).
Time passed, and most of the original chiefs of Nix’s nine departments had since been replaced: Minister of Agriculture Cseni, Minister of Public Works Valles, Minister of Finance Magus, Minister of Civil Affairs Casius, Minister of Justice Laklid, Minister of Commerce Manas, Minister of Military Affairs Fesaros, Minister of Strategy Pequot, and Minister of Armament Camillus... Only Minister of Ceremonial Affairs Kefisofon and Minister of Medicine Horace remained in their original positions, but both were now gray-haired elders.
Compared to the original nine chiefs, who were all middle-aged and elderly, half of today’s department heads were only in their thirties, youthful and thriving. They had endured trials of fire and turmoil during the nearly twenty years of rapid development since Nix’s establishment, ultimately emerging victorious and earning Maximus’s trust for significant appointments.
Nevertheless, most of the former department chiefs were also present within the hall.
Quintus had passed away before Nix crossed the Delaware River to attack the Boyi people.
Gaius, already in frail health prior to joining the rebel army, had died two years ago.
Vallerus, Capito, Sidonius, Flanitnus, and Lebilus—these former department chiefs were all older upon joining the rebel army and had experienced hardship as former slaves, leaving them with various ailments. Over time and under the mounting burden of public duties, they gradually found themselves overextended and resigned successively in recent years.
Pigeris, though younger, was in worse condition.
His lame leg was caused by repeated beatings while enslaved, leaving lingering injuries. Initially, due to his youth and the meticulous care of medical personnel, the issue was not prominent. However, as he aged and his stamina and strength waned, his relentless travel and labor eventually caught up with him. One day, his foot cramped and he collapsed; despite emergency treatment, he was left partially paralyzed and bedridden long-term.
This incident served as a wake-up call for Volenus and others, prompting the wave of resignations among department heads for recuperation.
Another relatively young department chief, Karina, stepped down from her role as Minister of Civil Affairs due to an error.
Several years ago, the Intelligence Office under the Secretariat submitted a confidential report to Maximus, pointing out potential corruption and favoritism within the Civil Affairs Department. Maximus decisively ordered a thorough investigation, uncovering startling results: numerous officials had abused their authority, accepting bribes to grant undue recognition and promotions to their relatives, friends, or acquaintances.
Outraged, Maximus immediately ordered the arrest and imprisonment of the perpetrators. Although Karina was not directly implicated, as the department head, her managerial oversight and leadership shortcomings ultimately led to her resignation.
Following this incident, Maximus seized the opportunity to establish an Inspectorate under the Secretariat specifically tasked with supervising illegal practices in Nix’s officialdom. This initiative sparked a broad cleansing campaign, successfully rooting out numerous law-breaking officials across departments and significantly rectifying the administrative atmosphere within the tribe.
Volenus and others were present at today’s high-level meeting not in their capacity as former department chiefs but due to their titles of third-rank earl.
After proclaiming a kingdom, Maximus declared: Nix’s transformation into a kingdom within two decades owed much to the efforts of the original nine department chiefs and the earliest legion commanders. The kingdom, therefore, should bestow upon them proper recognition for their contributions!
Maximus’s reward for Volenus and the others was the rank of third-rank earl. Even though Quintus and Gaius had passed away, they were posthumously honored as well.
Previously, the highest title within the Nix Kingdom had been first-class viscount. The decision met with little opposition, partly because the citizens acknowledged their achievements and partly because, for these fully retired individuals, the rank of third-rank earl was the pinnacle, whereas others still had opportunities to merit further advancement and surpass them.
The situation of the original legion commanders paralleled that of the former department chiefs: Among them, Fesaros, the youngest, was still under fifty after twenty years. With Flanitnus retired and the position of Minister of Military Affairs vacant, Maximus deliberated and deemed Fesaros the most suitable candidate. Upon the issuance of the appointment, Fesaros, not particularly attached to leading battlefield charges, gladly accepted the role.
Pequot, on the other hand, had an opposite preference; he relished commanding forces and crushing hostile enemies. However, while Quintus lay on his deathbed, he fervently recommended Pequot as the department’s chief strategist. At the time, the tribe was in the critical phase of conquering the Boyi people, and after persuasion from Maximus, Pequot reluctantly agreed. Subsequently, during the tribe’s successive conquests of the Boyi and Taurisci people and its victories over the Germanic tribes, Pequot showcased substantial contributions from behind the scenes.
Camillus joined the rebel army in his thirties; now nearing sixty, he was still fit to lead soldiers. Deeply committed and thorough in his work, as well as possessing the broader perspective necessary for high command, he was appointed by Maximus as the successor to Lebilus, taking on the role of Minister of Armament without hesitation.
Oluus and Lufus, both former Roman veterans, had aged considerably and naturally resigned from their leadership roles. Yet, they both appeared in the hall today.
Torrelugo, once a gladiator, carried physical scars from his years in the arena. During the early days of joining the rebel army, he sustained a severe injury and, unlike Maximus, failed to take care of his body. Fond of leading charges and exhausting himself on the battlefield, his constant overexertion took its toll. In a battle during the conquest of the Boyi people, already in his sixties and chronically fatigued, he was caught in a sudden downpour and developed a high fever that plunged him into a coma that evening. The Medical Camp tried their utmost to save him, but ultimately failed to wake him...
Within the Political Affairs Hall, besides former and current department chiefs and retired legion commanders, there were several notable figures.
Spukala, Nix Kingdom’s most outstanding engineer, had contributed significantly to engineering design, machinery manufacturing, mining, and metallurgy, among other applied sciences. Despite his age, he continued learning and experimenting, striving to turn Maximus’s ideas and "visions" into reality.
For instance, years ago, he invented a water-powered blower, significantly enhancing the combustion efficiency and temperature control precision of furnaces. Another machine he improved—a parallel multi-row water-powered hammer forge—not only adjusted hammer strength and enabled workflow operations but also drastically reduced labor costs, increased efficiency, and boosted steel output, leading to a substantial improvement in the Nix Kingdom’s weaponry and equipment.
Due to these contributions, he was now honored with the title of first-class viscount.
Minujus, the Nix Kingdom’s medical scholar.
Inspired by Maximus, he began dissecting corpses and researching the secrets of the human body ten years ago. Over the following years, he successively authored "Human Skeleton Map," "Initial Understanding of the Human Body," and "Human Circulatory System Theory"...
Alongside this, with Maximus’s support, he undertook surgical attempts to address ailments unresponsive to medication. From initially using splints to aid the recovery of patients with fractures, to stitching large wounds with needles and thread, to opening abdomens and attempting the removal of diseased internal organs—he even conducted a cesarean section for a woman experiencing a difficult labor...