Rome Must Perish

Icarus struggled desperately once again, and the Nix soldiers behind him struck him another blow, yet he still refused to stop struggling.

The crowd behind the elder could never have imagined that the "Holy Stone Desecration Incident," long considered a closed case more than 20 years ago, would be dredged up at this specific moment in time. What's more, it seemed as if a new culprit had emerged, like a massive stone thrown into a pond, causing an uproar throughout the square. Everyone began discussing it fervently. After all, 20 years wasn't that long ago; many of the tribespeople who lived through that period were still alive. Several involved parties still had family and friends among them, and everyone began digging through the recesses of their memories to piece together and verify the elder's claims.

Someone impatiently shouted, "Uncle Siris, is everything you said true?! Was it the Clan Leader who arranged for my father to be killed?!"

The elder turned to look at the man, his voice filled with profound guilt as he said, "Kredes, I failed your father! When my elder brother died, I should've gone to the leader and accused Icarus! But… but I was afraid, afraid that I would end up like my elder brother… I had no choice but to feign ignorance, only then would Icarus overlook me…

I've held this secret in my heart for over 20 years. These past 20 years have been agonizing! I often dream of my elder brother, your father, and the others, all covered in blood—"

"Shut up! Siris, you lame old fool! How dare you spout nonsense here and slander our Clan Leader! What proof do you have that he was the one who desecrated the Holy Stone?!" A relative of Icarus furiously interjected.

"I… I…" Siris struggled to respond.

Over 20 years had passed, and most of the involved parties were long dead. Other than his late elder brother, the others who were killed were slain by the Skodisqi people, who either died in subsequent wars or became slaves of some Segestica tribe, surviving under arduous conditions. Siris had no way of providing evidence.

A rare chance had arisen for someone brave enough to expose the crimes of the Segestica nobles, and Stags naturally refused to allow this individual to be doubted or the momentum of this critical moment to be disrupted. He immediately roared, "Everyone quiet! Quiet down now!…"

"Siris!" Starks loomed over the elder and demanded in halting Illyrian, "Do you dare swear by the Goddess Danu that every word you've spoken is the truth?!"

"I dare!" For the first time in his life, the perpetually timid Siris was resolute. He decisively threw aside his cane, knelt rapidly to the ground, and kowtowed several times in the direction of an empty space. Then he sat up straight, puffed out his chest, pressed his left hand against it, raised his right hand high, and solemnly declared in a loud voice, "Great and merciful Mother of All Things — Goddess Danu above! Humble Siris swears to You that every word I have spoken is the truth. The one who desecrated the Holy Stone all those years ago was Icarus! If I have spoken falsely, may I suffer Your divine wrath! May my family and I meet tragic fates, and may our souls find no peace in the afterlife!"

The crowd couldn't help but shudder upon hearing these words: Siris's oath was too severe!

"Alright, I believe you!" Stags immediately proclaimed in a booming voice.

With no concrete evidence, relying solely on Siris's testimony and his deadly oath, the Nix people had found Icarus guilty. This seemed an incredibly reckless decision!

However, most of the Segestica citizens present didn't share this sentiment. As believers in the Divine, they rarely swore oaths lightly, as breaking an oath would undeniably summon divine punishments — a universally held belief. For Siris to dare make such a severe vow to the Mother Goddess, it was highly likely his words were true. Moreover, in reflecting on his testimony, many among the crowd began to notice peculiarities as they revisited memories of the events from all those years ago.

Stags himself had not overthought things; he merely wanted justification to convict these two Segestica nobles he had detained. Thus, he assertively nodded and said, "I now believe your account. This man has indeed committed grave crimes! Stand aside; we will pass judgment shortly!"

He then swept his gaze over the crowd and declared loudly, "Who else has the courage to step forward and expose the crimes of these two men?!"

This time, the square no longer remained silent. Siris had set an example, and others, emboldened, began to step forward and speak out at an increasing pace. Their accusations ranged from hurling insults and favoritism to seizing lands or ordering subordinates to injure others. The timelines of their testimonies spanned from the years following independence all the way back to the period of Skodisqi rule. Initially, the citizens only denounced the two captured Clan Leaders, but soon, they began to include other tribal leaders and even the Chief himself in their accounts…

Stags did nothing to suppress these revelations; in fact, he welcomed them. Yet, even he grew shocked as the accusations escalated. Over the past year or so, the Military Department had disseminated information to the officers about the Pannonians, painting them as a newly independent and relatively united people. The impression was that their citizens loyally followed the commands of their chiefs and nobles, enabling them to launch multiple wars against the Nix in such a short period after achieving independence. Stags hadn't expected such a seemingly cohesive people to contain so many sordid affairs.

He could never have anticipated it. After defeating the Skodisqi people and rising to power, the Pannonians had naturally sought to learn from the Skodisqi's downfall. Offending a powerful enemy like Rome was foolish, but failing to forge a strong tribal alliance and swiftly mobilize military forces to suppress uprisings was also a key factor in the Skodisqi's demise. Moreover, the surrounding tribes were not particularly friendly toward the newly independent Pannonians. To counter this, the Pannonians had established a tribal alliance, granting chiefs and nobles greater authority to enhance their power and capacity for military mobilization.

Originally, the Pannonians had modeled much of their political system on the Skodisqi, a Celtic tribe where Druid Priests wielded significant authority. However, following independence, many of the powers of the Pannonian Priests — such as judiciary rights, rituals, and mediating inter-tribal disputes — were stripped away. The tribal council, composed solely of chiefs and Clan Leaders, became the sole institution deciding the fates of the tribespeople.

Since the tribal leaders couldn't convene frequently to resolve every internal issue, many minor disputes and conflicts were delegated to their respective Clan Leaders to handle. Over time, could such concentrated power not influence the mentalities of the chiefs and Clan Leaders?

What's more, the Skodisqi elite, who had grown corrupt while living luxuriously under Pannonian servitude, undoubtedly made an imprint on the Pannonian nobles and chiefs after decades of interaction. Even after gaining independence, instances of corruption, abuse of power, and arrogance were not uncommon among the Pannonian tribes. It was only because the leaders and nobles, having secured independence through arduous struggle, still retained a sense of urgency and ambition — and because life for the tribespeople had improved significantly compared to before — that harmony between the ruling and common classes had been maintained.

But today, the Nix people had lifted the lid on this pot. With their deliberate agitation, all the sludge that had settled to the bottom was stirred up and brought to the surface.

By the time no one else came forward to expose the crimes of the chiefs and Clan Leaders, it was already midday.

Most of the citizens in the square still felt tense and uneasy, much like when they had first arrived. However, their unease now stemmed from having broken tribal traditions and offending the all-powerful chiefs and Clan Leaders.

At the same time, they no longer appeared as repressed and indifferent as when they had first arrived. In contrast, hints of smiles appeared on their faces — a catharsis of grievances and frustrations long-buried in their hearts.

"Tribespeople, based on what you've just revealed, these two individuals have committed numerous heinous crimes!" Nikocus pointed to the two men bound before them, his expression solemn as he declared loudly, "According to Nix law, they are sentenced to death! Now—who among you is willing to personally execute Icarus?!"

These words sent waves of disbelief across the crowd: Was he serious? It was bold enough to denounce these bloodline-noble chiefs and Clan Leaders, men born to rule them, but to execute them? That was sheer madness!

"Does no one dare?!" Stags's gaze swept over the crowd.

Everyone lowered their heads, avoiding his eyes.

Stags sneered, "No wonder they could bully you so brazenly—because you're all cowards—"

"I will!" The voice came from none other than Siris, the elder.

"Good! Segestica still has warriors among its people!" Starks laughed heartily, motioning for the elder to step forward. Drawing the short sword at his side, he handed it to him and quietly asked, "Are you sure you can do this?"

"I killed plenty of Skodisqi people back in the day!" Siris replied, taking the short sword and limping toward Icarus.

Icarus let out muffled cries, shaking his head frantically, his eyes filled with terror and pleading. However, upon seeing that his pleas carried no sway, and as the glinting blade was raised high in the air, his body began to tremble uncontrollably with fear.

In a flash of cold steel, the restrained Icarus was struck at the neck. Amid gasps of shock, blood spurted out, splashing onto Siris.

The elder neither dodged nor flinched. He gazed at Icarus's convulsing body lying on the ground. At that moment, the wrinkles on his face, as rough as tree bark, seemed to smooth out. Decades of suppressed remorse were finally released. With a smile on his face, he murmured repeatedly, "Brother, did you see? I've avenged you! Truly, I've killed that Clan Leader Icarus we didn't dare provoke—he lies dead before me…"

Stags surveyed the restless square and pointed at the other captured Clan Leader, now so terrified he had collapsed to the ground, his pants soaked. Once again, he roared, "Who among you dares execute this man?!"

"…I… I will!" To everyone's surprise, a woman stepped forward.