Maximus put on an understanding posture, but in fact, he did not fully believe Demolius’s words. The people of Pisenum, who had suffered the failure of war and were strictly controlled by the Romans, would have the courage to join a rebel army that had not yet been fully war-tested? And, this was while the Roman Army was already guarding the area!
"Tell me about this Roman army ahead," Maximus prompted.
"A month ago, Governor Crodianus led this army along the Sarabian Way from Rome to Ascoli Piceno, where they set up camp and began constructing military fortifications towards Ascoli Port. I know they are here to deal with you, so I tried every means to find out detailed information about this Roman army."
Demolius said with great confidence, "This Roman army has a total of 50,000 men, but don’t worry, only four are true Roman Armies, with over 24,000 soldiers who have undergone strict training for more than half a year. The other more than 20,000 soldiers were city guards recruited from towns in Ladim, Umbria. However, the Romans equipped them with full Roman Army gear, but they are clearly different from the true Roman Army, so the governor has been hastily training these soldiers..."
Maximus exchanged a few glances with Quintus, then asked indifferently, "That’s all?"
"Moreover, Ascoli Piceno itself is a city easy to defend and hard to attack, and the Roman Army has desperately built fortifications there with traps, moats, earth walls, and watchtowers... The defenses are very strict, and if you want to break through, I’m afraid it will be very difficult!"
Demolius solemnly reminded, "I heard that you came here to escape the attack of another governor, Publilius, and now there are Romans blocking in front and chasing from behind, so you must think of a way to defeat them quickly, otherwise, they will encircle and wipe you out!"
"Thank you very much for your help!" Maximus expressed his gratitude with a smile, then turned around and said, "Magus, go get 10 or from him."
"Ah?... Okay... okay, leader."
"No, no, I don’t want money! I want to join you! I want to fight the Romans!..." Demolius said eagerly.
Maximus saw his excited expression, genuinely emotional, and persuaded, "As you said, we are now in a dangerous situation, and if you join us at this time, you may soon die in battle!"
"Dying in battle is better than living cowardly!" Demolius answered firmly.
"Very well then," Maximus said somewhat helplessly, then he smiled, extended his right hand, and said in a deep voice, "Welcome to join us!"
Demolius excitedly grabbed Maximus’s hand.
"Casius, take this brother to see Commander Carmine, say that I said it, and let him become a member of Free Italy." Maximus glanced at his attendant.
Having spent several months around Maximus, the astute Casius immediately understood the unspoken words of the leader: have Carmine keep an eye on this guy to prevent him from being a spy.
"Leader, rest assured, I’ll take him to see Commander Carmine right away." Casius winked at Maximus and then politely said to Demolius, "Please come with me."
After the two left, Maximus restrained his smile, looked at Quintus, and said in a deep voice, "You were right, the Romans indeed sent troops to block us in front. Another 50,000! It seems the Romans are trying to encircle and destroy us here!"
Quintus’s expression also became somewhat grim, and he said with some regret, "According to Roman tradition, two governors always command separately, and since one troop is pursuing from behind, there must be another troop hidden somewhere else... I should have thought of this earlier!
And these two governors are also playing tricks, their forces are not all strictly trained Roman Armies, so their combat effectiveness should not be too strong. I should have advised you earlier to persuade other leaders to insist on confronting the Roman army in the Tarentum area, maybe we wouldn’t be facing today’s predicament."
Maximus was somewhat indifferent, comforting, "Even if the Roman army played tricks, with our situation at the time, we didn’t have the guts to fight them. What has happened has happened, don’t overthink it. Let’s focus on solving the current problem."
Pursued from behind and blocked in front, being encircled by a 100,000-strong army made even the seasoned Quintus feel extremely anxious, but the young Maximus showed such calmness that Quintus felt both ashamed and somewhat impressed.
He certainly wouldn’t know that Maximus displayed such demeanor because the young man, familiar with history from a previous life, firmly believed that during this period, no matter how great the difficulties, the rebel army led by Spartacus would achieve victory.
Quintus steadied himself, and cautioned in a deep voice, "The Roman army is stationed at Ascoli Port, which is not too far from us. If they march quickly along the coastal road, it will only take two days to reach us! So... leader, you should order the troops to stop advancing immediately, camp on the spot, wait for the main force to catch up, ensure their safety first, and then discuss with the other leaders on how to break through the Roman army’s encirclement."