Hamilcar led Maximus into the farmstead; their task, assigned by Spartacus, was to take an inventory of the estate's supplies.
The farmstead was quite large, though compared to the one they had stayed at last night, it had fewer buildings. There was no manure pile nearby, no granary or pens for pigs, sheep, or even horses, thus lacking the usual odors.
The center of the courtyard was a flat stone surface, not for threshing grain but for drying grapes. In the middle was a pool, constructed for collecting rainwater. On one side of the courtyard were two winemaking rooms filled with presses and various sizes of wooden barrels. On the other side were several wine cellars, sealed rooms that stored massive wine jars in some areas and wooden barrels in others... This farmstead only had one relatively small warehouse that contained flour, barley, and a modest amount of smoked meat. Clearly, this was a farm dedicated to winemaking.
Finally, the two entered the estate's sole residential building. Its ground floor housed quarters for the slaves, cramped and crowded. The upper floor was for overseers and guards—spacious and comfortable.
In the largest room, Maximus noticed a piece of papyrus placed on the wooden table, next to a torn envelope.
He walked over and casually picked it up. The Latin written on it was something he could understand.
"What does it say?" Hamilcar, illiterate, asked curiously.
After reading it, Maximus carefully pondered and then spoke in a deep voice: "That man wasn't lying. This farmstead indeed belongs to a Roman Elder. He wrote this letter to inform the overseer here that wine prices in Rome have risen, and he demanded the prompt shipment of twenty barrels of wine to Rome. Here's his signature—"
Maximus read aloud, word by word: "Marcus Porcius Cato."
Hamilcar asked casually, "Who is this person?"
"I don't know much about him myself, though I vaguely recall my former master mentioning his name. This Cato family is quite influential in Rome!" Maximus said solemnly. In truth, he knew nothing about the sender of the letter but was familiar with the name of the Porcian family. From his knowledge of historical records in his previous life, two individuals from this family had left a lasting impression on him: once common Roman citizens, the family rose to prominence during Old Cato's campaigns against Hannibal. Known for his infamous declarations in the Senate that 'Carthage must be destroyed,' Old Cato eventually led Rome to annihilate Carthage. Another figure, Little Cato, was steadfast in his opposition to Caesar... This family seemed to possess a certain indomitable quality—once they set their sights on a goal, not even the strength of nine oxen could pull them away.
"We must report this to Spartacus!" Hamilcar's expression turned grave as he turned to leave the room.
Maximus moved to follow, but his peripheral vision caught sight of a stack of papyrus resting on the bed. He immediately walked over and picked it up.
"What's this?" Hamilcar paused to ask.
Maximus scanned the contents of the first page and replied, "It seems to be a guide for growing crops and raising livestock."
"Oh." Hamilcar dismissed it casually and left the room.
Maximus, however, diligently searched the entire bed, gathered scattered pages, stacked them neatly, and carefully placed them into his pocket before exiting the room.
After the gladiators eliminated the resistance, they gathered the farmstead's slaves. Spartacus invited them to join their ranks but also generously proclaimed: anyone unwilling to join could leave freely without repercussions.
As a result, nearly thirty slaves chose to stay.
As everyone sprawled across the courtyard to rest, Spartacus, Cross, and several other leaders convened in the room where they had earlier discovered the letters to discuss plans.
After hearing Hamilcar and Maximus' report, Spartacus, with a solemn expression, addressed the group: "Brothers, while we now have a temporary respite and a growing force from the slaves joining us, the Romans will soon learn that we've seized their farmstead and taken their slaves. They will quickly dispatch troops against us. Do we stand and fight here, or rest for a few days and then continue fleeing south?"
"Of course, fight the Romans here!" Cross declared loudly without hesitation. "We've only been here half a day, and nearly two hundred have joined us! This area is full of slaves—if we kill the Roman overseers on these estates and invite the slaves to join us, our numbers will soon reach thousands! Besides, these farmsteads are stocked with ample food supplies, so we won't face starvation. If we abandon such an advantageous position and flee south instead, that would be a foolish choice!"
"Cross is right. Since we've resolved to resist Rome, battling the Roman Army is inevitable. The earlier we win, the quicker we establish our reputation and draw more people to our side. Only then will we no longer fear Rome!" Antonix, usually cautious, now spoke with sparks of determination in his eyes.
"Fight Rome? We Germanics never shy away from battle!" Enomai stated firmly.
Spartacus glanced at Hamilcar.
Hamilcar nodded.
"Good! Since everyone agrees, we will fight the Romans here!" Spartacus passionately announced, scanning the room. "However, the Roman Army is far superior to the forces in Capua—highly organized and disciplined. I've served as an auxiliary soldier in Little Asia and am well aware of their capabilities. If we want to fight Rome effectively, we can no longer fight in chaos. We must structure and train our brothers to maximize our strength. I have a proposal.
"Our forces now exceed 400 men. Cross, Antonix, Enomai, and I will each lead a hundred. Each unit will consist of half old comrades and half newly joined slaves, so the experienced brothers can guide the newcomers to avoid poor performance. Additionally, every ten men will elect a small squad leader, ensuring order in battle and minimizing confusion. What do you all think?"
"Spartacus' suggestion is correct. This way, our battles will be far more organized." Antonix quickly expressed his support.
"I'm on board." Enomai agreed without hesitation.
Only Cross hesitated.
Spartacus noticed his concerns and persuaded him: "Cross, there are only so many old brothers, but the new recruits will keep growing. Eventually, they'll take up ranks as Centurions or even Great Captains, commanding troops in battles against Rome. If you overly protect them now and prevent them from gaining experience, they may one day accuse you of having held them back."
Cross felt a jolt of realization: among the gladiators, more than a hundred were Gauls, and he always considered himself their leader, reluctant to let others interfere. Yet Spartacus made an indisputable point—these proud individuals would inevitably resent it if less capable comrades were elevated to leadership positions while they remained ordinary soldiers under command...
Reflecting on this, Cross finally nodded. "I have no objections."
Spartacus smiled. "Great! Let's proceed with that plan. Cross, you'll choose your hundred first when the time comes."
Cross showed no hesitation and nodded in agreement.
Spartacus continued, "We also need to form a cavalry unit to scout around, especially monitoring any Roman Army movements. What do you think?"
"I agree."
"How many men should be in this cavalry unit?"
"Let's start with five for now."
"But we currently need all existing horses for pulling carts; we don't have spares," Hamilcar pointed out.
"With all the farmsteads in this area, there's no shortage of horses. If we seize additional horses, they'll be prioritized for the cavalry," Spartacus suggested.
Everyone agreed.