Maximus did not respond to this; the arrival of his army was the best reassurance he could offer.
The army had to continue eastward, which meant passing through Budocaribas's village. Even though the soldiers had adhered strictly to military discipline and behaved admirably after entering the territory of the Alde Tribe — something Budocaribas had witnessed firsthand — he still appeared tense. After all, this was the first time the Maximus Army was directly entering an Aldean village; if any unexpected incidents occurred, tens of thousands causing commotion within the settlement could result in a disaster.
To address this, Maximus reassured Budocaribas once again, while Budocaribas entered the village ahead to communicate and interact with the tribesmen. Outside the village, Maximus issued strict orders to all department leaders to keep their subordinates under control and ensure nothing went wrong upon entering the settlement.
