Linley wasn't sure if Sevilla's idea was a blessing or a curse for Martini. Martini had planned to escape long ago, and once he did, Linley would have a hard time catching him. Naturally, his future would be ruined, and a failed escape could mean imprisonment or even death.
But spurred on by Sevilla, Martini gathered his courage, assembled his troops, and devised a strategy that nearly succeeded against Linley. However, just when victory was in sight, he unfortunately lost his life. Even if he had succeeded, his glory would have been short-lived.
"The governor is dead, and there are no more troops on the island to threaten us now," Linley said.
"The troops of Crete are nothing," Sevilla laughed. "Rome has already sent an army just to kill you! And it's not just any Greek army, but Rome's battle-hardened troops, and a cardinal who specializes in hunting false gods. You are no match for them."
Hearing "battle-hardened troops" and "cardinal," Linley couldn't help but catch his breath.
"No battle-hardened troops, no cardinal, can defeat the Dionysus!" Brutus said confidently.
"You brainless minotaurs don't get it," Sevilla mocked.
Sevilla tried to say more, but Linley grabbed a piece of cloth and gagged her, then ordered his men, "Tie her up."
A few men quickly and tightly bound Sevilla. This woman knew too much and couldn't be killed just yet; she might be useful later. At the very least, Hermes might come looking for his daughter someday. Besides, as the bride of the Dionysus, it was fitting for Linley to take her back.
"Get all the valuables out of the church," Linley ordered.
"Sir," Bell reminded him, "there's more in the governor's mansion."
"Right, loot the governor's mansion too," Linley added.
Everyone sprang into action immediately. Linley watched as they took all the gems and precious metals from the church. After looting the church, they ran to the governor's mansion and started searching everywhere.
The governor's mansion was large with many rooms, and as the looting became more fervent, people scattered. Some rooms had servants hiding who hadn't had a chance to escape, and when they met, both sides were shocked, leading to conflicts and casualties.
Seeing the situation deteriorate, Linley gathered his followers and stopped the search. He released the captured Roman soldiers and told them, "You now have one hour to search for treasure in the governor's mansion. Each of you must find valuables worth more than a hundred gold coins, or you will be executed."
The Roman soldiers nodded hastily in fear.
"If you find more than a hundred gold coins' worth, you can keep your life," Linley continued. "Additionally, the person who finds the most and the highest value treasure can keep half of it. The ten people who find the least will each lose a hand. Now start searching, and don't think about escaping; escapees will be killed."
These Roman soldiers personally witnessed Linley using a slingshot to kill Martini from a hundred meters away, and they all believed it without a doubt, immediately starting their actions. Since they were already living in the governor's mansion and knew the place well, their looting was highly efficient.
Looting, especially by the army, is actually a complex and profound operation. Of course, the army usually doesn't call it robbery; they refer to it as "logistical supplies replenishment." Marching armies consume a lot of food, not just for the soldiers but also for the civilian laborers transporting it.
The farther the food has to travel, the more the civilian laborers eat, leaving less for the destination. Therefore, if they can replenish supplies locally in enemy territory, it can significantly reduce logistical pressure.
Napoleon's army excelled at this scientific local replenishment during their campaigns. Although looting wasn't uncommon in armies back then, it was usually done by small teams, which was inefficient and often provoked resistance, even leading to uprisings.
Napoleon's army was different; they had professional assessors and even used dogs to find hidden supplies. They could always find hidden food and would leave some rations for the residents of the occupied area to prevent them from taking desperate measures. Additionally, Napoleon's army tried to avoid unnecessary harm and violence.
Besides food, other valuable items were also collected by specialized units, assessed, and sold, with the proceeds distributed equally among all soldiers based on rank and merit. This method prevented some soldiers from getting rich through excessive looting while others remained poor, ensuring fairness.
More importantly, this method prevented the dispersion of the troops. Once dispersed, it would be very difficult to regroup, and some soldiers might desert with their loot, going home to live a wealthy life.
This method also greatly benefited military discipline. Soldiers' earnings depended not on their luck during looting but on their bravery, skills, and merits. This made soldiers less afraid of death in battle because they knew that participating in more looting would eventually make them rich.
The same applied to Linley. If he dispersed his subordinates to loot, the efficiency would be very low, and he could not ensure that they would not be tempted by the wealth and hide the looted items. Especially the newly joined Minotaurs, who were not very intelligent and accustomed to farm work, could not distinguish between valuable and worthless items.
Dispersed troops could not regroup quickly, and if the enemy attacked at this time, it would be very dangerous. Therefore, looting also needed to be scientific, or there would be problems. Linley currently did not have a specialized looting unit and could only let these Roman soldiers go first.
Linley waited at the mansion's entrance. Soon, someone tried to escape by jumping out of a window, but Linley killed him with a slingshot, scaring the other Roman soldiers so much that no one dared to escape again.
An hour later, the Roman soldiers returned, each with various gems, gold, silver, and coins, each with a haul exceeding one hundred gold coins.
"No one will be sentenced to death," Linley announced.
The Roman soldiers breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now, the ten with the lowest value are..." Linley began to tally the values, "You, you, you..."
Every time Linley pointed out someone, a Minotaur would drag the indicated Roman soldier out and chop off their right hand.
Then, Linley pointed to a middle-aged soldier and said, "Your loot is the most valuable; you can keep half."
He divided the loot brought by that soldier into two halves, giving one half to him. All the Roman soldiers' eyes sparkled, even those ten who had their hands chopped off.
"My lord!" A short Roman soldier stood up, holding a painting he had brought, and said, "Look at this painting! It's by Robis, very valuable. In Rome, it can sell for several hundred gold coins. It should be the most valuable loot I collected!"