Duncan had to return.

Because during this time, a major event occurred that was enough to affect the entire European situation.

Attila the Hun, known as the God's Whip, led his army to split into two routes, bypassed Paris, and attacked the central Gaul stronghold of Oleronia (Orléans), intending to conquer the Franks in one fell swoop, defeat the Empire, and bring the Franks completely under his control.

As mentioned before, there were two groups of Franks: one submitted to the Hunnic Empire, the other favored the Roman Empire.

So when Duncan was traversing the European continent, he saw two different Frankish forces fighting each other, with a small number of elite Hunnish cavalry present. This time, the God's Whip was serious; he personally led his army westward, preparing to smash the declining Western Empire.

"The Battle of Chalons is about to erupt."

This could be said to be the largest pitched battle in European history during the Middle Ages, with one side being the declining Roman Empire, and the other led by Attila, the so-called God's Whip, commanding the Hunnic Empire.

Southampton.

Duncan leapt off the ship, hurried to the lord's mansion, and as soon as he saw Severus, he asked in a deep voice, "What's the situation?"

The Crow Queen Triss, Anya, Severus, Kvito, and Clegane were all there.

Seeing that Duncan returned safely and seemingly uninjured, the Crow Queen Triss sighed in relief and said solemnly, "It's not greatly affecting us, but the exiles we've recruited have been impacted by the war, and for now, they can't migrate to Great Britain."

Anya stepped forward at this time, looking proud as she handed a sealed document to Duncan.

"What's this?" Duncan asked curiously while reaching out to take it.

Anya said triumphantly, "It's a document of imperial appointment."

"But it will only become official once you successfully restore the Province of Britannia. With this, you will be legitimately ruling Britannia."

"Even King Uther will have to bow to you!"

Valentinian III?!

Appointed by the emperor himself as the governor of the British Province?

My God!

He had only been gone for a dozen days, and Anya had accomplished something so major?

No one knew about this.

Even the Crow Queen Triss looked shocked, glancing at Anya before reaching to take the document for a careful look, then nodded lightly, "It really is the appointment document from Emperor Valentinian III."

"But it still requires the approval of the Senate."

Anya took it back and said solemnly, "I know that, of course."

"So, the appointment will only take effect if we nominally restore the existence of the British Province; only then can Duncan become the legitimate governor of Britannia."

The Crow Queen Triss was fairly surprised, "How did you persuade Valentinian III?"

Anya smiled with a hint of pride, "I have some connections in Rome."

"Moreover, Valentinian III has always been dissatisfied with Protector of the Realm Aetius monopolizing power. He has longed to gain prestige in the military and showcase his talent before the Roman people."

"So I seized a small opportunity to try, and unexpectedly, it worked."

The prerequisite for all this success.

Is that Valentinian III is an emperor with little real power; only then would he pin some hope on Duncan, who was making a name for himself in Great Britain.

Or more bluntly, Valentinian III wanted to rely on Duncan's reputation to bolster his prestige and incidentally show his face before the Roman public and slightly enhance his presence in the military.

An emperor at the end of the imperial era was this pitiful; he had to seize even the slightest opportunity to spread his prestige in the military.

This was a difficult task, but Anya managed to accomplish it.

Although she went to great lengths, even gifting a large estate in Rome, she successfully completed this task and could be said to have achieved great merit among everyone, momentarily overshadowing the Crow Queen Triss.

Even the tone in which the Crow Queen Triss spoke to her became a bit more respectful.

Anya achieved a great victory in this round!

"No wonder I suddenly gained a bit of Roman Legend!" Duncan now wished to lift Anya up and give her a celebratory kiss.

Fame and weapons should not be loaned to others.

This means that during the imperial decline, there was still a chance; had the empire been more robust and the emperor's authority and prestige higher, Anya wouldn't have stood the slightest chance.

This is akin to the late Tang dynasty when a fierce man captured a territory in the Western Regions, and wrote to the Great Tang emperor saying, appoint me as the Western Regions Jiedu Envoy. The Great Tang emperor thought, why not nominally recover the Western Regions without dispatching troops, and hence, with a stroke of the pen, directly appointed you.

If this succeeded, he could announce to the people that the Western Regions had been recovered, showcasing the empire's strength, and the emperor could also earn some prestige.

If it failed, then no such event ever happened.

In this affair, Duncan stood to gain without loss, and Valentinian III also stood to gain without loss, as the British Province had been abandoned for decades.

If it worked out, trade might expand, though the British Isles weren't as valuable as the Western Regions, known as the Silk Road.

Anya's move was simply extraordinary!

Even Severus on the side re-evaluated Anya, realizing this Roman noblewoman was truly something special, accomplishing such a major feat quietly and without fuss.

The group each took their seats.

Duncan turned his head to Severus and asked solemnly, "Tell me about the situation in Gaul."

Severus rose and nodded, "The exiles have already hidden."

"Currently, the Hunnic army has advanced to Paris and other places, but they seemingly don't plan to assault Paris, heading straight for Orléans instead."

Not long ago, after receiving Attila's war mobilization order, the Hunnic tribes and barbarian vassal states from the Volga River to the Danube all responded, sending troops to assemble on the banks of the Rhine River. As the army advanced, Gaulish cities fell one after another, suffering slaughter and destruction.

After Attila captured the Frankish city of Metz, he split his forces, advancing one arm along the Seine River westward, while Attila personally led the other southward, with their military might aimed directly at the military stronghold of Orléans.

This was the prelude to the Battle of Chalons.

In order to resist the mighty Hunnic Empire, Protector of the Realm Aetius almost mobilized the entire elite forces of the Western Empire, even forming alliances with the Germanic tribes. The Barbarian Race, which had battled the Empire for hundreds of years, was forced to join forces with the imperial legions against the Hunnic army.

The elite foreign legion of the Franks has already clashed with the Huns, and the cavalry of the Western Gothic Kingdom is said to be assembled, led into battle personally by King Theodoric.

In the exaggerated legends, the armies participating in this battle numbered a million strong!

However, Duncan was well aware of the exaggeration within. The fighting soldiers on both sides probably numbered only about a hundred thousand. The Hunnic population was about three to four hundred thousand and couldn't be all pressed into battle; the actual Hunnic troops were estimated to be just ten to twenty thousand.

But besides the soldiers, a large number of mobilized civilian workers, vassal armies, and subject tribes added up to several hundred thousand.

The empire's large-scale gathering of elite Eagle Banner legions posed a significant logistical challenge, mobilizing at least over two hundred thousand civilians to transport military supplies and equipment.

It was a massive melee.

Hunnic Empire VS Roman Empire.

East Goths VS Western Goths.

Salic Franks VS Ripuarian Franks.

The top infantry legions under the Huns were branches of the eastern Franks, and the most excellent elite heavy cavalry units were the horsemen of the conquered East Gothic Kingdom.

This was indeed a situation of internal conflict.

The Germanic people were hacking at each other on both sides, and most of the empire's elite troops were Barbarian foreign legions.

The lord's hall gradually grew quiet.

Duncan, staring at everyone present, suddenly spoke, "How many troops do we have now?"

Hearing his words, Severus's heart skipped a beat and he replied in a deep voice, "Over three thousand, of which the cavalry forces number a hundred and fifty, and there are only fifty-four heavy cavalry."

Not many troops!

Duncan turned to look at Crow Queen Triss, his expression slightly hesitant, softly asking, "If I take a thousand elite, will it affect the situation on Great Britain?"

Hmm?!

Hearing Duncan's words, the others present couldn't help but widen their eyes.

What is he planning to do?

Are you going back to the Gaul Region to help the Empire fight against the Hunnic army?

No, he's not.

Duncan wants to build his legend!

This is the Battle of Châlons, one of the most legendary battles in European history, and a chance to confront God's Whip, Attila. Duncan had almost become a Berserker fighting the Barbarian Race.

He really needed some Hunnic heads to balance his strength.

A thousand elite troops.

Not too many, not too few; it won't affect the safety of the rear, but it will be effective on the local battlefield.

Crow Queen Triss, also shocked, stared at Duncan, but the experiences of recent times had led her to develop an almost blind trust in Duncan. She absolutely didn't believe Duncan would make such a risky decision without reason; he must have some confidence.

Looking at the expression in Crow Queen Triss's eyes, Severus felt a tingling in his head!

Duncan went adventuring in the Nordic regions, and he was on edge every day. After waiting for the main character to return, he then said he wanted to take the elite to Gaul to help the Empire fight God's Whip, Attila.

That is God's Whip!

So far undefeated, forcing the Eastern Empire to pay tribute and submit, and advancing all the way to the gates of Constantinople.

If anyone in this era had the highest legendary status, undoubtedly, it was God's Whip, Attila. Even if Duncan couldn't take him down, contributing to his defeat would yield astonishing legendary status.

It would definitely surpass chopping down a couple of small Barbarian kings!

He's genuinely tempted to take the risk and try.

But now he must also consider the thoughts of others because Duncan is already a Lord.

Among those present, only one had a different expression.

Anya was trembling slightly with excitement, her beautiful face flushed, her eyes full of admiration and adoration as she looked at Duncan. Truly the man I fancy, willing to fight Crow Queen Triss for this man!

Even the legendary God's Whip, Attila, couldn't make this man feel a hint of fear.

Anya, her voice quivering with excitement, said, "I support Duncan's decision."

"We can deploy troops in the name of the Governor of Britain to assist the imperial coalition. If we win this battle, even if the Senate disagrees, you are the rightful King of Britain!"

"Moreover, the Britannian refugees have also formed a legion to join the fight, and we might have a chance to absorb them."

The Britannian Refugee Legion refers to the Roman legions that migrated thirty years ago from Great Britain back to the Gaul Region, considered one of the more combat-effective imperial legions.

These people are stationed in what is now France.

But the premise of everything is that this battle must be won! If lost, the Empire is probably finished!

But Duncan knew, at the Battle of Châlons, the Empire would win. With his participation, the chances of victory were even higher. This dangerous gamble of building his legend could propel him to become a dominant power on the European continent!

To speak bluntly, if he wanted to establish himself as a king, it would be just a word away.

God's Whip, Attila!

Duncan, having come to this Middle Ages segment, how could he not have a confrontation with this legendary figure?

Crow Queen Triss, staring at Duncan and silent for a long time, decisively stated, "I'll go with you! Severus, you stay in Southampton."

That is God's Whip; Crow Queen Triss, this time, absolutely disagrees to stay behind.

This moment, Severus truly felt numb.

.........

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