Another trade route was from Rome to Carthage in North Africa. This trade route was also quite profitable, as North Africa was an important grain-producing region.

Now Anya has lost an arm, and her other arm has been broken too.

The entire caravan is in dire straits and probably won't last long.

She traveled to the Gaul Region by sea because fighting had already broken out beyond the Alps.

A rich woman?

A very wealthy widow?

The Duke of Dingtiger was quite intrigued, but upon seeing the cold and heroic Duncan, he felt he had no chance. How could he compete with such a young man who seemed like an ancient Greek statue? Moreover, he was shrewd enough to see that deep down, Anya did not take the dukes of Great Britain seriously.

It's like being a noble in the capital, with ancestral military power and residing in the most prosperous place in the world; how much could one care about the Yunnan border area, a local bully controlling just one or two counties?

More or less, that's the meaning. Even the Governor of the British Province is more valuable than those kings and dukes.

The Duke of Dingtiger was akin to a Japanese warlord during the Sengoku period.

She has a fleet?

Can she still run long-distance trade in the Mediterranean?

To the east, she can go to Alexandria in Egypt? To the west, she can reach Carthage in North Africa?

This is truly enticing.

The island of Great Britain is very remote and was never the core province of the empire. There used to be maritime trade, but after the Saxon invasion, everything fell apart, with Saxon pirates almost blocking ocean trade with mainland Europe.

Cornwall is a bit remote, located in the corner of the island, but it also has the advantage of being close to the coastline.

As a competent ruler.

The Duke of Dingtiger realized this was an opportunity. If he could gain the support of the Roman noblewoman, perhaps he could regain his strength. Whether it was grain, weapons, or goods, all could help Cornwall's economy recover somewhat from the ravages of war.

This was Anya's strategy.

Only tangible benefits could attract such political creatures.

Duncan, standing nearby, was also a bit surprised. He had heard the Crow Queen, Triss, mention Anya's wealth and her merchant fleet, but he hadn't expected her to travel so far.

Actually, it was quite normal.

A fallen descendant of former dynasty nobility (a confidant of the Heretic Julian), why should she marry the currently popular Field Army Commander of the Empire?

With beauty and wealth, it's that simple.

After Anya's husband accidentally died in battle, she legally inherited most of her husband's family fortune.

She was genuinely wealthy.

Hmm, seemed underestimated her; next time, be gentler.

Duncan noted to himself.

Anya stopped speaking at this point, leaving space for the Duke of Dingtiger to imagine on his own. Fishing required step-by-step action, and now she was setting the bait. Her real goal was Duncan's mercenary plan, but her appetite was bigger.

She wanted to rightfully and lawfully own a piece of land on the island of Great Britain.

Preferably a place with a harbor.

Once she had territory on the island, she could consider transferring part of her family estate there. Although the business wouldn't be as good as in the Mediterranean, the port trade cities along the route from Great Britain to North Africa were numerous.

Having territory created opportunities.

Most importantly, she could prove she was the best helper in Duncan's rise!

It's more satisfying when a man is fought for.

Humph!

Crow Queen, Triss, just a brute.

Without a doubt.

The Duke of Dingtiger had already taken the bait.

His position on the island was very awkward. King Uther was king, and he was a duke, equivalent to a regional lord, so his status and strength were inferior. If not for the Saxon invasion, he would probably have been suppressed by King Uther.

Legend has it that after he died unexpectedly, King Uther also died suddenly two years later. Local lords rose, and Great Britain entered a truly turbulent era.

Afterwards, there was Merlin assisting King Arthur's rise and the famous 'Sword in the Stone' event.

Tintagel Castle.

The fled Duke of Dingtiger returned with a grim expression but still arranged for Duncan and his party to be accommodated while ordering his guards to gather troops to defend against further Saxon invasion.

His territory wasn't actually small; at its peak, it controlled the area around Winchester, although its origins lay in Cornwall. His conflicts with King Uther were constant, but his power weakened over time, and the lords loyal to him turned to King Uther, leaving him battered by the Saxons.

Britain has an area of about 240,000 square kilometers, with England accounting for roughly 130,000 square kilometers, Scotland 80,000 square kilometers, and Wales 20,000 square kilometers.

The wars mainly occurred in the England region.

With such a limited area, many lords divided it, controlling small territories.

Inside the castle.

Anya quietly approached Duncan's side and placed a bag of gold into his hand, whispering, "Reward the servants later."

Not too generously, but not stingily either.

Everyone had been hungry during their escape, and although the Duke of Dingtiger was defeated miserably, he still wanted to maintain his dignity, ordering a banquet to welcome everyone.

The Saxon barbarians weren't skilled in sieges; they might not dare to storm the castle.

His strength had declined significantly, but as long as he wasn't dead and his resources remained, they wouldn't be entirely wiped out immediately.

Duncan nodded slightly.

During the dinner preparations, he casually but noticeably rewarded the serving servants and knight attendants with a few gold coins.

Not too much, not too little.

Exactly five Golden Ores; the front bore the crowned, bearded bust of Augustus, and the back had a winged Victory Goddess. Each weighed about 4.5 grams. Within the empire, one such coin could be exchanged for 30 to 50 Silver Coins.

This reward undoubtedly delighted the serving servants, making them extremely humble and attentive.

Romans were arrogant; in their eyes, Britain was rural backwater, and the cities were built with their help.

The higher Anya's demeanor, the more they believed.

Before long.

One of the Golden Ores reached the Duke of Dingtiger's hands. He gazed at the coin before him and listened to the knight attendant's words, squinting slightly, pondering something.

An entire bag of gold.

The knight attendant's eyes were fixed. If she wasn't truly wealthy, who would carry a bag of gold around?

Ding.

The Duke of Dingtiger casually tossed the coin over. The knight attendant caught it eagerly. He pondered not the gold itself, but the significance it represented.

Anya had inadvertently hinted before that she had a private armed force under her command, a privately funded legion of imperial standards. (The Exiles absorbed by Duncan.)

This he believed.

Because of Duncan's strength and combat style, clearly the emblem of an army.

"This is an opportunity!"

The Duke of Dingtiger quickly realized this, but the problem was how he could gain cooperation with this Roman noblewoman?

The best method, of course, would be to marry this wealthy widow.

But his wife wouldn't agree, and the other might not be willing either. Other forms of cooperation were obviously not as stable as marriage.

But no matter what.

This noblewoman, who seemed fated to meet, made him think of a possible way to escape his current predicament.

This was Anya's brilliance.

She didn't plan to actively seek collaboration with the Duke of Dingtiger, nor did she intend to join the British island faction as a low-status mercenary. She wanted the Duke of Dingtiger to actively seek her help, acting as allies and simultaneously getting Duncan's affairs done.

That was to establish a base of operations for an armed force on the island of Great Britain.

Rightfully, legally, not as an invader, to create a foundation that could genuinely take root on the island!

"Lord Duke."

"The lady has arrived!"

That's when a maid came to report.

The Duke of Dingtiger was visibly impatient. Igraine had given him three daughters, no male heir, and after years of marriage, he had gradually grown cold. He'd even considered taking a lover to have a son.

Soon, a stately and beautiful noblewoman approached, around thirty years old. Seeing the impatient Duke of Dingtiger a short distance away, she couldn't help but tremble, hurriedly covering her mouth with her hand in panic.

Her husband had returned in defeat.

Who was the person she had spent the previous night with?

At this moment, the Duke of Dingtiger wasn't aware he had been defeated, nor that his household had been stolen by King Uther.

.........

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