Chapter 137: Chapter 57: Facing God’s Whip! 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."