Chapter 246: Chapter 125: The Oath of the Oathkeeper! (An extra Chapter added, offering it as a tribute, praying for monthly votes.)
Antonine Wall, fortress.
As the only relatively intact fort along this wall, it’s actually just a dilapidated house with a leak.
"Bring him up."
Duncan sat in the main seat and gave the order calmly. Soon, Personal Guard Carl brought up Drest I with some men. This young general was only seventeen this year. In the latter half of the year, he would be sent out for further studies, and then lead the army independently, starting from a centurion.
Drest walked up with a face ashen, followed by five or six captured Pictish chieftains.
Duncan waved his hand and said, "Untie him."
After being untied, Drest raised his head and looked at Duncan, his lips moved slightly, but ultimately he said nothing; he just stood there rigidly.
Duncan was not in a hurry at all. He stood up, glanced at the other Pictish chieftains, and slowly said, "Are you willing to surrender?"
As soon as the words fell, some immediately kowtowed, shouting Duncan as the King of Britain.
But there was also one person who stiffened his neck, glaring at Duncan without speaking; his two sons had died on the battlefield, and his expression was full of hatred towards Duncan.
Galavin, behind Duncan, approached and whispered a few words.
Duncan nodded slightly and said, "Your sons died honorably on the battlefield, just as we defeated you honorably on the battlefield."
"Since you do not submit, someone, take him down and execute him!"
"A family should be whole."
The Personal Guards on either side stepped forward and took him down. Soon, the execution was done swiftly, accompanied by a scream from outside. A personal guard returned holding a bloodied head.
The faces of the prisoners present turned pale with fear, except for Drest, whose expression was surprised as he looked at Duncan, then at himself, the only one freed.
With his attitude, he should have been beheaded by Duncan long ago.
Soon, the other captured chieftains were taken away, leaving only Drest I. Duncan looked down at the person before him and slowly said, "Do you know why I didn’t kill you?"
Drest, after all, is a person whose name is remembered in history. He said in a deep voice, "You want to completely conquer the Picts?"
Duncan nodded calmly and said, "That’s right."
"I want to end the centuries of chaos and conflict on Great Britain and unite all tribes and peoples under one banner."
Drest gazed at Duncan before him and said in a deep voice, "And then?"
"You will crown yourself king and become the ruler of Britain?"
Duncan smiled slightly and said calmly, "Do you think I will always stay on Great Britain?"
Drest was silent.
Such a mythical hero figure could not possibly have his sights limited to a small Britannia.
Duncan continued to ask, "Are you willing to submit?"
"If you are unwilling."
"I can still let you go, but there’s no one in Scotland who can oppose me anymore. I can send someone to ship you to Ireland."
"You can tell them that I want to completely conquer Britannia."
"Maybe."
"Because of you, they will unite to resist me!"
Upon hearing this, Drest showed a faint bitter smile.
Letting me go a second time?
However, the pride he held as a tribal chieftain had already been utterly shattered by Duncan.
Especially Duncan’s form on the battlefield, like a Ghost God descending, no matter how many more chances he got, he couldn’t turn defeat into victory.
Duncan still underestimated one thing: Firstly, Drest is not as resourceful as Meng Huo, and secondly, Great Britain is not as large as Yunnan.
What Chancellor Zhuge conquered were actually the descendants of the Jiu Li tribes, and it wasn’t as complicated with the Picts, whose resistance wasn’t as firm as the Jiu Li descendants. Besides, Chancellor Zhuge used more strategies, while Duncan was purely about forceful conquest, defeating the enemy and breaking their courage in just one or two confrontations.
The Barbarian Race inherently admired heroes of extraordinary valor, and it could be said that Duncan already had followers among the Picts; it was purely about the admiration for strong warriors.
When they lost due to strategies, they were unsatisfied, but when they were defeated honorably, they had nothing to say.
Drest had the same mindset. He held the traditional Barbarian belief that with Duncan’s incredible prowess, no matter how many came, they wouldn’t be enough for him to kill. One day after capturing nearly ten thousand prisoners, some volunteered to surrender.
The reason was straightforward: Following such a world-renowned warrior surely meant victories in battles.
Who doesn’t yearn for victory?
Drest remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, "Can you treat the Picts well? Just like you treat the Britons!"
"You are a Roman."
"As long as you vow to treat the Picts equally, I am willing to submit."
It seems the need for three captures and releases is unnecessary; he clearly didn’t plan to cross the sea to Ireland to seek reinforcements, after all, the Gaels and Picts also had conflicts.
Clang.
Duncan slowly drew the longsword at his waist and said in a deep voice, "Have you heard of this sword?"