Chapter 291: Chapter 151: Fifty Thousand Strong! A Motley Rabble Europe is a strange place.
Any power vying for supremacy in Europe must have the resolve to take on a large number of enemies single-handedly. This is much like the historical tradition, with Napoleon expressing his thoughts on the matter, and the German Empire affirming this reality. Even Attila, who recently fell on the battlefield of Sharon, remarked how all these forces combined against him, with no sense of fair play.
There is a reason for the chaos in Europe.
In the council hall, the others present gradually fell silent.
Duncan picked up a pen and drew a line along the Rhine and Danube frontiers, slowly stating, "This was the empire’s territory back in the day, and it is the best place to defend against Barbarian Race invasions."
"With the disintegration of the Hunnic Empire, the pace of the Barbarian Race moving southward will only quicken."
At this point, Duncan drew a line in the middle of what is now France, a land currently belonging to the Western Goths, and said gravely, "The Franks have not yet unified, though they have some power, they are not our match."
"But we must be wary of the Western Goths."
"They have made a great name for themselves at the Battle of Sharon, their heavy cavalry unparalleled across Europe; this is a formidable enemy we must face."
He then marked the location of northern Carthage, musing, "Though this is far from us."
"The larger the territory, the more people there are to feed."
"Carthage, once the empire’s granary, is now occupied by the Vandals, and sooner or later, we will have to reclaim it."
"Capturing this area will give us a grain-producing region."
Carthage, located in the Tunisia area of North Africa, boasts extremely fertile soil and a suitable climate. The Carthaginians excel at cultivating crops like wheat, barley, olives, and grapes. Their agricultural technology, especially in food production, is very advanced, capable of sustaining a large urban population and army needs.
Having lost Carthage, the empire could have caught a breath; later, even the Eastern Roman Empire tried several times to recapture the North African grain district.
Duncan drew a circle in the Mediterranean Sea.
This circle covered the exact inner sea range of the Mediterranean, with a solemn expression, he said, "To dominate the Mediterranean, these areas must also be conquered."
Severus frowned and said, "The empire’s borderlines are too long."
If there were no Barbarian Race invasions, Duncan could focus on advancing southward.
But the invasion is a tidal wave of history, and he couldn’t venture into the desolate lands of Northern Europe. He could only stiffen and defend passively. In this era, even countering the Barbarian Race is a losing proposition unless Duncan engages in widespread plunder and sells the population as slaves for a slim chance of breaking even.
That barren land is even looked down upon by the Germanic tribes themselves; otherwise, why would so many head south? The Kingdom of Britain could not digest it even if they captured it; they need populous and economically prosperous regions more.
"Then let us await the opportunity."
Duncan finally decided resolutely, "When the situation on the Italian Peninsula changes, we will first conquer the Gaul Region."
"With warfare on all sides, the interior of the empire will not be stable either."
Fighting is a good thing.
For Emperor Valentinian III and the Senate, one of the empire’s great enemies, the Hunnic Empire, has already disintegrated with revolts and uprisings on all sides, making it impossible to recover the situation. The Franks, who have occupied Gaul, are now with the British Province in conflict, and perhaps later in conflict with another imperial adversary, the Western Gothic Kingdom.
As a result, one of the empire’s two great foes destroys itself, while the other is fighting against the British Province.
Some people want to replace Aetius, and now is the best opportunity.
Duncan will also provide them with the chance for a replacement.
The situation in Europe at this time is very delicate.
There are wars in every direction, but the Italian Peninsula remains relatively calm, with the British Province rising to withstand the pressure from the west, and the collapse and rebellion of the Hunnic Empire holding off pressure from the east.
For a time, there was no one left who could threaten the Italian mainland.
Valentinian III felt as if the heavens were helping him; once he regained the military and political power of the empire, along with Senate support, he could gradually deal with the other enemies. Besides, he has a close relationship with the Governor of the Province of Britannia, Duncan; if he eliminates Aetius, he might attempt an alliance or marriage with Duncan.
With the armies set, and the empire’s territory recovered.
His prestige among the Roman populace would soar!
Duncan didn’t feel close to Valentinian III, but the emperor didn’t think so. He always thought Duncan was his potential ally because of the asymmetric information brought back by Quintus.
Quintus was accustomed to deceit, and the emperor believed the Governor of Britain was his strong supporter.
This emperor simply wanted to control the affluent areas around Italy, and for the more remote and impoverished Gaul Region, he would be sure to appoint a trusted military commander to guard it.
He loved fame, but he didn’t want to lead an army to resist the Barbarian Race invasion himself.
But there is no such good fortune in the world.
The grand strategic plan of the Britain Kingdom was quickly formulated, and with the assembly of legions around London completed, Duncan personally led a large army across the sea for warfare.
Calais Port.
The intelligence returned from the front line indicated that the Seventh Legion had already fought to the Gent area, and further north is the territory of future Holland, which is also the coastal boundary of Greater Germania.
"How did we advance so quickly?"
Upon landing, Duncan was quite surprised and looked at the advisors beside him, saying, "Didn’t I only dispatch two regular legions and two auxiliary legions?"
A total of four thousand troops.
According to his estimation, capturing the area around Calais would already be quite fortunate, yet they have now pushed to the mouth of the Laine River.
The personal guard beside him was also puzzled, cautiously saying: "I don’t know."
"Perhaps the enemy is too weak to withstand?"
But even if they are weak, they couldn’t have advanced so swiftly, could they?