Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 162 General Mobilization for War!
Toulouse.

In the 4th century AD, the Visigoths were attacked by the Huns and driven across the Danube River into the territory of the Roman Empire.

Around 410 AD, the Visigoths, led by Alaric, entered Italy and besieged Rome. With the help of slaves within the city, they opened the gates and plundered the city. Afterwards, they established a kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula within the Western Roman Empire, eventually making Toulouse their capital.

Although the Visigothic Kingdom occupied large swathes of territory of the Western Roman Empire, it remained a nominal ally of the Western Empire.

Theodoric I participated in the Battle of the Chalons as an ally of the empire. This emperor, who died in battle, was extremely brave. He conquered Spanish territory, drove the Vandals and Alans to North Africa, and suppressed the Suebi to a corner of the northwestern Iberian Peninsula.

As the successor of Theodoric I, Torsmond was naturally an ally of the Western Empire, and Maximus would have a certain degree of legitimacy if he acknowledged him.

In recent years, the main conflicts between the Visigothic Kingdom and the Empire have taken place in the territory of Gaul beyond the mountains.

The approximate location is on the border between Italy and France. Switzerland is now predominantly inhabited by Alemanni. The territorial disputes are difficult to define and ultimately depend on who is stronger.

The Visigoths also built a palace in Toulouse.

In the main hall.

Torsmond received the Italian envoys, warmly welcoming them and assuring Emperor Maximus that their alliance remained in effect.

"His Majesty."

After seeing the envoy off, a Visigothic general said in a deep voice, "Are we really going to ally with the false emperor against the Governor-General of Britain?"

Normally, after the Battle of Shalon, this alliance was already dead in name only.

Torsmond narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the distant military camp, and slowly said, "That's natural."

"Britannia rose too quickly."

"If we don't curb their development, they will soon become our greatest enemy."

"and."

“I once met the Governor-General of Britain, Duncan, and he was a very difficult opponent!”

Torsmond still remembered the gusts of wind that Attila the Scourge of God had created with the Huns. Even the elite Visigoth cavalry had a hard time fighting them, but there was one exception: the British Governor Duncan. He led his cavalry in waves that crashed one after another, shattering the Hunnic formation.

In the parlance of modern video games, Duncan was one of the most commanding generals Torsmond had ever seen!

The opponent possesses almost overwhelming strength on the local battlefield, easily exploiting any weakness. Their grasp of the timing of the battle is simply unheard of and unseen.

The official beside him whispered, "But the Western Roman Empire is weak and can't help us at all."

"With Aetius dead, their army became even weaker."

"In the end, we had to face the Governor-General of Britain alone."

Thinking of Aetius, King Torresmond couldn't help but smile. When he learned of Aetius's death, he felt as if even the heavens were on his side. It was similar to the Jin Dynasty hearing that Yue Fei had been executed by the Song emperor. Aetius himself was loyal to the empire; no matter how many faults he had committed, they could not erase his decades of service guarding the frontier.

Without Aetius, the Western Empire would have collapsed long ago.

The imperial commander, whom the Germanic barbarians had feared for decades, died in such an absurd and laughable way.

Currently, the only one who can stop the Visigothic Kingdom from dominating Western Europe is the Governor-General of Britain, Duncan. If Duncan can be defeated, destroying the Western Empire will be a piece of cake.

“Of course I know,” Torsmond said in a deep voice, “but we have the Western Empire as a nominal ally.”

"Then we can weaken Duncan's strength."

"Moreover, Maximus is willing to use the Gallic region as an exchange, which is very important to us."

This is the core territory and the pretext for declaring war.

In the words of later generations, even if the three northeastern provinces were lost and the country was completely occupied, Japan would never acknowledge that it was its territory. This is the established legal system since ancient times. Even after the fighting is over, the fight must continue. The concept of this nation will unite the north and south in the struggle to recover lost territory.

The Gallo-Baltistan region was roughly equivalent to modern-day France. Comparing a small portion of the core territory of France to the three northeastern provinces wouldn't be an exaggeration, as their importance was roughly the same.

Such a treaty would not be signed by a normal emperor, but Maximus dared to sign it.

We can lose the land, but we must insist that we cannot lose it, in case we can take it back in the future.
Maximus's signing of this treaty was no less significant than the cession of the three northeastern provinces after a defeat in later dynasties, and the Roman people were already going crazy.

Torsmond said slowly, "Compared to us, Governor Duncan of Britain cares more about the situation in Italy, and they will definitely attack the Italian peninsula when the time comes."

"That will be our opportunity."

Maximus wanted to use the power of the Visigothic Kingdom, but Torsmond also wanted Maximus to draw the fire.

That was the throne of the Western Roman Empire.

Torsmond didn't believe Duncan wouldn't be tempted. When the situation changed, he would lead his army to attack the Franks directly, cutting off their retreat in one fell swoop. Even if Duncan occupied Italy, he would be completely cut off from the British provinces.

Only by cutting the enemy in two can Torsmond be confident of defeating Duncan.

At this moment, the general next to him asked doubtfully, "Would the Governor-General of Britain really ignore Gaul and attack Italy directly?"

Torsmond affirmed, "Maximus has not yet fully taken control of the army."

"If he makes a move now, the chances are very high."

"But if this drags on for too long, the Imperial Senate may gradually gain control of the army."

Time will tell.

If Duncan continues to refrain from attacking, the army might actually be overhauled by the Senate.

Two weeks passed quickly.

A messenger hurried to Toulouse, and soon a message arrived in Torsmond's hands.

"His Majesty."

"A rebellion broke out in Capua and other parts of Italy. It is said that the Imperial Legion stationed there killed the nobles of the Senate and directly occupied the city of Capua."

"They freed the slaves, and the rebels are said to number in the thousands."

As soon as the messenger finished speaking, Torsmond stood up excitedly.

He asked in a deep voice, "What about the movements of the British legions?" The messenger replied, "The British legions have already marched toward Italy. They probably intend to join forces with the rebels to launch a pincer attack on Rome and Ravenna."

Torsmond immediately stood up and said, "Map."

"Bring me the map."

He quickly drew a marching route on the map: the British legions would cross Gaul from Burgundy and advance toward the Italian peninsula, while the rebels near Capua, if they held out, would tie down a large part of the Western Empire's forces.

God helps me too!

Torsmond stood up excitedly and said, "Immediately summon the army from the Iberian Peninsula."

"The opportunity to take Frankish Island has arrived."

When Torsmond last dismembered the Frankish tribes, he snatched a piece of the spoils from Duncan and occupied the area around Orléans. This time, if he takes the Île Frankish, which is near Paris, he can seize Normandy and simultaneously attack Calais, Champagne, Gordon, and other places, practically splitting the enemy in two.

If we win this battle...

They could then blockade the Strait of Calais, forcing the British army back to the islands, at which point all of Western Europe would fall under the Visigothic Kingdom's control.

Torsmond had the illusion that he was building a powerful empire.

If he were to annex the Gallic provinces, he would gain almost half of the Western Empire's territory, far exceeding the historical Gallic Empire.

Within a day, dozens of riders dispersed in all directions.

The entire Iberian Peninsula was mobilized. Apart from the troops stationed near the Cape of Good Hope to guard against the Vandals, the main forces were gathered near Toulouse. Torsmond, a reckless man, knew that Duncan was a formidable opponent, so he mobilized almost the entire nation's resources to gather an army of 60,000, claiming to be 150,000 men, to launch a full-scale attack on Gaul.

This is now a full-fledged national war.

Just as Duncan judged him, a guy who could charge into the Hunnic camp would never miss a good opportunity and would have the courage to go all out.

at the same time.

Secret legions were also gathering in Kent on the British Isles. They landed through the Calais Channel. Most of these people were not the main force. They included Welsh, Scots, Irish, and barbarian foreign legions from Germanic tribes. In total, they numbered more than 20,000, which was the limit of what the entire British Isles could mobilize.

Britannia's total population was only one or two million, yet it mobilized forty to fifty thousand troops and over one hundred thousand laborers at once, nearly draining Duncan's entire fortune and national treasury.

If this battle is not won, the entire island of Britain will be severely weakened.

Dimensional space.

On Duncan's projection screen, a symbol of a blazing fire appeared over the Kingdom of Britain.

—"General Mobilization (State of the Nation): The Kingdom of Britain has entered a state of general mobilization, with a significant increase in manpower and reserves, and militia being directly converted into local legions, etc."

This battle directly determined the hegemony of the whole of Europe.

Duncan had already deployed the Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Corps to the Italian border. He was taking a very risky two-front war. In order to create the illusion that he was going all out to eliminate the false emperor, Duncan left only a few thousand elite troops.

In addition, there were the Pictish barbarian legions, Welsh Highland regiments, and Irish Gaelic regiments transferred from the British provinces. These were relatively undisciplined Celtic barbarian troops, along with local militia reserves and barbarian foreign legions. All of them were second- or third-line legions that were constantly gathering near the Île-de-France.

Without launching a major offensive against Italy, it would be impossible to lure Torsmond into a trap.

However, second- and third-line troops could hardly defeat the Visigothic army, so Duncan's trump card for turning the tide came from another source.

—Frank Dragoon (Powerful Charge) (Dragon Banner) (One-Star Silver Gray).

—Knight Ragnarok (Powerful Charge) (Dragon Banner) (Two-Star Silver Gray). [Note: Former form of the Knights of the Round Table.]

—Salmatian elite cavalry (powerful charge) (Dragon Banner) (One Star).

—Frankish Axe Throwing Infantry (Heavy Infantry) (One-star Silver Gray).

After the main forces of the British Imperial Army and others were transferred to Italy, Duncan's trump card was to recruit the reorganized Frankish elite troops. Melov died too quickly, and after his death, the Frankish troops basically surrendered.

Duncan is now playing on multiple fronts.

Severus and others led an elite legion to advance on Italy. If the Visigothic Kingdom did not attack, they would kill the false emperor and destroy the Senate. If the enemy attacked, they would create the illusion of a siege, then return to reinforce and seize Gaul beyond the mountains, cutting off the enemy's retreat and forming an encirclement.

He himself secretly stayed behind, personally commanding the Lager Knights and Frankish dragoons, looking for an opportunity to cut off the enemy's rear and supply lines. With the addition of second and third-line troops from the British Isles to provide support, they could barely be considered to have the strength to fight the Visigothic army.

The Visigothic Kingdom could not possibly have had a regular army of 60,000.

Militia against militia.

This battle came down to the commander's ability and the general's personal skills. Duncan's army was slightly weaker, but with his own strength, they were in an advantageous position to take the initiative.

As long as his "invincible" status remains, Duncan can use the morale of the militia as if it were a regular army.

Both sides were playing the time game. If Torsmond didn't launch a full-scale attack, the main British army could immediately return to reinforce the Italian peninsula after taking it. At that time, Duncan, with the boost of "slaying the false emperor," might be able to concentrate the military power of the entire Western Roman Empire to annihilate them.

With Duncan's astonishing prestige, the Imperial Legion that had just surrendered could be deployed to the battlefield immediately.

If the Visigothic Kingdom launched a fierce offensive and its elite cavalry advanced rapidly, the main British army would simply surround the city without attacking, and would not even enter the Italian peninsula.

Duncan will try to lure the enemy deep into his territory, and everything will depend on how the battle unfolds.

The most crucial point of the entire Gallo-Ballis-Gallic campaign was whether Paris could be defended. This required experienced generals skilled in defense, and Duncan's only capable commander of the former Imperial Legion was adept at city defense.

If Paris can hold out for a week, Duncan will have a chance to turn the tide. If they can hold out for more than half a month, Duncan is confident that he can form a siege and annihilate the enemy's main force.

Because by then, the main British army had already withdrawn, thus cutting off their retreat.

under night.

Just as the Visigothic army was gathering in Orleans and other places, a cavalry force of about two thousand men, the most powerful elite cavalry legion in the history of Europe, was also formed.

Duncan's reorganization method was very simple and brutal. He gathered together almost all cavalry units, including British cavalry, Salmatian riders, Ragnar knights, Frankish dragoons, and so on, as well as units marked with at least one star.

Any one of them could be considered an elite veteran.

Such a cavalry legion, even 100,000 men would dare to charge!

………………

(PS: Tomorrow's chapter is a long one of 10,000 words, I'll try to finish it in one go. Please vote for me next month.)
(End of this chapter)