Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 163 Dominating Europe! Rebuilding the Empire (10,000 words)

Throughout history, using newly surrendered enemy troops has always been an extremely risky move.

But what if Duncan gave them land and fields?
The Frankish tribes have not yet formed a true kingdom; they still follow the Germanic tribal clan system, meaning that most of the land and wealth are in the hands of the chieftains and nobles, while the lower classes own only a small portion of the wealth and land.

Those original noble knights who wanted to preserve their land and wealth had to submit to Duncan, while the lower-class semi-free people and serfs who longed to achieve upward social mobility through war needed to follow a strong leader even more.

It can be said that, apart from the Frankish Knights, who were a little more difficult to persuade to surrender, the other troops basically surrendered within a day or two.

Some semi-free people from the lower classes were even dissatisfied because they couldn't join the army, as this was considered a humiliation by the warlike Germans, who believed they were unworthy of being warriors. These people had some fighting ability but no family property, and they longed to rise up through military merit. In the end, they could only be settled in military settlements along the Rhine border.

There is no shortage of desperados in any era, nor is there a shortage of people from the lower rungs of society who are willing to risk their lives to turn their lives around.

As long as Duncan gives them a chance, they really will!
The name of the oath-keeper is renowned far and wide.

Duncan eventually assembled an army of about 30,000 men, of whom about 10,000 were surrendered Frankish soldiers and more than 20,000 were second- and third-line troops from Britannia.

Of these 30,000-plus people, only about 4,000 to 5,000 were actually regular soldiers.

Île-de-France.

With the arrival of British reinforcements, Barton, Garavin, Drest and others began to deploy defenses along the way. The real commander was Barton of the Imperial Legion, who was also a veteran general who had been stationed near the Rhine for nearly twenty years in his early years.

Barton joined the army at the age of eighteen and became a member of the Imperial Legion. Now approaching forty, he is considered one of the middle-aged generals.

Everyone else was younger than him; the governor had a habit of promoting young people to positions of power.

Young people crave achievement and are eager to defy fate, so they are willing to take a gamble.

Take, for example, a young man named Karl. He is only seventeen years old, but he is already the deputy commander of the Sixth Army Corps, which is roughly equivalent to the deputy general of a thousand-man army corps.

After being transferred from the General's Guard, he rose through the ranks based on his military achievements, starting as a centurion in the auxiliary legion, and is now only one step away from becoming an earl.

According to British tradition, a legion commander is equivalent to an earl, which is the origin of the title of earl.

Of course, Karl's rise to power was partly due to his background, after all, his brother was also a general's bodyguard who once died on the battlefield while covering the governor's charge.

This brave young man was highly valued and was personally mentored and trained by Clegane.

Besides, a commoner who rose rapidly to prominence was an exile named Rolin. He was very intelligent and was considered a young man whom Kvito was fully cultivating. Because of his merit in leading hundreds of men to capture Champagne, he became the chief centurion of the auxiliary legion.

Above this position is roughly the rank of general with a thousand men.

Orleans border.

As the Visigothic army advanced on Île-de-France, Barton led several thousand men in an attempt to intercept the enemy's vanguard.

Torsmond was a seasoned soldier who had fought alongside his father since he was a teenager. He assembled a Visigothic assault cavalry force and, together with several thousand Visigothic infantry, launched a two-pronged attack. First, they defeated the barbarian foreign legion led by Galavin on the lower Seine, and then they defeated Barton on the Loire River. In a short time, the British army suffered two defeats and seemed to be somewhat demoralized, no longer daring to engage in a direct battle with the Visigothic Kingdom.

The Visigothic army launched two main offensive routes: one was from Lyon towards Champagne-Gauden, and the other was from Toulouse directly towards Île-de-France.

After two consecutive defeats, Barton concentrated his forces in the Île-de-France region, while he himself led an army to garrison near what would later become Fontainebleau.

Inside the army's camp.

Barton's expression was quite grave. Looking at Galavin, who had just arrived beside him, he asked in a deep voice, "What's the situation?"

Galavin appeared quite relaxed and slowly said, "The foreign legion has retreated to places like Champagne."

"The enemy has most likely taken the bait."

In just half a month, the Visigothic army advanced from Toulouse all the way to the outskirts of Île-de-France, winning two major battles in a row and defeating the British Legion stationed on the border.

Torsmond was overjoyed and immediately mobilized a large army to pursue them. He had to seize the Île-de-France region, where Paris was located, before Duncan withdrew his troops to reinforce Frank.

Barton frowned as he looked at the strategic map before him and said in a deep voice, "Do you know where the Governor is right now?"

Galavin shook his head slightly, also staring intently at the map.

The atmosphere inside the tent was quite heavy. Barton said in a deep voice, "The governor ordered us to suffer three consecutive defeats to lure the enemy deep into our territory."

"If we lose another game, we'll probably have to retreat to Paris."

Their previous two battles were both feigned defeats and genuine losses, since the Frankish troops they had recruited were simply no match for the enemy's fierce offensive.

It can be said that since Duncan raised his army, the British army has never been defeated twice in a row.

After a moment's thought, Galavin said, "Then let's lose another match and lure the enemy here."

After he finished speaking, he pointed in the direction of Versailles.

After a long silence, Barton finally nodded slightly and said, "That's the only way."

at the same time.

Torsmond's army had entered the central region of what would later become France. The entire battle was under his control, even more smoothly than he had anticipated. He had calculated that if the Kingdom of Britain wanted to conquer the Italian peninsula, it would need to mobilize its elite main force, leaving the Frankish garrison with a maximum of only around ten thousand men.

Moreover, the surrendered Frankish troops must be employed, and their morale will inevitably be low.

"His Majesty."

"Lord Holding has defeated the enemy in the lower Seine."

Beneath the fluttering banners, a cavalryman galloped up, excited and panting, and said, "The enemy has retreated to the towns near Champagne."

Torsmond was overjoyed upon hearing this.

He immediately ordered, "Let them not cross the Seine, but station them directly in Gaul beyond the mountains. If the main force of the British legions retreats back to the Franks, we must stop them with all our might."

"Send men to monitor the movements of the Burgundians."

"At the same time, we sent envoys to the leaders of the Burgundians, promising them independence as long as they did not interfere."

Torsmond went to great lengths to weaken Duncan's power.

He secretly sent envoys to the leaders of the Burgundians, promising that after defeating Duncan, they would be allowed to establish the Kingdom of Burgundy within the province of Gaul, as a vassal state of the Visigothic Kingdom.

Now that he has become king, Torsmond has few opportunities to personally go to the battlefield.

Normally, this arrogant and valiant prince would have personally led the vanguard to attack Paris, but now he could only command the main army from the rear. Upon learning that an enemy legion was stationed near Fontainebleau, Torresmond immediately led an elite cavalry force to approach.

Unfortunately, before his army could arrive, the enemy immediately began to retreat after scouts spotted the king's banner flying in the wind, abandoning even the newly built military fortress.

By this time, most of Île-de-France had fallen, and the British Legion could only barely defend itself by relying on the low stone walls of Paris.

The situation in Western Europe took a sharp turn for the worse.

The once-powerful Kingdom of Britain seemed to have suddenly fallen apart. They suffered three consecutive defeats, losing not only all the land west of Île-de-France but also part of Burgundy.

If Paris can't be held, then almost all of the Frankish territories that have been captured will fall.

On the plains of Normandy.

A force of over two thousand elite cavalrymen was flanking the enemy and cutting straight into their rear. Accompanied by the fluttering black dragon banner, a small squad of knights swiftly caught up with the vanguard. Then Karl appeared, reined in his horse, and dismounted, saying, "Your Excellency."

"The enemy has captured the area near Burgundy. As you instructed, the Fifth and Sixth Armies are urgently returning to reinforce the area, creating the illusion of a withdrawal to Frankish territory."

"Lord Clegane has already led a contingent of Salmatian riders into battle against the Visigothic cavalry."

Upon hearing this, Duncan reined in his arms, looking confident, and slowly said, "Let the Fifth and Sixth Legions launch an attack to draw the attention of Lyon's Visigothic forces."

"Let Barton hold out in Paris to the death."

With that, he raised his riding crop and pointed westward, towards the rear of the Visigothic Kingdom, and said in a deep voice, "Now it's our turn to take the stage."

This elite cavalry corps of over two thousand men began to accelerate its advance.

Duncan's overall strategic layout was not complicated, and he had not studied much military theory. Basically, he learned this set of tactics from reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

In some ways, it's closer to a psychological tactic.

First, upon hearing that the Kingdom of Britain was attacking Italy, Torsmond would surely be eager to seize the opportunity to cut off their retreat and prevent the main army from withdrawing.

In order to maximize his interests, he would not launch a distant expedition to rescue the false emperor; the optimal solution would be to besiege Wei and rescue Zhao.

This is the first and foremost factor. If Duncan were to come, this would be absolutely essential, because taking Paris would be a major strategic victory.

Secondly, the Visigothic Kingdom possessed elite cavalry units, who were adept at surprise attacks. As soon as the British Kingdom suffered setbacks on the front lines, they could immediately advance to Île-de-France.

However, the movement speed of infantry and cavalry in this era was incomparable. If they actually reached the outskirts of Paris, it would be almost impossible to capture the city with just vanguard cavalry. In this era, unless one's military strength reached the level of Duncan and a surprise attack was also possible, the only option for besieging a city was to use siege weapons.

This would stretch the Visigothic Kingdom's battle lines considerably.

Most importantly, the enemy's cavalry and infantry will become somewhat disconnected, which, from Duncan's God-like perspective, will be full of loopholes and weaknesses.

At this point, Duncan had already achieved his goal of luring Barton into a trap by letting him lose the first three games.

What followed was a grand performance put on for Torsmond.

From beginning to end, Duncan never intended to launch a full-scale assault on the Italian peninsula; his biggest enemy was the Visigothic Kingdom. Therefore, the Third through Seventh Legions were all just putting on a show. The cities of the Italian peninsula were notoriously difficult to conquer; the Vandals only managed to enter Rome by treachery and deception.

If a full-scale assault were to be launched, the cities on the Italian peninsula, which the empire had cultivated for centuries, all possessed towering walls, requiring a large number of siege weapons.

Torsmond knew this, which is why he dared to attack their rear.

The main force withdrawn from the Italian peninsula was merely to draw the enemy's attention, causing them to deploy more troops near Lyon. The British Fourth and Seventh Legions, after entering the Italian peninsula, have been besieging but not attacking, and have not yet captured a single city.

This play has been going on until now, and it's finally time for Duncan to take the stage and perform.

At this time, the Visigothic army had split into two routes. One route intercepted the main British army in Lyon, while the other route reached the outskirts of Paris. However, the battle lines were stretched too long, and the troops became even more separated.

What Duncan needs to do now is lead his elite cavalry to directly harass the enemy's rear, cut off the enemy's food and supplies, and strategically outmaneuver the enemy's rear.

This is the first step in turning defeat into victory and defense into offense.

Once Duncan expands his gains, the main British army that has entered the Italian peninsula will soon withdraw, not to rescue Paris, but to attack Gaul beyond the mountains and cut off the enemy's retreat.

At that point, Torresmond will be caught in a three-pronged attack.

First, the British Third to Sixth Armies will attack Lyon and recapture the lost territories of Gaul. Barton will gather the rear troops and launch a counterattack against the enemy, while Duncan will raid the enemy's home base and, together with the British reinforcements from the Normandy landings, trap the Visigoths' 60,000-strong army in the province of Gaul.

For Duncan.

The Italian peninsula was the meat in the bowl, and the false emperor Maximus was nothing but a skeleton in a tomb. All these schemes were just to lure the Visigothic Kingdom into launching an attack.

If they don't move, Duncan's attack on the city will come at a great cost.

of course.

The most crucial aspect of this strategic move was that Duncan actually managed to cut off the enemy's rear.

This step is of paramount importance. If Duncan's elite cavalry fails to achieve a strategic victory, the outcome will be completely reversed: the main British force will be completely trapped on the Italian border, Paris will be unable to withstand the enemy's siege, and his elite cavalry will be heavily surrounded due to their isolated advance.

Taking a risky step.

The fundamental reason for such a risky tactical command was Duncan's strong confidence in his own physical strength!
Now, his elite cavalry is marching south from the Normandy plains, launching a long-range raid to attack the enemy's rear. Meanwhile, the Frankish elite troops and Celtic reinforcements stationed nearby are on standby in Normandy, ready to support the main battlefield in Paris at any time.

Barton now only needs to hold on and hold on until good news about Duncan comes back from the front.

………………

Dimensional space.

At this point, Duncan's strategic map had been stretched to its maximum. He traveled south from Normandy, passing through Baron, and arrived near Ambilou.

There was a town called Tours nearby. The Visigothic army had already occupied the town and used it as a transit point for their rear. When Duncan led his cavalry to the town, there were still one or two thousand soldiers guarding it, and they had stockpiled a lot of food.

In ancient times, the larger the scale of an army's expedition, the longer the supply lines for provisions had to be.

Duncan's expedition across the sea was severely hampered by logistical constraints. Had he not swiftly defeated Melovy and captured a large amount of supplies, the logistics would likely have become unsustainable after two or three months.

"attack!"

With a thunderous hoofbeat, Duncan led several hundred cavalrymen in a sudden attack. Of course, more than two thousand elite cavalrymen could not move together. One part, led by Duncan, attacked the city and broke through the stronghold, while the other part harassed the enemy's supply lines and completely cut off Torsmond's retreat.

The sudden appearance of these elite cavalrymen undoubtedly caused great panic among the Visigothic garrison.

Duncan charged ahead, storming in before they could close the city gates. He took Norden's bow and fired five arrows in quick succession, instantly killing a two-star feudal knight in the direction of the camp. Behind him, a vast cavalry force had already stormed into the stronghold, routing the enemy in a single charge.

"set fire!"

"Burn the grain and supplies!"

The entire battle lasted only a few quarters of an hour. Unlike the previous raid on the Frankish tribe, Duncan's actions this time were more ruthless and decisive. He took almost no prisoners and killed thousands of Visigoths in one battle. Afterward, a fire broke out and thick smoke filled the air. He didn't want any spoils of war and burned everything to the ground.

History is the best teacher.

Duncan learned this trick from Huo Qubing. When Huo Qubing led his elite cavalry to raid the Xiongnu, he didn't take any spoils of war. In order to maintain the mobility of the cavalry, he killed a large number of prisoners.

He gave the enemy almost no time to react.

About half a day later, a small squad of Visigothic assault cavalry arrived near Tours, but by then the fire had spread completely, and all the food and supplies had been burned to ashes. The elite cavalry that had circled around to harass them had long since disappeared.

"not good!"

"Immediately inform His Majesty! An elite enemy cavalry force has outflanked us!"

The commander of the Visigothic riders was also an old general, a feudal knight from the Iberian Peninsula. He looked at the town with thick smoke billowing ahead and said with a solemn expression, "Immediately order the nearby garrisons to be on high alert and send out scouts to find out the enemy's movements."

Inquire?

It's impossible to find out anything.

Duncan's elite cavalry, while not exactly elusive, were certainly swift as the wind. Relying on strategic maps, he didn't even need guides, and in just a few days, he traversed thousands of miles, capturing more than a dozen military outposts in the Visigothic Kingdom's rear. In just one week, he had completely disrupted the Visigothic Kingdom's supply lines.

In an effort to reopen the route cut off by Duncan, Torsmond sent nearly 10,000 men from Île-de-France back to the Central District in an attempt to rebuild logistical support.

Unexpectedly, this army of nearly 10,000 men was attacked by Duncan at dawn and suffered a crushing defeat.

The battle resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries, with the routed soldiers only saying that they saw an overwhelming cavalry force.

Until this point.

Torsmond, who was besieging Paris, suddenly realized that Duncan's cavalry was not a small force, but a cavalry corps of more than two thousand men.

Such a large elite cavalry force could charge head-on even against an army of tens of thousands.

With their rear cut off, the Visigothic army besieging Paris began to waver in morale.

East of Verdun.

Torsmond's central army camp was stationed nearby. They had been besieging Paris for almost a week, but the British Legion held firm against the city walls. They couldn't break through after a long siege. Barton was also a veteran of the Imperial Legion. It was difficult for him to achieve any amazing victories, but he was a master at defending the city.

Roman generals were very skilled at defending cities.

In earlier years, the Visigothic army sacked Rome by relying on slaves to open the city gates. Later, in the original history, the Vandals were able to breach the city by deception and treachery, tricking Rome into opening its gates.

Historical records of breaching a city by force are scarce.

Ten thousand men held out for Paris, and the Visigothic infantry stormed the city walls several times, but were eventually driven back each time.

"His Majesty."

"Why don't we retreat?"

At this moment, a Visigoth general in the camp whispered, "The enemy has cut off our supplies. Tens of thousands of soldiers are eating their horses' food. We can't hold out for much longer."

If we retreat now, at least the morale of the troops will not waver due to insufficient food supplies.

Torsmond's expression was extremely gloomy. He looked at the others present and said in a deep voice, "Lyon can also transport supplies."

"We can hold on for at least another month."

He had only just ascended the throne last year, and not long ago the Franks requested aid. He led his army back empty-handed. If he were to retreat easily this time, it would be a huge blow to his prestige.

Only by gaining benefits can war satisfy all parties involved.

Moreover, up to this point, the Visigothic Kingdom has been in a dominant position, having won three consecutive matches, which has greatly boosted the morale of its troops.

Torsmond was unwilling to admit defeat.

He wasn't completely without a chance; if he could capture Paris, Duncan's plan would immediately become a laughable charade. But that's the problem.

The Visigothic army could not conquer it!

Although Paris was not a fortified city, it was one of the few cities in the entire Gallic province with stone walls. He had no idea how Duncan had managed to take Paris in a surprise attack. Did he fly over the walls?

Merovingian was utterly useless.

It's unbelievable that such an important city could be captured by cavalry.

"Hang in there for another half month."

Torsmond surveyed the crowd and said in a deep voice, "If we cannot capture Paris within half a month, we will withdraw our troops."

The king had made up his mind, and the others could only step back.

But bad news kept coming back. Duncan suddenly split his forces into two groups: Courlin led a thousand elite cavalry to attack Toulouse, while he himself led a thousand Frankish dragoons and Lager knights to raid Lyon.

Not long after, news came that a military town in Lyon had been captured.

At this moment, everyone in Torsmond was numb.

what's the situation? !

Why were cavalry units that made long-distance raids able to capture heavily fortified towns and strongholds, in addition to harassing the rear and cutting off supplies?
Did they fly in?

Torsmond simply couldn't understand how the cavalry, lacking both siege equipment and heavy weaponry, managed to breach a city.
They didn't even have shields; a direct assault on the stronghold would have forced them back with a hail of arrows.

This is not common sense!

This can be considered a military miracle.

But that's it.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats rang out, and a Visigoth light cavalryman hurriedly dismounted and rushed into the camp, exclaiming, "Your Majesty!"

"A large enemy army has been spotted in the direction of Normandy, probably numbering in the tens of thousands!"

not good!

Reinforcements from the British provinces have arrived; they may have reached the Frankish region by sea.

Torsmond immediately dispatched cavalry to intercept the British reinforcements, but shortly after his order was given, another, even more startling piece of news arrived.

"His Majesty!……"

A messenger covered in blood arrived, his voice hoarse, and said, "Lyon has fallen..."

"The main British army has been withdrawn."

"They didn't even get deep into Italy!"

These words struck Torrismond like a bolt from the blue, leaving him completely stunned.

Fell into a trap!
He led the Visigothic army, from the attack on Île-de-France to the siege of Paris, in just over half a month. The enemy had no intention of eliminating the 'false emperor'; everything was aimed at them. At this time, the massive encirclement network that Duncan had laid, centered on the entire province of Gaul, had begun to close in.

Currently, his only chance is if the false emperor Maximus can lead his army to attack the rear of the British Legion.

But does Maximus have the guts?
Is he capable of commanding the Imperial Legion?

In fact, the central battlefield of the entire Gallo-Baltic region has now been concentrated on the Île-de-France, with the Picts, Gaels, and Britons led by Drest attacking from the Normandy direction, while Barton commands the second and third-line troops, cooperating with the Frankish infantry, to block the enemy from breaking through the encirclement from the Paris direction.

Now that the last breach has been sealed, if Lyon falls, the Gallic province outside the mountains will almost certainly be completely indefensible.

The entire battle situation underwent a dramatic reversal.

The Visigothic Kingdom consistently held a significant military advantage, and in local battles, especially near Paris, they were practically dominating the British legions.

But the current situation is that there are 10,000 to 20,000 troops in Normandy, about 10,000 troops in Paris, and the main British army has withdrawn from Lyon. The 40,000 to 50,000 troops have completely surrounded them.

If their retreat route is also cut off, everyone will be trapped and die in the Gallic province.

"His Majesty!"

A messenger arrived hastily, bringing news that only worsened the situation: "The Burgundians have deceived us!"

“They also sent thousands of troops and killed our envoys.”

There were a large number of exiles among the Burgundians.

It can be said that the exiles are the group that knows Duncan best. In such a big battle, if they choose the wrong side, they are courting death.

Torsmond was already feeling cold in his hands and feet, his face was ashen, and he managed to give the order with difficulty: "Withdraw the siege."

"Retreat immediately from the direction of the map."

at the same time.

Almost as soon as the Visigothic army began its retreat, Balton, who was stationed in Paris, began to take action.

Come and go as you please?
Is it that easy?

He did not rush to pursue the enemy, giving them an opportunity to take advantage. Instead, he mobilized the Frankish elite troops, recaptured the military strongholds outside Paris, and kept a close eye on the enemy's movements.

Given the command capabilities of this era, chaos would be inevitable once an order to retreat was given.

Bad news came one after another.

The Celtic barbarians in the Normandy direction defeated the Visigoths. The main British army, which had withdrawn from the Italian peninsula, captured more than ten towns in just a few days and advanced directly to the Moulin region, which is only about two hundred kilometers away from Toulouse, the capital of the Visigothic kingdom.

At this time, the Visigothic army's rear route had been completely cut off. From the outbreak of the war until now, only one or two months had passed. Their casualties were not great, but the situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse, and they were completely trapped in the province of Gaul.

"Breakout!"

"Break through at all costs!"

Torsmond actually had another chance before, which was to abandon the siege of Paris and lead the elite Visigothic cavalry to attack Normandy, defeat the Celtic barbarian coalition led by Drest, and then retreat from the direction of Bordeaux.

But doing so would mean abandoning the infantry and could only lead the elite troops to retreat.

A massive encirclement began to close in.

At this moment, the tens of thousands of Visigothic troops were like a trapped beast. If they could withdraw before the main force of the British army entered the battlefield, they would have a sliver of hope. But if they were completely trapped in the Gallic province, they would be doomed.

finally.

A historic scene unfolded once again, with Orleans, which had blocked the Scourge of God—Alati—for months, becoming Torsmond's last hope.

He concentrated his forces near the city where the Battle of Saron had first broken out.

Torsmond left several legions to hold Orléans, then personally led his main force and the Visigothic heavy cavalry toward Lyon, intending to use Orléans to intercept the enemy from Paris and Normandy, seize a time difference, and defeat the main British legion that was withdrawing from the Italian peninsula.

He has failed in his grand strategy, but tactical advances on local battlefields still offer a chance to break through the encirclement. However, to turn the tide, he now has to tackle the toughest challenge in the entire Kingdom of Britain.

Those are all main force legions.

Unfortunately, all of this was within Duncan's expectations.

While Torsmond left a portion of his troops to defend Orleans, several mathematicians from London, escorted by the army, approached with a large number of siege weapons.

This marked the first time a counterweight catapult had appeared on the historical stage.

Torsmond personally led more than 20,000 troops to engage Duncan in a decisive battle in Gaul beyond the mountains, preparing to rely on the powerful Visigoth heavy cavalry to break through the blockade line formed by the main British army.

But it was already a little too late.

Before he could officially begin his decisive battle with Duncan, shocking news came from the direction of Île-de-France!
The formidable fortress that had held off Attila the Scourge of God for two whole months fell completely after only three and a half days, its walls smashed to pieces.

It wasn't that the counterweight catapult was that powerful, but the Scourge of God had been besieging the city for more than two months, and the city walls were already in a precarious state. Mathematicians calculated the trajectory of the projectiles and found that one section of the city wall collapsed after only two days of bombardment.

With the city walls breached and their retreat cut off, tens of thousands of Visigoth soldiers quickly surrendered.

By this time, Torsmond was already beyond saving. In just a few days, he had aged considerably, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was looking towards the British army camp ahead.

"Break through at dawn!"

"I will personally lead the cavalry in the charge!"

Torsmond's gaze was resolute. If he abandoned tens of thousands of troops and retreated with only a small number of cavalry, he might not even be able to keep his throne when he returned.

Before dawn.

Suddenly, the Visigothic army made a move, with one or two thousand elite heavy cavalry leading the way, and many Visigothic legions attempting to break out of the encirclement.

Unfortunately, all of this was laid bare from Duncan's God-like perspective.

Almost as soon as the enemy made a move, Duncan led Frankish dragoons and Lager knights to intercept them. The Visigothic army, which was in a panic and retreating, was completely demoralized. At first, they could still manage to maintain some order, but within a morning, serious command chaos had broken out.

The breakout attempt turned into a major defeat.

Surrounded by the king's guards, Torrismond glanced at the routed and chaotic army behind him, then looked at the black dragon banner fluttering in front of him.

He still has a chance to escape if he breaks through at all costs.

But this defiant Visigoth prince eventually raised his lance, pointed it toward Duncan's banner, and roared, "Knights of the Visigothic King!"

"Come with me!"

His father died on the battlefield in Shalong, so he couldn't possibly abandon tens of thousands of troops and flee in disarray.

really.

With Torsmond personally leading the charge, it was as if the miracle of the Battle of Chalons was being repeated. The Visigothic troops, whose morale had been low, seemed to have a resurgence and regrouped as if they were experiencing a final burst of energy.

In this era, the effect of the king personally leading the charge on boosting morale was truly astonishing!

On the hillside not far away.

Duncan stared blankly ahead, looking at the Torsmond banner, and slowly spurred his horse forward.

Click.

The enemy leader's skull mark has shattered.

—Tristmond (Visigothic King) (Leader Unit) (Odin's Focus) [Three-Star Gold].

"Crush them!"

Duncan raised his hand and waved, and the vast army of elite cavalry behind him began to charge. Since the other side wanted to die like a hero, Duncan would grant him that wish. The end of a hero is only worthy of blood and sand, only a horse's hide wrapped in a coffin.

In an instant.

The entire battlefield resembled two torrents of steel colliding. The Visigoth heavy cavalry, which had earned a formidable reputation at the Battle of the Chalons, faced off against two of the most elite cavalry units in Europe at that time: the Ragnar cavalry (the predecessor of the Knights of the Round Table) from the British Isles, and the dragoons from the Franks.

boom!
In the instant of the collision, the cavalry fighting on the plain were instantly thrown to the ground, the two waves of cavalry crashing and colliding like a torrent, leaving corpses of fallen horses everywhere. Duncan's figure was equally conspicuous in the midst of the army, with dozens of two-star general's guards flanking him as he charged through the enemy lines, directly towards the fluttering royal banner, accompanied by the fluttering black dragon banner.

"Come! Fight!"

As soon as Torsmond looked up, he saw Duncan in front of him. He seemed to have known all along that Duncan was an amazing archer, so he had taken a knight's shield in advance and gathered the Visigothic feudal knights around him to form a sharp blade that plunged directly into the enemy in front of him.

He was flanked by the king's personal guards who risked their lives to protect him, given the precedent of the old king's death in battle.

The distance between us is getting closer and closer.

One hundred meters, fifty meters, thirty meters, twenty meters—Torismund could even see Duncan's hair flying as his warhorse galloped by.

boom!
However, the expected three hundred rounds of battle did not occur. Torsmond suddenly felt a tremendous force strike him, followed by a sharp pain in his wrist, as if it were broken. The knight's shield also shattered directly, and the unparalleled force instantly knocked him off his horse.

Before he could even react, a horse's hoof trampled on him, blood gushing out, and Torsmond felt as if his ribs were broken.

The Visigoths' elite heavy cavalry galloped past!

Duncan didn't even need to turn around to know what fate awaited Torsmond, because the charging heavy cavalry simply wouldn't stop. Even if he fell from his horse and was trampled over by so many heavy cavalry, as long as he was still flesh and blood, he would be trampled to death.

At this moment, the entire battlefield seemed to have been paused.

When Duncan led his general's guard through the enemy and turned his horse around, hundreds of meters behind him, the Visigothic feudal knights, their faces filled with grief and indignation, had already helped up Torrismond's body, which had been trampled beyond recognition by the warhorses.

The scene was absolutely horrific!
Despite possessing the martial prowess of a three-star gold-level warrior, Torsmond was trampled by hundreds of heavy cavalry after falling from his horse. His body was flattened, his skull and helmet dented, revealing only his ruptured eyeballs and brain matter mixed with blood.

The enemy has begun to fall into disarray.

The Visigothic army suffered a crushing defeat, with tens of thousands killed or wounded and nearly thirty to forty thousand captured. Only a very small number managed to break through and escape back to Toulouse.

For a time, the once-powerful Visigothic Kingdom seemed on the verge of destruction.

Duncan's performance completely dominated the entire European league.

However, unexpectedly, not long after tens of thousands of Visigoths were captured, British envoys arrived. They expressed their willingness to temporarily cease hostilities with the Visigothic Kingdom and return the captured noble knights. However, they made exorbitant demands, requiring the Visigothic Kingdom to acknowledge defeat, compensate for losses, and pay a large ransom!
This figure is somewhat astonishing; when combined with the war reparations and tributes, it is roughly equivalent to the total tax revenue of the British provinces over ten years.

If this money is used, the Visigothic Kingdom will be severely weakened, and the entire United Kingdom will be exempt from taxes for a year, while the Franks will be exempt from taxes for half a year.

Of course, this only applies to agriculture. Merchants still have to pay taxes, and merchants have always had to be suppressed. Even a top-tier merchant like Anya has to be severely suppressed to stand up for herself, with both thunder and rain from time to time, so that she can never become arrogant because of her favor.

Pay the ransom and they'll release him.

Not paying?
can.

The British army directly attacked Toulouse, the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom, and all the captured nobles were thrown into the mines to die.

Duncan is determined to take this staggering sum of money that could buy his life.

They won't give it to them.

Don't blame Duncan for not sheathing his sword after the British Army captured enemy cities.

He's capable of massacring entire cities; he's shameless and greedy, so don't blame him for being ruthless.

Forty years ago, the Visigoths sacked Rome and looted a great deal of wealth. This time, Duncan wants them to return everything they've taken.

The state and the people squeezed each other dry; the state paid war reparations, and the people paid ransoms to exchange people.

They forced the entire Visigothic kingdom to be thoroughly plundered.

With his current strength, he cannot devour the Visigothic Kingdom in one fell swoop. Naturally, he needs to squeeze some resources out of it first, and then turn his attention to cleaning up the mess on the Italian peninsula.

Land doesn't turn into money immediately; conquered territories can't be absorbed and will only become a burden.

The Italian peninsula is more important than the Iberian peninsula!
First, they took a large chunk of flesh from the Visigothic Kingdom, and then slaughtered the Italian senators and nobles.

He's going to make a killing this time!

The Kingdom of Britain has already exhausted its resources from two consecutive wars, and this wave will bring at least twenty years of national tax revenue.

In short, get your money from whoever is the richest.

Once Duncan quelled the chaos on the Italian peninsula and was crowned Emperor Augustus, it would be easy for him to turn his attention to the Visigothic Kingdom.

By this time, the empire's embryonic form had been rebuilt in his hands, and no one could stop him from dominating all of Europe.

Paris, the Doge's residence.

Anya entered Duncan's bedroom, gestured to the servants behind her, then looked at the beautiful woman beside her and said meaningfully, "You know what to do in a moment, right?"

"Even Queen Lysinia can lower herself to save face, so what are you holding back from?"

Everybody knows.

When Duncan led his army into Rome, it was time for him to ascend the throne. Now, this king who was rebuilding the entire Western Empire urgently needed a successor.

Anya has no way out. After defeating the Visigothic Kingdom, she continues to cling to Duncan's favor without gaining anything in return. It's likely that Severus will turn against her.

In fact, Severus had already been looking for and selecting many suitable young and beautiful noblewomen.

Everyone is eagerly awaiting the birth of a legitimate heir.

………………

(End of this chapter)