Time flies.

After conquering Scotland, Duncan returned to Dalrinda, a town from the time of the Empire, which faces Ireland across the sea.

During this period, news came from the Italian peninsula, saying that the Hunnic Empire's army had already approached the Alps. Protector of the Realm Aetius urgently gathered allies, but no one responded, including the envoy sent to Britannia.

Duncan did not respond, dealing with it coldly, neither explicitly refusing nor actively responding, pretending to be unaware.

The Roman citizens were extremely agitated!

Many believed that Aetius intended to let Attila, God's Whip, go, which offended the Governor of the British Province, causing the honorable Duncan not to be willing to send a legion to aid Italy.

The way of the world is that as long as you're strong enough, people will naturally find excuses for you.

There was also almost no response from the Gaul Province. The Kingdom of the Western Goths explicitly refused, the Franks said they needed to recuperate, and almost none of the small and large Germanic tribes sent any reinforcements. This forced the Western Empire's legion to fight alone, and some dissatisfaction with Aetius began to emerge within the army.

More infuriated was Emperor Valentinian III.

Because the Italian peninsula clearly was already hard to hold, even though Attila, God's Whip, was no longer there, the military strength of the Hunnic Empire remained strong. The vast empire would not collapse all at once, only slowly crumble, but the Western Empire's legion had suffered heavy casualties in continuous wars. Without any allies, the Empire was in a significant disadvantage.

It's said that Valentinian III already planned to flee to another place.

If the Hunnic army invades the Italian peninsula, the consequences would be unimaginable. The Emperor planning to escape would severely impact morale, but it wasn't until the war approached that Valentinian III felt a trace of fear, thinking he wasn't up to the task.

He did not trust Aetius and feared even more that Aetius would betray him.

The court spies purchased by Anya brought back much news, including how Aetius and the Emperor had a big argument over a marriage agreement not long ago.

If the Emperor escapes, it will certainly affect the army's morale.

This step taken, all the previously accumulated fame of Valentinian III would be ruined, his prestige completely lost.

"The Hunnic army claims to be over a hundred thousand, but at most, it's only fifty or sixty thousand."

"If there were Barbarian Race reinforcements, we could still fight."

"Relying solely on the Imperial legion, Aetius can only defend passively."

Duncan put down the intelligence in his hand, saying solemnly, "Does Valentinian III plan to flee? Where to? The Eastern Empire?"

He certainly wouldn't escape to the British Province.

It's too far.

Duncan also couldn't provide aid; it's similarly too far. Gaul is closer, but the Italian peninsula, Britain doesn't have the logistics capacity for long expeditions.

Severus said in a deep voice, "If Valentinian III flees."

"It's still beneficial for us."

"Aetius's defeat in the war will certainly greatly damage his reputation, and with the Emperor fleeing, the Roman citizens will only increasingly support you."

The reasons are well-thought-out; the British Province does not currently have the capability to provide cross-sea support for Italy.

Let Aetius bear the blame properly.

If it weren't for him trying to let Attila, God's Whip, escape at the Battle of Sharon, Duncan would definitely have returned to Italy. By then, the two pillars of the Empire would be present, and the Hunnic army would leave empty-handed. But now, the voices among the people and the Senate claim that Aetius excluded dissidents, forcing Duncan into the remote British Province.

Valentinian III, himself, even thought so.

Because at that time, Aetius directly appointed Duncan as Governor of the Gaul Legion, so now Duncan could support the Empire, but as the emperor, he lacked such a power; he couldn't promote Duncan, so today he had been forced into such a predicament.

If truly for the Empire, Aetius should have elevated Duncan to power, relinquishing some military authority.

Anyway, the Italian peninsula now is a mess, and Anya is secretly fanning the flames and spreading public opinion. Overall, the responsibility does not lie with Duncan, as he is already a major contributor, having once crossed the sea to rescue the Empire.

No one can criticize anything!

Moreover, the British Province had been abandoned; it was Duncan, with his own strength, who reclaimed it. With such accomplishments, Duncan's golden reputation remains as solid as a rock.

Duncan pondered for a moment and slowly said, "Let's see how the situation develops before making arrangements."

The whip is beyond reach.

If Duncan occupied Gaul, he could take some action. For now, though, observe the situation.

At present, Emperor Valentinian III had already completely broken with Aetius; the marriage agreement was just a trigger.

Duncan sat down again and looked at Severus beside him, asking, "Any news from Ireland?"

Severus shook his head and said, "No news for now."

"But many of the tribal kingdoms are very fearful. Although they've formed an alliance, they are still not much of a threat."

The secular doesn't matter.

Duncan's army has already been trained, and they can still win by rolling over them. What's important now is the supernatural force and the legendary Shadow Realm.

Night fell.

The final decision was to remain inactive, leaving the mess in Italy for Aetius to handle himself.

Historically, God's Whip invaded Italy again the following year, as the Hunnic Empire had to rely on war and plunder for sustenance. However, Duncan had already killed Attila, undoubtedly relieving much of the pressure Aetius faced. He should at least be able to hold out for some time.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.