radicalducati Page 40
Page 40
[And you, having not done so for a long time, arrived at the court early in the morning. By then, your palace had already gathered many vassals and knights, and even a messenger from France.]
The moment the messenger saw you, he pleaded with you to uphold your defensive alliance with the King of France, to go to Paris to aid the King and repel the Roman Emperor. In front of everyone, you nodded in agreement, declaring that this was the most fundamental agreement between you and the King of France, and that you would certainly go to Paris to aid them, but you needed time to assemble your army.
Your valid reason silenced the messenger; he no longer complained to you, and you awaited the completion of the legion's assembly.
[Since this troop buildup is no longer limited to your own private army, but involves the entire Britannian army, it will take you a month. However, instead of waiting for time to pass, you are deploying the assembled troops to the European battlefield in batches.]
[The first to lead the expedition to Europe were Gawain, Gahoris, and Gareth, followed by Lancelot, Tristan, and others. As for you, you planned to wait until the main army was fully assembled before setting out with Artoria. This arrangement reassured the King's messenger, but you yourself held a different opinion.]
[You believe that even if the Knights of the Round Table were to join the battle, they might not be able to turn the tide in France. In the end, the decisive factor would likely be the Holy Sword and the Holy Lance, because according to the history of Type-Moon, Lucius died at the hands of the Holy Sword, along with his magnificent Roman Empire, which was completely destroyed by the Holy Sword from the annals of human history. Before that, he was almost the invincible god of war Mars walking on the earth.]
[Lucius the Sword Emperor's physical abilities are three times that of Gawain under the sun. His swordsmanship is superb, capable of rivaling Lancelot. In the original lore, when he sparred with the male version of King Arthur, he was hailed as a giant with arm strength comparable to a dragon. Only King Arthur was able to fight him to a standstill. With such strength, Quinn has every reason to believe that this guy can at least beat Gawain in terms of pure combat power.]
Therefore, Quinn's request to Gawain and his men was not to solve the problem in Paris, but to find a way to rescue Agravan and then, mainly with armored paladins and charioteers, to delay the Roman siege as much as possible to give the main army time to assemble.
As for Lancelot and the others, your request is also very clear: they must go to Germania and mobilize the Saxons to resist the westward advance of the Roman army.
[As long as the Romans don't form a pincer movement from the east and west, given France's size, you have enough confidence that you won't let the Romans enter Paris until the French are exhausted to the last drop of blood, thus thwarting Lucius's quick war plan and forcing him into a war of attrition that tests national strength. Once the Roman Empire is in a phase of exhaustion, the territories that Lucius has painstakingly reclaimed will most likely fall into turmoil again.]
You have complete confidence in your ideas; you are certain that as long as everyone acts according to your plan, Lucius will withdraw his troops and leave France.
However, things rarely go smoothly. You believe Lucius's goal is to quickly conquer France, but just after the Knights of the Round Table received your mission and left the British Isles, you received a message.
A large fleet sailed along the Brittany region toward Ireland, with Roman eagles flying high on their masts. The fleet's leader was a red-haired, purple-eyed, imposing man who called himself "Lucius Heberius." He had come to chat with his kinsmen and discuss important matters concerning the family and the Senate.
The Roman emperor is coming straight for you.
Am I some kind of British succubus? Lucius, why are you abandoning France and coming straight to my island?
Chapter 79 It's all the mushrooms' fault
News of the battle from Ireland arrived like an avalanche: Lucius the Sword Emperor of Rome had landed on the island of Ireland and had plundered several villages and outlying towns, seizing all the winter provisions stored by the Irish lords. This army, personally led by Lucius, swept across the entire territory of Ireland, conquering several castles in succession with unstoppable momentum.
You're familiar with this tactic because you've used it countless times in this era.
[Using a large army to draw away the enemy's main force, while you lead a single, highly effective army to cause trouble behind enemy lines, relying entirely on the enemy for supplies, and emphasizing swift movement—this tactic is old but extremely efficient and difficult to defend against. In addition, it has specific requirements for unit types, so even if your enemy knows your tactical routine, they will find it difficult to imitate or defend against.]
You've become invincible because of this, but you've forgotten something: in this era, you're not the only one with a highly skilled and mobile army; Lucius has one too.
[You have received a clear battle report. Lucius only brought one legion, totaling 6000 men. However, this legion is Lucius's personal guard, composed of the most elite warriors in the Roman Empire, pseudo-divine magicians, Middle Eastern sorcerers, and giants. This is a powerful army no weaker than your private army. Its mobility may not be as good as your cavalry, but it has a greater advantage in conquering cities and seizing territory.]
[With this legion, Lucius ended the internal strife that led to the division of Rome, reorganized the Eastern and Western Roman Empires, and swiftly recovered many of Rome's lost provinces. You are fortunate to have faced such an opponent, because when you defeat the Roman emperor, your empire will become the most powerful in Europe.]
I'm so glad you're not even here!
Quinn suppressed the urge to curse, feeling increasingly annoyed as he looked at the documents constantly arriving from Ireland.
Lucius, how dare you use my magic against me!
As more and more Irish nobles from Ireland continued to flock to his capital and into the palace, Quinn wanted nothing more than to skin Lucius alive. He truly hadn't expected the Roman emperor to be so audacious as to dare to fight across war zones. This was tantamount to courting death, and if the commander made even the slightest miscalculation, it could lead to the collapse of the entire war.
In later generations, a certain island nation in the East tried a similar tactic, and the result is well known: not only did they lose everything, but they also nearly gambled away the entire country.
Even if Quinn were beaten to death, he would never have imagined that the Romans of this era could execute such unbecoming micromanagement. Lucius dared to gamble with the fate of the nation, directly betting the future of the Roman Empire on this one battle.
However, Quinn had to admit that this operation had caught him somewhat off guard, because he no longer had the opportunity to send the Knights of the Round Table back to Britain. Not to mention whether the Knights of the Round Table could keep Lucius permanently on the island of Britain if they all returned to their homeland, France was in danger of being destroyed at any time without the help of the Knights of the Round Table.
Once the main battlefield on the European continent is Rome
Chapter 90
If the Romans win, even if they defeat Lucius on the island of Britain, it will cause the plan for Britannia to conquer mainland Europe to fail. In this case, as long as Lucius himself does not die, the Romans will be the final winners.
Quinn could not accept this outcome under any circumstances.
[You have made up your mind that you must keep the life of Lucius the Sword Emperor of Rome in Britannia. As long as Lucius dies, the Roman Empire will inevitably fall apart, because Lucius is in some ways like you. This equally invincible emperor is the last hope for the revival of the Roman Empire and carries the expectations of all Romans.]
You made the same decision as Lucius, who intended to pin his hopes for the revival of the Roman Empire on killing you, his greatest enemy, and you, too, saw killing him as the key to defeating the Romans.
You begin to assess all your currently available assets:
Among those capable of standing on their own, aside from the British vassals who are merely meddlesome, there are only four on the island of Britain: Morgan, Artoria, Mordred, and yourself.
As for the military, since you've deployed the Ironclad Paladins and Cavalry to the European mainland, most of the legions you can use are conscripts. While their numbers are considerable, they're not enough to form a mainstay. But that's sufficient; it's enough for you to complete your impromptu study plan.
Most importantly, you possess the Holy Lance, the Holy Sword, and the Sword of the King. These are your trump cards in the fight against Lucius, especially the Star-Forged Holy Sword. In the Type-Moon world, which is, in a sense, fatalistic, it is the best weapon against Lucius.
So you urgently summoned Artoria and asked her to go with you to Ireland to kill Lucius before he could establish a base there.
Artoria hesitated upon receiving your invitation. In her view, the best option at present was to urgently recall the Knights of the Round Table, while holding the city and drawing the Romans into a war of attrition. This was because for Lucius, the supplies he could obtain by plundering villages and towns were ultimately limited, and he could not fight across war zones for an extended period. However, out of trust in you, she accepted your invitation.
With your companions on the expedition, Mordred and Morgan naturally became the best candidates to guard the capital. Just as emperors of her great Eastern nation had always led their armies into battle, the crown prince and queen were always left behind to oversee the nation's defenses. However, as you set sail with your army to Ireland, you saw that familiar blond man on a ship.
Mordred secretly followed us. Clearly, the time you made her regent hadn't tempered her wild nature. She's still like a stubborn, unruly child, just like that person who was once your knight and later became Mordred's godmother.
After you captured Mordred, you stared at Artoria, silently questioning her level of education. Artoria, unable to meet your gaze, turned her head away as if nothing had happened.
【You have no choice. The fleet is almost at Ireland now, and you can't let Mordred sail back now. You have no choice but to take her with you to fight Lucius.】
Fortunately, this time Mordred didn't go behind enemy lines alone to harass the enemy. After landing, she obediently stayed by your side, managing all the affairs of the army in your place. But you weren't at ease. Instead, you kept a closer eye on your successor, fearing that she might come up with another scheme at some crucial moment.
[Upon landing, you led your troops to the capital of Ireland, one of the few places in Ireland not yet occupied by the Romans. Here you settled down and learned more detailed information about the battle.]
[Lucius had already occupied most of the coastal area in southwest Ireland, and ships sailing daily from the Iberian Peninsula to the Roman-occupied territory suggested that the Iberian Peninsula had likely sided with the Romans and become an outpost for their conquest of Gaul.]
You may not know how Lucius persuaded the Iberian Peninsula, but you do know that you had to deal with Lucius before the Romans could establish a firm foothold in Ireland.
Without hesitation, after a brief regrouping, you immediately set off for the Roman-occupied territory. Your army followed behind you, their morale soaring. They were convinced that you would lead them to victory as always, and Artoria felt the same way. She was certain that with you by her side, there would be no enemy in the world that could stand in your way.
Until... you encountered the Roman legions head-on.
When you arrived in the Roman-occupied territory, the Romans, who had been preparing for battle, had already cleared away many trees. They used the power of magicians to build cities from the ground, using one camp after another to hinder your progress. At first, you did not take these camps seriously, because what you held in your hands were sacred artifacts and divine weapons that were rare in this world.
Artoria cleared the way with her Holy Lance, dismantling one camp after another in your path. Even those earthen and wooden structures, imbued with god-like magic, could not rival the brilliance of the Holy Lance. However, as your army advanced deeper, Artoria began to find it difficult to continuously unleash the Holy Lance.
The Roman camps are so numerous that you and Artoria both believe the Romans intend to transform Ireland into an island of fortresses. In this day's journey, you've already destroyed twelve camps, and Artoria has unleashed the Holy Lance twelve times. Even with her magical power, she feels extremely exhausted.
Fortunately, you were not far from the Romans' landing site, and at dusk, you finally arrived at your destination.
[You saw the eagle banners flying high along the coast, stretching across the entire coastline, and the large Roman purple tent perched on the high ground. Inside the tent, dozens of giants, each seven or eight meters tall, were roaming the military camp. Hundreds of magicians, cloaked and wearing only simple armor, were using some kind of magic to continuously reinforce the defenses of this large camp.]
Lucius was here.
[You didn't hesitate, and neither did Artoria. She raised the Holy Lance once more, and its light suddenly appeared, demonstrating divine power descending from the heavens. But this time, the Holy Lance did not utterly destroy the Roman camp. The light of the Holy Lance collided violently with an invisible barrier, and both dissipated simultaneously. Countless magical fragments solidified and vanished into the air.]
The failure of this attack immediately provoked a reaction from the Romans, and you saw the man emerging from the tent—Lucius.
The two emperors gazed at each other across the void. You saw the tall, bear-like man's excited smile, followed by a thunderous shout: "Brother, you've finally come! I knew you'd come specifically for me. Have you decided to agree to my proposal?"
He is still trying to win you over as his vassal, but you cannot agree. Just as you are about to refuse, you see a blond man rush out from beside you.
"What nonsense are you spouting, you Roman barbarian? Who are you calling brother?!" Mordred raised the Sword of the King, its purple glow mirroring the dangerous red light of Clarente, reflecting her extreme displeasure. "My father was the Emperor of Britannia! A holy ruler appointed by God! You bunch of bastards who rose to power through the Guardian Law, killing your brothers and fathers and marrying your own mothers, with no moral compass whatsoever, dare to claim kinship here?"
Quinn was stunned by these words.
He didn't recall ever discussing the Praetorian Guard succession law with Mordred. Where did this blondie get such a vicious idea? What Roman emperor could tolerate such provocation?
To everyone's surprise, Lucius, instead of being angry at Mordred for her outspokenness as she emerged from the crowd, looked at Clarent, the Chosen Sword, in Mordred's hand with a hint of amusement.
Chapter 91
With amusement, he then spoke.
"You must be Mordred? It seems your father has protected you very well; he didn't even tell you the origin of the Gallic sword in your hand."
Wait, man, what's this "Sword of Gaul"?
Quinn sensed something was wrong. He watched as Lucius suddenly drew his sword, the lily carvings on it gleaming crimsonly, as if echoing Clarentt's own.
"Look closely! This is the Emperor's Sword, Florent, the supreme sword symbolizing imperial power that rules over the entire continent. It is a brother sword to the Clarent in your hand, and this is proof that your father and I are brothers of the same clan! Brother, return to my side. My promise to you still stands. I am Caesar, and you are Augustus. I am Romulus, and you are Remus. We are the true rulers of the European continent!"
Looking at the demonic sword that radiated the same light as Mordred's, Quinn finally realized something.
That's it, I'm doomed to die here today.
We have to cut ties with the Romans decisively, otherwise this simulation will become a singularity! Mushroom! Why didn't you delete all the old settings?!
Chapter 80 I will launch a NB attack
Quinn is not afraid of death, nor is he afraid of dying a terrible death, but he cannot accept his own death.
Looking back on his simulated life trajectory so far, it has been perfect from beginning to end. He rose from a poor Mediterranean family to the high position of Emperor of Britannia. Princess Camelot threw herself into his arms, and God himself supported him. He swept across Western Europe with the banner of quelling internal strife and resisting foreign enemies. Even in the past and future of official history, only he could conquer from an island nation to the mainland and build a great empire.
but now……
How dare you, a Roman barbarian, smear my innocence? You've made me a scourge on human history! I'll expose you!
[Lucius fabricated claims about your family, which you considered a great disgrace, and also an insult to all Britons, who longed for independence from Roman rule. Although you were rumored to be related to the Roman royal family, most people still believed you were of Christian lineage—a kind of old-fashioned political correctness.]
Britain can only be ruled by British people.
[You no longer wished to argue with Lucius, you stopped Mordred's challenge, and looked up at Artoria, who already understood your meaning. Then, you sounded the horn, and the army began to attack Lucius's forces.]
[This is the first war you've ever personally participated in. In the past, in every battle you led, you sat firmly in the middle, acting as a morale booster for the army, letting your subordinates do whatever they wanted. At most, you'd occasionally fire a holy spear to clear the field. But now, you've finally taken the lead, charging into the front lines with your soldiers, wielding your holy sword and fighting against hordes of enemy troops.]
[You know very well that the hastily assembled conscripts you have gathered are no match for Rome's most elite legions. Your only chance of victory in this battle is to kill Lucius.]
[Your goal was so clear, and the rage within you so immense, that you were oblivious to the carnage of the battlefield. Your eyes were fixed on the figure of that tall man. Wielding the Star-Forged Holy Sword, you sliced through the Roman soldiers blocking your path like butter, armor and all. Blood and organs splattered all around you, yet they did not stain you.]
[Because you are the master of Britannia, this land itself and the elves who live in it protect you. These extraordinary powers and beings cherish you to the utmost. To be your enemy is to be your enemy, just as it is to be your enemy, the British Isles themselves. You have become, like Vortigern before you, the embodiment of the will of the British Isles, rampaging across the battlefield like a humanoid behemoth. The only ones who can stop you are those giants of the Age of Gods.]
[On this chaotic battlefield, your path straight toward Lucius is extremely obvious. The giants quickly noticed your route and began to block your approach to their emperor. But you were not without help. Artoria and Mordred protected you and fought alongside you. They confronted the giants head-on, clearing a path for you to the Roman emperor.]
Without the slightest hesitation, you approached Lucius.
"Brother, surrender! Surrender now, submit to me, and you will still retain your position as Augustus!"
Seeing Quinn charging towards him, Lucius showed no panic, but rather an extremely admiring and excited smile. That smile revealed an exceptionally strong possessiveness, like a giant bear eyeing a jar of honey, its eyes filled with the urge to pry open the glass jar and taste the sweet honey. "Someone like you should be my right-hand man! I can't wait to see you bow down to me!"
Die!
He hacked his way from one end of the battlefield to the other, finally spotting the Roman emperor close at hand. Quinn had no desire to communicate with him any further and, without a word, swung his sword at Lucius's head. However, Lucius was prepared.
clang!
The two swords clashed, producing a striking sound. The swordsmanship that Lancelot had taught Quinn was enough for Quinn to suppress most people of this era, but Lucius was clearly not one of them.
The two emperors clashed with their swords, the collision of the holy sword and the demonic sword sparking a brief but dazzling display of light. Quinn used all the techniques that Lancelot had taught him, and the holy sword danced in his hands like a flower, its chaotic trajectory resembling an exquisite work of art, full of the beauty of mathematics and physics.
Lever theory, mathematical calculations, point-plane segmentation... these fundamental principles complement Quinn's exceptional physical abilities, allowing him to reproduce most of Lancelot's swordsmanship skills. However, Lucius himself is a master who can rival a top knight like Lancelot.
That magical sword, said to be blessed by Flora, the goddess of flowers, and already in the size of a greatsword, was as light as a feather in Lucius's hands. In the hands of the Roman emperor, it was wielded as a greatsword and used the techniques of a longsword.