Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 126: The Oath Keeper's Vow! (Add more and ask for monthly tickets)
(An extra chapter is added to offer as a tribute and pray for monthly tickets.)
Antonine Walls, Fortress.

As the only relatively intact fortress on this border wall, it is actually just a dilapidated house with loopholes.

"Someone, bring it up."

Duncan sat in the main seat and gave a calm order. Soon, the personal guard Carl brought his men to bring over Drest I. This young general would be seventeen years old this year. He would be sent out for further studies in the second half of the year, and then lead the army alone, starting as a centurion.

Drest walked up with a deathly pale face, followed by five or six captured Pict chiefs.

Duncan waved his hand and said, "Untie them."

After Drest was untied, he raised his head and looked at Duncan, his lips moving slightly, but in the end he said nothing and just stood there straight.

Duncan was not in a hurry at all. He stood up, glanced at the other Pictish chiefs, and said slowly, "Are you willing to surrender?"

As soon as he finished speaking, people immediately bowed their heads and shouted that Duncan was the King of Britain.

But there was also a man who stiffened his neck and stared at Duncan without saying a word. Both of his sons died on the battlefield, and his expression was full of hatred when he looked at Duncan.

Galavan, who was behind Duncan, leaned over and whispered a few words.

Duncan nodded slightly and said, "Your sons all died honorably on the battlefield, and we also defeated you honorably on the battlefield."

"Since you refuse to accept, come, take him down and chop him off!"

"A family should be in good order."

The guards on both sides stepped forward and took him away. Soon, they raised their swords and slashed. There was a scream outside, and a guard came back with a bloody head.

The captives present were all pale with fear, except Drest, who looked surprised. He looked at Duncan, then at himself, the only one who was untied.

With his attitude, he should have been killed by Duncan long ago.

Soon, the other captured chiefs were taken away, leaving only Drest I. Duncan looked down at the man in front of him and said slowly, "Do you know why I didn't kill you?"

After all, Drest was a man whose name had been recorded in history. He said in a deep voice, "You want to completely conquer the Picts?"

Duncan nodded calmly, "That's right."

"I will end the centuries of war and conflict on the British Isles and unite all the tribes and nations under one banner."

Drest stared at Duncan in front of him and asked in a deep voice, "And then?"

"You are crowned king and become the ruler of Britain?"

Duncan smiled and said calmly, "Do you think I will stay in the British Isles forever?"

Drest was silent.

Such a mythical hero could not possibly limit his vision to a small Britannia.

Duncan continued, "Are you willing to surrender?"

"If you don't want to."

"I can still let you go, but there is no one in Scotland who can resist me. I can send someone to send you to Ireland by ship."

"You can tell them I want to completely conquer Britannia."

"maybe."

"They'll gang up on me because of you!"

Drest gave a wry smile upon hearing this.

Let yourself go a second time?

However, the pride in his heart as a tribal chief had been completely shattered by Duncan.

Especially Duncan, who looked like a ghost on the battlefield. No matter how many chances he was given, he could not turn defeat into victory.

Duncan still misjudged a little. First, Drest was not as good as Meng Huo, and second, the British Island was not as big as Yunnan.

The people Zhuge Liang conquered were actually descendants of the Jiuli tribe, but the Picts didn't need to go to such lengths to conquer them. Their will to resist wasn't as strong as the Jiuli. Furthermore, Zhuge Liang used more tactics, while Duncan conquered them purely by force, easily demoralizing his enemies with just one or two attempts.

Barbarians naturally worship heroes who are brave and powerful. It can be said that Duncan already has supporters among the Picts. It is a pure worship of the strong.

If you win by trickery, they won't accept it. But if you win fairly, they have nothing to say.

Drest shared the same sentiment. He still held onto the traditional barbarian mindset, believing Duncan possessed such incredible strength that no matter how many people came, he would be enough to slay them all. It was worth noting that even after capturing nearly 10,000 prisoners, some had already surrendered.

The reason is very straightforward. Following such a brave warrior, you will definitely win the battle.

Who doesn’t want to win?
Drest was silent for a long time, then slowly said, "Can you treat the Picts well? Just like you treat the Britons!"

"You are a Roman."

"As long as you swear an oath to treat the Picts as equals, I will surrender."

It seemed unnecessary to capture and release them three times. He obviously had no intention of crossing the sea to Ireland to seek help. After all, the Gaels and the Picts also had disputes.

Sonorous.

Duncan slowly drew the long sword from his waist and said in a deep voice, "Have you heard of this sword?"

Drest looked up and hesitated, "Oathkeeper?"

In fact.

The legend of Duncan, Oathkeeper's longsword, is more widespread than the Sword of Promised Victory, and might even be considered a sacred artifact in the future. However, it was actually taken from the Priory Temple. However, the legend of Oathkeeper is backed by members of the British Church (who were previously infiltrated), claiming it was given to Duncan by an angel.

He is the king recognized by God on the British Isles.

This is the public opinion offensive.

In other words, when Duncan's power was strong enough, the church in Britain also flattered him and took the initiative to move closer to him.

Duncan nodded slowly and placed the blade across Drest's shoulder. The proud barbarian chief hesitated for a moment, then slowly knelt on one knee facing Duncan.

"In the name of God and the gods."

"I will treat the Britons and Picts equally; they are all my subjects and have the right to live in peace in Britannia."

"I will send scholars, craftsmen, agricultural experts, and others to teach the Picts advanced knowledge of farming, planting, animal husbandry, architecture, and other civilizations. I will establish a school in Scotland so that the outstanding talents among the Pict tribes can learn the valuable knowledge of the empire."

"And led the Picts into a new era of civilization."

"I will treat those Pictish warriors who are willing to follow me fairly, reward and promote those who fight bravely, and grant them glory. They will not be treated differently because of their status."

Duncan's voice was not loud, but it traveled very far, almost echoing throughout the entire battlefield.

A magical wind emerged from the palm of Triss, the Raven Queen, and carried his voice throughout the army.

When the Oath Keeper drew his sword, the guards near the tent took the initiative to kneel on one knee. Soon, like a wave, the huge crowd knelt down one after another, and even the surrendering Picts knelt down in a large group.

Duncan stared at Drest in front of him and said in a deep voice: "I will bring lasting peace to the British Isles!"

"Establish courts, divide administrative districts, and allow the many tribes to govern themselves."

"I will strive to resolve the centuries-old hatred among the nations, unite them under a unified banner, and usher in a new era of civilization."

A cheer like a landslide and tsunami rang out.

In the name of Oathkeeper, Duncan swore an oath.

at the same time.

Drest's voice gradually rose, reaching the ears of the Picts. He bowed his head respectfully and said, "I, Drest, as the military leader of the Picts, swear this oath."

"If this can be achieved, the Pictish tribes will forever be loyal to you, my lord, and the heirs of your bloodline."

"Even if it's thousands of years later."

"If your heir calls upon us, the Picts will answer this oath and fight for your heir!"

Drest still had some tricks up his sleeve.

He was loyal to Duncan, not the empire, and the oath was only to Duncan and his descendants. No one else could make the Picts surrender.

From what Drest knew about Duncan, this man would definitely want to conquer the empire and even become Augustus.

This oath will be passed down, but no one knows whether anyone will respond to it in the future.

In reality, all of this was done to appease the people. Duncan wouldn't expect the Picts to honor their oath hundreds of years later; as long as they remained obedient and didn't rebel, it would be fine. Drest was just bragging. While the Picts valued their oaths, after several generations, nothing remained, save for a few legends.

Today, the Picts of Scotland are completely subdued.

Duncan would divide the tribe into more than a dozen autonomous regions and send people to transform them from a semi-agricultural and semi-fishing and hunting people into an agricultural nation. At the same time, he would also recruit a group of troops. Because the Picts were indeed brave and many of them were warriors, it would be more appropriate to let them receive military pay than farming, but they needed to be reorganized and trained.

As for the equal distribution of land, it is the same. Those chiefs will definitely not be able to retain too much power. Drest will come to power because he has prestige and can assist Duncan in ruling, but some of the other chiefs must be replaced.

All slaves captured from England must be released, and those who disobey will be severely punished, but it is estimated that Duncan will not need to do anything, as Drest will take care of them.

Because Drest knew very well that the Picts could not withstand a second war.

At this point, Drest's position was equivalent to that of the Governor of the British province and Scotland. Duncan had no fear of him becoming too powerful, as he had absolute power to suppress him. As for the future, it would undoubtedly be Romanization and urbanization, but there would be no need to learn Roman customs and habits; only the knowledge of the Roman Empire would be needed.

The British learned knowledge but retained traditions. Complete Romanization was unrealistic. The empire ruled the British province for more than four hundred years, and except for the London area, other places still had local culture.

Compared with the Empire's army, the British Legion and the Pictish warriors had cheaper salaries, and recruits were required to bring their own weapons and combat skills, so they could basically become qualified warriors with just a little training.

Duncan does not plan to raise too many professional troops. This type of warrior is very suitable for half farming and half fighting.

As long as rewards and punishments are clear, it is not difficult to win them over completely.

Duncan conquered more than ten counties in one battle. Of course, the total population of these territories was only more than 200,000, which was less than the two or three counties around London. The census is still ongoing, but according to estimates, the final total population will be around 1.5 million.

Compared to the population of the British province at its peak, there are less than half left.

It's also this day.

Severus hurried over and upon seeing Duncan, he immediately said in a deep voice, "Someone from the Church is coming!"

"A saint!"

Ok?
People from the church?

Duncan looked slightly surprised and his expression was very solemn.

As if realizing his slip of the tongue, Severus quickly explained, "It's not from the European continent, it's from a church saint in Ireland!"

………………

(End of this chapter)