With a guide, the journey became much easier.
Duncan and his companions spent three days crossing the warzone to reach Upper Germania. This area is roughly the midsection of the Rhine River, covering parts of western Switzerland and France. It has always been a region of conflict. Although the Empire had not abandoned Lower Germania, it could not fully control it, and would occasionally be attacked and raided by the Barbarians of Great Germania.
(In 410 AD, the Roman Empire withdrew its last legion from Great Britain, subsequently abandoning the British Province. During this time, the defenses of Lower Germania were already barely holding on.)
Great Germania is east of the Rhine River, including areas such as Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary.
After the Romans conquered Lower Germania, they divided it into the provinces of Upper and Lower Germania, and stationed troops on the borders to defend against attacks from northern Barbarians.
Severus was originally of Barbarian origin and also a Druid, with his own connections in Gaul and Germania. With him as a guide, Duncan and the witch avoided many unnecessary troubles, even navigating through a hidden route across the war-torn area of Raetia.
The entire European map has now become a chaotic mess, with Barbarians, rebels, bandits, Huns raiders, Goth mercenaries, and Franks mercenaries everywhere.
The situation can be compared to the ancient Five Barbarians’ Invasion of China period.
"This is truly an era where lives are as insignificant as grass!"
Duncan stood atop a mountain, gazing at the distant plains, seeing two armies clashing in the open plains. The scale was not large, a battlefield of around one to two thousand people, part of a localized conflict, estimated to be the Empire’s attempt to reclaim parts of the Rhine River.
"Even though my cheat gear is strong, it’s really powerless against an army."
"If only the whole of Europe weren’t in such chaos, I could have spent the early stages leveling up by fighting bandits, rebels, and Huns raiders."
Duncan rarely encountered solitary enemies since his crossing.
At the beginning, he encountered three deserters, but subsequently faced enemies mostly in double digits; taking on ten at a time was truly risky given his current abilities, and any slight injury would make the situation very passive.
He must strive for unscathed victories; any injury or disablement would spell disaster.
While conversing with the Druid, he did hear rumors about ’Giants,’ but it was unknown if he would encounter them. Severus spoke of Giants, the man-eating creatures from Nordic Mythology, which possess formidable vitality and could ’regenerate.’
This ability holds great strategic significance for Duncan!
In the dense forest, Severus appeared with a grave expression, saying, "I just received news; Lower Pannonia has fallen."
"Not long after you left, the vanguard of the Huns captured it."
"Attila, the God’s Whip, is leading an army of five hundred thousand westward!"
Five hundred thousand?
Duncan knew, of course, that ancient armies often exaggerated numbers, but even scaled down, there would still be tens of thousands of warriors. On such a large-scale battlefield, encountering any scout unit could place him in grave danger; the safest bet was to avoid the core battle areas of various forces until he was fully grown.
The witch, Triss, remained silent, seemingly unsurprised by the massive invasion of the Huns.
Gazing at the distant battlefield, Duncan solemnly asked, "Shall we wait until they finish fighting before continuing our journey?"
Severus replied seriously, "The borders are now sealed; the Empire plans to scorch the earth. We’ll likely have to pass through uninhabited areas."
Duncan pondered for a moment before saying, "Wait for me nearby; I’ll find a way to get some good horses."
This was an incredibly risky move.
The Crow Queen, Triss, stood up instantly upon hearing his words, her eyes fixed on the man before her, saying, "No, it’s too dangerous!"
Severus also frowned, looking at the distant battlefield in shock, asking, "Are you planning to steal their horses?"
Duncan replied calmly, "Don’t worry, I’m confident."
"If there’s no opportunity, I’ll withdraw immediately."
The Crow Queen, Triss, appeared highly worried, and Severus’s expression was also grave. But seeing Duncan’s composure, they felt he was skilled and bold.
Ultimately, they were unable to stop Duncan from acting on his own.
The witch approached Duncan and handed him a rune stone resembling the moon, whispering, "Be careful!"
— Diana’s Emblem [Curiosities] [Unknown]!
Viewing from a god’s perspective, Duncan curiously examined the rune stone before him, the first item he had seen named a ’Curiosity.’
— Diana’s Emblem [Curiosities]: An emblem of the Moon and Oak Goddess, Diana, worshipped by the Romans, blessed by a priestess, granting Diana’s favor from the unseen. It adds an ability of ’Heroic Luck.’ [Note: In the Mythical Era, heroes often were under the divine spirits’ protection from the unseen.]
A Luck-enhancing Curiosity?
Duncan accepted it without hesitation, keeping it close.
He waved goodbye to the witch behind him and entered the dense forest without looking back.
Duncan and the witch had just spent two days in the mountains searching for a reclusive Druid, and their horses had already been requisitioned by the Empire’s troops.
The opponents symbolically paid five dinars to the innkeeper who was looking after the horses and also took the cattle and sheep near the village where they were staying.
The Empire’s treasury was nearing collapse.