In terms of lineage, Anya is obviously more noble than he is.
The Duke of Dingtiger, although conversing with Anya, occasionally glanced at the stern bodyguard Duncan, trailing half a step behind. No need to overthink, this fierce warrior must be the personal guard lover of this Roman noblewoman; recruiting such a formidable knight is no easy feat for anyone outside the old imperial nobility.
Among all the people in the group, only Anya’s identity could be shown openly.
Duncan, with his imperial lowborn background, found it a bit difficult to perform, whereas Anya, despite her typically low status, was quite proud at the moment and even dared to provocatively glance back at the Crow Queen - Triss.
The Crow Queen - Triss smiled silently, the corner of her mouth curling into a playful arc, which frightened Anya into a slight shiver.
Now is not the time to openly challenge the status of the Crow Queen - Triss.
Anya was born to mingle with nobility, and compared to her unconscious elegance and arrogance, the Duke of Dingtiger seemed like a rude country squire. He always thought of his wife, Igraine, as an elegant and noble great beauty, the rose of Britain, but now, in comparison to Anya, he felt perhaps only his wife’s beauty could be mentioned.
The Duke of Dingtiger was fretting with anxiety, yet he never got the chance to have a good conversation with Duncan.
Oh mighty warrior brother!
That woman, beautiful as she may be, is nothing but a fallen noble. I am a lord with real power; why not join me and I’ll bestow upon you a noble knighthood.
Truth be told, for men who embark on the battlefield, a mighty warrior is more attractive than a beauty.
Beauty is common, but mighty warriors are rare.
This mutual probing clarified both parties’ backgrounds. Whether one truly belongs to the nobility can be discerned, as pretending to be a noble is not that easy. The Duke of Dingtiger also learned why Anya and her company ended up stranded on the Great Britain island.
They encountered Saxon pirates!
In recent years, the Britons had been continually defeated, and the coastlines were basically controlled by Saxon pirates.
The group journeyed back to the castle.
On the way, Anya slightly lagged behind and whispered to Duncan, "Speak less later, let me handle it."
In the eyes of the two elder witches, Duncan was merely a 19-year-old greenhorn, unable to handle such cunning old foxes.
Anya, keen in observing people’s expressions, noticed the Duke’s frequent glances at Duncan, realizing his great interest in her ’close guard.’
She wanted to reverse the roles!
To seize the initiative, she must allure the country duke, whom she truly looked down upon. A country duke of Great Britain is nothing significant, not even deserving a seat in the imperial court.
Roman Empire’s legitimate nobility is just that domineering.
It’s time to show this man her methods; the Crow Queen - Triss is merely a brash man with a bit of strength.
Since they had escaped, the Duke of Dingtiger couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
He dared not return to regroup his scattered troops, hoping to quickly flee back to his own territory, gather other forces, seek assistance from native tribes friendly to him, and intercept the enemy’s invasion again at the castle front line.
This bout of warfare was because he had a manpower advantage, thinking victory was within reach, not expecting to be crushed in direct confrontation.
Over three thousand fighting a little over a thousand, only to be directly overwhelmed in one go.
Anya exchanged a few words with the Duke of Dingtiger, not mentioning the battlefield affairs, merely explaining how she accidentally ended up on the Great Britain island and promising significant rewards should he assist her return to Rome.
This was the first step of reversing the roles; Anya proceeded cautiously, waiting for the Duke of Dingtiger to take the bait.
The duke took the bait right away, righteously saying, "You’ve saved my life without asking for anything in return."
"I will definitely find a way to escort you back to Rome."
Initially, the intention shouldn’t be too strong.
Anya bluntly expressed her wish to leverage his power to return to Italy, after all, they no longer had a ship.
They approached farmlands lying in the plains, areas endowed with rivers and lakes.
Anya leisurely spoke of matters in the Roman court, including the current emperor Valentinian III and the Protector of the Realm - Aetius, as if quite familiar with these imperial top brass.
This was the second step, elevating her status.
The news-scarce Great Britain island saw the Duke of Dingtiger captivated by her words, realizing the Empire was also in trouble now.
Yet even a dying camel is bigger than a horse.
The Roman Empire could still stand against the massive invasion of five hundred thousand troops from the Huns’ Empire, a number that spooked even a country duke. Compared to the Empire’s vast territories, the British Province was entirely expendable.
For hundreds of years, Britain had been the least conspicuous province, abandoned because it lacked sufficient value; the province continually suffered losses in the Empire’s view, a losing business.
Anya discreetly assessed his expression, continuing to bait, softly sighing, "I wouldn’t have accidentally ended up in Britannia."
"It’s entirely due to the unending chaos in North Africa, with the Vandals invading Carthage."
"Thus, my business has been greatly affected."
Upon hearing Anya’s words, the Duke of Dingtiger’s ears perked up immediately.
This was the third step, enticing with interests.
What Anya said was indeed the truth; upon losing North Africa’s grain-producing area, the Empire quickly fell into financial straits, heavily impacting her trading guild too. Originally, Anya’s fleet controlled two trade routes, one from Rome to Alexandria in Egypt, with many port cities along the way, generating significant trade profits. (The most lucrative route, even reaching Jerusalem and linking the Silk Road.)