Chapter 31

Time passed quickly.

Before he knew it, Deng Ken had been in the Middle Ages for nearly a month since his transmigration.

Anya had reached a cooperation agreement with the Duke of Tintagel. She planned to reorganize her family business on the island of Britain, and at this moment, she was already preparing to contact her fleet under the escort of Severus to find a way to transport the exiled refugees she had recruited.

There wouldn't be many people in the initial phase—just a private legion of about three hundred.

The "thigh" the Duke of Tintagel thought he was latching onto was actually the combined assets of two people. Anya did indeed have a fleet in North Africa, but her original private armed forces had belonged to her late husband; after he died unexpectedly in battle, she no longer had a private force and had simply recruited some mercenary guards at a high price.

That retired Imperial Guardsman had only been infatuated with her because he saw she was wealthy and beautiful, but Anya had no interest in him at all.

These two "thighs"—one was Anya's, with her financial resources, her merchant fleet, and her connections; the other was Deng Ken's, who had recruited hundreds of refugees in a single battle, most of whom were young and strong. With some training and reorganization, they would be a private armed legion.

This small group of people wouldn't make much of a splash in the Empire and would likely be suppressed before they could even gain momentum, but on the island of Britain, with some mixed reorganization, they could field a force of nearly a thousand.

The Duke of Tintagel was also an old fox.

He was unwilling to part with his own territory, so he simply used the name of an alliance to carve out a piece of land already occupied by the Saxons and gave it to Deng Ken and his group.

This guy's territory had expanded to near Winchester at its peak, so he waved his hand and gave them Southampton, which was occupied by the Saxons.

Don't let his appearance of sincerely wanting to recruit Deng Ken fool you; when it actually came to giving away territory, he would probably only part with one or two small villages.

The fertile land on the island of Britain was all in the east, in the area around London; he didn't have much good land under his own control, let alone land he was willing to give away.

That would hurt more than cutting his own flesh.

Talking about feelings was fine, but talking about land was not.

"This old fox is letting us recover lost territory for him."

Anya was so angry her teeth itched; from Cornwall to Southampton, these were all places conquered by the Saxons. If their group could retake the port of Southampton, they would have practically won back all the territory the Duke of Tintagel had lost.

Deng Ken, however, didn't care at all; instead, he said with a hint of joy, "It doesn't matter."

"As long as we have a righteous cause, that's enough."

For Deng Ken, the most important thing was the status of an ally and the legal ownership of a piece of land, even if it was still under the control of the Saxons.

Lost territory?

No problem, just find a way to take it back.

In Deng Ken's view, taking the port of Southampton was just capturing less than one-fifth of the area of a province, equivalent to conquering a few prefecture-level cities; he still had a chance to finish it in one go. This was roughly like saying if you conquered half of HEN province, England would be under your control.

Southampton was an important port in the England region.

Its geographical location was on the British map near Europe, at the pointed tip of a small island, and it would later become an important ocean-going harbor, a naval base, and one of the ten largest ports in the UK.

That island was called the Isle of Wight, which reminded Deng Ken of the "Wight's Leg" in a certain game.

Severus said in a deep voice, "Even if we take it?"

"How do we defend it?"

"Although the Kingdom of Kent is currently in civil strife, we probably can't hold it with our strength alone."

According to news from yesterday, the Kingdom of Kent seemed to be in turmoil, with both the uncle and the nephew wanting to sit on the throne.

Deng Ken stood up calmly and said, "No need to defend it."

"And no need to rush to take it down."

"Train the troops first."

He turned his head to look at the Raven Queen, Triss, and said in a low voice, "The refugees don't have enough combat effectiveness yet. After we reorganize them, we still need training and preparation for actual combat."

"When the time is right, we will push to Southampton in one wave."

In his past life, he was a veteran Mount & Blade player.

It didn't matter if you didn't have territory at the beginning, as long as you had money, food, and people. If a wave of troops could be trained, you could raise an army and take a piece of land at any time. The refugee group wasn't entirely made up of farmers; they were warriors in the Gaulish vernacular who had only rebelled because they couldn't survive.

Where would the money and food come from?

At first, rely on Anya's family assets, and later, rely on "supporting war with war"—rob them! The Saxons plundered the Britons, so he would lead his troops to plunder the Saxons.

In these chaotic times, who was afraid of whom? Everyone was risking their lives.

Severus asked with a hesitant expression, "Are they really willing to work with us?"

Deng Ken said confidently, "Don't worry, I have absolute certainty."

The refugees were all people who were struggling to survive.

The Raven Queen, Triss, seemed to have guessed Deng Ken's idea and couldn't help but stand up in shock, saying, "Are you planning to..."

Deng Ken looked at her with a faint smile and calmly spat out two words, but they were as heavy as a thousand catties.

—"Distribute land!"

What did he need so much land for? To be a great landlord in the Middle Ages?

Distribute land and fields.

Give them a status where they could truly live like human beings—free citizens—so they wouldn't have to be slaves or serfs anymore, and could live upright, dignified, and decent lives!

Land annexation and slavery in the late Empire were already very severe.

If it weren't for having no place to live, where would so many rebels come from!

When Deng Ken spat out these two words, the others fell silent instantly, because everyone present understood the weight of "distributing land and fields." Even the Gaulish warriors recruited by Severus, after understanding Deng Ken's words, looked at him with eyes full of burning heat!

In this day and age, who didn't want to be a free citizen with land, fields, a house, and a wife? But the world wouldn't accommodate them, and even those with martial strength might not necessarily have a piece of land of their own.

Anya couldn't help but look up, a doubt in her heart.

If the land is all distributed?

Then what about you?

The great nobles of this era accumulated their family wealth through large manors, and the lord was often the biggest landlord.

Deng Ken smiled and didn't answer.

This was the limitation of the era; he didn't need to say too much.

The candlelight flickered.

Anya looked at the determined Deng Ken, gritted her teeth, and said, "Then I will set off tomorrow and send someone to have the fleet in North Africa rush over."

"I will find a way to transport a batch of food and weapons."

The startup capital at this moment still had to rely on Anya; Deng Ken had people under his command, but the refugees were also a group of paupers.

The Raven Queen, Triss, pondered for a long time and suddenly said, "I have a way to recruit a batch of elite troops."

Hmm?

Where would elite troops come from?

Looking at Deng Ken's puzzled gaze, the Raven Queen, Triss, said in a deep voice, "The temple guards who served the Roman gods back then."

"There aren't many of them, probably twenty or thirty."

Similar to those in the Hidden Cult?

Deng Ken's expression shifted, and he immediately said, "That couldn't be better."

If you count it this way, plus the recruited refugees and some mixed-in trained farmers, Deng Ken's foundation for raising an army could be nearly five hundred people.

The night grew deeper.

Anya was leaving tomorrow, so she had rested early.

Deng Ken was considering his next plan. When he saw the Raven Queen, Triss, standing by the window staring at the moon, he couldn't help but walk over and casually draped a coat over her shoulders.

A witch's constitution was only slightly stronger than an ordinary person's; last time, Triss had been shivering with cold.

Deng Ken looked at Triss's beautiful side profile, which looked like white jade porcelain under the moonlight, and said softly, "What are you thinking about?"

The Raven Queen, Triss, turned her head slightly and took the initiative to lean half-way onto his shoulder, saying faintly, "Thinking about that prophecy from back then."

"You don't believe in prophecies, do you?"

Deng Ken nodded slowly; he really didn't believe much in that sort of thing.

The Raven Queen, Triss, turned to stare into his eyes, which were as deep as an abyss, making the witch's mind sway slightly. She said faintly, "The prophecy has changed again."

Hmm?

Deng Ken's expression was puzzled.

The Raven Queen, Triss, pondered for a moment and said softly, "That prophecy was the last guidance the gods gave me: there is a kingdom across the sea that can shelter us."

"But now it's a little different."

Deng Ken asked hesitantly, "What's different?"

The Raven Queen, Triss, reached out to gently stroke Deng Ken's chiseled side profile. Her voice held no joy, only a trace of worry, as she said softly, "Diana has responded to my prayer again."

Huh?!

The signal link of the ancient Roman and Greek pantheon has been reconnected?

But the Raven Queen, Triss's next sentence made Deng Ken fall into deep thought, as he saw the witch mutter, "But the goddess only gave me a very weak response when it concerned you."

The last mortal to receive such attention from the ancient Roman and Greek gods was Julian the Apostate.

That is, the Emperor of the Empire who supported the restoration of the polytheistic camp.

The Raven Queen, Triss, was truly worried about his safety; after all, the ancient Roman and Greek pantheon camp had been destroyed for so long, and she had long since given up.

She just wanted to find that overseas kingdom and find a place for everyone to stay.

Julian the Apostate died in an unclear manner.

Under the protection of so many polytheistic priests, the Emperor of the Empire suddenly died violently; at the time, some even speculated that the spear was the disguised holy relic, the "Spear of Longinus."

After the Raven Queen, Triss, received the weak response from the goddess, her first reaction wasn't ecstatic joy, but worry for Deng Ken's safety.

They had already lost.

At this time, when the ancient Roman and Greek pantheon, whose coffin lids had already been nailed shut, suddenly paid such attention to Deng Ken, how could the Raven Queen, Triss, not feel a trace of anxiety?

Deng Ken immediately understood Triss's meaning.

He looked down at the witch before him, who had a beautiful face like the bright moon. His burning gaze made her cheeks turn slightly red, as if she were a shy young girl. In the end, Deng Ken couldn't help but kiss her lightly and said in a deep voice, "Everything will take its natural course; don't worry too much about these things."

Deng Ken still had the "Odin's Gaze" status hanging on him.

If you have many debts, you don't feel the weight.

It's nothing more than adding another gaze from Diana or Artemis.

The Raven Queen, Triss's words made him realize one thing: the ancient Greek and Roman pantheon might not have been completely destroyed yet. They were currently in a state of factional collapse—exiled gods whose faith and sacrifices had been cut off in the real world.

As long as someone could reconnect the sacrifices, they could lift the coffin lids and restore themselves in the real world.

Of course, they still wouldn't be able to beat the Church.

The sleeping Diana might have placed her bets on Deng Ken, hoping he could help her restore the faith and sacrifices in the real world, which was why she responded to prayers concerning him.

"It seems the ancient Roman and Greek pantheon camp still wants to use my power to restore itself once more?"

This was the conclusion Deng Ken reached after thinking about it.

He was like the next Julian the Apostate, becoming the last straw for this destroyed pantheon camp.

Whatever, if it's useful, use it for now.

Deng Ken was still wearing Diana's emblem and still had the "Odin's Gaze" status; unless some true god descended into the real world in person, he wouldn't be panicked at all.

Perhaps it was his confidence that influenced Triss before him. The Raven Queen couldn't help but stand on tiptoe to kiss him and said softly, "I'll visit Merlin tomorrow."

Deng Ken said in a deep voice, "Do you want me to escort you?"

The Raven Queen, Triss, shook her head slightly and said, "No need. After entering Britain, my power has recovered quite a bit."

"This land is different from other places; the power of the Mythic Age has not yet completely dissipated."

Just like how Severus recovered his Druid supernatural abilities here?

Or is it because there is an Avalon in the mist here?

Deng Ken hadn't unlocked his mana bar yet, so he couldn't feel anything different.

It was time to find a way to unlock the mana bar.

Not having unlocked the mana bar yet just meant he hadn't killed enough! Killing more enemies with spell-casting abilities might just do the trick!

Action speaks louder than words.

The next day, Deng Ken headed straight for the area occupied by the Saxons, carrying a lot of equipment and riding a warhorse, preparing to farm some kills in these contested areas.

Strictly speaking, his first-stage mission of escorting the Raven Queen, Triss, to the island of Britain was complete.

Now it was time to find a way to gain a foothold on the island of Britain.

It was time to go out alone and make a splash!

A lush forest.

Deng Ken's figure emerged from the southwest, his warhorse grazing leisurely behind him.

From his god's-eye view, a few kilometers away, there was a small village marked as Devon Town. Through the strategic map, he could clearly see hundreds of hostile marked units.

"It should be a town occupied by the Saxons."

Deng Ken looked at the sky and prepared to wait until nightfall to act.

The night grew deeper.

From his god's-eye view, Deng Ken adjusted the projection, making the night look like daytime, and then he quietly crept over.

The population here was about two or three thousand.

The vast majority were neutral markers; those with hostile markers were soldiers. Ordinary Saxon civilians were also neutral markers, meaning they wouldn't attack on sight.

This village was surrounded by a circle of wooden walls, similar to a fence, with watchtowers at the entrances in two directions, where patrolling guards stood.

—Saxon Militia Spearman.

Whoosh!

A sharp arrow pierced the air.

Deng Ken quietly drew his bow and shot, directly headshotting the barbarian soldier at the sentry post.

"About three or four meters high."

He measured the height and distance, then began to accelerate his run, jumped up fiercely, grabbed the fence, and his figure rotated 360 degrees. His powerful core explosive force allowed him to flip onto the wooden wall with astonishing agility.

He had learned this set of moves from Geralt the Witcher back then; he didn't expect that with his current physical fitness, he could actually pull it off, though it wasn't as smooth and fluent.

"Hunting time has arrived!"

Deng Ken landed silently, glanced at the map, cleared the watchtower, and headed straight for a place near the camp.

The Frankish throwing axe spun in his palm.

Bang!

It split directly into the forehead.

Deng Ken rushed forward at high speed and dragged the corpse of an Anglo axeman into the dark alley nearby.

On the map.

A dense pile of markers were squeezed together, all of them "British captives and slaves."

They were locked in a place that looked like a livestock shed.

There were about twenty or so Saxon barbarian soldiers nearby; some were resting, and others were on night watch.

Whoosh!

A sharp arrow pierced the air.

A barbarian soldier on night watch covered his throat and fell; the arrow had almost pierced his trachea, and blood was bubbling out.

Rapid fire.

The commotion here attracted three patrolling barbarian soldiers. Deng Ken didn't hesitate and fired several arrows in one breath. In the darkness, only the sound of falling could be heard, and in the blink of an eye, they were all corpses.

Clang!

He drew his sword and rushed up. The moment a door nearby opened, the Oathkeeper flashed a cold light, decapitating a barbarian axeman on the spot.

Blood sprayed wildly.

The thick smell of blood startled the livestock shed in front, and pairs of terrified eyes looked over.

"Shh!"

Under the firelight, Deng Ken held up a finger.

The livestock shed was densely packed with seventy or eighty people, but at this moment, not a single person dared to make a sound; they all looked like they didn't even dare to breathe.

These British slaves were only wearing thin, tattered clothes and were all shackled together.

Clang!

The Oathkeeper longsword severed the shackles of one of them, whose target marker was "British Legion Infantry."

Deng Ken threw an axe to him and said in a deep voice, "Find the key."

"Unlock the shackles."

"Take the others and escape through the west gate; the sentry post there has already been taken care of by me."

In an instant.

In this foul-smelling livestock shed, more than half of the British slaves turned into green-marked units.

The British Legion infantryman trembled slightly, gripped the battle axe, and said in a hoarse voice, "Who are you?"

Deng Ken smiled and turned to leave, "Call me a Ranger."

"I will set a fire to cooperate with you and buy you time to escape."

"Don't hesitate!"

"Leave immediately."

In the crowd, a fierce man with several whip marks on his face stood up and said in a deep voice, "Then what about you? Aren't you coming with us? I can stay and help you!"

—Sarmatian Rider (Captive).

Deng Ken didn't stop and said faintly, "Don't worry. If I want to leave, no one can keep me."

"Follow the river into the forest, then escape towards Cornwall."

Ten minutes later.

A fire suddenly broke out in the southwest of the village, and then a group of captives who had seized weapons led dozens of slaves to rush towards the west gate.

Deng Ken's figure stood on the roof, like a ruthless hunter under the dark night sky.

150 meters away.

A 45-degree angle shot directly killed the barbarian soldier who discovered their escape on the spot.

Thud.

The British Legion infantryman who was just about to fight for his life was stunned and turned to look behind him, but he couldn't see anything. The night was pitch black, there was fire rising in the distance, and the whole village was in chaos.

He knew it was the Ranger who had just saved them helping out.

Who on earth was he?

Daring to single-handedly kill his way into a town conquered by Saxon barbarians?

"Go!"

These rescued captive slaves didn't hesitate, forcibly broke through the gate, and entered the wilderness under the night sky without looking back.

On the roof near the barracks.

Deng Ken was as light as an elven ranger, sliding down from the eaves of the roof, then nocking an arrow and drawing his bow, shooting dead a one-star target marked "Saxon Elite Axeman" who was running out in a panic.

The opponent had been startled from his sleep and hadn't even had time to put on his armor.

"It's in chaos."

The whole town had been stirred into chaos by him. After confirming that the enemies were all pouring out, his figure also ran wildly, jumped up, grabbed the eaves, and then ran on the adjacent roofs, jumping a distance of nearly six meters, landing on the other side of the street, and heading straight for the target marked "Priest" at the back of the barracks.

Creak.

A heavy door opened, and a smell of blood mixed with herbs wafted from the room.

Many mysterious symbols appeared under the firelight.

In the center were a large number of divination and sacrificial tools, with runes carved on bones, though it was unclear what they represented.

—Durga (Priest Unit).

The Saxon barbarian priest pushed open the door and called out to a group of panicked servants. Just as he was about to say something, a sharp arrow pierced the air, directly shooting through his throat.

Whoosh!

A second arrow struck, pinning itself into his forehead.

"That's enough."

Deng Ken left two arrows unused. He blended into the chaotic crowd, turned to look at the teams of barbarian soldiers gathering in an emergency, and left without looking back.

He wanted to see how many days these Saxon barbarians could hold out. Anyway, he would never get entangled in battle; he would retreat as soon as the enemy gathered, and he would also retreat if he encountered a powerful character. This dilapidated wooden wall couldn't stop him at all.

Not more, not less, sixteen heads.

Deng Ken wasn't greedy at all. After climbing over the fence again, he headed straight for his warhorse and plunged into the dense forest.

Eat one bite at a time.

Do one thing at a time.

Coming back tomorrow!

………………