CHAPTER 340: CHAPTER 168: THE FOOLISH EMPEROR TAKES OVER

Roman Palace.

As the sound of hooves echoed, Severus led a team of Personal Guard Cavalry hurriedly to the palace. After dismounting at the entrance, he immediately stopped an Imperial Guard Commander and said in a deep voice, "Where is Your Majesty?"

"In the palace?"

The Imperial Guard Commander looked troubled and cautiously said, "Your Majesty has left Rome with the Personal Guard."

"It’s said that he went to the British Province."

What?

Why would the emperor go to Britain at this time?

Severus heard this and his brow furrowed deeply. He asked, "Is the Empress here?"

The Imperial Guard Commander nodded, "Yes."

"Should I report this?"

Severus immediately nodded, "Do it at once."

"Dispatch a messenger to the British Province immediately, and inform them that the missionaries sent to Thrace by the Church have been arrested by the Eastern Empire."

Currently, religious conflicts are escalating.

The ideas of Protestantism were branded as heretical, but they continue to spread regardless. Missionaries from the Western Empire have already been active in the Balkans. Originally, it was just grassroots missionary activities, but after the missionaries were arrested, it became a different matter.

Severus astutely sensed a pretext for war, but ultimately, Duncan would have to make the final decision on such matters.

Soon enough.

Anya’s maid led Severus to the rear hall of the palace. As they passed a side hall, he saw a young scholar writing furiously, scratching his head. This person was named Levis, from the Greek Peninsula, and served as a court advisor and historian, recording the emperor’s daily life.

The West never had a habit of historical recording, but since Duncan came, they decided to record a bit.

Curious, Severus walked up to have a look. He picked up a scroll of parchment and flipped through it; his brow furrowed deeply, and he asked in a deep voice, "Is this what Your Majesty asked you to record?"

The young scholar looked somewhat fearful, stood up, and said: "Yes."

"His Majesty has already gone through it once."

Severus wore a slightly helpless expression. There were some things he indeed wanted to remove, but in the end, he put it back.

Duncan’s daily life was quite interesting.

For example, in the first half of this year, Duncan was diligent for about a month, then took Anya, Princess Eudoxia, and Princess Praxidica on a hunt in the eastern suburbs, and eventually left state affairs unattended, directly taking a group of women to Sicily and even turning the local governor’s residence into his palace.

This obviously does not fit the image of a wise and mighty emperor.

But not long after his play in Sicily for half a month, he returned to Rome and immediately became incredibly diligent again, attending to matters personally and seldom visiting the harem. This situation lasted for about a month, and then one day he suddenly dropped everything, threw government affairs at the Cabinet Council, and immediately went out touring with the women.

The emperor was genuinely diligent when diligent, but truly absurd when absurd, with some indulgent hedonistic behaviors, comparable to the former Valentinian III, or even surpassing him.

The entire record of the emperor’s life was filled with a strong sense of fragmentation.

At first glance, he seemed a wise ruler, but upon closer inspection, it revealed absurdities akin to a hedonistic ruler, not much different from one indulged in amusement.

It was impossible to confine Duncan within the palace.

In truth, he was a downright hedonistic ruler, who fundamentally didn’t want to manage state affairs. Anything he could delegate, he would delegate, and when it was not feasible, he would rely on the human form.

The diligent, wise ruler mode fully utilized the human form.

Whenever the emperor went out hunting, toured with the harem, or ventured out alone, it meant he was personally ’logged in’.

The final outcome was a human form that became a blend of a wise ruler and a hedonistic ruler.

The emperor also needed time to rest.

Over time, everyone knew that the emperor would be diligent for a while, then suddenly slack off, sometimes disappearing altogether. Fortunately, the empire’s provincial system was quite perfect, and local governors could manage affairs. Moreover, the scholars from the Greek Peninsula formed a court advisory group, so even when the emperor took occasional breaks, it wouldn’t delay matters.

Duncan’s runaways typically lasted up to half a month; as soon as he was done enjoying leisure, the diligent emperor was back.

And now, it happened to be the time for the ’hedonistic ruler’ to be ’logged in’.

Britannia. Shadow Realm.

Under the escort of Kulin and other Personal Guards, Duncan arrived in Ireland. As soon as the ship docked, he saw Merlin and others waiting to welcome him at the harbor.

Ireland was relatively backward, without particularly large ports, and Duncan only brought a Personal Guard unit of dozens.

"Your Majesty."

"Welcome to Ireland."

Merlin maintained the appearance of a scholarly advisor, looking like a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties with a luxuriant beard. Despite living over a hundred years, few have ever seen his true appearance, as he excels in Transformation Magic and often appears with different looks.

——Merlin (Legendary Mage) (Chief Dean) (Four-Star Gold).

This guy’s power recovered especially quickly.

His blinded eyes haven’t repaired naturally, but relying on peculiar Transformation Magic, he behaves almost like a normal person.

Duncan stepped off the deck, gesturing to Kulin beside him. Soon, most of the Gaulish Oath Warriors remained where they were as he took only three Personal Guards and boarded the carriage arranged by Merlin.

Merlin took the coachman’s seat, lightly raised his hand, and the horses started running on their own.

The scenery around swiftly receded.

After traveling by carriage for several hours, the projection pages’ spatial images gradually overlapped, as if the gates of another world beyond reality were slowly opening. The dense woodland’s mist separated reality from the otherworld, and a world similar to a demi-plane gradually emerged as the overlapping images transformed.

The mist dissipated.

When Duncan stepped down from the carriage, he faced a vast grassland, with the forest behind him serving as the entrance. It slightly resembled an Eastern Grotto Heaven Blessed Land, known simply as an enchanted realm in Celtic regions.

——Shadow Realm (Land of Blessings).

At this moment, the projection page’s mark had completely transformed, indicating Duncan was in a realm beyond reality.

The sound of waves crashing against rocks could be heard in the distance.

The Shadow Realm, unlike Avalon, was not an island but rather a part appended to a corner of the continent. It required special means to enter, making it nearly inaccessible to ordinary people. At the horizon were two castles; one was built near the coastline amidst numerous rocks and cliffs, a majestic castle tinged with darker hues.

That was Scathach’s fortress, a place known in Irish legend for training warriors.

However, it didn’t appear solid. From Duncan’s vantage, it seemed like an illusory reflection, shrouded in a faint mist, only becoming clearly visible when one was sufficiently close to the impressive military stronghold.

The other castle was recently constructed.

Yet it resembled more of an academy, occupying an extensive area with willow trees planted in a large circle around it.

"The Shadow Realm lies between reality and the otherworld."

Merlin turned back and said, "Here, our spellcasting abilities will be significantly enhanced."

Having said that, he gently raised his hand, transforming directly into an owl.

Duncan mounted his horse.

As the distance gradually closed, a five or six-meter-high wall surfaced into view, and there was a surrounding moat on all sides of the castle. Merlin landed and transformed back into human form, chanting a spell, causing a stone bridge to materialize out of thin air, leading to the still under-renovation academy entrance.

"It’s kind of like Fossil into Mud and Stone Shaping Technique."

Duncan’s gaze held a touch of amazement, and once he rode through, the stone bridge reverted back to mud.

"Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty!"

Upon entering the academy, several male and female witches immediately came to greet them, led by a sage from the Druidic order, an elderly Druid named Asquith. The academy currently housed only one or two hundred people, mainly members of the witches’ coven and the Druidic order.

There were also some itinerant male witches who gradually joined the wizard academy founded by Merlin.

However, no particularly strong individuals were present, mostly marked with two or three stars.

"Your Majesty, please follow me."

Merlin pointed towards a side room, and upon entering, Duncan saw Rune Language inscribed on the walls, with scrolls piled up on the desk. Behind the scrolls, like a small mountain, was a Germanic-styled wizard writing vigorously.

In the room, Merlin handed a secret scroll to Duncan, saying slowly, "This is the compiled Rune Magic."

——Rune Scroll (Curiosities).

Duncan, who had long been able to understand Rune Runes, received the scroll and quickly observed it. While reading the Rune Language, the magic power within him unexpectedly stirred slightly.

Crackle!

At some point, faint electrical sparks had appeared at Duncan’s fingertips, and outside the room, the wind suddenly rose, surging clouds with booming thunder overhead.

Merlin, visibly surprised, hurriedly stopped him, "Your Majesty."

"Do not chant."

"Just read in your mind."

Duncan, whose magic power had never been inferior to others, instantly realized that upon Merlin’s reorganization of the Middle Ages Rune Magic, he had obtained spell-casting abilities. The tumultuous magic power within him triggered external shifts directly, resulting in spell-like effects.

Duncan promptly came to his senses, placing down the Rune Scroll, allowing the Mana Pool to return to calm.

Relieved, Merlin remarked, "It seems that Your Majesty has a strong affinity for Sol’s Rune Runes."

In this world, Sol is the Thunder God, not the Hammer God.

Duncan closed his eyes to sense, nodding, "Indeed so."

"I appear to resonate more with lightning."

Logically, Duncan’s engraved Dragon Bloodline should lend him greater mastery over water elements, but in reality, when his magic surged, it was the lightning-representing runes that responded the most. Especially those runes symbolizing war; just a glance made Duncan sense them.

Arcs of electricity danced in Duncan’s palm, with his Mana Bar gradually depleting slowly, while his spellcasting ability was enhanced in the Shadow Realm.

Merlin stood up, picked up another scroll, and handed it over respectfully, "This is the Druid’s Transformation Technique."

"However, Your Majesty, please refrain from trying it lightly."

"If something unexpected happens during spell-casting with the Transformation Technique, undoing it would be extremely troublesome."

Receiving it, Duncan saw it was filled with Druidic Runes. Merlin had recently made considerable progress, restructuring the previously chaotic Middle Ages spell systems into Shaping and Transformation schools.

Merlin, being a master of prophecy himself, didn’t need to worry about the Prophetic School, having already sorted out four or five schools.

The mainstay of the wizard academy consisted of Druidic Runes and Rune Runes.

.........

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