Mythical Three Kingdoms

How fierce Rome truly is, the Celts do not have an accurate perception, but if Rome indeed grinds the Germans into the ground, then the next target would definitely be the Celts.

After all, the hatred between the Celts and Rome is not to be taken lightly. This Barbarian claims to be a mercenary, but Rome has had little opportunity to hire the Celts; they are always hired by Rome’s enemies. Historically, the ancestors of these Barbarians even crossed over to participate in the Punic Wars.

There were even instances when they seized the opportunity to loot Rome while Rome was engaged in conflict with other nations; the hatred is significant, just slightly less than a blood feud.

As for the Slavs, a warrior nation needs no explanation. Their hatred with Rome isn’t that great, but if Rome does defeat the Germans and Celts, there’s no doubt the Slavs will have to submit as well.

Compelled by the circumstances, the Slavs could only join forces with the other two Barbarian tribes to resist the Roman Empire; thus, the most tenacious fighters among the three were the Germans, followed by the Celts, and the Slavs were the least resolute.

In general, the biggest difference in situation from the Central Plains is that during several centuries, the Romans were unable to break the backbone of the northern Barbarians, which led to the Barbarians remaining undaunted in spirit and will against the Romans.

Although their weapons may be lacking, their courage and will do not wane. In a quick battle, the Germanic and Celtic Barbarians can fight the Roman citizens evenly, but if the battle drags on, they are essentially no match for Rome.

Severus, a military emperor, is not joking when he says he’s serious. His army has already set foot on the British Isles, preparing to first resolve the German issue that has been troubling Rome for hundreds of years: submission, fight for me, or die!

At this time, the Germans had just transitioned from a clan system to a tribal system, while also experimenting with a few monarch systems.

Although these recent attempts of the Germans have all failed, this condition is enough to give Severus a headache. Once a race truly establishes a nation and no longer wanders, dealing with them becomes increasingly difficult, so Severus planned to resolve the Germans in one go.

As they advanced towards the British Isles, the Germanic Barbarians remained unafraid, yet Rome’s actions made the other two Barbarians feel anxious, realizing the seriousness of Rome’s intentions. They had no choice but to face it head-on.

For Severus, reaching this point meant the arrow was already on the string, and he must release it. Furthermore, his psyche was extremely resolute; facing Barbarians fighting desperately, what was there for the Romans to fear? For him, if he cannot settle internal affairs, how can he step beyond the national borders?

Moreover, compared to the Han Dynasty, Rome opened up more. Their native populace numbered only about twenty million, including Roman Citizens, those who survived lead poisoning and grew stronger in this era of Inner Qi, numbering about eight million, as opposed to the Barbarians’ twenty-seven to twenty-eight million.

Thus, the population structure of Rome showed that Barbarians outnumbered nationals, so Romans were accustomed to encountering those flashy Barbarians with blond hair and blue eyes who admired Roman culture in Rome City.

Therefore, upon stepping onto the British Isles, Severus conceived a unique idea: if these three types of Barbarians are such formidable fighters, perhaps he could conquer them, turn them into his own people, convert them into his Barbarian Army, replace their inferior weapons with the Empire’s elite arms. Would Rome not become stronger?

Rome had conquered many Barbarians, transforming them into their Barbarian Army. This was similar to the Central Plains, both had recruited Barbarian armies for combat, but different from the Central Plains, where Barbarian troops of the Han Dynasty were mostly cannon fodder due to the Dynasty’s insane conduct.

There were many Barbarians in Rome, such as the Teutonic and Anglo tribes, who were actually very capable fighters. Once armed, as long as their equipment matched that of Roman Citizens, their combat power was not inferior to Roman Citizens.

Exactly for this reason, Rome absorbed these willing Barbarians. Due to their increasingly superior lives over the centuries, they eventually outnumbered the native Romans.

In the Han Dynasty, the northern Barbarians were essentially considered weaklings, valued only if they provided benefits, whereas to the Han, northern Barbarians held little value.

This is why the Roman Barbarians numbered close to thirty million, whereas the Han Dynasty’s Barbarians barely reached a few million. For Rome, these Barbarians formed a substantial part of the Barbarian Army, while in Central Plains, the northern Barbarians were dismissed as worthless.

Additionally, due to different modes of thinking, in the Han Dynasty, it was essentially about exacting revenge; even a grudge lasting ten generations would be avenged, thus blood feud remained severe, not finishing matters unless it eradicated one’s family and dominated the world.

Whereas in Rome, though blood feuds existed, they did not entail exterminating the enemy like the Han did. Romans focused on conquest, turning enemies into fierce dogs under their control.

The cost, of course, was that during the Han Dynasty’s peak, native population reached fifty-six million, or even more, while Rome’s peak native population was only twenty million. Subsequently, when Barbarian conflicts erupted, Rome faltered, whereas the Han Dynasty barely held out.

In general, Rome took a distinct approach, not intent on tenaciously fighting Barbarians to the end, but rather focusing on conquest. Therefore, when Severus proposed this plan, no one opposed it; to the Romans, transforming formidable enemies into their own people was indeed a preferable choice.

Of course, they never contemplated how disastrous failing to assimilate the opposition would be, or the potential downsides of such a strategy.

Once Severus personally entered the battlefield, Roman morale neared explosive levels. Yet the battlefront remained steady, awaiting all Barbarians to arrive, preparing to end centuries of northern warfare, incorporating all Barbarians into Rome’s system.

Rome was not oblivious to intelligence regarding Parthia, but Romans had fundamentally underestimated Parthia, not considering whether Parthians might strike at Mesopotamia.

According to Roman views, excluding the fact that three Eagle Banner Legions had been stationed in Mesopotamia for two hundred years, just considering the courage of the Parthians, who had been oppressed by Romans for over a century, how could they possibly dare to provoke Rome?

Regarding the Han Dynasty, in Roman perspective, it was still too far. Although Serali and others, Roman envoys returning from the Han Dynasty, had informed Severus of its prosperity and wealth, it did not sway Severus’ resolve. In his view, if they defeated Parthia and had excess strength, they would not mind further eastward expansion.