As time passed, the relationship between the juvenile dragon and the Catman tribe began to rapidly grow closer.

When the juvenile dragon lands near the Dragon Stone Altar again, the surrounding Catmen actively greet it, offering food and some shiny items. If the juvenile dragon is interested, it takes them; otherwise, the Catmen keep them for themselves.

These Catmen try their best to offer their finest possessions to the juvenile dragon, to please the Giant Dragon that protects them.

The entire Catman tribe began to swiftly transform.

Initially, there were only some simple tents; then came the first complete wooden house, followed by one house after another. When the juvenile dragon was in a good mood, it would help them cut down some trees. With its sharp Dragon Claws, it easily snapped tree branches, and it could drag several tons of tree trunks through the snow without any effort.

The combined bloodline power of giants and dragons manifested in the juvenile dragon more exaggeratedly than in humans, to the extent that its strength attribute was no weaker than that of a mature elephant.

However, the population of the Catman tribe was still too small.

With slightly over a hundred people, they only needed about ten wooden houses, barely making it a small village.

About half a month later, large schools of fish began to appear in the nearby river. These migrating fish looked somewhat like blade fish. As the ice layers on the river surface continuously melted, the Catmen could no longer squat on the ice to fish.

This was when the woven fishing nets came into play. Small fishing boats could move freely within the river channels, although the Catmen hunters were not very adept at rowing.

Finally, one day, the freshly awakened juvenile dragon also joined the hunt.

By this time, large schools of fish had already begun to appear. When the juvenile dragon's silhouette swept across the sky, one could see the sparkling river surface, densely packed with fish, their scales shining silvery white under the sun's rays.

Numerous hibernating creatures emerged along the riverbanks and various tributaries, with Northern Bears dispersed along the riverpath and Winter Wolves leading packs of Northern Wolves appearing in the distance.

This was a gift from nature.

The Ancient Catman tribe started a large-scale mobilization the day before, with nearly everyone, young and old, joining in.

The elder feline priest chose a tributary with a smaller stream. Here the ice and snow were almost melted, avoiding damage to the freshly woven fishing nets by ice chunks.

Subsequently, Catman hunters began to drive the fish, herding thousands upon thousands toward the tributary stream. They continuously beat the water's surface, occasionally spearing a fish with a fishhook, then tossing it to the nearby running Catman cubs.

Today, even the weakest Catman cubs ate until their bellies were round, with the tender fish roe providing them the nourishment needed for their growth and development.

"No way!"

"It's still too slow. The capture efficiency is too low."

Duncan took a look and decided to personally intervene.

The wind howled!

As the juvenile dragon's silhouette swept across the sky, thanks to the presence of the Giant Dragon, the Catman tribe held an excellent fishing spot. There were no other creatures around to compete; neither Northern Bears nor Winter Wolves disturbed them, even the yeti groups descended from the mountains stayed far away.

Roar!

A low rumble from the Giant Dragon resonated; a faint fierce aura began to emanate from the juvenile dragon's body. When it let out a deep roar, the entire fish population in the river went berserk, driven mad by the dragon's pressure, with even large patches of flying fish appearing on the water's surface.

The river erupted into chaos; compared to the Catman hunters, the juvenile dragon's slight movements had already pushed them to their limits.

Thousands upon thousands of fish were driven into the tributary stream.

Duncan wasn't sure how many fish there actually were, but the catch seemed worthy of a significant celebration even in Britain.

"There's too many!"

"There's too many fish! The nets will break!"

The elder feline priest, below the tributary stream, was anxious enough to scratch his ears. He was delighted that the juvenile dragon was helping and astonished by the dragon's intelligence, yet worried about the overwhelming number of fish, fearing the nets couldn't hold and might be torn apart by the mass of fish.

What to do now?

Having too many fish also posed a problem.

Duncan could handle this. The juvenile dragon flew a circle, noticed the Catman tribe's trouble, then found a narrow section of the river. Upon drawing a deep breath:

——Dragon Breath Spray!

A chill breath surged with the Wind of Magic, and in an instant, the river surface began to freeze, like a dam, as thick ice sheets spread, eventually blocking one tributary stream.

Soon, the massive fish shoal were piled up inside this stream.

No fishing nets were needed here.

The Catmen directly reached into the icy river, grabbing several fish at a time and tossing them ashore. Soon, fish were strewn everywhere, as the elderly, women, and children began transporting them to the village, with the crafted fishing boats filled to the brim, nearly capsizing from the overflow.

"Seems the Northern Land isn't as barren as imagined; this should feed the whole tribe for a long time."

The elder feline priest quickly ran into trouble, as the abundance of fish might not be preserved for long, especially with warming weather.

If only there was salt.

The juvenile dragon was stuffed today, aided by the Power of Gluttony; it consumed almost three times its weight in food but the fish shoals hadn't visibly diminished. Unfortunately, the fish migration happened only once a year, otherwise the river would suffice to feed the juvenile dragon until its maturity.

After nearly two days of busyness, the Catman tribe's ten wooden huts were packed full, even the caves were stuffed with dead fish, with that saber-toothed tiger eating until it burped, lying there unmoving.

The entire tribe was enveloped in a stench of dead fish.

The Giant Dragon's keen sense of smell made it unwilling to stay nearby, even refusing to eat the fresh fish offerings.

Enough. Thank you.

This abundant catch has resolved the long-standing survival issue of the Catman Tribe, and even the adult Catmen have started considering the matter of creating new offspring. Usually, during times of food scarcity, the Catman Tribe actively reduces the birth of new offspring.

"This should finally allow them to gain a foothold in the Northern Land."

The juvenile dragon quickly entered a new state of dormancy.

Meanwhile.

Britannia also received war reports from the Italian Peninsula. Protector of the Realm Aetius still has some skills; even without additional Barbarian Race reinforcements, he managed to intercept the invading Huns near the Alps. Such a historic general is entirely focused on defensive stratagems, with the Hunnic army truly likely to collapse on its own.

But there are bad news too, as Emperor Valentinian III has fled.

Even though Aetius sent three letters a day, repeatedly assuring the Emperor that the Hunnic army couldn't invade Italy, Valentinian III simply didn't believe him and has completely broken with Aetius. The Emperor's trust in him is almost nonexistent.

Additionally, Anya's messages indicated that while blocking the Hunnic army, Aetius unexpectedly recruited a notable number of Hunnic mercenaries.

This war has turned into an internal conflict among the Huns!

The Imperial Senate is also deeply concerned, worried that Aetius might not control the Hunnic mercenaries, and fearful those Hunnic units might switch sides on the battlefield.

The Roman Church, however, has been quite active during this time.

Pope Leo I tried to persuade the Hunnic army to retreat. There's no definitive news yet, but it's rumored that both armies have been struck by a plague. Upon hearing of the plague, any thoughts of intervention vanished instantly, and Emperor Valentinian III fled swiftly.

Everyone wanted to stay as far away as possible.

About a week later, more definitive news arrived. The plague indeed ravaged the regions surrounding Italy, reportedly killing many people.

The Gaul Region immediately blocked routes, and the Franks even sealed off trade routes.

This news reached the Britannia Region, leading to stringent checks even on fleets from the Italian Peninsula, and Anya almost completely suspended the Mediterranean trade routes to Italy. With the Middle Ages' medical standards, once a plague breaks out, all there is to rely on is Celestial Destiny, as there is simply no way to save those afflicted.

Though Druids are adept with herbs, there's still a gap compared to Eastern medicine, so sealing off is the best course of action.

There are even uncertain rumors that Aetius has also contracted the plague, though there's no clear information, and the old man's physique is quite strong, suggesting he might not succumb so easily.

"Instruct the Druid Order to prepare a batch of herbs in advance."

Duncan quickly commanded.

If the army were to suffer an outbreak of disease and plague, it would indeed be impossible to continue waging war.

He too needs to prepare in advance, just to be safe.

Now, both sides on the Italian Peninsula are likely forced to negotiate peace. On the Empire's side, things are slightly better, while the Hunnic army is likely to collapse on its own, having not reaped sufficient spoils of war, causing the vast Hunnic Empire to soon disintegrate.

It seems the heavens have saved the Western Empire once again.

With the emergence of this plague, the Hunnic army can at most forcefully sustain for half a month. If they can't invade further to pillage all of Italy's wealth, they will fall into internal chaos.

It's unknown whether it's due to the numerous deaths over the years.

Soon, rumors of plague appeared in the Gaul Region and around the battlefield of Sharon, and by the time Duncan responded, there were already infections in London. Thankfully, it's not the deadly Black Death, and after research, the Druid Order indicated it could be treated with herbs, but the infection source must be controlled.

At this moment.

Tens of thousands had died of plague across Europe, leading many religious sects to temporarily halt their disputes, seeking ways to cure and save lives. The Arian Sect's hermits even sent people to Britannia to seek the Druids' help.

To help? Or not to help?

Duncan ultimately decided to lend a hand, as the plague is something that cannot be ignored.

During this period, rumors of 'Banshees' and 'Plague Beldams' began to circulate in Europe, with tales of the roaming 'Headless Knights' and war-death souls emerging around Sharon, indicating that despite being active for so long, the church had yet to eradicate the war ghosts on that battlefield.

The course of history started to diverge significantly!

A definitive message came back, stating that the Roman Pope succeeded in convincing the Hunnic army to retreat, while Protector of the Realm Aetius was bedridden with severe illness due to the plague.

Aetius's steadfast defense for months served entirely to benefit the Roman Church.

All the blame fell on him.

The Hunnic army was clearly on the brink of collapse, yet the credit went to the Roman Church, as the public believed it was the Pope who persuaded the invaders to withdraw. Soon, Anya's spies returned with information that the church had secretly bribed many Hunnic leaders.

The Huns could no longer endure, and they didn't wish to contribute to Aetius's fame, opting instead to bolster the church's prestige directly.

A war turned into a game of various parties, leaving both Aetius and Valentinian III severely wounded, making the church the ultimate victor.

The Roman public first suffered from the ravages of war, then was devastated by plague.

For a moment.

A cry arose, calling for the Governor of Britain-Duncan to return and take charge once more, but this sentiment was quickly suppressed.

The Imperial Senate leaned towards the Roman Church, attempting to seize command of the military while Aetius was seriously ill.

When Valentinian III returned, he was utterly dumbfounded.

He had been backstabbed twice in a row!

.........

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.