My Neighbor Charlemagne

There is no system, no warehouse. But I have all the memories of the last emperor of Western Rome. While Frank's iron hooves were still gaining momentum on the west bank of the Rhine, I had begun to use Roman military systems to gnaw at this barbaric wilderness - imitating provinces to collect refugees, building stone fortresses to block natural hazards, and training infantry phalanxes to defeat heavy cavalry. The tribal elders of Saxony went from disobedience to following, and the eastern young master Wittikind went from testing to forming an alliance. Together, we supported the last backbone of Germania. But when Charlemagne's army really pressed the territory, the sacred trees were burned, the tribes rebelled, and those who stood side by side began to separate. He advocated peace, and I advocated war. He wants to bow his head for the survival of his tribe, but I insist on using the soul of Rome to fight to the end. The Rhine became a natural chasm that separated us. He led the eastern troops to be baptized and surrendered, while I led the remaining troops to guard the fortress alone. On the day Charlemagne was crowned in Rome, I stood on the castle and looked in the direction where he was kneeling. I suddenly understood: my enemy has never been Frank, but the "New Rome" destined to end the old era. A time traveler, an emperor, a confrontation across the river spanning thirty years. Until I fall, no Saxon can be called a conquered man. (This book is also known as "Alone on the Rhine" and "The Eagle Flag Returns to the Mediterranean")