Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

For Domitius, growth was such an immediate and tangible concept.

It's not about being punished by anyone, but rather that even if there is a blood relationship, once interests and power are infringed, they can instantly become enemies like blood feuds.

“My student, if you need help, please tell me, Domitius.”

Domitius always felt that Novia was somewhat ambiguous in this regard, and that what was right and wrong was unclear until the fatal consequences were achieved.

"Teacher, there's no point in saying what you're saying."

The silver-haired boy's words, "Tell me if you need help," held no real meaning for Domitius.

"...So it turns out that the nights in Rome can be really cold."

She still remembers how she unconsciously blurted out those words when she was homeless.

If you don't have much worth exchanging, you'll be discarded sooner or later.

The unease of the day the blonde girl was abandoned by her parents when she was young still lingers in her heart.

027: The Arrival of the Twenty-Seventh Patriarch

"So this is... a Dead Apostle?"

The sun had risen, and the scene revealed under its rays made Domitius murmur to himself unconsciously.

After spending three days in Antioch, Novia prepared to return to Rome with her. However, in a forest not far from a port, she witnessed the following scene—

The unnamed village was filled with blood, scattered with the remains of hundreds of corpses. The ground was dark red, and humanoid creatures, thirsting for blood, emitted low, beast-like growls. In this scene, ordinary humans seemed utterly powerless.

The malicious and forceful violence displayed before her was eroding her body and making her emotions somewhat unstable.

Domitius had heard Novia say that Dead Apostles are essentially humans who have undergone some kind of transformation. They are emergency food prepared by beings called 'True Ancestors'. While blood-sucking is something for 'True Ancestors' to seek 'spiritual stability', blood-sucking is something necessary for 'physical preservation'.

In other words, the 'True Ancestor' is for entertainment, while the 'Dead Apostle' is synonymous with breathing, which is indispensable for survival. That's the gist of it.

The Dead Apostles, who had become able to drink the blood of others, began to feel superior about the act of drinking blood itself, strengthening their abilities and reinforcing their will. In order to escape the control of the 'True Ancestors', the Dead Apostles repeatedly drank blood in order to escape into the human world and preserve themselves.

This is the beginning of the Dead Apostles, the start of a blood-sucking species composed of humans. Moreover, the Dead Apostles who escaped from the control of the 'True Ancestors' in the most ancient times are known as the Twenty-Seven Ancestors of the Dead Apostles.

Among the Dead Apostles, there are also some who are unrelated to the True Ancestors. They evolved into immortals in their quest for the ultimate goal of the demonic path. They joined the society built by the Dead Apostles. Although their origins are different, they are also considered vampires.

The massacre of this village was committed by the lowest-ranking members of the Dead Apostles. Anyone with even a little magic could have easily handled it. Such incidents occurred frequently throughout the nearly two million square kilometers of the Roman Empire. However, in cities, where magicians were present to guard the area, things were relatively peaceful. In remote and impoverished areas, people could only watch helplessly as everyone was mercilessly slaughtered.

"I have contacted the nearest magician regarding the five dead bodies and the sixty-seven families who unfortunately passed away, to prevent a second zombie resurrection."

Domitius stopped thinking, her gaze still fixed on the dead apostle on the ground, her delicate brows remaining unmoved. A chilling hatred resided in her pupils, while Novia, who had swiftly vanquished the dead and appeared before her, placed a silver cross from his body on the ground and silently released magic into it.

The current situation is completely different from that of later generations. The foundation of magic, which is hailed as the largest basic foundation of mankind, has not yet been fully established. People who do not know magic can only pray for the sun to appear quickly or for a kind magician to appear when facing ordinary dead people. They cannot defend themselves by relying solely on religious purification rituals.

"These self-righteous, degenerate people... I suddenly feel a little sorry for them..."

The small village ruthlessly slaughtered by the Dead Apostles was somewhat similar to, or rather, a place with some prototypes of, the Roman court where people fought and vied for power. This gave Domitius a sense of reality, so she was both saddened by the innocent deaths of the people and secretly pleased by such a small detail.

Life is a winner-takes-all story. If you want good treatment and a better life, you have to do whatever it takes to step on others. This is the ironclad rule of the Roman court.

A vast empire exists because of the successful, not because of a fairy tale where everyone is kind and gentle. People are mostly kind to others who do not pose a danger to them.

Only when she can do whatever she thinks is right can the blonde girl feel her childhood insecurity lessen slightly.

"There is always something hateful about a pitiful person, and there is a difference between acknowledging and forgiving."

Her silver hair swayed gently amidst the flames of the burning body, and on Novia's face, her blue eyes shimmered like a rippling ice lake.

"Domitius, you should understand that those who attempt to harm humanity are evils that must be dealt with. Such hostility needs no reason, whether it stems from human dignity or from your honor as a member of the royal family."

"You're right, teacher."

The blonde girl's previously expressionless face softened slightly, and she lowered her brows in the quiet, gloomy air.

Nevertheless, Novia merely glanced at her indifferently and continued to throw the bodies of those killed by the Dead Apostles into the fire, making a sizzling sound, but otherwise there was no other noise.

And then, suddenly, a surge of undisguised magical energy came straight this way.

"This aura... is it from the Ancestor? If it's an ambush, it's too easy to see through."

The silver-haired boy looked directly at the source of the ominous magic, an aura far surpassing that of ordinary Dead Apostles, but still quite different from that of the divine body Osiris.

“Fellow believer, you have misunderstood. It is just a coincidence. I did not create these things.”

The words that rang out seemed as indistinct as if they came from afar.

"...Eh eh eh!"

At that moment, Domitius, who had prepared himself after hearing his teacher's words, widened his eyes in surprise at the mention of 'Zu' by Novia. The main reason for this was the appearance of the newcomer—

It's not a person at all! It's a talking lock!

"Haha, this young lady seems quite surprised by my appearance. Well, it's understandable, considering it's a look I've been thinking about for a long time. By the way, is this one of your disciples, fellow believer?" 'Lock' seemed unusually pleased, and continued, "Right, let me introduce myself first. I am—"

"No need, I know you, because God has already told me."

Before 'Lock' could finish his self-introduction, Novia interrupted him, the silver-haired boy saying with a half-smile.

"Slightly before the transition of the gods, after failing to challenge the Crimson Moon, he was given a pure-blooded follower by her, and thus, ashamed to face his former companions, he hid in the underground labyrinth, right, Kobaek Alcatraz?"

028: Use your later sword to cut down your present self.

Before Domitius could hear Novia's next sentence, he heard the lock-like ancestor named Kaubek chuckle softly. It sounded less like laughter and more like the sound of air being exhaled from his lungs, like the sound of wind blowing through a dry cave. The girl was immediately struck by this impression.

“Fellow believer Novia, I heard that you were invited to the headquarters by the Atlas Academy, is that right?”

When Novia revealed his secrets, Kobek showed no surprise or astonishment, simply stating a few words.

“That’s right.”

Novia probably understood why Kaubek was so calm; he probably thought that he had actually learned his information through the Three-Pointed Hermes, so he felt that he was making a big fuss.

After all, hundreds of years ago, Kobek was a disciple of King Solomon, along with the Jeweler and the Clock Tower Master. King Solomon was a true man blessed by God, and he used the grace bestowed upon him by God to perform a miracle that was uniquely his own, establishing magic—the manipulation of phenomena, which is what is known in later generations as magic. Before that, magic was the realm of the gods, and ordinary people could hardly learn it.

His death accelerated the loss of mystery and the end of the Age of Gods.

Novia had been wondering since he was in Britain forging a 'miracle' that Solomon's disciples, including the Gemstone Elder, might expose him. After all, they had witnessed the miracles Solomon had performed, so the possibility of being exposed was quite high.

However, three years have passed and Novia has not seen a trace of them. It seems that these people are either too lazy to care or they have not seen through their scheme.

However, Novia still had a way of persuading Kaubak, just like Lucius had done—

“Then, Kobaek Alcatraz,” the silver-haired youth said coldly, “you are, after all, a disciple of King Solomon, yet you have lived in seclusion for so many years simply because you became a Dead Apostle. How dare you show your face in front of me now… You, do you even deserve to call me a fellow believer?”

“Novia, as fellow believers in God, we shouldn’t need to—”

Just as Kobek was still speaking in a gentle tone in the face of Novia's aggressive tone, the silver-haired boy pulled something out of his back and threw it directly at the 'lock'-shaped Kobek.

Normally, with Kobek's strength, he could easily dodge a simple physical attack. However, when he clearly sensed the aura emanating from the 'cross' object, he froze—

A metallic scraping sound came from inside.

"This...this...it has the same aura as the teacher's ring...This is...a gift from God himself...How is this possible? The Age of Gods has clearly ended, how could God—"

At that moment, Kobek suddenly recalled his conjecture: the person executed in Jerusalem seventeen years ago... could he be the real Son of God!

Then, wouldn't the old religion that entrenched itself in Jerusalem have completely degenerated into a heresy comparable to the devil?

But if he really was the Holy Son, how could he die so easily?!

“Kobak, your actions have already defiled King Solomon, who was blessed by God.” Novia took the 'cross' staff that Martha had given her from Kobak and stuck it in the ground. “Do you see it? This is the staff that the Son of God once used. Now it is in the shape of the cross on which He suffered. Do you know why?”

"Yes, forgive my ignorance, please explain it to me."

Although Kaubak's appearance was that of a 'lock', Domitius could sense that the progenitor of the Dead Apostles was radiating an unusual tension.

"Don't get me wrong, Kobaek Alcatraz. If you continue like this now, you are not worthy of being a believer in God!"

The silver-haired boy's brows remained unmoved, and his azure pupils echoed like the deep sea.

“I have confessed my guilt, and although I had my reasons, I beg your forgiveness.”

"Kobak, the world was created according to the Lord's idea. Human beings are composed of soul, body, and spirit. We live because we are a manifestation of God's love. No matter how much suffering the world is full of, it is also a kind of God's love."

Novia's curt reply, though it sounded baffling to Domitius.

But Kobek understood something from this: 'Demon' and 'God' are two sides of the same coin. Hunting these 'heretics' who do not exist in the original doctrine means acknowledging the existence of heresy. Even if he became a 'heretic,' it was suffering for him, but it was also a kind of love. However, he... blamed himself for many years because of his mere pride, which ultimately caused the suffering of the Holy Son.

Because this world was created by the Lord, and the earth is covered by the Lord's love, the form of God's love is completely immeasurable to humankind.

"As the Son of God, Jesus Christ naturally knew the evil of the old religion, but for the sake of the people living in the world, He was willing to bear the sins and evils of mankind and go to heaven."

"So that's how it is. The love of God cannot be measured by humankind. The world is a product of God's will, as are the human soul, body, and spirit. I understand now, I've realized it..."

Kaubak kept repeating what Novia had just said, and after more than ten seconds, he said sincerely in a tone of sudden realization.

"Thank you for your explanation. I understand now. You were saving me, weren't you? ... Please rest assured, those who have fallen into heresy are no longer worthy to occupy my mentor's Jerusalem. I will go there shortly—"

“No need, Kobek. It is God’s mission to cleanse the heretics entrenched in Jerusalem. I will contact you if needed.”

In fact, the main reason why Novia was able to fool Kobek so smoothly, besides using the staff that Jesus used and her mystical, incomplete explanations, was that most of what the silver-haired boy said was actually Kobek's own idea later on.

According to Novia's memory, Kaubek completed the Holy Scripture Tretine around the year 1000 AD.

'The world was created according to the will of the Lord. If we diligently explore the components of humanity—soul, body, and spirit—and write about them in writing, wouldn't we also receive clear guidance from the Lord's love?'

It was after considering this that the original Kobek began to record everything, create templates, and explore the forms of all things, which resulted in the creation of the model of the universe, namely the Holy Scripture Teredin.

Novia's current 'revelation' would undoubtedly allow him to create the Holy Scripture Tretine centuries earlier, but in reality, it's not a big problem. This is because Kobek is the kind of person who would rather not leave the labyrinth himself than leave the Holy Scripture, and it's not that he's afraid it will be used for malicious purposes, but simply that he's afraid it will be stolen...

Therefore, the possibility of the story of the Magician's Box being opened ahead of schedule is zero.

That's why the silver-haired boy acted that way.

"Yes, I will obey God's will."

Kaubak answered respectfully and then left.

In Domitius's view, this inexplicable debate ended with an overwhelming victory for her master, Novia. Although she had many doubts, she also knew what she should and shouldn't ask.

The two then returned to Rome without incident. For Novia, everything was arranged at this stage, and all she had to do was wait a few months for the weapon forged from the head of the Albion dragon to be ready.

Four months after Novia returned to Rome, as he had expected, Agrippina persuaded the old emperor Claudius to make her empress.

At the same time, Domitius will be adopted by Claudius and from now on renamed—

Nero.

029: A Heroic Deed Dedicated to My Teacher

"Little Novia, tell me, isn't Nero just too outstanding...?"

Inside the Roman palace, Novia sat facing Emperor Claudius, white petals falling from the trees beside her, carpeting the ground.

After Agrippina became queen, Claudius, under her influence, adopted Domitius and adopted the clan name "Nero".

Although Claudius was momentarily confused, he quickly realized that his deal with Agrippina had gone awry. The real reason he insisted on making Agrippina his queen was that he needed Agrippina's bloodline and lineage as a tool to solidify his legitimate rule.

But this approach is clearly a case of drinking poison to quench thirst, because once he admits that marrying Agrippina the Younger is the most secure legitimacy, it is tantamount to admitting that he himself is not legitimate. In that case, his own son Britannicus, who was with "the immoral Messerena," would be even less legitimate than Nero, Agrippina's son. Nero was older than Britannicus and should have been first in line of succession. In addition, he was a descendant of Germanicus, Augustus, and Antony, making his lineage more illustrious.

This is somewhat similar to Tiberius's situation when facing Germanicus, but Claudius was even more unfortunate than Tiberius in that he did not have the legitimate right to succeed to the throne with the consent of the dynasty's founder. When facing Agrippina, who was very good at using this advantage, he had absolutely no chance of winning.

Moreover, Nero herself then displayed her talents, becoming a highly admired and capable judge. She gave speeches in the Senate several times in Latin and Greek, and because of her fairness and competence, she was repeatedly brought into important cases. Even though Emperor Claudius repeatedly forbade her from being brought into important cases on the grounds of her youth, it could not stop her from gradually gaining great popularity. In addition, she was previously known among the Roman people as a disciple of Novia.

“Your Majesty, I advised you before that Agrippina needed to be observed for a longer period of time. But Your Majesty insisted on your own way and was willing to amend the law to do so.”

The biggest problem with Claudius and Agrippina's marriage was their uncle-niece relationship, which, once made public, would violate the Roman law of incest.

So, what to do?

Ultimately, Claudius came up with a solution: he issued an order to amend the marriage law.

So the Senate drafted a decree according to the emperor's wishes, allowing the emperor to marry his close relatives.

Although some members of the Senate disagreed with the marriage, they all turned a blind eye and did not interfere much in order not to offend the emperor.

It can only be said that if Claudius couldn't control the former queen Messalina, he couldn't possibly control the more cunning Agrippina.

"Sigh, as their teacher, you'll have to lend them a lot of help..."

"Of course, Your Majesty, please get some rest."

However, Claudius still believed that the Guard, led by his confidant Bruce, would support his son. What the old emperor didn't know was that in a few months, Agrippina would use her beauty to win over Bruce, the commander of the Guard, and would reach a secret agreement with him, in which Bruce would then obey Agrippina's command.