"Follower IX"

There was a saying: Rome was not built in a day. Legend had it that Rome's founder, Romulus, was gifted with remarkable intelligence and had built the city of Rome overnight... That was, of course, impossible.

The founding and development of Rome had taken more than two thousand years. In 27 BC, Rome entered the imperial age. With an abundant supply of cheap labor—slaves—the construction of Rome entered a period of rapid growth.

The iconic structures people knew today, such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Colosseum, had all been built during this period.

But aside from those magnificent structures, countless commoners had poured in and new residences had been built. The great fire of July 17, AD 64 had begun at the arena, yet its true cause had remained an unsolved historical mystery for ages.

The Great Circus stood on the eastern bank of the Tiber River, in the southwestern part of Rome. It was piled full of flammable materials such as tents, and once the fire began, it became impossible to contain.

To make matters worse, a southwest wind had been blowing during those days, further fanning the flames.

After the fire god devoured the Great Circus, two streams of flame unexpectedly spread to either side. The one on the left burned toward Triumphal Way, and the Arc de Triomphe connected to it, along with the memorial arches and temples for the Punic Wars and Gallic Wars, all vanished in an instant.

The flames on the right destroyed the imperial government offices and other towering buildings. The crisscrossing streets, shops, and civilian homes were all reduced to ash as well. In the end, nearly the entire city was swallowed by a sea of fire. The blaze raged for six days and seven nights, leaving all of Rome