Chapter 13

The girl's footsteps had a regular rhythm.

"She's already gone?"

Just a few seconds later, Shiyali returned from the room where she had been reporting. She looked at the inexplicably sad dean and, with a blank expression, carefully took another small bite of the food in her palm.

"Never mind, then I'll return it to him next time I have the chance. It's not mine, after all."

014: Roman Court Incident

"The Divine Envoy has resolved the matter in Alexandria and should be heavily rewarded."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

From then on, Novia's daily life outside of Rome was essentially decided.

He would gaze at the trees not far away from his window before dawn, take walks in the surrounding area and preach his doctrine after noon, and return before the setting sun enveloped everything. At night, he would basically train in places without anyone around, practicing his swordsmanship against falling leaves from trees to keep his arms from going dull.

As for the reason for Claudius I's sudden drastic change in attitude towards him, if Novia's guess was correct, it was likely that the current Empress Messalina had whispered something in the ear of the fifty-year-old emperor during his absence.

However, even so, Claudius's promise to Novia to grant Christianity some preferential treatment within the empire was still being implemented, so Novia didn't really mind. After all, one step at a time. Later, when he had time to return to Anatolia Province, he would see if he could persuade Paul and the others to accept the ideas he was spreading and help him.

The territory of the Roman Empire was still too vast. Novia alone could not possibly achieve the full coverage of the Christian faith before Claudius's death.

Moreover, according to Novia's speculation, Claudius's death in 54 AD was likely a fixed event. This meant he had less than six years left. Within these six years, he needed to find a reasonable excuse for Judaism in Jerusalem to sweep through, and then wait for Lucius to unearth the remains of the Dragon of Albion and refine them using alchemy...

Each of these tasks would take a long time.

After Claudius's death, it would be the ascension of Nero, who was as famous in Type-Moon history as the beloved 'Tyrant' by the people.

Novia wasn't sure if he would be able to proceed as smoothly as he was now. But then again, if it weren't for the help of his mother Agrippina, he probably wouldn't have been able to become emperor so smoothly. However, this was also hard to say, because the inevitable events of Type-Moon could not be rewritten in any way. Therefore, Novia thought that if he were to rewrite this part of history, it would be difficult to predict what would happen.

And at this moment, just like Novia, who was being suppressed, Nero's mother, Agrippina, who was related to the imperial family, was in the same situation.

Empress Messalina, in order to secure her son's future claim to the throne, was vigorously suppressing members of the imperial family who had a chance to inherit. She also had Claudius execute his own secretary, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that she held absolute power under the indulgence of Emperor Claudius I.

However, Novia was completely indifferent to this, because he knew what would happen later. He just needed to wait patiently.

"Lord Novia."

Hearing the voice, Novia looked up and saw a fifty-year-old man approaching with a limp from the corridor that led to the window that didn't open to the outside.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Perhaps out of consideration for the 'god,' the Emperor Claudius would seek Novia out every few days to talk. Although Novia desperately wanted to persuade him to become a Christian, the old fox always managed to evade the topic.

Although Novia also considered using the drop of water he obtained from the Atlas Institute to cure Claudius's illness, he felt it wouldn't be worth the effort after thinking about it, so he abandoned the idea and gave it to Lucius instead.

After all, Novia had promised Lucius that he would cure his Biting Pain. And Lucius hadn't asked many questions after following him for a year, so it was only right and proper to alleviate his suffering first.

Currently, Novia was basically preparing to control the Praetorian Guard responsible for Rome, leading Christianity to sweep across the entire of Europe, and besides that, he also needed to find someone to be responsible for the political affairs of the Roman Emperor... and Novia had already decided on the final candidate, just waiting for the right time.

"There's no need for formalities. It was my mistake to have the Divine Envoy reside outside the city."

"Your Majesty, this is a necessary courtesy, and it is also what God allows."

Novia maintained his usual smile, but inwardly clicked his tongue. You can say those pleasantries yourself, Claudius, do you really think I believe you?

"Hahaha, well, there's nothing that can be done about it." Claudius opened the large, ancient book on the table where Novia had placed it. It looked like a book containing many religious ideas. He flipped through a few pages and stopped. "But every time I come, I see you reading books on faith, Novia."

"For us, this is necessary. By the way, could Your Majesty please forgive me for one thing?"

"Oh? What is it?"

"The rain a few days ago caused the nearby river to flood, making the bridge leading to the port impassable..."

"The grain reserves here are so abundant that they can last through the winter without any problems. You should have no trouble by yourself, right?"

Claudius asked this with a purely inquisitive tone, and Novia offered a apologetic smile.

"No, no, it's not about the grain. A traveler who came here by chance because they couldn't cross the bridge asked me for help. Could I allow them to stay here until the rain stops? I thought I shouldn't let a lost person lose their shelter, so I agreed. But this is a place that Your Majesty bestowed upon me alone."

"There's absolutely no need for me to agree!" Claudius stood up from his seat, placed his hand on Novia's shoulder, and said righteously, "You did very well. Anyone within my empire must strongly support such actions."

"I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's approval."

The reason Novia did these things and told Emperor Claudius was to make Claudius's subconscious mind believe that the actions of the Christianity he was promoting were reasonable. This way, Christianity's acceptance of the homeless within the empire and its care for the sick neighbors, regardless of their status or religion, would become a natural consequence.

"Your Majesty."

Another person's voice came from outside. It was likely someone responsible for managing and guarding Emperor Claudius's movements.

"What is it?"

"The situation is urgent. Please allow me to inform Your Majesty in person."

"Come in."

Novia had intended to make space, but Claudius shook his head wordlessly, indicating that it was fine for him to stay.

Soon, the person responsible for security entered and whispered something into Emperor Claudius's ear without hesitation.

"...Your Majesty, please make a decision soon."

Upon hearing the report, Emperor Claudius I's eyes flashed with anger. Novia seemed to sense something from this change.

"Everyone, follow me! We return to Rome immediately!"

From the morning, it had been a gloomy, overcast sky mixed with dark clouds. As the sun set in the west, rain began to fall, accompanied by rumbling thunder, leading to terrible weather that made even the window frames tremble.

This was the court event Novia had been waiting for specifically—

Empress Messalina marrying her lover.

015: Please kill yourself, for the sake of your children

There's a saying, "All roads lead to Rome," and in this phrase, the place "Rome" symbolizes all good things in people's eyes.

Of course, this saying precisely conveys hope and expectation to people through "Rome." In many ancient histories, the first thing people think of is its great civilization, but they don't know the shame hidden behind these seemingly great civilizations.

After the Second Punic War, Rome gained immense wealth, slaves, and grain, which were continuously transported to the empire through the Mediterranean.

Corruption and debauchery are often inseparable, and corruption is inseparable from wealth. Furthermore, the aristocratic customs and moral concepts of the ancient Roman Empire led to widespread adultery among noblewomen; there was no concept of adultery being unforgivable outside of marriage.

During the First Triumvirate period, Caesar slept with the wives of the other two, and those two knew about it, yet it didn't stop the brothers from drinking together.

Even one's own sister or mother could still become one's woman. This also led to the nation, both domestically and internationally, not having very strong concepts regarding human relations.

Novia knew this very well. The most important reason Emperor Claudius I flew into such a rage was not that Empress Messalina was marrying her lover, but the fear that it would endanger his own position.

This man, who became emperor at fifty, had no prepared talent pool for governance. Therefore, he heavily relied on freed slaves from his household to serve as secretaries. Over time, these individuals' power rapidly expanded during his reign.

Empress Messalina was also like this. As time progressed to 48 AD, most of these secretaries were also demanded by her to be executed by Claudius.

According to the intelligence Claudius possessed, many senators, high-ranking officials, and military officers attended Empress Messalina and her lover's wedding.

Claudius knew very well how he had obtained his throne, and therefore he was extremely worried about this act. In other words, if Messalina hadn't invited so many people, Claudius might not have been so furious.

However, at this moment, the emperor's long-absent fury had already been conveyed through the Mages located in the city of Rome.

"Brutus, I appoint you as the new commander of the Praetorian Guard. Bring the Praetorian Guard into Rome as soon as possible."

Claudius sat in the carriage returning to Rome, contemplating whether Messalina's disposal should be treated as a public offense or resolved as a domestic matter.

Since Novia was sitting in Claudius's carriage, it was evident that Claudius seemed quite hesitant.

It was probably because their young daughter and son had written letters as their mother instructed, begging their father to spare their mother's life, at least to give Messalina a chance to explain.

Although Novia hadn't known Claudius for long, he understood this man quite well. In the first fifty years of his life, he had never been taken seriously by anyone. Therefore, he didn't understand what it meant to be treated with reverence. In other words, the concept of reverence simply didn't exist in his mind. This was why he had previously only cared about the benefits that the worship of the Roman Gods and Christianity could bring.

Click, click. The wind knocked against the windowpanes, and the cold wind howled, making a fierce noise.

Claudius's gaze was involuntarily drawn. He temporarily placed the letter on the table and let out a sigh.

"Novia, please go and ask that unfortunate woman to come to the palace tomorrow morning to explain herself to me."

"Yes."

Novia knew well that when Claudius referred to Messalina as 'unfortunate woman,' it seemed he intended to let her off the hook.

For Novia, this was not an ideal development, but it was still acceptable.

Because he, who was going to deliver the message, would give this Empress a "graceful" exit.

It was raining outside, the wind was bone-chilling, and the sky, houses, and everyone present were shrouded in gloomy gray. Novia held the umbrella symbolizing Claudius, listening to the pattering raindrops, watching the white mist of his breath, and headed towards the lover's garden where the Empress was staying.

In the Roman night, the magnificent courtyard was covered with brilliant paintings. On both sides were lights supported by magic, and Greek-style statues. It was a scene of breathtaking luxury.

Novia, representing Claudius, was hardly obstructed by anyone and quickly reached the room of the garden's owner.

"My lord, my lord, spare me! Please let me explain to His Majesty, I didn't—"

The Empress's lover was a senator, and had even been chosen as consul for the following year, but his pleas did not cause Novia to hesitate. He directly decapitated him with a single sword strike.

"Are you that Novia? Never mind, quickly take me to Claudius. This is just a misunderstanding. I am his wife, and our children are the future masters of the empire—"

However, Novia flicked the long sword in his hand and calmly said to the still fearless Empress Messalina.

"Valeria Messalina, please kill yourself. This is for your children, for the future of Octavia and Britannicus."

The silver-haired youth's tone was as if this was the only important thing for Messalina at that moment.

"This is..." Messalina's face instantly turned ashen upon hearing this, then she tremblingly took the sword from Novia's hand, "Claudius... does he mean this?"

Novia nodded noncommittally.

"Octavia and Britannicus... my children..."

Messalina tightly closed her eyes, her lips constantly moving, her steps unsteady. Finally, tears flowed down her face, yet she still couldn't bring herself to stab the sword into her own chest.

If only she had known this would happen, why did she act like this in the first place? Novia thought. This 23-year-old Empress was incredibly unpopular. Previously, she had forced an actor she coveted as a lover to commit suicide. She had also forced a Roman consul to his death, aiming to acquire a garden that was reputed to be the most beautiful in Rome.

Furthermore, every night, she would sneak out of the imperial palace and go to the red-light district beneath the stands of the Colosseum, where she worked nights under the alias "Lyriska," taking clients.

"The performance is about to end."

Novia snatched the sword, and in the next second, he plunged it deeply into Messalina's chest, killing her with one blow. Then, the silver-haired youth pulled out the blood-stained sword and dropped it onto the ground.

After walking out, he said to the people in the garden—

Valeria Messalina knew her sins were grave and felt too ashamed to face the people of the empire, so she had gone to seek forgiveness from the gods.

Subsequently, Messalina's statue was, without attracting attention, dismantled and destroyed by those who were dissatisfied with her. After a cremation ceremony without the attendance of any family members, Messalina's ashes were not even buried in the "Temple of the Emperor."

Upon hearing the news of his wife's suicide, Claudius did not suspect anything. He suddenly seemed to have lost all emotions like grief and anger.

He also lacked the mental energy to pay more attention to his young children who had lost their mother. His wife had done something that wronged him, and this sixty-year-old man could only focus all his mental energy on state affairs.

"Cough, cough, cough, little Novia, you previously told me that Seneca was a rare talent, didn't you? I approve, I allow him to return from Corsica."

Within the blooming Roman Imperial Palace, the vast land stretched endlessly. An old man, weathered by time, tightly gripped Novia's hand. Once one grows old and loses their spiritual anchor, this is likely what they would look like.

"Your Majesty is wise. May you be blessed with good health under the gods' protection."

The silver-haired youth's tone was very calm. His azure eyes were, at all times, as tranquil as the deep winter sea, as if gazing upwards from the profound depths of the ocean. That kind of gaze.

"Also, please take the time to guide Octavia and Britannicus, to set them on the right path..."

"Yes."

016: That Burning Star, Youthful and Fierce

Seneca, recently returned from exile, concluded his day's tasks and walked through the magnificent Roman Imperial Palace, composed of white marble palaces and flowing red banners.

"Rome bathed in sunlight looks a bit different, doesn't it?"

Hearing this, Seneca turned around and bowed respectfully.

A silver-haired youth in a simple white robe stood on a protruding large stone behind him, bathed in the beauty of the warm afternoon. His skin glowed rosy under the sun.

"Greetings, Lord Novia."

"Seneca, how are the two young princes' studies progressing?"

"Very well."

"Thank you for your hard work."

Novia nodded with satisfaction and sat down on a nearby chair. Seneca followed suit.

"His Highness Britannicus is only 7 years old, and Her Highness Octavia is only 9. Neither of them is old, so I'll need your continued care in their education."

Seneca nodded silently. At fifty years old, since first seeing the youth before him, he had always been astonished... or perhaps, it was admiration.