Chapter 15

Ultimately, the root cause was that Rome lacked a legal succession rule, leaving its interpretation fluid, and the First Dynasty itself was too reliant on Augustus's reputation. All of this combined created Claudius's exceedingly awkward situation.

This was largely why the old emperor had hoped Christianity, brought by Novia, would replace polytheism. Unfortunately, he couldn't control his unfaithful wife, nor could he control Agrippina, who was adept at exploiting her advantages.

"After all the lessons today, we will have a study session on Christian doctrine as I mentioned. It's time to begin the next phase. In a few days, I will send you to a nearby location to try it on your own. This is a necessary benchmark, Domitius. Please do your best."

"I understand, Teacher Novia."

The blonde girl diligently studied, her gaze shifting from Novia's book to the adjacent room. Besides a bed, a simple wooden square table, and four straw-stuffed chairs, there was no other furniture. Where a mirror would typically hang, a silver bronze cross was nailed to a black background, set within a tarnished golden wooden frame.

There was nothing luxurious within; the simplicity made the space more solemn.

"Sir, do you have a moment?"

Another voice came from outside the room. Domitius surmised it was someone else coming to ask their teacher about doctrine.

Hearing the voice, Novia glanced at the blonde girl. He saw her eyes were wide open, precisely reciting the contents of the book. Seemingly sensing his gaze, she looked at him questioningly.

"Continue your self-study. I'll be back shortly."

With that, Novia walked out. Once Novia was gone and she was sure there was no magical energy fluctuation in the room, Domitius put down the book and ran to the second-floor window. Though unable to properly see outside through the window, she could just manage to look down at the scene before the main entrance through the panes.

As expected, it was the common people that Domitius wholeheartedly cherished. Perhaps due to her childhood experiences, the blonde girl preferred the unknown masses over nobles and officials. It was for this reason that she held such deep respect for Novia, who was only two years older than her but upheld his responsibilities and was deeply loved by the people.

Ever since Domitius understood Novia's genuine affection from the populace, she vowed to become like him, someone who could radiate genuine smiles when viewed by thousands. To achieve this small yet grand goal, she would continue to strive.

A few days prior, after drinking the water Novia gave her, perhaps due to the long-lasting relief from her headaches, or perhaps because she was too young to keep her thoughts hidden, she had truthfully confessed this aspiration to Novia.

"So, that's what you think."

Novia smiled slightly, his eyes narrowed. His voice blended with nature, giving the girl the impression that he already knew.

The girl, who had been preparing to say more, was rendered speechless by his question and nodded involuntarily.

"I see."

The girl in the room stared blankly at the light filtering into the room through the window. The bright room was filled with vividly colored light, and she was immersed in it.

All that followed was a single sentence, which he then uttered in a low voice. Reflected in the girl's green eyes was the sincerity in the blue eyes.

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

The boy's gentle demeanor was reflected in the girl's eyes. The second-floor room she was in was quite a distance from the ground, so her gaze shouldn't be detected, allowing her to stare without reservation. However, Domitius found Novia subtly glancing in her direction.

"..."

Instantly, she felt as if she had stopped breathing. While being noticed was terrifying, she was more afraid of being reprimanded by her teacher as a student.

The blonde girl immediately ran back from the second floor to her original spot, silently resuming her studies. Although studying alone was tedious, she knew it was a necessary sacrifice for acquiring knowledge. However, she couldn't spend all her time studying, as Domitius was a versatile genius.

So, she pondered and began to read the doctrine Novia had written, contemplating its meaning. In her opinion, these seemed more difficult to understand than the textbook content, and the things said during baptisms. Although she didn't grasp their meaning, the blonde girl felt they were important and that she must understand them.

For now, Domitius pondered Novia's teachings while waiting for him to return to clarify them.

"... Hmm?"

Novia returned and pushed open the door, finding that Domitius, who would later be renamed Nero, was indeed the little gem shining spiritually as Seneca had described in his monologue. Unfortunately, she was an uncontrollable factor.

"Good day, Teacher."

"Oh."

"Teacher Novia, I wanted to ask, what does this sentence mean..."

019: News of the Dragon of Albion

From the ancient land across the English Channel, pale snowflakes drifted gently from the sky. The initial sparse flakes soon gathered, dominating the entire island.

The time officially stepped into 49 AD. Londinium, a settlement built by the ancient Roman Empire on the island of Britain, had been developing as a 'bridge across the Thames' since its conquest. In time, this settlement was destined to become the 'heart' of the island.

The late-night wind was incredibly cold, blowing across the face of the Governor of Britain, Lucius. He couldn't help but sneeze, and simultaneously stopped his steps in the cave he had dug.

"There are too many of these damned things here."

The man pointed the weapon in his hand towards countless green lights in the tunnel, accumulating on the dirt-filled cave walls, like a layer of frost.

However, these were corpses, yet Lucius felt no sorrow.

Them? Them?

Their gender was indistinguishable, their bodies insect-like, their eyes slightly larger than human proportions. Their overall appearance evoked the delicate limbs of a human girl, with soft hair that floated without wind. However, upon closer inspection of their faces, a seam could be found. When it split open, the face would split vertically, the entire head transforming into a mouth lined with fangs, attacking anyone.

Though utterly disgusting, they were not fantasy creatures, but rather like maggots born from some thoroughly deceased, mysterious being.

Since Lucius was appointed Governor of Britain a year ago, he had been following Novia's instructions, diligently excavating things beneath Londinium. Although he didn't know what Novia was looking for, Lucius chose to dig alone as a precaution. Fortunately, he was no ordinary person; sleeping only 3 hours a day was more than enough, leading the soldiers stationed in Britain and the local residents to believe he was a trustworthy governor.

Naturally, Lucius was not someone concerned with money. He did not exploit the natives, possessed formidable personal strength, and often led the troops in training by example. The soldiers stationed in Britain naturally trusted him.

After pausing for a moment, he shifted his gaze from the green lights to the front of the cave and continued digging alone. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot into his lower back. He frowned slightly, enduring the biting pain that had troubled him for years as usual.

However, after Lucius received a drop of water from Novia, the pain had significantly subsided. Comparatively, it was now a one, whereas before it was a ten.

Naturally, Lucius was filled with gratitude towards Novia. He had even wanted to present Novia with the spear stained by the Son of God, believing Novia to be far more important than himself. However, Novia refused, saying he should keep it for self-defense.

Since that was the case, he could only properly complete the tasks Novia assigned him to express his gratitude. Moreover, considering how much he had achieved at such a young age, Lucius, though old, couldn't lag behind.

With such thoughts in mind, Lucius had no interest in admiring the island of Britain, only wishing to find what Novia had spoken of. After continuing to dig for two hours, the man took out the waterskin, already soaked with sweat, from his belt and drank deeply.

After finishing, Lucius intended to continue digging, but—

The moment he reached out, he stopped, sensing something powerful yet corrupted just a layer of soil away, and it was immensely large.

This must be what Novia was looking for, the man thought, likely a creature that once thrived on this land, even dominating the apex of the ecosystem.

Once the location was confirmed, Lucius no longer hesitated. He returned the way he came, using the Spear of Longinus to seal the area, transforming it into a desolate wasteland dotted with weeds and deadwood, invisible even to Mystic Eyes.

A gust of wind rustled the leaves, masking the movements in the grass; when the wind died down and the leaves fell still, everything returned to silence. Lucius, who had appeared as if from nowhere, stood like a statue of Mars, vigilantly scanning his surroundings with eyes restored by sacred blood.

After a full half-hour passed like this, he left the desolate land without looking back and immediately relayed the news to Novia in Rome.

"This fellow believer is quite cautious, Lucius Longinus, but those eyes and that spear..." a voice resonated as if from space itself, then slowly faded into silence. "If that person in Jerusalem sixteen years ago was real, then I should find a way to leave Alcatraz and see this fellow believer, Novia, who has brought a new faith."

On this star-dusted night, something that had become a vampire due to its physical form spoke thus, feeling unworthy of its former companions.

It was morning when Novia received Lucius's message from Rome.

At that moment, the silver-haired youth was with Domitius, spreading his innovative Christian doctrines around the city of Rome.

The morning mist in the wilderness slowly receded, and sunlight filtered through the sparse canopy of birch trees, falling on Novia's shoulders in the center of the crowd, like a scene from a forest filled with natural beauty.

"The Son, Christ Jesus, though born of man, incarnate, suffered, and resurrected, was still fully participated in by the Father. The difference is that only the Son was manifested; the Father and the Son are in perfect equality, with no precedence or hierarchy. The Son is also fully Lord, His distinct characteristic being eternally begotten of the Father."

"Believers, though they may have different measures of faith, hope, and love, will similarly enjoy the benefits of the world or suffer evil."

"The best life is goodness, and the act of attaining the best life itself, whether you are in Rome, Gaul, or Anatolia, as long as you believe, believe devoutly, and help the poor as much as possible, love one another, and care for the weak, your soul will ultimately be redeemed."

"All natures are good, because the Lord of all natures is supremely good, yet natures are not supremely and eternally good like the Lord..."

The golden-haired girl Domitius watched the distant horizon clear and listened to the birdsong in the forest rise and fall with her teacher's voice, feeling a sense of intoxication. She couldn't help but surrender her entire being to the embrace of the sunlight.

But then, although Novia's hesitation was only for a moment, Domitius still noticed it. By the time she reacted, her teacher had handed over the subsequent matters to her, and he himself seemed to have something urgent to attend to, leaving ahead of her.

As dusk fell and she returned to Rome, she learned that her teacher Novia had been dispatched by His Majesty the Emperor to Britain to handle matters concerning the local religion, Druidism.

020: The Crown of the Dragon That Died of Exhaustion

Colorful flowers bloomed on the serene plain, with only the distant forest visible beyond the line of sight. Even turning to survey the entire sky, all that met the eye was the evenly divided land and the blue sky.

This was the scene Shiyali saw after crossing the English Channel.

A few days prior, after receiving Novia's invitation, she had immediately left the Atlas Institute and headed for Britain, intending to fulfill the conditions of the contract previously signed – to help him within her capabilities.

"If my calculations are correct, the mystery in Britain might persist for hundreds of years."

The moment she set foot on the island, Shiyali knew this place was different. The decay of mystery was much slower than on the mainland. Although she knew that the more isolated a land was from the continent, the more likely it was to retain mystery, she was still surprised.

"Hahaha, maybe it'll last five hundred years, some places will still have mystery after a thousand years."

"How could it possibly last that long... Let's skip the small talk, just tell me what you need me to do."

The purple-haired girl narrowed her eyes, calmly and steadily looking at Novia, who approached with a smile, and the man beside him with a cross on his face. According to her information, the man beside him should be Lucius Longinus, the governor of Britain.

Since parting ways with Novia at the Atlas Institute last time, she had been staying there, conducting research. It was only a few days ago that she received Novia's message, prompting her to come out. On the way, Shiyali had also been gathering intelligence on Novia's recent activities.

Though he held a position second only to one in the Roman Empire at the age of sixteen, she had already become a candidate for the next director of the Atlas Institute at the age of ten.

The Roman Empire had a total of over a hundred thousand Mages. While the Atlas Institute didn't have as many people, their strength was naturally far greater than these amateur Mages. This could be considered a rough equivalence.

Although Shiyali didn't know why she was making this comparison, she calculated it subconsciously.

"You arrived in just three days, don't you need to rest?"

"There's no need."

The girl's tone was devoid of any fatigue as she stated it decisively, her competitive purple eyes fixed on Novia.

Perhaps it was because she felt her contribution was insignificant compared to Novia's during their previous expedition to the Submarine Alexandria Library, which made her eager to demonstrate her true abilities as a current instructor and candidate for the next director of the Atlas Institute in front of him.

"But speaking of which, you're wearing light clothing."

The girl's words carried a meaning slightly different from their literal interpretation. Novia's white attire was suitable even in the British winter and was considered acceptable for formal occasions.

Shiyali was actually referring to his equipment as a Mage. Someone of his status would always be prepared with multiple Mystic Codes to protect himself from spiritual and physical dangers. As a high-ranking Mage, it was almost expected that he could be attacked by anyone at any time. Furthermore, Mages were praised for carrying so many powerful Mystic Codes that they were considered comparable to a bounded field on their own.

"Haha, because in the face of an absolute disparity, even my petty tricks would be futile."

Shiyali's eyebrows furrowed slightly at his words. From the information she had gathered using the Aether Lines, the Roman court was a nest of conspiracies, filled with intricate political maneuvers at all times. Everyone was eagerly waiting to see such fools fall into traps... Yet, the outcome was not as expected.

"Whatever, it's up to you. So, what do you need me to do?"

"Please follow me. Regardless, this is something I can only ask of you."

Novia bowed his head sincerely. Upon arriving in Britain, he estimated from the cave dug by Lucius that the Dragon of Albion was indeed completely dead, but its body had not yet fractured due to geological activity. This meant there was a carcass two thousand meters long, and even with its body severed, its head was still extending downward. The head, having detached from the body, had traveled so far, and its location was later used as an observation post by the Clock Tower.

"I'll do my best, if it's you."

Shiyali replied nonchalantly, turning her face away. The fact that she didn't immediately use the Aether Lines indicated how pleased she was.

The three then proceeded to a location near Londinium on the Thames River.

In fact, the moment she received the message, the purple-haired girl had a fleeting impression that this exploration would be interesting.

The bells of the returning ship chimed, the sun set beyond the horizon, painting the evening mountains red, and the dusk wind carried a hint of chill, yet it was so peaceful.

The three followed a winding, snake-like path and descended underground into the desolate land dotted with weeds and deadwood.

A faint trace of magic permeated from the cracks in the soil, causing the girl's body to tremble involuntarily. As they walked, the magic dissipated; as they spoke, their spells became ineffective. This was due to something not far ahead, something so minuscule to humans that seeking it would be utterly pointless.

"Novia, what is this?"

The Age of Gods ended fifty years ago, and humanity became the supreme ruler of all things. Physical laws were no longer suitable for mythical creatures to survive in. Fantastical beings who understood and accepted this left, and beings with sentience became mere natural phenomena. Aether dissipated from the atmosphere, and mystery dwindled. From then on, the magecraft of the Age of Gods was lost, and true ancient magecraft vanished from the world, leaving only insignificant traces behind.

According to the teachings within the institute, compared to the magecraft of old, present-day magecraft was like an empty shell. There was an absolute, insurmountable gap between the two eras, making them incomparable.

And what was buried beneath this soil right now was—

Unlike gods materialized by human cognition or belief, it was a primordial, super-existent being.

Far surpassing the level of the Divine Body, Osiris, that he had ever seen, an overwhelming amount of magical energy was clearly gathered here.

"..."

Novia remained silent for a long while.

Does he actually not know? Shiyali thought this, and the silver-haired youth slowly spoke a moment later:

"In the past, there was a colossal Dragon race. It is said that its majestic body was larger than mountains. However, for reasons unknown, this Dragon race remained here for a long time after the disappearance of fantasy."

"When the Dragon race finally chose to depart, mystery had already grown thin, and the passage to the 'Reverse Side of the World' could no longer be opened. Even so, they did not despair, nor did they give up. Since they could not transfer using mystery, they decided to move by physical means, using their immense bodies to burrow underground into the earth where mystery still lingered."

"...Huh?"

As she was hearing this for the first time, the purple-haired girl couldn't help but blink a few times, as there were no related records within the institute.

"However, the Dragon race died from exhaustion during the process of burrowing underground."

"The Pureblood Dragon, its name—"

"The Dragon of Albion."