Chapter 16

"I see, so this is your request."

Shiyali, who had quickly calmed herself from her shock, raised her hand. Ether lines, measured in micrometers, flowed into her body, which was now embedded in the soil.

"Because it doesn't have a brain, I can't see its memories or peer into its mind. I can only get surface-level information about its physical form..."

"Is it troublesome?"

The silver-haired youth blinked. Shiyali drew diagrams in the air. First, she wrote down the name "Spirit Grave Albion," then drew two triangles facing each other as a simplified representation of the Dragon of Albion's remains.

"As you said, this pure-blooded dragon, which you call the Dragon of Albion, is still a super-existence in terms of physical hierarchy, even in its remains. Its two-kilometer-long body is buried underground. Based on my calculations, assuming no major geological changes, establishing a workshop and using Necromancy would conservatively take... it should be twenty years."

"Twenty years."

Novia murmured. Frankly, for Shiyali to successfully refine the Dragon of Albion's remains in twenty years was undoubtedly fitting for a candidate for the next director of the Atlas Institute. It was a dragon that had almost tunneled through the Inner World with its physical body alone.

However, Novia believed that if it truly took that long, who knew what kind of accidents might occur. If other Mages found out about this place, it could ignite a new storm in the Mage world in Europe. Objectively speaking, Mages were egoists, prioritizing efficiency. Most Mages discovering this place would likely think of claiming it for themselves first, only cooperating if it couldn't be concealed.

After all, the Clock Tower of later generations gained immense magical assets from the Tomb of Albion, becoming a beacon of hope in a declining magical world. It became a Mage Association that stood alongside the Sea of Lost Lost and the Atlas Institute. It was valuable from head to toe.

But Novia and Shiyali were clearly anomalies in the Mage world. Novia was a transmigrator. Shiyali, though not human before, was a good person. Her ethics were based on judging good and evil from others through Ether lines.

However, the purple-haired girl was now on a path to confronting her own essence.

Precisely because of this, she frowned at Novia, who had fallen silent.

There was a hint of genuine impatience in her expression, leading to her next words being delivered with an aggressive tone.

"I can only guarantee about twenty years. Furthermore, because the Dragon of Albion's soul has completely vanished, there will be no residual negative elements like 'regrets' or 'grudges' after Necromancy. I can't guarantee anything else for you."

Necromancy, as practiced by the Atlas Institute, combined necromancy with alchemy. Because the bodies of Mages and Fantasy Species remained rich in magical energy even after their souls vanished, rather powerful Mystic Codes could be crafted.

"I understand. Twenty years is indeed the fastest."

Novia nodded, thinking that if that was the case, it was time to execute another plan.

"Then, could you refine the head of the Dragon of Albion into a weapon? The body is unnecessary."

Although he couldn't obtain a loyal dragon, refining a weapon from its head would be almost as good, Novia reasoned. Fairy Knight Lancelot was born from its left claw alone, so there should be no problem using the head.

As for what it should be shaped into, Novia had already decided: he wanted it to resemble the spear wielded by Fairy Knight Lancelot.

"The he-head? But this dragon's head is alrea—"

The girl spoke in confusion while observing Novia.

But as she was speaking, Novia dug away the soil on the other side, revealing the head of the Dragon of Albion that he had found deeper underground.

This Dragon of Albion even stuck out its tongue when it died...

Shiyali, thinking this, inserted her Ether lines into the Dragon of Albion's head and began her calculations.

"Still no memories visible. However, if I'm only refining the head, then it should only take a year."

"Then I'll leave it to you, Shiyali."

"But what kind of weapon do you want? A sword? A spear? Or a bow—"

"This."

When Novia produced a design sketch that felt epoch-making, Shiyali, as an alchemist of the Atlas Institute accustomed to all sorts of bizarre ideas, genuinely found the weapon in this design to be incredibly cool.

"I will refine it according to your design."

Shiyali replied concisely. Without hesitation, her body began setting up a magical workshop at an astonishing speed.

"Starting now? Don't you need any preparations? How about I show you around Britain for a few days?"

Novia asked, crossing his arms and smiling.

"There's no need. What you're suggesting is meaningless to me. Oh, by the way, your design sketch looks good. If you're interested, you could join the Atlas Institute."

Shiyali said casually.

Then she immediately added.

"I just accidentally forgot that you've already joined Christianity. In any case, I'll give you what you want in a year."

"It's already done?"

Novia, emerging from the cave, saw Lucius sitting by the fire he had made on the grass and walked over.

"Yes, it should be ready in a year."

"Just one year? That little girl is that amazing? I thought it would take decades, considering how large this dragon is."

"You've misunderstood. I gave Shiyali the head of the Dragon of Albion."

The crimson bonfire illuminated the barren grassland as the two chatted pointlessly.

"Speaking of which, you're only sixteen now. You've already accomplished so much, and you're still pushing yourself. Will you keep going?"

Lucius said with a touch of melancholy, perhaps feeling incapable of doing more for the young man before him as an elder.

"What choice do I have? My name is Novia. Paul and the others raised me. I have to repay them, don't I? Besides, crying and complaining won't change the current situation. If I'm the only one who can do this, then I have to face it head-on. Even if it's not what I intended, even if I have to test it with my own life, I will do what I can."

Just like the day they first met, the boy's words contained an emotion that Lucius couldn't grasp. However, Lucius undeniably felt that the words were poured with sincere prayers.

Thus, Lucius grinned once more, his hand touching the old scar on his cheek, as distinct as a cross.

"Then, do your best, Lord Novia."

022: Things that don't need reflection for a person

After settling the matter of the Dragon of Albion, Novia stayed in Britain for about two months, during which he also properly dealt with the tribes that had sided with Rome during the previous Roman expedition to Britain.

Since Rome's conquest of Britain, the joint strategy of Emperor Claudius and the Senate was to plunder the local wealth through heavy taxation and usury. These tribes that had joined Rome, on the other hand, had become relatively well-off by relying on Rome's military deterrence and financial aid.

Given Novia's current status, his visit could naturally be seen as representing Emperor Claudius's intentions. The silver-haired youth expressed a certain degree of allowance for the independence of these tribes, stating that as long as they could repay their debts to Rome and abide by the law, they could continue as they were. Moreover, as time passed, the policy might even lean towards leniency and appeasement.

In fact, this was also Novia's way of preventing the subsequent widespread uprisings in Britain. One of the tribes that had joined Rome was the Iceni tribe, whose leader was Boudica's husband. According to Novia's memory, this man intended to divide his territory in half before his death, leaving one half for his children and the other to repay Rome's debts.

However, this was overlooked by the governor of Britain in the original timeline. Without seeking imperial approval, he directly seized all of their land and insulted the family members who came to demand an explanation. While excessive taxation and other reasons were also a factor, this was the direct catalyst.

Therefore, Novia made this his guarantee. As a province controlled by the Roman Emperor, Britain, where he was currently highly trusted by Claudius, allowed him to choose a trustworthy person to serve as the new governor after Lucius's departure.

After everything was arranged, Novia returned to Rome. It was worth mentioning that he had used the excuse of "the possibility of changes in the local British religion, Druidism" to gain permission from Claudius to travel to Britain.

The sun, nearing noon, floated in the sky. After finishing his classes, Novia, who had left Domitius inside to study doctrine on her own, sat on a chair outside the house. Although he knew the golden-haired girl's interests were music, art, literature, and drama, for now, his own preached doctrine had to take precedence.

The boundless grasslands and small flowers were reflected in his azure pupils. This idyllic scenery, harmonized together, looked like an illustration from a fairy tale.

To this day, Novia still resided outside the city of Rome, having declined Claudius's offer of housing within the city multiple times.

"Britain will be ready in another ten months. Next, the Senate, Agrippina, Claudius, Jerusalem, Judaism..."

These were the troubles Novia believed he still had to resolve.

"One by one."

After all, vastness was the greatest obstacle to rule.

Among the forty-five provinces of the ancient Roman Empire, they could be broadly divided into those governed by governors appointed by the Emperor and those governed by governors appointed by the Senate. Imperial provinces were mostly border strategic strongholds or important grain-producing areas, such as Germania and Egypt, which were generally heavily garrisoned. Senatorial provinces were mostly wealthy internal provinces, with the most important being the Greek provinces.

The reason why Octavian, the founder of the Roman Empire, made such an arrangement was, in simple terms, to buy the Senate's support for the Emperor with money.

Currently, Christianity, which Novia was propagating, was spreading extremely rapidly in the imperial provinces. However, in the senatorial provinces, apart from the regions where he and Paul had promoted it earlier, the progress was slow.

In essence, Novia's propagation of his doctrine into the Greek provinces was his strategy to seize Greece. Greece was the core interest of the Senate, and the Senate would inevitably resist to the end. After all, the upper echelons of society, who relied on all sorts of means to maintain their privileges and vast wealth, could not simply hand over the benefits they held in their hands.

On the Roman court front, as Novia had predicted, Agrippina, after becoming Claudius's secretary, had prompted the sixty-year-old emperor to discuss making her empress several times. Although Novia advised the old emperor to observe for a longer period, it was clear that it would happen soon, as Agrippina's performance was indeed excellent.

As for Emperor Claudius himself, although he always appeared to heed Novia's advice, he always beat around the bush when it came to the Praetorian Guard and the discussion of making Novia's innovative Christianity the state religion of Rome.

Novia naturally understood that the old emperor intended to keep some trump cards for himself, to prevent him from posing a threat after successfully defeating the Senate. After all, with the Praetorian Guard in place, the position of emperor remained in his hands.

The Praetorian Guard, which could decide the emperor's life and death, and the Senate, which had the power to veto the emperor's appointments, were all obstacles to Novia's desire to establish his propagated Christianity as the state religion of Rome.

As for Judaism, which was entrenched in Jerusalem, Novia had already figured out how to deal with it. He didn't care about other places, but these people had actually executed his proclaimed Son of God, Jesus. Although in propagation and in reality, it was attributed to sin ascending to heaven, it was clear that those people had 'betrayed' him and must be dealt with.

Once he obtained the weapons refined from the head of the Dragon of Albion in a year, Novia planned to find a suitable reason to declare them all heretics and lead the Roman legions in a "Roman Captivity" for the new century.

As for whether it would be slandered or not, Novia didn't care at all. Because as long as he successfully completed these tasks and jointly established the Holy Church in advance, becoming the first Pope, future followers would naturally find reasons for him, turning black into white. After all, this could be considered a form of legal precedent. Empress Wu Zetian of the East, centuries later, also operated in a similar manner.

Moreover, John, who wrote the New Covenant, was one of the twelve apostles. Novia, having been raised by Paul, naturally knew him. Novia's actions could be considered spreading the glory of Christ, and it was possible that he would even be credited with an additional category for it.

"Three years."

Thinking this, Novia took a deep breath. It had been three years since he left the Anatolia Province. His memories of that place had faded, and he felt somewhat lonely. While he felt fine when talking with Lucius, he missed it more and more when he was alone.

Although only fixed labels remained in his memories, it couldn't be helped. Human memory would naturally degrade over time.

"Agrippina won't be able to cause any trouble for now; she's still on my side on the surface," Novia took a slight breath, stood up, and headed for the Roman Imperial Palace. "I'll take a boat back to see in a few days."

However, Novia felt that he missed his hometown more than his new life. For a man, this was something that deserved serious reflection.

023: Iron Fist... Old Woman

In the year 50 AD, Antioch, a city located northeast of the Mediterranean Sea, about 500 kilometers north of Jerusalem.

In this world, the disciples of Jesus Christ were called Christians, and the original Christian doctrine began here.

A gentle breeze blew through the streets, the barren land, and the sea. The people living here enjoyed a peaceful life.

"Is this where you grew up, Teacher Novia?"

Domitius took a bite of the food she had made, looking at Novia.

"Yes."

Under the clear, vast sky, the two walked together.

A few days ago, Novia had decided to return and explained the reason to Emperor Claudius, thus obtaining permission as expected.

However, the next day, on the ship back, he discovered that Domitius had also come aboard. Although Novia could have simply thrown her into the sea to swim back ashore, he thought it unnecessary. It would be good to take her to see places outside of Rome, especially since this golden-haired girl would later become the Roman Emperor and host and participate in the Olympic Games in her capacity as emperor. Perhaps this was her nature.

Three years had passed since he left Antioch. Although this place was merely Novia's hometown in this era, he felt a great sense of emotion upon his return. The lives of the people were integrated into the scenery here, and the wind was as it always was, carrying a hint of coldness yet also a profound peace.

Since he had used magic, no one around paid any attention to the two conspicuous figures in the crowd.

"Teacher, is it true that you walked all the way from here to Rome in just one year? Without a carriage or a boat, and you were only fourteen then?"

The golden-haired girl shook her head slightly.

"With Lucius around, it was quite manageable. After all, he taught me spear techniques for a while."

"I see, then how about we walk back this time, Teacher? I can teach you… how to sing, ahaha, I'm a genius."

"Don't think about slacking off. If you behave, I'll give you a ride for an hour every day on the way back."

"Teacher, I was wrong, I won't dare again. Please, you must not do this."

"We'll see how you behave."

The reason Novia said this was because after interacting with Domitius, he discovered that this 'Nero' had the unimaginable symptom of experiencing pain in her backside when driving.

While the two engaged in meaningless conversation, they passed through the bustling crowd, and finally, a small white church with its doors open came into their view.

To Domitius, who had grown up in Rome, this was undoubtedly extremely dilapidated. Although the several layers of intertwined climbing vines and lush weeds were somewhat charming, the white exterior was cracked all over, making her doubt if the church would crumble with just a gust of wind.

However, when she remembered that this was where her teacher had grown up, she simultaneously prayed that her Grandmaster wouldn't look down on her and nervously followed Novia up the steps outside the church.

"You're talking nonsense!"

This sudden angry shout echoed through the small church, causing a slight tremor.

This made Domitius subconsciously glance at Novia beside her. After all, this voice was undoubtedly Paul, whom Novia had mentioned. She could tell he was nearing sixty years old, and she wondered what her teacher would think of her Grandmaster speaking so rudely.

However, in her eyes, Novia showed no change because of this. He merely quickened his pace, likely also wanting to know what had happened.

"You Jews! Don't talk to me about the Old or New Covenant! What era is this?! I remember what happened sixteen years ago! Believe it or not, I'll find someone to write a new one! Who among you here around the Mediterranean can debate us!"

As they got closer, the voices conversing inside gradually became clearer. The old man's dissatisfied tone was openly barbed.

"Esteemed Paul, what I am saying is the collective decision of the elders in Jerusalem. Joining us is a great honor for your branch, which originated from our Judaism."

The Mage on the other side responded to the old man, his tone very indifferent.