Type-Moon, Does a Minor Cheat Count as a Cheat?

To Domitius, growth was just that immediate a concept.

It did not mean being punished by someone. Rather, even blood relatives could instantly become enemies with a hatred as deep as a sea of blood once interests and power were violated.

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

Domitius had always felt that Novia was somewhat ambiguous in this regard. What counted as proper conduct and what counted as wrong behavior remained unclear until one received a fatal outcome.

"Teacher, there's actually no point in saying that."

If you need help, tell me. Those words from the silver-haired youth gave Domitius no real sense of reassurance at all.

"...So Rome's nights could really be this cold."

She still remembered instinctively uttering those words when she had been left wandering the streets.

If there was not much about her worth trading away, then sooner or later, she would be discarded as well.

The unease from the day her parents had abandoned her as a young blonde girl still lingered in her heart.

The Arrival of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors

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

The sun had already risen. Looking at the scene revealed under its rays, Domitius muttered unconsciously.

After staying in Antioch for three days, Novia had prepared to return to Rome with her. Yet, in a forest not far from a certain port, she personally witnessed such a scene—

Blood flowed throughout an unknown village. Around a hundred corpses lay scattered across the ground. The earth was dark red and black, while humanoid creatures craving blood let out beastlike growls. Ordinary humans seemed far too powerless amidst it all.

Malice. Tyrannical violence forcibly displayed before her eyes. All of it gnawed at her body and left her emotions somewhat unstable.

Domitius had heard Novia speak of Dead Apostles before. Basically, they were things that had transformed from humans through certain processes, emergency food prepared for beings known as the "True Ancestors." While the True Ancestors drank blood to seek "mental stability," Dead Apostles needed blood for "physical preservation."

In other words, for the True Ancestors, it was entertainment. For Dead Apostles, it was as indispensable to survival as breathing. That was all there was to it.

At some point, Dead Apostles who became capable of drinking others' blood began to feel a sense of superiority in bloodsucking itself. They strengthened their abilities, then their own wills. To escape the True Ancestors' control and flee into the human world, they repeatedly drank blood to preserve themselves.

That was the beginning of Dead Apostles, the beginning of Vampire Species formed from humans. Moreover, the Dead Apostles who had escaped the True Ancestors' control in the oldest era were called the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors.

Among Dead Apostles, there were also beings unrelated to the True Ancestors. They had evolved into ageless immortals while seeking the end of magecraft. They joined the society formed by Dead Apostles, and though their origins differed, they were likewise regarded as Vampire Species.

The creatures that had slaughtered this village were merely the lowest rank among Dead Apostles: the Dead. Anyone with even a little magecraft could easily deal with them. Across the nearly two million square kilometers of the Roman Empire, incidents like this occurred from time to time. Cities had more or less been watched over by magi, so they were generally safe. Yet in remote and impoverished places, people could only watch helplessly as everyone was slaughtered without mercy.

"Five Dead, and sixty-seven unfortunate victims. I've contacted the nearest magus to prevent a secondary corpse transformation."

Domitius stopped thinking. Her gaze remained fixed on the Dead Apostles on the ground, her delicate brows utterly still. Cold hatred dwelled in her eyes, while Novia, who had swiftly eliminated the Dead, placed a silver cross from his body on the ground and silently cast magecraft into it.

The current circumstances were completely different from those of later generations. The thaumaturgical foundation, praised as humanity's greatest foundation, had not yet been properly established. People who could not use magecraft could only pray for the sun to rise quickly or for a kind magus to appear when facing ordinary Dead Apostles. They could not defend themselves merely through religious purification rites.

"Fallen people who think themselves superior... Suddenly, I find them somewhat pitiful..."

The small village mercilessly slaughtered by Dead Apostles was somewhat similar to the Roman court, where everyone fought one another for advantage. Or perhaps they were places sharing the same prototype. That gave Domitius a sense of reality. Thus, she grieved over the innocent deaths of the people she loved, yet secretly felt pleased over such a tiny detail.

Life was about the victor becoming king and the loser becoming a bandit. If one wanted better treatment, if one wanted a better life, then one could only step on others at all costs. That was the iron law of the Roman court.

The vast empire existed because of those who succeeded. It was not a fairy tale where everyone was gentle and kind. Most people's kindness was only extended to those who posed no danger to them.

Only when she could freely do what she believed was right did the blonde girl feel that the unease she had carried since childhood faded a little.

"Those deserving pity must have something hateful about them, and understanding is different from forgiveness."

Silver hair gently swayed in the flames consuming the corpses. In Novia's face, his blue eyes glimmered faintly like a sparkling ice lake.

"Domitius, you should understand. Dead Apostles who attempt to harm humanity are evil that must be dealt with. Such hostility needs no reason, whether from the dignity of being human or from the honor of being a member of the royal family."

"You are right, Teacher."

The blonde girl's originally expressionless face softened slightly. In the quiet, gloomy air, her brows lowered.

Even so, Novia merely glanced at her indifferently and continued throwing the bodies of those killed by the Dead Apostles into the fire. Apart from the crackling sounds, there was no other noise.

And then, suddenly, there was an overwhelming magical presence approaching directly from this direction without any attempt at concealment.

"This presence... an Ancestor? If it's an ambush, it's far too easy to see through."

The silver-haired youth looked straight toward the source of the ominous magical energy. It far surpassed ordinary Dead Apostles, though it still fell well short of Divine Body Osiris.

"Fellow believer, you misunderstand. This was merely a coincidence. I was not responsible for these."

The voice that rang out sounded distant and indistinct.

"...E-E-Eh?!"

At that moment, Domitius, who had prepared herself after hearing her teacher's words, widened her eyes in shock at the "Ancestor" Novia had mentioned. The main reason was its appearance—

It was not human at all! It was a talking lock!

"Haha, this young lady seems quite surprised by my appearance. Well, I did spend a long time deciding on this form. By the way, is she your disciple, fellow believer?" For some reason, the "lock" seemed very pleased. Then it continued, "Right, let me introduce myself. I am—"

"There is no need. I know who you are, because God has told me."

Before the "lock" could finish introducing itself, Novia directly interrupted it. The silver-haired youth smiled faintly.

"Shortly before the transition of the Age of Gods, you challenged Crimson Moon and failed. He then granted you the blood of a Pureblood follower, and ashamed to face your former companions, you secluded yourself within an underground labyrinth. Correct, Kouhaku Alcatraz?"

Use Your Future Sword to Cut Down Your Present Self

Before Domitius heard Novia's next words, she heard the lock-shaped Ancestor called Kouhaku laugh quietly. Rather than laughter, it sounded more like air being expelled from lungs, like wind passing through a dry cave and making a sound. The girl suddenly had that impression.

"Fellow believer Novia, I heard that you were previously invited by the Atlas Institute to visit its headquarters. Is that correct?"

Kouhaku showed neither shock nor surprise at Novia exposing his past so directly. He merely changed the subject with a brief sentence.

"That is correct."

Novia roughly understood why Kouhaku remained so unfazed. He likely believed Novia had learned his information through Hermes Trismegistus, so he thought Novia was borrowing someone else's authority.

After all, several centuries ago, Kouhaku, Zelretch, and the Head of the Clock Tower had all been disciples of King Solomon. King Solomon had truly received God's protection. Through the grace bestowed by Heaven, he had exercised a one-time miracle and established magecraft—Phenomenon Manipulation, what later generations called magecraft. Before that, magecraft had belonged to the realm of gods and was difficult for ordinary people to learn.

And his death accelerated the loss of Mystery and the end of the Age of Gods.

Novia had actually wondered, back when he fabricated "miracles" in Britain, whether King Solomon's disciples such as Zelretch would come expose him. After all, they had witnessed the miracle created by Solomon with their own eyes, so there was still a strong possibility of being seen through.

Yet three years had passed, and Novia had not seen a trace of them. It seemed that they either could not be bothered or had failed to see through him.

However, Novia still had a way to persuade Kouhaku, just as he had persuaded Lucius—

"Kouhaku Alcatraz." The silver-haired youth turned cold. "You were, at the very least, King Solomon's disciple, yet after merely falling into being a Dead Apostle, you hid from the world for so many years. You still have the nerve to appear before me now... You think you deserve to call me a fellow believer?"

"Fellow believer Novia, as companions who both believe in God, surely there is no need for us to—"

Just as Kouhaku continued speaking gently despite Novia's aggressive tone, the next second, the silver-haired youth pulled something from his back and smashed it directly against lock-shaped Kouhaku.

With Kouhaku's strength, he could have casually evaded a mere physical attack. However, when he clearly sensed the presence upon that "cross," he froze—

The sound of metal scraping rang out.

"This, this... It has the same presence as Teacher's ring... This is... bestowed by God Himself... How is that possible? The Age of Gods has already ended. How could God possibly—"

At that moment, Kouhaku suddenly remembered his speculation. That person executed in Jerusalem seventeen years ago... Could he have truly been the Son of God!

Then had the old church entrenched in Jerusalem completely fallen into becoming heretics on par with "demons"?

But if he had really been the Son of God, how could he have died so easily?!

"Kouhaku, what you have done has long since sullied King Solomon, who received God's grace." Novia lifted the cross-shaped staff Martha had given him from Kouhaku and planted it in the ground. "Do you see it? This was once the staff used by the Son of God. It has now become the cross of His suffering. Do you know why?"

"Yes. Forgive my ignorance. Please explain it to me."

Although Kouhaku appeared as a "lock," Domitius could sense that this Dead Apostle Ancestor was radiating extraordinary tension from head to toe.

"Do not misunderstand, Kouhaku Alcatraz. If you are still like this even now, then you are utterly unworthy of being God's follower!"

The silver-haired youth's brows did not stir in the slightest. His azure eyes resembled echoes from the deep sea.

"I know my sin. Even if I had my reasons, I still beg for your forgiveness."

"Kouhaku, the world is something created by the Lord's will. The composition of humanity—soul, flesh, spirit—is likewise so. The reason we live is the embodiment of God's love. No matter how much suffering fills the world, it too is one form of God's love."

Novia's answer was cold and stern, though to Domitius, it sounded entirely incomprehensible.

Yet Kouhaku understood something from it. "Demons" and "gods" were beings that formed each other's inner and outer sides. Hunting the "heretics" absent from the original doctrine meant acknowledging the existence of heretics. Yet even after falling into heresy, although it was suffering for him, it was in truth another form of love. But he... had blamed himself for years over mere pride, ultimately causing the Son of God's suffering.

Because this world had been created by the Lord, and the earth was covered by the Lord's love, humanity could never fully measure the forms of God's love.

"Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, naturally knew the evil of the old church. Yet for the sake of those living in this world, He would rather bear humanity's sins and evil and ascend to Heaven."

"So that's it. The Lord's love cannot be measured by humanity. The world is something made by the Lord's will, and so too are human souls, flesh, and spirit. I understand. I have realized it..."

Kouhaku kept repeating what Novia had just said. More than ten seconds later, he finally spoke sincerely in a tone of sudden enlightenment.

"Thank you for resolving my confusion. I understand now. You were saving me just now, weren't you? ...Please rest assured, those who have fallen into heresy no longer deserve to occupy my teacher's Jerusalem. I will go there shortly—"

"There is no need, Kouhaku. Purging the heretics entrenched in Jerusalem is a mission God has entrusted to me. If necessary, I will contact you."

The reason Novia could deceive Kouhaku so smoothly was not merely because he had used the staff once wielded by Jesus and made deliberately cryptic, mystical statements without fully explaining them. The greatest reason was that most of what the silver-haired youth had said was actually conceived by Kouhaku himself in the future.

According to Novia's memories, Kouhaku would not complete the Codex Trithemius until around the year 1000.

The world is something made by the Lord's will. If I investigate humanity's composition—soul, flesh, and spirit—and diligently write it into books, might I not receive clear guidance toward the Lord's love?

The original Kouhaku had begun recording everything after considering matters in this way. He created templates and investigated the forms of all things, eventually producing a prototype of the universe: the Codex Trithemius.

Novia's current "revelation" would undoubtedly cause him to create the Codex Trithemius several centuries early. However, that was not much of an issue. Kouhaku was someone who would rather never leave his labyrinth himself in order to protect the Codex, and it was not because he feared it would be used for evil purposes. He was simply afraid it would be stolen...

Therefore, the possibility of the Box of the Enchanter's story beginning early was zero.

That was why the silver-haired youth acted this way.

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

Kouhaku answered respectfully, then departed.

In Domitius's eyes, that baffling debate had ended with her teacher Novia's overwhelming victory. Though she had many doubts, she also knew what she should and should not ask.

The two then returned to Rome without incident. For Novia, everything was arranged for the time being. He only needed to wait a few months for the weapon forged from the Dragon of Albion's head to be completed.

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

At the same time, Domitius would be adopted by Claudius and renamed from then on—

Nero.

A Great Deed Dedicated to My Teacher

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

Within the Roman palace, Novia sat facing Emperor Claudius. White petals drifted down from a nearby tree, carpeting the entire ground.

After Agrippina became empress, she bewitched Claudius into adopting Domitius and changing her name to that of the clan: "Nero."

Although Claudius had been muddled for a moment, he quickly realized that his deal with Agrippina had created a serious problem. The reason he had stubbornly insisted on making Agrippina empress was that he needed young Agrippina's bloodline and background as tools to stabilize the legitimacy of his rule.

But this was clearly drinking poison to quench thirst. Once he acknowledged that marrying young Agrippina was what made his legitimacy most stable, it was equivalent to admitting that he himself was indeed not legitimate enough. Then the legal legitimacy of both himself and Britannicus, the son of "the morally deficient Messalina," would be even weaker than that of Agrippina's child Nero. Nero was older than Britannicus and should rank first in the line of succession. Furthermore, she was descended from Germanicus, Augustus, and Antony, making her status even more illustrious in terms of bloodline.

It was somewhat similar to Tiberius's circumstances when facing Germanicus back then. Yet Claudius was even more unfortunate than Tiberius, for he had not succeeded to the throne legitimately with the approval of the dynasty's founder. When facing Agrippina, who was skilled at exploiting this advantage, he had no chance of winning on grounds of legitimacy.

Moreover, Nero herself began displaying her talents afterward. As a capable judge, she became beloved by many. She gave speeches in the Senate several times in both Latin and Greek, and because of her fairness and competence, she was repeatedly brought into important lawsuits. Although Emperor Claudius repeatedly prohibited her from being involved in major cases on the grounds of her youth, he could not stop her from gradually gaining immense public support. On top of that, she had already become famous among the people of Rome as Novia's disciple.

"Your Majesty, I advised you long ago that Agrippina needed to be observed for a while longer. Yet Your Majesty insisted on this, even going so far as to amend the law."

The greatest problem with Claudius marrying Agrippina was their uncle-niece relationship. Once it became public, it would violate Roman marriage law's prohibition against incest.

So what could be done?

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

Thus, the Senate drafted an edict according to the emperor's wishes, allowing the emperor to marry close relatives.

Though some senators opposed the marriage, they turned a blind eye and did not interfere too much in order to avoid offending the emperor.

It could only be said that if Claudius could not control the former empress Messalina, then he could hardly control the even more scheming Agrippina.

"Sigh. As their teacher, you should assist them more..."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Please rest early."

Claudius probably still believed that the Praetorian Guard, ruled by his confidant Brutus, would support his child. But the old emperor did not know that, a few months later, Agrippina would repeat her old trick and use her beauty to win over Brutus, the Praetorian Guard's commander. She would reach a pillow-talk agreement with Brutus, and from then on, Brutus would follow Agrippina's orders.