Chapter 22

"You traitors all deserve to die, and those filthy Romans deserve to die too!"

As he spoke, the Sicarii quickly began slaughtering the Romans, still in a daze, and the leaders of both factions, under the golden stones of Jerusalem.

Beyond that, the Jews living in Jerusalem acted as if they couldn't see, continuing their prayers just as they had in the past.

Soon, only the dismembered, utterly dead remains of many humans were left at the gates of Jerusalem.

"I am a devout Jew, and I believe in the unity of all Jews. If possible, I wish there were no bloodshed, because our God does not desire it, but regardless of the form, we must be independent from the filthy Romans, even if it means destroying them through terror, eliminating those who block our path, those who do evil, and those who hinder us."

"And the Book of Numbers prophesied: 'A star shall come out of Jacob, a staff shall rise in Israel.'"

A cold, slightly twisted voice rang out from the Temple in Jerusalem.

"Then, I, Doro Bar Kochba! I am the Son of the Stars! I am—"

"The Messiah walking the earth!"

In the year 51 AD, the Roman Governor of Judea, accused of attempting to forcibly requisition gold from the Jewish Temple, was assassinated in front of the Temple in Jerusalem and died on the spot. This incident served as the catalyst, sparking a full-scale rebellion of the Jews against the Roman Empire.

And Doro Bar Kochba, who initiated the war, is now referred to by the Jews as the "King of Israel," the "Son of the Stars," and—

"The Messiah on Earth."

037: Mad Beasts Should Not Be Unleashed

"Damn it! Damn it!"

Upon hearing the news of the full-scale rebellion in the Judean Province, the old Emperor Claudius's eyes turned incredibly cold, his expression as frigid as if it had solidified, and he urgently convened a court session to discuss how to handle the matter in the Senate's meeting hall.

"Please take care of yourself, Your Majesty. Your well-being is the Empire's priority."

Novia first helped the old emperor to the center of the meeting hall, then moved to the side, silently watching the people who had already devolved into a quarrel.

He had been looking for a good reason to cleanse the Judean Province, and now that a rebellion had occurred, it was perfectly justifiable.

However, Novia truly hadn't expected the Jews to bestow such titles upon their rebel leader. If they called him "King of Israel" or "Son of the Stars," that would be one thing, but what was this "Messiah on Earth" business?

Novia mused that they refused to believe in the true Son of God, Jesus, and instead chose to place such a high title upon a man with extremist ideologies.

"Silence." Claudius's aged voice, amplified by magic, echoed throughout the hall. "After the Judean Province rebelled, their leader Doro led his troops to destroy the Twelfth Legion stationed in Roman Syria, and their Eagle Standard was also captured."

Claudius's statement caused an uproar, and anger flared in the eyes of everyone present.

In the ancient Roman Empire, the Eagle Standard of a legion was the soul of every legion and the pride of every Roman.

In the past, when Caesar conquered Gaul, the leader of the defeated side was required to kneel and kiss the Eagle Standard of Caesar's Thirteenth Legion as a sign of submission to Rome.

Furthermore, Roman military law stipulated that if a legion lost its Eagle Standard in battle, that legion would be disbanded, its designation completely canceled, and it would not be rebuilt.

In the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD, which changed the fate of the Germanic tribes, the three Roman legions led by Varus were annihilated by the allied forces, naturally losing their Eagle Standards.

Six years later, Caesar was ordered to lead eight legions to campaign against the Germanic tribes again. He ordered men to search that area for survivors of the three legions and the three lost Eagle Standards. Two of them were found and brought back to Rome. Nevertheless, the two legions whose Eagle Standards were recovered were ultimately not rebuilt, and the designations of these three legions completely disappeared from the Roman legions' roster.

Therefore, when these senators and ministers now learned that the Jews they had been ruling dared to act so wildly, it was no different than being slapped across the face and then violently kicked.

"Then, Your Majesty, how shall we deal with this Jewish rebellion?"

The members of the Senate asked the Emperor in the center for instructions.

"What do you think, young Novia?"

The old emperor pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze towards the silent Novia standing to the side.

Seeing this, some senators who had intended to use the deep connection between Judaism and Christianity to make a point against Novia put their plans aside for the moment, as it seemed the Emperor still held great trust in this man.

This was also beyond Novia's expectations. Although Christianity, which he had vigorously promoted, had little connection to Judaism, it did indeed originate from it. Therefore, he had initially thought that the senators would use this as a talking point, his own people, like Seneca, would retort, and then he would volunteer to lead the Roman legions to suppress the rebellion and purge all heretics in the Judean Province.

"Your Majesty, I believe that for the Judean Province, a pilgrimage is necessary to display the majesty of the Empire and the Lord."

However, the silver-haired youth didn't question it further and immediately stated his thoughts.

"My God told me, 'The Jews claim to be apostles, but they have long betrayed the covenant and are heretics.' So, what else can we, all of us in the Roman Empire, do for these pathetic insects other than crush them all with mercy?"

The imperial senators in the hall had absolute confidence in the Empire's strength. They believed that the Empire's power could easily suppress this rebellion.

However, understanding this fact was one thing, but what Novia said was another.

They could hear that the young man's tone was not false in any way, nor was it tactful; it was purely literal—

Crush all the Jews in the Judean Province.

Although some senators felt this was a bit too radical, they suppressed their reservations when they recalled the intelligence from their own territories and the matters the Emperor had not yet revealed.

Because after the leader of the Zealots launched his rebellion, he first slaughtered his own countrymen who refused to join the uprising and the Pharisees, and after seizing control of the cities, he launched a massacre of the local Greeks and Romans. The eastern shore of the Mediterranean was literally awash in blood.

Why did they only know how to kill brutally? After the slaughter, there was no construction, no appeasement; it was simply erratic, hit-and-run warfare, like a bunch of madmen.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to personally deal with these heretics on behalf of the Empire. I hope Your Majesty will permit me."

"But... young Novia doesn't have any experience fighting battles..."

Claudius looked at Novia with a look of confusion.

"Your Majesty, before I gained your favor, I traveled through many regions and witnessed many things. Egypt, Gaul, the Mediterranean regions, and Britain. I brushed past many people, saw many people, and gave to many people. God created only one world. This world, filled with joy over delicious food, laughter and conversations with friends, and beloved children always playing, this world should be cherished, and there are many shining things."

"Precisely because of this—"

This was the first time Claudius had seen the silver-haired youth before him cast such a chilling gaze.

"As a believer in God, I cannot forgive the existence of hellish things in the world that God created. The sound of bodies being pierced, the sound of bodies being torn apart. Gunshots, explosions, roars. Resentment. Jealousy. The only difference between the current province of Judea and the hell of the past is that the beings slaughtering innocent people there are merely humans."

"Therefore, I swear by my God that I will bring victory to the Empire!"

It was precisely because of Novia's unreserved hatred that the old emperor felt this matter was not entirely out of the question. Initially, he had worried about a repeat of what happened in the Teutoburg Forest.

But since Novia had sworn by the god he believed in, Claudius felt that this god, just like during the expedition to Britain years ago, would grant Rome victory once more.

So, Claudius agreed.

"I will give you five full legions and fifteen auxiliary cohorts, along with two legions of mages, to deal with everything in the province of Judea, little Novia."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. May I ask for another order?"

"Oh? What else do you need? Just say it."

"From now on, the legions near the province of Judea must guard that place. Absolutely do not let any of those mad beasts out." 038: Leave None Behind (4k)

In the year 51 AD, half a month after the full-scale rebellion in the province of Judea, violence had ravaged the land during this time.

The once pastoral scenery was long gone. Homes were shattered, everything burned. The blood of fleeing people stained the fields. No one was alive or able to move; even the livestock had been killed.

Unlike the gore of a battlefield, this was the aftermath of a one-sided massacre.

Villages were burned, fields trampled. Those who refused to participate in the violence, the local Romans and Greeks, were initially pierced through with spears, then torn limb from limb, their heads severed. The violence continued, followed by the residual population being subjected to the most insulting form of execution, crucifixion, to be slowly tortured to death.

Even those who could use magecraft were not uncommon deaths if they disagreed with the "uprising."

After all, there were many mages with extremist ideologies even in the holy city of Jerusalem of the past. Because of this, a lone mage was merely a powerless mortal. When ordinary people, fearless in death due to religious fervor, gathered under the leadership of extremist mages, they were enough to defeat beasts. When they formed an army, they were even capable of killing mages.

In the province of Judea, peace had almost ceased to exist. A one-sided slaughter was continuously occurring with the province of Judea as its stage; there were no days without bloodshed.

Some Jews said that under the leadership of the great King of Israel, the true Messiah, a bright future had been decided.

At this moment, along the coastline of the province of Judea, a fleet of unique Roman rowing warships, the "Corvus Ships," was cutting through the waves against the current. The warm winds, characteristic of this season, blew through the fluttering flags.

The five-story hull instantly shot into the air, like a whale leaping from the sea, crashing back down with a heavy splash, creating a sky of water and a beautiful water crown.

Not only that, but hundreds of ships followed behind. This was the Roman legions led by Novia, sent to deal with the province of Judea.

Since the Third Punic War and the Third Macedonian War, after the Roman Empire had gained complete control of the Mediterranean, these Corvus Ships, which played a crucial role in naval battles, had been rarely used, only occasionally appearing to deal with pirates.

On the Roman warships, tens of thousands of Roman soldiers stared at the distant coastline with vigilant eyes. On the leading five-story warship, Novia stood on the deck of the quinquereme with his arms crossed, wearing white clothing that seemed unchanged. His expression was serious now, completely different from his usual friendly demeanor.

'The preparations are complete, and I am heading to the battlefield. What do you think?'

Novia mused to himself as he continued to fiddle with the strangely shaped spear in his hand.

'You want the Dragon to display its strongest power? That's a good thought. Displaying power when necessary is fine. As you wish, though it will likely only be usable once.'

'I am deeply grateful, my eternally strongest Lord Dragon of Albion. You are worthy of the brilliance I have always yearned for—'

'Shut up! Did I tell you to speak!'

For some reason, the Dragon of Albion felt an indescribable awkwardness whenever this weak human sincerely praised it...

If it were still in its dragon form, it felt like it would have eaten this weak human long ago. Being influenced by a weak being was unbearable for it.

"...You speak the truth."

Novia replied, gazing earnestly at the 'spear,' his expression inadvertently tinged with a hint of sadness.

'Heh, it's good you understand...' Although inexplicably uncomfortable, the Dragon spoke as usual, 'Hmph, so the human is here to see you again. You're quite the busy one. That human emitting a strange scent always comes looking for you. So annoying, and disgusting... But then again, someone as weak as you would only attract disgusting people.'

After speaking, the Dragon fell silent. According to its reasoning, "Do weak humans deserve to communicate with the strongest Dragon? You, under my permission, are already lucky to speak to me." In any case, it only spoke to Novia when they were alone.

And regarding the person the Dragon of Albion mentioned, the silver-haired youth naturally knew it was most likely his problematic disciple, Nero. The girl had volunteered to participate during the preparations, and Novia hadn't refused.

After all, as 'Nero,' suppressing religion was only natural. She was, after all, someone who could potentially devolve into a beast-class Draco...

Novia believed it was better to release her true nature to some extent; otherwise, suppressing it for too long would not be conducive to control.

"Teacher."

"What is it? Is something wrong, Nero?"

Looking at the girl before him, Novia created an atmosphere of overflowing affection with a smile, as this was precisely his area of expertise.

"Teacher, we are about to reach the province of Judea, and as you said, the coastline is indeed covered with a number of Jews far exceeding our own."

Nero suppressed the urge to throw herself into her teacher's arms as usual, speaking with a grave demeanor.

"And the magecraft weapons they have deployed, we cannot estimate their numbers."

In Novia's opinion, as long as this King of Israel who had started the rebellion wasn't foolish, he wouldn't want the well-trained Roman legions to land in the province of Judea. Because under the attack of the well-equipped, well-trained, and organized Roman army, even the Jews who were fearless in death due to their faith would not be a match.

Therefore, for the "foolish" choice of landing in the province of Judea instead of a nearby province, they would be invincible as long as they established defenses along the coastline.

Novia naturally thought the same, but he knew that if the rebellious Jewish forces were not crushed in one go, it would be extremely troublesome to take down cities one by one. Because these Jews would harass the supply lines with suicide attacks, and due to the full-scale rebellion, they would consolidate their forces in fortresses and strongholds when their open-field combat strength was insufficient, dragging the Roman legions into one brutal siege battle after another.

They would also ambush in small groups from many villages and caves. Many caves and tunnels were connected, equipped with defensive fortifications and food supplies.

This would be very troublesome, not to mention the holy city of Jerusalem, which had a thousand years of history.

Novia could guess how many magecraft defenses would be present in the place where the Sorcerer King of the past resided.

He didn't expect them to surrender, because in the original history, when the Roman army besieged Jerusalem, all the 600,000 residents within Jerusalem entered a combat state. After being trapped for several months, they killed the envoy sent to persuade them to surrender and fought street battles with the Romans. Some families, in order to persist in their resistance, even resorted to eating their own children and family members.

"Nero, pass down the order. Ensure all Mages amplify my voice so everyone can hear it."

"Yes, Teacher."

Novia walked towards the highest deck, and like a receding tide, the soldiers outside cleared a path before him.

Nero's gaze, however, fixed on the 'Spear' in his hand the moment she glanced at Novia's back. Her stare intensified, and her expression grew darker.

So close... I really want to destroy that thing... Hmm, what am I thinking? I should focus on completing the task Teacher assigned.

The golden-haired girl's voice instantly shifted to cheerful and light, as if not a trace of shadow existed, appearing innocent and pure.

On the uppermost level of the warship, after confirming his voice and image could be heard and seen throughout the vessel, Novia began to speak.

"To all the soldiers of the Empire, I make this declaration. I am Novia, your commander for this operation. Today, as we stand on the brink of full rebellion in the Judea Province, I speak to you all for one reason alone: there is something I must inform you of, no matter what."

Novia paused for a moment, then spoke solemnly:

"For the fifteen days of this Judean rebellion, every moment has seen inhumane slaughter directed at the Empire's ordinary citizens. Even now, innocent people continue to be devoured by those cruel beasts. The dead will not be revived, and lost things will not return."

The young man's expression was grave, like a warrior about to march to his doom.

"The only difference between that place and hell is that the beings wielding violence are called humans. That's the only slight distinction; otherwise, they are almost identical. That place is just like hell."

"A century ago, the Empire fought them and emerged victorious. Over many long years, the Empire granted them peace and a glorious future. Everything was peaceful. Even when the Savior, Christ Jesus, departed this world bearing their sins, they never harbored ill will towards the Empire and remained law-abiding. In that case, we should forget past grievances and forgive these people. Then, in the name of exchange and to grant peace, I believed it was right to extend a friendly hand from the Empire. This is also a message to sail together and live alongside them in the times to come."

Novia's face contorted with regret as he clenched his fist and slammed it down forcefully.

"Yet, they betrayed the Roman Empire through despicable means! They brutally murdered our brethren, people who are still weeping in unknown places. What does this mean? There is no need to explain it now! The Jews seek to destroy the future of the Roman Empire! They aim to drag everyone in the Empire into an unfathomable hell! Otherwise, there would be no reason for them to go this far!"

The silver-haired youth shouted loudly.

"As you all know, crush them all with mercy. I will bear all infamy."