Chapter 26

After the triumphant return ceremony concluded, Novia, as usual, planned to host various events at his own expense, such as banquets, competitions, and gladiatorial beast fights. However, he ended up following Nero's suggestion and held a concert where she was the lead singer, allowing the entire city of Rome to hear her heavenly voice for an entire night.

046: Novia, I Want to Eat

"..."

The Dragon of Albion lay on the ground, bored. In this place with no day or night, no sun or moon, only a faint aurora illuminated the sky.

Ever since its soul suffered some damage while helping a weak human last time, 147 days and 20 hours have passed according to human reckoning. It could no longer speak.

This meant it couldn't communicate with the human using the 'Spear.' The Strongest Dragon could only watch what he did through the 'Spear.'

The Strongest Dragon felt that during the time it couldn't speak, it had spent almost all its time watching this weak human lean back in a sun-drenched chair, contemplating something, or perhaps flipping through some incomprehensible book as a golden wind blew and leaves fluttered down.

While this was a different kind of pleasure and not bad, whenever the dragon closed its eyes, it felt that if it slept, it wouldn't see this human again upon waking. After all, a dragon's body reacted very slowly to the passage of time, and humans were too weak and died too quickly, just as it had been before the Fantasy disappeared.

Therefore, the dragon kept its eyes open to watch. However, whenever it saw this weak human's disciple come to find him, it felt very uncomfortable, as if something of its own was being secretly snatched away. It couldn't understand why it felt this way, but after thinking for a while, it finally understood—

The last thing this human said to the strongest one was "you," not the usual "you, sir"!

Was it... disliked?

Disliked by a weak human? Hmph, it didn't matter. There were plenty of weak humans, and this one could be spared. It didn't need the affection of the weak...

At the same time, the Dragon of Albion was confident that if it were truly disliked or despised, it would definitely cry.

Two conflicting emotions warred within the dragon. To confirm these ineffable feelings, it kept its eyes open solely for this purpose.

Finally, the Strongest Dragon understood. Its feelings were very simple—

It absolutely had to teach a lesson to this shameless human who had previously shown such reverence but had actually kicked it aside after using it.

All that talk of unique radiance, singular brilliance, most noble starlight... it was all lies!

After thoroughly teaching him a lesson, if this human could repent, it might grudgingly bestow a little of the Strongest Dragon's mercy. That was its mood.

But now, it couldn't speak and couldn't leave. What should it do?

The strongest and most intelligent dragon thought of a brilliant plan: why not transform into a human? It remembered that before the Fantasy disappeared, the gods loved to do this, mixing with weak humans all day long. The Dragon of Albion had previously disdained this.

Now, it was only different because of special circumstances. This was only this once, the dragon thought.

Soon, the dragon molded its soul into a human form. After all, it was merely an avatar, and it could change back if it wanted to. However, once molded, it would be fixed. It wasn't a big problem. It didn't believe it would ever transform into the appearance of a weak human again besides this time.

Afterward, the Dragon of Albion tried to interact with the space where the visible weak human was. As expected, it worked. As long as it put in some effort to connect with the 'Spear,' it could go out in this form.

As for height and weight, it didn't have any good ideas for the moment. Since it hadn't seen him for 147 days and 20 hours, it decided to transform like this. As for its appearance... the dragon looked up at the faint aurora illuminating the sky here.

It remembered that human saying it was his unique radiance, most noble starlight, singular brilliance...

So, accepting the light that shone in the extreme, sustaining the world's surface and interior single-handedly within the refuge world of the Fantasy, was fitting for the Strongest Dragon's identity.

With everything settled, the Dragon of Albion began its final action. This time, a tide of magic shone around it.

It spun itself like a carousel, and human figures emerged from the tide, quickly growing into human form.

Amidst the surging tide of magic, the figure of the 'Spear' appeared, and the dragon, now in human form, grasped it firmly.

"Novia, human! The Strongest Dragon you have contracted with is me, Albion!"

This human was ordinary, with hardly any outstanding qualities. As for lacking, one couldn't count them on two hands.

That's why the dragon was confident that this human would surely be aware that meeting it was a stroke of great luck, and upon its appearance, he would naturally recover his reverence for it.

Because it was the strongest, and it absolutely obeyed the strong, this was what the weak had to do!

Since resolving matters with Judaism, Novia had a lot to manage. Not only did he have to handle some political affairs for Emperor Claudius daily, but he also had to properly manage Christianity, which was spreading widely. Although it was spreading quickly due to miracles, that was precisely why the problem was troublesome. After all, no matter what, the doctrine had to be thoroughly ingrained in people's hearts.

For this purpose, Novia had invited the eleven apostles of Jesus and Paul, Martha, and others to Rome to discuss. He had also asked Kouhaku to invite the current leader of the Burial Agency for a talk. However, if this leader couldn't even defeat Kouhaku, then building a new Burial Agency himself wouldn't be impossible.

Suddenly, Novia sensed a large amount of magic gathering out of thin air in the room where he lived. He prepared his defenses and walked towards the source, only to find it coming from the hanging 'Spear.' Thinking it was Albion, Novia felt a little relieved.

After all, Albion had put in considerable effort to help him deal with Dolo, who had utilized Solomon's remains. Gratitude was necessary.

Meanwhile, a powerful flash erupted, not a physical one, but a vast amount of magic that could scorch spiritual senses.

The magic was woven, forming a human shape, and a new figure slowly emerged from within the Spear.

Her eyelids opened, as if to take in everything.

"...You are, Albion?"

Novia, quickly regaining his composure, greeted her with a smile.

"Hmph, human, I..."

What... is this... I want to eat, I want to eat him, I want to devour him, completely devour him, devour, everything.

In an instant, the rationality of the dragon's transformed maiden form vanished, leaving only bestial desire.

She opened her mouth, revealing sharp teeth, and bit down hard on Novia's shoulder.

047: I Really Want to Kill This Man and Tear Apart His Soul

Sunlight streaming through the window illuminated their figures.

The moment she bit Novia's shoulder, Albion's lower face was stained crimson by the splashing blood, as she reveled in the hot blood flowing both inside and outside her throat.

Novia's body instinctively pushed Albion away, but the fangs in the dragon girl's mouth tore off a piece of flesh and she swallowed it in one gulp.

"Are you hungry all of a sudden because you turned into this state?" Novia touched his shoulder, and his blood stopped with magic, but the pain continued. "How about I go buy you something you want to eat? Although, I imagine the strongest you probably wouldn't like the meat of weak animals. That should have just been an accident."

Novia smiled, cracking a not-so-serious joke in such a situation, but since it came from the victim himself, there was no room for rebuttal.

Seeing the silver-haired girl, whose face was covered in blood, gradually regaining her sanity in her eyes after swallowing the blood, Novia could easily guess that Albion had consumed a large amount of magic to reach this state, thus falling into a state of 'hunger'.

Although dragons don't get hungry or need to sleep, that was before the disappearance of mystery, and after the Age of Gods, her original dragon form was a great mystery itself, filled with sufficient mystery from within. It was for these reasons that she was like this, but now Albion was merely a soul manifested through the 'Spear'. The mystery of the room Novia was in, and indeed the world, naturally couldn't replenish her instantly, which is why she was devouring the nearest source of magic out of a 'survival' instinct.

"……"

The girl lowered her head, blood dripping continuously from her blood-stained lips, her body trembling.

Albion originally wanted to say something to reprimand this human, but due to her recent actions, she felt an indescribable awkwardness. She didn't even hear Novia's attempt to explain, until a gentle hand was placed on her head.

"It's alright. If this satisfies you, then there's no problem."

Albion slowly raised her head, her silver hair swaying gently. On her fair face, her golden eyes flickered with a faint light, wavering as if still embarrassed. One hand reached out to Novia's shoulder, which she had bitten.

"…Are you alright with this… Does it hurt…"

"I'd love to say it doesn't hurt, but honestly, I don't see the point in lying to you. It actually hurts quite a bit."

Novia said with a tone interwoven with calm and seriousness, shrugging his shoulders.

"No… I'm sorry…"

Albion touched Novia's chest again, then averted her gaze.

The response from the Strongest Dragon was subtle, but it couldn't be missed, as it was rare for Albion to apologize to a weaker being a second time, probably.

"By the way, since you're here, why don't I take you out for a walk?"

Novia winked at Albion, planning to show the Strongest Dragon, who had helped him quite a bit, around the city.

"…Human, this isn't a request, it's an order." Albion suddenly hooked her eyes upwards, gripping the boy's chest with both hands. "But just this once! Take me with you."

"Mhm, yeah…"

Novia looked at Albion, who was pulling him along, with a strangely bewildered expression.

The season was early winter, but it was a warm winter, and it hadn't snowed yet. In Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire, the streets were bustling with people. Some were discussing tomorrow's events, while others sat on benches built by unknown hands, feeding animals.

The moment everyone encountered Novia, they greeted him with immense reverence. And the girl behind him, dressed in a luxurious blue robe, looking elegant and sharp, with her back straight and head held high, wearing a strange mask, also received greetings because of Novia. However, the girl remained silent, as if she couldn't hear.

Novia understood the reason. It was because when Albion first excitedly pulled him out, it might have been her first time walking on human feet, and she was unaccustomed to it. On flat ground, she nearly stumbled as if tripped by something invisible.

Seeing this, Novia extended his hand to her, as if to say, "Well then, let's go," as naturally as a knight.

Subsequently, Albion, persuaded by Novia, did not destroy the main road but instead condensed magic into a mask and silently followed behind Novia, appearing like a guardian.

In reality, apart from the initial embarrassment, the reason Albion wore the mask was also because she discovered that even with sufficient magic, she still wanted to eat Novia… a desire that had manifested for the first time.

Not enough, I need more. If I eat it, my soul will gain something extremely important…

What stained the girl's brain a deep crimson was merely a nascent desire.

"I still want to eat you…"

As if seared into her brain cells, Albion, following behind Novia, took a bite of the food he bought for her. Looking at his retreating back, she murmured repeatedly, and a thought suddenly occurred to her.

If that's the case, if he's truly willing to share my worries, my confusion, my thoughts, and my struggles with me, if he's truly willing to do so without being a deceiver, I will definitely suppress this desire at all costs and not harm him.

"Hey, human."

With her sudden resolve, Albion narrowed her eyes slightly and called out to Novia ahead.

The reason for her sudden decision was nothing major; it was simply because the way he looked at her, his deeply bowed head, bore a slight resemblance to how he had promised her in the past.

"You said before, you'd always stay with me—"

So, she said with newfound confidence.

"Mhm mhm, isn't that Teacher? Who's this? Silver hair! Is it someone Teacher knows? Or perhaps a guard you hired?"

The culprit who instantly chilled the silver-haired girl's heart was now smiling and asking Novia.

This… human is so annoying. Her scent is awful, and she's standing so close. I really want to kill her right now and tear her soul apart.

048: Nero's Confidence

The season was early winter, but it was a warm winter, and it hadn't snowed yet. For Nero, it was the perfect weather to stay indoors and rest, yet she had specifically come out, which surely meant there was a reason.

In the crowded square, almost everyone's gaze was captured by the arriving silver-haired man. Nero, who had rushed over, also kept her eyes fixed on that person not far away.

Novia, her teacher, who was also four years her senior. Although his appearance hadn't changed much since they parted ways at the palace four hours, twelve minutes, and twenty-three seconds ago, Novia felt a subtle difference about him… was it because of the silver-haired girl behind him?

To be honest, although she couldn't see her face clearly due to the mask, this silver-haired girl, purely based on her aura, was so unique among everyone Nero had met. It wasn't just the aura, but the aura that distinguished her from humans.

Presumably, most people's gazes would be involuntarily drawn to this silver-haired girl, but for Nero, it was a feeling of genuine displeasure. She felt as if this person's aura was like a declaration of ownership, much like the 'Spear' Novia used.

Although the spear Novia used was just an inanimate object, it gave Nero a feeling that it was actually alive, which was why she disliked it so much.

Speaking of which, who was this silver-haired girl? Martha and Paul hadn't mentioned anyone like her when she visited Antioch. Moreover, Novia hadn't left Rome yet, so how could he suddenly have someone with him?

As Nero observed her from head to toe, she suddenly noticed the silver-haired girl removing her mask and saying something to Novia, after which Novia turned to face her.

The golden-haired girl clearly saw the change in the silver-haired girl's expression, from her initial impassivity to a slight softening, her brows drooping, trembling slightly like a pitiful little animal. She made a very important decision, and in the expression Nero saw, she felt that the silver-haired girl was vaguely conveying this exact meaning—

"Mmm-hmm, isn't that Teacher? And who is this? A silver-haired girl!" Nero instantly appeared beside the two, blinking her eyes and patting the silver-haired girl's shoulder with a smile. "Is she someone Teacher knows? Or perhaps a guard you've hired?"

"This is Albion, my friend. You should greet her. This is my disciple, Nero."

Novia didn't seem flustered by Nero's sudden appearance, simply introducing them normally.

"Is that so! Mmm-hmm, hello! Lady Albion."

Nero said loudly, but only if one listened closely could they detect the slight calmness in the final 'Lady'. It wasn't that she was deliberately expressing displeasure, but rather she had smelled something – the scent of dried blood, emanating from her teacher.

She liked the warmth that was faintly mixed in the air, because that scent was always on Novia.

Every time she smelled it, Nero found herself inexplicably calm, for reasons unknown. Perhaps her teacher was using magic, but she had never asked, just feeling that this was good enough.

"...Hmph, I already knew that."

Albion let out a rather arrogant snort, then put her mask back on.

Nero instantly sensed that this Albion disliked her. A person's blinking frequency, way of speaking, and even the pitch of their voice all truthfully conveyed their inner emotions. On this surprisingly lighthearted individual, although these were extremely rare.

However, she could read it. This Albion harbored a desire to kill her.

But Nero also had the desire to kill this Albion. Because the scent of blood on Novia had come from this person's mouth.

This person named Albion had actually hurt her teacher? And drawn blood with her mouth? Why didn't this person just die already.

In an instant, Nero felt a bit breathless. She suppressed the murderous urge to kill this Albion, to stop her from breathing, to sever her head from her body, and to chop her entire being into pieces.

However, she also knew that this person was likely important to her teacher, otherwise, she wouldn't have brought her along. If she acted on her own, it would cause her teacher trouble. Thus, Nero forcefully clasped her fingers together and spoke calmly.

"Albion here, perhaps this is her first time here, so she's a little unaccustomed."