Chapter 28

"This was meant for you to establish; I was merely safeguarding it as I walked this path."

"…I understand."

Novia listened intently to Peter's words, then bowed his head as Peter placed the 'Keys of Heaven' upon him, a gift originally bestowed by Jesus the Savior.

Much like the 'Staff' Martha had given him, Novia had never truly considered these items before. For them, these things held immense significance, but Peter and Martha looked at him that day with the same sincere gaze—

Believing in him and proud of him.

Their expressions were utterly genuine, the most natural one could hope for.

This always left Novia's throat feeling a little dry, making it impossible for him to refuse.

With the quiet applause of everyone present signaling the end of their discussion, the group would first focus on compiling the revised New Testament as Novia had suggested, before thinking about provincial responsibilities for the construction of Christianity locally.

This revised New Testament was compiled about a hundred years earlier than in the original timeline, but the content was largely similar: four Gospels, one historical book, and twenty-one epistles.

The only significant difference was that among the twenty-one epistles, Paul's letters now included a mention that "Titus of Rome is the Saintess after Martha of Bethany," and it omitted the prophetic book written by the Apostle John on the Island of Patmos around 90 AD—the Book of Revelation.

However, during the process of compiling the New Testament, Locusta, whom Novia had asked Narubareck to find, was finally located.

Upon learning the reason it had taken so long to find the mushroom girl, Novia found himself in a state of amused exasperation, yet also a touch of happiness. It turned out that years ago, Locusta, seeing that becoming a Christian offered a source of food and a way to avoid being ostracized, had joined a church in the city and even changed her name for the occasion.

051: Saints of the First Century and the Fading Elder

That day was undoubtedly unforgettable for Locusta.

The green-haired girl, who lived in the forest due to her somewhat unusual disposition, heard that the city had opened a new religious gathering where, by participating, one could receive food beyond just mushrooms.

The people in the city always gave her the impression of being angry and perpetually hungry; honestly, Locusta disliked entering the city.

When she was seven, after her parents said those things, she left with someone she didn't know.

They told her to come along, and she could get money.

So, she went with that person because her parents' angry faces were too frightening. However, her parents seemed to be smiling as she left.

As it turned out, Locusta was sold, but she managed to escape within a few days. When she returned home, she found it completely empty.

With nowhere to go, she could only wander along the roads, eating discarded food, or simply grass and mushrooms when hungry, and drinking water when thirsty.

In the summer, she walked on the scorching roads barefoot; in the winter, she shivered in worn-out clothes, crossing that long pathway.

She truly believed that as long as she could get money, nothing else mattered. Yet, the city dwellers were always prone to anger, and they invariably dismissed her mushroom soup, her only specialty.

They called her crazy, said she smelled, and that she was disgusting, which was why she disliked entering the city.

Despite these thoughts, by the time she came to her senses, she found herself already in the city. The people around her continued to look at her with their usual 'disdain,' causing her to instinctively lower her head. The embarrassment of being barefoot and the shame of being covered in dirt once again settled in her heart.

"Everyone," said the elder seated at the front of the church, "I know what causes you shame, but you are straying down a wrong path, stumbling, and making mistakes. You should strive to be upright people. As Lord Novia said, we should help those who are suffering to the best of our ability. When a person's heart is filled with darkness, sin begins to grow there."

"But she's a completely irrational madwoman! You can't reason with her."

"Perhaps God intends for me to be this child's shepherd?"

"She might kill you."

"Kill an old man? What good would that do? And what kind of talk is that? Don't speak of baseless things with such conviction," the elder continued. "Like a doctor, I have my patients—patients they call ill, and I also have patients I call unfortunate. Thus, the doors of the church should always be open."

The elder, a figure of Christianity, touched Locusta's shoulder with a solemn yet gentle hand, saying to her:

"Please, come in and sit by the fire. We'll be having dinner soon, and by the time you've eaten, your bed will be ready."

As the elder spoke, Locusta involuntarily walked into the church and waited. After a while, as dusk began to fall, the elder came in.

"Aren't you going to take a bath?"

"..." Locusta timidly raised her head. "If I don't obey, I'll be scolded."

A hint of sadness filled the elder's throat, and he could only sigh and pat Locusta's head.

"...I'm not an irrational madwoman, I'm not that disgusting..."

The words involuntarily spilled out, and Locusta began to cry, not with silent sobs, but with the loud wailing she remembered from childhood.

"...Waaah... waaaah... waaaaah, waaaaah..."

"You must be suffering, hungry and thirsty. Then stay here and be at ease."

The elder sat beside her, gently holding her hand.

From then on, Locusta stayed there with the elder and the other children who were already living there.

There was a plot of land behind the church, so the children there grew vegetables, and Locusta would also grow mushrooms to eat.

The elder who adopted her often went for walks in the countryside or the city, frequently visiting dilapidated homes, offering blessings and receiving them in return.

The people there always directed those in need to his dwelling.

Because he had worn the same clothes for so long, yet did not wish for others to notice, he was always forced to wear a cotton robe, even during the sweltering heat of summer.

For the elder, the months of the year were no different from the hours of the day.

But for Locusta, this was not a bad thing; it was already very good.

These days continued for several years, until—

"May I disturb you for a moment?"

A knock echoed from the church doors.

"Come in."

The old man regarded the person entering with a calm gaze.

"Greetings, Lord Luke. I am Narubareck, sent by Lord Novia. I am here to escort Locusta, whom you have taken in, to Rome."

Narubareck was exceptionally respectful, viewing the elder before him as a commendable believer.

Luke, who had originally been a doctor, was humble and self-sacrificing. He didn't flaunt his knowledge or seek attention. In fact, as a doctor, he could have achieved worldly success, but he chose to use his talents to further the cause of preaching.

Luke frowned, looking at him and saying, "But I don't have anyone named Locusta here."

"...Um... that's me..."

Locusta bravely raised her hand. In her opinion, if it was Lord Novia, whom everyone spoke so highly of, he must be a good person. Therefore, there was no need for further pretense, which would only cause trouble for everyone.

"Taskuro? Oh, you've reversed your name."

After joining them, Locusta had somehow decided to change her name, but lacking much knowledge, she had simply reversed it.

"Alright," Luke said. "It's getting late. You should rest well and depart tomorrow morning. By the way, Lord Narubareck, I wanted to ask, Paul of Antioch should be in Rome, right? He sent me a letter not too long ago."

"Yes, Lord Paul, Saint Martha, and the eleven apostles have all been invited by Lord Novia to Rome to compile the New Testament."

"No wonder," Luke murmured, his lips moving solemnly, as if in prayer or talking to himself. He then took two books from his bag and handed them to Narubareck. "Paul asked me to pass these to him. Since you're here, Lord, would you mind taking them?"

"Certainly."

Narubareck took the two books with his right hand. Judging by their appearance, they were quite worn, likely taking over a decade to complete. As a devout believer, Narubareck understood why the old man hadn't traveled to Rome himself to receive this honor. It was likely due to his attachment to the local people and the children in the church.

The next morning at dawn, Narubareck returned to Rome with Locusta and the two books from Luke.

Upon learning of Locusta's situation, Novia also learned about Luke from Narubareck.

In the original history, Luke was the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament. He was revered as the patron saint of medical workers and hospitals, and because it was rumored he had painted a portrait of the Virgin Mary, he was also considered the patron saint of artists and painters.

This man had traveled to the distant Jerusalem to verify the genealogy of Jesus. Many of Christ Jesus's life events and preaching experiences were recorded only in the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of Luke contained eighty-two accounts of Jesus and certain parables spoken by Jesus that were not found in other Gospels.

Luke might have learned about John the Baptist's birth from his mother, Elizabeth, or from Mary, Jesus's mother, about Jesus's birth and his early life. Perhaps the apostles Peter, James, or John had told Luke about the miraculous catch of fish.

However, perhaps because Novia had rewritten much of history, Luke did not stay by Paul's side as he originally had. Instead, he had traveled alone from Antioch to a city in the province of Gaul, where he opened a small church and unexpectedly took in Locusta, who had been wandering in the forest and was eventually recruited by Agrippina to poison Emperor Claudius.

"Hello, Locusta. Actually, I'm looking for you because I need a favor."

Novia said to Locusta with a smile. He didn't beat around the bush, getting straight to the point. After all, he believed that although this child's mental state was not ideal, she was fundamentally a good child.

"Y-yes... I'll do my best. It's my duty..."

Locusta had been downcast, fearing that her presence in the church for food had been discovered by important people and would lead to everyone being punished. But upon hearing Novia's call, she suddenly looked up, her expression filled with conviction, though a little lacking in confidence.

"This is a recipe for a poison. Do you think you can create an antidote?"

Novia took out the poison recipe that Agrippina had given him earlier and placed it in Locusta's hand.

"P-poison... Let me see..."

Locusta was greatly startled by his words, but felt a little relieved when she heard that Novia wanted to make an antidote.

Lord Novia must be trying to save someone, she thought.

But the more she looked at the poison recipe, the more she pondered it, the more terrifying it seemed.

The poison, once made, would be colorless and odorless, a slow-acting one. When symptoms appeared, drinking it again could temporarily alleviate the pain, but at the cost of the condition worsening...

However, despite the difficulty, for Locusta, who had learned on her own and was then educated by Luke, and who often enjoyed making soup from poisonous mushrooms, it was something she could accomplish with time.

"Lord Novia, I should be able to do it in about half a year."

"Half a year? Actually, Locusta, the person who needs the antidote has been drinking this poison for over ten years. That's the situation."

Locusta's eyes widened instantly.

Ten years?

That was to the point where it had already permeated her bone marrow. What a pitiful person. Who could have done this to her? To last for so many years, how terrifying.

"Then... then, three years."

After a moment of thought, Locusta also snapped out of her surprise. In the end, it was just a poison with excessive toxicity. With more time for research and by not drinking it anymore, it wouldn't be that troublesome.

"Then I'll trouble you, Locusta."

After receiving Locusta's promise and at her repeated request for something else she could do, Novia arranged for her to be in charge of food safety in the palace, as she was an expert in that area.

Now, everything was proceeding according to Novia's original plan. The spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire was undeniable. Only a few steps remained: gaining control of the Praetorian Guard and having the Roman Emperor declare Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. After that, the Holy Church would be established early in the world and gradually perfected.

Novia no longer held out hope for the old Emperor Claudius to publicly declare Christianity the state religion. He planned to have Nero do it in a few years.

Time passed, and it was suddenly October of 54 AD. Despite Novia's repeated assurances that poisoning in the palace was impossible, the old emperor suddenly fell ill in early October, with his life hanging in the balance.

It seemed that regardless of whether poison was involved, Claudius's death during this period was inevitable.

On October 12th, the gravely ill Emperor Claudius, perhaps experiencing a final surge of energy, summoned Novia to the palace to discuss future matters.

Author's Note

Ahem, after a month, this book is finally about to be put on the shelves.

Speaking of which, the book's performance in the early stages wasn't good at all. I remember on the first Monday after the trial, I asked the editor, and there were only a little over 400 followed readers. I thought then that I had no hope of advancing, and the more I read, the more I felt I was writing terribly. But then, thanks to the favor of you readers, the collection slowly rose to second place, and I successfully advanced.

The followed readers increased by over a thousand on the second Monday, and on the third Monday, which was this Monday, I asked and it was over 3,200. While this is an average performance on Mao, it's still quite good for me.

Let me talk about the subsequent plot arrangements. The story of Rome should end around 200,000 characters. As for how the protagonist becomes the 'Holy Spirit' in the Trinity, you should be able to infer it from the introduction... (Currently, the book still promotes the duality of Christianity).

As for the Beast Nero, she won't be born before the protagonist dies. I also think that having Beast Nero with the Dragon of Albion is very cool (Nero with Tsuchikage's face.jpg).

As for the modern era, that Root Princess, who is so thin she's practically all skin and bones, will appear in Romania.

After that, it should be a choice between the timelines of the Huns and Japan.

For the Huns, the heroines are Attila and Kriemhild (not a married woman). Finally, there will be a choice between Amor (the Roman god of love) and Black Princess.

For Japan, the heroines are Amaterasu and Yamata no Orochi.

But in the end, I still like the taste of twisted and bloody things!

Having said all that, please, please give me your first subscription!

This is really important to me!

I don't think I'll ever forget this request in my life; I'll truly do anything.

052: The First Roman Emperor to Believe in Christianity

The cold wind howled, and for the first time, the city of Rome felt so cold and desolate on this day.