Chapter 319

"Haha, that's quite an interesting answer."

Paul paid no heed to what might have been considered disrespectful by the believers, and simply smiled, "This young lady is named Ritsuka, and what is this young man's name?"

"Ming Weiya."

For some reason, Ritsuka whispered the name before Novia could say it, but it was soft enough for both of them to hear.

"This name seems somewhat similar to His Holiness the Pope's, could it be...?"

Paul looked at Novia, whose expression remained unchanged, with a half-smile, and finally spoke slowly.

"Ming Weiya, are you a fan of Novia?"

"... Yes."

Novia nodded, and Ritsuka, who felt relieved that she had just resolved a religious conflict, also breathed Ritsuka relief.

"I see. If this Ritsuka is the Savior, then she should have corresponding apostles by her side. But there aren't twelve. Is it because, like me, you were directly chosen by the Savior Ming Weiya?"

"To be honest, it was more of a question-and-answer session than a conversation."

"You are all suspicious, but I am a member of the Church. Since there are lost sheep, wouldn't I feel guilty if I didn't do my best to help them?"

Paul smiled again, "But I'm certain this Walking Stick was obtained through accreditation, because—"

The moment the words fell, faint specks of golden light spread throughout the church, surrounding Ritsuka who was holding Walking Stick.

"You have already obtained this power."

Paul stood up, his slightly hunched body looking at Ritsuka, and reached out to touch the Walking Stick.

"So, the image of that person who fought as strength, not as nothingness, and advanced through hardship—if that can become your memory, then that's enough."

Afterwards, Ritsuka felt a little dazed, and when she came to, Novia was already leading her out of the Main Hall into a sun-drenched plaza.

"Ritsuka, didn't I tell Da Vinci that I'm somewhat special as Demi-Servant?"

Before the Orange-Haired Girl could ask about what had happened earlier, Novia took the initiative and asked the question first.

"Hmm... like Mash, I don't know her name, but I have many vague impressions of her?"

"Right."

Novia nodded calmly. "After arriving in Rome, I felt a sense of familiarity with the shadow within me, so I brought you here to find out who that shadow was. To my surprise, it turned out to be the Pope Novia..."

In reality, this was just Novia's excuse so that he could use this power later. After all, he wasn't worried about his identity being exposed at first, but the Second Singularity suddenly became Rome, which made it too relevant to him, so he had no choice but to do this.

As he spoke, just as he had done in Fuyuki, a Cards appeared beside him, the image of which was Ritsuka's Walking Stick.

"Hey, isn't this...?"

Before Ritsuka could even speak, a thought flashed through her mind, and the Cards instantly transformed into Walking Stick that appeared in Ritsuka hand.

"Actually, it's like this: although I recorded it using this Spiritrons method, the current master is you Ritsuka. So, if I want to use the power of this Pope who knows his true name, you are my medium."

Ritsuka Fujimaru didn't quite understand Novia's words, but she was deeply impressed by his last sentence.

Ritsuka, you are my medium—even so, she understood that this was a statement of power, and not anything else.

"However, Novia, you're not my Servant..."

The girl said with some disappointment, but then she suddenly remembered something. The old man had said that if he were the Savior, then there should be an apostle, and Novia, like him, was directly chosen by the Savior. The Savior in this context was probably not the same person, but the Savior the old man was referring to Novia, should be herself...

In other words, it means that although there is no Servant contract, the choice has already been made in one's heart, or something like that...

"This old man is quite remarkable," Ritsuka thought with some admiration.

This made the Orange-Haired Girl look at Novia with a delighted smile.

"Speaking of which, according to that logic, Consultant Novia, are you my apostle?"

"... That was just something the old man said casually."

Novia paused, then looked at Ritsuka intently again, "But Ming Weiya, perhaps you really are your apostle, Ritsuka."

"Isn't this just the difference between a pseudonym and a real name?"

"Because this medium is needed to use that Pope's power."

"So, in that sense, I can barely be considered your Master now, right?"

The girl raised her head. Although she still couldn't shake the guilt she felt towards the person and their family, it seemed that it didn't matter now. Let it be. The matter of the First Pope, the struggle between Singularity, Xiao Xiang and her mother—it didn't matter anymore.

Now, even if it's just for this short time, all she wants is to see his face.

Is the girl named Ritsuka who walked in Ming Weiya the same Novia?

Paul neither knew nor could he have discovered it.

Even if he could deduce that Ritsuka, who was holding Walking Stick, was from the Future, he hadn't considered anything else.

But when he saw Novia, he still had a feeling, even though he didn't know the specifics, he could still sense it.

So the old man simply told himself to stop thinking and not to bother him, that was all.

But in the end, he still flipped through the Book of Revelation in the New Testament that he had placed on the long table, and after reading it for a long time, he wrote down this sentence—

The Spirit and the Bride said, 'Come!'

Those who hear this should also say: 'Come!'

After that, he closed his eyes peacefully as before, looking as if he were thinking or sleeping. If left unattended, he might have turned to stone and never moved again.

I saw that child in the spring of twenty-three years ago.

Paul witnessed Jesus' suffering on Golgotha. He did not believe in Jesus, so he naturally disregarded missionary work and even opposed and persecuted it.

But after witnessing the Passion of Jesus, he suddenly lost his sight and wandered aimlessly through the overgrown mountains like a blind man. By chance, he seemed to see something in the darkness, so he cautiously walked towards it. Finally, by feeling its appearance, he realized it was what appeared to be a newborn Baby.

It would have been normal for Paul to be upset after suddenly going blind, so it would have been normal for him to abandon the Baby he found out of nowhere. But for some reason, perhaps out of pity, or perhaps by fate, Paul decided to raise the Baby after all.

Even though he was blind, he was still able to make a living by relying on his family's skills, namely the craft of weaving tents from Mohair.

Immediately after he thought this, it was as if scales fell off Paul's eyes, and he was able to see again, his vision was restored, and he was baptized.

Thus, Paul encountered the miracle of life for the first time; it happened on a quiet afternoon.

He then became one of the Church's main missionaries, spreading the Christianity Faith throughout the Mediterranean Sea region with his young children.

Settling in the ancient city of Antioch, they found it unsuitable to live in a populated area due to the spread of their new Faith, so they chose a barren land surrounded by nothing. However, as their Faith spread, the number of people in the barren land increased.

After all, the water and stars in that place are incredibly beautiful.

Fourteen years passed in this way, and finally the old man witnessed the child he raised surpass him, even reaching a level that his Teacher had failed to achieve.

But no matter what, it's all worth remembering, even though it's all in the distant past.

Chapter 365 Lord El-Melloi II: Oh no, we've found the real deal.

A blast of hot air hit my face.

A foreign atmosphere, quite different from the familiar London.

The Sun hung high in the sky, sending wave after wave of heat as if it were about to explode. Even with the power of Servant, one's eyes felt as if they were being burned by the desert's glare. It was unclear whether the people living here had become accustomed to such intense light and heat, or whether they simply had no choice but to endure it.

Alexandria, Egypt's most important Harbor and the second largest city in the Egypt Province, was the second largest city in the empire in terms of size and wealth before the development of the New Rome.

Lord El-Melloi II stood atop the wall, watching the battle between the Roman Praetorian Guard and the soldiers summoned by Od.

"Could the Roman Empire in the first century have mobilized its military power to such an extent?"

Under the Sun's rays, amidst the boundless sea of people, scattered everywhere were corpses burning with thick smoke, their human entrails exposed, and the manifestation of Od, casting long, thin shadows that painted a dark, crimson, or rather, death-stained desert world. As far as the eye could see, besides the corpses, there were only summoned creatures that should have disappeared but had reappeared.

This is the tragic end that both the enemy and themselves will ultimately face.

Although the Roman Praetorian Guard were all ordinary people, with the help of Magecraft who came to their aid, they were able to fight against these soldiers who were purely summoned by Od. However, since Od could not be eliminated as long as it existed, an ordinary army would not be able to hold out for long.

However, the scene before him truly surprised the Lord El-Melloi II; he hadn't expected that the willpower of the army in the first century could reach such a level.

"These soldiers are far superior to the men I led back then."

"The power of Faith has always been such... However, more than four hundred years later, Rome's last Imperial Guard was annihilated in a single battle, thus ending the western part of the empire, and the blood stained with the sword of that King of the Huns Overturning the world and Faith."

"But that would be more than four hundred years from now."

Alexander remained unmoved. "Let me test the skills of Lucius, the leader of the Imperial Guard."

"Go."

The Lord El-Melloi II took a deep breath, leaned against the city wall, which was scorching hot from the Sun, and looked up at the sky, which seemed to be burning fiercely.

Even with heads bowed, the battlefield was ablaze with vibrant crimson, appearing so frenzied under the blazing Sun.

This inevitably reminded him of the blood shed by the concubine of the overlord when she committed suicide in the distant Eastern lands, and the rivers of blood that formed the knights in the past world who were slaughtered after being unable to resist the invasion of the Huns.

As a survivor who miraculously gained the power of Servant from the horrific catastrophe that swept the world Human Order Incineration, Lord El-Melloi II the Great naturally understood that his actions were Overturning history. However, he had reasons for not being able to stop Alexander, not only as Teacher but also as a subject.

Regardless of the final outcome, the Lord El-Melloi II wanted to follow in Alexander's footsteps and pursue his dreams.

The scene displayed Servant Alexander the next second might seem ordinary to the Servant, but it was incredibly shocking to ordinary people and Magecraft.

Although they were still a long way from the Roman Praetorian Guard, the red-haired youth who leaped down from the city wall on horseback drew his Sword from his waist.

Immediately, he swung his sword forcefully.

It was as if the Stars were enraged, beating the drums of heaven.

Before anyone could react, a blinding beam of light descended from the sky, instantly traversing dozens of miles and piercing into the Rome army, as if it were about to tear apart faces, sever heads of those who knew no right from wrong, and burn away their souls.

In an instant, the Magecraft, realizing this, were gripped by a vortex of fear that swept across the battlefield like a tsunami approaching land. It started silently, but later evolved into a colossal wave that engulfed everything.

Even Lucius, wielding the Spear of Longinus, could hardly imagine that after Novia's disappearance, the world would still have—

"In the name of Lucius Longinus, the most sublime Faith under the Lord, I hereby issue the 'Crimson' command."

The bright red summons was the highest-level emergency declaration from within the Imperial Guard, which Lucius had personally created. Its significance was that the accompanying Magecraft should pour all his Od into him. In principle, this order should not have been issued, because the human Flesh could hardly withstand such a massive influx of external Od.

However, on the battlefield, military orders are absolute, so the Magecraft did not hesitate at all and Perfection carried out Lucius's orders.

Instantly, Lucius's hands, wielding the Spear of Longinus, burst open, gushing forth Red and Black blood. But the man showed no reaction, letting the blood and pain manifest, and simply charged forward to clash with Alexander.

Now, the power of many Magecraft and the gun itself is entrusted to Lucius.

The blood-stained Holy Lance released a dazzling light.

Roar!

In an instant, the fierce struggle seemed to freeze in place.

Whether it was the Lord El-Melloi II standing on the city wall or Ptolemy in the Alexandria Library, they all subconsciously looked over.

Shocked by Lucius's sudden and unexpected attack, which was not from Servant, it was hard to understand. After all, as a human, even if he poured so much Od into it, it would be difficult to directly face Servant's ultimate technique, namely Alexander's Noble Phantasm, Ionioi Hetairoi.

However, what happened at that moment was like Outsider hearing a gunshot in the dense forest that sounded similar to the one he was holding.

That's incredible.

Even the purple-haired girl analyzing data in the Undersea Alexandria Library slightly raised her eyelids, but quickly looked away without any interest.

"Indeed a powerful Warrior, Lucius Longinus, I have a question for you."

Unlike Lucius legs were trembling uncontrollably, Alexander was completely unharmed.

This is natural. It's impossible for a human to withstand Noble Phantasm without making any sacrifices. If Lucius were Servant now, it probably wouldn't be like this, since he and his Master were the ultimate victors in the Holy Grail War that swept the world.

"I thought you were going to say something..."

"Why fight for Rome instead of joining us? If you join 'Osiris,' there will be no more pointless fighting."

Alexander extended his hand.

"You should know very well that I am not the only one among us. There is also a source of power that once overwhelmed Rome, a power that was even more prosperous than Rome was before it was prosperous. No matter how valiant Rome is now, or how much assistance it receives, whether you win or lose, sacrifice is inevitable."

How much blood has been shed for this cause? How many men died before their ambitions were fulfilled? Did you not have any scruples or worries when you fought? This land of Egypt was once praised by the Pharaoh, but your Rome has nothing to do with it. Why then do you make an enemy of us?

Upon hearing this, the soldier holding the crimson spear took a deep breath, steadyed his hand holding the large shield, and then intended to thrust the spear deeply into the young man's body. If successful, it would cut from the shoulder to the chest. However, Alexander was already prepared and was thus not stabbed.

At the same time, Lucius showed a very displeased expression.

"You who call yourself Alexander, how dare you say this war is pointless? Let me tell you why no one is coming to your aid except for those tattered Od blocks: it's because neither the resurrected emperors of the past, nor the wise rulers of yesteryear, nor even the gods of the past—"

The Crimson cloak fluttering on Lucius's back was the very color of the Imperial Guard.

That 'Crimson' is the 'red' of Rome, which once symbolized the god Mars and was the color that Rome soldiers were most proud of. It was a color that never changed even during major shifts in Faith, and it was the color of the thousand-year-old empire created by the Divine Ancestor.