Chapter 40

"Even if this world can't see a future right now, there must be people shining brilliantly just to survive. We must believe their brilliance can save this world, which is enveloped by the end of days. No one has the right to destroy a world where people are still shining."

The Covenant Entrusted to the Hearts of All People

Class: EX

Type: Anti-World Noble Phantasm

Before Confucius passed on, he ascended to heaven bearing the sins of all people, an undisputed savior of humanity.

Those who failed to become spirits cast aside the path that only one could tread. With their last everything, before passing on, they made a covenant with all people. Thus, they exist within the hearts of all people, existing together with all people, with humanity itself, and with the goodness all people strive for.

In other words, no matter how terrifying the non-human or extraterrestrial beings may be, as long as even one person in the current world has not had their pursuit of 'goodness' completely extinguished, that person is 'immortal.' Even if the pain of the body and soul is incomparable, their conviction will remain, and any concept that bestows 'death' will be utterly ineffective.

072: Adaptation, Not Misappropriation

The waters of the Mediterranean were not particularly cold; they merely listened to the sound of the rising and falling tides until they could be heard no more.

Then, in what felt like an eternal world, the silver-haired youth opened his eyes once more, his pupils like the depths of the blue ocean.

Awakening from his 'slumber,' the world he saw reflected was: 2014, Bucharest, the capital of Romania.

Outside the thick car window glass were the streets of a large city, the sky a hazy gray. Novia didn't quite like that color, nor the conversation between the taxi driver ahead and his phone—

"You're thirty-seven already, are you really not planning to find a partner? Your mother and I are so worried. Your sister's current teacher is one of the top celebrities, and I hear he's quite handsome. His rankings are always improving, why don't you get to know him?"

"Oh... I almost forgot, you dropped out after only a week..."

"I'm just driving to pass the time. You've been in Romania for so long, aren't I supposed to find a suitable match for you? Maybe one day I'll find you the prince charming you've always dreamed of. Though thirty-seven is a bit old for a prince, maybe a kingly uncle, haha."

Is he talking to his child at home? Well, you can't force it, but the tone is quite harmonious. It's probably just teasing.

Novia thought to himself. He felt a bit weak now, possibly because the mystery of the present era had further thinned compared to two thousand years ago. This required his soul to adapt to the current world's rules for a period, like transitioning from luxury to austerity.

After all, during the Roman era, he hadn't worried about matters of mystery. After finding Albion, things had progressed step by step towards a denser concentration of mystery. Finally, Yahweh, in order to activate the Book of Revelation, had directly torn open the Texture, allowing the permitted mystery to emerge.

It was based on this that Novia had gained the authority of all of Rome. Although, in the end, it had no effect other than allowing him to find Yahweh directly without entering Heaven's Gate, as he was stripped of it by Yahweh during the final battle. It was clear that this sole God was still quite displeased with other divine systems...

"Excuse me, is there a traffic jam?"

He spoke with a hoarse voice, as if he had just woken up, and tentatively waved his hand. While it wasn't good to interrupt someone's conversation with their family, Novia was also a bit confused. After all, when he set out for Rome, the journey was already about halfway done; theoretically, he should have arrived by now.

As the man driving saw Novia's movement in the rearview mirror, his face, deeply etched with wrinkles, removed his headphones and slowly rolled down the window, turning his head to glance at Novia, who was sweating from his forehead.

"You're finally awake. I thought you had fallen ill and fainted, so I was going to take you to the hospital."

"Thank you for your concern, but I just took a nap and I'm fine now."

"Alright, just don't fall asleep again and not wake up. This has been sitting here for a long time. Here, have it." After a few seconds of silence, the man tossed an apple to Novia and turned his gaze back to the front of the car. "On another note, you must be a follower of the Church, right? Only followers wear a crucifix pendant, or maybe it was a gift from your elders."

"...Hmm?"

Novia, after taking two bites of the apple, looked down at his chest in confusion. There was indeed a crucifix pendant emitting a faint silver light under the illumination. He could be sure that before he went to Rome, this item wasn't on him...

Is this some kind of reward? Novia's thoughts stirred, and a system prompt box immediately appeared before his eyes.

However, there was no prompt. Even the option for 'Transmigration' was dimmed, unlike before when he could have chosen again soon after returning. Perhaps it needed to recharge, or perhaps it hadn't refreshed yet.

"Yes, I'm a believer. My foster parent, the dean, gave it to me."

Novia didn't deny it; he just found a reason to brush it off.

The Novia of this world was someone who grew up in an orphanage. The reason he learned magic was because the dean who founded the orphanage saw his good aptitude and taught him casually...

Thinking of this, Novia couldn't help but have a sudden thought: Could it be that the dean was someone who failed in the Burial Agency's struggle for the 'Name'?

"In that case, I apologize."

The man casually observed the silver-haired youth behind him. He recalled that in the last few seconds before the youth had fainted, he had exuded immense magical power without any concealment. If it weren't for the magic his eldest daughter had placed in his car to cover it, the Mage families stationed here would have already considered it a provocation.

But this youth seemed genuinely unaware. Could he have some inherited magic crest on him? In any case, the man found it quite peculiar and thus initiated another topic. He drove because he enjoyed chatting with all sorts of people.

"By the way, the latest movie, if you're a believer, you probably haven't seen it, but I heard it's quite popular among young people."

"A movie?"

Although this uncle was clearly trying to make conversation, Novia still went along with his words. It was just talking, and in his opinion, it wasn't a big deal. Back in the Roman era, he had already become quite talkative while proselytizing.

"It's that movie about the first Pope of the Church, Novia, and Emperor Nero's mother, Agrippina the Younger, falling in love at first sight. Then, due to various reasons, they loved and killed each other, and finally, in despair, died at the hands of Nero, the child of their beloved."

"... " Novia closed his eyes, took a breath, and exhaled. After doing so, his slightly awkward expression became a little more serene. "...As long as people like it, that's fine. After all, it's an adaptation."

He understood that myths and legends, like everything else, constantly changed as time passed.

"Is that so? None of the believers I've met before haven't cursed it..."

"I can understand that feeling; it's normal. But I think Novia himself probably wouldn't mind."

The silver-haired youth shrugged indifferently, and the man chuckled. A warm atmosphere filled the space between them.

"I didn't expect you to be so open-minded, and not as pedantic as those Church people... Alright, we're here."

After paying the fare and getting out of the car, Novia saw the car window slowly roll down again. The driver waved to him.

"My name is Sajyo Hiroki. You seem like a good person, so give me your phone number. Maybe we can meet again sometime. Be sure to come, alright? Oh, I haven't asked your name yet, what was it?"

"...Novia."

073: The Story That Follows

When he learned that the driver's name was Sajyo Hiroki, Novia couldn't help but sigh, and then it was natural for him to guess who the 37-year-old daughter he had called earlier was.

In this modern era where the Age of Gods has passed and mysteries have severely waned, a Root Princess who was born with the ability to connect to the Root, a gifted talent that was almost unparalleled, the strongest human Master who could use Age of Gods magecraft—

Sajyo Aike.

However, no matter how you put it, in the end, she was just someone living in modern times, and succeeding in passing Brunhilde was already a success.

But since they had lived to be 37 years old, and both of Sajyo's parents were alive, it meant that they had not participated in the Holy Grail War and had saved their mother, who should have 'died'.

And since Sajo Ayaka seemed to have become a disciple of Lord El-Melloi II, and his cheap partner Sigma had recently said he was going to America to fight in a cup war, it indicated that she was likely in a 'harmless slacker' timeline similar to Himuro Tenmei's worldline, expecting to meet her ideal prince and create a mess for her sister to deal with, in such a pattern.

Novia had a general idea of what Sajyo Hiroki planned to do. Most likely, he wanted to introduce his seventeen-year-old self to Sajyo Aike, who was twenty years older than him, for a blind date. As for whether it would be love at first sight?

He wasn't worried about that, because he had only heard of blonde princes on white horses, not silver-haired princes on white horses... Well, there was one that barely fit, who also killed many people, but that was from blonde to silver-haired, from prince to king.

Moreover, Novia was definitely someone Sajyo Aike couldn't see through, but he was by no means the 'prince on a white horse' she had imagined. Even Old Sword was a little short of her aesthetic requirements...

If it really turned into love at first sight, Novia felt he would be able to calm her down...

But no matter what, from Novia's current perspective, he thought that the current Sajyo Aike was a good child, and it was good like this.

Upon entering the house, as the landlady Fiore seemed very responsible, there wasn't much dust here even after Novia had been out for a long time. But it was likely that she had hired someone to do it, as she herself was in a wheelchair, and there were no traces of magic used here.

"Let's see how things develop later."

After organizing his belongings in the suitcase and brewing a cup of instant coffee, Novia intended to see how the Roman Empire would develop after he left. He believed that all the plans he had left on the paper would be realized by Nero.

"Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, commonly known as Nero (December 15, 37 AD—?), was reverently called the Great Emperor of Rome for various achievements, and was also the second Pope after Novia, the only person in all of history to simultaneously hold the positions of Emperor and Pope—"

Although he was somewhat surprised that Nero had become Pope after him, Novia thought it was normal after a moment's reflection. While Paul, Peter, and many other Apostles were qualified to be the second Pope, their pursuit was not for personal glory, but for the common good of all.

Therefore, it was normal for Nero, as his well-known disciple at the time, and for "Titus of Rome to be the Saintess after Martha of Bethany" as recorded in the New Testament, to be agreed upon by everyone.

However, it was not difficult to guess that being both Emperor and Pope was by no means a good tradition. Perhaps with this consideration in mind, subsequent Roman Emperors were likely restricted by the private rules and unparalleled influence of Nero.

After all, Nero perfectly executed all the plans he left behind, heavily investing in Byzantium, thereby firmly controlling the hearts of people in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. With the added support of Christianity sweeping across the entire Roman Empire, he carried out top-down reforms in a 'violent' manner, resulting in bloodshed.

According to records, Nero's final end was a sudden disappearance one day. Some said she vanished in flames that rose from nowhere, while others said she ascended to heaven as she wished.

"But it is said that this Emperor..."

Novia saw the last sentence on the information above and remained silent for a long time.

That short line seemed to hang suspended in the world beneath the dreamlike scenery of the sky, which was as always covered in blue, with the blue extending to an unknown extent.

—But it is said that she has always been waiting for someone's arrival, always waiting... for the one who promised to return.

Somewhere outside of time, a person sat on a decaying throne, with a landscape of blue and white clouds behind them, and a hazy circular halo that seemed to be forming. The surroundings of the steps were half-broken pillars covered in moss.

"You've placed several Holy Grails."

A voice suddenly echoed, as if questioning from a high and mighty position to the man on the throne. In an instant, the originally beautiful scenery transformed into a raging sea of blood.

"You have no right to know, nor should you speak to me in such a presumptuous manner." The man stood up, revealing blood-red eyes. "Even if you are that person's disciple, you are now no different from an ally in your current state."

After that, neither of them spoke again. Silence flowed, not because they had nothing to say, but because they were observing the actions of their subordinates.

Seventy-two pillars with countless eyeballs and a seven-headed dragon-like creature appeared, and the atmosphere between them was filled with the possibility of conflict at any moment.

"I'll ask you again, how much longer! The Heroic Spirit summoning system, which has no record of that person at all, is simply useless!"

"...One year. After the Holy Grail is settled, the Demon God Pillars under my command will use it to cut off the torrent of history. The foundation of human history will be shaken, and a portion of the torrent will be drawn here, making the basis of human history fragile. Then, by gazing, the entire human history will be ignited."

Goetia said, rubbing the rings on his hands meaningfully.

"In the end, whether I establish a new celestial body or you create a new world where that person exists, it will depend on our own abilities, Draco."

"Heh heh, I permit it, it's just—gulping down human history bit by bit." A petite girl appeared on the seven-headed dragon, holding a golden cup, with blood-colored patterns on her face, smiling ferociously. "This decaying world, two thousand years, I don't want to stay any longer."

I will spare no expense, just to see you one more time—

At all costs, I will create a world where Teacher exists.

074: Is there really a beautiful girl of thirty-seven in this world!?

"I don't want to."

As dusk fell, in a seventh-floor apartment in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, a golden-haired girl was looking down. Her smooth, shiny hair was even more striking in the twilight, and her pupils were pale and clear.

From her perspective, the countless streets were like thin channels, and the people entering and exiting them were like insects.

In fact, for her true self, they were no different from insects, because the golden-haired girl was named Sajyo Aike.

At this moment, she was video calling with her parents who lived in Bucharest but not with her. The reason they weren't living together in a large house like they did in Japan was that Sajyo Aike claimed that she and her sister had grown up and needed their own private space, so her loving parents agreed.

"I think the young man your father mentioned is quite good, and he should be used to taking care of Aike. After all, your father also said that young man is dating you with the intention of marriage."

"Yes, yes, he did say that. I even showed him your picture and said he had no problem taking care of you."

Sajyo Hiroki said righteously, as if speaking the absolute truth.

"No, no, I don't want to. I don't want anyone who isn't a prince on a white horse. And based on what you're saying, Father, you only like me because I'm pretty."

Aike shook her head ungracefully, placed the phone on a stand, crossed her arms in an X shape, "Just hearing the name, calling himself Novia or something, is too much. He definitely doesn't have the attributes of a prince on a white horse. He looks like a stubborn, die-hard believer. I'll be annoyed to death tomorrow if he starts talking about God this and God that."

Time seemed to leave not a single trace on this thirty-seven-year-old 'beautiful girl.' Her appearance was still that of a fourteen-year-old, with nothing changed, except that her elegance had vanished completely, unable to find a suitable partner.

"But you're already thirty-seven. Your sister got her teacher's contact information for you before. He's known as Big Ben ☆ Star of London, the number one most popular male student at the Clock Tower..."

Sajyo Hiroki, on the other side of the video call, couldn't help but interject. Then, perhaps worried that his eldest daughter's mind might degenerate from being at home for too long, he added, "I remember you went to that classroom when you visited the Clock Tower."

Sajyo Aike had once gone to the Clock Tower, one of the Mage Associations, to study. However, she had withdrawn at light speed. The reason was that there wasn't a single suitable prospect in the entire Clock Tower, making it unnecessary for her to stay. She couldn't have a sweet campus romance.

After that, she traveled all over the world. Now, her journey had brought her to Romania, where her entire family had moved.

"Oh my, that person's physique clearly isn't great, and although he's been popular for a long time, he has no princely qualities at all. I don't know why he's so popular. It's a shame I went to find him right away, I thought he was the white knight I'd been dreaming of... Alright, I'm hanging up. I'm not going to see him anyway~"

For some reason, perhaps because she had just discussed the topic of a 'white knight' with her parents, the young girl, despite drinking black tea and eating cake, felt a long-lost melancholy. She unconsciously lay down on the floor and rolled around, completely disregarding her image.

The world was uninteresting. She was, in reality, merely 'living.' The second hand of the clock ticked forward, and today became tomorrow. Everything around her still seemed like a familiar and uninteresting mountain to her; there was no surprise, no joy, and no expectation.

Even her journey to find a 'white knight' couldn't bring her anticipation, because she couldn't see the possibility of finding one.

Then why did the girl perform 'good deeds' for her family and familiar people in this world that held no warmth for her? Even though everything in the world was devoid of warmth for Aike, she would subconsciously do these things due to another kind of 'coldness' within her, different from the 'chilliness.'

Speaking of which, she could see this 'coldness.' This 'coldness' appeared most often in those pious Church personnel. In other words, helping others. Perhaps it was because of this 'coldness' that she had ended up where she was today.

"Shoot, I forgot to log into the game Sereni recommended. Good thing I remembered."

The slow-witted Aike fumbled with her phone lying on the floor with one hand, propping up her chin with the other, her legs crossed and swinging.

Because this game was enthusiastically recommended by a friend, Aike casually played it whenever she had nothing else to do. However, she wasn't as obsessed as Sereni, who, as far as Aike knew, had already spent one-tenth of her entire fortune as a Mage on it—