Chapter 530
The salvation of the new gods has not come to earth, and the old gods have long since vanished.
The earth was still filled with death and suffering; the people were exhausted, the children cried out, and all who had life were suffering.
It's easy to talk about looking to the Future, but incredibly difficult to actually teach it.
Some call it a curse, others lament that the age of humanity is the true Hell.
Lucius could only move forward aimlessly; barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would die abruptly on some meaningless day, but—
"I promise you, Lucius Longinus —follow me, and I will bestow all glory, which will surely cleanse you of your current Evil... That's all."
His tone carried a sincere prayer and a hint of uncertainty, but he truly did it, not only for the individual named Lucius, but for many others whose names are unknown, even though the world is always cruel, people suffer and shed tears, the rain of blood brought by war and Greed never stops, and all living beings on earth are still troubled by death and suffering.
But despite the countless evildoers who have appeared in the world, there are still people walking the path he hoped for, doing their utmost to protect this 'small hope'.
People have also been saying --
The path he treads is recognizable to anyone.
Lucius had read some later assessments of Novia.
"One of the biggest reasons why the Church stands tall in the world today is its excellence. Its life, like that of the Church's Savior, was not adorned with extravagant gold, yet it radiated boundless light upon the poor. Eight out of ten is my personal assessment, but it belongs to those who come after. In that distant era, it had already achieved the best."
Turning the pages of world history, the fate of Novia is clearly recorded.
After elevating the Church to its zenith in Rome and establishing a system that extended to various regions, it suddenly disappeared. This led to the rare case where the power of the Roman Empire and the Holy Church was held by one person for the only time in history. What's even more remarkable is that for the next two hundred years, even though there were disagreements between the two sides, they were unable to engage in internal strife and united against external threats. Neither the Dead Apostle nor the Phantasmal Species could resist the united Church and Empire, and even the Clock Tower declined significantly.
However, three hundred years AD, the power of the Church and the Imperial Family was locked in a fierce confrontation for sixty years. The friends who once marched together toward the Saint Novia Cathedral not only forgot that pointless justice, but also repeatedly staged bloody battles, and the ugly assassinations continued into their children and grandchildren. As a result, the Roman Empire, which was proud of its vast territory that was outstanding in the Human History, began to split.
Is there a more cruel outcome than this, the culmination of the dream of extending goodwill to one another?
That light was clearly so dazzling.
How intense are the emotions in people's hearts!
Has the passion within everyone extinguished after only a century?
That's why, after bursting into laughter, Lucius, with his Suit jacket folded and draped over his arm, looked apologetically at Novia:
"I'm sorry, but the Church still ended up like that."
The next instant, Novia's voice came from beside Lucius.
Everyone should have doubts about their own conscience. If one blindly believes in their own justice, no matter how cruel, people are capable of doing it. We should also constantly worry, think, and feel confused. The moment we believe we are right, we have already lost our rightness. Sometimes, that kind of justice is uglier than anything else.
Those were the words he had once said to Lucius.
For Lucius now, he had no way of knowing how the Church had spiraled out of control under the supervision of the Holy Scripture, but regarding the King of the Huns who had destroyed the Western Rome, despite knowing it shouldn't have happened, such feelings still lingered. Therefore, even though Novia's words now seemed to suggest that 'such Church no longer had a reason to exist,' he still believed in his heart—
Even if Novia agrees, he himself cannot agree.
Even if Novia forgives him, he cannot forgive himself.
That was a mournful cry.
That was weeping.
It is an incurable mark etched on a soul capable of becoming Heroic Spirit.
When Novia learns of this ending, will she secretly let out a deep sigh behind our backs?
"I will never forget what I did in Rome. That bittersweet feeling will still linger in my heart. Who can say they have never fallen? So, leave everything to me back then. Listen attentively. Listen to people's voices, listen to the ideals that someone prayed for long ago. I should be good at this kind of thing."
And—I almost died! The Holy Scripture you were involved in is indeed very powerful, hmm, very good. But even so, Tera Ding is a good boy."
"... Huh?!"
With just one sentence, Lucius couldn't help but sigh.
Lucius wasn't a fool. After Novia said those words, he naturally understood who the King of the Huns was, the one who had destroyed the Western Rome Empire and the Church.
If that's the case, was the last scene he saw after disappearing from Rome the past or the present?
Lucius didn't ask any further questions, but after sighing, he whispered to the calm Novia:
"... Then, tell me one thing—"
"Yes, what is it? I don't lie."
"You had a child with someone back then?"
Then, unusually, Novia gave a cold laugh, "No such thing, absolutely not, it's impossible."
Of course, the Sea Goddess of Armenia is an exception.
Sigh, you said I was lying? You can't lie, but now you've admitted it, haven't you? Oh well, let's call it even.
Lucius touched the Cross scar on his face and answered righteously:
"You're right, no, you should say—"
"You're right."
Chapter 541 Jesus: I'm always the one who gets hurt.
"How did you two suddenly become so harmonious?"
Erice, inside the hospital room, frowned as she looked at Lucius, who was wearing a white Suit.
After all, Lucius was one of the men Erice respected and admired, so she found it hard to imagine that the Holy Lance, with his unwavering conviction, would associate with scoundrels.
"We've known each other for a long time; we're best buddies."
Lucius answered truthfully. On his way back, he learned from Novia that Erice was still unaware of the Demon King's identity. He was both shocked and horrified. He hadn't expected Novia to like this kind of thing. He was worried that he might get caught in bed with her one day... Although he had the power to resist, he was in the wrong, especially when it came to emotions, which was a serious matter. As a master of emotions, he knew this all too well.
Erice somewhat surprised. Could it be that the tyrant Chitose and she had already been in contact more than ten years ago when he participated in the Holy Grail War?
Is this another kind of honeymoon, or a global dating trip?
It's unbelievable that someone like Lucius wouldn't even vet the Chitose. He should at least find someone worthy of the Chitose. Is it that for a tyrant, what he can't have is always the best?
"Now that you're awake, it seems like it's time to head back to Akihabara."
Novia asked, "Want to come along?"
"Me?"
Little Mher sneered, "Unless you kill me right now and drag my corpse away."
"They're having a tiff."
Lucius muttered to himself, then deliberately coughed twice.
After all, everyone present was connected to Novia, so he felt a lot of pressure. And, well... Lucius didn't dare say it outright, only internally complaining.
"I saw a dancing cat outside the hospital, I went to check it out."
"Luce, I want to go too!"
Luce's eyes were resolute. "Lucius, please tell me something..."
Tiamat's gaze lingered between Little Mher and Novia for about ten seconds before she leaned close to Novia's ear and whispered, "Um... could you please not kill the children? They're all good kids," before running off. As for Erice, it was simple. Once only the three of them were left, she sighed at Little Mher, shook her head, and silently walked away.
With no one else around, the atmosphere was slightly better, but Novia still didn't feel comfortable speaking up for the time being.
After all, he really didn't have any impression or memory of it.
So, unsurprisingly, they ended up staring at each other.
As the lights gradually illuminated Tokyo, the original scenery unfolded outside the window. The gaunt girl seemed like something from a distant, bygone era. The chains on her Limbs gave the impression of remote, deep Valley of Shadows, rugged valleys untouched by human hands, and crystal-clear waterfalls. These seemed incongruous with Little Mher, yet somehow perfectly fitting.
"Anyway, I've been waiting for a long time, and this was just an accident, so say whatever you want to say."
Novia responded seamlessly as soon as he finished speaking, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
"... Yes, that should be me."
The words uttered sounded like a prayer.
The literal meaning could be interpreted as Pride, an either/or statement, so why would it include "should"...? Yet, this common sense of perfunctoriness is conveyed with utmost sincerity, sounding as if the speaker is entrusting an irreplaceable wish.
Little Mher Instinct he was going crazy for thinking such a thing.
Then he continued:
"In fact, I'm also confused. Did I know you before? But since you're so Wrath with me, it can't be fake. If I really did hurt you like this, even if I have no memory of you now, I will never deny your Wrath towards me."
This was perhaps the first time in Little Muge's life that he had encountered such a straightforward god.
She remembered that God sat on his Throne as usual, easily proclaiming her fate.
Now he is dressed casually, with the sunlight streaming in at an angle from outside the glass behind him. His backlit expression is serious; he should be an invincible god, but he looks somewhat like a human.
"Never mind..."
Little Mher spoke up.
"Since you've really forgotten... let's wait until you remember before we talk about it..."
For the last Sasun, this was a rather rare instance of friendliness toward a false god.
Even she didn't know why, but it was precisely because of this thought that it could be seen as a test in another sense.
"What was done is done, and what wasn't done is not done."
Novia's voice was filled with sighs and regrets, which didn't quite match the speech that Little Mher had imagined.
"Back in Rome, I met the god I mentioned at the beginning."
Novia continued, "I gave everything I had for this result, and I can only call it luck. But it was what I truly wanted to do and say. If I had changed my mind now, I think I would have been better off just dying that day."
Rome? Another god? A result that could only be described as lucky, achieved only after exhausting all resources?
Is it really that powerful...? But I've never heard of it when I was alive.
Although Little Mher was completely confused, she understood that there was no falsehood in Novia's words.
"According to the concept of the Trinity, that should be me."
"... If that's what you said, then it should be."
Little Mher stammered in rebuttal.
By the way, what is the Trinity? She didn't know.
"That's right, you're right. It should be me."
The conversation always revolved around the same issue, and even when there was a lot of talk, it wasn't eloquent or persuasive; it was simply an overly honest pursuit of the issue to the very end, which seems to be God's style now.
"But if it were me, would everything I did truly change my life? Am I just a child at heart? Is it something I was born with...?"
Novial was both joking and stubbornly refuting.
Who is he talking to right now?
Little Mher's whereabouts are unknown.
"If it were me, I wouldn't be myself, but faced with your Wrath, I have to admit that it is who I am."
These words were bleeding, Little Mher realized.
It was as if I were standing at my parents' graves on the Volon Cliff and hearing those words made me feel the same way.
Why would someone as respected and loved as you say such a thing? Why would you say that doing so would make you unlike yourself? There's no reason at all.
... disgust.
Little Mher thought to himself.
That was an emotion she knew all too well, something that filled the depths of her being like mud.
"Shut up!"
Perhaps due to feelings of hatred or rage, Little Mher's face flushed red, and he unleashed a torrent of pent-up frustration:
"No way, I only know you! I don't know anything else, like Rome or any other gods! I don't really understand what you're saying! I, I'm definitely not arguing with you because I think you should just kill me instead of changing like this."
Little Mher gritted his teeth, his eyes reddening.
"..."
Novia paused for a moment.
It seems I've gone a bit too far with my sadness.
Trinity, why doesn't he simply refuse to ascend to the throne of the Holy Spirit? Yahweh can't force him to.