Nero Extends Another Invitation

Martha was a person who had received the Lord's mercy.

She had once encountered an indescribable mist in a hazy state, and seen the indescribable, chaotic form of the Lord's 'Spirit' located in the Highest Heaven.

They also witnessed the magnificent manifestation of the 'Father', whose body, forged from steel and Divine Giant, bore witness to all things.

She gained inspiration from what she saw in that instant.

She gained immense power.

So after that, she devoted herself to that fleeting 'dream,' saving the poor, enlightening the people, rallying the suffering masses, giving them armed strength, empowering the oppressed to resist, and telling them that the Lord would eventually come.

This is what the Lord did in the enlightenment He gave me.

Martha also believed that the One would surely come to this world.

She had been waiting.

In the Britannia Province, after the girl responded to the thousands of people he had summoned behind her, she turned her gaze back to the distance behind her.

Miasma -Britannia has always been a barren land.

Surrounded by the sea on all sides, a mysterious remnant.

A vicious dragon dwells here.

The people suffered greatly from the disaster.

After becoming a Roman province, this situation not only did not improve, but worsened, because Rome never considered this area as their own territory.

Rome simply treated this place as a barbaric land of wanton exploitation.

Suffering from natural disasters, suffering from evil dragons.

They were further oppressed by the empire.

Martha is determined to lead them out of this predicament.

"Just like..."

"Like Moses leaving Egypt."

The girl remembered reading about the story of the 'master' in ancient texts, and she clenched her fists slightly.

"You evil dragon of the islands, you cannot stop us from moving forward and crossing the sea!"

"Because our Lord is protecting us, our Lord will surely come to our side!"

Behind them, the roars of dragons overlapped and spread out.

Martha, however, brandished her long spear and charged forward with a fierce air.

The evil dragon cast a huge black shadow from the miasma.

But they were never able to catch up.

Because someone stood in His way, because there was a red-haired female warrior leading countless warriors, who, even if they were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, would still stand in front of the evil dragon.

"Saint Martha, I entrust her to you—"

"May the Lord protect you, brave and pure warrior, Your Highness Boudica."

"I don't believe in God."

The spirited female warrior grinned. "But I believe you!"

"So, you, a dignified emperor, is it really alright for you to run around like this?"

"Hmm? The Roman ministers are all very capable; entrusting them with this task is perfectly fine!"

"You've only just become emperor, how could you possibly know so much?"

"Isn't this obvious? I only need to make a slight deduction to know—even when Uncle Caligula was so mad before, Rome was still able to maintain its most basic functions. Now that I am the perfect emperor, they can definitely do even better under my rule!"

"You just want to slack off, don't you?"

"Hmm? Is that not allowed? This is an 'Emperor's Privilege'!"

The carriage bumped along the way. Inside, Luo Rovi looked helplessly at the excited Maiden Emperor across from him. Although she was sitting in the carriage, she would occasionally stick her golden head out of the window to look at the scenery rushing past. Her emerald green eyes were full of excitement, which made people feel happy.

If we can exclude the arguments and stubbornness in her mouth... Rovi also turned his head and looked out the window.

The Present Moment scene is undoubtedly the result of a debate within the Roman Court.

The so-called "each taking a step back" means that Rovi took the Roman emperor and ran away from the palace, heading towards the place of rebellion.

Since it was a rebellion, then it certainly wasn't just the two of them.

The chariots swayed and rocked back and forth, countless banners fluttered among the mountains and fertile plains, and numerous Roman Army stood high with shields and spears, while a few rode horses or chariots.

This was a full Roman legion of 1,000 men, a thousand regular soldiers. In the West at that time, this was considered a very large force, and many countries simply could not afford to support such an army.

However, for Rome, this was just a drop in the ocean, since Rome had more than twenty full-strength legions of 1,000 men each, totaling more than 100,000 regular troops.

The number of 20 taels is merely the number of taels during one of the emperor's imperial tours.

Neither Nero himself nor the group of old men took the northern rebellion seriously.

Britannia is nothing but barbarians.

Rome had an innate sense of superiority over them.

Rovi shifted his gaze from the distant, rolling mountains and the somewhat gloomy sky to the advancing Roman Legion in front of him, and then back to the carriage.

It met the eyes of the Maiden Emperor, which sparkled with emerald green.

"Hmm, it looks like it's going to rain?" Nero muttered to himself.

You Yu: "But the world outside of Rome is really big; I never realized it before—"

"Don't look down on me like this, I've been to Rome before!" Seemingly noticing the gaze on Rovi, the blonde girl flicked a strand of hair from her forehead, her red lips curving upwards, still appearing charming and passionate.

Even if this enthusiasm only emanated from one person, it was far more captivating than it had been in the old people's home. "Before my uncle Caligula became emperor, when the Roman emperor was still Tiberius... I was fortunate enough to live outside the city of Rome!"

Am I lucky?

Actually, it's a misfortune.

The girl named Nero Claudius was undoubtedly unfortunate. She was the younger sister of Caligula. Although she was born into royalty, she was a scheming woman. Her father was a dissolute and cruel minor nobleman.

As a child, she was banished from Rome because of her father. She lived in the shadow of her father, who was wicked and could not offer her any comfort whatsoever.

Even dark clouds can still burn with firelight, and roses blooming in the darkness remain passionate and unrestrained.

Nero was not affected by them.

She always stayed true to herself.

He persevered until Caligula became emperor, until he reached Rome, and until this very moment... he became emperor.

Despite numerous hardships, the roses still bloom in vibrant glory.

I love this world!

Nero slowly opened her arms, facing the window. Her golden hair was styled in a wave, her soft, red lips parted, and her long red dress swayed in the wind. She glanced at Rovi, her eyes full of joy.

The world treats us with malice.

But she always believed that she was lucky.

She still wants to embrace the world.

Like a rose blooming in the shadows... she turned and pointed her outstretched hands at Rovi, the charming and passionate young woman making no attempt to hide her gaze:

"In the name of the Roman Emperor, I ask you once again—are you willing to help me?"

"To help Rome, which I love?"

"What a troublesome brat..." Rovi laughed. "This isn't your Rome."

"And it is also my Rome—Rome, in a certain sense, was founded because of me!"

With a smile, Rovi placed his hand on Nero's outstretched hand and then grasped it in return.

It's not that I'm helping you.

Instead, it was you... who helped me.

"Hmm? What a domineering and autocratic man, the great Father of Rome!" Nero's smile became even more charming.

Rovi didn't care. "Compared to you, Your Majesty, you're still a bit lacking."

It must be said that Nero, as emperor, is similar to, yet different from, the girl who met Rovi in the back alley.

She seemed to have undergone a transformation during the two days of preparation for the ceremony after becoming emperor.

Perhaps it's an evolution of the mind?

But the charm he exuded in every word and deed was truly hard to dislike. Even for an old man like Rovi who had lived through so many years, such a person was rare in the Western world.

Gilgamesh, Ramesses II, and Solomon gained humanity.

These are the only three examples.

Suddenly, a creaking sound rang out, and the carriage abruptly stopped moving forward. At the same time, a soldier's voice came from outside reporting, "Your Majesty, we have been attacked by rebels ahead. Should we change course?"

"No, keep going!" Nero gave the order without hesitation.

She came here to quell the rebellion; how could she possibly back down or change her mind?

"Let me see." Rovi withdrew his hand, turned around and got off the carriage. He saw the sounds of fighting coming from between the rolling mountains on both sides of the army's front.

Just as the soldier said, they had been attacked.

Despite the disarray in the Roman army, discipline remained impeccable, with countless heavy infantrymen wielding spears, javelins, and short swords surrounding the emperor's carriage.

Rovi shook his long robe and took a step forward...

But then he stopped and looked at the girl who had followed him out.

"I am the emperor. Now that I am here, how can I let you steal my thunder?!" Nero, hands on her hips, her red skirt swaying loosely, her voice full of self-righteousness.

Rovi chuckled and said, "Whatever you want!"

"But you mustn't be scared of the battlefield and cry, kid."

"It's that old man, Qing, who'll be scared to tears!"

"..."

The emperor and his aides were about to move forward, and no one on the scene could stop them, not even the army commander could dissuade the emperor from doing so.

Therefore, the surrounding soldiers could only move forward along with the two figures, forming a protective wall around the king.

They ignored each other's bickering.

I dare not look, much less listen.

After all... according to rumors, this advisor, who is suspected to be a descendant of the wise and virtuous Rovi, is so close to the Maiden Emperor that they are almost inseparable. Who would dare to say anything?

Who knows, this aide might even become a 'prince' in Rome someday!

The wind howled fiercely, whipping up clouds of dust from the hillsides on both sides. Britannia, the northern Roman province, was actually a huge island isolated overseas. Therefore, although the rebels from Britannia had crossed the sea, they would not have gone very far.

Therefore, it is already close to the ocean, and the air currents are full of the smell of the sea.

Nero and Rovi arrived at a mountain in front of them.

Dark clouds rolled overhead, with only a hazy ray of light penetrating the obscuring clouds and falling like dust upon everything.

The sounds of fighting, crying, and wailing grew clearer.

Looking down from here, one can clearly see a scene on the battlefield: Roman Legion soldiers lined up in columns, their shields forming a wall, followed by countless Roman soldiers wielding javelins. They gripped their sharp weapons tightly, tensing their entire bodies in an instant, and unleashed their javelins. The drenching, cold light falling from the sky pierced the earth like a torrential downpour.

The javelin thrower retreats, then switches to a sword, and a spearman steps forward to take his place, extending his long weapon through the gaps between shields, pushing forward step by step.

This was the standard tactic of the Roman Army in this era.

Using power to intimidate others.

With superior military quality, weaponry, and sheer numbers, they crushed the enemy.

Given Rome's national strength and size, such a tactic would have been an absolute crushing victory against any other nation in the past.

This is the 'sword' that established Rome's dominance.

Compared to the orderly and imposing Roman Legion, their enemies were far inferior—no, not inferior, but utterly incomparable.

Because what they were facing was not an army at all.

They were just a group of poor people dressed in tattered hemp clothes, their faces pale and thin. The weapons they wielded were only farming tools, cooking utensils, and fishing spears. Their movements were chaotic, and they just rushed forward in a swarm.

However.

The battle was at a stalemate.

Because these poor people were radiating intense light, they felt no pain and did not die under this light. They seemed to burn like flames, their blood flowing, yet quickly recovering.

It was a ball of fire, a thousand balls of fire.

But it's more like a cluster of sparks, a fire formed by the convergence of countless sparks.

That is...

Rovi, who once planted the 'spark' in the land of Northern Europe.

"Order the entire army to cease attack!" Rovi's words were uttered without hesitation.

The legion commanders on both sides were stunned, somewhat unable to react.

Nero raised an angry voice. "Didn't you hear what my advisors said?"

"Order the withdrawal!"

"The entire army shall retreat fifty paces, maintaining our defensive formation!"

Rovi repeated the order.

With the emperor's approval, the two legion commanders had no more doubts. They rode their horses up the hill and galloped away, conveying the emperor's orders.

"Do whatever you want!" Nero clapped his hands and smiled. "I'll be here watching your performance—don't embarrass yourself! I'm the most perfect imperial artist; not a single mistake you make will escape my eyes!"

"Keep bragging!" Rovi rolled his eyes, flicked his robe, and descended the hill.

He hadn't originally planned to make a move.

After all, with his strength, even if he didn't display any supernatural abilities and only relied on 'physical skills' to fight against ordinary people, as he did in the previous battle against Kagura, it would still be a bit too much to bully ordinary people.

However, now he has no choice but to step forward.

Because that group of people is related to him.

The spark within them...

The entire Roman army retreated.

They slowly retreated towards the valley not far behind them.

The group of civilians were about to give chase when they were suddenly stopped. "Everyone, stop! Don't give chase!"

A clear, crisp voice came from above. A girl dressed in a white robe, holding Cross Spear, had her purple hair flying. Her delicate face was dignified and sacred.

As the rebels gathered, Martha descended from the high place.

Her face was sacred and gentle.

The sound instantly calmed the restlessness in everyone's hearts...

The retreating Roman Army also retreated to both sides, revealing a path.

A tall, handsome young figure in a long robe stepped out.

Martha gripped the spear tightly in her hand.

She took a deep breath.

Instinctively, she could sense Lai Zi's immense power.

"Father of the heavens, Spirit of the Void, Son of the earth, bless me—"

The saint closed her eyes, then opened them.

The burning flames suddenly appeared, and Martha's eyes were clear and stern.

She said, "My Martha."

"I am... a disciple of the Lord!"