Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

Ultimately, the root cause was that Rome lacked a legally mandated rule of succession, leaving the interpretation of the law uncertain. Furthermore, the First Dynasty relied too heavily on Augustus's prestige, and all of this combined to create Claudius's incredibly awkward situation.

This was the reason why the old emperor had hoped that the Christianity brought by Novia would replace polytheism for most of the time. Unfortunately, he could not control his unfaithful wife, nor could he control Agrippina, who was very good at taking advantage of her.

"After today's lessons, there will be the study of Christian doctrine, as I mentioned. Now it's time to begin the next phase. In a few days, I will send you to a nearby place to try it out on your own. This is a necessary benchmark, Domitius. Good luck."

“I understand, Teacher Novia.”

The blonde girl was studying diligently. Upon hearing this, she placed her gaze on the book written by Novia, then moved to the adjacent room. Apart from a bed, a white wooden square table, and four straw chairs, there was no other furniture. Above, where a mirror usually hangs, was a silver copper cross nailed to a black line and set in a dark gold wooden frame.

There is nothing luxurious here; its simplicity makes this space even more solemn.

"Sir, do you have a moment?"

　Domitius heard other voices coming from outside the room, which he guessed were people going to ask their teacher about doctrine.

Hearing the sound, Novia glanced at the blonde girl and found her eyes wide open as she read the contents of the book word for word. She seemed to have noticed his gaze and was therefore casting a questioning look at him.

"You study on your own for now, I'll be right back."

After saying that, Novia went out. Once she was sure that there was no magical fluctuation in the room, Domitius put down the book and ran to the window on the second floor. Although she could not look out through the window, she could still barely see the scene in front of the door through the lattice.

As expected, it was the people that Domitius genuinely loved. Perhaps due to her childhood experiences, the blonde girl preferred the nameless common people to the nobles. That is why she showed such respect to Novia, who was only two years older than her but was responsible and beloved by the people.

Ever since Domitius realized that Novia was genuinely loved by the people, she vowed to become like her, to be able to genuinely smile when thousands of people were watching. To achieve this small yet ambitious goal, she would keep striving.

A few days ago, after drinking the water given to her by Novia, perhaps because her headache had been relieved for a long time, or perhaps because she was too young to keep her thoughts to herself, she truthfully told Novia this declaration.

"That's your idea."

Novia squinted and smiled slightly, his voice blending seamlessly with nature, giving the girl a sense that he already knew.

The girl, who was originally going to say more, nodded silently when he asked her that question.

"That's it."

The girl in the room stared blankly at the light streaming in through the window. The bright room was filled with vivid light, and she was immersed in it.

After that, he uttered only one sentence in a low voice, and what was reflected in the girl's green eyes was the sincerity in her blue pupils.

“My student, if you need help, please tell me, Domitius.”

The girl's eyes reflected the figure of the boy who always had a gentle demeanor. The room she was in on the second floor was quite a distance from the ground, so her gaze should not be noticed, and she stared at him without any scruples. However, Domitius noticed that Novia glanced at them lightly.

"........."

In an instant, she seemed to stop breathing. Although it was terrifying that her gaze had been noticed, she was more afraid of being punished by the teacher as a student.

The blonde girl immediately ran back to her original spot from the second floor and silently began reading the book she was supposed to study. Although studying alone was tedious, she knew it was a necessary sacrifice for learning. Even so, she couldn't just keep studying forever, because Domitius was an omnipotent genius.

So she thought about it and then picked up the doctrines written by Novia, pondering their meaning. In her opinion, these seemed more difficult to understand than the content in the books she studied, as well as the things said during baptism. However, although she did not understand their meaning, the blonde girl felt that they were very important and that she had to understand them.

In short, Domitius is now pondering the doctrines taught by Novia while waiting for him to return and clarify his doubts.

"........Um?"

When Novia returned and opened the door, she discovered that Domitius, who would later be renamed Nero, was indeed, as Seneca had described, a small gem that shone with spirit, but unfortunately, an uncontrollable factor.

"Hello teacher."

"Oh."

"Professor Novia, I'd like to ask, what does this sentence mean...?"

019: News about the Dragon of Albion

From the ancient land across the English Channel, greyish-white snowflakes gently fall from the sky, the initial sparse flakes soon gathering in clusters and dominating the entire island.

As the year 49 AD officially arrived, Rendinium, a settlement built by the ancient Roman Empire on the island of Britain, continued to develop as a 'bridge across the Thames' in the year of its conquest. In time, this settlement would surely become the 'heart' of the island.

The early morning wind was incredibly cold, brushing against the cheeks of British Governor Lucius. He couldn't help but sneeze, and at the same time, he stopped in his tracks inside the cave he had dug.

"There are just too many of these weird things here."

The man pointed his weapon at the countless points of green light in the tunnel, which floated on the earthy cave floor like a layer of frost.

However, these were all corpses, yet Lucius felt no sorrow whatsoever.

They?

Its gender is indistinguishable. It has an insect-like body, eyes that are slightly larger than those of a human, and overall limbs that resemble the graceful limbs of a human girl. Its soft hair flows freely even without wind. However, upon closer inspection, a slit can be found on its face. After the slit opens, the face splits open vertically, and the entire head transforms into a mouth with sharp teeth, ready to attack.

Although it is extremely disgusting, it is by no means a fantasy species, but more like a maggot born from some kind of dead and mysterious creature.

Since Lucius was appointed Governor of Britain a year ago, he has been diligently digging under the command of Novia, searching for what lies beneath Rendyneum. Although he is unsure of what Novia is looking for, Lucius has chosen to dig alone to be on the safe side. Fortunately, he is no ordinary man, and sleeping only three hours a day for a year is more than enough for him. This has led the soldiers stationed in Britain and the local residents to believe that he is a trustworthy governor.

That's normal. Lucius isn't someone who cares about money. He doesn't deliberately exploit the natives. He's personally strong and often leads by example in training his legion. Naturally, the soldiers stationed in Britain trust him.

After pausing for a moment, he shifted his gaze from the green light to the front of the cave and continued digging alone. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his lower back. He frowned slightly, but as always, he endured the biting pain that had plagued him for years.

However, after Lucius received a drop of water from Novia, his pain was greatly relieved; to put it in perspective, it was now one instead of ten.

Naturally, Lucius was filled with gratitude towards Novia. He had even wanted to give Novia the spear that was stained with the Holy Son's blood, because he believed that Novia was far more important than himself. However, Novia refused, saying that she wanted Lucius to use it for self-defense.

Since things have come to this, the only way to express my gratitude is to complete the tasks Novia assigned me properly. Besides, he has accomplished so much at such a young age, and although I am old, I cannot hold him back.

It was with this in mind that Lucius had no interest in appreciating the British Isles and only hoped to find what Novia had mentioned. After digging for two hours, the man took out the water bag, which was already soaked with sweat, from his waist belt and began to drink.

After finishing his drink, Lucius planned to continue digging, but—

The moment he made contact with what lay ahead, he stopped, sensing something powerful yet corrupt just a patch of earth away, and of immense size.

This must be what Novia is looking for, the man thought. It is probably a creature that once thrived on this land and even arbitrarily occupied the top of the ecosystem.

Having determined the location, Lucius did not hesitate. He returned along the original path and used the Spear of Longinus to seal off the area, transforming it into an endless wasteland dotted with weeds and dead trees, which even the Magic Eye could not penetrate.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, masking the movement in the grass; when the wind died down and the leaves fell silent, all was quiet again. Lucius, who had appeared out of nowhere, stood like a statue of Mars, warily surveying his surroundings with his eyes, restored by the holy blood.

Half an hour passed before he left that desolate place without looking back, and immediately relayed the message to Novia in Rome.

“This fellow believer is indeed cautious, Lucius Longinus, but those eyes and that gun…” A voice rang out as if the space itself were present, then slowly faded into silence, “If that person in Jerusalem sixteen years ago is real, then I should also find a way to get out of Alcatraz and see this fellow believer who brought this new religion, Novia.”

On this star-studded night, something that had lost the face of its former friend due to its body being reduced to a vampire said this.

........

Novia learned of Lucius's news from Rome in the morning.

At that moment, the silver-haired boy was leading Domitius around the city of Rome, spreading his innovative Christian doctrines.

The morning mist in the wilderness was slowly dissipating, and sunlight filtered through the sparse shadows of the birch trees, casting its glow on Novia's shoulders in the center of the crowd, like a forest scene full of natural beauty.

"Although the Son, Jesus Christ, was born, became flesh, suffered, and rose again, the Father still participated in the process. The difference is that only the Son is revealed. The Father and the Son are completely equal, without any distinction of precedence or hierarchy. The Son is also entirely Lord, and His unique characteristic is that He is eternally begotten by the Father."

"Those who have faith may have different beliefs, hopes, and loves, but they all enjoy worldly benefits or suffer evil."

"The best life is goodness, and the attainment of the best life itself, whether you are in Rome, Gaul, or Anatolia, is achieved as long as you have faith, devout faith, and do your best to relieve the poor, love one another, and care for the weak, your soul will eventually be redeemed."

"All natures are good, because the Lord of all natures is supremely good, but no nature is as supremely and eternally good as the Lord..."

The blonde girl, Domitius, watched as the distant horizon became clearer, listening to the birdsong in the forest rising and falling with her teacher's voice. She felt a sense of intoxication and unconsciously basked in the sunlight.

But then, although Novia's hesitation was only momentary, it was still noticed by Domitius. By the time she realized what was happening, her teacher had handed the rest over to her, while he himself seemed to have something to do and left first.

As dusk fell, upon returning to Rome, she learned that her teacher, Novia, had been dispatched by His Majesty the Emperor to Britain to handle matters concerning the local religious community, the Idahos.

020: The Dragon's Crown, who died from exhaustion

Colorful flowers bloom on the tranquil plain, and the only thing obscuring the view is the distant forest. Even if you turn around and look at the whole sky, all you can see is the equally distributed land and the blue sky.

This is the scene that Cialis saw after crossing the English Channel.

A few days ago, after receiving Novia's invitation, she immediately left the Atlas Institute and went to Britain, which Novia had mentioned, intending to fulfill the conditions she had agreed to when she signed the contract—to do him a favor within the scope of her ability.

"If my calculations are correct, the mystery surrounding Britain will probably last for over a hundred years."

The moment she set foot on the island, Xia Li knew that this place was different from others. The mystery was fading much slower than on the mainland. Although she knew that the more isolated a place was from the mainland, the more likely it was to retain its mystery, she was still surprised by it.

"Haha, it might last for five hundred years, and the mystery of some places will still exist a thousand years from now."

"How could it take that long... Let's skip the small talk and get to the point. What do you need me to do?"

The purple-haired girl narrowed her eyes, calmly and steadily watching Novia approach with a smile and the man with a cross on his face beside him. According to her information, the man beside her should be Lucius Longinus, the governor of Britain.

Since parting ways with Novia at the Atlas Institute, she had been staying inside doing research. She only came out a few days ago after receiving a message from Novia. On her way out, Cialis also gathered information about Novia's recent activities.

At the age of sixteen, he held a position second only to the emperor in the Roman Empire, but at the age of ten, he became a candidate for the next president of the Atlas Academy.

The Roman Empire had a total of about 100,000 magicians. Although the Atlas Academy had fewer people, its skills were naturally much stronger than those magicians who only knew a little bit of magic, so the equation could barely be established.

Although Xia Li didn't know why she was making this comparison, she was subconsciously calculating it.

"You'll arrive in three days, don't you need to rest?"

"That's not necessary."

The girl's tone was devoid of any weariness; she spoke with unwavering resolve, staring at Novia with her competitive purple eyes.

Perhaps because he felt that his role in conquering the Library of Alexandria underwater was not as significant as Novia's, he was eager to demonstrate his true strength as the current instructor of the Atlas Academy and the candidate for the next dean in front of her.

"But speaking of which, you're dressed lightly."

The girl's words have a slightly different meaning than the literal meaning. The white clothes Novia is wearing are fine in winter in Britain and are also a suitable item for formal occasions.

"Cialie" actually refers to the equipment of a magician. People of such status always have multiple Mystic Codes ready to protect themselves from spiritual and physical dangers. As a high-ranking magician, it is not surprising that they can be attacked by anyone at any time. In addition, because magicians carry so many powerful Mystic Codes, they are praised as being able to rival a barrier on their own.

"Haha, because in the face of an absolute gap, even if I show off my little tricks, it will be of no use."

Upon hearing this, Xia Li frowned slightly. Based on the information she had obtained through the Ether Thread, the Roman court was a den of intrigue, always rife with intricate power struggles and schemes. Everyone was eagerly waiting to see such a fool fall into a trap... but the outcome was not what they had imagined.

"Whatever, it's up to you. So what do you want me to do?"

"Please come with me. I have no choice but to ask you for help with this matter."

Novia bowed his head earnestly. Having arrived on the island of Britain, he estimated from the cave Lucius had dug that the Albion Dragon was indeed dead, but its body had not yet split due to geological movements. In other words, it was a skeleton with a total length of two kilometers, and even after the body was broken off, the head was still extending downwards. The head had traveled such a long distance after leaving the body, and the location of this head was later used as an observation platform by the Clock Tower.

"I will do my best, if that's what you want."

Xia Li replied casually, turning her face away. You could tell how happy she was from the fact that she didn't use the Ether Thread immediately.

The three then traveled to a location near Londenium on the Thames River.

In fact, at the moment she received the news, though only for a fleeting instant, the purple-haired girl had this illusion that the exploration would be very interesting.

The bells of the returning ship rang, the sun sank below the horizon, and the mountains at dusk were dyed red by the setting sun. The evening breeze carried a slight chill, yet it was so peaceful.

The three of them followed the winding, snake-like road to the underground of an endless, desolate land dotted with weeds and dead trees.

The girl felt a faint magical energy seeping into her from the cracks in the soil, and her whole body trembled involuntarily. The magic would dissipate as she walked, and the spell would fail as she spoke. This was because something not far ahead was too insignificant and meaningless for a human to search for.

"Novia, what is this?"

Fifty years of the Age of Gods ended, and humanity became the most intelligent of all beings. The laws of physics were no longer suitable for the survival of creatures in mythology and fantasy. Those fantastical beings who understood and accepted this left, and nature with personality became a mere natural phenomenon. The ether in the atmosphere dissipated, mystery diminished, and the magic of the mythological era was lost. True ancient magic vanished from the world, leaving behind only insignificant traces.

According to rumors circulating in the academy, compared to the original magic, the current magic is like an empty shell. The two eras are vastly different and cannot be compared.

And what lies buried behind this soil is—

Unlike gods who are personified through human cognition or belief, it is a primitive, super-existent being.

Far exceeding the level of the divine body Osiris that I have ever seen, an overwhelming amount of magic power is clearly gathered here.

"......"

Novia remained silent for a long time.

Did he not actually know either? This was what Xia Li thought to herself. A short while later, the silver-haired boy slowly spoke:

"Once upon a time, there existed a gigantic dragon, whose majestic body was said to be larger than mountains. For some reason, the dragon lingered on this side of the fantasy world for a long time."

"When the dragons finally chose to leave, the mystery had already thinned, and the hole leading to the 'other side of the world' could not be opened. Even so, there was no despair, nor did they give up. Since they could not be moved by mystery, they would move by physical means. And they used their enormous bodies to burrow into the earth where mystery still remained."

".....Huh?"

Since it was the first time she had heard of it, the purple-haired girl blinked several times, as there were no related records in the courtyard.

"However, the dragon died from exhaustion while burrowing underground."

"A pureblood dragon, its name is—"

"The Dragon of Albion".