Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

Simply put, you need to determine whether the question asks for a view from the present or from the past in order to choose the correct answer.

This was too long-winded for a girl who only got excited when she saw pictures of weapons in history class. She was more interested in looking at history than learning it.

"In 56 AD, Rome was under the rule of the only person in the history of the empire and the church who was both emperor and pope..."

"Speaking of this makes me interested. Let me introduce it by taking the ending of Tacitus's Roman Chronicle as an example."

Before Roman could finish speaking, Leonardo da Vinci interrupted him.

"Italy, where everything begins, and the ancient and glorious banner rises."

The story begins in a city, in its dream. If Rome is the embodiment of glory, then Byzantium (Constantinople) is the embodiment of determination, like a lonely candle once shrouded in the darkness of false gods, now a shining child of civilization.

It is what the Emperor (Nero) and the Pope (Novia) gave to the world: a dream of survival, a dream of innovation, a dream of the future.

Determined to endure, determined to survive, determined to protect what still endures in this fickle, malevolent world. The same things that inspired the departed emperor and the fearless people, together traversing the gates of Heaven and Hell, passing through the perilous depths of Hell, to reach the paradise of all beings.

Today, many people believe that our survival and rise are 'destined' or 'preordained', but this is not the case.

For centuries, from commoners to bureaucrats, from merchants to soldiers, from nobles to believers, it was the tireless struggle and faith in the Lord of countless fellow Romans that allowed Rome to survive, and it will continue to do so in the future.

Whether living within the walls of the capital or in the most remote border provinces, every citizen of the empire knew the heavy burden on their shoulders, the danger of extinguishing the last flame of Roman civilization, and the disappointment of the gods.

Only time, and that enduring, ancient resolve, will allow it to shine as always, and perhaps even more.

The two cities embraced each other, and their dreams became one. From then on, even if the long night persists, dawn will still break.

Today, the stories of the two cities are united as one.

Today, the world has turned a new page. A city forged into the world, a world melted into one city—that is Rome.

Some lengthy texts were sung out by Leonardo da Vinci as if they were chants.

Hearing Leonardo da Vinci sing it like that, Ritsuka suddenly remembered that when she was in history class, her teacher seemed to have mentioned that if she was interested, she could go back and search for related stage plays. After all, this part of the story is widely known, so there are more or less these excerpts in stage plays related to Roman history.

However, Ritsuka's current situation is exactly like that of someone who is drowsy during class but becomes alert and clear-headed when listening to music after class. Of course, Ritsuka also glanced at Novia, who shares the same name as the first Pope, to see how he would react.

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much of a reaction. It's probably because we've heard it so many times. After all, given the name and various other circumstances, we've probably heard it quite a few times.

Fujimaru Ritsuka, who was leisurely sipping her tea, belatedly realized this.

"..."

But at the same time, she fell silent for a moment, because she thought of Novia, the father of her junior, Hibiki. In the past few days, Ritsuka had been trying to avoid Novia as much as possible, because the orange-haired girl was still quite puzzled by her subconscious act of tasting the blood on the corner of Novia's mouth when she returned from France.

She admitted that she did have feelings for Novia, but she couldn't understand why she did so.

After all, she wasn't a vampire, she was a normal person, how could she possibly do such a thing? But the facts were right in front of her, and Ritsuka had no choice but to admit it.

So what's wrong with me...? I can't ask Leonardo da Vinci or Dr. Roman about this kind of question, it's so frustrating...

"Senior, you're here."

The moment the girl heard Mashu's words from not far away, her previously gloomy expression brightened instantly.

"...Would you like another drink?"

Mash walked straight over and placed her hand on the empty teapot, asking Ritsuka a question.

It was only then that Ritsuka noticed that the teacup she had placed there was empty. It seemed that she had unknowingly finished her tea while she was thinking. Ritsuka didn't seem to care about it, but just as she was about to nod, she changed her gaze because she suddenly remembered something.

As Mash's Master, Ritsuka can naturally see her past.

In a sterile room with white walls, a pink-haired girl lay on a bed with her eyes closed, while her many lab technicians observed her from above.

"I woke up at the same time today, checked my body, checked my five senses, took a deep breath—to confirm that my self-awareness still exists. This time, it didn't disappear after I fell asleep. I am who I am, and I am able to continue today. That's what you think, right?"

Suddenly, Ritsuka, who was watching all this, heard a woman's voice.

Where did it come from? There was only Mashu in the sterile room, and it was isolated from all the sounds from the outside world.

Just as Ritsuka was confused, she suddenly noticed a white-haired girl sitting by Mashu's bed.

"You are very fortunate to have been able to enjoy this beautiful world all day in this comfortable, sterile room."

At this moment, Ritsuka also noticed that Mash, who had been keeping her eyes closed, had opened them and was looking upwards, while the white-haired girl was still talking beside her.

"Actually, you have a small wish, 'to see the outside world,' but your body can't withstand the outside world, so you are very happy. As long as you stay here, you can spend every day peacefully and without change."

The words of the unnamed white-haired girl sounded so certain and certain.

Just as Ritsuka was about to wake up from her dream, she saw the white-haired girl get up and come to her. The girl looked at the supposedly empty 'space' where Ritsuka was, scrutinizing her with a critical gaze. No matter how you looked at it, there should be no outsider present, but the white-haired girl still scrutinized her.

Finally, the white-haired girl suddenly laughed.

"Well, it's less about being beautiful and more about being very powerful, or perhaps both."

Powerful... Hmm, it probably wasn't me. I'll just take it as a compliment to Mashu.

Ritsuka thought to herself in a daze.

But the white-haired girl's last words jolted her awake—

"sister in law."

"Hahaha……"

Ritsuka, who suddenly got up in her Chaldea room, realized that it was still late at night and that she was covered in sweat. At the same time, Ritsuka saw that Fou, who was lying on her bed, was startled by her waking up and jumped off the bed and ran out.

“Fu”.

Am I...dreaming?

But the scene was just too vivid, especially the white-haired girl by Mashu's bed... She seemed to resemble Fou, was it just my imagination?

Fou was the only one who didn't hear Ritsuka's inner thoughts about her confusion. Otherwise, she would probably have responded with a few nonchalant "Fou" sounds. After all, the main reason she woke up in a fright by Ritsuka's bedside was because she sensed the aura of the Flower Magician, which almost startled her.

Having spent so much time with Merry in Avalon, Fou had a very special feeling about the Flower Magician's wickedness. She considered her act of going to find her after her master (Black Princess) had fallen asleep as the greatest shame of her life, and it could be said that she had mistaken her for someone else.

Back in the present, Ritsuka paused for a moment, thinking about this. Mashu noticed, and just as she was about to ask Ritsuka what was wrong, Ritsuka suddenly spoke:

"By the way, my AP will be fully restored in a little while, and it's time for me to head to the Chaldea Gate."

"I see. Then let's talk about it later..."

Mashu released the teapot with a hint of regret.

Although it was not my intention to leave Mash confused, this is the fate of a Master, there's nothing I can do about it.

Ritsuka mentally recited the mantra.

Let's invite Advisor Novia for tea after the battle. Come to think of it, I've never heard Hibiki mention that Advisor Novia has a younger sister...

……

Within the Roman singularity.

The Library of Alexandria, which had been lost for many years and located on the seabed, has been found by Atlas Academy. At this moment, in the underwater plaza that reflects the starry sky, it is filled with a faint light, as if supported by some unseen force, and not a single drop of the overflowing seawater spills out.

Looking up from the vast plaza, which has no ceiling, one sees an underwater scene reflected in the sky, like a starry night.

In front of the square stands a building that resembles a temple.

And there was a huge door that looked dozens of times taller than a normal person, as if it were disrupting people's sense of distance.

And in front of that door, a purple-haired girl was squinting as she watched.

"..."

The purple-haired girl reached her hand to the 'door' beside her and gently stroked it a few times.

In this way, brightly colored paintings emerged.

Although it was a very abstract painting, painted with only primary colors, it depicted a scene at sunset. Because of the simple coloring, the colors had something touching. But after she touched it again, the painting on the wall disappeared as if it were a lie.

"What is it that has brought you back to life?"

After a while, the purple-haired girl said this expressionlessly.

"Osiris."

Chapter 361 I am both Emperor and Pope, you know?

"Not long ago, uprisings in the Middle East, led by the Roman province of Egypt, began to take place to varying degrees, all bearing the name 'Osiris'?"

The following day, after arriving in Rome, the three who were on their second mission to conquer the singularity learned of this news from the locals.

One day, Alexander the Great, who suddenly came back from the dead, with the help of his strategists, used his great power to plunge the Roman Empire into such turmoil.

Novia recalls that the Roman Empire, led by the God Ancestor, should have split into two factions. Although the Conqueror King also appeared, he was in Lily form. And that strategist was probably Zhuge Liang, but only the second generation who gained power, not the real Zhuge Liang.

However, the current situation seems to be caused by the young emperor and the strategist working together.

"Isn't Alexander the son of Zeus, the king of the gods? Why use the name Osiris?"

"Why are you asking me this kind of question, Mashu...?"

Mashu's question was clearly difficult for Ritsuka, who didn't pay attention in history class.

However, this question gave Novia some ideas, and he began to answer:

"Osiris is one of the two main gods of Egypt, the other being the sun god Ra. However, in the definition of magic, Set, who actually tore Osiris to pieces, is not a main god. Perhaps this is because he inherited the kingship of the sun god Ra."

Iskandar the Conqueror claimed to be the son of Zeus and even disguised himself as Heracles.

Later, in order to rule the foreign land of Egypt, his subordinate Ptolemy exploited this, merging the Greek and Egyptian pantheons and placing Iskandar at the center. In other words, he asserted that Iskandar was the son of two co-ruling gods: Zeus in Greek mythology and Amun-Ra in Egyptian mythology.

Novia's explanation was somewhat understandable to Ritsuka; it was something like ruling through faith, or so she thought. But then she suddenly noticed a loophole and immediately asked a question.

“But according to you, Novia, Alexander shouldn’t be called Osiris either. Wouldn’t it be better to call him Ra?”

Indeed, compared to Osiris, the title of Ra, the sun god and the most revered deity in Egypt, is the best.

In fact, after hearing about the uprising in Egypt marked by 'Osiris', Novia was reminded of the Library of Alexandria located underwater, the divine body of Osiris that she should have destroyed long ago. But then she thought it was unlikely, since he was really dead and, according to the situation, had been taken over by the Atlas House.

Therefore, Ptolemy's experiment with the god-eating technique, which involved three magicians from the East and West aiming to resurrect Alexander IV a thousand years later, should have been declared over.

Therefore, the God-eating Experiment was based on Alexander IV, whose personality and life were blank, to rewrite a new myth with Iskandar the Conqueror as the leader. However, the real Conqueror, due to his very real existence, truly became a god and was engraved on the planet.

This is why the true conqueror would not be affected by the God-eating experiment, because the result of the God-eating experiment was the emergence of the figure Iskandar, who can be considered a divine figure in the lineage of the Romance of Alexander.

It should be understood that although the Ptolemaic period was a time of decline for the divine age, it was still the divine age. The underworld at that time was not just a simple concept, but a real place underground. In modern times, even if someone is worshipped as a god, it only has symbolic and religious significance. However, in the divine age, it was still possible to create a truly physical and tangible god.

In this case, if Iskandar is defined as a god... the king's bloodline is also the god's bloodline.

It could be said to be the greatest time magic of a nation's undertaking, but that is ultimately only a matter for one country. What if we could utilize the transformation of a myth that spans continents... for example, to make it the historical cornerstone for the transformation of later cultures?

In short, this is a grand ritual magic of the Wandering Sea and Mountain Court, Atlas Court, transcending the boundaries of their respective magical organizations, utilizing the human world and mythology itself.

Ptolemy provided the physical body of Alexander IV and the divine body of Osiris; Giz of the Wandering Sea provided the fragment of Typhon; Courdris of the Atlas Court provided the divine body of Set; and Wuzhiqi of the Mountain Court provided a piece taken from the Immortal Stone before Sun Wukong was hatched.

If the God-Eating Plan succeeds, it will lead to the creation of a 'blank' existence that integrates more myths and customs, not only in Greece and Egypt, but also in the Persian sphere and surrounding areas. Alexander IV will inherit the titles of the twenty-eighth king of Macedon, "Barcelos," the god-king of the thirty-second dynasty of Egypt, "Pharaoh," and the king of kings of Persia, "Shah Shah," and so on.

Furthermore, if we take the Romance of Alexander as a benchmark, a supreme god-king will emerge after the decline of the Age of Gods, who will reunite the mythological systems of Greece, Egypt, Persia, and other surrounding regions. After all, in the Type-Moon universe, Set is consistent with Typhon of Greece, Ōkuninushi of Japan, Yamata no Orochi, and Chiyou of China, as well as the 'bull' in the Dragon-Bull Struggle of the Age of Gods.

However, this blank space could not be obtained by Iskandar, whose planetary destiny had already been determined; it could only be inherited by Alexander IV, who was in a 'blank' position.

However, all of this is based on the premise that everyone thinks the same way. But the magicians all have their own ulterior motives. For example, Curdris of the Atlas Academy only wanted to use this to make Alexander IV a device to calculate the destruction of the world, while Ptolemy only hoped that the king's child could have a library that could never be finished.

According to the plot of Alexander IV's Great Adventure, it was Curdris's actions that led to Ptolemy's contingency plan, which resulted in Alexander IV's body being removed from the library and left in the Strait of Malacca area, where it was found by Alexander IV's disciples, thus starting the story.

However, given that Osiris's body was destroyed by Novia in the beginning, it seems impossible for it to happen again.

But then Novia thought again, could it be because of the Holy Grail? Could it have caused Alexander the Great, in his Lily form, to become interested in the God-Eating Project? Although such behavior should be impossible for him personally, it's not impossible.

If the God-Eating Plan succeeds a thousand years ahead of schedule, then a great god who embodies the essence of Greece, Egypt, Persia, and surrounding regions will emerge. This so-called god Alexander, based on the Romance of Alexander, will not be the same as the real god Alexander.

Just like the difference between Charlemagne and Karl, "The Romance of Alexander" is a collection of legends that circulated throughout Eurasia and Africa, based on the life of Alexander the Great of ancient Macedon and interspersed with many fantasies. Although it is built around the core of history, the collection of stories is largely fictional and contains a lot of fantasy and legendary content.

To be honest, the idea of ​​becoming the king of gods in an era when the gods did not appear felt somewhat familiar to Novia.

"I don't know either."

In short, this is how Novia answered Ritsuka's question.

"So, Consultant Novia, what should we do next?"

Mashu's words interrupted Novia's thoughts, but he quickly laughed and stood up to look at the sea.

"Rome in this era should have been at its most prosperous, but it was on the verge of crisis. This is the reason for the collapse of human morality. Therefore, the goal of this operation is to stop the ravages of 'Osiris' and take the Holy Grail from them."

"understand!"

"The most urgent thing is to go to Rome and explain the situation to the current Roman emperor..."