Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

Unfortunately, this is no longer the Age of Gods, and Novia is not a figure like the Sword Emperor Old Sword, who can destroy a country single-handedly.

“You’re so young, yet you have quite a few ideas. It’s no wonder John values ​​you so much. He called me here.”

Lucius slowly lowered the oars and began rowing again.

Lucius understood Novia's meaning; in fact, he always knew that if they hadn't used magic to conceal it from the beginning, they would have been discovered and arrested by the magicians of the Roman Empire stationed on the Bosphorus long ago.

However, since one is traveling alone, necessary vigilance is essential, so Lucius also included it in his investigation.

"It's that old man John, just as I thought."

Novia replied in the predictable way.

No wonder that guy only asked once and then ignored it; it turns out he had already arranged for obstacles to block his way.

"How did you guess that?"

"How did you guess that?"

Novia sighed and said, "They wouldn't accept any amount of money, and they nervously refused. Now that they have such influence along the Mediterranean coast, isn't the answer obvious?"

Before a certain stage of development, religious belief is the most widespread force of cohesion.

"Besides, isn't it normal to keep your distance from strangers? Please be careful, as inexplicably showing too much intimacy can easily arouse suspicion."

"Haha, you're right, I'll be careful."

The twisted cross-shaped scar left on Lucius's left cheek was impossible for Novia to ignore.

However, Novia is now fully focused on recalling his battle with Lucius. He has a deep sense that Lucius really put a lot of thought into his moves. If he were to face him head-on and be fully prepared, the best he could hope for is a draw.

His combat skills and power are terrifying, not to mention he hasn't even drawn the Spear of Longinus, stained with holy blood yet. In any case, this is a truly formidable weapon...

Time passed peacefully, and while Novia was pondering, the fishing boat successfully reached the other side.

"We're here, kid. You can get off the boat now. Be careful, or you'll die."

Novia snapped out of her reverie, and before her eyes stretched a vast expanse of shallow sea from the shore into the distance, gleaming like a jewel under the moonlight.

Aren't you curious why I know your name?

After the ship docked, Novia disembarked and asked Lucius a question.

"It's just a name, they're all the same."

Lucius grinned, and after a brief silence, as if greeting an old friend he had met on the roadside, he picked up his hat, lowered his head, and prepared to return.

However, Novia had already decided that she must bring Lucius into the fold to prepare for future plans regarding the Roman Praetorian Guard.

"I can relieve your biting pain."

"How...how did you know about this?"

Just as Novia spoke, Lucius was already standing in front of him, his expression serious, no longer the gentle one he had been before.

Knowing his name was fine, perhaps because John and others had told him, but he had never told anyone about this pain, nor had he ever expected a solution!

Seeing Lucius's reaction, Novia breathed a sigh of relief; she had guessed right after all.

According to the apocryphal text Herod's Letter to Pilate, Lucius was punished by God for stabbing Jesus in the side. He was placed in a cave and subjected to the pain of being bitten every night until dawn, repeating this cycle until the end of time.

However, the lunar history may not follow this setting. But when Novia was fighting Lucius, she noticed that Lucius's neck muscles were tense, as if he was uncomfortable.

Adding to this the subtle lift in her eyebrows or the slight tightening of her jawline, Novia boldly speculates—

Lucius is enduring the pain!

Judging from the reactions now, that's certainly the case.

“I don’t know how you know, but I don’t really care about the pain.” Lucius grinned again, touching the old, cross-shaped scar on his cheek. “Guess why I didn’t remove this scar? I left it there so I wouldn’t forget the pain. It’s become a part of my body, just like the pain of being bitten.”

Good grief, you're so stubborn, aren't you? You love pain so much.

However, although Lucius seemed unconvincing, Novia still had a way—

"But this suffering is proof that you have insulted the righteous."

Novia cut straight to the point. After all, Lucius was a saint whose name was passed down to later generations. He had personally been cured of his eye disease by the blood of Jesus, so he must have been a man of unwavering faith.

"Even though you're young, you shouldn't say things like that."

Although Lucius's tone was calm, he made no attempt to hide his anger.

“But you are trembling, which proves that you are indeed afraid of this, and that is why I have come, Lucius Longinus.”

Novia placed her hand on Lucius's tense shoulder, but Lucius remained motionless, his eyes fixed on Novia.

For Lucius, pain is the "answer".

He always believed that his suffering was the answer to his redemption.

Others had as many answers as the stars in the sky, but Lucius only had the answer of enduring suffering.

The salvation of the new gods has not come to earth, and the old gods have long since disappeared.

The earth was still filled with death and suffering; the people were exhausted, the children were crying out, and all who had life were suffering.

It's easy to talk about looking to the future, but it's incredibly difficult to actually teach it.

Some call it a curse, while others lament that the age of humanity is the true hell.

Therefore, Lucius could only endure the pain and pray.

But the silver-haired boy in front of him kept telling him with his light blue eyes, his words shining as brightly as the stars.

"Of course, life is about completion. No matter how we live it, it will end someday, whether it's me or you. But—can what you're doing now be considered a beautiful pattern of completion?"

Upon hearing this, Lucius felt as if he had been doused with cold water during a fierce battle, and his whole body seemed to lose its strength.

"I can only tell you one thing right now."

No magic was used, yet the sound resounded throughout the surroundings.

“I promise you, Lucius Longinus—follow me, and I will give you all the glory that will cleanse you of your sins…that is all.”

When his pain was exposed by someone he had only met once, Lucius undoubtedly sensed a sincere prayer in those words.

So, almost as if by magic, Lucius Longinus nodded.

"...Alright, I am Lucius Longinus, and your name seems to be No—"

"Novia, that's my name."

003: We must use science to create miracles.

In 48 AD, on the coast of the Adriatic in the ancient Roman Empire.

After a year-long journey, we are about to arrive at the highest city of Rome!

At noon, Lucius leaned against a tree some distance from Novia, gazing at the silver-haired boy with a steady gaze.

In this idyllic landscape, the shadows of villagers waiting in line stretch across the fields.

"God has seen your faith, and you and your family will surely be saved."

"Really, really?"

"Of course, but we must know that all believers are friends, and those who are strong should take care of those who are weak."

While chatting and laughing with the rich, Novia gently distributed the donated food to those in line.

Throughout the year, Lucius had witnessed Novia's personal abilities on several occasions, astonishingly managing to persuade these guys to willingly donate their food.

When he was a boy, he encountered robbers on the outskirts of Rome. Although he managed to fight them off, the robbers were also injured by Lucius and could no longer walk, eventually becoming beggars.

Whenever Lucius passed through the street, he would see the beggar and feel extremely guilty.

Later, the robber fell ill and, because of the care he received, abandoned his original faith in the Roman gods and converted to a monotheistic religion that was slowly gaining followers. Unexpectedly, he became a believer even earlier than Lucius.

But back then, it was mostly poor people. Unlike now, where rich people are joining in too.

That's right. Although only a few decades have passed since the Age of Gods, humans are ultimately fickle creatures. The Roman polytheists were not responsible for instructing humans on how to survive, but rather assisted them diligently. Therefore, they were not perfect.

However, in monotheism, the relationship between humans and God is completely reversed. God is transformed from a helper to a supreme authority, the source of law, morality, and order, and is an unquestionable existence. Humans must live under God's guidance, which also facilitates governance.

In this era, as long as you dare to believe, there will be a hidden rule in your heart, because no matter what, God has not disappeared from the earth for long.

This is also why Novia dared to spread her teachings all the way. The Age of Gods is over, so how could you ask your Greek-Roman gods to come and fight me?

Moreover, compared to the Roman polytheism, they were truly doing real work, and their expansion strategy was a classic example of encircling the cities from the countryside and the nobility from the lower classes.

The reason why Christianity was able to defeat polytheism in the original history was not because everyone was eloquent and had a Yuri halo, but because it was more centralized and could send people to plunder money, and the money could be poured into the poor's pots.

He could follow the example of the priests at the Temple of Athena, but he couldn't control the priestesses of the Apollo district. He could hold out, but when he looked back, the Apollo district had fallen.

Although things are still a bit unstable at the moment, the only requirement for joining is that wealthy believers donate money to the church. The church will use this money to help those believers who are poor. If everyone is poor and has no money, believers will be organized to support each other. If someone is sick and no one can take care of them, other believers will take care of them.

They were starving and had nothing to eat, but other believers who had extra food were willing to share a bit so they wouldn't starve.

As for theology? Philosophy? Religious rituals? Sorry, none of these existed when Jesus was alive. They will naturally be interpreted by cultured believers in the future.

However, no matter how prosperous or not an era may be, the poor will always be the majority. They don't care about lofty philosophical theories or theological systems; they only care that I will contribute a certain amount of wheat, olive oil, and wine to them every month, and that the church will continue to provide wheat, olive oil, and wine to them when they get old so that they won't starve. That's enough for them.

So even though the ancient Roman Empire had historically expelled and massacred Christians everywhere, it ultimately found that this grassroots religion could never be suppressed. One group would appear today, another group would spring up in another place tomorrow, and so on—

Christians have entered Rome!

Even emperors are starting to believe in God!

Therefore, as long as a foundation is laid, even if you don't succeed now, it will be convenient in the future.

"Sir, thank you for God's grace."

"Okay, then take more."

At this moment, Novia's arms were wrapped around a young child.

These were genuinely poor children. Novia knew perfectly well that they were malnourished, skin and bones, covered in dust, thin, dressed in rags, and with lifeless eyes. Such children were easily distinguishable from the fair and round faces of children from wealthy families.

The vast Roman Empire had passed through decades in a state of peace and prosperity. From the bustling semicircular amphitheater of Eberleconne to the throngs of colonnaded squares of Antioch, from the port markets of Joel teeming with merchant ships to the pilgrimage routes of Ephesus teeming with carriages and horses, the wealthy people were enjoying the prosperity and abundance brought by this peaceful era. Merchants and travelers crisscrossed the wide cobblestone streets, and citizens laughed and played among the rows of marble apartments.

However, poverty will remain the majority in this era that will last for many years.

"Really? Even if I die, it's okay... My sister, Mom, Dad... they're still waiting..."

"If you're waiting, then hurry back. Don't get impatient."

Novia stroked the child's face, and after she did so, the child's blank expression became slightly more peaceful.

"Thanks....."

What flowed from the lips of the young child was not a prayer, but merely a word of endless gratitude.

After everything was over, and after declining the cultists' invitation, Novia walked toward Lucius.

Lucius, who had been watching from the sidelines, resembled a soldier, and the aura he exuded made people hesitant to approach him or strike up a conversation.

“You’ve done a good job this year.” Lucius paused for a moment, then said coldly, “But in the end, you have to face the danger on your own. This was inevitable sooner or later. It’s all for nothing. You’re in too much danger now. I advise you to go back immediately.”

Novia understood what he meant. The current situation was merely a facade of peace. If things really got really bad, in order to survive, one would have to kill those who threatened them, even if they were fellow believers.

Moreover, Novia became increasingly flamboyant, and his reputation spread far and wide throughout the year. Although polytheism was tolerant of the spread of other religions, it could not replace them. At present, some polytheistic nobles in Rome were probably just waiting for Claudius I to return from Britain and then demand Novia's execution.

"You're right, but if you ignore something that's just a small favor, you'll definitely regret it. I only offered my help because I didn't want to regret it later."

No anger, no denial, Novia simply smiled peacefully, dressed simply, her white coat folded and hanging on her arm.

"Hmph, brat, once we get to Rome, those guys won't be so easy to talk to."

Lucius sighed. He hoped the boy would live out his life and not suffer under the punishment of heretics.

"Yes, so I'll have to trouble you to stay outside Rome a little longer, Lucius, while I head to Britain first."

Novia accepted Lucius's angry words without hesitation.

"What are you-"

Lucius felt a surge of emotion, while the illusory figure of Novia responded decisively.

"Fourteen days ago, they should be in Britain by now, barring any unforeseen circumstances."

Lucius gasped. Even the druids of yesteryear had never possessed such a level of illusion magic, which had even managed to deceive his eyes stained with holy blood.

But his expression quickly calmed down, and he turned his head away as if he hadn't heard anything.

"You want Emperor Claudius to convert? That's too difficult. The Roman gods have been above us for decades."