024: "That Person" "I think little Domitius can become the new saint!" Because there is a large space at the back of the church, we usually dine here in the evening. The furniture and interior decoration here are extremely simple, which complements this shabby little church. "Really? Really? Can I?" Perhaps Paul's words were too shocking, the blonde girl clenched her fists and looked very nervous. "Well, it's totally possible. It's better to say that it has been possible for a long time." The old man who had prepared dinner nodded seriously and spoke in a friendly manner. "Hmm, but this still requires the consent of Mr. Novia..." Domitius folded his arms petulantly and shook his head firmly. Novia looked at the old man and the child who were communicating happily. It was surprising that the future Emperor Nero and the Christian missionary got along so well with each other.
After all, in the original history, Christianity was a religion that was discriminated against and oppressed in Rome at that time. Since Nero falsely accused Christians of being the culprit of the fire in Rome in 64 AD, open persecution and killing of Christians began in the ancient Roman Empire. Therefore, Nero regarded her as the Anti-Christ, and Paul also died in her hands. Now, we can only say that Novia is indeed a high-level worker. It took one person hundreds of years to complete the work to achieve the current situation. Prince Pigeon would say it’s good when he sees it, probably. Because the two of them were talking to each other, the silver-haired boy could only eat his dinner in silence, just like Martha who was standing beside him and acting as a bystander. Martha was a saint in the first century AD who tamed the dragon Tarasque. She entertained the Savior with her brothers and sisters, witnessed the Savior's miracles in person, and was appointed a saint by him. She also gained faith under the guidance of the Savior's words. She was a beautiful and charming saint girl. However, that was when she was young. Now Martha is in her fifties. Her facial expression is calm and gentle, which is different from the active and lively expression when she was young. This is because the tension and flexibility of facial muscles decrease with age. In the past, Novia was taken care of by him and was forced to learn Iron Fist. "Sister Martha, is Tarasque still with you?" Novia asked casually. "It's still there, but it's resting, so it can't come to see you right away." The smile Martha gave Novia was like that of an old man at home, revealing a feeling of warmth and kindness, which made people think of the gentleness that had been tempered for a long time, and was both reliable and approachable. After the death of Jesus Christ, young Martha embarked on a journey to the village of Nierluq in southern France. She used her famous iron fist and preaching to completely subdue the Tarasque that was scourgeing the village. Although it was an evil beast, Martha could not abandon this dragon that was abandoned by its mother and whose mind was still that of a child. However, in this era when the Age of Gods has come to an end, there is no longer any space for fantasy species to live. Fantasy species like the Tarasque should go to the inner side of the world now that the Age of Gods has come to an end, but they are unable to go there on their own. The method proposed by Martha was to let Tarasque's soul be removed from his body, and the soul would travel with Martha while the body would be buried underground. Novia knew very well that the man and the dragon were embarking on a journey to the inner side of the world, but the possibility was not great. The end of the era and the traces of time that had passed on Martha's body ultimately showed that time would only pass away slowly. "Little Novia, I want to talk to you after dinner, is that okay?" Novia nodded in response, and Martha smiled as usual. Not long after, after dinner was over and cleaned up, the two came to the stairs outside the church. It was already evening, the night was cold and the sky was broad and beautiful. Perhaps because the air here was fresh and the surroundings were pitch black, the stars were much brighter.
"Speaking of which, although neither of you said anything, you should have heard what Paul said, Little Novia. In fact, everyone has the same idea, so you can rest assured." Martha said gently. Novia was well aware of this. It was probably because the Judaism entrenched in Jerusalem saw that under their promotion, Christian believers were developing rapidly in the ancient Roman Empire. Therefore, they wanted to find a few leaders of Christianity other than themselves and make Christianity submit to Judaism. But it is clear that the slander they committed against Jesus Christ in Jerusalem in 34 AD made the surviving old people extremely hateful. Moreover, their own people have made such great achievements, and they will not let them fall short no matter what. They should all think this way. Therefore, when faced with provocative words from others, they can say, "There is no such thing as spotless. People are breathing in dust, but it does not prevent them from doing better. No one can withstand the criticism of others." Such words strongly support Novia. "Little Novia, you have only been out for three years and you are only seventeen years old now, but you have done so well. Although Paul, Peter and John did not agree with what you have learned." Martha closed her eyes quietly, "but in fact, they still recognize you. In the past few years, everyone who came back to discuss with them because of what you promoted, they also spread what you said and secretly learned what you said, me too. In my opinion, even if that person is still alive, he will also recognize everything you have done, Little Novia." As if reminiscing about the past, Martha talked about her feelings over the past few years. Unlike Paul and others, she did not travel only in this area and its surroundings, but throughout the Roman Empire, so she saw firsthand the development and treatment of Christianity in recent years. Although she did not understand some of the new doctrines, it did not prevent her from being happy about it. After all, Martha was a saint who never gave up her faith even after the Savior was executed, and she did not die even after being exiled by the then governor. Instead, she was blessed by God and drifted to the south of France. Novia knew who the man Martha was talking about was. He was one of the saviors in the Type-Moon worldview, Jesus Christ, who carried the sins and evils of mankind to heaven. This man roamed along the Sea of Galilee, coming into contact with everyone from saints to villains. In the last week before his death, he even went to Martha's house to eat and chat. "So, after thinking about it, I'll just give this to you. After all, you're very busy, and I don't know when you'll be back next time." Martha slowly opened her eyes and handed the staff, which was now taller than her, to Novia. The staff looked like a cross, but Novia knew clearly that it must have been modified by Martha, which might be the reason why she used the cross as her symbol. Because the rod she gave herself was the rod that Christ Jesus had when he was alive. 025: As we all know, the longer the title is, the better! To be honest, Martha's words and the things she gave to Novia made the silver-haired boy look surprised. The staff that Jesus possessed during his lifetime is undoubtedly a true holy relic. Perhaps it is not as powerful as the blood-stained Spear of Longinus and the blood-filled Holy Grail, but in terms of its representative significance, it is just as good. Over the years, Novia had only thought about the Spear of Longinus and the Holy Grail, but had never thought about the staff that Martha possessed. After all, he still knew the importance of this cane to the "Iron Fist Saint". “Isn’t this strange?” Martha smiled and covered her mouth, shaking her other hand. “Although this is a very meaningful thing, it doesn’t mean it will always belong to me. I have always thought so. I have been holding it for decades since the Lazarus incident. I think it’s about time. You can hold it from now on. Its value can be demonstrated by you again. After all, that’s what that person said to me back then—” "Somewhere in this world, there is a me who affirms your significance. So, please, don't forget this." This was not a lie told for the sake of explanation, but the absolute truth. With Martha's additional words, Novia couldn't help but smile and nodded. ".....I see." The night sky was high and far away. Under the moonlight, Novia relaxed, took a deep breath, and subconsciously touched the cane that Martha placed in her hand. The incident of Lazarus refers to the fact that Martha's brother died of illness and Jesus resurrected him in person in front of her. After that, Jesus gave Martha his own staff and expected her to behave in a manner befitting a saint. For Martha, this was everything she had as a girl in the past, something she firmly believed would exist forever. And now, Martha not only transformed it into a cross symbolizing the deceased person, but also personally gave it to Novia as a gift. This is the recognition and trust of the savior. If I hold this cane used by the Type-Moon savior Jesus, wouldn't it mean that I have the "real thing"? And can I add it to the weapon refining? No, forget it. It's not necessary...
After all, this is something that Martha has been using for many years, so Novia thinks it is better to use it well. It would be nice to carry it on your back as a decoration in the future. Moreover, this is a holy relic with the aura of the Pigeon Prince, and there are so many ways to use it. After successfully making Christianity the state religion of Rome, we can use this holy relic as a starting point to create the Eighth Mysterious Society to recover and manage holy relics. According to Novia's understanding over the years, in the current Mediterranean religious world, since the cathedral church has not yet been established as it would be in the future, most religious institutions only have one, the monastery. As for the burial mechanism, it seems to be related to Judaism in Jerusalem, but it is only responsible for the creatures called Dead Apostles that have frequently appeared in the magic world since 20 AD, and nothing else. "It's been seventeen years since that man passed away, and you, little Novia, are also seventeen years old. Time really flies. We all think that you, little Novia, are really capable at such a young age." Martha looked up at the starry sky as if she was reminiscing about the past, and spoke with emotion. "Really? That's great." Novia smiled sincerely, although his face was smiling most of the time and no one knew what he was happy about, but now it was undoubtedly a sincere one and not a disguised one. Seventeen years had passed since Jesus' crucifixion, and Novia was seventeen years old in ancient Rome. It was probably a coincidence that Novia traveled here at that time. On a certain day in the thirty-third year of AD, on Mount Golgotha in Jerusalem, at three o'clock in the afternoon, the Savior bore the sins of mankind and went to heaven. After witnessing the execution of Jesus, Paul picked up Novia, who had traveled through time and space and was still a baby, when he was going down the mountain. He brought the baby back and raised him. This was extremely lucky for Novia, who wanted to accomplish his goal. Because in history, Paul was a fanatic of the law in his early years and even persecuted Christians, but later he repented after witnessing what Jesus did. In order to spread the word of this teacher, he gave up his privileges as a Roman citizen and his lofty social status, and devoted himself to promoting Christianity. Although he was not one of Jesus' twelve disciples, through his preaching and writing, he established churches everywhere and spread the gospel throughout the Mediterranean coast, which ultimately changed the religious beliefs and philosophies around the Mediterranean basin. Therefore, he is also known as the apostle to the Gentiles. However, Martha's unintentional words reminded Novia that he could make use of this coincidence in the future. After all, this was Type-Moon's worldview, and he came to ancient Rome to protect himself from the danger that might come in two thousand years. After dealing with the major obstacles such as the Senate, Agrippina, Claudius, Jerusalem, and Judaism, he would then widely publicize in the ancient Roman Empire that he actually has a close relationship with the Lord, and is an incarnation or shadow or something like that? In the future, I will give him some titles, such as the successor of Jesus Christ, the one who correctly understands the Lord's will, the chief of God's servants, the one who leads the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, the mediator of disputes, the forerunner of the world, the one who counts all things, the one whose faith in the Lord is endless... "It's getting late. I have to go to bed too. Little Novia, you should also go to bed early." Marda slowly left. She was already fifty years old, and her voice always sounded very gentle. In this night, compared to the cold weather, it was this gentleness that penetrated deeper into every inch of Novia's body. Therefore, in response to her persuasion, the silver-haired boy nodded again. Because of the surprise that Martha gave him, Novia has now figured out how a new "miracle" will happen in Jerusalem one year later, and the burial agency will never interfere. After all, the title of "heretic" was given by "God"... Martha in her 026: The uneasiness still lingers in my heart Life in Antioch was very different from life in Rome. For Domitius, who had lived in Rome since childhood, the biggest difference was the passage of time. This small town stands in the northeast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a place where poverty can be seen everywhere. There are no beautiful gardens, no elegant halls, no hotels with doormen. There is only the aroma of the day's meals, which spreads among the neighbors. The fed animals yawn lazily, the barking of domestic dogs comes from somewhere in the distance, and the young children laugh and make noise loudly. Everything seems to be close at hand. Although she had only stayed there for two days, she inexplicably felt that time had passed extremely quickly here. The blonde girl also gradually learned that in addition to her teacher Novia, her grandmaster Paul, and Saint Martha, there were eleven other apostles. The eleven apostles were the disciples directly accepted by the Son of God Jesus promoted by Teacher Novia, but they all seemed to respect Paul very much. Domitius thought this because Paul showed the girl a letter written to him by a man named Peter. She also asked her teacher where these people were now, and Novia said perfunctorily that she would see them when she had the chance. Since Novia said so, Domitius naturally would not say anything more. For her, Novia's current status and position were much higher than hers, and she was his disciple, which also relieved her headache. It was reasonable for her to obey.
Ever since the blonde girl was baptized and became a disciple by her mother Agrippina in Novia, Domitius rarely saw Agrippina. It was not because he was restricted from meeting her freely, but because her mother was busy with court affairs to share the responsibilities with Emperor Claudius. Domitius could accept the fact that he had become a commodity and that his mother wanted to do whatever she wanted. Because her father came from a noble family, but was notorious for his cruelty and debauchery, and her mother Agrippina the Younger was also a member of the royal family, so she was naturally scheming. When she was three years old, her father died of excessive indulgence. The Roman Emperor Caligula deprived her of her inheritance and exiled her. After failing to seduce her, she planned to assassinate her sister Agrippina, which left her penniless. Fortunately, he was adopted by his aunt and avoided ending up on the streets, but his situation can be imagined. It was a blessing that he was not killed, and the difficulty of living is self-evident. A year later, the tyrannical Caligula was assassinated, and the blonde girl's situation began to reverse instantly. The newly succeeded Emperor Claudius was Caligula's uncle, and he decisively ordered the return of all the inheritance that had been deprived of her, and her mother Agrippina's reputation was restored after she successfully returned to Rome. But Agrippina was no pushover. Not long after she came back, she had won over the richest man in Rome at the time and held a grand wedding with him. Then, she used her influence to get the richest man to agree to take her child and raise him together. The natural result was that within a few years, the wealth of the richest man was completely drained away by Agrippina the Younger, and a large amount of property was transferred to Domitius. Of course, the richest man also died. Domitius knew very well that his mother was definitely not a good person. The girl also probably guessed why his mother entered the palace and what she needed to do. Over the years, there have been people who have helped her and greeted her, but there have also been people who have taken advantage of her misfortune and only wanted to get ahead. The entire Roman court has been filled with fighting and competition, which is even more obvious when it comes to achieving interests. Overt and covert conflicts are as common as the chirping of birds in the morning. So, when Domitius learned that his mother had him baptized in Novia, he was not surprised, as this was not surprising to Rome. In the ancient Roman Empire, children aged twelve were already of marriageable age, and the parties involved had no choice but to passively accept the arrangement. Therefore, she thought that baptism was a synonym for sexual transaction, but she found out the next day that she was wrong. But Domitius himself was also puzzled. He was of no value to Novia except his body, so why did he agree to such an unprofitable deal with his mother? Stupid? Impossible, a person who could get such a status from scratch at such a young age could not be a random idiot... She had never figured this out. Even if she really wanted to find a disciple, with Novia's young age, she could just adopt a baby and raise him from childhood, instead of looking for someone like her who could think independently. This was extremely uneconomical no matter how she thought about it, not to mention that her mother HIA was not an easy person to deal with. Although Domitius was always confused, it did not prevent the blonde girl from respecting her teacher. This was probably due to her experience when she was young and wandering on the streets, and perhaps with some help from the people, she was finally able to survive and be adopted by her relatives. Therefore, she loved the people whose names she did not know from the bottom of her heart, and therefore had a sense of respect for Novia, who was respected by the people, and for the daily experiences she had with him. However, although the girl did not particularly mind all of this, she still felt uneasy. In the Roman court, everyone was involved in a complex web of political intrigues. For example, marriage between children cannot be successful if there is not enough benefit between the parents. For Domitius, growth was such an immediate concept. It’s not about being punished by someone, but even if there is a blood relationship, once interests and power are violated, they will instantly become enemies with deep blood feuds. "My student, if you need any help, please let me know, Domitius." Domitius always felt that Novia was somewhat ambiguous in this regard. What was the right behavior and what was the wrong behavior were vague until the fatal consequences occurred. "Teacher, what you said is actually useless." Tell me if you need help. The silver-haired boy's words did not give Domitius any sense of reality. "......It turns out that the nights in Rome are actually that cold." She still remembered that she uttered this sentence subconsciously when she was living on the streets. If you don't have much worth exchanging, it will be discarded sooner or later.