Dragon Raja: History Simulator

Page 18

"Your Majesty, it is rare that you would want to come to the church to pay homage to the remains of the saint."

Pope Leo I bowed his head, appearing very humble, but in reality he was an arrogant man, so arrogant that he actually believed that a fictitious god was above the real emperor.

The emperor, with his head bowed, did not reply to the pope, but simply watched as the marble tombstone stood proudly in St. Peter's Basilica. The saint who had truly established Christianity's position in Rome four hundred years ago still adorned this weathered church with his remains.

“Your Majesty, I have heard that St. Peter’s Basilica was completely rebuilt forty-two years ago, and not even a single old brick was allowed to remain. I wonder what happened to St. Peter’s remains at that time.”

The girl in the white and brown nun's habit spoke, echoing the emperor's words and taking the blame for the pope's sarcasm.

Today, the Roman emperors no longer possess the power to suppress the church that their eastern relatives once did, and can only watch as the church, which was originally under imperial power, becomes increasingly independent.

Leo I's aged face remained unchanged, but his expression toward the nun grew increasingly fierce. "Sister Aetina, I think you should respect the remains of the Holy One. You and I are both able to survive under Attila the Dragon King's iron cavalry thanks to his protection, including your brother... Aetius."

The nun's sweet smile further displeased the Pope. He did not believe that someone like Etina, who was neither devout nor of noble blood, was qualified to pay homage to the relics of the saints. She was merely a little girl hiding in the church to avoid marriage, and even had Germanic barbarian blood in her veins. She had little piety towards the Lord.

Faced with the Pope's subtle threat, the nun's smile grew even sweeter, and her gaze towards the domed marble church became increasingly fervent. She could sense that the central hub of the entire Rome Alchemy Matrix was located here, and its position within the Alchemy Matrix far surpassed that of the Emperor himself.

If the emperor in the Alchemy Matrix symbolizes the ethereal Rome and uses this concept to link the Alchemy Matrix together, then St. Peter's Basilica is the Alchemy Matrix itself, which uses its real power to integrate the city of Rome, this fortress of war, into one.

If this place can be destroyed, then her brother Attila can easily storm into the city. Even if there are still his own people watching from the shadows, he will inevitably lose his home advantage.

As for the blood oath with the emperor?

Lady Jormungandr could generously bestow upon him the title of King of Sardinia and grant him the right to rule the area south of Rome, which was not a debt she owed him.

Just as the Dragon Girl was getting restless, the Emperor grabbed her slightly raised hand and stopped her from looking at the church built on the tomb of the dead.

The dragon girl calmed down, feeling the dwindling strength within her, and stopped trying to directly attack the church. In fact, she would have calmed down anyway—she had never been one to enjoy taking risks.

The emperor then turned to the pope and said, “Your Majesty, please take us to the quiet room! You should know that I have come to ask you something.”

Leo I's already cold face grew even colder. Regardless of whether Sister Etina was devout or not, she was dressed in the robes of God. Rumor had it that the emperor had a close relationship with this nun who had vowed to serve God. Seeing this, he began to believe it even if he didn't want to.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The emperor walked behind, admiring the reliefs that recorded thousands of years of history and profound alchemical knowledge. Unfortunately, as a liberal arts student, he was completely oblivious to the more important alchemical knowledge, and was only slightly lost in thought as he looked at the history of the establishment of Christianity.

I wonder what role those sages from the distant past played in the history of the dragon race?

Unlike some unscrupulous emperors, Jormungandr, dressed in a nun's habit, became much more obedient after entering the church. She didn't utter any further words of confrontation and instead acted like a devout believer in God.

Seeing the Dragon Girl's appearance, the Emperor, who was slightly slow to realize the significance of the church, raised his opinion of its value even further.

They had now arrived at the quiet room and sat down.

Leo I said with great restraint, "Your Majesty, I know you want to inquire about this alchemical matrix, and want to know why it was able to withstand the Dragon King's world-destroying incantation."

Clearly, the Pope was already aware of the Emperor's visit to the city walls.

Indeed, Attila the Dragon King's world-destroying incantation turned day into night and death into new life. All who witnessed this scene could only attribute it to the remnants of either the devil or the god.

Now that Attila has taken the place of the devil, only miracles can stop him.

Leo I said decisively:

"This is the care that God has given us with love. We only need to calm down and listen to the Father's will. Even Attila the Dragon King could not resist God's power."

Miss Dragon Girl looked at the old monk, who acted as if God was the strongest and most supreme. She felt a burning hatred for him, thinking that God beat Fenrir and Fenrir was as docile as a cat in front of God.

Unexpectedly, Leo I turned to look at her and said, "Sister Etina, when you listen devoutly to the voice of God, you will find that worldly pleasures and human love are insignificant."

Leo I stopped short of commenting, leaving Jormungandr dumbfounded and speechless. What did he mean by "worldly pleasures"? What did he mean by "human love"? Did the old man really think of her, the mighty Dragon King, as a noble lady infatuated with love?

Pope Leo I, with his wrinkled face, told her, "Yes."

For a moment, Jormungandr was filled with rage, and then said angrily, "Your Majesty is right."

The dragon girl lowered her head.

There was no way around it; this city of Rome was a war fortress, and its power increased the further in you went. At this moment, Jormungandr even suspected that with the blessing of this alchemical matrix, this old guy could even beat her, the dragon king in human form, to a pulp.

This was definitely not a project that humans could build. The more Jormungandr learned about it, the more convinced he became of this idea.

The emperor looked at the pope, perhaps out of ignorance or a carefree attitude, or perhaps because of his current status as emperor. He showed little reverence for the pope and did not inquire about the alchemical matrix. Clearly, this old man, this charlatan, was merely an executor, believing in God's miracles and unaware of everything else.

"Your Majesty, I wish to know where Aquitaine, the leader of the Secret Society, is now?"

Chapter 38: Prophecy 42 Years Ago

“Aquitaine…” Leo I fell silent.

Forty-two years ago, Aquitaine was the leader of the Secret Society, and forty-two years later, the leader of the Secret Society has not changed. He prophesied the birth of the dragon king Attis and oversaw the construction of the city of Rome, a war fortress, so that they can still retain a place to contend with Attila even after the capital Ravenna has been captured.

Among the leaders of the Secret Society, Aquitaine may not have been the first unknown figure, but he was likely the first to have accomplished nothing in his life. He did only one thing: prophesied the birth of Attila and built this war fortress.

"Your Majesty, is there something you can't say?" the emperor asked softly.

Although Pope Leo I's attitude towards him wasn't exactly friendly, compared to Avinus, the chief senator of the Senate who openly plotted to usurp the throne, even Leo I, who always had a cold expression, was quite amiable.

“No, it’s nothing,” Leo I shook his head and said, “Your Majesty, do you wish to inquire about that prophecy concerning him?”

Before the emperor could answer, Leo I said, "Attila was born in 406. Three years later, Aquitaine prophesied the awakening of the Dragon King and persuaded the emperor and the Senate the following year to oversee the reconstruction of Rome. He also recruited a group of devout believers to live there and promised them a journey to heaven."

"It sounds somewhat like an indulgence," the emperor said.

Leo I was taken aback for a moment, then understood the obvious meaning. He sneered, "Indeed, Aquitaine is so blasphemous, trying to compare himself to a god and make promises to believers."

“He deceived them,” the beautiful Jormungandr judged.

Leo I gave the purported but not devout believer a disgusted look, and then said firmly, "No, Aquitaine did not deceive the believers; he merely attempted to steal God's glory."

The emperor was taken aback, quite puzzled, but before he could ask again, Leo I spoke up.

"The believers will indeed go to heaven, but not because of Aquitaine's promise."

He was panting heavily, feeling both respect and resentment towards the leader of this secret society. "They made a vow to dedicate themselves to the Lord forty-two years ago, and they have enjoyed wealth and honor for the past forty-two years. These things did not come out of thin air."

Everything will not be repaid until today, forty-two years later. This is not because of Aquitaine's promise, but because of a covenant the Lord made with us in the past: those who resist the devil will go to His kingdom.

After regaining his composure, Leo I returned to his dignified state as pope.

The emperor, recalling that Rome had been half-empty for the past month, said:

"May they truly go to heaven as you say."

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Leo I bowed slightly to the God in his heart in devotion.

"Your Majesty, believers are sacrificing their souls to fight against the devil. What doubts do you have in your heart?"

Jormungandr turned her face away, not wanting to see this seemingly humble old man continue to speak ill of her and her brother Fenrir.

This old man was so arrogant that even when he personally witnessed a god being beaten into a demon, he had no sense of awe whatsoever. He was a staunch religious leader.

Even if you turned him into Deadpool, he probably wouldn't think of serving the king faithfully.

Princess Dragon thought to herself.

The emperor was not merciful either; since the firewood had served its purpose, even the emperor himself was among the firewood.

He still remembered the scene when the Pope anointed him with holy oil during his coronation. At that moment, he was destined to be a kindling for Rome and to link his life with this alchemical matrix.

He was only 6 years old at the time.

As a very important pawn, and as the emperor, he officially stepped onto the stage of history.

The emperor stopped looking at Leo I. He knew that although the pope and he himself were both part of the whole war fortress, they were both unaware of the situation and were just pawns on the table.

After a moment, the emperor asked again, "So, is Aquitaine dead? But I have never heard of the Secret Society changing its leader."

The Secret Society was originally called "Abraham's Bloodline Clan," and this name alone easily reveals the connection between the Secret Society and the Church. In the beginning, they were even inseparable, until later they fell apart due to differences in ideology and split into their own groups.

Nevertheless, the Pope still held an elder position within the Secret Service.

“How could someone as blasphemous as him die so easily?” Leo I said. “Although I haven’t seen him for a long time, or rather, the elders other than me, including Trigejus and Avinus, haven’t seen him for a long time.”

"When did he disappear?" Jormungandr couldn't help but ask, knowing that this person might be the key to the entire Secret Society.

Leo I gave the nun a deep look, then said, "A year ago, just a year ago, when your brother, General Aetius, defeated Attis at the Battle of the Chalons."

The Pope seemed quite emotional, saying, “When the news reached Rome and Ravenna, we were all shocked. Although we paid a heavy price, it was nothing compared to the great achievement of defeating Attila the Dragon King. No one would have thought that your brother could defeat Attila.”

He said very frankly, "At that time, we just sent him to his death. Who could have imagined that he would actually win? Otherwise, how could your brother, a general who rose to power by relying on barbarians, be qualified to command the war in Rome now?"

"So, this disrupted Aquitaine's plans, and he disappeared completely." The Emperor glanced at Miss Jormungandr, who was pretending to be angry, and then guessed.

In each simulation, he tried to find this contemporary leader of the Secret Service, but always to no avail.

“That is indeed the case, Your Majesty. However, a man like Aquitaine would not die so easily,” Leo I replied affirmatively.

The emperor remained silent; he too did not believe that someone capable of predicting the Dragon King's fate would die so easily.

Jormungandr tugged at the Emperor's sleeve, signaling that they should leave. Jormungandr, whose powers were restricted in the cramped space, felt very uncomfortable.

Before leaving, Leo I suddenly said:

“Your Majesty, if you really want to know more, then it would be better to go to your sister, Princess Honoria, who is the representative of the royal family in the Secret Service this generation.”

Chapter 39 The Eldest Princess

Rome in summer is not particularly hot. The Mediterranean climate makes it mild and livable. Whether 1,600 years ago or 1,600 years later, it is one of the most suitable places for human habitation.

The palace, built of terracotta tiles, gleamed with a molten gold light under the blazing sun. The shadows cast by the columns were broken up by the hot summer breeze, mingling with the steam from the fountains and spreading across the marble floor.

Princess Honoria stepped on the cool mosaic, next to a painting of "Oedipus's Carnival," the veins of the grapevines burning against her ankles.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!" a maid called out from the side.

"Annil! Anil! What's wrong?" Princess Honoria's expression remained calm, a hint of innocent smile on her face. However, in the maid's eyes, this smile seemed like a demon from the abyss, sending chills down her spine and spreading fear like a tide.

“Your Highness…” The maid’s voice grew weaker and weaker, as if each word carried the weight of a thousand pounds. Her eyes drooped involuntarily as she looked at the princess, unable to meet her gaze. “His Majesty the Emperor… does not allow you to leave this palace.”

Indeed, Princess Honoria, who appears to be extremely noble and distinguished on the surface, is actually a prisoner in this magnificent palace.

The painting "Dionysus's Carnival" hanging in the palace, with its unrestrained and free brushstrokes, now seems more like a silent and biting mockery of her fate.

Princess Honoria was imprisoned by the emperor two years ago for having an affair with a guard.

But that wasn't the main reason. The main reason was that the Empress Dowager had died two years ago. The Emperor, who had been suppressed all his life, couldn't help but rebel against his mother. The first step in his rebellion was to put his own sister in prison.

This was perfectly reasonable in the emperor's eyes, because before the Empress Dowager died, he gave the hereditary position of Secret Party Elder to his daughter, rather than his only son.

Princess Honoria readily accepted the emperor's decree without offering any resistance.

Or rather, her act of defiance was to deliver a letter to her childhood friend—Attila, the Hunnic prince from the East. It was a marriage proposal, recounting their past affection and hoping that Attila would free her from this imprisonment.