manynovel Page 124
Page 124
Unfortunately, their idea was destined to fail.
"Jews are not worthy of the empire's preferential treatment."
In the emperor's carriage, Nero whispered in Quinn's ear.
"During the reigns of previous emperors, these Jews displayed their fickle nature." The young woman's words were full of dissatisfaction with the Jews. "It was common for these guys to refuse to pay taxes on time, and various rebellions were frequent. I was still hesitating about how to deal with these guys, but I never expected that they would later slander me like this..."
Listening to Nero's whispers, Quinn knew that the man's choice of Jerusalem as his primary target was partly driven by personal grudges.
But Quinn didn't have much to say. After all, the reputation of Jews, both historically and in modern times, wasn't very good. In a sense, Quinn felt that it was only right for Jews to wander for thousands of years, and it was normal for Nero to dislike them.
When Nero himself was acting out of personal vendetta, the Jews' hopes were bound to be dashed. However, as the Roman emperor who had decided to change the future, Nero still needed to maintain her reputation for virtue. Even if she harbored resentment towards the Jews, she still had to put on an act, at least in terms of righteousness, so that no one could find fault with her.
Therefore, when Nero's chariot arrived in Jerusalem, the then governor of Judea, along with the entire upper class of the province, personally went to the city gate to welcome the emperor. Nero wore a radiant smile.
The young girl's smile was extremely deceptive, especially when she was in a position of power, which further confirmed Nero's "benevolence and wisdom."
When the Jewish envoys who came to greet him escorted the entire delegation into Jerusalem, they went to great lengths to win Nero's favor. They made no attempt to hide their flattery, but this flattery was not offensive; rather, it was pleasing. These Jews were so adept at flattery that Nero in the past might have become arrogant and complacent because of it, but now…
Nero behaved with remarkable restraint, as if she were truly there to inspect the lives of the people. She led the entire delegation to visit various religious sites, and then toured traditional trades in Jerusalem such as weaving and carpentry. Her demeanor, which seemed to indicate her desire to understand the living conditions of different social classes, confirmed the Jews' suspicions. In their eyes, this young emperor was indeed contemplating how to allocate the new taxes in the Jewish province.
After the day's inspection was over, the provincial governor, who had taken Nero on a tour of almost the entire city of Jerusalem, eagerly led the emperor to the lodgings he had meticulously prepared for him.
This is a villa that perfectly matches Nero's aesthetic, filled with Greek style. A large number of artistic reliefs cover the entire exterior walls of the villa, marble pillars support the dome painted with various mythological heroes, and a huge garden and swimming pool occupy the center of the entire villa. From the center of the pool, you can see several hidden corners with sculptures of the god of love. Obviously, this is a surprise prepared especially for Nero.
But this surprise did not make Nero happy; instead, it fueled his murderous intent.
She suppressed the murderous intent deep within her until the Jews left, at which point she unleashed it all: "Those bastards! How dare they? Someone betrayed me, revealing all my preferences!"
In private, Nero paced back and forth in front of Quinn, her face contorted with rage. The more the Jews prepared surprises for her pleased her, the angrier she became. This meant that someone had revealed all her preferences to these Jews in order to curry favor with her, which was unacceptable to any competent emperor.
Quinn could completely understand her thinking. After all, if he were in that situation, he would also try to get rid of those around him who might reveal his information.
"Don't forget why you came here."
Seeing Nero's mindset shifting from "cleansing the Jews first" to "dealing with internal affairs first," Quinn offered a word of advice. Since he had already made the decision to truly give Nero a chance to change his fate, he should genuinely assist his junior. At least, before Nero showed any signs of completely siding with the Sixth Beast, he would strive to guide Nero towards an ending drastically different from the original history.
The first step toward achieving this future was to correct the bad habit Nero had learned from Roman emperors—avoiding pointless court infighting.
Your reminder eased Nero's anxiety and diminished her intention to launch a major internal purge. She refocused her attention on the Jews, intending to continue observing the current situation of these historically rebellious groups. She needed to find evidence of Jewish disloyalty in exchange for a legitimate pretext for the Roman Empire to use its army against them.
The following day, Nero began to examine the provincial tax records of the governor of Judea over the past decade, intending to conduct a comprehensive review of the entire province. This was destined to be a long and arduous task.
And you, too, weren't idle during this time.
With Mordred by your side, you wander through the streets and alleys of Jerusalem, searching for Jupiter's whereabouts among the temples.
This holy city, the most crucial in the Abrahamic faith system, still retains its original appearance. The Jewish synagogue, which you can feel the weight of history just by touching it, and the prayers inside that are almost painful to the ears, prove that Judaism is still the mainstream faith in this city, while Christianity remains a minority, even though the Messiah has already proven his miracles to the Jews.
Together with Mordred, you search for the few remaining Christians in the city. You are certain that if Jupiter were truly hiding in this city, she would never be huddled in a Jewish temple. The only place she would be inhabited is a temple of Christians who are still reasonably sane. After all, the Jews have already proven through their actions that they are not trustworthy, especially when it comes to their gods.
[Thanks to the stereotypes created by the Jews themselves, your actual search was much easier, because there aren't many churches in Jerusalem these days. When you began to stroll through the city as an attendant to the emperor's mission, the city guards cooperated with you unconditionally. With their guidance, you quickly visited all the churches in the city.]
The result was not beyond your expectations.
Jupiter did not hide in the temple of the One God.
Thus, within the territory of Jerusalem, there was only one place capable of concealing Jupiter from Zeus's sight—the Holy Sepulchre, the grotto where Jesus Christ is said to have risen from the dead.
That is theoretically the place in the entire Jerusalem region where the power of the one God can be most manifested, and also the most suitable location for Tibetans.
[If this were in later times, finding the cave where Jesus resurrected would require considerable effort to sift through religious texts, searching among a vast collection of books whose orthodoxy was uncertain to determine which contained the most likely record of the true location. However, in this era, the location of the Holy Sepulchre was known to almost everyone in Jerusalem. Therefore, when you expressed your desire to visit the Holy Sepulchre, the guards of Jerusalem immediately led you to this small cave.]
From the outside, the so-called Holy Tomb looks like nothing more than an ordinary cave, but when you step inside, you will find that it is filled with an exceptionally rich true ether, no different from the environment of the Age of Gods.
As you follow these true ethers in an attempt to find their origin, you see something beyond your expectations.
[That was a 'passage' concealed by the magic of the Age of Gods, a passage leading to somewhere in the Inner Sea of Stars. And outside that passage lay scorched earth filled with the aura of thunder—the very familiar remnants of the thunder that roared when Jupiter's scepter struck the earth.]
Yes, Jupiter is hiding here.
Chapter 296 Jupiter Found You
The scorched earth resonated with the aura of thunder, a rich mixture of divinity and true ether flowing through the air. Quinn crouched within the holy tomb, gently stroking the soil, sensing the traces of divinity lurking within the grotto. "You're not busy, are you...?"
Finally, he found it.
Right where the Savior Jesus Christ died and rose again, true ether flows continuously from the earth, and the path to the Inner Sea of Stars lies beneath the soil.
"Let's get started, Mordred," Quinn called to his servant. "Let's start digging from here and keep going down."
Making legendary heroes work as earthworkers is something only Quinn would do. Mordred, who was being used, only twitched her lips slightly before obediently taking out her Noble Phantasm and using it as a shovel to dig. Mordred was beginning to get used to some of Quinn's godlike behavior.
Although digging with a sword is an extremely inefficient activity, combined with the Servant's physique, even if the wrong tool was used, the entire digging process proceeded exceptionally smoothly. As Mordred dug deeper and deeper, the passage to the Inner Sea of the Stars was opened up after about two days. Without the barrier of soil, the outflow of True Aether became more and more intense, and every inch of the cave shone brightly because of the surging True Aether.
After the surging tide of true ether subsided slightly, a dark tunnel appeared before Quinn and Mordred. Standing at the tunnel entrance, they felt a chill emanating from its depths.
Mordred shivered. The cold ignored the Servant's physique and was clearly not a normal low temperature. However, as a swordswoman with magic resistance, she did not feel that she was being attacked by some kind of curse or magic. It was as if the cold originated from within herself. This feeling made Mordred extremely uneasy. "Is this the road to the Inner Sea of Stars?"
“Yes.” Quinn nodded.
Unlike Mordred, who had little understanding of this chill, Quinn had already seen through the boundaries of the tunnel's end. He had encountered a similar situation in Greece, in the underworld. The chill Mordred felt was humanity's fear of death itself. Only those who had conquered death and returned from the underworld could face this chill with equanimity.
The chill emanating from this tunnel speaks volumes about what lies at its end.
“To be more precise, this road should lead to the ‘Valley’.” Quinn recalled the few religious texts he had read and found a word that could describe the end of this road.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
[Your mind recalls verses from King David's Psalms, and the skills of a certain Grand Assassin. Undoubtedly, at the end of this tunnel lies the legendary Valley of Darkness, the Land of the Shadow of Death. In ancient legends, God bestows trials upon believers, causing them to wander in death and darkness, testing the steadfastness of their faith. When a believer passes the test, the Angel of Death descends, guiding them out of the Valley of Darkness.]
However, it is clear that you do not need to undergo this so-called trial. You have already experienced entering and leaving the underworld. Even though the Valley of the Dead is not the Greek underworld, its similar nature gives you a feeling of coming home.
Therefore, you entered the tunnel first, passing through the deep darkness, with Mordred following closely behind. She had never experienced wandering in this place between life and death before. The darkness, which was not unfamiliar to you, was an immense torment for her. She could not see in the darkness, and the chill of death coiled around her spine, making it difficult for her to move normally.
In this situation, when Mordred took your hand and pressed himself tightly against your back, you didn't feel anything was wrong. After all, even though Mordred inherited Europa II's spirit origin, he was still essentially the rebellious knight, not Europa II. Moreover, even Europa II himself had no experience traversing the Underworld.
And so, you walked side by side through the narrow tunnel until it gradually widened, and the impenetrable darkness eased slightly. When you could see normally again, you were greeted by a deep valley, with vast stretches of dark forest flanking a dirt road. Countless wild beasts lurked among the trees, their eyes peeking out as they stared at the two of you.
[The leopard, lion, and wolf, symbols of lust, violence, and greed, linger around you two. These beasts covet your presence yet are filled with fear. As you look at the dark forest and at the beasts, you know that you have officially stepped into the valley, the place where Dante, the poet who composed "The Divine Comedy," entered Hell and Purgatory.]
[If you continue along this road, you will reach hell, but there is no need for you to go any further.]
[You felt a familiar power suddenly erupt as you entered this place; it was the great thunder of Jupiter, the lightning formed from the residual power of the chief god, leaping in the dark sky, intimidating all the beasts in this black forest, and the source of the countless lightning serpents was located on the distant mountain peaks of this forest path.]
Mordred, who was clinging to you, was also startled by the sudden thunder.
"Does the underworld thunder?"
Startled, Mordred instinctively pulled Quinn's entire arm into her embrace, pressing the strong arm tightly against her chest.
“No, that’s not thunder.” Quinn didn’t take Mordred’s little action to heart. Although Mordred would never normally do such a thing, it was normal for his personality to change due to the influence of the valley itself. “That was a great thunderbolt.”
"Great Thunder?"
Before Mordred could react, a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky and crashed down, striking right in front of him.
The blinding flash of light made Mordred instinctively close her eyes, and when she opened them again, a figure was already in front of her. Before Mordred could see the face clearly, she felt a tremendous force pull her away, followed by a thunderous pressure and a loud, authoritative voice.
"Let go, you rude scoundrel."
The angry tone made Mordred instinctively shudder, until Quinn suddenly spoke.
"Jupiter, she is my servant, release her."
Only after Quinn spoke did Mordred, still in a daze, finally see the figure bathed in endless light.
Jupiter has found you.
Chapter 297 What is a father?
Jupiter, the supreme god-king in Roman mythology.
Mordred was no stranger to this name. As a Briton who had been ruled by the Romans, even though the Roman Emperor Lucius had never appeared in her timeline, the Roman Empire still existed. Mordred naturally knew about the Roman God-King. However, she never imagined that this God-King would one day appear before her, and be only an inch away from her.
She never expected that Quinn's single sentence would make the god-king restrain his hostility.
When the God-King voluntarily withdrew his divine power, the endless radiance that had shrouded his figure, making it impossible to see his divine appearance, gradually dissipated, allowing Mordred to finally see Jupiter's appearance clearly.
nice.
Mordred instinctively felt this way.
Her long hair, reaching to her waist, was like moonlight under the night sky, with a pure white luster that seemed to permeate the earth and all things. Beneath the traditional Greco-Roman robes she wore was a full and sexy figure. She possessed not only the graceful beauty of a woman who looked down on Mordred, but also an undeniable majesty and power. Just looking at that body would make one feel ashamed of oneself.
Until... Mordred's gaze met Jupiter's.
The moment Mordred was stared at by those eyes that seemed to pierce through all the illusions of the world, a strong sense of humiliation surged into her heart. It was not Mordred's own emotion, but rather that of Europa II.
"Give me your body." Europa II's voice echoed in Mordred's mind. "It's been too early for you to get involved with this woman. She's looking down on you, and you haven't even noticed!"
Since Europa II took up residence in Mordred's body, this was the first time Mordred had been able to so directly sense the other's annoyance. Only after being reminded by him did Mordred snap out of the awe-inspiring divine power emanating from Jupiter and notice just how superior Jupiter's gaze was.
It was an extreme, pure perspective, like a human accidentally catching a glimpse of an ant crawling by their feet, or inadvertently seeing a speck of dust clinging to the corner of their robe.
Mordred seemed to foresee that if she weren't right next to Quinn, Jupiter wouldn't even bother to pay attention to her. Perhaps, in the eyes of this god-king, her existence was just an insignificant decoration, a background not worth any attention.
Once Mordred realized this, she resonated with Europa II.
Ultimately, Mordred herself was someone who didn't have much respect for God, otherwise she wouldn't have become the "rebellious knight." Jupiter's gaze directly touched Mordred's sore spot, making her more uncomfortable than any sharp mockery or direct hostility. In addition...
Jupiter's attitude toward Quinn was noticeably different, which infuriated Mordred even more.
She wasn't stupid. Once she was out of shock, Mordred could see Jupiter's seemingly scrutinizing movements, which were actually frequent glances at Quinn. Whenever Jupiter looked at Quinn out of the corner of his eye, Mordred could sense a wet, sticky feeling in his gaze. "Where's your forest?"
Without any hesitation, Mordred decisively relinquished control of her body.
As Europa II began to take over, Jupiter, who had been secretly observing Quinn, frowned. She knew that Mordred possessed another powerful spirit within her. As the all-knowing and all-powerful god-king worshipped by the esoteric religion, who wielded the power of all the Greek gods, she could naturally sense the magnitude of Europa II's spirit origin.
The crystal, formed by absorbing the magic power of the entire European continent's veins over a thousand years, was a threat even to Jupiter.
At this moment, the distance between this threat and her was almost the same as the distance between her and Quinn, which made Jupiter tense up and instinctively start to breathe. The thunder in the sky seemed to sense its master's mood and burst out with a powerful roar.
Within this secluded valley, the already gloomy sky now resembled a canvas soaked in ink. Lightning flashed continuously between the thick clouds, and deafening thunderclaps scattered the wild beasts of the Black Forest. The God-King's undisguised pressure had drastically altered the entire environment of the valley, and Jupiter's undisguised demonstration gradually turned Europa II's gaze hostile.
The mutual hostility between the two women caused Quinn, caught in the middle, to break out in a cold sweat. Although both Jupiter and Europa II were obedient children, and Quinn was confident he could make them listen with just a few words, but…
This atmosphere makes it seem like you shouldn't take the initiative to speak.
However, even though Quinn tried to minimize his presence, he couldn't escape his fate. Europa II didn't directly clash with Jupiter after appearing. Compared to Mordred, she could tell at a glance who was truly capable of dominating Jupiter.
"Father, could you please explain to me what your relationship is with this God-King?"
Europa II narrowed his eyes, ignoring Jupiter blocking his way, and snuggled up to Quinn, affectionately grabbing Quinn's arm. His clingy manner and coquettish tone immediately gave Quinn goosebumps. No wonder, under Europa II's blessing, even Mordred, who was usually a tomboy, revealed a bit of girlishness.