13 Myth is real!
"I'm glad you didn't listen to Agrippina, Nero," Seneca warmly greeted Nero in the hall as they conversed under the protection of praetorian guards circling around them.
Praetorian guards, clad in gleaming armor, stood watchfully, their presence a testament to the gravity of the unfolding conversation.
Around them, the praetorian guards maintained a vigilant formation, their polished shields reflecting the grandeur of the hall.
The torchlight caught the glint of their armor, serving as a reminder of the power and authority safeguarding the emperor and his trusted advisor.
"Who is she, Seneca? Is she your relative?" Nero's attention focused on the girl with the attire of a nun.
If she remembered correctly, the church was not a big boss in the town in this timeline.
How did this girl wear them?
"It's my sister-in-law. She was insisting on meeting with you, Nero," Seneca replied.
"You are blessed by God, Caesar, if you are willing to embrace Christianity," the nun spoke restlessly of her pursuit of God and saw Nero's light was so dazzling, thinking that she was a woman blessed by God and offered her the opportunity to become one with God.
Unfortunately, Seneca interrupted her before she could finish her words.
"Ahem... She just spoke gibberish, Nero. You don't need to take her words seriously," Seneca said, his mouth twitching as he observed his sister-in-law attempting to take advantage of his position as Nero's mentor.
Even though she was his sister-in-law, he wouldn't allow her to speak such gibberish to his monarch and warned her with his eyes not to do so again.
Unfortunately, his warning seemed to have no effect on her.
"Meet me at the church on the outskirts of Rome, Caesar, and I will show you the other side of the world,"
The nun insisted, her words carrying a sense of urgency and conviction.
She knew it was impossible to convince Nero under the nose of her cousin and left, not before extending her invitation to the Emperor.
"Well, I think we need to speak about your mother, Nero," Seneca quickly changed the topic, fearing Nero might entertain his sister-in-law's invitation to an unknown religious sect.
"I'm all ears, Seneca," Nero nodded.
"I fear that if we are too aggressive with Agrippina, she might take drastic action," Seneca reminded Nero, recalling the poisoned fate of Claudius, Nero's foster father.
"Unfortunately, there's no turning back from this, Seneca. It's either ride or die. We can only minimize the threat as much as possible and keep an eye on who we can trust and who we cannot," Nero shook her head in pity. "That's what we can do in this situation."
Despite her words, Nero did not reveal her card to anyone, not even Seneca.
She knew that the poisoner and assassination agency that was once under Agrippina's control were now in her hands.
Agrippina was now a toothless tiger, not the threat that Seneca believed her to be.
Even though she had allies outside of Rome and controlled those legionaries for herself, she knew where their loyalties lay.
Agrippina won their leaders' hearts, but not their soldiers; they would betray them in no time if their leaders dared to raise the flag of rebellion in Rome.
Caesar was an example of this; when he was crowned Emperor, he didn't accept them because none of the people present supported him to become one despite his contributions.
Could Vindex, Galba, and Vitellius compare with Caesar?
She didn't mind putting them in their place if they raised the flag of rebellion.
Vindex in Gaul, Galba in Spain, and Vitellius in Germany.
Indeed, if this were any other Emperor, they would be intimidated by Agrippina's allies that controlled those three regions for themselves, but not her.
They would die sooner, whether they rebelled or not; siding with Agrippina had already been considered a treacherous act.
There was no need to show mercy to them.
Nero thought.
"Yeah, you're right about that, Nero. I'll be careful from now on," Seneca nodded.
"I won't take up any more of your time."
"Wait a minute, Seneca. I have a task for you. With Vespasian absent, I'm afraid Jerusalem might become unruly. I want you to manage them for me. Without Vespasian's presence, the Jews might become arrogant. I want you to put them in their place," Nero appointed.
"Yes, Nero," Seneca bowed his head and left.
"I'll make sure Jerusalem is under your control."
With that, Seneca left Nero to her own devices.
...
"You've come, Caesar," the nun greeted Nero respectfully in the dilapidated church on the outskirts of Rome.
Most of the believers present were elderly or children, praying under the light of God.
She escorted Nero, who was disguised in a cloak, to the confession room for a private conversation.
Honestly, she admired the Emperor's courage for meeting her alone in this place, without any accompanying guards.
If she were an assassin, Nero would already be dead.
"What do you mean by the 'other side of the world'?" Nero cut straight to the point, not bothering with nonsense.
"Do you believe that there are empires mightier than Rome, Caesar? I'm not referring to the Han Empire or the Parthians, but to the far north," the nun said mysteriously.
"There are many things hidden from the eyes of the masses. You know of God, and you know that dangerous beasts or mythical creatures exist, yet you have never encountered them. They exist, yet are inaccessible at the same time."
"Avalon, the Garden of Babylonia, the Temple of Time, Mount Olympus, the Shadow Kingdom—all of them are there, beneath the planet's surface. Even the mighty Emperor would find it difficult to locate them."
"Are you interested in exploring their whereabouts, Caesar? And embarking on a spiritual journey with us?"
"As long as you agree, we will do our best to assist you as the greatest Emperor ever to live, and we will bless your quest to find them."
"You don't have to answer now, Caesar. Our time is long, and we would never force the chosen one."
"Even if you refuse, you will still have our help."
"The choice is yours."
"You know... You shouldn't pressure the Emperor to make choices. It's your duty as citizens of Rome to assist Rome as much as you can, for the betterment of the Empire and yourselves," Nero stated.
The nun was taken aback by Nero's statement, realizing that Nero sought benefits without putting in any effort.
Was this what normal people said?
She was unsure of Nero's attitude towards the church, as her response was entirely unpredictable.
This was the first time she had encountered someone who was better than her in terms of wordplay.
She didn't even know how to refute Nero's words; any attempt at refutation would only give Nero leverage against her and Christianity.
The more she thought about it, the more she regretted not investigating what kind of Emperor Nero was before inviting her.
Was it too late to regret it now?
