Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

Lucius did not answer until the very end.

But now he can answer the person who isn't here with a clear conscience: "You are right."

Will the church of the future become like the polytheistic religions and Judaism of the past?

Lucius did not know for the time being, and it was not until he defeated Eastern Armenia and the Parthian Empire, brought all of Armenia under Roman control, and successfully converted the religion that he returned to Rome and pondered this question until his death.

After a chance encounter with Caubaek, who was studying the Bible, he had an idea: to have those who were considered saints by the Church in the past, present, and future personally infuse all their simple morality and goodness into Caubaek's Bible. This should help prevent the Church from becoming alienated. Since his idea was approved by Nero, it went smoothly.

Therefore, after the death of Lucius and the disappearance of Nero, and after a brief period of turmoil, the still imperfect Holy Scripture became the oversight of every pope and major cardinals. Even the burial authorities had to consult its advice. In short, it was under such oversight that the Church and the Roman Empire steadily progressed for nearly three hundred years.

until--

"……This is?!"

"What happened? What's wrong with the sacred texts?"

"This is the first time, such a change, could it be..."

Coming from barren farmlands, considered the youngest cardinal, during her coronation ceremony in Rome, her astonished eyes saw a shimmering, pure white rainbow—

It is a sacred text.

For the first time in history, a glorious road stretched straight out from beneath her feet toward the Cathedral of San Novia.

The ideal person—it's as if the world is blessing them.

And so, under the barely suppressed joy in the eyes of the Pope and the assembled bishops, she looked with unwavering focus at the object of her faith, and said in a sincere and resolute voice:

“I don’t have enough power, I don’t think things through, and even my conscience and sense of justice are sometimes confused, but since you have chosen me, I know exactly what I should do now.”

The radiance emanating from the sacred texts, the radiance of the approval of the vast majority of saints since the founding of the Church up to that time, shone upon her body, and at that moment she knelt down, clasped her hands together, and said:

“I pledge to you—I will remain steadfast in upholding the righteousness and goodness of the forefathers of the Church.”

She smiled.

It was neither a lie nor a deception, but simply a gentle reiteration:

“I make a promise to you—a promise made by the Holy Ones and us—that I will fight to the very end for those who are still suffering in this world, to protect the justice that belongs to us.”

This is the story that took place before the savior was invited by the Gem Elder to participate in the final battle of the Millennium City.

……

Time returns to the present.

Tokyo has resurfaced, and people in other regions are indifferent to this fact, or even want to understand its significance.

But for Lucius Longinus, it felt like his head was about to explode.

Putting aside the fact that Chitose Masuru's report to him mentioned that she had single-handedly killed Ouroboros, which was shocking but within reason, since Lucius had always felt that Chitose Masuru was somewhat unusual, it was normal; however, when he heard Chitose say in a very 'strange' tone that Novia had helped him a lot, Lucius was so shocked that he dropped his sunglasses to the ground.

Novia? Is this the Novia I'm thinking of?

However, Chitose did not give a direct answer, but vaguely suggested that if Lucius wanted to know, he should come to Tokyo.

At this moment, Lucius was walking in a hospital in Tokyo that was being rebuilt with the help of AI resources from various cities, looking at the shimmering light of pink and blue waves all around him.

He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sporty sandals, looking like he was on vacation.

The reason Lucius dressed so casually was simply because he thought Chitose Masuru might just be joking with him, so there was no need to take it too seriously and he might as well relax.

Meanwhile, thinking he should first check if Eri was acting strangely after returning to Tokyo, Lucius pushed open the door to the 'hospital room Eri had mentioned'—

"I really shouldn't have any expectations of people like you!"

"What?! You actually still have illusions about that kind of scum?"

"Don't fight, don't argue, Mommy, I don't want to see you doing such bad things, boohoo, if you keep going, Mommy will cry..."

“I don’t know about Luce.”

With the cacophony of four voices, the door opened.

What came into Lucius's view was Eri Se staring angrily at a gray-haired girl who looked miserable. The two of them were cracking their knuckles at the same time, and it looked like they were about to fight at any moment. Between the two of them was a petite blue-haired girl who was half-squatting and waving her hands in a panic, looking like she was about to cry. There was also a blue-haired girl sitting on a white hospital bed, making the sign of the cross and praying with her eyes closed.

I haven't seen Erise for only a month, have I?

How come she suddenly has so many friends? No, with Eri's stubbornness and always sharp tongue, can she really make friends? Impossible...

But feeling that he had come at the wrong time, Lucius leaned out and glanced at the room number, and couldn't help but touch the cross on his cheek.

Speaking of those gray-haired and blue-haired guys, why do they seem to have such an extraordinary aura about them? Could they be figures from the church?

Before Lucius could finish his thought, Eri shouted as soon as she saw him arrive:

"You've come at the right time, Lucius! Come and help me hold down this guy who knows he's scum but is still so devoted to him!"

"I'm not completely devoted!"

Little M'Gol let out a beast-like roar, "That Lucius? Never mind, is he an unexpected reinforcement?! Or is he your old flame? Hahaha, you're actually interested in an old man! This is outrageous!"

"What nonsense are you spouting! Lucius is a respectable man! He's not what you think!"

Facing the kick from Little Mugel—mainly the chain on his foot—Erise countered with fighting techniques while retorting.

"Of course, what's wrong with an older man? He's a million times better than a scumbag!"

"It seems their relationship is surprisingly good. There's nothing I can do but feel happy for Eri..."

Lucius leaned against the door, pondering what Chitose had said, and said, "Well then, it seems I've disturbed you all. I apologize."

Just then, behind him, a voice that was extremely familiar to Lucius the Holy Lance rang out after two thousand years.

"Isn't this Lucius? You're here too."

Chapter 540 Unforgivable... Fine, I'll forgive you then.

In the blink of an eye, Novia found herself standing on the Tokyo coastline, which was undergoing reconstruction.

From the shore to the distance, there is a vast expanse of shallow sea, as beautiful as a jewel; there are also white sand beaches that sparkle under the bright sun; and dense forests full of Southeast Asian wild plants.

All of this is a man-made private beach. Apart from the dedicated sailboats, any other boats that approach will be attacked without warning. Of course, there are also foolproof countermeasures against marine drones.

As for Lucius—

"What a blunder. I never expected that what Masuru said was actually true."

Lucius, who quickly walked out from the side, was no longer the relaxed vacationer he had been just moments before. His Hawaiian shirt and sports sandals had been replaced by a clean white suit with a deep red tie neatly tied around the collar.

Leaning against the protective railing of the coastline, Novia gazed at Lucius with a steady look.

"Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that? Don't tell me you're not used to seeing me in that military uniform?"

"Of course not, this suit suits you quite well, I was just thinking—"

Novia suddenly smiled meaningfully, took out her communication device, tapped it, and placed it in front of Lucius.

Was I that old when I disappeared?

That's the video that's often shown in classrooms across major Japanese cities when teaching about the character Novia the Holy One. It's a short video personally certified and created by Lucius Longinus, featuring a humanoid sculpture in the style of ancient Greece with a beard that drags on the ground, and the figure dancing and humming a very modern, upbeat tune in front of the Pantheon in Rome.

The person making the funny video got caught.

This made Lucius a little embarrassed, and he touched the top hat he was wearing.

He didn't expect to be picked up by Novia so quickly? Could it be that Chitose said so?

But Lucius quickly came up with an answer and replied seriously, "Being handsome is also a kind of trouble, and I know that all too well."

"You're about to start rambling on about your old flames again, this time it's the Druid High Priestess or the Giant Girl..."

With her back to the shimmering sea, Novia narrowed her striking blue eyes slightly.

"No, no, no, you're the main character this time."

Lucius gave Novia a thumbs-up with an awkward smile. "Think about it. People have changed a lot in the new century. Someone as crucial and reliable as you, a world-renowned figure, is still so young and handsome. Wouldn't that be the fantasy of many people? Throughout the year, countless people would go to unimaginable lengths to summon you. So, I'm only doing this for the sake of stability."

"That's enough. I don't have any power like 'beauty' that can charm even inorganic matter."

"There will always be some, after all, there are so many people! For example, my clothes were stolen in Shinjuku. Would you not mind if your statue was fitted with something and stolen? You wouldn't, would you?"

Upon hearing this, Novia's expression turned serious, and she asked with feigned concern, "Was it really stolen?"

"I don't lie, I am the Holy Lance."

Lucius nodded, his expression even carrying a hint of pride.

Seeing this, Novia smiled again, which gave Lucius a premonition, as if his lie had been exposed.

Could it be that Novia gained a similar ability to detect lies after becoming a Servant?

Before Lucius could continue thinking, Novia walked up to him and sighed heavily:

"Lucius, do I look like Franz Schubert or Johann Wolfgang von Goethe?"

Then, the silver-haired youth's tone became cheerful, and he gently placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Or is it a fictional demon king?"

Lucius was instantly dumbfounded.

Oh no! Not only were my funny videos discovered, but my lies were also exposed. What I never expected was that I didn't even recognize that the demon king on Eri back then was actually Novia?

This, isn't this right?

Why would someone who is perfectly virtuous choose to be a saint instead of a demon king, a figure of little interest?

By the way, looking at Eri's feelings for the Demon King, Novia, and considering that Manazuru also has a relationship with Novia, how should I put it... it just doesn't feel quite right?

Lucius had always believed that the reason he was summoned by Chitose Manazuru was probably because of the Novia blood flowing through her veins. Although he didn't know when she had started having an affair behind everyone's back, it had been two thousand years, so it didn't matter anymore. He just needed to do his duty as a Servant.

However, when Lucius learned that Novia was the Demon King, and recalled Eri's past dependence on her, he couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Eri is not Chitose's biological granddaughter, but she is nominally so. And although their relationship isn't very good, according to Chitose, she still treats Eri as her granddaughter and loves her dearly...

What is this? Do descendants fall in love with their ancestors?

This is such a complicated situation. I'd better see if I can contact Pope Nero and ask her to join the war...

However, Lucius quickly recalled the scene he and Novia had just witnessed outside that hospital room—

At that time, when the little girl named Mugel saw Novia appear, she showed anger and a boiling murderous aura surrounded her. If Eri hadn't stopped her, she might have attacked her right away. Lucius, who had once been able to fall in love with a druid and even a giant, still had a strong impression of that kind of anger.

It's like being incredibly angry at someone for some reason, even wanting to kill them, but after a long time, when you meet them again, you find that they've changed a lot, as if they're completely different, and they even say they don't recognize the person who came for revenge and that you don't need to see them again... That's what Lucius thought.

But most importantly, when Lucius saw Novia's Eri, he didn't see the same feelings she once had for the Demon King in her face and eyes.

There was only one feeling: indifference, even a hint of disgust.

That shouldn't be the case. Although I've disappeared for several years, it shouldn't be like I've fallen from heaven to hell. Could it be that something happened that I don't know about? Was I caught red-handed cheating on someone? Or was it four relationships?

Suddenly, for some reason, Lucius started laughing heartily at Novia:

"Haha, I never thought this day would come. You used to always correct me when I talked about my romantic history, saying it was all my fault. Now you're doing the same thing yourself, aren't you?"

"Oh? Really? Lucius, do you still remember this?"

Novia's tone remained calm, but a wooden sword that had appeared in his hand at some unknown time thrust towards Lucius. Lucius reacted swiftly, drawing his holy lance, Longinus—

Just like the day they first met a long time ago.

It was a night when the sky was faintly illuminated by the moonlight, but there were no stars at all, making it seem very empty.

This is also the first meeting between the 'fast little rascal' who has not yet been called a saint and the 'saint who endures pain and prays' of the Holy Lance.

The two did not use any special artifacts or skills, and their magic was not even displayed. It was just a very simple and ordinary exchange of martial arts, and the result was the same as it had been for more than two thousand years.

"By the way, Lucius Longinus, do you think the life you've lived can be considered a beautifully completed pattern?"

After Novia said this—

"……ha."

Lucius could no longer contain himself and dropped the Holy Lance.

"Hahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahaha..."

He started laughing heartily, and after about ten seconds, he rubbed his slightly moist eyes.

"Isn't the answer to this kind of question obvious?"

In the past, after what happened at Calvary, Lucius had 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.