Chapter 72 Recycling
◎Wait, that's not Caesar's direction! Why are we off track, you bastard goblin? !◎
Tap tap tap, tap tap tap, the rhythmic march is hidden in the noise.
The festival was filled with a boisterous crowd, and the few extra lightly armored guards were like fish swimming into duckweed, unnoticed. The temple precinct already had a large number of armed guards, and the elders also brought a number of bodyguards, so no one cared much about their origins.
In real Rome, everything was peaceful and happy. In shadow Rome, Elena was standing in front of an archway, running her hand over the surface of the gold coin. "Is it your magic item?"
"That's about right~" Melia waved her hand and led her to a cluster of solid stone houses. "This place is called Shadow Rome, and only I can come and go freely. I use these gold coins to connect to the other side, like this location."
She stepped on the hard stone and said, "Go out from here and it will lead directly to the temple warehouse."
"Oh~ Did you move the gold?"
"Hehe~"
The temple was looking for the thief like crazy those days, almost overturning the Senate and the court at the same time. In the end, when they couldn't find the thief, they gradually calmed down.
It is said that even Caesar was alarmed and ordered several of the richest senators, including Sulla, to make "voluntary" donations.
There were rumors that Sulla's relatives sold candlesticks bearing the temple's emblem, but this now seems to be a rumor.
Elena scratched someone's nose and looked around. "I see. Through this passage, you can easily bypass the temple's defenses. Haha, I hope the assassin doesn't have something similar."
"That shouldn't be the case. If there was, I wouldn't have caught him."
The two of them leaned sweetly on the pile of rocks, watching the newly born birds in the shadow Rome standing on the branches practicing flying.
Melia put her hand on her shoulder and asked, "Are those guards all your men?"
"No, that's too obvious. If Father were more suspicious, he'd think I was orchestrating this." Elena chuckled. "Most of them are palace guards. I just said, 'I hope you guys show off in the church district and don't let the grumbling mob disturb Father's mood.'"
"..." The smile on Melia's face disappeared.
Very good rhetoric indeed.
If this order was given, the guards would think that His Highness had received word that someone wanted to see Caesar. They would keep a close eye on the situation, preventing any strangers from approaching Caesar, and would keep anyone suspicious outside.
Even if a professional assassin dressed realistically, he would be spotted immediately if he walked through a crowd, not to mention the suspicious group of armed individuals.
After a long pause, she asked in a low voice, "Usually... do you and His Majesty think that the people who risk visiting are all mobs?"
"No."
Elena shook her hand. "It's just that the last two years have been tough, and more and more people are being forced into poverty by the elders and the current situation. Furthermore, my father advocates external expansion, conquering so many small countries and city-states in just a few years. Actually, a few years ago, my father was quite willing to listen to the voices of the common people."
Well, if you think about it, you've addressed several major issues in just one sentence. You can imagine how those interviewing Caesar felt.
Melia sighed. "Oh, it seems like there are so many questions... Will you treat visitors this way in the future?"
"No, but I probably don't have that much time to meet with them. After all, there are too many things to do."
Elena's answer was sincere. "The Rose Queen" details her victory over the enemy, weakening the temple and the Senate, expanding the army, and invigorating the market.
Although there are descriptions of restraining the army from interfering with the people of their own country, it was as cold as a winter wind for the enemy troops and foreigners.
Someone dares to invade Rome? Just kill them. Someone disrupts the army? Just kill them. Too many prisoners are a waste of food? Just kill them.
Melia had to admit that without the lover filter, Elena's title of wise ruler basically came from her powerful strength: under her leadership, Rome conquered other countries and gained ample room for development.
At the same time, she lived a long life and was able to maintain national stability during her reign even though she had no offspring.
In this chaotic world, the fact that the situation can be stabilized has already made the people grateful, not to mention that Elena herself only shows her brutal side to the enemies and has no interest in targeting ordinary people and allies.
"The Rose Princess" is a refreshing novel, so it naturally does not describe the heroine's aging and death, but at the end of the story it is hinted that Elena is willing to promote a republican system.
If she had no offspring, the next Roman emperor would no longer be an emperor but a consul.
Seeing Melia remain silent, Elena gently kissed her cheek. "Don't worry, I will change Rome in my own way. Whether it's setting up a dedicated position or sending people to search for her every once in a while, I think we can achieve good results."
"Yeah~ It's okay, let's rest for a while. The assassin will definitely wait until Your Majesty enters the temple alone before taking action. If he does it too far in advance, he won't be able to hide."
Melia relaxed. "The most urgent task is to deal with the assassins quickly. As for the livelihood issues, there'll be plenty of time to figure it out later." If nothing else, it's okay to learn from history, right?
"I'll take a nap first, remember to wake me up. By the way, have you asked someone to remind His Majesty?" Melia closed her eyes.
"Don't worry, I've invited a highly respected general."
"Okay~"
As the sun gradually set, a little white cat poked its head out to spy on the movements of the priests. Only when Ophelia picked up the moon from the red box did she hurriedly lie down in the grass and fall into a deep sleep.
…
The tall stand attracts the attention of believers.
As the sun disappears behind the clouds, the silver moon gradually emerges.
There was a row of young girls standing on the booth, one of whom was Princess Ophelia, who had both good temperament and appearance.
The oldest princess in Rome was actually a little past the age of a page of the moon goddess, but no one cared about it. She was still so humble and beautiful, as elegant as Diana.
There were many girls dressed up for this day, but she was the only one carrying a golden hunting bow. People whispered about her hunting skills: She must be very good, she is Caesar's daughter!
Ophelia couldn't hear their conversation, but a sense of pride filled her heart.
She looked up, waiting for the priests to present all the boxes to her. The golden moon was placed in the box in the middle, and as a princess, she must be the first one to choose.
Sure enough, when the other girls saw the exquisite treasure box being placed on the table, knowing that they had lost out, they all stepped back.
Ophelia walked to the front and turned around to let everyone see her graceful neckline and the dazzling gem on her necklace. Then she calmly pointed to the box in the middle and gently opened it.
Of course it was Jin Yueliang, she raised her lip line.
The priests and believers were cheering, and the blessings of other girls mixed with the compliments of her entourage made her feel a little dizzy.
Ophelia walked towards the float that had been prepared long ago, which was the frame of the Luna Maid.
The Moon Goddess walks on the Milky Way, and her earthly relatives will of course follow in a carriage. There will be many strong and beautiful girls guarding the safety of the maids, holding torches and traveling through the whole of Rome - but before the grand night parade, she must first go to the Temple of the Moon and worship Diana with her father.
Ophelia lifted her skirt and stepped on the female guard's palm to get into the car. Her elegant and slender eyebrows frowned: What if her father suddenly wanted to follow her carriage?
The emperor was free to do whatever he wanted, and there were many things he could do that he didn't. If the handsome and powerful Caesar went on tour with her, everyone would just stare at his father, and she wouldn't even have anything to talk about afterwards!
She was so upset that she didn't even notice the unfamiliar faces around her: oh, in fact, she didn't remember the faces of the guards.
So, a crossbow bolt grazed her shoulder.
After a complaint of "tsk", the dagger easily pierced the heart.
…
At the temple, Caesar was holding up a glass to bid farewell to the last senator who had stopped there. Normally, one shouldn't drink before worshiping Diana, but Caesar was right.
"Old fox." He chuckled and drank the last bit of wine, when suddenly a voice called out from behind.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
He was his trusted good friend, a general who was honest to an extreme.
Even Caesar stopped immediately when he saw him, and opened his arms intimately: "Why, you still have time to come to the temple to ask for money today? They hated you enough last time."
"Since the Pantheon serves as a bridge between the gods and the human world, it should certainly care about the suffering of the mortal world. How many loyal souls have not survived this winter? They all lost their limbs while fighting for Rome."
The general was a man of temperament and wiped away his tears.
Caesar threw away the empty cup and was speechless for a moment: he thought he was kind to his officers. Even the disabled and useless soldiers were given relatively generous rewards, and those who had made military achievements were allocated slaves.
But even these rewards, even when distributed to each person, were limited in amount. How could they possibly provide for a lifetime? Less than ten years had passed, and some were already facing a precarious situation.
But Rome must move forward.
The general hurriedly picked up the cup from the ground and stuffed it into his sleeve: "Ah, thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward."
Caesar looked at his thin winter coat and sighed: "Are you here to persuade me to donate money? After a while, the court ruled last time-"
"No, no, no, Your Majesty, although this is also very important, there are other urgent matters!"
The general dared to interrupt his superior, his face flushing red. "Someone told me that someone wants to assassinate Your Majesty!"
He mentioned two people, but he didn't dare reveal who they were. He was obviously worried about something: was the information correct? Was it slander or misunderstanding? Who would assassinate the great Caesar?
But even if you are not sure, you have to say it.
"Your Majesty, I have summoned many good men, and they are all guarding outside the temple with weapons." The general bowed his head sincerely. "You know how arrogant these priests in the temple are. You must give the order to allow them in."
Caesar was stunned at first, then he laughed heartily.
"Hahahahaha, really? Let the guards protect me? No need, no need."
He waved his hands and said, "That's what cowards do."
"But your Majesty—"
The general hurried a few steps, and the priests guarding the temple stepped forward to stop him.
Caesar's smile remained the same as always, reminding him of the high-spirited young man from more than ten years ago.
"I am Caesar, who can kill me?"
There will be casualties in every war, many, many deaths. The boy gradually grew into a young man, and his original pride and cheerfulness slowly settled into the temperament of a king.
Caesar was immortal—both his enemies and allies believed so.
He should have believed His Majesty, but why... was he so uneasy? Was it because I was getting old too? The general lowered his head and touched the sword at his waist, but ultimately did not push away the priest and followed.
He is a general and also... His Majesty's soldier.
…
Caesar entered the Temple of Diana, as he had done more than once before, whether Roman or foreign.
He raised his head and gazed at the huge statue, then walked forward with interest.
"Ha, I come to pray for your good luck next year again."
He said bluntly, "But I believe in myself more. I'm sorry, Diana." His tone was not like praying to God at all, but more like coaxing the girl next door.
Ophelia hasn't come yet; she's late.
Caesar didn't care whether it was in accordance with the rules or not. Since the moon was at its zenith, it was time to light the candle. He picked up the candle he had prepared and touched the unburned candle in the temple.
"His Majesty."
A female priest in white came towards him. She had a beautiful and holy appearance, and her voice was more pleasant than that of an ordinary singing girl.
Caesar had long been accustomed to all kinds of chance encounters, and looked at the priestess with a smile: he guessed that the other party was a martial artist, but remained unmoved.
"Father, be careful!"
A voice nearby made Caesar's expression shift slightly. It wasn't Ophelia... it was Elena? Why was she here?
Caesar kicked the white-robed priestess aside, confused. Turning back, he saw another assassin lying nearby. Sure enough, there was more than one. His daughter knew the closest one couldn't threaten him.
"Elena, there's more behind you! Don't be distracted!"
Another voice sounded from the darkness. Melia hid in the safest corner of the entire temple: she had confirmed this place twice when she turned into a cat. This was the assassins' blind spot and was far away from the five assassins.
Humph, death is not in vain. It was so frustrating that she died in the bath last time!
"Okay." Elena then killed the third assassin. Caesar then pulled the fourth one out from behind the rack and killed him with a single blow.
Caesar really did not need a guard to protect him; he was an army all on his own.
Unless - the assassin has special weapons.
The last assassin stepped out from the shadows, revealing himself to the two kings. He was about to die in a few seconds, but he still fired the crossbow he had prepared.
Of course, Caesar could easily avoid the crossbow's path. No matter how he aimed, wouldn't he just have to avoid it? Even if he was hit, so what? He wasn't afraid of ordinary poisons.
But this time it's different.
The assassin pulled the trigger with a sense of revenge: this was a fragment of a weapon cursed by a barbarian witch and blessed by a fairy. It was once a snake sword that killed the wise Romans, and now it was an arrow that assassinated the wise Roman Lord.
There were three arrows in total, and only he was lucky enough to get close to Caesar. The brothers and sisters waiting outside could only catch some small fish and shrimps such as princes and princesses.
The whole meaning of its birth was to cut off the glory of Rome, so Caesar had no choice but to do it.
Look, the arrow's deflected. It'll soon—wait, that's not Caesar's direction! Why is it veering off course, you bastard goblin?!
With the assassin's eyes bloodshot, the arrow circled around the temple and pierced into the body of another person who died with his eyes open.
"Why..." Melia held her stomach in disbelief and slowly fell down, sliding into a pool of blood.
She was clearly...hiding in a very safe corner? This wasn't the place where she was killed last time, was it?!
"Meliya——"
Swish... That was the last sound Melia heard, like the fishy wind on the coast.
The author has something to say:
In this chapter, Caesar said something that is said to have been said in history ~ but because it cannot be copied verbatim, some changes have been made.
The original sentence was "Need guards for protection? That's what cowards do."
Thanks to Lei Lei from 21008444~
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