"So boring! Are you really just going to stay holed up in this inn?"
The loli demon rolled around inside the bottle, mussing her pale blue hair into a tangled mess.
Suddenly, she stopped, sat up, and glared with wide eyes, shouting with resentment.
"Are Rome's myths that fascinating?"
Lucius's fingers turned the pages of his book, but he didn't respond.
Over the past few days, with ample funds secured, Lucius hadn't rushed into his next move. Instead, he found a new inn and hunkered down without hesitation.
His body hadn't fully adapted to the power fused from the divine artifact.
The nascent ability within him was still taking shape.
In such a state, he was reluctant to act recklessly.
After all, with time to spare, he'd want to maximize his combat potential before diving into anything dangerous.
According to the demon, Lucius's current strength was already at a high level in this world.
If he wielded his power fully, he'd be no less formidable than a Great Knight.
A threshold most could never cross in a lifetime, he'd reached in a single step through unconventional means.
No wonder Campiones held such disregard for ordinary people.
"Are Rome's myths more interesting than me?"
Though sealed in the bottle, the demon could project herself into Lucius's perception through mental interference.
She crawled up behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder, her sweet breath brushing against him.
Lacking a physical form, these were mere illusions, imperceptible to touch, rendering her actions futile.
Rip—
The page in his hand tore in half.
"Not as interesting as you," Lucius said, calmly reattaching the page. "Rome's myths are dull. They read like a census report."
"Then can you stop staying cooped up in this inn reading them?" The demon, still draped over his shoulder, wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, asking listlessly.
For days, Lucius had been engrossed in mythological texts, primarily Roman mythology and related studies.
He also delved into Greek mythology, the origin of Roman myths; Persian mythology, which influenced it; Indian mythology for broader context; and even biographies of emperors deified by the Roman Empire after their deaths…
This left little time for her.
Thus, the demon rediscovered the meaning of boredom.
Sealed in the bottle for over a millennium, she'd grown accustomed to quiet solitude.
But after so long, finding someone she could banter with—only for him to suddenly ignore her—
Her dark golden slit-pupil eyes radiated despair.
"I'm in Rome, after all," Lucius replied casually, flipping through A Study of Emperor Claudius's Life.
Not the infamous tyrant from history, nor the figure from other fictional universes, but a puppet emperor who left barely a mark.
Yet, after his death, his successor deified him to bolster their own rule.
The Roman Empire's exasperating habit of deification drove myth researchers to frustration, greatly increasing Lucius's workload.
This ancient empire, in its expansion, absorbed countless foreign gods while habitually granting divinity to its emperors.
"Whether it's divine artifacts or gods, contact with them carries risks. Studying these myths thoroughly beforehand should help me significantly," Lucius said, closing his eyes to mentally recite what he'd read.
Fortunately, absorbing the artifact's power had greatly enhanced his memory.
Otherwise, memorizing so much mythological lore in such a short time would've been impossible.
"You said it, right? Humans and demons, each taking what they need—that's our deal," The loli demon sighed. "I'll provide all the help you need to move forward."
"If you don't like reading, I can handle it. Whatever you want to know about myths, I can tell you. You can rely on me completely~"
"Are you well-versed in mythology?" Lucius asked, hesitating.
"Of course," The demon nodded eagerly, her face lighting up with a bright smile. "I can directly access this world's mythological information. Understanding myths is effortless for me."
"I see," Lucius said, pausing briefly. He'd been searching for answers in the myths these past few days.
In that case, he'd just ask the demon directly.
"That beast tooth I absorbed," Lucius said. "Which Roman god does it belong to?"
"That tooth…" The demon's expression turned thoughtful, her tone natural. "If we're talking about a wolf significant to Rome, there's really only one, right?"
"Rome's founders, the sons of Mars, Romulus and Remus, were abandoned as infants and raised by a she-wolf, allowing them to survive."
"Given the Romans' habits, it's not impossible they'd revere that wolf as a divine figure."
"Makes sense… the wolf that saved Romulus," Lucius nodded, understanding.
Perhaps he should be more cautious in some respects.
For instance, if it's tied to Romulus, he'd best avoid contact until his strength reached a certain level.
But if it's Mars… that should be fine, right?
"See? I told you, any myth-related questions, just ask me," The demon said, raising a fist to her cheek and letting out a playful "ehe" giggle.
"Whatever it is, you can rely on me—it's part of our deal."
"Got it," Lucius nodded, then returned to his mythological texts.
"I said you can rely on me for myth stuff!" The demon exclaimed, eyes widening.
"I know," Lucius nodded again, acknowledging her.
"But I'm worried you might deceive me."
At that, the loli demon let out a dramatic, fake sob.
Why was this guy like this? Not giving her even a shred of basic trust.
So unfair.
Though, to be fair, she would deceive him—or rather, she already had.
***
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