040: Have I, Already Gone Mad?
Southern Judea Province.
Under the assault of one-third of the Roman legions led by Nero, the territory controlled by Simon Bar Kokhba continued to shrink. Faced with absolutely overwhelming force, even the Jews who believed in the 'Messiah's' descent, no matter how fearless, were helpless.
Village after village was razed, castles were captured, but the resistance faced by the Roman legions only intensified.
For instance, now, Nero, approaching Jerusalem, had only just completely destroyed another castle. The moonlight had fully spread, illuminating the dark, lightless land with somewhat discernible outlines.
The girl strode directly over the collapsed gate and shattered courtyard walls. The sound of crumbling rubble echoed through the empty buildings and streets.
Earlier, seeing no hope of escape, the Jewish defenders of the castle had fallen into complete religious frenzy. They firmly believed this was "according to God's will; they were destined to die."
When the Roman army opened the gates, they only saw a hellish scene. The Jewish resisters had burned all buildings. All defenders—men, women, old, young—had committed collective suicide.
And because of doctrinal reasons, Judaism forbids suicide. So they drew lots to kill each other—husbands killing wives, wives stabbing husbands, children killing the elderly. 'I stab you, and before you die, you stab me'... The last person poisoned themselves.
This was also normal because, at this point, the Jewish rebels and Roman legions were locked in a fight to the death. After breaching a city, the Roman army would exact revenge on everyone. Conversely, the Jews also spared no Roman or Roman prisoner. Someone claimed "their horses' nostrils were flooded with blood."
"Commander, underground tunnels dug by Jews have been discovered again. Shall we use magecraft to completely burn out the inside?"
"Yes. Have the accompanying magi use magecraft to clear them out. Regardless of whether there are people inside or not. Apply this to all places."
Regarding the tunnels that had plagued their progress, even though they likely contained luxuries—glassware, mirrors in leather cases, wooden jewelry boxes, incense shovels—the golden-haired girl merely gave a cold order.
"Burn it all. Leave nothing."
However, the other two army groups were doing the same. But soon, Nero's group would converge with the other two at Jerusalem for the final battle of this campaign.
Come to think of it, Nero felt that, starting from some unknown time, something seemed to be budding in the direction of Jerusalem. It seemed to intrigue her immensely, but there was an indescribable feeling about it.
Since the Judean rebellion began, the population of the entire eastern Mediterranean coast had been thrown into chaos. Entire villages of Greeks, Jewish settlements, and Roman colonies vanished from the map. Countless skeletons, piles of adults and children forming clusters of death. Complete collapse, destruction, trampling of ethics and common sense. Merciless violence. What was decomposed was blood, flesh, and bone—the constituent materials all the same.
According to the magi accompanying Nero's group, during the southern campaign led by Nero, two hundred thousand Jews were killed, 46 fortified towns and 568 villages were razed to the ground.
The golden-haired girl trod a path covered in blood. Even now, the girl's killing showed not the slightest hint of wavering.
The corners of her mouth twisted slightly—a smile.
Both an unquestionable trust and an expression filled with morbidity.
This was because, before the Roman army split into three, her teacher of many years, the supreme commander of this campaign, had said to her:
"Nero, you will bring peace, tranquility, joy, and happiness to all people of the empire. I believe you have already gained that courage."
Novia did not use forceful words, as if persuading a young child.
"Precisely because you are Nero, I tell you this. Crush all heretics you see. This is also for your sake, Nero."
He smiled again.
At that moment, beside her revered teacher, hearing him say that, many emotions surged in the golden-haired girl's heart—pride, respect, joy, and a bit of memory.
That was before the suppression campaign. Because she had grown too close to Novia, her mother, feeling great danger, had desperately revealed something:
The reason for your headaches is because you have been ingesting poison since childhood. Before, it was her. Now, it is Novia.
In that instant, the girl's thoughts were normal, her feelings calm.
Her heart accepted everything as it was, transparent like still water, without a single ripple, without any confusion, without any anger, without any dissatisfaction.
Just a feeling of 'I see, so that's how it is.'
...No, that's not right. Why? Could it be that I... was originally abnormal? Or rather—
Have I already gone mad?
Only now did the girl belatedly realize that she had actually been traded away long ago. The anxiety from that day in her childhood when she was abandoned—that had been traded away along with her.
Therefore, Nero's shining eyes gazed directly at her mother, Agrippina:
"Well then, that's wonderful. I am so important to him that he must resort to this method to keep me. Really, you could have just said so. I thought you were telling me something serious. But I will wait for the day he tells me himself. Or perhaps he'll say it when he's about to kill me? Hehe, I'm joking. How could I ever do such a thing?"
The rose flower tinged with 'morning dew' swayed gracefully in the cool breeze—the smile still on the girl's face. A smile without any wavering.
"Umu, indeed. I share the same blood as you, Mother. I am an unmistakable, madwoman."
The golden-haired girl spoke cheerfully and brightly. She had long since gone mad.
Though her surface remained lively, her heart undoubtedly blazed with a raging inferno—a flame that burns everything, offering everything, coveting everything, consuming everything with desire.
Precisely because of this, facing Novia's words as if persuading a child, Nero smiled and replied:
"Teacher, why are you saying this? You've taught me for so long, yet now you're being so distant. But I will do anything you ask, I'll do everything."
"No matter what, I still hope you prioritize your own safety above all else."
"Teacher, I am your student, your disciple. But now I am a soldier on the battlefield. So please don't say such things to me. To give orders to a soldier, a single phrase is enough. Just say it—'Kill them all'—that will suffice."
A trace of imperceptible madness flickered in her emerald-green eyes. On the blood-soaked earth, the two stared at each other.
The golden-haired girl thought to herself: How wonderful it would be if, in the final moment before those azure eyes closed forever, only her own reflection remained in them.
Nero had never given much thought to the things around Novia. But ever since Novia took up that peculiarly shaped "gun," she had desperately wanted to destroy it completely—perhaps due to some inexplicable sense of caution within her.
"Kill them all."
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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