[FMMIKA] Chapter 324: My Rome is Different

"Ahh, this is just terrible."

That night, from the high tower of Nero's palace in Rome, Artorius sighed as he looked out over the city.

"Terrible... what is?"

After hearing his sigh, Nero, who had been planning to strike up a conversation, approached.

"Is the wine bad, or are those Roman noblewomen not warm enough?"

The latter part of her statement referred to the Roman noblewomen who had joyfully gathered around Artorius at the banquet. They approached him with shining eyes, like cats eyeing a piece of fish, eager to savor every last bit of it.

Of course, given his combat prowess, the ultimate fate of these weaklings with a power normal human was to be smacked down without causing any harm to him.

"It's because they are too enthusiastic that I find it terrible."

Artorius turned and looked at Nero, who seemed a bit puzzled.

After he explained, she blushed slightly, apparently misunderstanding his intention and thinking it was a confession.

"I'm not the jealous type..." Nero said to Artorius while blushing. "Even if you get along with those people in various ways, I won't get angry. On the contrary, my beloved being popular is something to be proud of~!"

"Do you really think that way?" Artorius asked while watching Nero smile.

"Of course..." Nero responded without hesitation.

However, after saying that, she looked at him with a serious and solemn face and turned away, avoiding eye contact.

'So, watching your beloved man being affectionate with other women and smilingly claiming not to mind anything can only mean two things—either she's foolish or pretending. Unless you truly don't care about that person, how could you not get angry or jealous?'

Seeing her like that, Artorius thought so and smiled in his heart while leaning in beside her.

"Really terrible."

"What now? What are you talking about? What's so terrible?" Nero asked while sighing.

"Rome, you know?"

"Rome...?"

"In your eyes, what is the current night scene?" Artorius asked while glancing at the city.

Due to the celebration, the entire Rome was ablaze with lights—candles, torches, and lanterns provided by him, illuminating the city as if it were daytime.

"It's an era of prosperity..." Nero smiled naturally. "A golden age created by me... and you. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Of course, there is." Artorius smiled and shook his head. "In my eyes, it's the last carnival before doomsday."

"Um...? Artorius, you're saying strange things again."

Nero's dissatisfaction grew as she listened to his nonsense again.

"Everyone was reveling in a drunken stupor; the entire city of Rome absorbed the blood and nutrients of half of Europe. The grains, resources, slaves, gold, luxuries—everything transported to Rome was subsequently squandered in a carnival of pleasure, devoid of any meaning."

"Romans became corrupt and extravagant, as this lavish provision erased the ancestral traditions of valor, turning them into a bunch of ruffians, wastrels living for 'votes'. Ironically, these wastrels were the most crucial individuals in all of Rome, the core residents. Isn't this terrible?"

Artorius questioned Nero as he turned his head to her.

"You..."

Nero opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to refute him, but she couldn't because deep down, she felt he was right. In fact, before this conversation, she had an inkling, hearing similar sentiments from other sources.

There had always been those who aimed to reform Rome's system. The Gracchi brothers, for instance, hoped to transform the idle mob of Roman proletariats into self-sustaining farmers, allocating land outside the city for them.

Unfortunately, they failed.

The Senate and slaveholders refused to relinquish their lands. Simultaneously, Romans accustomed to a life of pleasure and effortless gains showed no interest in becoming self-sufficient farmers.

Afterward came Caesar's ascension.

Self-proclaimed as a man of the people, Caesar, after becoming dictator, did not alter Rome's unhealthy lifestyle; he worsened it instead. Using more wealth and resources, he bought the loyalty of Romans, paving his way to becoming the 'Roman Emperor'.

Its essence bore no difference from modern Western politicians.

In this regard, Western civilization indeed inherited the legacy of ancient Rome. This corrupt electoral system was one of the sources of decay in the West. It resulted in two outcomes.

One was shamelessly audacious politicians.

The other was citizens increasingly dependent on a welfare state.

Combine the two, and it was a one-way ticket to doomsday.

"We Romans have our own way of survival..." Nero said defiantly. "And what's wrong with ensuring the happiness and joy of the Roman people? As an emperor, shouldn't I take care of my subjects?"

"Moreover, Rome is already wealthy..." Nero grumbled. "From all of Europa to the entire Mediterranean, every piece of land is under Roman control. So, besides indulgence, what else do we need to do?"

"However, this leads to two other issues." Artorius said calmly. "The first is whether people outside Rome are considered Romans. If they are, then you should treat them equally. And if they aren't, does that qualify as complete 'conquest'?"

"The people beyond Rome, their blood, their children, have been enslaved by Rome, this city. Their discontent is growing, while Rome itself is in decline. Someday, the outsiders, or 'barbarians', will surpass Rome in power. At that time, will they willingly submit to Roman rule?"

"That..." Nero wanted to retort but couldn't.

"Besides, there's an issue with how Romans are treated."

"If you had a child..."

Artorius began a metaphor that made Nero blush.

"How would you educate them? Let them bask in pleasure, live a carefree life, surrounded by a group of beautiful slaves, doing nothing but eating and drinking every day?"

"Or, should you push and educate them, hire teachers, train them, send them to the military, make them officials, appoint them as governors in the provinces... to make them a qualified successor?"

"Which option do you think is correct?"

Of course, the second one.

"But..."

Nero interrupted with another 'but'.

After Artorius said all this, Nero felt a deep sense of frustration.

She seemed to realize something.

Even if she could defeat the so-called United Roman Empire, even if she could overcome this hurdle, she couldn't ultimately save her Rome.

If the issues Artorius mentioned weren't addressed, then, in the end, her Rome would continue to slide into the abyss of decadence.

The Romans were becoming more corrupt, more incompetent, abandoning the spirit of martial virtues. And the 'non-Roman' people in the provinces would grow increasingly dissatisfied.

Under the threat of barbarians on the Roman borders, Rome still needed an army—so the number of barbarian mercenaries in the Roman army would continue to rise. When the military strength of these barbarian mercenaries surpassed that of Rome itself, and the number of barbarians living within Rome exceeded that of Romans, doomsday would arrive.

Understanding Artorius's point, Nero felt an unprecedented sense of defeat and anxiety.

Because all of this couldn't be solved by putting on airs by just saying something like 'I am the greatest emperor in the world'. Nero didn't have the ability or the knowledge.

The decline of the Romans began in the late Republic and lasted for centuries. The political environment became increasingly distorted, and now it was irreversible.

If, Nero wanted to challenge the interests of those senators, challenge the interests of the nobles, and even make 'Roman citizens' who were idle and unproductive, reinvigorate themselves. The backlash would inevitably leave her with no place to bury herself.

Although all this was for their own good, for the longevity and healthy existence of Rome.

But it was like persuading an obese person to eat less high-calorie, high-fat fried foods, snacks, and sugary drinks for their health. Even though it was for their own good, it would trigger a strong backlash—a mild comparison that didn't quite fit the current situation.

A more fitting and sharper analogy would be advising someone to quit smoking, drinking, and even gambling.

Under Artorius's reminder, Nero had completely awakened.

At the first moment of awakening, she was extremely dissatisfied with him, like a person who had been awakened in a dark room. But then, discontent turned into dependence and expectation.

To change the current situation in Rome, to rescue Rome from the abyss of decadence, was beyond her capabilities.

"You have a way right?!"

Thinking about all of those problems, Nero looked at Artorius with pleading eyes. The gesture that made him quite pleased.

"My Rome is completely different from yours. My Rome is not just a city with vast colonies attached to it. It's an entire mutually beneficial economic entity."

Under Nero's hopeful gaze and somewhat defiant inquiries, Artorius vividly explained his Rome.