[FMMIKA] Chapter 296: New Roman Empire

Artorius turned and returned to the small city of Byzantium.

At the same time, those who had been transformed into Roman soldiers before, and those Greek army who had been defeated and captured, had been turned into resolute Romans and followed their officers, silently trailing Artorius as he advanced.

Their steps were resolute, their formation was impeccable, and their spirits were high, resembling a victorious army.

"So, Your Majesty?"

Seeing this, Mash followed suit, naturally hitting the pause button on the way, adjusting the time flow of the 'pause' to prevent Romani from seeing this discordant scene.

"What should we do next?"

"Since we've turned down Macedonia's offer, why not align with the Roman Empire, or perhaps join the United Roman Empire?" Ritsuka chimed in.

If their goal was to restore human order, the Roman Empire ruled by Nero would be the natural choice, representing the correct timeline. But their true intention was not to restore human order after all. Restoring human order was just a smokescreen.

Though Ritsuka still looked like Chaldea's Master on the outside, her heart had already taken on the shape of Artorius. She no longer cared about saving or not saving the human order. After all, proper human history wasn't all that great. It was better to just save up and buy a new one.

Given this perspective, Nero's Roman Empire was not the only option.

"But, isn't this United Roman Empire the work of the Demon God?" Mash hesitated as she continued, "Is it really okay for us to meet with the Demon God now?"

"No problem, no problem." Ritsuka replied nonchalantly. "Even though that Demon God is manipulating things behind the scenes, on the surface, the leader of the United Roman Empire is the Roman emperor. After all, who would go against the Roman emperor in Rome itself?"

"Shouldn't there be other options...?" Mash said with some uncertainty. "After all, they are Servants summoned by the Demon God. They must have gone through a series of brainwashing and adjustment. You can't expect them to obey with just three Command Spells, can you?"

"In that case, isn't the United Roman Empire full of potential?" Ritsuka's mood brightened. "Once Artorius arrives there, he can just say—you are an emperor, and so am I..."

"His Majesty can't do that. We're still from Chaldea, after all. Chaldea and Demon Gods are antagonistic towards each other."

"Umm... you're right..."

Ritsuka hesitated to rebut Mash's point but ultimately nodded in agreement. Her body had already taken on the form of Artorius; such matters couldn't be revealed lightly.

So, going to join the Demon God with smiles on their faces would inevitably result in the same fate—being captured and bled by the Demon God, a most unjust end.

"So, we have to align with Nero, right?" Ritsuka summarized in the end.

"No, we won't align with anyone." Artorius declared without hesitation. "We'll rely on ourselves. She's an emperor, and I'm an emperor. Why should I obey that noob?"

Artorius proclaimed loudly, raising his sword high towards the sky.

"From this day forth, we are the 'New Roman Empire' and use it as a starting point to conquer all directions! We'll march south to Greece, north to Scythia, east to Macedonia, and west to the minor kingdoms, uniting the world!"

""OOOHHHHHH—!!!""

As Artorius gave the command, all the Romans around him cheered loudly, and the scene instantly became explosive.

In the next moment, accompanied by the unparalleled magical energy from the Third Magic, the most famous city of the Medieval West, Constantinople, appeared in the world.

The once humble city of Byzantium was no more. In its place stood a grand and massive magical city.

The real-world Constantinople was indeed magnificent, but this was a world with magecraft, and the Age of Gods had not entirely faded away—it was hundreds of years away from that time.

And so, in this era, the concentration of true ether in the air was exceptionally high, making the mages of today still akin to magicians in the modern era. Moving mountains and filling seas was a piece of cake for them.

And because of this, when one gazes upon the towering 'Theodosian Walls', hundreds of meters high, adorned with magic cannons, or the dozens of fully automated shipyards along the coastline, and the abundance of fully automated factories within the city. A modern metropolis that could accommodate tens of thousands of people with its towering skyscrapers.

Even Ritsuka, a woman known for her nitpicking taste, couldn't help but exclaim, "This is incredible!"

At the same time, the people living in this city and the nearby villages were instantaneously transformed into Romans. They became the kind of mules that could carry a 50-pound load and march 50 miles on foot.

Clad in heavy armor, they charged like knights in wall-shaped formations, possessing enough knowledge and intellect, understanding the New Roman language and script used in the Pendragonius Empire, and having the knowledge of high school students in mathematics, science, and literature.

Their numbers were not large, only a few tens of thousands, but this was just the beginning.

"Constantinople—no, it's the capital city of the New Roman Empire, the fortress city—Artoriusburg!" Artorius proclaimed proudly.

"Ohhh."

"Your Majesty, you look so handsome." Mash said with awe.

"Mash, you're looking through the eyes of a lover... but he does look quite handsome, indeed."

Although she wanted to engage in her usual playful banter with Mash, midway through, Ritsuka found herself agreeing with her.

While she was usually laid-back and spoke unreservedly, telling lies was her second nature. But the kind of emotion that came from within, even Ritsuka couldn't resist.

Artorius didn't mind their antics and only smiled calmly.

In the next moment, he appeared in the sky over the city, more than three thousand meters above. As he looked down on the city from above, he felt more and more satisfied.

This fortress city was surrounded on three sides by the sea, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

To the west, there was the small Anatolian Peninsula, known for its warhorses.

To the east, there was the fertile Silesian Lowlands, known for its wheat.

To the north and south, one side linked to the Black Sea, and the other linked to the Mediterranean, making it a hub for maritime trade.

In this era, a city like this was indeed the most suitable to be the capital, with no contenders. If one wanted to establish a vast empire that would simultaneously control Asia, Europe, and Africa, this location was the best choice.

'Constantine the Great had a really good vision. This place is even more suited to be the capital than old Rome.' Artorius mused.

The geographical location of Artoriusburg was naturally suited to be the capital of an international empire.

However, if the strength was insufficient, this convenient location could turn into a vulnerability, with enemies attacking from all sides. Instead of being a place where all nations come to pay tribute, it could become a place where all nations come to meddle.

So, this capital was suitable for a rising empire, not one in decline. It was just a pity that the Eastern Roman Empire had been in decline for most of its history and rarely experienced a period of growth.

'But now it's different.'

Artorius thought with determination, and with a resounding authority, he declared:

"Next, we will cross the Bosporus and conquer Bithynia and Pontus to the north! To the south, we will conquer Macedonia and Achaea! To the east, we will conquer Dalmatia!

The first step is to bring the entire Balkans, the Greek Peninsula, and the whole of Anatolia under our rule. We're going to recreate the map of the Eastern Roman Empire at the height of its power, just like Basil did!"

With the Dragon Emperor's command, the portal to the Pendragonius Empire opened once again. A large number of imperial troops, officials, and technicians streamed out.

At the same time, the fully automated factories of the New Roman Empire went into full swing, producing the food, weapons, armor, supplies, mechanical equipment, and even warhorses and pack animals needed for the empire.

The automated shipyards were also producing state-of-the-art sail-powered warships equipped with guided ballistae.

The Dragon Emperor enlisted all the ten thousand young men in his territory into a legion. Without hesitation, he crossed the Bosporus and easily defeated the Macedonian general Perdiccas, then led his army south and recaptured the key city of Nicaea in just two days.

At the same time, the imperial navy defeated the Macedonian fleet in the Aegean Sea, gaining control of the Aegean.

The news spread, surprising the world.

This first-century Roman war now had a new, powerful participant.