[FMMIKA] Chapter 237: Goetia's Tale and Empire's Progress

"Arrogant."

"Judging humanity."

"Believing humanity is beyond redemption."

"Seeking to destroy humanity."

"Trying to save humanity."

"Who gave him the authority, who gave him the position?"

"Does having power give you the right to do as you please?"

"He's truly irredeemable, living in his own world of delusion."

After roughly listening to Artorius's account of the story regarding the King of the Demon Gods known as Goetia, Scathach scolded Goetia and shook her head in exasperation.

"Such arrogance."

She repeated the word 'arrogance' twice, clearly, her assessment of Goetia was bad.

Of course, in reality, what kind of being Goetia was, or what his personality was like, held little significance for the empire.

If the empire were just a mere component of the proper human history, perhaps there would be a mission and necessity to uphold the proper human history and clash with the King of the Demon Gods.

But it was clear that the current empire, along with the world it resided in, was in a state of uncertainty, pondering whether it should seek an alternative path.

In this situation, the empire's attitude towards proper human history was naturally dismissive. They had been planning to take it over and shape it in their own image for a long time now.

With the empire's technological advancements, this plan was gradually shifting from imagination and planning toward realization.

On the 'original story', had anyone ever reached the Moon and gained knowledge from it?

Artorius thought like that for a moment and found it highly unlikely because of the presence of Crimson Moon. Anyone attempting to reach the moon would meet a grim fate.

'So, is the whole Apollo 11 mission a hoax?'

Artorius couldn't help but wonder.

===

Time passed day by day.

In the European region, political dynamics were gradually changing.

In their war with the Sasanian Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire had shifted from offense to defense. At the beginning of the 6th century, they were barely maintaining a fifty-fifty balance. But as time went on, the Eastern Romans increasingly felt overwhelmed.

Regions like Syria, Jordan, Judea, and Egypt had fallen into the hands of the Sasanians. The fortresses of Cilicia also couldn't withstand repeated assaults of the Sasanians.

After a massive plague outbreak, the Eastern Roman Empire finally faltered.

Justinian, who had aspired to become the rejuvenating monarch of the Roman Empire, eventually succumbed to illness amidst his anxieties.

Emperor after emperor ascended the throne, but the fate of the country didn't improve.

At its worst, half of Anatolia was lost.

Meanwhile, the prosperous Cilicia, as well as Greece and Macedonia, were being invaded by various Slavic tribes, with the Bulgarians being the most powerful among them.

All of this played out just like it did in the original history. The only difference was that in their western lands, they had a powerful and prosperous distant relative.

The Holy Roman Empire had been steadily developing during these decades.

Excluding the secret base of Moon and Earth, not even considering the Mystery side, they had already consolidated nearly all the mages and completely secularized what was once called the Church, turning it into a part of the national machinery. These were a series of remarkable achievements.

Meanwhile, about the Holy Roman Empire's expansion in the East.

From Saracen to Bohemia, and then Poland and Lithuania, even reaching into the Ukrainian territories. Countless Slavs, Lithuanians, Scythians, Khazars, Kumans, Bulgarians, and so on, all crumbled beneath the iron hooves of the empire.

The empire's territory advanced boldly towards the Volga River. Some explorers and adventurers hired by the empire had even reached the Ural Mountains, known as the dividing line between Europe and Asia.

Many scholars referred to this as the 'Second Roman Expansion against Barbarians', claiming that under the reign of the Dragon Emperor, Rome had entered another golden age.

===

At the same time, the most famous era of Sasanian Empire history, the era of the 'King of Kings' Khosrow I, the son and successor of Kavad I, saw the arrival of a second golden age.

Known as Anushirvan or the Immortal Soul, excelled in both governance and military prowess, not inferior to Justinian. Especially on the Persian front, where they held the upper hand in terms of national power, the King of Kings could strategically maneuver with even more confidence, asserting dominance.

The relationship between the two powers was tumultuous, marked by conflicts and reconciliations.

In the East, Khosrow I cooperated with the Turks, completely eradicating the Hephthalite threat that had plagued the eastern borders of the Sasanian Empire for years.

The upward trajectory of the Sasanian Empire continued for another century. However, the side effects of prolonged warfare began to manifest. The Sasanian Empire's strength dwindled, especially during the Fall of Constantinople.

Upon the plea of the Eastern Roman Empire, as the 'eldest son' of the Dragon Emperor, Artorius II led the Holy Roman army.

They effortlessly defeated the Avars and Slavs who were besieging the city. Afterward, the Holy Roman's Mediterranean fleet defeated the Sasanian navy and landed in Jerusalem. They reclaimed the Holy City of Constantinople, continued south, and brought all of Egypt under their rule.

Simultaneously, the Eastern Roman Empire took advantage of the situation, recapturing the Anatolian Peninsula and subjugating the Kingdom of Armenia once again.

Following these events, the Sasanian Empire lacked the capacity to launch further offensives against the Eastern Roman Empire, and vice versa. Under the guidance of Artorius II, both sides renegotiated their terms.

In a sense, this demonstrated the Holy Roman Empire's position above both the Sasanian and Eastern Roman Empires.

The world entered a time of peace, although this peace did not last long. It was swiftly disrupted by the rise of the Arabs from the southern peninsula.

The Sasanian Empire collapsed completely, while the Eastern Roman Empire faced a new, more formidable enemy.

As Artorius had prophesized years ago, the Eastern Roman Empire was no longer just an Augustus or a Basileus; it was merely a 'Caesar'.

In the centuries to come, despite the complex feelings of the Eastern Roman Empire towards the Holy Roman Empire, there were even occasional instances of a few self-important Eastern Roman Emperors proclaiming their status to be equal to that of the Holy Roman Emperors.

However, more often than not, in order to ensure their own survival, or when a newly ascendant family sought to secure their imperial authority by doing a coup d'etat, they had no choice but to flatter and even grovel before the Holy Roman Empire.

And so, the West entered a new era.

From the 'Classical Age' of the old Roman Empire to the 'Middle Ages' of the new Roman Empire.

This age, unlike the historical Dark Ages of feudal theocracy, was referred to by scholars as the second golden age of Rome.

Artorius Pendragon was a great emperor who rebuilt Rome once again.