After nightfall, Caesarea is still lit up, colorful and charming. The lights and the stars in the sky are in harmony, and the noisy laughter still does not easily dissipate.

A grand welcome party was held in Theodore's castle, where Roman dignitaries and councillors, nobles from all directions, dwarves from the Cobblestone Council and the Noldor elves of Anduria staged a play called "The Party" in the colorful castle halls and gardens.

The staggered couches and chaise longues were placed haphazardly wherever someone might need to rest, almost all of them with bright candlesticks and blazing torches. From the lobby to the colonnaded verandah of the vestibule garden, almost all the places are illuminated as if it were day and night, and the people who walk under the lights are smiling and enjoying this wonderful time.

Messengers and maids dressed in ceremonial dresses solemnly carried trays of sweets and wine, and carefully walked through the aisles, waiting for the guests to pick them up. A long, narrow dining table covered with a snow-white tablecloth was placed in the center of the hall, next to the fountain. Grilled sausages, kelp and onion soup, lime sauce, baked snails, sweet and savory bagels, and dried fruits and almonds of various sizes are topped...... The delicate and delicious dishes are served on silver plates, and the aroma makes the appetite of the people present.

Since it was a Roman banquet, it was naturally organized by Foreign Minister Virgil - and this was the first time that Theodore signaled that he would hold the welcome party in the Roman way. There are no constraints, not even a difference in status. An unknown knight may be sitting next to the duke, and the dwarves of the Black Rock Basin will look at each other with an elven elder.

The Roman dignitaries who were familiar with all this were naturally familiar with the road, lying on the soft couch leisurely, enjoying the fine wine and food and the rare sky full of stars. But the noble lords from all over the north were unusually restrained, and this kind of banquet without any identity made them dare not move easily, carefully and secretly skimming the practices of those others, and then quietly walked to the table, fidgeting. On the contrary, the dwarves and the Noldor elves were more accustomed to this way of gathering - the former had no rules at all, and almost all the dwarves were like bear children, while the latter were more interested in Roman stone carvings in gardens. Drinks and food are secondary.

Caesarea with a busy day. It should have become quiet and comfortable, but because of all this, it became anxious, and I hoped that time would pass early, which had never been the case. The anticipation of the rising sun the next day came naturally. And unusually hot.

The host who was supposed to appear in the party. The young Caesar was now standing on the unlit balcony, draped in a loose half-length purple robe, looking down from the darkness at the lively banquet scene below.

The strange light that scattered made Theodore's face calm to the point of no waves. was supposed to be in the banquet. At this moment, he was far away. And the banquet is still going on, his departure has not caused anything unpredictable, and everything is still going well.

Loneliness, a sense of loneliness unknown to outsiders rises from the depths of the heart. This feeling had been felt for Theodore for a long time, but it had become more pronounced and spread recently.

There was no one to talk to, Theodore, or Yi Cangqiong. For him, there are so many things in himself that cannot be discovered by outsiders, even if he is well disguised, even if he can feel the loyalty, friendship, admiration, hostility, anger and hatred of the people around him, but when he calms down, it all seems to be just a drama, a play of himself as a person named "Theodore Julian", and when he merges with this character, the memory of the past becomes an obstacle and makes him struggle.

The tightly clenched right hand took out a crusty pamphlet from his bosom and held it in front of him with both hands. Even in the dark of night, he can still read the handwriting written on it, it is a kind of text that will never appear in this world - my name is Yi Cangqiong, never forget!

Theodore's hands clenched tighter. He was naïve, and he knew it all too well—he thought that he could forget the past, that everything that Theodore Julian could fill his loneliness, but the farther he went, the more lonely he became. Is it really wonderful to sit on a throne in the clouds, looking down on all beings? At the end of the day, I can only face it all alone—just after pulling out the Radiance Cross.

The current situation has indeed improved for the humans of the north, the orcs have been completely isolated, the Noldor elves and dwarves have chosen to side with them, and the nobles of the north are willing to embrace themselves with the glorious cross. But for now, it seems that all of this is just scratching the surface.

Think about it, his current opponents—the wanderers who have nothing to rely on, the tribes that go deep alone, the losers of the internal struggle of the driven orcs—are all defeated by the same subordinate called Ashina! The enemy so far may be in its eyes as little different from Theodore's eyes as the leader of the thieves who occupied the original castle of Caesarea. Humanity is still living in its shadow.

It was a formidable adversary who had destroyed the Knights of the Dawn, a demon who had conquered Issos with little effort. And he still deceived himself and said that as long as they are united, there is still a chance to defeat the orcs. I don't have any absolute certainty at all, it's just an illusion, an illusion that the enemy is nothing more than that.

The only time a head-to-head confrontation with the orc tribe might have been the one between the Silent Forest and Kosai - but was it really a victory? The enemy was a long marching army, while his own side was well-dressed and well-stocked. The number of soldiers is two to three times that of the other side, and even the battlefield is a well-planned trap, and even so, the number of casualties is still close to the bottom line of the heart.

What if the enemy is Ashina, who has a force of 100,000 troops? Can he muster an army of 200,000 by himself? Impossible! Even if there are so many well-trained soldiers, he does not have the ability to command an army of 200,000!

And now, Theodore, who has performed miracles, has given the northerners an unparalleled hope through the Radiant Cross, but he can only face everything in solitude.

The sound of soft footsteps came from behind him, and Theodore gently put the crusty book back on his body, a smile on his lips, and leaned against the railing to look down on the lights below.

"How do you know the truth...... I'm here. Although there was no turning back, Theodore had already guessed who had arrived: "The stairs to this balcony are hidden. ”

"Mr. Virgil told me that every time their Caesar disappeared, it must have come here. Helena's slender body was covered by a navy blue dress, her deliberately erected breasts and waist showed the warm curves vividly, and her gentle voice carried the childishness that had not faded: "It seems that you often 'disappear'." ”

"Virgil is smart, smarter than a lot of people – although he doesn't act like an upright patriarch most of the time. Theodore laughed, "But he is much more capable than most of the righteous senators." ”

"Tomorrow is the day of my coronation. Theodore's gaze became cold again: "Tomorrow is the day I become the emperor of men." ”

"Can I really be a good emperor, or what kind of emperor is a good emperor? benevolence, holiness, justice, or power and generosity?" Theodore seemed to be discussing with Helena behind him, and as if he was muttering to himself, "Can we really do all this?"

Bright sapphire eyes glittered with pity, Helena crept up behind Theodore, her immature little hands resting on his shoulders. Only then did she realize that Theodore, under the sturdy armor and gorgeous robes, was as thin as a child who had not grown up.

"If you can't, then who can?" Helena's voice was soft, "Don't forget that the Radiant Cross chose you, not anyone else." ”

"And the one who chose you is also me. Helena's face flushed: "Don't forget, my Caesar." Tomorrow will also be our wedding. ”

"You're not alone in all of this, you're not alone. The soft voice accompanied the warm carcass slowly wrapped Theodore in the purple robe. Helena's hands trembled, and she didn't know what others would say when they saw this, so she stood desperately on her tiptoes, rested her chin on Theodore's shoulder, and whispered in his ear.

"Even if it's ...... In that case, you also belong to me, and I belong to you. Helena's voice trembled more and more, "Just as Artoria belongs to Aragorn, no one can break them apart. ”

"I heard a different story from the prophet Malcius. Theodore couldn't help but look back, and the obsidian and sapphire looked at each other almost at hand: "That ancestor of yours seems to be much bolder than normal people can imagine." ”

"What about you?" Helena pursed her lips shyly, her eyes widened and she looked at each other tightly: "You, a half-prince, have never dared to tell the truth!

"Hehehe...... Maybe. Theodore grinned: "Remember, the first time we ...... I mean, when we first met, what did you call me Lu?"

"Yes. Helena's eyes flashed in confusion: "What's wrong?"

"If I say this is my request, will you say yes?" Diodore smiled slyly: "Again...... Then call me once. ”

"Ahhh......h You, you, you...... You ......" Helena's face flushed with shame, and she looked at Theodore with a little anger: "This ...... It's also too ......."

"Who said I was cowardly? Theodore smiled even more slyly: "Maybe it's too difficult for you." ”

"......" Helena blushed, as if all the shame in her heart came up at once, as if her heart had struggled countless times, her big eyes with tears blinked, her teeth chattered, and her little mouth opened slightly.

"Brother...... Brother ......" (To be continued......