The streets of Rome had little time to recover from the siege. As Gaius walked them, the soldiers assisted in disposing of the Lupus corpses. They progressed enough so the civilians could feel more comfortable in exiting their homes and start searching for their acquaintances, friends, and family. A father helped in removing a fallen stone pillar from his property’s entrance. Injured soldiers gave rations of wheat and bread to children on their camps., attending to their wounds with low tier medical spells and potions. An elder woman cried over a bloody pound, the arm of a victim visible from Gaius’ angle. He looked away, unwilling to know how young and deformed the victim was.

The fires raged long and mightily. Through his tour in the capital, he came to the count of one in three buildings being burned beyond repair. What hit him most was they were already abandoned. Decades-old leftover houses of inhabitants long since passed or moved. No rain or thunder came from the skies, only the calm after the storm.

It was good no one had recognized him so far. Gaius needed to be alone but also wander the capital, finding out what was left. The legionnaires present when he fought the Alpha Lupus were almost all called to the palace to serve as security. The ones on the field were at different sections of the city. As they talked, they discussed how it was Minerva dealt with the invaders. They discussed the storm and its lightning bolts, detailing they never saw her use such a spell. Some condemned her, arguing if she had used it earlier, their relatives wouldn’t have died. Their grief was palpable, a feeling he shared intensively.

The Imperial Walls were in a similar deplorable state. The stones crumbled, the gates breached. Few to no men stationed in the watchtowers. Were they to be attacked again, Gaius was unsure of what would happen. His spell cost him dearly in magicka and health. It was a combination of the master spells of Manipulation Change Whether and the Obliteration one Wrath of a Thousand Thunders. One of his ultimate and most devastating spell combinations, the fact he was forced into using it was a terrible sign of how corned his situation was, yet something else disturbed him. Would it eventually come to a scenario his magic wouldn’t be enough? If the horde had enough wolfpacks, as the Alpha Lupus threatened, they would endure the casualties and swarm him and Rome with sheer numbers. Minerva mentioned Arcail, and while he didn’t infer any further, he was clearly an enemy of the empire.

Children laughed and cheered in a not far away section of the city. Gaius crossed the street, curious as to who it was. He reached the Great Roman Forum, the grand marketplace of the Imperial Capital now turned into an emergency housing encampment for the displaced citizens. Playing in a corner with wooden swords some kids played with one another, striking their knees and arms. Others played catch and ran across the tens. Most of them stayed with their families, receiving food and shelter. Gaius’ smiled, for happiness could still be found if he looked for it. Unfortunately, their reluctance to accept or understand their predicament was not shared by their elders or even kids of the same age. Those who were kept along with soldiers were orphaned, and very justifiably sad. It was up to the legions to give them any relief.

The tents were gathered around a large statue, facing the opposite direction of Gaius and onto the Main city gates. It was on the very center of the forum and looked to be one of the few ones not tumbled, burned or severely damaged by the Lupus. A thousand years could very well have passed, as Gaius never ordered the construction of it. Desperate for reasons that would keep him occupied from his main thoughts, he passed through the people, intended on seeing who the statue was about.

Gaius’ leg was touched from behind. As he turned, he saw a young girl vested in poor and dirty clothes. Her eyes were heavy with insomnia and sorrow, her parents or responsible guardians nowhere to be seen.

“Excuse me sir…” she put her hands forward, “Can you give me money for a potion?”

Gaius gave her a second look, concluding her age to be little less than ten. Compared to Julia, she was considerably younger. She must have seen his armor and thought he was rich or in some way wealthy. For a moment he didn’t know what to do. The last time he interacted with a plebian was years ago, and now of all times, he was forced into once more. It was only a kid, he thought. It wouldn’t hurt to reestablish the connection with the common people, however, her request was strange.

“Don’t the soldiers have what you need?” he asked.

“No, sir… My brother is very sick, and the soldiers said they don’t have anything that could help…”

“I see…” Gaius nodded. While the potions used by soldiers were multi-purpose for many kinds of injuries, it took a very specific kind of brew to combat diseases, especially the stronger ones. The reality the legions couldn’t afford to handle expensive items to poor children appears to have remained. He held no potions or money with him, his collection having been left in the past, and for what seemed likely, already looted, sold or used. Even if he did have one, should he give it? What damage to the empire was a dead plebian kid compared to the diminished security of the emperor? He prepared to tell her to leave, but as the words reached his tongue, they wouldn’t come out.

A guilt forced him to be shut. He tried to ignore it, from wherever it came from. Something within him was furiously counteracting his rational self. As he silently stared into her dark and innocent eyes, he knelt to better reach her height.

“Keep your hands open.” He said, focusing his own over her palms. A condensed sphere of magical illuminance formed, leaving the girl astonished. She gasped, “W-What is…”

“Apply it to your sibling.” Gaius said, getting up, “Do it quickly, before the spell dissipates. It will cure his disease, whatever it is.”

“Ahh, okay!” she said, running away and fading into the maze of tents. Many eyes had been kept on Gaius as he helped the girl. They nodded in approval and smiled at his mercy. Gaius had performed an act out of pure charity, and the gratitude those who saw it expressed was a new experience for him. His time in Impera was an endless struggle for him to achieve his ambitions, get stronger and never falter to an enemy. These selfless acts were not only unnecessary but often counter-intuitive. He used a strong Medical spell he might need later, but it didn’t feel like a waste. His Magicka was already low before, but now it was almost zero. Opposite to his expectation, he was proud of his action and didn’t regret what he did.

Perhaps his loss was getting to his head. Brunus would always travel alongside him when spending time in Rome. Had the same girl appeared back then, Brunus would have helped her. That he had no doubt. He was subconsciously thinking about it during the exchange, and now his behavior didn’t look all that unusual to himself. As he desperately wanted to believe his brother was still alive, he began to act on the environment as if he was. Not to assist the girl would be a nail in Brunus’ coffin and a strike directly into Gaius’ heart. He remained still, his vision blurring again. His previous conditions were getting better, but he wasn’t at 100% yet.

The families around stated giving him a concerned look. No effort he gave in cleaning his armor of all the blood, and even if the surviving soldiers shared in this the woman and children, unaccustomed with the terrors of the battlefield couldn’t help but find it unnerving. He gained a new respect of the girl, for, despite his scary look, she still did what she thought necessary to save her brother.

One would expect them to not be so surprised, having been in the frontline of a battle merely hours ago. Others looked onto him, but for what seemed a different purpose than fear. The reason why revealing itself as he saw the statue upfront. There were many individuals surrounding him, and their reactions to Gaius’ unique figure ought to be varied.

Something was wrong. Gaius quickly glanced to a tent behind him. The citizens inhabiting it were nervous yet didn’t pose any justifications to his eerie instinct. Whatever it was that disturbed him, he would leave it be. He resumed his walk to the grand monument, keeping an eye on his back. Circumventing the large stone base, he arrived in front of it.

At 100 meters tall, a marble statue of Gaius and Brunus stood high, with the Emperor pointing outside the city, and his younger brother looking on with a hand on his shoulder. The years appeared to have worn out the colors, leaving it all white. The armor’s details had been eroded by the wind and rains, sharing little similarities with his set by then. It was, however, undeniably based on the brothers.

Gaius was speechless, the tears from earlier returning to his eyes. It was the first time he saw Brunus ever since he departed. The depiction of his was identical to his brother, leaving his face open while Gaius still wore his own helmet. There was a tablet inscribed in Latin at the monument’s base. It told of the legendary brothers who founded the city, and the elder’s campaign of world conquest. After many paragraphs talking about himself, little was said of Brunus beyond his obvious familial connections. It was insulting. Who had built this only to purposefully diminish the presence his brother had in the past? Part of him wanted to take it all down for how much it glorified him, yet the other part resisted, resilient to harm the image of Brunus.

He still wanted to deny it. There was still the possibility none of this was real, and he was stuck in a cruel simulation. His brother hadn’t really died, but only a substitute made by the developers. There was still a chance Brunus had kept to the real world and wasn’t a victim of this reality. There was no solid proof of his conditions on way or the other, but it was the uncertainty which disturbed him. Few things are as damaging to one’s mental health but to be unsure of a loved one’s fate.

Was he to take it all as true, that is, the shift of realities, the passage of time, his preservation and wakening, and of course Brunus’ death, what was he to do about it all? His empire had fallen, it’s people already deprived of their lives, dignity, and hope. The only person he ever cared for was gone, and his life’s work tarnished.

There was an additional choice. He considered it before, but only now seriously. Were it all truly a simulation, he was in no way required to play along. Being a puppet of one’s ill intentions was maddening to the proud emperor. If he killed himself, and it was a permanent death, he would be free of his suffering. Whatever experimentation was being run through him, if he was still a master of his own actions and refused to comply, it would be the only thing, the only stab he could take at his imprisoners. Gaius placed his hand on his Gladius’ hilt, and slowly drew it out.

He glanced at his blade, still covered on old, cold Lupus blood. He cleaned it as much as possible before resting it against his neck, where his armor was weakest. He couldn’t afford to miss it; a single decisive strike was what he needed. There were too many people around, and they were already getting suspicious of what he intended to do. It was a sad end to a sad chain of events, but, as Gaius told himself, at least it was an end.

“What are you doing!?”

A loud, concerned shout came from behind him. He lowered his blade, turning to face it. Julia rushed to his side, coming out of her hiding place behind a tent with a furious look on her face, “What were you thinking!?” she asked.

Gaius sighed, “I told you not to follow me.” He replied, lowering his gladius. The moment had been interrupted, and his motivation wavered, “… I thought there was someone spying on me, and it seems I was right.”

“Screw that!” she got closer, “What were you doing with your weapon?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” he said with a cold tone, “You should have followed my order and remained inside.”

“You are crazy… Why would want to…”

Her anger quickly shifted to a neutral disbelief, and it looked she was about to cry herself. The reality of his situation was far too complicated for him to give her a full explanation, and even if he tried to condense it all, she was a kid, still inexperienced with the harshness of life.

“… You wouldn’t understand.” He said.

“Don’t do this…” she said the tears finally coming out, “You just arrived here… Please, don’t…”

Gaius was puzzled over how strongly she felt over him. They had just met, and yet she treated his life as something very precious. If what Minerva said was true, and they were really related by blood, it wouldn’t change much. They were still mostly strangers to each other, and her behavior was still too over-reactionary. Gaius could understand a girl not wanting someone to commit suicide, but to directly intervene was a step above. She clearly felt there was something special about him. He recalled once more to Minerva’s words. She mentioned her father had died in battle, and she was a single child. Could it be her mother was dead as well? Could it be she had no familiar left in this world? If it was so, Gaius was the last person around she could call family.

He put the weapon back on his waist, “You can have your way for now.” Julia did not comment as Gaius turned back to the statue, and sat down on the floor, “All I wish for is some peace…” he said, lowering his head.

Julia sat beside him, “Don’t you ever try to do that again.” She said, trying to be scary. Her attempt to intimidate Gaius was pitiful, yet funny, “… Right.” He chuckled at her words, remembering the countless true monsters and powerful players he faced in the past. His laugh ceased as he looked up, directly into the statue of Brunus. A long silence was enough to change the mood a little into something more positive. The people around them were getting their hopes up, the tragedy from before looming closer into the past. There were more children playing in the streets, and a more solid sense of hope in the men and women who would rebuild their homes.

Julia noticed how Gaius was admiring the statue. She copied him, focusing on Gaius’ far more eye-catching and assertive depiction, “… Huh, it really is you…” she said, “The details are a bit worn, but comparing it to you in person, it really is…”

“I shouldn’t be alive.” Gaius interrupted, “I shouldn’t be here…”

She gave him a concerned look, “… Do you really feel that way? Is that why you…”

“Yes.” He nodded, “This is not my time. It might be the place, but not the time…”

“I don’t get it…” Julia said, encroaching closer to Gaius, “Wasn’t it your choice to return?”

Julia was as clueless about Gaius’ true origins as Minerva and anyone else. It was killing Gaius on the inside not to have someone he could discuss his true situation with, being forced to put on with the facade of his in-game character, the Divine World Conqueror Gaius. Never had he felt so alone, isolated and impossible to understand.

“None of this was my choice.” He said, breaking eye contact with the statue.

“I understand how you feel.” Julia said, “My mother died in childbirth, so I never met her. The battle that took my father’s life happened when I was 4, so I don’t remember anything about him…”

“… I’m sorry for your loss.”

“As I am for yours.” He replied, “Brunus must have been a great man for you to feel so strongly about him.” She smiled, “I’m proud to be descendant from him!”

“That so…” Gaius glanced at her, happy at her respect for his brother.

“What was he like?” she asked, “Did he also have purple eyes and brown hair?”

“He did.” He said, “Despite me liking to deny it, we were very similar.” He found a new peace within him, like a torch being lit in a dark dungeon. Talking of his brother reignited many pleasant memories, both from Impera and real life.

“So… What about you?” Julia inclined her head, “… Are the legends about you true? All of them, or just some?”

“Legends?”

“Yeah!” she nodded, “I grew up hearing all about them, from the founding of the city to the empire, and all the wars…”

“They are likely exaggerated.” He said, “Given enough time, all historical facts are bent into lies that benefit the one who tells them.”

“Okay…” Julia distanced herself a little, “You don’t have to be so grim about it…”

“… Right…. If it tells about a war won through strategy, strength, and sacrifice, then it is probably true. All others who emit any of these factors is probably false.”

Julia’s shoulders slumped, “Awn, does that mean the tale about the Ice Dragon Lord is false?”

“That one was true.” He corrected,

“Really!?” her enthusiasm overflowed as she almost jumped, “You really fought one naked?”

“I was younger… And a bit more reckless.” He leaned his head up, looking at the sky, “The dragons are a proud race. It was the best method I could conceive of humiliating them enough to accept servitude to the Empire. Looking back, it was a gamble I shouldn’t have taken.”

Julia laughed, “Wow, I’m trying to imagine that…” she fell on the ground, rolling to each side in pure joy.

“Brunus didn’t laugh about it when it happened.” Gaius said, immediately killing the girl’s mood, “Does the legend mention how I had to strangle it to death, then dismember its body?”

She looked at him, “N-No… Not really…”

“He hated me for it, in fact. He was against invading the Dragon Mountains in the first place, knowing how many casualties we would endure.”

Julia got back up, still sitting beside Gaius, “When you put it like that, I guess I wouldn’t be in favor of it either…” Her eyes squinted, “… I don’t like war…” her closing eyes quickly widened, “… Wai! Don’t tell Minerva I said that! She will punish me!”

“So, you don’t like war…” Gaius said, “It seems it’s not only eye and hair color you share with my brother.”

“War is terrible…” Julia spoke with an uncanny sincerity, “Ever since I was born, we have been at war. Always sending men to the front lines, most of which never returned. The few friends I could afford to make were all the sons of legates, and I watched them being orphaned or even die themselves one by one… And my father, too…”

Even though she was a child, Julia’s view on wars was completely different from Gaius’. For the conqueror, it was the standard way through which to achieve his objectives. For the most part, he was victorious, but it seemed Julia’s case was the opposite. He had only heard of Roman defeats in her time. She would have been yet another victim of them if he hadn’t awoken. From her point of view, Gaius could see why she felt like that. She never knew true peace, and it showed. It was a shame how sad she looked now given her happiness just a few moments ago.

“They say war is an unending season, and peace merely a momentary break. That was the reality of when I rule. Even if it was mostly me waging the wars.”

“You talk like you’ve killed a lot of people…” she said, lowering her voice.

“That’s because I have.” He said, “Today wasn’t even the bloodiest battle I’ve had.

“I guess…” She lowered her head, “If possible, I would like to avoid killing people…”

The more she spoke, the more she seemed like Brunus. It was a comparison that by then Gaius couldn’t stop making. Form her appearance to personality there were too many similarities not to notice. Minerva would be undignified the girl who was being raised as the future empress had such a passive mentality in an age war was unavoidable. She was right to fear her reprisals, but even so, she couldn’t be like this. The Empress couldn’t be like this. If Rome was to defeat its enemies, whoever and regardless how many there were, it would need to defeat them in battle.

“It can’t be helped…” he said, “You cannot choose what you feel comfortable about.”

“… So you understand?” she asked.

“I do, I’ve dealt with your kind before.”

Julia giggled, “Hehe… I guess you have…”

“Hey look, it’s the man from the statue! It’s Gaius!” The proclamation of his presence came right out of the crowd. As tens, to hundreds of eyes went to the emperor, others confirmed the claim, “Yeah, it’s him!” some said, “It’s the legendary hero of Rome!”

A crowd began to surround both Gaius and Julia. They were already in a public space full of people, but know they focused on him rather than the soldiers offering food and potions. He had been sitting beside his statue for such a long time by then it was folly to assume no one would have seen the similarities. There was also enough time to give the news of his victory to circulate from soldier to soldier, and eventually to civilians, “Were you the one who killed the Lupus?” one asked, “Did you call that storm yourself? How?” another one asked.

“Err… Yes, I did.” Gaius said, trying to keep some distance without hurting anyone, “You are all too close, give me some space…”

“He cured my brother!” said the girl from before, carrying a younger child in her arms, “He is a really good man!”

Gaius gruntled as he heard her say that. She didn’t realize the reaction the people would have, but he sure did. Soon after, the huge crowd began to ask for favors from Gaius, asking him to use his medical spells on their kids, themselves or their friends. The situation was soon getting out of control. Julia was getting very scared, getting behind Gaius and letting the statue block her own back. The Emperor sighed, knowing this whole thing was mostly his own fault. People of his rank shouldn’t be moving around in public alone, lest they wanted exactly this to happen.

“Everyone stand back!”

The words didn’t come from Gaius but from Minerva. Her voice came loud and clear from beyond the mob. As her voice penetrated the mass of civilians they faltered, opening the way for her passage and getting back to their tents. She marched through the now clean center of the forum, accompanied by a few guards. Saluting as always to Gaius, she got on one knee.

“I apologize for this happening, Princeps.” She lifted her head, “Please, allow me to escort you the next time you desire to walk in public.”

“I should be the one apologizing.” He said, “You won’t be punished for doing so, but why did you leave the Imperial Palace?”

“I was looking for Julia.” She said, “The guards reported losing track of her shortly after your departure. I went to look for her and found the commotion here…”

Julia continued to cower behind Gaius. He could feel her shaking in his armor plates.

“… Although, there is a matter I wanted to discuss with you, Princeps.”

“What is it?”

“We have received a new wave of refugees from the countryside.” She said, getting up, “Five thousand displaces families from small villages and farms have gathered outside the city and await permission to enter.”

“Refugees? Rome had just recently been sacked. If anything, we should consider sending the citizens to other cities, not welcome more into this one. We can’t possibly sustain all of them.”

“Unfortunately, we have no other cities. All major settlements in the Imperial Peninsula have already been taken under Lupus Occupation, Rome being the only exception…”

“Rome is all there is left?” Gaius asked, astonished, “Has the empire really fallen this low?”

Minerva put her hand over her heart, “… I sincerely once more apologize… Through all these years, I was incapable of keeping hold of your conquests…”

At that moment, Gaius regretted having left their meeting. This was all crucial information that needed to be acted upon as soon as possible. Right then, it didn’t matter if this all was real, a simulation or whatever else. His empire needed him, and after so long, he would finally answer.

“No… It’s my fault.” He said, “We will return to the palace, where you will detail everything I need to know about our current state.”

“Yes, I shall.” She nodded, “And what of the refugees?”

“Let them in.” he said, “We will find a way to secure the necessary resources to sustain them. What’s important right now is to hold onto what still remains.”