Hector's Descendants

Moreover, the Social War not only propelled Marius to the peak of his career but also saw the rise of many outstanding generals, including Caesar's uncle—this time a real uncle—Lucius Caesar.

A single butterfly effect influenced more than just Marius.

At that time, Caesar was nine years old.

Due to Marius' marriage into the Julian family, he became Caesar's uncle by marriage.

With the support of the Julian family's influence, even though the winds of history veered slightly, Marius still began to see some political success, becoming the representative of the populares (the common people's party) in Rome.

In contrast, Sulla, who historically would become Marius' subordinate and later strike out on his own, had already started building his own power base, becoming the leader of the optimates (the aristocratic party).

Eventually, history returned to its track—the two became political enemies.

If following the original history, Marius would lose support due to indecision and poor choices, ultimately failing to secure the backing of either the populares or the military, and not gaining the support of the optimates either.

Later, when Sulla's power grew, he would lead a counterattack against Rome and emerge as the biggest winner.

However, in this timeline, Marius' earlier difficulties allowed Sulla to dominate for a period, nearly leading to a significant purge of the Julian family, which supported Marius.

Haruman Julius was one of those who fled to other countries to escape Sulla's overwhelming power.

This experience was somewhat similar to that of Caesar, who also fled to avoid Sulla's purges.

But Haruman did not have Caesar's luck.

Caesar returned to Rome after Sulla's death, but Haruman, due to various misfortunes and his disguise failing to verify his noble status, was captured by slave traders and sold into slavery.

After years of darkness, Haruman only wanted to return home, even if it meant facing Sulla's political purges.

Moreover, as a member of the divine Julian family, Sulla might not dare to harm him.

The Julian family, though lacking high-ranking officials in recent years, had a deep and enduring legacy.

From Haruman's story, Night learned something he had not known before crossing over.

The Julian family, Caesar's lineage, traced their roots back to the Trojan War.

It was said that the ancestors of the Romans were Trojans who fled after the fall of Troy.

Among them was the hero Aeneas, son of Venus (Aphrodite), who escaped with his family after Troy's defeat.

After days of wandering at sea, they finally landed and settled at the mouth of the Tiber River.

The Tiber River was a natural gateway and a crucial harbor for seafarers.

Its strategic location also served as a natural barrier against northern invaders.

These advantageous geographical conditions allowed Rome to thrive commercially and rise rapidly.

Rome's precursor, Alba Longa, was founded by Aeneas' son, Julius.

That's right—Julius' family had divine blood, and their lineage was intertwined with the earliest rulers of Rome.

The story of Rome's true founder, the more widely known divine ancestor Romulus, follows from this period.

The city of Alba Longa was passed down through the descendants of Julius.

When the throne passed to Numitor, his brother Amulius was displeased and envious, resorting to foul means to usurp the throne.

Amulius killed Numitor's son and forced his niece, Silvia, to become a Vestal Virgin, imprisoning her in a tower.

According to the laws of the time, Vestal Virgins had to remain chaste and were forbidden from marrying because they served the gods.

Night was very familiar with the rest of the story at this point.

Since Vestal Virgins served the gods and had to remain chaste, it was acceptable for a god to intervene.

The war god descended, had relations with Silvia, and fathered twin sons.

These twins would become the future divine ancestor Romulus and his brother Remus.

Thus, if the myth were true, the Julian family indeed carried divine blood.

This sort of heritage might not have been exceptional in Greece, where demigods were common, and many families claimed descent from Zeus, the king of the gods.

But now, in the Roman era, stories of heroes and gods had largely come to an end.

Few tales of the gods were heard anymore.

Therefore, a family that still claimed descent from divine beings was exceedingly prestigious.

Just like the future British royal family or the Japanese imperial family, even if they no longer held political power, their symbolic significance as national icons ensured their continued existence.

No matter how many times rulers might change, such families rarely faced true extinction.

If anyone tried to harm them, the entire nation—nobles and commoners alike—would object.

'Tracing back to the heroic bloodlines of the Trojan War,' Night thought.

If Night remembered correctly, the hero Aeneas was Hector's cousin.

In the previous simulated universe, among the numerous Trojan royal brothers who supported Paris, Aeneas was one of them.

He had met him once...

'Could it be that the Greek era preceding Rome in this world was the same as I remember.'

Regardless, because of Hector, Night naturally felt a bit of goodwill toward the Julius family.

In the simulated universe, despite fighting alongside Hector, he couldn't defeat Achilles.

With his meager strength, influencing the Trojan War was almost impossible.

If Troy followed its historical path to destruction, it would be comforting to see its legacy continue in another form (Rome).

While learning about the current state of Rome from Haruman, the two travelled several days and nights before they finally arrived in the capital of Rome.

Upon stepping back on his homeland, Haruman was incredibly excited.

He restrained his urge to rush back to his family and turned to Night, saying, "Thank you, mighty warrior! Please rest at an inn for now.

I will return to my family and recount the events of these years. We will certainly reward you.

The Julius family will not forget those who have done us a favor."

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