Chapter 9. Let's Go Through Wind And Rain, No Matter Sadness Or Joy

Chapter 9. Let's Go Through Wind And Rain, No Matter Sadness Or Joy

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[After Nero expressed her feelings, you accepted her love.]

[In 56 AD, you officially married Nero as your imperial concubine.]

[Whether before or after the time travel, Nero was your first lover and your first wife. You gave her the greatest love. Your life was blissful, and under your joint leadership, the Roman Empire thrived.]

[It is worth noting that Nero cherished the harp you gave her in the beginning and gradually developed a deep love for music. To Nero, you were her player.]

["Player, yes, you are my player."]

[Brother, elder brother, teacher, emperor—these titles had alternatives. After all, as Claudius' successor, your family and Nero's shared many relatives, though most were not closely related.]

[There were even many so-called distant "cousins" by blood. Yet, in Nero's eyes, the title "player" belonged only to you—it was hers alone to call you.]

[In 58 AD, civil strife erupted in the Second Persian Empire. Vardanes II took advantage of Emperor Vologases I's expedition to Armenia to launch a rebellion within the empire.]

[In 59 AD, new news came from Britain. They requested Roman envoys to help improve agriculture and politics and expressed their admiration for the Emperor of Eternal Night, Reinhard.]

[In 60 AD...]

[Time flew by. You had ruled the empire for over a decade. At thirty, you had brought the Roman Empire to an unprecedented level of organization and stability. While the empire could not yet escape the limitations of the era, it had achieved the pinnacle of your capabilities.]

[However...]

["Cough... cough, cough..."]

["Player, are you okay?"]

[Within the palace, as your health continued to decline, Nero grew increasingly worried.]

[For the past two years, your condition had worsened noticeably.]

["It's okay, Nero. I'm just... a little tired."]

[Recognizing the changes in your body, you delved into the forbidden knowledge left behind by the former tyrant, Caligula, and finally confirmed the truth—your deteriorating health was the result of the aftereffects of forbidden magic.]

[Indeed, you were not a naturally born human. Your true identity was that of a forbidden lifeform, created by Claudius IV using forbidden magic.]

[While this granted you exceptional talents, it drastically shortened your lifespan, leaving you far below the average life expectancy of humans in that era.]

[Distraught over your condition, Nero wanted to mobilize the entire empire to find a way to save you, but you stopped her.]

[You understood that your body was beyond the capabilities of the current era's knowledge. Besides, you had fulfilled your purpose: you had organized the Roman Empire and secured its future.]

[You had also married Nero and shared a beautiful, fulfilling life with her. For you, your life was already perfect.]

[By 62 AD, your health had deteriorated significantly. On your deathbed, you called for your most trusted ministers.]

["Bruce, Robert,... I'm leaving."]

["After I'm gone, Nero will inherit the throne. I trust you all to support her in the years to come."]

[You felt reassured, confident that you had prepared the empire for a stable future. Nero had matured into a capable and independent leader. She would never again be controlled by her mother, Agrippina the Younger, and was more than ready to be a worthy emperor.]

[Once the ministers departed, Nero dismissed everyone else from the room, leaving just the two of you. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at you, utterly heartbroken.]

"Now, now, Nero, don't cry. You are not a child anymore." Gently wiping the tears from her cheeks, Elric felt a pang of sorrow. He knew his departure would devastate her.

[However, this was unavoidable. After all, this was his first simulation. All Elric could do was ensure everything was arranged for after his departure and reassure Nero that he would come back for her someday.]

"Player..."

[Nero looked at Elric's face, her eyes wide with fear. She seemed to understand what was happening. Gripping his hand tightly, she begged him not to leave.]

"Player, player, wake up. I'll sing you a song. I've been preparing it—it was meant to be a gift for your birthday..."

[Hurriedly, Nero grabbed the harp Elric had gifted her. As her fingers danced across the strings, a beautiful melody filled the room.]

"Player, don't sleep. I'll be so lonely when you leave. I'm most afraid of being alone, so please, don't leave me."

[Tears streamed down Nero's face as she tried desperately to hold on to the life of the man she loved.]

"I'm not sleeping. Stop shaking me. I can't take it if you keep doing that," Elric said softly, gently stroking Nero's hair.

"Nero, don't be afraid of being alone."

"Although I will leave, I promise this is only a temporary separation."

[As he gazed at Nero's tear-streaked face, memories of their time together flashed before him.]

"Nero, remember this: parting is an inevitable part of life. There will be times when we must be separated, when we must lose those we hold dear."

"But believe me—this short separation is only for the sake of a better reunion in the future."

"So..."

[His gentle voice and loving gaze were exactly as they had been the first time they met. Elric poured his heart into his final words to Nero.]

"Walking in the memories of you and me, everything will be fine. Let's face the storms together, through sorrow and joy alike."

[On October 18, 62 AD—on the same day he was born 32 years earlier—the Emperor of the Eternal Night, Reinhard Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, passed away. He had been both feared as a tyrant who executed tens of thousands and revered as a dictator who brought stability to the Roman Empire.]

[In the same year, Queen Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, both wife and sister to Reinhard, ascended to the throne with the support of trusted ministers.]

[During Nero's reign, she implemented numerous policies that improved the lives of the Roman people and successfully resolved external crises in Parthia and Armenia. Her achievements were extraordinary. However, due to her devotion to the memory of Reinhard and her insistence that the Roman Empire owed its strength to his leadership, she was vilified by the church, which labeled her and Reinhard as tyrants.]

[Although the Roman Empire began to face internal challenges after the deaths of Emperor Eternal Night and Nero, the reforms and values instilled by the two rulers left an indelible mark on its people. Their combined efforts, along with those of Reinhard's loyal ministers, set the foundation for the Roman Empire's evolution.]

[By 152 AD, the empire completed its transformation, officially becoming the Roman Federation and ushering in a new era.]

[It is worth noting that Emperor Eternal Night Reinhard, during his reign, fiercely suppressed Christians and other religions that worshiped deities. As a result, the church labeled him with the Hebrew title "666 Beast," casting him as a demon in their teachings.]

[Such is the legend of the Roman Empire's Emperor of the Eternal Night—Reinhard.]

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Ps. 1: A significant reason why Nero's music was considered poor in historical accounts was due to her mother, Agrippina the Younger, poisoning her, which caused debilitating headaches.

In Elric's world, however, Nero did not suffer from those headaches, and as a result, her music flourished.