Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey - Chapter 335: Hidden doungen [11]

Religious and cultural schisms wreak havoc on its internal politics, while revolutions are brewing in neighboring kingdoms. The aristocratic houses play endless power games amongst themselves, and the Emperor desperately abuses what little influence he has left to keep his rivals down.Amidst all of this, Arnold von Hohenfels, first son of the Margrave of Hohenfels, finds himself in the unfortunate position of having to attend the Imperial Academy, a notorious battleground of wits and brawn for ambitious young nobles.Armed with a magical gift that is as much a blessing as it is a curse, he must learn to navigate the treacherous waters of aristocratic entanglements. In the name of his family’s ambition, he must represent House Hohenfels' interests in this microcosm of Imperial politics, deal with his formidable enemies, form alliances of his own, and somehow keep his brash cousin Friedrich out of trouble.Frankly, he would much rather be anywhere else.

I became a scientist for an evil organization.…But I’m too competent.

Former bigshot, Ying Zijin, woke up one day as the lost daughter of the Ying family, who had been missing for fifteen years. The Ying family promptly adopted another child to replace her.Upon returning to the wealthy family, everyone mocked her for not being as clever, capable, sensible, and elegant as a fake heiress. Her parents considered her a stain on the family and warned her not to harbor any illusions of being a lady of the family. They said she should be grateful for being a foster daughter, or else they would send her away.Ying Zijin: “I’ll leave then. No need to see me off.”While the Ying family celebrated joyously and others waited to see the real heiress make a fool of herself, influential figures from various fields took action.The top-rated idol with the most influential fans said, “Miss Ying, just let me know if you need anything.”The heir to a global economic monopoly said, “Ying family? What’s that? Boss, should we just wipe them out?”The number one martial artist in the country asked, “Who dares to bully my master?”The genius teenage boy with an IQ of 228 said, “That’s my sister.”A man with an incredibly seductive appearance smirked lazily and casually, saying, “Sure, then call me brother-in-law.”The influential figures were confused.When the real heiress’ true identity was restored, it caused a sensation on the internet. The Ying family went crazy and knelt, crying and begging her to come back.

The year is 407 AD and Rome is at the precipice. In the West, a usurper by the name of Flavius Claudius Constantinus has declared himself emperor. By doing this, he and his traitor legions have fractured the Western Roman Empire into two. At the same time, the north bleeds! Countless germans swarm across the borders of the Empire and pillage its lands in their ruthless raids. Alaric, King of the Goths, rises to a position of prominence and threatens the ancient capital of the dying Empire with his barbarian hordes. As if things weren't bad enough, rumors from the east state that a mysterious power rises within the fogs of war, threatening to drown the Empire in a river of blood.

As a response to these threats, the indolent emperor Honorius has given orders to his supreme commander Flavius Stilicho to reclaim the province of Gaul from the usurper. However, should he leave the heartland of the Empire undefended, undoubtedly Alaric would invade. Thus, under the threat of barbarians at the gates, Stilicho dispatches a young roman general by the name of Titus Claudius Marcellus to bring an end to the reign of the usurper. Will Rome fall to the tides of barbarians and traitors alike? Or can Marcellus restore a world collapsing around him? Find out in Heir of Aurelian!