Revive Rome: Wait! Why not make the empress fall in love with me first?-Chapter 360 - 158 River Styx Ceremony

After several days, the three of them finally managed to "persuade" everyone on the list provided by Friedrich.

Some stubborn members were still outwardly resistant, but inwardly, they had undoubtedly softened, and Friedrich needed only to explain the pros and cons at the next clan meeting. Even if they couldn’t openly support the idea, they no longer had any reasons to oppose it.

As for the majority who were fence-sitters, they had fully committed to the pro-war camp, almost wishing they could start waving flags and armor up for the family right then.

Of course, Medea had made some slight adjustments while implanting thoughts:

Since they were aiming to invade the territory of the Griffin Family in the Swabian Duchy, it seemed appropriate to manipulate the situation so that the Duke of Franconia would be dealt with by the Emperor, ideally through death.

Truth be told, dealing with these nobles was more exhausting than engaging in direct combat.

The etiquette of visits, the way one speaks, and the accompanying facial expressions and body language all had to be appropriate and respectful.

Medea and Nora were naturally aware of these intricate details.

Aske, on the other hand, had no idea. However, he was acting as Nora’s secretary, so his job was merely to keep his head down and take notes throughout, while Medea handled the persuasive talks and Nora represented the Lixini Family, gracing everyone with her poised smile.

By the last day of discussions, Aske’s hands were sore from writing, Medea’s mouth was dry, and Nora’s face was nearly cramping from all the forced smiling, as the nobles were extremely adept at pretense. They had clearly changed their minds but would still display an expression of "reluctance," "having their own strong opinions," and "although you do make some compelling points," artificially extending what could have been short discussions into hours filled with countless pleasantries.

"We got ripped off! Too ripped off!" Medea complained as they walked back through the castle’s corridors, "How could a mere 20 percent markup be enough? If I had known it was this draining, I would have demanded at least 60 percent!"

"No worries," Aske said, "We’ll recoup the extra margin later."

"Alright, I’m counting on you," Medea responded, then followed Nora back to their rooms. She was playing the role of a war broker and political speaker hired from afar by Nora, so of course, she too had a room in the castle.

Aske also returned to his own bedroom, ran the water in the bathroom to wash his face, and as he lifted his head, he noticed the reflection of the mist forming in the mirror.

Suddenly, a vague shadowy figure appeared behind him.

"Wait a moment," Aske said, drying his face with a towel.

"You don’t seem to be afraid of me," the figure in the mirror stated.

"If I didn’t know who you are," Aske said, staring into the mirror, "I wouldn’t have put coins in the mouth of a corpse that day."

"I don’t know if you’re brave or stupid," the figure said lightly, "I am the Ferryman."

"The Ferryman of the River Styx."

"You must be aware of the ritual then, and you should also know your purpose, as well as the corresponding price needed to summon me."

"Of course," Aske said calmly, "I need to talk to Apilius, and he will pay the price."

"Are you sure he will pay it for you?" the Ferryman slowly extended a hand, from which a long, slender scythe emerged, just the sight of which could make one feel as if their soul was being drawn out, "If he refuses, your Spirit Body will belong to me forever."

"Yes," Aske chuckled, "His granddaughter is with me."

The Ferryman: ...

So you’re a kidnapper! In that case, for the sake of this hostage, Apilius will surely pay the price.

However, the Ferryman didn’t retort. Since becoming a Spiritual Body, he had completely lost the knack for snark.

Thus, he took a step back, and the sound of water rushing as if stepping into the River Styx could be heard.

His figure gradually vanished.

Aske stood in the bathroom, and after a while, Thira was teleported from Fire Island to his side.

"Why did you call me?" Thira asked. Nora had just returned and mentioned that Aske needed her to step out for a bit.

"To meet someone," Aske said.

"Who?" Thira was cautious.

"Your grandfather," Aske responded.

As soon as he spoke, mist surged again in the mirror.

From the misty reflection in the mirror, a small canoe slowly emerged. Standing at the bow was Thira’s familiar figure, her grandfather, the City Lord of Olympia, and the head of the Spiritual Body Sect, Apilius.

At the stern stood the Ferryman, maneuvering the boat with the handle of his scythe.

"Grandfather!" Thira exclaimed incredulously, turning her head back—there was nothing behind her. Turning her gaze forward again, she saw her grandfather standing in the mist-filled reflection in the mirror.

"Theodora," Apilius nodded slightly, then turned his gaze, "Aske."

"Thira has recently advanced to Lv.6," Aske, knowing his conversational style, got straight to the point, "What she needs next are the Magic Potions for Storm III and Meteor III."

"Is that why you sought me out?" Apilius raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, she is your beloved granddaughter." novelbuddy-cσ๓

"And a member of your team," Apilius smiled, "I thought you would be more reserved."

"It’s not about being reserved, is it?" Aske frowned as he spoke. "War is imminent. The priority should be to enhance our skills quickly. Isn’t it foolish to have family resources and not use them?"

Apilius seemed taken aback. He had thought that this young man was pursuing his granddaughter and was teasing him about asking for help with Theodora’s advancement, but to his surprise, the young man seriously rebutted him. For a moment, Apilius didn’t know how to respond.

"I have a task for you," Apilius finally said. "Complete it, and you’ll get the final product of Storm III and Meteor III Magic Potions."

Aske: ...

So, these demigods are just irritating. They should be giving things to their own relatives, but they instead use them to wriggle out of paying for tasks.

But there was nothing he could do about it, as he couldn’t prove that those two Magic Potions were already prepared for Thira.

Moreover, two level III Magic Potions exceeded the worth of the task.

Didn’t he remember in the game before he crossed over, what reward was eventually given to the players for this task? It was a bunch of level III Magic Potion Recipes, allowing players to choose any one!

Even though it was just a choice of recipes, the forums were filled with players expressing euphoric sentiments like "spiritual shareholders" and "guards subscriptions."

After all, everyone had anticipated: so many people taking on the quest, if every person were given a bottle of final Magic Potion, even if they emptied Olympia City, Apilius couldn’t afford it.

In that sense, for Aske to get two level III Magic Potions, wasn’t he making a fortune?

"Let’s hear about your task first," he pondered for a long while before saying.

"I have a subordinate," Apilius spoke indifferently. "Following the directives of the Church Court, he secretly infiltrated the Life School, seeking to acquire the advanced Life Sequence formula."

"After completing the task, he suddenly lost contact with the sect. It’s confirmed now that he’s still alive; currently, he’s hiding somewhere in or around the city of Stuttgart, and it’s obvious he has completely defected."

"Find him, kill him, and bring back the corresponding Life Sequence formula," Apilius said finally. "Then, the two Magic Potions are yours."

"Okay." Aske thought to himself that it was indeed that task, which seemed not very challenging for him as a Prophet.

"Theodora." Apilius turned once again to his granddaughter, his tone becoming gentle. "Have you digested the last Magic Potion?"

"Mmm," Thira nodded, then suddenly said, "Grandfather."

"During the last Magic Tide, weren’t there Dark Elves appearing in the city?"

"I suspect some forces have deliberately disrupted the order of the city... In any case, you should be careful of the people you frequently interact with."

Apilius looked at her in surprise, sensing that his granddaughter might know something.

"Alright," he nodded and said.

Thus, in the reflection of the mirror, as the mist faded, so too did the figures of Apilius and the Ferryman gradually dissipate.

Thira stared blankly at the mirror, her expression somewhat lost.

And in the River Styx at the planar rift, the small boat continued to glide forward.

"Level III Magic Potions... When did they become so worthless that you could just give them away?" the Ferryman casually asked.

"What do you think about that Aske?" Apilius asked instead of replying directly.

"Unfathomable," the Ferryman shook his head, adding, "From a spiritual standpoint, he’s just an ordinary, low-rank Lv.9 human Transcendent whose bloodline isn’t even fully formed."

"But he still gives a certain inscrutable feeling..." He rested his scythe on the deck, musing, "There’s actually a human I can’t completely see through."

"The Church Court has rated him at R4," Apilius said. "Initially, it was just him alone; later it expanded to his entire team, all members R4."

Silence fell around them, with only the quiet flowing sound of the River Styx remaining.

"It’s a bug, right?" the Ferryman spoke. "That artificial intelligence of your human Church Court..."

"Artificial intelligence," Apilius said.

"Artificial intelligence also malfunctions occasionally, right?" the Ferryman scoffed. "R4? Who was the last R4, Gaius Julius Caesar, Caesar of Ancient Solomon, the man who ended the Third Epoch?"

"The Solomon Senate thought the same at the time. R4, a never-before-seen rating, must be a program error," Apilius said. "But the young Caesar treated it like an imminent threat. He borrowed a great deal from the nobles around him and spent it on banquets and gambling, spreading his weaknesses far and wide. He maintained this for several years until the nobles of the Senate lowered their guard."

"Only when he secretly formed an alliance with Pompey and Crassus did his true fangs show. He marginalized Pompey, who was also a Governor, and monopolized the power. In their panic, the Senate expelled him from Solomon City, but then Caesar went to Gaul to become Governor, and in his first year, he started the Gaul Wars, acquiring untold wealth and the loyalty of his soldiers."

"In the end, he crossed back over the Rubicon River with his legion, returning to Solomon City as a Conqueror, and for the first time, the Senators of Solomon truly realized the level of the threat posed by an R4."

Apilius sneered. "Artificial intelligence, the probability of error isn’t zero, but who could be certain it’s always a program malfunction?"

"Why couldn’t it be real? If so, what then?"

"If everyone’s R4," the Ferryman paused for a long while, his tone slightly mocking. "What then is The Azure Longsword Mercenary Corps? Is the entire group composed of future demigods or emperors? Individuals whose mere footsteps could make the continent tremble?"

"Who knows," Apilius said indifferently. "What the Church Court can currently predict is that Theodora is very likely to restore her nation and ascend to the throne once more."

"That’s provided you, her grandfather, help her," the Ferryman said.

"Even if I don’t help her, the future won’t change," Apilius replied casually, laughing. "After all, we’re talking about R4. Whether I’m willing to help Theodora isn’t even significant at such a rating level. Maybe, in the future, she might even surpass a demigod and come infinitely close to the status of a deity."

"If so, that would be the most worthwhile investment in history," the Ferryman said hoarsely. "Two level III Magic Potions in exchange for a near-deity of level 35 or above. Oh, and after they kill the target, they will obtain the extraordinary traits of Life IV and Spirit Body IV; they’re prepared for that member of the Lixini Family, right? That makes at least two of them."

"Heh, the idea of investing in them ahead of time isn’t just your or my thinking," Apilius said meaningfully.

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