Chapter Eighteen: Cultivating Life and Nurturing Vitality! The Dawn of Turbulent Times

Dimensional Space.

Although he was in a state nearing that of a spirit, Duncan finally allowed his nerves, taut for an entire day, to relax. Of course, he continued to monitor the projected image, ensuring no accidents befell his human vessel while it slept.

—Human Vessel No. 1 (Severely Fatigued) (Severely Bruised).

The farmers remained obedient; perhaps they had been sufficiently terrified by Duncan earlier, as they showed no intention of fleeing.

Duncan slept.

The Raven Queen, Triss, rose with the assistance of a female slave and walked before the farmers. With a solemn expression, akin to a holy Roman priestess, she brought the farmers to heel with a few words, shifting their status from blue-marked units to green-marked units. This signified their obedience to her commands.

The three farmers and the one farm woman began, with trembling hands, to clear away the corpses. Their expressions were a mix of fear and excitement. They stripped the bandits bare and piled the bodies in the cave, while the clothing, weapons, and coins were stacked in the mountain fortress’s corridor. Not a single person dared to embezzle anything.

The Raven Queen, Triss, promised them they could eventually take these items, excluding the silver coins, gold, and jewelry scavenged from the bandit stronghold. For lowly peasants, possessing gold was a transgression in itself. To them, the bandits’ clothes and food were already precious treasures, let alone the copper coins Triss allowed them to keep. However, they were not yet permitted to leave. The farm woman tended to Severus, while the three farmers cleaned the fortress and assisted with chores. These farmers held Triss in such high regard that they were even willing to kneel and pray at the witch’s feet; it was unclear whether they were adherents of any polytheistic faith.

The witch Anya was quite intriguing. When the farm woman attempted to serve her, Anya looked on with unconcealed disdain, refusing to let the woman touch her. Yet, she claimed the female slave who followed Triss, having the slave draw water for her. She then bathed in the adjacent cabin, naturally enjoying the slave’s service as she had her back scrubbed. This witch was truly peculiar—perhaps a quirk of Roman aristocratic women.

Duncan stared at the projection without blinking, vigilant for any sign of the green-marked farmers turning against them. It must be said that under his mental surveillance, the farmers remained perfectly docile.

Tsk, tsk.

As expected of a witch, she was remarkably well-maintained—her skin pink and tender, her figure full, round, and curvaceous. She was far superior to the still-charming landlady from the original memories of Human Vessel No. 1. She didn't look like a woman who had ever been married, which explained how she had so completely bewitched that retired Praetorian knight.

When his gaze fell upon the Raven Queen, Triss, Duncan felt a slight jolt.

In the fortress corridor, Triss tore a piece of clean, soft fabric from the hem of her dress. After having the farm woman heat some water, she pushed open the door and slowly approached the slumbering Duncan. She carefully wiped the blood and grime from his forehead, neck, and arms with the damp cloth. She slightly unbuttoned his tunic to wipe the blood from his chest, then set the cloth aside, her fingertips subconsciously caressing his firm chest.

This inadvertent physical contact seemed to snap the witch back to reality. Her face flushed, and she glanced left and right before gently stroking Duncan’s sleeping face with her slender palm. Her thumb brushed his angular cheek, his bold, heroic brows, and then glided over his high-bridged nose before resting lightly on his lips.

Should I wake up? Or should I not?

From his god-like perspective, Duncan felt somewhat at a loss.

Just then, the brow of Human Vessel No. 1 furrowed slightly, as if disturbed in his sleep. The Raven Queen, Triss, stood up as if electrocuted. Flustered, she gathered the towel and picked up the water basin to leave. But upon reaching the door, she turned back, dampened the cloth again, and helped the sleeping Duncan remove his boots, wiping his feet briefly before finally closing the door.

Standing outside, the Raven Queen, Triss, took a deep breath, her face flushed and her expression flustered, like someone caught in the act. She turned and entered the next room to wipe the forehead of the severely wounded Severus. The druid appeared to have a fever, and the witch placed the damp towel upon his brow.

Wait.

That was the cloth she just used on my feet!

My condolences, brother.

By the time Duncan collected his thoughts, Anya in the next room had already finished washing; he had seen nothing but a fleeting glimpse of something large and pale.

After this encounter, Duncan felt much more relaxed. He discovered that staying in the dimensional space for too long caused a sense of profound fatigue—not in his spirit, but rather in his soul. However, as Human Vessel No. 1 had not yet awakened and remained in a state of severe exhaustion, he had no choice but to remain in the dimensional space in his near-spirit form.

"Is it because my soul is too weak?" Duncan speculated to himself.

He felt as though he had 'ascended in dimension.' Relative to everyone else in the real world, he occupied a higher dimension, yet he could only manifest in the material plane through his human vessel. Wasn't there a theory in his past life that Earth might just be a playground for higher-dimensional beings?

Ten minutes later.

The witch Anya also walked into the cabin. She too had a furtive air, stealing a glance toward Triss’s direction.

Wait! What are you all doing?

Anya tiptoed to the side of the sleeping Duncan, eyeing him with curiosity as if she were appraising him. She whispered to herself, "Quite handsome, actually."

"No wonder the Raven Queen, Triss, was moved."

"What a pity."

"She has to remain chaste for the Goddess... Platonic love is so boring..."

"Better she become my lover... hee..."

The bold words of a married young woman. This gorgeous witch was even more daring. Seeing Duncan unconscious, she first touched his face, then his pectoral muscles, and finally stole a glance at his lower regions before slipping out like a thief.

People in the Roman era were quite open-minded; it was a tradition of the old empire. The early empire saw many decadent tyrants—Nero and Caligula, the latter of whom was assassinated by the Praetorian Guard, setting a precedent.

Anya came from a very old, fallen noble lineage. Her ancestors were said to have had a close relationship with the 'Evil Queen' Agrippina the Younger—the mother of the tyrant Nero, who allegedly poisoned two husbands, one of whom was the Emperor. Rumor had it that Anya's ancestor was the priest who helped administer the poison, thus earning their noble status.

Anya’s family bloodline was complex; during the later imperial civil wars, they had intermarried with barbarian generals to ensure their survival. They reinvented themselves during the reign of Julian the Apostate to return to the Roman court, only to fall into obscurity again after Julian’s assassination, until she married her late husband. Unfortunately, he died early in the wars against barbarian invasions. Anya, however, was resourceful; though she had no heirs, she legally inherited her husband’s family estate.

Thus, she became a wealthy widow among the aristocracy. But as the Roman Church began its purge of heretical witches, she was forced to secretly fund Triss’s coven to seek self-preservation and eventually flee Church territory. Were it not for these connections, it would have been nearly impossible for Anya, a two-star 'blank' in terms of power, to become a co-founder of the coven. Strictly speaking, she was their first-round angel investor.

This Roman noblewoman’s background was far from simple. She had once owned a merchant fleet that sailed between Europe, Alexandria in Egypt, and Carthage in North Africa. Had it not been for the recent turmoil in North Africa, where the Western Roman Empire had lost almost all its grain-producing regions, her net worth would likely have been even higher. Yet, a starving camel is still larger than a horse; the fact that her retinue included a retired Praetorian knight and that she carried a bag of gold on her person showed she was quite wealthy.

Wealthy, but without the force to protect herself.

The witch Anya was clearly interested in Duncan, or perhaps she simply needed a strong backer to ensure she could escape the Church's purges. Anyone with eyes could see the impending collapse of the Empire. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the wives and daughters of the nobility were reduced to playthings for barbarian warlords, some even becoming lowly, abused slaves. Anya had the hidden identity of a witch; if she didn't find a way to protect herself, her ending would be even more tragic. If she hadn't been backed into a corner, a noblewoman accustomed to a life of luxury would never have risked joining forces with Triss. She couldn't bear to abandon her comfortable life, yet she feared the stake.

At the bandit fortress, after leaving Duncan’s room, Anya checked on the comatose Severus. She whispered to the druid, "Don't die."

There was a slight connection between them as well. Severus’s ancestors were generals under Julian the Apostate who had helped the Emperor quell rebellions and distinguished themselves in the war against the Alamanni. Later, when Julian died suddenly, Severus’s family fell into ruin, and by his generation, they were essentially no different from barbarians.

These people, including the Raven Queen, Triss, essentially belonged to the 'remnants of the previous dynasty.' Triss’s sect was a powerful supporter of Julian the Apostate.

The Raven Queen, Triss, was over a hundred years old. Unlike other witches, she was born with incredible power. When the Trivia sect found her as a child, she was chosen as the high priestess, and later secretly became the High Priestess of the Polytheistic Faith—a title previously reserved for Roman Emperors. After the total collapse of the polytheistic religion, Triss was forced into exile, hiding and changing her identity. Once the faith was completely banned, she secretly united with other priestesses to form the original coven.

Although Anya was not a priestess, her family—and even Agrippina the Younger—secretly worshipped Venus, or the Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. This syncretized deity governed love, beauty, desire, and fertility. Anya secretly worshipped the image of the goddess of sexuality. Many of the beautiful women in imperial history known for their beauty, promiscuity, and ability to seduce men had intricate, secret ties to this sect. The secret cult of Aphrodite granted a peculiar sexual tension, and women who served it aged slowly. Another similar secret sect existed in Egypt, rumored to be connected to Cleopatra.

Of course, all of this was swept into the dustbin of history after the total failure of the polytheistic faith.

These remnants of the old religion now hid in the shadows to escape the Inquisition. The Raven Queen, Triss, driven by prophecies of a dark future, sought a place where they could survive. As for Triss’s vow of chastity, the polytheistic faith still held some untainted goddesses, represented by the virgin deities.

Normally, the era after Zeus (Jupiter) should have belonged to those more righteous polytheistic gods (such as Artemis, Athena, etc.). But no one expected the rise of monotheism to wipe them all out at once.

………………

Severus had a fever.

There was no other way; he had to rely on his own strength to pull through. Although this era possessed supernatural powers, it lacked the healing clerics found in fantasy worlds. Unless someone could find a legendary holy relic, like the Holy Grail—a cup of which would surely have him back on his feet in no time. Druids had no healing magic; their era had ended long ago when Julius Caesar slaughtered the druidic priests of Gaul. Severus knew some ancient druidic rituals, among which might have been healing magic, but he was unconscious and unable to treat himself. The traditional polytheistic faith in Gaul was all but gone.

"It's up to how tough you are, brother." Duncan tended to the severely wounded Severus every day.

Most of the Church's priests were ordinary men. Even in the era of the saints and apostles, only a few 'Saints'—those who could heal the injuries of others—existed within the Church. It wasn't just the Raven Queen, Triss, whose power had plummeted; even the monotheistic Church rarely saw 'Saints' anymore.

The good news was that two days later, Severus finally broke his fever and woke up.

The druid was as strong as a barbarian. Though weak, he had regained consciousness, and it was not merely a final burst of strength.

"Water..."

A hoarse voice roused Duncan.

He quickly put down his notebook, looked at the awakened Severus, and handed him the waterskin immediately.

—Day 11 of Transmigration: 67 head count.

This bandit fortress was remote and relatively safe. No survivors had been left behind, and the enemy might not track them down—or might not dare to continue the pursuit.

As soon as Severus awoke, the two witches rushed over. The combat strength of their party was limited; besides Duncan, only Severus was capable of melee combat. While the Raven Queen, Triss, could unleash explosive power, the cost was high—she had been weak for two whole days and still suffered from backlash. The witch Anya was merely a vase, providing pure financial support; so far, no special abilities had been observed from this two-star 'blank' witch.

"His injuries have improved significantly," the Raven Queen, Triss, sighed in relief.

Duncan had already known. He had just entered his god-like perspective and seen that Severus’s status had changed to 'Severely Injured,' with the 'Near Death' status effect gone.

"With a bit more rest, we should be able to continue our journey."

A druid is a druid, after all. The day after waking up, Severus could barely stand; by the third day, he could walk slowly. His constitution was indeed formidable, perhaps aided by some supernatural factors, as he had requested that Duncan take him to a ruined 'Druid Circle.'

The group rested at the bandit fortress for seven days before finally setting out again on their journey toward the island of Britain. They also brought along one female slave. The other farmers had been dismissed. Duncan managed to acquire a few horses, added eight to his head count in his notebook, and headed toward Germania Minor.

During this time, the outside world became increasingly volatile; both Upper and Lower Pannonia had fallen. Worse news followed: the Vandals, one of the nomadic tribes, were stirring, seemingly intending to fish in troubled waters as the Empire fell into chaos. Historically, the Vandals would sack Rome, pillage the city for two weeks, and leave the ancient capital nearly destroyed.

Anya had fled just in time. Had she sat still, she would have either died at the hands of the Inquisition or been abducted and abused by the Vandals. No matter which dynasty fell, the wives and daughters of the nobility could not escape the fate of becoming playthings.