As the divine king of Roman mythology, Jupiter was honored with three mandatory sacrifices each year by Rome's kings or consuls to show respect.
Yet, another god often surpassed Jupiter in the frequency of worship: Mars.
As the Roman god of war, Mars was the protector of warriors and the guardian deity of Rome. Legend held that Romulus, the founder of Rome, was a son of Mars.
Typically, Mars was to be worshipped twice a year.
However, at the start of every war and upon every triumph, the king or consul would lead the people in offerings to Mars. Given Rome's fervor for expansion and warfare, it was hardly surprising that sacrifices to Mars often outnumbered those to Jupiter.
"Sharpness, slaughter, war, conquest—"
The loli demon dangled her smooth little feet idly, counting off on her fingers with a bored tone.
As she spoke, she shared her perception with Lucius.
"That divine artifact—it's a sword?" Lucius's expression turned peculiar. "The Sword of Mars, or rather, the Sword of the War God?"
Back in his old world, the first time he truly noticed the name Mars wasn't through mythological texts but a mobile game.
In Fate/Grand Order, Attila the Hun wielded the Noble Phantasm Photon Ray: Sword of the War God.
This was partly inspired by the tale of Attila receiving the Sword of Mars as a tribute.
The other reason… setting the war god's sword as Attila's possession likely symbolized how Attila, the Scourge of God, had conquered Rome.
"I can sense considerable power within this sword," The loli demon said, her eyes narrowing with a smile as her feet swung a bit faster. "It wouldn't be surprising if this sword has developed its own sentience."
"For items without sentience, absorbing their power might be relatively simple. But for something with its own spirit, you'd need to suppress it first. Anything with even a hint of consciousness would resist having its power taken, wouldn't it?"
"Suppress it?" Lucius slowed his pace, his brow furrowing. "How do I do that?"
"If it's a sword, you'd at least need to hold it in your hand to subdue it," The demon said, nodding thoughtfully.
"Hold it in my hand, huh." Lucius's expression grew subtle. "Looks like I need to prepare to give up on this sword."
He had thought he could absorb a divine artifact's power from a distance.
But now this demon was telling him that a sentient artifact required suppression.
No matter how you looked at it, he was just an ordinary human. Suppressing a sentient divine artifact—especially an aggressive one like the Sword of Mars—was a near-impossible task.
Risking his life for a single chance? No matter what others might do, Lucius couldn't.
Constantly putting his life on the line seemed utterly foolish to him.
There would be other opportunities in the future. Even if he had to abandon this divine sword, it didn't mean there weren't other artifacts out there.
"Hey, aren't you being a bit too cowardly?" The demon swung her feet, her face full of disdain. "Don't you feel embarrassed?"
"It's just a divine sword, and you're already backing down? So timid and spineless—how dare you claim you're pursuing power?"
"If a single sword of Mars scares you off, what happens if you meet Mars himself? Will you wet yourself and run?"
"Young man, in the prime of your vigor, you should have the courage to face anything, singing boldly as you crush all obstacles!"
"With this retreating attitude, I'm downright ashamed for you!"
Lucius's face darkened at her words.
Suppress the Sword of Mars now?
The main reason he dared to target a divine artifact was because this demon had said he could absorb its power from a distance.
In this world, to prevent Heretic Gods from manifesting unexpectedly, divine artifacts were heavily guarded by magical associations. After all, a Heretic God's appearance was akin to a catastrophe for human society.
If he tried to approach the Sword of Mars now, he wouldn't even need the artifact's power to stop him—the guards alone could subdue him a hundred times over.
"Are you hoping I'll die under the Sword of Mars?" Lucius asked, his tone sharp.
"How could I?" The demon shook her head vigorously.
"What I mean is, if you face an insurmountable force, you can turn to me for help!"
"Just unseal this bottle, and whether it's the artifact's guards, the Sword of Mars, or even Mars himself descending, it's no big deal for me."
"So don't worry—I'll always be your strongest backup."
The loli demon blinked her large eyes, her tone gentle, her glossy cherry-pink lips looking rather enticing.
"No matter what happens, just twist the cap off this sealed bottle, and I can solve everything."
"Just twist the cap, and whatever troubles you, I can handle."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Lucius nodded silently.
No wonder she was pushing him so hard to take risks—she wanted him to fall into danger and rely on her power.
If he faced a crisis and actually twisted the cap off the sealed bottle…
Lucius recalled the unmasked malice radiating from the demon when he first opened it.
"So don't be afraid—go claim the Sword of Mars! Just twist that cap, and I'll handle all the obstacles along the way!" The little demon waved her arms enthusiastically, cheering.
"I refuse."
"Can't you listen for once, you idiot?" The loli demon's expression shifted instantly, her tone turning ferocious.
"Listen to you, so you can twist my head off like a bottle cap?" Lucius retorted with disgust. "Sure, that'd solve all my troubles—but no thanks."
***
If you enjoyed this story, don't forget to drop 5 stars and your power stone. And if you want to read more than 70 chapters in advance, feel free to visit: pat reon . com / KangTL