In the early morning, Nero awoke from her sleep, lazily dressed, and looked down at her long golden hair, muttering to herself, "Hmm, it seems it's time to find a maid!"
She could do her original hairstyle herself, but the steps were too complicated, and Nero was too lazy to bother.
Tying her hair into a simple ponytail with a ribbon, Nero stretched her arms out, looking at the city outside, which was full of novelty.
Opening the door to her small bedroom, The Ancient One was already waiting there, dressed in the same yellow robes as yesterday.
She didn't look like a tour guide, but rather like a revered abbot from a temple, about to take Nero to offer incense.
"What's the itinerary for today?"
"I haven't made detailed arrangements. With spatial magic, we can save time on travel."
The Ancient One's fingertips lightly traced the air, and a string of sparks shone: "After His Majesty Nero has visited the places she wants to go, I will make the arrangements."
"This spell is indeed quite convenient." Nero also imitated The Ancient One, drawing a circle in the air. Red sparks flickered, a portal opened, and on the other side was Coulson's bewildered face.
Before Coulson could say anything, Nero casually closed the portal: "It's not that difficult."
The Ancient One wasn't surprised; this level of magic was just a parlor trick to Nero.
"Is there anywhere that interests Lady Nero?"
"Hmm, there are a few things. It's your history here, the one about Rome, the tyrant Nero, whose name highly overlaps with mine. He seemed to be a male, actually."
Nero had long planned for this; the other's life trajectory also had a significant overlap with her own.
Nero wasn't sure what was going on with this, and she planned to observe the other's ruins.
"There are always some inexplicable and mysterious connections between worlds." The Ancient One smiled profoundly and opened a portal, gesturing for Nero to enter.
"Hearing you say that, it sounds like you've been to many worlds." Nero stepped forward, feeling that The Ancient One was a mysterious person.
"I have indeed had similar experiences." The Ancient One pointed to the Eye of Agamotto hanging around her neck: "I have used it to see many future possibilities, and each possibility extends into a new universe."
"A time-type artifact?" Nero felt a tremendous power contained within the pendant, but she didn't pay too much attention, thinking it was similar to her Observation Haki.
As they talked, the two arrived at the Golden Palace, the ruins of the Roman Empire. This building had about three hundred rooms, of which only one hundred and fifty have been excavated, but only thirty-two rooms are open to tourists.
Nero and The Ancient One visited locations outside those thirty-two rooms. The Golden Palace here was not built with gold like Nero, but rather had a layer of gold plated on the marble of its most beautiful rooms.
After a while, Nero grew bored. The architecture here might have been good at the time, but compared to the many buildings she had completed in the world of One Piece, it could only be considered a dilapidated old house.
Only the murals seemed to have some artistic value, but after seeing them, Nero easily deduced from the fragmented information that this world's Nero was just an ordinary, absurd tyrant.
Nero stroked a mural, and then accidentally rubbed off a piece. She frantically pressed it twice but couldn't put it back.
Nero simply tossed the small stone aside and said to The Ancient One, "Next, let's go see your home. I haven't seen a sorcerer's residence yet."
The Ancient One opened a portal, ignoring Nero's actions: "His Majesty Nero might not like the lifestyle of Kamar-Taj."
"Most of the people here are practicing, and the living conditions are relatively simple."
Stepping into Kamar-Taj and taking two steps, Nero decisively opened another portal: "Then, next!"
A bunch of ascetic-like fellows, nothing good to see, just a group of people sweating in old, dilapidated buildings. Such places are usually very boring.
Next, the two appeared and disappeared in various corners of the world: Paris, Shanghai, Tokyo, Norway, Iceland, Seoul... Nero ate two roujiamo, three apple pies, and held a beggar's chicken.
The Ancient One's hands were also filled by her with lamb skewers, Turkish ice cream, a can of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and a box of tuna sushi.
After finishing the snacks, it was almost noon. The two stopped at a siheyuan in Beijing, where a famous state banquet chef lived.
After Nero ordered a table full of Manchu Han Imperial Feast, The Ancient One's face no longer held a smile. Although the living requirements of Kamar-Taj were not high, spending a year's living expenses in half a day...
If this continued, Kamar-Taj would have to start charging. In terms of extravagant spending, the Nero in front of her was quite similar to the historical one here.
Finally, The Ancient One's credit card was successfully maxed out, but she still looked calm. As Kamar-Taj's first deadbeat, I, The Ancient One, only borrow and never return.
If you want money, wait five or six years and ask my successor, Doctor Strange!
The Ancient One had new ideas for the afternoon's itinerary.
"By the way, The Ancient One, why do I feel that you are a little different from the others there, specifically the nature of the magic in your body?"
After lunch, the two arrived at a private uninhabited island. Sitting on the golden beach, Nero asked curiously while eating pudding.
"It's just two different powers, and neither of them seems to belong to you."
"Yes, Nero, you are right." After half a day of getting along, being able to call Nero by her name was her only gain.
"Unlike you, the energy of us sorcerers is basically borrowed from Dimensional Demon Gods, and these lending contracts are often accompanied by unknown costs."
"According to what you said, I seem to be a Dimensional Demon God too, right? Also, is it okay for you to contract with multiple Demon Gods?"
The Ancient One smiled calmly: "That's right, and I'm fine with it. These costs are usually paid only after death, and my soul has already been contracted to The Entity of Eternity."
"The Entity of Eternity? I remember you said he was one of the five most powerful Creator Gods, which means..." Nero was dumbfounded, her impression of The Ancient One once again refreshed.
"Let those Dimensional Demon Gods go find The Entity of Eternity for their costs; I guarantee they'll go and not make a sound."
"Pure freeloading?"
"Heh heh, lending always carries risks everywhere. It's perfectly normal for things lent out not to be recovered. They should have thought this would happen when they lent me their magic."
Although The Ancient One spoke lightly, as if explaining some great truth, Nero's view of her could never go back to what it was.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"