Lucious Varianus Aurelianus awoke in his chambers, his soft, restful slumber interrupted by the Sun's gentle rays.

His skin was pale and unblemished, soft as if it had never known labor. Long, dark hair fell in a straight line to his shoulders, framing features that were sharp and delicate — almost too delicate. Even his frame felt strange: slim, narrow-waisted, with a grace that didn't belong to him.

His body, thin and weak, yet ever so curvy, was hidden beneath a loose white dress.

He opened his eyes, brilliant blue skies, both of them.

They seemed hollow, almost void-like, until a spark of faint awareness filled them.

"I'm back...?" Lucius mumbled as he sat upright, looking at the room around him.

His bed was queen-sized, which made his short, petite frame feel hilariously out of place.

It, the bed, was pressed against a glass wall behind him that looked down onto a large enough garden. The house was made entirely out of white marble, with luxurious carpets and ornaments decorating the walls. There was a night table right next to the bed, along with a simple statue, one that depicted the two-faced Roman God Janus, the God of change.

Lucious glanced down at his body, kicking away the red bedsheets and marveling at his new form.

"...A twink...? Oh, God." Lucious could already feel the laughter of his comrades, but alas, he would have to bear with his new form for now, at least until he could get a transplant of some sort.

Three doors led into the room, and Lucious stood to his feet, which felt far too wobbly for comfort.

"Am I frail? This is a serious condition if it affects how I walk..."

It was then that a wave of dizziness washed over him, nearly causing him to stumble, but Lucious powered through it.

Furrowing his brow at his body, Lucious opened the first door, which led to a large, luxurious wardrobe displaying various suits, military uniforms, and even some advanced-looking weaponry.

The most prominent feature was the immense carpet that stretched across the floor, upon which the golden letters "S.P.Q.R." were written.

A massive, almost evil grin grew on Lucious' face, one infused with the pride of a hundred lives, but he quickly covered it with his hand until it settled.

After getting dressed in a black, gold and red uniform adorned with no medals, Lucious strode out. The outfit was completed by a black and red military cap, along with black socks and black oxford shoes. He also wore gloves, a pair of neat, dark purple gloves, to be exact.

He also made sure to take a few weapons with him, just to be absolutely safe. He took a small handgun, similar to the Glock 19, and showed it into a holster at his waist. Its chassis was a mix of black and red. Additionally, he took a simple rifle, one similar to the M1 Garand, its chassis black and purple.

It was surprisingly light, but his frail body would certainly feel the weight after a while.

It was then that Lucious felt dizzy once more. He reflexively reached out to a nearby wall, grabbing onto a black cane that was leaning on a wall next to him.

He suddenly coughed very violently as he stared into his palm, now coated with blood.

A synthetic yet surprisingly human voice echoed throughout the villa, and Lucious listened passively.

"Anomalous blood pressure detected, Master Lucious Varianus Aurelianus, please find a stable surface to sit on and take deep breaths. Please remain conscious."

Lucious did as he was told, dropping the rifle to the floor, leaning on any nearby surface and his cane while making his way to the bed, breathing deeply as he did so.

"Heart pressure is stabilizing," spoke the AI, "Please maintain your current efforts and locate your physician-assigned medicine. Walk in slow, carefully measured steps if necessary."

It took an hour for Lucious to find the medicine, small, red, and gold pills, which he swallowed with great difficulty.

"Tastes like steel, iron, and chemicals, do I have an Iron deficiency? It would explain the dizziness at least..." Lucious mumbled to himself as he asked the AI for a report.

"Understood master-"

"-Lord," Lucious interrupted. "Don't call me master."

"Very well, Lord Varianus. Today, you are obligated to head to the Venetica Military Academy in Venetica and work there for four hours from 12 o'clock to 4 pm, before or after which you are expected to visit family-owned lands and businesses for inspection. It is currently 10 o'clock."

"Right, tell me, what physical and mental afflictions do I have, or am suspected of having?"

"You have: A severe iron deficiency, a weak heart, low blood pressure, a weak immune system, brittle bones, Asthma, and two X chromosomes instead of one. Your body is also producing an abnormally high amount of Estrogen instead of Testosterone. You are currently suspected of having: Dissociative Identity Disorder, Sociopathy, and Psychopathy. You have already been diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder."

"Oh no..." Lucious muttered to himself, fearing the answer to his next question, "What is my criminal record?"

"You have been convicted of no crimes, but have been investigated in over a dozen separate investigations, most of which led to lawsuits that then failed to verify you as guilty."

"So I have a terrible reputation, but no trouble with the law at least."

Standing up with a relieved yet aggrieved sigh, Lucious made his way downstairs, leaning on his cane as he did so.

It didn't take long to find a phone, presumably his, which luckily didn't have a password. After this, he made sure to wash his glove in one of the many bathrooms.

Lucious walked around his new home, which was empty.

Shocking, considering the relatively impressive size and affluent interior.

"AI, do we currently employ any servants? Also, how old am I, and what is my job?"

"No. There are no serfs, servants, or employees currently utilized by your lordship excluding family-owned businesses. You are 22 years old, and your current duty is to serve as a teacher and instructor at the Venetica Military Academy, located in Venetica."

'They probably quit because of "my" antisocial behavior. It's a miracle this guy had a job. And a teacher of all things...'

Lucious shook his head and stepped outside.

His home was a ways away from the city, which could be seen in a valley underneath his home. Forest surrounded said home for kilometers, separated by a large, white marble and black steel fence. Some statues of naked men could be seen around, depicting Gods, figures, and heroes.

Noticing a car on a nearby road that led to a garage, Lucious approached it.

It was an old-fashioned 20th-century Dodge Charger, painted a sleek and reflective royal purple.

Lucious was never happier to be alive.

Skipping over to the car happily, Lucious tugged at the door, which refused to open. It was only now that Lucious noticed the spherical hole in the door, right next to the handle.

"Please insert your Psyche." A deep, rumbling AI voice requested from within the car.

"...What?" Lucious asked, confused, "You want me to upload my brain?"

He scratched his head, accidentally bumping into something, something hard, something attached to his temple.

Abruptly, a cable fell out, almost a meter in length, fitted with a perfect circular end.

Tenatively, Lucious grabbed it and put it into the port, which unlocked the door in response.

"Shift in thought pattern detected... Recalibrating..." The engine suddenly roared to life, "Welcome, Lord Varianus. Chariot model LXVIV, nicknamed 'The Beast' is fully operational."

"Oh! ...Maybe we were a bit too harsh on us, Lucious."

Lucious did not notice the fact that he referred to himself in plural form as he observed the car's interior.

The inside was luxurious, with authentic, likely natural fur lining the seats, all colored purple and black.

With a smug smirk, Lucious settled into the cushioned seats, their comfort remarkable. He threw his cane into the back, no longer in need of it.

"Aaaah~ Finally, something we can get behind." He murmured and cutely giggled.

The inside of the car was fairly standard, the only exception being the circular port that rested next to the steering wheel, replacing car keys.

Lucious inserted his Psyche.

Instantly, his mind tuned into the state of the car. With a thought, he could feel exactly how much fuel was left, how fast he was going, how well-oiled the engine was, and all other data was presented to him on a silver platter.

It felt like he had grown an additional limb, but it was less disorienting than expected. Something his brain seemed quite used to, even if his personality was not.

After a moment, Lucious looked down at the pedals beneath his feet, then, without his feet grazing them, the car began to slowly accelerate, according to his will.

It was quite an epic sensation, one that Lucious made sure to thoroughly enjoy as he slowly rode out onto the road, the soft asphalt beneath him akin to a pillow for his wheels.

According to his navigation, the Venetia Military Academy was an hour's drive away, while the city boundaries were half an hour away.

'At least this way, I'll have more time to learn.' Lucious thought to himself as he searched through his phone, finding what appeared to be an internet browser by the name of "Mercury."

Funny. A social app named after the God of communication and commerce.

Thankfully, the interface was familiar, so Lucious spent no time at all quickly getting used to things.

As Lucious searched for info, with a thought, he enabled the radio. A refined, Italian voice crackled through.

"Bonum Diem citizens of Rome!"

The announcer exaggeratedly cleared his throat before continuing.

"Today, on Monday, the glorious year of 1923, Rome has once more maintained its hold over the great continent of Europa! We are still, and say it with me folks, the greatest military superpower our world Gaia has ever seen! The economy is booming, our population growth has spiked since last decade, officially ending the great population crisis of 1908, and we are climbing the ranks of the most educated nation on Gaia, being only beneath the Indus Union."

"Moving onto geopolitics now, in Asia, our trade partners in Ming are as friendly as ever: With tariffs currently being lowered and global trade only growing stronger, negotiations for open borders between the two nations have begun for the first time in history!"

"The Indus Union, with its communist hold over South Asia and Oceania as menacing as ever, responded with military exercises along the border and a sharp increase in their military budget, placing them in a comfortable third place in the ranks. The Aztec Blessed State has maintained its isolationist policy, so no news on that front sadly, though rumors state that increased naval activity has been spotted in the Atlantic Ocean... Maybe the old war between the North and South Americans, the Aztecs and the Incan Federation, will reignite after a hundred years of peace hmm?"

The time rolled by, much like the wheels of the car, as the city came into view.

Towering skyscrapers, their windows black, stood in stark contrast to the angelic white marble buildings that sprawled around them, their design imperial and imposing, much like the Empire that created them.

Cars of various types could be seen, some more modern, while others were of a more traditional variety, all of them low, sleek, and European in design. Hovercraft and various drones flew overhead, their powerful engines causing the air to tremble and bend around their exhausts.

Greenery was plentiful in the city, with trees bred for their beautiful, pitch-black bark and gem-like red leaves scattered around parks and on the streets, fading out around the city, mixing with the more natural greens and soft yellows of ordinary plants.

Lucious put his phone away and focused on driving, the traffic growing heavier with each moment spent driving to the city limits, the small winding road growing straighter.

The surrounding land, fields of grapes and various fruits, slowly and surely mixed and diluted into small buildings, each with a beautiful Roman and Greek aesthetic, their roofs blue and red.

Many were proudly displaying banners of Rome, whether they be flags, statues, or other mediums, there was an unmistakable sense of nationalism and pride in the air. One that made Lucious smile.

It didn't take long to reach the university.

It was a large, five-story or so building. The colors that dominated it were primarily red and gold, with flags of Rome and its many military symbols hanging high and low. In front of the university was a large park, with fountains and statues of Gods, such as Mars, Ares, Jupiter, Hades, along with heroes, mortals long dead, were also carved into rock adorning the academy grounds. Figures like Leonidas, Julius Caesar, Sempronius Densus, and more.

Students walked around, chatting and mixing, they all spoke in an evolved version of Latin, with hints of Germanic, Hispanic, and Slavic interwoven into the ancient language. Yet strangely, Lucious could understand it all.

Lucious parked in front of the academy and withdrew his Psyche when suddenly, The Beast spoke once more.

"Lord Varianus, would you like to enable Advanced AI Assistance?" The voice rumbled.

"What?" Lucious asked, confused.

"Advanced AI Assistance allows me to provide you with advice or aid whenever you request it, even when you are not near me or connected directly to me. This way, you could ask that I come pick you up, instead of you coming to me."

Lucious thought to himself, this did carry some concerns of privacy, but to be fair, there was already a piece of tech in his skull that allowed him to turn machines compatible with it into an extension of himself.

If his privacy was at risk, it's already been likely compromised by the mere presence of such a thing.

Lucious nodded, "Yes, enable it."

His vision blurred and his ears went blank for a brief second, but things then immediately proceeded to settle down.

With a shake of his head and a steady exhale, Lucious got out of his car and walked to the university. It's grandiosity stretching above and beyond.

Lucious made his way through the gardens, ignoring the prickly looks and whispers around him to the best of his ability, but as he approached a pair of grand, white doors that led into the academy, he heard a rather meek voice behind him.

"Um... E-Excuse me, Professor Varianus!"

Lucious turned around and looked up to see a student.

She was of South Asian descent, with a decently endowed body.

She was a tiny bit taller than Lucious, standing around 5'5, or 165 centimeters tall. Her eyes were black, as was her hair, which fell to her waist. Framing her skin.

Despite being taller than the professor, she seemed to shrink under his gaze, Lucious raised an eyebrow, suspecting some sort of anxiety disorder.

"I-I... Um... I wanted to give you t-the homework a-assignment you gave us last week..."

Lucious chewed through her words mentally, thinking of a way to refuse her, when he got a brilliant idea.

He looked down to her right breast, where a name tag could be seen. 

"Right, Miss Kim Lo Anh, do you know where my office is?" She nodded, "Okay, then you can come by after- ...Or actually, I was just on my way there, how about we head there together right now?"

Kim Lo Anh looked like a ghost as she heard that, her eyes shrinking in fear as she gulped.

"Ah- Uhm... A-actually, professor, I-I'm a bit busy at the moment..."

'She looks like a trembling leaf, does she think I will kill her or something?' It was then that Lucious realized her fears, 'Right... I could do a lot worse to a lady, I overlooked this. Besides, if she does have an anxiety disorder, such an offer would worry her either way.'

It was a shame, he was gonna use her to show him the way to his office, but it would be better to leave things here.

Lucious sighed inwardly, waving a gloved hand in a dismissive gesture. "Very well, Miss Kim. You may turn it in later. Dismissed."

Kim Lo Anh looked visibly relieved, bowing quickly before scurrying away, her footsteps light, and hurried on the pathway. Lucious watched her go, the look in his eyes growing darker.

"Well," he muttered to himself, adjusting his cap, hiding his eyes, "at least I know I am as feared as I am hated."

Pushing open the massive double doors with some difficulty, Lucious entered the academy.

The interior was no less grand than the exterior — marble columns rose high, supporting an intricately carved ceiling. The walls were adorned with banners of red and gold, displaying military crests and symbols of the Empire. Students and faculty passed by, some engaged in conversation, others hurrying to their destinations. Many glanced at Lucious as he walked, some whispering behind their hands.

Ignoring the stares, Lucious walked purposefully through the halls, his cane tapping rhythmically against the polished floor.

Finding his office proved more difficult than he anticipated, as the layout of the academy was vast and unfamiliar. Eventually, after some wandering and a few pointed questions to surprisingly chummy students, he found himself in front of a heavy wooden door marked with a brass plaque: "Instructors Varianus & Africanus."

Lucious took a steadying breath and pushed the door open.

The office was a shared space, but it was clear that his colleague had claimed the lion's share of it. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with tomes on military strategy, history, and philosophy. A large desk sat near the window, piled high with papers and various weights, and behind it stood a man who seemed to embody strength itself.

Julius Africanus, the man Lucious shared the office with, was everything Lucious was not — tall, broad-shouldered, and powerfully built, with dark skin and a commanding presence. His short-cropped black hair framed a face that was both stern and confident, with sharp eyes that flicked up as Lucius entered.

"Varianus," Julius said, setting down a report he had been reading. His voice was deep, firm, and tinged with a slight accent that hinted at his African heritage. "You're late."

Lucious smirked, closing the door behind him with a soft click. "I'm early by my own standards."

Julius raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "You look... thinner."

Lucious's smirk faltered for a brief second before returning with a sharper edge. "I've been unwell," he admitted, moving to his own desk, which was significantly less cluttered. "But nothing that will hinder my duties."

Julius watched him for a moment longer before nodding. "Good. Your reputation precedes you, as always. Some students were already whispering about your return."

Lucious chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Oh? And what are they saying now?"

Julius sighed. "The usual. That you're brilliant but cruel. That you play mind games with your students. That you—" He hesitated for a fraction of a second. "That you have strange appetites."

Lucious tilted his head slightly, amusement dancing in his void-like eyes. "And do you believe them?"

Julius didn't answer immediately. Instead, he held Lucius's gaze, his expression unreadable. Then, with a shrug, he simply said, "It doesn't matter what I believe. Just don't bring trouble to this academy. I won't cover for you if you do."

Lucious laughed softly, resting his chin on his gloved hand. "How very Roman of you."

Julius ignored the remark and returned to his work. Lucious, for his part, leaned back in his chair, letting the weight of the situation settle over him.

"Charming," Lucious muttered, leaning on his desk with an exaggerated sigh. "I'm touched by your concern."

Julius grunted, clearly unimpressed. "We have class in an hour. Try not to frighten the students too much this time."

"Me? Frighten them?" Lucious raised a hand to his chest in mock offense. "Perish the thought."

The larger man's expression didn't change, but there was a twitch of amusement at the corner of his mouth. "Just be ready, Varianus."

As Julius returned to his paperwork, Lucious leaned back in his chair.

He looked down, noticed a PC, and jacked his Psyche link into it, the system instantly recognizing him.

After a brief search, Lucious found his schedule for the week.

"Oh~" He cooed, "Next up is Ethics class?" A truly devious grin overcame him, and Africanus could only sigh as Lucious steepled his fingers with a menacing laugh.

Today would not be a short day, that Julius knew.

-V-V-V-

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