[Drawing initial talent.]
[Royal Tutor: You are a dedicated tutor from a distant branch of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, possessing profound knowledge that has earned you great respect. ]
[Compassionate Heart: You are a very kind person, and this has subtly influenced your actions. ]
Due to the remoteness of your bloodline, you, as a tutor, have traveled with this family branch to Ubiorum, far from the Roman capital. It seems to be a place free from conflict, and everything appears peaceful. But the situation is not as simple as it seems. In a few days, the birth of a certain child will completely shatter this temporary quiet.
Ubiorum. It's a city on the Rhine River and a Roman outpost. But even so, the number of troops stationed here is much smaller than one might expect. The reason is simple: a distant branch of the dynasty cannot have too many soldiers. After all, building up a private army is no laughing matter. Due to various external conditions, Ubiorum doesn't feel like a military stronghold at all. Instead, it feels more like a border town far from the front lines of war.
Right now, the streets and alleys of this unique city are all discussing one thing. "Hey! Have you heard? Miss Agrippina's baby is about to be born!"
"Yeah, isn't the due date sometime soon? I wonder what kind of child it will be."
"I don't know... but it's been so gloomy these past few days. It doesn't seem like a good omen. I hope nothing big happens, or our lives will get tough."
[The news of the young noble's impending birth echoes through the city of Ubiorum. It soon reaches your ears. As the Agrippina family's designated tutor and a good person, you are naturally asked many questions.]
"Mr. Seneca, do you... know what's happening with Miss Agrippina's child?"
Many people gathered around a tall man, carefully asking for the answers they wanted. This was a common sight. After all, this man named Seneca had a very kind personality—everyone from the elderly to children had received help from him. This was something everyone in Ubiorum knew.
Facing the crowd's questions, Ian was not flustered at all. He stood up and calmly reassured them. "Everyone, you don't have to be nervous. Everything is going smoothly—trust Miss Agrippina. Her child will surely be as outstanding as she is. So, please don't worry too much and continue living your lives as before!"
[Talent: Royal Tutor has been activated: As the Agrippina family's personal tutor, your words are very effective with these common people. After all, you have built up a lot of prestige here. Your explanation feels trustworthy, which has reassured the people. ]
[However, things are not as simple as you think. Or rather, they are much worse than you think—Agrippina is experiencing a difficult labor.]
Inside the house, many servants were bustling about. It was clear that they were facing an unprecedented crisis. Ian was no exception. As the most knowledgeable person in the house, he naturally became the one everyone relied on to give orders.
"Tutor Seneca, the mistress is having trouble breathing. What should we do?"
"Don't panic. You, next to her, take deep breaths and have her follow you."
"Ah! The baby's body is stuck! What do we do?!"
"Relax. Tell the mistress to relax immediately—and encourage her! The baby is almost here!"
"Understood!"
[This is an extremely difficult birthing process—everyone involved is on the edge of their seat. Fortunately, your quick thinking is excellent, and every one of your commands proves its worth. The baby is successfully born. It's a girl with brilliant golden hair. Agrippina names her Lucius.]
[However, although you successfully helped such a lovely girl be born into this world, the problems you face have not ended. A greater human disaster awaits you.]
[The public believes Lucius's birth is a bad omen—after all, no noble's child had ever nearly killed their mother in childbirth before. This has also greatly influenced the thoughts of Lucius's mother, Agrippina. She secretly believes that there might be something wrong with this child—that this might turn into a source of regret in the future. But at the same time, as a mother, Agrippina still feels a sense of love for her daughter. She decides to ask for your opinion.]
A few days later, Agrippina summoned Ian to her room.
"Seneca," the slightly pale woman said, sitting on the bed and looking at the strong man in front of her. "You... must have heard the rumors in the city, right?"
"Yes, my lady," Ian nodded. "I have heard them."
"Then what do you think?" Agrippina asked with a complicated expression. "Was Lucius's birth a mistake? Will she... bring us countless disasters?"
"..."
[Although Agrippina is trying her best to hide her emotions, you can sense what she is thinking. You realize this mother seems to be hesitating about whether to follow the rumors and dispose of her daughter. Compassionate Heart has been activated: As a kind tutor, you absolutely cannot watch the child named Lucius be abandoned by her mother. For this reason, you express your own thoughts to her.]
"No, my lady," Ian shook his head. "I don't think so. On the contrary, I believe Lucius's birth is a blessing for your family."
"A blessing?" Agrippina's eyes lit up slightly—it was clear that this was the answer she wanted to hear, one that would give her a reason to keep Lucius. "Seneca, what... do you mean?"
"My lady, it's a simple principle," Ian said, calmly explaining his reasoning. "When is a blade at its sharpest?"
"I don't know," Agrippina answered.
"My lady, allow me to tell you." Ian drew his sword. As a tutor, he knew that knowledge alone was not enough—one also had to know how to persuade others. "It's after it has been tempered. Only then can it show its most excellent side and prove its uniqueness."
"..." Agrippina understood the man's hidden meaning. "Are you saying... that the things Lucius experienced were all because the heavens were tempering her talent?"
"You are very clever, my lady," Ian nodded. "That's right—these are all trials set to highlight her blade-like talent, so it's not an ill omen at all. On the contrary, we should be celebrating right now. This proves that she has passed the test and possesses a wisdom and courage that ordinary people cannot reach."
"..." Agrippina's face now held a slight smile. She, of course, knew that the man in front of her was agreeing with her feelings—but this was exactly the reason she wanted. A reason that could remove the "ill omen" from her daughter and at the same time elevate her status infinitely.
However, Agrippina quickly thought of another problem. "Seneca, although I completely agree with your thoughts, wouldn't this seem a bit too..." Agrippina didn't finish her sentence. But Ian already knew what she was trying to express. Although Agrippina, as a mother, accepted his "what heaven wants to bestow, it must first be tempered" theory, others would not be so easily convinced. After all, the fact of the difficult birth was right there. Such a stiff explanation would only make people laugh.
But—Ian had already thought of this. Or rather, as a tutor, he knew how to persuade others and make them accept his theories.
"Please do not worry, my lady." A flash of wisdom crossed the man's eyes. "Soon there will be enough examples to prove this."
[You are not the kind of person who speaks without thinking. You truly intend to prove this—but not through chance. You have a plan. You will disguise yourself and, in secret, use gold to bribe many people, having them spread news of one "difficult birth" after another. The results of these events are, without exception, that the babies die in childbirth. This way, Lucius's experience is no longer an isolated case. When everyone reluctantly accepts this idea, you will begin to spread the next rumor—that Lucius's survival was an act of "following the will of the heavens." Through your efforts and the atmosphere you've created, this is quickly accomplished. In Ubiorum, no one speaks of her birth as a sin anymore.]
[In gratitude to you, on Lucius's first birthday, Agrippina makes you her official tutor. A year later, Agrippina's husband dies, and she quickly remarries a local magnate in Ubiorum. Your lives are greatly improved, and Lucius is renamed Nero to signify a complete break from her past "unfortunate" origins.]
[When she is seven, you begin Nero's formal education. But she doesn't seem to appreciate it.]
"Let's stop here for today." Ian closed the book in his hand and looked at the young Nero in front of him, who was covering her mouth and yawning, a little helpless. "Nero, you've done this several times today—are my lessons too boring?"
"Mmm~" The young Nero nodded and honestly answered her tutor's question. "Tutor Seneca, I don't think any of the things you are talking about are meaningful to me, are they?"
"How could they not be?" The man walked up to the young Nero, knelt down, and kept his eyes level with hers. "This is the standard for a well-bred lady. Nero—a girl of your status should study this properly."
"Who said that?!" The young Nero responded unhappily. "It's too much to make all these meaningless rules just to restrict me! Mmm—! That person must be a big idiot!"
Looking at the young Nero's puffed-out cheeks, Ian smiled—she seemed completely unaware of how cute she was like this. And the man was not a rigid tutor who only knew how to blindly instill ideas without being flexible. A child's mind should not be restrained; that was the freedom she deserved at this age.
"Alright." The man, in front of Nero, directly tossed the book in his hand to the side to show his attitude. Thump. The thick book hit the floor with a dull sound. The young Nero saw all of this. Surprised, she looked at the book her tutor had just tossed to the side and then asked, "Tutor! What are you doing?!"
"Nothing," Ian answered very seriously. "If what I'm teaching isn't interesting to you right now, then it means there must be a problem with my methods. Nero, tell me—what are your real thoughts? Let me adjust the plan accordingly."
"..." The young Nero probably never expected her tutor to be so understanding. However, her reaction was very quick, and she immediately realized this was an opportunity she could use.
"Mmm~ It's not impossible to tell you! But—as a trade-off, shouldn't you also offer something in exchange for listening to my ideas?"
"..."
[This is a blatant equivalent exchange, but you don't haggle with your student, Nero. Besides, you believe this is a sign of her exceptional cleverness.]