Northern Italia, 60 AD, Septem Singularity
Ritsuka POV
Chaldea had spent the last several weeks helping the Roman Empire drive out the remaining stragglers from Zenobia's army that had taken refuge in Italia.
Strangely enough, no servants had engaged with them at all during their clean up of Italia. One would think that the lack of servant resistance would have made them feel more relaxed, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
Everyone was on constant high alert for any possible servant movement.
But while the possible threat of a servant ambush loomed over them, that didn't stop their group from at least trying to enjoy the sights and extend camaraderie with their new allies.
During their entire expedition, Nero had done most of the talking, and boy did she talk.
She boasted about the history of Rome, of the arts, the myths, and of course, the crops their country produced that she claimed were the backbone of civilization. Grapes, olives, and various grains were the triad of Roman life, and Nero spared no words going in depth about their importance. Though with some reluctance, she admitted Greek wines were superior to theirs, she still held onto the importance of Roman wine as a close second.
He had seen vineyards before, since he lived in California and was accustomed to seeing them during the occasional road trips his family took when driving through the state.
The vineyards he has seen here look more wild, structured yes, but not to the degree he had seen in modern vineyards, at least the ones he's seen on the highway.
Overall, it was still fascinating to see so many crop fields and not a single sprinkler in sight. Seeing people work the fields entirely by hand was rather enlightening, but the crack of a whip grounded him back into reality.
He had seen slaves only in history books, and he knew they existed in Rome. However, nothing could have prepared him to see a man getting whipped in the back for working too slow.
He still remembered the outrage that he and his chat expressed when they saw actual slaves working the fields. Even BB struggled to calm them down during the initial days of the event. Yet, as much as he and Chat really wanted to do something, he was heavily discouraged from doing anything to stop it.
Slaves, much to his disgust and dismay, were integral to Rome's survival so he had to let any ideas of trying to stop the practice go.
Still, that didn't stop him from sending a shadow Chiyome to break the many slave overseers' whips a few times.
Thankfully, none of his servants or his servant allies ever said anything about it. A gesture he will remember and thank them for once this singularity is over and they were sent back to Chaldea.
For now, he will just do what he's always wanted to do.
Spoil future events to an emperor of Rome.
"So your home country conquered the moon?" Nero asked, completely baffled by the notion.
"Not conquered, we just landed on the moon, planted our flag on its dusty surface, took some samples, left some trash, and came back," he corrected her.
"I will be frank with you, my Praetor, such a tale is hard to believe even with all the magical and divine phenomena happening around us. Do you have proof beyond mere words?"
He couldn't help but let out a smug grin at her question.
"Thought you'd never ask." He pulled out his wristband and went through his collection of videos he had downloaded from the archived internet.
He found the video of the moon landing and without much fanfare, he showed Nero the clip.
Her eyes, once skeptical, were now in the shape of saucers as she saw Neil Armstrong stepping off the ladder and into the surface of the moon.
That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
"Incredible. Truly incredible. The moon is truly just as beautiful up close than far away. Since Diana has not punished Neil Armstrong the moment he stepped foot in her domain, I can say with certainty that she in some way approved of this event."
Nero nodded, "you have given me a great gift. I shall cherish the memory up until my deathbed."
[Lord_Impaler: By deathbed, she means when she commits suicide after being kicked from Rome by the Senate. ]
[And there goes the sweet moment, scattered into the wind like pixie dust.]
[I wonder how she would react if Gudao told her she's destined to kill herself. ]
[Based on how Nero has acted thus far, she is not someone who will care much about what others say about her. BB was right, this woman is so full of herself that nothing anyone says can change her mind. ]
[ShortShorts_QUEEN: I don't think I will have the patience to deal with her if she does get summoned to Chaldea. ]
[MalasadaMayhem: It's not a matter of if, but when. The UMU is inevitable. :Umu emote:]
The approaching steps of a Roman soldier took their attention away from their conversation.
"Your Majesty, we have arrived," the man said, and immediately, Nero's mood dropped into a somber expression.
Nero thanked the man and urged her horse forward.
Their horses came to a stop near a hill, and before them, he saw rolling hills and dense forests. Even beyond, he could see the Alps in the distance. The picturesque scene was, unfortunately, ruined by the upturned earth and that marred the landscape.
He recognized these crater patterns… they looked just like the ones Zenobia had produced when she unleashed her noble phantasm against Alexander's army.
He glanced over to Nero and saw the loud, boisterous woman staring at the marred landscape in silence.
He had been told about Constantine being a part of their army and how he had been an integral part of their defenses against the invading armies from the North. Based on the way Nero talked about him, she had actually gotten really fond of him.
While he knew that Nero didn't think badly of him and Mash for being close with the woman who killed him, she still didn't hide her disdain for Zenobia and what she has done to her home.
Simon's horse trotted from behind and walked to Nero.
"Come Nero, we are burning daylight. The longer we stay up here, the longer our enemies have time to gather their strength," Simon wisely said.
Nero responded with a short but resolute "umu" and marched on her horse toward the crater.
It took a while to reach the leyline that Simon had used to help him fuel Constantine, as the scars of Zenobia's attacks had left the roads broken.
However, they managed to arrive with time to spare, and Mash went to work. She placed her shield on the ground and looked at Simon.
"Mr. Simon, please touch the shield, and the ritual will be complete."
Simon nodded and walked towards the shield.
He crouched and placed a hand over it.
The shield glowed bright, and after a brief moment, three red command seals appeared over his hand.
The design looked to be in the shape of a flame, with two command seals taking the outer (red) shape of the fire while the inner (yellow) part of the flame was taken by a stout looking command seal.
Of course, the design was all red, but it was still a really cool design even if it wasn't the right color.
"Congratulation Simon Magus, you are now an official temporary master of Chaldea. "
"Thank you, Romani, for your trust and for returning this privilege to me," the old court magician looked genuinely grateful at receiving his triad of command seals.
"Think nothing of it. Now that you are a master of Chaldea, we can send more servants to help!Speaking of which, I think you should bring them over now. "
Simon nodded, then brought out his hand, and the shield lit up and spun like when he used it.
The light exploded, and a feminine shape stepped forward in all his skimpy glory.
"Yahoh!! The cute and loyal paladin of Charlemagne, Saber Astolfo, has arrived!!!"
Ah, Astolfo decided to be daring today and came in his most revealing outfit.
"Wah!! Astolfo!! What are you wearing?!!" Charlie demanded, his face red with embarrassment.
He wasn't the only one caught off guard by his appearance, as multiple of their allies stared at Astolfo with various states of surprise, disgust, and, disturbingly, sexual desire.
The latter of which came from a few Roman soldiers who were eyeing Astolfo like a lion would to a piece of meat.
Astolfo didn't seem to mind the stares and just blinked, "I'm wearing my bunny outfit." Astolfo spoke as if he were stating something obvious.
The answer only exacerbated Charlie, "I can see that, but why? Why are you dressed like a bunny!?"
Astolfo tilted his head, "Because it's cute."
[ILiekQTThings: That's a good enough reason for me. ]
[Charlie is asking all the right questions and getting left answers from @ Bunny_Aachan. ]
Charlie crossed his arms and closed his eyes in contemplation, "Hm, I understand, I definitely understand..."
His eyes opened to reveal disapproval laced with concern, "no, I take it back, I don't. I can't justify this!! Please wear something else, it's unsightly for you to show so much skin!!"
Astolfo put his hands on his hips, "no. It's my body and I can wear what I want."
Charlie closed his eyes again, annoyed at his knight's stubbornness, "Astolfo, your attire is distracting the soldiers."
Astolfo tilted his head, "that sounds more like a them problem."
"Charlie, there is no need to act like those dusty old senators of the capital. Such a delicate physique should not be hidden, it should be displayed for all to see!!"
"Emperor Nero, please-"
Nero cut off Charlie's pleading with the wave of her hand, "no. I will hear none of it. My word is law, the effeminate rabbit boy stays." She went up to Astolfo and smacked him in the butt, causing Astolfo to let out a yelp.
[Oh wow. Emperor Nero is so bold.]
[Poor Gudao. Even he hasn't had a chance to smack Astolfo in the butt.]
[She slapped his butt harder than I do to my secretary. ]
[Ayo?! Dirty old man in the chat!! ]
[Bruh. ಠﾛಠ]
"Rest easy rabbit boy, you have come to aid my Rome and I will accommodate you. However, know this, your attire will arouse many of my more rowdy soldiers. So please try not to kill any of them should they make advances on you." Nero said with a small edge of warning in her tone, which Astolfo responded with an affirmative grunt.
"Maim don't kill, got it." He gave Nero a thumbs up.
"Erm, well, I suppose I will summon the next servant over." Simon said while trying very hard not to look at Astolfo.
The lightshow happened as usual, and when it died down, the new figure appeared.
Jalter stepped forward, "Jeanne D'Arc Alter, ready to kick some ass."
Unlike in Chaldea, Jalter was wearing her usual outfit. The hot-topic version of Jeanne's clothes.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Jeanne Dark Alter. A fitting name for a woman in your attire. I am… sorry for your loss." Nero said with a bit of sadness, causing the avenger to look at her like she was a retarded chipmunk.
"I don't need your pity, and just because I am wearing black doesn't mean I am in mourning. This is just how I dress."
"Quite the rude one aren't you? Though I cannot say I dislike a rose with thorns. They are usually the most beautiful."
Jalter just gave her a flat look, "sorry, I'm not interested in women."
Nero dramatically held her heart like it had been struck, "urk. To be rejected by such a beauty is truly a tragedy. I will have to write a poem about this cruel rejection later, but for now, we should focus on completing what we set out to do."
Jalter lost interest in Nero quickly and sent a glare at Simon. The older man tensed under her heated gaze.
"I'm only going to say this once old man, so listen to me. You might be a master of Chaldea now, but don't think that means I will follow your commands. "
She narrowed her eyes, "I answered Ritsuka Fujimaru's summons, and I will only listen to him. Only he can use me anyway he wants. He can even tell me to cut my own throat and I will gladly do it, but if you so much as dare even ask me for today's date, I am burning your balls into coal. Is that clear?"
A cold sweat fell down Simon's temples from the sheer heat Jalter was emanating, "noted. I will not pretend to be your master when I know this is a mere borrowed power."
"Humph, so long as we understand each other." Jalter then walked towards him and stood by his side.
[PerfectlySaneHex: Why is Jalter here again? ]
[JAlter: because I got a bone to pick with that palmyran skank. ]
[PerfectlySaneHex: Fair enough. ]
[Dragon's-Iris: That'll do kid, that'll do. ]
Mash's shield lit up once more, and this time instead of a new servant, it was several large backpacks.
His kohai takes one and hands it to Simon to inspect.
The man accepts it and reviews it in curiosity. Simon opened the bag and stuck his hand inside, and to his surprise, it vanished.
"Hm, this sack is not purely magical in origin. It's also technological."
"That is because it is. It is a special storage device that can hold tons of food at a time. Food does not rot when inside the bag, so you can store lots of grain inside without having to worry about it getting moldy or eaten by rats." Da Vinci said without sparing any of her usual dose of pride.
"Interesting. Well, this is sure to be a boon for us if that is the case." He turned towards the nearest soldier.
"Store as much of our provisions into these bags as physically possible."
"Yes sir." The soldier took the bags and ran off.
Simon looked to Nero, "once they finish with their task, we can continue our march west."
"Umu. Good work as always Simon."
✦✧✦
Martha POV
She noticed the movement in the corner of her eye. The figure appeared to be attempting to sneak past her without drawing attention. Unfortunately for the figure, they were no assassin.
"Where are you going at this time of night, Avenger?"
The darkened figure abruptly stopped in her tracks, her voice catching her off guard like a child who was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Which is ironically accurate given how Avenger was literally less than a year old despite her mature appearance.
Many people still didn't trust her despite that fact, especially the servants she had forced to join her cause. But with her? The atmosphere between them was awkward at best.
After a moment of standing still, Avenger walked out of the dark shade of the trees and came into the moonlight. Her piercing yellow eyes were scrunched in annoyance.
"None of your business Saint." the rebellious child said, uncaring that her excuse was shady, as Master Ritsuka would put it.
"I don't know Avenger, it is pretty suspicious to see you leave the camp at three in the morning. After what your ruler self did in the last singularity. Can you blame me for finding your late night outing concerning?"
"I said it's none of your business."
What a stubborn child this girl is. Let's put some pressure on her, shall we?
"Well, then I guess you won't mind if I tell Master about this little excursion of yours."
Her threat caused the girl to panic, a rare emotion that Avenger hardly emoted to anyone besides Master.
"No wait… don't. You win. I noticed something interesting nearby and I wanted to use it as a surprise for Master Ritsuka."
A surprise? What kind of surprise requires her to go out into the night by herself?
Avenger seemed keen on keeping this secret at all costs. What could she be up to?
Upon hearing her reasoning, Avenger just remained stubborn about revealing what she had planned.
"Erm, don't worry, it's not going to be a hindrance to Master. It's really going to help, I promise!"
She stared at the pleading girl for a long moment, studying Avenger's face for any falsehoods;however, to her relief, she found none.
Finally, she gave her a nod of approval.
"Alright, you can go. I won't interfere in your little plan if it doesn't put Master in danger, but please, do not break the trust I have placed in you."
Avenger smiled, "Don't worry, it won't. In fact, it's going to be a massive boon you'll see!"
She turned to walk away but stopped herself. She opened her mouth, as if trying to say something but she closed it. Then, she breathed and finally gathered the courage to speak what was on her mind.
"Hey… sorry for what I did in Orleans. It wasn't cool of me to have treated you like that."
She smiled at the girl's sincere apology, "it's alright. There's nothing to forgive Jeanne. It was not your fault, and I will not hold you guilty for being manipulated into hurting me."
"Thanks…"
A playful grin touched her ears, "also, I'm rooting for you to win Master's heart. He has truly done wonders for you."
Jalter sputters and runs off, not bothering to argue in her usual tsundere way.
✦✧✦
Near Nerluc, Gaul, 60 AD
Ritsuka POV
"We are close to our next destination, it is a town called Nerluc."
The word caused Martha to tense, an action not many noticed, but he could feel it through their bond.
Nero, unbeknownst to Martha's feelings, continued to speak.
"I have heard that a beast once ravaged the rivers nearby and disrupted trade. My adoptive father Claudius had told me tales of the beast, of how it was quelled by a Jewish woman with prayer. I do not recall her name but she sounds like an interesting figure we should investigate."
It was then that all the servants' eyes went toward Martha, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere else but there.
Thankfully for Martha, a distraction showed up that took all the attention away from her.
He felt the noise rumble in his chest first, then the heavy flap of wings that he had grown all too fs.illiar with. Something was coming.
"A servant signature is headed towards you!! Get ready!!"
The servant ambush they had all been anticipating had arrived.
"Defensive formation, protect the emperor!!"
Loud flapping wings stirred the air, and a green blur landed in front of them.
A massive green dragon emerged from the dust cloud the crash landing had created.
It opened its jaw and let out a guttural roar.
[Of coarse, as soon as we enter the same territory that will become France, a dragon appears. ]
[Aw shit, here we go again. ]
[I am getting tired of all these goddamn dragons in this goddamn country! ]
The sudden arrival caused the men to panic.
"A dragon?! Here?!"
"No way!!"
"Protect the emperor!!"
Thankfully for them, years of discipline possessed the soldiers and got them to surround Nero in a tight formation.
Unfortunately, mundane warfare did nothing against the wave of heat emanating from the dragon's maw. It was hot enough that it felt like standing in front of an open oven.
A jet of fire shot out of the dragon's mouth, causing the men to scream in terror, however, no harm came to them as a different blast of intense heat clashed into the dragon's fire.
The two flames ate each other like starved animals until they both snuffed the other out.
The dragon narrowed its eyes and turned its head to see the interloper.
"Well, isn't this interesting? A wild dragon has appeared, and it picked the wrong caravan to try and set on fire." Jalter flashed a wicked grin at the dragon, which caused the creature to recoil back in fear.
"Leave, or else I, the mighty tarasque will destroy you!" The surprisingly feminine dragon exclaimed.
Jalter raised an unamused brow, "You? Tarasque? Don't make me laugh, you're not nearly fat enough to be like that masochist. "
[Dragon's-Iris: Ugh, please don't remind me of that. (╥﹏╥) ]
[Tarasque really lost a lot of aura when that tidbit came out. ]
"I am not a masochist, and I am not fat!! I eat a well balanced diet that I can consume in a timely manner during my lunch breaks-I mean, you dare deny my identity?!"
Jalter flashed the dragon a jagged grin, "What are you gonna do about it? Throw shit at me?"
The dragon gaped at her, "wha- Why would I do that!?"
"You call yourself Tarasque, but you don't know one of his signature attacks?"
[HUH!!? ]
[Tarasque does what now?!]
[BestKohai-BB(MOD): yep, sorry to all the tarasque fans in chat. But throwing flaming piles of dung at his opponents like it is an arrow is one of Tarasque's signature moves. ]
[El_Kukui: Fascinating… ]
[Aw man, and just when Tarasque gained back his aura when he fought those Egyptian ships… now it's gone. ]
[The flaming poop bag as a signature move… clever. I wonder if it can be taught. ]
[It's a signature move, it can't be taught. ]
[El_Kukui: That's what everyone says about signature moves. Yet, eventually, someone always manages to find a way to teach it to other pokemon. ]
[ILiekQTThings: Gross. I don't want any of my pokemon to throw flaming poop at others, even if it is a powerful move! ]
The dragon girl stomped her foot and glared down at Jalter, "I don't throw poop at my opponents!!"
"Then you aren't Tarasque. Although you keep flinging all these shitty lies at me right now, so It's made me more inclined to believe you."
The dragon girl spluttered, but Jalter didn't allow her to make a single verbal protest, "But, I don't have the time to keep this stupid conversation going longer, so I'm going to give you my ultimatum… surrender or the dragonslayer over there with the massive sword will slay you."
She pointed a thumb at Siegfried, who, on cue, raised his blade at the dragon.
The dragon, as soon as she saw Siegfried, suddenly went still, and her scaled hands went to her face.
"Eep!!" The dragon let out a surprisingly girly shriek and began to glow. The glowing shape shrunk into the shape of a human.
She wore a typical businesswoman suit with black pantyhose, business shoes, and matching black-framed glasses. Why a dragon would need glasses, he didn't know, but it added to the "moe" factor of the outfit. She also had two stalagmite horns that sat on top of her black hair, but that draconic trait was less eye-catching than the massive dragon tail that sprouted from her butt.
Her delicate hands were still covering her red gemstone eyes as she tried desperately to not look at Siegfried's bare chest.
[Well… that was easy. ]
[The giant dragon evolved into a girl!! ]
[DragonMasterLance: Not just any girl, she evolved into another dragon girl!! Huzzah!! ]
[Huzzah!! ] x 426
[DRaigHan: And one that doesn't look like a child!! Double Huzzah!! ]
[Heart0f6old: This time it's a megane salarywoman with dragon features. Nice. I look forward to your career with great interest. (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) ]
Jalter walked up to the dragon girl and got into her personal space. The dragon girl flinched as Jalter's hand firmly grabbed her by her business suit and brought her closer to her face. The dragon girl's glasses turned askew from the sudden movement.
"Well, would you look at that, now you are our prisoner. Talk, who are you, and are you an ally of that Palmyran tramp?"
The dragon girl's lips trembled, "I-I told you, I am Tarasque…"
The dragon girl let out a cry of fear as Jalter shook her like a Cooking Mama baby controller.
"No you ain't!! Do you know why? Because I know what the real Tarasque looks like, and he doesn't look like some unemployed college graduate!" Jalter's words cut the poor woman like a sharp knife through paper.
Unbeknownst to her, he also felt the sting of those words.
"T-That's so mean! Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a job in today's job market!? No one here even knows what a resume or cover letter is in the first century!!"
[Oof, that insult was super effective. ]
[Gudao's world really needs to work on their employment issues. ]
[Someone stop her!! The dragon girl does not deserve the bulli!!]
[Krystal: I disagree. She tried to burn the soldiers and Nero alive, so she definitely deserves to get shaken like a berry bush. ]
Jalter looked ready to tear into the dragon again, but a firm but gentle hand fell on her shoulder.
"Jalter, that is enough. There is no need to torture the poor girl," Martha said as she gave the former dragon witch a look, the same look a mother gave when she was scolding a bully.
Jalter merely gave her the side eye, seemingly uncaring for what the saint had to say. However, before she could retort, the dragon girl gasped when her gemstone eyes landed on Martha.
"Martha? Is that you? What are you doing outside of the town? And why do you look… so young?" The dragon girl asked with genuine befuddlement, calling out to Martha as if she had known her on a personal level.
If Martha was offended at getting called old, she didn't show it.
[Gloria2Galar: Thon dragon girl stupid or something? why insult the person wha is tryin tae help ye? ]
[LOL. She really is selling the 'ditzy secretary' shtick really good. ]
"I apologize, but I do not believe I know you, can you tell me who you are?" Martha asked the girl with the patience her title of saint granted her.
The dragon girl seemed to hesitate as she assessed them all with her gemstone eyes, unsure if she should say anything. However, once they landed back on Martha, the girl spoke, "I see, so you're also a servant. I guess things like this can happen after all."
The dragon girl dusted off her business suit and adjusted her glasses, "my name is Biscione, I'm the dragon that is depicted in the historic symbol of the city of Milan!"
"You are a long way from Mediolanum, Miss Biscione. Tell us, why did you suddenly attack our group? Was it because we are Roman? " Da Vinci's voice caused the dragoness to flinch until she zeroed in on where the sound came from.
"Oh, a long-distance communication magecraft. Interesting. Oh, and yes, that's what they call Milan nowadays."
Biscione fidgeted, "I apologize for suddenly attacking you. It wasn't because of your ethnicity, the job description for my temp job, as Nerluc's guardian dragon, meant I had to defend the town from intruders."
"Temporary work? By who?" It was Mash who asked this time.
"It was my living self who asked you to protect Nerluc, wasn't it?" Martha answered the question, and Biscione's dejected look confirmed it.
"Yes, it was."
[Martha is still alive during this era? That is something I did NOT expect.]
[Gible_Archeologist: The timeline makes sense, so it's not too surprising. Martha was still a young woman when she was exiled in 48 AD, and it's only been 12 years since then. ]
Biscione gained a fierce look on her face, "what are your intentions towards the town? Are you going to raze it to the ground?"
Martha shook her head, "no. That was not our intention, we only meant to retake it peacefully, as we have been doing for weeks."
She turned to face Nero, "isn't that right, Emperor Nero?"
Nero pouted at Martha in offense, "do I look like a barbarian to you? Why would we pillage a town of my precious empire, especially one that is willing to surrender peacefully?"
Biscione sighed, "I am so fired… okay, I will stand down and escort you to the town. Just please don't hurt anyone. Shirtless dragon slayer or not, I will seriously have to fight back if you try to hurt the people."
[MalasadaMayhem: Odd that she would focus on Siegfried's "shirtlessness" then again, she is a Dragon GIRL.]
[Can't say I blame her. Shirtless daddy Siegfried is a total hottie. ]
[Kream: He's taken. ]
[Altera said the same about herself, yet you still want to kidnap her and make her your daughter. So stuff it Kream. ]
[Kream: I feel like I need to teach Chat a lesson again. Their short term memory needs a refresher on why you shouldn't mess with a berserker's obsession. ]
[Aw, she admitted that Siegfried is her obsession. How cute. ]
Everyone just looked at the Dragon Girl, wondering why she mentioned the shirtless part of Siegfried, but no one seemed to be interested in asking the question.
They instead just opted to follow her as she led them towards Nerluc.
It didn't take long to arrive at the town that Biscione had been protecting as they followed the path near the river until they saw the many thatched roofs and mud-brick homes in the distance.
As they entered the city, the people who were out and about in the streets suddenly fled. As the shutters closed, the general cheer of the city faded away due to the organized march of Roman sandals.
The stares from the people fell on Biscione as she was helping escort them into the city. The dragon girl seemed aware of their stares and shrunk under their gazes.
Martha, meanwhile, looked equally as ashamed as the dragon girl. She refused to meet the eyes of the people who seemed to recognize her, and she kept walking forward.
Soon, they arrived at a Roman building that was significantly larger than the other homes and was much more Roman than the others.
In front of the house was a woman who was covered head to toe in cloth. A white headdress covered most of her purple hair, but the gray bang that peeked out showed her age.
She was also dressed in a white outfit that was tied by an elaborate sash. She also wore a cool-colored cloth that covered most of the her body.
Despite the aged appearance of the woman, it was still easy to tell who she was.
[Heart0f6old: Hat damm, it's a cougar Martha. ♡ ]
[This is just like in Orleans when Gilles met Gilles, except it's not fucked up. ]
[Fairy-Queen-Valerie: The years have been kind to her. I hope I age with grace like Martha has one day. ]
The woman looked at Biscione, but the girl refused to meet her gaze in shame.
Then she took a moment to observe them, and her gaze lingered on Martha. The two Marthas recognized each other, but the servant Martha looked more bashful once her living self's eyes drifted downward at her exposed thighs.
The older Martha's eyes seemed to hold several questions she wanted to ask, but she had enough self-control to say nothing. Instead, she opted to turn her attention back toward Nero.
"Greetings, Emperor Nero. My name is Martha, formerly of Bethany, and I have been expecting you and your retinue. I bid all of you welcome into my home," the older Martha said.
"Hmm." Nero stared back and forth between the younger looking Martha and the older woman, who had also introduced herself as Martha.
"Umu. It would seem we have stumbled upon a curious situation. Very well, I shall accept your generosity."
✦✧✦
He had to admit, he never expected Martha's home would be so large. He didn't know why, but he always assumed Martha, as a friend of Christ, lived a much more modest life. And while her lifestyle did pale when compared to the massive mansions of Nero and Zenobia, her home was still not something most commoners lived in.
If it had been the Ritsuka Fujimaru of the past, he would have felt bad that Martha was being treated as a servant inside her own home by Nero, but he had come to learn that this practice of guest and host rights was sacred and not to be messed with lightly.
Violating the rules of hospitality would incur the wrath of the gods, and while Martha was of a different religion, Jews and Christians of this era also followed similar customs. All he could do was try his best not to impose too much and just act as politely as possible.
The spread of food Martha offered was also nothing to scoff at, as it included meats, bread, and even wine.
Nero seemed to hum in appreciation of the food served, and partook in it.
"While the quality of these ingredients is not up to par with my standards, the dishes are still filling and delicious. I thank you for your efforts, Martha of Nerluc." She took a sip of wine after giving her praise.
"Thank you for your generous praise, Emperor Nero."
Once everyone finished their meal, Nero finally decided to begin negotiations, "now then, I will cut to the chase. This town is now under Roman control, which means you are now a citizen of Rome once more, do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Good, since we are in agreement, I hope you won't mind sharing any information regarding your encounters with the barbarian goddess's army?"
The older Martha frowned, "I do not mind. Months ago, an army of northern Gauls and Britons arrived, demanding our town surrender to the new goddess.
I and many of the believers of the messiah refused to bow to a pagan god, but our able bodied men had been drafted into the war and could not protect us, so we had no choice but to surrender."
"Did you encounter the goddess yourselves?" Nero pressed further, but she received a shake of the head from the older Martha.
"No, she wasn't present. It was only her army that was being led by a redheaded Briton queen."
"Umu. I see, so Boudica passed by here." Nero said while putting a hand under her chin in thought.
"I'm still confused about something. Why didn't Boudica take Biscione with her into her army? Clearly a dragon would have been an immense help in helping destroy Rome. "
The living Martha seemed taken aback by the unexpected, disembodied voice of Romani. Biscione noticed Martha's confusion and clarified.
"Ah, they are using magecraft Martha, that is why the voice is coming from nowhere."
Martha seemed to snap out of her confusion and gave a nod to the dragon, signaling to her that she understood what was happening.
"And to answer your question, Mr. Disembodied voice… The reason why is because I just recently manifested a few weeks ago. The incident that occurred between this town and that army happened long before I manifested, so they have no idea I am here.
"Hm, if that is the case. Then that means we now have a potential new recruit." Nero walked up towards the dragon girl, who seemed to be taken aback by Nero getting so close to her personal space.
"You mentioned that you were desperately searching for employment earlier. So I will give you a proposal!"
Nero extended her open palm at Biscione, "join my army and I shall grant you a stable position where you can put your skills to good use."
"I um… but." Biscione eyes went to Martha, to the living Martha who had been attending them all this time in her own home.
"It's alright Biscione, you can go."
"Martha… are you sure? I know I messed up, but I swear I can make it up to the town! I'll even be willing to do unpaid overtime!!"
The older Martha sighed, "I thank you for the help you have extended to us, but your time with us has concluded."
She turned toward Martha and then toward him, "the Lord has brought all of you to my residence for a reason. A message from the Lord warned me of a great evil that looms over this world, and while I cannot provide aid the same way my other self can, this is the best way I can contribute to your cause."
"...Thank you so much for your help Saint Martha. "
Biscione looked dejected, "well, when you put it that way… I guess I will join."
Biscione let out a yelp as Nero clapped her in the back, "That is excellent news!! Welcome to our army, Biscione."
"Hey, Nero, can I ask you something?" Jalter suddenly spoke up, causing the emperor to look at her with confusion.
"Umu? What is it, Miss Jalter?"
Nothing could have prepared us for what Jalter said next, as she pointed a finger at Biscione.
"I want her."
[Ayo?!! ]
[Heart0f6old: "Sorry, I'm not interested in woman" said the woman who said she wanted another woman. ]
The room went still, the silence loud enough that you could hear other people's heartbeats.
Biscione was the first to react as her face turned a bright red and she covered her body with her hands and tail.
"E-eh?!!"
Seeing her reaction, Jalter rolled her eyes, "not like that, you ditz, if Emperor Nero would let me have you, I can make you infinitely more useful than just letting you do whatever."
Nero seemed to consider the request for a moment, then asked, "how do you intend to use her that she can't already do herself?"
Jalter puffed up her chest, "you can say that I am an expert of sorts when it comes to handling dragons."
"An equestrian for dragons, eh… Umu, very well, you may keep the dragon."
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of her." Jalter reassured Emperor Nero, who merely gave Jalter her signature "umu" in return.
"I-Is it too late to take back my application?" Biscione asked and shrunk in fear when that question earned her a feral grin from Jalter.
"Yes, yes, it is. Welcome to the team, Intern."
Seriously, when did Jalter have the time to learn these modern business terms?
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AN: It's been a while since I put out a chappie this large huh? Hope you enjoyed it.
Once again, thanks to Flowerman for his help in this arc.
Anyways, see you next week.