CHAPTER TEXT

Before the day was out, the city of Masilia had been captured. All the URE soldiers had been dispatched either by Lu Bu or patrolling Roman soldiers with ease, allowing them to quickly secure the city. The bodies were hauled outside and sent on a massive bonfire as a quick and easy means of disposal. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like they harmed the environment in any clear manner but the cremation was done a good distance away regardless. After that was setting up patrols, sentries, and organizing for the next march once Morgana and Ritsu had rendezvoused with them once more.

Lu Bu had been sent patrolling the outskirts. When they met up with the Berserker once more after capturing the city, the best word that could be used to describe him was ‘displeased’ – enough to immediately have anyone nearby fearing for their lives. Nero immediately sent him out to patrol, with her blessing to engage any enemy forces that might approach. Just Lu Bu casually taking out packs of URE troops did a good amount of damage to the city; nobody needed him rampaging in an impatient rage.

As for the city itself, aside from what Lu Bu had done, it was in pristine condition – all the buildings and masonry were more or less untouched, the streets clear and serviceable. However, that was all the good that could be said about the city: aside from the URE soldiers and officers, it was completely deserted. There wasn’t a single citizen within its walls, hidden or otherwise. And with their disappearance was the complete absence of decent supplies, only a paltry amount for sustaining the much smaller number of officers.

All of this was something Ren picked up as he wandered the streets of Masilia for purposes of exploring and training. While wandering a Roman city was interesting, he was more trying to memorize their layouts while simultaneously keeping his eyes and ears open. Jing Ke had said that her lessons were better learned if put to practical use, and while she didn’t give him any ‘homework’, per se, it would be remiss if he neglected that aspect.

‘You’d be surprised what you’d learn just from walking around on the streets,’ she had explained. ‘A fresh bit of gossip may lead you to where your target is residing or a habit. A glance at your surroundings can show you more than you’d think if you know what you’re looking for. Maybe even something indirect like a situation they have to deal with, which will tell you where they’ll be and what they’re up to. Just always keep your awareness up and you’ll find out a lot more than you’d think.’

The advice certainly was apt. Even back when he was in Tokyo, he often caught snatches of conversation about current events, or even upcoming matters that quickly became relevant to the end. At the time, he didn’t pay much attention to them. However, now he had to consider – if he had actually been paying attention, perhaps he could’ve made sure everything went more smoothly.

He had to sigh. A lesson learned too late, but a lesson nevertheless. At least he could practice it now with advice from a master assassin. His Third Eye certainly helped as well, with its knack of pinpointing whatever he needed to see, but he couldn’t rely on it all the time.

‘Still, it beats doing actual homework while working on heists at the same time any day,’ he jokingly thought to himself with a small smirk. Balancing Shujin’s rigorous schoolwork and his Phantom Thief duties had certainly been challenging. Chaldea’s reports were almost nothing in comparison. Then again, he had a feeling Da Vinci and Roman were okay with less detailed reports.

As he walked, however, he couldn’t help but notice how calm he felt. After the battle in the pass and with the two hundred Roman soldiers back in the Alps, what he had gone through was practically nothing. No, with everything that had happened in Chaldea so far. He had certainly been more distinctly rattled when everything first happened both in Fuyuki and Orleans, and even in Septem. And now… he could reflect and learn on everything that had been going on with ease.

The sight of Chaldea’s walls in the Thieves Den was proof that the singularities were leaving a mark on him, as well as the blood stains on his normally immaculate gloves in his Phantom Thief regalia. He had to wonder what else would change before long.

“I wonder what the other guys would think…?” Ren wondered. Even after all they had gone through, he personally would’ve found this hard to believe if someone told him all of this. It was certainly quite a story, to put it mildly. He’d have taken more pictures but Olga had told him to knock it off – it would be a major security breach. Not like anyone would ever believe him – it was easy to fake such photos nowadays – but better safe than sorry.

He quietly climbed up the stairs of the wall to the battlements. A few Roman soldiers were standing guard and keeping watch, with a few of them in pairs or threes quietly talking. As Ren wandered by, the soldiers glanced up for a second before resuming whatever they were doing. A few murmured “Centurion” in greeting, however, before continuing.

That was another change Ren hadn’t expected. After the rapid capture of the city, some Roman soldiers greeted him by his rank as he passed by. Before, most had outright ignored him, which he had expected – after all, he was a foreigner without any knowledge of how a Roman army worked, let alone someone to easily trust. Nero may have declared them allies, but the minds and hearts of people weren’t as easily swayed without some cognitive god pulling strings. But apparently, with what he had pulled off, with a grand total of zero casualties and without wasting their supplies, he had earned their respect.

Or maybe they just respected someone who could conjure up a dragon. Either or.

“Still beats Shujin,” he decided.

As he walked, he glanced in the direction where they needed to march, squinting at the setting sun. They would continue marching west until they reached the United Roman Empire capital. No scouts had been sent to approach as it was too dangerous – after all, every scout sent never returned. They would be going in blind, which was a terrifying idea. Once they were closer, both Jing Ke and Loki could be sent to investigate, but until then, they had no idea what to expect.

He huffed a breath. He wasn’t a stranger to unknown situations at this point, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t both nervous and exasperated about them.

Further down, however, he caught sight of someone he didn’t expect in his wandering. He picked up his pace and approached. “Didn’t expect to see you here,” he commented with a smile. “Thought you’d be buried neck deep in papers and war plans like usual.”

Nero, who had been leaning over the battlements with a cup of wine in hand, sagged as she sighed deeply. “Please do not remind me, centurion,” she groused. “I needed some time for fresh air, else I would be driven insane. I have heard of poets and artists driven to madness by their work, but I do not recall that being the case for paperwork. As dramatic as being driven to madness is, I’d rather not have it be by documents and war plans!” So saying, she took a hearty gulp of her wine, draining the entire cup in one go.

Ren watched her quaff down the liquor and frowned slightly. He already had dealt with drunkards like Ohya and Jing Ke (and while he wasn’t sure if he was actually a drunkard, Shido would also be counted), and frankly he wasn’t in the mood to deal with more of them. “Is drinking that much really healthy for you?” he questioned, leaning near her. “You certainly have been gulping down a lot as of late.”

The emperor glanced up at Ren with a raised eyebrow. “A centurion deigns to question an emperor what she may or may not do?” she asked. “You’ve certainly become bold as of late, Ren Amamiya.” Despite her words, her tone was light and teasing as she set down the cup. “Fear not,” she continued with a sigh. “Wine has not had the same… relish as of late. I most likely will be cutting back. Plus, I will need all my focus for the days ahead.”

The Phantom Thief blinked in surprise, then nodded. He hadn’t expected it to be that easy but he certainly wasn’t going to question it. “I take it everyone’s ready to go, then?” he asked.

The emperor glanced back over the city, quiet for a moment. “’Ready’ is a strong word,” she murmured. “They have already seen what our enemy is capable of without even trying. The battle of the pass certainly tested their mettle, and the victories of both Fujimaru and Morgana have encouraged them, without a doubt. The overwhelming success of capturing Massilia only further emboldened them. A string like this is what was needed for this campaign.”

She turned back to the western horizon. “And yet, our greatest challenge still lies ahead of us,” she continued. “Once the army knows who they stand against, I do not know how many will stay loyal to me or choose another path. I love all my people dearly, and I know they love me. But in the end, they may love Rome more than they do me. How can I possibly fault them for that?”

Ren couldn’t answer that. How could he? The progenitor of Rome, Romulus, was a near-mythological figure in this time period, let alone in modern day. Even the average Roman citizen would’ve known about him. The mere news had disturbed Nero and her officers to this degree, and frankly he was surprised that none of the rank and file knew about it. They must have taken considerable precautions to make sure nothing leaked.

Finally, Nero sighed in frustration. “Enough,” she grumbled. “Just for this one evening, I did not wish to dwell overlong on this campaign. At this point, it will be counterproductive fretting and planning further.” Ren nodded in agreement. Rest was just as important as getting things done. He had to wonder just how much sleep Nero actually got, however – and immediately an image of Morgana lecturing Nero to go to bed popped up in his mind. He had to restrain himself from chuckling.

With that, she turned toward Ren beaming. “Centurion, I invite you to dine with me,” she declared. “It seems the United Roman Empire officers have left some decent supplies behind – not enough to make a dent for the soldiers, unfortunately, but enough for our own use. I wish to speak with you more.”

That caught Ren by surprise. He certainly didn’t expect a dinner invitation. Frankly, he had been planning on grabbing something from the mess hall the soldiers had set up, report in, then head to bed. Aside from when they were in Rome, Nero herself usually had been too busy with her officers or in her own room to really spend time with him.

Still, he could use the time to deepen his bonds. And admittedly, he had been curious about Nero too as of late. He smiled and nodded. “That sounds like a great idea, Nero,” he replied genuinely.

The emperor beamed brightly. Rushing over, she once more caught Ren by surprise as she hooked an arm around his own. “Then onward, centurion!” she declared, immediately setting the pace. A couple of the soldiers looked over and either shook their heads or chuckled – usually both.

Ren himself had a similar reaction. Nero was certainly one of a kind, to say the least.

----------

Nero had set herself up in the governor’s house in the heart of the city. It had also been the residences of the United Roman Empire officers as well, so it had already been modified somewhat to accommodate for their rougher lifestyle – bunks set up in multiple rooms, supplies and crates places in odd areas, and more. Most of it had been moved: the bunks were given to the soldiers and the crates were moved to the storage below. The resulting mess couldn’t be helped, though thankfully it was minimal. No one could be spared for such a small matter anyway.

The governor’s bedroom had been surprisingly untouched overall. Most likely it had been housing the highest commanding officer and he didn’t want the room ruined. To that end, it made up almost half the floor. On one side was a bed with red fabric. On the other were sets of couches with a fire pit in the center. In the middle was a dining table – not as long as the one back in Rome (which admittedly was for the dining room as opposed to being shared with a bedroom), but still considerable.

“Huh,” Ren noted as he looked around. “This is definitely a nice place.”

The emperor nodded, though she looked uncharacteristically displeased. “Indeed,” she replied. “From the records and reports of the city, however, it appeared the governor had been taking more than his share from the tax revenues. I would’ve had him properly punished if I had encountered him, but he has apparently fled to the United Roman Empire instead.”

Ren blinked in surprise, then he sighed. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” he grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. That kind of story was all too familiar for him and if the Phantom Thieves directly encountered someone like that back in Tokyo, no doubt said governor would’ve been marked for a change of heart. The more things change, the more things stayed the same it seemed – from the Roman empire all the way until modern times.

Nero meanwhile stared at Ren closely, watching him. “I see this kind of affair doesn’t sound unfamiliar to you,” she noted. “I’ve no doubt you’ve stories to tell me about your own homeland.”

The Phantom Thief blinked, then chuckled. “They’re pretty outlandish,” he admitted.

Raising an eyebrow, Nero replied, “Well, of course – you’re an outlander, after all.” Ren stared at Nero, who in turn stared back at Ren. Then a snort escaped from Ren and a second later, both of them were laughing. It was a stupid joke without a doubt, one that would elicit groans from literally anyone else. Despite that, however, both of them could feel some of the accumulated stress melt off their bodies, at least for a bit.

As they seated themselves at the table, a few of the soldiers came in bearing dishes – stewed pork and beef, various marinated vegetables, fresh bread, and other dishes. It wasn’t the most lavish spread in the world, but compared to what they had been eating on the field and even what they had in Rome, it was positively luxurious. Ren privately was surprised the soldiers didn’t wolf it all down themselves, given their barely controlled expressions. Their respect for the emperor (and/or fear of harsh discipline) must be great indeed.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

To Ren’s surprise, however, Nero requested something from him personally: A bottle of water. Ren had no problem giving the emperor one, watching with curiosity as she twisted the top off (she most likely observed how they drank whenever they ate with her), and took a long drink. She breathed a sigh as she took the bottle away from her lips. “It has been a while since I have tasted fresh water,” she murmured. “It has a… peculiar taste to it, but not at all unpleasant.”

Ah. Now that he thought about it, he did recall in his studies that modern water treatment plants, besides purifying, often added various chemicals to enhance the flavor and fortify the water. “I take it you don’t drink all too much water, then?” Ren asked as he took another bite of pork.

Nero shook her head. “No,” she admitted. “As glorious as Rome is, water is still an extremely dangerous affair to drink. There have been too many cases from the more destitute citizens who drank water and have become violently ill because of it. To be able to drink water without fear of my own health is a rare treat, to say the least.”

“Better than the wine you always drink?” Ren prodded with a smirk.

“Know your place, centurion,” Nero retorted, matching his smirk. And both of them laughed once more.

“So, Amamiya,” Nero began once they ate a bit more. “Tell me of entertainment in your era. Are theatres, gladiators, and chariot races still popular in your time? Or do you all have other past times?”

Ren blinked at the mention of the three but quickly rallied. “Yes and no,” he admitted, frowning as he contemplated how to explain it to her. “There’s races but there are different types – chariots aren’t used, but instead much faster vehicles, or on horseback. The latter is especially popular for betting, unfortunately, so they’re not as well liked as you’d expect.”

The emperor nodded sagely. “Ah yes, I see vices have changed little since my time,” she noted.

“No kidding,” Ren scoffed. He thought for a second how to phrase the next bit more diplomatically. “Gladiators aren’t in fashion anymore in my time,” he continued. “Not as much desire for bloodshed – but there’s plenty of sports instead to take their place, however. And there’s also hand to hand contests, as well, for various martial arts and wrestling.” He recalled watching an MMA match with Makoto. He thought it was alright but even he was surprised how much she was into it.

He had to chuckle to himself. For all the times Makoto acted like a responsible, mature young woman, there were still sides of her that he found adorable.

The emperor nodded. “I’m glad to hear our entertainment has evolved since then,” she replied. “I don’t doubt the best competitors had much renown and riches for their skill and prowess. I do wish I could witness them myself – although I don’t think it compared to the time I wrestled with a lion whilst naked. Ah, the crowd roared their adulation as I subdued the beast. It was spectacular.”

Ren nodded as he replied, “I have no doubt about-“ Then his mind caught up as he processed what Nero just said. “W-wait, go back to that for a second,” he stammered. “Y-you wrestled with a lion? By yourself? With your bare hands?”

“Yes, whilst naked. Why?” Nero inquired as she took another drink of water and shooting a curious gaze at Ren.

The Phantom Thief could only blink multiple times, just staring at the emperor who innocuously stared back in question, then he took a deep breath. This wasn’t the time to question it, and frankly he had trouble just imagining it as is. Nero was a lot of things, but she often looked prim and proper. To imagine her wrestling a lion was something he found incredibly hard to believe.

Perhaps it was better not to ask questions here. He had a feeling the answer would confuse him anyway.

“But now I have another question,” she said, drawing Ren’s curiosity once more. “I heard tell that you’re a thief of sorts. However, you don’t strike me as the type who wantonly steals for his own gain.” She leaned forward, her eyes sharp and curious. “Do tell me – what do you steal?”

At the question, Ren’s gut immediately dropped. The only time he said anything of the sort was when he talked to Jing Ke just the other night. How did Nero hear about it that quickly? Suddenly, he realized just how the secret of Romulus’s involvement wasn’t leaked if she could learn information this quickly. Did she have her men always watching him as well as the others? Honestly, it wasn’t that surprising – no ruler wouldn’t keep an eye on their own forces, especially foreign reinforcements.

Now that he thought about it, he wouldn’t be surprised if Jing Ke herself reported it to Nero. He had gotten careless. But perhaps it was something he could work off of…

The Phantom Thief chuckled. “Jeez, I need to be more careful about that,” he commented, running a hand through his hair.

Nero chuckled. “Be at ease,” she commented, waving off the comment. “As I said before, you don’t strike me as the type to wantonly steal like some burglar. So, what do you steal?”

Ren thought carefully how to answer her, then smirked. “What any good thief goes for,” he replied cheekily. “Treasure - of all different kinds. Whether it's hearts, gold, power, I steal it all when I can, where I can.” Partially the truth – he and his friends did steal treasures which then turned into things like gold medals, that golden briefcase filled with fake money, and more.

His smirk grew wider as he looked over at Nero. “And what about you, emperor?” he asked. “What’s your treasure? Maybe I’ll find it worth stealing from you.

The emperor blinked in surprise. Then a low giggle issued from her before it raised into a booming laugh. “How bold and impertinent, Ren Amamiya!” she cried. “To ask me right to my face what I treasure the most so that you can take it from me!” She stood up and opened the door of the balcony, allowing a cool breeze through, fluttering her dress.

“This is my treasure!” she declared, spreading her arms wide. “The empire as it stretches from the west coasts of Spain to the far eastern reaches of Judea! The people who reside within, that I adore and love from the bottom of my heart! My body, gifted by Venus herself, the crown jewel of the empire! All of them are my treasures and more!”

She spun back to Ren. “And what of you, thief?” she asked with a dangerous smile. “What treasures do you possess? I am an emperor – it is within my prerogative to covet and have all of it, after all. And what do you desire the most? What would you steal without a shred of hesitation were it laid before you?”

Ren smirked back. For some reason, he felt oddly drawn to this little game they were playing. “You’re an emperor, but I’m a thief – a Phantom Thief, in fact,” he responded. “My treasures are the greatest things in the world, and the smallest: Freedom, Choice, the ability to move forward, the strength to oppose those who would get in the way of all that.” He reclined in his chair. “And as for my desires? Everything and nothing. Are your treasures enough to sate all that?”

Nero smiled. She reached up and unclasped her dress, letting it fall to the ground and revealing her naked body. The candles and torches reflected off her pure white skin, glowing like she was wreathed in fire. Her emerald eyes were cool, calm, and even cunning. There was not a hint of shyness or hesitation as she slowly stepped toward the Phantom Thief, her footsteps quiet and gentle against the tile.

“Then, thief, will you take my treasure?” she asked quietly. “I am an emperor that covets everything. You are a thief that steals all. Shall we see who can take the other in the end, then?” With a hand she reached over and stroked her face, gently bringing his gaze up to meet hers.

That left Ren blinking with surprise. He hadn’t expected things to go quite so far here and now Nero was right in front of him, propositioning to him. This was far beyond what he predicted, to be honest, but there was something in Nero’s eyes, something he couldn’t ignore. There were a lot of different things he could do, without a doubt – and he quickly decided on a course.

He stood up, easily towering over the rather short emperor who stared up at him. Her eyes made it clear that she was more than ready for him, come what may. Grabbing the Master uniform, he took off the jacket with a smooth movement, revealing the plain black t-shirt underneath. Nero held her breath as Ren stepped forward…

And wrapped the jacket around her, a movement that left her blinking in surprise as Ren stepped away after.

“An emperor shouldn’t be so ready to gamble away her treasures,” Ren gently admonished. “Nor would a Phantom Thief seize a treasure when it is truly needed by their owner. Maybe long in the future, perhaps, but right now? What you have is what you need, Nero. I’m not going to take that from you – not now, not ever.”

Nero blinked again before chuckling sadly, wrapping the jacket around herself a bit more tightly. “Yes, you are correct,” she accepted. “Forgive me, centurion. The stress of the campaign and the state of my empire has caused me to lose myself for just a moment. That was unbecoming of me.”

Ren smiled and shook his head. “I understand,” he replied easily. As he expected – Nero just cracked under the strain of her burdens and let herself slip for just a second. Nobody else had cracked or reacted like Nero had under strain, but then it wasn’t like he had met anybody who had been fighting a losing war, where their opponents had almost literally every advantage under the sun. At least she understood and accepted it as opposed to further pushing the issue.

The emperor dropped his jacket, forcing Ren to look away, but instead of approaching him, she simply walked back to where she had dropped her dress and quietly slid it back on. That done, she handed him back the Master’s jacket. “I must admit,” Nero commented. “Around you, Ren, things have been much more… pleasant.”

The Phantom Thief raised an eyebrow as he accepted the jacket. “Oh?” he inquired. While under normal circumstances, it sounded like flirting, something told him that wasn’t the case.

Nero nodded as she took a seat on the couch, watching the flames dance in the fire pit. “I do not know how much of my affairs you know,” she whispered as Ren sat beside her. But my mother had designs for the throne. She didn’t desire to be empress, nor could she anyway. I, however, was in the line of succession. I was groomed for that purpose, taught, and raised for it.”

She stared down at her fiddling hands. “However, my mother needed to control me,” she continued. “So, to that end… she poisoned me.” Ren turned to her in shock but didn’t say anything as Nero continued. “It’s a nefarious poison. Once drunk, it would stay with me for life. She would constantly give me antidotes to halt its progress so my body could repair the damage, but it was no cure. Simply a method of halting its onset.”

Blinking, something came to mind. “Is… is that the reason why you’ve been having so many headaches?” Ren ventured.

The emperor blinked, then laughed once more, this time a far sadder sound than earlier. “You are incredibly perceptive,” she noted. “But yes. This is one of the symptoms of the poison. The headaches are incredibly painful – even one such as I can only be left whimpering when they occur. When they do, I feel like they take a bit of my mind with them. My mother had been executed by my hand so she no longer interfered with the empire, but she never confided the recipe of the antidote to anyone else, nor did she write it down. I guess even in death, she persists to be nothing more than a threat to the empire.”

She smiled at Ren. “However, ever since you have come around,” she continued. “My headaches have been alleviated considerably. I do not know if it’s yet another miracle you have caused or perhaps your company has been pleasant enough to forget the pain for a while, but it has been a while since I could function so well.”

Nero chuckled as she reclined back on the couch, gazing at Ren with affection. “Perhaps I should continue with my offer after all,” she noted with a smile.

Ren chuckled at the joke. The story of her being poisoned and leading to her headaches was not something he had been expecting, nor that his presence had reduced them considerably. He would take what he could get, however. That being said, for some reason he had a bad feeling that he couldn’t get rid of. It sank all the way to the bottom of the stomach and stayed there like a lump.

Deciding to ignore it for now, he came up with an idea. “Do you mind if I try something?” he asked.

The emperor blinked, then nodded. “By all means, Ren,” she replied, eager to see what he would do.

Nodding, Ren stood up and changed his persona once more. Bringing his hand up to his face, he tore off the metaphorical mask.

“Clotho!”

The spinner of fate once more appeared in a burst of blue flame. Holding up the spindle with the thread of fate wound around it, she was dressed in white with a detached yet elegant dark-grey patterned skirt. Her golden hair was tied up in braids with green patterning on either side as her yellow eyes stared down dispassionately at the emperor.

Nero could only stare up at the persona, her mouth hanging open slightly. She was one of the greatest people on the planet, there was no doubt about that. Yet in the vicinity of such a being – of Clotho – she felt tiny. No, less than that. Her life felt almost meaningless to such a being. It had been a very, very long time since she felt such a thing. Only her mother came anywhere close to making her feel how she did now. “Once more, you create miracles, Ren Amamiya,” she breathed.

Ren smiled. “Again, not a miracle, just a trick,” he corrected her. “And for my next one…” With a mental command, Clotho waved her spindle in Nero’s direction. A soft green light emitted around her before fading away. As the persona vanished, Ren smiled. “How do you feel now?” he asked.

The emperor blinked, then closed her eyes. “… my headaches are nowhere near as severe,” she commented with wonder. She grinned brightly up at Ren. “I retain what I said – you are nothing less than one who works miracles. I’m absolutely confident now – with you and yours by my side, this campaign will surely be a success and the empire will prosper without a doubt!”

The Phantom Thief smiled and nodded in agreement. However, inwardly he was bemused. Me Patra worked on most ailments back in the Metaverse, from the rage and brainwashing inflicted by regular shadows to the forced hunger Okumura forced upon him and his friends. The only times it had no effect was when the inflictions were caused by some incredibly powerful being.

Suddenly, the ‘bad’ feeling he had upgraded itself to ‘terrible’.

“I’m glad it helped,” Ren replied genuinely. There wasn’t much more he could do for now and he doubted Nero knew more about it either or she would tell him. He simply sat back down for now, sighing in relief as his circuits started cooling down. Thankfully, utilizing Clotho and Me Patra hadn’t been a huge drain on him compared to using either Fafnir or Hecatoncheires. It was definitely a pleasant change for today. Then he blinked in surprise as Nero saddled closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Nero…?” he asked quietly.

“Permit me this one favor, Ren,” she murmured, closing her eyes. “It has been so long since I’ve managed to relax even a little bit. Just… give me a moment of respite and peace.”

Ren again blinked in surprise, but slowly relaxed. Nero normally looked radiant and bold despite her exhaustion normally as she gave speeches, worked with her officers on plans, or commanded her army from the front lines, whether surveying her forces like the battle in the pass or taking the field with them. But right now, she looked exhausted and fragile.

Deciding to resign himself, he reclined himself on the couch to get more comfortable. Nero followed him without argument, once more laying herself on his shoulder. Her breathing slowed, and eventually only faint snores could be heard from the emperor. Ren tried to move himself so he could lay her down – only for her to wrap her arm around him like a pillow and refuse to let go.

The Phantom Thief could only blink in surprise, then breathed out a sigh of resignation before closing his own eyes. Well, he might as well get some sleep of his own. And he couldn’t argue, this was comfy. He could get used to it…

-----------

A sudden harsh banging against a door broke through Ren’s sleep. The comfortable void gave way to sore muscles and joints from sleeping a bit oddly as he struggled to lift his eyelids. A weight suddenly lifted off his body and suddenly he felt far colder than before as he sat upright, blinking blearily. He looked around and saw himself in the governors’ bedroom once more. The firepit had long since dwindled to embers, filling the room with the faint scent of aromatic smoke. A faint light filtered into the room from the outside. It must be almost morning.

Standing up, he shuffled over to the dining table as he grabbed his bottle of water, needing something to wet his throat. Glancing over at the door, he saw Nero, her hair and clothes more disheveled from sleep, as she talked to a Roman soldier. They were speaking in lower tones so he couldn’t hear too clearly but nevertheless, he waited for them, wondering what was happening.

The soldier soon left as Nero closed the door. She turned around, her expression grim – and blinked in surprise at seeing Ren awake. “Ah, centurion,” she greeted. “I wish I could wish you a better morning, but it seems we have a situation on our hands.”

“I kind of gathered,” Ren replied easily. “What’s going on?”

Nero’s lips pressed together in a grim line. “A gigantic United Roman Empire force is marching on Masilia,” she explained. “They’ll be on us within a few days. We have much to do.” Ren blinked in surprise, then inwardly he sighed.

It seems their break was over.