CHAPTER TEXT
Trips to the Velvet Room never caught Ren off-guard anymore, with how frequently he had been called to it. The duration between the times he had been called varied, but it always came sooner or later. Frankly, whenever he went to bed, he always expected a Velvet Room visit. Each and every time, he heard the Velvet Room before he saw it – the music reached his ears before he even opened his eyes once more.
And it was the case once again. Ren opened his eyes, the soft blue fabric of the walls and the music greeting him once more. Getting up, he easily stepped out of the jail cell and as usual, Igor, Lavenza, and Olga were awaiting him. The Master of the Velvet Room looked up at Ren as his perpetual grin widened. “Welcome back, my dear guest,” he greeted cordially once more. “Your adventures have certainly taken you to some far-flung locales – from medieval France during the Hundred Years War to the reign of Emperor Nero in Ancient Rome. But the Velvet Room as always is at your disposal.”
Lavenza stepped forward, smiling. “And with this new singularity, there are new personas you can now summon, my Trickster,” she supplied. Opening up the Compendium, there were more glowing transparent pages amidst the solid pages and the burnt ones. “And because of their stronger bond these personas have with the time period,” she continued. “They shall also be stronger here as well. Please, utilize this strength as you will.”
Ren blinked in surprise and nodded in understanding. Indeed, leafing through the Compendium, he could see some familiar names like Cerberus, Dionysus, and Narcissus. Right. As he recalled, the Roman Empire basically ripped from Greek mythology almost wholesale, with some changes and additions here and there. That was probably enough of a connection for them to be summoned once more. He could still see the other personas from the France singularity – Angel, Metatron, Satan, and others. It was reassuring to see he was regaining his powers bit by bit.
He glanced over and saw Olga with her arms crossed, very determinedly NOT looking at him. “Something the matter, Olga?” he asked out of curiosity.
The Attendant-in-training turned even more resolutely away from Ren. “Nothing you need to concern yourself about, Amamiya,” she replied curtly. “Summon what personas you need and leave so I can attend to my personal learning and projects.”
The Phantom Thief could only blink in surprise as Lavenza frowned at Olga. “Come now, it is unbecoming to be so rude to the Trickster,” the smaller Velvet Room attendant admonished. “I recognize that you are not getting nearly as much attention from him as he cannot access the Velvet Room freely, but that does not mean he deserves such treatment-“
Olga immediately turned as red as an apple. “Wh-wh-wh-I have no idea what you speak of!” she yelled, glaring down at Lavenza. “I do NOT require his attention! You may be my senior and I truly respect you but that does NOT give you the right to slander me so! I am simply impatient to continue with this mission and believe he should be continuing his missions as opposed to wasting so much time, therefore-“
As the two Attendants continued to argue, Ren could only look confusedly between the two before looking questioningly at Igor. The Master of the Velvet Room simply shrugged. “It would appear that Olga has seen your more… recent actions, particularly that with emperor Nero,” he explained. “And as a result, she is rather beside herself now. It is nothing to worry about, my dear guest. It will subside in time. Though for her sake, it may be advisable to visit her more often.”
The aforementioned girl immediately whipped about, her eyes wide in betrayal. “Master?!” she squeaked as her face somehow turned an even redder hue. Igor simply let out a chuckle as Olga struggled to form words Ren had to admit it was kind of hilarious and adorable to see.
Ren raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright,” he acceded, quickly drawing Olga’s attention once more. “I’ll visit more often just to hang out. It’s the Velvet Room so time’s not exactly like it is outside anyway. Will that work out?”
Olga blinked in surprise and immediately turned away to avoid meeting Ren’s gaze. “Th-that’s quite unnecessary,” she stammered, gripping her arms as she crossed them again. “B-but if you wish to meet more regularly so that I may give you more guidance, th-then I’m not opposed to it. You’ll need all the help you can get, after all, be it in magecraft or dealing with the Moonlit World.”
The Phantom Thief grinned in relief. “Thanks, Olga,” he replied earnestly. That knowledge honestly would prove extremely handy when dealing with the other Chaldean staff. Though he was on good terms with the Servants, as well as Roman and Da Vinci, he wasn’t blind to the glares he had been getting from the others. Frankly, the more he can minimize the conflict back at Chaldea, the better. And unlike with Shujin, he had a chance to possibly nip things in the bud with support. Such an opportunity was invaluable.
Lavenza smiled and nodded in approval – then blinked in surprise as Ren reached over to gently pat her on the head. “And of course, I’ll come see you too, Lavenza,” he added, smiling down at her. “We really haven’t had much of a chance to talk all that much, with everything that’s been happening. Sorry about that, Lavenza.”
The girl blinked again, before smiling, gently taking Ren’s hand in both of her own. “Please, do not apologize, my Trickster,” she replied softly. “You have been beset by trials far beyond the ‘rehabilitation’ you had undergone. I marvel at your strength and determination to see it through, no matter the circumstances. Nevertheless, I am glad you shall visit more often. I look forward to it, my dear Trickster.”
Lavenza smiled gladly up at Ren, who responded in kind. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Olga also smiling fondly too, which surprised him. It seemed her and Lavenza got along without too much trouble, thankfully. Lavenza gently let go of Ren’s hand as he nodded. “Right, enough standing around,” he declared. “Let’s get to summoning.”
Olga simply shook her head – though she was smiling – as Lavenza’s smile widened. “Of course, my Trickster,” she said.
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The morning had not yet arrived, the orange rays of the sun peeking over the horizon. The air was cool from the night, though not uncomfortably so. Soldiers marched throughout the camp, either on patrols or getting out of bed to get ready for the day’s march. They would reach Florence by mid afternoon if they left early enough, and so they were all getting ready. It would be some time before they got to marching, but it was just a matter of time.
Ritsu rubbed her arms as she yawned. Thanks to going to bed earlier than usual, she had gotten up earlier than usual as well. Rubbing her eyes, she blinked as she strode through the camp. She had been sharing a tent with Mash, but the shielder was absent when she woke up. When she asked a nearby soldier, he told her that she went outside with their red-coated ally, who could only be Archer.
Walking by a campfire, she flinched as she heard a whetstone against the blade of a gladius. Although she had disguised it well enough, the events of the day before had gotten to her. Seeing soldiers like that spill blood so wantonly, and even charge at her with the intent to kill… it unnerved her. The sound of metal nearby caused her to lick her lips nervously.
She slapped her own cheeks several times. No, no, she couldn’t be afraid NOW, not when this was her first mission! She was fighting alongside the Phantom Thieves! She had to show her stuff, literally and figuratively!
As she walked outside the impromptu fortifications, she heard the sound of metal crashing. Immediately, shivers went down her spine as she was involuntarily reminded of the other day. Still, she forced down her fear and did what she could to listen carefully. On closer listening, it sounded like singular bits of metal – though they were impacting very, very fast.
Well, if that wasn’t the indication of Servants, she didn’t know what was.
Walking down, she came across a pond where the soldiers had been drawing water. On the nearby shore, Archer and Mash were clashing. Honestly, in a way it was comical – the shy, surprisingly scantily clad Mash (who rocked that outfit, by the way) wielding a shield much larger and heavier than she was, clashing against a lean, muscular man easily a head taller than she was with short swords.
However, the speed and harshness they clashed against each other was more hilarious in the sense of ‘utterly inhuman’. Both of them darted in and out, sword meeting shield in a blaze of sparks, backing off for some distance, then reengaging again. It was honestly hypnotizing to watch.
“You’re still focused too much on your shield,” Archer admonished as they backed off. “It’s a valuable weapon but it leaves you oblivious to your surroundings. Keep light on your feet and maintain awareness as you fight.”
“Yes Archer,” Mash dutifully called back before charging in again. Ritsu honestly didn’t know how Archer could constantly navigate around Mash’s huge shield, but he kept maneuvering around her and striking whenever she was exposed as she attacked. Then again, that was probably why she was training with Archer: So she could learn.
Honestly, seeing her train so dutifully put a proud smile on her face. She remembered when Mash was so… emotionless at worst and painfully shy at best. Both Roman and her tried their best to coax more out of Mash but it was slow going. It seemed that being around Ren, Morgana, and the Servants were the best thing to have happened to her, circumstances notwithstanding.
She stretched and yawned – and saw something in the distance in the nearby forest. It didn’t seem to be hostile but she couldn’t get the image out of her mind. Curious, she decided to head towards it. As the sight got clearer and clearer, her eyes widened as she began walking faster toward it. Well, she certainly wasn’t expecting this so early in the morning.
Ren huffed as he lifted himself up and down the tree branch. Push-ups were good and all, but frankly he needed more routine with his exercises. He went for a jog around the encampment multiple times (he had to thank Ryuji for all the tricks and training in running), went outside, and began doing his tried-and-true workout: Pull-ups.
It certainly reminded him of those times he did them back in LeBlanc. Sojiro caught him once or twice, but aside from grumbling about how he was going to make the café smell like sweat, he never stopped him. Morgana was nearby, dozing on the grass. They had discussed last night and Morgana thought it would be a good idea to not leave him alone for at least a bit. That was fine with Ren – he could use the company.
“Twenty-three,” he grunted out. “Twenty-four… twenty-five…” Then he felt eyes on him, staring intensely. At first, he thought an enemy had snuck up on him, but then realized it didn’t feel like an enemy. It wasn’t even mild hostility like it was in Shujin. It was just a ridiculous amount of intensity. It was coming from the direction of the camp, which he was facing away from. Now he was curious what it was.
Deciding to confront it, he let go of the tree branch and landed easily on the ground. He rolled his shoulders to try and get rid of the soreness. He turned around and… immediately saw who it was. “Oh, hey Ritsu,” he greeted cordially. “Didn’t expect to see you up and about so early. Did you sleep well…” Ren’s words trailed off when he realized that she wasn’t meeting his eyes – for a very specific reason. Instead, she was looking a bit further down.
At his body.
Which was bare and glistening with sweat from his workout.
Ren cleared his throat, blushing a bit. “My eyes are up here,” he pointed out.
“I have made my decision,” Ritsu replied solemnly, not taking her eyes off him whatsoever.
He heard Morgana chuckling nearby. He had to sigh. Well, it seemed like this would be an interesting morning already.
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The morning swiftly passed as the army quickly packed up everything – tents, blankets, food, and more. The pack animals had been able to graze around them as well, allowing for a rested army to keep marching. Once more, the Chaldeans were in the front, marching close to emperor Nero as they walked down the stone pathways toward Florence. It had been late morning when they finally hit the road again.
Morgana yawned as he walked beside Ren and the others in his Metaverse form. He had stayed in the form as much as he could to further get acclimatized to it and to train his circuits. He would rather be in cat form, but given how dangerous the singularities were, he couldn’t afford to. Honestly, it felt more and more like being in his Metaverse form was becoming the default nowadays. It was certainly an odd feeling.
He could still remember whenever he took this form, it usually meant running through the fantastical halls of Palaces or the dark tunnels of Mementos. Now he was in the real world in this form. Sure, Chaldea, medieval France, and ancient Rome were fantastical places in of themselves, but they were mundane in comparison.
Admittedly, he felt out of place, all things considered.
“Hey, Nero?”
His friend’s voice shook him out of his ruminations as he glanced up in curiosity. The emperor turned back, beaming at Ren. “What is on your mind, auxiliary?” she asked cheerfully. Ritsu and Mash were on the other side of the marching column chatting away, and therefore couldn’t hear them. He noticed her glancing off to the side though.
Following her gaze, Morgana saw Archer. He had been keeping watch and doing reconnaissance for the army. The fact that he was still scanning the horizon as opposed to focusing on any certain points was probably enough for Nero to know there weren’t any enemies approaching.
“Did you sleep well?” Ren asked, frowning in concern.
Morgana blinked in surprise at the question before looking closer at her. Underneath Nero’s eyes were dark shadows that he hadn’t noticed before. His instinct almost caused him to admonish her, but he held his tongue. He doubted the emperor would appreciate being lectured by him, no matter how much ‘respect’ she showed him the other day.
Why oh why did they have to sound like each other?!
Nero blinked in surprise, her smile dimming a bit before renewing. “Ah, you are truly perceptive, auxiliary,” she noted. “I’ll admit, I haven’t had as much sleep as I would like. The demands of an emperor take from before dawn to well past dusk. However!” She turned back to her army. Turning around, Morgana quickly noticed that her army was paying attention to her.
“Such a tiny sacrifice is but a trifle to the Emperor of Roses!” Nero declared. “Just as my citizens, my men, and my generals have given your all, so shall I in turn! Together, we shall be victorious and restore the glory of Rome once more! This is but the first step! My soldiers, oh proud citizens of Rome, I ask of you: Will you fight for Rome and your emperor for a brighter future?”
The soldiers roared in assent, almost deafening them as Nero’s grin became even wider. “As expected!” she cried in approval. “Now, let us march!” Nero looked back at Ren and smiled. “And you need not worry about my rest,” she added. “While everyone requires their beauty sleep, my sleep is always beautiful, as much as I! Never fear!”
The Masters could only blink as the emperor turned back around and began marching once more with everyone else. Morgana was surprised. He liked to think he had an eye for talented individuals – indeed, many of Ren’s confidants came from his observation and advice – but frankly, Servants were in another league altogether, both good and bad. And Nero… well, she was certainly something.
He had to wonder – how would she compare to Artoria?
The catlike being hopped up on Ren’s shoulder. “She knows how to hype a crowd up, at least,” he muttered. Ren nodded mutely with agreement. “I wonder if she’s like this all the time,” he muttered so only Ren could hear. “I’m kinda surprised she hasn’t driven everyone around her insane if she’s this exuberant all the time.”
“She isn’t,” Ren immediately answered, catching his attention. “Nero’s an emperor so she can’t show weakness or weariness, especially not to her own people.” He glanced back at the soldiers marching with them. “That’s why they still follow her, I think,” he murmured. “When they’re with her, these soldiers probably feel like they could no matter what. I’m not so sure about the legates but they’re still here despite everything. That’s gotta count for something.”
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Morgana could only blink at Ren’s rapid defense of the emperor. “Um, how did you guess all that, Joker?” he asked. “Did you, like, talk to her or something? But I’ve been with you all night except when you went to take a bath and we didn’t even see Ner… o….”
The realization dripped into his head at the same rate as his eyes slowly widening. “Wait a second,” he said slowly. “Are you saying that… in the bath? Nero…. She… Joker?”
Ren was silent for a second. And then – “Oh, I need to check in with Archer about something,” he rapidly said. “I’ll be right back, don’t wait for me, be back later.” Before Morgana said anything, Ren grabbed him and put him down on the ground and dashed off.
“Wha –“ Morgana stammered. “No, we are NOT done talking! Get back here and explain yourself, Ren Amamiya! COME BACK HERE!”
“Um, Mr. Morgana, what’s going on?” Mash asked as Ritsu and her came over after hearing the commotion. An explanation and a couple seconds later….
“REEEEEN,” Ritsu screamed. “GET BACK HERE AND SHARE THE DEETS! REEEEEEN!”
Ren could not be found for the rest of the march, to the exasperation and amusement of the Servants.
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The city of Florence lay beyond the horizon. It was smaller and less majestic than Rome, but it held a certain beauty that the Chaldeans couldn’t deny. The buildings were a bit more rustic, but they had an air of warmth and comfort to them, with surprisingly detailed designs on the architecture. Unlike Rome, none of the buildings had been torn down nor were there any makeshift barricades around the city. All in all, it lent an air of comfortable decadence that they didn’t experience in Rome.
However, marring the beauty of the city were soldiers of the United Roman Empire arrayed against them. They had taken positions outside of the city proper, arraying themselves into columns of soldiers, bristling with spears and shields with archers in the back. It was clear that they had been waiting for them out on the field. They also considerably outnumbered the Roman forces.
Same situation as before, it seemed.
Asisculus scanned the field. “Hm, at least they’re Roman enough to not fight within the city,” he huffed. “Less risk to citizens and less damage we’ll have to repair.”
Ren could’ve sworn that he saw Nero scowl for a split second as she observed the situation before she grinned broadly once more. “Quite right, legate!” she cried. “Credit where credit is due! Our forces are indeed Romans – perhaps not true Romans, but enough to know their pride! I salute such honorable souls! And as such, it would be an insult to not meet them on the field with honor!”
She wheeled about and faced her army. “Men, get into formation!” she declared “We shall meet these interlopers in battle and show the might of the true Rome!”
As the legate began barking orders and the soldiers began organizing themselves into similar columns, Nero turned towards the Chaldean group, who had congregated from their positions together. “And auxiliaries, I have no direct orders to give you,” she stated. “I do not know your full capabilities, so I do not know how to best utilize your strengths. Act as you see fit and secure our victory.”
Ren nodded. “Thank you for your confidence in us, emperor Nero,” he replied. “Don’t worry, we’ll do all we can to win.”
Nero grinned and nodded before walking off to attend to her troops. Meanwhile, the Chaldeans gathered. “This will be an easy matter,” Archer observed. “I do not see any Servants or monsters among them. It will be much like the first skirmish when we first entered the singularity – trained and disciplined as the Roman legions are, they are no match for a Servant, let alone four of them.”
Ritsu nodded. “In that case, let’s just win this thing and go home,” she responded enthusiastically.
“Wait,” Morgana interrupted. “This seems straightforward enough, but I can’t shake the feeling there’s something else going on here.” Frowning, he looked over at Nero’s forces as their red banners began coming up, the cloth flapping in the air. He glanced over at the United Roman Empire forces and at their purple banners in turn and made his judgement. “We gotta hold back a bit,” he declared.
That caught everyone off-guard. “Wouldn’t it be more prudent to defeat the opponent as quickly as possible?” Mash asked, her eyebrows frowning in confusion. “It would bring the battle to a decisive end and minimize casualties.”
“Cat’s got a point,” Joan grumbled, stepping forward and crossing her arms. “It’s not about just winning or losing – it’s a matter of pride. If we came in and wiped them out like leftovers, it’s gonna stick in the soldiers’ craws. No doubt the emperor would be pleased as hell but honestly, I’d be watching our backs if we went all out and took them all out.”
The shielder gawked. “But we are here as their allies,” she protested. “Why would they turn against us, especially if we gave them such a victory?”
Loki, who up to that point had been silent, snorted. “Because pride and idiocy are always constants among people,” they derisively replied. “They’d sooner bury a blade in our backs than feel like they have to bend their pride – either literally or figuratively. Still, they’ll probably grumble that we’re not fighting as hard as we could and caused them to take more casualties than they have to.”
They shrugged and grinned sardonically. “What’s the old saying?” he finished. “’Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.’ We’re not gonna score a lot of popularity points either way with the Romans besides the emperor.”
They all considered it. Medusa almost imperceptibly turned toward Ren. “What are your orders, Master?” he murmured.
All eyes turned toward the Phantom Thief. It was a feeling Ren knew all too well, when his friends were relying on him to make the final call for their plans and decisions. It was a lot of pressure, but in a way, it still felt as nostalgic as ever. Now it was time.
He thought for a second, then nodded. “We can’t afford to have our allies distrust us so early, even if we have to cater to their pride,” he decided. “Caster, Archer, focus on suppressive fire and deal with their archers. Avenger, take out the officers and commanders like you were doing before. Rider, head around and slam into their flanks.”
Ren turned to the others. “Me, Mona, and Ritsu will stay back and keep a weather eye on the situation,” he added. “Mash, Joan, you guys cover us in case someone decides we’re easy pickings. With any luck, they’ll either ignore us or be drawn so much towards us that they’ll leave themselves wide open. Either way works.”
He looked over at the group. “Alright, guys,” he finished. “Nero wants to see what we can do, and we’re gonna give it to her.” The Phantom Thief felt a grin spread across his face – the same smirk he always wore when it was time for a mission.
“It’s showtime.”
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The battle had gone as quickly as everyone expected, even with the Servants holding back. The considerable firepower of Archer and Caster spooked the enemy forces, which quickly fell into disarray, accelerated by Loki butchering core members of the army while laughing madly. Panicked shouts of a purple-haired wraith with chains slaughtering the flanks quickly ran up and down the ranks, sowing further disarray within the soldiers.
On top of that, Nero, dressed in her resplendent golden armor once more, took the front lines. Her beautiful greatsword cleaved through armor and shields like they weren’t even there. Seeing their emperor fighting so hard, as well as the outsider auxiliaries giving them ample support, only inspired the soldiers to fight harder as they crashed against the enemy forces.
However, as they fought, Ren frowned as he began picking up certain details. There weren’t any fortifications he could see. A quick scan with the Third Eye didn’t show any reinforcements or reserves waiting within the city, nor any ambushes awaiting them. Something felt off, but he wasn’t sure what was going on.
Before long, the United Roman Empire was in a complete rout as they ran for the fields. Nero gave strict orders to not give chase, as they were Romans still. The Masters relayed the same orders to their own Servants. Thus, many of the enemy forces panicked and ran, dropping their armor and gear to make themselves lighter as they made their escape.
The Phantom Thief watched them run, with only a few stray arrows falling to make sure they kept running. For all of Nero’s talk of Roman pride, they certainly broke ranks and retreated easily. Were they simply that effective? Or was something else happening? He had a lot of questions, but he wasn’t sure where to get answers for them.
Remember, Ren – in a game, you don’t focus on the pieces. You focus on the player. Their strategies, their moves. If you can predict those, then victory is all but certain.
The lesson came unbidden to his mind. Suddenly, he was sitting in the small church again, with a prim and proper girl sitting across a shogi board from him. Then he blinked, and it was gone.
He had to smile to himself. Even now, Hifumi’s lessons on strategy bore fruit, as they always did. He saw recordings of her matches back on YouTube once she honed her skills properly instead of her mother setting up her matches. She had come far indeed. He had to wonder how she would’ve handled this battle in turn. Maybe even better than him.
But regardless, he knew the route he had to take next.
With victory secured, the Roman troops marched in to secure Florence. Casualties had been extremely light thanks to the Chaldeans, allowing for enough manpower to take the city. There hadn’t been any soldiers garrisoning, thankfully, nor did the lookouts spot any reinforcements approaching. Aside from being barred from exiting their homes, the citizens were unharmed. If any of them needed supplies the United Roman Empire apparently did what they could to get it to them.
Once done, patrols and sentries were set, but otherwise the soldiers stayed at a barracks nearby while Nero and her guard holed up in a deserted governor’s house nearby. Said governor had been one of the first casualties of the resulting civil war and there hadn’t been any time to instate anyone to his office so it hadn’t seen much use. At Nero’s insistence, the Chaldeans were also set up at the estate – an easy feat, given the large number of bedrooms and guest rooms available.
“Well, gotta admit, that went quicker than I thought,” Ritsu commented as they walked through the courtyard to the house. Indeed, the battle had only taken a few minutes and had been an overwhelming victory. None of the enemy soldiers had even tried to go after the Masters – they couldn’t figure out which way was which to organize such a thing. While Mash and Joan had been vigilant, there ultimately hadn’t been any threats to them.
Ren and Morgana nodded. “The faster the better,” Morgana said. “And at least there weren’t any unnecessary casualties on either side – the enemy bailed pretty quickly when they got the hint they weren’t gonna win.” Truth be told, seeing the United Roman Empire forces slaughtered wholesale by their Servants and by Nero and her soldiers was not an experience they wanted to experience again. The sight and sound of people dying, their lifeless corpses falling to the ground or flung into the air…
As they had entered the city, the Masters made a wide berth around the battlefield, trying hard not to look at the bodies as the Romans looted them for what supplies they could. It was naïve, perhaps, and even foolish, given that the fights they were encountering would sooner or later involve taking more lives. But just for a bit longer, they wanted to stave it off.
“Well, at least we’ve taken Florence back,” Ren replied lightly. “We should probably rest up though. We’ve been on the march for a while and I dunno about you guys, but I’m sore as all get out. What about you guys?”
“Um, I’m fine for now, Ren-senpai,” Mash spoke up. “Demi-Servants have better physical capabilities than normal humans. I’m still ready to fight at any time if necessary.”
“Same with incarnated Servants, I guess,” Joan added, looking about disinterestedly.
“Well, la-dee-da for you two,” Ritsu grumbled as she massaged her own thighs. “I’m exhausted and my legs are killing me. Guess the adrenaline of the fight’s wearing off. Maaaash, can you give me a massage please~?”
Mash blinked in surprise, utterly flustered. “Wha-senpai, I don’t think I-I can-!” she stammered.
Ren chuckled. “Come on, Ritsu, don’t put Mash on the spot like that,” he admonished gently. Ritsu pouted as the shielder shot Ren a very grateful glance. “That being said, Rider’s pretty good at massages. Maybe she’ll give you one if you ask really nicely.”
The redhead’s eyes widened in excitement. In moments, she quickly walked off, very obviously calling Medusa mentally for a massage. Ren had to shake his head. That girl certainly moved at the beat of her own drum, didn’t she? He turned to see both Mash and Morgana staring at her, Mash in utter surprise and Morgana with a very deadpan gaze. “What?” he asked.
Morgana just sighed. “Keep your philandery in moderation, Joker,” he sighed.
The Phantom Thief just blinked in surprise, then chuckled. “Right, I’m gonna report to Nero and see if she needs anything else from us,” Ren said. “You guys rest up. We probably have another busy day tomorrow.”
The two blinked in surprise. “You don’t want us to come with?” Morgana asked.
Ren looked around for a second to make sure there wasn’t anyone nearby before drawing close. “I don’t know why but the emperor seems to let her guard down around me a bit more than others,” he murmured to them. “Nothing too bad but I think I can get more information out of her if I head over alone. I’ll let you guys know what she says though.”
Mash’s eyes widened in surprise. “Do you not trust her, senpai?” she asked nervously.
He immediately shook his head. “It’s not that,” he corrected. “Just… I don’t think she can afford to be open overall. Being an emperor and a leader means putting your best face on at all times. Because of that, she can’t easily share a lot of stuff she needs to. At least, that’s how it seemed to me when we conversed in the bath.”
Ren glanced in the direction of Nero’s room. “Or maybe I’m just overthinking things,” he admitted, shrugging a bit lamely. He gave a reassuring smile to the two of them. “I’ll be fine guys. Worst case, I get nothing. Best case, I get some more info we can work with.”
Morgana frowned in concern. “… Alright,” he said after a moment of hesitation. “But the minute it gets dangerous, I’m coming to help. I don’t care if we share the same voice or whatever, I’m not letting you get hurt again if I can help it.”
“Same here, Ren-senpai,” Mash also declared. “I will immediately rush to your side if necessary. But please, stay safe.”
The Phantom Thief looked between the two, smiling in gratitude. “Thanks guys,” he replied. “I’ll see you in a few.”
With that, he went up the stairs to the second floor. Walking down the hall, he quickly found Nero’s room – the one with the guards posted in front of it. The soldier glanced at Ren. “You have business, auxiliary?” he asked.
“Just reporting to the emperor and seeing if she needs anything from us,” Ren answered honestly.
The guard nodded and knocked on the door. “Auxiliary Ren Amamiya requests an audience,” he stated.
There was a moment of silence. Then Nero answered, “Send him in. And you two guards are dismissed for the evening.”
That caused all three to blink in surprise. “Imperator, is that wise?” the other guard asked, turning in concern at the door.
“I trust the auxiliary,” came the muffled reply. “Send him in and leave us.”
The guards could only look between the two of them, then marched off, giving Ren last glances. Before long, the Phantom Thief was left alone at the door. Gulping, he remembered his lessons with Yoshida and the time he had with Nero in the bath. Worst case scenario, he could use his personas and get himself out of there if necessary. “I’m coming in,” he called out before entering the room.
The bedchamber was elaborately decorated with art on walls and ceilings, with a plush bed against the wall in the middle. A mirror made of silver was mounted on the wall, as well as expertly carved furniture and dressers. The room had the faint scent of perfume, despite not having anything giving off the aroma. An open balcony with a view of the countryside was connected as well, giving a lovely view. It was truly a decadent room.
Thus, the maps and the reports that sat on the table nearby were thrown into sharper contrasts compared to the luxurious room. Spread and strewn about, it was clear that Nero had been poring over them for quite some time. A plate of half-eaten food sat nearby as well. She had certainly been occupied.
Speaking of the emperor, she was in her red dress once more, having taken off her golden armor after the battle had been over. She was leaning over the railing of the balcony, a goblet in hand, which she then took another swig of. Ren suddenly had flashbacks of Ohya at the Crossroads and internally sighed in exasperation. Great. The more things change…
“Nero,” he called out quietly.
The emperor turned around. Her cheeks were flushed from the alcohol as she beamed. “Ah, auxiliary,” she called out cheerfully. “You and your allies have fought well today! I commend your valor and your strength!” She chuckled as she took another gulp of the wine. “Ah, if our battles were always this easy, we’d win in no time!”
Ren forced a smile. He hated dealing with drunkards. “That’s a lot of praise, emperor,” he responded. “We’ll do what we can. I’m guessing you’re just celebrating the victory of recapturing Florence?”
Nero glanced up at him with a wry smile. “Does it look like I’m celebrating?” she asked genuinely, then she let out a chuckle, this one sounded a lot more bitter than her tone just a few seconds ago. “No, of course it does to you,” she grumbled as she took another sip of the wine. “You only recently got here. How would you have known or realized?”
That caught the Master off-guard as he furrowed his eyebrows. “Realized… what?” he asked slowly.
She beckoned him over as she walked toward the table with the maps. Taking out wooden pieces from a cloth bag nearby, she set them up. Ren quickly realized what it was: A map of Florence, with the wooden pieces representing their battle from today.
“The soldiers there met us in open combat,” Nero explained, pointing them out. “They had set up no fortifications, no ambushes, or even harried us. Instead, it was a smooth march right to them. There weren’t even any incoming reinforcements or defensive maneuvers into the city itself. No, they simply fought us, then retreated when the battle wasn’t going their way.”
Ren stilled at her words. Coming to the emperor was the right call - like Hifumi said, focus on the player, not the board. And the emperor had the view of the entire game
“They probably weren’t expecting us to counterattack so quickly, I guess,” he suggested optimistically. “So we caught them off guard. That’s a good thing, right? We simply hit them when they weren’t ready.” He might be missing something, but perhaps it was better to remain optimistic for now.
A glare from her shot that down. “Don’t be a fool, auxiliary,” she muttered. “The Roman legions have been disciplined and trained from sunrise to sunset for strict military maneuvers. This also includes engineering and hard labor so that they can create makeshift fortifications at any time. And honorable or not, no competent or sane commander would give up the protection of the city itself when they could use it to funnel their enemies in and butcher them.”
Considering how quickly the Romans built their camp the night before as well as all the makeshift walls that surrounded Rome itself, Ren couldn’t exactly deny that. “Then maybe their commander was incompetent then?” he said. “They got cocky and made mistakes that led to them losing. A lot of battles are lost because of that.”
Nero nodded. “Well noted,” she complimented as she picked up a sheath of papers and handed it over to him. “Now read these,” she ordered as she took another drink of the wine.
Blinking in surprise, Ren quickly skimmed the reports. They were similar situations: Poor planning or strategizing on the United Roman Empire’s part, reckless mistakes or sitting around and letting key opportunities to attack pass by. It was an embarrassing cavalcade of all their military errors.
“Huh,” Ren mused as he flipped through them. “They don’t seem to be well led at best. And aren’t these guys supposed to be led by Julius Caesar and Leonidas? Maybe those two weren’t as bad as we thought they were and history played them up?”
Scoffing, the emperor waved the notion off. “Were that the case, they would not be nearly the well-known legends they are now,” Nero replied, taking yet another drink before going to the jug and refilling her goblet.
“You see their campaign – mistake after mistake after mistake,” she snapped. “And yet, we’ve had to recapture Florence and fight an incursion to Rome itself! One that has all the makings of a follow-up once they send the manpower or reinforcements to do so! And here we are, all my men fighting with all their heart and soul, and my legates, coming up with any strategy or tactics to fend them off for just one more day? And for what?!” She took a hearty swig.
The realization began setting in, and it felt like someone splashed ice-cold water against Ren’s back. “What… what are you saying?” he asked, wanting to know for certain.
Nero turned to Ren. As drunk as she was, her green eyes were crystal clear as she met his shocked grey ones.
“I mean that the United Roman Empire isn’t even trying,” she growled. “And yet, they are still winning.”