"First, let's rest here."
Carrying Nero, we've come quite a distance from Rome, and decide to rest in a small forest with some rocks.
"Where... even though it's some distance from Rome, it's not that far. From here to Britain..."
It's essentially going from the southernmost to northernmost part of Europe. Crossing Europe, huh. No matter how fast I am, this won't be easy. Aerial means like Vimana are too conspicuous, so we have to go by land. Sea routes are too roundabout and won't do. We'd have to cross the Mediterranean like the Argonauts.
With my current abilities, I can summon the chariot I use as a Rider. We can ride that.
Still... it's too far. Having to go from Italy to Britain, is this for real... This Singularity is larger than Jerusalem. In fact, it's the second largest Singularity after America.
"What are you thinking about so deeply..."
"Ah, it's just that when I actually think about going to Britain, it feels daunting? Hmm... well, it'll take some time, but we'll manage somehow. Have you eaten?"
"For the past few days, I've only eaten bucellatum... I feel hollow inside."
"Ah, bucellatum..."
Bucellatum is the ancestor of hardtack. It's a large bread but very hard, to the point where you might lose a tooth. It's ancient combat rations. For an emperor like Nero to eat only that for days... I can imagine how much she's suffered.
"You must have had a hard time. First, let's make a temporary shelter."
Nero is human, so rest is essential. I carve runes into the ground and immediately dig a tunnel. Like an ancient house, I clean out the underground with runes, create stone furniture, and prepare a proper bed.
"Here, come down."
"Hmm... impressive. Even Simon couldn't make an underground workshop this quickly... you're an outrageous mage."
"I'm more specialized in combat than magecraft. I'll prepare a meal for you soon... ah, that's right."
There was a lunchbox. I take out a rune stone and use it, and my portion of the lunchbox appears.
"Here, eat. It's a lunchbox I made myself."
"..."
"If you're worried about poison, there isn't any."
"... Even if there were, I couldn't resist. I have resistance to most poisons."
Come to think of it, Nero lived since childhood eating poison given by her mother Agrippina. That poison was made by Locusta. Agrippina... she was a woman like Manaka, and in a way, perhaps she was the original of Manaka.
From the beginning of Rome, the beastly lineage passed down from the wolf, mother of Romulus and Remus, made Romulus kill his brother Remus to protect Rome. And that lineage passed down through generations, implanted in Nero by Agrippina. In the end, Nero awakened as a beast.
Not in the worldline where she committed suicide, though.
Perhaps... Nero is the Beast 666 of this worldline, and the Great Whore of Babylon is actually Agrippina (Manaka)?
In the sense of being a mother who created a beast, they're very similar...
Well, that's not important right now.
"Here, a fork and knife."
"What kind of dish is this?"
"Hamburger steak. Thanks to preservation magecraft, it should be like freshly made."
"...."
Nero keeps looking at me with wary eyes, then silently picks up the knife and fork, cuts the steak with the knife, and takes a bite. Then, her eyes widen, and she drops the fork and knife. I should make new ones.
"Wh-what is this... I've never eaten such delicious food in my life...!"
"If it's not enough, should I make more?"
"Do you have ingredients...?"
"I can make them. You just need to answer."
"... I want to eat more."
"I see. I'll make it quickly, so eat slowly."
I immediately summon a wild boar, slaughter it, and prepare it. Since hamburger takes time, should I just make steak? Glancing back, Nero watches my dismantling show with an interested gaze. Has her wariness subsided? That's a bit of a relief.
I cook using rune-made kitchen tools. Nero has already finished eating and is sitting in a chair, staring at me intently. She looks like a harmless girl, but in reality, she's the worst emperor... Whether she's a good or bad emperor is debated, but it's undeniable that she's a tyrant.
Her tyranny towards Britain is also not right. But still...
Looking at Draco, I can see she feels guilt and remorse. Draco is like the Nero of Extra who has realized many things. Well... in FGO, the Nero who knows nothing is just a kid. People grow differently depending on their environment. The Nero who was pampered as a Servant and the Nero of Extra who grew through many journeys are essentially different people.
Current Nero too... her bright atmosphere is nowhere to be seen.
It's like me in the Heaven's Feel worldline...
"Here, it's done~"
"... Why are you treating me so well?"
"Hmm... to put it simply, first, you need to stay alive to protect the world."
"Am I that important...? But, other Heroic Spirits said the world can only be protected if I die."
"That's also true. In a way, the world might be fine even if that happens."
"Then why..."
"But, I know this. That's not the only path. Nero, many Heroic Spirits and people must have called you evil. In a way, they're right. However, even if you're evil, you were a necessary evil. You were born with that fate. But, I know. That fate can be changed."
"Are you trying to make me repent?"
"Not entirely wrong, but also not entirely right... It's a complicated story to explain now? So, let's talk about other things tomorrow. For now, focus on resting well. You haven't slept for days, right?"
"Is it that obvious... Fine. I'll eat well."
She looks quite dispirited. Is this the same Nero full of arrogance and confidence? No, perhaps she was like this in her later years in life.
After finishing the meal, Nero immediately lies down on the bed.
"Shouldn't you digest it?"
"I didn't eat that much... Aren't you going to sleep?"
"Heroic Spirits don't need to sleep. I'll do something else. Rest well."
"... Fine."
Leaving her behind, I prepare the remaining meat and make more. It's convenient to make lunchboxes in advance and eat them as needed.
I cook as quietly as possible and pack it into lunchbox containers. After storing everything in rune stones, I check Nero's complexion.
"──────"
"She must have been really tired."
She's fallen into a deep sleep. Perhaps it's sleep where she doesn't need to be wary. Or... maybe she's given up, even if she dies now. Current her seems pitiful. For karma to be... hated on a world scale, it feels harsh.
I go above ground and take a light walk. No one has chased us yet, it seems.
Sitting on a rock positioned above the underground base, I look at the night sky. It's no different from the stars I saw in Ulster in life... brings back old memories.
"...?"
At that moment, the wind direction suddenly changes. What's this? No magecraft is being used. It's not artificial. But... what?
"A good night, isn't it?"
"!!!"
What the... where did he come from!? Suddenly, an old man in white appears before me. No presence. Not even the type of Presence Concealment... this isn't a skill. It's like a sense of existing yet not... who is this man?
"No need to be so wary. I've just come to talk."
"... Who are you? Did you come to find me?"
"Yes, that's right... I received a revelation."
"Revelation...?"
Revelation, he's not an ordinary believer. An old man... a man... could it be...?
"The calamity of the Apocalypse... the Beast's rider, the Beast's mother, a woman impersonating Christ. A woman born with such a fate. You've decided to protect her. You, from that position, made such a choice."
"Grand Class, you mean... what does that matter?"
"I'm not blaming you. Rather, He would be pleased. Everyone needs salvation, even if it's a beast. That's why He sacrificed Himself, bearing all evil... Yet, just a few years later, human evil has accumulated to the same level as before He bore it. The evil within humans is vast, and when gathered collectively, it grows larger. Even the humans of current Rome are no different from evil beyond her. Truly a lamentable thing."
"What's your point...?"
"... If you've chosen to protect, protect until the end. Even if everyone condemns her, calls her evil, and seeks to punish her, you alone must stand by her side and embrace her until the end. That is the path you've chosen. If you deny it midway, the world will face destruction."
"A certain priest I know said something similar. If you save a woman, don't let her die. Watching someone die before your eyes is quite piercing... he said."
"He must have been a priest with quite devout faith."
Well... not wrong, since his faith was genuine.
"If it's His revelation... then you are..."
The moment I blink, his figure disappears. As if he was never there from the start...
"... The first disciple of Jesus and leader of the Twelve Apostles. The first pope."
To think I'd meet Peter before Martha... Savior, perhaps I should have met Him in life.
Putting aside my troubled thoughts, I go back underground. Nero, sleeping in the underground bed, is breathing roughly and suffering as if having a nightmare.
"Haa... haa..."
Like Sakura... I touch her forehead with my hand to check her condition. No fever, not having a nightmare. It's just that her body is under overload...
"... This is something I can't do anything about with my power."
Perhaps Solomon could, but this is impossible... Evil nature is gathering towards her. The evil nature of humans is converging on her. Through erroneous faith that insults the Great Whore of Babylon, firmly believing in her existence, using her as a vessel to gather evil nature like the Holy Grail of Fuyuki, turning her into a beast... I can't stop this.
So, the Heroic Spirits... the Counter Force tried to kill her.
I understand, but... is it really necessary? Then what about Fou? Fou is currently a harmless beast, and they're leaving him be, but when he becomes dangerous, they'll kill him. The Counter Force is hypocritical...
"I've already made up my mind. I will protect you. If you go down the wrong path, I'll stop you. Even if the whole world tries to kill you, condemns you as evil... I will stand by your side."
This is dangerous, so I can't even call my wives. At most, Scáthach and The Morrígan. Manaka would, on the contrary, accelerate it and make it dangerous. Medusa, if it's the divine spirit version as a Lancer, might be okay...
No, no. Not The Morrígan or Medusa either. As far as I know, the one who led the gods to be defeated by Zepar (the white giant) due to arrogance was the Counter Force. After all... only Scáthach, who reached the Root and has no connection to the Counter Force.
"Sigh... well, I should endure this much hardship. From the moment I chose such a life in life, I was prepared."
It might be a bit tough... but I am a hero. As a hero, I will protect Nero without regrets. But... it might be a bit dangerous.
If it's a Beast... the Grand Class will intervene. Probably, that man? For Rome, it's only him. Troublesome...