Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover

Chapter 265 - [265] The Most Benevolent Master - Ritsuka Fujimaru

When he opened his eyes, the morning was still the same morning, but the person was no longer the same.

That wasn't entirely accurate, but Sakatsuki was indeed feeling restless.

To put it bluntly, it was like a pitiful university student realizing their thesis needed a complete rewrite as the deadline loomed.

As a time-traveler, he didn't deny that he had taken Caren under his wing out of sympathy. Even if she would have gone to Fuyuki eventually, having someone like Sakatsuki—a Wizard Marshal—publicly vouch for her would significantly reduce the malice directed at Caren Hortensia.

But by shielding Caren, he had never sought the girl's own consent.

Unlike Sakura, Kohaku, or Fujino—girls who had suffered similarly tragic fates—Caren was fully aware of her own abnormality. She had chosen to devote her life to the Lord, holding onto a firm belief and faith. In other words, she had willingly walked this path of her own free will.

A demon-detecting radar, a tool of the Church, a demonic saint, the purest of holy women.

This was Caren's life. This was Caren's everything.

Sakatsuki's actions were undoubtedly praiseworthy, but for Caren, was this not a form of oppression, a shackle upon her life?

"Tch." The commander with crimson eyes exuded an intimidating pressure when his mood darkened.

And the more he became aware of a certain truth, the more displeased he grew.

Why should he care so much about what others thought?!

Why not just tie her up and keep her by his side—

"Commander!" A familiar voice called from outside the tent. As if sensing danger on a primal level, Rosario refused to take even a single step toward the abyss, opting instead to shout from a safe distance. "The messenger from Rome has news! They say an organization called 'Chaldea' has arrived in the capital, and His Majesty the Emperor has ordered your immediate return!"

"Chaldea?" A low murmur came from inside the tent. After a long silence, the voice spoke again. "Understood."

"Yes, sir!" Rosario acted as if pardoned from execution, immediately scurrying away from the tent in three rapid strides.

Shortly after, ignoring his adjutant's protests, a lone rider burst forth from the camp, charging toward the capital of Rome.

The crimson-eyed general admired the Mediterranean scenery, the gloom in his heart gradually replaced by a fiercer, more exhilarating emotion. Slowly, a smile of anticipation crept onto his face.

"Finally here, huh? Ritsuka Fujimaru, Mash, and..."

"Doctor."

***

Marketplace.

Even as Rome's territories beyond the walls suffered invasion and flames of war burned in distant lands, the people within the city walls still set up their stalls, loudly hawking their wares with smiles on their faces.

This was Rome, a land under the protection of the Emperor. As long as the rose-like Emperor guarded them, no harm would ever befall this place—or so the citizens firmly believed.

And if one were to look toward the center of the street, they would see the Emperor herself, clad in a crimson dress, walking side by side with a black-haired young man, her face adorned with an unreserved smile:

"Behold, and tremble in awe! This is my capital, the glorious empire even maidens sing praises of!"

The black-haired youth gazed around, his eyes as tranquil as the blue sky. "It's truly full of vitality."

"Mhm, right, right? After all, this is the finest capital in the world!" Nero laughed proudly. "As the saying goes, 'All roads lead to Rome'—no, wait, that's not it—'In the beginning were the Seven Hills of Septimontium,' and from there, the history of glory began with the Divine Ancestor and those hills. Later on—ah, shopkeeper! Might I take one of these apples?"

"Welco—ahh, Your Majesty! Please, take as many as you like! May the glory of Rome and Your Majesty endure forever!"

"No need for such formalities, shopkeeper. Mmm, mmm, this apple is delicious. Would you like one as well? Though it may be slightly improper, there's no need to stand on ceremony. After all, fresh fruit is excellent for relieving battlefield fatigue. It may not heal wounds, but it certainly lifts the spirits!"

By "battlefield," she was referring to the skirmish against a small force lurking near the capital. It was only because Chaldea had assisted in the battle that Nero had welcomed them into the city.

"I'll eat later." The black-haired youth shook his head, resisting the temptation of the apple.

Even if Chaldea's supplies were scarce, apples were one thing they had in abundance—golden ones, silver ones, bronze ones... Ugh, completely unappetizing.

"Is that so? How proper of you." Nero didn't press further, though her cheeks suddenly flushed pink. "Ah, not that I'm any different, of course! I, too, am a very proper person in daily life! I just couldn't help wanting to praise—ahem! A-anyway."

"So cute..." A voice that didn't belong to anyone present murmured from the young man's wristband. Hearing it, the black-haired youth nodded solemnly in agreement.

Who would have thought that the tyrant infamous in history for burning Rome and indulging in debauchery would turn out to be such a beautiful, endearing young girl?

Truly, history was far more profound than one might think.

As they walked and chatted, the person on the other end of the wristband quickly explained the anomalies of this world to Nero, who, for some reason, accepted it without surprise.

"I see. So it was the Holy Grail that transformed my Rome into this state." The young Emperor pondered thoughtfully.

"Your Majesty doesn't find this strange?" the black-haired youth asked.

"No, I feel neither disbelief nor dissonance. Especially regarding this so-called Holy Grail... How should I put it... I find myself deeply concerned... No, never mind. Perhaps I'm overthinking it. It's just that I feel as though I've had such a nightmare before."

Shaking her head to dispel the hazy memories—whether from yesterday, long ago, or even the future—Nero's face once again bloomed with a radiant smile. "Well, in any case, come along! We can discuss the details more thoroughly once we reach the residence!"

"Not just you, but a few days ago, I also encountered a visitor from the heavens who called himself a 'Servant'! He's been a tremendous help to me!"

At these words, the black-haired youth's eyes widened for the first time, and the voice from his wristband gasped in his stead: "Wait, Your Majesty, did you say Servant?!"

"Mmm, what about it? He even called me his Master! Ehehe, I'm his Master..." As she spoke, the young Emperor drifted off into a strange fantasy, completely lost in her own world.

Behind her, the black-haired youth frowned, exchanging words with the voice from his wristband:

"Doctor, what's going on here?"

"I have no idea. Judging from this Singularity, it's not unusual for unaffiliated Servants to exist in this era. But for a Servant to recognize the Emperor as their Master? That would mean Nero unconsciously summoned a Servant at some point."

"But don't you need to draw a summoning circle to call a Servant? I don't get the sense that Your Majesty knows anything about magecraft." Ritsuka Fujimaru scrutinized the back of Nero's hand, hidden beneath her sleeve, before his pupils abruptly contracted.

"Doctor, I found the Command Spells on Nero's hand!"

Because Nero's attire concealed the back of her hand, Ritsuka wouldn't have noticed the Command Spells if not for his careful observation and the way the Emperor's movements briefly shifted her sleeve.

And more importantly—the Command Spells, which should have numbered three, now only had one remaining!

Just then, Nero's excited voice rang out.

"Ah, Governor, you've already arrived? Fujimaru, Fujimaru, this is my Servant—Sakatsuki!"

Hearing this, the black-haired youth stiffened, instinctively looking up to meet the gaze of a white-haired general.

Those crimson eyes radiated a soul-piercing pressure.

"Nice to meet you, the most benevolent one from the Observatory—"

"Ritsuka Fujimaru."

The sole Master of Chaldea, one of the protagonists he knew all too well, now stood before Sakatsuki.

***

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