[FMMIKA] Chapter 339: The Truth of Chaldea

It was the second day since the return to Chaldea.

Everything was falling into place.

As Romani rubbed his eyes and sipped his coffee, walking into the command room after a night of overtime spent chatting with Mari online and investing money and faith in a virtual idol, he noticed everyone working efficiently.

"Hmm?"

"Ah, Romani, you're here." Da Vinci greeted him.

"What's going on? Everyone seems unusually energetic all of a sudden." Romani, bewildered by the sight, asked.

"It's all thanks to King Artorius." Da Vinci smiled. "Yesterday, he organized a welcome dinner and gave an impromptu speech. After saying things like 'No matter what, let's not be afraid; the flower of hope will bloom', everyone's morale skyrocketed."

"Welcome dinner?" Romani still looked confused. "What happened? Why wasn't I informed about this?"

"We did call for you, but you were in your room. We called several times, but all we heard was your silly laughter. So, we figured you were more interested in the virtual idol Mari-chan than the welcome party. So, we didn't want to disturb you." Da Vinci explained while smiling.

"..."

Romani didn't know whether to be mad at himself for being useless or how to react when he heard that. After a few seconds of silence, he could only show a distressed expression and mutter, "Ahh... Is that so..."

"Yes, that's right." Da Vinci continued to smile.

"So... Artorius, I mean, King Artorius, what is he doing now?"

"He's training. He, Mash, and the others are at the training ground. Besides them, Scathach is there too."

"Scathach...?"

Hearing this name, Romani was confused again.

"The legendary Queen of the Land of Shadows, that Scathach?"

"Yes, that's Scathach, the hero mentor from Ireland."

"But—"

"She's a summoned Servant."

Da Vinci cut his words and continued to explain with a smile.

"King Artorius helped us improve Chaldea's Servant summoning system. From today onwards, we can summon more Servants—Oh, and by the way, that girl, Ritsuka-chan, although she became a temporary Master, her talent is quite strong. She's very skilled, the most outstanding summoner I've ever seen. She has reached a 'god-like' level in magecraft related to summoning familiars. So, she perfectly fits with our modified Servant summoning system here in Chaldea."

"Is that so..."

It sounded like a good thing. If possible, Romani also wanted to feel happy about it. But for some reason, he couldn't find the joy in his heart.

"Meaning, that Queen of the Land of Shadows, Scathach, is the Servant that Ritsuka just summoned, huh..."

"It's not just Scathach; there's also Mordred."

"Mordred?! That rebellious knight?!" Romani jumped at the mention of that name.

"In most parallel worlds, Mordred is indeed the rebellious knight, but in King Artorius's world, she's the obedient and adorable sister of him."

"Oh, I see..."

"..."

"Is there anything else to spill? Lay it all out; I can handle it."

Watching Da Vinci, maintaining her smiling demeanor, Romani couldn't help but ask and take a deep breath.

"None."

"Really, nothing else?"

"Absolutely nothing." Da Vinci smiled and shook her head. "From now on, you just need to focus on figuring out the next Singularity. Leave the rest to us."

"The next Singularity...? Oh, okay."

With that, Romani nodded and shifted into work mode, immersing himself in the role of Chaldea's acting director (tool).

As she saw him busying himself, she beamed with satisfaction.

"Good luck, Romani."

After saying those words, Da Vinci turned and left the command room.

"Uh, oh, yeah..."

Romani reluctantly nodded and sat there, feeling uneasy.

Artorius's inclusion had indeed brought many 'changes' to Chaldea. These changes made Chaldea appear more 'prosperous' and more powerful.

Chaldea seemed to be flourishing, but...

"But, something feels off."

Romani couldn't help but think and wanted to discuss it further with Da Vinci. But when he looked back, she was already gone.

'Gone...? Well, forget it. I'll talk to her when there's time. It's probably nothing urgent anyway.'

===

Meanwhile, Da Vinci strolled through the long corridor, exchanging polite greetings with the Servants and staff she encountered along the way.

As she passed by the training room, she overheard Ritsuka's voice from inside.

"Hiks, Artorius still loves me after all."

After delivering Artorius's message to Ritsuka, the latter burst into tears.

"I knew it! I'm a genius, not a loser. My cheat code finally went live? Hahaha!"

"Senpai, don't get too carried away." Mash, by her side, played the role of her restraint as usual, along with some sarcastic commentary.

Da Vinci shook her head and continued to walk.

Later, she passed by the cafeteria. It was nine in the morning, and most staff had already had breakfast, busying themselves with work. However, there were still complaints echoing through the cafeteria.

"The food standards in Chaldea are way too low! Bring in some delicious stuff, c'mon!" A girl's complaining voice resounded.

A lively girl in a tank top and shorts, sporting a single ponytail—Artorius Pendragon's beloved sister, Mordred—voiced her dissatisfaction.

"But even if you say that..." A staff member who seemed to be a chef appeared troubled. "Chaldea doesn't have enough reserves to make anything tasty... We only have ingredients from the Singularities..."

"What about desserts? You can temporarily set aside main courses, but desserts must be top-notch."

A calm and emotionless girl with a cold tone, wearing glasses, spoke up.

She hailed from Artorius Pendragon's 'Pendragonius Empire', an Artoria Species known as Ex, possessing absolute power comparable to a cosmic warrior, almost like a god.

Indeed, previously, when facing Romani, Da Vinci hadn't told the whole truth.

In fact, the new 'Servants' weren't just Scathach and Mordred; there were also two Saber-class individuals.

"Don't make unreasonable demands, Miss. We're struggling even to provide basic meals. Let alone desserts..." The chef sighed.

"Alright, you two."

Finally, a voice filled with authority rang out. The tallest, most powerful, and dignified of the Artoria Species wielding a long lance.

"Enough of this fuss."

"Just because there are no desserts, no delicious dishes. What does it matter for a true warrior? Nothing! As long as there's enough rations to fill the stomach, a warrior can keep on fighting!"

"Yes..."

"S-Sorry, Father Lion King..."

"That's easy for you to say, but madam, you've already eaten the equivalent of thirty people's worth of rice!" The chef retorted and was on the verge of tears.

As she watched the spectacle, Da Vinci thought:

'Rest assured. Soon you'll be free.'

'Trained maids will arrive shortly, equipped with utensils and ingredients to take over the chef duties from you.'

'In fact, it's not just that.'

'Staff from the Empire will gradually take control of the entire Chaldea in the coming days.'

'The combat department.'

'The medical department.'

'The summoning department.'

'The logistics department.'

'All departments will be taken over by everyone from the Empire.'

'The original Chaldea team can now let go of the responsibility of saving the world that you've shouldered.'

'Next, you will live your ordinary but happy lives as ordinary members of the ordinary world.'

'The Empire will reward you generously for your contributions in safeguarding human history.'

'So, rest easy.'

'From now on, leave everything to us.'

'Entrust it to the great Pendragonius Empire.'

With that in mind, Da Vinci continued to walk through the long corridor to the technical and research department under her jurisdiction. The metallic electronic door automatically opened upon recognizing her identity, revealing hundreds of researchers working in an orderly manner.

Among them were many figures whose photos one would find in textbooks, individuals who made significant contributions to human scientific research in history, earning them remarkable reputations.

Some of them gained power after death and became Servants. Many, however, were recruited by the Pendragonius Empire's research department during their lifetimes, becoming part of the Empire, and after the blessing of the Throne of Empire, transformed into even more outstanding and powerful Imperial Spirits. They could perpetually pursue research for the benefit of the Empire and Humanity.

This was one of the happiest endings for them as researchers and scientists.

Here, they had endless time, research materials, and funding.

Their minds were forever in a concentrated and excited state. Their will and bodies never felt fatigued. Their thoughts and wills returned to the most agile period of their twenties.

And Leonardo Da Vinci was one of them.

Proudly, a distinguished member of the Empire's scientific research team. Also, the first Servant chosen by Artorius Pendragon himself for the Empire's intervention in Chaldea.

Yes, from the very beginning, Leonardo Da Vinci belonged to the Empire. Artorius, using his immense magical energy, forcibly replaced the Proper Human History's Da Vinci with the New Human History's Da Vinci.

This magecraft was similar to the one applied to Elizabeth before, but it differed in direct manipulation versus remote control. Artorius spent a considerable amount of time completing this high-difficulty magecraft.

Now it seemed worth it.

Da Vinci's active involvement allowed the Empire to become extremely familiar with Chaldea, enabling them to take over all crucial departments immediately after Artorius's arrival.

"Mom~"

After seeing Da Vinci enter, a cute child with a face about seven or eight points similar to hers happily ran towards her, then threw herself into Da Vinci's arms. This was the artificially engineered 'Da Vinci-chan' created by the Empire through genetic engineering.

It was the clone of Da Vinci's current 'body'. Inheriting excellent looks and physique, as well as the outstanding mind of her 'father'. A proud new generation genius youth of the Empire.

"Good girl~"

Even someone as rational and unfeeling as Da Vinci couldn't help but display a genuine smile when confronted with the child she acknowledged as her daughter.

She gently stroked Da Vinci-chan's hair. After spending a good moment being affectionate with her daughter, she let her down, then lifted her head to greet Dragon Emperor Artorius, who was approaching with a smile.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." Da Vinci bowed faithfully, even devoutly, full of reverence.

"You've done well, Da Vinci."

Artorius nodded, acknowledging the outstanding contributions of Da Vinci as the Imperial Spirit.

"The Empire's control over all of Chaldea so easily achieved is thanks to your efforts."

"Now that the Empire has achieved its goals, I can grant you honor and rewards. So, what do you desire?"

"To serve the Empire and Your Majesty faithfully is the duty of a subject. I don't require any rewards. If I must say, please continue to accept the loyalty of this subject, and let this subject continue to serve you."

"A perfect answer." Artorius said calmly and nodded. "It's hard to believe it's coming from you. But no need to worry, I am a generous emperor and you are a hero of the Empire. So, request anything if you wish. I can fulfill it for you."

"..."

"If Your Majesty insists... I have no personal needs. It's just that my daughter..."

As she said that, Da Vinci looked at her little version with a gentle gaze.

Caught in her mother's gaze, Da Vinci-chan approached unconsciously, looking at her mother and then at the handsome and gentle big brother, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"This is the matter I care about the most... So, Your Majesty, please bless this child."