[FMMIKA] Chapter 334: Grand Triumph

The Grand Triumph.

Establishing the Arc de Triomphe, and through it, they did a military parade and passed with a substantial amount of spoils of war and prisoners.

The commander stood on the chariot, basking in the cheers of the entire Roman populace.

All of these were of course for gaining more prestige.

Petals scattered from balconies, lofts, and rooftops.

Abundant colorful flags, along with those hired for money or those who came here voluntarily, cheering for the heroes of Rome.

This all happened about half a month after the world-shaking Spanish War came to an end.

The people from Chaldea should have left long ago. Yet, they were semi-coerced and semi-voluntarily stayed to participate in Nero's demanded Grand Triumph. This made a certain unfortunate doctor feel more uncomfortable and distressed, but Ritsuka reveled in it.

She always acted bizarrely. Just thinking about driving a chariot, receiving the cheers of all Romans, and then building a sculpture to be enshrined got her a bit excited.

After the parade, Ritsuka, Mash, and Scathach lounged atop the tall city wall, gazing at the people still soaking in the festive atmosphere.

"These things have nothing to do with Senpai though."

Mash suddenly remarked from beside Ritsuka.

"The savior of Rome, the reshaper of the world, the destroyer of barbarians and rebels, the greatest emperor of the New Rome—all these are titles bestowed upon Emperor Artorius by the Senate. The one who undergoes the Grand Triumph and receives the cheers of the masses is, of course, His Majesty, not you."

"What are you saying? I'm the Master of Chaldea."

"So what?"

"So, the current Roman Emperor is still Nero, right?"

"...No need to continue, I understand your point, Senpai."

The current Roman Emperor was Nero, but this time, the star of the Triumph was Artorius.

In this situation, what did Nero really think? How much did she envy and hate the Dragon Emperor? Just thinking about it made them uncomfortable.

"It's okay, that kid will definitely be fine." Scathach remarked from the side.

At the moment, she was supporting her waist, looking completely exhausted. Looking at the thermos beside her and the red fruits floating around, one could tell what was going on with her.

"Are you okay? As I thought, it's because you're too old—"

Ritsuka was halfway through when Scathach interrupted her.

"What are you saying, my dear disciple? Who's old?"

"..."

Ritsuka was now gaping with closed eyes, having been thrown down by Scathach's spear.

Glancing at her senior, Mash felt sympathy for her for half a second, then turned to Scathach.

"Nothing at all. Just ignore her."

Why Scathach would say that became apparent just by looking at her posture.

Earlier, after defeating the Demon God, Scathach voluntarily requested to celebrate the consequences of their victory.

'Is it true that I just can't accept getting old?'

After being repeatedly defeated by Artorius in bed, Scathach could only shake her head and smile wryly.

'No, it's not because of that.'

However, she quickly dismissed the thought.

'It's just that I was careless for a moment.'

'And he is just too strong.'

'But I won't admit defeat. I'll sharpen my skills, and next time, I'll definitely beat him mercilessly.'

Scathach's ambition was admirable, but besides herself, probably no one considered her a match for Artorius.

And of course, it was not about battle or combat in the truest sense—how could a woman have any other thoughts with Artorius being so powerful other than battle in bed?

Nero, having envy and jealousy towards Artorius as the 'Roman Emperor' was fine. Let Artorius give her a good beating in bed, problem solved.

"But, can things really be that simple?" Mash wondered.

Although Mash praised Scathach for being knowledgeable and skilled, considering her vast experience and being skilled herself, deep down, Mash wasn't too convinced.

"After all, that's the throne of an emperor."

"He's an emperor, so can it be that simple for her to yield?"

"Don't forget another thing, Mash."

Ritsuka, being Gudako, was resilient like a cockroach, just as Mash thought. Even though she had just been defeated by Scathach, now she was smiling and getting up as if nothing had happened.

"We won't be staying in this world for long. After all of this is over, we'll return to Chaldea."

"So, there's really no fundamental conflict between Artorius and Nero."

"Yeah, that's true..." Mash nodded, agreeing with Ritsuka's statement, but deep down were uneasy. 'But, I still feel something's off.'

"By the way..."

While Mash contemplated whether to discuss it with everyone, Ritsuka shifted to a new topic.

"Since we'll be returning to Chaldea soon, how about giving Nero a little treat before we go back—specifically... you know, having some 'fun' with Artorius? After all, she won't be able to have fun with him later."

Ritsuka started to become smug and boasted herself.

"Iyaa~ I'm really too generous. I mean, a girl as generous as me, shouldn't I be given a proper place in the harem?"

"No need for you to play the benevolent senior, Senpai."

Mash exposed Ritsuka's bluff.

"You've never actually had 'fun' with His Majesty, have you? In other words, those of us who've had been in His Majesty's harem are the ones making sacrifices here—that is if we're really going to accommodate Emperor Nero in the harem."

"No need for that." Scathach's tone was indifferent. "Later, we'll summon that kid through the Heroic Spirit System. Nero will eventually be inscribed into the Throne of Empire. At that time, she'll be no different from any other woman with him; we're all competitors."

"Ohhh, I see. Teacher Scathach is jealous; age hasn't dulled your spirit~"

Ritsuka, who said such things, was once again beaten by Scathach.

"Are you really that free, my disciple?" While saying this, Scathach grabbed Ritsuka's collar. "In that case, let's have special training. Rest assured, as your teacher, I'll train you into a muscle-bound monster of a woman."

"No, no! This is a personal vendetta! Mash, save me!"

Although Ritsuka struggled, she was still dragged away helplessly. Mash just smiled and waved goodbye, showing no intention of saving her.

"After becoming a muscle monster, I'll take some pictures to commemorate, okay?"

"Don't! I definitely don't want to turn into a muscle monster! I want to keep my soft and cute girl figure as capital for seducing Artorius and—"

The next moment, Ritsuka completely crashed.

"..."

'Hmm... Is it really that simple?'

Watching Ritsuka being dragged away by Scathach, Mash couldn't help but furrow her brow and ponder.

'If it really turns out as Teacher Scathach said, that would be good. But, if... Well, whatever.'

Mash smiled again, showing a thoughtful expression.

'In situations like this, it's better to trust His Majesty. He's got a knack for handling women, especially the Artoria Species. Just a gentle touch from him, and they could practically ascend to heaven. So, it should be fine.'

'Although there's nothing to be happy about...'

Mash shook her head, contemplating other matters.

'I should give Doctor and Da Vinci some souvenirs.'

'After that, there's also the need for special training. I have to become stronger to help His Majesty even more.'

'And right now, His Majesty is with Nero, isn't he...?'

'No, no, I can't be jealous. After all, my character is a gentle and lovely good girl—except when I'm with Senpai—anyway, gentle and tolerant. That's the way to become the main consort of His Majesty.'

With these thoughts, Mash also headed to the training ground for some special training with Ritsuka and Scathach.