[FMMIKA] Chapter 320: Unease

"The battle is going pretty well."

"Yeah, Artorius is invincible, the best in the world."

"I bet Gaul will be part of the empire soon. By then, we can go back to Chaldea and take a good break."

"Yeah, non-stop fighting, fighting. I've accumulated a lot of stress that needs to be released."

"Really? But it seems like you haven't done anything, Senpai. Rather, you've been more of a hindrance. If you hadn't been involved, this Singularity conquest would have been a bit simpler."

"What did you say?!"

On the military camp, Artorius ignored the conversation between Mash and Ritsuka, heading towards Nero's tent.

The barrier between Artorius's Roman army and Nero's Roman army was evident. However, as he approached with a small group of guards, her soldiers, from top to bottom, appeared obedient and showed no inclination to pick a fight or challenge him.

The reasons were simple.

They either feared Artorius's prowess or were concerned about the alliance between the two factions. Some admired his formidable strength, while others, going a step further, were already considering him as their next investment opportunity.

Just as Artorius had told Nero before, the Roman Emperor was 'elected by the Senate', at least in this era.

Similar to the real historical events, when Nero fled Rome, the Senate swiftly announced the abolition of Nero's imperial title, handing it over to a leader of a misguided rebellion.

Although it was later proven to be a disastrously wrong decision.

The governance of that rebellion leader was worse than Nero's in his later years. A series of misguided actions led to his rule lasting less than six months before outraged Romans used the Praetorian Guard succession law to get rid of him.

Thus, Rome bid farewell to its first golden age, entering an era of power struggles among four emperors.

The point to be made by recounting these events was that the dignity and limits of the Roman Senate were consistently low, almost outrageously so. If they were willing to bestow the title of 'Roman Emperor' upon someone as unscrupulous and inept as Servius Sulpicius Galba, then they would undoubtedly prefer Artorius Pendragon, a man with unparalleled power and wealth.

Although for now, only the younger sons of senatorial families or minor nobles were flocking around Artorius, hoping for political opportunities, this could also be seen as an indicator.

Once Artorius made clear their 'good intentions' towards the Roman Senate and made some promises, perhaps with a bit of manipulation, the number of senates willing to kneel before him would be considerable.

Nero was well aware of all this, just as much as the Roman soldiers who had secretly colluded with the approaching army.

She simply pretended not to know.

As Artorius entered her tent, her smile remained as bright as sunshine.

"Artorius~!"

She rushed into Artorius's arms as if reuniting with a long-lost lover, affectionately and with a gaze full of tenderness.

"Are you out of your mind? Have you caught a fever?"

Looking at Nero in this state, Artorius asked with a hint of concern.

"What are you talking about? So rude!" Mumbling these words, Nero pouted. "I sincerely welcome your return, y'know."

"As a wife welcoming her husband, of course, I've got to be a bit enthusiastic. And at this moment, you should also show some love towards me." She continued to complain.

Meanwhile, Artorius noticed the panic and anxiety in Nero's eyes. It seemed her negative emotions arose because he didn't cooperate with her.

"Have you thought about what to do in tomorrow's decisive battle?" Artorius calmly asked, abruptly changing the topic.

"Our army is vast, numbering over three hundred thousand (with the remaining two hundred thousand splitting into two to attack other regions of Gaul). We outnumber the enemy by far. But Caesar is no pushover. Moreover, they have several Servants, including the previously seen Leonidas, the Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra, and Caesar himself."

"So, if we want to win this battle gracefully, we need to calculate our moves carefully."

While Artorius spoke, Nero continued to smile.

"But it's alright, isn't it?" Nero responded as she leaned in and hugged his arm. "With Artorius, no matter who the opponent is, you'll always emerge victorious, right?"

"Obviously." Artorius smiled. "I will defeat anyone who stands before me, whether it's Alexander, Caesar, or anyone else. I will crush each and every opponent in front of me, proving that I am the strongest, the best, and the most suitable Emperor of Rome."

After making that statement, Artorius felt a twinge of regret. After all, the girl standing in front of him, hugging his arm, believed herself to be the greatest Roman Emperor. Didn't that imply he indirectly suggested she was inferior to him?

'Well, when she starts complaining, just go along with it and comfort her..." Artorius thought to himself.

However, to his surprise, Nero didn't show any sign of disagreement with his statement. She just accepted it silently with a smile.

"In just over half a year, you've built an empire from scratch, occupying half of it, and even more territories."

"On this land, you've allowed the ruled residents to live with happiness, and they wholeheartedly support you. You've raised an army of five hundred thousand at once, even suppressing heroes like Caesar and Alexander from history."

"You have reasons to be proud, Artorius."

As she spoke like that with a gentle tone, Nero's eyes sparkled, making Artorius's inner unease even stronger.

'What's wrong with this girl? Is it because she acknowledges me as emperor due to my charm and strength...? Or maybe something else...'

That does feed Artorius's vanity. But at the same time, he felt that Nero was not acting normally.

This unease didn't disappear with Nero's following playful interactions and her blushing face, and it only intensified.

'What's going on with Nero?'

With these doubts, Artorius stepped onto the battlefield against Caesar.