Lancelot had already removed his helmet, and his face was filled with loss and despair. The King actually claimed not to know him...
"Yes, My King."
Shirou looked at the two of them speechlessly. How had they started chatting like this? Was it really that hard to state their names?
Lancelot was blind too. Although Nero looked very similar to Artoria, the differences were just as obvious, weren't they?
"Sorry, I think there may have been some misunderstanding between you two. I believe we should introduce ourselves first. I'll start. My name is Shirou. I have no surname."
"As expected of my Master. Well said."
Nero gripped the hilt of her sword with both hands, raised her chin, and puffed out her chest as she declared imposingly:
"I am the Fifth Emperor of the Roman Empire, Nero Claudius."
"Though I had wished to descend in the strongest Saber class, the Saber class was already occupied. Therefore—in this Holy Grail War, I descended here as a Caster."
"How is that possible?" Kariya Matou could not help saying. "That cruel tyrant Nero is actually a girl?"
Shirou nodded slightly, then said:
"What I'm curious about is something else. As far as I know, Your Majesty Nero seemed unable to take on the Caster class because of your headaches?"
"Master, your information is mistaken. I was indeed born with chronic headaches, which prevented my artistic talent, comparable to Apollo's, from being fully displayed."
Nero paused, then said with great pride:
"However, my headaches were later cured by my Emperor's Husband, so I can take on any class."
Tyrant and Beloved
Tyrant and Beloved
Emperor's Husband?
He had never heard that Nero had an Emperor's Husband.
And this so-called Emperor's Husband had actually been able to cure a congenital headache.
At that moment, an inexplicable suspicion rose within Shirou. He subconsciously checked Nero's stats.
Nero Claudius Strength: C Endurance: C Agility: B Mana: A+ Luck: EX Noble Phantasm: EX Skills: Emperor's Privilege EX, Imaginary Around A+, Tyrant and Beloved EX Noble Phantasms: Chariot of Argalia A, Aestus Domus Aurea EX
"So many EX ranks. Is Your Majesty Nero actually such a powerful Heroic Spirit? But what the hell is Tyrant and Beloved?"
"Were you frightened, Master? Applaud my talent to your heart's content."
Shirou gave a few helpless claps, then turned to the utterly bewildered Lancelot and sighed.
"That's how it is. She isn't the King Arthur you serve, but Nero, Emperor of the Roman Empire. She just happens to look like her."
"This... I was terribly rude just now. I am Lancelot, Knight of the Round Table under King Arthur."
Lancelot calmed down and gradually accepted the truth.
Still, looking at Nero's face, which was identical to Artoria's, he remained somewhat dazed.
"Does the King Arthur you serve resemble me?"
"Yes, almost exactly."
"She has the same appearance as me?" Nero showed a hint of curiosity, then smiled. "To meet in this Holy Grail War is also a kind of fate... From now on, let us strive together for victory."
"Yes, King... Your Majesty Nero."
The Roman Empire, two thousand years ago.
Shirou paced anxiously back and forth outside the door, occasionally entering the White Mist Space to check on things.
Nero was resting inside at the moment. If she woke up and discovered that her boots were missing, she would definitely be furious.
That would be troublesome.
She was, after all, the infamous Tyrant Nero. It was hard to say how she would deal with a thief.
The worst-case scenario was being hanged.
"I wonder whether the other me has summoned a Servant yet? Nero isn't exactly a powerful Servant. Relying on Nero to win the Fourth Holy Grail War feels a little dicey, doesn't it?"
"Gate of Babylon and Ionioi Hetairoi are both Noble Phantasms beyond normal standards. Nero doesn't have any way to deal with them."
"Rather than summoning Nero, it would've been better to summon Archer."
"Still, I can understand how that me feels."
"After all, taking the initiative really is important. If he truly summoned Archer, there was no way Archer would listen to his younger self."
"Ah... Life isn't easy. Nobody has it easy."
"Seriously, we're both Shirou. Why did that me get to reincarnate as a Celestial Dragon? That's outright cheating."
At that moment, a voice suddenly came from inside the room:
"Where are my boots? Who took my boots?"
She was awake!
Shirou's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly entered the White Mist Space.
After looking around, he quickly found Nero's Riding Boots.
Beside the boots was a note that read:
Thanks. I've already summoned Nero.
"Glad I could help."
Shirou let out a long breath, put away the note, hugged the Riding Boots to his chest, and hurriedly left the White Mist Space.
He opened the door and entered the room, only for his gaze to meet Nero's.
"What are you doing with my boots, My Lord?"
Seeing that Nero did not look pleased, Shirou panicked. Just as he was about to explain, he suddenly recalled something an ancient man had once done and immediately decided to borrow the idea.
"It's rather cold today. I was worried your feet would get chilly, so I thought I'd warm the boots against my chest. That way, your feet wouldn't freeze when you put them on."
The moment he finished speaking, he noticed that Nero's gaze had become extremely strange. He could not help lowering his head and saying softly:
"Sorry."
Nero stared at Shirou for a while, then said with a light laugh:
"So My Lord harbors feelings of affection for me? Having the courage to speak your heart is behavior worth encouraging."
"I am rather fond of you as well. However, the difference in status between us is enormous. It is almost impossible for us to be together."
At that, she paused, thought for a moment, and continued:
"If you can win this year's Nero Festival, I may grant you a fief."
"Of course, that would merely grant you noble status. Wanting to be with me would still be impossible."
"However, the Nero Festival is held every year and has many events. If you can achieve victory many times, the size of your fief can continue to increase."
"If you wish to become my Emperor's Husband, then work hard and keep winning!"
"Of course, as the world's greatest artist, I shall naturally participate in the contests as well."
Shirou's eyes grew brighter and brighter. By the end, his blood seemed to be boiling.
"Princess Nero, I will definitely win the Nero Festival, then propose to you openly and honorably."
With two thousand years of knowledge at his disposal, once he obtained a fief, he would certainly be able to develop it into Rome's brightest jewel.
When that time came, marrying Nero would surely be effortless.
To be honest, he had fantasized before about marrying Nero and reaching the pinnacle of life.
But fantasies were fantasies. After all, the gap in their status was right there.
People of matching status were the choice most people made.
And now that he had suddenly discovered his fantasy might become reality, Shirou's heart was full of excitement. He even had the urge to jump up and cheer loudly.
Two thousand years later, Shirou was dreaming in a hotel room.
In the dream, he seemed like a guardian spirit standing behind a young woman, watching her compete in all sorts of events.
She was clearly a King and already twenty-seven or twenty-eight, no longer young, yet she still lived like a child.
Willful, narcissistic, arrogant, extravagant in her lifestyle, and utterly without restraint when spending money.
She acted on every whim, possessing no awareness of an emperor's responsibilities. She even bribed judges at competitions to declare her the winner.
She could not be considered a tyrant, but calling her a foolish ruler would not be unfair in the slightest.
Yet despite that, she remained deeply beloved by the people and bore the title Flower of Rome.
During her reign, the Roman Empire's territory expanded again and again. The people within the nation lived in abundance, and both nobles and commoners held her in extremely high regard.
The reason was that an Emperor's Husband silently supported her from behind.
All governmental affairs were handled perfectly by the Emperor's Husband. She only needed to enjoy herself.
After ruling for thirty years, when she abdicated, the people saw her off in droves and begged her not to leave.
When the dream ended, Shirou opened his eyes, looked at the sunlight outside the window, and thought:
Is it morning already?
Recalling the contents of the dream, the corners of Shirou's lips rose slightly, and his face gained a trace of a smile.
The Emperor's Husband really was another me.
Still, he had thought the Beloved referred to the other him. He had not expected that the Beloved actually referred to Nero herself.
Both a tyrant and a beloved. How interesting.
Such Petty Behavior
Such Petty Behavior
Early morning, after breakfast, inside the hotel room.
At Kariya Matou's suggestion, the group began discussing their strategy for the Holy Grail War.
Of course, in reality, it was only Kariya Matou, the Master, arguing with Shirou.
"The Saber Group will not be able to fly to Fuyuki City for another few days. In other words, the Holy Grail War has not officially begun yet."
Shirou paused, then continued:
"Therefore, on the day the Saber Group arrives in Fuyuki City, we should launch a surprise attack on the Tohsaka family and deal with the most troublesome Servant first."
As for Hassan, Shirou had already ignored him.
Gate of Babylon was absurdly broken, but in the end, Gilgamesh was only one person, while they had two Servants here.
With Nero and Lancelot working together, they should be able to eliminate Gilgamesh.
Without Gilgamesh, there was nothing to fear from the remaining Servants, even if they joined forces.
"That works. However, Shirou cannot show himself. I'll go alone." Kariya Matou spoke with utmost seriousness.
Before you continue