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Arcueid, the princess of the True Ancestor.
Marisbury never imagined he would see this name on Chaldea's list one day. He had heard that Quinn had a good relationship with this True Ancestor Princess, but he never expected that the two were so close that they could directly include this great figure on Chaldea's list.
The problem is, Quinn is easy to exploit, but Marisbury doesn't want him! If someone like that joins Chaldea, it will directly distort the nature of this otherwise neutral organization. Currently, both the Mage's Association and the Church are considered Chaldea's investors, but if Arcueid joins Chaldea, it might incur the Church's displeasure.
After all, the feud between the Holy Church and the vampires has lasted for thousands of years, and there are even extreme departments like the Heretic Burial Agency that specifically target heretics and outcasts.
Marisbury even suspected that if Arcueid joined Chaldea, this extreme department might try to kill both the Chaldea magicians and the True Ancestor's princess.
However, just as Marisbury was about to return the application to Quinn, an email from the Church interrupted his thoughts. When he saw the contents of the letter, the monarch of astronomy was bewildered. The letter explained that the Church was aware of Quinn's application and was showing its goodwill in supporting Quinn's experiment.
This is the first time in so many years that the Church has backed down a heretical magician.
But since the Church of Sanctuary had made it clear that it would not create a rift with Chaldea because of Arcueid, he had no reason to continue to stop it. He could only marvel at Quinn's amazing social skills, then crumpled the application into a ball and threw it into the wastebasket. He picked up the phone on the table and silently dialed Europa's number.
A few days later, when Quinn reappeared in the Chaldea spirit transfer facility, the pop-up window from the simulator lit up in front of him again.
[New script detected]
[The new scenario – Kingdom of Seven Hills – has been loaded. A special character has been detected within the scenario. Because you have been set as a special focus by 'God of Catholicism', you can choose a legendary origin in this scenario.]
【saver】：When the great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns walks on the earth, a 'Messiah' will emerge from among the people to fight against the beasts, with the mission of saving the world. He will go to the Pearl, to the prosperous capital of the ancient empire—Rome, and there end the fateful struggle with the beasts.
Chapter 271 The Unrecognized Roman Emperor
Nero Claudius.
With the sudden death of the former emperor Claudius I, this young man, not yet seventeen, stood at the pinnacle of power in the Roman Empire, becoming the most influential and authoritative figure in the entire European world.
Today, as she ascends the throne, officers of the Praetorian Guard escort her through the streets and the Senate. Countless Roman citizens line the streets with flowers to welcome the new monarch's procession. Even the Senate, which has historically been at odds with the emperor, unanimously supports the young man's rule. It seems that the entire Roman Empire, from top to bottom, welcomes the young man's rise to power and wholeheartedly welcomes his arrival.
But when the day's work was over, and the new emperor, who appeared to be in the limelight, sat alone on her large bed in her palace, she removed all the pretense that covered her appearance.
The young woman lay alone in bed, her body trembling from dizziness and persistent pain, the discomfort emanating from her brain causing her to moan in agony.
Inheriting this vast empire and becoming the pinnacle of imperial power may seem glamorous to outsiders, but only Nero himself, who became emperor, knew that this position held only endless calamities.
Because the foundation upon which she became emperor was entirely based on her mother's meticulously planned, bloody conspiracy and the sinful infighting within her own family, her throne was unstable and her foundation was not deep. In order to gain a foothold, she promised the Praetorian Guard enormous wealth and the Senate a great deal of power in order to barely stabilize the political chaos within the empire. However, outside the palace, a crisis was also looming over the Roman Empire.
The recent rebellions in the Jewish and British provinces have left deep, unhealed wounds on this vast empire.
These two rebellions caused the previously peaceful foreign provinces, far from the political center of Rome, to begin to stir. All these changes caused the newly enthroned monarch great distress. In addition, her headaches, which she had suffered from since childhood and were suspected to be related to her mother, further aggravated the young man's distress.
However, while all of this annoyed Nero, it didn't cause her to feel so distressed that she was dizzy and disoriented.
The root of her pain at this moment is just one thing.
The ancestors of Rome refused to acknowledge her as the Roman emperor.
According to Roman tradition, when each ruler ascended the throne, they should go to the most revered temple in the seven hills to offer sacrifices to the ancient goddess who founded Rome and pray for her blessing.
The former emperor Claudius I accomplished this, ruling the country for many years in the name of the Roman goddess of protection. Even though he did not achieve any particularly legendary feats during this period, the Romans still loved this emperor, simply because he was recognized by the ancient goddess.
However, today, with Nero on the throne, the temple of the goddess who founded Rome remains closed.
The goddess who resided in that enormous ancient temple, and who held a position of equal status with the founding gods of Rome in the eyes of all Romans, refused to meet with Nero and did not give her the opportunity to offer sacrifices.
Although the news has been jointly suppressed by the Senate and the Praetorian Guard, who have been promised benefits, and has not yet spread beyond the palace, the experience of not being recognized by the goddess has become a deep-seated worry for this young woman. It is even more painful and frightening than her experience of rising to power and the crisis she is about to face. Given the goddess's status in the hearts of the Romans, she has no doubt that once the news gets out, she will be met with a sharp knife from the Romans themselves.
If Nero didn't know why she hadn't gained the goddess's approval, that would be one thing, but she already had a guess in her heart.
Because she came to power illegitimately.
Her stepfather, Claudius I, died of food poisoning at a family dinner. Although there was no evidence, everyone suspected that the emperor's death was the result of a conspiracy orchestrated by his wife, Nero's mother. This wicked woman had meticulously murdered all the heirs except Nero in order to put Nero on the throne. It is not surprising that a woman so eager for power would murder her husband.
Under such suspicion, Nero herself was also suspected of patricide, after all, she was the biggest beneficiary of this conspiracy, but the problem was... Nero never intended to become emperor in this way.
The thought that he had not gained the goddess's approval might be due to his wicked mother made Nero feel extremely ashamed and wronged.
It is true that she did have the desire to become emperor, but she did not want to become emperor in this way. What she longed for was to sit on the imperial throne amidst the cheers and love of the gods and the people, just like the ancient ancestor of Rome, who conquered the goddess and established the city of Rome with the blessings of the gods.
But now, all of this may be out of her reach.
How could someone suspected of murdering his father possibly gain the approval of the goddess of the nation?
These thoughts swirled in the young woman's mind, making her migraine worse. She writhed in pain on the bed, feeling that perhaps tonight, the goddess would punish her with death for not stopping her mother from murdering her father. But when the pain subsided, death did not come; instead, there was a crisp knocking on the door.
Before Nero could reply, the door to the bedchamber was pushed open. There was only one person in the palace who could do something so disrespectful.
"Nero, how can you still be so leisurely sitting here?!"
The voice of Agrippina, Nero's birth mother, echoed in Nero's already chaotic mind. This voice, almost devoid of any affection, made Nero's mind even more painful. She couldn't understand why she had such a mother, but facing the woman who gave her life and went to great lengths to put her on the throne, she couldn't feel even a trace of resentment.
"Mother... I have a headache." The complex emotions she felt compelled to utter these almost pleading words.
Hearing this, Agrippina the Younger showed a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. She took the silver cup from the tray carried by the maid beside her, and gracefully went to Nero's side, holding the silver cup to the young emperor's lips. "It's alright, I'm right here. Drink it, it'll be fine after you drink it."
When Nero drank the medicine-laced beverage from the silver cup, the pain in her head eased slightly, at least it no longer affected her normal thinking.
"Mother, what happened? Why are you here so late?"
“Berles had news to report to you, but he knocked on your door for ages and got no response, so he had to come and wake me. Since you’re still awake, we need to deal with this quickly.” Little Agrippina sat down next to Nero and said in an educational tone, “Those Christians have been spreading some rumors lately, claiming that the Roman Empire has been abandoned by the Jewish God, and that their God has sent new prophets to guide the Christians. This is a contempt for imperial authority.”
Upon hearing this, Nero's face showed a hint of anger.
She was already in a bad mood, and now the Christians in the city dared to make things difficult for her; they were really being inconsiderate. (The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the initial statement.)
However, just as she was plotting to punish these Christians, Agrippina the Younger continued, "Not only that, it is said that some people have seen the prophet's figure, according to those who have witnessed the so-called prophet's appearance..."
"He looked exactly like the ancestors of Rome, and he called himself Europa."
In an instant, Nero stood frozen in place. Her head was still throbbing, but that was nothing compared to the shock brought by Agrippina's words. Moreover, when she heard the word "Europa," she felt an unprecedented calm. A strong will soothed her soul, and with the tranquility of her mind, the throbbing pain in her head quickly subsided.
“Europa…” Nero murmured the name unconsciously, oblivious to the disdain in her mother’s eyes. “I remember, the Phoenician princess of Greece seemed to have the same name?”
"Why do you care about all this? He's just a conman who disregards imperial authority. You just need to send someone to arrest and execute him, Nero. You will do just that."
Little Agrippina's voice rang in Nero's ears. Normally, she might have already submitted to the will of her mother, who had left her with considerable psychological trauma. But this time, for some reason, Nero no longer felt any fear. She only felt curiosity about the owner of this name, so she spoke.
"Of course, I will find him. I want to see what kind of person is worthy of the name of the princess that even the great god Jupiter could fall for."
Hearing this answer, Agrippina the Younger left satisfied. She was now certain that her daughter was still under her control, and she could use this weak daughter to take control of everything in the country. However, as she left, Nero, once again alone, suddenly stood up from his bed.
The young girl casually threw on some clothes, took a candle, and left her chambers. She felt that the title was somewhat familiar. Apart from the Phoenician princess in Greek mythology, she should have seen this title in some ancient Greek book. With this thought in mind, Nero headed towards the royal library.
By the dim light of the candle, Nero finally found what he was looking for in the royal library: an ancient manuscript recorded by the Spartans, recounting the legend of the founding of the city of seven hills in ancient Rome.
In this manuscript, Nero saw the word Europa again.
Her pale index finger traced the rough papyrus paper as she slowly read a sentence.
"The legendary hero Kratos traveled to the New World, where he established the heroic city that the world longed for. He traveled with the serpent goddess and named the New World... Europa."
Chapter 272 This is Rome
The air was filled with the clamor of voices—the sounds of men in linen toga robes arguing fiercely, their young children playing the roles of ancient heroes and frolicking until the men's arguments ended, and the mothers of these children chatting with young men, their faces flushed with the blush of love.
When Quinn broke free from the influence of the spirit transfer and opened his eyes, he saw a scene filled with classic Mediterranean style.
Power, glory, romance, and love—these three are practically synonymous with Rome, a tradition the Romans are proud of, and a flavor Quinn is familiar with. Even during his reign, the Romans were already like this.
After the War of the Gods' Agents ended, Rome, as the strongest victorious nation, naturally enjoyed the sustenance from the Greek and Mediterranean countries. This victory also allowed the Romans living in Rome to enjoy the wealth and prosperity of the entire Mediterranean region.
At that time, even the poorest free citizens in Rome could enjoy the seasoning of salt and spices and have at least one slave in their homes. The Romans, living in such a prosperous era, naturally had a vision far beyond that of their contemporaries. Adult men began to instinctively pursue power, young children longed to gain heroic honors when they grew up, and even women could freely pursue their own love.
Now that he has arrived in Rome in the future, and sees that the Romans are still the same as before, instead of becoming some kind of super-divine beings with outrageously high moral standards and an absurd situation where no one picks up lost items on the street, Quinn is relieved.
This is what he thinks people of this era should be like.
But what Quinn saw as normal was somewhat stimulating to one of the modern people traveling with him.
When she saw a young and beautiful mother embracing another young man in the street in front of her husband, intending to find a secluded corner to discuss the mysteries of life, and her husband did nothing to stop her, Ayaka Sajou felt that her moral values were being put to a great test.
Arcueid, who also witnessed everything, covered her mouth, her face full of astonishment. "Are these the Romans? So open-minded?"
"That's normal, that's Rome."
Quinn was already used to this, and simply explained the customs of the Romans to the two ladies so that they wouldn't keep staring at the locals. After all, for Romans of that era, marriage was always a family and social obligation, and only extramarital affairs were considered true love and romance for the individual.
If Ayaka Sajou and Arcueid, unable to adapt to the Romans' usual practices, utter something clearly out of place for this era in front of the locals, or do something that could affect the course of history, it could easily lead to the emergence of a singularity. After all, this time, they didn't travel to an independent world that was cut out from the ground up, but rather to the Roman Empire that should have been destroyed, but which suddenly didn't because of their actions. In that case, they would have created a singularity with their own hands.
but……
Quinn glanced furtively at his origins this time. He figured that even if he hadn't come here, Chaldea would probably have detected a singularity within a few days.
Damn it, the Sixth Beast is still chasing me!
He truly hadn't expected that this damn thing, after being utterly destroyed by him in Britannia, would actually come back to Rome. But upon closer reflection, he found it reasonable. After all, in FGO, the Sixth Beast possessed the body of the Roman Emperor Nero, standing against Chaldea in the name of the Draco Beast. However, this Draco Beast quickly succumbed to the charm of the Grand Succubus and obediently became a pawn of the Chaldea Master.
But now, that Grand Succubus's Master, who specializes in attacking Servants, hasn't entered Chaldea, and Quinn feels that he'll probably have to crush that guy again this time.
Just as he was thinking this, the Romans in the Piazza della Signoria noticed Quinn and his two companions. Soon, Quinn and the others became the focus of attention in the entire Piazza della Signoria. The Romans, who were originally engrossed in their own affairs, all cast deep gazes at them. This feeling of being watched instantly interrupted Quinn's thoughts.
Quinn looked around and was instantly filled with dread.
It wasn't surprising that the gazes of the Romans looking at them were mostly filled with desire. After all, both Aika Sajou and Arcueid, who were accompanying Quinn, were rare beauties. The former, as a pampered modern woman, would still be considered a fair-skinned and beautiful woman in this era, even without the added advantage of being a princess. Her Eastern appearance, extremely rare in the Mediterranean region, was a genuine exotic charm to the Romans. As for the latter…
Having the same appearance as the moon, even with her blonde hair that the Romans considered barbarian, Arcueid's inhuman charm, stemming from her vampire heritage, cannot be concealed.
It's safe to say that it's impossible for these two to stand together without attracting attention. Any human being with normal desires would notice them, but...
In this Roman Forum, only a handful of people were truly looking at Sajou Aika and Arcueid with lustful eyes, and judging from their oriental appearances, they were clearly merchants who had come to Rome to do business. As for the native Romans, their eyes were all focused on Quinn alone.
Women, children, men...
All the Romans were focused on Quinn, and in their eyes, there was an almost undisguised fanatical desire, a mixture of awe, admiration, and even adoration. This fanatical gaze sent chills down Quinn's spine, as if four naked giants were standing behind him, making his hair stand on end.
He would rather the crowd’s attention be on Ayaka Sajou and Arcueid than be stared at like that.
Just as Quinn was feeling unwell and was about to turn and run away, one of the men who had been debating in the square suddenly stepped out, walked straight up to Quinn, and said, "Sir, is this your first time in Rome?"
"you are?"
The man who spoke to him didn't seem to have any desire in his eyes, but the undisguised shock and admiration in them, as if he were looking at a work of art, still made Quinn feel uncomfortable. Although it wasn't the first time he had been stared at like this, considering the traditional customs of the Romans, he wondered if this man was the kind who was very good at disguising himself. Quinn felt that he should still worry about his personal safety.
“Lucius Agnès Seneca, advisor to His Majesty the Emperor, I have served as consul in Rome for many years.”
As the man spoke, he sized up Quinn's body, which was even taller than his own, his eyes full of admiration for his muscular physique. But the more closely he looked at him, the more he felt that something was off about the man's physique, and his gaze changed from initial envy to a hint of panic.
Although covered by a long robe, the man could roughly deduce Quinn's physical outline from the exposed parts of his body, and instinctively compare him to people he knew. (The last sentence appears to be unrelated and possibly a separate thought: "You Lin Xiangmei isn't free. You Lin Zaizai isn't here...")
After a moment of mental activity, the governor, who claimed to be an advisor to the emperor, was surprised to find that, in his mind, the only bodies comparable to Quinn's were the statues of gods carved in religious temples. In an instant, a terrible thought flashed through his mind, and his tone of voice became humble and enthusiastic.
“I have never seen such an unforgettable figure in Rome. If we had met before, I would certainly remember your name. May I have the honor of knowing your name?”