Songs
Strategy Meeting: Dayspring (Fire Emblem Echoes Shadows of Valentia OST)
Japan's Rise to Power: Kaguya Otsutsuki Theme (Naruto Shippuden OST)
Roman Army: Zelgius the Brave (Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn OST)
Palace of Versailles: La Folia (Arcangelo Corelli)
Nobunaga Talk with Emperor: Senya (Naruto Shippuden OST)
Sitting at a conference table in the soldier's barracks within the palace grounds, Ritsuka's group was watching Robert brief them with a map of the empires' lands.
"So, to give you a bit of background...there were numerous servants summoned, all of them having loyalties to their homelands, one of the empires. We all started expanding our territory before inevitably meeting the other monarchs in conflict. Eventually, we reached a point where we all pulled back, because our empires became the size that they are now, and invading further would, as we said, exhaust the resources at our disposal."
"So how does the hierarchy of these nations work?" Raikou asked.
"All of them have a ruler, who then has a both a military commander and a political advisor appointed. The commander also has a lieutenant at his side, and then the soldiers work under them, servants or not. We have Queen Elizabeth, Victoria, myself, my lieutenant Scathach, and then Drake, Cu, and the others." Robert explained.
"And the others?" Hayashi looked at the map.
"The Roman Empire to the far south covers most of Mediterannean Europe, and is centered in Rome. Constantine is the Emperor, with Trajan acting as his military commander and Hadrian as his political advisor. Trajan's lieutenant is Julius Caesar, and other than that, Romulus is their only other servant." He pointed to the area that the empire occupied on the map.
"The Russian Empire to the east occupies the largest amount of land but prides themselves more on political accomplishments rather than the strength of their armies, even though they are still incredibly powerful in that regard. Their land stretches from the western border of Europe all the way to the eastern border of Asia's mainland. Catherine II leads them, with Peter the Great being her military commander and Ivan the Great her political advisor. They have no other servants on their side." Victoria explained next.
"The French Empire to the immediate south covers Spain and most of Continental Europe. They're led by Louis XIV, whose military commander is Charlemagne, and the political advisor Louis IX. Charlemagne's lieutenant is Napoleon Bonaparte, and other than that, they have Marie Antoinette and Antonio Salieri on their side. Of all the rulers, King Louis is the strongest in combat, and so most armies give flee on sight commands if they are to meet either him or Charlemagne on the battlefield." Robert explained again.
"And as for the Empire of Japan…" Elizabeth began.
"Yes?" Hayashi looked at her intently.
"I'm afraid we don't know much about them, to be honest. They were not an empire when all of this first began. There was a Chinese Empire at first."
"Oh ho...I was wondering about that."
"Indeed. The Zuihou, or Final Dynasty, as they called it, led by Qin Shi Huang with military commander Xiang Yu and political advisor Wu Zetian. There were other servants as well, such as Yan Qing and Qin Liangyu. They were very powerful, but got caught up in a war with the Mongol Empire to the north, led by Genghis Khan, with military commander Attila and political advisor Kublai Khan. The other empires stayed out of it, and the two powers remained at war for months, tiring each other out and losing many soldiers. They gathered their remaining forces for one final battle, with Qin and Genghis promising to fight each other in single combat for the win. But at that battle, it's said that two samurai appeared and annihilated the entire Mongolian and Chinese forces before swiftly taking control of their lands and becoming the Empire of Japan."
"Do you know anything about these samurai?" Raikou asked seriously.
"Nothing more than that their strength is second to none, at least close to the strength of Louis, perhaps even greater. They called themselves 'The First' and 'The Last.'"
"The First and Last…" Ritsuka mumbled.
"Shoguns?" Raikou asked.
"In that case, it would be Minamoto no Yoritomo and Tokugawa Yoshinobu. But the latter isn't very likely. I wonder if it's Emperors instead? But there isn't a last Emperor...I don't know." Hayashi thought out loud.
"Do you know anything else about the Empire?" Raikou asked.
"Their political advisor is Tokugawa Ieyasu. And the other two unifiers work in the military forces, Hideyoshi and Nobunaga." Victoria told her.
"Even without knowing the identities of their military commander or ruler, just those three pose a sizable threat by themselves." Hayashi crossed his arms. "From what I can understand from all this, we need help. We have the smallest amount of land, and since India's already on the defensive, it wouldn't be easy or smart to travel there just to act as backup. Have you thought about forming an alliance?"
"It's off the table. All of these rulers are only looking out for their own nations. Catherine is very shrewd, and would pull the strings on us from behind the scenes, I'm sure. We don't know enough about Japan, and Louis hates Protestants. And after what happened in Rome, that's a no as well." Elizabeth answered.
"Wait a minute...don't put it off the table yet. Circumstances have changed, and things might just work in our favor." Hayashi stood up.
"What do you mean?" Robert asked.
"It might have been rather fortunate for us that we arrived in Rome first, and escaped capture. These other powers are historically more strategic in their military campaigns, but the Romans were very proud soldiers, almost like Spartans. It's very likely that they're going to march on us because we disgraced them in public in front of the top three people in the empire. And to do that, they'd have to pass through France."
"Louis and his army would crush them!" Victoria exclaimed.
"But that means that the French Empire would gain even more land and be comparable to Russia." Elizabeth said.
"That's one possibility. But it's unlikely. Constantine is proud, but he's not stupid. He knows that an all out war with France just to get here isn't worth it. In which case, it's much more plausible that he's going to try and form an alliance with them or a truce of some kind to pass through and get to us, which is even worse. So I have an idea, and it all depends on who acts quicker."
"What did you have in mind?"
"It's clear to me that we need to form an alliance with someone, and right now France seems like our best option, even if your religions differ. Now that Rome has started to move again and break this long stalemate, they'll recognize that they need to do it out of necessity, not differences."
"They really have no need for extra power against Rome, though. They can defeat them by themselves."
"True, but this is Louis XIV we're talking about here, a very stubborn and lavish king. If nothing else, it's extra firepower to cement both his and the French Empire's position, something he'll want when he likely fights against Japan. We may have to promise him that we'll continue to let him be the king of the new United Eurasian Empire once this is all over, at least for now, just to get him on our side. Because if we do this quickly enough, then when Rome tries to pass through France, they'll have no choice but to fight them off because of the rules in our alliance. After that, we can deal with Russia and Japan."
"It's solid, but who's to say that France won't betray us in the middle of the fight and side with Rome?" Jeanne asked.
"If that happens, then I'll be honest with you, we'll be out of luck. We'll have to fight the leaders directly and pray that we beat them in hopes of stopping the empires in their tracks. But we should at least try to talk to Louis about this."
"We need to make an impression. I want you to go in person along with Robert. I'll give you a letter in my own handwriting detailing the terms of our alliance so he knows that I'm advocating for it."
"Understood. We shall make haste, Your Majesty." Robert bowed to her, and Ritsuka's group went to prepare.
X
"Master?!" Scathach stood up, looking straight at Ritsuka as they walked into the barracks.
"Scathach!" He said excitedly, running over to her.
"Are you here to fix the singularity?"
"Yes. You're the Lieutenant Commander of the British Empire's military forces?"
"Indeed I am. I serve King Robert and Queens Victoria and Elizabeth." She bowed when she saw him.
"At ease, Scathach. Let me brief you on the situation. Ritsuka and his group will be assisting us with the war effort. They've come up with a strategy that we're going to attempt to follow through with, and time is of the essence. Due to what happened in Rome, the Roman army is likely going to attempt to march on the British Isles. To do that, they'll have to pass through France, and to do that as enemies of the French Empire means to lose the war, since they would be routed. So, they will probably try to form a truce of some kind or an alliance to pass through without trouble, or work with them to defeat us. As such, we are going to attempt to form an alliance with France first by travelling to Versailles and pleading our case. If all goes well, then France will assist us in wiping out Rome, and then we can go after Russia and Japan after that."
"I understand. Would you like me to come along?"
"No, I am accompanying them. I need you to stay here and look after our forces in our stead. However, make sure that they are ready to march should we need them."
"Understood, commander."
"Good luck. Let's get going, everyone. The Queen should have written her letter by now. Back to the palace."
X
"Here you are." Elizabeth handed Robert a fancy envelope with the royal seal.
"Ensure that no one but the leaders of the French Empire lay eyes on this letter. If anyone from Rome reads it first, we're done for."
"You have my word, Your Majesty." Robert bowed to her.
"Remember how important this is, Robert. If you fail, this war is over for us." Victoria reminded him.
"Of course. If we take horses, we'll be there in a little less than two days. The Romans will be marching on foot, meaning that it will take 11 days."
"I understand. Still be cautious. Do not underestimate them."
X
Robert brought them over to the stables, where they were given four horses, one for Robert, and three for the others to pair up on. Nero took the reins of one, Hayashi took the reins of the second, and Raikou the third, with Ritsuka riding with Raikou, Jeanne with Nero, and Ana with Hayashi.
They of course had to keep the horses to a light trot while in the city's confines, but before long, they reached the gates to the city, part of a massive fortress. As they walked through, they cracked the reins so their horses began to gallop, Robert leading them.
"Because we're using horses for transportation, we'll get there faster than on foot, but we'll also have to stop for their sakes. And eventually, at sunset, we'll have to set up a camp as well and collect some supplies. We should arrive in Versailles tomorrow if all goes well, but it's possible we'll have to sleep outside twice. I hope none of you mind." He nodded at them.
"We need not worry about making camp. We can rely on my Noble Phantasm to give us shelter." Anastasia spoke.
"I would advise against that. It wouldn't be good for anyone around here to happen upon a Russian fortress in British territory. Besides, it'll be good for you to experience life outside of a cushy palace sometimes. The same goes for you." Hayashi nodded to Nero.
"Camping isn't so bad, you know. Mash and I did it a few times in some of the singularities." Ritsuka said, thinking about those times.
"Did you ever camp?" Ana asked Hayashi.
"I always stayed in hotels. I could afford the best." He shook his head. "I'm not opposed to it though."
X
Four hours passed. They had slowed down for the horses' sake a few times, but now that the sun was beginning to set, Robert slowed down again.
"We should make camp near here, now that the sun is beginning to go down." Robert looked over his shoulder at the others, who nodded. Heading over to a small clearing out of the way, they got off of their horses and Raikou helped tie them to the trees, while Hayashi, Ana and Nero began to set up camp and Ritsuka and Jeanne went to collect firewood.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course, Master." Jeanne smiled warmly at him while he began to split logs with the axe they brought.
"What do you think of France? Of how it changed after your death?"
"Hmm...that's a tough one." She was slightly caught off guard by his serious question.
"When I was alive, France had been an established kingdom for nearly one thousand years already. I hear it changed hands a few times after my death, and eventually became an empire under Napoleon for a short time before becoming a republic."
"Are you happy with that?"
"Yes, if I'm being honest. But it's how most countries have progressed in this modern age. Monarchies, Oligarchies, and Dictatorships have fallen out of favor, and France was no exception."
"You're right. Even today, Britain and Japan's monarchs are much more of a ceremonial position while a form of parliament governs the actual federal decisions and activities."
"The separation of classes has clearly become smaller since my time." She giggled slightly, picking up another piece of firewood.
"Not exactly." He looked down, catching her attention.
"There's been an established middle class for a few centuries now, sure, but the gap between the wealthy and the middle are bigger than ever. These days, if you're not a millionaire, you're not considered rich."
"They can have their opinions, but I lived as a simple farmgirl and I was happy enough." She smiled.
"Well, you're unique among history. Were you around in France today, they would carry you around on their shoulders and treat you like a goddess."
Jeanne blushed, thinking about that, but then shaking her head.
"I would request that they not, were that to happen." she laughed. "Master, have you travelled at all before you came to Chaldea?"
"No, not really. I'm from Japan, but I never went outside of the country before coming here. But, with all of the rayshifting we've done, it's kind of like I visited a lot of countries! But at the same time, those aren't exactly travelling outside of Chaldea either…"
"I would consider them so. After all, I never went outside of France in my lifetime. So it's been nice to visit so many places with you." She smiled warmly at him, helping to bring back the firewood they had now finished cutting up.
"That's different, though. A lot of Heroic Spirits didn't get to travel too much in their own lifetimes, because travelling back then was a lot longer and a lot more taxing on people. Even if you went to England during your time because of the war, you would have to either walk or take a horse or carriage to the north edge of France, then cross the English Channel. Today, it's an hour to fly from Paris to London. I don't have as much of an excuse." He rubbed the back of his head.
"You're only 19 years old, Master. You're same age that I am. I would say that's a viable reason."
"You're 607, Jeanne." He smirked at her, making her step on his foot, pouting.
"I'm 19, Master! Don't you dare tell me otherwise!" She said, half laughing.
Arriving back at the campsite, they began to kindle the fire, with the horses now tied up and the tents pitched. Raikou and Robert were sitting around the fire, while Nero and Hayashi were lying down.
"Are you two alright?" Jeanne asked.
"I'm just taking everything in. The air here has a different feel and smell than Tuscany."
"Smell?" Ritsuka asked.
"Yeah. It's subtle, but Tuscany's air smelled more pure to me, somehow. I'm not really sure how to describe it. I just have somewhat of an infatuation with Italy. It's the most romantic and beautiful country in the world."
"Umu!" Nero agreed.
"Then why not move there? You lived in London for your whole life, right?"
"Yeah, because I worked for the Vice-Director directly, so I had to stay in London. Plus, I feel like if you live in a place that you consider a getaway, the magic is taken away. This way, I still enjoy Italy every time I return there."
"Hm. I never thought about it that way before…" Robert thought out loud, prompting the others to look at him.
"I lived in Scotland my whole life, so I kind of didn't appreciate the natural beauty of the land as much as I do now."
"Right." Hayashi nodded.
X
"Hayashi, can I ask you something?" Ritsuka looked over at him as they sat around the fire, having eaten the deer they hunted earlier. The sun was gone now, and the moonlight and stars were lighting up the night.
"What is it?" He asked without looking over, lying on his back and looking up at the stars.
"You've travelled to all sorts of places, haven't you?"
"Yeah."
"Where were your favorites?"
"How come? You want to travel too?"
"I was just thinking about it…I'm still young, but you aren't much older than me."
"If I'm being honest with you, a lot of my travelling was to escape my life in London...which I only returned to...but my favorite places to be were Venice, Vienna, and Kyoto. I just found them to be relaxing and really cool culturally."
"What about them did you like?" Jeanne asked, the others all leaning forward to listen.
"Well, my girlfriend always wanted to work at the Milan branch of the Mage's Association, because she loved it there, and so she could also be close to Venice for time off. It's the most beautiful and romantic city in the world after all. I loved it, but I didn't stay for long because it just reminded me that she wasn't there with me. Vienna was just full of history, and Kyoto was nice to get in touch with my roots and get away from life for a bit."
"What is Kyoto like nowadays?" Raikou asked.
"Actually, it's the number one tourist destination in Japan. It was spared from destruction in World War 2, so a lot of the country's ancient history is preserved there. Half of the city now has new buildings and modern stores and shopping centers there. It's modern, but not the massive city that Tokyo is; it still feels like Old Japan."
"How nostalgic…" Raikou hummed to herself.
"I wouldn't recommend travelling the way I did, Master. You should take the time to enjoy a place before moving on to the next one. I just tried to get as far away from my life as I could, only to return to it."
"Mm." Ritsuka looked back up at the stars.
X
"As I said the other day, those servants and their Master were going to turn the tide of this war and break this stalemate. And now that they have decided to flee to Britain, we are going to go after them and wipe out the British Empire."
"But what about France, Your Majesty?" Hadrian asked as they addressed the Roman army.
"I have already sent word ahead to King Louis yesterday. We are to meet with him and discuss working together on this matter." Trajan responded.
"Timing is everything, and they missed their chance by one day." Constantine smirked.
"Hear me, my soldiers! Just like in ancient times, Rome will once again rule the world! We just needed an opening, but now that there is one, we're going to use it to conquer the British Empire! With the new land and soldiers we gain, we'll continue on to defeat Russia, France, and Japan, and before long, we'll be in control of the largest empire this world has ever seen!"
The army cheered, and they gave the order to move out.
X
Ritsuka woke up slowly, his eyes adjusting to the bright blue sky of the English countryside. The others were already up, beginning to clean up their campsite.
"Good morning, Master!" Jeanne greeted.
"Good morning…" he yawned, turning over. "Are we leaving already? What time is it?"
"It's 9 AM right now." Hayashi said, walking over. "We let you sleep in a little longer. Our stuff is mostly cleaned up already, so we can pretty much leave once you're up."
"Alright." He stretched and got up. It didn't take long for the campsite to be cleaned up, and they were once again on their way. And a few hours later, they arrived in France, at the gate to Versailles.
"Your Majesty, a number of envoys from the British Empire are at the gates to the city."
"No doubt here to attempt to forge an alliance due to Rome's recent actions. Unfortunately for them, I've already given Emperor Constantine permission to pass through here. But they've gone through the effort to come here in person, I might as well listen to their own offer. Either way, whoever I side with and betray, I come out on top. Let them in and give them an escort to the palace." Louis looked over at Charlemagne, his military commander, who nodded.
"King Louis is granting you an audience. You may follow us to the palace." The guards opened the gates, and some guards on horses met them, bringing them to the palace grounds.
"This place is a little overkill, don't you think, Master?" Jeanne asked, sighing a bit.
"It's your country, you tell me."
"The King did renovations on it and turned it into the official royal residence during his own life, and now it is once again used as the French Empire's base of operations." One of the guards explained, looking over his shoulder. Getting off of their horses and opening the doors into the palace, the guards escorted them further into the building, before coming to the Throne Room, where the three servants who led the empire were sitting.
On the left throne was a man of average height who wore fancy robes, a blue and gold tunic with a red cape over it and a gold sword strapped to his side. A small gold crown adorned his medium length dark brown hair, and he had shiny black shoes.
On the right throne was a tall man, wearing black and white armor with a white cloak and a blue inside. There was a serrated longsword strapped to his side, and he had spiky black hair with tints of white in it.
In the middle throne sat a shorter man, but with extremely regal robes, black armor with a blue sash, and a blue, white, and gold cape draped around him. He had long curly black hair, and a golden sword strapped to his side.
"Well well! To think that even the British Commander of the Armed Forces would grace me with his presence! Welcome."
"Thank you for having us, Your Majesty." Robert bowed, as did the others.
"Of course. Now then, introductions. This is my political advisor, Former King Louis IX of France, and a Saint of the Catholic Church."
The man on the left nodded to them.
"And this is my Military Commander, Charlemagne."
The man on the right waved.
"I, of course, am Louis XIV, Former and Current King of France. Now then, I imagine that you are here to form an alliance of some kind, due to your actions in Rome."
"Yes, that's right. So you've heard." Robert answered.
"Indeed. The arrival of that Master and his Servants has broken the stalemate, and now we have to prepare ourselves for this worldwide war. But the state that we're in now, it's impossible to fight for ourselves due to how much effort it would take to wipe out another empire because of how much land and influence we now have. So the only logical conclusion is to put our differences aside and forge an alliance to combine our powers."
"I'm surprised that even France recognizes this, considering that you are one of the two most powerful empires in existence, and that nobody wants to fight you head on at all." Robert said as politely as possible.
"If we are to fight Japan, then we need help. Hell, every empire poses some form of threat to us. We can't take it lightly at this stage in the game. So, to get to that point, I hear that you are here to discuss an alliance with Britain."
"We are." Robert replied.
"Then what do you have to offer me?"
"It's all here in this letter, Your Majesty, from Queen Elizabeth to you." Hayashi spoke up, holding up the envelope.
"Oh ho, she wrote me a letter? Let me see it then." He waved his hand and Saint Louis used a spell to levitate the letter over to King Louis without anyone having to move.
The King opened it up carefully and let his eyes run along the lines, reading Elizabeth's offer with great interest, before looking back up at them.
"So the idea is to wipe out Rome together, and then move on to Russia and Japan, then cede control of the United Eurasian Empire to me without having to fight Britain for the crown?"
"That's right, Your Majesty. The leaders of Britain recognize that you are far too powerful to attempt to fight ourselves, and so it would be much easier to end this singularity this way instead." Ritsuka said.
"I see...unfortunately for all of you, I've already agreed to an alliance with Rome." He pulled out another letter, and all of their hearts sank while their faces turned into expressions of horror.
"We were too late…" Robert lamented.
"Word arrived here just the other day, shortly after your little skirmish in Rome. Constantine knew what was going to happen, and so he wasted no time. His alliance proposes that we wipe Britain out first, then work with Russia to take out Japan, before Catherine, Constantine, and I fight to the death, and the last one standing is the new Emperor of the United Empire."
"That does sound like something a Roman would come up with. With all due respect, Your Majesty, does our own offer not sound more enticing to you? There's no face off at the end for who rules what…wouldn't you rather have an alliance that simply promises you the Throne rather than one that doesn't respect you enough to value your strength and help?" Hayashi asked.
"An alliance that doesn't respect me, you say? That's not what this is about; an alliance is all about walking that line between self interest and necessity. They aren't conceding to me because they still want to attempt to take the throne for themselves."
"So you view our proposition as weak in comparison?"
"I didn't say that."
"Then why accept Rome's offer when you can see right through it? They're piggybacking on your strength and influence until the very end, when they can steal it out from under you."
"I'm well aware. But why do you think I accepted it in the first place? Because with three empires united, we can squash Japan, and then I can take down the other two."
"And you think you have the strength for that? Constantine is no joke, and Catherine is likely even more powerful."
"..."
"Is it not easier to wipe out Rome now? I know that we are the smallest empire, and we don't have as much military strength to offer as Rome or Russia, but think of it this way: you're wiping out the strongest empires with our help so that at the end of this whole war, it's between Britain and France."
"Just like old times…"
"And in this singularity, clearly you are the superior power, so why would we jeopardize ourselves fighting you for the throne? Or, if you wanted to wipe us out, you could do so easily." The others looked at Hayashi surprised when he went so far to secure this alliance.
"...They do make a valid point, Your Majesty. And if I may speak freely, Britain does not seem to have the same amount of pride in themselves that Rome does, meaning that they would not be as questionable to side with." Saint Louis remarked.
"...Would you give us a few minutes to discuss the matter further?" King Louis looked back to all of them.
"Very well." Robert nodded, and they were escorted out of the room by the guards.
"We'll bring you to the music room. You can wait there." As they got closer, they began to hear the soft playing of a piano. The guards took position outside of the room as they closed the doors when Ritsuka's group went inside. Sitting on the bench in front of the instrument were two familiar faces.
"Salieri? Marie?" Ritsuka asked before the two turned around.
"Master!" Marie called out happily. Salieri seemed unaffected and went back to playing.
"You two were summoned here as well?" Jeanne asked.
"Yes, we materialized in Paris, as a matter of fact. We took a carriage to Versailles for an audience with the King upon learning what was going on, and he recruited us into his court and is allowing us to stay here." Salieri explained.
"Was Mozart summoned as well?" Ritsuka asked.
"No. Germany very quickly became part of the French Empire, we would have known if he was summoned." Marie said.
"So, do you two have the same memory situation? You're different entities from the Salieri and Marie in Chaldea but you share their memories of being my Servants?"
"Yes."
"It's such a strange occurrence...every singularity that we've been to so far where we've met a servant that wasn't mine, they had never met me. But now, you all have the same memories, yet claim that you are different incarnations than the ones in Chaldea."
"We are. There must be a reason, and I'm sure you'll find it out on this journey, Master." Marie smiled at him.
"Will you two come with us?" Ritsuka asked, before Marie frowned slightly.
"Yes, if this alliance works out. But I must apologize and say that I am going to remain here if it does not. My love and loyalty for my homeland is above all else." She clasped her hands together.
"I am here to protect Marie, Master. Where she goes, I go." Salieri said.
"I understand. I just hope we won't have to fight each other." he looked down.
"Can I ask you something, Robert?" Hayashi looked at him.
"Of course. What is it?"
"Why were you in Rome? You interfered when we were about to be executed. And you brought Cu and Drake with you? I thought this war was in a stalemate until now?"
The others turned to him as well, noticing the issue.
"Scouting, actually. Every empire still has a Servant or two going around spying on their enemies to see what they're up to. We were actually there because we heard a rumor that Rome was going to interfere with our territory in India by forming an alliance with Russia. It turned out it actually was a rumor of course, but we were prepared to fight them anyway, in case they were actually planning something. An alliance between Russia and Rome would be disastrous, even for France."
"I see…thank you for being honest with me."
"Master of Britain!" The doors were suddenly pushed open and Charlemagne walked in.
"Yes?"
"We've decided to accept your proposal over Rome's. All three of us approved of it."
"Really? That was fast." Ritsuka said, surprised.
"Follow me. His Majesty will address you in the Throne Room. You two as well." Marie and Salieri looked at each other in surprise, before tailing after the group.
"Welcome back."
"You decided to accept our alliance over the one with Rome?" Ritsuka asked.
"Yes. Earlier you mentioned that Rome was trying to piggyback on my own power and influence until the end, where they intended to take it from me. Quite frankly, your alliance shows the same signs. Even if you are the smallest and weakest empire currently, and you say that you'll cede control of the united empire over to me, that would be a prime moment to betray me and take the power all for yourselves. However, your words did seem truly genuine when you said that you would give me control, and given that you don't have enough strength to go against me in general, I suspect that you don't intend to fight me at all. Your goal is simply to end this war and this whole anomaly as quickly and easily as possible, and the most reliable way to do that is to lend your strength to me and overpower the others."
"...That's exactly right." Robert bowed.
"Then that's what we shall do. My army is to meet the Roman Army in the southeast of France just outside of Alpes-Maritimes, where there is a lot of scenic countryside, perfect in case a fight ends up breaking out. We were supposed to bring them to Nice and let them stay there before continuing north towards London to launch an attack against Queen Elizabeth. But now we'll be changing those plans. We'll meet up, only with you all accompanying us. The alliance will break, and we will work together to defeat the Romans."
"...Is the entire Roman Army coming for this meet?" Hayashi asked.
"Of course not! They have to keep some of the soldiers to occupy Italy, of course. But their main forces will be there, I assure you."
"And are you sure that you can handle that in just one battle?" Jeanne asked.
"Of course. We have met on the battlefield before. As a Ruler, I can detect their battle strength without them knowing. Charlemagne here is a good match for Constantine, therefore, I can defeat him in single combat without much trouble. Even if we don't kill the commanders immediately, we can guarantee their retreat."
"That does sound promising." Robert nodded.
"As for you two, I would like you to join this Master's party here. Whether you fight on the front lines or not, it is most likely a better place to be than to remain here at the palace considering that this war is about to pick up again."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you." Marie and Salieri bowed.
"We'll begin making preparations now, and we'll leave tomorrow. You are all welcome to stay in the palace, there is more than enough room to accommodate all of you. Marie and Salieri will make sure you don't get lost."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Ritsuka answered.
"Follow me. I'll show you to your chambers." Marie led them down one of the hallways towards their rooms, but Hayashi stopped her by putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Take us to your bedroom. We all need to discuss something privately." He whispered. Marie gulped and did so, taking a path that ensured that no guards would see them, before arriving at the entrance to her private rooms. Closing the door behind them, Hayashi and Robert both spoke up.
"I don't trust him completely and I would keep my guard up around him, Master."
"Indeed. I'm glad he went along with our alliance over Rome's, but it seemed to be a rather hasty decision to me." Robert chimed in.
"We said this back in London, though. He'd only join an alliance if it benefited himself somehow. He clearly thinks our alliance is more beneficial, which was our whole argument. But he's in a prime position to betray us, and he'd have no qualms about doing so." Hayashi told Ritsuka, who nodded, knowing to watch out for themselves.
X
"Your Majesty."
"Yes?" He glanced behind him to see Nobunaga standing there, dressed in her combat outfit, tight black leggings, armored boots, thigh guards, and gloves, chest plate, red cape, and long red hair with her katana strapped against the back of her waist.
"We've confirmed the arrival of several servants as well as a Master. They arrived in Rome before moving to London, and they are now in Versailles."
"I see. Which means that they're beginning to make moves, since they're moving between empires. This war is going to resume soon. Do we know what they're doing in France?"
"Not yet. I wouldn't advise mobilizing our army yet simply because we should wait and see what the others are doing first."
"Of course. I was going to suggest the same thing. However, I will go to France myself to scout." He stood up and walked over to Nobu.
He wore a dark blue-gray robe and had ancient red samurai armor over it, along with white sashes and a white and gold cape. There was an ornate katana strapped against his waist, and around his neck was a green magatama. He had long black hair.
"Tell the Emperor, but I shall be gone for a time."
"Of course. Good luck, Commander."
End.
