"Looks like that is the last of them!"
The initial skirmish was short and rather one-sided. Though the enemy ambushers appeared to have been veteran soldiers, they were outnumbered and without the element of surprise thanks to the doctor's timely warning. In the first volleys of javelins, about half of the oncoming soldiers were killed or wounded, and the survivors had appeared to have been badly demoralized by this. Instead of pressing forward, they had skidded to a halt before turning around, dragging their moaning wounded back into the forests.
On our side, a combination of attacks from Chiron, Amadeus, and Medea had a similar, though far more visually riveting, effect, and possibly even more deadly than those of our Roman allies from what I could tell
However, before we could relax, Doctor Roman had reported that an even larger group approaching from both sides. They must have been reinforcements that had been delayed. Fortunately, at least for us, there was still no signs of any Servants besides the ones accompanying us.
Still, the battle wasn't hard, at least for us. None of the soldiers broke through as Ritsuka and I shouted out orders, hardening our hearts to the fact that we were killing fellow humans. We could feel bad latter if we must, but like Mordred said to me last night, it was them or us.
If Ritsuka and I fell, then all of humanity, past, present, and future, would be doomed to die anyways.
The whole event must have taken no more than perhaps fifteen to twenty minutes. Our Servants hadn't even been scratched, proof of the wide gap in skills and capabilities between the mortal soldiers and the various Heroic Spirits that I was proud to call my comrades.
The soldiers loyal still to Nero gave out almost in unison as they resumed their marching positions. However, the order to resume the march hadn't been issued yet, their leader focused on something else at that moment.
Nero had turned to Ritsuka and I, still looking quite pleased. "You handled those veterans like they were nobodies," she said, a tone of awe underlining her words. "And with such small numbers, too, no less. Was that thanks to the skills of Mash and the others?" She asked, humming for a second as a more inquisitive expression appeared. "Or was it the leadership Jacob and Ritsuka provided? Either way, you're all far more intriguing than I though when we first met," Nero admitted, before suddenly smiling rather mischievously at Ritsuka.
"Listen…Rather than a guest commander, want to serve me?" Ritsuka blinked, startled, while I sighed silently as Nero continued her little sales pitch. "You'll get to savor all the glory of this world by my side. I mean, after we've defeated the United Empire, of course." I idly looked at Mash, whose violet gaze was flickering rapidly between her Master and the Emperor of Roses. She bit her lip, looking a bit adorable despite her troubled and anxious expression.
"Well?" Nero asked in a tone both indulgent and expectantly, hands on her hips even as she sat in the saddle of her horse. "Not a bad deal, don't you agree?"
"True…" Ritsuka said hesitantly, unsure of how to decline the job offer without offending our hostess. At least, I hope that was the reason behind his hesitation. Bad enough that she almost managed to hire Doctor Roman! Nero chuckled.
"Isn't that right? Isn't that right?" She prodded with a massive, bright smile. "You're an honest soul. Umu, I think I really like you now!" Nero said proudly. I fight down the urge to smirk, as well as to ask if Ritsuka was about to be kissed again. What's this, like, the third time now? Mash coughed politely, looking a bit more distressed now.
"Senpai, we have a mission," she reminded quietly. "You haven't forgotten, have you?" The Demi-Servant asked. Ritsuka didn't reply, now being the one to laugh sheepishly, unable to meet her gaze. Mash sighed, half despairingly, half exasperated. "…You haven't forgotten, have you?" She asked again. Ritsuka finally looked back at her with a rueful smile. As he was about to respond at last, however, the local chatterbox continued speaking.
"Once we have defeated the United Empire, I can even grant you Britannia, let alone Gaul." Mordred bristled at the idea of her homeland being used as a battering inventive, while Marie looked troubled for the same reason. Of course, the well-dressed blonde either ignored or didn't notice the unintended reactions her offer had just elicited as she continued her verbal assault. "You know of my generosity, but grand offers like this have been rare," she added, before pointing at a common solder behind us. "Isn't that right, soldier? Do I not excel in splendor among past emperors?" Aaaannnnnd there's the ego showing itself once again.
The legionnary nodded resolutely, standing at attention. "Yes, as you say. Today the brilliance that is Rome shines all the brighter, all thanks to you!" Nero chuckled in pleasure, looking away from the man.
"Umu, an honest fellow. Yes, yes, I believe that even I may shine a bit too brightly," Nero bragged, eyes closed and her free hand held out in a dramatic posture of some sort. Mash looked uncomfortable, perhaps by the attention the blonde has been giving Ritsuka, perhaps?
"Oh? Mash's looking a little—" Doctor Roman began to say in a bemused tone before Mash interrupted him.
"What is it, Doctor?" She asked in an even tone.
"Oh, no it's nothing," the ginger said evasively. "Absolutely nothing. Speaking of there being nothing, it looks like that was it. The path's safe to advance on once again," Roman informed us. Nero nodded yet again. She really was fond of using that gesture, it seems.
"I must say it again, invisible mage, you are most useful. Resume the advance!" She shouted over her shoulder, urging her mount forward as our march began once again.
Now that the locative ruler's attention was no longer focused on us, Mash spoke softly to Ritsuka.
"Good work, Senpai," she said, her earlier irritation at him evidently gone.
"Good work to you too, Mash." His words made her blush briefly.
"R-Right," she stammered. "Thank you very much, but I'm more worried about our allies."
"Don't worry, you're almost there. Just about fifty miles or so," Doctor Roman chimed in, and Nero jumped back in, having heard his words.
"Thrice now I must say this: You are truly convenient! I must have one now in every country. Worry not, though, Mash. We've just entered the territory of Gaul, and as your teacher just said, the camp my forces had established isn't that far away. Once we get there, we can all get a good long rest."
"Can we get a rest from her constant talking?" Mordred hissed under her breath, just loud enough so that I could hear. I look at the Servant standing beside me from the corner of my eye.
"Don't fret, we're almost there. Besides, at least she isn't focused on you or I, like she is with Ritsuka," I said wryly, a dry chuckle my reward from the Knight of Rebellion.
It was early evening when we finally arrived. I was extremely grateful that my boots had been broken in long ago, otherwise the blisters that would be developing by now would have been extremely uncomfortable! Unfortunately, my feet are tired, however. As is a number of the others in our group.
"Man, I haven't been on a march like this since I was training with Scáthach!" Chulainn exclaimed, his spear dismissed as he sat down on a rock, messaging one foot slightly. I cocked my head slightly.
"Scáthach?" I asked, unfamiliar with the name. The blue-haired Lancer looked up at me with a nod.
"Yeah. She was Queen of the Lands of Shadow, and my mentor. Everything I have, I owe to her, including Gàe Bolg," he explained briefly. I could tell by the troubled expression on his face that there is more to it, but that he wished to not speak of it. Accepting his desires, I gave my thanks before walking over to another flat-topped rock to sit down.
"Eh, we're here now, so quite your whining, Lancer," Mordred scoffed. Nero, however, ignored us, nor did she dismount. Instead, she urged her horse onwards, and the faithful stead trotted over to the center of the camp. The red-clothed blonde took a deep breath, straightening her posture and looking even more regal and commanding, before speaking loudly.
"I am Emperor Nero Claudius! I shall allow you to listen carefully!" Nero declared commandingly, and both the men who had been chosen to accompany us, as well as the soldiers already in the camp, paused and looked at her, each and every one of the legionaries stood at attention, eyes riveted to the form of their commander-in-chief. "Soldiers of the Gaul defenses, I thank you for your efforts for me, my subjects, and my Rome! I have now led an expedition of my own here to aid your efforts. "You now have a mighty general here with you!"
Nero paused, and her light green eyes swept around the camp, looking confidant and mighty, especially astride her horse, giving her an increase in stature. While I couldn't see all of the expressions for the thousands of soldiers all around us, the ones I could see were consistently ones of either awe or adulation. "There's no reason for us to lose this battle! Victory belongs to me, and to the Rome you all love!" Her soldiers, both veterans and rookies, released a loud roar of approval before chanting her name. Nero held her arms out to her adoring audience, smiling as she basked in their praises.
"Listen to the crowd," Mash said, trying to be heard over the ruckus. She stared in awe at the charismatic Roman. "So, this is how charismatic Emperor Nero was at her peak?" She asked, speaking into her commlink.
"Probably, but it's also a mystery," Doctor Roman replied. "She's so charismatic now, but in her later years…" He paused, and hesitated. Perhaps the good doctor was wondering if he should mention the final years of Nero's reign, and the descent into cruelty that forever tarnished her name. "No, never mind. I will stop there. Never tell people living in the past about the future. Especially if it is about their futures. That's our policy."
"A wise one, too," I said approvingly. In the meantime, the crowd began to disperse, Nero's fresh troops beginning to set up their own tents to rest while the original garrison carried on doing whatever it was they had been doing. Nero dismissed her guards, instructing them to set up tents for not only herself, but our party as well. Well, at least her extravagant claims of her generosity are not empty ones, as annoyingly boastful as I can find her to be. Honestly, I'm impressed that Mordred hasn't tried to deck Nero yet!
"Thank you for your generosity," I said, bowing my head slightly. As expected, the emperor merely preened at my words, looking quite pleased.
"Yes, yes, no need to thank me. After all, there's something more important that I need to hear," she said, frowning slightly as she swept her gaze once more around the camp, apparently unable to find whatever or whomever she was looking for.
"Where are my generals?" Nero asked a centurion, as the latter saluted his emperor.
"Your Majesty! Generals Boudica and Spartacus went for a brief scouting mission a few hours ago. They are due back at any moment," he reported, standing stiffly. Nero nodded slightly.
"Very good, then. As you were, Centurion," she said. The officer saluted her again before leaving to go about his daily tasks. I blinked, my mouth open slightly in shock at what I had just heard.
Boudica? Spartacus?
I recognized those names, but don't believe what I had just heard. Surely, those names are coincidences?
But what if they're not? If the owners are who I think they might be, they should both be dead historically by now. On top of that, both of them were considered even now as some of Rome's most famous adversaries, along with Attila the Hun, of the steppes, and Hannibal Hamilcar, of Carthage.
Next to me, Fou quivered slightly, releasing a low keening sound. At the same time, we felt the ground beneath our feet shaking slightly. It was subtle at first, but was growing stronger. It wasn't violent enough to be an earthquake, plus I have absolute faith that Chaldean Command would have warned us by now if it was an earthquake.
Then there was also the fact that the only ones at unease over this was our group, with Nero and her fellow Romans acting like this was nothing strange. By now, it was drawing closer, and I could hear what sounded like heavy footsteps synchronized with each vibration.
"These readings I am getting…and Fou's reaction…." Doctor Roman began to say before to figures appeared.
"Well, Emperor Nero Claudius came earlier than I thought," said one of the two, a very well-endowed, and full figured, red-headed woman, perhaps in her early thirties, wearing a skirt and a white corset trimmed with gold. In one hand she had a targe shield, the wood covered in well-worn brown leather, and a gold gilded boss in the center. Sheathed at her side was a longsword, with a gold cross guard and hilt. Set into the pommel, and in the center of the cross guard, were red stones. Rubies, perhaps? Her hair was cut extremely short, and tied up in the back into a mini-ponytail. Her dark blue eyes gleamed with curiosity and intelligence.
"You there," she suddenly said, pointing at Ritsuka and I. "The boy who looks like a rookie, and the swordsman. Are you two the guest commanders I've heard so much about this morning?" Her gaze swept up and down, looking thoughtful. Apparently, Nero had sent word of our promotions almost immediately, it seems. Finally, the woman shrugged, a friendly smile on her lips. "I guess looks can be deceiving. I am Boudica, in charge of the defense of Gaul."
"Boudica…?" Mash whispered the name, but Boudica nodded, her smile looking slightly strained now.
"Yes, I am the 'former' queen of both Britannia and the Iceni tribe. The huge fellow next to me is…" the woman who was supposed to be dead but was looking rather alive gestured to her companion. I blinked in awe at the massive figure.
He had a muscular figure, almost ridiculously so, and was the closest thing to a giant I have had yet encounter! He had blonde hair, and a sense of madness that was sorta thrown off by his armor. To my shame, the first thing that popped into my head about the mass of metal protecting most of his head and chest was that it made him look like a BDSM specialist. He didn't speak so much as roar.
"Another champion who was invited to the battlefield! You should be pleased, this garden of battle is full of oppressors. The oppressors are committing atrocities as they approach. It's time to rise up! Let us battle, side by side! You, who dare defy this unparalleled tyranny!"
"Huh?" Mash asked, taken aback just as much as I was by the speech he had just pulled off. I looked over my shoulder to see the reactions of the other Servants. Aside from three, the others were watching the warrior (for he surely wasn't a farmer or shepherd!) warily.
Chiron and Jeanne eyed him warily as well, though there was a sense of recognition mixed into their body language as well. Retracting her helmet, meanwhile, Mordred grinned ferally at the figure. "So, we finally get to meet in person, Berserker of Red," the Knight of Rebellion said, sizing up the man. Ah, yet another old….acquaintance of the Saber's, then. Small world, I suppose. Honestly, the size difference between Spartacus (because who else could it be?) and my first Servant was quite ridiculous.
"…Right," Mash drawled warily. "His words baffle me, but I have a feeling…" Mash trailed off as Boudica stared wide-eyed at us, then her companion, then us again.
"H-Huh? Whoa!" She finally said as she laughed, the sound having a musical chime to it. "That's extremely rare. Spartacus hardly ever takes a liking to someone at first sight," she explained, eyes closed as she shook with mirth before opening them. "Actually, allow me to correct myself. He hardly ever takes a liking to someone at first sight, without then pouncing on them.
"Doctor…this man right here…"
"Y-Yes, he's definitely a muscle," Doctor Roman responded to the Demi-Servant, sounding dumbstruck. I raised an eyebrow at that last word. "Servant! I mean a Servant. That's what the readings say. Definitely a Servant. They both are. This proves that even in this era, stray Servants do exist. Let's leave it at that," Doctor Roman added both rapidly and awkwardly, before falling silent for a moment. When he starts talking again, he sounds more composed. "More importantly, he doesn't seem to have hostile intentions."
"Warriors of the Rebellion, give me your names!" Spartacus suddenly roared, the Berserker having grown impatient in waiting for replies to come from us without further prodding. Boudica, meanwhile, sighed in mock-despair. Apparently, this was a common routine. "Let us revolt together against the inhumane empire, and shout in triumph under a free sky!" I bowed my head slightly.
"Greetings to you, Spartacus, and you, Boudica. I am Jacob Aronson. These are my Servants who have answered my call: Jeanne d'Arc, Wolfgang Amadeus, Sasaki Kojirou, and Mordred Pendragon," I said, introducing both myself and my Servants, who gave off greetings of their own.
"Did he just ask for our names just now?" Mash asked, staring at me in disbelief. "Is that what is was?" Ritsuka chuckled, rubbing a hand against the her top of her head, ruffling up her hair slightly. The Demi-Servant squeaked in surprise at the affectionate gesture, and I raised an eyebrow, though I felt that, at least in this case, it was nothing more than a friendly gesture of affection.
"It seems so. I am Ritsuka Fujimaru. This is Mash Kyrielight. Behind me are Cu Chulainn, Medea of Colchis, Gilles de Rais, and Chiron. It is an honor to meet you both," my fellow Master said, bowing deeply.
"So, I assume that the man who had been speaking earlier is the famous Invisible Mage Emperor Nero sent word of?" Boudica asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, of course, let me introduce myself. I am Doctor Romani Archaman."
"So, these are your honored guests, then, Your Majesty?" Boudica asked, looking at the surprisingly-silent blonde with a serious expression. Though it wasn't all that obvious, I had a feeling that Boudica was…displeased at the very least to be serving under the Roman responsible, directly or indirectly, for the injuries inflicted upon the Briton and her two daughters. SO, why fight for Rome? It was a question I yearned to ask, but forced myself to not air it. Instead, I opt to gaze towards Nero.
Nero was staring off into the distance, a troubled expression on her features. She looked rather out of it, which was explaining the silence she had been in. Honestly, as much as I would have thought something like that would have been a pleasant change of pace, it felt…wrong.
Unsettling.
"Your Majesty?" Boudica repeated, her brow furrowed in concern. Nero blinked suddenly, shaking her head slightly as her cheeks flushed.
"D-Did you say something? It seems I am a little tired. More than I expected, too. Boudica, please take care of our guests," Nero instructed her apparent subordinate in a subdued tone. I narrowed my eyes slightly as the Emperor of Roses continued speaking. "Tell them about the situation here in Gaul. I have a terrible headache." Boudica bowed her head ever so slightly, a soft, sincere smile now present once more.
"Understood. Leave these youngsters to me."
"Very good then. I'm going to retire for the day. Viceroy, Praetor, I will see you both in the morning." With that, Nero turned and walked away, still lacking her previous levels of energy that had been both amusing and annoying to experience, truth be told. We all watched in silence as the blonde disappeared into a newly-pitched tent that her escort had been working on, before Boudica turns around, clapping her hands after dismissing her shield. Her small smile had morphed into a wide, toothy grin.
"Now, then. Let's get you kids some good food in ya!"
A/N I'm back again. Sorry for the delay of over a month again. I was finishing up college. Going to try to update again properly on here. As always, the updated version can be found on Archive of Our Own for those of you who wish to view it there instead of waiting.
End Notes of the original posting: Time for our heroes to discover why they call that Rider Momma Boudica, lol! What did you guys think? Sorry for glossing over the fight scene, but if I write every little fight scene that doesn't involve Servants, I'll end up with more fighting and less plot, lol! Plus, Jacob shouldn't have to always be fighting, otherwise, why would he feel the need to go with the idea of summoning more Servants? Still, how did you guys enjoy our group meeting Spartacus and Boudica? Planning on next scene to be rather pleasant, considering how we know Boudica is to the player and Mash in the game :) Now, I've posted earlier parts of this story on , and I have encountered some criticism. First of all, do you guys think I am making Mordred too OOC? I mean, yes, that's bound to happen since this is a fanfic, and no matter how hard I try I will never be as good as the writers who created Mordred, though I will always do my best to stay true to her character and all, obviously. Another criticism, and in hindsight, is not exactly wrong or unjustified, is the whole magecraft aspect of Jacob's character. I didn't have as good a grasp, and in some ways, still don't, on how magecraft works for individuals 100%, and also, this is the first time I've tried to use magic as a tool of any level in a main character. Furthermore, there is a plot reason why: Jacob's family has lost their Magic Crest a couple hundred years ago, and was another reason why they moved to America, because they had heard tales of the ones responsible fleeing their. Unfortunately, they never find it, and so hence why the magecraft is weakened and all. However, seeing as how Jacob has a large amount of Magic Circuits, and will be working against some of the most powerful and skilled Magus of all time (Medea and the other Casters), he will learn to better use his ice elemental skill. At least, that is what I was going to go with. However, I want to hear from you: does this seem reasonable, or have I just completely messed up with Jacob being able to use Magecraft? Please don't take this as me lashing out, or even really ranting. I just wanted to talk about this because, as a writer, I'm willing to admit that I have made some mistakes, and want to hear feedback and all. I sincerely enjoy hearing this stuff, even if it is notpositive feedback, because I want to expand and improve my skill. So please, keep leaving feedback. It sounds silly, and perhaps I am overemphasizing it, but it is sincerly useful. Shoutouts to Zlatz, Malko, NathanHale2, and the wookie1 for your recent feedback. You guys rock, and please, don't stop. You guys rock! :) Now, for the question(s) of the day: Do you agree or disagree about how Jacob viewed Spartacus's armor? Second: What's your favorite music genre? Thank you guys for reading another chapter, and especially everyone who has been following and reading this story for the past few months. I hope you enjoyed it, and I am looking forward to reading your comments, feedback, and suggestions! Have a lovely day, and see you in three or four days