FATE/LÚNASA FÓMHAR

"August Harvest"

Chapter 13: Sword Emperor

Deep in the jungle, Jing Ke guided Gilgamesh to where she spotted the strange statue before. Of course they were harassed by several native Hermit Crabs and Bicorns, but they posed no threat to the Servants. They left their bloody messes behind and continued on their way, but with each passing step, the Babylonian king was growing more and more irate.

"How long do you plan on dragging me through this balmy waterscape, woman?" he demanded harshly.

"Come now, you ruled from Uruk in the middle of the desert, didn't you? This kind of oppressive weather should be no big deal to you," Jing Ke told him.

"I will have you know that summer was the season which made or broke entire nations. This insouciant excuse for modern society may have the technology to stave off such heat, but in my time, no such conveniences existed. I often dreaded the coming months when I knew that thousands of my people would succumb to the unrelenting heat, and had to plan for the autumn months knowing that Babylonia was going to incur such massive losses."

"That's a surprise. Considering you're the tyrannical aspect of the King of Heroes, I didn't expect you to be so concerned with your citizens' welfare."

"Don't be so boorish. Each person was worth their weight in precious minerals, in as far as serving me to the best of their abilities. For those whom the summer heat claimed, it simply made life that much more problematic for me and my kingdom."

"I had a feeling that was the case."

Gilgamesh continued, "Can you imagine the number of conniving undertakers I had to deal with during the summer as they dared to con my people of their funds during such a dire time? Simply makes my blood boil just thinking about those schemers."

"I suppose crime is a timeless aspect of human society."

"That's rich, coming from the failure of an assassin who attempted to murder the First Emperor of China. The only reason you have any semblance of value as a Heroic Spirit is due to the potential fluctuations in history your foolish actions would have caused."

Jing Ke smirked and coolly retorted, "I suppose I should take that as a compliment."

"Hmph. Do you plan on pulling off the same feat against me? Are you acting so coy because you think you have lured me into a similar sort of trap?"

"Nonsense. We've both been summoned by the same Master, and are thus bound to cooperate with each other. Just as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, you have my word that I will concoct no such plan against you or any other royal Servant of Chaldea. No need for such tension when we should be taking it easy."

"Hm… Very well. So long as you show me this bizarre effigy soon enough, I will overlook being in the presence of a famed assassin whilst suffering this stifling heat."

Jing Ke frowned as she carefully looked around and said, "We're literally within sight of it. It's just rather well-hidden due to moss and foliage… Ah, found it."

She brushed aside some lush leaves and revealed the carved stone idol. Indeed, it had blended in so well with the environment due to the thick layer of moss growing on its exterior that one could be forgiven for missing sight of it completely. Gilgamesh leaned down and examined it with his keen eyes. It didn't really look like much at first glance, being just a slab of stone carved into the likeness of an old man crossing its arms in front of its chest. Something about the thin, sagging eyes and arched lips made it feel quite unnatural though. In fact, the longer he stared at it, the more its features appeared unholy and blasphemous to him.

After inspecting the figure, he stood back up and murmured to himself, "I see…"

"What do you make of this?" Jing Ke asked. "Could it be related to the Phantasmal that Connla was talking about?"

"It is difficult to say at this time. All I can be certain of is that I sense some kind of latent power emanating from it."

"You noticed it too. I suppose it's difficult for Servants not to sense it."

"Indeed. Although it is faint, there is definitely mana from the local environment being drawn into this carving."

"I wonder if some old culture lived here, and this is nothing more than a remnant of their existence."

Gilgamesh shook his head. "I sincerely doubt that. This is European in origin. Pre-Christian, perhaps."

Jing Ke widened her eyes. "An artifact from Europe's pagan era? What is such a thing doing way out here in Okeanos?"

"Do I need to do all the thinking around here, mongrel? It should be plain as day that someone surreptitiously placed this here for some purpose, and it is still functioning as intended even as we speak."

As they pondered this mystery, Gilgamesh's transceiver beeped several times. He huffed in annoyance and flicked it on before responding, "It's me. What do you want, mongrel?"

"This is Cuchulainn Proto!" the Lancer's flustered voice exclaimed on the other end. "Emiya and I found a stone statue like Jing Ke was talking about!"

"Is that so? As I suspected, there are multiples of this idol scattered among Okeanos' islands. The assassin showed me the one situated on this strip of land."

"I know this will come as a surprise to you, but it needs to be destroyed immediately!"

"Destroyed? What do you mean?" Jing Ke wondered, then paused when she heard some unusual noises coming from the background. Although it was faint, she could make out the sounds of clashing weapons, along with some kind of inhuman growling. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Are you in the middle of battle?"

"Yeah! Sorry, but no time to explain! Just get rid of it at once! Gwah!? Damn, you ugly bastard! TAKE THIS!"

The transmission crackled with loud static before cutting off, leaving the confused pair in total silence. Gilgamesh glanced over at the statue, then muttered, "Well now. If the dog knows what he's talking about, then I will have to interrogate him at a later time. Loathe as I am to obey another's suggestion, it would seem that there truly is no benefit to this artifact's existence. How suitable, for the sight of such unpleasant craftsmanship grates my eyes."

He opened one of his golden portals, and was about to extract a large broadsword out of it. However, the dirt in front of his feet suddenly blasted upward and showered him in soggy particles of mud and grass. He reeled in shock and stood back as he saw a large humanoid figure emerge from the ground and raise its clawed hand above its head, intent on slashing the Archer's head clean off. Before it could strike him down though, Jing Ke instantly dashed between them and stabbed her knife into its chest. With its heart pierced, the monster stepped away before collapsing onto its back.

"I knew it," she murmured darkly. "The stench of death hit my nose faster than a meteorite striking the earth."

"What is the meaning of this?" Gilgamesh demanded, but soon got his answer when a horde of about 20 similar-looking humanoids crawled their way to the surface. The two Servants were forced away from the stone statue. The king chuckled in bemusement before exclaiming, "So you lot are guardians of that tasteless idol? How laughable!"

He raised his arm and commanded for more portals to open around him.

"No one accosts the King of Uruk and lives to tell about it!"

Back in Aspidochelone's pulmonary region, the Demon Boar that had just swallowed Connla fell onto its stomach in exhaustion. Although its hunger was sated, it still suffered from bleeding wounds and numerous lacerations. Before finding the young Saber, it had been engaged in battle with a different Servant, and was forced to retreat after realizing that its opponent was far too powerful. Compared to its previous encounter, catching Connla while she was deep in thought was a much easier task for the monster.

However, its victory would be short-lived when it heard a pair of bare footsteps approach it from behind. A man with a deep baritone voice snarled, "So this is where you took off to."

The Demon Boar glared back at the smug fellow. Standing before it was a man in his mid-20s with short blonde hair, bright red eyes, and a stubble on his chin. Massive scars covered his entire tanned body, including his face, and he bore these unsightly marks as proof of his heroic deeds with fighting against monsters like this one. He didn't wear anything over his torso, and his blue jeans were somewhat torn at the bottom. He wielded a pair of large, gleaming swords in both hands, and the chain that attached them together dragged behind his heels.

"No point in running from me, fool," he taunted the angry beast, "especially when the blood trail you leave behind is so obvious."

"HRRRGH!"

"Heh heh. What's the matter? Don't like being another notch in the belt of a famous monster hunter like myself? Sorry to say, but the moment you met the Grendel Slayer Beowulf, your fate was sealed. Now, prepare to be beaten to death!"

The Demon Boar sensed his hostility and charged straight for him, bashing its long golden tusks against his blades. Beowulf confidently smirked as he glared into his enemy's eyes. Then he used his raw strength to shove the monster aside, and it snorted in surprise. He leapt in high and balled his hand into a tight fist, then punched it right between the eyes. Although its skull was sturdy enough to withstand the blow, it found itself skidding back on its hooves. It stumbled to regain its balance, then roared before brushing its hoof against the ground multiple times.

Beowulf returned the gesture by getting into a traditional boxer's stance and beckoning the beast to come at him. They stood there for a short while…

"BWUH… HEEEK!? GWEEEEEEE!?"

The warrior widened his eyes and wondered, "What's going on?"

The monster shuddered for a few moments, then let out an even more shrill death cry and collapsed onto its side, shaking the ground around Beowulf. He glared at the now-dead beast with clenched teeth, both astonished and mystified as to how it died without him landing a fatal blow. His questions would soon be answered when he saw the boar's abdomen suddenly bloat like a balloon, then detonate from something like a miniature explosion. Blood and guts spewed all over the ground. After a moment, someone crawled out of the cavity. Beowulf couldn't resist gazing at the small figure that emerged from the behemoth beast.

"Phew," Connla huffed and stood up before brushing herself off of blood.

"What… the hell?" the fighter murmured under his breath.

She didn't notice him as she glared at the Demon Boar she killed and angrily grumbled to herself, "Geez! What is it with me and being eaten by monsters!? First a Demon Boar, then Aspidochelone, then another Demon Boar while inside Aspidochelone! Is this some kind of bad joke!?"

"Hey," Beowulf tried to get her attention.

She was too miffed to hear him, and she continued, "If Teacher saw this, she would be most embarrassed with me. And Mother… Ugh, I don't even want to imagine it…"

"Hellooo~ooo?"

"Oh well. More importantly, I need to get back in contact with Lord Gilgamesh. Just stick to the plan and-"

"HEY! I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

"KYAH!?" Connla shrieked and faced Beowulf, covering her mouth in total surprise. "Y-Y-Yes!? Can I help you!?"

"The hell is wrong with you!? Didn't you notice me!?"

"Oh, um… I'm sorry, but I didn't."

"Good grief. I don't really get what's going on here, but I take it you just killed that Demon Boar from the inside, right?"

"It wasn't really a big deal. Demon Boars may have tough hides, but their viscera are susceptible to even simple Ansuz spells."

"How the hell did you wind up inside that thing's gullet in the first place?"

"Isn't it obvious? It blindsided me, then managed to swallow me whole. Luckily I placed some Runes on myself so that its stomach acids wouldn't break me down while I was unconscious. Past experience, you see."

She spread her arms out to show him various Celtic sigils etched around her body, and she dispelled them since she no longer needed them.

"Hmm," the burly hero hummed, trying to make sense of her words. To him, it was completely weird that a little girl was talking about being eaten alive by Demon Boars multiple times as if it was the most normal thing in the world. But he couldn't forget that, no matter how diminutive she looked compared to him, she was definitely a Servant. He flashed an unusual grin and said, "So I take it that you're a good fighter, hm?"

"Well, um… I don't know what you mean by 'good'. I've fought plenty of Demon Boars in the Land of Shadows, but not a Phantasmal-level one by myself. Technically speaking, I haven't officially graduated from my teacher's tutelage."

"The Land of Shadows, you say? Pretty sure that's where the witch Scathach lives, right?"

"Yes. She was my mentor for a few years."

"Ohhh… She was your teacher, you say," Beowulf's grin turned more pleased, and she noticed his strange shift in attitude. She knew his True Name and was familiar with his combat-loving personality, but was perplexed as to why he was smirking so impishly at her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"I heard that she doesn't accept many pupils."

"Mm-hmm. She's very selective in who she chooses to train."

"So you're one she chose…"

"Um… Yes, but…" Connla raised an eyebrow, now growing nervous from his increasingly elated behavior. "Why are you so concerned about Teacher?"

"Oh, no, no, no. It's not Scathach I'm worried about. It's just that-"

Without any sort of warning, the ecstatic Beowulf brandished his twin broadswords and slashed them at her. She let out a cry and deftly dodged the assault with several side flips, then screamed, "What do you think you're doing!?"

"Can't you tell? I'm challenging you to a fight."

"What for!?"

"Now, now, don't be so flustered. Think of it as a simple contest between warriors. There's nothing you need to think about other than showing me what you're capable of. I've been itching for a real battle way too long, so I'm sure you'll satisfy me."

"Hold on! Can't we talk this out instead!?"

"If you want to talk with me, then use your sword! I may be more willing to listen if you do!"

Without warning, Beowulf rushed in low and slashed one of his swords at Connla. She deftly hopped over him and twisted so that she landed behind him. She took out her short swords and ranted, "Ugh, give me a break!"

He attempted to rush her down again, but this time she was ready for him. With the grace of flowing water, she sidestepped his thrust and twirled on her heel before slamming her other foot into his solar plexus, momentarily stunning him. Connla crouched for a second to build up strength in her legs, and one of her daggers glittered with sparkling lights that were as radiant as the sun. She jumped straight up and smashed her energized weapon against Beowulf's face, performing a spectacular uppercut that sent him hurtling backwards upside-down. After landing, she glanced at her sword in surprise, not expecting to perform such a lethal attack.

He vaulted on his hands to regain his momentum, then quickly wiped his bleeding cheek before running at her again. She couldn't think about what she did as she saw his balled fist rocketing for her stomach.

"Whoa!?" Connla shouted as she curved her abdomen inward as much as she could while jumping back to avoid Beowulf's punch. Luckily for her, his fist just barely missed her by millimeters. She flew backwards about 50 feet before skidding to a stop on her toes. Although her abdomen felt sore from the shockwave, she was just happy it wasn't blown apart into a mess of blood and guts.

Wow, that was incredible! If I hadn't already been leaping backwards, I would have been pulverized for sure!

"Heh," Beowulf smirked. "Not bad for a kid. You might just be as cunning as Grendel."

She ignored his attempt at a compliment and prayed for the radiant energy to return to her blades. It did, and she felt like she could match him in strength, if only temporarily. They dueled with their swords this time. Although her weapons were much smaller than his, somehow she could block his powerful blows without much ill-effect – something which she couldn't do as a Lancer. She recalled her training with Jack and used that experience to plan her next move. As Beowulf tried to do a roundhouse kick to her shoulder, Connla ducked backwards beneath his leg and spun on her toes in a ridiculous contortion before sweeping her own leg against his.

"Gyuh!?" Beowulf snarled in frustration. He clenched his teeth hard as he lost his balance, and Connla stabbed her swords at his face multiple times. He jerked about to avoid being skewered, but her aim was so accurate that parts of his lower cheek were cleaved off as tiny pieces of meat.

"DAMN YOU!" he screamed and smashed both of his swords, Hrunting and Naegling, into the ground. His raw power was sent through Aspidochelone's solid flesh as a shockwave that barreled straight for her. She was thrown off her feet and flipped about backwards to regain her equilibrium. During her momentary loss of concentration, Beowulf leapt after her with a gleeful grin since he had her right where he wanted her. What he wasn't expecting was that Connla would draw a quick Rune in the air, which became an invisible platform for no more than a few milliseconds. That was enough for her to step on the Rune and jump higher out of his intended reach before the spell disappeared.

"Shit!" he cursed, realizing she was way out of range for him to beat up in his current trajectory. "Think you can get the drop on me with your fancy witchcraft!?"

She didn't retort, feeling it best not to give in to his bullying. She twirled to land on her feet, then silently faced him as he too descended. He raged, "All right, enough with these games! What Servant are you!? I've never heard of a child who can fight in close combat like you!"

"I get that a lot," Connla admitted.

"I'll bet! So you gonna tell me your True Name or what!?"

"That's going to have to remain classified. Well, even if I was allowed to tell you, I certainly wouldn't want to acquaint myself with someone as unpredictable as you. With your attitude, I'd have to sleep with one eye open all the time, and that's not exactly a healthy way of living."

"Tch. Got me there. Guess I have no choice but to beat that info out of you!"

Both of them got into their combat stances again. They would have initiated another duel, but then something unexpected happened.

"Uh-!?" both Servants yelped in confusion.

They had every right to. A radiant white light shone and crackled like lightning from above the hill, illuminating the area around the combatants. A stormy wind whirled around them, and a mixture of white lily petals and crimson spider lilies rushed past. Connla grew agitated and yelled, "Now what's going on!?"

"Son of a bitch… Of all the places to run into that smug bastard!" Beowulf snarled betwixt his clenched teeth.

She wished she could ask him what he meant, but the rushing storm was too loud for her to speak over. However, someone else's voice did manage to break through the cacophony:

"My blade sings of the Emperor's rule over all the people of the continent! Behold my authority, and tremble at its might!"

The flower petals continued to dance around the pair, but then immediately stopped in midair and fluttered to the ground once the windstorm instantly ceased raging. The light became more and more concentrated until it was completely gathered upon a raised sword that someone was wielding. Connla had no idea who he was, but judging from the broad grin this unknown man possessed, he clearly harbored malicious intentions against them.

"Demon Sword, FLORENT!"

The brilliant white sword gradually took on a blood-red hue in the core as the unknown Servant swung his blade in a wide arc and unleashed all of the contained energy into a focused beam of radiant light, complete with swirls of flower petals and sparking volts that materialized around the deadly projectile. Once they heard the Noble Phantasm's True Name, Connla and Beowulf immediately dashed in opposite directions away from the epicenter of the blast.

KA-FOOOOOM!

While Beowulf violently tumbled across the ground, the wind was so powerful that it literally scooped Connla off her feet and tossed her like garbage caught in a vicious tornado. The incredible explosion lasted for well over a minute. Once the cacophony died down, all that remained was a gigantic crater in the area where the Servants had been previously fighting, along with remnants of burnt petals littering the hole. Connla had blacked out for that brief time, but quickly regained her senses and turned onto her side. She vaguely recalled that she had been thrown against the wall several hundred meters away and collapsed onto her back.

"Ugh…" she moaned and squinted to block out the last of the light. She waited for her vision to return to normal, then stared over at the hill where she found the third Servant standing proudly while admiring the destruction he caused.

Florent… Haven't I heard that somewhere before?

Connla struggled to remember. For some reason, her mind kept wandering back to Mordred.

Sir Mordred… Wait, isn't her sword called Clarent? That beam-like Noble Phantasm was very similar to hers too…

Although the light certainly looked like it came from a holy sword, she had to remember that the man outright called his blade a demonic sword. The searing energy was not supposed to be benevolent in nature – it was a symbol of unbridled power and authority, and if anyone attempted to question the wielder's sovereignty, they would suffer a most humiliating punishment. That kind of arrogance could be symbolized by the red tint that threatened to overtake the blinding ivory light, like blood staining a perfectly white dress. As for the flower petals, it was simply the blessing of the goddess Flora, who reigned over flowers and all plant-based life, that granted the blade's user immeasurable power.

Connla recalled what Mordred told her about Clarent's symbolism;

"Yeah, I remember when I took Clarent out of the armory. Mother told me that I had the right to wield it since it represents the succession of kingship, and is said to be equal to Caliburn. Now that I think about kingship though, Father mentioned that Clarent has a brother sword in Rome, like how Excalibur Galatine is to Excalibur. I believe it was called-"

It finally clicked in Connla's mind.

Florent!

She stumbled to her feet and slowly headed toward where the unknown Servant was.

So then this person must be of Roman descent. And if Clarent and Florent both represent sovereignty, it must mean I'm dealing with a Roman Emperor of some kind who lived during the Arthurian age.

Unfortunately, she wasn't as well-versed with Roman history as she would have liked, so she wanted to at least meet this Servant and find out what his purpose was for attacking her and Beowulf. As she made her way up the hill though, she saw that Beowulf had already recovered from his own tumble and was taking his frustrations out on the newcomer. He attempted to cleave his swords through the armored fellow's head, but his opponent merely grinned at his audacity and parried with both grace and power.

"You son of a bitch!" the Scandinavian hero cursed. "What the hell is wrong with you!? Can't you tell that I was busy fighting another Rogue Servant!?"

"I already know that," the Roman warrior declared. "I actually watched for a little bit, if only to relish in observing such a famous hero getting his ass handed to him by a small child."

"Well I sure hope you got your kicks, because I'm gonna beat you up next!"

"Hmph. What drudgery."

The two men slashed their swords against each other, then they hopped back a few feet and glared at each other with intense bloodlust. The Roman tapped Florent over his shoulder and smirked, "But I'm afraid I have no time to spare for these petty little games. You two were bold enough to block my path, so I opted to clean up the area of such refuse lest either of you wound up soiling my armor."

"You could have found a different way around us, asshole!" Beowulf snapped.

"When I decide on a path to walk, all others should promptly get out of my way. You're a king, aren't you? You should understand my sentiment."

"Sorry, but I don't go for the whole 'god complex' schtick like you Romans do. 'Sides, this form is from my youth, way before I took the throne."

"A real shame that you don't understand how honored you are to be in the presence of a deity that has taken on human shape."

Beowulf chuckled, then retorted, "That's rich, coming from the one Triumvirate who was essentially exiled for being such a useless waste of space."

The armored fellow took great offense to that as he exclaimed, "I was NOT exiled! I am merely depriving Nero and Caesar of my presence so that their chances of winning the war will be greatly reduced! I will tell you this right here and now; I am more than perfectly capable of establishing my own reign and conquering those fools myself!"

"Right, keep telling yourself that. I'll just enjoy watching you fail spectacularly from the sidelines."

Both men fiercely glared at each other, practically just one twitch away from engaging in another violent brawl. Their constricted blood vessels looked like they would burst at any moment.

"That's enough, both of you!"

Connla's voice broke through the tension, and the two warriors suddenly had to leap back when she summoned Lugh's Halo and hurled it between them to force them apart. The flaming wheel returned to her and disappeared in a fiery burst, then she approached them and exclaimed, "Let's just calm ourselves down first! All of us are clearly tired and upset, so we need to take a moment to settle our nerves and get our stories straight."

"Well, I don't mind telling you my side of things, but hell if I'm going to let that arrogant ass hear a word I have to say," Beowulf snapped.

Connla looked over at the red-haired man, who had grown strangely quiet for some reason. Then she said to Beowulf, "No complaining. If there's one thing I don't like, it's chaos. I might not know everything that's going on here, but obviously everyone is living in some state of pandemonium. I want to sort things out and get to the bottom of this mess if I have any hope of escaping this place."

"Hm…" the blonde-haired hero murmured to himself. Then he grinned and said, "So you want to escape too, huh? Maybe I could give you a lending hand with that."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a Rogue Servant who wants to find the rumored exit out of this hellhole. I thought for sure it was a myth and that I'd have to sell my strength to one of the factions, but if a fresh face like you is saying it exists, then I'm not gonna give up the search."

"Wait, you're Rogue too? Did you happen to meet another Servant who calls herself Heroine X?"

"Oh, so you bumped into that weirdo too? What a coincidence. She and I are the only Servants who are not allied with any of the nations established here."

"Then I suppose you could add myself and my two friends to that list as well."

Beowulf smirked, "So that makes five of us. Suddenly I feel pumped enough to punch a Phantasmal in the face."

Connla glanced away and thought, Oh, if only he knew we were inside one right now…

The Scandinavian swordsman asked her, "So where are your friends?"

"I'm afraid that's going to have to wait for later. First of all," she replied and approached the red-haired fellow, "I need to know who you are and what your story is."

"Hmph," he scoffed. "Normally I would decry your ignorance, but since you are new to this land, I have no choice but to pardon your lack of respect. However, there is one thing I want you to make clear for me."

"What is it?"

"That wheel of fire you threw at us… That wasn't Lugh's Halo, was it?"

"It certainly was. I have no idea why I'm able to wield it, but-"

"Good enough for me."

"Wait, what?" Connla uttered, totally baffled by his sudden change in attitude.

"Hoh? What is this?" Beowulf wondered coyly. "Getting soft because you're dealing with a kid?"

"Shut it, cretin," the armored warrior barked. "Anyone who has an affiliation with the god I'm named after is worthy of my time."

Connla raised an eyebrow and asked, "The god you're named after?"

"That's right! You appear to be unfamiliar with me, so an introduction is in order. I am none other than Lucius Tiberius, the Sword Emperor who ruled during the Arthurian Age and demanded fealty from King Arthur himself."

"Lucius Tiberius? Hmm… mmm… My apologies, but I'm afraid I haven't heard that name before."

"Tch. Your cluelessness astounds me. Well, I suppose it would be too much to ask of a small child to be well-versed in every facet of human history. More to the point though, I am a former member of Roma's Triumvirate."

"The Triumvirate, huh?" the young Saber muttered, then thought, Now that I think about it, Lady Wu never mentioned anyone named Lucius. She said that Nero, Caesar and Cleopatra are the current leaders of Roma. Could something have happened between Lucius and the other Romans to cause him to leave?

Lucius continued, "You heard me tell that scarred brute about my intentions, didn't you? Instead of ponying up to that prancing halfwit Nero, I have decided to sever ties with that farce of a nation she dares attribute the name Roma to, and seek to establish my own faction that will show the true glory of the Roman Empire."

"So you were on your way to search for unclaimed territory to establish your base?"

"Precisely."

Beowulf shrugged and retorted, "What a waste of time. For all I know and care, you're just populating a new pond of fish so that the sharks can eat them later."

"Fwa hah hah hah! Balderdash!" Lucius boldly laughed. "This may be difficult for a lower being to comprehend, but I do have a plan in mind! I have heard whispers of a rumored undiscovered treasure vault located somewhere in this endlessly winding world of caverns! If I can claim that as my property, then I will have no need to worry about running out of resources and resorting to sacrifices! With such plentiful wealth on my side, my glorious empire will swallow those sideshow nations like ants!"

"The treasure vault, you say? I've heard stories about it too, but to see a high-and-mighty emperor resort to chasing after fairy tales is just sad."

"Spare me your pity, lummox. If my instincts tell me to search for it, then search for it I shall!"

Suddenly, Connla spoke up, "You're looking for that room with all the treasure in it? I passed by it earlier."

Both Lucius and Beowulf's eyes looked like they would fall out of their sockets as they stared at the girl in sheer disbelief. The Roman instantly snatched her shoulders and glared at her with bloodshot eyes as he raged, "YOU FOUND IT!?"

"Eh? Ah, um, well… I think so…?"

"Where is it!? Show it to me at once!"

"O-Okay! Just stop grabbing me so hard!"

"Heeeh! This is getting pretty interesting!" Beowulf remarked and folded his arms. "I haven't felt this excited in years! If you can prove that this vault is real, then there's a good chance you could help me find an exit out of this world too! I'm gonna go with you guys, whether you like it or not!"

"I don't care what you do!" Lucius exclaimed, then pointed at Connla. "You! Child! Guide me to this mythical treasure trove! NOW!"

"Yes, sir! Just follow me!" she sbarked, then took the lead back to where she, Jack and Nursery passed through Aspidochelone's small intestine. She had to cut through the fleshy walls several times to reveal passageways that the men would never have found by themselves. This got them thinking about whether there were other hidden secrets they could discover like this, but for now, they needed to stick close to Connla to make sure her claims were true.

While they were walking, Beowulf said to her, "By the way, I don't think you actually got to mention your True Name yet. Who are you, anyway?"

"Oh, um… Well, I'm afraid I can't tell you. It's not out of disrespect or anything. I just have a geas that forbids me from saying my name to anyone."

"A geas, huh? So you're definitely a Celtic Servant."

Lucius barked, "Of course she is! No one but a Celt can wield Lugh's Halo like that!"

"The heck is that thing supposed to be anyway?"

"Ridiculous! Am I the only one who knows anything around here!? It's none other than the halo that Cuchulainn used to burn an endless swamp so that he could pass through to the Land of Shadows! It's supposed to be one of the God of Light's many gifts to his son, the Child of Light!"

"Hm. I don't seem to recall hearing such a legend. In any case, doesn't that mean the kid is some female interpretation of Cuchulainn then?"

Lucius stared at Connla for a moment, then murmured, "Maybe? But then, I'm getting this nagging feeling like I've heard something about you before…"

She told him, "I can't say my name, but I can tell you that Lugh is my grandfather."

"Seriously!? You're Lugh's granddaughter!?" the emperor exclaimed, apparently pleased from hearing this news. He then parsed his eyebrows and murmured, "Wait a minute… Lugh's only son was Setanta, better known as Cuchulainn, and when he trained under Scathach, he… Oh? Ohhh!? That's it! You're Connla, aren't you!?"

She was absolutely dumbstruck when Lucius stated her name. "Eh!? You know about me!?"

"Of course I do! Hah hah hah! What good fortune I have! I truly am blessed to be served by the scion of Lugh, the very god I am named after!"

While the girl was surprised, Beowulf frowned and asked, "Connla? Who is that supposed to be?"

"You imbecile!" Lucius shouted. "She's Cuchulainn's only son, who likewise trained under Scathach! Her legend probably isn't as famous as her father's, but she's cursed with three geasa, one of which prevents her from saying her True Name. When she came of age, she traveled to Ireland to meet her father, but because of the nature of her curses and his unfaltering loyalty to Ulster, they had to fight each other. Connla was so fearsomely strong that she wound up being the second person ever slain by Gae Bolg, only because Cuchulainn was pressured into using it. After slaying her, he found out too late that he had killed his own child."

"I see, I see. Now it makes sense. So she wasn't lying when she said Scathach was her teacher."

Connla pouted, "Why would I lie about such a thing? Honestly…"

They continued conversing with each other like this as they progressed through the twisting tunnels.