Seagull automata cawed as they navigated the cool summer breeze. Gliding gracefully, they swooped down towards the coastline, weaving between palm leaves like Olympic skiers. Finding their target, the pair flapped their wings and landed stylishly on the bullseye: A red and white striped resort umbrella. They cawed happily, looking around at many weekend goers, likely scanning for a potential bird feeder. With all the recreational activities of this Friday afternoon, there sadly seemed to be no opportunities.
However, one peered down and spotted their holy grail. After jumping down to the wooden lounger's side table, its partner followed to enjoy the bowl full of specialized bird feed. They happily munched the seeds and nuts, making the lone, lounging servant look over and smile briefly. There was no worry for any sort of bird droppings or territorial assaults, so Hector merely turned forward once more and peacefully closed his eyes.
Beside the lancer in a palm-leaf speckled Hawaiian shirt and white board shorts, a small black radio churned out some soothing ukulele music. Combined with the vibrant laughter of a volleyball game and the loud crashes of ride-worthy surf, Hector was in total paradise. As the birds happily munched on his offerings, he crossed one bare leg over the other and slipped his hands behind his head with a blissful exhale. Wiggling his toes as a small stretch, he felt the tugs of yet another afternoon nap slowly dragging his conscious-
A colorful beach ball plopped onto the sand by his lounger, making the seagulls caw and fly away. However, seeing no danger, they quickly flapped back to their meal as Hector lazily opened one eye. He stared at the offending ball, barely a meter from his chair. He yawned and reached over to the ball while one of the children rushed over.
He glanced to Kuro and waved. "I hope it wasn't an archer that hit this one."
"It was my sister," she smirked back as she placed her hands akimbo. He only briefly eyed her rather skimpy lime, frilly bikini in his peripheral; Was her mother really okay with her wearing such daring clothes? Pushing the thought aside, he reached for the ball, which was just barely out of his grasp.
Kuro's smirk faded into an exasperated expression. Hector, still doing his best not to leave his chair, groaned as he leaned against the arm rest to stretch a little further. His fingertips were just touching the ball, so if he could jus- He leaned forward too much and wound up pushing the colorful sphere a bit further away. Kuro, still standing there dumbfounded, sighed, "…Are you going to get up or should I just grab it…?"
A sheepishly grinning Hector scratched the back of his head. "I got it! I'm not that old yet."
Hector managed to push himself out of his chair with an amused groan and one hand rubbing his back. Kuro rolled her eyes and giggled at his old man act, but the three girls and their older beach ball opponents laughed much harder. Kuro smirked, "Don't throw your back now."
"Sure won't… It'll make my afternoon naps less comfortable," he grinned back as he picked up the ball. He really did like being lazy, and Chaldea did not help with that attitude in the least. A warm summer beach, a luxurious dining area, plenty of time to relax when not deployed… Yea. This was certainly the life. No Throne of Heroes could ever match up to this bliss.
But alas, Chaldea wasn't all rest and relaxation, as much as he wanted it to be… There was a war going on, after all.
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Fragment 62: Wartime Peace
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Fire flickered from the nearby brazier, reflecting off hazel eyes.
The city-state was quiet, but he knew better. Even after all this time, many were restless under a beautiful, star-speckled sky. Some would be praying to the divines, while others remained battle-ready and huddled by braziers across their city's massive walls. He would remain up with them, as he had so many other nights, if only to keep morale high and raise their confidence in him to impossible heights. He would do it for them, because he loved Troy as much as any of the soldiers.
The Trojan military leader stared out across the dark landscape towards the once peaceful shores.
It had been years since the Achaeans first landed and the Trojans ceded the beach to them. Their siege continued, and though there were many long breaks between battles, anxiety remained high. The gods were against them, yet at every turn he was helping his men prove they could still fight. With the hardened fortifications of their walled city, they continued to hold, and the Greeks consistently failed to get close to their great gate.
His bronze helmet rested on the wall in front of him, and his signature spear was propped beside it. His armor, a mix of worn leather and battle-tested metals, had been cleaned of its previous damages. He would only scarcely repair it despite many voicing their concerns that the men were discouraged if their leader's armor showed harm. The man had shown otherwise, though he had yet to truly test it against the Achaean's legend.
He would rather not fight the invincible Achilles if he could manage, so he would be fine always making his tactical withdrawals.
Still, nothing lasted forever. Maybe he could manage to drag this war on for years longer while Troy's allies came to its consistent aid. Perhaps he could help save more of his father's citizens from an ill fate, but that meant to defy destiny and fate; The gods were the only ones to decide that. Instead, he'd continue to hold firm and show his calm composure even in his often sleep-deprived state. The warriors of Troy needed a symbol to believe in against such large numbers and odds, and he would grant them that much.
Though he wished for the calm serenity of the previous, peaceful life, Hector was not against raising his spear for a cause he heartily believed in.
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There was a modern saying that embodied work ethic and living life to the fullest. I'll sleep when I'm dead, or so it stated. In truth, Hector had heard it a few times before in his past life, sometimes in jest. It was a good quote, and one he was more than happy following now. After a later life that was full of turbulent conflict and sleepless nights, you can bet the lancer was more than happy to sleep whenever he wanted now that he was 'dead.'
Thanks to that, Hector was often heralded as the laziest servant in Chaldea, but that was fine by him.
Content with life in general, he merely rested on his beach lounger, waiting patiently in the pre-dinner atmosphere as the sun approached the horizon. He had gotten up and taken a leisurely stroll, but for the most part he had been content just to sit like a bum. After spending countless days watching the Greeks and defending his city, gazing out at paradise was more than a welcome change. Instead of seas of angry warriors fighting to get Helen back, it was just a sapphire ocean that reflected like jewels in his eyes.
Without question, this was the most peaceful and relaxing war he could have ever been a part of.
With drooping eyes, threatening another pleasant nap, he gazed to the nearby waves. The machines had been turned down, making the waters resemble light laps on a lake rather than the roaring surf from earlier. In the shallows, the twin Gorgons were attempting to balance on two equally matching white surfboards. The goddesses, both in frilly white strapless bikinis, were struggling just to hold balance.
"I swear, Medusa, if we fall-!" they both cried out together, but their little sister was holding the boards as she knelt in the water between them. Compared to her smaller elders, the long-haired beauty in an alluring purple monokini looked like the real goddess.
She chuckled lightly and smiled. "I won't let you two fall. Please practice balancing! It only gets harder from here."
In deeper water behind them, Asterios' head popped out of the water. Hector got a chuckle out of seeing the big berserker, who had a snorkel almost as long as his horns. The mask looked a little too tight, but he didn't seem to mind. He merely smiled and waved to Euryale, who pouted back at him and nearly caused herself to fall. With a laugh, he dove back under the water so only his protruding horns and snorkel could mark his movement. He quickly rejoined the snorkeling Medea nearby, always eager to spent time with both of his newfound families.
Hector always loved seeing carefree smiles and positive attitudes despite the circumstances. As the children played in the shallows even further away, their laugher reminded him of the still optimistic cheers of Troy's children while the outnumbering Greeks threatened their city. In war, it was good to be prepared, but it was even better when the spirits remained as tall as the defenses that contained their hopes and dreams. Regardless of the dangers that awaited just beyond the defenses, if humanity could do anything, it was smiling with the hopes of a brighter tomorrow.
"Have you spent all day there? I think that's a new record."
"Not quite." Turning his head to spot the new comer, he waved lazily towards Rama. He had a small lemonade in one hand with a red umbrella that matched his swim trunks. His damp hair, swimwear, and the few remaining drops of water on his shoulders depicted possible recent activities. The saber smiled and waved back as he stepped quietly to the adjacent lounger. He sat down energetically, though did not lean back like Hector did. "Been swimming?"
He grinned back. "Yeah. I was feeling a little sore after the procedure, so I asked Gale if she wanted to race across the ocean!"
"You were feeling sore so you…" That didn't make much sense to him. Then again, he was a genuinely lazy guy when the stakes weren't high. Instead, he snickered. "Sheesh… I guess soreness means nothing to you? No wonder… Poor, poor Anishka. I can only imagine what pain you put her through today."
"You've seen my training. I'm not as stoic as Arjuna or Karna! I don't want to bury my adorable disciple before I get to introduce her to my wife!" he grinned back. "Besides! She has potential! I want to make sure she lives up to it like Gudao and Gabby!"
"If she manages to live through any of your training first," Hector chuckled back. In truth, his training wasn't that out of the ordinary… if this were many centuries ago. Modern humans just didn't have the prowess of earlier ones, so the basic physical training likely seemed like Olympian hurdles. Truth be told, Anishka was handling the Indian Trio's efforts fairly well, just like Gabrielle managed to survive Scathach and Cu's tutelage. He definitely knew none of them legitimately wanted their third master dead, at least. "Just go a little easier on the poor thing… You want her to stand for her first summoning next week."
"Hmm… good point." Hector's expression fell incredulous at Rama's pondering; Had he seriously not been considering…!? "I'll talk to Karna and Arjuna about it! They're in charge for the remainder of the week since I'm on a forced break! Otherwise Gale might break my neck or something!"
Oh. That made much more sense. "So your treatments are increasing or something? This isn't a weekly thing, I hope."
Pausing momentarily, they glanced to the ocean, past the bewildered Gorgon sisters. Even Asterios and Medea popped their heads out of the water to watch a panicking Blackbeard swim across the ocean, chased by Anne and Mary yelling about… something he probably did. With a smile, Rama shook his head, quickly discarded the almost-routine situation, and turned back to Hector. "Medea and Paracelsus just want me under closer observation after today's procedure. They want to make sure I'm not going to suddenly dematerialize or something."
"Well I don't know about you, but I sure wouldn't say no to some more naps," Hector commented, making Rama laugh. He had to give credit where it was due, though. Rama was very serious about meeting Sita again, and he was taking all possible steps to ensure it wouldn't end in tragedy. Hector was rooting for the best, even if he had no idea how the entire counter-measure Scathach devised was going to work; He was an optimist like that. "I'm sure it will all work out. We've seen some crazier things made possible here."
Rama's enthusiastic smile made the approaching sunset seem brighter. "I'm not worried! I have a lot of apologies and affection to shower onto my wife when she comes!"
"Just don't drown the lucky girl," Hector chuckled and waved as Nightingale, still in her signature yellow lifeguard bikini, walked over to join them. Eyeing her own lemonade, he suddenly wished he had a relaxing drink before dinner. However, that meant he had to get up first. Oh, who was he kidding? He'd been very lazy today, so what was a little stroll for a nice tropical drink?
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"Geez… Why didn't I just stay and talk with them…" He complained about it out loud, but in truth, Hector didn't mind being helpful. He just liked to complain, even if he had been the one to volunteer for the pre-dinner task. In truth, he felt he'd been a bit too lazy today and wanted to feel better about it.
If anything, complaining just helped pass the time as he finished his quick journey to the Primary Generator room. The double doors swung open as a robot quickly floated out, making room for him to pass. He would have waved lazily to it, but his hands were full with several containers and accompanying thermoses; The lancer settled for a grin and a simple nod as he walked into the room. The sooner he got this done, the quicker he could get back to dinner and a possible nap.
Much like the rooms above and below it, the primary generator took up a lot of space. Stainless steel plates protected the exterior, flooring, and ceiling of the massive area, which remained otherwise empty save for the colossal generator array in the center. A metallic oblate spheroid rested in the center of the room, connected to various cylindrical turbines and converters around it. Part of the generator rested open, allowing servants to work inside while the secondary generator rooms provided Chaldea's power.
The metal device was nearly fifty meters wide and lined with reflectors. Tall enough to fit standing servants, he presumed at least Helena was inside judging by the Colonel Olcotts flying in and out of the large open panel. He, like many servants, had no idea what the one-of-a-kind generator actually looked like inside, but he liked to imagine a bunch of tesla coils, a plasma ball, and maybe a few thousand reflectors. Something very science fiction looking from some of the many movies he's watched on his numerous lazy days.
However, the generator array was different from the last time he glanced inside the room.
Curious at a new addition, Hector walked over to a new dome with wires leading from it to the primary generator. Built with the same materials as the surrounding turbines and infusers, there was an access hatch open in the dome that allowed someone to peer in. Since there was an empty and clean looking table nearby, it gave him the perfect excuse to approach and sate his intrigue. Thus, he did so while curiously eyeing a battle-clad Tesla as he walked into view on the room's circumference.
Upon hearing loud clanks from the dome, Hector turned back to see Babbage's hulking form carefully move around the dome with a small entourage of following robots. The lancer waved to him, and he nodded back with a released hiss of steam. Carefully, the armored caster moved a bouquet of unattached wiring to the side where some robots automatically began untangling them. The caster glanced to Tesla, who merely ignored them both as he slowly continued his path in silent thought.
As the archer got closer, and Hector reached the table, he looked to the encased inventor while motioning to the archer two dozen meters behind him. "Is Tesla alright?"
"That's just how he calculates. He'll have a correct solution after the third lap, every time," Babbage reassured as a battle-clad Helena slid out of the primary generator. She too turned to gaze at Tesla as he continued his steady, yet quick stroll towards them. He stopped at the door, then finally began walking towards them, clearly broken from his trance. "The plasma-mana generator is not something we can afford to overload by accident. Care must be taken when fabricating any additions."
"Which is difficult, because the system's components are intricate and fragile," Tesla muttered as he finally drew near. He stopped, placed his hands akimbo, and stared at the new dome. "Even with the system parts reinforced, there's a lot of work to be done to ensure boosting the power output won't risk the components. At the same time, an abundance of transformers will dampen the upgrade's yield. Any extra energy harvested is paramount to Chaldea's future safety."
Sounds like science stuff he wouldn't have the first clue about. He was just glad someone in Chaldea still did; The Fuyuki incident robbed the facility of experienced staff with the proper knowledge of this experimental generator. They were lucky Da Vinci was still on hand, because Lev's bombs would have been the Trojan Horse. The number of aids only grew when Tesla quickly took charge of its efficiency and improvements. He gave them plenty of respect and credit, because just thinking about calculations made him drowsy.
The archer sighed, then turned to look at Hector with a raised eyebrow. The lancer, still only partially understanding the predicament, waited patiently for the archer's coming question. "Is there a reason you're here, Hector? I don't intend to be rude, but we're busy with important matters."
"Busy enough you're missing dinner," Hector grinned as he quietly placed the containers of food down onto the table with a grin; He presumed they were so busy in thought they didn't even smell the delicious supper. "Emiya and Boudica figured you might forget, so I offered to bring some from the barbecue."
Tesla blinked, but then sighed once more with a chuckle. "Madam Blavatsky, Babbage… Looks like we overworked again."
"It's a luxury. The generator upgrade is more important today," she only hummed as her three Colonel Olcotts nodded at her sides. "It's the big idea Da Vinci designed, and I'm more excited about it than a few pieces of juicy chicken… I won't say no to both!"
"Oh? Am I allowed to ask or is it another secret among the reinforcing group?" the lancer asked curiously.
"It was calculated that there is no risk if kept secret. It was intended to be revealed after it was installed," Babbage's electronic voice hissed out with venting steam. "Da Vinci's test of using a grail to meet the resort's energy demands confirmed her hypothesis. These smaller grails are just giant mana batteries."
"And so we're going to use them as emergency reserves or power boosters should the system falter," Tesla continued with a gesture from his hand. "The only issue is ensuring the entire system will handle the energy overload when it's done. Like all electric components, Chaldea's wiring was only capable of withstanding a certain amount of energy... so we've been upgrading everything. The last thing we want is to cripple Chaldea trying to save it."
Hector was aware the generators also created energy the servants in Chaldea used. Even before this upgrade, Merlin seemed to be diverting a considerable amount from Avalon. He could understand the strategic boon of freeing up more energy for servants to use in an emergency, but they had the apples and the Avalon link for that. Going through Chaldea's system just seemed like some extra, unnecessary steps… and Hector would always avoid unnecessary things that opened a temporary vulnerability. "The system works fine without the grails, so why the power boost?"
"The casters have made a lot of defensive enchantments that will run off the system directly. Runes, sigils, you get the idea," Helena explained as she placed a hand on the floor. Instantaneously, the room's exterior lit up with an armada of interwoven symbols that made Hector's mouth drop open; He knew they were strengthening Chaldea's defenses, but to this level was stunning. Troy's magical defenses paled in comparison to just this one room. So many different branches of magecraft combined… "It will allow us to fight without having to worry about activating Chaldea's defenses."
"Guarding servants and regular employees will be capable of activating the defenses. We will review it with Chaldea after all the defenses are online," Babbage stated with a hiss of stream.
As Tesla motioned for Helena to come over to the new grail reactor, the lancer felt a little useless. Hector couldn't really help it, so it didn't bother him too much; He was no caster. As a warrior, who knew his role was specific and he couldn't do much in the way of utility. Despite all this and his naturally laid-back and lazy attitude, he did genuinely wish he could do something more sometimes.
It was a reminder to his days commanding the forces of Troy. As the workers and mages fortified the city under his orders, he could do nothing but patrol its walls and help keep an eye open for the approaching Greek flotilla. Chaldea was Troy this time, but he couldn't even commit to a proper watch; Solomon was hiding out there, and some didn't even know if he was going to strike first and unexpectedly. It was unnerving, but he could only do what he did then and place his trust in others.
He grinned sheepishly to remove any lingering disappointment and chuckled, "Well, I'll leave you all to it then. No point in an old man sticking around and getting in the way."
"Thanks for bringing us dinner, Hector," Helena quickly offered with a smile as she opened her container. The smell of barbeque was intoxicating, reminding him of his own meal. However, Tesla looked more interested in counting napkins, strangely enough.
"Good luck with construction! I gotta get back to my dinner, but not before I bring Da Vinci and Roman their food."
"Ah, if that's the situation, you may leave their containers here," Babbage's voice echoed from around the Dome. "I was about to send a robot, but if you're leaving, would you mind heading to the Director's office to ask Da Vinci and Roman to return? We will need Da Vinci's guidance momentarily."
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Checking his watch, he was glad to see dinner was just barely starting; He wasn't missing anything.
Content, the humming lancer walked down the empty hallway. A lone robot passed by before hovering into the Archives Room to do some cleaning. Hector pondered increasing his pace to get back to the barbeque quicker, but that would require extra energy. Besides, he was making fair time and he was just passing Security Central's doors. It would only be a minute or two before he arrived at one of Chaldea's forgotten rooms.
Except for a select few, no one frequented the Animuspheres' former office. There was no real need for anyone to walk inside, and those who peered within described it as a rather mundane study; Something fit for the upper-class, yet nothing too extraordinary. To date, only Roman and Da Vinci had ever walked back inside on occasion, and some servants had curiously taken a peek too. Besides that, only robots routinely entered to clean the otherwise abandoned room.
Despite this, Da Vinci's powerful bounded field setup from its early days had yet to be removed. He felt its palpable presence, as many did, whenever they passed by the room. It felt stronger today, so they must have been upgrading it. Naturally, Hector was curious about what the room looked like, but he had been rather lazy about taking a gander. It was only ever offhandedly mentioned by other servants, and Roman was rather adamant on keeping the room in its original state like a museum.
The lancer stopped before the double doors with hands in his pockets. After months of being here, he was finally getting his own belated look. If their offhanded mentions were any indication, there was literally nothing exciting within. Hector guessed it was like a sort of monument to the doctor's late friend and daughter, sort of like Memorial Hall acting as a tribute to fallen friends from past singularities. If that's the case, he'd just be respectful upon entering.
He stepped to the door, but tilted his head curiously when it didn't open. Right, abandoned room meant the normal sensor system was likely disabled. Scratching the back of his head sheepishly, he reached out and knocked on the door. Immediately, he heard rustling and what sounded curiously like moving mechanisms. Thanks to the field, the sound was muffled, and he couldn't sense any presence within; If Babbage hadn't told him, he wouldn't have known the two were even in there. A voice called out, "W-Who's there?"
"Hey! It's Hector! Just stopping by to leave a message," he yelled through the door. If it was too much trouble and waiting, he was fine with just yelling through the do-
To his surprise, the double doors opened. Da Vinci stood to the side of the door in a vibrant blue sundress, not trying to hide anything within. "Well hello, Hector!"
He blinked and looked around at the room curiously. Warm light from a small chandelier illuminated the interior well, and its design was reminiscent of the library. Perfectly clean cherry wood display shelves had a bunch of Animusphere family photos and memorabilia like awards and diplomas. Countless old books rested on the many other shelves, and if Roman hadn't declared this spot off limits, he wondered if the librarians would have raided the place. Even the red and gold designed carpet looked identical.
Roman smiled and waved to him while he stood behind the central desk. Like the rest of the furniture, it was in pristine condition and had a few picture frames and books. With his other hand, the acting director was carefully using a feather duster to clean some adjacent cabinets. Behind him stood a large painting of the Clock Tower that took up a sizeable portion of the back wall. Wearing signature Clock Tower capes, Marisbilly had one arm on the shoulder of a young Olga in the foreground while she pouted at the camera.
Without a doubt, this was definitely just an ordinary study, but he could feel their concern in the air.
Hector was a former commander with a keen, precise eye, so he would have picked out the tell-tale signs of a secret, passionate encounter. If they did have one, it seemed like it was limited to a teenage kissing session… This was evidenced by Da Vinci fixing her hair and Roman's nervously drumming fingers, though he couldn't shake his instincts saying there was something else. His suspicions grew, but he doused them for now.
To secretly ease their real concern but get some chuckles for himself, the lancer smirked as Roman's smile faltered. "Ah… Did I interrupt something? There was a bit of scuffling going on… or was it something more intimate and steamy?"
Roman flushed, but Da Vinci merely giggled. "Oh? Whatever do you mean, Hector?"
"Well, the bounded field feels stronger… but maybe it's so you can better hide your loud, physical passion for each other? Maybe? Bored with the workshop?" He teased with a snicker aimed at Roman.
Roman blanched. "What!? No! That's definitely not it! I just wanted the last place I could remember my friend to be perfectly safe! Perfectly! We weren't doing anything else!"
Ah... So the rumors of Roman and Da Vinci secretly being lovers still grew stronger by the day. It was a rather popular rumor he loved to tease the poor acting director on the unusual occasion they ate together. Regardless, that was their secret to keep and reveal at their choosing… if it was even true. For all he knew, they could be trying to hide something else in this room through deflection, which only fueled his thoughts. Considering the strength of the bounded field, it was a fair assumption that something was hidden in this room; Maybe this was where the grails' secret vault was kept?
Thinking about it no longer, he placed his trust in two of Chaldea's most trusted heads. If it was an important secret vital to Chaldea's success, the right parties would know. He'd leave it at that, and was more than content not being one; The weight of certain responsibilities was often painfully heavy.
After tossing Roman an exasperated glance, the inventor smiled at Hector. "So, Hector. What's the message?"
Right. He wanted to get back to his own dinner too. "I brought your dinner to the Primary Generator Room. Babbage says they're ready or something?"
Da Vinci clapped her hands together. "Ah! So it's time to do proper fittings to see if it will hold a grail~! We're way ahead of schedule! See Roman? Nothing to worry about~!"
The acting director looked beyond relieved. "Thank god… I would like us to have that stealth field up as soon as possible."
Merlin had been boasting about that recently. Supposedly, the collaborative effort of multiple casters would create a bounded field powerful enough to block direct observation from outside sources. That was a massive boost in terms of secrecy, but the powerful magus said it might not stop Solomon's clairvoyance. As a famed defender, though, any extra defense was worth some investment. It would have been really convenient if Troy could have 'vanished' from the map after Paris arrived with Helen.
Da Vinci nodded. "Agreed. Solomon has yet to make a move, and we'll make him suffer for that."
"He's likely shoring up his own defenses though," Hector added, making Roman nod with grit teeth. It was a solid option instead of attacking Chaldea directly. Why waste the energy destroying your opponent if they couldn't even get to you in the first place? Chaldea has done some impossible feats, though, and Solomon likely acknowledges that. The battle ahead will not be easy.
Thankfully, despite Chaldea's friendly air helping allay fears for morale's sake, no one had forgotten what possibilities may happen. They were all taking this seriously, even if they tried to ensure it never invaded their newly developed lives. Letting one's guard down in war was certain death, yet even a well-thought-out defense could be defeated in the fog of war… His city had found that out the hard way. Hector would do his part to ensure Solomon would not throw a Trojan Horse at his new, beloved home.
"We can do proper observation and planning when we do find him… for now, our home comes first," Da Vinci reassured with a small smile. "By the end of June, Chaldea will be a citadel. We can then pour all our efforts into finding Solomon's whereabouts thereafter."
"Right… We shouldn't get worked up," Roman agreed, though it was likely to reassure himself. Still, he smiled. "Thanks for bringing our dinner out to us, Hector. I appreciate it."
Da Vinci walked over and poked his arm lightly. "You didn't have to watch us work on the generator you know… The French did invite you to sit with them tonight."
"I promised them I would tomorrow... I just want to see it, Da Vinci. I want to put my own worries aside that everything will turn out alright," Roman sighed with crossed arms. Hector smiled at him, seeing his own worrisome, younger self. The acting director had a heart of gold, despite how often many loved to tease him. A bit finicky and panicky, sure, and often 'discreetly' perverted, but his compassion was genuine.
"Alright. Well, I'll just leave you young love birds to bicker and make up with a long kiss," Hector grinned as he began walking away from the door. He chuckled at Roman's red face and Da Vinci's giggles while waving goodbye. "Don't create any new stains in the room, kids! Your dinner is waiting!"
"It's not what you thi-!" The doors shut behind him, muffling Roman's incredulous yell as the snickering lancer merely walked away. Ah… nothing quite like the young denying love.
Chuckling to himself, he increased his gait to return faster. He had dinner and company to enjoy before taking a nice relaxing rest. It helped today was one of his more laid-back days where the Peacekeeper radio seemed void of troubles. He had even gotten to watch a few movies in his room to pass the time, though he had yet to get to Hollywood's rendition of the Trojan War; He'd get to it eventually, but the comedy movies were far more aligned with his interests.
Maybe he could watch 'Tropic Thunder' when he got back to his room later?
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Familiar fragrances of a tropical paradise were the first delights he sensed upon stirring. Stiff muscles groaned as he reached over his head with closed eyes and stretched. The wooden beach lounger creaked gently beneath him to join the caws of seagulls and the distant sound of stringed instruments. They were accompanied further by lightly lapping waves and the sounds of clashing, practice weapons. Slowly, Hector opened his eyes after his little nap and stared at the rising sun before him.
"…I guess it wasn't just a nap," he mused with a sheepish grin as he stretched in his chair. He looked beside him, noting the side table where he had kept his barbecue dinner was now empty and clean. The other lounge chairs of last night's dinner mates had also been placed back in an orderly fashion; He'd have to apologize to Rama, Nightingale, and Beowulf for nodding off. Scratching the back of his head, he looked down one side of the beach to see Brynhildr's lancer class, then towards the forests to see the small string group practicing.
No one had bothered to wake him after dinner ended, but that was just par for the course. Hector didn't mind; He was actually mostly glad they didn't wake him. It was rare he got to see the sun rise in Chaldea since he loved sleeping in, so this was a rare, wonderful treat. Who says laziness didn't come with some rewards? "Too bad I didn't get to watch Tropic Thunder… Ah, there's always tonight or tomorrow."
Stretching his arms again, he began the long tedious effort of standing up. "I guess I'll just get the station ready ahead of time and surprise Leonidas…"
With a flash of prana, he had donned his signature battle clothes. He always found it a little strange his helmet didn't come with it considering one of his famed titles. Then again, he always did prefer keeping it off to show his adversaries just how annoyingly relaxed he was. That was definitely one of the easiest ways to taunt them, and it required zero effort on his part; The best of both worlds!
Giving himself one final stretch, he began walking towards the changing rooms where a storage shed kept all the necessary equipment for their personal class. It would be a much busier week than usual, but it would be nostalgic. It was good to change the pace, even if he preferred his lazy days.
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The group of employees listened as his battle-clad friend, and usual sparring partner, gave the introductory lecture. Along the beach, a few other classes were being held with roughly equivalent groups. Compared to the countless relaxing days at the beach, this was a hard contrast; There were only a scarce few smiles to be seen, and they were mostly from instructors.
For the next week, Chaldean staff would rotate between different classes and seminars hosted by various servants. The intent of these was to help prepare them for worst case scenarios. These new skills and drills would theoretically give them a better chance of survival, though that percentage was abysmally low; There's barely anything the regular mages could do against the phantasmal foes Solomon might unleash, let alone the normal staff.
Regardless, Hector had been one of the biggest advocates for these sessions. He had ensured the same was done in Troy, even if the regular citizens, young and old, would be capable of very little should the Greeks manage to breach the walls. Despite this, drills and guidance were still given on what to do in the worst case to increase their chances of survival. It didn't matter how miniscule the increase was, because every fraction of a second counted in a pinch, making that much more of a difference in the end.
Though the various tasks were properly distributed to appropriate parties, he had helped Roman and Da Vinci outline everything last month, including occasional surprise drills after the week was over. Roman's look of surprise made him chuckle, for the lancer really did seem like a different person when he was committed. It wasn't often anyone saw it off the battlefield, but even his laidback expression would shift to genuine resolve involving certain activities.
Though he loved his Chaldean vacation, he was still very much the renowned and firm leader of the past.
Hector, calm and composed, smiled at the small, temporary group of staff. He was glad their expressions showed no ounce of boredom or dismissal, showing him they understood the gravity of these sessions. It didn't help his and Leonidas' station was one of the few on the warm, sunny beach, but the uniformed staff were not distracted. That was good, because self-defense against an enemy was a very serious topic.
Then again, he doubted any of them wanted to cross the stern Spartan King. Standing in his battle-attire, with helmet discarded on the ground beside his wooden bo staff, Leonidas crossed his arms and finish the introductory lecture. "A quick recap! Janice! Repeat the purpose of these lessons!"
The small magus employee, though flinching at his barked tone, quickly answered. "Pole arm defense in case an employee is cornered! It is not to be used in offense!"
Leonidas smirked and nodded. "Anton! How long should one expect to keep up self-defense?"
"Until the earliest arrival of a garrisoned servant." His answer was also quick, making both lancers nod in approval.
There had been many suggested self-defense classes, but with Hector's advice, Chaldea settled on one style. For a few select individuals, Kiritsugu and Billy were teaching the fundamentals of pistol proficiency. Usually the modern weapons would be useless, but Edison was taking care of that matter through ammunition upgrades. It was a fair method to try and delay enemies before they got too close, but it was too idealistic and Roman wanted something more straightforward.
If an enemy got too close, Hector was adamant on the use of pole arms. Their long reach would keep an employee safer for fractions of a second longer. It might make the difference between a minor injury and death, all just to buy time for a servant to arrive and deal with the threat. Pole arms also had significant utility depending on what they were, like a long pry bar. Swords and other weapons would require closing a distance, and the last thing Hector wanted was for anyone to get any bad ideas.
The chosen tools, reinforced weapons, and medical kits would be distributed wherever fire extinguishers were for easy access. Hopefully, none of it would ever be needed, but it was better safe than sorry; Hector had been unnerved enough when he found out Chaldea was practically reliant on the servants alone for defense. To the relief of his protective instincts, that finally changed today.
"Before we begin, Hector and I will give a preliminary example of what you will hopefully be capable of before today's class is over."
On that cue, Hector plucked his own wooden bo staff from the ground as he turned to his fellow lancer. The nine gathered employees, each clutching their own staves, watched as Leonidas did a pretty poor impression of a monster. Thankfully, only the young Janice seemed a little amused as Leonidas had his arms raised like a vicious werewolf, complete with snarling and a choice glare. Hector would have happily made a taunting comment at this point, but this was a serious example; He could rib Leonidas later.
Holding his bo staff like a spear, Hector kept his legs slightly bent and his grip taut. His expression was even, rather than his usual calm. In his peripherals, he ensured they kept their eyes on him and not Leonidas as the Spartan lancer made an attempted swipe. Hector jabbed the makeshift spear forward, forcing Leonidas back before he could get hit. In a makeshift charge, Hector kept himself visibly calm and focused as he used the length of the pole to his advantage.
Jabbing it on Leonidas' chest, he jumped and pushed, sending himself backwards while pushing Leonidas away. Upon approaching again, he used the pole to swat away any attempted strike while thrusting to force him back. Leonidas stopped his snarling and nodded to the crowd. "It is important to note Hector's expression throughout the whole ordeal. Do not show any fear or hesitation to the enemy. They feed off of that, whether man or beast. You will only empower them and lessen your odds of survival."
"Don't get cocky or taunting either," Hector warned as he planted his staff into the ground again. "Your best bet is to remain calm and in control. Focus on your opponent and don't let your emotions seize control. Fight or flight will happen naturally, but you want a controlled flight, not a panicked rout."
Leonidas nodded and quickly picked up his discarded staff. "We will be going over self-control later. In the meantime, we are moving on to the basics of wielding a staff or spear. Let's start with proper postures. I want all of you to follow along with me."
As Hector began circling the group of employees while they mimicked Leonidas' first stance, he gave quiet, approving glances towards his friend. He was glad he wasn't handling this as fiercely as his physical training classes he gives every now and then, but rather teaching with a level head. The last thing these employees needed was a drill instructor, even if there were obvious and favorable merits to that harsh teaching method. They were learning something they hopefully didn't need, so the added stress would be a touch too far.
Hector approached a female Logistics employee, whose stance looked far too stiff. With a gentle nudge from his staff and a calm smile, Hector made the woman bend her knees. "A little more… There. That's more comfortable, right? Ah, don't mind me, keep your eyes on Leonidas. Just glad to help."
With his ever keen and discerning eye, he moved around the line of employees fixing any little problem he noticed. Occasionally, he'd readapt their position, grip, or stance to better suit their bodies. Hector did appreciate discipline and uniformity like his friend, but he knew each person was different. These employees would not see line formations or any organized ancient combat, so individual adjustments were fine. Hector just wanted to ensure the employees would get their best chances in the absolute worst-case scenario.
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"Oof!" Anton grunted as he fell onto the sand. His opponent, another Science Division employee, quickly dropped his guard and helped get him up. Hector stood nearby, having only glanced the end of the small spar since he and Leonidas were overseeing the free session loosely. Just like many times before, the employee had flinched or panicked, and wound up back pedaling before losing his footing. He wasn't the only employee stuttering in the open spars though.
Hector walked over, getting both of their attention. They looked at each other uncertainly, but the lancer's disarming smile kept them at ease; There's no need to stress them over basics. He chuckled, "I think I understand why Fran's always so worried about you, Anton… Ah, I'm kidding, relax!"
Anton still scratched the back of his head in embarrassment as his fellow employee patted his shoulder reassuringly. "My apologies, Hector… I can't resist flinching."
"It happens. You're not a trained warrior, so don't lose sleep over it," he reassured. "It's natural to get nervous in combat. Everyone feels it. Even me. You'd have to be insane not to."
"Or Spartacus! …Ah, same thing!" a voice called out from the boardwalk nearby. Hector grinned and looked towards the two servants who had been quietly observing. Li leaned against the railing with a short-sleeved, wine colored button-up and jeans. Jing Ke leaned on the same rail with him in skinny jeans and a white blouse. She took a sip from her thermos Hector assumed contained alcohol before waving to them. Li waved dismissively, "Ah, don't mind us, Hector! Forget I said anything!"
Though he wanted to continue and illustrate his point, Leonidas was busy helping two other employees. He got a new idea. "…Actually, would you mind coming down for a second, Li?"
After glancing to Jing Ke, who merely shrugged and took another sip from her thermos, the Chinese lancer quickly took off his shoes and socks before vaulting the railing. Landing on the sand, he quickly made his way over to them. "Would you mind summoning your real spear too?"
Though a little confused, but mostly enthusiastic, he shrugged and with a shower of prana, his weapon was in his hands. He raised an eyebrow as Hector took a combat stance with his ordinary bo staff. The Trojan Hero turned to the two employees as they took a few steps back and nodded. "It's alright to be nervous about fighting, but I'll teach you one little trick Leonidas and I will go over later. Think of it as an early gift!"
Though still a bit confused, Li slowly nodded, smirked, and took a fighting stance. "This is hardly like our real spars, so I'll try not to break your stick!"
"Don't make me look bad either, please," Hector teased as the laughing Li began slowly approaching him. It got the attention of some other sparring employees, but the Trojan lancer remained calm. "Now, you two… When faced with an opponent much stronger than you, your body will naturally want to panic. If you're already trapped or cornered, that could mean your death… There's no light way to put it. But there is a way to break your fear momentarily."
Li was thankfully calm and hardly trying, and Hector was glad the powerful man knew when to hold back for an example's sake; He was honestly a bit worried he didn't at first. Li thrusted his weapon, but Hector dodged it and then the next one with equal ease. Since Li had the clear advantage in reach and his weapon's potency, Hector made a forced expression of nervousness and doubt. It made his opponent release his signature chuckle, "Fear looks very unnatural on you, my friend!"
"Which is why I'm going to remove it," Hector responded evenly as his expression fell. As Li tilted his head in confusion, Hector's visage filled with sudden, absolute rage. He let out a loud roar as his visage turned primal. With eyes narrowed and teeth bared like fangs, he took a stomp forward and thrusted his bo staff towards Li.
"What the-!?" the Chinese lancer sputtered as he backpedaled. In an impossibly rare display, but like Anton did earlier, Li tripped on his own footing and fell onto the ground in a seated position. He stared dumbfounded and surprised at Hector's expression, which spun a tale of violent malice and burning resolve. As quick as it had suddenly appeared and silenced the beach, Hector's expression was back to his usual, calm composure.
With his signature grin while scratching the back of his head, he turned to Jing Ke at the boardwalk, who was struggling not to double over with her laughter. "I'm so glad I was sober for this! Oh my gosh! Was someone recording that!?"
"Sorry, Li… I just had to illustrate my point," Hector chuckled as the Chinese lancer stood back up and dusted himself off. "If your nerves are getting to you, let your voice out. Roar in anger. Yell a command. Anything! It will likely give you the precious few moments free of crippling fear to do something… Hopefully not something reckless and suicidal, but something."
Instead of being embarrassed, Li laughed proudly. "Hector! You've been holding back on me every time! To think you had a battle roar like that! I wish to fight that visage next spar!"
He could count on one hand the amount of times he had shown that expression after arriving in Chaldea. Most were during the defense of Babylonia, and were done in an attempt to grab some lahmus attention from the poor Urukians. In his actual life, the last time he had let out such a ferocious battle cry was in his fateful duel with Achilles... which he'd rather not repeat. He didn't really like yelling since it require so much energy, so Chaldea remained almost completely unaware of just how stimulated he could really become if necessary.
"Sure, sure… but just once," the lancer quickly agreed with a smile before turning back to the stunned two employees. He could feel the bewildered gazes of the rest of their training group on his back. Past the two employees, he could see he had also managed to bring Irisviel, Nightingale, and Anishka's medical seminar to a complete halt as well. He grinned sheepishly. "Ah… got a bit carried away with my example, but I hope you get the idea!"
The two employees nodded quickly, and he silently wondered if he made them even more scared of his anger than Leonidas' commanding bark. Hopefully the rest of the seminar would finish with a lot less yelling, but he had the feeling Leonidas would want it demonstrated again. Ah well… it just meant a more peaceful slumber later after his day's tasks were complete.
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Feeling refreshed after a quick shower, Hector returned to the resort where he practically lived on the weekends. He had changed into a sapphire tropical shirt and khaki shorts now that the day's lesson was over. There would be a new group to teach tomorrow, but he was satisfied with the overall success across the board. Content Chaldea's staff were making safe steps forward, he could spend the rest of the day in more relaxed activities before getting back to work tomorrow.
Between the resort and the comfortable couches of the salon, he had two favorite spots to enjoy his favorite daytime activity. As many liked to joke, Hector usually only had two speeds: Asleep and lethargic. …Not like he was ever interested in breaking that perception though. However, he did have some other, small interests like reading a book, watching movies, completing puzzles, or other quiet activities to pass the time in peace. With his day not quite over, sleeping or napping were not on his to do list quite yet, though.
With a cold lemonade in one hand and three books in the other, he walked over to one of the boardwalk benches and took a seat. Humming to himself quietly, he picked up the top two items which were notebooks with pencils slipped inside. The cover of the other depicted a zany cartoon with an elephant riding a hot air balloon and had the title 'Wild, Wild Mad Libs.' However, this interest was less for him and more for his companions since he favored intricate puzzles.
Minute after minute passed in comfortable silence as he simply enjoyed the breeze. On the water ahead, the four pirates were small specs on their boat as they sailed in the distance; It was amusing how fast Anne and Mary would forgive Blackbeard for any trespasses. It was a contrast between how brutally forward they were in Okeanos, but then again Blackbeard had been very open about his questionable mental thoughts. It was good to know the legendary pirate wasn't like that all the time.
"Uncle Hector!" "We're here!" He chuckled after glancing at his watch. A little late, but that was alright.
Leaning back on the bench, content that it was uncomfortable enough he wouldn't just pass out, he waved to Atalanta's girls as they scampered towards him. Judging by damp hair and the large towels wrapped around them like cocoons, they had finished their swim a little late. Leaving little footprints on the boardwalk, they zoomed towards his bench as their mother happily followed behind them. Her jade towel was draped over her shoulders, framing her slender body wrapped in a practical, black one piece.
The two sisters quickly clambered onto the bench at Hector's sides, making him chuckle. "Hey now, no need to rush. I'm not running off or anything."
"But you're never running anywhere!" Nursery Rhyme quipped, making him reach over and ruffle her loose hair to draw out her giggles.
As Jack fixed her towel to form a comfier blanket around her, Atalanta walked up to the bench and gently rubbed her shoulder. "Sorry they're a little late."
"Ah, they're not late! If they were, I would be asleep already," he grinned, making the adoptive mother roll her eyes and chuckle. "You three have fun at the water slides?"
"Illya, Kuro, and Shuten had to pry Kintoki out of the kiddy slide," Jack explained, making Nursery Rhyme giggle. Hector can almost hear the berserker complaining about the 'not-quite-golden' situation. "But it was fun!"
"Thanks again for helping with their lessons, Hector. I'll leave my girls to you," Atalanta chimed in as she leaned down to kiss the top of the assassin's head. She repeated the process with Nursery Rhyme before smiling to both of them. "You two be kind to your uncle and don't give him too much trouble."
"We promise~!" they responded together as Atalanta smiled and waved goodbye. He waved back, and turned back to the girls before noticing something in his peripherals. Very briefly, he glanced towards the Tropicana sector to see some of the Romans curiously walking inside with concealment capes. As they disappeared, and Irisviel's toweled girls quickly ran into sight from the same path, Hector shrugged and returned to his volunteered task at hand.
Jaguarman just started teaching them sentence structure, and Jack was still struggling with parts of speech. Though he wasn't one of Chaldea's teachers for the girls, he was more than happy to help them in a fun way. They saw him as a funny, lazy uncle, and he couldn't bring himself to say no to helping them. Though uncommon, he'd be the one watching over them if their usual companions were busy, but he'd definitely take a nap afterwards.
He opened up the mad lib book to a random page, then gave them the notebooks and pencils. "Alright, girls. I'm going to list off the needed words, and then we'll read what kind of crazy scenes you managed to make. If either of you are confused, I'm happy to help."
They both nodded, though he saw Jack's slight nervousness. "So! The first word I need is an adjective. Feel free to show me if you're uncertain if you picked one."
With two arms protruding from her towel cocoon, Jack quickly scribbled down a word in childish handwriting and showed Hector. "…This is an adjective?"
After reading 'warm,' he smiled, nodded, and rubbed her head in reassurance, making her giggle. It was adorable to see such a quick and cunning assassin getting a bit anxious at basic school lessons; Another Chaldea-exclusive moment, or at least he believed. With a small smile, Jack waited for the next word while he glanced over at her caster sister. He blinked and chuckled, enjoying the significant difference between the two girls.
Nursery Rhyme was carefully but elegantly writing her word in perfect, fairy tale script.
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Twenty minutes quickly slipped by in good company.
"…There are many pretty ways to choose a candy to read. First, you can ask for recommendations from your friends and fluffier friends. Just don't ask Aunt Gabby– she only reads tastybooks with delicious boys on the cover," Hector read out loud, before having to stop himself with laughter. Nursery Rhyme looked extra flushed by her word choice on the last sentence. While Jack recovered from her giggles, the lancer smirked to the small caster. "Are you sure you didn't peek at the page? That was a little too accurate."
"I didn't think it would sound like that!" a blushing Nursery Rhyme laughed as Hector ruffled her hair. This was easily the accidental raunchy sentence of their many articles. At least Jack was getting the hang of identifying her words, and was much more confident in her choices; She only made three mistakes.
"Altera! There you are!"
Their laughter subsided as the lancer turned around in curiosity. Altera, who had been feeding some seagulls in the center of the boardwalk, turned around quickly, making the hem of her white sundress wave elegantly with her movement. Nero, in a spaghetti strapped red dress with black frills, quickly came up to her with a glass of wine. Her hair was down, but was complimented with two braids wrapped around the back of her head. Altera smiled, "Hi, sis!"
"Have you seen the other Emperors? I've been looking all over!" she quickly asked. She turned around to stare back at the growing pre-dinner activity in the cafeteria and Club Cove. At the same time, Altera glanced towards Hector, who had gazed to the forest then back to her. Before Nero turned around, Altera quickly raised a finger to her lips in silent urging. She giggled as Atalanta's two girls mimicked the gesture with happy smiles. Nero turned back around. "Huh? What's so fun- Oh! Atalanta's cute girls! I hope you had a fun day!"
"I'm here too," Hector teased with a wave, making the tanned saber chuckle. "I thought I saw the emperors at the pyramid a bit ago. Maybe look there?"
"Ah! How could I forget checking Egyptian territory!?" Nero exclaimed, making the two children chuckle as she quickly zoomed off. "Thank you, Hero of Troy! I will be back, Altera!"
After she slalomed through the crowded entrance of Club Cove, Altera turned back to Hector and giggled. "Thank you."
He grinned and chuckled. "Ah, you know me! Good at throwing a diversion and delaying the inevitable!"
Keen as ever, Hector had a good hunch what was going on in the forest, and a distant, barely-audible squeal added further evidence.
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Ten more minutes had passed swiftly, but he was content as he waved to the leaving family.
"Bye, Uncle Hector!" the girls waved as their mother walked with them hand-in-hand to the outdoor cafeteria where a joint-family party awaited the towel-wrapped girls. He should probably get some food himself, and hopefully not sucker himself into another tiny errand in the process. Closing the books and arranging them on the bench, he figured he should at least decide who to sit with today.
He was generally welcome everywhere, but he usually liked keeping his company quiet. Erik had been new and interesting potential friend ever since he got involved with Mozart and Tristan, and he considered possibly sitting with the stringed trio. He wasn't a great musician himself, but he certainly enjoyed the melodies and laid-back company they produced. That was if they were sitting together today, though.
Getting up from his seat and dusting his shorts off, Hector glanced back over at Altera, who patiently waited as the Roman contingent, sans Nero, approached. He never noticed them leave the forest when he was wrapping up his play time with the girls, but they were nearly at the club now. Without their concealment capes, the escorting Roman Emperors looked extra sharp in their black formal suits. However, Caligula and Romulus were definitely not the points of interest.
A beaming Cleopatra, with drying tear trails on her face, walked arm in arm with an equally happy Caesar. There was a discernible light grass stain on one knee of his red formal suit, and even a few blasphemous green marks on the fashionista's otherwise flawless white, strapless evening dress. With a shimmering glint from a perfect diamond ring on her left ring finger, Hector couldn't help but smile and nod as Altera happily approached them. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you, Altera!" Caesar smiled as the honorary Roman came up and hugged Cleopatra, making the smiling pharaoh sniffle with a new wave of threatenin-
"WHAT!? I WAS NOT TOLD!?" Ah yes. There was one missing. Nero quickly, and rather clumsily, barged her way through the crowd and ran towards the laughing group. With a firm pout and a glare aimed between him, who flat out lied, and Altera, who sheepishly waved at her, she huffed. "How mean!"
"Sorry, Nero…" Altera reassured as she hugged the pouting empress. "I was to make sure you didn't approach. Caesar wanted this done quietly, between only the two of them."
"A quiet walk on the beach, through the forest, and ending in a spontaneous waltz at the romantic cape!" Romulus declared as he gestured proudly with his hand. "Caligula and I ensured none of it was interrupted by even the gods themselves! We ensured Cupid and Hathor blessed this day!"
"…Umu… I wouldn't have been able to keep quiet about it…" Nero admitted with an exasperated smile, making the great orator and his fiancé laugh. "Still, Great Caesar! The proposal! I would have thought you would want the whole world to bare witness!"
"Ah, but I did proclaim to the world as we danced, Empress of Roses," Caesar reassured as he gently took, Cleopatra's hand and looked her deep in the eyes. With a slight change of his timber, he recited practiced lines, "Come what may, I wished to remove the regret of our past. Never to dwell again on what the world may have been, my ambition yearned to finally hold the world in my hands… and thus fate smiled, and sought to place you in my arms instead."
"Then as I was swooning in our playful waltz, he spun me around, knelt down when I wasn't looking, a-and-" she sniffled with a bright smile, unable to continue as she rubbed a shimmering tear from her eye.
Nero's admiring squeal drew nearly all attention to them. "Ahhhh~! I forgive you for not telling me~! But I still want to know more! I want to hear the whole beautiful moment! I never got such a shining proposal with my beloved Praetor!"
Cleopatra giggled as the other Romans laughed. "I'll be sure to tell you at dinner then, my fashion rival. I owe you that much for granting a pharaoh such profound happiness."
Hector, already quietly walking away, wished to leave them to further privacy, but that was clearly not the case. Excited murmurs were already running through the tight-knit community, and he could feel the mood shifting to celebration. During his latter years, there were very few times for full celebration, but the vast majority were split between birthdays and weddings. He'd made so many proud declarations for some of his newly engaged men, partially to boost morale, but mostly just to celebrate the allowed joys of life in rough times.
A robot passed with a tray of blue curacao margaritas. Holding up his hand to stop it, Hector casually reached over and plucked one of them from the tray. "Glad to be of service, sir!"
"No, thank you," he responded before turning back towards the Romans. Like he'd done so many times before, he raised his voice alongside his drink hand and gestured to the two fiancés. "Here, here! For in the darkest of times, yet another light shines! Let's give our merry wishes to the newly engaged couple! For Julius Caesar and Cleopatra Philopater!"
Surprised by his unusually raised voice, the Romans turned to him as the nearby crowd erupted into applause and cheers. He merely raised the glass in their honor, smiled, and took a sip of the refreshing drink as several servants rushed over to the group. He could already hear Nitocris and Ozymandias' excited chatter as he weaved through the crowd towards the barbecue grills. With a content smile as he relished the taste of his drink, Hector chuckled to himself.
Though yesterday was far more relaxed an ideal, he didn't mind the satisfying surprises working days sometimes brought. He'd sleep just as peacefully tonight.