A few days had passed since the terrorist attack, and citizens of all ranks and genders had returned to work to repair the damage caused by the phantasmal species. However, it was their way of keeping their minds busy and avoiding rethinking what had occurred.
"Five years' efforts burned in half a night," Yuto sighed wearily.
"My father said you can stay at our house until it is repaired," Lavinia the younger explained.
"Thank you," Yuto replied, not that it made him feel better.
His forge had been completely destroyed, reduced to a pile of rubble during the attack. No money had been stolen, but the weapons, armour, and other tools he had created were missing. Iron was a highly valued material that was difficult to obtain and expensive to purchase.
"That was a nightmare. Do you think they'll be fine?" Lavinia the younger inquired, looking around and observing the people's condition.
"This isn't the first time they've encountered this, and it won't be the last. They'll be fine sooner than you think," Yuto explained.
He vaguely remembered when Brennus, the Senones' leader, invaded Rome. The city had nearly been brought to its knees, but it had recovered and grown stronger. He couldn't see why things would be different this time.
"Do you know that woman?" Lavinia the younger asked hesitantly.
"I wish I didn't know her honestly," Yuto said tiredly. "It's better for you not to know more about that wicked woman."
Morgan was his problem, not anyone else's. He had always suspected she was somewhere around that time and had even searched for her for a while. He had also visited Britain, where the Elemental of Water lived.
"Octavian asked your father to cancel the engagement in exchange for an allocated seat in the Senate for him and Claudius," Yuto said, sitting on a boulder and looking seriously at Lavinia. "I entered just when Tiberius was about to give an answer and I managed to buy time."
Lavinia the younger was understandably agitated. Yuto already felt as if he was exploiting them, but he didn't want to become an opportunist. He didn't want to humiliate Lavinia.
"I have to give him an answer soon, but I wanted to talk to you," Yuto said.
"I see," Lavinia the younger replied.
Given his previous refusals, Yuto's opposition was unsurprising.
"Do you still worry about the difference in our status?" Lavinia the younger asked.
Their social differences were initially a source of contention, but Yuto was now a hero, having fought at the forefront to save the city and its people when few aristocrats had taken up arms to fight the enemies.
"This disaster is because I refused to be Morgan's tool," Yuto went on to say.
Yuto was most concerned about Morgan's intentions towards her.
"It would be normal for you to want nothing to do with this world after this mess," Yuto said, standing up and gently caressing Lavinia's hands, ignoring the customs of the time. "I'm asking you if you're really okay with this life?"
Those monsters had left a lasting impression on everyone. They were creatures that humans couldn't handle, and they died as a result.
"Looking at this disaster, it is clear that there is no way to stay out of it." Lavinia the younger crossed her arms and stared intently at Yuto. "I don't know anything about it, but I can pretty much say they won't stop until they conquer Rome."
There wasn't much she could do, but she was determined to give it her all. Especially after witnessing a child like Jack treat the wounded almost for free.
"You're really stubborn," Yuto said, sighing. "But, yeah, I hoped for that answer."
On the one hand, he could easily figure out what Octavian's goal was. That schemer, as Yuto had identified Octavian, intended to make him an ally of his family through a political marriage with his sister or another means.
"May I ask you a question?" Lavinia the younger waited for Yuto to give her permission. "Why are you trying so hard to call off the engagement?"
"Because a marriage without mutual love is meaningless," Yuto replied, "We'll just end up hurting each other."
"But I..."
"I am the problem." Yuto interrupted Lavinia abruptly. "I've lived for nearly 800 years. I met a lot of people, but they eventually left me behind. So I ended up isolating myself from everyone and eventually forgetting about human emotions."
"I see," Lavinia the younger replied.
Lavinia the younger remembered her mother's speech about the burden of marrying Archer. She had no reason to doubt Yuto, especially since his appearance was nearly identical to when they met ten years ago.
"Now I know what to do!" Lavinia exclaimed.
"Uh?" Yuto blinked.
"Nothing," Lavinia the younger replied, laughing ironically.
Yuto got up. "Come on. Let's go back.
Yuto found himself in a difficult situation. Until now, he had limited himself to acting only when history went wrong, such as killing the messenger tasked with informing Lucius Tarquinius of the Roman people's decision to exile him.
However, Morgan was an unknown factor and most likely the most difficult obstacle to overcome.
"So, have you made a decision?" Octavian inquired with great interest.
Yuto nodded.
"I'm not calling off my engagement," Yuto stated firmly. "The reason you want me to cancel it is to marry your sister or your daughter and exploit me and my connections."
Octavian seemed surprised. "How do you know I have a sister?"
"I'm Archer. I know everything," Yuto responded, referring to his position as Rome's guardian.
Octavian was slightly annoyed, despite his calm expression. He considered marrying Yuto to his sister Octavia to use him as a weapon against his enemies. After all, the world was worth all the legions combined.
"I weighed the pros and cons of abandoning my allegiance to Tiberius, and honestly, I'd rather things stay as they are now," Yuto said, staring at Octavian. "The difference is that Tiberius has earned my loyalty."
Even though he was a slave, they had treated him well. He had never been hit, and the food they had given him was both poor and good. They also rewarded hard work. They released him quickly and then provided him with a loan to help him reintegrate into society.
"In a world where everything is given to have, having the loyalty of powerful and influential characters is necessary for the survival of a lineage." Yuto opened his pocket dimension and took out a piece of parchment. "But an alliance made through marriage is easy to break."
One example would have been Octavian's sister, Octavia the Younger, and Mark Antony, who would initiate a diplomatic case that would result in the deaths of the triumvir and Cleopatra VII, as well as the annexation of Egypt.
"What do you propose?" Octavian asked.
"An alliance between our families," Yuto replied.
Octavian took the scroll and unravelled it. Reading the agreement, he became suspicious of Yuto's written promise.
"Are you serious?" Octavian inquired, confused. "How can I believe you will keep such a word?"
"That's a gais, isn't it?" Mordred narrowed her gaze. "What did you promise him?"
"As long as Octavian's family survives, my family will continue to be their ally," Yuto said.
However, the gens Julia-Claudia would vanish with Nero. On balance, they would live until 68 A.D. Furthermore, Yuto had taken a good look at himself and signed the contract under the name Emiya-Pendragon, freeing Mordred from the Gais because she was only a Pendragon.
"In return, you want me to reform the Roman state," Octavian said.
"It is factual that the Senate no longer works," Yuto said in a statement.
It was clear that the senators were only concerned with their own interests, not with the common sake of Rome. It only took a small amount of money from Gilgamesh's treasure to persuade them to betray the State.
"Why don't you do it?" Mordred asked.
"The proposals of a man who has been convicted of treason would never be accepted in the Senate," he said.
"Also, I intend to do something else," Yuto explained, turning to Mordred. "I need your help."
"You won't tell me...?" Mordred replied, surprised.
Yuto nodded, a faint smile on his lips. They understood each other even when they didn't speak.
"I am not asking you to destroy it. I want you to put all the gears back," Yuto said, returning to his main speech. "In return, I have no problem becoming an ally of your family until it is naturally extinct."
Yuto was the type of person who always kept his word, which concerned Mordred. This situation, combined with Archer's words, agitated her even more.
"Very well, I accept." Octavian took an inkwell and a pen and signed the parchment. "But it is a pity."
"Yeah, that's too bad." Yuto didn't want much to do with Octavian. "Well, if that's all, I'd go." He stood up from his chair but he remembered something. "Oh, before I forget. Remember, Morgan's head is mine."
"Have you gone crazy? Why did you promise an alliance that will last more than 50 years?" Mordred scolded harshly. "Even worse, you'd be the only one to take care of it."
"I played ahead," Yuto said, massaging the bump on his head. "Knowing Morgan, there is a good chance she will try to approach the future emperor." He turned to Tiberius. "Moreover, I feared a possible reaction from Octavian by refusing to break off the engagement."
Octavian was a man who was willing to kill anyone he saw as an enemy or potential political rival. Yuto was essentially someone who could not be controlled, but Mordred had already noticed a significant difference from the old Yuto. In the past, he would not care about anyone other than Rin.
"I knew showing it meant drawing his attention and I was aware that Octavian was an ambitious person," Yuto said. "I thought Fafnir's corpses would keep him at bay, but that's human nature. The more you possess, the more you desire."
The only remaining enemies were the two Fafnirs. He had sold the corpses to Rome, keeping only the hearts, some fangs, and scales.
"I calculated a possible abuse of Octavian," Yuto explained, waving the scroll randomly. "In that case, I will nullify the contract."
Mordred smiled sarcastically. Yuto appeared to have considered all possibilities.
"So, how do you intend to proceed?" Tiberius asked.
"You know the swords I gave you and Octavian?" Yuto drew copies of Arondight and Excalibur Galatine. "They are fakes that the world tends to reject. They will slowly dissolve into mana particles."
"What? Is it a fake?" Tiberius observed Arondight, and there appeared to be no issue. He only brought it to him because Yuto said he needed to do it.
"However, copies can only exist if there are originals," Mordred reasoned. "Do you want to find them before Morgan?"
"It is obvious," Yuto replied. "I have no idea what she will do if she gets those swords."
"What is it about them?" Claudius asked.
"Those weapons are Divine Constructs," Mordred explained.
Divine Constructs were weapons created not by humans, but by gods or beings of comparable power. Yuto refused to give them any more advantage now that the treasury was nearly lost.
"The real issue is who to entrust those swords to after I retrieve them," Yuto reflected, touching his chin. "I fear that owning a divine construct may divert those who hold it."
The idea was to entrust them to someone he knew would never betray him, but he only trusted a few people.
"What if we enchanted them like Caliburn?" Merlin suggested.
"Oh!" Yuto became interested in the first good proposal Merlin had made since his birth. "Like whoever draws this sword will be the rightful ruler?"
"Something like that," Merlin replied, pinching his cheek. "Instead of a legitimate ruler, they must possess the qualities of a knight."
Strength.
Honour.
Rectitude.
Loyalty.
"To find suitable people, we could hold an open contest," Mordred suggested. "Since the prize is a holy sword, it will be better to impose a limit on nominations."
Mordred's idea was excellent, which surprised Yuto. Especially since Mordred had not suggested any sort of fight.
"The real problem is having those weapons," Yuto sighed.
"What do you mean?" Tiberius asked.
Tiberius didn't even try to hide his desire to obtain the original Arondight and possibly Claudius got his hands on Excalibur or Excalibur Galatine.
"I'm not sure if I can persuade that old hag," Yuto replied.
.
.
.
The water in Yuto's glass exploded, shattering it. The water suspended in the air thickened, stirred, and transformed into a stunning young woman with long blue hair and eyes. She wore an elegant dress that fit perfectly to her body and highlighted her curves.
"Who did you call an old hag?" the woman inquired, staring at Yuto sternly.
Yuto swallowed nervously. "Eh eh... hey, Vivian."