Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover-Chapter 249: [] Let Me Explain

The singing outside gradually faded. Presumably, Nero was beginning to wonder why her audience had all "happily" passed out. Seizing the opportunity, Sakatsuki's trusted subordinates quietly slipped back into their own tents, terrified that the beautiful emperor might drag them in as additional listeners.

But Rosario stayed behind, his expression troubled.

"Commander..."

"I know what you want to say," the white-haired youth waved his hand, signaling that no further words were needed. "If it were me, I would definitely follow the trail of the fleeing soldiers and pursue them all the way here."

"And when that happens, it'll be our turn to face the man in the crimson cloak."

"Exactly," Rosario nodded. "But against such an enemy... can we really...?"

"Have some faith in me, Deputy Commander," Sakatsuki turned his gaze, his crimson eyes devoid of any panic despite the looming threat. "I just so happen to need a sturdy whetstone to sharpen my troops. And while we're at it... I'll clean up a few of the emperor's little mistakes."

Little mistakes?

Rosario instinctively sensed something ominous beneath those words. He tightly shut his mouth and silently took his leave.

Behind him, Sakatsuki sat back down in his chair, interlacing his fingers and resting his chin on them.

As he had predicted, the worst-case scenario had come to pass.

Though Gorin Varus was his enemy, the fact that he had risen to the rank of commander proved his competence—after all, the position required Nero's personal approval.

Dying so soon after the battle began wasn't his fault.

Who could have predicted that his opponent would be something already dead—a vessel for heroic spirits capable of effortlessly overwhelming any existence of this era?

A Servant.

A crimson cloak. A savage fighting style. These traits were more than enough for Sakatsuki to deduce the identity of this Servant.

"Caligula... So Chaldea's people really are close."

The third emperor of ancient Rome, a figure from the first century AD, infamous for his cruelty—and Nero's uncle.

Few remembered that Caligula, the son of a hero, had been a wise ruler in the first two years of his reign. He had burned the secret documents from Tiberius' era, shown great respect to the Senate, and even sought to restore the popular assemblies. He was a beloved and enlightened monarch.

But then, suddenly blessed—or cursed—by the moon's favor, or perhaps after a severe illness... Caligula descended into madness.

In the years before his assassination, he ruled the empire through terror.

Historical records claim he once told his grandmother, "I can treat anyone as I please." And so he did—committing countless atrocities, executing Tiberius' son, ordering the decapitation of statues in temples to replace them with his own likeness, launching impulsive campaigns into Germania, imposing heavy taxes across the land... until he was finally assassinated by Cassius Chaerea, a tribune of the Praetorian Guard.

Of course, in the world of the Moon, he was merely a pitiable soul whose mind had been stolen by the Moon Goddess.

Now, Sakatsuki's reason for not attacking the first stronghold was crystal clear.

Why not assault the enemy's most critical coastal hub?

Why was such a strategically vital location guarded by only five hundred men?

Because Caligula was there.

With a Servant capable of single-handedly slaughtering thousands, no soldiers of this era could possibly breach that fortress.

Only a Servant could defeat another Servant.

Which meant that in the expeditionary force bound for Pisa, only Sakatsuki could kill Caligula.

But Sakatsuki had already lost all of his original power. In its place, he now wielded the formidable Spirit Origin of a certain renowned general.

Yet the "strength" of this Spirit Origin was built upon armies and slaughter.

An army untempered by blood and fire would, at best, achieve a pyrrhic victory against Caligula.

But now, if Caligula were to recklessly charge in, Sakatsuki could effortlessly kill him.

Unfortunately, as a Servant, Caligula had manifested under the Berserker class.

"And Berserkers... aren't exactly known for their intellect."

***

After a chaotic afternoon, the war-torn camp was finally restored. Under Sakatsuki's orders, the soldiers settled in for the night, preparing to march back at dawn.

The aroma of food once again filled the camp. Soldiers gathered in small groups, accepting rations from the quartermaster and enjoying a rare moment of rest after a long day's toil.

But an observant eye would notice that, though the soldiers sat in scattered groups, they had unconsciously divided into three distinct factions:

1. The troops under Sakatsuki's direct command.

2. The prisoners of war who had voluntarily surrendered.

3. The prisoners who had accepted Nero's pardon and were hailed as "loyal and brave warriors."

Clearly, while they were all technically under Sakatsuki's command now, emotionally, they still couldn't accept one another.

Had Sakatsuki, seated high in his position as commander, noticed this underlying tension?

No one knew what had changed in the white-haired youth after Nero's speech. All they knew was that since the afternoon, the governor had remained in his tent—summoning officers but never stepping outside.

As for Emperor Nero Claudius, who still hadn't left...

At that moment, the golden-haired, emerald-eyed girl—now clad in a dress as vibrant as flames—was pacing back and forth in front of Sakatsuki's tightly shut tent.

Though he knew Nero was lying, Sakatsuki had neither the desire nor the interest to press her for the real reason she had come.

Besides, the emperor was never one to keep secrets. Even if he did nothing, she'd eventually spill her thoughts anyway.

And just as Sakatsuki expected, Nero couldn't help but recall the dream she'd had that morning—a glimpse into the distant past of a certain young man from a foreign land.

Was that the white-haired youth's true identity? So the governor had traveled all the way here from the mysterious East?

Could it be... he came to save me?

But how does the governor know me?

And what about these red marks on the back of my hand?

Nero lifted her hand. Though only one of the three Command Spells remained, faint traces of the other two—consumed at some unknown time—still lingered.

She didn't know what they were, but her instincts told her they were important.

Just like that dream—far too heavy, far too profound...

There were too many things she wanted to ask. After hesitating for a moment, Nero finally steeled herself and stepped forward, pulling open the tent flap.

"Legate, there's something I wish to ask you—"

Her words died in her throat.

Because before her, the white-haired youth stared back in shock, his lips still glistening with unlicked grease.

Looking down, she saw him clutching a drumstick in his left hand, his mouth smeared with oil. His right hand held a fan, which he'd been using to stoke a makeshift stove. The firewood inside crackled softly, emitting a comforting "snap-pop."

And in the iron pot before him, a tender young chicken lay nestled among an array of spices, its mouthwatering aroma filling the air.

Sakatsuki: "...Let me explain."

Nero: "???"

***

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