Chapter 100: My Rome Is About to Collapse!
Inside the dungeon, ancient Rome.
In the dark prison, behind multiple layers of heavy stone doors, deep in the innermost chamber, a girl in a resplendent red ceremonial dress sat silently.
Her golden hair and clear, radiant eyes exuded an unshakable pride. The magnificent ceremonial dress she wore was something she had insisted on bringing with her.
Because it was her symbol—the emblem of the supreme emperor of the ancient Roman Empire.
But now, she was merely a prisoner, awaiting her fate in this dark and desolate dungeon.
That day, a mysterious army suddenly launched an assault on the mighty Roman Empire. The frontlines were broken in an instant. Warriors emerging from nowhere slaughtered the soldiers as if they were nothing more than weeds.
The defensive lines collapsed in the blink of an eye, and Rome—her pride—was soon besieged by relentless attacks.
In the end, at the moment she stood atop the city walls, gazing down at the enemy general, she understood—she could not defeat them.
And so, in this final moment, she wished only to don her most resplendent attire, waiting for death to claim her in the cold darkness of the dungeon.
"Nero Claudius."
A familiar voice echoed in the dungeon.
The figure of the newcomer emerged under the dim light—it was none other than Lev Lainur Flauros, the former professor of Chaldea.
He wore a sinister smile, revealing sharp teeth as he let out a loud, mocking laugh.
"So, your era has ended. The era of humanity has also come to an end!"
"You are that royal magus?"
The girl in the cell straightened her back, her sharp gaze locked onto the malicious figure before her.
"Royal magus? Umu, call me whatever you like. But since you are about to die, I suppose I can tell you my true name."
He stared at her, curling his lips into a smirk.
"Lev. Lev Lainur Flauros. Though I must say, when I was still pretending to be human, I rather liked that name."
"Then, Lev!"
The golden-haired girl's eyes burned like fire.
"If my downfall is the fate of Rome, then I shall accept it. But..."
"That is absolutely not because of you!!!"
"HAHAHAHA!!!"
Lev threw his head back and laughed wildly.
"And what is this? The meaningless persistence of humanity in Pan-Human History? Because your inferior species refuses to evolve, you have been abandoned by the King! Your arrogance has caused you to lose the King's favor!!!"
Shua——————————!!!
A flash of sword light streaked through the air, slicing Lev's hat clean off his head and sending it flying into the distance.
Lev's laughter abruptly stopped.
Only now did he realize that the girl before him held nothing in her hands—the force that had struck his hat was merely a blade of sharp air.
The golden-haired girl said nothing, simply maintaining the dignity of a king, holding her battle stance against Lev.
Lev picked up his hat, dusted it off, adjusted it slightly, and placed it back on his head.
"Hmph, struggle all you want. In the end, you and Chaldea will become nothing more than fuel for the new world."
Inside a cave, after resting for the night, the group had begun discussing their next steps early in the morning.
"So, we should find the King of Lord El-Melloi II, right?"
Mash confirmed with Ethan.
"No need to call me that, Lady."
Waver responded in a softer tone.
"I am now a Pseudo-Servant fused with Zhuge Kongming. You may call me by my original name, Waver Velvet, or simply Zhuge Kongming."
"Then… Kongming-san? Is that alright?"
"Of course, Lady."
When speaking with Mash, Waver displayed the refined demeanor of a quintessential English gentleman.
"Oh? Onii-sama, how very courteous of you. And yet, you're always so rude when dealing with me."
"Reines, stop causing trouble!"
Waver's previously gentle expression instantly darkened.
"You're so stingy, Onii-sama. Can't you treat your little sister a bit better?"
Reines leaned against Ethan beside her.
"Master, doesn't Onii-sama's behavior bother you? He's clearly a Servant from the enemy faction, yet he's here eavesdropping on everyone's conversation. Don't you feel uneasy? What if he's actually a spy~~~?"
"Well, I don't think it's that serious..."
Ethan replied with a chuckle.
"To completely eliminate this threat, Onii-sama should also form a contract with Master. After all, Onii-sama doesn't have a Master right now, does he?"
"Young man, while I find that highly unlikely, is that what you think as well?"
Waver questioned Ethan.
"No, I trust Waver's character."
"However, allowing a former enemy Servant to join will undoubtedly cause unease within the group. Therefore, I will form a Temporary Contract with you for now."
"Temporary Contract?"
"Yes, this contract will allow you to use Command Spells to restrict my actions as a Master, and at the same time, I will temporarily become your Servant, borrowing your mana supply. But don't worry, since I am also a Magus, I won't consume too much of your mana."
"Even though your Magic Crest is useless, Onii-sama is still an exceptional Magus, huh?"
"...Was that supposed to be a compliment?"
"Of course."
Reines smiled and nodded.
[Beep Beep... A Heroic Spirit has been detected attempting to form a Temporary Contract with the Host.]
[Heroic Spirits under a Temporary Contract do not count toward the maximum number of Heroic Spirits the Host can carry, but Enhancement Points cannot be used to strengthen their Spirit Origin.]
[Once the contract expires, it can be converted into a Formal Contract. If the limit is exceeded, the Heroic Spirit will automatically be transferred to Chaldea.]
[Host, please take note.]
[Would you like to consume 1000 Points to initiate a Temporary Contract with the Servant: Pseudo-Servant — Zhuge Liang (El-Melloi II)?]
"Yes!"
With Ethan's confirmation, a red magical light radiated from the back of his hand, while Waver's body was also enveloped in a faint red glow. The contract was swiftly completed.
"Oh? You're quite adept at magecraft of the Summoning type. Young man, where did you learn magecraft?"
Waver asked in surprise.
"Well… how should I put it… I just know a little."
Ethan replied awkwardly.
After all, he couldn't exactly say it was thanks to the system's support, could he?
"With your potential, I could write a letter of recommendation for you to enter the Clock Tower. Lord Lufreus Nazele Ulyphis of the Department of Summoning has some ties with me. With your talent, you might achieve great things."
"Honestly, Onii-sama, you're always thinking about the Clock Tower. You still don't even fully understand our current situation. Shouldn't you think about yourself first?"
Reines interrupted Waver's lengthy speech.
"I-I think Senpai should just stay in Chaldea!"
Mash suddenly spoke up. Then, as if realizing something, she hesitated and became flustered.
"Of course, if that's what's best for Senpai, I have no right to stop him..."
"Fou, Fou...!!!"
Fou suddenly leaped onto Ethan's shoulder, signaling him not to worry Mash.
"Mash, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."
After all, once the Singularity was repaired, even if he wanted to leave, there would be nowhere to go… The outside world had already been incinerated.
"That's right, Kongming-san, where exactly do we need to go to find your 'King'?"
"At this moment, the King has likely been isolated by the 'Allied Forces' due to my betrayal. Determining their exact location won't be an easy task."
"In that case, we'll leave it to Doctor for now."
Mash said confidently.