Part 49: Golden Poem - Home

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Roman luxury

Rest easy, for I will keep you company as you sleep. Ah, what a perfect excuse... I am amazed by the magnificence of my own intelligence... Bask in the soothing relaxation afforded to us by the recovery properties of My Room. Yes... Your warmth is truly comforting. Now...as we lie here in languid repose...

Her reasoning is sound. It makes perfect sense for us to make the most of My Room's recovery effects by sharing this single bed. But when I lay next to her... I mean, when we're so close... I can't really relax, because I clearly feel the shape of Saber's body against me... In short, even if my body can rest, my mind can't! I can't tear my eyes away from Saber's every movement. What she might do, what she might say... My heart beats faster with every possibility, so much that I swear I can hear it pounding in my chest.

...Yes, lounging like this so naturally arouses my...appetite!

Your appetite? What exactly do you mean by...? I'm starting to get ahead of myself when I realize what she means. I imagine the lavish sort of mealtime enjoyed by the nobles of ancient Rome. Several people laying on the ground, grabbing all sorts of delicious morsels from plates, just like in the famous paintings from that era...

Yeah, seriously. Just because you're dealing with Nero doesn't mean she's ALWAYS making euphemisms.

Ah, how nostalgic. Grapes, apples, peaches, pears, apricots...a wealth of luscious fruits piled in a glorious mountain. Beside these were almonds, hazelnuts, and pignolia nuts. And pickled vegetables as well. Of course, these were merely appetizers. We ate main dishes of whole roasted boar, roasted wild rabbit, boiled escargot... The mere idea of such a feast has my mouth watering. It is said that Servants do not need to eat, but that applies only to the matter of nutrition. The hunger that lies in my mind cannot be sated. Gastronomy is pleasure made manifest. It is said to be one of the three great lusts, and rightfully so!

The Roman Emperor in front of me loudly absolves herself of responsibility for her extravagant tastes. The culinary delights of the nobles of ancient Rome... I can hardly imagine such a luxury, but I'm sure Saber can recall everything about them with vivid detail.

It would be a wonderful thing to recreate on SE.RA.PH. Naturally, I imagine that much of the food would consist of wild game! A feast of hunted food would make for a splendid wartime accompaniment. Such a banquet may not be beyond our means, as I hear that there are numerous territories where wild animals roam freely. Of course, we could easily produce food by utilizing spells or the functions of the Regalia, but... Nothing surpasses the feeling of hunting game with you own two hands, and with those same hands, bringing it to your own mouth.

"With your own two hands..." Now that I think about it, the ancient Roman nobility didn't use cutlery like knives or forks when eating their prized cuisine.

As ever, I am impressed by the breadth of your knowledge, my Praetor. Indeed, since we eat with our hands... Ah! S-So, in other words...! For instance, if I were to feed you...you would be eating directly...from my own hands... Y-Yes, that would indeed be marvelous.



Let's cut to the chase. Imagine hating life so much you picked, and meant, option number two.

...Truly...?! Normally, you dither to and fro to avoid my physical advances, but...to so boldly accept them now... It would seem that your Cyber Frame is still fanning the flames of your passion. Then allow me to respond in kind, with every fiber of my being. *laugh* You had best prepare yourself, for on the day when peace reigns in SE.RA.PH...even if your passionate heat has cooled, I will not forget your words. ...I swear not to forget.

Well, that's the idea. But now it's bedtime.


Saving a girl

...I had a dream. ...I don't think it was my dream. I think I was spying on a dream that "someone" else had. I'm strangely certain of this. It wasn't my own experience. It's like I was watching a film projected onto a screen. ...A fragment of the record.





The sea of stars. A teardrop. The burning Earth. The downfall of the gods, the ravaged planet, the end of civilization and the destruction of life. Destruction. Subjugation. Screaming and weeping. Terror and howling. The White Titan, swelling on the horizon. And...



Something that shines so brightly... The light. The light. The light covers everything, covers the world. The titan, for all its power and savagery, crumbles to the ground and disappears.





And then, in the darkness of the Moon... The Cyber Frame that holds the memories of the White Titan is all that's left. That which was left in the Zero Dark, forgotten by the Umbral Star as it headed into the sea of stars beyond. That which only exists to wait 14,000 years for the return of the Umbral Star. Without anyone to talk to. Without any outside interference. Without anything to do. Trapped in a cold cavern, little different from a coffin. The sweet embrace of sleep would ahve been a luxury. The Cyber Frame held life, intelligence, and all the necessary parts to function, but never knew sleep. Its brain never had a chance to rest. Without sleep, without dreams, without moving the slightest in the dark, without seeing anything. Only reflecting on the memories it had of destroying the Earth alone. All that time, in the place where it had no input or output, that Cyber Frame... There it's remained for eons.



All alone...

...My Praetor, you have finally awakened. You seem to have had a troubled dream. Your expression was stricken with grief. I half-expected tears. What manner of dream did you see, my Praetor? When I see your face in such anguish, I feel like my heart is being torn in two...

My fuzzy consciousness clears as Saber's voice reaches my ears. Was this our first itme sleeping in the same bed? Or has she slept by my side for countless nights? It's comforting to wake up next to such a warm, soft presence. Saber's golden hair shines like the Sun, and the sight of it shakes some of the heaviness from my eyelids.

How many times must I remind you that I'd rather be compared to the Muses than to the Sun god, Sol? I demand you greet me again...at least I would. Unfortunately, day breaks upon SE.RA.PH. The restfulness of the night is over, and we must ready for battle. We haven't the time to give ourselves over to the temptation of sleep. I must ask you, My Praetor. What did you see in that dream?

It's interesting how many things I'll look up to fact check this game. Sol was indeed regarded as the Roman sun god (to be identified with the Greek Helios, of course. As a fun aside, one of Helios' children was the witch Circe, who recently became a playable Servant in Grand Order). For a while it was thought there were two Roman sun gods, with two names, one preceeding another. Sol Indiges was supposedly the first Sol, and the Syrian Sol Invictus being the second one. However, there was no real continuity break between the early and late Roman Sols, and thus, it always seems to have been the same deity.



Now's no time to joke around, and I suppose 2 would be more accurate, but let's say the third. Maybe Nero saw it too.

...I see. I thought it might be that. Then I must have borne witness to the same dream as you.

At Saber's urging, my mouth opens on its own. I somehow string the words together. I tell her what I saw in that dream, floating somewhere deep within my mind... The story of the White Titan that turned the ground into a sea of fire, and then finally headed beyond a distant horizon of bright light. And the long, long, unbearably long days within the Zero Dark. All said, it must have been...

...14,000 years, you say? The Zero Dark. The territory that was rejected by the Moon Cell, yet somehow still exists within it. You and I know that it is not necessarily a world of darkness. We know this because we have touched the record that was sent across space and time.

An isolated space, closed off for ages...that's what the Zero Dark is, as far as we know. Then there's the Far Side of the Moon... An imaginary space on the other side of the Moon, where all of humanity's evils are sealed away. That's separate from the Zero Dark, since the Far Side is still considered part of the Moon's system. The Zero Dark is a territory of deep shadows, visible from neither the inside nor the outside. We already know what lies there. The Ark of the Stars: The external memory unit injected into the Moon by the Umbral Star. We know the boundary is there to keep the Ark quarantined from the rest of the Moon Cell. I imagine its darkness resembles what space looked like before the sun. The space where nothing can be born. The Moon Cell named it the Zero Dark due to this nature. Its corruption is contained, but still festering inside. And there, the Umbral Star takes root. And of course...it's where the White Titan sleeps. Well, not exactly, because she isn't "sleeping".

This all is referring to the cavern where Titan Altera is sleeping. You'll recall that the Umbral Star buried a piece of itself into the Moon Cell, which gave rise to what's now referred to as the Zero Dark. We...haven't seen that one yet.

The piece of the Umbral Star buried in the Moon, you say? What I saw in the dream was nothing more than an all-consuming darkness. It would be no exaggeration to say that the only thing she saw for an eternity was the sight of that cavern. ...But I can scarcely conceptualize a span of 14,000 years. It is too long for me to even comprehend.

...I certainly can't imagine it either. There's no way I could. Even though I experienced everything in that memory as a dream, it was more like looking through sheets of data. It was nothing like living it myself. They say that a Master who forms a contract with a Servant sometimes experiences the events of their partner's life through dreams. The dream I had was even less real than that. It was more like a copy of a dream. I don't think that was I was able to pick up on the same things as the Hakunon who sent me this record. A record is a record. It's a combination of images and sounds. It doesn't copy over the emotions the recorder feels when the record is made. Since it's only a means of absorbing information, like reading a book or watching a movie, what you take from it is up to you. Oh, but still...

I feel the same way. Did I not tell you earlier? That a Servant and Master see the same dreams. I cannot comprehend the idea of 14,000 years of solitude. The only thing I understand is the emotion stirred up within my heart. Is saving Altera, a vassal of the Umbral Star, truly the right thing to do? And more importantly, she's not going to steal my Praetor away, is she? Of course I fear that as well. But... No matter how I try, I cannot forget the sight of her at the end. I wish to save Altera, and not simply because you wish the same. Oh, ah, well, I suppose part of it is for your sake, but... This is something I...chose for myself. I will deliver Altera from that crushing darkness, simply because I want to. That is the reason I fight with you. It's different from the Holy Grail War, where we fought to stay alive. This is purely for another's salvation.

Saber spoke calmly, like she was confiding a secret from deep within her heart. She will fight, but not as the Servant of Hakunon. She will fight against the darkness as her own person.



All for that maiden... Not for any grand purpose, but for her. For her own happiness. As the Praetor's journey ended, to have reached out for her sake only... And as your Servant, how could I not honor such a noble request? I will not allow it to go to waste. Therefore, leave everything to me! My sparkling countenance will banish the ages of the darkness! This shall be no trouble! I shall enrapture her with the greatest of artistry and the ephemeral beauty of the heavens, using my Aestus Domus Aurea!

It's exactly as you say, Saber. It's only natural for us to protect SE.RA.PH as the ones who live here. That's just our natural survival instinct as living creatures. But we have another reason besides that. Independent of my human desire to live, I want to save Altera.





Caster! You... How long have you been there?! You haven't been spying on us from the very beginning, have you?!

Well, not from the beginning. I'm sure my delicate feet would have found your face otherwise. I just came in a moment ago. There was no answer when I knocked, so I thought, "This might be my chance to catch them sleeping!" But lo and behold. You two were gazing into each other's eyes while rambling about saving that White Titan. Anyone in my silken shoes would be frozen in shock.

...Hm. Are you against it, Caster? You seem to hold a grudge against her. I had suspected that you might not be enthusiastic about this plan...

Well, of course I wouldn't be. Neither you nor my Husband have any idea how troublesome it was to fight that giant. But, well, it seems like the situation has changed since then, hasn't it? And I can't say I don't understand the tiniest bit about how she feels. In the past, all who fought to destroy the giant met their end. However... No one has ever fought to save her instead of destroying her. As someone she once vanquished, I want to see how this all ends.

Caster... I never imagined you would say that. Did you become a better woman after my Praetor discarded you? Is that it?

I have not been "discarded"! I'm merely letting you take point this time because you're more suited to hacking and slashing. Oh, dear... At any rate, I'm more worried about how my Husband will fare, being so unbelievably good-natured. Yes, yes, of course. I do love that you are so filled with the spirit of philanthropy that you constantly invite trouble to your side. ♡

Ah. I understand that. Truly, I do. But surely you realize my love eclipses yours? And that my Praetor loves me rather substantially in return?

Say what you will. I'll be here, protecting our home base. My Husband's home, the place where my dearest rests and heals between battles with the Forces of Destruction. And so, Ms. Saber. Please remember one thing. Take good care of my beloved.

...Indeed. Of course I will.

*nod* I know exactly what it is I want to protect. Now all I have to do is make it happen. ...Let's go. To Altera's home base. To the ends of the Zero Dark...!







Ruminations

Including Caster's forces, we have many Heroic Spirits gathered in Rome, and each has brought us new information. Now may be the best time to consider our options. What say you, my Praetor?

It's exactly as Saber says. Since the decisive battle lies ahead of us, we should try to get as much brainwork as possible done beforehand. So...the problem lies in how we're going to answer the biggest question of all. How, exactly, are we going to save Altera?

I seized every opportunity to question every Servant here. And indeed, each of them had a suggestion. So now we have the best advice of nine Heroic Spirits who carved out their legends across time and space. Each of them pondered our conundrum. Wait just a moment... Ah, I have compiled all of their answers into one sheet of data. ...I need only enter one command, and... Good. Now, let us begin. First, we have Cu Chulainn. He said, quote, "If we can kill 'em, we should kill 'em." Moving on... The Master of the Demon Fist said much the same... "First, we defeat them. Then we'll have time to think of a good plan". It seems they are rather alike.

All right, yeah, that's true. Let's just pretend we didn't hear those two and move on. What about Gawain and Archer?

Hmm... Allow me to review the data... They both displayed troubled looks and shook their heads. ...I expected as much from Archer, but Sir Gawain? Hmph, not particularly helpful.

Well, it's not like we've come up with much better ourselves. After all, we're talking about fighting an alien enemy from the edge of space. And on top of that, we're not just look to defeat an alien, but to defeat AND save an alien.

Rider gave the same response... Lu Bu was as stoic as ever, and Karna... Hm? Ah, yes, Karna did have something to say! How brilliant he is, graced with his extraordinary insight! Even in such a strange case, he was able to advise us. Now, as to what he said exactly... "To defeat someone and yet try to save them is a contradiction, like choosing between the Moon and the Sun. Without both, tomorrow will never arrive." ...What does it mean? It is in Karna's nature to look at the grander picture, of course, but that might be...a bit too grand. I imagine Caster must have her hands full with him. What do you think, my Praetor?



That's probably what he was getting at. Karna can be an odd guy, but inanities are something he does not bother himself with.

...A fine choice of words, even if they bring us no closer to the answer we seek. Karna truly is a kind Heroic Spirit. It is no surprise that his legends detail him as an extraordinarily great Hero.

Well, I still have faith in our planning. A way to save her... One single task to accomplish. And we may well already have the power to do so. The Regalia. The Royal Authority of the Moon's Holy Grail. As far as SE.RA.PH is concerned, it's a machine that can grant any wish. Since we have two-thirds of it in our possession, we should be able to do just about anything. So really, all we have left to do is hammer out the details of that plan...





... My apologies, my Praetor. I was ruminating on the battle we just fought. The King of Conquerors, Iskandar. He was truly a proud and brilliant Heroic Spirit. And above all, to put it quite simply, he was strong. You and I are alive now because we emerged victorious, but... Yes, if we were to fight him a second time, I am not confident we would win.

Iskandar was a fearsome enemy. And at the same time, he was a "Hero", exactly as Saber says. He had the courage to do whatever it took to obtain his heart's desires, as well as an adventurous spirit that made it hard to tear your eyes away from him. Even as we were fighting him, even as his enemy, I couldn't help but think that.

Indeed! Such is the sublime nature of a true Hero. My exploits and bravery are nothing compared to those of a more authentic Hero, like the King of Conquerors or my divine ancestor, Romulus. True, I did become irreplaceable the moment I took the throne of the Roman Emperor, but...there is no way I could be as great as King Iskandar. He subjugated much of the continent and made vassals of so many Kings. It is said that he was even made a Pharaoh. Even Gaius Julius Caesar, whom I admire, admired Iskandar in turn. Moreover... My uncle loved King Iskandar as well.

Alexander really is one of the particular figures in history who became a legend pretty much instantly. Granted, you don't need to exaggerate about the deeds of a guy like Alexander the Great, since what we know of what the man accomplished is already staggering enough, but for a guy to be be universally regarded as The Real Deal so quickly after his own life and death is pretty amazing.

Saber's... The person who was the uncle of the Roman Emperor Nero was...

My uncle Caligula. He was the brother of my mother, Agrippina, and the Emperor two generations before me. He would often sit me on his knee when I was little, and regale me with tales of the heroes of old. He shared so many legends with me. The heroes of the Illiad, Heracles, Ulysses, Perseus... Of all the legends he told, his passion burned most brightly for the great King Alexandros... For the tales of Iskandar.

Saber's eyes seem to search for something in the distance. Her thoughts are in a time long gone. Emperor Caligula. When I think of the third Emperor of Ancient Rome, I recall taht he was famous for being more of a tyrant than Nero. They say he was a blood-soaked despot... The Emperor of Death, who fell into madness. The greatest man in power at the time, he was tempermental and would steal lives away without a second thought. In the end, he was murdered in some internal plot. But...the words that spill from Saber's lips seem to pain an entirely different picture from the bloody legend I know. I recall that Emperor Caligula was considered an enlightened ruler, and not a tyrant, when he first took the throne. For the first few years of his rule, he was known as the shining star of Rome. Yes, just like the Saber I know. Perhaps the Caligula in her memories is forever in the shape of the good and wise king she was most familiar with.

Ah, Caligula. A complicated fellow, and probably one we'll never know the full story behind. As Hakuno was saying, from what of the record remains Caligula was initially thought of quite postively, but within a few years descended into the depravity and madness that's become his defining legacy. Suetonius and Cassius Dio are the major sources on his life, along with, of lesser-importance on the man, Philo of Alexandria, Josephus, Seneca, and Pliny the Elder. Suetonius said he had some form of epilepsy, and, possibly related, could not swim. Suetonius is also the source of the claim that Caligula talked to the Moon, which is where Fate/Grand Order gets off classifying him as a Berserker associated with the Moon (with the added historical precedent of the Moon being identified with insanity).

Overall, I'm liable to believe that Caligula probably went as insane as he's associated with popularly, but some of the tales of his depravity were probably invented long after the fact by the political enemies of Caligula that he naturally generated (he was assassinated by the Praetorian Guard, after all). The two major sources on Caligula's life were writing 80 and 180 years after his life, respectively, so it's probable they were working off only the most notorious stories from his life. Certainly not a guy with too many friends in his later years, that's for sure.

Knowing the real Caligula is tough because like many other such ancient figures, a lot of what's supposedly known about him is from many decades after the fact (or centuries, in unluckier cases), and how much of what got written down was ancient Pop History and what actually known about specific people is in unknown quantities.

...To me, he was a genuinely kind uncle. There is no mistaking that. He always said that he did not necessarily strive to be like the heroes of legend, but at the very least, he wanted to be a good Emperor to his people. He said that so often... And also... He told me to grow up into a paragon of nobility.



Hey, it's family.

...Yes. He always treated me with kindness.