Type-Moon: My Destiny Guide

It was truly a bittersweet experience.

From Nero's perspective, she might simply think that this approach would make it easier for Sakumoku to agree.

But to outsiders, this was a sign that the Roman emperors were fond of their commanders.

A group of rough men, feeling stifled in the barracks, exchanged glances and let out knowing chuckles.

After all, only this reason could make His Majesty the Emperor, who was in charge of the central government and busy with countless affairs of state, come to Pisa. Only this reason could make this noble rose maiden take the initiative to throw herself into his arms and act coquettishly in front of everyone without any restraint.

Even Shuoyue couldn't help but have the thought of the 'three great illusions of life,' but considering the emperor's personality, he ultimately suppressed a slight flutter in his heart and said calmly:

“I refuse. This is something soldiers have to face. As the emperor, you only need to sit in the hall, and I will lead my troops to conquer all directions and bring you victory. It’s better if you don’t get involved in the cold wind and frost.”

"Well--!"

Nero pouted her red lips, almost displaying her dissatisfaction to Shuoyue.

"I command you to answer this question!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Shuoyue subconsciously looked at the back of Nero's hand and found that the Command Seal was still there.

Isn't this enough to provoke Nero's emotions to the point of using a Command Spell?

However, we cannot refuse, and we cannot allow Nero to develop the mental habit that 'even if I give orders, they will have no effect'.

In a flash, Shuoyue sighed, seemingly helpless, and finally gave the answer:

"It's for burying corpses, Your Majesty."

In war, there are always deaths. And the bodies cannot be disposed of at will. Usually, the victorious side will bury their soldiers separately in graves so that their comrades can rest in peace.

As for the enemy's corpses, they didn't receive such good treatment. They were usually buried in groups, and digging pits was a perfectly normal thing to do.

"I see..." Nero could tell that this was the truth, but instinctively she still felt that something was wrong. After pondering for a moment, she decisively decided to forget about it.

All she wanted was an answer, and since Shuoyue had already given her one, she wouldn't press the matter further.

Shuoyue's eyes flickered slightly, still avoiding Nero's warm and cheerful gaze.

The burial of corpses was real, but was it a grave dug for the already dead, or an instrument of torture prepared for those about to die?

The truth remains buried deep within the iceberg by Shuoyue.

"Alright, Your Majesty, I have answered your question. Now please return to your tent to rest."

"Governor, I am the emperor! I am free to go wherever I want!" The more Shuoyue tried to get Nero to return, the less Nero would give in. "Who are these people? Are they pathetic losers who were our enemies and ultimately failed?"

The white-haired youth squinted, completely at a loss with this indulgent emperor: "Yes, these are the fools who would rather die than betray their country and pledge allegiance to the Roman Empire."

"Hmm, they are all loyal and righteous men," Nero mused.

"Wait, you don't mean you're thinking of forgiving them, do you?" Sensing something amiss in that complimentary description, Shuoyue suddenly realized something was wrong.

Upon hearing this, Nero looked up at the new moon in confusion: "Hmm, why not? My Rome should be all-encompassing and inclusive!"

This is the truth, and both history and Rome itself have proven it.

Among the many ancient civilizations, whether it be Babylon, Egypt, India, or even China, there has been a certain degree of xenophobia.

Only in Rome, despite the existence of slavery, was every citizen treated equally, regardless of ethnicity or religion.

Macrinus, who once sat on the Roman throne, was even a black man from the province of Nubia.

In the vast river of history, it is probably difficult to find a civilization as open and inclusive as ancient Rome. As the saying goes, "all roads lead to Rome." If you are willing to be Rome, then you are Rome.

Jingluo was overjoyed.jpg

But on this particular matter, Shuoyue did not agree with Nero's approach.

"Where does your tolerance come from, Your Majesty?" The white-haired youth called out to the emperor, his bloodshot eyes concealing unspoken emotions. "How will you accept all of this?"

"That is the resentment of the enemy who was killed, that is the hatred of the comrades who sacrificed their lives, that is the chain of hatred that leads to mutual slaughter and endless grudges."

"Are you truly prepared to accept all of this?"

Forgiving these soldiers means pardoning the sins they committed, which means the soldiers have lost their target for revenge. The sacrifice of the entire Shuoyue army has become a fact, irreversible, and cannot even be commemorated with blood.

Will people agree with this?

Soldiers who lost their limbs in battle, soldiers who lost their comrades in the fighting, citizens who lost their loved ones in the flames of war...

Will they choose to forgive like Nero did?

"What are you talking about, Governor?" Faced with Shuoyue's question, Nero stared in surprise and gave a matter-of-fact answer.

"That's because of love, of course! I deeply love every blade of grass and every tree in Rome, and I'd love to be anyone in Rome!"

The emperor, as beautiful as a rose, said this with a smile.

Love?

The white-haired youth was completely speechless, and Nero, seeing that Shuoyue was speechless, straightened his back like a victorious general and stepped onto the stage in Shuoyue's place.

Despite her petite figure, no one could take their eyes off her.

"I am Emperor Nero Claudius! I hereby grant you permission to hear my words!"

...I absolutely refuse to acknowledge that the "Flower of Rome" is that fat old man, Caesar.

Chapter 248 The Devotee, The Tragedy of the Song and the Other Side

Even a gold coin,

Even if it's just a night of playing,

Even a small dream

As long as it's being watched by thousands of people.

Then a smile as beautiful as a flower will appear—

That was the ultimate form of beauty that the Rose Emperor envisioned.

The white-haired youth leaned against the stage, watching the young empress on the stage loudly proclaiming her love and mercifully offering salvation. Seeing the genuine smile on her face, he suddenly recalled the supreme master's comments about Nero.

Give the sky stars, give the earth flowers, and give people love.

Unbeknownst to them, this very existence was the ultimate form of beauty.

But this beauty is fleeting. "The beautiful rose always has thorns," the young woman murmured to herself. "It is precisely because it knows how to refuse that it can bloom so proudly."

"Once you sheath your thorns, you become too easy to be trampled by wild beasts and pecked by birds. Even if you are lucky enough to have them removed and nourished by the morning dew, you can only live for a few days before withering away along with your pride."

It was as if, in the end, everyone feared this emperor who was like a monster, encompassing and accepting everything, which ultimately led to her being betrayed and abandoned by everyone. In the end, she closed her eyes forever at the third sunset.

"It shouldn't be like this, it absolutely shouldn't be like this." Shuoyue looked at the death row inmates who were crying and embracing each other because they had been forgiven by Nero, and the surrendered soldiers who stood in the corner with expressions of guilt and resentment. Her eyes seemed to burn with blood-red flames.

"If everyone could be like you, then the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Seven Warring States would be nothing more than a dreamlike illusion in martial arts novels, and the wars between families and countries would have long since come to an end—but that's impossible."

“Nero, emperor who has turned his back on the world, you are a rose, therefore you cannot be universal, not everyone can bloom like you.”

"Peace in the world cannot be achieved through heroes."

The white-haired, blood-red-eyed youth turned his back to Nero and strode away without a backward glance.

Looking back now, that ending was already destined at that time.

"Why are you here?"

Inside the tent, Shuoyue, having composed herself, raised an eyebrow and looked at her trusted confidants who were rushing in like a swarm of refugees, asking in confusion.

A group of Nero's former guards exchanged bewildered glances. Rosario stepped forward, his expression complex, and said:

"It's because of His Majesty Nero..."

"Hmm? (Speak quickly)"

Rosario swallowed hard, and because of his absolute loyalty to the new moon, he finally stammered out the reason:

"Because the prisoners of war were willing to surrender and acknowledge His Majesty's supreme status, His Majesty Nero was very pleased and decided to...sing a song."

Oh shit, it's over.

Shuoyue immediately realized what had happened and twitched her lips.

As everyone knows, there are several unwritten rules in Gari, such as never letting any Servants from the Artoria lineage sneak into the kitchen, never letting Shuten-dōji and Ibuki-dōji stay together, and for example—Nero and the Dragon Girl's concert is absolutely off-limits!

One sings off-key due to a headache but is unaware of it; the other sings with a dragon's roar and thunderous sound, causing real damage at any moment... If these two brilliant talents were to team up, it would be an absolutely devastating situation.

Even in the middle, a group of Servants under Kishinami Hakuno's command caused a war in order to stop them from holding an idol festival.

Did you sing it?

"It's already begun." Rosario looked like he had nothing to do with it, clearly having suffered a significant amount of mental pollution.

If Her Majesty were to sing in the Golden Palace and not lock the doors, I'm afraid everyone would flee the moment she began to sing.

However, after pondering for a while, Shuoyue got up and walked out of the tent.

"Commander-in-Chief?!"

"Don't worry about me. I've never heard His Majesty the Emperor sing before, so I really want to try it no matter what."

After all, apart from the popular Nero version of Christmas carols, Shuoyue had never actually heard Nero sing a proper Christmas carol, and even the Christmas carols, he didn't find them particularly bad.

So, amidst everyone's respectful farewell to the hero, Shuoyue, driven by curiosity that could kill a cat, lifted the soundproof curtain and went outside.

The moment they stepped out the door, the others started the countdown.

With a "whoosh," the curtain was roughly pulled open, and the white-haired youth rushed back into the tent, breathing heavily, as if he had just experienced a great battle, cold sweat streaming down his face.

"This is really... Could it be some kind of causal weapon?!"

If Shuoyue hadn't dodged in time, she even felt that her spiritual foundation would have suffered irreversible damage!

After a brief pause, Shuoyue waved her hand impatiently, signaling her subordinates to put away their wicked smiles: "Never mind Prince Nero who suddenly ran over. I see you, Ethel. Your return means the war on the other side is over, right?"

Upon hearing this, a young man stepped forward from the crowd and knelt on one knee: "Yes, Gorin Varus's battle is over!"

Sheldar Ethel, also a member of the patrol, was instructed by Shuoyue not to participate in the battle before the main force set off. Instead, he was to lead a small group to secretly follow Goring and observe the situation. If things were not as Shuoyue thought, and the lack of defenses along the coastline was indeed due to the enemy's negligence, then they could simply leave quietly as if they had never been there.

But if the worst happens—then Ethel must, in that hell, guide her struggling comrades to a brighter future.

"Reporting to the lord: Former Vice-General Gorin Varus was torn apart by a man in a bright red cloak shortly after the start of the battle. After that, the man displayed unparalleled fighting prowess, single-handedly tearing our troops apart with his bare hands."

Even though Shuoyue had already explained the possibility beforehand, Ethel's body was still trembling slightly when he mentioned it. Even though they were quite far apart and the man's face was not clearly visible, his violent demeanor and bloody killing still aroused the young man's instinctive fear.