Nero twirled on her feet, her ankles acting as pivots on the floor as a rush of wind and red petals were released from her hands, floating to the ground like a scene from spring.
"I am Nero Claudius, the flower of Olympia, Empress of Rome," Nero introduced grandly. "And you, my distant relative must also be someone of repute. What gallant looking military commanders you have."
Nero then began inspecting Lancelot and the rest while walking around them, Arturia left stunned from Nero's introduction. In the history and memory Arturia had about herself, the Roman Empire was one that even she had heard of.
The Great Empire that was once at the center of the World, and possessing a land far larger than what Britain could ever hope to encompass. In fact, Britain had once been a part of the Roman Empire, making Nero's assumption on her relatedness far from unjustifiable. Only, wasn't Nero, Emperor of Rome supposed to be a man?
Then again, King Arthur was also supposed to be a man.
The more she thought on it, the more similar she realized Nero was to her. However, Arturia refused to acknowledge it when once again she caught herself staring at Nero's attire. Wordlessly, she took off her flowing blue mantle and attempted to cover Nero with it, only for Nero to refuse her gesture.
"Why should greatness be hidden?" Nero asked simply in response to Arturia's growing frustration. It was then that Nero actually scrutinized Arturia with narrowed eyes. "I see, so there were a few differences," she sighed.
"?"
Arturia had no idea what Nero was getting at, yet a part of her already knew that she wouldn't like the answer, more so when she noticed the pity in Nero's eyes.
"Here," Nero pointed at her face, a smile blooming upon it compared to Arturia's steady calm. "And here," she then pointed at her chest, the twin peaks bulging out from an open U-neck.
"See," Nero beamed. "Completely different. Still, comparison only begets jealousy my distant relative. Take heart though, you must at least have a great butt as well."
There was a silence, before Mordred's laughter erupted in the wide space of the mausoleum, only for some reason, the radiance of the room had shifted into mots of yellow light.
Nero took a step back, but didn't feel as if she had said anything wrong even as the sword in Arturia's hands flashed with murderous intent.
Tendrils of light and Holy energy were beginning to suffuse off of Arturia's form in sand-like waves.
"Give me one reason not to kill you?"
The voice that spoke was far from the patient voice of the beginning. Instead it was biting and curt.
However, Nero had faced numerous adversaries in her life, and this wasn't the first time she felt such oppression. Therefore, she grinned before answering.
"We were discussing about the Praetor?" She said, returning to the topic at hand.
Arturia froze for a moment, but grudgingly put away her sword when she realized that Nero was correct, and it was her that had ended up shifting matters.
"You saw it too?" Arturia asked to verify.
"If you're talking about the sadness and uncertainty I saw from the praetor, then yes," Nero nodded. "Maybe he was simply troubled by something?"
Arturia pondered over the matter, but couldn't think of anything she or anyone else had done to sadden Shirou in any way. In the end, her silence was telling enough. She didn't know and wouldn't jump to conclusions.
Nero crossed her arms, brows furrowing.
"If even you do not know, then its best to let the matter be," Nero decided. "Instead, it's better to find some way to ease the praetor's burdens."
Nero glanced outside at the lush trees she could see from the open entrance of the mausoleum and paused. "And I believe this artist knows of a way."
Arturia raised a brow, using all her self-control, to filter Nero's attire away from her vision.
"Can you see the trees?" Nero said. "In the Warring Empires in Alfeim, the landscape had always been flowing fields and rolling hills."
"Indeed," Lancelot spoke up. He was a man wearing purplish plated armour, and had his hair cropped short at the top. "Even Camelot's landscape was different from this."
"You both are missing the point though," Arturia rebuked. "Do you not recall the master bringing us elsewhere from where we generally resided? It's the reason we were able to see everyone else that the master created."
Lancelot fell silent, knowing his King's words to be the truth. Yet Nero was different, she continued.
"If that's the case, then why did it seem as if the praetor didn't know the area either?" Nero questioned. She had been observing Shirou from the moment he had left the mausoleum and had seen the way he had paused uncertainly before entering into the forest. "Wouldn't it be best if we scouted the area ahead? As a ruling monarch, you should know the importance of securing ones location before resting. This is clearly why the great praetor went out first, yet we don't know the danger he may face."
"The master always was very considerate. It wouldn't be a surprise if he would brave danger in our stead," Tristan said thoughtfully, rendering the entire area silent.
No matter what NPC Shirou had worked on, all of them understood the diligence and care he had placed into making them. More so for Arturia who could recall how angered Shirou had been for her sake when the first Players began attacking her and calling her a Boss.
"As expected of the Praetor," Nero smiled radiantly. "He is truly one worthy of my admiration."