Chapter 22: Rewards and lost memories
(Titus's POV)
"Argh! Why is Nero male here?!" I groaned, tossing another book onto the shelf.
Nasu usually gave some hints behind the gender-bending of heroic spirits. The most famous among them was King Arthur or Artoria Pendragon. She used the excuse that female leadership wasn't a thing in the British Isles, hence disguising herself as a man even though anyone could recognize her as a cute girl.
However, it was not the case with Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the fifth Roman emperor, and my wife.
Sure, she had married a woman before, but she never hid her gender. Instead, she enjoyed showing off her beauty to her people, had a variety of dresses she wore during her rule, and was quite open about dresses from other cultures, but dressing like a man wasn't part of it.
So why the hell was Nero explained as a man instead of a woman?
I had been searching various sources about her, but none of them stated her gender as a woman. Even in the Department of Lore in the Clock Tower, Nero was referred to as 'they/them' instead of a clear gender.
In addition to her gender being misrepresented, she was also depicted as a hideous human being and a tyrant who liked nothing other than sex. Sure, Nero was a tyrant, but she was a lot more mature and forgiving than she was described.
The most important part is that the person defaming Nero was none other than Tacitus, me. I wrote most of the material related to that era. I wrote them after Nero's death, along with a few other historians who wrote similar records.
"Hey, System. Is this the same timeline I lived with Nero?"
[Correct. This is indeed correct. You did transmigrate into Tacitus's body and lived with Nero Claudius.]
"Then why do the records say otherwise?"
[System is unable to answer.]
It was the answer I always got. Unlike your generic System, this Roulette System wasn't sentient. It could only answer basic questions. If an anomaly happens, the System cannot answer.
"Then tell me, how was this mission supposed to end?"
[After the great fire, Nero Claudius would have indulged in leisure. She would have held a lot of games, art conventions, and competitions, doing anything she loved. However, in doing so, she would have indebted the country, which would lead to her banishment and eventual death.]
"The heck? Isn't this the same thing? If she had to die anyway, then what was my role in this?"
[The system answer was based on just one of many possibilities. Aside from the Great Fire being listed in records, she wanted to enjoy the world of art as much as she could. But she changed her goal and followed you.]
"Does that mean she fell in love with me and changed her mind?"
[System doesn't understand this 'love' element, but yes, affection could be a factor.]
"What does it matter? She's dead anyway." I sighed and closed the window. "I guess I should check out the rewards."
I was so annoyed with this System that I didn't accept the rewards from the mission for a while. After thinking for a while, I decided to see them since I was curious about my missing memory.
I moved to my bed to be at ease and opened the mission log.
[You have received 10,000 EXP.]
[You have leveled up to Lv. 20.]
.
In that instant, I noticed my muscles tightening and my bones stretching. I also felt a burning sensation in my body. Although these changes were visible, I didn't feel any pain.
In front of a mirror, I saw my abs slowly forming on my belly. I used to exercise occasionally, but it was the first time I wore such a lean body. However, my face didn't change much. Same ol' dark brown hair and dark eyes.
If you put Rin, Shirou, and Sakura beside me, I would be called the 'background' character. I wasn't ugly or unsightly looking since I had received some confessions, but I also didn't stand out.
I then proceed to receive other rewards.
.
[You have also received 20,000 Light Cell points. These LCs can be used to upgrade the rank of various skills.
Rank E to D = 50
Rank D to C = 500
Rank C to B = 5,000
Rank B to A = 50,000
Rank A to EX = -
A modifier (+) will require an additional number of equal LCs. For example, Rank E to E+ will require additional 50 LCs. Up to three Modifiers (+) can be added.]
.
"Oo, so I can upgrade my skills this way…!"
Honestly, I was impressed. I didn't think about it, but I had no idea how I would be going to work on my magecraft or skills.
Let's see how these Ranks are different from each other.
.
[Ranks:
E: Basic
D: Intermediate
C: Advance
B: Pro to Rare
A: Super Rare and Extraordinary
EX: Crashes outside of numerical values.]
.
"Well, that was a simple explanation."
I'm not too fond of overly complex structures, so I guess it was a satisfactory explanation.
.
[You have received Passive Skill: Imperial Manager A]
[Imperial Manager A
Effects: Max-level managing ability and knowledge in any human organization regardless of previous knowledge.
Description: As a result of working under one of the most unbearable kings in the history and empire, the Host has received this skill.]
.
"Finally, the greatest fruit of my labor…!"
Don't ever underestimate Nero ever. She was one of the most unbearable bosses you could ask for. Sure, she was super helpful in teaching me, but man, her decisions were absurd. I couldn't count how often I worked my ass off on a single task only for her to change it. Sometimes, I would even forget that I am a human being.
Hence, it was a great skill to be awarded. I didn't know if I would be working under another ruling party, but now I won't have to worry about it.
.
[You have received Active Skill: Force Slow C]
[Force Slow C
Effects: Slow down time around the Host by 50% for two seconds.
Cooldown: 1 hour
Cost: 5 MP
Description: A gift from Roulette System that will help the Host during fights. Originally Rank D, but because of the abrupt ending of the mission, the rank has been increased to Rank C]
.
"Wait, wait, wait! Wrong franchise!"
I mean, wasn't this ability used in certain interstellar shows? How come it exists in this Nasuverse? Even the name is the same.
But jokes aside, it was a very unique skill. I wasn't a combatant type, so I might not use this skill that effectively, but it will come into use later. Maybe if I level up this skill, I might get the time-stopping power of a certain blond vampire.
.
[You have received Active: Imperial Privilege A]
[Imperial Privilege A
Effect: Acquire any existing Rank B skill, of which you have knowledge or not, for 15 minutes.
Cooldown: 6 hours
Cost: 25 MP
Description: A skill that Nero Claudius possesses. This skill is a gift to her beloved advisor and husband. Actual rank was lowered from EX because of her abrupt end.]
.
I read the description and sighed. Though it was a very OP/broken skill that I should have been excited about, I didn't know what to feel when Nero's name was mentioned.
Whenever I think about her, I feel pain in my chest, making me kill myself. I should be hating her because of her selfish action of taking her life, but I couldn't do that either.
I shook my head and decided to see other rewards.
.
[You have received Passive: Golden Rule D]
[Golden Rule D
Effect: 5% increase overall and 10% increase in wealth in 'Roman areas' in 1 month.
Description: A gift from Nero Claudius.]
.
That's a bit hefty skill. If you look at the effectiveness, it might not sound great, but I can make great use of this skill as someone with financial knowledge.
.
[Inventory Log has been unlocked. You can now store Inventory (non-living) in 5 cubic meters. Future reward items will be stored in Inventory Log.]
[You have also received 1 million Gold Coins, a thanking gesture from Nero Claudius]
"The heck!"
I immediately jumped from my bed and checked the Inventory. I pulled a coin from the Inventory and scanned it. It was a perfectly shaped 35-gram gold coin with nothing drawn on it.
If I guess correctly, then it should be around 40 dollars. In short, I was now a millionaire.
Though I was happy receiving them, I wasn't joyful since I had seen more gold and many rare gems during Nero's rule.
"Sigh. I could thank her for that."
Even though I didn't want to think about Nero, I couldn't be too ungrateful. For the time being, I decided to move on.
[You have received Memory Fragment Part 1. Would you like to see it?]
Seeing the last part of the reward, I decided to hold it.
First, I wanted to see what my status looks like.
---
[[Status]]
Name: Titus Faria Dusklock
Age: 19
Elements: Light (Special)
Level: 20 (EXP: 42/6262)
…
Parameters:
STR: 25
MAG: 28
END: 23
AGI: 24
LUC: 10
Additional SPs: 20
…
HP: 125
MP: 135
…
Passive Skills: (Imperial Manager A), (Golden Rule D)
Active Skills: (Force Slow C), (Imperial Privilege A)
…
Magecraft:
Illusionary Arts Rank D: [Illusion Hide], [Expression Distort]
LCs: 20,000
---
My status looked fine. Now that my MP had increased, I would soon be learning some advanced-level magecraft.
Now that I was done with the rewards, it was time for the final act; to see my memories.
Even though I shouldn't be overthinking much, I felt that I might be discovering something new in my memories.
"Whelp! No point in thinking much about it…." With a final resolution, I clicked on the memory tab.
In the next moment, I began to see another reality. Even though it looked like a virtual reality movie, everything moved in a split second with a gush of information flowing in my brain.
"So my original name was also Titus, and those are my family…."
In my previous life, my name was Titus Dusklock. I was the eldest son of the family, half English, and half Italian. I had a brother and a sister. My family was not that extraordinary. Just fairly average.
Growing up in the countryside, I moved to London, where I graduated with an engineering degree, as there was good scope for it. However, I soon find my charm in the world of history and records. I then started studying Archaeology as well as World History.
I was just so thrilled with how ancient people used to live, their beliefs, their values, and their moral views. I just wanted to see their tales and their end. At some point, I considered inventing a time machine to watch the stories of heroes, kings, and saints living with all the truth and no lies.
As such, I moved around the world of my thirst for knowledge. I went to Italy to study ancient Rome, Turkey, about Ottoman Empire, and so on.
I also came to Japan, where I learned Japanese and their culture. I was also interested in anime and hence, began my journey of sexualizing historical figures. I dived in Nasuverse.
While I was already an anime fan, Fate Stay/Night really drew my interest in its ocean. From then on, I played every game and watched every anime related to that universe. With my love of history, I could connect better with characters, their personality, and their emotions.
While living the life I desired, I somehow forgot my family. While I was almost reaching my thirties, my younger siblings were already married with their own children.
As for me, I hardly ever had any relationship with the opposite gender in my whole life. Heck, the only time I jacked was while reading some Fate dougins.
Let me tell you something about human psychics. At some point in our lives, our bodies began to yearn for the opposite sex. While I was slow and nonchalant in the romance department, I wanted to experience some lust.
As such, I went to England to my home town where my parents had to find a beautiful woman for me. It was rather convenient for me since I wasn't interested in finding a perfect girl, dating them for years, and then marrying her only to get a divorce. For me, dating was a waste of time. The woman stops respecting you if you get too casual with her; if she is a 'strong independent woman, ' it would be another challenge.
My idea was simple. Have a few meetups. If you like her, marry her. Yeah, call me a traditional b*tch, but my cringe meter aint strong to deal with long-term dating.
For other things like my background check, my parents had already done it. I had also seen her photo, and she looked cute. She was a beautiful woman with short blonde hair down to her neck and bright red eyes.
The date was set to meet the woman. I was waiting for her at a diner in an exquisite hotel. As a gentleman, I arrived early and ordered a bottle of wine. I wasn't a fan of alcohol, but I used to enjoy wine.
In my memory, everything was going normal until I saw a banana peel in the way of the waiter coming with my wine.
'Watch out!' I tried to warn the waiter, but he already slipped on the peel.
While slipping on banana peel wasn't a big deal, the bottle of wine flew towards me before hitting my head.
The next thing I knew, everything went black. And that's how I died.
"Ah, I can't believe I would die from a bottle of wine…"
I was so disappointed in the event of my death that I decided to take this memory to my grave. While it was not as disappointing as a certain teen dying of shock from saving a girl from a truck, it was still embarrassing enough.
"Wait, it is still left…?"
While my life ended, a portion was still left from the Memory Fragment.
I was confused. I thought I would be meeting God or ROB, getting my System, and then my memory would start from here.
Upon resuming my memory, I began to watch another movie. My other memories are my EXTRA memories where I was born without emotion. A soulless body in another world.
---
=[Welcome to Moon Holy Grail War]=
Those words I saw on a hollow graphic screen with a different reality.
=[You have been chosen to compete in the Holy Grail War.]=
And before I knew it, a woman dressed in red was standing before my eyes. She was holding a crimson sword as big as her height, but it was apparent that she had no problem swinging her blade to fight.
Her golden blond hair and green emerald eyes could enchant anyone. Her should build could also not hide her majestic aura. Except for the opening in her transparent skirt where her underwear could be seen, anyone could tell she was a warrior who came to fight for someone's sake.
The woman opened her lips and spoke her first words.
"You are human that called me. I answered. I am a servant, Saber. The strongest class in this war. Be grateful~!" The woman nodded as if talking to herself. She then beamed a smile and asked, "I shall ask you again. Are you my master, umu?"
---
"Wait! I lived another life!!!"
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I am hopping towards third volume soon and ending my second volume. Read in advance here:
https://www.patr eon.com/J_Titan