The infinite sword system has been mastered, and you say this is the dragon clan?

Chapter 383 The Ancient Greek God of Love

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Emiya and Kiyohime got along quite well.

It has to be said that Kiyohime's Berserker, despite having a Berserk level as high as EX, is actually much more eloquent than Darius III, who only shouts randomly at a Berserk level of B, and is no different from Krimhilde's.

This precisely illustrates that he is only outwardly normal, while the instability and madness lurking deep within his spirit should not be underestimated. This complex spirituality, which is difficult to quantify, is perhaps the reason why he was designated as "Berserk EX".

However, Emiya, who was well aware of the reasons, treated Kiyohime with grace and generosity, which made her smile warmly and instantly feel favorably towards him.

Kiyohime, whose name comes from the Kiyohime legend of the Heian period in Japan, is recorded in both the *Hokage Genki* and *Konjaku Monogatari*. Legend has it that she was the daughter of Masago Seiji, and that during her lifetime, she was deceived in a love affair by the monk Anchin, which caused her to become enraged and transform into a giant, flame-breathing serpent.

A little reflection on this dark transformation reveals, based on the characteristics of dragons, that it indicates extreme mental instability, leading to a loss of control over one's bloodline and subsequent corruption, causing it to rapidly transform into something almost like a dragon...

The root cause of his mental breakdown was clearly being deceived.

Kiyohime's madness lies in her inability to tolerate this deception.

However, in this war-torn Roman world, how many places are truly pure lands where everyone treats each other with sincerity? No, even in times of peace and prosperity, truly sincere people are rare indeed.
"...That's right. The reason I was able to stay here with His Majesty the other day was because of the other emperors, especially Caesar, who lied so much that I was extremely disappointed!"

“If His Majesty Constantine XI is like that, alas… I must consider leaving again and seeking another place.”

Kiyohime fiddled with a folding fan in her hand and spoke softly.

Perhaps because she had only recently joined, she didn't feel very attached to this faction. Who knew what kind of person this "Emperor Jun Eleven" was?

"That Kiyohime girl really has it tough. From your description, Emperor Caesar's performance and eloquence were indeed a bit exaggerated..."

Emiya spoke, then hesitated slightly, as if he wanted to say something more.

A true emperor is a power-hungry animal; it's impossible to expect him to never tell a lie.

It could even be said that Rome inherited the "orator culture" from the ancient Greek city-state of Athens, which itself made rulers keen to win people's hearts with high-profile and exaggerated rhetoric, similar to a stage play performance. It also required the use of specialized gestures and musicology to increase the persuasiveness of the speech, which was similar to a disguised form of pyramid scheme.

This culture has not changed even in modern times. Politicians use exaggerated promises during elections to win voters' votes. In short, inheriting the spirit of Roman culture, it is impossible not to lie and put on a show.

But will they really deliver on their promises and the content of their speeches...? Will America truly become great again?

that's not important.

The important thing is whether it is conducive to one's rule.

The important thing is that no one understands greatness better than yourself.

As for that argument, anyone who actually believes it is a fool.

Emiya, the Sword Emperor, is a fake emperor in disguise, but he can still be considered a "shadow emperor" who uses force to deter the underworld, although he is the kind of person who does nothing.

Even the tedious affairs of Chaldea were left to Director Caesar, freeing him up. He usually focused on military strength and direction, without needing to put on any political show.

Upon entering Rome, Emiya only referred to himself as the "Sword Emperor," leaving it to their speculation whether he was actually Lucius, the Roman Sword Emperor. In any case, he himself never identified himself as Lucius, only as the Sword Emperor.

"Hehe, speaking of acting," Kiyohime said, her interest in talking was still high despite discussing something she disliked.

"There's a rich girl idol performing in the city not far ahead, in the same city as the church where the overseer His Majesty the Sword Emperor is looking for resides... Ha, what kind of idol is that! She's not dignified at all, and I don't know what's so good about that ear-piercing noise..."

Kiyohime parted her thin lips slightly, exhaling a delicate fragrance like a lady in her boudoir, and chatted idly. Her beautiful legs, clad in white stockings, were revealed beneath her hakama skirt, and her smile was like a fleeting ephemera blooming in the wind and sand.

Although the mission to invite the Sword Emperor failed, Emiya still accompanied him because he was looking for an overseer. So she simply invited Emiya to ride with her in another carriage carried by Darius's undead army.

According to Kiyohime, since the undead corpses are tireless and have endless stamina, they might as well just sit around doing nothing if they're not fighting.

As for Darius III, the leader of the undead, although he was mute, he was surprisingly straightforward and friendly. Even when Emiya got a free ride, he didn't show any displeasure.

Yes, Darius's face is always dark.

Emiya gently placed Claudia down from his arms and seated her opposite Kiyohime. Claudia looked at Emiya with disdain, while she herself sat down next to Kiyohime without any hesitation, her thighs almost touching. She clicked her tongue in disdain, "Ha, men! They're so shameless, forgetting all ties for a pretty face..."

Then Emiya slapped him on the head.

Kids, sit up straight and keep your legs together! Don't interrupt adults!

"Idol concerts? That hobby is rather avant-garde in Rome these days."

After vigorously ruffling Claudia's brilliant blonde hair, which resembled a mini-Nero, Emiya understood Kiyohime's words.

He roughly guessed that it was Elizabeth Bathory—the historical Countess of Blood, the prototype of the vampire Camilla, except that this Elizabeth was in her "teenage" period, so she was just more innocent, lively and mischievous.

However, this means that Kiyohime, Siegfried... and according to Kiyohime, Elizabeth Bathory is also there.

Emiya thought to himself, "You guys were supposed to be here in the last singularity, but you weren't. So you've all gathered in this Rome singularity?"
No, what's truly perplexing is that a "supervisor" still appeared in this Holy Grail War?
According to the rules of the modern Holy Grail War, the overseers are usually from the Holy Church and are responsible for witnessing the war and performing certain management tasks, such as concealing the Holy Grail War from the public, sentencing violators, and protecting Masters who give up participating...

But the problem is that this Holy Grail War is a real war now, and it's no longer possible to "conduct it in secret"!

Secondly, regarding this singularity, Christianity has only just begun to develop, and it was even suppressed during Nero's reign not long ago. So how could it have such a high status as the supervisor during the war between the seven emperors?
Emiya pondered repeatedly in his mind, could it be Judaism?

However, if we calculate the timeline, it seems that we are still at the point in history when the Jewish people launched the First Jewish War. At that time, the Jewish people were dissatisfied with Roman exploitation and oppression, so they launched a large-scale rebellion within Roman territory.

As for the singularity, well, with six Roman emperors present, their military might is immense, and their urban civilization is unprecedentedly prosperous. This rebellion, which should have lasted for many years, was likely ruthlessly... forcefully suppressed. "That's right, it's just ahead! This is one of the great cities of the 'Roman Empire' of His Majesty 'Emperor XI,' the holy city of Jerusalem!"

Kiyohime closed her folding fan and pointed. Emiya could see a giant city standing on a plateau more than 700 meters above sea level, surrounded by valleys and dry riverbeds.

If this were not a singularity but part of canon history, a year later the Roman army would have defeated the Jewish rebels here and demolished the Temple in the Holy City, leaving only the foundation, which is what later became known as the "Wailing Wall".

But there's nothing Jewish about here anymore—

"Speaking of Lord Eleven, Rome..."

Emiya searched his memory. "I see. The Byzantine Empire, where Constantine XI lived?"

The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, originated about three hundred years ago. According to normal history, after the death of Roman Emperor Theodosius I, the Roman Empire was officially divided into the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire established its capital in Byzantium, also known as Constantinople, hence the name Byzantine Empire.

Constantine I issued the Edict of Milan, recognizing Christianity as legal, and thus Christianity gradually became the "state religion" of the Eastern Roman Empire, and Jerusalem became the center of Christianity at that time... Of course, this still had nothing to do with the Jews.

Emiya gazed at the Holy City. If King Eleven had occupied this place, the Christians, who were still a small force at the time, would have surely rushed over upon hearing the news, and the Jews, even if not brutally suppressed, would have been driven out.

"...That's what they say. As for the Western Kyrizhitan (the Japanese Christian term), I don't know much about it," Kiyohime nodded. "It's said that His Majesty the Eleventh Prince has close ties with the 'Pope' who appeared in the world at the same time."

"Oh, right, the Pope also made a statement, expressing her admiration for Elizabeth's so-called idol path, saying that she would also prepare to form a nun's choir or something when she had time... Hehehe, that stupid dragon girl really thinks she sings well! She's clearly off-key and her singing is almost like a dragon's roar, but she's completely oblivious!"

"The Pope?" Emiya asked in surprise.

Have there ever been women elected popes in history?
Kiyohime was not familiar with the history of Western religions, but she didn't seem to care. "Perhaps it exists? That female pope called herself Joan, and she was also from Constantinople."

"..." Emiya decided not to comment on the authenticity of the female pope, since this world was not a normal world without magic.

Even if there is no female pope in history, based on the conclusion of Chaldea's last summoning of Charlemagne, it is not strange that even a fictional character could appear in the world as a Heroic Spirit.

He then turned to talk about idols:

"The Pope's support for the development of idol industries and her desire for church members to perform on stage is probably intended as religious propaganda."

Kiyohime blinked. "Does the Sword Emperor mean, proselytizing?"

"Well, it's only been a few decades since Jesus ascended to heaven. Christianity in this era is still just an illegal little organization. A few years ago, it was even suppressed by Emperor Nero. Even if a believer like Lord Eleven suddenly appeared, it probably wouldn't be enough. So, that female pope is eager to find another way to spread her doctrine, right?"

After hearing about the Holy Grail War of this era, Emiya began to speculate and explore the principles behind the mutual warfare between these nations to strengthen their armies.

As we can see from the conclusion of the previous singularity, thought possesses power.

The spiritual faith of tens of millions was enough to elevate Karl the Great to a divine throne comparable to a calamity.

The fact that this singularity can grant ordinary soldiers power comparable to that of Servants makes the source of this power highly suspicious.

The servants here mentioned "imperial privilege"—does this mean that the power comes from the emperors' bestowal?

But where does the emperor's power come from? Is it the Holy Grail? Surely not every emperor has the Holy Grail...?

Emiya pondered, his gaze unconsciously shifting to the girl Claudia, whose unidentified golden object, still clutched in her arms, now seemed rather conspicuous.

Can those decorative items with little magical power be considered the Holy Grail?
Claudia was startled by Emiya's sudden scrutinizing gaze. Her face showed surprise for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and, as she turned back to look at him, she wrapped the thing in her arms even tighter.

Emiya ruffled the girl's hair again, then asked Kiyohime:

"Speaking of which, your Lord Eleven didn't order the capture of the so-called 'pests'?"

"No, our emperor here believes this is just a rumor that has been spread inexplicably to harm children. Besides, the Gilizhitan sect here does not allow the harming of children, so he ignores it. As for why Emperor Caesar over there has issued a warrant for the arrest of this girl, I have no idea."

A complex emotion flashed in Claudia's crimson eyes. She was suddenly struck by Kiyohime's words that Christianity, persecuted by Nero a year ago, had unintentionally come to her defense. How true the ways of the world are…

"Did you hear that?" Emiya patted little Claudia's head. "The people here won't do anything to you, don't be so nervous like a wanted criminal!"

"Don't pat my head! I'm not a child!" Claudia said indignantly. She felt that she had only been with Emiya for a short time, but her hair had already been ruined like a bird's nest.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

With Kiyohime's kind guidance, Emiya eventually led Claudia to a church in Jerusalem, which was said to be the temporary residence of the "overseers" who monitored the wars of the entire Roman Empire.

Emiya was filled with curiosity. He wanted to see who was qualified to be the supervisor of all the wars in the Roman Empire when Christianity was still just a nascent concept, and who wasn't afraid of being regarded as a heretic and illegal follower of a heretical god by other "orthodox Rome".

Squeak.

As Emiya and his companion entered, the stained-glass windows of the church cast a dazzling, magical light that illuminated the beautiful figure of a nun playing the piano with her eyes closed.

"Gui'an, oh dear, I can hear it, the sour and stinky smell of mortal love."

The white-haired nun spoke, her shapely figure subtly accentuated by her nun's habit. "Hello, I am Amor, the overseer of the Holy Grail War. I am a deity who gives unconditional love to all people equally, including, of course, love and sexual love."

Amor, the Roman god of love, is equivalent to Eros, the Greek god of love.

(End of this chapter)