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

Chapter 388 Beauties are only fit for the strong!
Just as Nero was feeling uneasy about the matter, the conversation outside the door continued.

"Ah, Miss Kiyohime, you've arrived so early... Is it just for something like this? To be honest, even I feel a little embarrassed. Thinking about it, I was really in your way last night when you helped me find temporary accommodation, and I haven't even figured out how to repay you yet!"

Little Nero curled his lip again upon hearing this. The Sword Emperor was such a bastard, putting on an act. Was he planning to take advantage of that Japanese woman all along?
“Oh dear,” Kiyohime outside seemed to be laughing happily, “This is nothing. After all, Mr. Sword Emperor is a distinguished guest of His Majesty Constantine. Although the previous invitation did not go through, His Majesty still instructed that his needs be met as much as possible… In comparison, my invitation to the concert is just a small personal request.”

Tsk! A private request? He clearly has ulterior motives!

Little Nero's eyes darted around as he peered carefully through the crack in the door. The woman dressed in Japanese clothing was bathed in the warm yellow sunlight of the morning, and her pair of curved dragon horns on her head particularly caught his eye.

It inexplicably gave her a sense of déjà vu, as if she were of the same race.

For some reason, Nero suddenly felt a subtle aversion towards Kiyohime—it felt as if she were seeing a future where the two were deeply in love, and just imagining Kiyohime's radiant smile made her feel uncomfortable and gave her goosebumps.

"Okay, okay, it seems like I generally have no reason to refuse."

Little Nero peeked through the crack in the door and saw the tall, red-haired figure outside shrug helplessly, as if he had gotten used to such invitations. A strange feeling arose in his heart. After all, he had only been here for a short time, and it was a bit strange that he was already being pestered by a woman.
Is it because this Sword Emperor has a special physique, or is it because "high-level hunters often appear as prey"?
However, just when she thought Emiya would readily agree, the man suddenly changed his tone:
“But I’m sorry, Miss Kiyohime, if it’s just the two of us, I’m in a bit of trouble—because my younger sister is resting in this residence. Although the Kingdom of Constantine is relatively safe, I can’t bear to leave her all alone at home.”

"Huh, a younger sister? Oh dear! But I remember that girl was a living person from this era, right? Your sibling relationship, what exactly is going on—"

"Haha, we just became sworn siblings last night, so this gives her a legitimate reason to protect me."

"Hehehe, you are already so considerate of her feelings as soon as you arrive here. It is clear that you and the Sword Emperor have a deep connection... It was rather presumptuous of me to invite you like this."

"Well, so if conditions allow, I would prefer to give this opportunity to my adopted sister whom I just recently took in."

Little Nero couldn't help but gasp. This scoundrel actually cared about me so much!?

She truly detests the gloomy, lonely days and loves excitement and the vibrant, fulfilling life she enjoys. In the past, she even loved showcasing her art on a stage in front of a crowd. Now, she doesn't ask for anything else; just being able to witness "the art of the future" would be nice.

It's unclear what this man's intentions were, but he inadvertently struck a chord with Nero.

Perhaps the Sword Emperor isn't as bad as she imagines. Back at the church, he seemed to disdain the Holy Grail. So, forcing her to acknowledge his relationship with him was actually just a way to have a pretext to protect herself?

Her mind was in turmoil, her feet pounding wildly. She relaxed her feet, tiptoed, and her posture, which had been leaning against the door, caused her to unconsciously lean her weight against the door panel...

Therefore, she did not notice that a few seconds later, a force came from outside the door. The door opened from the outside in, and little Nero almost fell down because she was caught off guard!
Then, she was lifted up from her backward fall by a familiar embrace.

It was Emiya, and Kiyohime standing beside him with a beaming smile.

The girl showed a hint of embarrassment, as if the brat had been caught red-handed at the crime scene.

"...Um! I fell asleep leaning against the door last night. Why did you suddenly come in? You startled me!"

Emiya was speechless. Last night I carried you to bed and made the bed. This morning when it was light, you were sleeping soundly without moving. Now you're telling me that you're not lying in your nice bed and have to play this trick like when you were homeless?

Kiyohime could tell at a glance that this was a lie. It was ridiculous that a child would act like this, as it was childish. Although she hated insincere personalities, Kiyohime glanced at Nero's still small and undeveloped body.

Yeah, that's pathetic, they're completely uncompetitive.
Emiya then spoke up again, "Since you're up, stop pretending. You've been in the capital all day and haven't had a chance to explore yet. There's a concert going on, so come with me to listen to it today."

Little Nero remained silent at first, glanced at Kiyohime, and then, without bothering to argue, simply said, "Aren't there only two tickets? Aren't you planning to go?"

At this moment, Kiyohime took over the conversation, saying, "Hehehe, you two want to go together, right? In that case, I'll just give you the performance tickets as a gift. I don't really care for them, and besides, these 'VIP tickets' will also give you two seats in two boxes with excellent audio-visual effects..."

Although she accepted Constantine's mission and continued to befriend Emiya, she also felt that this Sword Emperor did not have the airs of an ordinary emperor. Not only was he handsome, but he was also honest and magnanimous, which made her especially fond of him. However, it was not necessary to make a fuss over this matter with a little girl.

Furthermore, if one really wants to attend a concert without needing a ticket, there are other ways. At worst, Kiyohime could ask her best friend (?) Elizabeth for help, leveraging her relationship with the Pope, to find a way to get into the venue through internal channels and secure a better seat.

However, this means... Elizabeth will definitely take the opportunity to ask to sit in on her weird, off-key concert.

Kiyohime was somewhat troubled; she hated the music of her idol, the Dragon Girl, finding it awful.

"This is not good!"

Upon hearing that Kiyohime had voluntarily given up the ticket, Emiya frowned. He hadn't been here long, so why was he starting to look more and more like a kept man? Was he relying entirely on Kiyohime's savings for food, lodging, and entertainment? How was he supposed to work hard on his own?

"It sounds like Miss Kiyohime's tickets are different from the usual ones. Wouldn't it be a shame if you didn't go? Why don't you find a way to get my sworn sister's tickets for free? For example... cough cough, since you have access to VIP tickets, could you ask the venue to make an exception and let us use them as 'family tickets'?"

"Family tickets?" Kiyohime's beautiful eyes widened slightly. "This sounds like tickets designed specifically for couples with children?"

"That's right. We can discuss it. If we go as a couple with our daughter, could the entrance fee be waived?"

Daughter, husband and wife...? Is this an attempt to impersonate someone else?
Kiyohime looked down at her "daughter," Nero, then at her "Sword Emperor husband," Emiya. A blush inexplicably crept across her face, and her forehead felt hot. Did this mean she had become an "Empress" for a while? ...

Oops, calm down, calm down, that's too unreserved!

In any case, if it works out, it will certainly save us from having to see Elizabeth's boisterous and smug face...

Her smile bloomed like a spring flower. "This idea sounds good. I'm willing to give it a try."

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.

"King of kings, Lord of lords—"

"Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!..."

The monks and nuns of the Jerusalem Choir, dressed in white, sang in unison, and the ensemble, composed of different instrumental groups, created a magnificent symphony.

After several pieces were played, the music was deeply moving and the lingering sound resonated in the air.

The solution suggested to Kiyohime was ultimately successful. After all, as a Servant, Kiyohime could "reach the ears of the heavens." Perhaps it was because the privileged class made things much easier, and thus the three of them easily slipped into one of the boxes with the best listening effect.

Then, Emiya personally experienced an epic musical journey through a collection of masterpieces by classical composers from different periods at this concert. The program included Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," Bach's "St. Matthew Passion," Mozart's "Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major," and Handel's "Messiah"...

I wonder which musician's spirit was summoned here to act as a "copycat," spreading the masterpieces of classical music to Constantine. Every piece performed at the concert is a timeless classic. Yes, Emiya is quite certain of that.

Didn't you see that even after hearing the whole story, little Nero in your arms blushed and was so excited that he couldn't contain himself?

Even Kiyohime, who hardly ever comes into contact with Western music, smiled with serene eyes, looking as if she had been baptized—this is outrageous, did some musician Caster sneak into your concert, even the Servants are affected.

But I must say, it was truly a thoroughly enjoyable feast! (No offense intended)

To be honest, Emiya almost thought Kiyohime would take him to Elizabeth's concert. Great, it didn't happen. He was afraid that Nero would be led astray after listening to Elizabeth's horror music.

Even so, Emiya still saw some familiar faces among them.

For example, he was surprised to find that the person in charge of the piano part in the symphony orchestra was the "supervisor," the Roman god of love, Amos.

...On the day we met, you were playing the zither; you were truly participating in the concert rehearsal!

As the concert came to an end, the audience rose to their feet and applauded. Romans love theater, so they were naturally able to appreciate the powerful artistic impact of this classical music with its strong religious atmosphere. They also found the novel format of the concert interesting, and thus responded with enthusiastic applause.

Emiya also stood up, but his eyes narrowed. Amor, dressed in a nun's habit, looked like an ordinary member of the faith. Standing in the corner of the stage, she subtly beckoned to Emiya. Then Emiya noticed a figure in a pure white robe and red shawl waving at him from behind the stage curtain...

Hmm? That outfit... could it be the Pope?

Is Pope Joan inviting him?

Emiya recalled how easily Kiyohime's "family ticket" proposal had been approved, as well as this clearly rehearsed religious concert, and a realization flashed in his eyes.

Has the opportunity for an alliance been presented to us?
……

clap clap-

Kiyohime's face was flushed with a lovely blush. Just now, she had been holding Emiya's hand, listening to the solemn and sacred music, but her mind was wandering to other things—it is said that the musical atmosphere was similar in Western wedding ceremonies in later generations.

If she were a bride, she would wear a swan-like white wedding dress, walk down a bright red carpet with a handsome, refined man in a suit, and vow to stay together forever in front of everyone. But Kiyohime shyly opens her eyes in her beautiful dream, only to be met with a handsome, red-haired sword emperor—

Then the red thing opposite suddenly twisted and turned into a long, thin lizard tail, shaking off its hand.

"Hey, you country bumpkin squirrel from the East, you've only been to a concert, and you're already so agitated and confused?

A bright red lizard sneered and howled in front of me.

“Wow!?”

Kiyohime suddenly awoke to find that Emiya was gone, and the little girl Nero was also gone. All that remained before her was a picture of Elizabeth, the dragon girl, whom she found utterly repulsive.

Looking at Elizabeth's long, smooth hair, which was about 70-80% the same color as Emiya's, and was bright red or even pinkish, Kiyohime felt even more annoyed for no reason!

"Hmph! Who do we have here? It's Miss Elizabeth of the Red Lizard. Instead of busying yourself with your idol's concert, you have the leisure to come and watch a concert arranged by the Pope?"

Kiyohime's beautiful dream was ruthlessly interrupted, and her brows furrowed with anger, her fingers clicking as she gripped her folding fan.

"What? You're not trying to interfere with the music rehearsals here, are you? Or do you want to use that awful singing voice to create a murder scene?"

"What? What? Is it not allowed?!"

Elizabeth, true to her enthusiastic but foolish nature, was completely oblivious to this. Her little face darted left and right:
"It's a pity I'm late. The band is almost all gone. Otherwise, the lovely Eliza would definitely have made a dazzling appearance at the very end, letting the Romans of this era experience the hidden charm of an unparalleled idol!"

She clenched her fist. The reason she was a little late was, of course, because she had prepared a more important piece of music!
Kiyohime almost fainted. How could you have even more outrageous and terrifying music?!

"Let's not talk about that. Before you came here, did you see someone with similar hair color to you, leading a blonde little girl away—" She didn't want to get entangled with this red lizard lady anymore. At the same time, her eyes, like a scanner, carefully searched the venue.

Elizabeth did see two people heading towards the backstage area, towards the Pope's position, but she didn't help them at all. Instead, she laughed at Kiyohime even more enthusiastically.
"Wow! So even you, the stalker, have your moments of 'escaping the net'!"

At the same time, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel a strong interest in the person Kiyohime cared so much about.

Someone who can attend a concert and is even invited by Pope Joan must be a very musically accomplished person, right? I wonder if I could "steal" her idol's manager?
"Shut up! Get out of here!"

Kiyohime clenched her teeth, her mouth burning, feeling as if she could open her mouth and spit a blazing fire into the other person's face at any moment.

At the same time, her mind gradually becomes morbidly obsessed with the dream wedding scene she had just imagined, and her obsession with Emiya grows stronger.

……

Behind the scenes of the event, Amor silently put away his tools of the trade... no, his bow and arrows.

She is Amor, the Roman goddess of love, or Eros, the Greek goddess of love—

Or, to use a more familiar name...

Cupid.

Cupid, the god of love who makes people fall in love by shooting arrows of love.

"Although courtship is something I love most, a beauty—the beautiful Sword Emperor—is only fit for the strong."

"Love is war."

Amor's eyes gleamed with inexplicable anticipation. Her gaze swept across the low-ceilinged concert hall, her vision rising to encompass the entirety of Rome. Black Jeanne, Black Mary, and other people connected to Emiya, their entanglements of love and affection forming a vast network, all leaped into view.

"Hehehe! The conflict between love and beauty will inevitably lead to a grand and magnificent war! Just like Helen of Troy, the beautiful woman who sparked the Trojan War, Sword Emperor, it'll be quite exciting, won't it~"

(End of this chapter)