Anomaly Ch. 46

Opulent. Ostentatious. Outlandish. When one were to look at the noble’s district, he could think of nothing more than pure, unadulterated hedonism. Where the other districts had squalor at every corner, from the moment they crossed the invisible border between the guard stations and the main areas, Shirou could spot nothing that would indicate that these people even knew what was happening outside their walls.

Shirou could look at one area and see spires of marble towering over the masses, gold lined and all. They weren’t even holding anything up, just there to be there. In another area, walled off by an iron fence, there was a garden and a mansion overlooking a small hill, no doubt the home of someone of importance, as it was guarded by an entourage of men.

Fountains that wasted an egregious amount of water, streets that didn’t have a speck of dirt on them, men and women wearing robes of pure decadence. From where he walked, Shirou could feel Anatoly’s hackles raise as they walked past them.

And walk past them they did. If Shirou didn’t know her from his Tracing of her sword, he would have thought that she was parading them through so that they were seen by the nobles. Said nobles were certainly looking at them quite a bit to support that thought.

But no, just from what he could spot of the winding roads beyond the one they were on, it was just that the path that they were taking was the quickest one to the center of the capital.

That didn’t make things any easier though. As they continued their trek, more and more of the nobles saw them, and words spread quickly between the social caste. A quick Reinforcement to his ears was rewarded by whispers that the earthshake was the fault of the Yaga that they were escorting. Soon enough, Shirou and the Rose Order had to shield both themselves from various objects being thrown at them.

“Monster!”

“Go back to whatever hole you came from!”

“May the gods pass their judgement upon you!”

It was impressive that, apart from the initial side eye that Anatoly gave the increasingly incensed crowd, he did nothing but hold his head high. Shirou himself had been at the center of hostility more than a few times in life, and this was not even that bad, since at least they weren’t slinging magecraft at them. Tuka and Lelei were the worst off, unfortunately. With them being relatively isolated from large scale cities, it was already a culture shock when they were in Italica for the first time. Now, it was exacerbated when heaps of hate were being thrown their way.

Yet another failure on his part. Yet another thing he needed to apologize for after they were out of here.

For now though, they needed to get to the Imperial Palace, ‘Preferably unscathed.’ He thought with a scowl, even as he blocked a stray oil lamp (why they would want to throw that was anyone’s guess). Already, the Rose Order had had to pull out their shields as more and more people came to watch the spectacle.

None of them relented with the barrage of expensive trash their way.

Not even the presence of the Princess at the front of the convoy deterred them.

Finally, they were cresting up the hill of the domed Imperial Senate, where according to Piña, the Emperor was already in a meeting with the senators. Normally, they would have had to wait for permission to meet there, as they weren’t exactly allowed to just waltz in there without prior notice. However, Piña was apparently using her imperial privilege to move things along, as the entire point of the Emperor’s meeting was the slave rebellion in the first place.

Timing really was everything, it seemed.

Throughout the entire trip here, Shirou had had to hold himself back from the influence of Spartacus. He had Traced the sword once more, playing the part of a Celtic warrior still. However, ever since the realization that the Yaga had come from a version of Russia had come to light, the idea that these people really were Romans was becoming more and more likely.

Roman architecture, Roman robes, Roman baths, Roman roads. All of them were too similar to just dismiss as nothing more than coincidence. The only thing that allowed him to temper the sword at his side was that this wasn’t Rome itself.

Regardless, he kept a tight leash on the murmurs of madness.

The massive bronze doors of the Imperial Senate loomed before them, flanked by armored guards who eyed the approaching entourage with suspicion. The Rose Order tightened their formation, shields locked as the crowd’s jeers grew louder behind them. Piña, her posture rigid with authority, stepped forward and addressed the sentinels in a voice that brooked no argument.

"By order of Her Imperial Highness, Princess Piña Co Lada of the Rose Order, we demand an audience with His Majesty and the Senate at once."

The guards exchanged glances, but they had been trained to recognize royal blood. Clearly, they were warring against their assigned duties of not letting anyone in without express permission, and the absolute imperial authority that a Princess held. After a tense moment, one of them gave a sharp nod and turned to signal the doors to be opened. The groan of heavy hinges cut through the noise of the mob as the group was ushered inside, the thick doors slamming shut behind them, muffling the shouts of the nobles outside.

The interior was no less extravagant than the streets they had just walked through. Polished marble floors reflected the light of countless enchanted lanterns, their glow steady and unnaturally bright. Statues of past emperors and war heroes lined the hall, their stone eyes seeming to follow the group as they advanced.

Shirou couldn't help but find them a bit too familiar for his tastes.

Ahead, the grand chamber of the Senate awaited, its towering double doors already ajar. Raised voices spilled out into the hall, heated arguments clashing like blades. Piña didn’t hesitate, striding forward with the confidence of someone who had grown up in these halls. Shirou and the others followed, though the Yaga’s presence drew immediate attention from the guards stationed inside.

The chamber itself was a semicircular amphitheater, tiers of seats rising around a central floor where the Emperor sat upon a raised dais. Senators - old men in rich robes, younger ones with an unnerving fire in their eyes - turned as one at the intrusion.

And at the head of them all sat the Emperor himself. Molt Sol Augustus. Blonde, with a trimmed beard, Shirou could still see the familial resemblance on the Princess. They certainly had the regality nailed down.

The Emperor did not so much as twitch at the disturbance. His posture was relaxed, yet regal, a man utterly in control of the room, even as murmurs of outrage and confusion rippled through the assembled senators.

Piña dropped to one knee in a practiced motion, fist over her heart. "Your Majesty," She began, voice steady despite the tension in the air, "I bring urgent news regarding the slave rebellion-"

One of the senators, a hawk-faced man with silver-streaked hair, rose abruptly, "Princess Piña, this is highly irregular! The Senate is in session, and you bring armed outsiders - barbarians - into the very heart of the Empire?" His lip curled as his gaze flicked to Anatoly, then to Shirou and the others, "And a Yaga? Have you lost all sense of propriety?"

"Senator Gaius." Molt said, his voice calm, almost bored, "If my daughter has seen fit to interrupt, it is because the matter warrants it." His eyes, cold and assessing, shifted to Piña, "Speak."

There was no warmth in that command, no paternal encouragement, just the expectation of efficiency.

Piña straightened, her voice clear, "Your Majesty, honored senators. During the Siege of Italica by the remnants of Imperial deserters, the Rose Order was assisted by the warrior I have brought before you all. He has proven himself to be a capable warrior time and time again, and this time, he has brought to us the head of the rebellion, the Yaga you see before you."

With a motion of her hand, Piña gestured for Shirou to bring forth Anatoly to the center of the amphitheater.

Shirou stepped forward, his grip firm on the Yaga’s bound wrists as he guided the Yaga to the center of the chamber. The murmurs among the senators grew louder, some leaning forward in their seats, others recoiling in disgust or fear. Anatoly remained silent, his expression unreadable even with his large frame, but his posture was rigid, not with fear, but with defiance.

Molt’s gaze lingered on the Yaga for a long moment before shifting to Shirou, “And you are?”

Shirou met the Emperor’s eyes without flinching. “Chulainn. A traveling warrior.” He said simply, “One who ended up in the wrong place at the right time.”

A few senators scoffed at that, but the Emperor merely tilted his head slightly, as if amused by the answer, “And yet, you claim to have delivered the leader of the slave rebellion to us. A Yaga, no less.” His fingers tapped idly against the armrest of his throne. “Tell me, traveler, why should I believe this isn’t some trick? That this beast before me is truly the one responsible?”

There was a tensing from Anatoly at the comment, though he smothered it impressively quickly as Shirou answered, "You need only to see the state of the rebellion as soon as this one was taken away from them."

"Oh?" Now the Emperor leaned slightly in, interest in his eyes, "Piña, as I understand, your Order has been assisting the priests with the delivery of the offerings to the shrines. Is there truth to this Celt's claims?"

"Yes, your Majesty." The Princess nodded in affirmation, "There has been a stark decrease in attacks since Chulainn's arrival with the prisoner. Furthermore, our scouts report that what attacks do occur are scattered and inconsistent."

Shirou could see the gears turning in the Emperor’s mind, his calculating gaze shifting between him, Anatoly, and Piña. The senators, however, were less patient.

"Your Majesty," Another senator interjected, this one younger, with a sharpness to his voice that suggested ambition rather than wisdom, "Even if this beast is the leader, what does it matter? The slaves are still in revolt. They still defy the gods and the Empire. We should crush them all - burn their camps, hang their leaders, and make an example of them!"

A murmur of agreement rippled through the chamber. Shirou’s fingers twitched, but he kept his expression neutral. Behind him, he could hear Lelei and Tuka shuffle around in discomfort, the increasingly hostile room becoming more and more unbearable.

Molt raised a hand, and the room fell silent, "If this Yaga truly was the spark, then removing him from the equation may be enough to quell the rebellion without further bloodshed." His gaze settled on Shirou, "You seem to have a vested interest in this matter, traveler. Why?"

Shirou didn’t hesitate, "Because I’ve seen what happens when men are pushed too far. Slaves or not, desperation makes people dangerous. Kill their leader, and they’ll find another. Crush them completely, and the survivors will only hate you more." He met the Emperor’s eyes squarely. "But offer them a way out, and most would rather live than die for nothing."

The chamber erupted into protests.

"Preposterous!"

"Are we to reward their treason?!"

"Your Majesty, this barbarian speaks nonsense!"

Molt’s expression remained unreadable. He let the outrage build for a moment before raising his hand again. The room quieted, though the tension remained thick.

"And what," the Emperor asked slowly, "Do you propose, Chulainn?"

Shirou had expected this. He had planned for it.

"Give them to me."

Silence. Even Piña turned to look at him in surprise.

Shirou continued, voice steady, "Not as slaves. As workers. Laborers. The Empire clearly has no shortage of tasks that need doing - roads, construction, farming. Put them under my supervision. They obey me, they work, they earn their keep. They step out of line, I deal with them." He tilted his head slightly. "You get your labor force back without the rebellion. The slaves get a chance to live without chains. And the Empire saves face by not appearing weak, because you’re not pardoning them. You’re just putting them under new management."

The end of Lelei's staff hit the floor just a bit too loud. The intake of breath from Tuka. He knew they were suddenly panicking in silence. He had just abandoned the plan they had made originally.

The plan was to trick the Emperor into thinking that Shirou would just be another slave owner looking to get more slaves. However, the more that the Emperor spoke, the more that Shirou realized that it would not work.

This wasn't someone who was a puppet to the Senate. Emperor Molt was smart, cunning, and would have seen right through Shirou's attempts. So, he played into what he really wanted, what the Emperor expected of a Celtic warrior.

Direct. Unashamed. Just like how a true leader should be, even if he wasn't trying to be one.

He just hoped that the Emperor would be receptive to his audacity.

The Emperor’s fingers stilled on the armrest. His gaze was piercing.

"You ask for a great deal of trust, Celt."

Shirou didn’t blink, "I’m not asking for trust. I’m offering a solution."

For a long moment, Molt studied him. Then, almost imperceptibly, his lips twitched, not quite a smile, but something close.

"Senators." He said, voice carrying effortlessly across the chamber, "We will recess to consider this proposal. Princess Piña, you and your...associates will remain in the capital until a decision is reached."

The dismissal was clear. Shirou exhaled slowly as the Rose Order moved to escort them out.

As they turned to leave, however, Anatoly, silent until now, spoke, his voice low and rough.

"You are mad, you know this, right? If this fails, know that my claws will find your throat, 'Chulainn'"

Shirou didn’t look back. He wouldn't regret this.

Not this time.