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[FMMIKA] Chapter 327: The Divine Ancestor of Rome
🕑 Added 2023-12-17 20:05:59 +0000 UTCThe sky was no longer filled with bombers but with circling seagulls. In the sea, instead of fleets of aircraft carriers and destroyers, five columns of sailboats echoed the era.
The forces participating in this landing weren't your typical mechanized army or paratroopers armed with automatic rifles, submachine guns, light and heavy machine guns, and shoulder-fired missiles. No, it was a standard army clad in lobster-like armor, wielding large shields and spears—Roman legionnaires ready for action.
The reason for this was not that Artorius suddenly had a change of heart and decided not to use cutting-edge weapons to massacre the enemy. Instead, the entire Iberian Peninsula was enchanted with a formidable and powerful bounded field. It prevented the use of weapons and equipment from eras that didn't belong to the current time, vehemently rejecting all such attempts.
"It's Lev's doing!"
The one shouting these words was Roman, the doctor who hadn't had many appearances before.
Poor guy, as the acting director of Chaldea, albeit temporarily, still held the title of director. However, he was treated like a fool by Chaldea's Master and her group, manipulated like a puppet.
'Poor Doctor Roman...' Ritsuka thought in her heart.
Of course, her sympathy for Romani didn't last too long. To be precise, only three seconds.
After three seconds, Ritsuka was immersed in the grand historical war and couldn't pull herself out.
Unlike the last time when the bombers directly wiped out everything, the Battle of Barcelona this time was a battle where both sides were evenly matched, standing on the same horizontal line.
In the dock area, at the harbor, the United Romans had set up multiple layers of defense. The Romans' civil engineering technology allowed them to build a protective wall enveloping the entire dock quickly.
On top of the wall, archers and mages nervously watched the battle in the bay.
Artorius's naval warships looked more agile, especially with faster turning speeds. With magecraft and the drifting technique of the dragon boats, the naval ships of Artorius moved like agile fish, fighting around the United Roman ships like a pack of wolves.
The United Roman ships were taller and equipped with ballistae, as well as arrow towers for archers. The joint Roman navy would have the advantage if they were to engage in long-range shooting. However, when the ships of both sides closed in, the outcome was beyond doubt.
The swift ships of Artorius directly slammed into them, the kinetic energy combined with the bronze ram at the front of the warship turning these vessels into massive battering rams. They created huge breaches on the sides of the United Roman ships.
Amidst the unwilling and frustrated shouts of the United Roman soldiers, one by one, the massive ships sank like rubbish into the sea.
These heavily invested fleets disappeared just like that.
"So, in naval battles, it's not about whose ship is bigger, that determines victory, huh...?" Artorius sighed. "It's like this in the era of cold weapons. After all, naval cannons haven't come into play yet."
This naval battle lasted almost a whole day, and the fleet of Artorius emerged victorious. This was still in preparation for the upcoming landing battle, so his army did not use any heavy weapons like 'Greek Fire'.
Just like in the Battle of the Seine River, Artorius sympathized with the people of Rome and didn't want to use any excessively destructive weapons.
'If we use Greek Fire, if we employ fire tactics, the United Roman fleet is likely to be burned to ashes along with everything at the dock. The entire city of Barcelona would be turned into a white land.'
Thirty thousand soldiers were deployed here by the United Roman Empire, as well as the tens of thousands of civilians remaining in the city, would all turn into charcoal. This was something Artorius did not want to see.
"Send an emissary."
After winning the naval battle, Artorius didn't rush to attack the harbor but decided to send envoys to attempt surrender first.
"Will surrendering work?" Mash wasn't hopeful about it. "Just like when we tried to persuade Caesar before, even if the Servants want to surrender, they'll be controlled by the mages behind the scenes and go berserk, right?"
"Not this time. There's a lesson from last time, and Lev probably won't act recklessly." Artorius said calmly with confidence.
===
The situation was as Artorius said. When his messenger rode a small boat into the port of Barcelona, the strongest Servant under Lev's command calmly received him.
He was a figure with muscles twisted all over, appearing even more Spartan than a Spartan. Wearing only a pair of briefs, draped in a blood-red cape, and sporting a golden helmet, he seemed like the kind of guy who could shout 'fuck you' at any given moment.
The messenger nervously handed over Artorius's letter and anxiously awaited the unfolding of fate.
"Hope the condolences are as good as they say after I kick the bucket."
As he saw the muscle man raise an eyebrow, seemingly unimpressed by the letter, the messenger braced himself for the possibility of being torn apart by five horses.
However.
"Hahahaha!"
The other party wasn't angry at all; instead, he burst into hearty laughter.
"Fight with me to decide who's the most Roman of all Romans."
"Good, that's very Roman (romantic)!"
"As a Roman Emperor, it should be this Roman (romantic)!"
"Artorius Pandragon, is it?"
"Very good, very good, very, you're a very good Roman!"
".....?"
The messenger looked utterly confused at the muscle man's boisterous declaration, unable to comprehend a word he was saying.
'Is this guy really a Lancer and not a Berserker? I can't understand a thing he's saying.'
If the messenger knew Servants, he might have been criticizing like that by now.
Just as the messenger was in this state of uncertainty, the surrounding Roman generals, one by one, excitedly approached Romulus, surrounding him and shouting enthusiastically.
"Rome."
"Divine Ancestor!"
"Our Roman ancestors!"
"So great, so mighty! There's nothing more Roman in this world than you!"
"Long live Rome! Long live Divine Ancestor Romulus!"
Watching these people with their fanaticism, the messenger couldn't help but feel his heart pounding. It felt like he stumbled upon a bunch of lunatics or walked into a cult gathering.
"Good!"
The muscle man—Romulus, exclaimed loudly.
"Let Rome (me) meet Rome (Artorius)!"
After saying this, he walked out of the camp, ascended the harbor's parapet, and at a glance saw the Dragon Emperor, surrounded by women like the stars surrounding the moon.
"So radiant, so Roman—indeed, unmistakably Roman!"
It seemed Romulus was quite satisfied with the Dragon Emperor.
