Meanwhile, at Nero's private residence.
Smack!
The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the courtyard.
A middle-aged noblewoman wearing a purple stola stood there clutching her swollen cheek in disbelief. Her curled hair was covered by a veil, and her features were seductive, though the slightly raised cheekbones and elongated brows gave her a somewhat harsh and cutting look.
"You Celtic savage! How dare you strike me?"
"I struck you because you're not fit to be a mother!"
Boudica pulled Nero behind her and snorted coldly at the venomous woman who had barged in and begun spouting insults.
"Have you fools lost your minds? Since when does the head of the Claudius family allow herself to be bullied by Celtic barbarians?
Beat these wretches to death and bring my child back!"
Agrippina the Younger shouted angrily at the soldiers behind her.
At once, the Roman centuria that had accompanied her began advancing aggressively.
More than a hundred Celtic soldiers stepped forward as well. With the centurion instructor at their center, they naturally formed ranks. A brutal aura forged in countless bloody battles surged through their formation.
The Roman soldiers were well equipped, their clothes embroidered with gold thread. Each of them had handsome faces and wore makeup like pampered nobles.
But as soon as they faced the battle-hardened Celts, their breathing faltered and their faces turned pale.
Still, with their patron glaring furiously behind them and Rome's tradition of executing one out of every ten deserters, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and move forward despite their fear.
Of course, these men who survived in Rome were no fools.
They immediately started calculating how to appear busy without actually fighting seriously. The so-called clash remained limited to pushing and shoving, and everyone looked like they were trying very hard.
Before Agrippina could notice the act and start screaming at them to press harder, sudden cries of pain rang out from within the two opposing groups.
The already tense soldiers reacted instinctively. Excitement flared, and punches and kicks began flying everywhere as the scuffle escalated into a real brawl.
Within just a few breaths, the hundred Roman soldiers were knocked to the ground by the Celts, who outnumbered them two to one and were hardened by real combat. They lay sprawled on the ground clutching their injuries and groaning.
In the chaos, Agrippina suffered just as miserably.
First, a sack was suddenly dropped over her head from above.
Then she was knocked unconscious by a rain of sticks.
"Scram, scram, scram! Don't show up in front of me again! If I see you one more time, I'll beat you again!"
Nero jumped onto the steps, hands on her hips. With her chin raised and her tiger teeth grinding, she proudly delivered her threat.
The defeated group hurriedly carried the unconscious Agrippina away and fled in panic, nearly colliding with a black-haired man walking toward the residence.
"What happened here?"
Samael stepped aside to avoid the bruised and battered group and entered the courtyard. Looking at the mess scattered everywhere, he asked in surprise.
Boudica walked forward with a frown and explained to the real decision-maker of the group what had happened during his absence.
After hearing that Nero had entered the city, Agrippina, who currently controlled the Claudius family, had rushed to the residence with her men. Her goal was to take her daughter away and bring her back under her complete control.
Naturally, her methods started soft and gradually turned coercive.
However, with Boudica controlling the situation and more than two hundred elite Celtic warriors standing guard, every trick that venomous woman tried was neutralized one by one.
In her rage, little Agrippina accidentally let something slip, which enraged Queen Boudica and earned her that slap, eventually leading to the situation they had just witnessed.
"What exactly did she say to make you this angry?"
Samael rubbed his chin and asked curiously.
"That woman plans to hand Nero over to her lover. From every aspect of life, she would completely control the child and slowly strip away her inheritance rights."
Boudica replied irritably, a trace of pity appearing in her eyes.
"You're outsiders after all. Beating up Romans like this will cause trouble. Cleaning up the aftermath might be difficult..."
"Sorry. We were too—"
"Judging by the time, that group should already be heading through the mountain road. How about we dig a pit, dump them in the mountains, and bury them? Or we could make it look like a Magical Beast attack. I heard wolves howling on my way back. That would complete the evidence chain perfectly and remove us from suspicion without anyone noticing."
Samael rubbed his chin, narrowing his snake-like eyes as a dark gleam flickered within them.
"..."
Boudica, who had just been feeling guilty for being too violent, froze on the spot after hearing his proposal for disposing of the bodies. Her eyes widened in stunned silence.
Meanwhile, at Nero's private residence.
Smack!
The sharp crack of a slap echoed through the courtyard.
A middle-aged noblewoman wearing a purple stola stood clutching her swollen cheek in disbelief. Her curled hair was covered by a veil, and though her features were seductive, the slightly raised cheekbones and long brows gave her a somewhat harsh, cutting air.
"You Celtic savage! How dare you strike me?"
"I struck you because you are not fit to be a mother!"
Boudica pulled Nero behind her and snorted coldly at the venomous woman who had barged in and started spewing insults.
"Have you fools lost your minds? Since when does the head of the Claudius family allow herself to be bullied by Celtic barbarians?
Beat these wretches to death and bring my child back!"
Agrippina the Younger shouted angrily toward the soldiers behind her.
At once, the Roman centuria that had accompanied her began advancing aggressively.
More than a hundred Celtic soldiers stepped forward as well. With the centurion instructor at their center, they naturally formed ranks. A brutal aura forged through countless bloody battles surged through their formation.
The Roman soldiers were well equipped, their clothes embroidered with gold thread. Each of them had handsome faces and wore makeup like pampered nobles.
But as soon as they faced the battle-hardened Celts, their breathing faltered and their faces turned pale.
Still, with their patron glaring furiously behind them and Rome's tradition of executing one out of every ten deserters, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and move forward despite their fear.
Of course, these men who survived in Rome were no fools.
They immediately began calculating how to appear busy without actually fighting seriously. The so-called clash remained limited to pushing and shoving, and everyone looked like they were trying very hard.
Before Agrippina the Younger could notice the act and start screaming at them to press harder, sudden cries of pain rang out from within the two opposing groups.
The already tense soldiers reacted instinctively. Excitement flared, and punches and kicks began flying everywhere as the scuffle escalated into a real brawl.
Within just a few breaths, the hundred Roman soldiers were knocked to the ground by the Celts, who outnumbered them two to one and were hardened by real combat. They lay sprawled on the ground clutching their injuries and groaning.
In the chaos, Agrippina the Younger suffered just as miserably.
First, a sack was suddenly dropped over her head from above.
Then she was knocked unconscious by a rain of sticks.
"Scram, scram, scram! Don't show up in front of me again! If I see you one more time, I'll beat you again!"
Nero jumped onto the steps, hands on her hips. With her chin raised and her tiger teeth grinding, she proudly delivered her threat.
The defeated group hurriedly carried the unconscious Agrippina the Younger away and fled in panic, nearly colliding with a black-haired man walking toward the residence.
"What happened here?"
Samael stepped aside to avoid the bruised and battered group and entered the courtyard. Looking at the mess scattered everywhere, he asked in surprise.
Boudica walked forward with a frown and explained to the real decision-maker of the group what had happened during his absence.
After hearing that Nero had entered the city, Agrippina the Younger, who currently controlled the Claudius family, had rushed to the residence with her men. Her goal was to take her daughter away and bring her back under her complete control.
Naturally, her methods started soft and gradually turned coercive.
However, with Boudica controlling the situation and more than two hundred elite Celtic warriors standing guard, every trick that venomous woman tried was neutralized one by one.
In her rage, Agrippina the Younger accidentally let something slip, which enraged Queen Boudica and earned her that slap, eventually leading to the situation they had just witnessed.
"What exactly did she say to make you this angry?"
Samael rubbed his chin and asked curiously.
"That woman plans to hand Nero over to her lover. From every aspect of life, she would completely control the child and slowly strip away her inheritance rights."
Boudica replied irritably, a trace of pity appearing in her eyes.
"You're outsiders after all. Beating up Romans like this will cause trouble. Cleaning up the aftermath might be difficult..."
"Sorry. We were too—"
"Judging by the time, that group should already be heading through the mountain road. How about we dig a pit, dump them in the mountains, and bury them? Or we could make it look like a Magical Beast attack. I heard wolves howling on my way back. That would complete the evidence chain perfectly and remove us from suspicion without anyone noticing."
Samael rubbed his chin, narrowing his snake-like eyes as a dark gleam flickered within them.
"..."
Boudica, who had just been feeling guilty for being too violent, froze on the spot after hearing his proposal for disposing of the bodies. Her eyes widened in stunned silence.
...
"Brynhildr, quietly follow them. Don't let anyone see you. Finish it quickly..."
"W-wait! That's really not necessary!"
Boudica hurriedly grabbed Samael and the Valkyrie by the arms, stopping them with a helpless laugh.
"Don't worry. After today, Agrippina the Younger probably won't have a chance to come back for revenge."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
Samael paused and stopped walking, though his gaze still drifted toward the mountain road.
He had no interest in playing a back-and-forth political revenge game with some venomous Roman woman.
Since this brawl had created a troublesome mess that would be difficult to clean up, the simplest solution was to cut the knot in one stroke. Eliminate the person causing the trouble and prevent future problems altogether.
Schemes and power plays only deserved consideration when dealing with opponents on the same level or higher.
A petty woman like that was not worth wasting much thought on. Crushing her outright would be simpler.
Of course, for Nero's sake, killing Agrippina the Younger outright would be excessive. But there were plenty of ways to stop her from continuing to meddle.
"The High Priest of the Pantheon just delivered a message. Tomorrow at noon, the Divine Ancestor Romulus will perform Nero's baptism and coronation at the Pantheon and grant her the Emperor's authority."
Boudica answered calmly, relief filling her eyes.
So that was it.
Agrippina the Younger had realized she could no longer control Nero and that she was about to lose power. That was why she had rushed here in such a panic, trying both soft and hard tactics to drag the Claudius heir back home.
But now that mother and daughter had already torn the mask off their relationship, once Nero was formally invested tomorrow, Agrippina the Younger controlling an emperor with real authority would be nothing but wishful thinking.
Samael thought for a moment, then quietly abandoned the darker idea of disposing of the bodies.
Fair enough. No matter what, she was still Nero's biological mother. That kind of mess was better left for Nero to handle herself.
"By the way, they didn't scare—"
"I knocked down seven of them!"
"I took out ten!"
Just as Samael's tone softened with concern, two figures on the stone platform ahead were already arguing loudly while bumping their foreheads together, comparing their battle achievements.
"I set the trap with the sack!"
"I was the one who clubbed them!"
Nero refused to lose. Standing with one foot on the table, the First Princess waved a broken chair leg enthusiastically, her face flushed as she bragged about her heroic performance.
"Hah, that's nothing! I sounded the charge and got the first takedown!"
"..."
The First Princess, who had been shouting moments ago, suddenly bulged her eyes upward. She dropped the chair leg, her face stiffening as her words caught in her throat.
At the same time, Nero lowered her head and saw two enormous shadows looming behind her.
She immediately crouched and tried to bolt.
Unfortunately, the troublemaker who had started the chaos still ended up with the back of her neck firmly grabbed.
"Did you enjoy yourselves beating people up today?"
Samael grinned wickedly and glanced at Boudica beside him.
"Coming right up!"
"So?"
"One each."
The Victorious Queen and the Ancient Serpent exchanged a knowing nod and chuckled darkly. Each grabbed one of the troublemaking girls and dragged them into the room.
A moment later, miserable screams and wails echoed across the courtyard.
The soldiers cleaning up nearby watched with gleeful expressions.
The entire residence was filled with cheerful atmosphere.