[You never expected little Nero to make such a request. It was a completely outrageous thing to ask, and most people would probably be furious. But as her tutor, your perspective was entirely different. You thought she must have had a reason for saying something like that. You decided to get to the bottom of her reasoning.]
"That seems reasonable enough," Ian said, trying to maintain his respect for the little girl in front of him. "But—" The man smiled and asked, meeting little Nero's bright eyes, "You have to at least tell your tutor why you want to do that, right? Otherwise, I'll be a bit troubled."
This method of equal communication was very effective with Nero. The adorable little girl put her hands on her hips and began to explain her thoughts. "Mmm, Tutor. Look—you're the most popular person in Ubiorum, right? If I can ride on your back when we go out, wouldn't that show everyone that you care about me a lot? That way, everyone will follow suit and respect me!"
"..."
[Looking at little Nero's serious eyes, you realize she's not joking. This seems to be a method she's carefully thought out to quickly earn the respect of others. You're not sure whether to call it vanity or cleverness. You have a vague feeling that there's something else on her mind. This is something you absolutely need to figure out.]
"That's a fair point," Ian said, not immediately rejecting his student's idea. "But if you were to actually 'ride' me, that would be a little difficult for your tutor. How about this?" The man leaned close to little Nero's ear and whispered his idea. "What do you think of this?"
"Eh, okay, okay!" Little Nero nodded repeatedly.
[You chose a compromise. You decided to grant little Nero's wish, but not in such an extreme way. You decided to let her ride on your shoulders, like she was on a warhorse. And because she's still so young, the scene doesn't look bad at all. In fact, it gives off a warm and gentle feeling.]
On the streets of Ubiorum, Ian was wandering around with little Nero. Having finally gotten a chance to go out, she seemed very excited, constantly directing her "tutor" to run around.
"Seneca, this way!"
"Seneca, that way!"
Little Nero's fingers waved in the air like a conductor's baton, giving out orders.
"You really want to go everywhere," Ian couldn't help but say.
"Of course—!" Little Nero agreed without hesitation. "I finally get to go out! Of course, I have to see everything!"
"You..." Ian was about to scold little Nero in his role as a tutor, but after a moment's thought, he held back. After all, he wasn't here to teach a lesson but to figure out what was on her mind.
"Alright, what you said makes sense. Is there anywhere else you want to go? Your tutor will take you as far as you want today."
"Yay~" Little Nero's eyes were filled with joy, and she even clapped excitedly. "Tutor—let's go that way!"
"Okay." The tutor-and-student duo continued their wonderful journey on the streets.
[You and little Nero wander through the streets of Ubiorum. She tries many foods that her mother, Agrippina, would never allow her to eat. Little Nero is very excited about this—the feeling of being free from restrictions is incredibly comforting for her.]
"Ah—~" Little Nero held out a skewer of grilled food to her "mount," Ian. "Tutor, have a bite~"
"No need," Ian said, declining. "This is for you. Your tutor won't eat it."
"Mmm!" Little Nero pouted. "Tutor, you have to eat it. Otherwise—it'll be like I came out all by myself! And I don't want that."
"..." Listening to little Nero, Ian thought for a moment and then nodded. "Alright. Since you said so, I'll have a bite."
"Mmm~ That's more like it!" Little Nero shook the food in front of Ian. "Tutor, eat up!"
Ian took a small bite and then gave his review. "It tastes great. Nero, your taste is really quite good."
After hearing her tutor's praise, little Nero took a bite from the same spot Ian had bitten and then suddenly asked a very strange question. "Tutor, did you swallow it just now?"
"..." Although the question felt more complex than it seemed, Ian answered truthfully. "Yes. If I didn't, how would I know it was delicious?"
"That's great~" Little Nero laughed happily. "This way, you're my accomplice—so you can't tell Mother what I ate today! Otherwise, you'll be punished too!"
"..." Hearing little Nero's blatant "conspiracy," Ian let out a helpless sigh. "So Nero, this is why you wanted to treat me to food?"
"No," little Nero shook her head. "Inviting you to eat good food is true, but not wanting you to snitch is also true. There's no contradiction between the two, is there?"
"Nero, your cleverness in these matters is truly remarkable," Ian said with a sense of helplessness.
"Mmm~ Of course it is," little Nero said, taking it as a compliment.
As the two chatted, a melodic tune drifted over. It was a very pleasant sound.
[Someone in the distance is playing foreign music. This is a very common sight in Ubiorum—as a Roman outpost, it receives foreign cultures much faster and more widely than inland cities. And those who are confident enough to perform on the street usually have a relatively high skill level. You believe this will be an excellent performance. More importantly—you can tell that little Nero is very interested in it.]
Her little legs were swinging back and forth—Ian could clearly feel the movement at that moment. But it wasn't hard to understand. After all, she was just a child, and it was natural for her to be interested in something she didn't usually get to see. With that thought, Ian spoke up.
"Nero, what is it?" little Nero responded quickly. "Do you want to see this performance?" The man directly pointed out her inner thoughts. "If so, you should say it now. Otherwise, when the crowd gathers, there won't be any space left for us."
"Yes, of course, I want to!" Little Nero waved the half-eaten food in her hand and shouted. "Tutor—! Take me there quickly! I want to be in the front row!!!"
Hearing this tone, which sounded like she was giving orders to a steed, Ian found it amusing but could also completely understand her thinking. After all, he was the one who had asked if she wanted to go in the first place.
"Okay, let's go now."
"Mmm~ Yay!"
[You take Nero toward the source of the music. Royal Tutor has been activated: Your reputation, which you've built up over time, comes into play. You don't have to work too hard to get little Nero to the very front of the crowd. You both enjoy the musical performance.]
Just as Ian had predicted, little Nero was extremely interested in the music. Her two little feet tapped against the man's chest like tiny hammers, making a series of rhythmic thuds. The little girl's hands clapped wildly—she was so engrossed that she forgot she was still sitting on her tutor's shoulders. Fortunately, Ian noticed this and quickly grabbed the little legs on either side of his head so she didn't fall backward.
Despite the various things happening, it had to be said that the performance was indeed of a very high caliber. Not to mention little Nero, even Ian, as her tutor, could feel the dedication and passion the performers had put into it. This was a very commendable thing. After making sure little Nero wouldn't fall, Ian also started clapping.
But just then, little Nero leaned down to Ian's head and asked him a question. "Tutor Seneca, what are all these instruments?"
"Hmm?" Ian was surprised for a moment and then realized what Nero wanted—she wanted to learn more about the instruments. So he immediately began to analyze them for his student.
"On the far left is a lyre, and a little to the right is a cithara. Behind them are tubas and French horns—and maybe a buccina, which is a similar instrument to the French horn, but we'd have to actually touch it to be sure. On the far right, it looks like some kind of organ, but it sounds a little worn, so it's probably quite old."
Listening to Ian's detailed and serious analysis, little Nero's eyes were filled with a mix of admiration and surprise. "Mmm~ Tutor, you're so amazing! You know things like this?!"
"That's a matter of course," Ian said, not letting Nero's praise make him arrogant. "Nero, I am your tutor. It is my innate responsibility to understand things like this and teach them to you."
"Mmm, that's true~" Little Nero wrapped her arms around Ian's neck and rubbed against him. "Then you should always stay by my side, Tutor—you can remember these things for me, and I won't have to!"
"You're always especially clever when you're being lazy," Ian said with some helplessness. "But I can't agree to that, Nero. You have to study hard for yourself."
"Mmm, that depends on whether I like it or not. If I don't like it... then what's the point of learning it?" Little Nero pouted, then asked another question. "Then, Tutor, why isn't the person in the middle holding anything?"
"That's a minstrel—a member of the performers. You can simply think of him as someone who sings along to the music."
"Oh?!" Little Nero blinked and then analyzed, "So he didn't have to learn an instrument, but he could still perform?"
"...You can't exactly say that, but it is an undeniable fact that he wasn't using an instrument."
"Then—!" Little Nero happily grabbed Ian's sleeve, as if she had just solved a major world problem. "Tutor, I want to go up there and sing a song too!"
"Huh?"
[You never expected Nero to make such a request at that moment. But, thinking back to how excited she was while listening to the performance, you realize this is not a coincidence. Just as different people have different interests, Nero's interest might be in participating in musical performances like this. You're a little happy—because this is the first time you've found something that Nero is very interested in and that you can teach her. She might even have a great talent for this!]
"Nero, are you serious?" Ian asked, looking at the performers who were taking a short break. "Do you... really want to go up and sing a song?"
"Mmm, yes~!" Little Nero replied without hesitation. "Otherwise, why would I ask my tutor for it?!"
"..."
"Alright, then. Nero, wait here for me—your tutor will go and ask for you."
"Mmm~!" A smile blossomed on little Nero's face. It was a genuine happiness that she couldn't hide.
[You temporarily put down little Nero. You discuss it with the performers, trying to get her a chance to go on stage. You thought it would be difficult, but it turns out to be surprisingly easy. On one hand, Nero's noble status still carries a lot of weight in Ubiorum. On a more important note, your kindness over the years is paying off. "Since Tutor Seneca said so, then of course we have to let her try." "Tutor, don't worry—we'll do our best to help her." After receiving this response, you successfully secured a chance for Nero to perform on stage. You turn back and tell the expectant little girl. "Yay~" She happily spins in a circle.]
Little Nero's first on-stage performance was about to begin. To be honest, Ian had no expectations for it. Even when he was talking to the performers just now, he had instructed them in advance to feel free to ignore Nero and just focus on keeping the performance going. However, the outcome was far beyond Ian's expectations.
Little Nero swaggered to the front of the crowd. "Ahem," she cleared her throat. "Mmm, I'm going to start now!" Little Nero opened her mouth slightly, ready to perform a song with the performers' accompaniment.
"Ah—~~"
But in the next moment, what swept through the entire scene was a devilish, off-key sound!