[FMMISM] Chapter 75: A Sudden Banquet

As time passed, the darkness once again descended upon Fuyuki.

Breakfast had just ended when Ragnasuddenly locked himself in his room, claiming he felt unwell, and did not leave the room the entire day.

After delivering dinner to Ragna's room, Irisviel stood in the hallway, gazing out at the deep, dark sea of trees through the window, and let out a heavy sigh.

What would the next Holy Grail War turn out to be?

It was likely that Ragna would achieve complete victory.

After all, no matter how powerful the remaining Servants were, they wouldn't stand much of a chance against the strongest pair of Servants, King Arthur and Morgan.

To Irisviel, who knew the ins and outs of previous Holy Grail Wars, Ragna was undoubtedly the strongest Master in the history of the Holy Grail Wars. His existence had already transcended the realm of mages, a fact even acknowledged by Artoria.

Irisviel believed that Ragna was almost certain to win.

'What will he do with me once he has the Holy Grail?'

Now resigned to her fate, Irisviel had only this single concern left—what exactly was that boy's wish?

Rumble—

Suddenly, a rumbling sound erupted in her ears.

Not only that, but the deafening noise that tore through the night also placed a tremendous burden on her magic circuits, making her dizzy to the point where she nearly collapsed in the hallway.

It was clear that the deafening noise indicated the bounded field she had set in the forest outside the castle was under attack.

"What's going on… a frontal assault?" Irisviel muttered in surprise.

At this moment, a pair of strong arms supported Irisviel's waist.

"It's Rider."

Ragna, who had somehow arrived beside Irisviel, spoke.

"Lord Ragna, is your condition already better?"

Irisviel looked at his face and observed carefully.

She realized that, rather than physical discomfort, the boy seemed more troubled spiritually.

"Iri, take Lancer and go meet them. Caster and I will lay an ambush from the rear." Ragna indifferently gave an order.

Irisviel nodded at his order and quickly left.

Before long, Irisviel and Artoria rushed through the castle, heading straight for the terrace outside the entrance.

"Hey, King of Knights! I've come all the way here to meet you, so come out!"

A burly, red-haired man with thick brows and muscles stood in the courtyard, shouting toward the castle. Beside him stood a frail-looking young man with neck-length black hair and a nervous expression.

It was obvious that the enemy who had entered through the main gate was the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, and his Master, Waver Velvet.

"...Rider, what are you doing here?"

Artoria protected Irisviel behind her and questioned Iskandar sternly.

"Oh, you’re finally here, Lancer! After hearing about this castle, I just had to come see it for myself! To be honest, it’s really quite a nice castle, isn’t it?"

Iskandar grinned unabashedly, showing his teeth, and then pretended to stretch his neck seriously.

"But as castles go, the surrounding area has way too many trees. I nearly got lost before reaching the gate, so I cut down some of them for you. You should thank me, y'know. The view is much better now."

"Rider, after doing something so reckless, do you really think you'll leave here safely?" Artoria glared at the burly man with a cold expression.

In response to her beautiful face filled with anger, Iskandar burst into hearty laughter, lifting the wooden barrel he was holding and waving it in front of them.

"Hey, hey, don't get mad, King of Knights. I'm here to have a drink with you."

"..."

Staying silent, Artoria observed Iskandar with her golden-emerald eyes carefully. She could see that the man before her showed no sign of hostility.

Faced with an opponent who seemed to have no ill intentions, she found herself unable to get angry and could only let out a helpless sigh.

[Master, what should we do?]

Artoria asked Ragna telepathically.

At this moment, Ragna was sitting on Morgan's lap. Feeling down all day due to the disappearance of Zealot, he decided to snuggle up in her lap.

In the attic at the top of the castle, Morgan held the boy on her lap as they watched the spectacle in the courtyard.

Unlike the cold courtyard, the attic was warmed up by Morgan's magecraft, making it as cozy as a greenhouse.

[Well, it's not a bad thing. Just have a drink with him. It's the King of Conquerors' challenge to the King of Knights after all. Show him your royal style.]

Upon hearing Ragna's words, Artoria's long eyelashes fluttered slightly.

[...]

Truthfully, she was secretly surprised.

[Did I say something wrong?] Ragna asked.

[No, it's just that this is the first time you've officially given me an order.]

Artoria's tense expression relaxed, and she chuckled lightly.

[Although it's a bit late to say this now, we might get along well, Master.]

At least better than her previous Master.

[Are you talking about physical compatibility?] Ragna asked with a somewhat innocent tone.

[If you could correct your habit of using vulgar language, that would be even better.]

With this, the conversation between Ragna and Artoria came to an end.

Ragna looked up with a helpless smile at Morgan, who had pouted her pink lips.

At some point, her white arms, as slender as leeks, had wrapped around his waist like a serpent.

"Um… Miss Caster, you're hugging me too tightly. I'm having a hard time breathing, y'know."

Meanwhile, seeing Artoria's expression growing increasingly calm, Iskandar spoke up.

"It seems you've already reached a conclusion on your side. If it's fine, let's settle it with a drink."

"Interesting, I accept your challenge."

For the first time in this world, Artoria responded resolutely to her Master's order, radiating a battle-ready aura.

It was only now that Irisviel realized they were not joking but engaging in a real battle.

===

The place for the sudden banquet was chosen to be beside the flowerbed in the castle's courtyard. Although the weather outside was extremely cold, everyone at the banquet was filled with fervor.

After Iskandar brought his wine barrel to the courtyard, he and Artoria sat face to face, engaging in a leisurely standoff.

BANG!

Iskandar smashed the barrel lid with his fist, and the rich aroma of red wine immediately filled the air of the courtyard.

"Ahh, speaking of which, there's also someone here who calls himself a 'king'."

Iskandar suddenly lifted his head, revealing a mischievous smile.

"Enough of the jokes, you mongrel."

As if in response to Iskandar's ambiguous remark, a dazzling golden light flashed across the open sky.

Before long, a golden-haired man clad in golden armor appeared in the Einzbern Castle's courtyard.

"Archer…"

Artoria raised an eyebrow and cast a blatant look of hostility at him.

"Hmph, it seems that someone isn't welcoming me."

Folding his hands over his chest, the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, returned the hostility from the King of Knights with a flippant yet subtly menacing smile.