MMMS 69

Lancer and Rider accepted the golden goblets from Gilgamesh with curious expressions.

"Ha! this is amazing! Did humans really make this? It's godly!" Iskandar's eyes went wide as he heaped on enthusiastic praise.

The wine in Gilgamesh's collection was without question the finest available. Even Artoria, who didn't usually care for such luxuries, gave a silent nod of approval as she savored it.

As the exceptional wine worked its magic, the three kings found themselves deep in conversation about the nature of kingship.

Speaking with the loose tongue of someone enjoying good drink, the King of Heroes declared that the Holy Grail was already his property. According to him, he'd joined the Holy Grail War simply to punish the fools who dared to want what belonged to him.

"I won't tolerate anyone trying to steal my treasures. That's non-negotiable. It's the law I've laid down as king."

"Hmm." Rider let out a thoughtful sigh after listening to Gilgamesh's declaration. "You're a good king, sticking to the laws you create. But here's the thing, I still want that Holy Grail. My philosophy is pretty straightforward: if I want something, I go get it."

The Holy Grail existed, and he wanted it, so he would claim it. That was Iskandar, the Conqueror, in a nutshell. His wish was to gain flesh and blood once more, to build a new empire in the modern era.

"That's what conquest is all about," he explained, studying his closed fist. "To have a real body, to stride across heaven and earth, to pursue my ambitions - that's my path as a king. But right now, I'm just a spirit. That's no good. Without a body, I can't even get started. I need flesh and blood again."

The smile that crossed Gilgamesh's face was unlike any he'd shown before. While his usual smirk dripped with mockery, this one held something darker, more dangerous. "Well then... Rider, I'll have the pleasure of killing you myself."

"Already making threats?" Rider threw back his head and laughed. "Better get ready yourself! I'm not just taking the Holy Grail—I'm also raiding your entire treasury. Letting the Conqueror sample wine this good was a big mistake." His booming laughter filled the space between them.

"Hey, Lancer, what about you?" The Conqueror turned his attention to the King of Knights. "What's your wish?"

Artoria had worn the same disinterested expression since the banquet began. "I don't have one," she answered flatly.

Maybe the old King Arthur would have wished to save her kingdom, to erase her own traces from history, but those desires had faded away when she'd become something more than human.

"If you don't have a wish, why are you even here?" Iskandar looked genuinely confused.

She spoke just four words: "To save the world."

Gilgamesh let out a dismissive snort.

Iskandar blinked. "Oh. That's... pretty ambitious."

Irisviel gave an awkward laugh.

Waver just stared. "...What?"

The silence that followed seemed to swallow the entire gathering.

Lancer's serious expression left no room for doubt, she meant every word. Rider gave a dry laugh as he pressed further. "Okay, so... saving the world. How exactly are you planning to pull that off?"

The King of Knights didn't answer his question. What was the point? These two tyrants wouldn't understand anyway. The great evil she'd dedicated her existence to fighting had been born from the very desires that drove men like them.

At the peak of human greed, a terrible Beast would rise, just as the prophecies foretold. To stand against the crimson Beast described in scripture, she had returned from the end times itself, casting aside both ideals and emotions. This Artoria, hovering somewhere between hero and god had become the savior chosen by the Counter Force.

"Wait, your sister's wish isn't saving Britain but saving the whole world?" Hidden in the attic above, even Ryuuto and Morgan found themselves caught off guard by this revelation.

She seemed less like a King of Knights and more like some kind of holy sword wielder... except she didn't even have a holy sword. What was going on here? God, there were way too many versions of Artoria to keep straight. With a long sigh, he leaned back until his head rested against Morgan's soft, generous chest.

"Hey... Morgan, if you ended up as king, what would you want to do?"

"I don't know," came her faint reply.

"Huh?" Now it was his turn to be surprised. Morgan, the woman who'd been more obsessed with Britain's throne than anyone else in history had never thought about what came after? About the responsibilities, duties, or ambitions of actually being king? If Iskandar and Gilgamesh were tyrants, wouldn't that make Morgan a completely negligent ruler?

Her voice came out softer than usual. "I never really thought about what I'd do after becoming king. It's just... the crown of Britain was supposed to be mine, wasn't it?"

"..."

Morgan pulled him closer, pressing her face into his hair. For the first time in her life, she'd found someone she could trust completely, and all those buried emotions came pouring out.

"It was... supposed to be mine. I just wanted to take back what belonged to me... Is that really so wrong?" Her voice sounded like an accusation against the entire world.

As King Uther's only legitimate child, she should have been first in line by every law that mattered. Yet she'd never even gotten a chance to compete. Her father's approval, the trial of the Sword in the Stone - everything had been designed to exclude her from the start. All she'd ever wanted was to reclaim the throne from her sister, but the world had labeled her an evil, corrupt enchantress for it.

Not knowing what to say, he gently raised his hand and brushed away the tears streaming down her face.

In Arthur's position, there wouldn't have been a better ruler; Pan-Human History's choice made sense. Yet Morgan, who clearly possessed the legal right of inheritance and had an extraordinary mind and talent, never even had the opportunity to govern the country.

Between King Arthur and Morgan, perhaps there was no right or wrong. It wasn't his place as an outsider to judge the struggle between the sisters.

He slowly stood from Morgan's lap, stretching his limbs.

"...Are you leaving me, Master?" The witch's eyes glistened with tears as her voice quivered.

He ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh and looked up at her. "I want to come play in your room later, but first I need to end this boring banquet."

With those words, he hopped down from the attic.

"Saving the world? Ha! You're not even a real king anymore - just a circus lion people pay to gawk at." After downing several cups, Archer's words turned sharp and cold toward Lancer.

"Think whatever you want, Archer. I may not rule anymore, but don't you dare question my identity as a king."

A sudden explosion shattered the air dozens of meters away.

"?"

Everyone in the courtyard whipped around toward the blast. Through the swaying tree shadows, a black-haired boy strolled out like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Iri, get ready to run back to the castle." Ryuuto moved close to Irisviel, keeping his voice low enough that only she could hear.

"Get ready? When exactly?" Still confused about what was happening, she bent down to whisper in his ear.

"..." He stayed silent, instead locking eyes with both Archer and Rider.

"Oh? So Lancer's Master has a little servant from the castle? This really isn't the place for children, you know." Iskandar raised an eyebrow in surprise.

While the Conqueror remained oblivious to the shifting atmosphere, Gilgamesh's red eyes focused intently on the boy's face. For the first time that night, his expression turned serious.