How About You Find a Different Savior

The nine-foot giant was uncharacteristically silenced by Xi Jianxi's words, offering a sheepish smile.

"That is a truly devastating criticism," Iskandar lowered his head.

"Then issue a decree of self-reflection."

Xi Jianxi continued his jab but didn't press the issue. After all, attempting to host such an event during the Holy Grail War, even for a rough-and-tumble King of Conquerors, must have had a deeper purpose.

"So? You came all the way to my place to freeload. Did something good happen?" Xi Jianxi asked.

Though not originally there for that reason, Iskandar seized the opportunity, boasting about his Master's achievements.

"You probably don't know this, but my Master, that kid, actually found Caster's workshop using simple alchemy. I went to deal with them there."

"Caster was dealt with?" Xi Jianxi inquired.

"No, that fellow wasn't there. Otherwise, I would have finished them off too," the King of Conquerors said with a straight face.

Waver, arms crossed, picked up a sandwich and took a bite. "It was just an amateurish method, nothing to brag about."

"Oh? How so?" Xi Jianxi raised an eyebrow.

Iskandar then roughly explained how Waver used river water from different sections of the Miyuen River to detect residual magic, thereby pinpointing Caster's workshop. The more he spoke, the more embarrassed Waver became, knowing that to a top-tier Magus like Xi Jianxi, it was likely nothing to be impressed by.

"That's quite good," Xi Jianxi's evaluation surprised Waver.

"Hahahaha! See what I mean!" Iskandar declared, quite pleased.

"Magus are too fixated on magic itself and overlook how to solve problems, which is the real problem," Xi Jianxi glanced at Waver. He thought for a moment, then decided not to mention that he had already dealt with Kayneth's faction.

"Is that so?" Waver responded suspiciously, though he was quite pleased internally.

The evaluation system of a practical Magus was indeed different.

"So, King of Conquerors, what is the purpose of your visit today?" Xi Jianxi decided to get to the point.

Iskandar hadn't started eating or pouring drinks for anyone, clearly waiting for something.

"Naturally, it's for 'battle.' Not by resorting to weapons or Noble Phantasms, but by raising our cups together and asking Saber and Berserker—no, King of Knights and Morgan—about your respective 'kingly demeanor'."

It seemed Iskandar already knew their true names. How he deduced them, or if someone from another faction deliberately leaked the information, remained unknown.

After all, Assassin was still operating in the shadows, making it difficult to guard against even for Xi Jianxi.

But that was secondary. The real issue lay elsewhere.

"I am indeed a king, but... why would Queen Sister..." Artoria knew Morgan had never claimed kingship throughout.

"No, King of Knights. The one before you has indeed become a king, perhaps you simply didn't know," Iskandar said sternly. He was quite confident in his judgment and wouldn't be mistaken.

Morgan merely smiled calmly. "I did reign as the 'Winter Queen.' I will not refuse the challenge you offer, my lord."

Winter Queen, another title not found in legends.

Hearing this self-proclaimed title, Xi Jianxi was slightly surprised but maintained his composure.

"So, you want to start by having the Servants gauge each other's caliber. If everyone accepts each other's caliber, the answer will naturally emerge, is that it?" Xi Jianxi quickly grasped the King of Conquerors' intention.

Iskandar was overjoyed. "Your insight is truly sharp. How about you preside over this 'Holy Grail Inquisition'?"

"Huh?" Xi Jianxi was confused. "Why would I host this—"

"No need for modesty, God Slayer." Accompanied by a blinding golden light, Gilgamesh appeared in the courtyard. He wasn't wearing his golden armor but a white single-piece garment with snake-patterned trousers and white shoes. The golden ornaments on his wrists and neck still exuded a luxurious aura. "For someone like you to host a banquet, it is indeed worth for this King to sit down and listen to the wild ramblings of mongrels."

"..." Xi Jianxi began to feel that events were unfolding in a direction he couldn't comprehend.

Both the 'Holy Grail Inquisition' and Gilgamesh's address to him.

The only certainty was that the courtyard tonight would absolutely not be a battlefield.

Chapter 45: A Special Banquet

Xi Jianxi hadn't expected Gilgamesh to be invited as well. He had no doubt this was another one of Iskandar's arbitrary decisions.

"I never imagined you would choose such a cramped and suffocating place to hold a 'King's Feast.' Your caliber is evident from this alone. You've troubled this King to come all this way; how do you intend to atone?" Gilgamesh, though seated, stared arrogantly at the King of Conquerors with his crimson eyes.

Rider, however, simply burst into laughter, dismissing the remark. He then opened a wine barrel and poured wine into a goblet for Xi Jianxi.

"Don't say such disheartening things. You chose to walk here yourself and arrived late, so you must drink first." He raised his goblet and offered it to Gilgamesh.

Although the King of Heroes appeared unfriendly, as if easily provoked, he readily accepted the goblet and drank it down in one gulp without a word.

This was a "challenge," and as a king, he could not refuse this drink.

Clearly, Gilgamesh acknowledged this and intended to surpass everyone at this "feast."

"...Tch, what is this inferior wine? Can such a thing truly be used to gauge the caliber of heroes?"

As he spoke, the space beside Gilgamesh distorted, and a golden gate appeared. However, what emerged was not a weapon but a golden wine vessel.

The vessel slowly landed on the ground. By then, Gilgamesh had already produced five more wine glasses.

The King of Conquerors, having clearly understood the intention, poured a cup not only for the four Servants but also for Xi Jianxi, who possessed combat power comparable to a Servant.

Gilgamesh's wine was strong and refreshing, mellow and exhilarating. The intense taste overwhelmed the sense of smell, even dulling sight and touch.

This forced Xi Jianxi to pinch the bridge of his nose, stabilizing his mind with magic to avoid getting drunk immediately—he never drank alcohol, and such potent liquor was slightly beyond his tolerance.

"Is there no lighter wine?" Xi Jianxi complained. "The barley wine from Uruk should be quite mild."

Gilgamesh chuckled leisurely. "My treasury holds only the most supreme treasures, whether it be fine wine or blades. As for the mead, a specialty of my kingdom, if you wish to drink it, you'll have to find it yourself."

"..." Xi Jianxi, having underestimated Gilgamesh's unreasonableness, changed the subject. "Fine, since you want me to be the moderator, I doubt anyone else would satisfy you. I'll reluctantly take on the role then."

He raised his wine glass, meeting the eyes of the four Servants across the rim.

"So, I ask you all, you must have a wish you entrust to the Holy Grail to have answered the summons of your Masters, correct?" As Xi Jianxi spoke, his gaze fell upon Morgan.

He felt this was a perfect opportunity to hear Morgan's true objective and glimpse her origins.

The title 'Witch of Britain' or something similar was likely insufficient to explain the truth.

"You've got the premise wrong, God Slayer," Gilgamesh stated. "Assuming the premise is 'competing for the Holy Grail' is already illogical."

Xi Jianxi blinked. With his True Name already exposed, this Gilgamesh was indeed not speaking nonsense.

"Is that so? But no matter how I look at it, this Holy Grail isn't the Great Grail of Uruk," Xi Jianxi narrowed his eyes and pointed out. "Then it certainly wouldn't be in your treasury, King of Heroes."

"This planet is my garden, and everything within it belongs to me," Gilgamesh replied simply.

"Then there's nothing more to discuss," Xi Jianxi clicked his tongue.

At this moment, Iskandar chimed in with a grin, "In other words, King of Heroes, to obtain the Holy Grail, one must have your permission?"

"I have no reason to bestow treasures upon mongrels like you," Gilgamesh said with a smile, his crimson eyes sharp. "Only my subjects and people are worthy of receiving my favor. If any of you wish to submit to me, then perhaps I wouldn't mind bestowing such cups upon you, one or two."

It was an obviously impossible scenario. The Servants present were all kings themselves and would never submit to another.

"So, what is your purpose in participating in the Holy Grail War, King of Heroes?" Xi Jianxi asked.

"Naturally, to punish the thieves who intend to steal my treasures." The King of Heroes' eyes locked onto Xi Jianxi as he spoke. "But you are different, God Slayer. You are not like the mongrels that infest this era; you possess value worth observing. If you can pass my trial, the Holy Grail can be bestowed upon you."

Xi Jianxi frowned slightly. "You keep calling me 'God Slayer, God Slayer.' I don't recall killing any gods, and I have my own name."

"Oh..." The King of Heroes wore a playful smile, but he clearly had no intention of changing his address or explaining his reasoning. "Then I shall call you God Slayer King, hahahaha!"

Although everyone else present found it strange and wanted to investigate, a mortal who was a 'God Slayer' and still alive in this era was practically a living Heroic Spirit.

Unfortunately, the one who knew was unwilling to reveal more, so no further inquiry could be made.

Ignoring Gilgamesh's boisterous laughter, Xi Jianxi turned his head and passed the speaking turn to the King of Conquerors.

Responding to his gaze, the hearty Iskandar appeared uncharacteristically bashful. "To obtain a physical body. That is what I desire."

An answer no one could have predicted, causing Waver to gasp in surprise and rush to Rider's side, demanding:

"You, you! Didn't you say your wish was to conquer the world—Yowah!"

Iskandar flicked Waver's forehead, sending him tumbling backward onto the grass.

"To obtain a physical body..." Xi Jianxi found himself surprisingly not feeling strange, but rather instantly understanding the other's objective. "Not to have one's wish granted by the Holy Grail, but to obtain the conditions to achieve one's wish through the Holy Grail... is that it?"

"You understand quite well," Iskandar praised with a hearty laugh.

Xi Jianxi merely shifted his gaze and took a silent drink.

He didn't truly understand Iskandar, but he had indeed learned various things by the side of a certain queen. Even in a land of utter silence, that person had never abandoned her position as queen.

Just by watching that person, Xi Jianxi had fully understood what a 'King' truly was.

"For such a reason, you wish to take my treasures?" Gilgamesh inquired.

"Of course! To face heaven and earth with my own unique body held high, that is the act of 'conquest'... To act like this, to stride forward, to achieve my goals, that is my dominance! But now I don't even have my own body, how can I even take the first step!"

Listening to Iskandar's declaration, the Servants present wore expressions of varying seriousness.

The King of Heroes gazed at Iskandar with a stern, killing intent-filled look. "I've decided, Rider. I will personally execute you."

Chapter 46: King of Heroes, Take the Blame.jpg

Clearly, the King of Heroes had begun to view Iskandar as the true enemy in this Holy Grail War.

The King of Conquerors, however, remained unconcerned, still smiling like the King of Heroes, enjoying the ordinary banquet.

He intended to pass the speaking turn to Morgan, but before Xi Jianxi's gaze had even halfway turned, she spoke first:

"I have no wish to entrust to the Holy Grail."

"What?" Artoria exclaimed in shock.

Iskandar and Gilgamesh also showed varying degrees of surprise. Waver and Irisviel were even more incredulous that a Servant could have no wish.

Morgan, unconcerned by their gazes, used ambiguous phrasing. "If I must say, when I descended into this Holy Grail War, I had already obtained what I desired. The pursuit of the Holy Grail is merely a response to the hardships of the one who is both my Master and my husband."

Her words sounded contradictory, like a lie that could be exposed at any moment.

But no one questioned her.

Although Morgan did not explicitly state what she wanted, she was not lying.

"Ho ho ho... What you desire, could it be the moderator of tonight's banquet?" Iskandar joked.

Mysterious and unpredictable, he found it hard to judge the witch, but her regal bearing was undeniable.

Swirling her wine glass, Morgan took another sip. "You may guess as you wish, King of Conquerors."

She turned her eyes, glancing at Artoria, who was quietly eating nearby.

"It seems you've been very curious about my objective, but alas. Now that my objective has been achieved, there's no need to reveal everything," Morgan said mockingly, looking at Artoria. "With that said, will you still reveal your own wish to others?"

Artoria put down the food in her hands. Although she seemed to be enjoying the feast, her mood remained unshaken, and she hadn't forgotten her purpose for the evening.

"So, tell me about it?" Morgan spoke unhurriedly, having apparently taken over Xi Jianxi's role as host.

Xi Jianxi, happy to be relieved of the duty, listened quietly.

"My wish is to save my homeland. I want to use the omnipotent wish-granting machine to change the fate of Britain's destruction."

Her righteous declaration silenced everyone at the table.

"But Britain was destroyed during your reign, wasn't it? It ended with your final battle," Xi Jianxi raised an eyebrow and broke the silence, questioning the King of Knights.

"That's why I regret it and wish to change that outcome! It's all because of me..."

Before she could finish, Gilgamesh let out a distorted laugh, "Hey, did you hear that, Rider? Calling herself a king, and hailed as a king by her people, yet she feels regret, hahahaha!"

Rider remained expressionless, but Artoria felt insulted. Anger flashed across her face, and just as she was about to retort to the King of Heroes' attitude, someone else spoke up first.

"It is indeed laughable, but do you truly have the standing to mock, King of Heroes?"

Morgan suddenly spoke, turning her attention to Gilgamesh, causing the Golden King's laughter to abruptly stop, followed by a displeased killing intent.

Gilgamesh, who considered himself supreme, would not casually accept anyone's criticism. He looked coldly at Morgan:

"To dare say such things, you must be prepared to defend yourself, Fairy of Paradise. Even if you are innocent, daring to face and point out this King's faults is already a grave disrespect, punishable by death."

Facing an overwhelming killing intent, Morgan stood as steady as a mountain.

"Don't be so hasty. It's a bit of a long story. Listen patiently, and then consider if what I say is true, King of Heroes." Morgan put down her wine glass and swept her gaze across everyone.

Artoria was the most bewildered guest at the moment.

She hadn't expected the Queen Sister to defend her, let alone... that she would shift the responsibility for Britain's destruction onto the King of Heroes, whom Artoria had only heard of in legends until now.

"What exactly are you trying to say, Morgan..." she tried to press.