The Banquet

Wang Xiaoming sighed softly, then stated the goal of their operation.

"Why not Emiya Kiritsugu? Logically, the badly injured him should be our top priority."

Kayneth objected. It seemed he still held a grudge over the way Emiya Kiritsugu had made a fool of him.

"Then do you know where Emiya Kiritsugu is hiding right now?"

Wang Xiaoming's question left Kayneth speechless.

A crafty hare had three burrows. As the "Magus Killer," Emiya Kiritsugu wouldn't have failed to take precautions after realizing that his side's information had been compromised. Finding him in such a short time would be next to impossible unless he gave himself away.

And during the time Wang Xiaoming and Medea's relationship had grown closer, Kayneth had been searching for Emiya Kiritsugu's whereabouts too. He had even used Archibald's intelligence network, but still hadn't found the slightest trace of him. It had left Kayneth rather dejected.

"By comparison, it's easier to track the head of the Tohsaka Family, one of the Three Founding Families. Besides, all of you have seen what Archer can do. If we can make him leave the war early, it'll be a huge advantage for either of our sides."

Archer hadn't acted many times, but whenever he did, both the spectacle and the power were terrifying.

What's more, Archer still had a Noble Phantasm he was keeping hidden—Ea. Wang Xiaoming didn't believe anyone on their side could take a hit from it and come away unscathed.

Even if they failed to eliminate Tohsaka Tokiomi this time, as long as they forced him to use the two Command Spells he had left, the operation couldn't be considered a failure.

Because then they would have backed Tohsaka Tokiomi into a corner.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Wang Xiaoming's mouth.

Compared to the other Masters' yearning for the Holy Grail...

Emiya Kiritsugu wanted world peace, which was laughable; Matou Kariya fought for Sakura, which was pitiable; Waver was merely going through a chuunibyou phase to prove himself and didn't even have a wish. His teacher, Kayneth, only wanted to add an anecdote to his résumé that would be praised as a "military achievement."

And then there were Kirei Kotomine, who still hadn't figured out why he had entered the war, and Wang Xiaoming himself, who simply wanted to stay alive...

Tohsaka Tokiomi's wish could be called the most ordinary among the Masters, but his plan was audacious enough to make one's heart race:

To reach the Root was the lifelong pursuit of most magi, not just Tohsaka Tokiomi.

But only a few knew that wishing upon the Holy Grail alone wasn't enough to reach the Root. It required sufficient energy—energy powerful enough to open a gate to the Reverse Side of the World.

For the Holy Grail to possess enough power, all seven Servants had to sacrifice their lives and return to the Grail. Their power would return to the Throne of Heroes on the Reverse Side of the World, allowing a hole to be opened in this world. The vast magical energy accumulated in the Greater Grail would then hold that hole open.

In other words, the moment Archer—the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh—won would be the moment he was compelled by a Command Spell to kill himself!

Tohsaka Tokiomi, who treated the King of Heroes with the utmost respect and bowed before him as a loyal subject, ultimately intended to have him killed!

That could almost be called the greatest highlight of Tohsaka Tokiomi's life!

"So, Tohsaka Tokiomi is our target tonight!"

Wang Xiaoming declared firmly, then let his gaze travel over everyone before finally stopping on Kayneth.

"Lord Kayneth..."

"Let me go... Cough, cough!"

Before Wang Xiaoming could finish, Kariya stood up. Perhaps he was too eager; his already overburdened body broke into a violent coughing fit.

"Lord Kayneth, I need you to work with Kariya on this operation. Are you willing to go? But if you don't want to..."

Wang Xiaoming wasn't at all confident in Kariya's physical condition, so he wanted to add another safeguard. That was why he had made the request of Kayneth.

He had thought he'd have to spend more time persuading him.

He hadn't expected—

"What about Archer? If Tohsaka Tokiomi uses a Command Spell, we'll be in for a fierce battle. Looking at it that way, what we stand to gain doesn't match what we'll have to risk."

Kayneth suddenly asked. There was none of his usual sarcasm in his tone, which struck Wang Xiaoming as a little strange.

"No, that won't happen."

A mysterious smile appeared at the corner of Wang Xiaoming's mouth as he pulled something from his pocket.

A pocket watch—

Wang Xiaoming held an old-looking pocket watch in his hand.

"Are you planning to use that thing to hold Archer back?"

Kayneth asked, his tone incredulous when he saw it.

"Of course."

Wang Xiaoming replied as if it were obvious.

"Are you making a fool of me?"

Kayneth's voice turned slightly cold at Wang Xiaoming's answer.

"No. You seem to have forgotten something..."

Wang Xiaoming waved a hand to show he wasn't joking, then continued:

"Do you remember my Servant's class?"

"Caster... Could it be?"

Kayneth was taken aback by Wang Xiaoming's answer, then remembered something.

Class Skills:

Special abilities bestowed upon a Heroic Spirit when summoned by a Master through the Greater Grail, based on the class they descend in.

And Caster's class skill was—

Item Construction.

The ability to create objects imbued with magical energy, usually used by magi to make Mystic Codes. As a witch from the Age of the Gods, Medea's Item Construction had already reached Rank A.

If she had enough materials, she could even concoct an elixir resembling the elixir of immortality.

The pocket watch in Wang Xiaoming's hand was a one-use Mystic Code Medea had made by reverse-engineering the magic used to summon Heroic Spirits through the Holy Grail, then using some of the materials Zouken Matou had left behind.

[Scrap]

That was the expression on Medea's face when she finished making the Mystic Code. She had clearly been dissatisfied with it. Wang Xiaoming suddenly had the feeling that if she hadn't been pressed for time, Medea could have made something terrifying.

The pocket watch could delay a Command Spell's order from reaching a Servant.

But only for—

"Five seconds."

Looking at Kayneth, Wang Xiaoming grew serious. "That's the most time we can buy you. But with the abilities of Lancer and Berserker, I think five seconds should be more than enough."

"All right."

To Wang Xiaoming's surprise, Kayneth was the first to agree. Kariya, on the other hand, seemed unhappy and resistant to having someone interfere in his personal grudge against Tohsaka Tokiomi.

"If there's nothing else, I'll go make preparations."

After saying that to Kariya, Kayneth headed straight out of the reception room. Lancer rose and followed him. Watching Kayneth's retreating back, Wang Xiaoming felt a vague sense of unease.

He wasn't planning to cause trouble, was he?

"Why are you letting someone else interfere in my grudge with Tohsaka Tokiomi?!"

After Kayneth left, Kariya came up to Wang Xiaoming, grabbed him by the collar, and demanded an answer.

"Can't you spare a thought for Sakura?"

Wang Xiaoming's quiet words immediately quelled Kariya's anger. Ignoring the hand still gripping his collar, he stared into Kariya's eyes and spoke one word at a time. "Rather than a coward who dies without a burden after resolving his regrets, I think Sakura would rather see the Kariya who stayed by her side through that dark time."

"Sakura..."

Kariya's hand fell limply. Sakura's smiling face appeared in his mind once more—the only thing that had kept him going.

[Uncle Kariya]

"War always brings sacrifices, but as a friend I've only just made, I still hope you come back alive."

Wang Xiaoming patted Kariya on the shoulder and smiled.

Book recommendation time~

If It Is for That Roman Flower

Author: The Warrior of Love—Ibuki Hyoutan (another plump pigeon from the same batch, hahaha)

Synopsis: Whether it's saving the Human Order...

Or taking the Holy Grail...

There's only ever been one thing I want to do!

If it is for that Ro(man)maiden's flo(wer)!

And thanks to the big shot Royal Flagship Hood for the donation _(:3」∠)_

Chapter 51: The Banquet

"May fortune favor you in battle!"

Standing at the entrance, Wang Xiaoming watched Kariya walk away and silently wished him well.

Come to think of it, it was about time now...

Wang Xiaoming glanced at the clock hanging in the hallway, then turned to the woman beside him. Since they were going to a banquet, they ought to observe proper etiquette.

With that in mind, Wang Xiaoming made a passable show of inviting her: he bowed halfway, held his left hand above his waist, and extended his bent right arm toward Medea.

"Beautiful lady, may I have the honor of inviting you to join me at a banquet?"

Looking at the ordinary-looking man smiling at her, Medea suddenly had a thought:

[If I hadn't met this man...]

But that no longer mattered.

Medea smiled, then gently placed her left hand on Wang Xiaoming's right.

"Of course."

Like a princess stepped straight out of a palace, her graceful bearing was flawless. Her clear, blue-green eyes glittered like jewels in the light.

Night fell over Fuyuki Bridge.

The Mion River was just a short distance from its mouth, and Fuyuki Bridge, stretching across both banks, was a majestic red arch bridge 665 meters long. Beneath it, the slow-moving river glittered under tonight's bright moonlight. The night breeze carried the faint salty scent of water from the distant river mouth.

As a major economic route in Fuyuki City, the grand bridge connecting Shinto and Miyama Town was always bustling. Tonight, however, was different. Though cars usually crossed it even late into the night, the bridge was eerily quiet now.

"Oh?"

Standing in the middle of the bridge, a burly man wearing a loose white T-shirt that somehow looked tight on him sensed the change in the surrounding magical energy. A man and a woman appeared abruptly beside him.

The man wore a black suit with a white shirt underneath. It was fairly casual, but surprisingly suited the occasion.

His short black hair and ordinary features might have made people overlook him, but the woman standing half a step behind him was another matter entirely.

Her smooth blue hair fell quietly down her back. The simple, pale-blue dress couldn't hide the noble air around her, and a coat draped over the dress concealed her curvaceous figure.

She radiated the charm of a mature woman.

Their temperaments were worlds apart, yet somehow they looked unexpectedly harmonious together.

"Hahaha! Caster and Caster's Master! I didn't expect you to be the first to arrive!"

Recognizing them, the red-haired giant laughed heartily.

Naturally, the newcomers were Wang Xiaoming and his Servant, Medea.

"Your invitation was simply too grand. As your guests, we would have felt guilty if we hadn't arrived early."

The presence of Servants covered most of Fuyuki City...

It proclaimed with heroic spirit, [Come! I am right here!]

Only the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, could do something like that.

"Hahaha!"

At Wang Xiaoming's compliment, Rider laughed even harder and clapped him on the shoulder with a hand like a fan.

"After meeting you, I reflected on it. The Holy Grail War is a grand feast for heroes, and how narrow-minded my earlier thinking was. Rather than invite kings alone, I might as well invite every side taking part in the war. Anyone bold enough to accept my invitation will be a guest at this banquet!"

Wang Xiaoming stumbled from Rider's clap, but after hearing his words, he couldn't help but admire Rider's spirit. It was just that—