Chapter 45: Kings and Emperors
Gilgamesh froze, not having expected such a strong reaction from Feng Xi and Zhang Jue.
Qin Shi Huang: "Oh, are you my subjects from later generations?"
Qin Shi Huang: "Very good. You are quite spirited, but there is no need to get angry over this."
Qin Shi Huang: "Do not lose the dignity of our great nation's people before the king of an ignorant little country."
King of Heroes: "An ignorant little country?!"
King of Heroes: "Mongrel, who are you talking about?!"
Qin Shi Huang: "Hmph. A barbarian king, utterly devoid of manners."
King of Heroes: "The world's first emperor? You merely put on airs and gave yourself a different title."
Qin Shi Huang: "How could an ignorant fool understand what an emperor represents?"
Qin Shi Huang: "My Great Qin possessed vast lands, stretching from Liaodong in the east to the plateau in the west, from Lingnan in the south to the Yin Mountains in the north. It had over a thousand counties, and each county was a city."
Qin Shi Huang: "King of a foreign land, may I ask how many cities you ruled?"
King of Heroes: "..."
King of Conquerors: "Hahaha! As expected of the first emperor. Impressive indeed."
King of Conquerors: "But I was no worse than you."
Qin Shi Huang: "Oh, and you are...?"
Feng Xi: "First Emperor, this is Iskandar, King of Conquerors, from the West. He lived in the same era as your great-great-great-grandfather. In life, he held 5.2 million square kilometers of land and ruled over a population of 20 million."
Qin Shi Huang: "Oh? And what about me?"
Feng Xi: "You ruled roughly 3.4 million square kilometers of land, with a population of approximately 30 million."
King of Conquerors: "Hahaha! Qin Shi Huang, it seems we each came out ahead in one respect."
Qin Shi Huang: "You were a fine king, worthy of my recognition."
King of Conquerors: "Qin Shi Huang, would you be willing to become my aide?"
King of Conquerors: "If the two of us joined forces, perhaps we could conquer the world."
Waver: "!!!"
Waver: "What nonsense are you spouting now?!"
Qin Shi Huang: "Hmph. You are bold indeed, wanting me to work for you."
Qin Shi Huang: "But my achievements relied entirely on the combined efforts of Great Qin's soldiers and civilians, especially the soldiers who charged into battle. You could not conquer the world with me alone."
King of Conquerors: "Hahaha! On that point, we see eye to eye."
Tokiomi Tohsaka: "Your Majesty the First Emperor, have you also come to participate in this War of the Holy Grail?"
Qin Shi Huang: "The Holy Grail is certainly a convenient thing."
Qin Shi Huang: "Had I known of such a thing while I was still alive, I would certainly have seized it at any cost."
Qin Shi Huang: "But that is not what brought me here this time."
Tokiomi Tohsaka: "Then you are...?"
Qin Shi Huang: "I am Ruler. I accepted a commission from the Counter Force and came down from the Throne of Heroes specifically for it."
Qin Shi Huang: "Because this Holy Grail War has taken on a highly unusual form, deviating severely from the original Holy Grail War, the Counter Force sent me down to serve as referee for this War of the Holy Grail."
Kayneth: "Ruler! The adjudicator?!"
Waver: "I never imagined this War of the Holy Grail had even drawn the Counter Force's attention."
Tokiomi Tohsaka: "May I ask what your duties as referee entail?"
Qin Shi Huang: "If the day comes when two things must be weighed against each other, one must choose the more important side without hesitation. That is an adjudicator's duty."
Qin Shi Huang: "I will favor no one, nor will I interfere in your battles. My sole purpose is to ensure that the War of the Holy Grail concludes smoothly."
Qin Shi Huang: "Well? Is there anything else you wish to ask?"
Tokiomi Tohsaka: "No."
When he had just heard that Qin Shi Huang was the referee, he had actually panicked a little.
Strictly speaking, he had cheated in this War of the Holy Grail.
He had secretly colluded with Risei Kotomine, the supervisor of this Holy Grail War, to obtain intelligence on the other participants.
For a moment, he had truly thought Qin Shi Huang had come to settle accounts with him.
[Ding! The first question is about to begin!] [This question is a debate question. Group members, please watch a video first.]
Waver: "A debate question? Another new answering format."
Kayneth: "Are we supposed to debate something in the video?"
[The video began, once again showing Einzbern Castle.]
[The castle's front doors were smashed apart for the second time. This time, it was Iskandar, who drove Gordius Wheel straight into the hall.]
[Hearing the commotion, Artoria and Irisviel also hurried over to investigate.]
["Hey, Saber."]
[Dressed in casual clothes and showing no awareness that he was an intruder, Iskandar climbed off the chariot with a barrel of wine on his shoulder and greeted Our King.]
[Meanwhile, Waver looked utterly drained, still leaning against the chariot and panting.]
Waver: "Rider, what are you doing now?!"
King of Conquerors: "How would I know? But it looks like I went to have a drink with Saber."
Artoria: "The way you barged in uninvited hardly looks like you came for a drink."
Feng Xi: "Didn't Director Kayneth just destroy those doors yesterday?"
Rin Tohsaka: "They didn't even last a day after being repaired."
Feng Xi: "They might as well leave them like that."
["I heard you had a castle, so I came to have a look. This really is a dreary place."]
[Iskandar spoke with easy familiarity. "By the way, why are you still wearing armor? Haven't you put on fashionable modern clothes?"]
[Somewhat speechless, Artoria said, "Rider, what are you here for?"]
["Can't you tell? To drink, of course."]
[Iskandar smiled. "All right, stop standing there in a daze. Hurry up and lead the way."]
["Do you have a courtyard suitable for drinking? It's dusty in here."]
[Their eyes full of helplessness, Artoria and Irisviel could only lead him to the central courtyard.]
[The two sat facing each other, with Irisviel and Waver standing a short distance behind them respectively.]
[Iskandar smashed the barrel lid with his fist, picked up a ladle, scooped up some wine, and brought it to his mouth.]
"This guy really is..."
Watching this, Waver could only feel embarrassed.
He had never asked for their opinion throughout the entire process. He was simply forcing them into it.
Feng Xi: "King of Conquerors, if you smash the barrel lid like that, won't all the wood chips fall inside?"
King of Conquerors: "Come on, man. Don't worry about little things like that."
Feng Xi: "But the person drinking with you is a lady."
Artoria: "I don't mind."
Chapter 46: The System Space, Meeting Qin Shi Huang for the First Time
["They say the Holy Grail is destined to be obtained by the person best suited to it, and this conflict is the ritual for selecting that person."]
[Iskandar went on at length. "But if it is merely a selection ritual, there is no need to shed blood. As long as the Heroic Spirits understand the relative scope of one another's visions, the answer will naturally become clear."]
[As he spoke, he scooped up another ladle of wine and offered it to Our King.]
[Our King did not stand on ceremony either. She took it and drained it in one go.]
Feng Xi: "Say, King of Conquerors, you invited someone to drink without even bringing cups?"
King of Conquerors: "Perhaps I forgot."
Waver: "It goes without saying. You in the video definitely did this on a whim."
King of Conquerors: "Hahaha! My little Master knows me best."
["So, shall we have a contest first, Rider?"]
[Returning the ladle to Iskandar, Artoria spoke solemnly.]
["Hahaha! Naturally."]