Have you heard the story of the Golden Apple?
Looking at the Holy Grail filled with ale in front of him, the aroma of wheat wafting through the air, this ale was no different from the precious brew he had just received. But compared to the precious brew, Bai Mo preferred this ordinary ale. In addition to the ordinary wheat aroma, it also carried a sense of joy, the most simple and genuine joy of an ordinary farmer after a hard day's work, when he received his harvest.
Perhaps it was because Gilgamesh could also feel this joy that he chose the Holy Grail as its cup. If one can experience this emotion, this ale is more precious than any other wine.
His words were all true, which Bai Mo could sense. He nodded, accepting Gilgamesh's request. Somewhat surprisingly, the system didn't have any objections. Perhaps it was because as long as the Holy Grail was obtained, nothing else mattered.
The moment they touched the Holy Grail, it seemed as if it were covered in Holy Grail. Iskandar and Artoria stared intently at this, but neither of them made a move to snatch it. Perhaps it was their kingly magnanimity that made them disdain doing such a thing, or perhaps it was their fear of Bai Mo. A few seconds later, the mosaic disappeared, the Holy Grail flashed a light, and then... nothing changed.
"What's going on?" Bai Mo asked in his mind.
"It still won't work. I was just trying it out, but this thing has less energy than I expected. To achieve this... I'd need at least 108 of these."
"So it seems my task now is to live until that time. The Holy Grail War happens every ten years, so I'd have to live for at least ten centuries?"
The system fell silent, as if it were genuinely considering this possibility.
"Don't be ridiculous. It's impossible for anyone other than the Ultimate powerhouse to survive to that level."
"Yeah, looks like we made another wasted trip. We'll have to work on backup plans now, tsk."
"What should we do with this Holy Grail? We're not going to need it anymore?"
The system's tone carried a hint of disdain. "It's unusable. Honestly, even though I know this thing is just a crystallization of magic, this is far too little... It's a disaster. If I had known there was only this much, I would have stayed in Greece... Just use whatever you wish for. Becoming a billionaire is still achievable."
What's the point of becoming a billionaire...?
Bai Mo thought to himself, holding the Holy Grail for a moment, and slowly uttered his wish.
"Let my master, the Great Blade Martial God, and her mother reunite with my master Bai Zheng; let Mr. Oga and Mizuki Hitomi reunite with Donna." Bai Mo made his wish, and the Holy Grail reappeared with a ray of light, but nothing happened again.
Although I knew it was impossible, it would be too much to just flash a few times.
In the garden, everyone looked at each other with a hint of doubt. Bai Mo sighed softly and said, "It's useless. You can have it back."
From afar, Tokiomi exclaimed, "Yay!" and jumped up with joy.
Bai Mo returned the Holy Grail to Gilgamesh, saying, "I will help with your matter. If such a city truly existed, it shouldn't have been destroyed, at least not in such an inexplicable way. But you should take this back."
Gilgamesh's emotions also fluctuated, from disappointment to joy, but also with a hint of awkwardness.
This thing is so useless, it's so embarrassing. I can't take it back, I'll lose all my face.
Are you mocking me? Do you think I'm a greedy, stingy man or a faithless scoundrel? This is what you deserve; whether you throw it away or do something else is irrelevant.
"It's so troublesome to get along with you ancient people..."
Bai Mo couldn't help but complain, while on the other side, Artoria and the Iskandar were almost numb.
"Don't give it to me! I want it!" they roared inwardly, but to reach out and ask for it now... would be too shameless, too absurd. They were kings, after all, but they were still human, and their morality was constantly battling against their desires.
Gilgamesh glanced at the two of them, and an interesting idea suddenly arose in his mind.
"Hey kid, since that's the case, how about we play a game?"
Faced with Gilgamesh's delighted smile, Artoria felt a chill run down her spine for some reason. The class that had never taken attendance in the first half of the semester suddenly decided to take attendance on the day she skipped class, and a feeling of unease surged from her spine to her brain.
"Boy, have you heard the story of the Golden Apple? The Holy Grail in your hand is the Golden Apple. Since you have no desire for the Holy Grail, and this is a discussion about the way of the king, understand my greatness before deciding how to deal with the Holy Grail. That way, it won't be a return, but a tribute."
Bai Mo knew very well that arguing with him would only make things worse, and was pondering how to refuse when Iskandar slapped his thigh in agreement, saying, "What a good suggestion, Archer! The opinions of those who are not kings are surely more objective, and thus quite meaningful advice. Very well, I agree."
On the other side, Saber, who had been invisible all along, nodded and said, "I agree as well."
Artoria had been listening to their conversation, and to be honest, she was trying her best to endure it. In her view, their sovereign principles could not be called righteous at all; they were nothing more than pure selfishness. Throughout her reign, she had always upheld integrity as an ironclad rule, practicing what she preached and dedicating herself to the people. How could she, with such a reputation, be inferior to these two tyrants?
"Speaking of which, King of Knights, what is your wish?" Iskandar asked Artoria as if he had just remembered this. Without the slightest hesitation, like a confident orator, she stood up and said without wavering, "My wish is to save my homeland. I will use the power of the omnipotent wish-granting machine to change the fate of Britain's destruction."
Silence fell. The previously heated atmosphere vanished the moment she spoke. Artoria had expected fierce opposition after she finished speaking, but she hadn't anticipated this silence.
An unbearable silence.
The expressions on the other two kings' faces became subtle. Gilgamesh seemed about to burst out laughing. Iskandar asked first, "Um, King of Knights, I might have misheard you. You just said you wanted to 'change fate.' Do you mean you want to overturn the past?" Artoria, enduring Gilgamesh's barely audible laughter, replied righteously, "That's right. If the Holy Grail is truly omnipotent, then even wishes that miracles cannot fulfill can be granted."
"Hard to say," Bai Mo interjected.
These words suddenly left Artoria speechless, after all, Bai Mo had just personally tested it. But it must be that his wish was too far-fetched, that must be it.
On the other side, Gilgamesh longer, which prompted Artoria, who had been enduring the Gilgamesh's antics, to demand, "What are you laughing at? What's so funny?"
"Her standards are still too high," Bai Mo thought to himself as he looked at Artoria.
Gilgamesh continued his somewhat demonic laughter. "He considers himself a king, and is called a king by others, yet he talks about regret. How can this not be laughable?" This caused Artoria's opinion of him to drop another notch. At this moment, Gilgamesh's level of disgust in her heart was second only to Morgan.
"What's so funny? The homeland that bestowed upon me the sword and made me sacrifice myself has been destroyed. What's so funny about this pain and regret?" Artoria questioned the two before her, only to be met with Iskandar's calm words. "You're wrong, Saber. It wasn't the king who sacrificed himself for the country, but the country that sacrificed everything for the king."
What's the difference between such a king and a tyrant?
It was incomprehensible to Artoria that the person before her not only completely agreed with this absurd idea, but even regarded it as a creed. This was something Artoria simply could not understand, something she could never comprehend.
"If a king regrets his actions, then he is a foolish ruler, worse than a tyrant."
"What a joke, Iskandar! Your kingdom was divided in two after your death, and war raged on. Don't you regret it?" Artoria couldn't imagine how someone who already knew the ending would be filled with endless regret could not strive for a better ending, could accept it. But the King of Conquerors's tone remained unchanged, as calm as ever.
"I don't regret it. I may grieve and weep for that ending, but I will never regret it, much less try to overturn it. That would be an insult to me and those who fought alongside me!" Artoria was stunned. The King of Conquerors spoke with righteous indignation, without a trace of confusion. This man had calmly accepted the ending, without ever feeling that there was anything wrong with the path that led to it. Why? This question arose in her mind. Why, even though he had failed as well, did he not have any desire to change anything? The Holy Grail was clearly in Bai Mo's hands, yet he still wanted to obtain a body and begin his conquest once more.
"Are you a soldier? Do you aim to die on the battlefield? How can you turn a blind eye to the suffering of your people and allow the weak to be bullied? Proper rule and proper governance—that's what a king should do. How could a selfish man like you, who only cares about satisfying his own desires, possibly understand this?"
"A king without desires is less than a vase!" Iskandar roared, like a powder keg that had reached its burning end. "You aspire to be a pure saint, embarking on this arduous and thorny path, but who would yearn for such a martyrdom?"
As if struck on a nerve, she choked, her mind going blank for a moment, letting the other person continue, "Your ideals and Zhengyi may have indeed saved people, but you must know what became of those saved, right? Blindly saving without offering any guidance—in the end, you're just a young girl bound by the idol of 'King'."
Everything at Hill of Camlann flashed before her eyes, and her most painful memories surged into her mind. Looking at the devastation scattered across the land, she couldn't help but question herself... Was I wrong?
Bai Mo, standing to the side, drank the last sip of ale from the Holy Grail. It tasted quite good, especially the pure, rustic, handmade feel—rough yet full of life. Gilgamesh finally finished laughing and looked at Artoria, saying, "What a show, Saber. It's a pity the game is still going on, otherwise I'd really like to draw that expression and hang it in my bedroom. It's so delightful, hahaha."
Faced with this unbearable insult, Artoria could only lower her head. At this moment, she even doubted herself; what could be more of a defeat than this?
Like an audience member lingering on set for the post-credits scene, Gilgamesh urged, "Boy, now that each king's vision has been stated, it's your turn to make a decision. But you're lucky; if Paris were here, there wouldn't be any hesitation."
Bai Mo glanced at him with a somewhat subtle expression, silently took the sword blank from her back, and said, "There's really no need to hesitate, not from the beginning. But before that, it seems there were guests."
"Hmm?" Gilgamesh somewhat puzzled, then a sense of disgust rose from the bottom of his heart. There was no other reason than that dark figures appeared from all around, carrying killing intent. The mastermind behind it all was obvious.
Tokiomi Tohsaka, that guy really knows how to make me look good. Even though this wasn't a banquet hosted by me, doesn't he know that the fine wine at the banquet was prepared by me? Gilgamesh's dissatisfaction with this Master reached its peak for a moment, then he put him out of his mind. Oh well, this Holy Grail War is meaningless anyway. Tokiomi will only have a tragic end in the end.
Blades and countless hidden weapons rained down on Bai Mo and Iskandar from all directions, layer upon layer, leaving no blind spots. Unfortunately, for Bai Mo, such an attack was no different than being brushed by a girl's hair.
The moment the blade fell, the marble floor seemed to transform into a surging ocean, from which countless sharp blades emerged, creating towering waves. Though devoid of any killing intent, it was more terrifying than any weapon. And this tangible blade energy that condensed was none other than the Ksitigarbha Blade.
The night wind rustled through the garden, and in a single glance, hundreds of assassins fell into eternal slumber, just as life on land was swallowed by the Dahai, leaving only tranquility after the waves receded.
"Dead... dead?"
Waver was completely stunned. What kind of Magecraft was this? He hadn't sensed a trace of magic power; the knife blank had simply been raised and lowered...
"Do I really need to learn Magecraft?" Waver felt a sense of absurdity, as if he, a college graduate from a prestigious overseas university, had suddenly discovered that someone from the mountains could easily do things that he himself might never be able to do in his entire life.
Could Ionioi Hetairoi defeat him? Waver suddenly lost confidence. It's like having a great hand but suddenly learning that the opponent's lowest card might be higher than yours. That feeling is absolutely unsettling.