Chapter 67

As night fell over the Einzbern Castle once again, the traces of the previous day's battle were still clearly visible. The Moonlight Phantasm that Kenneth had used was indeed impressive in both its destructive power and endurance, leaving much of the Einzbern Castle in ruins. Corridors, rooms, and decorations had all suffered from Kenneth's wrath. At this moment, only Illyasviel and Artoria were still conscious, while Sella, having been struck by Kirei's Bakuyaku Fist to her side, had fallen into a coma despite being treated by Illyasviel.

Hmm... Although the treatment was the cause of Sella's unconsciousness, the Einzbern's healing magic was different from ordinary healing spells that promote physical regeneration. It was more akin to alchemy, directly synthesizing human tissue at the wound site. Compared to other healing spells, it did not reduce the lifespan and had better healing effects, but the burden on the patient was significant, akin to undergoing an organ transplant. Therefore, it was impossible for Sella to regain her ability to act in a short time. Meanwhile, Kiritsugu had gone to pursue Kenneth, who had been taken away by Lancer. Thus, during this period, the vast Einzbern Castle was left with only two people who could move around. At this moment, Illyasviel was inspecting the damage to the castle when a sharp thunderclap echoed from above the castle. Simultaneously, Illyasviel felt a sharp pain in her magical circuits. The barrier set up by the Einzbern was easily destroyed in just a few seconds. Illyasviel, who had collapsed in pain, was helped up by Artoria, and the two looked out the window together.

"Are you alright, Illyasviel?"

"Yes, just startled. I didn't expect such a reckless guest to visit."

With Artoria's support, Illyasviel stood up and looked out the window with a worried expression at the lightning-wrapped chariot speeding towards the castle.

"I'll go out to greet them. Stay by my side."

On the Divine Chariot, Shin, Yae, and Waver all had a look of exasperation on their faces, completely helpless against the person who had just broken through the Einzbern's barrier.

"Who would have thought the King of Knights would be so good-natured, not even throwing an Excalibur to get rid of us intruders." Yae slapped her forehead, and Shin did the same.

"I think the King of Knights is just being polite. If Rider doesn't give a good reason for drinking, he'll definitely be expelled by Artoria..." (╯－╰)

The Divine Chariot slowly stopped as it entered the castle. The Conqueror, wearing a T-shirt with a large Conqueror logo, stood on the chariot and looked at the King of Knights approaching from inside the castle, thumping his chest with the Conqueror logo.

"Hey, King of Knights, aren't you going to change into something more modern tonight? Don't always wear that stiff armor." Hey, Rider, if you call Saber stiff, what about you wearing a T-shirt and jeans in winter? Showing off your muscular build, are you?

Faced with such an unconventional opponent, the stiff King of Knights'呆毛 (stiff hair) bent into a question mark, and the surging aura of battle around Artoria gradually dissipated. Seeing that the King of Knights was confused, the Conqueror picked up a barrel of wine from the Divine Chariot, patted the barrel filled with Shin's specially selected red wine, and it made a dull thud.

"I and my allies have come to drink with you. Find a clean courtyard quickly. This castle is too damaged to serve as a venue for a banquet."

Well, encountering the Conqueror who came with friendly intentions, the King of Knights couldn't muster the will to fight. After explaining to Illyasviel that this banquet was a bloodless battlefield for kings, using the magnanimity of a king as the standard to judge right and wrong, the King of Knights turned to the group.

"I understand. There is a courtyard at the top of the castle that can serve as the venue for the banquet."

The banquet venue was being set up...

In the courtyard of the Einzbern Castle, surrounded by unknown flowers, the moonlight reflected off them, making them glow. It was indeed a suitable place for a banquet of legendary kings. To show that the relationship between kings was equal, Shin even took out a round table from a small space he had opened. Though it couldn't compare to the round table that the King of Knights had once received, which could seat twelve knights and himself, this round table made of precious rosewood, adorned with various gems, gold, and silver, and enchanted to emit various colors of light at night, was still highly praised by the two kings. (Poor Kenshin was pulled by the Conqueror and Shin to serve at the banquet, setting up the venue. This was probably the disciple's duty to serve the master. o((≧▽≦o))

On the round table, the cups of the Conqueror, the King of Knights, and the yet-to-arrive King of Heroes were already placed. The three exquisite night cups, carved from flawless jade, were the best cups for holding red wine. Shin, Kenshin, Illyasviel, and Waver all retreated to the edge of the courtyard to watch the upcoming banquet. The spectators included a skilled swordsman, a high-ranking mage and homunculus, a Clock Tower student, and a wanderer who traversed worlds in pursuit of the infinite. This was a banquet for kings, and even Shin would show respect to these kings.

Holding a bamboo-handled ladle, the Conqueror scooped out the sweet wine from the opened barrel and poured it into the cups of the King of Knights and himself. They clinked their cups and drank in one go.

"I've heard that only those with the right qualifications can obtain the Holy Grail." Putting down his cup, the Conqueror said seriously, "The ceremony to select the one with the right qualifications is this war in Fuyuki—but if it's just an observation, there's no need for bloodshed. As fellow heroes, if we can recognize each other's abilities, then there's no need for me to say more."

The King of Knights was silent for a moment, then took wine from the barrel and refilled their cups, looking at Rider with a more imposing aura, even attracting the attention of Shin and the others sitting on the sidelines. "So, are you going to challenge me to see who is stronger, Rider?"

"Exactly. A true contest under the name of 'King,' but this isn't a 'Holy Grail War' anymore. It should be called a 'Holy Grail Quiz'... In the end, who among the King of Knights and the Conqueror will become the 'King of the Holy Grail'? This is a question best asked of the wine cup." The Conqueror smiled and filled the empty night cup at another seat with wine. "Ah, by the way, there's another person here who calls himself a 'King.'"

"—Enough with the jokes, mongrel." Golden light gathered in the courtyard, and a figure in golden armor with unknown magical patterns appeared, exuding a supreme king's aura. Gilgamesh sat in his designated seat.

"Truly, you chose a shabby place for a banquet, but these cups and the table suit my taste. You did well in that regard." After carefully examining the round table where the kings sat, the King of Heroes gave a favorable evaluation.

"Hehe, these were carefully selected by my allies for this unprecedented banquet. They are not inferior goods that would demean our status. Gilgamesh, though you came on foot, you are still late. Drink a penalty cup first." The Conqueror handed a cup of fine wine to Gilgamesh. Waver and Illyasviel were worried that the Conqueror's attitude might anger the arrogant King of Heroes. Ordinary mages had no ability to deal with a Heroic Spirit, let alone the anger of a top-tier Heroic Spirit like the King of Heroes. However, they didn't realize that the three at the banquet were all kings. Even if Gilgamesh didn't recognize the others as kings, he would never back down from a challenge from a king who exuded a royal aura. Gilgamesh took the cup from the Conqueror and drank it in one go, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Though in the mortal world, this wine is considered top-notch, it is still not worthy of a hero's battle."

"Is that so?" The Conqueror stroked his thick beard and continued, "This is the best wine I could get from my allies. It is a rare and excellent wine even in my lifetime."

"You have never tasted true 'King's Wine.' Watch this, this is the wine a true king should drink." Gilgamesh raised his right hand, and a golden circular portal appeared in the air, and a golden flask inlaid with precious gems landed in front of everyone.

"Oh, how touching." The Conqueror happily picked up the golden flask and filled the cups at the banquet.

Saber, still wary of the unknown Archer, hesitated to look at the wine in the golden flask but still accepted the cup from the Conqueror.

"Oh, delicious!!"

Rider took a sip and immediately widened his eyes in praise. This piqued Saber's curiosity. This was not a contest of who was more dignified but a competition of wine.

As the wine flowed down her throat, Saber felt a strong sense of expansion in her mind. This was indeed a wine she had never tasted before, fierce yet pure, fragrant and refreshing, with a strong aroma filling her nostrils, making her feel light-headed.

"Amazing, this can't be a human-made wine, it must be for the gods."

The Conqueror was lavish with his praise. The wine Gilgamesh had brought was extremely precious, and even in the King's Treasury, there might not be many such fine wines. Shin and the others sitting on the sidelines could smell the wine's fragrance in the courtyard, and Waver and Illyasviel felt as if their bodies were being cleansed and their souls purified. Truly, this was a wine worthy of being a Noble Phantasm. Perhaps this bottle of wine had the ability to remove curses, restore a large amount of magical energy, and heal wounds, but Gilgamesh used it without hesitation for the banquet, showing the magnanimity of the ancient king.

On the other side, while the Conqueror and the others were formally holding the banquet, Shin was not idle. In a while, Assassin would likely attack to force the Conqueror to reveal his trump card. As for Shin's Servant, Kenshin, it was likely that the official Masters had already learned of his identity. With the double advantage of his homeland and fame, the downside was that he was easily identifiable. A short, sword-wielding swordsman from the Meiji period in Japan, who used a reverse-blade sword, could be identified with a little research. Although there were no records of Kenshin's techniques in history, a modern swordsman naturally wouldn't have the terrifying power of a hero from the Age of Gods. The likes of Tokiomi, Kiritsugu, and Kenneth probably thought this way, and the famous Conqueror was a highly renowned hero, whose Noble Phantasm would not be simple. Shin, without the knowledge of Waver and Illyasviel, used Yae to create spatial distortions to cover his actions. From Shin's hands, a large amount of mercury flowed like a living thing, spreading to the top of the Einzbern Castle. Inspired by Kenneth's Moonlight Phantasm, Shin modified the mercury to abandon automatic attack and defense functions, focusing on its agility. The mercury could automatically draw a large number of magical arrays and convey a large amount of magical energy. To prevent Rider from prematurely revealing his Noble Phantasm, Shin had truly put in a lot of effort...

PS: Well, the number of favorites has finally surpassed 200. I'll update twice tomorrow. I hope everyone continues to support me. Please recommend, review, and favorite the book.

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