Chapter 69

Saber firmly finished speaking, and the crowd fell silent for a long time.

In the silence, the one who first felt puzzled was Saber herself.

Even though her words were full of momentum, the other party was not someone who would easily bow down. Even if what she said was unexpected, it was still very easy to understand.

Clear and straightforward, there was nothing strange about it. This was her way as a king. Whether it was praise or rebuttal, someone should have immediately spoken up. But—no one spoke, and the two kings remained silent.

"Hey, King of Knights, did I hear you wrong?" The Conqueror broke the silence, looking at the King of Knights with a puzzled expression. "You said you want to 'change fate'? That is, to overturn history?"

"Yes. No matter how difficult the wish may be, as long as one possesses the omnipotent Holy Grail, it can certainly be achieved." Although the King of Knights did not understand why the other two kings were silent, she still answered the Conqueror's question. However, as soon as the King of Knights spoke, the atmosphere of the banquet suddenly dropped several degrees.

"Ah, Saber? I want to confirm... the destruction of Britain, that was during your time, right, when you were ruling?"

"Yes! That's why I cannot forgive myself." The King of Knights' tone became even more resolute. "That's why I am so unwilling and want to change that outcome! It was because of me that such an outcome occurred..."

Before Artoria could finish speaking, someone burst out laughing. It was a vulgar, unthinking laugh, and it came from the Archer, who was emitting a golden glow.

"… Archer, what's so funny?" The King of Knights' face was full of anger. If the King of Heroes did not give an answer, Artoria would probably draw her sword directly, even in the face of the King of Knights' anger, the King of Heroes was indifferent.

"Calling oneself a king, being praised by the people, and still being unwilling? Ha! How can this not be funny? A masterpiece! Saber, you are the best clown!"

Next to the laughing Archer, Rider frowned and looked at Saber with displeasure. "Wait, King of Knights, are you trying to deny the history you created?"

Saber, who had never doubted her ideals, naturally did not hesitate because of the Conqueror's question. "Exactly. Surprised? Ridiculous? As a king, the country I dedicated myself to was destroyed. What's wrong with mourning?"

In response, Archer burst into another fit of laughter. "Hey, did you hear that, Rider! This girl who calls herself the King of Knights... actually says she dedicated herself to the country!"

Rider did not respond but fell into a deeper silence. To Saber, this was as insulting as being mocked. "I don't understand what's so funny. As a king, one should naturally stand up and work for the prosperity of one's country!"

"You are wrong," the Conqueror firmly and seriously denied her words. "It is not the king who dedicates themselves, but the country and the people who dedicate everything to the king. Don't get this wrong."

"What do you mean." Saber could no longer suppress her anger and shouted. "That makes you a tyrant! Rider, Archer, the way you are kings is a huge mistake!"

"Wait, three kings, as a listener, I have some thoughts to share. May I?" The three kings turned their gaze to the source of the voice, Amano Jinko.

"Of course, a true king should listen to the voices of the people. As my ally, Jinko, you certainly have the right to speak at the banquet."

"My king allows your speech." Hearing the Conqueror's words, the King of Heroes also agreed.

"Hmm, I am willing to listen to your wise words." The King of Knights calmed her emotions and granted Jinko the right to speak at the banquet.

Seeing that the three kings agreed, Jinko began to share his thoughts. "King of Knights, according to the Conqueror, they are indeed tyrants. But, do you not know the great achievements they established in their respective eras? The Conqueror was the first to conquer Europe, and as for the other... I won't reveal his true name, but he is a king who never bowed before the gods. They brought prosperity to their countries with their own way of ruling, and this is undeniable."

"..." The King of Knights was silent, while the King of Heroes looked at Jinko with interest. Seeing that the King of Knights did not respond, Jinko continued.

"I think, Conqueror, the reason you chose to conquer the world was because of your own desires."

"That's right. As a king, one must have a stronger desire than anyone else, be more generous, and more easily angered. He should be a human who encompasses both purity and impurity, more real than anyone else. Only then can the ministers be convinced by the king, and the people will have the aspiration of 'If I were the king, it would be great!'"

"Such a king, in your era, was indeed what your people aspired to. I remember the epic records of you say that you divided everything you had with your subordinates, left hope for yourself, and set out on a campaign, defeating countless opponents and creating many victories with fewer numbers. However, you should also remember that in the eighth year of your expedition, your soldiers were exhausted and homesick, refusing to fight. In fact, the King of Knights is a qualified king, walking the path of a holy king, leading people out of ignorance and ignorance with her own nobility, justice, and admirable qualities. This is why the image of knights and the King of Knights symbolizes loyalty, justice, glory, and courage. Different eras and environments have shaped your respective reputations. If the King of Knights' way of ruling were applied in Archer's era, she would probably be completely suppressed by the gods. And if you, Conqueror, were in Saber's situation, with only a few thousand soldiers, you probably wouldn't be able to complete your conquest."

Seeing that the three kings nodded in agreement with his words, Jinko looked directly at the King of Knights. "However, King of Knights, you said you want to go back and change history. How do you plan to change it?"

"I want to go back and change..." The King of Knights rarely continued.

"Even if you could go back, you probably don't know how to avoid the final outcome. You know Merlin's prophecy, which is almost impossible to change. Unless you can go back before you pulled the sword, find someone else to pull the sword from the stone and become the new King Arthur. But if that happens, the history you created would be erased. Would Gawain, Lancelot, and your queen Guinevere have just been part of a dream, King of Knights?"

"I understand." The Conqueror took a sip of the fine wine and said, "Saber's way of a holy king was indeed suitable for the situation at the time, but, Saber, as a holy king, you regret it, not wanting to bear the burden of the kingdom's destruction, and want to push it onto someone else..."

"I..." Artoria realized she had no words to counter the Conqueror. She had already learned from another Saber's Master what she needed to do to achieve her wish.

"Let's not talk about this for now. It seems some new guests have arrived at the banquet." As Jinko spoke, white, strange objects appeared in the courtyard illuminated by the moonlight. One after another, pale faces like blooming flowers appeared in the courtyard. The pale color was that of cold, dry bones. This attire was clearly that of an Assassin. Although Jinko had already captured the hidden Assassin in the warehouse district, and most Masters knew that there were more than one Assassin in this Holy Grail War, the number before them was indeed astonishing. There were sixty-nine Assassins in total, and each Assassin had a completely different form, ranging from small children to those larger than the Conqueror. These Assassins openly released their killing intent, causing Weber and Illyasviel to retreat in panic, while Jinko and Yaezuki remained unmoved.

"… Is this your doing, Archer?"

Archer innocently shrugged. "Who knows, I don't need to understand the thoughts of those scoundrels."

Since so many Assassins were mobilized, it was certainly not just the order of Kirei Kotomine. It was likely the intention of his teacher, Tokiomi Tohsaka. Because Tokiomi showed respect to the King of Heroes, Archer recognized him as his Master. However, Tokiomi's actions made Archer increasingly dissatisfied. Although the banquet was initiated by Rider, the wine was provided by Archer. Sending assassins to such a banquet, what was Tokiomi's intention? This was like smearing the face of the King of Heroes. Did he know?

"Since it's not related to you, Archer, I have no problem clearing out these uninvited guests." Jinko stood up, and terrifying magical power erupted from his body. The chaotic surge of magical power created a strong wind, forcing everyone and the Servants to raise their hands to shield themselves. The surface of Jinko's windbreaker was covered with bright, mysterious runes, which even the most knowledgeable magicians in this world could not recognize, as they came from several different worlds. Five sources of magical power resonated intensely, and Jinko felt the magical power flowing continuously from within his body. He channeled this magical power into a mercury-based magical array he had already set up. Centered on Jinko, a giant magical array spread throughout the Einzbern Castle, with silver threads of mercury covering the ground and walls.

The magical array Jinko set up was not an attack array but an auxiliary array that allowed his magical power to be transmitted freely within the area covered by the array. When the Assassins realized that the entire Einzbern Castle was surrounded by magic, they immediately rushed towards Jinko, trying to break the magic before it was completed. Dozens of poisoned knives and hidden darts were launched from various directions towards Jinko and the other Masters. Artoria and the Conqueror immediately stood in front of Illyasviel and Weber, preparing to block the hidden weapons. However, before they could, Jinko had already prepared a way to deal with the Assassins' ranged attacks. At the edge of the circular platform where the banquet was held, a large amount of magical mercury spewed out as the hidden weapons approached, quickly forming a circular protective shield. Filled with Jinko's astonishing magical power, the mercury film, less than 1mm thick, had a defensive capability far exceeding the original Moonlight Phlegm, and even the hidden weapons thrown by the Assassin clones could not penetrate this mercury barrier. The hidden weapons hit the mercury film, only slightly denting it before being easily deflected.

If it were a single Assassin using all its strength, it might have a chance to break through the mercury defense, but dividing the power of a Heroic Spirit into eighty parts... it would probably not even be a match for a Master in a one-on-one confrontation. For Jinko, these divided Assassins were less troublesome than a complete Assassin. The Assassin clones could not change their form in mid-air to avoid attacks, except for materialization, which Jinko would not allow. Buried in the castle's stone bricks, the mercury formed various spells from different worlds, including white-hot flames, bright purple thunder, and resilient plants from other dimensions, continuously eliminating the incoming Assassins. The Assassins themselves were in a difficult situation, as Kirei's Command Spell forced them to attack Rider and not escape. However, even before they could touch Rider, the Assassin clones were already heavily injured and dying. Their advantages were not utilized, and dozens of skills were wasted.

"Oh? An Assassin managed to break through the defense and rush in, that's unexpected." A large black figure flashed past the bombardment of magic and interdimensional spells, taking advantage of the mercury shield switching to attack mode to force its way through. Although the mercury reacted very quickly, the shield was better suited to defending against ranged attacks. In close combat, the enemy could continuously impact the mercury shield, and since mercury is a fluid, it was vulnerable to sustained physical attacks. The Assassin's Arabic dagger pierced the mercury shield, gradually creating a large circular hole. Taking advantage of this, the Assassin immediately rushed through the opening, which was then resealed by the mercury. Realizing that he had no chance against four Heroic Spirits, the large Assassin swung his dagger, coated with poison, at Jinko.

"Deal with me first, Master? Correct judgment, but..." The Assassin raised its arm, the dagger with many gaps from breaking through the mercury shield held high. Just as the Assassin was about to strike, sudden pain made it retreat, a black arm with a burnt smell falling to the ground, and the silver dagger sliding to the floor. At the moment the Assassin's dagger was about to strike, Jinko's right hand drew the Starry Scar from his waist, a 6000°C high-temperature magical beam slicing through the Assassin's right hand, easily severing it. Before the Assassin could react, Jinko's sword had already slashed through the Assassin's body over a dozen times, and the large Assassin collapsed like a disassembled toy, its limbs and fragments falling to the ground, splashing blood.

"This, this is impossible, a human could do this so easily..." Illyasviel could hardly believe what she saw. The consensus among all Masters was that humans could almost never defeat Servants, but this man had broken that rule. His unknown weapon and incomprehensible speed instantly tore the Assassin apart. On the other side, Saber had a clearer understanding of Jinko's strength.

'Such fast sword speed, about five to six times faster than mine. Is it because the sword made of magical power has no weight? Even so, it's astonishing. If I were to face him in a direct confrontation, my chances of winning would be very low.'

"Didn't expect to find such an interesting guy among the scoundrels who summon Heroic Spirits. Hmph, I'm even more excited now." The King of Heroes sat at the round table, completely ignoring the battle. Seeing that the battle was over and the Assassins had been eliminated by Jinko's magic, the King of Knights and the Conqueror returned to the round table.

"Truly worthy of being my ally, Conqueror Ishtanadar. Your strength exceeds my imagination. Although they were a motley crew, to easily deal with them as a human, you are probably the strongest Master in this Holy Grail War, Jinko."

"Thank you very much for protecting the Masters present, Mr. Amano."

"Then I have said what I needed to say. The three kings can continue your debate."

"Um... actually, most of what I wanted to say tonight is done. The final attack by the Assassins was quite a downer..."

After a few more rounds of toasts, the Conqueror stood up, drew the accessory on his waist, and slashed it at the ground. The Divine Chariot appeared in the courtyard with a thunderous sound.

"Then, until next time, Archer, I will settle the score with you."

"My king is always ready for your challenge, Conqueror."

Hearing the King of Heroes' response, the two of them exchanged a look, sealing a promise to determine their superiority. The Conqueror then turned his gaze to the King of Knights, with a slightly sad expression, and sighed, "King who follows the holy path, if you regret becoming a king, you will betray the ministers who created history with you. Wake up from the sad dream of the past, Saber. I also want to fight the holy king who has moved on from the past."

The Conqueror boarded the Divine Chariot, and Jinko, carrying the slightly shaky Weber and Yaezuki, stood on the Divine Chariot. The divine bull, stepping on the thunder, pulled the roaring chariot into the air, disappearing into the cloudy sky.

The King of Heroes drank the remaining royal wine from his cup and stood up. "Hehe, Saber, do your best to satisfy me. I look forward to seeing your despair."

"Archer, the banquet is over. Leave now, or I will have to draw my sword." Saber pointed her holy sword, wrapped in the Wind King's Barrier, at the King of Heroes. The King of Heroes, however, was indifferent to Saber's actions and left the courtyard with a laugh, materializing into a spirit...

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