novel-books Chapter 108 Invitation to the Royal Banquet
Chapter 108 Invitation to the Royal Banquet
The peaceful morning was completely shattered by a burst of extremely loud laughter.
"Hahahaha! Fine wine! Although it can't compare to the tribute I seized from Persia back then."
But in a modern market, this would be considered a fine drink that one could enjoy to the fullest!
High in the sky, lightning suddenly appeared and tore through the clouds.
Iskandar, the Conqueror King, rode his divine chariot, speeding across the sky like a raging meteor.
On his chariot, besides Weber clinging to the fence in terror, there was a huge oak barrel.
"Rider! You idiot! Making such a commotion in broad daylight! What if ordinary people saw this?!"
And not only did you take my wallet to buy such a huge barrel of liquor, but where are you even going to go?!
Weber was blown about by the gale, tears and snot streaming down his face, and let out a desperate scream.
"Stop complaining like a girl, kid! What do I care about magicians' rules!"
Iskandar pulled Weber up, his rugged face beaming with excitement.
"As long as there is fine wine, it can be a king's feast anytime!"
Since we are all legendary figures, instead of testing each other in the shadows, why not sit down and settle our differences with fine wine and magnanimity?
The chariot roared as it flew over the Weiyuanchuan Bridge, and just then, Iskandar suddenly pulled on the reins.
The divine wheel left a blinding trail of lightning in mid-air before hovering steadily in front of the highest steel frame of the bridge.
There stood a man dressed in casual clothes, with blond hair and red eyes.
Gilgamesh, facing the river breeze, listlessly looked down at the bustling city in the morning light.
He is currently inspecting his "own backyard".
"Oh? Isn't this the hot-tempered King of Gold from last night!"
Iskandar showed no fear of the other party's world-destroying power, and instead generously raised a huge wine glass.
"A chance encounter is worse than a planned meeting! I'm about to host a royal banquet; would you like to join me for a drink?"
Weber was so frightened that he almost fainted.
"That idiot Rider! He actually went and provoked that monster!"
Gilgamesh turned his head slightly, a hint of extreme arrogance and offended coldness flashing in his crimson eyes:
"You bastard, who gave you permission to speak to me in such a vulgar tone? You dare to soil my eyes with a few drops of horse piss?"
"Don't be so stingy!" Iskandar laughed heartily, patting the oak barrel next to him forcefully.
"Since everyone calls themselves king, then naturally we should compete in the realm of kingship outside the battlefield."
"Do you, the Golden King, not even have the courage to be questioned by other kings?"
This almost provocative remark caused Gilgamesh to abandon his murderous intent.
"Hmph, what a foolproof provocation." Gilgamesh crossed his arms, a cold, oppressive smirk playing on his lips.
"Since there are people in this world who dare to usurp the title of king, then as the only true king, I do have the obligation to judge your hypocrisy."
"You may leave. I will attend the banquet!"
"Oh! It seems you've accepted the invitation!" Iskandar nodded in satisfaction, flicking the reins. "Good! Now, let's go see the other king!"
A moment later, the Kamui Wheels, accompanied by rolling thunder, swaggered and hovered above the Tohsaka Mansion.
The deafening thunder and violent magic sent a chill down Tokiomi Tohsaka's spine as he hid in the basement studying tactics.
He stared intently at the magic detector, his face contorted with exasperation: "In broad daylight, Rider actually came knocking on our door?!"
"King Arthur of the Tohsaka family! Are you there?!"
Iskandar's voice resonated like a great bell above the Tohsaka residence.
Before Tokiomi could react, a tall, slender figure was already standing on the balcony of the Tohsaka residence on the second floor.
Arthur wore a simple white shirt and black trousers, his golden hair shimmering softly in the afternoon sunlight.
Even without releasing any magic, he simply stood there, as if he had become the center of all the light around him.
That composed demeanor left Webber, sitting in his chariot, speechless with awe.
He glanced back and forth at the burly man beside him.
"well……"
"Conqueror King, what brings you here in broad daylight?" Arthur's emerald eyes calmly gazed at the chariot in mid-air.
"Haha! Just in time!" Iskandar said with a hearty gesture, pointing towards Einzbern Castle.
"I have prepared a banquet to discuss the way of kings! The Golden King has already agreed to attend, and only you and the other Knight King are missing! Will you join us?"
Upon hearing this, Arthur's eyes flashed with interest.
Engaging in a clash of ideas with other mythical kings would indeed be an event not to be missed.
"An invitation from a king cannot be refused. Besides, there is no more entertaining program in the world than witnessing the clash of different kingly paths."
Arthur smiled slightly, placed his right hand on his chest, and gave an elegant knightly salute:
"I will keep our appointment on time, Conqueror King, please go ahead."
"Excellent! Then I'll wait for you in the forest this afternoon!"
Thunder roared once more, and the chariot drew a brilliant arc in the clear sky, heading straight for the outskirts of Fuyuki City.
The courtyard of Einzbern Castle.
Artoria had just finished another round of sword meditation and stood side by side with Irisviel beside her.
Just minutes ago, they felt the unbridled and extremely flamboyant magic in the sky approaching.
"boom!!!"
With a deafening roar of thunder, the Divine Wheel crashed into the castle courtyard like a meteorite.
The violent air currents uprooted the surrounding dead trees, and the heavy hoofbeats sounded particularly jarring in the silent forest.
"Enemy attack?! Rider, how dare you blatantly intrude here!"
Artoria stepped forward, shielding Irisviel tightly behind her.
Her eyes instantly sharpened like knives, and her magic was frantically compressed within the Wind King's Barrier, ready to unleash a slash at any moment.
Despite the tense atmosphere and murderous intent, Iskandar remained unfazed.
He jumped off the chariot, picked up the huge oak barrel with one hand, walked directly to a flat stone slab in the courtyard, and smashed the barrel down on it with a "bang".
"Put away your sword, Saber! I'm not here to fight today!"
Iskandar smashed the wooden lid of the barrel with a single blow, and the rich aroma of the wine instantly filled the air.
He scooped up a full spoonful of red wine with a large wooden ladle, drank it down in large gulps, and let out a satisfied sigh.
"What...do you mean by this?" Artoria frowned, not letting her guard down despite the other party's actions.
"Don't you understand? Today, this is not a battlefield of bloodshed, but a table for discussing the Way!"
Iskandar plopped down on the stone slab, his gaze fixed intently on Artoria.
"Who should the Holy Grail belong to? This requires not only a battle of wits, but also a clash of 'the way of the king'!"
Since we were both once rulers of a nation, let us settle this with words and wine!
Artoria was slightly taken aback.
The realization she had made that morning flashed through her mind, along with Arthur's sword light, as dazzling as the stars, without the slightest hint of confusion.
"The principles of benevolent rule I uphold are by no means a worthless joke!"
Artoria slowly loosened her grip on the sword hilt, and the gale-force winds of the Wind King's barrier gradually subsided.
She straightened her back, her emerald eyes burning with unwavering resolve.
With an air of authority no less imposing than that of the Conqueror King, he calmly walked to the other side of the barrel.
"I see. Since it is a discourse by kings, then the king of Britain naturally has no reason to refuse."
Artoria sat down properly, her eyes cold and resolute. "I accept your banquet, Conqueror."
Looking at the knight before him, whose gloom had vanished and whose eyes were as sharp as a drawn sword, Iskandar's eyes flashed with surprise and admiration.
"Excellent! Saber, it seems you have more backbone than I thought!" Iskandar grinned.
"Then let's drink heartily while we wait for the arrival of the other two guests."
Today's banquet will surely be the most brilliant chapter in this Holy Grail War!
The second floor of Eindzbern Castle.
Emiya Kiritsugu stood behind the gap in the curtains, looking at the Conqueror King sitting on the ground in the courtyard with his brows furrowed.
"Rider barged in here in broad daylight without any warning, not even releasing any killing intent. What is he trying to do? Provoke him? Or is he some kind of bait to divert attention?"
Kiritsugu's brain was working frantically.
Just then, the door to the room was pushed open, and Hisayu Maiya strode in, handing Kiritsugu several freshly developed photos and an urgent intelligence report.
"Kiritsugu, something happened at the Matou family last night."