[FDJ]Chapter 20: Attila, the Hun King

In the year 451 AD, the king of the Huns could only be the conqueror known as the "Scourge of God," who led the Hun Empire to its peak.

Suzuki couldn't recall the Chaldea organization having any records on this king. It seemed that this king had descended as a Servant, indicating that he must be a remarkably powerful one. However, what he was about to encounter was not a Servant but the authentic Attila the King from over 1500 years ago. Although he found himself inexplicably transported to this ancient era to participate in the Holy Grail War, the fact that he had the assistance of Saber Jeanne, who was at least a three-star Servant, and the opportunity to meet a historically renowned king, made today particularly exciting for Suzuki.

Before entering the tent, Suzuki caught a whiff of musk in the air, mixed with several other spices. Jeanne, standing beside him, also felt puzzled by the rich aroma emanating from the tent. Such a decadent lifestyle didn't seem to align with a king renowned for his aggressive expansion through warfare.

"The king is waiting for you inside. Archer, please come in as well."

Even if Archer hadn't been invited, she would have eagerly gone in to see Attila. She was curious as to why Attila would entertain the formidable Saber and her Master. In her eyes, men were not to be trusted. As for Saber Jeanne, she was excessively proud and far from resembling a saintly figure. She was, however, a qualified rival.

"You two better not bring any foolish ideas in here. Although I am not that king's Servant if he gives the order, I would gladly hang both of you on the camp's flagpole."

"In my lifetime, the Englishmen were just as fond of joking as you are." Jeanne didn't back down in the slightest and intentionally stepped forward, pushing Archer behind her, and entering the tent ahead. "But those were just jokes."

Archer bristled slightly, her hair standing on end. If they hadn't already reached the entrance of the tent, she would have surely exchanged blows with Jeanne once again.

This caused Suzuki to enter the tent a few seconds later. He didn't dare get too close to Archer. Inside the tent, the air was filled with an intoxicating fragrance, causing Suzuki to take a few breaths to adjust. It was his first time in such a heavily scented enclosed space as if the air itself carried a peculiar aura.

Without sufficient sunlight entering, Suzuki could only see a few inconspicuous ventilation holes when he looked up. The amount of sunlight was not enough to illuminate the spacious interior of the tent, only allowing him to vaguely make out the silhouettes of people.

There were at least ten people inside the tent, but Suzuki couldn't see the appearance of the king sitting in the center. He only noticed a foreign performer skilled in snake handling sitting beneath the throne. Jeanne and Archer had already taken their seats on separate cushions.

Suzuki sat next to Jeanne, feeling the oppressive atmosphere inside the tent. It was so quiet that the only sound came from the performer tapping a clay bowl with a thin rod, creating a rhythmic beat that the venomous snakes seemed to follow as they moved slowly.

The performance lasted for about ten minutes, and the king on the throne seemed to gesture to a messenger behind him, who then informed the performer that the show was over. The snakes were returned to their jar, and under the watchful eyes of two guards, the performer left.

Shortly after, the guards lit the "lamps" at the four corners of the tent for security purposes. It was then that Suzuki noticed the presence of magical devices placed in the tent. The illuminated "lamps" did not rely on fuel but emitted light by consuming the magical energy stored in the mineral stones placed in the lamp bases.

The light wasn't particularly bright, but now Suzuki could see the person on the throne.

On both sides, there were two raggedly dressed white women squatting on the ground, presenting fresh fruits to the king. Their faces were pale, and they seemed mentally absent. Once the lights were on, one of them accidentally dropped a berry near the king's feet.

The guards standing behind the throne immediately fixed their gaze on the woman. The king made a gesture, giving an order for her punishment. One of the guards swiftly grabbed the terrified slave and escorted her out of the tent.

Other guards brought barrels of wine and more fruits, dividing them equally in front of Archer, Jeanne, and Suzuki.

"Are you the Servant of the Saber class? And is the magus beside you your Master?" The king on the throne directed her attention solely to Jeanne, considering Suzuki unworthy of notice.

Suzuki only realized at this moment that the person sitting on the throne was a woman. Her skin color was relatively dark compared to the Huns, and her face and exposed skin were adorned with intricate patterns. The clothing she wore appeared to be made of a whole tiger skin. She should have been a savage queen, but Suzuki didn't find the word "savage" sufficient to describe her, or even appropriate.

The reason is, the language the queen used was French, not the language of this era. Suzuki only understood a few words among them.

Jeanne wasn't surprised that Attila was a woman, but upon hearing her use 15th-century French, she turned to glance at her own Master to confirm that she hadn't misheard. Suzuki was currently examining the queen on the throne with an expression of awe.

"Don't be surprised. I am a Servant who comes from another era, as is the magus. I have always had an interest in learning about the unknown, and languages are knowledge that I find very easy to acquire. However, I have never been able to understand religious books like the Bible, even when I hired a Roman bishop to teach me. Maid of Orleans, would you mind sharing a drink with a barbarian queen who does not believe in Christianity?"

"You are too kind. If given the opportunity, I would be happy to convey the teachings of the Lord to you."

The guards on the side filled their cups with wine, and after receiving Jeanne's response, Attila smiled and raised her cup. "It is an honor to invite the future saint to answer my questions."

Suzuki saw Jeanne next to him and Archer sitting across from him both drinking from their cups, so he followed suit and took a sip.

There was no spicy taste of alcohol on his palate. The "wine" in his cup was just apple juice. The strong fragrance in the tent seriously affected Suzuki's judgment, to the point where he thought he was drinking alcohol for the first time in the year 451 AD.

"Magus, please don't mind. I see that you are still a child, so I had my subordinate switch your drink to juice." Attila finished speaking and couldn't help but laugh. In her eyes, Suzuki was just a cute child, even though at the age of 16, male Huns had already received basic military training.

During the brief welcome banquet, Attila only paid attention to Suzuki once, and after that, she didn't look at him directly.

According to Attila's introduction, Archer arrived a month ago, but the chosen Master was not a real magus. He had only a trace of magical lineage and was killed by Assassin in a surprise attack before he even lived for three days. Archer, who lost her Master, broke into the Huns' army camp to find a new Master before her magical energy ran out. Archer had a martial arts exchange with Attila, and she was very satisfied with Archer's skills. She agreed to a substitute arrangement to spare Archer the trouble of finding a new Master.

Archer became Attila's retainer, accompanying her in daily training and assisting her army on the battlefield while waiting to avenge her deceased Master at the hands of Assassin.

The rest of the conversation revolved around superficial inquiries, such as Jeanne's goal of participating in the Holy Grail War.

Suzuki didn't ask this question because the Holy Grail was not important to him. His greatest concern was how to return to the correct period. If winning the Holy Grail War meant giving the Holy Grail to Jeanne entirely, he had no problem with that.

"I have no wish."

Archer was not satisfied with Jeanne's answer. She bluntly stated that every Servant participating in the Holy Grail War had a wish that they wanted the Holy Grail to fulfill. It was common knowledge in the Holy Grail War.

Jeanne's response remained calm as if this highly important magical ritual for Archer was nothing more than a game to her, and Suzuki was the one who invited her. "My Master summoned me, and I will achieve victory for him. Originally, I would not have manifested as a Saber. Although I have aspects that are suited to this class, I do not have a wish that must be fulfilled by the Holy Grail."

Attila seemed to be aware of Suzuki and Jeanne saving the Hun scouts as if this king possessed precognitive abilities. She even accurately stated that Suzuki Yuki came from the 21st century.

Attila is currently most concerned about the decisive battle with the Western Roman Empire's coalition army. According to her, it has been over ten days since they withdrew and regrouped after the last siege battle. The reconnaissance teams sent by both sides have gathered a lot of intelligence, and the armies are fully prepared for the final battle. Choosing to fight on the plains ensures an equal advantage for both sides, and there is no reason to continue delaying.

Therefore, Attila sees the Holy Grail War as a pastime and hopes that Jeanne and Archer can help her deal with the enemy Servants. This is crucial because although Attila is powerful, she is still a mortal. While she can hold her ground in a non-Noble Phantasm battle against Archer, it doesn't mean she can directly confront a Servant. Moreover, once a Servant uses their Noble Phantasm, it would be a devastating blow to the dense military formations. She cannot accept such losses.

She needs Servants to counterbalance other Servants to ensure a proper engagement between the Hun army and the Western Roman Empire's coalition. This is Attila's request.

Attila declares that she will arrange a formal banquet after nightfall to host Suzuki and Jeanne. Important matters must be discussed in the evening. The daytime is not suitable for the Holy Grail War.

It is not until she watches Jeanne and Suzuki leave the camp that she reverts to her previous cold demeanor, kicking a slave beside her and returning to her throne. "There's no need to keep that one either. Get me a few smarter ones. You should understand the consequences of not satisfying me."

The officer standing beside Attila quickly promises repeatedly and drives the already terrified Gallic slave to the corner of the camp, to be taken away and dealt with by subordinates. The camp is not lacking in plundered Gallic slaves, but finding ones that meet Attila's criteria for intelligence is extremely difficult.

"Oh, by the way, send a few slaves to the magus who came today," Attila says with a rare smile on her face as if thinking of something amusing. "Forget it, don't kill that slave from earlier. Reward her to the scout who brought back the information. Double the gold reward, no, triple it!"

Archer didn't say much during the brief banquet. She could tell that Attila needed more allies, or at least not more enemies. Since the king had decided to treat Jeanne as an ally, she could only accept the outcome.

"Archer doesn't like the maiden?" Attila notices Archer's expression. Being a woman herself, she sometimes thinks emotionally and takes harsh actions against certain individuals.

Archer doesn't answer and quietly leaves the tent.

Fluffy cats are also adorable.

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