134 Banquet of Servants

"Let's gather the Servants and have a banquet to bond with each other..."

Artorius declared and with the help of the maids, he changed his clothes.

Despite having the ability to instantly change his outfit using his Third Magic like a magical girl transformation, he chose to change frame by frame, step by step, in an orderly manner. A gentleman should always exhibit such refinement, right?

It was also kind of a public service and a benefit for his subjects. Hearing the maids' gulp of anticipation and seeing the affectionate glances they gave him, Artorius understood the wisdom of this approach.

Allowing the maids to occasionally take advantage of him would improve their work efficiency, something even an emperor would consider essential.

"Thank you and great job, everyone." He praised gently after thanking the maids.

Dressed in a splendid military uniform, adorned with frost-silver stars and an emperor's scepter, Artorius looked like a celestial being that had stepped out of a painting.

Usually, Artorius was already impressive in his regular attire, but now, in this attire, he was an epitome of perfection itself. An entrancing perfection that made it hard to take one's eyes off him, even making one fear the mirror he glanced into might shatter the next second.

"Time to go..." Artorius said, raising his head high as he walked towards the exit.

Since it was a banquet, they couldn't hold it at the hot spring hotel.

The Imperial Mystery Bureau urgently contacted the Tokyo Grand Hotel and paid double to have the whole place reserved. They wanted to ensure that the gourmet appetites of the attendees would be satisfied by the top-tier chefs who cooked, fried, stewed, and braised various dishes.

'I wonder who will attend. I'm actually quite looking forward to it...' Artorius mused to himself.

Even a Dragon Emperor like him felt delighted to meet powerful figures from different eras and various heroes from history, even those beyond his control.

Though the Empire had almost subdued every hero of Europe within the past 1500 years, there were still heroes born before the 5th century who remained beyond the Empire's grasp.

And not to forget those 'Heroic Spirits' from other planets and even other worlds.

Even though the story background of the TYPE-MOON (Nasuverse) had always been Earth-centric, giving people the impression that Heroic Spirits were an exclusive Earth creation, in reality, that was not the case.

Heroic Spirits transcended the limitations of planets, the world, and time, existing beyond everything else.

Regardless of heroes from any parallel world, be it Earth or beyond, from the past, present, or future, whether real or fictional, imagined by people, they were all brought together in the 'Throne of Heroes.'

This 'Throne of Heroes' was beyond the control and manipulation of entities like Gaia or Alaya, known as the Counter Force. At best, they could only make partial use of it.

'Hence, possessing a 'Throne' unique to the Empire is a significant achievement in breaking free from the constraints of the Counter Force.' Artorius acknowledged.

'What kind of heroes will attend? It'd be best if there were some beautiful women.' Artorius thought in his heart. 'Those gentle and caring big sisters would be perfect.'

'Of course, young and lively girls would be nice too. I'm an all-embracing individual. Whether big sisters, teenage girls, or lolis, I welcome them all.'

For the former, he could employ his 'Shota Mode' for a targeted approach. Teenage girls could use 'Dilf Mode'. As for the lolis, he could play the role of a gentle big brother in 'Ikemen Mode' or even use 'Shota Mode' by being their caring friend or childhood friend.

In short, Artorius Pendragon, as the world's most formidable character when it came to dealing with the opposite sex, was like a superdreadnought warship equipped with eighty million different types of missiles, kinetic railguns, and beam weapons. He had an abundance of techniques to make them obedient and loyal, turning them into his own.

And with this vast array of advantages, he could turn these summoned female Servants into his followers and ultimately win everything.

'Although I'm here for a vacation, the Holy Grail War or whatever is not the main concern. But since there's a chance to win, who wants to lose?' Artorius thought.

As he pondered with a joyful smile, his good mood was interrupted by bad news.

"Tokiomi summoned the King of Heroes...?"

"Yes..." confirmed Iri, the bearer of this news, perceiving Artorius's dissatisfaction towards Tokiomi.

Indeed, Tokiomi had agreed to be his subject and join the Empire; however, he had summoned another ruler. How would that affect their relationship moving forward? Both Tokiomi himself and the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, were now under the scrutiny of the Empire.

From this point, it might be possible to conclude that 'Tokiomi is not entirely loyal to the Empire.'

This then led to the principle of—'Loyalty is not absolute, only absolute disloyalty.' which suggested that Tokiomi's entire family was on the brink of destruction.

"In this regard, it seemed that Lord Tohsaka's wasn't intentional." Being a part of the Three Founding Families, Iri didn't harbor any ill will towards Tokiomi. Thus, she spoke on his behalf.

"He originally intended to summon Enkidu, but somehow ended up summoning the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh."

"Chains of Heaven, Enkidu... Fine. Perhaps it wasn't intentional."

If it were someone else, Artorius might have considered it more, but since it was Tokiomi, there was no need to overthink it. The Tohsaka family had a history and was famous for mishaps.

'If I could manage to control Gilgamesh... no, I don't have enough time and energy for that right now. The key issue lies with the Dead Apostle and that Rogue Mage who escaped.'

During this period, the Empire had already contacted the Atlas Academy and attempted to get in touch with Zepia Eltnam Atlasia, the alchemist and director of the Atlas Academy, but they yielded no results.

Given the circumstances, it could be concluded that this alchemist had defected and joined forces with Dead Apostles, Rogue Mages, or enemies of humanity.

Although Artorius wasn't aware of his motives, once they captured him, it would be time to interrogate him with extreme measures.

Right now, the Empire's priority was finding him, giving him a good thrashing, and bringing him to justice.

Amidst the arrival of bad news, the good news wasn't entirely absent.

As the car prepared to start departing, a slightly anxious and awkward woman appeared beside the vehicle.

"Bazett...?"

Artorius was mildly surprised and also somewhat cautious.

Presently, he was maintaining the form of a thirty-year-old emperor, and sat in the front passenger seat of the car, while Iri, serving as his maid, drove.

According to protocol, Bazett should have been in the second car. Furthermore, being the well-behaved child she was, Bazett shouldn't have acted on her own.

However, what happened next, with the sudden appearance and materialization of a person beside Bazett surrounded by golden spiritual particles, explained why she behaved this way.

"Teacher Scathach...?"

As Artorius felt a hint of surprise, the car door on the passenger side opened. He was forcibly pulled out by Scathach, who appeared rather assertive. Ignoring the surprised gazes around her and Artorius's bewildered expression, she boldly wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him deeply.

'What the hell?!' Artorius exclaimed in confusion inside his mind.

"Mmm~" Scathach ignored everyone and just enjoyed the kiss.

Iri and Bazett: "....."

"It's been so long, my foolish disciple."

After the kiss, amidst Illya's tearful exclamation of "Ehh?!", Scathach said that joyfully.

"To be honest, from my timeline's perspective, we haven't seen each other for just a few days." Artorius responded.

The Scathach standing before him now was not the familiar Scathach but rather the Servant-fied version, another side of Scathach. She was more bold and had a younger mental state. Unlike the slightly melancholic and indifferent Scathach that Artorius first encountered, this version of her was the kind who could transform into a beast the next moment, push Artorius down, and ride him forcefully without anyone finding it surprising.

"Let's talk on the way, my foolish disciple."

Scathach looked at Artorius with a joyful gaze and said so, pushing him to the back seat and promptly taking her place beside him.

'What happened? Which time period is this version of Scathach?'

As they drove, Artorius, who was once again teased by Scathach, enjoyed the moment while pondering this question.

As a Divine Spirit, she wouldn't die. But logically, shouldn't she have already obtained the 'puppet's body' and be able to move in the real world as she please?

An immortal existence combined with a free-moving body should allow Scathach to continue her activities until now.

'Does this mean something went wrong halfway?'

Artorius contemplated this question and then received another piece of news.

'Galahad? What a great piece of news.'

In the car, upon learning that Rudolf had summoned someone and that someone turned out to be Galahad, Artorius was ecstatic.

Galahad's sacrifice had always been a sorrow in Artorius's heart. He had many things he wanted to say to his friend. But whether in the past, present, or future, the chance of meeting Galahad again was incredibly slim.

His sacrifice occurred before the establishment of the empire. This meant, before the appearance of miraculous-like projects of the 'Throne of Empire', Galahad had already returned to the 'Throne of Heroes'.

In such circumstances, being able to encounter Galahad in this Holy Grail War is truly a miraculous occurrence.

In this excitement, no one noticed, or rather, cared that Galahad's chest was too developed, and 'his' buttocks were too rounded, or that there were differences in their gender.

For a true knight, gender was never the point! Whether Galahad had flat breasts or large breasts, both were Galahad!

===

Meanwhile, seeing Artorius's excited expression, Scathach felt a tinge of jealousy.

'This Artorius must be the Artorius not long after defeating Lucius, right?'

'Heh, I'll let you off the hook this time.'

At least for now, Scathach was in a good mood upon meeting Artorius again at this moment. She didn't want to sour their relationship over some minor issues.

But, if Artorius's behavior afterward remained the same, things might change.

===

Because Galahad appeared as a Servant, Artorius didn't show much emotional reaction when he learned about the identities of the other Servants.

When the Clock Tower summoned Iskandar, known as Alexander the Great, it didn't bother Artorius much. Although Iskandar's status was challenging, second only to Gilgamesh, Artorius had decided to treat them as allies of equal status in this Holy Grail War, not as subordinates.

With this mindset, even if they were as headstrong and arrogant as Gilgamesh or as greedy and straightforward as Iskandar, it should be enough to keep them satisfied.

That's what the Dragon Emperor thought.

Two troublesome fellows, two allies, and one enemy. That was Artorius's assessment of this Fourth Holy Grail War's situation.

As for the last one, the fellow known as Shuten-douji, it was difficult to judge by human standards due to her being inhuman and chaotic.

'Being a Berserker with a wicked personality, it doesn't seem easy to handle.' Artorius thought.

Despite having memories from his past life and knowing that Shuten-douji was likely just a mischievous Loli Baba, so what? Compared to Galahad, it was just a minor issue.

'If we can use her, we'll make some use of her. If not, we'll eliminate her as quickly as possible. She's just a Servant after all.' Artorius thought with such an idea, as he disembarked the car, acting as the Emperor and as the host.

Before him stood an impressive sight, an enormous palace reminiscent of classical times, combining the best aspects of famous European palaces like the Palace of Versailles, Neuschwanstein Castle, and more, with modern enhancements.

"From design to decor and materials, everything is top-notch..." Rudolf remarked with awe. "It's thanks to Your Majesty that I can even enter this Grand Hotel."

"Don't belittle yourself, Major Rudolf..." Artorius reassured him. "With your talents, this is just the beginning."

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty..." Rudolf replied, bowing, while Artorius's gaze shifted to the girl next to him, seemingly dazed, wearing a form-fitting armor that accentuated her figure.

No mistake, that aura, that feeling—it was none other than his long-awaited friend, Galahad!

Even though Galahad turned into the girl he knew well, it didn't matter! She was still Galahad in his eyes.

"After the banquet, let's have a good talk..." Artorius said to her with a gentle tone.

"U-Umm…" 'Galahad' still seemed confused, not fully grasping the situation. With Artorius's gentle gaze and voice calling out to her, her cheeks turned crimson.

Presently, Artorius was in his mature, dependable uncle mode (Dilf). This mature and composed man perfectly matched the dual roles of 'father' and 'lover', causing the girl to feel hot and overwhelmed with admiration.

Seeing her adorable expression, a fleeting smile appeared on Artorius's lips. But for now, he put that thought aside. "Go ahead, Galahad. Everyone is waiting."

"Uhh, okay…"

With Artorius's reminder, 'Galahad' seemed to awaken from a dream and walked quickly with her Master, Rudolf, into the central hall of the palace, adorned with a massive crystal chandelier.

Meanwhile, the other accompanying personnel also left, including Illya, who had come to join the fun but wasn't pleased with Artorius's interaction with Scathach, as well as Bazett, who was theoretically Scathach's Master but had to walk separately with her Servant. As for Caren, she was temporarily reduced to being Bazett's accessory.

"Let's go as well..." Scathach said, holding Artorius's arm.

As the others had already entered, Artorius, as the host, could finally make his entrance.

As for Scathach, she had changed into a beautiful open-back evening gown, adorned with high heels and diamond accessories. She now identified herself as 'Artorius's partner'.

Rounding it off, wasn't she practically the Empress of the Empire?

Thinking like that, Scathach smiled with delight.

===

At the same time, in the banquet hall.

"Hmph, the taste of this wine is acceptable. Even a lowly alchemist can occasionally produce something good..."

The King of Heroes—Gilgamesh, made that remark as he lounged lazily at the dining table, surveying his surroundings.

Servants and Mages from the Einzbern family, including Tokiomi's daughters, Illya, and Caren, were all quietly waiting at their respective tables. The main table was reserved for the Masters and Servants of the Holy Grail War.

'That restless pink-haired girl, and the muscular man who looks like a thief. And then...'

Gilgamesh's gaze flickered momentarily as he looked toward the intoxicated Shuten-douji, who was already revealing a tipsy expression.

"Even a demon dares to attend this gathering?! Disrespecting a king in this manner... if the host of this place doesn't provide a good reason for this..." Gilgamesh exclaimed with disdain and irritation.

In fact, it wasn't just him; whether it was Iskandar or 'Galahad', as heroes and humans, they had no favorable impression of Shuten, who was regarded as a monster and demon. The distance between their seats was evidence of that.

"Well, don't be too bothered, King of Heroes..."

Iskandar, who had already tested the waters and exchanged identities through a series of banter, spoke like that toward Gilgamesh.

Iskandar cheerfully munched on a large piece of steak, then continued, "Since our host has prepared such a good reception, it's only natural for us, as guests, to show a little goodwill."

"And you dare to start eating before the host arrives..." Waver retorted beside Iskandar, feeling both frustrated and even afraid to light a cigarette. He had tried his best to prevent Iskandar from doing so to avoid the wrath of the Inquisitors, but unfortunately, he had failed.

"Guhahaha, don't be so stingy, Master!" Alexander exclaimed, happily patting Waver's shoulder. "The host has provided these dishes for us to enjoy. If we don't eat them, then what's the purpose?"

"Everything in the heavens and earth, all treasures, belong to mine alone. Using my belongings to entertain me, what's there to be touched about?" Gilgamesh spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. "Not punishing them already shows my benevolence."

"Guhahaha..."

Gilgamesh's words prompted a hearty laugh from the King of Conquerors and made 'Galahad', who was nearby, even more uncomfortable.

'All of them are strong Servants it seems. Where on earth have I ended up... I can't even contact Chaldea, and Senpai is also not by my side, not to mention Fou...'

"Hmm?"

Feeling something familiar rolling in her arms, 'Galahad' lowered her head and discovered the presence of a tiny white creature.

"Galahad."

Her uneasy appearance prompted her Master, Rudolf, to feel dissatisfied. "You are a great Knight of the Grail, don't lose your edge in front of these people!"

"B-But..."

The girl tried to explain her real identity subconsciously, but she couldn't find the right words. She could only console herself while hugging the unexpected Fou who followed her to this world.

Meanwhile, whether aware of being isolated or completely unconcerned about it, Shuten merely enjoyed herself merrily. From the beginning, she maintained an indifferent and aloof demeanor. Apart from her initial self-introduction of "I am Shuten-douji!" She hadn't said a word.

Fine wine, delicious food, and a group of extraordinary figures performing a comedy in front of her—the banquet was like a fascinating show.

"Now, I feel better." Shuten turned her head and looked at her Master, Touko. "Seems like the Holy Grail War isn't such a bad thing after all."

"..."

Hearing her words, Touko shrugged with some helplessness. If she could, she would have preferred a loyal and obedient Servant like a faithful dog. But when she decided to summon Shuten, she was already prepared for this kind of situation, wasn't she?

'Let's just hope it doesn't end too soon.'

As Shuten pondered and thought like that, suddenly, with the spotlight shining, accompanied by the presence of a dignified and beautiful woman, Artorius Pendragon, the Dragon Emperor, finally arrived—ready to unite all the Servants.

The person playing the role of the 'Master' figure of the Dragon Emperor was not the Mage Killer, but the lady from the Einzbern family, Irisviel von Einzbern, who followed behind him like a maid.

Whether it was Iri or Scathach, if they were placed outside, they would attract countless gazes and cause a sensation as stunning beauties. However, here, their radiance paled—in the presence of the Dragon Emperor, no matter how charming a woman was, she could only play a supporting role.

"Welcome..." Artorius smiled, "I am Artorius Pendragon, and I extend my heartfelt welcome to all of you."

The disdain from the King of Heroes, the curiosity of the King of Conquerors, the uneasiness of 'Galahad', and the last one, the Oni—Shuten-douji, who stopped drinking and looked over with a tipsy gaze while revealing a sweet smile.

That was the response of the Servants after Artorius's opening statement.