Anime: Fight Sukuna at the beginning?.

Chapter 420 But so what?

A room.

Iskandar, sitting cross-legged on the floor, listened to the words of the 'bandaged monster' in front of him.

He subconsciously rubbed his arm, which was exposed due to the treatment, and revealed a very strange expression.

"Mercenaries who are forgotten after carrying out difficult missions?"
"This is really true."

The red-haired, burly man raised his arms as he spoke.

Like a bodybuilder who has been preparing for the competition for days, covered in body paint, and standing on the stage to show off his physique to the judges.

The taut muscles in his arms created a pose that he was extremely satisfied with.

After some activity, the 'mud' on my arms had largely faded, leaving only a few black spots, and I felt that my fighting strength had recovered considerably.

The 'Conqueror King' offered his opinion, clearly puzzled.

"That's a contradictory answer."

"In my past life, and even in my military, there have been many such mercenaries."

The 'Conqueror King' showed a clear look of confusion on his face as he spoke.

"If a mercenary is entrusted with a difficult mission by his employer, then he must have something extraordinary about him."

Even if someone isn't a 'hero,' they still have their own unique brilliance.

He heard the man in front of him, known as the 'Conqueror King,' describe the mercenary identity as one of 'hero' and 'glory.'

The man, whose body was wrapped in bandages, slowly but firmly shook his head.

After expressing his disagreement, he said with some regret.

"Unfortunately, being a mercenary is clearly not as noble a profession as you describe it."

"The so-called mercenaries are just tools that, after weighing the pros and cons, accept appropriate compensation and then carry out tasks according to the employer's wishes."

"That's all."

The man, while speaking, stretched out his hands and slowly stood up, supporting himself.

He uttered the words "get out," revealing his intention to end the conversation.

“Mr. Iskandar, the treatment is over, you should leave now.”

"There are still about four hours until dawn. After discussing tactics, let's rest and recover our magic power."

"The enemy might come knocking on our door first thing tomorrow morning."

The red archer, who was speaking, opened the door and bent down somewhat stiffly.

He gestured for the 'Conqueror King,' who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, to enter the corridor revealed by the open door.

At the same time, he couldn't help but glance at the 'intelligent crow' that stood like a sculpture on the headboard, silently and faithfully acting as a camera.

He gave the 'Conqueror King' a reminder.

"Also, don't forget to take this crow with you."

I really dislike it.

"It should be the kind of 'treacherous minister' with two faces."

"Besides being good at flattering its master, it is also an extremely nasty bird that will refuse to obey the orders of people it looks down on and make sarcastic remarks."

Hearing these words from the red archer.

Despite having been told that his action pattern was correct.

But this 'intelligent crow' named Ya Jiu is acting as Fang Yi's third eye.

Even after sneezing, he still secretly raised his middle claw at the bandaged monster.

It was determined that after returning to Fang Yi's side, it would submit a memorial to him.

Accuse the other party of "disrespecting the ambassador of cooperation".
-
The Conqueror King didn't budge an inch as the red archers seemed to be seeing them off.

The red-haired, burly man simply raised one hand.

She pointed rather rudely at the man in front of her, whose body was covered in bandages and only his eyes were visible.

He said loudly.

"Don't change the subject."

"The discussion about mercenaries isn't over yet, kid!"

They silently closed the door to prevent the conversation from being leaked.

But the red archer stubbornly continues to make a gesture of seeing the guests off.

The 'Conqueror King' retorted with great dissatisfaction.

"An excellent mercenary entrusted with a difficult mission."

"Whether their mission succeeds or not, they will leave behind anecdotes worth telling and write a significant chapter in history."

"They should even be recorded in history books by historians."

The red archer interrupted the other person somewhat sullenly.

"No, being a mercenary is just a job that pays a price."

"No matter how beautifully it is described, or how noble a meaning it is given, work is work."

The red archer's face, hidden beneath bandages, instantly turned ferocious.

His tone was also somewhat different from his usual nonchalant manner.
Someone once said this to me.

"Meaning, as we call it, is merely something that people create and attribute to other things in their own wishful thinking, either to bind themselves or to convince themselves to believe and act accordingly."

"In my opinion, after experiencing many things, the more a person grits their teeth and runs hard to pursue this kind of ethereal meaning, belief, and even ideal, the more they will achieve their goals."

"It will only bring us closer to meaningless nothingness and lead us to a state of emptiness devoid of any meaning."

As if seeing the future, the red archer gave a somewhat somber answer.

"In the end, the only foreseeable outcome is..."

"He will only end up bruised and battered, forced to stop running, and thus give up what he is pursuing."

"And they regret their past foolish actions, even wishing they could kill their past selves and start over."

Upon hearing these words, the 'Conqueror King' burst into laughter as if he had seen something ridiculous.

He was laughing so hard he was doubled over and couldn't straighten up.

The physical movements were also unusually intense.

It was as if the man in front of her was telling a funny joke.
-
The red archer looked at the burly red man in front of him and expressed his confusion with slight dissatisfaction.

"why are you laughing?"

Iskandar pointed at the man in front of him.

He tilted his head slightly in response.

I laugh at you for getting caught up in such a stupid thing.

"Shouldn't we have known this before we even took action?"

"You should have known? You mean..."

Looking at the man who seemed to understand but not quite.

Iskandar walked up to the other person and patted him on the shoulder.

He said it in a very friendly manner.

"At the party, Saber said something like this."

"[Finding your Master is just a small favor. As for the reward, besides letting me observe and explain your Noble Phantasm, please do some good deeds like I have, and spread kindness to those in need.]"

"Inspired by him, I am happy to do the same and pass on this kindness to those who need help."

"So let's chat a bit more."

"Hey kid, you should know my name, right?"

The red archer nodded.

"Conqueror King" raised his head with satisfaction and said with great pride.

"I, Iskandar the Conqueror, have the desire to conquer the world."

"So, what do you think of this wish? Can I conquer the world as it is now?"
-
The red archer hesitated for a moment before giving a very tactful reply.

"A grand and magnificent wish."

"Conquering the world is difficult, but it's not impossible for Mr. Iskandar."

The 'Conqueror King' patted the red archer heavily on the shoulder.

Some responded with dissatisfaction.

"Wrong. According to my Master's words and the information he provided, that's unrealistic."

"Airplanes, tanks, and even the nuclear bombs raining down on this land—I don't have any of those things." As he spoke, the 'Conqueror King' touched the sword at his waist, revealing a hint of regret.

"Not to mention the country I once founded, which has already disappeared into the long river of history. Apart from my Master, no one should support me."

"Conquering the world is a feat that no one has ever accomplished before, from ancient times to the present."

"You could say that if I were to choose to conquer the world, I would also be on the path of pursuing nothingness, just as you said."

The red archer nodded hesitantly.

Then he shook his head awkwardly and went into a silent state, unable to say anything.

Looking at the silent man before her.

The 'Conqueror King' relentlessly questioned the red archer.

"But, so what?"

"so what?"

The red archer subconsciously repeated it, as if remembering something he had forgotten that was extremely important to him.

It felt like I had heard similar words before.

The red archer seemed somewhat moved.

'Conqueror King' repeated himself.

"Even if I ultimately fail to achieve my dream of conquering the world, so what?"

The red archer calmly repeated the statement and responded.

"so what."

A smile finally appeared on the face of the 'Conqueror King'.

"Yes, so what!"

"Anyone who has read books that record history will understand that even the most powerful country will eventually perish."

"And I, who have such a wish, enjoy the process of conquering the world and fighting alongside my other subjects."

"And simply experiencing the people you meet and the stories that unfold along the way."

The red archer seemed to realize something.

A satisfied smile finally appeared on the face of the 'Conqueror King'.

"What the man named Iskandar pursued."

"That's all."

The red archer, still somewhat unwilling to give up, asked a question.

"That's it?"

His response was one of unwavering conviction.

"That's all!"

As he spoke, the 'Conqueror King' pushed open the door.

He waved to the 'intelligent crow' that was yawning as it watched the two of them talk, and led the crow out of the room.

At the same time, he left behind this sentence.

"Pursuing dreams is important, but don't forget that we live in the present."

"Dreams may be wonderful, but the scenery and people along the way to pursue them are also important."

"It is no less than it."

The red archer hesitated for a moment, as if trying to utter words of gratitude.

But Iskandar, without turning his head, stopped him as he had anticipated.

"Brother, there's no need for words of thanks."

Didn't you help me too?
"Although I don't know what price you paid, I have a feeling it wasn't a simple one."

As he spoke, Iskandar pulled open the door and held up one finger.

"If you find what I've said helpful to you..."

"Just like me, inspired by that Saber, sending you kindness and helping you."

"This is an act of kindness towards someone in need."

"Just once."

Looking at the closed door, the red archer first bowed to the empty doorway.

A slight smile appeared on his face as he muttered to himself.

"He truly deserves to be called a 'hero'."

"I never imagined that even though I'm determined not to meet him now, I could indirectly benefit from the people he helped."

"So, this is fate?"

However, the smile on the red archer's face quickly disappeared.

Instead, there was an unprecedented determination.

"Then, this time it will be me, the one who has been 'forgotten' by everyone, who will pay the price to defeat it."

"That's my job and the reason I was hired."

And following those firm words came a surge of 'black mud' that nearly overflowed the bandages.

Sensing the evil of this world that is constantly eroding his spiritual foundation.

After estimating how long he could survive, the red archer calmed himself down.

They began to report to their Master.

"Everything is normal, Master."

"Just as I expected, it was resolved easily, and that 'Conqueror King' has become a reliable fighting force again."

"The Noble Phantasm I possess also obscured his perception."

"Next, we need to discuss how to allocate our forces to the four locations where the [Relics] might appear. I believe the enemy will definitely..."
-
Will the [Relics] of the Amplified Servants appear in places where the [Holy Grail] might appear?

“I have heard people from the church say that.”

"The statement that 'those who use the Holy Grail system and their Masters to corrupt Servants will most likely establish their bases there and stay there' is probably just a deduction."

When the strange sound came from the mouth of the 'intelligent raven' Ya Jiu.

Everyone in the room was instantly startled.

Standing in the center of the field, Kiritsugu Emiya, as well as Artoria and the 'Conqueror King', all turned their gazes to the 'intelligent crow' with a talisman on its head.

The 'intelligent raven' that instantly switched from the 'Conqueror King's' shoulder to Artoria's shoulder drew surprised looks from everyone.

He raised his head arrogantly, enjoying the attention of the crowd, while repeating the words Fang Yi had written on the paper.

"I think splitting up forces under the current circumstances is a very risky thing to do."

"Whether it's the Master who's alone or the Servant who's alone."

With a furrowed brow, Kiritsugu Emiya showed the crow several red circles he had drawn on the Fuyuki City map, clearly displeased.

Then he wrote this line.

[So we just sit here and wait to die? Instead of investigating these suspicious locations?]

He then pointed to the red circle marked on the map of Fuyuki City and gave an explanation.

"The Holy Grail must appear in a place where spiritual veins converge."

"There are several places in Fuyuki City where spiritual veins are abundant."

"For example, on Mount Enzo, there is a powerful barrier that allows Servants to enter only through the main gate, making it naturally easy to defend and difficult to attack [Ryudou Temple]."

He then emphasized his idea of ​​where the enemy's stronghold would be located.

Only then did Kiritsugu Emiya confidently give other incorrect answers.

"And the [Church of the Holy Church], which is located in a relatively remote location, is basically impossible due to the nature of the church."

"And the Tohsaka family, who control the 'spirit land' and are the 'landlords' of Fuyuki City, is even more impossible; that's that golden territory."

"Further out, there are emerging residential areas in the eastern part of the city, which is a possibility."

His response was a resounding affirmation uttered from the crow's beak.

"They have more than one stronghold."

"What is certain is that both the Tohsaka family and the Holy Church are likely 'bases' with some traces of their existence."

Recalling some previous intelligence, Fang Yi, who was communicating with Miss Merlin, said this.

(End of this chapter)