I, Wang Ha, the Three Red Unparalleled Assassin

Therefore, Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel firmly believed that the Holy Grail could grant any wish, and they were willing to risk their lives for it.

"Oh? Are our opinions clashing again?"

Iskandar glanced at the Old Man of the Mountain and Gilgamesh from left and right, then clapped his large, fan-like hands together twice and made a suggestion.

"In that case, let the King of Heroes, who once possessed the Holy Grail, tell us what the Holy Grail is like. After all, the Old Man of the Mountain has directly denied the existence of the Holy Grail."

"I don't know, I don't know what the Holy Grail is either."

When faced with Iskandar's question, Gilgamesh gave an answer that surprised everyone present, making them feel that his answer was contradictory.

But Gilgamesh didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said. He continued to explain while swirling the wine in his glass:

"The capacity of the wealth in my treasury has long exceeded my understanding, but as long as it is a treasure, it will definitely belong to me."

Faced with Gilgamesh's unreasonable claims, Artoria did not utter any sarcastic remarks or rebuttals after learning his true name.

"But with your magnanimity and wealth, you would never care about such a small Holy Grail, would you? So what brought you here?"

Iskandar continued to question Gilgamesh, hoping to extract more useful information unintentionally.

"It is the law, the law established by me."

Gilgamesh swept his crimson serpentine eyes over the assembled Servants, slightly raising his chin, and declared firmly:

"How dare you take my things and try to steal them! Even a thief has his limits, right? I should punish those who break the law!"

"To uphold the laws you've set for yourself? It seems there's no possibility of peace talks between us."

Upon hearing this, Iskandar scratched his cheek in annoyance and wisely turned his gaze toward the old man of the mountain.

"And what's your side of the story? After all, this is the Holy Grail War. Denying the existence of the Holy Grail is really absurd."

The old man of the mountain was silent for a moment, then his majestic and deep voice slowly rose, carrying a resolute conviction.

"I have never seen the Holy Grail, nor do I know if it is as magical as the legends say, but the idea of ​​getting something for nothing by using the Holy Grail to fulfill one's wishes is absolutely unacceptable."

The Old Man of the Mountain, who had already learned the truth about the Holy Grail War from the Counter Force, did not directly expose this lie that had been maintained for hundreds of years.

After all, his purpose in coming here was to put an end to this farce, so the Holy Grail War must continue as normal.

"I see. Then, if you, Old Man of the Mountain, had no desires, why did you descend? The King of Heroes did so to fulfill his will, but what are you?"

Artoria, who had been sitting quietly at the stone table sipping her wine, asked her question before Iskandar could.

The girl undoubtedly chose to answer the summons because of her own desires, but now the other Servants who participated in the battle all said that their reason for descending was not for the Holy Grail, which puzzled her greatly.

"Is there a reason for its arrival?"

The old man of the mountain muttered something to himself, looked up at the deep night sky, the ghostly fire in his eyes flickering, and he appeared very devout and solemn.

"I am but a spirit lurking in the darkness. The reason I have appeared here is simply because I heard the bell and am following the guidance of fate."

Chapter Forty-Four: The Feast of the Heroic Spirits (Part Four)

The old man of the mountain spoke in a somewhat cryptic way, and although few of the Masters and Servants present could understand him, his earnest attitude made it impossible for them to question him.

"Follow the guidance of fate?"

Artoria muttered something to herself, recalling the tragic wish she carried, and for a moment felt that this was the fate she had to endure as a queen.

"Then what is destiny? And what does destiny guide you to do?"

Artoria posed a more specific question to the Mountain Elder, while the others held their breath, awaiting his reply.

If this question can be answered clearly, then the purpose of the old man's visit will be completely clear, which will also have a direct impact on how the various rulers will arrange their battle strategies.

"The time of destiny has not yet come, and I have not yet received the corresponding revelation."

The old man of the mountain didn't seem to want to dwell on this issue for too long. The person entrusted by the restraining force to be killed had not yet appeared, but the old man was not in a hurry.

"However, I am certain that the purpose is definitely not to fight for the Holy Grail, and the meaning of my participation in the war will be revealed sooner or later."

When Iskandar realized he couldn't get any more information from the old man of the mountain, he decisively shifted the conversation to the next person.

"Diarmuid, you probably don't want the Holy Grail like those two, do you? After all, according to the stories passed down, your life has been full of regrets."

Diarmuid, who had been relegated to the background, clearly hadn't expected his name to be called so quickly. The handsome knight paused for a moment, then revealed a hearty and sincere smile.

"On the contrary, King of Conquerors. I, too, am not particularly interested in the Holy Grail."

"My response to the Holy Grail's call is solely to dedicate my complete loyalty to my lord."

As Diarmuid spoke, he stood up and gave Kenneth, who was with Webber outside the courtyard, a standard knightly salute, his dignified and solemn demeanor displaying his unquestionable will.

"But if the Holy Grail is what my lord desires, I, Diarmuid, will do everything in my power to retrieve it for him, even if it means my own destruction!"

"A commendable spirit. Diarmuid, it seems a battle between us is inevitable."

Artoria, also a knight, solemnly put down her wine glass. A fighting spirit surged in the girl's holy blue eyes, and the strands of hair by her ears were blown by the surging magic.

"Of course! I, Diarmuid, will definitely come to challenge you in the future, to seek justice for my lord!"

The two raised their glasses, clinked them together, and took a sip, thus establishing their agreement for a duel between knights.

At the same time, Iskandar felt somewhat depressed.

He felt that this Holy Grail War was really abnormal; the Heroic Spirits who responded to the summons and descended as Servants were not really there for the Holy Grail.

Iskandar stroked his thick beard with a helpless expression and looked at the only other person present who had not yet spoken.

"King Arthur, you're not here for the Holy Grail either, are you? If that's the case, then I, who do have a desire for the Holy Grail, am at a loss for words."

"No, I answered the summons because I had a wish that could only be fulfilled with the power of the Holy Grail."

Artoria subconsciously sat up straighter and, before anyone could ask, frankly stated her purpose.

"To save my homeland Britain, which was destroyed in the war, is to change the fate of my country's eventual destruction. This is my responsibility as King Arthur."

Artoria's words caused ripples like a pebble thrown into a lake, and the expressions and actions of each Servant changed to varying degrees, expressing their attitudes in subtle ways.

Diarmuid quietly acted as a listener, while Gilgamesh also chose to watch the show for the time being.

"King Arthur, are you regretting the decisions you made that led to the downfall of your kingdom?"

Iskandar's wine-red eyes were fixed on Artoria sitting opposite him, his expression as solemn as when he attended a Greek speech or debate.

"No, I don't regret it, I'm just mourning."

Artoria shook her head, denying the Conqueror King's speculation. Recalling her homeland, ravaged by war, her expression was quite complex.

"Conqueror King, the vast empire you built with your own hands crumbled the instant after your death, didn't it? Don't you feel sorrow for this?"

Iskandar was momentarily taken aback by Artoria's somewhat pointed question, but he quickly stated his own views and attitude.

"I will feel sorrow, but I will not choose to change anything! History is the inevitable result of many factors. This is a chapter that I wrote with my ministers, so there is nothing to regret."

"That's right! If even the king of a country doesn't feel pain when it's destroyed, what will the people he leads feel?"

Artoria stood up and looked down at Iskandar, refusing to yield an inch in the clash and debate over the concept of kingship.

"However, as a leader who guides the nation, the people, and the country, the king must set a proper example, rather than turning a blind eye and doing nothing!"

Iskandar, the overlord who led his country on the path of conquest and expansion, was very puzzled by the ideas of Artoria, the queen who saved her country from peril.

Before he could continue to refute, the old man of the mountain preemptively raised his own question.

"Do you wish to change the established course of history, King Arthur?"

As one of the seven crowned figures, the old man of the mountain knew that if this wish were truly granted to the Holy Grail, then there would likely be another batch of people dying from overwork who would need to be forced to work overtime by the Counter Force.

"Do you know what the consequences of this wish will be? It is enough to influence and change the course of human history."

The old man's words struck Artoria like a thunderbolt, leaving her frozen in place. She had never considered anything other than how to save her country.

"Of course! Even if it causes a series of chain reactions, I will choose to bear it all. This is the path I have chosen. To lead the people to true peace and happiness as a king."

The young queen didn't have much time to think about it; protecting her country's interests was the right choice for her.

"The king gives the people the harmony and stability they desire, and the people offer their loyalty to the king; this is the relationship of mutual dependence between the two."

"Therefore, a king must fulfill his due responsibilities!"

The Old Man of the Mountain did not offer any opinion on Artoria's own understanding of the path to kingship; what he cared about was something more important: the stability of human history.

"Is that so? It seems your will is very firm."

Looking at the determination and fearlessness shining in Artoria's bright, holy blue eyes, the Old Man of the Mountain understood that he could not persuade her to give up her unrealistic ideas through words.

Having grown bored with the banquet, the old man from the mountain silently disappeared from his seat, leaving behind only a stern admonition.

"I hope you will behave yourself, otherwise I will sooner or later follow the will of Heaven and cut off your head!"

The End Begins in Chapter Forty-Five

Since the banquet on the third night of the Holy Grail War, Fuyuki City has enjoyed two peaceful days, with none of the Masters or Servants taking any provocative or aggressive actions.

But as the sixth day approaches and the seven-day deadline draws near, the time to maintain peace is dwindling, and a fateful battle will inevitably ensue among the Servants.

During the two days of leisure, the old man of the mountain supervised Merry diligently teaching Matou Sakura about magic, which made the usually lazy Merry suffer.

However, Sakura is very quick to learn, which makes her teacher, Merry, feel extremely satisfied and gratified.

Therefore, during the teaching process, Merry would occasionally slip in some of her own personal tips, the special tutoring from a Caster-class Grand Master candidate, which was absolutely unique in the world.

After a few days of learning, Matou Sakura was able to skillfully use the vast magical power within her body. Of course, she could only use some minor spells with limited effect, but this made the girl very happy.

"Grandpa, Grandpa! Look, look!"

The little girl ran up to the old man of the mountain, stood on tiptoe, and her face was beaming with a lively and excited smile.

She held her small hands high, where a magical purple butterfly was slowly fluttering its thin wings, its appearance incredibly lifelike.

"Contractor, you've made rapid progress, but you can't become arrogant or complacent because of it. You still need to keep working hard."

The old man of the mountain looked at the purple butterflies fluttering in the air, praised Matou Sakura, and reached out to pat her little head.

The old man of the mountain stroked the girl's soft hair a few times. Even without his gauntlets, his hands were as cold as ice due to his physical condition.

The girl let out a clear, giggling laugh, and like a kitten, she gently nuzzled the old man's palm a few times, looking incredibly cute.

"Hehe, how can Sakura go and take credit as soon as she gets some results? Come on, we've only done one-fifth of today's homework, and there's still an exam tonight."

Merry squatted down next to Matou Sakura and said with a grin, her face bearing the same playful smile she had when she was teaching King Arthur.