"What kind of magic did you cast on Irisviel?"
"Undo it at once, or don't blame me for being rude."
"Since you call yourself King Arthur—whether you are or not—you should abide by the code of chivalry. Don't you think what you're doing now tarnishes a knight's honor?"
"Have you already abandoned the honor of a knight?"
"Even so, you once admired the legends of knighthood. I believe you're not inherently bad. Remove the curse on Irisviel, and perhaps you can become a knight starting today."
"A knight shouldn't lay hands on a lady. That's a knight's oath!"
All the way there, Artoria trailed after Arthur, lecturing him without pause.
She had clearly decided Irisviel's abnormal behavior was Arthur's fault.
Arthur found this both exasperating and faintly amusing.
Granted, Irisviel's current infatuation was indeed related to him—but "undoing" it was impossible. He had neither the ability nor the method.
When it came to allure, Arthur's near-cursed charm was at a divine level.
The [Power of Beauty] wasn't a mythic blessing or an ability forged through sublimation—it was the result of Arthur's otherworldly looks. On the system's panel, all charm-related attributes appeared as talents, not skills.
It was simply innate.
During his reign as Lord of Britain, his cultivated demeanor had elevated that incomplete [Power of Beauty] into the [Incarnation of Beauty].
Perhaps after becoming a Heroic Spirit and manifesting in this world, the balancing mechanisms had diminished his charm somewhat.
Even so, even in its weakened form, it could capture hearts instantly.
It was simply the natural human response to beauty—pursuit and care followed as a matter of course.
"Don't you understand?" Arthur sighed, feeling worn down by Artoria's righteous indignation. "She's like this not because I did anything to her, but because she developed feelings—akin to love—for me and chose to fall for me. Strictly speaking, her mind is as clear as ever. She knows exactly what she's doing. I didn't do a thing."
Strictly speaking, he was the victim here.
Artoria's skeptical stare made it clear she didn't buy a word of it.
Arthur didn't bother arguing further. He glanced at the silver-haired beauty clinging to his arm, trying to wrap around him like an affectionate octopus, and sighed.
At least Irisviel was a woman—and a beautiful one.
If it had been someone like Lucius or Merlin, Arthur would have sent them flying with a single blast of Excalibur.
Soon, the three of them stepped into a hotel.
Ever since the Fuyuki Grand Hotel had been bombed by terrorists the night before, business at this second-best luxury hotel had boomed absurdly. Getting a dinner booking here now must have been nearly impossible.
"Don't worry," Arthur said casually. "We have a rich man footing the bill."
"Rich man?" Artoria blinked.
According to Arthur, all the guests tonight were Servants. Since this was a matter of the supernatural world, ordinary humans naturally wouldn't be allowed in.
Still, when several Servants gathered together, conflict was always a risk.
That meant the venue had to be booked in its entirety.
But to book the entire place…
Artoria recalled the astronomical price of the lunch she and Irisviel had eaten here earlier today. If booking just one meal was costly, renting out the whole establishment for the evening must be outrageous.
Servants, being dead, had no worldly possessions.
Naturally, the Master had to pay. But which magus was so ignorant—or arrogant—as to invite her, King Arthur, to dinner?
Artoria licked her lips unconsciously.
At the same time, Arthur made the same motion.
They locked eyes in awkward silence.
"Ahem… The host of tonight's banquet is Gilgamesh. Yes, that glittering upstart. Consider it his treat." Arthur's tone was peculiar.
In truth, the banquet had been Iskandar's idea.
Of course, his Master, Waver Velvet, was too poor to even consider booking the place. It was a miracle the scrawny boy could keep himself and Iskandar fed.
Under Arthur's suggestion, Iskandar had gone to Gilgamesh, shamelessly maneuvering the King of Heroes into footing the bill.
The method had been simple—provoke him just enough, then heap on some flattery. With tsundere types, they'd practically walk into the trap themselves.
Naturally, Gilgamesh hadn't been fooled for a second.
But that didn't matter. He knew it was a setup and didn't bother hiding it—he'd still take the bait.
Because he was Gilgamesh.
Arthur had been present for that exchange and, judging by Gilgamesh's expression, suspected the golden king had no desire to be exploited.
Which was why, most likely, the Tohsaka family would be paying for the entire banquet.
By tomorrow, they'd be bankrupt.
Arthur sincerely wished them luck in being able to afford breakfast.
Whether or not his blessings would help was another matter.
"Alright, let's go in."
He pushed open the door.
The lobby was completely empty save for a few Servants and Masters.
At the center stood a massive round table. Neatly arranged alongside it were long rectangular tables, each laden with a dazzling variety of dishes. Whether they tasted good was another question, but the sheer abundance was enough to fill anyone just by looking.
By appearance alone, the feast could feed at least 500 people.
Arthur led Artoria straight toward the round table.
Both looked faintly excited.
A rare feast—missing it would surely draw divine punishment.
For now, grudges were set aside.
"This banquet…" Artoria swallowed visibly. "It looks very fine indeed. It must be a most pleasant gathering."
"Of course. Though Gilgamesh paid, I personally oversaw the arrangements," Arthur said, puffing out his chest.
For any foodie, this was a blessing from heaven.
As for the round table… Arthur had originally wanted something larger. But given the less-than-amicable participants, and the risk that seating etiquette might spark a fight, he'd settled on a smaller one.
After all… these people probably didn't know banquet etiquette anyway.
-End Chapter-
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