A serious banquet became oddly comical thanks to the two continuous chewing sounds.
Even to outsiders, it might have looked a little funny.
At that moment, seeing Arthur's satisfied expression and the way he was demolishing the food with even more ferocious momentum, Gilgamesh finally realized what was going on.
"…He offered to arrange the banquet. So that's it."
And he immediately regretted it.
He had already suspected during the day that Arthur's sudden enthusiasm was up to no good, but there had been a certain satisfaction in watching this "mongrel" volunteer. After all, in a way, a king willingly serving him—regardless of any shady intent—was a sign of submission.
Yet now, there was no submission to be found. The man's actions showed no respect whatsoever to the kings present.
It was humiliating Gilgamesh.
Most importantly—he had agreed to it in the first place.
In other words, this table of food and wine was technically a gift from him. That made Gilgamesh furious… but he couldn't lash out over it.
The corners of his mouth twitched as he agreed with Iskandar. "Exactly. Eating like that is as if you've never had a full meal in your life. It's undignified and unbecoming."
If I raise my voice a little, he might rein himself in.
Unfortunately for him… Gilgamesh was right.
"How rude! As far as dining etiquette is concerned, I'm doing it perfectly. There's nothing wrong at all. Hm~ it's truly an honor for you to admire my elegant dining posture." Arthur spoke in between rapid bites, his retort clipped into short pauses.
Admittedly, Arthur did manage to maintain a refined image while eating at a speed that defied belief.
But that only made it weirder.
"Who could look at you eating like that and think—do you honestly believe everything you do is art?!" Gilgamesh's eyebrows shot up in irritation.
"Huh? Really?" Arthur sounded genuinely surprised. "Look at Lucius."
Gilgamesh and Iskandar glanced over—and were struck silent.
Lucius was staring at Arthur with intense focus, his expression solemn, almost as if he were witnessing a sacred rite. The natural upturn of his lips betrayed the joy in his heart.
These two… no, these three—what is going on here?!
Iskandar finally couldn't take it any longer. "Hey, King Arthur, you—"
"What?"
"It's quite rude to disturb others while they're eating."
Arthur and Artoria both looked up at the same time.
"…Let's just listen for now?" Iskandar hesitated, clearly wrestling with how to address two people who shared the same name and identity. After a moment, he settled on, "So, male King Arthur—you were the one most in favor of this banquet from the start, weren't you? I'm here with you, and this is a rare chance to meet face to face across time itself. Don't you think it's a waste to pour all your attention into the food?"
Arthur finally stopped, frowning.
It wasn't because of Iskandar's words—it was because Artoria, sitting opposite, had just stolen the last piece of food.
Now, the only thing left on the round table was the potato dishes he detested. Pushing those toward Gilgamesh, Arthur fixed his gaze on Iskandar before his temper could flare.
"I do approve of this banquet. But isn't filling one's stomach an important part of it?" He waved dismissively. "Besides, the topic you've been discussing is dull. Neither Mesopotamia under the Hero King nor Macedonia under the Conqueror King can compare to my Britain. So why waste time debating the 'kingly way'?"
Then, turning to Tōsaka Tokiomi, he barked, "Don't just stand there like an idiot. Can't you see the food's gone? Tell the kitchen to prepare more. I'm only six-tenths full. And no potatoes."
Tōsaka Tokiomi's face turned pale. He clutched his chest as if struck by a mortal wound.
It's gone… it's really gone! The Tōsaka family's wealth—completely drained by you!
Still, since the banquet was nominally hosted by Gilgamesh, and given that man's arrogance, offending him here could bring unpredictable trouble in the upcoming Holy Grail War.
Is this part of your plan too, Caster? Shameless—killing the body and the heart.
Grinding his teeth, Tokiomi trudged toward the door, pulling a loan shark's business card from his pocket.
Hmph. It's only money. Once I win the Holy Grail, I'll get it all back.
At worst… I can mortgage the house first.
Today, the once-proud Tōsaka family had officially entered the negative bourgeoisie.
"Mongrel, are you denying me?" Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed, murderous intent flashing.
"Is there no comparison?" Iskandar's smile remained, but his tone grew weighty. "From what I've heard, your Britain no longer exists. Like our lands, it has vanished into history. Speaking in such a tone is too arrogant, King Arthur."
Arthur chuckled, drumming his fingers lightly on the table without rushing to respond.
"Yes, my country is gone," Artoria spoke instead. "I don't look down on either of you. The lands of the Hero King and the Conqueror King both have grand histories. But our nations are gone—and that is an undeniable fact. That's why I must claim the Holy Grail, to save my homeland."
It was the inevitable statement.
After all, it was Artoria's wish.
Her words stunned everyone present—except Arthur.
"Female King Arthur, are you denying your own history… and your own country?" Iskandar's voice shifted from mild irritation to something tinged with pity.
"Hahahahaha, ridiculous." Gilgamesh burst into laughter without restraint.
Their reaction instantly ignited Artoria's anger.
"What's so funny?!"
"Of course it's funny. That's the difference between you and the Red Dragon." Lucius, silent until now, finally spoke. Looking at Gilgamesh and Iskandar, he said proudly, "See? Only my Artorius is the real deal. The rest are just pretenders using the name of King Arthur."
"Oh? And this isn't the male King Arthur's wish?" Iskandar sounded genuinely surprised.
If all Arthurs thought like Artoria—viewing even their own existence as wrong—then perhaps the so-called most legendary knight's history deserved a closer look.
"Of course not. My Artorius is nothing like you lot. He'd never waste time worrying about a destroyed country."
-End Chapter-
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