Chapter 420: He Is the Top Host
In the Round Table Knight Club, besides the dance floor used for performances at the very back, the rest of the space was arranged with sofas facing each other in clusters, leaving only enough gap between them—about one and a half body-widths—to serve as aisles.
The angry wealthy businesswoman brushed past Bedivere, clutching her bag, and purposefully took small, measured steps to bypass the area via the side aisle.
Shirou, who had suddenly appeared there, happened to stop in the aisle beside the seating area. As he braced his steps and stabilized his leaning frame, he found himself blocking the path of the businesswoman.
"What is it? Even if it's you, Shirou, I'm going home!" the businesswoman said, hands on her hips, looking at Shirou with a pout. Today was a special day for her, and also the day she felt the most lonely.
As a self-made woman who had struggled in solitude for over a decade and finally achieved some success, when she looked back, her wallet was indeed thick. She felt confident wherever she went, but she discovered that there wasn't a single person beside her with whom she could share these accomplishments.
Until one day, when she was helped by a business partner, she came here and fell in love with this place—especially the faithful-dog-like handsome youth, Bedivere. She nicknamed him "Bedi," admiring his honest nature and his loyalty to those he respected.
But today she felt truly irritable. Although she wouldn't say it, in her heart, she hoped someone could comfort and understand her mood. Even a "strong woman" has moments when she wants to be held in someone's arms and cherished! But Bedi was like a block of wood, noticing nothing, just as usual, talking about that "King" in his heart. She couldn't take it anymore and decided to get up and leave, never expecting to be intercepted by the top host with the highest affinity in the place.
The businesswoman crossed her arms, frowning at Shirou. She was a powerhouse who had fought for years in the bloodless but equally cruel business world. As a corporate decision-maker, once she made up her mind, she rarely changed it, and she certainly wouldn't change her mind just because the person in front of her was good-looking.
The businesswoman said bluntly: "If you have nothing to say, then I will..."
"Don't speak! Give me one minute~!" Shirou raised a finger and pressed it against her lips.
It looked calm and breezy, but in that moment, Shirou's brain was spinning rapidly. At the same time, he gestured with his other hand behind his back.
That one minute was enough for the other staff in the club to wake up. Seeing Shirou's actions, they immediately understood and began to coordinate with him.
The bartender skillfully pulled a crate of champagne from under the bar. The tall, blonde Sun Knight stood up, leaned over, and whispered something into a lady's ear. The lady beside him nodded happily in response. The other guests saw the club preparing some kind of activity; they were here to have fun anyway, and as long as it was interesting and made people happy and relaxed, they were naturally glad to see it happen.
"Champagne~!!" Shirou snapped his fingers, gesturing toward the bar like a conductor leading a symphony.
"Coming~!" Gawain, who had an implicit understanding, had already walked to the bar and picked up a bottle of champagne. Without a second glance, he tossed it directly to Shirou, then did the same for the surrounding Knights of the Round Table.
The champagne bottles soared high, tumbling over and over in the air, bubbles rising within the golden liquid. Shirou gently lifted his hand and caught the bottle steadily; the movements were so familiar, clearly ingrained in his muscle memory.
Lancelot and Bedivere understood intuitively; they also reached out, caught their bottles steadily, and walked to the woman's side with smiles. Tristan performed a juggling-like leap, arms spread wide, catching his bottle with a gorgeous 360-degree aerial flip, landing perfectly beside the businesswoman, inciting screams from the fangirls.
"Ah, as expected of Shirou. It was right to leave it to you," Kay said, coming out of the lounge, signaling Gawain to toss him a bottle as well, and joined the group.
And so, Shirou and the five Knights of the Round Table stood before the woman, each holding a bottle of champagne.
"Eh? Eh? What?" Suddenly being stared at by six handsome men, all wearing such beautiful smiles, she felt dazzled. She had a delusion that it was like being in a reverse harem; the businesswoman felt flattered.
In the red-light district of Shinjuku, top-tier hosts truly had looks and incomes that didn't lose to top male idols. But these were people who had survived a selection process out of thousands or even tens of thousands. Yet, the Round Table Knight Club alone had seven of them. This was one of the reasons why, no matter how difficult or eccentric the knights here were compared to ordinary hosts, rich and powerful women still flocked here tirelessly.
"Ms. Komatsu, Happy Birthday~!" Shirou led the way, popping the champagne corks. The golden liquid of the sparkling wine surged upward, turning into six golden fountains, scattering in the air around the woman, bringing a cool, wine-scented mist.
"Happy Birthday~!!" the knights said in unison.
At that moment, the club lights went out, and the surroundings turned dark. Then, at the exit, a moving light appeared, inching toward Ms. Komatsu. It was a waiter bringing a cake from the kitchen, complete with lit candles, served on a silver cart.
"This... this..." The businesswoman covered her mouth with both hands in surprise, unable to close it. In the center of the cake stood a small figurine made of chocolate and edible dyes—it was a perfect likeness of Ms. Komatsu.
"This... was this meant for me from the very beginning?"
"Ms. Komatsu, thank you for everything. Happy Birthday." Bedivere was pushed forward. He now held a bouquet of flowers; he didn't say much, just revealed his loyal smile, looked straight at the businesswoman, handed over the bouquet, and gave his blessing.
"Bedi..." The woman took the flowers, moved to tears.
Words were superfluous now. The earlier unpleasantness had long been forgotten by the woman. She had wanted to be remembered on her lonely birthday but hadn't said a word; yet, everything had been considered by the others.
As the rotating colorful spotlights hit the businesswoman, everyone began to sing the English birthday song. In this moment, Ms. Komatsu, surrounded by them, became the heroine of her own life. She felt the jealous and envious gazes of the surrounding women, immersed in a sense of overwhelming happiness. She closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, took a deep breath, and blew out the candles in one go.
"Ooh-ooh-ooh~!" Shirou and the knights took the lead in applauding.
Ms. Komatsu felt incredibly honored. Being surrounded by a group of handsome men singing birthday songs for her made her feel light, as if she were floating. As a talented and wealthy modern woman, what she wanted most was to wear more beautiful clothes than other women, wear brighter jewelry than other women, and hold a handsomer man than any other woman! Now she had it all, and six-fold—what a satisfying birthday!
After a moment's thought, she waved her hand generously and shouted: "Golden Waterfall Champagne Tower! Open it up!!"
"Ooh-ooh-ooh~! Thank you~!" Seeing someone willing to spend money to treat them, the surrounding women finally smiled again.
"Shirou, thanks! That was a huge help; I almost messed it up," Bedivere said, saluting Shirou from an angle where no one else could see.
"No, no, I just got lucky," Shirou said, waving his hand.
It was truly just luck. Before Kay pushed him out of the lounge, his smartphone had rung once. The large screen displayed a notification of the day's itinerary recorded in his notebook. Shirou flipped it open and saw a dense list of text, half of which were already confirmed. In the middle of the screen, a piece of important information was marked in bold red font: Today is Ms. Komatsu's birthday. Club annual consumption rank #18, CEO of an interior design firm, annual income...
The line directly below was the action plan for this event; the checkbox for "make cake" had a checkmark, noting that it was placed in the kitchen freezer.
As Shirou read the notebook on his phone, his previous memories gradually returned. It turned out he had prepared for the wealthy businesswoman from the very beginning. Because every knight in the Round Table followed the creed of chivalry and was a proud individual, although every one of them was the perfect embodiment of "British gallant knight," they would never abandon their principles to please a woman.
They greeted every guest who came to the club with the poise of a graceful gentleman, honestly, kindly, and equally. They were friends who listened to the guests' inner frustrations and knights who guarded their souls. They were the most dignified and refined hosts, so this club never did anything too outlandish. Things like being harassed by "female hooligans" or gross p-lays involving steel wool were absolutely nonexistent.
From the start, the club's positioning excluded nouveau-riche women only seeking transactions; it specifically served high-class, educated women who enjoyed friendship with high-quality, ideal men. It was like the famous courtesans of the ancient brothels who sold art but not their bodies, playing music, painting, and composing poetry with scholars and celebrities.
As a result, it wasn't too hard to accept.
Incidentally, although he really didn't want to admit it, after being picked up by Merlin—because he possessed the aptitude as a magus—he not only became a host alongside the Knights of the Round Table but also became a registered apprentice to the Flower Magician. He had embarked on the same path as Merlin, studying magic with incubus-like phantom characteristics. Through the "Yin-nourishing, Yang-replenishing" technique passed down by the Sword Saint of Britain, his magical power was continuously increasing at a speed that belonged to no ordinary genius.
His original attribute was Sword, his trait was Projection, and his ultimate move was Reality Marble: Unlimited Blade Works. Now, his attribute was Sword, and his traits were Projection, Charm, Sword-drawing, Sword-stabbing...
Everything was a done deal. Merlin's "Forty-Eight Techniques" were already engraved deep into his soul through practice, forever indelible. Even if he wanted to change it, it was too late to regret.
At this moment, a young woman walked over with a giggle, interrupting Shirou's thoughts.
"This is really delicious, Shirou! If you ever stop being a host and open a cake shop, it would definitely be a huge hit. I'd visit your shop often." The young woman, who had a "foodie" attribute, no longer cared about being reserved. She held a small plate and a fork, eating a large piece of cake, clearly enjoying it. If she ate too slowly, the cake would be snatched away by someone else.
The cake Shirou made was a single-layer, medium-sized cake because the club wasn't large and had only a dozen or so guests. Some only took a symbolic piece—a bite-sized portion—just to show support. People who came to this club were wealthy or noble and well-traveled. They were regulars at establishments like Kaiseki, Jiro-style sushi, or Tempura masters. Naturally, they didn't miss out on famous restaurants with Michelin-starred chefs abroad.
Despite this, they had to admit that Shirou's cake was delicious. However, many of them only tasted it lightly to keep their figures; as self-made strong women who had fought their way up in a discriminatory world, their self-control against temptation was naturally stronger than others. The excess cake went to the "foodies" like this young woman. Seeing them eat happily made Shirou happy, too.
As for the young woman's suggestion...
"That's wonderful. Since you like it, on the 15th of next month, Ms. Miho's birthday, I'll make a cake to celebrate for you, too," Shirou said with the kind smile of a boy-next-door.
"Eh?! No way! How did you know my birthday?" The young woman asked, covering her mouth in surprise, looking at Shirou in disbelief.
"That goes without saying. Every member who joins the club is important family to us Knights of the Round Table. I just want to celebrate well for my family," Shirou said with a light chuckle, as if it were only natural.
"Really? What about me? What's my birthday?" A friend beside the young woman raised her hand and pointed to herself repeatedly.
"Ms. Xiang-Yao, it's November 11th, right? If you're free that day, please be sure to come to the club. I'll be waiting for you," Shirou said with a kind, sincere smile.
"Yaah! You got it right! That's amazing! Shirou, thank you so much." The girl was pleasantly surprised and deeply moved. She hadn't expected someone who felt like a star...
Whether it was a top-tier host in a Japanese club or a popular streamer on a Chinese network platform, they were the stars closest to them, the most accessible celebrities. They were the "school prince/princess" back in school, and even at the company, they were the "high-altitude flowers" constantly surrounded by elites; no matter where they went, they were popular figures praised by crowds.
These top-tier people were usually untouchable by ordinary people; even if you tried to "kneel and lick" them, they wouldn't necessarily look at you. But now, they were thanking her in gentle whispers and even expressing meticulous concern. That sense of swelling, adrenaline-like excitement—the sense of achievement from being recognized and thanked by a star in front of everyone, the satisfaction of vanity—was something that couldn't be experienced in ordinary daily life.
"Yes... I will definitely come that day! Rain or shine!" the two girls promised in unison.
"If it rains, I'll drive to pick you up," Shirou said with a kind smile.
"Mmh~~~!" The two girls answered with soft, melting voices, as if drunk.
Tonight, two more people had completely fallen!
Merlin, who had been hiding in the background, sipped a drink leisurely in the darkness, revealing a knowing smile. Indeed, the so-called Knights of the Round Table were a bunch of terrible guys—stubborn, rigid, and sharp-tongued. Every single one of them had their own merits, but also their own fatal flaws. If left alone, although they each had their own skills and wouldn't starve and could achieve something, they could never accomplish anything great. Even for him, trying to integrate their powers would feel like a headache.
But with Shirou, everything had come to life.
"Cheers~!" Merlin raised his glass in the darkness, to his own brilliant decision.
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