Ryuya finished every last bit of the dark cuisine made by Merlin and Irisviel, piece by piece. Wiping his mouth, he said it tasted good, but they shouldn't make it again.
"Master~~~"
"Is~~~"
Affection Points +1 +1 +1 +99999.
If Merlin and Irisviel had data displays above their heads, they would surely show something similar.
Gazing at Ryuya with deep affection in their eyes, the unreliable duo was truly moved.
"Alright, you two, stop fooling around."
Ruffling Merlin and Irisviel's hair, Ryuya noticed envy in the eyes of many other girls. Clearing his throat lightly, he said, "Next group? Is it Enkidu and Ishtar?"
"Yes, yes, it's us."
Walking out together with Ishtar, Enkidu carried an extra-large fruit salad. Since she often ate and made it herself, the salad was excellent in both appearance and taste.
"Delicious!"
"Tastes great!"
"I like it."
After tasting the fruit salad, everyone praised Enkidu's skills. Even the picky Morgan and Artoria nodded in approval. The final remaining team was...
"It's our turn."
Unlike the Servants, Yukino, Kaguya, and Souji were a completely ordinary human team.
In terms of power, aside from Souji, the other two's combat abilities were clearly insufficient.
But in terms of the girls' sincere feelings, they would not lose to anyone.
Yukino, who lived with inferiority since childhood, like a doll.
Kaguya, targeted by the interests of the large Shinomiya Family, trapped in over a thousand time loops.
Souji, born in the chaotic Bakumatsu Era, suffering from Oni attacks, finally seeing the light, waiting for Ryuya for over 200 years.
As the lid of the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was lifted, their luxurious dish was finally revealed.
Before this miracle named 'Love', the ultimate victor was undoubtedly beyond dispute.
After tasting the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, everyone voted anonymously to decide the top three.
"Hmm, let me see..."
Calculating the votes from all twelve people, including herself, Haruno raised an eyebrow. "Oh, although I considered this possibility, the unanimous voting result is still quite surprising."
Frankly, due to not knowing Gilgamesh and the others well, and considering the close relationships like sisters or comrades among the Servants, Haruno initially thought some might vote unfairly due to personal connections.
But contrary to her expectations, everyone present gave a fair verdict: Enkidu and Ishtar's fruit salad in third place.
Artoria and Morgan's side dishes in second place.
And Yukino, Kaguya, and Souji's dish in first place.
"Hmph, although we aren't particularly familiar with each other here, the fact that we can all stand here means Ryu absolutely trusts us."
"Stating our feelings directly, the taste of the dishes we put our full effort into… everyone naturally understands."
"If someone here actually showed favoritism due to personal relationships, then this king would doubt that person's discernment."
Snorting lightly, although her own dish didn't rank in this contest, the proud female Gil had witnessed everyone's serious preparations.
Though still verbally tsundere, she had inwardly acknowledged everyone's love for Ryuya.
Gilgamesh patted the table, deciding to put Ea in the pickle jar tonight as a weightstone first, to get back at the disobedient weapon.
As for the rest...
"Yukinoshita, quickly tell us what the next competition event is!"
Having lost in the first round, Female Gil was determined to go all out next time!
…
Evening, at the dinner table.
Although everyone made quite a bit of food in the afternoon, the portions were clearly insufficient, especially with big eaters like Artoria, Merlin, and Enkidu present.
Merlin and Artoria finished off the side dishes and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, while Enkidu devoured all the fruit and still wanted more.
"Let me calculate. Currently, our team has 3 points, Yukino's team has 10, King Arthur's team has 5. In the upcoming competitions, we need at least two second places, or one first place."
Counting on her fingers, planning her next move, Enkidu's emerald eyes glanced at Gilgamesh, who sat silently and sullenly nearby.
"Gil, I remember someone being very boastful before the contest, saying they would get first place."
Snap!
The sound of chopsticks breaking rang.
"Not just first place, but also something about being a bathtub and getting filled up."
Ishtar added, twisting the knife.
Crash!
The sound of a chair shattering rang.
"Hmph, you two... there will be a time when you beg this king."
Accepting the new chair and utensils brought by the maids, the defeated Gilgamesh didn't say much… she was practically full of anger.
"Speaking of which, I didn't expect the first contest to be so interesting. I'm looking forward to the next ones."
Unable to stop talking even during the meal, Ishtar radiated with blazing flames of vitality.
"Mhm, mhm. But let's set the competition aside for now, that's for tomorrow."
"I'm more curious about who gets the turn tonight? Is it the first-place team?"
Since the competition was still ongoing, the ultimate winner hadn't been decided.
But the time spent with Ryuya each night was a separate matter. As soon as Enkidu said this, everyone's ears perked up, especially Yukino, Kaguya, and Souji.
Their faces turned crimson, and they even stopped eating. Of course, their faces grew even redder.
"Mmm, I haven't decided yet. How about the first-place team? Consider it a small bonus?"
Tilting her head in thought, Haruno didn't mind. On the contrary, she quite liked this outcome, as she wanted to help her sister, right?
"Hmph, it's just one night. This king doesn't care."
If you lose, you admit it. Having lost the contest, any other excuses were useless.
Arguing about the nightly turn would only make the King, Gilgamesh, lose her dignity. Instead, she promised she would still strive hard.
Seeing the King of Heroes say this, the others showed no problem.
So what if it's the first-place team? They would also work hard tomorrow to get first place and show everyone!