"Hahaha, hahahaha..."
Half an hour later, at Ryudou Temple, Guinevere was rolling around in the temple's living room.
Before she came back, Saber had really attacked her, but each of Saber's sword strikes was unable to cause her any threat.
Guinevere was intimately familiar with everything about Saber's "Invisible Sword," from its dimensions to her swordsmanship. Furthermore, this Saber had perished at the Battle of Camlann, meaning she lacked not only decades of experience compared to Guinevere's Lia but also the training they had shared since their meeting.
To put it simply, even if this Saber had a top-tier Master, and Guinevere's base stats were lowered by another notch, the outcome of their duel would remain unchanged. This was her innate advantage—her specialized counter against Artoria Pendragon.
"But Assassin, why aren't you using your Noble Phantasm against Saber? It's not like she could win against you, and Lancer lost to her so miserably, getting beaten like a mangy dog."
"Caster, I've thought it over. If I bring Saber back with me now, we'd be forcing the other four pairs of Masters and Servants to target us collectively. Sakura and the others wouldn't be safe either."
"Can't the four of us form an alliance?"
"That would quickly escalate into a direct 4-on-3 showdown, wouldn't it? During the battle at the Emiya house, Archer and Lancer seemed to have an unspoken agreement. Caster, listen to me: my primary goal right now is to ensure your survival until your Soichirou is ready for the wedding."
"Of course, I also don't want the Holy Grail War to end too quickly, nor do I want to return to the Throne of Heroes just two days after being summoned."
After her battle with Saber, Guinevere seemed to have derived pleasure from the expectedly bewildered expression on Saber's face, which put her in a better mood to consider the future.
Hearing Guinevere's thoughts, Medea, now in her home clothes, twitched her finger, her "elven ear" tips flushing red as she stole a glance at Souichirou Kuzuki.
After falling in love with her own Master, this Mage from the Age of Gods had become increasingly girlish.
"Alright, let's keep stalling then, and stick to a defensive strategy. But are you sure we're strong enough? What if the other Master-Servant pairs come looking for us first?"
"After my battle with Saber, those pairs should choose to be cautious until they've figured out my capabilities."
As Guinevere said this, Medea recalled Guinevere's leisurely demeanor, Saber's impotent rage, and finally, Guinevere once again leaning in to whisper breathily into Saber's ear.
"Heh, your Saber is really cute. If only..."
"Retract your bold thoughts. Even if this Saber isn't my Lia, she can only be bullied by me!"
Guinevere had thought Medea wouldn't become a Saber-simp, but seeing the "appreciative" look on her face, she had no choice but to issue a warning. The fellow fan had, in response, slapped the tatami mats on either side of her hips.
But then again...
"Master, you wouldn't want me to seduce your Souichirou, would you? I am the Witch renowned for her betrayal, after all!"
Guinevere transmitted this message solely through their Master-Servant Contract, ensuring only Medea could hear it.
Upon hearing those words, Medea's reaction was...
"Assassin, I command you with a Command Spell: memorize your place and abandon any dangerous thoughts. Now, get out and guard the gate!"
Medea had been driven to a furious rage, wasting a Command Spell outright. However, since it put her mind at ease, Guinevere didn't mind the command.
As Guinevere settled back onto the top of the courtyard gate, she sighed internally at how atrocious her own reputation had become in this world.
At the same time, she reached out and accepted a sake bottle shot from golden ripples in the air.
"King of Heroes, you're here?"
"Bored. I came to drink with someone who barely qualifies as a mongrel."
His body had been solid all along, merely using a Noble Phantasm of concealment. After sending the Noble Phantasm back into his Treasury, his imposing figure materialized, and he sat down beside Guinevere, leaving a space between them.
Clinking glasses, they drank the nectar that had been shared in the Fourth Holy Grail War of another world.
"Hmph, what are you thinking? Coming to drink with me, were you disgusted by the Matou House's demon?"
The King of Heroes finished his wine a bit later than Guinevere, his eyes full of contempt for her uncouthly savoring the drink.
"This King has seen far more disgusting things. Without mentioning anything else, just take Tiamat's creations that you and I once faced; even their souls were alien."
Knowing the King of Heroes was referring to the Lahmu, Guinevere also recalled those 'New Humans' who were utterly non-human from their appearance to their souls.
Although Zouken Matou had rotted over five hundred years, he could at least be seen as the dregs of a human after rotting.
"So, did you kill them all?"
"Are you doubting this King?"
"Then thank you, come, I'll drink a toast to you."
Another clink of glasses, another drink drained in one gulp, and this time Guinevere poured more wine for the King of Heroes.
At this time, Medea asked about the King of Heroes' origins within the Master-Servant Contract, and Guinevere told her:
"This is the King of Heroes, a defeated enemy of hers in a certain world, and a comrade-in-arms in another certain world. Now, the karmic debts between the two of them in the mortal realm are settled, and the next time they meet, only hatred should remain."
Afterward, Guinevere refused Medea's terrified pleas and her command to use a Noble Phantasm against the King of Heroes.
"Sorry, but Capturing the King of Heroes would make me feel genuinely uncomfortable. Rest assured, judging by his posture, he doesn't seem to be looking for a decisive battle with me right now. My battle with him will probably be saved for the very end."
Medea hesitated over whether to waste a Command Spell to force Guinevere to use a Noble Phantasm against the King of Heroes. Ultimately, because Saber was easily obtainable and the King of Heroes might have Effect Resistance, Medea chose to trust Guinevere's words.
Thus, she fell silent, pulled out some Far Eastern sake from who knows where, and began drinking with Souichirou with impure intentions.
And the others in Ryudou Temple? Of course, they had all fallen asleep early under the influence of Medea's Magecraft.
"Hey, Mongrel, aren't you afraid this King will make a move on you right now?"
"A little. That's why I'll say this: you and I can probably be considered friends, so I'll trouble you to save your grudge for the very end."
The corners of the King of Heroes' mouth kept curling upward, and finally, he couldn't help but cover his forehead and laugh out loud.
Afterward, his crimson eyes stared at Guinevere, who had just downed another glass, knowing that her composure was no pretense.
"Truly confident, Guinevere."
"Mm-hmm, then thank you, Gil... um, let's stick with King of Heroes. You probably wouldn't like me calling you Gil. In the Ancient Chinese Language, which I've learned, the pronunciation of 'Gil' also has a bad meaning."
Hearing this, the King of Heroes felt a bit bewildered. But the joy of being acknowledged as a friend overwhelmed his confusion. Guinevere had defeated him and helped him; she certainly earned the right to be his friend.
Guinevere, what a shame you like women.
He refrained from saying the last part aloud, deciding not to be tactless. From today on, aside from Enkidu, he finally had another friend.
"Come, a toast to friends."
He had stopped calling her "mongrel." And while Guinevere's mention of friendship had been a calculated move, upon receiving his acceptance, a genuine smile bloomed on her lovely face.
"One drink's not enough! When we were with the King of Conquerors, we used to drink by the jug!"
"A pity, then. I possess the memories of that version of myself, but what I personally experienced here was the unpleasant Banquet of Kings."
"Guinevere, you want to untie the knots in this side's King of Knights' heart, don't you?"
The wine glass paused mid-air, then she chuckled softly. Guinevere gazed at the sky and said in a gentle tone,
"Hmm, isn't this what I, as a Queen, ought to do?"
At this, Guinevere also thought of her original intention for wielding a sword.
"I will turn this imperfect story into something I can expect, as much as possible. Come, another toast!"