"What's going on...... A head-on breakout?"

A pair of powerful arms held Alice Fair's shoulders, the arms of Artoria who had appeared beside her for the first time after noticing the mutation.

"Are you alright? Alice Phil. ”

"Well, just a surprise. I didn't expect such a mess of guests to visit. ”

"Such a reckless move, I'm afraid no one will be able to do it except rider"

Alice Fell nodded. She remembered the power of the Divine Wheel that she had witnessed in Warehouse Street a few days ago, the Sacred Ox Chariot entwined with thunder and lightning—the kind of Noble Armor that could easily destroy the magic array set up in the forest once it unleashed its full power. It would have been fine if the enchantment had been intact, but due to the attack of Caster and Kenes a few days ago, the enchantment had not recovered from the damage at that time.

"Saber, who bears the name of the Divine King, Iskander, the king of my conquests, has come to meet you for a while!"

"Can't wait to go to war, rider?"

Walking through the corridor to the terrace, Artoria asked without moving as she saw the enemy servants standing tall in the hall by the moonlight from the skylight.

"Don't be in such a hurry... Saber. I just heard about the castle here and I wanted to come and see - how did it happen, huh?"

Rider, who looked around, couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when he found the castle in ruins due to Kiritsugu's battle. "And I'm that like someone who takes advantage of people, apparently you've just been through a fight, Saber?"

"It's just a game with the rats that slipped in, and even if it wastes some magic, it's still more than enough to deal with you..."

When faced with this inexplicable servant, Artoria knew that she didn't need to be merciful in her words, because the rider himself wouldn't care about anything.

"Ahaha... It's still as confident as ever, it's really nostalgic for the old days. Rider laughed and said something incomprehensible, as if he had met Artoria in some part of his existence.

"But King Arthur, aren't you going to change into your modern outfit tonight? ”

Rider pointed to his jeans and T-shirt, as if he was wearing a royal robe, and said proudly. At the same time, Webber half-hid behind the huge frame of the rider and looked up at Alice Phil, whose expression was hostile or frightened. Needless to say, his face clearly reads "I want to go home" and "hurry up".

Once, King Iskandar, because of his interest in the culture of the invaded territory, was the first to wear Asian-style clothing, which made his entourage shy away from him. Alice Phil had heard the story, but she certainly didn't expect that the reason for the rider in front of her to change into modern clothes was actually Saber in a suit.

What made them even more strange was that the rider was not holding a weapon or other thing to use in combat.

It's a bucket.

No matter how you look at it, it's a wooden wine bottle. The rider, who easily clipped the sake bottle under his arm, is like a sake brewery owner who has come to deliver the goods.

"No... I feel like you're wearing that kind of clothes and you're the biggest problem. ”

Guarding against enemy attacks, Artoria did not unload her arms. Besides, Artoria didn't think there was anything wrong with her armor, and compared to being a two-meter-tall hero, the Rider's outfit was more problematic.

"But... What the hell are you here for, rider, if you're just showing off your outfit, come back, because I've learned your brainlessness again..."

"I don't understand? I'm looking for you to drink - hey, don't be there, lead the way, is there a courtyard suitable for a banquet? This castle is all dust, no. ”

"Drink... Drink!?"

Hearing Rider's somewhat unexpected answer, I couldn't help but be moved by how calm he was. The conquering king's actions had left Artoria powerless to say anything.

"Don't tell me you don't drink, King Arthur!"

"Cut... How can it be. ”

Of course, Artoria couldn't have been able to drink, and she knew it all in her past and present lives. Besides, for her, having the blood of the red dragon itself is also a big bug, isn't there a common saying: the dragon has three good, wine, girl, and gold ingot.

This is not necessarily true, but it can also tell a lot of things. Although Artoria said that she only had the blood of a red dragon, and even if she was a dragon, she was also a good dragon who obeyed the way of chivalry, and would never do such things,

Hm... But who knows.

"Alice Phil, what should I do?"

Artoria sighed helplessly, there was really nothing she could do about this seemingly innocent opponent. I had to turn my head and ask Alice Phil's opinion.

This is Alice, if it were the other master Artoria, she didn't have to worry about him, she just did what she wanted. Her essence is by no means so submissive as it seems.

Artoria cares about Alice's opinion...

"As long as Saber likes it," she smiled softly, and although Alice Phil was just as confused, she didn't think it was a trap. In fact, neither Artoria nor Alice thought that Rider was a man who could trap.

So let Saber do it.

Understand Artoria's personality and let it go. I have to say that this is the cleverness of this woman named Alice Phil.

"Is this a war with wine? rider？”

Looking at Rider's grinning face, Artoria asked playfully with a funny smile on the corner of her mouth.

"Hehe, it's good to understand. Since you can't fight each other with swords, let's use wine to fight it out. King Arthur, I won't let you go tonight, get ready. ”

"Interesting... I'll play with you, King of Conquest..."

The banquet was held by the flower bed in the atrium of the castle. Last night's battle didn't spill over here, and it didn't look shabby for hospitality. At this point, no one cared about the cold outside.

Rider brought the wine bottle to the atrium, and the two servants sat down face-to-face and confronted each other leisurely. Alice Fell and Webber sat side by side, guessing at the development of the situation, realizing that it meant a temporary truce, and that he would just have to watch from the sidelines.

Rider smashed the lid of the barrel with his fist, and the mellow aroma of red wine suddenly filled the air in the atrium.

"Although it has a strange shape, it is a sake vessel unique to this country. Rider said as he proudly slapped a spoon of wine with a bamboo handle.

Do you even use the handle spoon as a wine container... This man has rebelled against the sky.

However, Artoria did not explicitly point out the common-sense mistakes of riders. Instead, he watched the actions of the king of conquest with an inexplicable smile on his face...

Rider first drank the wine from the spoon in one gulp, and then spoke.

"I've heard that only those who are qualified can get the Holy Grail. ”

The serious tone calmed the surrounding atmosphere. This man actually spoke in such a tone, and he always felt that something was wrong.

"And the ritual of selecting the person who is qualified is the war that was fought in Fuyuki. But if it's just a spectator, then there is no need to shed blood. If we can recognize each other's abilities, then I don't need to talk about it. ”

“.......”

There was no comment on Rider's remarks. Artoria silently took the spoon handed over by the King of Conquest, sniffed lightly, and couldn't help but frown.

"What's wrong, King Arthur?"

Noticing the subtle changes in the girl's face, Rider couldn't help but ask.

"This wine... It's terrible..."

Yes, just by sniffing it, Artoria was able to discern the good and the bad. But it's no wonder that a cassage of wine like this, which is snatched from a roadside shop, can't get any better if you think about it.

Wine tasting is different from eating, as long as you eat to quench your hunger. As a spiritual enjoyment, the requirements for its quality are extremely high, especially at this kind of royal banquet. It can be said that it is an insult for Rider to take out this inferior wine.

"Because this bastard doesn't know anything about wine!"

As if in response to Artoria's words, a dazzling golden light flashed in front of everyone. The voice and the light made Artoria pout.

Here comes the most unpopular ...

"I didn't expect you to come, why... Isn't the hero king, who has always been lonely and high, the most despised for this kind of banquet? ”

Artoria was sarcastic about Archer's arrival.

"Ah, when I saw him on the street, I asked him to drink together—but he was still late, Jinguang. But unlike me, he walks on foot, so I can't blame him. ”

"It's really a shame that you chose such a shabby place to hold a banquet, so that's all you can taste. Why did you apologize for causing me to come here?"

The armor-clad Archer looks proudly at the rider with ruby eyes, but indirectly counters Artoria's sarcasm.

"Cut..."

Turning her head, Artoria paid no more attention to the Hero King. The scene suddenly became deserted.

"Don't say that... Do you have any fine wine, King Hero?"

At this time, Rider is like a peacemaker, trying his best to resolve the silence between the two. The King of Conquest quickly deflected the subject, attracting Artoria's attention.

"Look, this is the 'King's Wine'. ”

A swirl of imaginary space appeared around the scoffing Archer. It was a precursor to the strange phenomenon that could summon the Noble Phantasm, and Webber and Alice Fell felt nothing but chills in their bodies. But tonight Archer was surrounded not by equipment, but by a series of barbers encrusted with dazzling gemstones. The heavy gold bottle was filled with a colorless, clear liquid.

"Oh, that's so impressive. ”

Rider didn't mind Archer's tone and happily poured the new wine into three glasses.

"Oh, it's delicious!!, it's not a human wine, it's a god drink."

After taking a sip, Rider immediately widened his eyes and praised.

Looking at the rider who did not hesitate to praise him, Archer smiled leisurely. At some point, he sat down and shook the glass in his hand contentedly.

"Of course, whether wine or sword, I have only the best in my treasure trove—this is the king's taste. ”

Looking at the two of them boasting to each other with black lines, the burning thing called the love made Artoria feel extremely uncomfortable. However, Artoria became interested in the wine that Archer had brought out. The laughing King of Conquest did not forget to pay attention to Artoria's expression, only to see him handing the wine glass to Artoria in a playful manner.

Looking at the colorless and clear liquid in the golden bottle, I felt the fragrance of the flesh coming to my nose. Artoria gently shakes the glass so that the wine moves in a circular motion. As the inner walls gradually moisten, a more delicate and light aroma slips into the nose, making people feel extremely comfortable and refreshing.

It is indeed a good wine.

Raising the golden wine glass in her hand, Artoria took a sip. When the wine flows into my throat, I feel a strong feeling of swelling in my brain. This is indeed a good wine she has never tasted, strong and pure, mellow and refreshing, with a strong fragrance filling the nasal cavity, and the whole person has a sense of drift.

"Huh?!"

At the moment of enjoying the aroma of the wine, Artoria suddenly frowned and looked into the distance......