"What kind of inferior wine is this, to be served to me, the King! Do you really think such a thing can measure the qualifications among heroes? bastard."
Despite his look of disgust, Gilgamesh still drank the wine from the spoon, not wasting a single drop. On some issues, this King was not entirely unlikable.
However, the wine served at the banquet displeased those present, and the King of Conquerors couldn't help but feel a bit put out, asking with a wry expression:
"Is that so? In the modern market, this is already a top-grade wine."
"That's because you don't understand the taste of wine at all, you bastard."
With a dismissive scoff, Gilgamesh raised his hand, and a golden ripple of spatial distortion appeared in his palm, a precursor to firing a noble phantasm. Even knowing that the Heroic Spirits wouldn't fight at this moment, Irisviel and Waver, the two bystanders, couldn't help but feel a chill.
However, Rin, who knew what he would take out, watched the entrance to the treasury with sparkling eyes. Being able to personally attend the Banquet of Kings was also a great anticipation.
"Watch carefully, and then remember, this is the true King's Wine!"
A heavy and beautiful golden-bellied wine pitcher emerged from the Gate of Babylon and landed on the ground. It was filled with a fragrant and clear liquid, and the intoxicating aroma of the wine wafted, reaching deep into the mind through the sense of smell, making one involuntarily crave it.
Seeing this, the King of Conquerors immediately became excited, exclaiming with delight:
"Oh! This is truly high-class."
Gilgamesh, genuinely praised by the King of Conquerors, let out a triumphant snort. From the re-opened golden ripple, he produced four pure gold wine glasses inlaid with dazzling jewels and sat down. The King of Conquerors, full of enthusiasm, picked up the pitcher and began to pour the wine. After the cups were full, the four attendees at the banquet picked up their glasses.
"With everyone and the wine here, let us drink this first cup!"
The King of Conquerors led the way, raising his glass and taking a big gulp, finishing the small cup in one go.
"Oh, delicious!!!"
Just by seeing the King of Conquerors host a banquet, it was clear he was a lover of fine wine. Gilgamesh's excellent wine immediately drew a sincere exclamation of praise from him.
Rin, who had long been eagerly awaiting Gilgamesh's divine wine, was no slower than the King of Conquerors. However, drinking fine wine like a bull would be too wasteful, akin to a pig devouring peonies. So, she sipped it slowly and delicately.
It could be said that Rin had tasted many of the world's top wines in the wine cellars of the Tohno Family and the Twin Mansion, but she had never tasted a wine as good as this—
As the wine flowed down her throat, she felt a strong sense of expansion in her mind. The wine was potent yet pure, rich yet refreshing, with an intense aroma filling her nasal passages. The fragrance seemed to bypass her taste buds and directly permeate her soul, giving her a feeling of ethereal lightness.
Most uniquely, a faint energy reverberated through her body with the wine, a warm and peaceful sensation flowing throughout, bringing an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. Even Saber, who ruled with a pure heart, self-restraint, and devotion, couldn't help but be moved.
"Oh! This is amazing, this definitely isn't wine brewed by humans, it must be what gods drink!"
Watching the King of Conquerors, who spared no words of praise, Gilgamesh displayed a leisurely and contented smile, gazing with satisfaction at the lightly swirling wine in his hand.
"Of course, whether it's wine or swords, my treasury only stores the best things. This is the taste of a King."
"Mmm~ it truly isn't wine brewed by humans." Rin, instead of sipping slowly like Gilgamesh and Saber, drank it all in one go, letting out a satisfied sigh. A fragrant breath, like an orchid, mixed with the scent of wine wafted towards Saber, causing the young king of knights' fair face to blush slightly.
"This should be wine brewed by the gods who governed harvest in the Age of Gods, using the finest grains offered by mortals and their divine power. It truly isn't a fine wine that humans can drink."
Gilgamesh looked at Rin with surprise, as if he had discovered something amusing.
"Oh? You can tell."
Rin, as if possessed by a wine demon, picked up the pitcher the King of Conquerors had just set down and refilled her glass, smiling as she said:
"Indeed, I tasted a faint divine energy in the wine, just like what I felt when I fought you last night. However, this divine energy is calm and gentle. Only a deity themselves could infuse pure divinity into wine. Hmm, good wine."
"Precisely. In the end, the only one who can truly appreciate this King's Wine is the fool who challenges me. As for the others who call themselves Kings, their qualifications as Kings are already self-evident, aren't they?"
Gilgamesh's pleasure was evident, yet the King of Conquerors and Saber, as the king of knights, showed no signs of furious anger at Gilgamesh's disparagement. This was because the debate between Kings was a process of denying others to affirm oneself; whoever lost their temper first at this point would be at a disadvantage.
However, Saber could not agree with Gilgamesh's self-aggrandizing display of luxurious enjoyment. She said calmly, without changing her expression:
"Enough, Archer. Watching you boast about your wine collection, you don't seem like a King at all, but rather a clown."
Gilgamesh scoffed dismissively, looking at Saber, whose words carried a heavy undertone of hostility.
"Hmph, bastards who don't even understand wine aren't fit to be Kings."
"You!..."
"Ah, ah, ah, you two are so boring."
Rider chuckled bitterly, interrupting their argument, then turned his head and continued the previous topic.
"So, Archer, your divine brew is indeed an exquisite wine, worthy of being paired with a treasure goblet. But alas, the Holy Grail is not meant for holding wine. We are currently engaged in a Holy Grail discourse to assess each other's qualifications to obtain the Holy Grail. First, we must see what grand ambitions you entrust to the Holy Grail. It would be improper not to ask this."
To the King of Conquerors' question, Gilgamesh maintained his disdainful attitude, gently placing his wine glass on the ground.
"Hmph, I can't stand you all. 'We are going to contend for the Holy Grail,' I don't know how you came to that conclusion."
Hearing this, even Rin, who knew what he was about to say, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. It had to be said that Gilgamesh's way of thinking was truly unique.
"Don't be so presumptuous, bastard. To assume that contending for the Holy Grail is the premise is a grave mistake. The Holy Grail originally belongs to me, the King. All treasures in the world can be traced back to my treasury."
"Oh! So you once possessed the Holy Grail? Do you know what the Holy Grail truly is?"
Gilgamesh's words immediately piqued the King of Conquerors' interest, and the king of knights couldn't help but turn her gaze towards him. However, Rin, knowing what 'nonsense' he was about to spout, drank her wine and turned her face in the opposite direction from Gilgamesh, as if admiring the moon.
"I don't know."
Gilgamesh, with his arms crossed, calmly uttered an answer completely at odds with his previous statement.
"Hmm?"
"Do not judge the entirety of my possessions from your bastard perspective. The sheer volume of my treasures has long surpassed my comprehension, but if it is a treasure, then it undoubtedly belongs to me. This is certain. To presumptuously take my treasures and contend for them—there should be a limit to such shamelessness."
Even the king of knights, who had been sitting quietly without a word, couldn't help but be speechless.
"Your words are no different from Caster's. It seems he isn't the only mentally deranged Servant."
Gilgamesh's expression immediately became displeased. The two kings, who were at odds, were about to start a verbal battle again, but the King of Conquerors raised his hand to interrupt the king of knights.
"That's not necessarily true, king of knights. Don't get excited yet. I feel I've vaguely guessed the true name of this Gilgamesh fellow. After all, there should only be one king whose history is even more arrogant than mine, Iskandar."
At this point, Rin noticed that Irisviel and Waver suddenly became interested, perking up their ears and listening intently. Unfortunately, the large King of Conquerors didn't dwell on this issue.
"So, Archer, does that mean if you agree, we can obtain the Holy Grail?"
"Of course, but I have no reason to bestow it upon you bastards."
"Are you reluctant to part with it?"
"Of course not. My treasures are only bestowed upon my subjects and my people."
Gilgamesh smiled mockingly at the King of Conquerors.
"Or Rider, if you are willing to submit to me, then I wouldn't mind bestowing one or two cups upon you."
"...Ah, that I cannot do."
The King of Conquerors scratched his chin, which was covered in reddish, iron-like stubble, seemingly finding the other party's condition too high, so he simply turned his head away.
"But Archer, actually, whether you have the Holy Grail or not doesn't matter to you, does it? You're not contending for the Holy Grail to fulfill some wish."
"Of course. But I cannot allow thieves who covet my property to go unpunished. To put it plainly, it's a matter of principle."
"Oh?"
The King of Conquerors cheerfully drained his cup of wine.
"If that's the case, then what great righteousness is there in it? Is there some reasoning behind it?"
"It is 'Law', bastard."
Gilgamesh picked up his wine glass again, took a sip, and chuckled:
"As King, I establish laws, defining the existence of rules. If you violate them, I will punish you. There is no room for negotiation or compromise."
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