While Iskandar and Yuto conversed, the rest of the restaurant stared straight at the giant.
Expressions of curiosity, deep interest and blatant confusion were painted across their faces.
"Is there something you all wish to say to me? If you have questions, please, speak freely!" Iskandar laughed, noticing the heavy stares.
He wasn't the least bit angered by the scrutiny, instead, he generously opened the floor to them.
"Iskandar-san, may I ask if you are a king, or some kind of military leader?" Rimuru asked, rolling a bit closer.
From the moment the giant entered, the slime's Great Sage skill had been screaming about the natural, overwhelming kingly aura radiating from the man.
However, because Rimuru was an average salaryman before his reincarnation, his grasp of ancient world history was a bit lacking and he hadn't immediately connected the name.
"Oh? Did I not mention my royal identity when I walked in? Ah! My apologies, my excitement got the better of me, and I actually forgot to properly introduce myself!" Iskandar chuckled, a slightly embarrassed smile touching his bearded face.
But a second later, that smile transformed into a look of extreme, terrifying majesty and pride.
He puffed out his massive chest.
"I am the son of Macedonia! The Conqueror King who galloped across countless kingdoms and lands! Heroic Spirit, Iskandar!"
As he roared those words, his entire presence seemed to expand, looking exactly like a legendary conqueror standing tall atop a warhorse.
His tone was filled with immense pride and unquestionable authority.
He looked like a red-maned lion roaring at the heavens.
Hearing his title, Saitama's eyes widened in simple understanding.
Rimuru suddenly gasped, his nonexistent eyes practically popping out of his gelatinous body as he finally remembered his middle-school history lessons.
Ainz's eye sockets flared with brilliant red light.
Utaha, however, looked at the giant with a very strange, conflicted expression.
"You are Alexander the Great!!!" Rimuru finally shouted.
He lived as modern Japanese man, he obviously knew the legendary figure.
The slime bounced up and down in his seat, extremely excited to meet a historical icon.
"Hahahaha! I never expected my legendary fame to be known even by a slime! How delightful! Come, little slime, let us share a drink!" Iskandar roared happily.
He cracked open two bottles of beer, handed one directly to Rimuru and raised his own.
Rimuru extruded a small tentacle of slime to grasp the heavy glass bottle, clinking it against Iskandar's in mid-air.
The two of them drank deeply.
"Ah! Hahaha! Tonight's wine is truly refreshing!" Iskandar wiped his beard with the back of his massive hand.
Watching Alexander the Great casually drinking beer with a slime in his restaurant, Yuto couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.
This was fundamentally different from his other guests.
The man sitting before him was a figure who had truly existed in the history of his own world.
It was a bizarre, awe-inspiring feeling, like flipping open a living history book.
"Kasumigaoka-san, is something wrong?" Yuto asked quietly, noticing the novelist's deeply conflicted stare.
"Hmm... I just remember my history textbooks explicitly stating that Alexander the Great was a rather short man..." Utaha murmured awkwardly, glancing apologetically at the towering, muscle-bound giant.
"Ah. That question. Someone in my own... war once asked me something very similar," Iskandar noted.
His booming tone softened, carrying a sudden, heavy hint of nostalgia, as if recalling an unforgettable, bittersweet memory.
But then, his voice swelled again, brimming with absolute confidence and unwavering determination.
That bearded face was filled with the unshakable pride and dominance befitting a true king.
"But, young lady, I can tell you clearly and truly: I am the genuine Conqueror King! I'm no imposter!"
Utaha was physically shaken by his imposing presence.
She found herself nodding subconsciously.
The Conqueror's regal, heavy aura made her fully realize that she was looking at a true monarch—one whose very soul disdained lies and pretense.
...
Iskandar was naturally boisterous and approachable.
Utaha, Rimuru, and the rest of the patrons quickly gathered around him, firing off questions about his era.
History has always held an undeniable allure.
Humanity's fundamental desire is the thirst for knowledge, it is the driving force that has pushed civilization forward.
People are naturally fascinated by the past that has vanished into the sands of time.
Now, a living history book was sitting right at the counter, drinking cold beer.
Utaha and Rimuru didn't stick to the dry facts found in textbooks.
They eagerly asked about the wild rumors and unofficial anecdotes scattered throughout folklore.
Yuto assumed the legendary conqueror would brush off the fabricated myths, but Iskandar happily answered every single one.
When they pointed out that his stories contradicted the official historical records, the King of Conquerors just laughed.
"Things written down by scholars who weren't even there are bound to be unreliable," he stated smoothly.
A warm, nostalgic light flickered in his crimson eyes.
"You know, Iskandar, for an ancient king, you seem to have a pretty solid grasp of modern knowledge."
Iskandar grinned, taking a heavy swig.
"Well, I was once summoned as a Servant to the modern era to fight in the Holy Grail War. That is where I picked up all this modern trivia."
As he spoke, a complex mix of deep satisfaction and lingering regret crossed his bearded face.
The human patrons at the counter looked thoroughly confused.
'Servant? Summoning? Holy Grail War?'
Ainz and Rimuru, however, caught on a bit faster.
As a top-tier magic caster, Ainz was very familiar with the mechanics of summoning familiars.
Rimuru had also learned about hero summoning from his time with Veldora back in his world.
"Hahaha! My apologies, I forgot you all wouldn't know about the Grail War," Iskandar rubbed the back of his neck, though his booming laugh didn't sound apologetic in the least.
"Iskandar, you called yourself a 'Heroic Spirit' earlier," Yuto noted, leaning against the counter. "Is there a connection there?"
Iskandar nodded. "Exactly. Heroic Spirits are beings formed from the souls of heroes whose great deeds became legends after their death. They are elevated by human faith. The Holy Grail War is a hidden ritual where mages summon avatars of these spirits—called Servants—to fight to the death over a wish-granting cup."
He paused, looking around the cozy, newly expanded restaurant. "Normally, a Heroic Spirit is bound to the Throne of Heroes and cannot leave. Yet, here I am, drinking beer! Hahaha!"
Rimuru looked up at the giant with shining eyes, adopting a deeply respectful tone.
"Then... did you win the war, Your Majesty?"
Iskandar scratched his thick beard and let out a candid, booming laugh.
"Hahaha! No, I lost."
There was no bitterness in his admission; his voice only carried a heavy sense of fulfillment.
"Eh? Even you lost?" Rimuru deflated a bit, his curiosity piqued. "Who managed to defeat you?"
"It was a fellow wrapped head-to-toe in gold," Iskandar said, his tone shifting into one of deep reflection and a warrior's respect.
"He was also a magnificent king."
"Another king?" Ainz asked, tapping a bony finger against the wood.
"That's right. He is the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh," Iskandar explained.
"A terrifyingly powerful ruler. It is a bit of a shame, though. I wasn't able to face him at my full strength. Looking back on it, there is always a sting of regret. But, such is the nature of war."
'A duel between the King of Conquerors and the King of Heroes,' Yuto thought, feeling a sudden thrill of excitement.
"That must have been an incredible battle to witness," he said aloud.
"It was!" Iskandar agreed proudly. "That final charge was no less grand than any great expedition I took in life!"
"But wait," Saitama chimed in, tilting his smooth, bald head. "Why weren't you at full strength for the final fight?"
"It couldn't be helped," Iskandar offered a helpless smile. "My magic reserves were severely depleted from a previous battle, and I hadn't recovered enough energy to sustain my ultimate Noble Phantasm."
Ainz's eye sockets flared slightly as he pieced the magical mechanics together.
"Does that mean your summoner—your Master—was too weak to supply you with sufficient mana?"
Iskandar chuckled, a fond, protective light softening his fierce eyes. "There was no helping it. For a Servant of my caliber to manifest and fight in that world, the mana drain is massive. If I had freely drawn the magical energy I needed to fight at full strength, the strain would have killed Waver."
It was the first time he had spoken his Master's name.
When he said 'Waver', he sounded exactly like a proud doting uncle talking about a frail but beloved nephew.
"You must have cared deeply for your Master, Iskandar-san," Utaha noted softly.
"Ah! That boy is a vassal I have personally acknowledged!" Iskandar boasted, his massive chest puffing out with pride.
"Waver Velvet might be physically weak and a terrible mage, but that doesn't matter! He has his King's recognition, and that is more than enough! As a King, it is my natural duty to protect those who are brave enough to ride beside me, even if they are still growing into their own strength."
Iskandar let out a long hearty sigh, taking another sip of his beer.
A deeply satisfied, unwavering smile rested on his bearded face.