"Enough with the empty praise, King of Conquerors," Artoria said, holding her wine cup steady. "What are your intentions?"
"Nothing much. I simply wanted to ask one last time—as a fellow King, what is your wish? If our desires do not conflict, perhaps we could find a way to divide the Holy Grail." Iskandar's eyes gleamed with a sharp, calculating intelligence.
Ludwig glanced at Waver on the chariot, then back to Iskandar. "Before asking others, why don't you share yours first? What is your wish?"
"Mine? Well..." Iskandar suddenly looked troubled. He drained his cup and poured another. "I want to obtain a physical body."
"A physical body?" Artoria was genuinely surprised.
"A Servant's form is not a true entity; without a real body and a second life, one can't truly begin to speak of anything else," Iskandar explained.
As for conquering the world, he clearly intended to do that in his own way, rather than relying on the Grail to grant it.
Having understood this nuance, Artoria silently took a sip of her wine. It wasn't top-tier vintage, but it was similar to the red wine she had tasted a few times during hotel dinners—likely the best available in Fuyuki City.
"My wish... My wish is to use the miracle of the Holy Grail to save my fallen homeland, Britain," Artoria stated.
"Oh? In other words, you harbor regrets over the downfall of your country?" Iskandar asked.
"As a King, one should feel such regret whether the nation falls by one's own hand or after one's passing," Artoria replied. "Is it not the same for you?"
"No, I have no regrets. Even if the empire I built shattered into pieces after my death, that was the result of their individual wills. It is not something I should control," Iskandar said.
Artoria shook her head. "No. You are ignoring the wars triggered in that process—how many soldiers and civilians died because of those pointless conflicts. A nation may fall, but it should end peacefully, as if fading into a dream. It should never become a hell of blood and fire."
"To you, are the lives and happiness of your subjects more important than your own status as King?" Iskandar's expression turned solemn.
"If a monarch sins, let it not fall upon the subjects; if the subjects sin, the responsibility lies solely with the King." Artoria's gaze met Iskandar's head-on. "At its core, the nation is the King's responsibility. One cannot ignore that duty for the sake of personal gain or loss."
Iskandar stared at Artoria while drinking. "So, you... a King... are a slave to 'responsibility'?"
"Not a slave. A King is an existence that walks the righteous path to fulfill that responsibility," Artoria denied firmly. "But if that 'righteousness' belongs only to the King and cannot reach all the subjects of the nation, it is destined to be the righteousness of only one person."
Then, she repeated the words Ludwig had once told her: "Only one who can bear the excessive blame and humiliation of an entire nation can become its monarch; only one who can carry the burden of a nation's disasters can be a King of the world. I bore all of that, yet the nation still fell. What of you, King of Conquerors?"
"I see. So you became a King with the resolve to shoulder all the sins and disasters of your people?" Iskandar set down his empty cup. "I can understand it, but I cannot acknowledge such a stifling, suffocating Way of Kings."
"That is only because you are too reckless," Ludwig said, knowing the conversation was over. He turned to create some distance, preparing for the final battle of the Holy Grail War. "Just as the world has boundaries, a King's recklessness should have them too."
Iskandar laughed again, a smile sharp with the desire for conquest. "In that case, no more words are needed. Let us pour everything into the coming battle."
Artoria silently placed her wine cup on the ground and turned to follow Ludwig.
"I thought you'd be more conflicted," he said.
"I was, but thanks to you, Lud, that doubt has been swept away. If I had someone like you supporting me during my life, perhaps I would have made fewer mistakes," Artoria said. "Your words always carry such weight."
"I'm not the type to settle for being a minister serving a King," Ludwig said, looking away. "Besides, I'm just reciting principles from books to you. You feel something because you are a King... I don't personally have that many profound realizations."
"Lud is not someone who can be confined by the status of King or subject," Artoria nodded. "All that remains is to face the final answer of the Holy Grail War."
Reaching the edge of the lawn, the two turned and stood their ground, facing Iskandar on his chariot.
The man drew his sword and pointed it at them, as if he had ten thousand men at his back.
In the next instant, a dry, hot wind—entirely out of place in winter—swept in. A white light instantly enveloped the area, swallowing them both.
Blinded by the gale and the white glare, Artoria waited for her vision to clear. When it did, she found herself standing in the middle of an endless sea of sand.
"This is..." She realized what had happened.
"Another Reality Marble..." Ludwig muttered.
Artoria blinked. "Another?"
"Don't mind me, just talking to myself." Ludwig pointed toward Iskandar. "Look, the King of Conquerors is quite far away now. It seems he really does have ten thousand men."
"That's..." Artoria was stunned.
Before them stood the soldiers and generals who had fought alongside Iskandar during his life, following him on his eastern conquests.
"Prioritizing quantity over quality?" Ludwig was already contemplating tactics. "Your Holy Sword... it should be able to handle this many people at once, right?"
"It can, but it requires time. And the enemies are too spread out. If one strike doesn't wipe out the vast majority..." Artoria said.
The scabbard was back in her hand, so she wasn't worried about injuries during a melee slowing her down.
"Then let's do this: I'll take the vanguard," Ludwig said, gripping his Demonic Sword. "I will draw as much of their attention as possible, forcing them to focus their entire army on me so they have no time to deal with you."
"You want to use yourself as bait?" Artoria understood his intent.
"When the time is right, I'll let you know via Command Seal," Ludwig said confidently. "Don't worry about me. Just give them a big one. Let the King of Conquerors witness the brilliance of the King of Knights."
"The King of Knights and her 'Knight'..." Artoria rested her hands on her sword, a trace of clarity washing over her face. "That is truly heartening."
"Then—"
Ludwig held his sword and began a slow, steady walk toward Iskandar's massive army.
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Type-Moon: The A-Ray Knight's Holy Grail Journey(98 Chapter - Ongoing)
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