To Become a King and a Magician 646-650

Title: Meeting Someone Stronger

Though Naoki had his suspicions, he wasn’t entirely certain of his own thoughts.

After all, that man was currently asleep in Avalon in a different world. How could he suddenly wake up and appear in this Singularity in this world? Moreover, given that man’s nature, no matter how Naoki thought about it, he could only stand on the side of Humanity, and it was impossible for him to do anything that would destroy it.

So, while it was a guess, Naoki didn’t have much confidence in it.

But now—

Looking at the figure seated on the throne, after speaking his piece, Naoki fell silent for a moment before letting out a few self-deprecating laughs.

“No, it seems I really asked a boring question. I know who you are better than anyone… Why are you acting so cold up there?”

“Arthur.”

Arthur.

Arthur Pendragon.

King Arthur from another world, the one who had always fought side by side with Naoki until now. He was the only one Naoki could never forget.

The person sitting on the throne, reflected in his eyes now, was undoubtedly him.

“As expected, it’s because of you?”

Standing up from the throne, the expressionless Arthur stared at Naoki, raising a hand to touch his chest. “My heartbeat is getting stronger. Are you the one causing this strange phenomenon in my heart, Natsukawa Naoki?”

Arthur didn’t like this feeling. The sound of his heartbeat suddenly felt somewhat irritating at this moment. And when he looked at Naoki before him, his head inexplicably began to ache again.

At that moment, a cool sensation from a hand reached Arthur’s temples on both sides.

Gently massaging Arthur’s temples as if to alleviate his headache, Merry smiled and said, “Don’t pay too much attention to this man, my lord. What you need to do hasn’t changed.”

“They are enemies who came to destroy this castle. You only need to eliminate them. That way, your reign will continue forever.”

“Yes, as you say.”

The face that had briefly wavered due to the headache returned to normal. In Arthur’s hand, a golden light familiar to Naoki gradually gathered, and then a golden sword materialized from it.

(Caliburn…)

Naoki’s expression grew serious. At the same time, he glanced at the white-robed woman behind Arthur.

“Is that… Sister Merry?” Gray asked with a hint of uncertainty.

From her appearance, clothing, and aura, the person standing behind Arthur was indeed Merry. But for some reason, Gray felt something was off, as if this Merry was one percent different from the Merry she knew.

[Her Mana signature isn’t different; it’s the same as the Incubus that gave me that feeling.] Add explained.

[But… just like you, foolish Gray, I also feel something’s not right. It’s like kissing plastic wrap when you kiss someone’s lips—it doesn’t feel great. Big brother feels the same, right?]

“Yeah.”

Add didn’t need to tell him—Naoki already knew this Merry wasn’t the real Merry. After all, the real Merry was currently in the Seventh Singularity, using all her tricks to hypnotize Tiamat. She wouldn’t appear here.

But… thinking about it, it wasn’t entirely impossible. If it was her, she could definitely leave a substitute here with an illusion to confuse people.

“You… no, both of you… who are you really?”

“Hehe, what a strange question, Lord King.” Merry giggled, covering her mouth. “We are, of course, [Merry] and [Arthur Pendragon], the two people you know best.”

No, that’s not right.

Though the two in front of him looked exactly like the two people Naoki knew, he could clearly sense a slight discrepancy compared to the originals.

“You, could you be—”

“Holy Sword, Release.”

Just as Naoki was about to voice his thoughts, Arthur’s emotionless voice echoed in the empty throne room.

A brilliant star-like light flared from the Holy Sword.

“Ngh—he’s really going all out! Gray, get ready!”

Naoki said as he drew his own Holy Sword. An equally brilliant star-like light erupted and shone!

Seeing this, Gray immediately transformed Add into its shield form, maximizing its defensive output!

“Excali—”

“Excali—”

Both Holy Swords were raised simultaneously. At a distance of less than twenty meters, staring into Arthur’s vacant eyes as if he had lost his sense of self, Naoki gritted his teeth and swung his Holy Sword first!

“—bur!”

True Name, Released.

The Breath of the Stars poured out from the Holy Sword! Though it didn’t release any bindings, this attack still carried the power of an A+ Anti-City Noble Phantasm!

Strike first to gain the advantage!

However, the moment Naoki swung his Holy Sword—

“Release Restrictions, The Four Retained—Gawain, Lancelot, Tristan, Mordred.”

(What—)

“Excalibur.”

Like an iceberg, expressionless and with an emotionless voice, Arthur mechanically swung the Holy Sword in his hand. A star-like light, far more blinding than Naoki’s, instantly enveloped Naoki and Gray’s entire field of vision!

At the same time, the entire throne room was filled with the radiant light of the Holy Sword!

And within this light, in just an instant, Naoki’s light was completely obliterated by Arthur’s. The output in that moment was on an entirely different level!

(Damn it, Gray—)

Realizing his recklessness, Naoki immediately shifted his attention backward. At the fastest speed he could muster, he rushed in front of Gray, simultaneously fully activating his Displacement Magecraft!

*BOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!*

The star-like light completely devoured everything in its path!

However, this blinding light lasted only a moment. As if deeming it sufficient, Arthur, looking at the now-empty and ruined space caused by the Holy Sword’s attack, turned and sat back on the throne.

“They escaped.” Merry smiled. “That must be Displacement Magecraft. It’s impressive they managed it in that split second. The Imaginary Manifestation unique to fairies is truly convenient—Shall we pursue, my lord?”

“They can’t be chased. But they can be hunted.” Arthur said in a deep voice. “Issue the order to Lancelot. Have him begin the hunt for Naoki and Gray, dead or alive. He is permitted to use the Holy Grail.”

“As you command. A wise judgment, my lord.”

-

Title: Gawain, the Gorilla Knight!

On a plain about four kilometers from the throne room.

*BZZZZ!*

With a ripple in space, Naoki and Gray suddenly emerged from a curtain of light.

After setting Gray down, Naoki turned and looked toward the distant castle. “This distance should be safe for now. You’re not hurt, are you, Gray?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” Gray nodded. “But… Sister Merry and Arthur in that castle…”

“I don’t know about Merry, but that Arthur… it has to be the real one, right? At the very least, I don’t think the Holy Sword would fall into anyone else’s hands so easily.”

Recalling the earlier scene, Naoki’s brows furrowed slightly.

That Holy Sword was the genuine Holy Sword. Having wielded it for ten years, he knew it wasn’t a fake or a Holy Sword simulated by Magecraft. It was the real deal, just like the one in his hand.

And theoretically, only four people could wield this Holy Sword: the first Holy Sword wielder, whose true name was still unknown; Arthur, the second Holy Sword wielder; Naoki himself, the third; and Artoria, who was also in this Singularity.

(That was Arthur…)

For Naoki, this was a fact that was hard to believe. After all, it was Arthur—a heroic prince-like figure who upheld virtue and corrected evil, a champion of justice who would resolutely fight against wickedness under any circumstances.

Him becoming Naoki’s enemy was something that could never happen under normal conditions.

“Could it be like ten years ago?”

During the Holy Grail War ten years ago, Arthur had been summoned by Morgan as a Berserker and would only have become Naoki’s enemy due to Morgan and Merry’s schemes.

Could this situation be the same? Naoki had clearly seen that Arthur’s gaze was vacant, as if he had no sense of self.

Was his mind being manipulated? Or, like Jeanne Alter, had someone created a puppet-like Arthur using the Holy Grail?

“Big brother?”

“—!”

Hearing Gray’s voice, Naoki snapped out of his thoughts. “What’s up, Gray? Something wrong?”

“No, it’s just that your expression and gaze looked a bit too serious… Are you okay, big brother?”

[Don’t underestimate big brother, Gray—though I say that, there must be a bit of sadness in your heart right now. After all, you’re facing him again. Want to take a break first? Like that cowardly doctor said, it’s better to meet up with Artoria.]

Naoki gave a wry smile. “I’m fine, just thinking about something. You don’t need to worry about me, Gray, Add. This isn’t the first time I’ve faced that guy—I’ve got the resolve for it.”

“But you’re right. It’s better to go meet Lia and the others first. In these past few days, she might have gathered some valuable information.”

The information about the Sixth Singularity sent by Merlin had stopped two days ago. According to him, contact with Artoria had been cut off since then. It could be inferred that someone had noticed the information leak and intervened.

That being the case, in the two days since, Artoria might have gathered more information—perhaps something related to Arthur and Merry.

“I remember Roman said Lia was stationed about five kilometers south of the castle. That’s about one kilometer from us. Let’s fly there. Hop on, Gray, I’ll carry you.”

“Yes, thank you, big brother.”

Bending down and picking Gray up horizontally, Naoki glanced back at the distant castle once more. A whirlwind appeared beneath his feet, swiftly carrying them both into the air.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Artoria had already established a base.

Roman had mentioned this earlier, and when he said “base”, Naoki had initially thought it would be an area filled with tents.

But upon actually arriving at the base…

“A city?”

Looking at the clearly man-made city walls and the streets sprawling behind them—though it couldn’t be called lively, as the faces of the residents inside were mostly filled with sorrow and their eyes lacked much light—there was no doubt this was a city.

Naoki placed his hand on the city wall and felt it. “This… was built in just a few days?”

“Does that mean this is a city built by Sister Lia?”

[Possibly. As for the reason, it might be to protect the residents inside or to give them a place to stay.]

Add was right.

Within Naoki’s range of perception, there were no other cities in the southern area aside from this one. There were only a few scattered settlements with no protective measures.

(Are there wild monsters in this Singularity?)

The reason for building city walls and even stationing knights near the streets could only be this—within his visible range, Naoki spotted several Guard Knights.

Though he was long tired of seeing them, seeing them now actually made him feel a bit nostalgic.

At that moment, a few people also noticed Naoki and Gray appearing at the entrance. A fully armored Guard Knight quickly approached them. “Are you two also refugees seeking shelter?”

“Refugees?” Naoki furrowed his brows. “Those words suggest there’s a natural disaster or monsters around here?”

“Hm? Didn’t you come to escape the dragon calamity?”

Dragon calamity?

What was that?

“ROAR—!!”

Just as Naoki had this question, a deafening roar suddenly erupted directly above them!

Looking up, in the sky where there had been nothing before, a massive two-legged winged dragon appeared! In size, it was about twice as large as a normal two-legged wyvern!

“GAAAAAA—!”

The two-legged winged dragon that appeared without warning spread its dragon wings wide and let out a piercing roar into the sky. Then, blazing flames gathered in its mouth as it aimed downward at the city below—

*SWISH!*

But before the flames could burst from its mouth, a small figure suddenly appeared in front of it. A scythe as tall as a person swiftly sliced through it, cleaving it in half and killing it in midair!

Landing back on the ground, watching the two-legged winged dragon gradually turn into black mist and disappear, Gray couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

“This two-legged winged dragon… it’s not a living creature?”

“Yeah, but it’s also not purely a Mana creation… it’s like it was made from mud?”

Naoki frowned and turned to the Guard Knight. “Was that the dragon calamity? Does this happen often?”

“Uh, about that…”

“Taking down a two-legged winged dragon so cleanly? That was a beautiful strike.”

The Guard Knight had just snapped out of his shock at Gray’s instant kill of the two-legged winged dragon. Before he could answer, another voice came from the street. Accompanied by the sound of clanking armor, Naoki and Gray saw a tall figure walking toward them.

(It’s him…)

“With such sharp skills and this honorable man’s face that resembles my lord—you two must be Lord Naoki and Lady Gray, right?”

“I am Gawain. One of the Knights of the Round Table.”

The Sun Knight bowed to Naoki and Gray.

“My lord and we, the Knights of the Round Table, have been waiting for you here for a long time.”

-

Title: The Child with the Father-Slaying Sword, Ready to Destroy Her Father

Gawain.

One of the Knights of the Round Table.

The perfect knight in ideals, and also the etymology of the white knight in shining armor—in a certain sense, someone who had a slight connection to Naoki.

In the original Sixth Singularity, he was the guardian of the Holy City’s gate, bestowed with the blessing of Eternal Night by the Lion King, a formidable enemy who forced Naoki to shed tears and break stones.

But now—

“About six days ago, along with a few other Knights of the Round Table, I was summoned as a Servant by my lord. For the sake of my lord’s current goal, and for the continuation of Humanity, we have been waiting here for your arrival from Chaldea.” Gawain explained as he walked ahead of Naoki and Gray.

Gawain, who should have been an enemy, was now standing as a teammate. Even without the blessing of Eternal Night, Gawain remained a trustworthy knight—Naoki was very clear about this. Or rather, there wasn’t a single untrustworthy person among the Knights of the Round Table.

Even if many had yet to appear, the Knights of the Round Table who had shown up were undoubtedly reliable.

Naoki smiled. “You’ve really worked hard coming here first to repair the Human Order all this time. I should have come earlier, but due to some past mistakes, Chaldea wasn’t too confident about me acting alone… Sorry, I arrived a bit late.”

“It’s fine. Such a small matter doesn’t warrant an apology. Acting cautiously is a good thing.” Gawain smiled. “However, my lord mentioned before that there were supposed to be three people coming. Why are there only two?”

“Oh, this time it’s just me and Gray. You’re talking about Fujimaru and the others. For efficiency, Chaldea will be tackling two Singularities at the same time this time. Fujimaru is still in the final stages of preparation and will head to conquer the Seventh Singularity.” Naoki explained.

“Also, may I know which Knights of the Round Table were summoned?”

“Besides me, Lancelot and Tristan were also summoned.”

Only three Servants?

As if sensing Naoki’s surprise, Gawain continued, “Originally, as long as it was a summons from my lord, anyone would surely respond. However, this time, for some unknown reason, only the three of us could manifest. The other comrades couldn’t.”

(Couldn’t manifest?)

Gawain’s explanation made Naoki frown.

Was there such a thing?

(If we’re talking about Servants who couldn’t manifest, the situations that come to mind are in the Lostbelt Great Qin and the Fairy Britain… But those were Lostbelt situations. This is still a Singularity—it shouldn’t meet the conditions for being unable to manifest.)

(Is this related to the anomalies of this Singularity?)

Unable to be observed by Chaldea, the missing ring of light, Arthur who seemed to be manipulated, the mysterious Merry, the enigmatic dragon calamity, and now Servants who couldn’t manifest—the situation in this Singularity was growing stranger by the minute.

In less than half an hour, Naoki’s head was already filled with questions.

The amount of information was a bit overwhelming.

At that moment, Gawain, who was walking ahead, stopped. “We’ve arrived. This is where my lord is.”

“This is the place?”

Naoki looked at the simple house in front of him.

From its location, the house was at the center of the city. It was likely chosen here to allow quick access to various parts of the city.

After knocking on the door, Gawain pushed it open and entered. Following him, Naoki and Gray immediately saw Artoria standing in front of a sand table, seemingly deep in thought.

The moment Naoki and Gray entered, Artoria looked up. Upon seeing them, she immediately smiled. “You’ve finally arrived, Master, and Gray too. I’ve been waiting for you for so long.”

“We should’ve come the day before yesterday, but some things came up.”

“Is that so? No matter what, it’s enough that Master has come here. This will undoubtedly create a significant advantage for the battles ahead.” Artoria said. “By the way, Sir Gawain, how’s the situation with the dragon calamity?”

“Yes. Actually, when I arrived, the dragon calamity had already been dealt with by Lady Gray here. It was a very impressive strike.”

Gray dealt with the dragon calamity?

“Hmm, I see. Continue patrolling, Sir Gawain. I have some matters to discuss with Master and Gray.”

“As you command.”

Gawain responded and quickly left the room.

Artoria gestured toward several chairs placed on the other side. “Master and Gray, please sit first. I’ll explain the information I’ve gathered so far. Since I haven’t been able to contact Merlin for a few days, I assume there’s a lot of information you don’t know yet, right?”

“Yes, that’s true. For example, the dragon calamity you just mentioned.” Naoki said. “Are those two-legged winged dragons that appear out of thin air the dragon calamity?”

“You could say they’re the smallest form of the dragon calamity. While they’re not a threat to us Servants, they’re a real danger to the residents living here. Usually, the number of two-legged winged dragons that appear at once ranges from three to five. More or fewer than that is quite rare.”

Artoria explained.

“However, since Gray dealt with the dragon calamity, I assume you both already know that those two-legged winged dragons aren’t actual living creatures, right?”

Gray and Naoki nodded.

The two-legged winged dragon had turned into black mist and vanished after being killed by Gray. That was definitely not how a living creature dies.

“The dragon calamity is essentially a phenomenon of this Singularity. We suspect it’s something natural, like wind or rain. Though it only started appearing half a year ago, right around the same time as the Incineration of the Human Order.”

“According to the locals, all the changes began with a beam of light that suddenly appeared half a year ago. After that beam appeared, the White Dragon Nation emerged, and the dragon calamity appeared the next day.”

Half a year ago.

A beam of light.

Naoki asked, “Could the place where that beam of light appeared be where the White Dragon Nation is?”

“Indeed.” Artoria nodded. “I arrived here five days ago. At that time, I encountered a group of ordinary people being besieged by the dragon calamity. After saving them, I was brought to this side.”

“After that, I discussed with the locals, made this place a temporary base, summoned Sir Gawain and the others, and built the city walls to counter the dragon calamity and the Knights of the Round Table.”

Counter the Knights of the Round Table?

Naoki raised an eyebrow. “Are those the Knights of the Round Table that Merlin mentioned, guarding the White Dragon Nation?”

“Yes. I was also shocked when I first saw them. I didn’t expect…” Artoria seemed to hesitate. After a brief pause, she continued, “I didn’t expect the nobles from a parallel world to take the form of women.”

[We are the Knights of the Round Table from a parallel world.]

That was the statement given by those Knights of the Round Table when Artoria first saw them. Though their gender was different, causing some discrepancies, through observation, Artoria was able to determine their true names.

“There are four Knights of the Round Table on the enemy’s side: a female Sir Gawain, a female Sir Lancelot, a female Sir Tristan, and… the one we know as Mordred.”

“Mordred is there too…”

Naoki wasn’t surprised to hear Mordred’s name mentioned by Artoria. Over the years, Mordred had always acted alongside Morgan. In the Fourth Singularity, she had even left a message saying she would wait for Naoki here.

(Come to think of it, Morgan is also in that White Dragon Nation… Could that Merry be her, disguised as Merry with Magecraft?)

After frowning and thinking for a moment, Naoki asked Artoria, “Is there any other information? Lia—or better yet, tell me everything you’ve learned since you arrived here, from start to finish.”

“I think that’ll answer some of my questions.”

-

Title: Your Stepfather and Stepmother Are on Their Way

The situation in the Sixth Singularity can generally be divided into three phases.

First, six months ago, when the Incineration of the Human Order had just begun.

At that time, a beam of light suddenly appeared at the current location of the White Dragon Nation. It happened in the middle of the night, so no one knew exactly what occurred, only that the White Dragon Nation emerged afterward.

Then, the next day, the dragon calamity began, along with the appearance of several Knights of the Round Table who claimed to be from a parallel world, as well as Mordred.

The Knights of the Round Table repelled the first dragon calamity and established a base outside the walls of the White Dragon Nation. Whenever a dragon calamity appeared, they would go out to fight it. After repelling the dragon calamity, the Knights of the Round Table would also lead the residents they protected into the White Dragon Nation to receive the dragon’s protection.

This was the first phase, as Artoria heard from the locals.

The second phase occurred afterward, before Artoria’s arrival.

During this period, nothing particularly notable happened. The Knights of the Round Table from the parallel world continuously eradicated the dragon calamities and brought the ordinary people they protected to the White Dragon Nation. If there was anything special, it was the number of people they brought in.

Initially, everyone was brought inside, but at some point, the number of people allowed to enter the White Dragon Nation gradually decreased. Eventually, one day, a Knight of the Round Table left alone without bringing anyone after repelling a dragon calamity. After that, thick chains were added to the gates of the White Dragon Nation, and they were never opened again.

The ordinary people left behind asked the Knights of the Round Table why they weren’t being brought into the White Dragon Nation, and the answer they received was as follows:

[The castle no longer has any vacant space to accommodate more people. We deeply regret that we cannot protect more individuals. But rest assured, wherever a dragon calamity occurs, we, the Knights of the Round Table, will arrive as quickly as possible.]

This explanation seemed to suggest that the interior of the White Dragon Nation was full and could no longer house more refugees. Theoretically, there was no issue with this. The Knights of the Round Table also promised to always assist those attacked by the dragon calamity.

Thus, the people understood.

Then came the third phase, after Artoria’s arrival.

With Merlin’s help, Artoria arrived here before the Singularity became inaccessible. Shortly after arriving, she encountered refugees being attacked by a dragon calamity.

She then accepted the locals’ requests, summoned the Knights of the Round Table, built a city, used it as a base to gather information, awaited Naoki and the others’ arrival, and also took in refugees attacked by the dragon calamity, much like the White Dragon Nation.

Her encounter with the Knights of the Round Table from the parallel world happened three days ago.

At that time, Lancelot, who had been ordered by Artoria to search for refugees outside, was attacked. The opponent was a female knight with a high purple ponytail, clad in silver armor, wielding the same Arondight as Lancelot. She also bore a slight resemblance to Lancelot.

A female Lancelot from a parallel world—this was the thought that crossed Artoria’s mind when she rushed to the battlefield and saw the opponent.

The reality matched her thoughts. The opponent revealed her true name, indeed Lancelot, and declared that, per King Arthur’s decision, she had to eliminate Artoria and the others who came from outside the Singularity.

It wasn’t a battle that could be called easy.

In terms of combat strength, the opponent was exactly equal to Lancelot. Logically, with Avalon, Artoria should never have lost. However, the result was a draw.

Because the Lancelot from the parallel world possessed an unexpected power—the Holy Grail.

With the power of the Holy Grail, the parallel world’s Lancelot forcibly repelled Artoria and severely injured Lancelot. If not for Tristan’s covert support at the time, with the Holy Grail’s power, the opponent would likely have continued fighting.

After that, Artoria and the others clashed several times with the other Knights of the Round Table from the parallel world, identifying their true names one by one.

Gawain, Lancelot, Tristan.

As expected, they were all female, and all wielded the Holy Grail. Along with Mordred, who for some reason sided with them, these four Servants were the Knights of the Round Table of the White Dragon Nation. Over the past few days, they had clashed with Artoria and her group multiple times.

—That sums up the general situation within this Singularity.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

In the room arranged by Artoria for Naoki and Gray.

Lying on a simple floor mat, Naoki stared at the ceiling, thinking about this Singularity.

First, the most suspicious point remained the same: why had Arthur changed like this?

The reason might be related to the beam of light six months ago and the fake Merry. That Merry was most likely Morgan in disguise, and with Mordred now acting under Morgan’s influence, it shouldn’t be wrong.

The key questions were why Morgan could control Arthur and why she was controlling him.

Was it because of her hatred for King Arthur? If so, they should have resolved that hatred when Naoki took Artoria to Glastonbury a few years ago. They even slept in the same bed. Hadn’t that pair reconciled?

Then there was the dragon calamity.

The dragon calamity itself being a natural phenomenon was a correct conclusion. The issue was why such a natural phenomenon occurred. Was it related to the abnormal situation in this Singularity? Was the disappearance of the ring of light in the sky also due to the same reason?

“In the end, I can only find answers to the simplest problems.” Naoki sighed helplessly. “I really hit a brick wall right from the start.”

“It can’t be helped, big brother. Everything has to be done slowly.” Gray said with a wry smile.

“I know, but there’s this unpleasant feeling. I keep feeling like someone’s doing something behind my back, and it makes me so angry… I have this feeling, and it’s really frustrating.”

Naoki didn’t like mysterious people, nor did he like mysteries, but this Singularity was full of them.

The mysterious beam of light, the missing ring of light, the Knights of the Round Table wielding the Holy Grail, the manipulated Arthur, the White Dragon Nation… all of it was a mystery.

“Haaah… Forget it, let’s not think about this for now. Tomorrow, I’ll go check it out myself.”

“Huh? Tomorrow?”

“Yeah, tomorrow I plan to head back to the White Dragon Nation. Today was just a greeting. Tomorrow, I’ll go talk to them seriously, and also with those Knights of the Round Table, and… that naughty girl Mordred. I bet she’s itching for trouble since we haven’t met in years.”

[Well, that’s how it is. Though your big brother is clever, he’s got the ability to solve everything with brute force. So just smash through it. Right, Gray?]

Hearing Add’s words, Gray smiled helplessly. “Please don’t go too far, big brother—if you’re going to punish Mordred, I’ll help too.”

“Great!”

Naoki and Gray had already made plans to head to the White Dragon Nation to confront Arthur and Morgan directly.

-

Title: The Good Guy of the Round Table!

Heading back to the White Dragon Nation as soon as the second day dawned.

That was Naoki’s plan, but before that—

Watching Artoria seated at the dining table, swiftly devouring the food with utmost elegance, Naoki, sitting across from her, couldn’t help but ask, “Lia, how long has it been since you last ate?”

Artoria’s ability to eat a lot was something Naoki had long known and grown accustomed to. After all, having lived together in Camelot Villa for so long, Naoki knew how to tend to this king’s stomach.

But even so, Artoria’s current eating speed still surprised him—she looked like she hadn’t eaten in a week.

“Ngh… chomp!”

Chewing and swallowing a large piece of steak, Artoria licked the sauce off her hand and the corner of her mouth. “No, Master, I eat three meals a day as usual, and I’m full each time.”

“Then why do you look like you’ve been starving for so long? When you eat normally, even though your appetite is huge, your speed is still reasonable, right?”

“Because there’s no delicious food in Avalon or here. After tasting Master and Gray’s cooking again after so long, I couldn’t help myself a little.”

“…”

Though Artoria wasn’t picky about her three meals and would eat anything prepared, pursuing deliciousness was still human nature. Naturally, one would have a hearty appetite when eating tasty food.

That was Artoria’s current situation.

She had been in Avalon for over half a year. During that time, the ones responsible for her meals there were Sajyou Ayaka and Ciel. Riddell and Aozaki Touko occasionally cooked as well, but compared to Naoki and Gray’s culinary skills, their food could only be described as average.

Especially Ciel—since she could only make katsu curry, almost every meal included curry, which now made Artoria feel a bit psychologically uncomfortable whenever she saw it.

And after arriving here, the one responsible for her meals became Gawain.

One could easily imagine what Artoria had been eating these past few days. Mashed potatoes three times a day until she was full—or even overstuffed. While the taste wasn’t bad, just like curry, eating it every day made Artoria almost unable to stomach mashed potatoes anymore.

So, after tasting Naoki and Gray’s cooking again after more than half a year, Artoria looked like she hadn’t been full in ages, sweeping through the dining table like a storm.

(This kid has really been suffering.)

Naoki gave a helpless smile. “Then you should’ve told Merlin to let me know. I could’ve picked you up to come to Chaldea.”

“No, that would’ve been too much trouble for Master—please add another bowl.”

“You’re not hesitating at all on that front.”

Taking the rice bowl and filling it to the brim for Artoria, Naoki said, “Then come to our place for dinner after this. After all, it’s just me and Gray here. Eating with more people is more fun. And it’s fine if you call Gawain, Lancelot, and Tristan too. I’d love to chat with them.”

“I understand. Then, Master, please wait a moment.”

After quickly finishing her tenth bowl of rice, Artoria stood up and dashed out. Naoki and Gray were a bit puzzled.

And then, after about one or two minutes—

“Sorry to intrude, Lord Natsukawa.”

“Is this really okay, my lord? All of us gathering like this for a meal.”

“My lord said it’s fine since they invited us, so it should be alright.”

Seeing Gawain, Lancelot, and Tristan enter with Artoria, Naoki froze in place.

(I didn’t tell you to come now!)

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Because the three Knights of the Round Table joined in the middle, the dinner ended up lasting nearly an hour and a half.

For the first time, Naoki felt how exhausting cooking could be. It was already tough enough to satisfy a king like Artoria’s stomach on his own, let alone with himself and Gawain, who also had huge appetites…

“We’re terribly sorry, Lord Natsukawa. It seems our arrival has worn you out.”

Placing a cup of tea in front of Naoki, Tristan smiled and apologized.

“But that was truly a delicious dinner. Your cooking skills are exceptional. To master various culinary styles so skillfully, did you specifically study cooking around the world?”

“Ah, it’s not a big deal. I just traveled to a lot of places, so I naturally picked up a bit, plus there are a few stomachs to feed at home. Though I don’t cook often, there are times I have to. I need to satisfy everyone’s appetites.”

Naoki took the tea and sipped it.

Hearing his explanation, Gawain and Lancelot, also seated at the table, leaned closer.

“Speaking of which… though I heard from my lord, I don’t know the specifics—does Lord Natsukawa have a lot of people at home?”

“Yeah, besides me, Gray, and Lia, there’s also Merry, Okita, Rei, Tohsaka, Crane, Riddell who comes over to eat occasionally, and Aoko who returns irregularly… that’s about it.”

The three Knights of the Round Table exchanged glances, their expressions turning serious, as if discussing a critical matter. With both hands supporting their chins, Lancelot asked in a deep voice, “May I ask, are all the people you mentioned women?”

“Yeah. Is there a problem?”

(According to my lord, she used to live in a villa called Camelot… In an apartment, everyone is a woman except Lord Natsukawa…)

Tristan slightly widened his eyes. “It seems Lord Natsukawa has a very good relationship with women?”

Naoki gave a wry smile. “Rather than good, it’s more like it just happened this way without me noticing. I always end up connecting with women wherever I go. There was a time when Rei and Merry called me [the fool who brings a woman back every time he goes out]. That hasn’t happened in the last few years, though.”

Unknowingly having great relationships with women?

Bringing women home every time he went out?

The three Knights of the Round Table exchanged glances again, then without a word, they patted Naoki’s shoulder, giving him a meaningful and peculiar look.

At their sudden actions, Naoki roughly understood what they were thinking. “Do you guys have some misunderstanding about me?”

“No, just sympathy.” Lancelot smiled. “By the way, Lord Natsukawa, my lord mentioned earlier that you had something to discuss with us? May I know what it is?”

“Oh, that. It’s actually about the Knights of the Round Table from the parallel world you encountered.”

“Tomorrow, I plan to head to the White Dragon Nation. I might face them, so I want to know as much as possible about them. You’ve all fought them, right? So I’d like to ask for your advice.”

The Knights of the Round Table from the parallel world?

Lancelot and the others nodded.

“First, allow me to explain, about my parallel world self… This might sound strange coming from me, but I think she’s a very charming woman.”

Naoki: “?”