After Chen Yu refused the Conqueror King's invitation, the atmosphere instantly became awkward.
But as the aroma of food wafted through the courtyard, Irisviel and Waver's eyes involuntarily turned to other things.
Irisviel stared intently at the small cakes Chen Yu had transferred from the Serenitea Pot.
Waver, smelling the roasted chicken on the stone table, felt his stomach rumble.
Saber also glanced at the delicacies on the stone table, but noticing Rider staring at her, she refocused her gaze on Rider.
Only Rider, as if nothing had happened, moved on to the next topic after Chen Yu disagreed.
Rider shattered the lid of a wine barrel with a punch, and immediately the rich aroma of red wine wafted from it.
He first tore off a leg of the roasted suckling pig with his left hand, chewed a few bites, and swallowed.
Then, with his right hand, he took out a bamboo spoon, scooped some wine from the barrel, and drank it all in one gulp, a satisfied expression on his face: "Ah, that's refreshing! Eating meat and drinking wine heartily, this is what a banquet should be."
Then, Rider's expression became serious, and he spoke in a solemn tone about his understanding of the Holy Grail ritual, and the significance of holding this banquet.
"It is said that the Holy Grail is destined to be obtained by the one most suited for it, and the conflict happening in Fuyuki is a ritual to select such a person. But there are many ways to select, and if we can use another method to determine who is superior, then we don't need to shed blood in battle."
"As fellow Heroic Spirits, if we can all understand each other's capabilities and pattern, then I don't need to explain what happens next, do I?"
After Rider finished speaking, he scooped another spoon of wine from the barrel and offered it to Saber, who was sitting opposite him.
Seeing the wine spoon offered by Rider after he had finished drinking, Saber's eyes became serious.
She understood this was a new challenge.
They were all "Kings," and if a victor was determined at the wine table, it was equivalent to winning a "battle" without bloodshed.
So Saber unhesitatingly took the handle of the spoon and drank it all in one gulp.
After drinking, she handed the bamboo spoon back to Rider.
"So... you want to determine who is superior with me here first, Rider?"
Seeing Saber's bold drinking, Rider let out a joyful cheer.
"Excellent! Since you and I both claim to be 'Kings,' and neither of us is willing to back down, conflict is naturally unavoidable. If we can determine the victor through a Q&A, then no one needs to shed blood. However, if we determine the victor this way, it wouldn't be called the 'Holy Grail War,' but rather the 'Holy Grail Q&A'...
"As for whether the 'Knight King' or the 'Conqueror King' is more qualified to be the 'King of the Holy Grail,' let us use wine to ask!"
"Not to decide victory with swords, but to compete with questions about our respective Kingships? If so, I accept this 'battle.'"
Saber was originally somewhat unsettled by the news Chen Yu had previously provided about the "Holy Grail" being corrupted.
But once she stepped onto the battlefield, Saber was not the type to hesitate in battle. Facing the unconventional battlefield Rider had opened, Saber put aside her concerns and unhesitatingly accepted Rider's challenge.
However, after Rider finished speaking, he changed his previous solemn tone, laughing mischievously, as if talking to himself: "Ah, by the way, there's another person who claims to be a 'King' who hasn't arrived yet. He's really slow."
"Hmph, enough with the jokes, you two mongrels who fancy yourselves 'Kings'!"
As if responding to Rider's words, golden particles suddenly appeared before everyone, rapidly coalescing into a blond young man in golden armor.
Seeing Archer's appearance, Saber sharply asked, "Archer! What are you doing here!"
Unlike the boisterous Rider, Archer's lawless and arrogant demeanor was truly striking.
Rider scratched the back of his head, chuckling, "Ah, well, I saw him on the street and casually invited him for a drink, but he's still late, Jin Shan Shan. After all, he's not like me; he walks, and he ran back and forth between two places, so you can't blame him for being slow!"
Archer, dressed in golden armor, proudly gazed at Rider and Saber with his ruby-like eyes.
"You chose such a shabby place for a banquet, dared to trouble me to come to such a place, and even dared to start the banquet before I arrived. How will you atone?"
Archer looked around, his gaze passing over Irisviel, whose cheeks were puffed out, and Waver, who was already gnawing on a roasted chicken.
Rider, with a sheepish expression, handed a bamboo spoon full of wine to Archer.
"Don't be so serious when you speak! Since you're late, you must first drink a penalty cup!"
Archer took the bamboo spoon, drank all the wine in it, and then disdainfully handed the spoon back: "What kind of cheap swill is this? Do you really think such dregs can measure the battle between heroes?"
Hearing Archer's evaluation, Rider pouted unhappily and said, "Huh? Is it really that bad? This is already very good wine in the local market..."
"Hmph, you think so because you are a mongrel who doesn't understand fine wine."
Archer scoffed at the good wine in Rider's hand, then raised his right hand, and a golden ripple spread out above him.
Waver and Irisviel's faces changed dramatically at the sight of the ripple. Waver was even so startled that he choked on the chicken leg in his mouth, desperately patting his chest. They thought Archer was about to attack.
However, what appeared in the golden ripple was not a weapon, but a golden wine flask slowly descending to the ground.
Then the ripple reappeared, and four golden wine cups materialized in Archer's hand.
"Open your eyes and look closely. Remember, this is the 'Wine of Kings,' truly worthy of a king."
"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! That's simply marvelous."
Seeing the colorless, clear liquid in the heavy golden wine bottle, and smelling the even richer aroma of the wine, Rider unhesitatingly took the wine cup from Archer's hand and happily poured the new wine into the new cup.
After pouring the wine, Rider paused and asked Archer, "Hmm? Four? Jin Shan Shan, are you planning to invite someone else over?"
Although Chen Yu and the others attended the banquet, in Rider's view, they were merely spectators. Only those who were also kings were qualified to share fine wine at the table.
Archer did not answer Rider's question, but looked at Chen Yu with his fiery red eyes: "Commoner, call out Caster. She is worthy of attending this 'Banquet of Kings.'"
Hearing Archer's statement, Rider said with some surprise, "Oh? Caster? Is she also a King?"
"A King? No, merely an unknown, insignificant Evil God. Since she is a god, she is naturally qualified to attend our banquet. However, do not call out that black mad dog that only 'barks'; if she spoils the mood, that would be a great disrespect."
