"Caster is actually an Evil God!"
Hearing Archer reveal Caster's identity, Irisviel and Waver, who had just swallowed their food, were immediately shocked.
They had originally thought that the Servants they had drawn were the trump cards among trump cards, firmly believing that they had summoned an unparalleled king from ancient times to the present, shining brightly like a pearl in their palm, and regarded as the key to winning the Holy Grail War.
But they hadn't expected someone else to have drawn an even better Servant.
Rider, upon hearing Caster's identity, was only stunned for a moment before bursting into joyful laughter.
"Hahaha! I really do have good taste, to have thought of recruiting an Evil God. Hehe, Jin Shan Shan. If I had managed it back then, I could have really shown off in front of you!"
"Tsk, truly a mongrel, unable to recognize reality. I said she was an Evil God, yet you still thought of recruiting her. Truly a pseudo-'King' with a broken brain."
Archer shook his head disdainfully. He raised his golden goblet, gently swirling the clear, colorless liquid within, and looked at Chen Yu with a profound, crimson gaze.
To be precise, he was looking at the empty space a dozen inches to Chen Yu's right.
Archer's words carried a hint of mockery: "I've said this much, Caster, are you still not going to show yourself? How impolite. Do you intend for this King to personally welcome you?"
Everyone followed Archer's gaze and found that Nyarlathotep had appeared before them at some unknown point.
Moonlight cascaded upon her silver-white hair, as if every strand contained the brilliance of stars.
Her skin was delicate as snow, with a faint pearlescent sheen under the moonlight.
A pair of deep, violet eyes, like the brightest North Star in the night sky, guided travelers home.
Like an elf under the moonlight, mysterious and charming, truly a goddess, aloof and independent.
It was only a pity she had a mouth that could speak, and with just one sentence, she shattered the dreamlike ambiance that enveloped her.
"After all, the protagonist always makes a grand entrance at the end. Besides, Nyarlathotep has been sitting here for a long time; it's your fault for not noticing me immediately."
Nyarlathotep mimicked Archer, swirling the wine in her cup before taking a sip.
"Delicious! As expected of the wine Jin Shan Shan brings out, it's truly high-class and tastes wonderful."
Saying this, Nyarlathotep leaned forward slightly, holding the golden goblet in her hand, and gently brought the cup to Chen Yu's lips, as if sharing a secret meant only for the two of them.
"Darling, you should try some too."
It was then that everyone noticed one goblet had disappeared from the stone table at some point.
Waver looked at Nyarlathotep, who was not far from him, and broke out in a cold sweat again.
To be so close and not be noticed—if she were planning an assassination, she would be even more of an Assassin than an Assassin.
"Invisibility? Suggestion? Or perhaps Presence Concealment? No, no, no, no... it must be Cognitive Distortion..."
Rider and Saber were also equally shocked that they hadn't noticed Caster even at such close proximity, but upon recalling Archer's words about her identity, they no longer found it strange.
Although it was almost impossible for the Holy Grail's power to summon a divine-level phenomenon.
Even if a divine-level Heroic Spirit were miraculously summoned, their inherent authority would be greatly weakened.
But a divine-level being is still a divine-level being, fundamentally different from ordinary Heroic Spirits.
Even an unknown Evil God still possesses incredible abilities.
For an Evil God, having the ability to alter common sense, and even manipulate cognition and perception, is merely child's play.
Unlike the previous Holy Grail War's Caster, who only had the title of "Evil God" but lacked other abilities, this Evil God named Nyarlathotep indeed displayed various incredible powers.
As Rider thought, he took a sip of the wine from his goblet, feeling the liquid bloom on his taste buds, temporarily pushing the threat of Caster to the back of his mind. His eyes widened as he praised, "Aha, truly delicious, Jin Shan Shan! This certainly isn't wine brewed by humans; it must be for gods! Surely, even the wine personally brewed by Dionysus wouldn't be much better than this!"
Rider's praise made Chen Yu even more curious about the taste of the "King's Wine."
But even without the praise of Conqueror King and Nyarlathotep for the "King's Wine," Chen Yu was still interested in the "King's Wine" that Gilgamesh had brought out.
Eliminating "pests," saving Sakura, and tasting the "King's Wine"—these were practically mandatory achievements for Type-Moon players.
Moreover, a wine that Gilgamesh would place in his Gate of Babylon was naturally a rare and exquisite vintage.
Chen Yu took the golden goblet Nyarlathotep offered him and, under her bright, expectant gaze, took a small sip.
With just one sip, he could tell this was indeed the best wine he had ever tasted in his life. Unlike the low-alcohol sweetness of butterbeer, the "King's Wine" had a strong yet fresh alcoholic flavor, rich and exhilarating.
Intoxicating, a bit intoxicating.
Unlike the dizziness produced solely by alcohol, this sensation—where the wine's magic surged into his brain along with the liquid after he swallowed it—was something Chen Yu experienced for the first time in his life.
Just one sip, and he could feel the rich aroma of the wine filling his mouth and nose; his whole being felt light and ethereal.
No wonder Rider and Saber had no intention of sharing the "King's Wine" with their Masters.
Aside from the difference in status, this "King's Wine" was almost indistinguishable from a hallucinogen for those not qualified enough to drink it.
Presumably, an ordinary Magus like Waver would need Rider to carry him back after just one sip.
Archer did not blame Nyarlathotep for sharing the wine with Chen Yu. He continued to swirl his goblet, aerating the wine, waiting for it to reach its most fragrant moment.
Listening to Rider's words of praise and seeing the moved expression on Saber's face as he drank the wine, Archer displayed a leisurely smile, softly speaking as if stating an undeniable truth: "Whether it's wine or weapons, my treasury contains the world's finest treasures—this is the taste a King should possess. Therefore, the difference in our perspectives is naturally self-evident, isn't it?"
Rider interrupted Archer's words: "Archer, your wine is indeed a masterpiece, one in ten thousand. But unfortunately, the Holy Grail is not a vessel for wine. We are currently evaluating whether we are worthy of obtaining the Holy Grail; you need to tell us why you desire the Holy Grail."
"You've misunderstood the premise, mongrel," Archer retorted. "To assume the premise of 'contending for the Holy Grail' is already a grave mistake. It was originally mine. I've said it before, all the treasures in the world are my collection, including the Holy Grail. You wish to contend for my possessions, and you ask for my opinion?"
"So, you've collected the Holy Grail before? Then tell us, what exactly is it?"
Archer shook his head in response to Rider's persistent questioning: "Don't use a mongrel's standards to measure my treasury. My treasury contains all the treasures of the world; their number has long surpassed my comprehension. But as long as 'it' is a treasure, it undoubtedly belongs to me! You wish to snatch my treasures? You should have some self-awareness!"
Chen Yu watched Archer speak eloquently, and feeling a bit tipsy, he couldn't help but quietly mutter, "But Fuyuki City's Holy Grail isn't Uruk's greater grail..."
Hearing Chen Yu's muttering, Archer narrowed his eyes and sneered, "A commoner's opinion! This entire world is this King's garden, and everything in the garden should be this King's! It was so in life, and it is so for what appears after death!"