In Type-Moon, it all starts with adopting Sakura.

Gilgamesh glanced at the slightly swaying golden chains beside him and snorted coldly, but this time his tone carried a different emotion than before.

"No, it's nothing. Rather, it's more like he just woke up from a dream."

Then, the oldest king walked steadily towards Iskandar's former Master, the thin young magus named Waver Velvet.

Kenneth wanted to pull Waver away from there quickly, but Waver didn't move an inch. He just stared intently at the King of Heroes who was walking towards him, which made Kenneth so angry that he wanted to curse him out.

Does this brat not understand the current situation? What kind of death-defying drama is he trying to put on here?

This stubbornness is exactly the same as when he openly challenged others in his own class to publish a suicidal paper.

The three-on-one situation between Rider, Berserker, and Lancer has been reduced to this state. The opponent's strength is beyond doubt. Faced with absolute power, there is no need for them to continue fighting. Their original plan can now be completely destroyed.

Although doing so would be unfair to Finn, the only solution Kenneth could think of at that moment was to use a Command Spell to strengthen and force Finn to hold off Gilgamesh, then immediately drag Waver out to find a vehicle and leave as quickly as possible. On the way, he quickly called Loewy, telling him to come back as soon as possible, forget about the Holy Grail War, and get out of there quickly; survival was the priority.

If the King of Heroes wants it, give it to him; this guy is invincible.

Kenneth didn't hide his thoughts from Finn when Gilgamesh killed Iskandar, and said that he would do it today regardless of whether Finn agreed or not.

Upon hearing these words, Finn was somewhat surprised, but what surprised him was not that Kenneth was going to sacrifice him to run away, but that Kenneth was actually willing to tell him these things clearly, instead of suddenly sacrificing himself without explanation. This honesty surprised him.

As for the so-called sacrifice...

Finn didn't really care about such a trivial matter.

He lost, so be it. He wasn't that obsessed with the Holy Grail anyway, and there was nothing to regret even if he didn't get it. He had simply been fulfilling his duties as always.

He valued his sovereign, his Master Kenneth El-Melloi, more than the Holy Grail.

If a monarch's mission is to lead his subjects and servants in singing their dreams, to bring happiness to the people, to make the country prosperous, and to exist for the sake of a better future...

So the knight's mission is to protect that beauty and die on the battlefield.

Therefore, Finn harbored no resentment towards Kenneth's choice; on the contrary, he was very happy.

In his previous life, he broke his knightly oath due to narrow-mindedness and hatred, doing something he would regret for the rest of his life, and ultimately died indirectly because of this choice.

So, have I been able to act with a clear conscience this time?

Loyal to the monarch, and fight alongside the warriors...

No, it seems I still haven't done my best.

After all, at the last moment, he abandoned his comrades...

It's true, even with extraordinary wisdom, it's impossible to do everything perfectly.

However, at this last moment.

He will still stand up and uphold his own spirit and morality.

"Are you going to stop me, Lancer?"

Finn twirled his spear and stood before Waver and Kenneth, single-handedly blocking Gilgamesh's advance, ready to fight him with all his might.

However, Gilgamesh had no intention of starting a war with him at this moment, at least not yet. More than killing Lancer, he valued Waver Velvet, the last subject of the King of Conquerors, who was still staring at him and refusing to back down.

"Step back, Lancer. You were able to sense my Noble Phantasm in advance and react correctly. I admit you are a decent hero and deserve to be killed by me."

"However, it is not the right time yet. I have more important things to do now."

Seeing Finn blocking his way, Gilgamesh did not show any killing intent, but instead stepped aside and brushed past him.

This puzzled Finn for a moment. When he looked back and saw Waver, who was still unwilling to move even when his lord called him, he seemed to understand Gilgamesh's thoughts at that moment.

He then temporarily sheathed his spear and stood beside Kenneth again, also anticipating the outcome.

Soon, Gilgamesh arrived in front of Waver.

A sharp battle axe fell from his treasury, and the Chains of Heaven beside him blocked Kenneth's steps as he tried to rush up and fight Gilgamesh. However, thanks to Finn's protection, the Chains of Heaven did not harm him. Then, the golden axe blade was pointed directly at Waver's throat. Gilgamesh looked at the unremarkable young man in front of him expressionlessly.

"...Boy, you must be the Master of the King of Conquerors."

The Golden King was by no means a compassionate and benevolent person. On the contrary, tyranny was the main theme of his life. His respect for the Conqueror King was due to the latter's strong will and inner strength.

To be a king requires arrogance and decisiveness; there are very few indecisive people.

"No! I am that king's subject!"

Weber's voice trembled, and his legs shook. This obvious fact could not escape Gilgamesh's notice, but what intrigued him even more was something else entirely.

Although his body language and tone betrayed his true feelings, Webber's eyes did not flinch at this moment. Even when he met Webber's cold, scarlet eyes, even though he was filled with fear, the young man still stared at him without backing down. Even though he felt that he only needed to scare the boy a little and the boy would collapse to the ground, the defiant gaze was still stubbornly fixed on his eyes.

Interesting, really interesting...

Even in his own time, there weren't many ministers who dared to stare into his eyes like that without backing down.

In Gilgamesh's view, Waver's soul was both weak and strong, both resilient and cowardly. Even if it couldn't compare to the soul that the boy himself had never had, it was still a very interesting thing, an extremely rare treasure, which amused him.

"Then I will ask you one more time... Lord Conqueror, do you now wish to avenge your king?"

Gilgamesh's battle axe slowly approached, its sharp blade already slicing through Waver's neck, revealing faint traces of bright red blood. With just a little more force, his slender neck would be severed. His undisguised killing intent was immediately felt by everyone present.

However... even so, those determined eyes did not waver at all.

Did I misjudge the situation?

interesting……

"Lancer! Go save him right now!"

Kenneth, who was standing to the side, was also terrified by the scene. He hurriedly grabbed Finn's arm and gave him orders, but Finn remained unmoved until he was about to use a Command Spell to force the order, at which point Finn slowly spoke.

"My lord, don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on him. He'll be fine, and the King of Heroes doesn't really intend to kill."

"No...killing intent?"

Finn's words caused Kenneth to pause slightly in surprise.

Despite Gilgamesh's questioning, Waver remained undeterred, his gaze unchanged, his pupils reflecting only unwavering resolve.

"If I challenge you, I will die."

This is only natural. If Waver dares to attack, Gilgamesh will kill him without hesitation, and Waver will not have the slightest chance of winning.

But what he wanted to know was what would happen next.

"So... I can't do it. I am that king's subject, and I have been ordered to live a peaceful and quiet life."

There was no cowardice, nor any shame in clinging to life.

Weber looked directly into Gilgamesh's eyes and spoke with composure.

He didn't beg for mercy, nor did he shout for the protection of his teacher or Lancer, who was already prepared to take action. In other words, this kid had already resigned himself to his fate.

In other words...

"Hahahahahahahahahahaha—!!"

Upon seeing this, Gilgamesh laughed loudly, then the murderous intent on his face vanished in an instant, and he immediately withdrew his weapon.

"Your name is Weber Velvet, right? Good, you're quite good..."

"I will frankly express my approval of the enlightenment you have shown in transcending life and death."

Gilgamesh was an outstanding warrior and the oldest king. In his life, he saw gods, heroes, and many miracles. His ability to judge people is beyond doubt.

Yet, even so, he saw in Weber a rare and elusive brilliance…

He never hesitates to praise this outstanding quality.

If Weber were his subordinate, he would probably be even happier right now.

Unfortunately, his subjects were neither the strategist Loewy who understood every hero, nor Weber who upheld loyalty; instead, they were two treacherous individuals.

That's not a subject; at best, he's just a clown.

"Boy, I can tell you very clearly that you have no talent in the demonic path. Even if you spend your whole life, it will be difficult for you to achieve anything in the demonic path. Don't even mention surpassing that lemon-head over there. I'm afraid you're not even as good as Tokiomi Tohsaka."

After laughing, Gilgamesh commented expressionlessly, while Waver's expression remained unchanged.

He actually already knew about this, but he just didn't want to admit it.

But having gone through this Holy Grail War and grown as a person, he can now face it with equanimity.

"However, I have indeed felt your loyalty and will."

Gilgamesh commented in this way.

He looked down at Weber in front of him, a smile involuntarily appearing on his lips.

In the eyes of the King of Heroes, although Waver lacked the talent of a magician, he was not an utter mediocre talent.

If he is truly a mediocre talent, destined to live a life of mediocrity, chasing after the conqueror king in vain, it would be better to give him the chance to die in glory, so that his soul might be worthy of being collected in my treasury.

Unfortunately, but also fortunately, this kid was not mediocre.

His talent simply hadn't yet been fully realized, so Gilgamesh decided to let him go.

Then, the King of Heroes slowly turned his back and walked towards Finn, who had been waiting for a long time, and said slowly:

"Leave now, heed the last words of your king, do not look back, leave this city, or you will not be able to fulfill the orders your lord gave you."

"Remember, son, loyalty is of paramount importance. Never forget the choice you have made at this moment, no matter when or where."

"I...I understand, I will do that."

Weber wasn't stupid; he knew perfectly well that Gilgamesh had acknowledged him and decided to let him go.

He never had any reason to hate Gilgamesh.

It was they who launched the campaign, and they were eliminated in such an unfair three-on-one battle. Although Iskandar was dead, the King of Heroes respected him and gave him his recognition.

Although he didn't want to admit it, Waver knew he owed Gilgamesh a huge favor, though Gilgamesh probably wouldn't care about a favor from a mere magician like him.

And this should also be the last time they meet.

Without hesitation, Weber suddenly stood up, turned around, brushed past Gilgamesh, ran to Kenneth's side, grabbed his hand without hesitation, and led him into the deeper night.

"..."

Finn, who witnessed this scene, couldn't help but smile.

Whether it was his monarch or his students, they were all very good people...

Although he couldn't obtain the Holy Grail, he was truly fortunate to have met such an excellent monarch as Kenneth.

Seeing Waver leading Kenneth away, Gilgamesh did not stop them, for this was his reward for the brave.