It's normal for an evil god to raise an Abyss.

“…” Saber was a little speechless in the face of this scene. She took a deep breath and asked, “Rider, what on earth are you doing here?”

Rider was even more confused by Saber's question: "Don't you understand? Of course I came to drink with you. Don't just stand there, lead the way. Is there a courtyard suitable for a banquet? This courtyard is full of dust, it won't do."

“Huh…” Saber sighed helplessly. Facing Rider, who always did some nonsensical things, it was difficult for her to maintain her fighting spirit.

“Irisviel, what should we do?” Saber asked Irisviel for her opinion.

Irisviel was also confused. Rider's behavior could not be explained by common sense.

"Could it be that he really came here to drink? He doesn't look like someone who would play that kind of trick."

"Then this is a challenge." Saber's expression turned serious.

"Challenge?" Irisviel was a little confused.

"Yes, I am the king, and he is also the king. If we want to determine who is superior over the wine table, it would be like a [battle] without bloodshed."

"Haha, you are still very sensible, Knight King. Instead of fighting with swords, you decide the outcome with wine. Knight King, be prepared, I will not let you go tonight!" Rider laughed.

"Interesting, I'll accept that." Saber responded without hesitation.

-------------------------------------

The banquet was held at the flower bed in the castle courtyard. Last night's battle did not affect this place, and it did not look shabby to entertain guests. As for the slight cold outside, no one cared too much.

Rider brought the barrel to the courtyard and sat down face to face with Saber, confronting each other leisurely. Irisviel and Waver sat side by side, watching quietly while speculating on what would happen next.

"Yo, it looks like I arrived just in time~" Along with the pleasant voice, there were sudden appearances of light golden ripples.

The one who walked out from the ripples was Xueyue holding Abigail's little hand.

Xueyue was not wearing her usual student uniform, but a black robe with light gold edges. A black ribbon wrapped around her legs to her feet, leaving only her toes exposed. She had light makeup on her face, and the red eyeshadow around her eyes made her look solemn.

Abigail behind her was wearing a light blue floral dress with a floral ribbon around her wrist and holding a toy bear in her hand, looking like a cute girl next door.

"You've come at the right time, Caster. The wine hasn't been opened yet." Rider smiled generously, seeming very satisfied that Caster had come for the appointment.

"Then I must try what kind of fine wine the great King of Conquerors can bring."

Xueyue complimented him and sat down to one side, about the same distance from Saber and Rider.

Abigail also ran to the side obediently and sat with Irisviel and Weber.

Chapter 28 Banquet

Rider smashed the lid of the wine barrel with his fist, and the rich aroma of red wine immediately filled the air.

"Although it looks a little strange, this is a wine vessel unique to this country."

Rider said this while using the bamboo-handled spoon to scoop some wine, looking somewhat proud.

(This usage is wrong...)

Xueyue complained slightly in her heart, but she was not prepared to point out this insignificant mistake.

He drank the wine in the spoon in one gulp and continued:

"I heard that only those who are qualified can obtain the Holy Grail."

Rider suddenly spoke in a serious tone, presumably to make some serious statement, and the atmosphere around him calmed down.

"And the ceremony to select the qualified person is the war currently going on in Fuyuki. But if you just watch, you can avoid bloodshed. As Heroic Spirits, if you can recognize each other's abilities, then there is no need for me to say more about the rest."

Saber took the ladle Rider handed over without hesitation, scooped a spoonful of wine, and drank it all in one gulp.

Saber’s girlish appearance and slightly thin body always make people doubt whether she can really drink, but seeing how generous she is in drinking, she is not inferior to the giant Rider in any way.

Facing the spoon handed over by Saber, Xueyue was naturally not polite. She picked up a spoonful of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

Rider also exclaimed happily upon seeing this.

"A true contest in the name of 'King' cannot be called a Holy Grail War. It would be better to call it a 'Holy Grail Quiz'. Who among the kings will be the 'King of the Holy Grail'? This kind of question is best answered with a wine glass."

Rider changed his serious tone and returned to his usual carefree attitude, smiling mischievously.

"Hey, Caster, you must be the most mysterious one here. You still refuse to tell us your real name?"

As Rider turned the topic to Xueyue, the eyes of everyone around him were focused on her.

Everyone present wanted to know who this mysterious Caster was, who seemed to know everything and was always involved in various events.

"Haha, I don't mind mentioning this, but since we want to share information, don't we have to wait until everyone is here?"

Xueyue just smiled and said something that seemed to make no sense.

“Ah, indeed. Speaking of which, there is a guy here who calls himself the King.” Rider actually followed up on this sentence, slapping his forehead and answering with a smile.

"Enough with the joking, Zaxiu."

As if in response to this meaningless conversation, a dazzling golden light flashed before everyone's eyes.

That voice and the golden light immediately made Saber and Irisviel feel as if they were facing a formidable enemy, and their bodies could not help but become alert.

"Why are you here? Archer!" Saber asked harshly.

"Ah, when I met him on the street, I did ask him to have a drink with me... but he was still late, all gold and shiny. But he came here on foot, so I can't blame him." Rider, calm and composed, answered Saber in an indifferent tone.

"It's a pity that you chose such a shabby place to hold the banquet. I guess that's all your taste. How are you going to apologize for making me come all the way here?"

Archer, wearing golden armor, glanced at Rider with his ruby ​​eyes and his usual arrogant attitude.

"Stop talking so much, how about having a drink first?" Rider didn't care at all, smiled boldly and scooped a spoonful of wine to Archer.

Archer simply took the spoon and drank it all.

"What kind of inferior wine is this? You use this wine to fight between kings?"

Archer's face was filled with disgust and disdain.

"Really? This is the best wine I can buy from the market here. It feels pretty good."

"Miscellaneous cultivator, that's because you don't understand bars at all." Archer sneered.

"As expected of you, the King of Heroes. Ordinary wine is really not to your liking."

Xueyue clapped her hands twice, and light golden ripples appeared. Different from Archer's arrogance and wealth, this one was more gentle and pure.

Emerging from the ripples was a huge bronze wine jar, reflecting golden light in the moonlight.

(Note: Bronze turns blue due to oxidation; the original color of bronze is gold)

Xueyue casually threw out three bronze wine cups and steadily delivered them to Saber, Rider, and Archer. Then she pointed her finger, and the fine wine in the cups jumped up, flying in four streams and pouring into the wine cups in the hands of the four people.

"Oh, it's delicious." Rider took a quick bite and immediately praised with his eyes wide open.

Hearing Rider's praise, Saber and Archer also raised their glasses to taste the wine.

The next moment, Saber’s expression was visibly satisfied, and the ahoge on her head moved slightly, which showed that she must be quite satisfied with the wine.

"Not bad." Archer just nodded slightly and gave a simple evaluation. However, the fact that such a proud man could make such an evaluation itself showed the quality of the wine.

"This wine has a history of talking about heroes. I think it is most appropriate to serve it at a banquet like this."

Xueyue found it quite interesting to see that the wine was recognized by several kings, and then threw three bottles of drinks to Abigail and others on the side.

Xueyue would naturally not let Abigail drink, but she had already noticed her eager gaze, so she gave her a non-alcoholic drink, and also gave a bottle each to Irisviel and Weber who were standing next to her.

“I didn’t expect that Sister Caster actually hid such good wine. This wine is amazing!” Rider was delighted with the wine and even became more relaxed about addressing her. “But don’t try to change the subject. You haven’t answered the question just now.”

"Of course not. Now that everyone is here, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to be mysterious anymore, right?"

Xueyue drank the wine in one gulp and gently placed the wine cup on the ground.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you my real name, but because I'm not a hero like you who can leave a record in history."

"But Caster, judging from your strength, you don't seem like an unknown figure in history."

Rider asked.

"Because—I'm not a regular heroic spirit." Xueyue replied calmly.

Chapter 29 Emperor Hong

Xueyue's words once again attracted the attention of everyone in the audience, and even the proud Hero King looked over with interest.

"You should know that there have been many civilizations in human history, the most famous of which are ancient Babylon, ancient Egypt, ancient India..."

Speaking of ancient civilizations, everyone present is familiar with them. Even the two heroes present are closely related to them. The hero king Gilgamesh comes from the ancient Babylonian civilization, and the conqueror king Iskandar was once crowned the pharaoh of ancient Egypt.

“Then, do you still remember that there is a civilization that has been passed down to this day and its inheritance has not been cut off…” Xueyue poured another glass of wine and spoke leisurely.

If we talk about the four recognized ancient countries, the cultural heritage of ancient Babylon, ancient Egypt and ancient India has been cut off, but as for the last one left, needless to say, it is the Chinese civilization whose heritage has never been cut off.

The bronze wine vessel that Caster took out also confirmed this point of view.

(If Caster's power really comes from that country with an independent mysterious foundation, then why does he claim that he is not an orthodox heroic spirit?)

Irisviel and Waver only had a partial understanding of that mysterious country.

As if noticing everyone's confusion, Xueyue continued to speak:

"In the history of Chinese civilization, there have been many kings, generals, and talented people who have done extraordinary things, as brilliant as the stars in the sky, but I am not a certain hero recorded in history..."

"My power is [borrowed], and the essence of this power is [history] - the integration and crystallization of a civilization that has lasted for thousands of years."

"Of course I am not a King, but the King can be a side of me. If you really want me to tell you my real name—"

Xueyue closed her eyes and thought for a while, then opened them.

"——Di Hong, please call me that."

As the name was slowly spoken, the atmosphere around them suddenly changed in an instant. There were the sounds of bells and drums coming from afar, as well as the fragrance of old book pages and bamboo slips.

And the next moment, all of this disappeared, like a fleeting illusion.

Relying on the information passed on by Kotomine Kirei, Tōsaka Tokiomi in the distance frowned. This was a variable he had never thought of. If Caster was not bluffing, then the Servant based on the history of the entire civilization was undoubtedly of a super-standard level. In this case, the victory of the Hero King Gilgamesh was no longer stable, and some measures had to be taken.

At the party, as Xueyue finished speaking, the venue fell into silence for a short time, as if everyone was digesting such heavy news.

"Caster, if what you say is true, then you do have a ticket to obtain the Holy Grail."

It was Rider who broke the silence.

"But why do you want the Holy Grail? You must convince us that you are qualified to obtain it."

"Before that, I would like to hear what wishes you have placed on the Holy Grail?"

Xueyue calmly kicked the question back like a ball.

"This is a 'foolish question'," Archer suddenly said, his tone still arrogant.

"If you're asking [Why do we fight for the Holy Grail], then the premise of this question is far from the truth."

“Oh? Archer, what do you mean?” Rider raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"The so-called [Holy Grail] was originally supposed to be mine. All the treasures in this world originated from my collection. After a long time, it was lost from my treasure house, but I am still its owner."

"Oh, so you have actually possessed the Holy Grail. Do you know what it is?"

"No,"

Facing Rider's question, Archer denied it calmly.

"This is not something you can understand. The total amount of my wealth even exceeds my own cognition. But as long as it is a [treasure], it definitely belongs to me. This is indisputable. In this case, if you want to snatch my treasure, you should have some self-knowledge."

Fat Tiger's remarks sounded somewhat crazy, but Rider continued to echo them as if he didn't care.

"So Archer, from what you're saying, as long as you agree, we can get the Holy Grail?"

"Of course, but I have no reason to reward you."

"Would you be reluctant to give it up?"

"Of course not. I will only reward my subjects."

Archer smiled mockingly.

"Or Rider, if you are willing to submit to me, I will give you one or two cups of these crickets."

"Ah, forget it then."