The silence under the bright moonlight remained the same, not disturbed at all.
The four servants and three magicians were still sitting in their original positions, raising their glasses again. The shadowy army of monsters outside the city had disappeared.
"—what a disappointing ending."
Rider muttered nonchalantly, draining the rest of the wine in the glass.
Saber had nothing to say in response, and only Archer sneered with a somewhat dissatisfied expression.
"I see. Even though they are all bastards, you are so proud of yourself for being able to rule over so many people that you think you are the king... Rider, you are really an eyesore."
"Whatever you say, one day I will personally fight you to the death."
Rider smiled and stood up without any concern.
"Now that we have said everything we wanted to say to each other, let's call it a night."
But Saber was still bothered by Rider's words, and she was unwilling to let it go.
"Wait, Rider, I haven't..."
"Stop talking."
Rider stopped Saber from continuing speaking in a cold and firm tone.
"Tonight is a banquet for kings, but Saber, I do not recognize you as a king."
"Do you still want to continue fooling me, Rider?"
Saber's tone became impatient, but Rider simply looked at her with pity.
He did not reply, but drew out the sword of Sepluth and slashed at the air. The bull chariot appeared with a thunderous roar. Although it was not as magnificent as the "King's Army", the majesty of the chariot still made everyone dazzled at a close distance.
"Come on, boy, get up there."
"... "
"Hey, kid?"
"...Huh? Ah, um..."
Waver had been absent-minded ever since he saw the monsters being wiped out. He was still immersed in the shock brought by the "King's military power". Although Rider was a Servant who had signed a contract with him, it was the first time he saw Rider's true strength.
After Waver climbed onto the chariot with unsteady, frivolous steps, Rider took one last look at Saber, speaking with sincerity.
"Little girl, it's time to wake up from that painful dream. Otherwise, you will lose the most basic pride as a hero. The king you are talking about is such a curse."
"No, I..."
Ignoring Saber's final rebuttal, the chariot, shining with lightning, flew into the sky, leaving only bursts of muffled thunder, and disappeared into the eastern sky.
"... "
It was natural for Rider to feel humiliated for not wanting to listen to Saber's words until the very end. But what was gripping Saber's chest now was an inexplicable "anxiety".
A tyrant who has no justice, no ideals, and only practices violence to satisfy his selfish desires, has formed an everlasting bond with his subordinates.
His way of survival is completely different from that of the Knight King, and the two sides' philosophies cannot possibly coexist in harmony.
But Saber could not just laugh off every word that Iskandar said and erase it from her heart. She would make Rider take back what he said no matter what, or she would never be satisfied.
"Saber, you don't need to care. Just follow the path you believe in."
The person who interrupted her was actually Archer, who had been mocking her before. The encouragement from Archer, whose true intentions were hard to guess, made Saber's expression even uglier.
"You were making fun of me just now, and now you want to flatter me, Archer?"
"Of course, there is nothing wrong with what you said about the kingly way. It is so correct that it must be very heavy for your slender body. Your troubles and entanglements... Hehehe, I can't help but want to comfort you."
After Archer finished speaking, he once again stared at Saber with that terrifying smile.
He has a handsome face and a crisp but deep voice, but his expression and tone are extremely evil and obscene.
As long as Archer was in front of her, Saber would not have the slightest hesitation in her heart. He was not like Rider, the two of them did not even have room for conversation.
"I admire your role as a clown struggling in pain while shouldering the 'Royal Way' that is beyond your capacity. Saber, try harder to please me, and I may reward you with the Holy Grail, okay?"
As he spoke, the ornate wine glass in Archer's hand shattered.
"Rider has left, and the feast is over. - Archer, either leave or draw your sword."
Although it is invisible to the naked eye, the wind pressure from a single swing of the sword is enough to show the deadly power of the sword in Saber's hand. The reason why Archer remained calm when the wine glass in his hand was broken was either because he was extremely brave or because he was extremely stupid.
"Really? Do you know how many countries have been destroyed because of this cup? Well, I won't punish you. Getting angry over a clown's misbehavior is detrimental to the king's reputation."
"Shut up, I'm only warning you once, next time I'll kill you."
Archer seemed unfazed by Saber's cold threats and stood up with a smile.
"Knight King, you should work hard. Maybe you will be favored by me even more in the future."
Leaving behind these words, Archer transformed into a spirit and disappeared, leaving behind only the emptiness and loneliness of a person who had just woken up from a dream in the huge atrium.
"Assassin, you, like Merlin, are also known as a sage. Do you think I am wrong?"
Saber turned around and stared at Scathach who was sitting still. For the first time in her eyes, which remained steadfast even when the sky collapsed and the earth tore, there was a hint of weakness.
"No, it's not wrong for a king."
Scathach calmly gazed upon the most famous hero in Celtic history.
"Your belief in the way of the king and your desire to save the country are all correct, but as Archer said, this burden is too heavy. I lost my human qualities without realizing it, but you gave them up on your own initiative. It must be very hard for you."
"This is my choice. Although it is hard, I will not regret it." Although Saber is not tall, she stands straight, and no matter how heavy the burden is, it cannot bend her waist.
"Yes, you don't regret becoming king, but have you ever done anything you regret since becoming king?"
After hearing Scathach's question, Saber hesitated for more than ten seconds, and finally shook her head firmly.
"No, I feel guilty towards Guinevere and some of my subjects, but I don't regret it."
"Well said, this is the famous Knight King. So, what are you still struggling with? Do your subjects understand every policy you have? Does everyone in your country support you? Didn't you hear any opposition? What did you do at that time?"
I... I... What did I do at that time
I remember now.
"As a king, as long as my military orders are always victorious and my words and deeds are upright, that is enough. So I never ask others to understand me. Even if I stay away from the crowd and am alone, this is the true king's posture."
"Then why are you wavering? Now the person who opposes you has just changed to Rider. There's nothing to worry about."
"Because... I'm not sure if I can hold my head high and be proud of this gesture like Rider does."
Scathach smiled, but Saber frowned heroically.
The legend of King Arthur ended with the tragedy of being deserted by his relatives, friends and subordinates. The "indestructible bond between the king and his subjects" demonstrated by Iskandar was exactly what she longed for.
Scathach knew why Saber was wavering, but she didn't point it out: "So are you going to give up? Give up your beliefs? Give up your own kingly way?"
"Of course not." Saber denied with a stern look.
"What else do you want to confirm?"
Scathach scooped herself a glass of red wine. Rider left, but the barrel remained.
"Listen carefully, little girl. Beliefs will never become firm because of boasting, nor will they be shaken by silence. They only exist in your heart. If you believe in them, they exist. If you don't believe in them, they will break. When I closed the Kingdom of Shadows, I didn't make a big scene like Rider did, and many people didn't take it seriously. But after I killed all kinds of invaders, no one dared to question my beliefs. So, Knight King, as long as you think you are right, even if Rider doesn't recognize you as the king and Archer treats you as a clown, you should continue to move forward unswervingly. Because you are the Knight King, the one and only King Arthur, and the Holy Sword of the Star in your hand is the best proof."
"Thank you, Queen of the Shadow Kingdom. I almost lost the most important thing."
Saber nodded, her eyes returning to their original purity and calm confidence.
"I am me, not you, not the Conqueror, not Archer—I am King Arthur, and I am not wrong."