You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

"The enemy has multiple Servants, and can retreat at any time under their cover. If we don't achieve any results in the first battle, the subsequent battle will be meaningless."

"I see. This is one of the possibilities I had considered. It's not surprising... It's just a bit of a pity. If we could have attacked and killed it sooner, this Holy Grail War would have been almost over."

Lancer's expression was somewhat amused: "And, you did fail, didn't you?"

"...I don't deny it."

After a moment of silence, Rider finally spoke the truth: "The red Lancer's spear skills are the best I have ever seen in my life. His destructive power, willpower, and judgment are also outstanding. If neither of them releases their Noble Phantasms, even I cannot defeat him."

"Lancer of the Red Team... I really miss him."

"Ok?"

"Don't mind it, it's just what I felt."

Vlad III didn't hide anything and said directly, "In a certain time and space, I once fought against him. He was indeed a very troublesome hero. In a fair one-on-one duel, among the people I know, there is no hero who can defeat him."

"That skill has transcended the limitations of a single weapon. I imagine that even with a sword or bare hands, he could reach the realm of the inhuman gods... Such a warrior is comparable to only one or two among my knights."

Rider acknowledged the enemy's excellence, but he was not discouraged by it; instead, his calm tone carried a hint of excitement.

"He's a challenging opponent. I originally thought this Holy Grail War would be a foregone conclusion, but now I'm starting to get interested!"

"It seems you're very satisfied. That's wonderful."

Vlad III promised, "I will arrange the stage for your duel. This Holy Grail War will surely be our victory, and on that premise, I will fully satisfy your fighting spirit and will never obscure your glory!"

The Black Knight King raised his head slightly, seemingly moved: "Thank you, Son of the Dragon of Romania."

"This is simply the awareness that a 'king' should have."

Vlad III narrowed his eyes, as if he were thinking of something unpleasant.

"A true hero should sing praises of victory in the Holy Grail War, display their most valiant side, clash with the strongest enemy, and face the end with the most unwavering spirit... I will never allow any act that tarnishes the dignity of a hero!"

"Your chivalry is admirable. If we were in the same era, I would invite you to join Camelot and discuss politics together at the round table." The Black Rider's words carried a hint of a smile.

"Hmph! Don't be so arrogant!"

Vlad III raised his chin slightly, looking down arrogantly at the Black Rider: "I am the King of Wallachia, the eternal protector of this land, not anyone's knight, and I will never obey the orders of foreign barbarians!"

Rider, you are no longer a king who reigns supreme; you are merely one of my generals.

“A true king has a broad mind that embraces all rivers. Under my command, even knights from foreign lands can be given important positions and their talents can be fully utilized.”

Black Rider reached out and gripped it tightly as if trying to grasp something illusory.

"To hold all available power in one's hands, to ruthlessly crush, conquer and rule all equally—this is the path of the King of Britain."

This Holy Grail War is the same. Although I will accept your commission as a collaborator, I will act according to my own will.

"However, even your Master obeys my orders."

Vlad III revealed a provocative, or rather smug, smile: "All Masters acknowledge my authority. As a Servant bound by a contract, whether you agree or not, you are, in fact, my subordinate."

"You may be the Master of Masters, but you are ultimately not my Master," Black Rider retorted sharply.

"..."

The two stared at each other for a long time, until Vlad III finally burst out laughing first, and in a very hearty laugh, which was quite unusual for someone with a melancholic personality like him.

"It's been so long since I've felt like I'm facing off against a wild beast. As a warrior, as a general, as a king, neither you nor I will bow down to the other."

This is not a bad thing; the majesty of a king is inviolable!

O King of the Knights of Britain, you and I will have a duel sooner or later, but not now.

I am the King of Romania, and my only wish, both in life and now, is to protect this land. I will tolerate whatever you ask for, as long as it is beneficial to this cause.

After defeating the villains who invaded my homeland, you and I will then use our weapons to decide who owns the Holy Grail!

“That’s only right.” Black Rider had no objection to this.

In European history, it was common for kings to accept employment as allies and fight for others. Arthur himself grew up in a chaotic era and had seen it all before.

"At least until all enemies are defeated, I, as the Black Rider, will never betray my comrades."

But after that, when this camp falls apart and needs to fight each other to determine the final victor, I, the king, will not hesitate to crush everything in its path!

"Then it's settled." Vlad III nodded in satisfaction.

There is no need to sign a special contract; for the two kings, even a verbal agreement will be kept.

'What a pity, if he had been summoned simply as a knight instead of a king…'

Vlad III looked at the Black Rider with a hint of regret in his eyes.

Rider is an exceptionally skilled Servant, possessing formidable strength and a rational mind. She has no compatibility requirements with her Master, as they are all similar in her eyes. She will only diligently carry out orders, but will not open her heart to anyone.

If an ordinary Master summons her in the Holy Grail War, then victory can almost be declared.

But this was somewhat awkward for Vlad III...

Just as Black Rider said earlier—"My Master's Master is not my Master!"

Vlad III, in turn, controlled Master Darnic and indirectly took control of Yggdrasil, forcing the magicians there to submit to him, including Sereneke.

However, the rider will not accept this hierarchical relationship!

She obeys her Master's orders simply to abide by the rules of the contract.

Even if she becomes corrupted in personality, her chivalrous spirit remains unchanged, and she would never betray others willingly.

However, this "loyalty" is limited to her Master Sereneka, and she does not approve of anyone else's command!

Vlad III's rule over the Yggdrasil was a provocation in her eyes, because she couldn't accept being ridden on by another Servant—if the Yggdrasil had to have a king, why couldn't it be her?

In short, Vlad III was very happy to be able to summon a powerful Servant like Black Rider. However, the fact that Black Rider King overlapped with him in terms of role and had a very difficult personality gave him another competitor.

It doesn't matter. As long as he's on this land, even if he were to fight against King Arthur, he would never lose!

He will then prove to all magicians and Servants who the true King of Romania is!

"You've worked hard on this mission, go and rest, Rider."

After Vlad III confirmed Rider's idea, he knew that he didn't need to worry about Rider causing trouble before defeating the Reds. With a major concern resolved, his mental state relaxed considerably.

He waved his hand, indicating that Rider and Serenekae could leave.

Serenekee respectfully bid farewell to Vlad III, while Rider turned away without a word, responding with the metallic clang of his armor.

"Oh, right! There's still one important thing that hasn't been taken care of!"

Just as she was about to walk out the door, she suddenly remembered something and stared at Serenekay. Her intimidating aura made the female magician choke.

"An army marches on its stomach... Where is your restaurant located?"

Chapter 107: Iori’s Temptation

Do Servants need to eat too?

The answer is "yes" but not necessarily.

Servants can freely switch between spirit and physical form, but in essence, their bodies are constructed from extremely pure magical energy, also known as "spirit origins."

They rely on magic to maintain their existence, and this consumes a huge amount of energy.

Strictly speaking, one can replenish magical energy in small amounts through eating, since food is digested after entering a Servant's stomach, and life force itself can be converted into magical energy. However, this method is extremely inefficient and has a negligible effect.

(Of course, it also depends on what you eat; as everyone knows, the bodily fluids of the Type-Moon magicians can be used as a blue potion...)

The massive amount of magical energy consumed by Servants in their activities in the mortal world cannot be supplied by their Masters alone. Even a genius mage like Rin Tohsaka couldn't do it; the main source of magical energy has always been the Greater Grail. Only non-human beings like elves or Dead Apostles could sustain a Servant on their own.

In conclusion, normal Servants do not need to eat, and eating will not have any positive effect.

—So Sera was a little confused.

As a Servant, Aizen Iori's appetite is far too strong!

She was walking side by side with Iori on the main street of a small town. There weren't many people on the street at this time, and even those who were were all looking lazy, like cats basking in the sun.

The afternoon sun was warm and comfortable, and a gentle breeze blew across the lake next to the town, making people feel relaxed and happy.

On such a beautiful day, nothing is more important than enjoying a quiet afternoon tea. The whole town seems to be under a spell of slowing down time, exuding a peaceful and leisurely atmosphere.

On a day like this, Iori didn't want to care about the Holy Grail War. Unfortunately, he had already made an appointment to meet someone, so he could only walk reluctantly toward his destination. However, he didn't neglect himself. He stopped to buy whatever delicious food he saw along the way. He had already changed his snacks four or five times in less than three hundred meters.

Sera couldn't understand why her contracted partner was so greedy when Servants clearly lived on magic and her own magic supply quality was definitely above average.

Moreover, this attitude is far too casual, a stark contrast to his previous energetic and enthusiastic demeanor!

"Aren't we supposed to be looking for allies? It would be very impolite to be late, wouldn't it?"

"Magicians don't care about being on time, and there's plenty of time, so don't be impatient, Master."

Iori picked up a small piece of hard candy with nuts on it with a toothpick: "Want one?"

"..."

Sera hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head slightly, brushed her hair aside, and opened her small mouth to take it.

"Mmm... thank you, it's delicious, I really like it."

The silver-haired girl had no expression on her face. Although she said that, she didn't seem to like sweets very much.

Iori glanced at her meaningfully, knowing that she didn't dislike the food, but rather couldn't taste anything.

Artificial humans generally have short lifespans, with most living only a few years, and some even being rapidly cultivated expendable products, much like artificially raised animals.

Sera is the last remaining android of the Einzbern race. She is excellent in all aspects, but she was originally just a "backup" and only became the last successor by accident.

She has a vast amount of magical knowledge stored in her mind, and many of Type-Moon's magic is directly written into the circuits and engravings, which puts a considerable "burden" on her and makes her body weaker than that of ordinary androids.

Despite efforts to extend its lifespan, it has now reached its limit, especially after the battle of London...

Although she pretended to be fine, in reality, her beautiful red eyes only had vision in one eye. Her right eye could barely see anything, and her sense of taste, balance, spatial awareness, and touch had all become much dulled.

The nervous system is more sensitive and more fragile than muscle tissue!

It's questionable whether Iori, as the Master, can survive until the end of the Holy Grail War; she's as beautiful and fragile as a daffodil formed from thin ice.

Even so, Sera had to maintain a "normal" demeanor in front of Iori, admitting to her visual impairment and loss of taste, but never acknowledging her inability to engage in strenuous exercise or the gradual decline of her magic circuits.

—She must persevere as Master to the very end and not let her Servants lose faith in her.

Even if Iori swears she won't betray him, Sera will still choose to stick it out to the bitter end!

He once tried to cure Sera with "Return Path". Although this kind of restorative Kido is for spirits, it does have techniques that can work on the physical body. However, Sera's main problem lies in her nervous system and magic circuits... Iori's level is not high enough to delve into such subtle details.

Why is it that returning to the Dao is a lower priority for him than "slaying fists and wandering ghosts"?

"It's wartime now, I think it's better to be a little more serious. Iori, aren't you being too lax?"

"Life isn't just about tatami; it's about fully enjoying life so that we have the motivation to protect these beautiful things."

Iori laughed nonchalantly, "You're just too serious about life."

“…Life is too short to waste time,” Sera retorted expressionlessly. “That’s why we must pursue efficiency. Whether it’s resting, eating, or researching, only by making full use of time can we make life meaningful.”

"This is only true for you."

Iori bluntly stated, "Cicada larvae lie dormant underground for their entire lives, but after metamorphosing into adults, they can only live for one summer. Therefore, they are the busiest, chattering incessantly throughout the entire summer."

That's how short-lived life forms are; everything they do is spent in a state of 'acceleration,' without even the chance to stop and enjoy life, without even seeing what the world is really like, and they die easily.

Their existence is solely for the purpose of completing a fixed program, like a machine… no, like a natural phenomenon. Therefore, no one cares about their life or death, and no one remembers them.

What do you think?

"After you die, will anyone remember you, Master?"

"..."

"If you make a wish to the Holy Grail, everything can change."

Iori popped a piece of candy into her mouth, easily chewed through the hard shell, and slowly savored the nuts and gummy candy hidden inside.

"With the power of the Greater Grail, healing your body shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

"What do you mean……"

"Just a small portion, requiring very little magic, is negligible compared to the amount accumulated by the Greater Grail, but your life will continue, and your future will be full of possibilities!"

Iori smiled faintly, her eyes fixed intently on Sera.

"All of this only requires you to change your mindset slightly~"