To Become a King and a Magician

The first night of the Holy Grail War finally ended with the sudden disappearance of Moonfall. Though it felt like it started with a bang and ended anticlimactically, for the residents of Fuyuki City, it was surely a sleepless night.

The continuous explosions from the docks, the Crimson Moon that appeared and vanished abruptly… These weren't things that could be brushed off as mere tricks of the eye.

Of course, despite such claims, not many investigated the major incident. Before sunrise the next day, all witnesses had forgotten everything.

If one were to seek the reason—

"So exhausting… Working overtime all night… So tiring…"

On a bed in one of the upper-floor rooms of the Fuyuki Grand Hotel, upon returning, Merry immediately plopped down beside Naoki, who was sitting on a sofa, resting her head on him without a second thought.

"Thanks for your hard work, Merry."

Naoki gently stroked her slightly messy hair.

"Everything's taken care of, right?"

"When I handle things, you can rest easy. Mental manipulation, cognitive interference, plus location lockdown… It feels like a white-collar worker finishing a month's worth of work in one go. I'm so exhausted, I don't even want to move a finger now."

As she spoke, Merry rolled over, inching toward Naoki's stomach, hinting for a massage. "You and Arcueid both—can't you give me a little peace of mind? Reducing your subordinate's workload should be part of a King's considerations, right?"

"Sorry, when fighting Gilgamesh, there's really no room to hold back."

Naoki had, of course, considered not troubling Merry, but on one hand, his opponent was Gilgamesh, and on the other, his fighting style caused such massive collateral damage… A half-destroyed harbor was already a great outcome.

Merry knew this; she was just venting.

Taking Naoki's hand from stroking her hair and guiding it to her stomach to signal for a massage, Merry asked, "So, how'd it go? Did you win?"

"Uh… well…" Scratching his face awkwardly, Naoki gave a wry smile and shook his head. "Sorry, I lost."

"You lost, huh, King? That won't do. If you don't try harder, I won't marry you~"

Seeing Merry's devilish grin, Naoki sighed slightly. "Well, facing him alone is tough, but with Lia, it should be fine. If Arcueid's side hadn't interrupted yesterday, we probably could've won—by the way, what's the situation with Arcueid? I didn't see anyone when I got there last night."

Naoki hadn't met Arcueid the previous night. Though he rushed over upon noticing Moonfall, he was still a step too late. By the time he and Artoria arrived, Arcueid, Okita Souji, and Solomon were already gone.

"Nothing much." Merry smiled. "According to her, meeting like that wasn't ideal. It should be more like a hero's grand entrance. Girls sure are demanding. Speaking of, where's Lia? Not with you?"

"You didn't check the time. She went for breakfast."

Naoki pointed at the clock. "If I didn't think you'd use me as a pillow when you got back, I'd have gone down too."

"Then sorry about that."

Sitting up from his lap, Merry tucked her legs and sat properly. "Considering Lia's appetite… she probably won't be back until the restaurant closes. That means the next half hour is just you and me, right, King?"

"Go get some proper sleep."

Naoki flicked her forehead in exasperation. "You've been busy all night; you must be tired. Rest first, then I'll listen to your sweet talk later."

"Fine, fine, King, you're getting more considerate, huh…"

Not finishing her sentence, Merry suddenly wrapped her arms around Naoki's neck, quickly kissing his cheek. "This kind of attentiveness—I quite like it. So, here's a little reward for now."

"You little…"

Rubbing his kissed cheek, Naoki looked helplessly at Merry, who had already scampered to her bed to sleep—if it's already on the face, couldn't it be a bit more?

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

At the Hotel Restaurant

As soon as Naoki entered, he immediately spotted Artoria—her table, piled with the most plates, was unmistakably hers.

Glancing at the plates stacked like two small mountains, Naoki gave a wry smile. "Eating this much in the morning? Lia, this is enough for seven or eight people."

"Please don't underestimate breakfast, Master." Artoria replied while eating elegantly yet swiftly. "Breakfast determines one's mental state for the entire day. If breakfast isn't good, morale drops significantly, and morning operations would be greatly disadvantaged."

Truly worthy of the King of Knights—her words were so purposeful.

"Then… this is mine?"

Naoki looked at the breakfast set across from Artoria. Compared to the plates before her, it looked underwhelming.

Artoria nodded. "I thought Master would want to eat too."

"Thanks, but this seems a bit lacking. I'll grab more—Lia, what else do you want?"

"Everything, thank you, Master."

Such a King of Knights answer, but taking everything—wouldn't that inconvenience the other guests?

Thinking this, Naoki unconsciously cleared ninety percent of the remaining food from the breakfast buffet, leaving just a little for others, leaving them stunned.

The subsequent eating process of the two Kings of Knights made the other guests question their existence. A portion that could feed dozens vanished at a visibly alarming rate!

(Are these two really human? Where do those bottomless stomachs come from?!)

This was the thought of everyone in the restaurant, except Naoki and Artoria.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Ten minutes later, in the now-quiet restaurant.

"How's the food, Lia?"

"Nine-tenths full, Master. A very delicious breakfast." Artoria replied with a smile. "So, Master, any plans for this afternoon?"

"Hmm, I have one. There's someone I want to meet."

Naoki set down the soy milk in his hand.

"The Lord of the Department of Astromancy, Marisbury Animusphere. For certain reasons, I'd like to meet him."