Chapter 39: He Who Wears the Crown
When Shirou arrived in the castle courtyard, it seemed the event here had just concluded.
Rider was sheathing a sword, while Gilgamesh shifted his gaze from Saber, looked deeply at Shirou, and then vanished as a flash of golden light.
Rider, however, looked at Shirou with considerable interest.
"Oh, did you happen to have another guest arrive? You two take care of the reception, I'll be off."
Saying this, Rider grabbed the back collar of Waver's clothes, who had seemingly frozen in place at some point, and casually tossed him onto his chariot like a small chicken.
Accompanied by lightning and rolling thunder, Rider drove the 'Gordius Wheel' away into the sky.
Seeing Rider leave so decisively, Shirou had to suspect that Rider had already used his 'Ionian Hetairoi' once here.
Saber seemed completely unaware of Shirou's arrival, staring blankly with a look of disappointment.
"Saber..." Irisviel walked up, wanting to say something, but ultimately could only remain silent.
Emiya Kiritsugu's death had already filled her with deep sorrow; she was in no state to comfort others.
However, simply asking her what had happened was not difficult.
Shirou asked Irisviel for details and finally confirmed that the events that had just unfolded were exactly as he had imagined.
The Banquet of the Three Kings—a debate on the path of kingship, featuring two tyrants and one wise ruler.
Naturally, the outnumbered Saber was ganged up on.
Worse, the words of the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, struck directly at Saber's spirit, leaving her heart confused.
In Shirou's view, this so-called Banquet of Kings was utterly meaningless.
Several kings from different eras and backgrounds could never reach a conclusion.
Because each of them was a unique king.
'King of Conquerors' Iskandar: He was a tyrant, sweeping across every inch of the Mediterranean out of desire, continuously plundering for his own wants: wealth, women, power, and glory.
However, as a king, what he achieved in life extended far beyond that.
The greed and desire he possessed already surpassed the ants he trampled upon during his conquests.
The so-called greed, the so-called desire, the so-called truth.
And the path of dominance that would never cease.
Like the sun, which perpetually burns itself, he had already become an immortal legend.
The lands his iron cavalry galloped across became an immortal myth, and the Macedonian Empire became the most shining name of that era.
This king of intense emotions forged a hegemony, an era; he himself was like the endless sea, becoming a legend in history and in the hearts of men.
And 'King of Heroes' Gilgamesh: Since his initial birth as a demigod king, he held the stance of both sides. His perspective differed from both humans and gods.
Archer Gilgamesh leaned toward the divine side between human and god, while Caster Gilgamesh leaned toward the human side.
Therefore, Archer Gilgamesh saw kingship as a being superior to humanity, which differed greatly from the kings of history who were human.
Based on this, Archer Gilgamesh developed a philosophy different from the traditional image of a monarch: the pursuit of the fruits produced by humanity.
To Archer Gilgamesh, though humans were foolish, the tools and civilization they created still held value.
He was a tyrant whose severe governance caused the people of Uruk intense suffering, yet he still worried about his people.
From the perspective of others, this was a baffling contradiction.
But from the perspective of Gilgamesh, who was between human and god, it was not so incomprehensible.
In his era, he was born with the identity of a guardian of humanity; it was the King's duty to construct the civilization of this planet.
Guardianship came in many forms. Mere protection was not enough; sometimes, purge was necessary.
He was the adjudicator and the reaper.
The King only demanded the result.
Being superior to humanity, he would not intervene in the "glorious process" of achieving that result.
With the blood of both human and god, he stood higher and saw farther, seeing things even the gods could not comprehend.
He sincerely respected the gods, and he also loved humanity from the bottom of his heart. And precisely because of this, he chose to abandon the gods and chose to hate humanity.
If not for the appearance of Enkidu, who bestowed upon him a life as a "human," Gilgamesh might have remained an eternally solitary king.
It was precisely for this reason that when Saber said that a king should be solitary, Gilgamesh did not agree, because with his dear friend Enkidu, he was no longer solitary or isolated.
After Enkidu's death, his arrogance became mixed with a sense of loneliness.
.
.
.
After considering the past and the path of kingship of the other two tyrants, Shirou's gaze suddenly fell upon Artoria, who was silently dejected.
"Saber, they haven't yet witnessed your brilliance. Your Noble Phantasm proves that your ideal is correct. If the King of Conquerors' Noble Phantasm embodies his characteristic of command, then your Noble Phantasm is also the manifestation of your conviction. No one can deny this proud radiance. This glorious path of thorns did not reach a brilliant and happy ending in this mortal world, but it transcended eras and marched toward eternity."
Shirou's words stunned both Saber and Irisviel standing beside her.
"The King of Ideals, you say..."
Connecting Shirou's words with memories of her past life, Saber's eyes flickered slightly.
Artoria Pendragon was not born in a normal way; she was created by Uther Pendragon and Merlin, who combined the royal bloodline of Britain, the ideology of Britain as the Incarnation of the Red Dragon, and a noble female bloodline to perfectly fuse the two, creating a new King who was naturally transcendent above mortals.
Therefore, Artoria possessed qualities beyond the average person since birth.
Because Artoria underwent ceaseless royal education from childhood, with Merlin teaching her knowledge even in her dreams, her understanding of the world was still only at the level of "rich theory" until she was fifteen.
On the Day of Selection, Artoria learned from Merlin about her and the kingdom's destined path toward destruction, yet she still resolutely pulled the sword from the stone.
The young girl who had desperately studied and trained to become King in the past became a true King from that moment. To protect her people, her sword was stained with blood, and
even when abandoned, betrayed, and cursed by her own people, she never intended to turn back.
She consistently adhered to her belief in kingship, dedicated to her country and people, even if she alone was unhappy, she would ensure the happiness of everyone else.
Such a person was practically an ideal saint, but precisely because such a king should only exist in an ideal, the people of Britain could not understand, leading to the saying, "King Arthur doesn't understand the hearts of men."
Sadly, this noble ideal was not praised by the populace but became wicked words attacking the King.
Britain was like a person with a terminal illness, and Artoria, the doctor, knew this disease was incurable, but she could use various means to make the terminally ill patient comfortable.
To allow the patient to die painlessly or with minimal pain in a sweet dream, which she was close to achieving through her efforts.
But at that moment, a naughty kid (Mordred) who couldn't bear to see her work so hard pulled the oxygen mask off Britain, the patient. Artoria naturally couldn't accept this.
Following that was Lancelot's affair with the Queen, which escalated into defection, and coupled with the expedition to France at the time, Britain was ultimately destroyed in the flames of war.
Sir Tristan's lament, "The King doesn't understand the hearts of men," plunged Saber into frantic self-reproach, believing she was responsible for Britain's destruction in the war. She ended up forever wandering on Camlann Hill, unable to ascend to the Throne of Heroes, and was taken advantage of by the Counter Force.
"..." The girl's emerald eyes flickered, her emotions immensely complex, blending the moving realization that someone finally understood her ideals with the helplessness that her people couldn't understand her.
"A knight who left once said, 'King Arthur doesn't understand the hearts of men.' Perhaps it's because I always adhered to solitude that I failed to understand people." Saber murmured as if to herself.
In fact, the knight who said, "The King doesn't understand the hearts of men," later regretted those very words for the rest of his life.
Shirou, upon hearing Saber's words, stared at the girl's fair and serene face and told her,
"The crown makes the wearer stand above others; it is a symbol of status. But the true meaning of the crown is this: When disaster descends from the heavens, I will shield you from everything, always ensuring you see only golden hope."
At this moment, the slight confusion that had arisen in Saber's heart finally dissipated, replaced by an absolutely unshakable resolve.
"I truly wanted to become the King of Ideals. To avoid mistakes, I never indulged in personal feelings, never expressed my inner thoughts, sacrificing my self to fulfill the duties of a King."
But she ended up with a tragic fate, betrayed and deserted by everyone she knew. Thus, she failed to gain the love of her vassals like Iskandar, and the Knight King's honor was tarnished.
However, that invisible yet supremely brilliant Holy Sword is the intertwining of despair and hope, the people's longing for the King, and the eternal covenant of victory.
"Saber, even if destiny is unavoidable, it doesn't mean it's predetermined. The future is not already fixed; it is fortune, coincidence, plus many unexpected events that ultimately shape the form of destiny. So, it's not because you are the King of Knights that your downfall was inevitable."
"Yes... you are right." Shirou's words caused Saber to nod.
Merlin the Magus had once cautioned her that if she drew the Sword in the Stone, she would face an inescapable doom.
But even so, she remained utterly dedicated.
Despite knowing the prophecy, she steadfastly embarked on the path to kingship, trying her utmost to overturn the predetermined future.
Although she ultimately failed, the girl's conviction—to still fight with all her might to overturn everything despite knowing the future—is deeply admirable.
That is why Shirou decided to say those words to her.
Mere ordinary comforting words would not only be ineffective but might also annoy her.
But Shirou understood everything about Saber even better than she understood herself, so he could naturally utter words that touched her deeply.
Ultimately, however, Shirou was only a theoretical master with foreknowledge. To truly understand Saber's state of mind, he would probably have to become a "King" himself one day.
After seeing Saber, whose fighting spirit was restored, Shirou withdrew his gaze, letting it linger on Irisviel for a few seconds.
He had already guessed who held the Command Spells now that Emiya Kiritsugu was dead.
If not for her daughter Illya in Germany as her spiritual pillar, Irisviel would likely have already collapsed.
His former ally, Hisau Maiya, however, was in a much worse state. Having lived as Emiya Kiritsugu's tool, she was now like a walking corpse, standing expressionlessly by Irisviel's side, seemingly uninterested in anything.
Shirou withdrew his gaze, taking Karna and leaving the Einzbern Castle.
Tonight's events seemed to have reached their end.
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