Schicksal Overseer: "A rather excellent game of wits. Even though the kingdoms of these three monarchs have all fallen, their Ways of the King are truly admirable."
Conan: "Admirable? I didn't feel that at all. Besides King Arthur, who sounds somewhat reasonable and like an enlightened ruler, the other two are completely irrational. No wonder they were tyrants."
King of Heroes: "Hmph—mongrel. How could an untalented cur like you comprehend the words of a king? My Way of the King is not for a mongrel like you to judge so freely."
L: "Three kings from three different eras discussing the Way of the King... honestly, it's a fundamentally meaningless debate."
Regarding the three kings' philosophies, it might seem like a dispute between two slave-owning monarchs and one constitutional monarch over differing ideals. However, the historical contexts in which they became and acted as kings were completely different. To discuss kingship divorced from history is as hollow as discussing a problem divorced from practical application. If their roles were swapped, it's unlikely they could have replicated the same great deeds.
If either Gilgamesh or the King of Conquerors had been in King Arthur's position, watching their kingdom decline before their very eyes, would they have done any better?
Therefore, to debate the Way of the King divorced from its historical context was indeed meaningless.
However, more than the philosophies of the three kings, it was Elysia's wish that now intrigued the audience the most.
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Elysia's wish? I'm actually quite curious. What kind of wish would a person like her have... to turn the world into a paradise of only beautiful girls?"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Surely it wouldn't be such an absurd wish? No matter what, she is a powerful warrior. It's impossible for her to make a wish like that."
Eriri: "Why do I feel like any kind of outrageous statement would be perfectly normal coming from her?"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Well..."
Recalling all of Elysia's actions, it did seem plausible. Although she was a beautiful and elegant young woman, her thought processes were not something an ordinary person could fathom. It was entirely possible she would say something that would astound everyone.
At this moment, the Flame-Chasers watched the Elysia on the screen, ignoring the comments. As for Elysia's true wish, only a few of them knew it. But one thing was certain: it was absolutely not to turn the world into a paradise of only beautiful girls. At best, that would be her second wish...
---o---
[In the video—
After the King of Conquerors posed his question, Elysia became the focus of everyone present. She was not a king, nor had she left any trace in history. Even Solomon's Clairvoyance and Gilgamesh's All-Knowing Star could not perceive the slightest thing about her.
Yet she possessed the strength and mentality to not fear even kings. One must remember, a necessary precondition for Gilgamesh's drastic change in attitude towards Elysia was that she possessed power no weaker than his own.
Elysia set down her wine cup. Though her expression was still a smile, it had lost some of its teasing and playful quality. She said, "Me? I do indeed have a dream I want to fulfill—"
"But... just like the King of Conquerors, regardless of whether the Holy Grail can do it or not, even if it truly could grant my wish, I would still choose to achieve my ideal with my own two hands."
The Holy Grail? Not only was she not a participant, but as for this so-called omnipotent wish-granting machine, it seemed impressive, but Elysia felt it was fundamentally impossible for it to realize her ideal.
Besides, if the wish she had pursued her entire life was granted by some cheap cup, who could possibly accept that?
Therefore, Elysia had absolutely no need for the Holy Grail. Even if she obtained it, she would probably just throw it away because she found its appearance rather plain.
After all, the Grail's craftsmanship was only average at best. She'd be better off picking a few cups from the King of Heroes' treasury.
"Oh—an ideal achieved with one's own hands! Whatever it may be, that is worthy of praise!!" The King of Conquerors grinned broadly. It seemed he greatly approved of Elysia's words.
He himself intended to rely on his own hands to achieve the great feat of world domination, even if that was impossible in modern society.
But whether he could achieve it or not, that magnificent spirit was undeniably real.
The King of Heroes, who had been watching for a while, took another sip of wine and chuckled. "And? What is your wish? It's not some laughable nonsense like Saber's, is it—"
He shot another glance at Saber, the mockery in his eyes plain for her to see.
King Arthur's voice was cold. "King of Heroes—do you wish to taste my sharp sword?"
As the two kings spoke, their gazes clashed in mid-air, thick with the scent of gunpowder, as if a fight could break out at any moment.
"Now, now—we should be listening properly to what Miss Elysia has to say. If you want to fight, it would be best to wait until the banquet is over."
Seeing the atmosphere grow increasingly tense, the King of Conquerors immediately interceded to prevent the two from coming to blows.
A fight between them wouldn't be resolved quickly. One was the Oldest King of Heroes, the other the Holy King. A battle that didn't last all night would be an insult to their titles.
It was unclear if it was out of respect for the King of Conquerors or for Elysia, but the King of Heroes, uncharacteristically, did not continue his taunts. He silently took a sip of wine. It seemed he, too, was curious about Elysia's wish.
Seeing this, King Arthur did not press the issue. There was no reasoning with a tyrant like him. Rather than argue with a tyrant, it was better to listen carefully to Elysia's wish.
Seeing the expectant looks on everyone's faces, Elysia smiled. She spoke slowly, "My wish... is actually very simple~~ I want to create an eternal paradise. No disaster, no war. There... everyone can pursue their own ideals, and everyone can live happily."
That's right. To create an eternal paradise. This was the purest and most sincere dream of the girl named Elysia.
After Elysia stated her wish, for a short time, everyone present fell silent, including the audience watching the video.
It was less a wish and more a fantasy. Everyone knew that a paradise without disaster and war was practically impossible to achieve in human society.
The world is beautiful, but it is also cruel. Where there are people, there is conflict. Where there is conflict, there will inevitably be disaster and war. As long as disaster and war do not disappear, people can never live happy lives.
"A grand ideal. To create an eternal paradise is indeed admirable, but... Elysia, do you intend to become a desireless saint like that Saber?"
After a brief silence, Gilgamesh spoke slowly. He first praised Elysia's wish, then questioned it.
An eternal paradise. This bore similarities to Saber's pursuit of her people's happiness and her nation's continuation. If Elysia were a king, such a philosophy would undoubtedly have drawn the ridicule of both the King of Conquerors and the King of Heroes.
A place like paradise does not exist. Even the Gate of Babylon, which holds all treasures, could not produce a Noble Phantasm capable of turning the world into Elysia's ideal paradise.
As for the so-called Holy Grail, that went without saying. If it was something even he could not do, then the so-called Holy Grail most certainly could not do it either.
"How could I? Glitter-gold, I'm determined to become good friends with every single pretty girl, you know~~~"
Desireless? What a joke. She just wanted to build an eternal paradise; she didn't want to become a saint like Jesus.
Trying to make someone like Elysia desireless would be more painful than killing her.
"In such a short time, you've given this King yet another new title. But never mind that. This King is more curious: how do you intend to achieve such an impossible ideal with your own two hands?"
Glitter-gold?
One had to admit, Elysia's knack for nicknames was on par with a certain emergency food from another two-character game. Kin-pika, Glitter-gold... they were all nicknames that perfectly fit Gilgamesh's image.
What the audience hadn't expected was how unusually good-tempered Gilgamesh was today. He didn't even get angry. It completely subverted their impression of him.
"Hmm... right now, it's still very far away~~~ But I believe that one day, this ideal will become a reality."
A wish is a wish precisely because it is incredibly difficult to achieve. But who was Elysia?
She was not a girl who merely spoke of empty ideals, but a warrior capable of taking concrete action.
A Flame-Chaser would never give up just because a goal was too distant or currently impossible.
The King of Conquerors nodded in appreciation. "Excellent. Though this wish is difficult to achieve, it is precisely because of its grandeur and idealism that it can inspire a person's fighting spirit and will. Although I do not agree with this ideal, I still offer you my blessing... Miss Elysia."
With that, he once again raised his cup and drank. The King of Conquerors' own philosophy meant he would never pursue some so-called eternal paradise, but he respected Elysia's ideal. In any case, her will to rely on herself and not the Holy Grail was enough to earn his recognition.
King Arthur pondered for a moment. An eternal paradise? It sounded somewhat familiar. Speaking of which... she wondered if Merlin's Avalon fit this ideal, since there was indeed no war or disaster there.
But she supposed it didn't fit, because besides Merlin, there were no people there, so naturally, there would be no war.
Oh, right. Merlin wasn't really a person, in essence. After all, what kind of person could live from the Age of Gods until now?
But in any case, King Arthur was very receptive to Elysia's ideal. In essence, their ideals were much closer, a stark contrast to the tyrannical views of the King of Conquerors and the King of Heroes.
Therefore, King Arthur also spoke up. "Since you do not intend to achieve it through the Holy Grail, then continue to press forward. Your wish is beautiful, but it will not be easy to realize. However, nothing in this world is truly impossible, so do your best, Elysia—"
It was strange. None of the three kings completely dismissed Elysia's ideal, even though it seemed impossible to achieve.
Keep in mind, these three kings had vastly different personalities. The King of Conquerors and the King of Heroes had argued endlessly with King Arthur over their philosophies, while King Arthur completely ignored their twisted logic, insisting that her path was the correct one.
For them to now reach a consensus in affirming Elysia's ideal was truly unexpected.
Perhaps it was because Elysia was not a king and thus not held to a higher, stricter standard. Or perhaps it was for some other reason.
In any case, creating an eternal paradise was the greatest ideal of Elysia's life.]
---o---
In the video's comment section—
Schicksal Overseer: "An eternal paradise—such a pure and flawless wish. I think I now understand why the mention of her name makes my old friend tremble."
Eriri: "I mean, but... the probability of achieving such an ideal in human society is too low, right?"
Conan: "It's not low, it's completely impossible. The only lesson humanity has ever learned from history is that humanity never learns any lessons from history. Such a paradise exists only in the imagination."
L: "Ah—history is always repeating itself. War and disaster are eternal themes of every era. Resources, human nature... as long as these conflicts exist, the earth will never know a day of peace."
Unlike the three kings, a considerable portion of the audience did not believe Elysia's ideal could ever become a reality. It was simply too preposterous.
However, they were quite curious if Elysia's incredible wish could be granted by the so-called Holy Grail. After all, it was hailed as an omnipotent wish-granting machine; perhaps a miracle really could happen.
But many held a pessimistic view. If you want a world without war and disaster, rather than building an eternal paradise, you might as well just wipe out humanity. Then the whole world would be at peace, and there would be no more war or disaster.
In the Type-Moon world, Kiritsugu Emiya, within Einzbern Castle, also expressed his strong agreement after witnessing Elysia's ideal.
Although he wanted to be a hero of justice, his fundamental goal was the same as Elysia's: to create a world filled with love, free from war and disaster.
However... unlike Elysia, Kiritsugu firmly believed that the Holy Grail could help him achieve this wish.
Therefore, even as the video slowly revealed the future, exposing all his trump cards, he still had not given up on the Holy Grail War.
On the contrary, he was constantly gathering information from the video feed to ensure his victory.