The smell of hot food filled the room.
It was also during this banquet that Arthur, Mash, and Ritsuka officially met the other Servants summoned by Gilgamesh.
Originally, after this era became a Singularity, Gilgamesh summoned Merlin.
Afterward, despite being nearly out of energy, he summoned Ushiwakamaru, Musashibou Benkei, Leonidas, Amakusa Shirou, Fuuma Kotarou, Ibaraki-douji, and Tomoe Gozen, incarnating them using his own magical energy.
He left Leonidas in charge of the efforts against the Demonic Beasts and training the soldiers of Uruk and the Northern Wall to become a self-sufficient force.
The other Servants summoned by Gilgamesh also helped defend Uruk, although Ibaraki argued with Gilgamesh and betrayed him to become a bandit, constantly tormenting cities alongside her followers.
Shirou and Kotarou perished alongside the reconnaissance groups Gilgamesh sent to investigate the jungle surrounding Ur and Eridu.
Tomoe died after killing Girtablilu, the general of the Demonic Beasts.
After six months, Uruk had become a fortress city, and its people had survived thanks to their determination and Gilgamesh's efforts.
Around that time, Gilgamesh sent Merlin to the Cedar Forest to recover the Tablet of Destinies after forgetting where he had left it. It was during that journey that Merlin encountered Anna and eventually Ritsuka, Mash, and Arthur.
Now, besides Merlin, only three remained.
The first to enter was a young warrior with an incredibly delicate appearance.
She had long black hair tied into a massive ponytail that nearly reached the floor, extremely sharp bluish eyes, and a disciplined yet curious expression.
Two small red markings adorned her forehead, while golden ornaments decorated her hair.
Her outfit mixed light Japanese armor with traditional garments, leaving much of her body — including her chest — nearly exposed without appearing vulgar.
On the contrary, her appearance resembled a flower blooming beneath the moon: elegant, yet dangerous.
A katana rested at her waist, and despite her respectful posture, her presence clearly conveyed just how monstrously skilled she was in combat.
"Pleasure to meet you all. My name is Ushiwakamaru." She introduced herself the moment she entered, bowing flawlessly. "I am a Rider-class Servant, and from this moment onward, I shall fight alongside you."
Her voice was calm and disciplined, but it was easy to sense how excited she was to meet them.
After introducing herself, her eyes turned toward Arthur with a mixture of curiosity and surprise.
Right behind her came an enormous warrior monk.
His face was extremely serious, and his posture perfectly respectful.
The aura surrounding him made him seem like the kind of man who would carry the burden of an entire army alone without complaint.
"I am Musashibou Benkei." He spoke deeply. "It is an honor to meet you."
Lastly, an incredibly muscular man appeared.
His absurdly trained muscles and fierce expression made him look like he had just walked straight out of a battlefield.
Even so, his smile was extremely open.
"MY NAME IS LEONIDAS!" he announced loudly.
"…Your voice is way too loud." Anna commented immediately while covering her ears.
"FUHAHAHAHAHA!" Leonidas burst into laughter upon hearing her complaint.
"…I'm already regretting coming here." Anna grumbled.
Meanwhile, Ushiwakamaru kept staring directly at Arthur with great curiosity.
Arthur slightly raised an eyebrow.
Being watched so attentively by a beautiful girl wasn't exactly a bad thing.
Still, it gave him a strange feeling.
Almost as if she were trying to dismantle him piece by piece using only her gaze.
Ushiwakamaru slowly stepped closer while shamelessly analyzing Arthur from head to toe.
Her eyes traveled across his broad shoulders, arms, relaxed posture, and finally stopped on his face.
"…Your physique is one of the best I've ever seen." She commented with absolute sincerity.
Mash immediately froze while Ritsuka's eyes widened at the same moment.
Merlin covered his mouth, clearly trying not to laugh.
"…Thank you?" Arthur replied while raising an eyebrow.
To be honest, that was probably one of the strangest compliments he had ever received.
Ushiwakamaru continued staring at him without looking away.
"Your body seems extremely efficient." she continued analyzing aloud. "No unnecessary movements, stable center of gravity, well-distributed muscles… You must be a very powerful swordsman."
Arthur stayed silent for a few seconds.
"…This might be the first time someone has flirted with me as if they were evaluating a warhorse."
"Flirting?" Ushiwakamaru repeated while tilting her head slightly.
Then she appeared to seriously reflect on it.
"…Ah." she murmured a few seconds later. "Perhaps I really am."
Mash instantly combusted.
"U-Ushiwakamaru-san?!"
Ritsuka slapped her own forehead.
"Don't encourage him!" She complained.
'Or you'll end up in his bed.' she mentally added.
Arthur ended up laughing quietly before slightly tilting his head and observing her more carefully as well.
"Well…" he began calmly. "You're also extremely efficient."
Ushiwakamaru blinked several times.
She placed a hand over her own chest as if confirming something.
"…That's good." she replied with surprising honesty. "I'm happy to hear that from someone so efficient."
"…"
"…"
"…"
Merlin immediately turned her face away because he was already starting to laugh too hard.
Ritsuka pointed desperately at the two of them.
"How did you manage to turn a body analysis into mutual flirting?!"
Arthur and Ushiwakamaru looked at her at the same time.
"…Was it mutual flirting?" Ushiwakamaru asked.
"…I honestly have no idea." Arthur admitted.
'How can calling someone efficient be considered flirting?' Arthur thought.
"HAHAHAHAHA! A MAN SHOULD ACCEPT PRAISE WITH PRIDE!" Leonidas laughed.
Benkei sighed deeply.
"…Though perhaps a little more moderation would be preferable."
"I disagree." Merlin replied immediately. "I'm finding their interaction extremely entertaining."
"…But I must admit…" Leonidas suddenly commented. "You really do resemble King Gilgamesh."
Benkei slowly nodded.
"…The resemblance is disturbing."
Ushiwakamaru also returned to observing him.
"…Now that you mention it…" she murmured. "They really do look quite alike."
"…I'm already starting to dislike this conversation." Arthur said while slowly raising his right hand.
CLANG.
CLANG.
CLANG.
Several golden ripples began appearing behind him.
Absurdly luxurious bottles began emerging from the golden fissures.
"Let's stop the boring conversation and start the real party!" Arthur declared.
Shortly afterward, another portal appeared behind him, and this time bottles of juice emerged.
"…Juice?" Mash asked curiously while looking at the bottle.
"You three aren't drinking alcohol." Arthur nodded naturally.
Ritsuka immediately made an indignant expression.
"Eh?! Why?!"
"Because you're not old enough." Arthur replied.
"…HOW IS THAT A VALID ARGUMENT?!"
"How old are you?" Arthur asked.
"It's rude to ask a woman's age." Ritsuka replied.
"Then be satisfied with your juice." Arthur mocked, instantly irritating Ritsuka.
Mash held her bottle with both hands while looking absurdly happy.
"…Thank you, Senpai."
Anna received hers silently.
Then she stared at the bottle for several seconds.
"…"
"…It's grape." she murmured quietly.
"Your favorite." Arthur smiled slightly.
Anna immediately froze.
"…How do you know that?"
"…I know everything, pipsqueak." Arthur simply raised the wine glass to his lips while looking at her with a smile.
Anna stared at him for several seconds before turning her face away.
"…Disgusting." She said.
"PFFFFT!" Arthur immediately spat out his wine in complete bewilderment.
"What did you just call me?" Arthur asked instantly, as the sound of laughter filled the room instead.
---xXx---
The next morning, completely exhausted from the previous night, Arthur woke up slightly groggy.
Once again, he had ridiculously overdone the drinking.
The worst part was that he couldn't even blame anyone else for it.
The wines he had taken from the Gate of Babylon were simply too good.
"…Ugh."
He pressed a hand against his face while slowly sitting up in bed.
For a few seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling in silence.
Then he let out a tired sigh.
"…I'm never drinking that specific wine again."
"…Maybe just one more time." He said after a brief pause.
After finally gathering the courage to leave bed, Arthur slowly descended the tavern stairs.
The moment he entered the main area, he found Ritsuka, Mash, Anna, and Merlin already gathered together.
Judging by their condition, all of them had returned from work not long ago.
"Ara~" Merlin smiled immediately upon seeing him. "I thought you were going to sleep until nightfall."
Arthur shot her a tired glance.
"No need to exaggerate, Merlin." he replied while letting out a small yawn. "I think being in Uruk has made me far more relaxed than usual."
Being back in that place again had perhaps caused him to lower his guard naturally.
As he walked past the girls, Arthur absentmindedly patted each of their heads almost automatically.
Mash immediately relaxed upon receiving affection.
Ritsuka let out a small "Hey…" while trying to pretend to be indignant.
Even Anna received her share of unintentional affection.
"…"
She froze for a moment when his hand gently passed over her head.
Then she slowly turned her face away while adjusting her hood.
"…You do this too much." she murmured quietly.
Despite the complaint, she didn't actually seem angry.
Merlin observed this while smiling dangerously.
"…Oh? Anna-chan is already domesticated?"
"Do you want me to throw you out the window?" Anna replied immediately.
"You're even responding normally now~"
"…"
Anna began tightening her grip on her scythe.
Arthur merely laughed quietly while continuing to walk.
Then Merlin placed a hand over her chest with a dramatically wounded expression.
"…Wait a moment, Arthur."
Arthur slightly turned his head.
"Hmm?"
"What about my affection?" Merlin asked while pointing at herself. "This is discrimination, you know?"
Arthur stared at her for several seconds.
Completely confused.
Then, slowly, he finally realized what she was asking for.
"…Ah."
A small laugh escaped him immediately.
Merlin smiled in satisfaction upon realizing he had understood.
"Exactly~"
She then slightly lowered her head while walking toward him.
Her long white hair gently slid across her shoulders as she closed her eyes with a small confident smile.
Clearly expecting to receive head pats as well.
Mash immediately realized what was happening.
"…Ah."
"That was a terrible decision, Merlin…" Ritsuka murmured.
She had known that scoundrel long enough to know he would do something completely different from what Merlin asked for.
Arthur observed Merlin like that for a few seconds.
Then his smile slowly became more amused.
Unfortunately, Merlin realized far too late what she had gotten herself into.
"…Hm?"
The next instant, Arthur gently held her face and stole a kiss from her.
"…Mmph?!"
Merlin completely froze.
Her violet eyes widened instantly when she felt her lips being touched.
For an entire second, she simply stopped functioning.
Ritsuka slapped her own forehead — Arthur had really done exactly what she imagined.
Even Anna slightly widened her eyes beneath her hood.
Arthur then calmly pulled back a few inches while observing Merlin, who remained completely frozen, still holding her chin.
"…Here's your affection for taking care of them." he said naturally while looking directly into her eyes.
"…"
Merlin remained motionless while her face slowly began turning red.
A faint trail of white steam almost seemed to rise from her head.
"…He really did it." Ritsuka sighed.
Mash immediately covered her mouth.
"S-Senpai?!"
Even Anna looked completely bewildered.
"…"
Merlin still remained still.
Then, slowly, she brought her fingers to her lips.
"…"
Arthur slightly tilted his head.
"Merlin?"
She blinked once, then finally formed a small smile.
"…Arthur."
"Hmm?"
"…You truly are a terrible man."
Despite her words, she clearly looked absurdly satisfied.
---xXx---
A few minutes later, Arthur was talking to Olga through a small communicator Ritsuka had handed him.
The director's projection appeared just above the device.
{"...So you really decided to turn an abandoned tavern into an operational base."} Olga commented while crossing her arms.
Even while maintaining her usual rigid posture, there was slight relief hidden in her voice upon realizing everyone was safe.
"It turned out comfortable." Arthur replied calmly. "You should see it."
{"Hmph. Naturally it would become acceptable if competent people were involved."} Olga immediately responded.
Then her eyes narrowed slightly.
{"...Though I still think it's absurd that you drank until you passed out in the middle of a Singularity."}
"I can't deny the carelessness." Arthur replied with a laugh.
Olga sighed deeply.
{"Anyway, I'll leave the operational details for later. Don't do anything reckless."} she said while trying to maintain an authoritative tone.
{"...Especially you."}
Arthur smiled slightly.
"I'll behave."
{"...That sentence worries me more than reassures me."} Olga replied immediately.
The communication ended shortly afterward.
Arthur then walked back toward the tavern's main room, where everyone was gathered.
Ritsuka sat near the table analyzing some improvised reports.
Mash was organizing equipment.
Anna silently observed Uruk through the window.
Merlin sat distractedly in a chair, absentmindedly touching her lips.
Arthur crossed his arms.
"Girls, I'm going to call a few people to help you."
"Call a few people?" Ritsuka repeated while looking around the room.
"…But there's nobody here." Mash said in confusion.
"…You're going to summon reinforcements?" she asked curiously.
"Ara~ Seems like this will be interesting." Merlin murmured.
On the other side of the communicator, Olga interrupted what she was saying to Romani and joined the conversation.
{"Wait a minute."} Her voice echoed through the device. {"You're not planning to do that, are you?"}
"Exactly. I'm going to summon two Servants." Arthur replied.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"You're going to WHAT?!" Ritsuka practically screamed.
Mash's eyes widened.
"M-More two Servants?!"
Even Olga almost choked on the other side of the line.
{"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!"} she exploded immediately. {"Do you think Servants are some kind of fish you catch in a river?!"}
"…Yes?" Arthur answered simply.
{"..."} Olga was so bewildered by his direct answer that she didn't even know what to say for several seconds.
"How do you intend to do that, Senpai?" Mash asked.
Arthur stared at them for a few seconds.
Then his expression slowly became confused.
As if he had just heard the most absurd thing in the world.
"…The same way Gilgamesh summoned nine Servants?" he replied naturally.
"…"
"…"
"…"
(End of Chapter)
A/N: Counting Merlin, Gilgamesh summoned nine Servants in Fate/Grand Order.