To avoid putting Saber in an awkward position, Shichen unexpectedly proposed that she go shopping together with Conqueror King.
"Shopping?" Rider asked, looking puzzled. "What is that?"
At this point, Waver poked his head out from inside the chariot and chimed in, "It just means wandering around the streets, right?"
"Wandering the streets? That won't do. I came here to discuss the Way of Kings with you, not to play around," Rider refused the proposal instantly; he had no desire to participate in such an activity.
"This isn't just mindless wandering; it's discussing the Way of Kings right out on the streets. Isn't that much more meaningful?" Shichen paused for a moment, then continued, "To experience the lives of modern people while discussing the Way of Kings—isn't that a wonderful thing?"
"I see. You kid actually make a fair amount of sense..." Rider pondered for a moment, then boldly declared, "Alright, it's settled! I shall head out to the streets with Saber to discuss the Way of Kings!"
Saber frowned slightly, doubting whether Shichen's choice was a wise one.
Not long after, a red-haired muscular man and a blonde-haired young woman stood out remarkably on the street. With a dark-haired Chinese man and a student following close behind, they drew even more dazzling attention from the surrounding crowd.
"Hey, Saber, it seems we're quite popular."
"They are merely mortals indulging their idle curiosity," Saber replied indifferently.
Rider burst into loud laughter. "This is also a manifestation of a king's charisma. Little girl, you must learn to enjoy this kind of attention."
With that, Rider strode carelessly toward a roadside food stall. "What food is this? It emits such an enticing aroma."
The stall owner was trembling with fear at Rider's imposing aura. Shichen stepped forward and quickly explained, "This is modern food called skewers. It tastes very delicious."
Rider picked up a skewer, took a bite, and praised it endlessly, "Truly delicious! This tastes much better than the imperial meals in my palace!"
Watching Rider eat with such relish, Saber suddenly felt an urge to try some as well. However, in order to maintain her regal dignity, she decided she had better endure it for a little longer.
Seeing the look on Saber's expression, Shichen understood everything in an instant.
Well, what do you know? I thought King Arthur wasn't hungry, but as expected, it was all a facade.
After Saber and Rider had walked a distance away, Shichen said to the barbecue stall owner,
"Please pack a portion for me, thanks..."
"You got it, young man."
"What are you doing, Caster?" Waver asked with a puzzled look. "Are you planning to eat that yourself?"
Shichen smiled and shook his head. "A certain king is craving a bite. I'll buy a few for her to keep her from starving."
Come to think of it, Saber didn't seem to eat anything in Fate/Zero either; she really has had a raw deal...
After finishing several skewers, Rider turned directly to Saber beside him and blurted out, "Is this also a manifestation of the Way of Kings? Commoners are actually able to enjoy such fine cuisine."
Saber thought for a moment before replying, "This is perhaps merely the trivial happiness found under peace. The true Way of Kings should concern the prosperity of the entire nation and the dignity of the people."
The two began to argue. Shichen and Waver followed behind, with Shichen muttering, "It looks like they care more about the food, judging by the looks of it."
Waver mumbled under his breath, "I just hope this guy doesn't cause too much trouble."
After finishing his round of talk, the corners of Rider's mouth curved upward into a sly smile, and he jokingly said toward a certain direction, "That's right, I seem to remember there's another fellow who also constantly claims to be a 'king'."
"Enough with the jokes, mongrel."
As soon as the words fell, a flash of golden light crossed everyone's eyes.
"Archer, why would you appear here..."
Saber asked with a tense expression, while Rider responded with a composed demeanor.
"I ran into this guy on the street earlier, so I just casually invited him... Why are you so slow, Gilgamesh? But unlike me, you walked here, so I suppose I can't blame you."
Gilgamesh finally made his appearance dressed in casual clothes, gazing arrogantly at Rider.
"I never expected you would actually choose to discuss the Way of Kings on the streets of mortals. From this alone, one can tell just how much you're worth. Now that you've put me to the trouble of coming all this way, how do you plan to atone for this?"
"Stop saying such tedious things. Come on, the latecomer gets to take the first bite of the skewers."
Rider laughed heartily, completely unfazed by Gilgamesh's words, and immediately handed one of the skewers in his hand to Gilgamesh.
Unlike his usual furious self, Gilgamesh did not fly into a rage; instead, he took the skewer without hesitation and, without saying another word, devoured it until it was completely gone.
"What kind of inferior food is this... Do you really think you can measure a hero's greatness with such fare?"
Though he said that aloud, Gilgamesh was actually thinking that it would be wonderful if the Gate of Babylon had these skewers inside as well...
"Really? This is fine cuisine bought right off the street—it's top-quality food."
After saying this, Rider looked down at his empty hand with some regret. Since they had been eaten up so quickly, he should have recruited that street food vendor to be his head chef.
Seeing this situation, Shichen immediately took out the skewers he had bought a few minutes earlier and handed them to the three kings. "I still have some here, take your time eating. Saber, you should take a few more; you didn't get to eat any earlier."
Hearing her name called, Saber felt a surge of heartfelt gratitude. Finally, someone knows to give me food—Caster is simply the best...
Both Rider and Gilgamesh had their eyes shining as they looked at the few remaining skewers taken away by the Ahoge King, and they grew restless.
"Conqueror King, as a king, you should be magnanimous and yield to others. You can just leave the rest for me to handle."
Gilgamesh wore a wicked smile, just reaching his hand into the bag, only to be blocked by Rider.
"As a king, you really shouldn't eat such inferior food, lest it ruin your appetite. So, I, the Conqueror King, will handle it for you instead."
Hearing this line from Rider, Gilgamesh was so furious on the spot that he wanted to draw Ea and slay this old bastard.
Wretched mongrel, still trying to stop me from eating good food—just you wait!
And so, Gilgamesh and Rider started a fierce brawl over a few skewers, while Saber, standing off to the side, ate her skewers with absolute delight, complete with exclusive floating special effects appearing above her head...
Shichen stood nearby, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. This was clearly no gathering of three kings; it was a gathering of three gluttons.
At that moment, Gilgamesh noticed Shichen snickering over there and grew deeply displeased.
"Mongrel, what are you laughing at?"
Seeing Gilgamesh speak, Shichen immediately replied, "I wasn't laughing, Goldie... ah, pfft, esteemed King of Uruk, I just happened to think of something funny."
Gilgamesh let out a cold snort. "A boring mongrel."
When Gilgamesh turned back to look, the skewers in the bag had somehow been completely cleaned out...
"Mongrel! I'm going to kill you!!!"