Chapter 317: Upset Stomach

Chapter 317: Chapter 317: Upset Stomach

The winter sun coated the Central Park amusement park in a layer of warm gold.

The carousel chimed, the sweet scent of cotton candy drifted through the air, and children’s laughter filled the ears.

Here, Long Night Moon and March 7th brought Tohsaka Rin and Sakura Matou, temporarily forgetting the shadows of war.

"Sakura! Look at that! A roller coaster!"

Rin pointed at the winding tracks nearby, her blue eyes sparkling. She momentarily cast aside her doubts about the unfamiliar environment and the kidnapping; her childish nature had taken over.

She held Sakura’s hand tightly, as if trying to make up for all the time they had lost in the past.

Pulled along by her sister, a rare smile appeared on Sakura’s small face, her violet eyes curiously taking in the colorful surroundings.

There was no chill of the Insect Pit here, no oppression of the Matou residence—only sunlight, laughter, and the warmth of her sister’s palm.

March 7th, like a big kid herself, enthusiastically held up a Polaroid camera, snapping photos of the sisters and the rides. She kept muttering, "Yes, yes, yes! That’s the smile! Soooo cute! Must record this, must record this!"

Her pink ponytail bounced cheerfully with her movements.

Long Night Moon held a black umbrella, quietly following a short distance behind. A gentle smile played on her lips, but her crimson eyes remained constantly alert to their surroundings.

Her gaze occasionally swept over several figures in the crowd who were clearly uneasy, clutching their stomachs as they hurried toward the park’s public restrooms.

(Since a while ago, it seems like quite a few people... have stomach discomfort?)

She frowned slightly but didn’t look further into it.

The health of ordinary people was not her focus at the moment.

After a round of bumper cars, eating ice cream, and running wildly in the bouncy castle, Rin wanted to go to the restroom.

Long Night Moon then led them to the park’s public toilets.

To their surprise, a long line had formed at the entrance of the women’s restroom, stretching almost to the path outside.

Most of the people in line looked unwell, some clutching their stomachs and others complaining in low voices.

"Why are there so many people?" Rin stood on her tiptoes to look, somewhat puzzled.

"Maybe they ate something bad?"

March 7th guessed, not paying it much mind. "It’s cold out; maybe the food at some stalls wasn’t fresh? Good thing we didn’t eat anything random!"

Sakura timidly leaned closer to Long Night Moon, not liking crowded places.

Long Night Moon looked at the long line, lost in thought.

It would be one thing if it were just a few scattered people, but this number... seemed a bit unusual.

However, as March 7th said, it could just be a concentrated outbreak of minor seasonal gastrointestinal issues.

She treated it as just a small interlude at the winter amusement park.

They waited for a while, and once Rin had finished, they left the amusement park and returned to Einzbern Castle.

The brief happy moments under the sun temporarily dispelled the clouds in the children’s hearts.

In the evening, dinner was being prepared inside the castle.

The dining room was filled with the aroma of food. Irisviel, Long Night Moon, March 7th, and the Tohsaka sisters sat around the table, with Saber standing behind Irisviel as usual.

Emiya Kiritsugu was still nowhere to be seen.

The atmosphere was relatively peaceful until—

BOOM!!!

A loud bang came from the direction of the castle courtyard, making even the thick stone walls tremble slightly!

This was followed by the sound of masonry shattering and something heavy hitting the ground!

"An enemy attack?!"

Saber reacted instantly, her emerald eyes sharp as swords. Stepping forward, she shielded Irisviel, her invisible holy sword seemingly ready to manifest at any moment.

Long Night Moon also put down her utensils, her crimson eyes looking toward the source of the sound. Her expression remained calm, but she was prepared for any emergency.

"Let’s go take a look," Irisviel said, standing up with a serious expression.

The group quickly reached the main hall. Through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, they saw the scene in the courtyard—an exaggeratedly large hole had been smashed through the sturdy stone wall, with shattered masonry scattered everywhere.

In the midst of the mess, the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, stood with one hand on his hip and the other scratching his head, letting out his signature boisterous laugh. Beside him was a pale-faced Waver, who looked like he was about to faint.

Behind Rider, the gordius wheel was parked quietly, its two Divine Bulls snorting impatiently.

"Wahahahaha! Sorry, sorry! I originally intended to knock, but then I thought this kind of entrance would be more imposing!"

Rider shouted without a hint of shame, his voice echoing in the courtyard. "master of Einzbern, and Saber! I have come as promised to invite you!"

Saber’s face darkened. She stepped forward, her voice carrying suppressed anger through the broken window. "Rider, is this how you invite people? By destroying their courtyard? This is a blatant provocation!"

"Eh? Don’t be like that, Saber!"

Rider waved his hand. "It’s just a wall; I’ll compensate you later! The point is, the banquet! The banquet I mentioned is tonight! As for the location... I see your courtyard is quite spacious, so let’s have it here! I even brought the wine!"

He pointed to a heavy-looking wine crate nearby.

"Absurd!"

Saber snapped, "Who agreed to let you hold your nonsensical banquet at my master’s residence?"

"Don’t be so quick to refuse!"

Rider grinned, his bell-like eyes scanning the group behind the window. When they landed on Long Night Moon and March 7th, they noticeably brightened. "Oh! It seems there are other guests? Perfect! Join in!"

Just then, a cold snort filled with arrogance and annoyance came from the air.

"Mongrel, you’re so noisy."

Golden particles of light gathered on the other side of the courtyard, and the magnificent figure of Gilgamesh emerged.

He was still wearing his dazzling golden armor. His crimson eyes coldly swept over Rider below, the hole in the wall, and the group behind the window. A faint, almost imperceptible trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes when he saw Ms. Herta was not present, which was immediately replaced by even deeper arrogance.

"I merely came to see which fool, seeking death, dared to issue such a boring invitation. So it’s you, a boor whose head is filled with nothing but muscles and wine."

Archer hovered in mid-air with his arms crossed, his tone full of disdain.

The moment March 7th saw Golden Flashy appear, her pink ahoge stood straight up, and her heart began to race uncontrollably.

She instinctively shrunk behind Long Night Moon, her small hand clutching the corner of Long Night Moon’s clothes.

(He... he appeared! That Golden Flashy who I shot with an arrow... uh, right there!)

(He shouldn’t know it was me, right? He shouldn’t! Ms. Herta drew most of the attention back then, and Sister’s illusion was perfect... But he’s looking this way! Is he looking here?!)

Long Night Moon noticed March 7th’s nervousness. She shifted slightly to partially shield her, while gently patting the hand clutching her clothes. In a soft voice only the two of them could hear, she said, "Relax. His attention isn’t on you right now. Even if it were, he wouldn’t recognize you."

Long Night Moon’s words carried a strange, calming power, putting March 7th slightly at ease.

She took a deep breath, trying to look less guilty, but she still didn’t dare meet Archer’s gaze, pretending to study the ornate patterns on the floor.

In the courtyard, Rider ignored Archer’s mockery and instead laughed heartily. "Archer! You’re here too! Perfect! Saves me another trip! Tonight’s banquet is meant to gather heroes from all sides! How about it? Do you dare sit down, share a drink with me and the others, and have a fair contest of character?"

Archer sneered and didn’t answer immediately. His crimson eyes swept over the group behind the castle window once more, lingering on Long Night Moon for a moment. He seemed to have a slight interest in this woman with a mysterious aura, but it was soon covered by his pride.

Saber looked at Rider, who was acting as if no one else were there, and the arrogant Archer, then at the damaged courtyard wall. The fire of anger in her emerald eyes burned even brighter.

This was no banquet invitation; it was clearly a forced entry and a show of force!

Irisviel also frowned; Rider’s way of doing things was truly difficult to handle.

She looked at Long Night Moon beside her, seemingly seeking her opinion.

Long Night Moon met Irisviel’s gaze, a meaningful curve touching the corners of her mouth. She whispered, "It seems having a quiet dinner tonight is out of the question. However, since the guests are so enthusiastic, as the host, it wouldn’t hurt to... see what kind of play they intend to put on."

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