Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 1084: The Emperor’s Brotherhood

Though the time between the appearance of the oasis and the gathering of the Knights of the Round Table wasn't particularly long, it wasn't exactly short either. It was enough time for the Army of the King to trample over the oasis, circle, and trample it again.

However, the Army of the King did not move. They simply stood by and watched as the Knight King and the great sage Merlin completed their final preparations.

This, of course, wasn't because Iskandar was foolish. Far from it—he was an outstanding tactician and strategist, well aware of the advantage of striking first.

Even if Iskandar were somehow foolish, his subordinates—those renowned heroes—certainly wouldn't be. Given Iskandar's style, his subordinates were naturally blunt and forthright individuals.

Nor was it due to some kingly pride, refusing to take advantage of Artoria. While Iskandar had done such things in the past, this time, it wasn't the case.

The reason Iskandar and his men held their ground was simply that they, too, needed time to catch up—mainly to converse with two newly arrived individuals in their ranks.

More precisely, one was a newcomer, and the other was an old member who had been resisting joining for a long time.

When he activated the authority of his Noble Phantasm and reorganized everyone's positions, Iskandar indeed moved most of the other masters and servants away from his side. But this did not include Waver and Faker. They remained beside the Conqueror King, naturally seen by the summoned members of the army.

A young man with black hair and dark eyes, who bore a striking resemblance to Faker, approached and embraced her.

"You've finally come, my sister. I'm glad to see you again, as your older brother."

Without a doubt, this was Hephaestion, Iskandar's closest confidant, most trusted subordinate, and friend.

"I'm glad to see you too, brother," Faker responded, returning the embrace—only to immediately push him away forcefully.

"But let me make it clear: I was dragged into this by accident. I still haven't forgiven you idiots, traitors, or you for siding with them, brother!"

"You're still sulking?"

Hephaestion scratched his ear nonchalantly. In this regard, he was just like his close friend Iskandar.

Thus, Faker treated him the same way she treated Iskandar—by kicking him.

With a loud "bang," Hephaestion was sent flying, accompanied by a shout:

"Get lost!"

This drew a burst of laughter from the surrounding soldiers.

"Oh ho! Hephaestion got kicked again!"

"Hephaestion, maybe you should say less."

"Yeah, yeah, you always lose when it comes to her and the king."

This only fueled Faker's already fiery temper. Her mismatched gold and silver eyes glared fiercely at those around her as she mercilessly scolded them.

"Shut up, all of you idiots! Ptolemy, say one more word, and I'll cut you down. And you, Peithon, every time there's trouble, you're at the center of it. If it happens again, you'd better just kill yourself. And you, Perdiccas—stop laughing and go manage your cavalry properly. And you, Leonnatus—"

As Faker continued to call out names, each of the named heroes fell silent, nodding in agreement. Even those who weren't named quieted down. No one dared speak further—no one except Waver.

"For someone who claims she hasn't forgiven them, she's pretty natural at giving orders. She's even calling them out on their flaws from back when they were alive."

Waver's mutter was soft, but it didn't escape Faker's ears. She turned her fierce gaze toward him.

"What did you just say? Say it again?"

"I said, can't you stop sulking already? At a time like this, can't you just be honest with yourself?"

Waver had reached the point where he was willing to stand his ground. Despite the overwhelming pressure from Faker's gold and silver eyes, he stared back with firm resolve. His unyielding gaze momentarily overpowered Faker's aura, sparking whispers among the nearby subordinates.

"Wow, he's standing up to her while she's angry. Impressive."

"Yeah, yeah! When she gets mad, even the king and Hephaestion can't handle her."

"The last person who to do that was—"

"Hey, why don't you say something?"

"I have nothing to add," said an advisor who looked strikingly similar to Waver.

Finally, Hephaestion, who had been kicked away, managed to get up and return to Iskandar's side. He asked the question everyone wanted to know:

"King, who is this?"

"Oh right, I haven't introduced them yet. This is a vassal I encountered in the modern era, a talented individual who voluntarily joined my army. Faker—she's also the one who brought him to my side."

"Ah, I see, I see. Welcome to our ranks. I hope that one day, you'll become one of us."

Upon hearing this, Hephaestion's eyes lit up, which naturally provoked another wave of anger from his sister.

Seizing the opportunity, Waver quietly let out a sigh of relief and replied solemnly, "I'll make it happen."

Hephaestion clapped Waver on the shoulder, then his expression shifted, adopting a tone of sympathy.

"Still, taking care of two Iskandars at once must be tough, huh?"

Waver blinked, instinctively clutching his stomach.

"Yeah... it is."

Considering how the number of stomachaches Waver had suffered since arriving in Fuyuki had skyrocketed, it made sense. Hephaestion, who had grown up with the two of them, must have experienced it even more.

"Latecomer, you've chosen the worst possible position," another person came up beside Waver, offering a similar pat on the shoulder.

"And you are...?"

"I'm the previous one with stomach problems."

"Oh, so you're Oenomaus."

"Exactly. Quick on the uptake, I see. I'll introduce you to the priesthood later. Without them, my stomach would've been done. Their medicine is very effective."

"Please, do introduce me. Preferably right now."

The two clasped hands tightly. In that moment, the two advisors—Oenomaus from the Age of Gods and Waver from the modern era—came to a mutual understanding.

It was undoubtedly a historic moment, though Iskandar had a rather different opinion.

"Hey, you two!"

"Enough of this nonsense! We're on the battlefield! King, shouldn't you be giving orders by now?"

"Indeed. All troops, hear my command!"

The Conqueror King mounted his warhorse and raised his sword.

Immediately, everyone stopped chatting, stood at attention, and awaited their king's orders.

"The enemy is none other than the greatest king of Britain—the Knight King, whose creed is to protect. Though they are far fewer in number, they are a rare and formidable foe. My companions, my brothers-in-arms, tell me—what should we do?"

"Conquer! Conquer! Conquer!"

The entire army roared in unison, the sheer force of their shout unmatched in the world.

"Very well, let's begin, my knights—crush them!"

Iskandar's command echoed across the battlefield, cold and decisive. And then—

"AAAALaLaLaLaLaie!!"

The deafening roar of the charge followed.

PS: The Round Table Knights summoned by Merlin were created through different principles than in The Case Files, Volumes 6 and 7. They were based on the thirteen seals, and you can think of them as a degraded version of Heroic Spirit summoning—though Sir Kay is an exception since the model for Add's personality is based on him.