Chapter 130: Success? Failure?

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Inside a restaurant on Bal Island, Zhao Tianhe smiled as he signed a handkerchief for a young girl. Nearby, Aileen and Artoria were busy ordering from the menu.

The highest honor on Bal Island, the title of "Hero Islander," had always been awarded to those who made the greatest contributions during the Wind Demon Disaster. This prestigious accolade was not merely a title; it came with substantial tangible benefits.

Among them was a “50% Discount Voucher” that could be used permanently at every restaurant on Bal Island. As the name suggested, any meal purchased using this voucher would be half price, with the government reimbursing two-thirds of the discounted amount.

Of course, the maximum daily deduction was capped at ten gold coins, which was still remarkable considering the daily bounty for B-rank quests ranged only from four to six gold coins. However, with recent days featuring boss battles, the pay had risen to ten gold coins.

“Order whatever you want, eat as much as you like,” Zhao Tianhe said boldly, patting his chest with confidence.

Twenty gold coins was likely more than the restaurant’s usual daily turnover, and this place was already one of the island’s most renowned seafood barbecue establishments.

Artoria’s eyes sparkled at this, her gaze fixed on the menu, unable to look away.

However, a waiter approached her, requesting her autograph. After all, to most outsiders, Artoria was known as the heroine who resolved the royal capital incident, her fame far surpassing Zhao Tianhe’s.

Though Zhao Tianhe’s role in ending the Wind Demon Disaster and becoming the appointed seal bearer was significant, it paled in comparison to the ancient true king’s resurrection battle in Saint Rose Harbor, where the virtuous king Des had taken the spotlight.

Given the connection between the two events and the fact that Des ultimately resolved the true king’s release, all attention naturally gravitated toward him.

Of course, Zhao Tianhe was unfazed by this; he even had his teammates accept the Hero Islander honor on his behalf.

“By the way, how did you come to possess Gawain’s constitution?” Artoria asked Zhao Tianhe, curious. “And that mysterious power you used today—does it have anything to do with him?”

“Well, it’s like this: that ability is called ‘Unlimited Sword Works,’” Zhao Tianhe replied calmly.

Artoria showed no reaction.

“Artoria, in your previous life, you sought the Holy Grail, didn’t you?” Zhao Tianhe suddenly inquired.

“Hmm? I did search for it, but...” Artoria paused thoughtfully. “But it didn’t seem like a good thing, at least, it wasn’t suited for me.”

“So, I gave up.”

“So, there was no Holy Grail War?” Zhao Tianhe asked cautiously.

“What are you talking about?” Artoria, munching on some snacks, looked puzzled. “A Holy Grail War? A war I initiated for the Grail? I don’t think I ever did anything on that scale.”

“Alright, alright, hahaha...” Zhao Tianhe shook his head and sighed, finally letting go of the last trace of doubt in his heart.

The timeline of Artoria’s spirit before him was likely the one after she defeated Mordred and met her demise but had no attachment to the Holy Grail—another possible version of ‘Artoria.’

‘Well, I have no grudges now...’ Zhao Tianhe shifted his gaze toward Aileen.

Watching the girl sipping juice through a straw, he contemplated silently.

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‘I can’t just confess to Artoria like this. Considering the timing, I should confess to Aileen first today,’ Zhao Tianhe steadied his nerves, excusing himself to the restroom and then approaching a waiter.

“Flowers?” the waiter asked, holding the gold coins Zhao Tianhe handed over.

“Yes, and not too flashy in color. Nothing freshly picked—just simple ones, preferably white, potted flowers. Bring as many as you have, all of them,” Zhao Tianhe instructed. “And have them delivered in an hour.”

In half an hour, Artoria would disappear due to the summoning time limit, but Aileen would remain! And afterward, he and Aileen would have half an hour of daily time together.

At the table, Zhao Tianhe elaborated on his technique—the Rotating Victory Sword.

“The maximum release of Rotating Victory Sword? That’s indeed comparable in power to my Steel Severance sword, but even I haven’t seen him use it,” Artoria said with interest. “Because most of the time, he doesn’t need to.”

Gawain’s reputation as the master of normal strikes was well-earned; his saintly numeric constitution made him nearly invincible most of the time. Even without sunlight’s aid, his swordsmanship and strength were rarely matched, which was why Artoria remarked he rarely needed to resort to such a technique.

Knights primarily relied on their own combat skills in duels. They weren’t magical girls who fought with cannons.

The main issue was that using Noble Phantasms lacked flexibility; unless both parties insisted on exchanging blows or the terrain was advantageous, they simply couldn’t—and wouldn’t—use them.

“Unlimited Sword Works? Very intriguing—copying all Noble Phantasms?” Aileen chimed in. “I’ve heard that Gilgamesh created a King’s Treasury, a conceptual Noble Phantasm that catalogs all treasures in the world. Though he believed possessing it meant possessing everything, in reality, it was mastery of the ‘source’ enabling perfect ‘creation.’ It’s a form of copying too, but that’s like genuine reproduction, the highest form of duplication.”

By that logic, Gilgamesh’s disdain for Shirou Emiya seemed like the big brother laughing at the little brother.

But in terms of prestige, there was no denying Gilgamesh ranked at the very top.

‘But...’ Zhao Tianhe looked at his hand, recalling the innate boundary that unfolded with Unlimited Sword Works. ‘That’s different. That’s no fake—it’s the real thing...’

Amid their eating and drinking, Artoria vanished.

At the same time, flowerpots began slowly filling the restaurant.

“Aileen,” Zhao Tianhe said, looking at the girl beside him. “I like you.”

“Mm, I like you too,” Aileen replied with a smile.

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Zhao Tianhe became a bit embarrassed. “I mean, a deeper kind of like—more than friends...”

“A lover?” Aileen wiped sauce from the corner of her mouth and smiled. “That’s okay.”

?!

Zhao Tianhe was stunned; he hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly!

But having a first-ever successful confession was, after all, a good thing.

“Then, what about going a little further?” Zhao Tianhe probed.

“You...” Aileen propped her chin on her hand, giving him a teasing grin. “You’re too greedy.”

“Eh?! Sorry, I... um...” Zhao Tianhe clasped his hands nervously, unsure what to say next.

“Well, going a little further isn’t impossible,” Aileen smiled, then sighed and asked, “But what do you think about Artoria?”

“Oh, she’s beautiful too, no, not as pretty as you... uh... hmm...” Under Aileen’s scrutinizing gaze, Zhao Tianhe’s composure crumbled.

“Alright, I admit it—I like you both,” he confessed, burying his face in the table.

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“That won’t do,” Aileen said, patting Zhao Tianhe’s shoulder with a smile. “You need more courage, be stronger.”

With that, Aileen kissed Zhao Tianhe on the cheek.

Instantly, he felt invigorated!

Grasping Aileen’s hands tightly, he flared his nostrils in excitement.

“So, can our date progress further today?” Zhao Tianhe asked expectantly.

“Of course not,” Aileen laughed.

Zhao Tianhe was stunned again, then slumped dejectedly over the table.

“Zhao,” Aileen’s voice softened and steadied. “You haven’t fully grasped the situation, nor do you understand what’s going on. That’s why you acted impulsively.”

Zhao Tianhe’s mind was a complete mess—either he didn’t listen or he heard but didn’t absorb the meaning.

“Remember what I say,” Aileen continued. “You need courage and momentum!”

“Until you understand my words clearly, the date is off.”

With that, Aileen vanished.

This was the first time Zhao Tianhe realized that they could end the summoning themselves!

‘Damn! If I upset them, does that mean I’m stuck in support mode? No, maybe even support mode would be forbidden...’ Zhao Tianhe held his head, pondering deeply what true courage and momentum meant.

“Confession wasn’t grand enough? Too shy as a newbie, stammering and unappealing? And... lacking confidence...” As he walked, Zhao Tianhe reflected on his shortcomings, determined to succeed next time.

Back at the apartment, Li Mei and Jero greeted Zhao Tianhe and immediately called him over to discuss something.

“Promote to A-rank?” Zhao Tianhe blinked, frowning. “Isn’t that too soon?”

“My level 7 certificate will arrive soon; the application can be submitted anytime,” Jero said. “With your achievements, promotion to A-rank is absolutely guaranteed. The two heroic spirits’ powers have surged recently too; you won’t hold them back in A-rank dungeons.”

“Yes, I’m the only one lagging behind, even though I’m the highest level...” Li Mei muttered.

Unlike Jero, a genius who studied at the Hero Academy and just entered dungeons a few years ago, Li Mei had clawed her way up from D-rank dungeons, amassing extensive professional experience and nearing her second class change. After gaining a wave of experience, she shifted to the Barrier Master class.

Thus, though she was the highest level in their trio, she was the weakest in power.

However, the Barrier Master’s talents as a second-class mage were formidable. Despite Li Mei’s limited overall strength, she could use various barrier combinations to trap, kill, defend, and counterattack—an expert in positional warfare.

“Oh right, I need to be stronger...” Zhao Tianhe suddenly recalled Aileen’s words, feeling a fierce surge of determination.

“Promote!” Zhao Tianhe declared firmly. “A-rank it is! No matter! I will grow stronger!”