Era of Heroic Spirits: I Was Exposed by Alaya

He bought the bank outright???

Souma stared at him, dumbfounded. Not even the Holy Grail War had shocked him this much.

You're really—

The oldest damn moneybags!

So damn rich!

"What's the matter? It's just a small private bank. Is it really that surprising?" The other man looked at him curiously, his expression as casual as if he were asking how many steamed buns you bought for lunch.

[Golden Rule]

Gilgamesh was fated to be surrounded by endless wealth throughout his life, never troubled by money.

No matter what he wanted to buy, he would never lack the funds.

In truth, his Gate of Babylon + Golden Rule made him one of the wealthiest individuals in the world.

As for why "one of"—because there was another equally wealthy man—

Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng!

No one knew exactly how much wealth the First Emperor of Qin possessed, just as no one knew how powerful he truly was.

A man whose riches could rival nations!

"You win!" Souma pointed a trembling finger at him, utterly crushed by the sheer tycoon aura.

Damn, I've seen rich people, but never someone who treats money like this.

Just to buy a hotel for a visit, he went ahead and bought the entire bank behind it!

"Do you want it? Beg me! Maybe if I'm in a good mood, I'll grant it to you." Gilgamesh grinned with delight.

Using a mere pittance to toy with his dear friend—what a bloody bargain!

"Don't even think about it!"

Souma glared at him warily. "Let's get one thing straight—you stay out of the kid's education and other matters, or we're done for good!"

That was his bottom line.

The kid was too important. He had to be the one to carefully nurture her, making her fall in love with human life.

That way, if some seal-breaking crisis ever arose, she might at least hold back.

"Oh, were we ever friends?"

Gilgamesh looked genuinely puzzled.

"..."

Souma was thoroughly defeated.

This guy had just been calling him "dear friend," and now he was pretending not to know him!

"If you want me to stay out of it, shouldn't we settle the ticket fee first?"

Gilgamesh smiled at him. "Not much—just five million, as a token of goodwill."

"You're practically robbing me!"

Souma was completely at a loss with this guy.

As the richest person in the world, why did he have to be so petty?

Even more stingy than those girls!

"Of course, don't you want it?"

Gilgamesh suddenly pulled out his phone and placed it in front of him.

Though it appeared to be a phone, it was wrapped in magical energy, transforming it into a formidable Noble Phantasm.

The screen vividly displayed Souma's previous explosive moment, manifesting all his spiritual energy into—

The presence of a Heroic Spirit!

The blood-soaked battlefield of the most terrifying battle, along with every glorious title and honor, made it instantly clear to anyone that he was none other than Nameless!

Gilgamesh turned off the phone and gave it a light shake. "Tell me, what do you think the world's reaction would be if I leaked this video?"

"...You're ruthless!"

Souma was utterly defeated by this guy.

What a "great friend" you are—just wait till I make you drink the Nyannīzu Spring!

As the two men were bonding like brothers, Roya stood nearby, giving them a strange look as her eyes darted back and forth between them.

There's bromance in the air!

Damn it, I was here first! Whether it was sharing a bed with Souma or receiving his tender care—why did things turn out like this?

Now even a guy wants to snatch Souma away?

This is beyond ridiculous!

It made her increasingly suspect that this ordinary otaku in his past life might have been a fox spirit!

However, the invitation ticket to the Heroic Spirit Welcome Banquet that Mr. Gold gave her was still—

Absolutely worth it!

It just goes to show that with enough money, you really can do whatever you want.

Without hesitation, Roya dipped into her secret savings and handed over ten thousand yuan to buy the ticket.

It hurt her heart.

All the money she had painstakingly saved in secret was gone in an instant.

"Well then, I shall take my leave," Gilgamesh bid farewell to the two.

He still had to cross half the globe to return to Uruk before officially flying back under his official identity.

"Alright, take care, Mr. Gold! Come visit again next time~" Roya waved at him.

The moment she watched him leave, she felt a pair of icy eyes boring into her.

Roya shrank back. "Can we skip the spanking?"

"Of course not."

Souma smiled warmly as he reached out to pinch her ear. "But I can be generous and let you pick the stick you like best."

You little troublemaker, you brought that scammer Gilgamesh into our home and made me owe him 105 million!

Selling you wouldn't even cover the interest!

What a spendthrift!

"Pervert! You actually want me to pick a stick that can grow and shrink?!"

Roya pointed at him, her expression one of utter shock.

Her words instantly drew the attention of everyone around them, who all stared at the two in stunned silence.

That sounded… a little too spicy!

Some people even started walking over, ready to play the hero.

Souma sighed helplessly. "Sorry, my little sister is just too mischievous. I'll take her home and discipline her properly."

Though he treated her like a daughter, the difference in their apparent ages meant that if he really claimed to be her father, someone would definitely call the police.

Once they got back home, Roya immediately ducked behind Illya. "Save me! This guy wants to hit me!"

"Now, now, words are better than violence," Illya shielded her.

The scene was a little odd.

Despite being half a head taller, Roya cowered behind Illya, sticking her tongue out defiantly.

"Ah, you shouldn't spoil her like this!"

Souma rubbed his temples in exasperation.

First, Gilgamesh went as far as buying an entire bank and a five-star hotel in Fuyuki just to watch a show and gift this troublemaker an invitation to perform.

Now, even Illya was protecting her.

They weren't even married yet, and she was already acting like a stepmom—

Ahem, getting ahead of myself here.

"Since Roya is also attending the welcome banquet, she can come with me. I'll prepare a dress for her," Illya said, smoothing out Roya's disheveled clothes.

"Eh? Really? Thanks! I love you so much!"

Roya instantly beamed with joy.

Today was just too lucky.

First, she met an insanely rich tycoon and made a killing.

He had even bought tickets from her to get up close with the heroic spirits.

Now, Illya was going to provide her with a dress and take her to an ultra-high-profile banquet.

It seems I really am the chosen one!

Souma watched her smug little expression, growing increasingly helpless.

How did raising her properly end up making her so silly?

Ah well, the real headache is figuring out how to face King Arthur tomorrow...

***

By noon the next day.

There were still three hours until the private jet arrived.

Countless soldiers armed to the teeth guarded the airport, maintaining order.

The airport was already packed with people, a dense sea of black heads stretching as far as the eye could see.

More crowded than a holiday tourist destination!

Countless people waited anxiously.

King Arthur of Britain, the mighty heroic spirit standing at the pinnacle of humanity!

She had countless fans across the entire world.

As Souma observed the frenzied crowd, countless thoughts swirled in his mind.

That perfection-seeking girl had already grown so strong, hadn't she?

He still remembered.

The clumsy way she'd stubbornly insisted on cooking herself during an argument, nearly burning down the kitchen.

A girl who should have been enjoying a peaceful life, yet her slender hands could only wield holy swords and spears in battle, forever denied the ordinary daily warmth that other girls took for granted.

So many years had passed in the blink of an eye...

ROOOOAR!

A large passenger jet thundered down from the sky.

The anxiously waiting crowd instantly erupted into frenzy.

The cheers of countless people surged like a tsunami, crashing violently in all directions.

Especially when the plane came to a complete stop.

The appearance of a golden-crowned figure instantly ignited everyone's passion—

"King Arthur!"

"King Arthur!"

"King Arthur!"

...

In the Age of Heroic Spirits, all heroic spirits were top-tier idols, eclipsing any ordinary celebrity.

And King Arthur stood at the very apex of this pyramid, commanding an absurd number of fans.

Wearing her golden crown and blue cloak, she waved to the cheering crowd.

Then,

She spoke in perfect native language—

"Thank you for coming to welcome me."

The momentarily quiet crowd erupted once more.

For the great King Arthur to thank her fans in this manner was undoubtedly a gesture of utmost sincerity.

Behind the King, Mordred stood equally sharp in her black military uniform.

Gawain, who should have remained in Britain, had shamelessly handed his duties to Bedivere and tagged along.

The appearance of the Round Table Knights sent the crowd into another frenzy.

Gawain whispered to the girl beside him: "Do you think Nameless might be hiding in this crowd?"

"Impossible! That guy isn't some ordinary person—he'd have no reason to come see heroic spirits."

Mordred elegantly expressed her disdain.

When traveling abroad, she naturally displayed the noble elegance of Britain, striving to shed the "brat" label those jerks had stuck on her.

Gawain glanced up at the blazing sun.

Bathing in sunlight made him feel invincible, as if even his intuition had grown sharper.

The real reason he'd shamelessly tagged along was of course to watch the show—

No, for Britain's nuclear peace—

Peaceful future!

As the Sun Knight symbolizing justice, kindness and righteousness, would he really be someone who enjoyed watching relationship drama?

...

The British delegation would next take luxury cars from the airport to their accommodations at Fuyuki Grand Hotel.

Souma watched from afar and couldn't help but sigh, "That bastard Gawain is here too!"

He knew that guy all too well—he was definitely here to watch him die!

Hmm, better add a few more layers to his disguise.

There was no way he'd let these guys see through him.

Buzz~

Suddenly, Souma felt a faint tremor from a mysterious power within him.

It was none other than the thing Alaya had exposed and King Arthur had awakened by knighting him as a Round Table Knight—

[Avalon, the Ever-Distant Utopia!]

In the distance, King Arthur, walking forward with an expressionless face, casually glanced in his direction.

A trace of confusion flickered in her saintly blue eyes.

Seeing this, the relaxed smile on Souma's face instantly vanished.

Would he end up being forcibly taken away by King Arthur leading the entire Round Table Knights next?

Would Mordred stage another heartwarming father-son bonding session?

In other words, was he about to become the culprit behind the Round Table Knights' second collapse and Japan's next nuclear disaster?

***

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