And now we get to the chapter with the banquet. I've really been looking forward to this. All the descriptions of the various dishes are from their appearance, what they're made from, and what the item description says of them. Disclaimer: I don't own Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the Fate series, Lupin III, Ni No Kuni, or My Hero Academia.
Chapter 33: The Banquet
Kirei and Lupin were approaching the address provided by Rider. "I spoke with my father earlier," Kirei noted, "The Court of Owls visited him to acquire some Command Seals. For a good price it seemed. Curiously, a package that I remember you leaving him when we dropped of Sakura Matou was missing." Lupin grinned. "Seems he knew what to do with it. Those bastard owls are trying to salvage as much of their precious script as possible. I know it's a lost cause but it doesn't hurt to have a backup plan in case of the worst."
The address turned out to be a rather opulent restaurant, but the place was surprisingly empty, although the lights were on. "The place is still open," Kirei noted. "And I'm definitely smelling something good coming from the kitchens." The entered to see the other Masters and Servants had already arrived. "Hey Lupin," All Might said. From the looks of it, his One for All for turned off. It was definitely a stark contrast, and anyone who didn't know him would be hard-pressed to believe he had beaten the King of Heroes.
"So what's with the empty restaurant?," Lupin asked. "It was my idea," Evan explained, "This place is large enough to hold all of us, and I wanted to treat everyone. So I put my kingdom, Evermore, to work. I used some of the Kingsguilders I had just lying around to pay off the staff, and instead had my kingdom's expert chef, Floyd, work the kitchens here." Kirei looked to the kitchens to see a black-coated grimalkin busy going back and forth between the appliances. "Is he any good?," Waver asked. Evan chuckled. "Thanks to learning all about the cuisine of our neighboring kingdoms, Floyd is perhaps the best chef in all of Ni No Kuni. And to think when I first employed him he could only make bread. It was very good bread, though."
Floyd came out with the first set of dishes. "These are dishes popular in the land of birth," Evan explained, "The kingdom of Ding Dong Dell. Please, enjoy." Evan hadn't been kidding about the Freshly Baked Bread. Kiritsugu took a bite of one of the Sardine Sandwiches. "This tastes a little more like carp. Still pretty good." "There's a good helping of fresh milk in this Country Corn Soup," Rider noted. "Go ahead and try the On-Nom-Nomelet!," Sola-Ui said excitedly, "It's one of my favorites. The filling of peas and carrots is perfectly fresh."
There was also a delicious Fish Supper topped with tartar sauce. Kirei decided to try some of the Cozy Curry, which had the perfect blend of spice and savoriness. Lupin was enjoying the Steak Dinner. "Where do you produce the salt and pepper for this?" "We don't," Evan clarified, "Some of the ingredients we actually import from other countries, to maintain a commercial trade." He took a sip of Crabapple Tea, enjoying the sweet mint flavor beneath the spiced apple. Rider tried some of the Frothy Coffee and gasped in surprise and delight. "Is that honey you use in the coffee? Most splendid."
He then dug into some Milkmaid's Delight, a custard pudding mixed with applesauce. Jonathan was digging into a Pile 'o Pancakes, which had a heaping topping of fruit. "Say Jonathan," Lupin said, "We're all to talk about what we want from the Grail. So what's your wish?" "Simply put," Jonathan said, "To sever myself from the Throne of Heroes." "Resurrection then," Rider noted. "Just the opposite," Jonathan clarified, "In truth, DIO didn't so much kill me as I let him kill me, so that I would not become the bearer of my granddaughter's illness, and so that I could finally rejoin my friends in the afterlife."
"You want to return to the cycle of reincarnation," Sola-Ui realized, "I suppose a Heroic Spirit cannot reincarnate if their needed for the War. What of the infamous Mage Killer, then?" Kiritsugu paused. "At first I wanted to bring peace to the world," he admitted, "I've only killed to prevent the deaths of the many." "But you're starting to feel you failed," Lupin noted, "Because you're worried you've killed more people than you've saved. Not every criminal causes deaths, Emiya. And most mages are careful with who and what they affect with their magecraft."
Kiritsugu nodded. "Instead, I've decided I want to use the Grail to make my wife and daughter real humans, instead of homunculi." Kirei closed his eyes. 'Looks like I have my answer. Kiritsugu and I are actually more dissimilar than I originally thought. Now I know what I want from the Grail…' Floyd came out with the next set of dishes. "These come straight from the gambling kingdom of Goldpaw," Evan said, "The first kingdom Evermore signed a treaty with. Fair warning, they like it spicy in Goldpaw." "No different than India then!," Lupin said excitedly as he dug in to the Dice Dumplings. "Mmm… Is that some kind of mushroom stuffed in there?"
"Lean meat and Bluesky Buttontops are the basis for all Dice Dumplings," Evan confirmed, "But like you'd expect with a nation that has gambling as a culture, every Dice Dumpling has different extra fillings. You won't know what you'll get until you dig in. Kiritsugu tried the Hot Streak Spicy Noodles. "The broth seems to have infused with a perfect portion of chili sauce. Made fresh from actual peppers too, instead of using a powder." "Floyd never cuts corners when it comes to good food," Evan explained as he stuffed his mouth with a pork-filled Potluck Potsticker, enjoying the pleasant garlic aftertaste.
Kirei sampled the soup dish called Victor's Volcano, a spicy and garlicky consomme with chunks of beef. "The kingdoms you've been to certainly don't lack for flavor." "Or portions either," Rider said excitedly as he dug into the Meat Jackpot. "That took the most effort to introduce to Evermore," Evan noted, "Floyd had been visiting Goldpaw for weeks to try and perfect the secret sauce that really gives the Jackpot it's perfect flavor." Waver dug into the Lucky Lobster, which was served in a luxurious chili sauce, cooling his mouth down with the Peachy Player's Punch.
Sola-Ui tried the Hot-Tip Tea. "Hmm… Rather bitter, but not unpleasantly so." "The broth that makes up the base of the tea also had to be imported," Evan noted. Sola-Ui noted as she offset the bitterness with the crunchy nuttiness of the Double-Down Dumplings. All Might was digging into a fruit cocktail called the Fruits of Fortune. "Say All Might," Waver asked, "What do you want from the Grail?" All Might looked at Waver. "The time I'm from is riff with both heroes and villains," he noted, "But at the time of my death it always felt like the word 'hero' was treated as more of an afterthought. Some of my fellow superheroes were honestly more heinous than the villains."
He sighed, thinking of Endeavor specifically. "There was this one hero capable of controlling fire. He literally forced himself on his wife hoping to breed the perfect hero for the next generation. He and others only got into this for either a paycheck or for fame. I wanted to be a symbol of peace for the world, but I'm starting to think I put too much on my shoulders. What I want from the Grail is a world where I'm not the only one shouldering that burden. I'm not saying getting paid to be a hero is a bad thing. That would be an insult to heroes like firefighters or police officers. What I really want is for heroes to remember that the people who can't defend themselves come first."
Lupin chuckled. "Well, that's arguably the least selfish wish I've heard. Still has some selfish undertones, but for the right reasons. What about you, Kariya?" Kariya looked up. "To fix whatever damage is left within me and Sakura. Now that we're both safe from Zouken's influence, that's all I really want." Floyd came out with the next set of dishes. "Ah, now these are very delectable," Evan said, "Straight from the ocean's surrounding Hydropolis." "So we're at the seafood course, then," Kariya noted as he dug into the Siren's Salad, enjoying the salted fish.
Rider was in awe at the tenderness of the fish in the Mermaid's Delight pasta. "So are there real mermaids in Hydropolis?," Lupin asked excitedly as he dug into the Medusa's Hair pasta. "Yes," Evan said as he rolled his eyes, "Several were employed in Evermore. And yes, they are as beautiful as in this world's fairy tales." Kirei shook his head with a small as he enjoyed the Ocean's Bounty stew. Waver tasted the Kraken's Catch. "Amazing. What sort of sauce is used in this?" "Sea urchin," Evan explained, "Evermore has a thriving fishing trade, with ships crafted from the best in Capstan-upon-Hull." He dug into the Hydropolitan Stew, still remembering his first real taste of Hydropolitan cuisine.
Rider drank from his cup. "Fantastic! This Centaur's Blood is actually one of the best wines I've ever tasted! It puts all the wines I sampled as I conquered across Greece and Persia to shame!" "It looks like not everything in Hydropolis is seafood," Jonathan noted as he sampled the chilled Zephyr Zabaglione. Waver tried the sorbet in the Ice Cream Cornucopia. "Both orange and strawberry flavors. And this Aquarium Jelly. It's slight salty but without interfering with the sweetness of the fruits." "So, King Evan," Rider chimed in, "You're the one treating us. Perhaps you could also share your desire from the Grail."
Evan nodded. "Well, I originally said that I wanted to see how my kingdom's doing now that I've passed the throne to my son Ferdinand. But there's actually something else I want." Sola-Ui looked surprised. "What would that be?" "There's a king without a kingdom named Doloran," Evan explained, "Because of his marriage to a dragonborn named Alisandra, who was also his Kingmaker. But she couldn't be with him without giving up her power as a Kingmaker. This resulted in a terror called the Horned One, which caused the destruction of Doloran's kingdom of Allegoria, as the death of Alisandra."
"So you want to prevent that?," Lupin asked. Evan shook his head. "That might undo all the good that came about due to his later actions, horrible as they were. Rather, I intend to resurrect her. You see, until she and Doloran have a child, he is locked in eternal life. It cause him to snap all over again. I would like to prevent that." Lupin raised a glass in respect. "Now that's a wise wish. What about you, doll face?" Sola-Ui glared at the term "doll face" but replied anyway. "As you're aware, my fiance is the heir to the Archibald family. Unfortunately, that family is currently in debt."
Waver nearly choked on his drink. "Are you seriously telling me my teacher's in debt? How does that happen?" "His father wasn't the wisest of spenders," Sola-Ui explained, "Anyway, since I don't wish to be made a marriage of convenience, I've decided to use the Grail to see Kayneth's debts all repaid. It's that simple." Floyd brought out the next set of dishes. "Now these are very interesting," Evan said, "They come special from Broadleaf, a kingdom of industry. You may find some familiarity in these dishes." He dug into the Gotta-Fly Flakes, cereal made from corn and mixed with fresh banana.
Rider chuckled as he tried the Bona Fide Fried Game. "Even in a kingdom of industry they still adhere to the classics. Most splendid." Waver looked oddly at the Shot-O-Salad. "Don't worry," Evan said, "You don't inject it. You squirt it into your mouth." Waver breathed a sigh of relief as he squirted the liquified salad into his mouth. "Amazing. It still tastes like fresh veggies." Kirei felt himself warming up as he tried the Mom's Meat Pie. "That pie certainly brings back memories," Evan noted, "There was one woman who thought she knew the secret to efficient eating. Ironic that a robot knew more about proper eating than a human."
"Oh, they have robots in Ni No Kuni?," Lupin asked. Evan nodded. "We even hired one named Andy. He's quite the researcher, even if he is good at getting others to agree to his demands." Lupin chuckled, then grinned at the sight of a giant burger called The CEO. Evan laughed at his face. "The CEO in this case stands for Classy, Enormous, Outstanding. When it comes to anything, Broadleaf likes to do it big." "That certainly counts for the steak too," Kariya noted as he enjoyed the Executive Steak. "That's a personal favorite of President Vector," Evan noted. "I thought Broadleaf was a kingdom," All Might said.
"It started out as just a company," Evan explained, "But eventually they hired so many staff members they were considered a country in their own right. I think it was right around then that Vector took the trials and earned the respect of the Kingmaker Bastion. At least that's how Bracken tells it." He took a swig of Good Ol' Eggnog. "What's this Rocket Fuel?," Waver asked. Evan chuckled. "It's just a soft drink," he assured Waver, "From what I've experienced, the flavor is comparable to this world's Mountain Dew." "He's not wrong," Jonathan noted as he tried the Get-Up-And-Gonuts. Lupin finished off a Big Cheese Cake.
"So Lupin," Evan said, "What's your wish? You've already made it plain you wish to steal the Grail, but do you have an actual wish?" Lupin thought about it. "I suppose if I did need to make a wish… It would be for people to be free to live as they wish. I mean, I doubt it would change much. Most people are happy with the lives they lead right now." "What about you Kirei?," Kiritsugu asked, "Surely you must want something?" "Answers about myself," Kirei said simply, "To know why I was born evil. That is all. I thought I could answers from you, but I see know that was a fool's errand. We are less alike than I believed."
Floyd came out with the final set of dishes. "Ah, now these are rather exotic," Evan noted, "A few descendants of Allegoria remain, and are currently employed in Evermore. They brought along with them the cuisine of their fallen kingdom, brought to life again after untold centuries." Kirei tried the Mush Kebabs. "Amazing. The mushrooms have been marinated in a thick yogurt before being grilled. Perfectly crispy without losing any of the softness." Jonathan was similarly amazed at the Fruit Fried Rice. "I see… So the fruit was dried before adding it to the rice. It adds a perfect sweetness without offsetting the spiciness of the rice."
All Might dug into the Killer Kebab. "A perfect combination of bitterness and spiciness, cooked in a truffle broth as well." Waver eyed the Gooey Curry oddly, but despite its name it tasted delectable. "Is this a seafood curry? And it's blended well with salty seaweed." "This Gloopy Curry is more about pure meat," Rider noted, "And rather mellow, yet with the expected spiciness hidden just under the surface." Kariya winced as he tried the Molten Curry. "This is rather spicy." "Careful with how much you put in your mouth," Evan warned, "Floyd always takes great care to follow the recipe, lest the Molten Curry turn lethal. But it can still happen if you eat too much at once. After all, blowfish is one of the key ingredients."
He handed Kariya a Classy Lassi to cool himself off. Kariya breathed a sigh of relief as he sipped the drink. "Hmm… Melon and honey? It certainly mixes well with the yogurt." Sola-Ui tried the Genie Juice. "Amazing! Hints of fish juice and truffle juice, mixed with meat juice and some fruit juice. All without overpowering each other." She also tried some of the Rosehip Tart. "It took me forever to complete that request," Evan noted, "I'm amazed the dogfolk who asked me for it was so patient. He must have really wanted something sweet."
Kirei was finishing off a custard-filled pumpkin called a Sultan's Crown. "What of Rider and Waver? What would you wish for?" "For me there is only one thing," Rider said, "To be resurrected properly. Now that I know that I have not truly conquered the world, my desire is to start anew. Unlike Archer, I do not condone the ruination of my lands in my absence. That is simply the nature of time. My only regret would be the loss of the Library of Alexandria." He looked to Waver. "So young Master. Have you made your decision based on what you've heard so far?" Lupin realized the real reason Rider made the invitation was so that Waver could form his own ideas based on what other's wanted.
Waver took a moment to think. "To be honest, I've thought about it for a while. I thought I knew what I would wish for before, but it was a wish I could get even without the Grail. There are so many things I could wish for… But I finally settled on something just now. Rider said he regretted losing the Library of Alexandria. So I'll wish it for it to be restored. There's so much knowledge in there that could benefit the world, and move everyone forward, even magi." Rider laughed. "Now that's a wish worth making! It seems you're finally invested in this War!" He raised a glass. "In a few this War will begin anew. And so, may the greatest Servant here prove victorious!" The others all accepted the toast, ready for the next phase of the War.
We'll see how things continue come next chapter. Read and review.
