"The King of Knights... is a woman?!"
When Iskandar casually dropped that historical bombshell, the entire restaurant was stunned.
Seeing their collective astonishment, the King of Conquerors threw his head back and burst into hearty laughter.
"Quite surprising, isn't it? Back in my Grail War, my boy Waver was just as shocked as you all. But in my view, being a woman doesn't disqualify one from being a king. As long as one possesses the unyielding spirit and the heavy heart required to lead, they are a qualified monarch," Iskandar stated, his booming voice carrying a rare, profound seriousness.
He raised his glass and downed his beer in a single, satisfying gulp.
He poured himself another full glass.
"However, that little girl—the King of Knights—is still severely lacking in certain aspects of kingship," Iskandar's tone grew slightly heavy, laced with a helpless sigh.
"So, what kind of person is she?" Rimuru asked, leaning forward on the counter.
Iskandar's lips twitched.
He shook his massive head, his crimson eyes softening with a touch of genuine pity.
"She is just a poor little girl, hopelessly burdened by the impossible fate of a fallen kingdom."
With that, he downed his glass once more.
Everyone at the counter could feel the heavy, complex emotions radiating from the giant, so they respectfully chose not to press the issue further.
The atmosphere fell silent for a brief moment before Ainz spoke up.
"But... King Arthur. To think the legend was actually a woman..." Ainz's deep voice was filled with bewildered emotion.
"Could it be that our history books are completely wrong?" Utaha murmured, her eyes wide.
As a writer who prided herself on research, her foundational understanding of history was currently imploding.
"Not necessarily," Iskandar waved a massive hand, noticing her crisis. "We are not from the same world, young lady. The historical figures and events from my world's timeline might not perfectly align with yours. There's no need to delve too deeply into the contradictions; just accept the differences with an open mind!"
Hearing this logical explanation, the group nodded in collective relief.
"That's the spirit!" Iskandar laughed loudly.
He tossed back another glass of beer, but as he set it down, a slight frown creased his forehead.
"By the way, Boss. Do you happen to have any larger glasses? This tiny thing is completely insufficient! It doesn't feel the least bit heroic when drinking!" He tapped the standard pint glass against the wood, his tone full of playful complaint.
Yuto let out a light, helpless laugh. "In that case, let me find you a proper heroic cup."
He collected the empty pint glass and retreated into the kitchen.
He rummaged through the lower cabinets until he found a massive, heavy-duty plastic measuring pitcher he occasionally used for bulk broth preparation.
It held over two liters and had a thick, sturdy handle on the side.
It was essentially a modern-day flagon—perfect for the King of Conquerors.
Yuto washed it quickly and brought it out, setting it firmly in front of the giant.
Iskandar's eyes lit up with absolute joy. "Ho ho! Now this is the kind of vessel that suits the King of Conquerors!"
He grabbed two large bottles of beer and upended them simultaneously into the pitcher, filling it to the brim.
Then, he grabbed the thick handle, tipped his head back and downed the massive volume of alcohol in one single, uninterrupted gulp.
Thud.
He slammed the empty pitcher onto the counter.
"Sss—haa! Now that is far more interesting than sitting around on the Throne of Heroes!" He let out a long, satisfied sigh that sounded exactly like a lion yawning.
He had briefly explained the concept of the 'Throne of Heroes' to them earlier—a metaphysical realm outside of time where the souls of legendary figures were recorded and stored.
"Is the Throne of Heroes really that boring?" Yuto asked, wiping down the counter.
Iskandar slammed his fist against the wood in mild grievance. "Yes! It truly is a stagnant boring place! You can't even visit the other heroes. You just sit there, endlessly and unknowingly sifting through the recorded pasts of other Servants. Some heroic spirits might be accustomed to such a passive quiet existence, but I simply cannot stand it!"
He popped the caps off two more bottles and filled his plastic flagon again.
He had already killed the first entire crate of beer Yuto had given him.
"Being able to physically manifest and drink like this tonight is truly exhilarating! Today will definitely be marked as a grand festival day on the Conqueror King's calendar!" Iskandar laughed loudly.
Sitting nearby, Rimuru and Ainz looked up at the giant with undeniable admiration.
During the course of their conversation, the sheer charisma of the great king had been thoroughly displayed.
The slime and the skeleton—both of whom had originally been nothing more than ordinary overworked human salarymen—couldn't help but admire his overwhelming boldness and grandeur.
"Your Majesty... could you perhaps teach me how to better lead my subordinates?" Rimuru asked, his voice filled with longing.
He had a massive growing nation of monsters under his command in Tempest.
Although they were developing well, Rimuru constantly felt stretched thin.
He had been a normal contractor just a year ago, suddenly bearing the heavy expectations and lives of thousands of loyal subjects was a crushing pressure.
Beside him, Ainz's red eyes flared.
He, too, was desperate to learn how to become a true ruler.
Constantly acting like a flawless omnipotent god in front of the Nazarick Guardians was mentally destroying him.
Now, with a genuine legendary king sitting right in front of them, they both wanted to seek proper guidance.
"Oh? Rimuru, you have your own subordinates? Ainz, you as well?" Iskandar raised a thick eyebrow.
Seeing the two monsters nod solemnly, a proud smile curled the King's lips.
"I'm glad you are willing to seek my advice, my friends. But I can only share my own experiences," Iskandar began.
"A true king has his own unique path of kingship. If you want to become true rulers, do not blindly follow anyone else's footsteps—you must forge your own path!"
Rimuru and Ainz both nodded deeply, absorbing the heavy words.
"Then, I shall speak of my path! The path known as the Tyrant's Way! I hope you can glean the knowledge you seek from it!"
Iskandar's aura suddenly shifted violently.
He stood up from his stool.
An overwhelming suffocating presence of absolute domination radiated from him.
In that moment, even though he stood alone in a small restaurant, he felt like an unstoppable army of thousands.
"A king is someone who lives more brilliantly, more vibrantly than anyone else, captivating all who behold him! He bears the heavy gazes and the fierce admiration of all his subjects, and he marches forward unceasingly!" Iskandar's voice thundered through the room.
"The direction the king advances is the direction his subjects will follow! The desires the king yearns for are the desires of his people! The king's ambitions are the ambitions of his entire nation!"
"The Tyrant's Way is by no means mindless destruction and ruin! It is to dominate without humiliation! To conquer without annihilation! To conquer everything! To possess everything!"
He threw his massive arms wide, his crimson cape billowing behind him as if caught in an invisible storm.
"My capacity is vast enough to encompass all! Anyone who earns my acknowledgment, anyone who wishes to ride with me—I will never abandon them! This is what is called the Path of Hegemony! And it is my Kingly Way!"
His expression was filled with fierce intoxicating excitement, looking exactly like a legendary general personally commanding an unparalleled war!
Rimuru and Ainz stared up at him in absolute awe.
Yuto felt a shiver run down his spine, profoundly moved by the sheer weight of the speech.
Even Saitama, who rarely cared about anything, let out a quiet sound of genuine admiration.
This was the great emperor crowned by history.
This was Iskandar.. Alexander the Great!