[FDJ]Chapter 77: Strategy

Pushing open the wooden door, Richard had a solemn expression on his face. He possessed a total of 21 Command Seals, allowing him to summon all his Servants to his side at any cost. By doing so, facing the low-combat-capability Rider, Eleanor, and the future Master of Chaldea with seven Servants by his side, would have the confidence to win.

This place was adjacent to the holy city of Jerusalem; there was no possibility of failure with the home-field advantage. Richard glanced at his residence, and the items inside were undisturbed.

"Assassin, come out."

Under Richard's command, the Assassin Servant, who had been lurking for a long time, revealed her blurred appearance. She appeared to be a long-haired woman, dressed in a floor-length pure white gown that trailed on the ground. Her golden hair flowed behind her like poisonous snakes, implying a terrifying threat.

The face and hands of this female Assassin were covered in white cloth, obscuring her specific features. Perhaps she was a beauty, but not the kind worth approaching unless one didn't care about their own life.

"Master, what are your orders?" The Assassin's voice was slightly deep and mechanical as if she weren't speaking with her mouth but producing sound vibrations through her abdomen. It was something that normal people couldn't possibly do. Ignoring the beauty veiled by purity and a deathly aura, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she was an evil spirit.

"After I went to the military camp this morning, has anyone approached my residence?" Richard wasn't afraid of his Servants. Compared to encountering his mother in Servant form, this instinctual fear piercing his heart was nothing much. When his Servants manifested, they also repressed the fear they naturally emitted.

The female Assassin remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "Three groups of people came one after another. The first two groups were Duke Reynard's men, and the last group was King Guy's men."

"Did any of them enter?"

"They all seemed hesitant and only dared to peer from outside, believing that there were magical traps hidden inside the house."

Richard's mood improved considerably after hearing this. If he had been present at that time and had his Assassin Servant manifest behind them, would it have scared a few cowards to death on the spot?

"Hmph, a group of petty people who only know how to play small tricks," Richard thought to himself, showing no respect for the two prominent figures mentioned by his Servant. He only respected the strong, like Saladin, his mother, and even King Arthur, who was intertwined with mythical legends. "Assassin, there's no need for you to guard here for now. Go hunting instead. Non-devout Christians or devout believers—eat whatever and however much you like. Only for tonight, do you understand what I mean?"

The female Assassin remained silent for a moment, and her mechanical voice, devoid of emotion, naturally emitted fear in the living. "How many people do you want me to kill?"

The question from the Servant displeased Richard. He turned his head slightly, glancing at his eerie Servant. Among his other Servants, who didn't possess the Knight attribute, only his Assassin Servant clashed with the sacredness of the distant holy city. "Do you need to measure the weight of bread before eating it during your life? Adding butter and bacon is the normal way, isn't it? Assassin, don't disappoint me. Originally, you weren't qualified to be a Servant, but I gave you a chance to come to the holy city, not to showcase kindness and forgiveness. Here, there is only war! There is only bloodshed and death!"

The female Assassin fell into a longer silence, retreating as a spiritual entity before her volatile Master became completely irritated.

Richard entered his residence, closing the door behind him. He gestured toward the snake familiar that slithered along the window ledge. "Caster, keep an eye on Assassin."

The snake raised its triangular head, and the voice came through the connection of the Master-Servant command spell. "Are you worried she will betray us?"

"No, that child isn't suitable for the battlefield. She's only fit to be a wicked spirit scaring off lost adventurers in a castle. But since she became my Servant, she must contribute to the defense of Jerusalem. If necessary, lend her a hand."

"Understood."

"Where are the future magus and his newly summoned Servants now?"

Richard waited for about ten seconds before receiving a report. "Is that Servant a noblewoman wearing a vibrant red gown? Her class should be Rider. They've summoned a chariot and are advancing westward. They will soon reach Saladin's camp deployed in the mountains."

Richard pondered the current situation of the two armies confronting each other, hesitating whether to dispatch a Servant stationed in the city of Tiberias to intervene, such as the king who ascended to the throne after the first crusade. Being a Rider as well, Richard believed that with the king's cunning and strategic awareness, he would know how to fulfill his duty as a Servant and disrupt the meeting between Eleanor and Saladin, jeopardizing peace.

Richard is reassured by such a Servant. Talented and powerful, cold-blooded, and with a mind that acts before the sword. With Richard still holding 20 Command Spells, that Servant is like a calming pill in his heart, placed at the forefront, without any worries.

However, before Richard laid down to sleep on his bed, he did not give any orders to the other Servants. If his mother could enjoy herself in this Holy Grail War, it wouldn't hurt to go easy on them.

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Around 3 p.m., Suzuki Yuki and his Servant Rider, Eleanor, rode in a chariot and arrived at the complex mountainous area northeast of Tiberias.

Before entering the mountains, Eleanor specifically observed the situation in Tiberias. As she knew, the city was still under the control of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and from a distance, she could see a large number of defending troops. When she approached within 2 kilometers, she immediately sensed hostile magical reactions from not just one enemy Servant.

Their strength was estimated to be far superior to hers.

"Rider, why aren't we entering the city? Instead, we're turning northeast?" Suzuki's vision couldn't match that of a Servant, and standing on a moving chariot at high speed made it difficult to see distant objects, such as the Crusaders' banners.

"Master, do you think ancient battles were fought by establishing camps? Moreover, Tiberias is an important stronghold of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The enemy army naturally camps on the outskirts. If they had entered Tiberias in advance, my worthless son would have killed me just now." Eleanor's tone was difficult to interpret accurately, whether it was a joke or the truth, but she sounded light and casual as if she were talking about having beef stew with potatoes tonight.

With Eleanor's explanation, Suzuki was able to combine the information he had studied before setting out with the events of this era. He had arrived in the vicinity of Jerusalem in the year 1187, where the leaders of the two confronting armies were Saladin from Egypt and Guy from the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Richard, or Richard the Lionheart, had arrived on the battlefield of the upcoming Battle of Hattin several years early, possibly already controlling the entire Christian alliance. Eleanor was confident in this and boldly stated that with her son's abilities and talents, there was a possibility of becoming the "protagonist of the era" two years ahead of schedule.

In terms of ancient warfare, Suzuki was completely ignorant, so he fully trusted his Servant, Eleanor, and followed her analysis and predictions.

"So, can we see the opposing force of this great battle ahead?" Suzuki was now only concerned about how many Servants the other side had. If the difference wasn't too great, just like in the previous Holy Grail War, he could gather information on each Servant and defeat them one by one.

Eleanor sensed magical reactions ahead before Suzuki did. In the complex mountainous terrain, at least five magi were lurking, observing the approaching chariot of the Master and Servant. Eleanor had initially thought that the followers of the Islam religion wouldn't learn magic, and she hadn't heard of enemy magi appearing on the battlefield during her lifetime.

"Some magi have noticed us. Although they should be able to distinguish between suicide and ambush, Master, be prepared. Don't be startled by sudden curses or flames." While joking with her Master, Eleanor didn't forget to slightly slow down the chariot's speed and continue driving along the mountain road. This Servant always seemed to find enjoyment in various things and could disregard the majority of rules and morals for her happiness.

Suzuki looked around but didn't notice any hidden individuals in the surroundings which consisted of unchanging bushes and rocky slopes. If Eleanor's words were true, once Suzuki was separated and encountered hostile magi, he wouldn't even have a chance to counterattack. If they didn't have the intention to capture him alive as Richard did at the beginning, Suzuki wouldn't have the opportunity to summon his Servant.

They continued without any obstacles until the chariot reached a distance where the camps and villages became visible. Several squads of soldiers wearing white robes lined up to "welcome" them. Suzuki could tell that regular soldiers wouldn't be dressed so neatly, and seeing that they weren't afraid of the illusory horses pulling the chariot, they likely belonged to an elite unit with knowledge of the mysterious side knowledge.

After Eleanor's chariot came to a stop, several extraordinary-looking middle-aged men dressed as nobles stepped forward and greeted the two individuals on the chariot in extremely standard Latin. Suzuki didn't understand the medieval European noble etiquette, but after lengthy praises of each other's masters, the "welcoming" nobles formally conveyed the leader of the entire army's welcome and subtly indicated that preparations were being made for a feast, with their leader waiting in the most elegant and magnificent location for the esteemed guests.

Eleanor, experienced in such matters, chose not to mention their respective beliefs and praised the generosity and enthusiasm of the local lord with a selection of flattering words, expressing the willingness of the Queen of England to meet with them.

Upon hearing that the strange noblewoman who had arrived claimed to be the Queen of England, the receiving nobles understood the reason why their lord was extending such a grand invitation to the "intruders." Based on their status, nobles of this level in Christianity would never come alone. There must be a reason for this abnormality, but they, of a lower level, couldn't delve into it.

Guided by the soldiers and nobles, Suzuki Yuki and Rider Eleanor didn't take many detours before they saw a mud-brick building with carpets laid out. It seemed to have been temporarily renovated not long ago, with its unique dome, traces of stars and moons, and carpet decorations that differed completely from the surrounding low houses, indicating that the people inside were not ordinary.

As soon as Suzuki and Eleanor entered the building, a middle-aged man with a long beard sitting on a carpet in the hall stood up excitedly. He took a step forward but then realized his rudeness and quickly stepped back, possibly doing so intentionally.

"Ah?! Lady Eleanor!! Over 30 years have passed, yet time hasn't altered your youth and beauty in the slightest."

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