[FDJ]Chapter 83: Temptation

Suzuki carefully examined Assassin's panel attributes, confirming the general strength of the opponent. He had initially thought Assassin to be a formidable Servant, but he was surprised to discover that she was a relatively low-profile European queen. It was only when the elderly Knight wounded Assassin with a single strike that he realized her true weakness, despite her intimidating appearance.

"Rider, Assassin is indeed connected to Bloody Mary. She is Lady Jane Grey, the 'Nine Days' Queen,' who failed in her attempt to usurp the throne from Bloody Mary and was subsequently executed. Her Noble Phantasm is the same wide-range scream she used before."

"Is that her only Noble Phantasm?" Eleanor trusted her Master and believed that he would not make mistakes. The information they had shared indicated that Assassin's strength was relatively weak, which contradicted her identity as Bloody Mary. Having deciphered the true name of the mysterious assassin, Eleanor was not interested in the backup from the Kingdom of England. She only cared whether Assassin possessed a second Noble Phantasm, as that would determine if they needed to deliver a decisive blow.

"She does. It's a similar ability to Battle Continuation, but it has a limit to the damage she can endure. If she faces a Noble Phantasm with sufficient power, we can bypass her second Noble Phantasm and defeat her directly." Suzuki was equally merciless. He had no intention of joking when it came to matters of the Holy Grail War.

As Eleanor observed Assassin continuously evading the strikes of the elderly Knight, she noticed that Assassin often resorted to throwing knives, using the scattered blades to threaten the Knight's Master, Aphaf. However, the Knight skillfully interrupted this move each time, intercepting the blades before they could reach his Master.

In terms of close combat, Assassin had no advantage whatsoever. Apart from her earlier surprise attack, it was slightly difficult for Assassin to engage in a one-on-one battle with the elderly Knight.

After contemplating for a moment, Eleanor decided not to join the fight and refrained from using her own Noble Phantasm. She slowly raised her hand and used her ability on the elderly Knight.

...

Meanwhile, within the encampment of the Jerusalem Kingdom Coalition Forces...

Caster, who controlled snakes, "played" the scenes of Assassin's surprise attack for his Master throughout the night. This included the scenes of Assassin entering the valley and first slaughtering three small villages near Tabarre, resulting in the deaths of over a hundred people. Many of these innocent victims, who became nourishment for the Assassin's curse and despair, were relatives of the soldiers in the city.

"Caster, Assassin's combat experience is also low, but on the contrary, the elderly knight whom we originally underestimated has abundant combat experience. What do you think?" Richard sat in the center of the tent, fully focused on the images projected on the white cloth through magic.

"Allowing Assassin to replenish curses before launching the attack seems wasteful based on the current results. Our Assassin is not suitable for direct combat but rather serves better in compensating for our lack of reconnaissance abilities," the male Caster, concealed under his robe, did not directly evaluate Assassin.

"Caster, are you questioning my orders? Or are you regretting the civilians Assassin killed?! In war, it is normal for people to die. In the era preserved in your mythology, didn't people die in battles?" Richard turned his head and counter-questioned his servant.

"But the civilians she killed were our own..."

"These civilians, who have not made any sacrifice to defend the Kingdom of Jerusalem, hiding in remote valleys, what would they do once Saladin's army breaches Jerusalem as history dictates? They would become subjects under the rule of infidels. These people can now sacrifice themselves and become one of the Seven Knights of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Isn't this giving them honor and value instead? It is redemption for their weakness and helplessness. I am fair. If we breach Egypt and exterminate the entire city, how would you carry out that?" Richard spoke without room for negotiation. His unwavering belief in religion required no doubt. Even if he were to ask the most devout group of followers, they would raise their swords and spears in response to Richard's policy of slaughter. Non-devout believers and hostile infidels could only be buried in blood. Granting death was the most merciful judgment for them. However, in the eyes of Caster, who did not believe in Christianity, Richard's words and actions were akin to those of a demon.

Caster remained silent. He did not agree with his Master's loyalty, but as a servant, he would not directly oppose him.

"Also, what do you think of the elderly knight who fought Assassin? Vivar? There seems to be no knight named Vivar in the mythological legends I know of." Richard had sent Assassin out tonight to investigate the enemy's strength and gather information. In his view, the elderly knight servant had only average combat experience, and any servant stationed in Tabarre in the past could have suppressed him.

"Master, in my opinion, the decorations on the old knight's armor have a Spanish style. And in Spain, the most famous hero with the surname 'Vivar' passed away in the year 1099 AD. It has been about 90 years since that era." Caster possessed the knowledge granted by the Holy Grail, and he was aware of certain famous figures.

"You mean Rodrigo from Valencia, Spain? Impossible. The knight known as 'El Cid' cannot possibly have such low skill. If he truly were the El Cid, this mediocre Assassin would be defeated within a few rounds. Moreover, I sensed 'deception' from that servant, so he cannot be the El Cid," Richard dismissed the possibility of the summoned servant being the renowned Spanish knight, El Cid. However, the prominent Spanish-style decorations on the servant's armor didn't seem like an intentional disguise.

"Could he be a knight who idolizes the El Cid?" Caster proposed a new hypothesis based on his understanding of his Master. Richard held great admiration for King Arthur from English legends, and even some of his abilities were similar to King Arthur's. Perhaps the elderly knight had chosen the name and surname Vivar as an alias because of his affinity for the El Cid.

"You mean..." Richard pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement with Caster's speculation. He had already guessed the servant's true name to some extent. The old knight's appearance resembled a knight, had average combat capabilities, and emitted a sense of "deception." "But what class would he be? Rider? Saber?"

"Perhaps neither. Although the information leaked to Saladin's army indicates that we have six servants, the actual situation is that we possess all seven servants under the Master's summoning. We have obtained all the conventional seven classes, and with the support of the Holy Grail, the possibility of summoning a Ruler-class servant has been sealed. Therefore, the elderly knight servant must be an extra class obtained through an irregular summoning," Caster analyzed. Once again, Richard agreed with Caster's analysis. He had considered sending multiple servants at once to overpower the elderly knight, but he was concerned that the knight might have some hidden trump card. Especially now that Richard had a rough idea of the knight's true name, he didn't dare to recklessly send a knight-class servant to confront him.

Apart from Caster, only Assassin didn't possess the Knight class and had weaker abilities with low strategic significance. Richard was not concerned about losing Assassin. Sending Assassin as the vanguard to probe the enemy's strength was a precaution for the worst-case scenario.

"Also, Master, about your mother..." Caster hesitated to speak, as he was also concerned about the queen who rode in a chariot. He worried more about her than the elderly knight. People tend to be less rational when it comes to family matters.

"There's no need to dwell on my mother's situation. I will handle it properly. You and the others don't need to worry about engaging her in battle. If such a situation arises, I will personally confront her. I understand her. Unless it's necessary, she won't risk entering the battlefield herself," Richard's tone was stern, not allowing anyone to question his judgment. His pride surpassed his age.

Upon hearing his Master's declaration, Caster refrained from discussing the matter further. The snake familiar had successfully infiltrated and monitored every key point outside the valley, keeping a close watch on Saladin's army. Returning his attention, Caster noticed that Assassin, as depicted in the image, was completely outmatched in close combat against the elderly knight.

"Master!"

"Don't worry, and don't expose too many of your deployed familiars. I will use a Command Spell to retrieve Assassin at the appropriate time," Richard reassured. Holding twenty Command Spells, Richard had a crushing advantage in terms of resources in the Holy Grail War.

...

Due to Eleanor's constant presence in the chariot, she had only enhanced the abilities of the elderly knight and had not directly engaged in combat. Suzuki Yuki, after deducing Assassin's true name, shifted his focus to contemplating the true name of Saladin's summoned elderly knight Servant.

Vivar. This name, coupled with the elderly knight's Spanish-style attire, easily led people to suspect Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, the renowned national hero of Spain, and the protagonist of the famous epic poem "The Song of El Cid." However, Suzuki vaguely remembered studying this part of knowledge in the "classroom" of the Chaldea organization. Although Chaldea did not have data intelligence on El Cid, that heroic spirit, summoned as a Saber-class, possessed the combat strength of a top-tier Servant.

The elderly knight, who had been entrusted to Aphaf, clearly did not possess the same level of power. If he were to encounter a Servant skilled in confrontation, he would not last long.

"Rider, can your Crown of the Queen ability see through the true names intentionally concealed by other Servants?"

Eleanor seemed to be waiting for Suzuki's inquiry and smiled. "Master, your intuition is keen. I do have the intention of using my enhancement ability on our so-called allies to bypass their concealment and gather intelligence. Unfortunately, the other party is impenetrable when it comes to shielding their information. They only accepted my enhancement ability but never gave me a chance to glimpse their attribute information."

"I see. It seems that the other party is unwilling to let us see their information."

"Not entirely. That knight reciprocated with sincerity and let me know his class. It's unique and doesn't belong to the conventional seven classes—Alter Ego. His true name is Don Quixote."