[FDJ]Chapter 88: Strategy 

The high-ranking entity observed the battle between the elderly knight and the conspicuous, twisted monster. It quickly understood the origin of these creatures, which should not exist in this era and the type of beings they belonged to.

It was when the elderly knight rode his horse in pursuit of a fleeing Ghoul that the entity revealed its true form. Similar to the camel-riding woman Suzuki Yuki had encountered, this high-ranking entity also belonged to the demonic realm, albeit slightly different. However, its fundamental evil and darkness were the same.

The entity appeared as a knight, adorned in black and crimson armor with a magical aura. It wielded a massive spear over four meters long and carried a crimson war flag on its back. Behind the entity, the souls of the slain monsters manifested on the ground, emanating a strong desire for battle and attempting to kill each other. However, the demonic knight compelled the souls to appear, not to honor their continued fighting, but for another purpose.

Instead...

A monstrous creature beneath the knight opened its enormous maw located on its front abdomen, capable of swallowing cattle. It emitted a low roar, and all the compelled souls were absorbed into it, becoming food for the monstrous creature beneath the demonic knight's mount.

The creature had pitch-black hooves and a pair of massive skeletal wings that folded inwards. Its front abdomen served as its true mouth, which automatically closed after a hearty meal, concealing its gaping jaws. The creature's head resembled that of a naked female body. At first glance, it might be difficult to discern which part of this bloodthirsty beast constituted its head.

The demonic knight rode atop the monstrous creature and approached the corpses of the monsters that had managed to evade the pursuit of the elderly knight through their invisibility. The humanoid head of the creature lowered down to sniff the scent, quickly obtaining the desired result through its growl.

"Humans truly are a pitiful species," the demonic knight mocked, his eyes reflecting the twisted corpses and the completely devastated village. Fortunately, the humans here had already been killed by Assassin the previous night, and they were massacred without any resistance. Only their lifeless bodies remained to be devoured by the monsters after daybreak.

The demonic knight raised his hand, and multiple magic runes appeared, engulfing the monster corpses on the ground in pure black flames. This included their blood and bones, ensuring that no trace was left behind to prevent the land from being tainted. Death became the monsters' final destination, which, for a demon, could be considered a gift.

"It would be better to leave dealing with these monsters to the professionals, wouldn't it?" Eligos, the demonic knight, contemplated the companion who resided in a library and was unwilling to venture outside. When they were summoned, they were meant to act together, but demons had a variety of personalities. There were types like Eligos, who enjoyed combat, types like Caim, who enjoyed causing mischief, and many others who lacked enthusiasm for anything.

Of course, the demonic knight could rely on his destructive abilities to eliminate all the monsters, but in doing so, the land and everything on it would be destroyed as well. They had the limitation of not creating too much commotion.

After a moment of thought, Eligos sighed and returned to the void. Sometimes it was good to trust the judgment of a chosen companion. Let the humans handle their affairs.

...

"How is the situation, Lancer?"

Inside the city of Tabaré, a young and handsome male knight welcomed his bloodied companion. He wore a crown on his head, a golden crown that should only be possessed by the current king of Jerusalem. However, it didn't seem out of place for him. He was the first king of the kingdom that stood upon the Holy City.

The knight, wearing an iron mask, dismounted with the assistance of his attendants and greeted the other with a knight's courtesy.

"The number and quality of the monsters of unknown origin are more terrifying than we anticipated. They were attracted by the corpses left behind by Assassin last night. Fortunately, we dealt with them in time, preventing further casualties."

"Lancer, we are both Servants now. There's no need for such formalities. I appreciate your efforts this time; leave the next one to me. My sword and warhorse will crush any enemy that dares invade the Kingdom of Jerusalem." The young and handsome crowned knight took the monster's magical core handed over by Lancer and carefully placed it in a golden box. The subsequent analysis of the monster's origin and weaknesses would be handled by Caster and their Master, Richard.

"Thank you for your hard work, Lancer."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the knight-type Servant returned to the grandest mansion in the city with his entourage, which had now become his residence. Despite the formalities, he displayed all the pomp and circumstance of the former king, granting no favors to anyone except his Master, Richard.

After dismissing his attendants, the Servant took the golden box wrapped in velvet and opened it once again. "Although I don't know where these monsters come from, I can tell from the few encounters that they are summoned creatures, enthusiastic about causing chaos and not being accepted by this world. Brother, what do you think?"

The only person who hadn't left, clad in heavy armor, stood on the right side. Seeing the monster's magical core once again, this mysterious figure in full armor issued a deep and hoarse warning. "...Betray... our Master... violate... must... eliminate all intruders!" His heavy and crazed armor couldn't hide the fact that, even with great restraint, his voice eventually turned into a roaring sound filled with intimidation, causing the wooden furniture to slightly tremble.

If he were also a Servant, there was no doubt that he was currently in a state of madness, and his class could quickly be determined as Berserker.

"Brother, of course, I understand that these monsters go against our Master. However, it is too dangerous to rush into battle. Although the monsters attack regardless of the side, we can't rule out the possibility that the enemies summoned these monsters to disrupt the battlefield. The more advantageous we are, the less we should recklessly expose our weaknesses."

"For our Master... cleanse! Annihilate! Eliminate! It must be done without delay!" Ignoring the analysis and advice of his companion, the crazed figure in heavy armor stepped forward and snatched the golden box containing the monster's magical core. He crumpled it into an irregular golden object. "No more waiting!"

With a roar, the entire room shook. Then, with a loud bang, he stomped on the crushed golden box and the flattened magical core, all of it sinking into the stone floor.

Fortunately, they were on the ground floor of the mansion, and the floor was solid. Otherwise, stomping through the floor would have been a big problem.

"Brother, calm down. I understand the importance of protecting the Holy City and our Master, but rushing into battle is truly a last resort on the battlefield. Tomorrow, I will personally investigate, and once we have new information, we can discuss further..."

Before his companion could finish speaking, the crazed figure stormed out of the mansion. The partially closed wooden door shattered into pieces upon impact, and several guards outside caught off guard, fell to the ground in disarray.

"Ah, really... Brother!" The young and handsome male knight followed his mad brother outside and saw the chaotic front yard of the mansion, as well as his berserk brother running toward the city gates at a speed surpassing that of a horse.

He raised his hand, intending to summon his mount, but after thinking for a moment, he changed his mind. It was indeed dangerous to rush into battle, but it worked both ways. He believed in his brother's strength and knew that no matter which side he encountered, he wouldn't be defeated and would bring danger to the opposing side as well.

"Being a Berserker suits him well. Giving him the choice of class, I ended up with the Rider class, which isn't bad...," the handsome knight who received the Rider class muttered in his mind out of respect for the current Master. But he still couldn't help but complain: both he and his brother were more suited for the Saber class. Fighting for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, having the two brothers with Saber classes would be a significant advantage. Even if they encountered enemies or allies, they wouldn't hesitate to strike them down.

Using his imperial privilege, he quickly healed the injuries of the guards who had been struck. The young and handsome male knight no longer paid them any attention as he turned around and returned to the mansion. He intended to carefully study the monster's magical core brought back by Lancer to understand the origin of the mysterious creatures.

...

"Master, Lancer has returned to the city of Tyre, but Berserker left the city alone just five minutes ago."

Richard, who had returned to the camp after his nap, hadn't even sat down when he heard Caster's report. He paused for a moment, then kicked over a chair and stood up. "Didn't I order them not to worry about those unknown creatures?! I just planned a surprise attack in the morning to turn our current advantage into an absolute victory. Can't these kings of Jerusalem consider the importance of winning this war?!"

Richard was furious and wished he could use a command spell to teleport the three Servants stationed in the city of Tyre back to him. Even if they were like Archer, who spent his days loitering in the palace, playing music for the king and flirting with maids, Richard could accept it.

"I don't know the level of the future Chaldean magus, but given my mother's scheming abilities, if she finds a loophole, she won't let us off lightly. Is Berserker also acting based on the location of the monster sightings?"

Caster, who had been paying attention to the crystal ball and the reports from the snake familiar, nodded in response. "Yes, it's expected to be in the same area that Lancer searched last night and this morning. It's a certain distance from the valley where the enemy is located."

Richard listened and estimated the time required for each point based on the speed of the Servants on the sheepskin map on the table. The readily available pieces were the three in the city of Tyre, while the most convenient Assassin needed to rest until the day after tomorrow.

"This is also an opportunity. I... have a good idea." Richard tapped the wooden table with his fingers, motioning for Caster to come closer. "Where is that old knight belonging to Saladin now? Is he still outside dealing with the concentrated monsters?"

Caster walked to the opposite side of the table and pointed to a certain location on the map. "He returned around noon, over two hours ago, and was expected to return to the valley soon."

"Do you have a way to lure him out again?"

"I do. I can manipulate the monsters to gather in a specific location. Master, do you want to set up an ambush?" Caster didn't quite understand. Even though Lancer and the enemy Servants had gone out at the same time earlier, with a journey of less than 20 minutes, an ambush could be arranged. "Let Berserker, who is already outside, lie in wait?"

"Yes, that's the plan. Make it appear as a straightforward confrontation. We need to make good use of the opportunity while Assassin is unable to act. The enemy will undoubtedly have the intention to pursue their advantage. Of course, we shouldn't let them realize from the beginning that it will be a battle between Servants. An unexpected encounter! Yes, people are most impulsive and overconfident in temporary decisions, especially in one-on-one encounters." Richard looked at the map, quickly devising the plot to be executed tonight. The advantage was on his side, and he had the initiative. The reconnaissance from last night had gathered more information. The thought of being able to outwit his mother's camp in a conspiracy brought a smile to his face.