"From what the villagers who escaped earlier said, when they were being chased by Tristan, it was one of you who saved them."
"Since that's the case, then you should also know that besides me, there are other Hassans of the Mountain who have been summoned here, right?"
When everyone nodded, the Cursed Arm continued:
"We Hassans are all leaders of the Order born in these mountains, assassins by trade. Every leader of the Order inherits the title of 'Old Man of the Mountain (Hassan),' carrying on the name of the great founder."
"Normally, only one Hassan exists in each era. But under this special situation, besides me, other Old Men of the Mountain have been summoned as well."
"All of them abandoned the pride of assassins to reveal themselves, each protecting a village as a leader. I too have been trying to unite the Hassans together, but…"
Here, the Cursed Arm's voice grew heavier:
"Zangank Hassan fell to Lancelot. Shadow-Stealer Hassan fell to Gawain. And the one most skilled in assassination arts, the Drunken Smoke Hassan—as you already know—was defeated by Tristan."
"As things stand, only four Hassans remain alive: myself, Hundred Faces Hassan, Serenity Hassan, and… that person."
"That person?" Hearing him deliberately avoid a certain name, Ritsuka Fujimaru frowned in confusion.
"No, that's not relevant to what I'm about to say. You don't need to know." The Cursed Arm shook his head. "In short, Hundred Faces Hassan is currently guarding the western village nearby, while Serenity Hassan was captured not long ago by the Round Table knights and is imprisoned in their stronghold."
"If it had been any other Hassan, there would be no need to worry—because they would have committed suicide the instant they were captured. But this one is young, and… she has a troublesome condition that prevents her from taking her own life."
"If you're willing to infiltrate the fortress where Serenity is held and rescue her, then not only will she be on your side, but both I and Hundred Faces will be able to trust you completely, and lend you our strength… So, what do you say? Interested?"
He then added:
"Of course, let me make this clear first—the fortress is heavily guarded. Going there carries significant risks. I suggest you think it over before…"
Halfway through, he glanced at Bagest sitting nearby, thought better of it, and changed his words:
"Forget it, just pretend I didn't say that… So, will you go or not?"
"Of course we will," Ritsuka immediately replied. "Even if nothing else, earning your genuine trust, Mr. Cursed Arm, is reason enough for us to go."
"Excellent! As expected of a Master destined to save the world—such spirit!" The Cursed Arm beamed. "In that case, get a good rest tonight. We set out tomorrow!"
With that, he left, leaving the group exchanging glances.
"Though he looks fierce, the Cursed Arm's thoughts are surprisingly straightforward… I'd even call him simple-hearted," Da Vinci remarked.
What the Cursed Arm didn't realize was that the reason Ritsuka, Guinevere, and the Chaldea group had held this secret meeting in the first place was to lure him in.
As an undeniably friendly force, he was naturally a target they wanted to recruit. But his hatred for the Holy City knights was so intense that he also distrusted anyone connected to them, including Mash and Bedivere. If they had approached him directly, he would have only grown more suspicious.
So, they decided to hold a clandestine meeting, certain that he would sneak over to eavesdrop. Once he overheard their intentions, whether he volunteered himself or laid out conditions, recruiting him would become far easier.
The next day came quickly.
At departure, Cursed Arm introduced another Servant wearing a white bone mask.
"This is Hundred Faces Hassan, protector of the western village. She'll be joining us in the jailbreak operation. …Why those expressions? Do you know each other?"
Seeing Ritsuka and the others suddenly freeze, his voice carried confusion.
"Huh? You guys?!"
On the other side, Hundred Faces almost jumped out of her skin at the sight of Guinevere and the Chaldea group.
"Looks like you've met before. Then I don't need to bother with introductions, do I?" the Cursed Arm asked blankly.
"…Let me be clear upfront, Cursed Arm—I don't trust these people. I know I'm no match for them in a fight, but don't expect me to play vanguard for them. Don't joke with me."
Naturally, this was because, back in the desert, Guinevere and Chaldea had prevented Hundred Faces from abducting Nitocris, ruining a plan she had prepared for ages. And since Chaldea here hadn't helped defend her village as they had in the original timeline, she had no reason to trust them.
Still, knowing the difference in strength, she bore no real hostility—at most, she wanted to turn around and leave.
But under Cursed Arm's mediation, she reluctantly agreed to cooperate, with one additional condition: Chaldea had to leave hostages in the village.
Guinevere wanted to refuse. Frankly speaking, among Servants, there were vast differences in power, and someone like Hundred Faces—one of the weakest—made little difference. Having her along or not barely mattered.
But since Chaldea's policy had always been to treat all non-enemy Servants with goodwill, and considering that winning over King Hassan later might require the trust of the other Hassans, they finally agreed. Bedivere and Bavanzi stayed behind in the village, while the great hero Arash also remained to guard against any potential Round Table attack.
The rest set out.
After a full day of marching, repelling multiple waves of bandits and monsters along the way, they finally reached their destination.
"We're here. That's the Round Table fortress. It was built upon ancient ruins, with an underground prison that's still being used by their army."
Before the weathered fortress, Hundred Faces stopped and explained:
"The number of guards is high—enough to trouble even me and Cursed Arm. But for you, it shouldn't be much of an issue. Still, just in case, we'll scout ahead first. Stay here."
With that, she and Cursed Arm vanished into the night.
Surprisingly, they returned quickly, though Hundred Faces' voice was full of bewilderment:
"This is unbelievable… how could this be…"
"What's wrong?" Ritsuka asked. "Is the security that tight?"
"No, it's the opposite," Cursed Arm replied. "That's what shocked us. Aside from a few token guards, the place is practically empty."
"Few guards?" Da Vinci frowned. "Could the prisoner have been moved already?"
"No, not yet. I overheard the guards talking—Serenity is still locked in the deepest cell. Which makes the situation all the more strange."
Cursed Arm scowled.
"I see," Guinevere nodded. "For a Servant prisoner, this level of defense is far too lax. You suspect a trap, don't you?"
"Indeed."
"Or maybe the troops were redeployed elsewhere?" Ritsuka suggested. "Didn't you say the Lion King is in a standoff with the Sun King? Could it be they pulled forces for a decisive battle?"
"Or perhaps they just don't think Serenity is worth guarding." Koyanskaya chimed in. "After all, the Hassans have never once bested the Lion King's knights. Maybe they think you're not even worth worrying about."
Guinevere almost choked.
As expected of the sharp-tongued fox. It was a rude but painfully accurate remark—and only she would dare say it outright.
"Ahem… that's quite the blunt criticism…"
"You! What's that supposed to mean?!"
Sure enough, at her words, Cursed Arm managed to stay calm, but Hundred Faces flared up instantly.
"Enough, Hundred Faces," Cursed Arm quickly mediated. "This isn't the time to fight. If you want to argue, wait until after we return."
He then turned to the others:
"So, what do you think? It's possible the troops were just redeployed. But it could also be a trap. Still…"
"Still, we can't just give up," Guinevere interjected. "It's equally possible this is just negligence or arrogance. We have to try."
"Agreed." Cursed Arm nodded.
"In that case, what are we waiting for?" Da Vinci said. "Let's move. We're not exactly weak ourselves. But we should leave some people outside for backup…"
After a quick discussion, they decided: Hundred Faces, Gareth, and Koyanskaya would remain outside, while the rest advanced into the prison.
The underground halls, carved from the ancient ruins, were crawling with wraiths and undead. Fortunately, with Cursed Arm and Hundred Faces' assassination skills, the group dispatched them quietly as they pressed deeper.
But while they advanced below, those left outside suddenly encountered an unexpected guest.
"As I thought… Sir Agravain predicted this. Someone would attempt a raid here. Truly, nothing escapes his foresight."
Speaking thus, the newcomer drew the massive greatsword wrapped in black cloth—and simultaneously released the blessing he had been concealing.
The next instant, blazing sunlight burst forth, illuminating the field—catching the watchers outside completely off guard.