The Magical Beasts were restless, and Death was restless, too. Only within the forest had no change yet occurred.
But whether it was the Magical Beasts or Death, what worried Guinevere most right now was simply that she still hadn't found any trace of the First Hassan's presence.
And...
"The First Hassan-i Sabbah? In the dream I had of this Singularity with you all in it, I didn't see him. Guinevere, didn't you say he would require you to put in extra effort?"
Another sun rose, another day of cooking smoke curling into the sky. Uruk still bustled with life, the encroachment of Death proceeding only in secret and within limits.
"Is that so? I knew it."
She had a premonition during the Great Holy Grail War in another worldline. After searching for him for so long without success, that premonition had grown stronger.
Now that she still hadn't found him after two more days, and with Merlin's words, Guinevere had lowered the probability of the First Hassan's arrival to just one percent.
Taking a deep breath to calm the unease in her heart, she recalled last night's dream. In it, she had finally understood the ultimate potential of the Sword of Destined Judgment in her hands, and seen how far she herself could go.
If the Grand Assassin didn't come, then she and the King of Knights, the Grand Sabers, would naturally have to find a way to take his place.
"Is this Master Hassan's graduation exam for me?"
Considering herself his student, Guinevere couldn't bring herself to complain.
First of all, her short-term goal was to surpass the First Hassan.
"Oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Having come here to experience the story firsthand, Guinevere knew better than anyone what methods the enemy possessed and could compare their strengths accordingly.
If it were just about winning, Guinevere was confident she could win ten thousand times. But Tiamat lacked the concept of death. No matter how many times she won, if she couldn't keep winning indefinitely, the result would still be her defeat.
"Hmph."
Shaking her head, her gaze fell upon the Holy Sword at her waist. To forge a deeper connection with it, Guinevere had chosen to wear the sword instead of making it disappear when not in combat.
If I could truly fuse my Caster-class Noble Phantasms into it...
Under the sunlight, on the roof of the State Guest House, Guinevere was still lost in thought. As she wrestled with her troubles, the King of Knights embraced her from behind, wrapping her arms around her waist and saying:
"Don't forget that I'm with you. Besides, the main characters here should be Ritsuka and Mash. You have to believe that the Human Order won't just lie down and die."
Warmth flowed from the small hands around her waist, and warmth came from the breath against her neck. Their bodies were as they were before the Battle of Camlann Hill, with Guinevere standing considerably taller than the King of Knights.
She reached out, pressing down on the King of Knights' hand, her gaze flicking to Merlin at the side, only to see him retreat once more amidst a shower of scattered petals.
"Yes, no one understands the mercilessness of the Human Order better than we do. If a story doesn't follow the future It has already ordained, It will inevitably intervene. And Chaldea's story... that is a beautiful tale that has already veered into a Lostbelt, toward victory."
Was the future truly like that? Or was the future Guinevere knew merely the future of a single worldline?
Regardless, after Guinevere spoke these words, the unease in her heart subsided to its lowest point. She stopped dwelling on her failure to fulfill her duties as the First Hassan, which had led to the Incineration of Human Order in this worldline.
Just as she was being held by the King of Knights for some time, Merlin, who had vanished, reappeared on the rooftop amidst a flurry of petals.
"Um... I didn't mean to interrupt, but King Gilgamesh has a new task for you. He has deciphered some crucial future events from the Tablet of Destinies you brought back."
Merlin truly hadn't wanted to come. Before he arrived, he had foreseen that Guinevere and the King of Knights would be filled with resentment and might even give him a good kick.
But his foresight was slightly off. Neither Guinevere nor the King of Knights kicked him; they simply asked:
"Sir Merlin, are we getting the intelligence from you? Or should we go to the King of Heroes for it?"
The two Kings did not get along, a fact anyone fortunate enough to witness them together could see.
Because of this, the King of Heroes also had no desire to see Guinevere and the King of Knights again.
Merlin handed a clay tablet to Guinevere and then began to explain the mission details and the initial list of participants.
"Far north of the Northern Demonic Front lies a city called Nippur, where over a hundred thousand survivors from the even farther north have gathered.
Due to the rampaging Magical Beasts, Uruk's past rescue efforts for Nippur have been limited to small elite units evacuating women and children in scattered groups. However, in the last few days, the elite units sent to Nippur on their regular mission have not returned.
King Gilgamesh commands that you, I, our King, along with Mash, Ritsuka, Anna, and Ushiwakamaru and her Lord, will serve as generals. You will lead the elite cavalry you've trained to the City of Nippur, rescue the remaining survivors, and escort them across the Demonic Front."
Upon hearing "Nippur" and the lineup for the sortie, Guinevere, the King of Knights, and Merlin each wore different expressions, yet all three were thinking the exact same thing.
In the original story, it was in the City of Nippur that the protagonist group, on a rescue mission, first encountered the Goddess of Magical Beasts. In the original plot...
"Guinevere, you just reminded me that the original plot can only be used as a reference. Our presence will inevitably cause a butterfly effect.
The most reliable part of the original story is the enemy's configuration and strength."
These words were spoken by the King of Knights to Guinevere through their shared Spirit Origin. Guinevere replied:
"I'm just worried about the casualties among the ordinary soldiers."
"But if only we Servants go, and there are still many survivors, we won't be able to bring back many. Between being constrained by the soldiers' lives and using them effectively to save people, you and I can easily make the choice."
"You're right. So, for this Nippur expedition, we will go ahead first, maintaining a half-hour lead over the follow-up forces."
"But what if the Goddess of Magical Beasts attacks the rescue force directly?"
"Then we'll have to trust Mash and the others accompanying them."
The mental conversation within their Spirit Origin ended there. Having reached a consensus, Guinevere looked up toward the Demonic Front and said:
"Apologies. The best I can do is be as cautious as possible. I can't be like Zhuge Liang and plan for every contingency."
"First, you'll have to tell me who Zhuge Liang is!"
What were Guinevere and the King of Knights discussing? Merlin couldn't figure it out just by thinking. Fortunately, from the two sentences they spoke, he could confirm they had accepted the mission.
And just a second later, Guinevere shared her thoughts with him and asked for the Grand Mage Merlin's opinion.
"When it comes to marching and warfare, you two will always be more skilled than I. Since you've already decided, let's go. Straight to the Absolute Demonic Front."
They exchanged glances and nodded. This time, Guinevere and the King of Knights wouldn't be traveling as foot knights; the King of Heroes had lent them his 'Radiant Ship,' Vimana.
Though he was a living human in the Caster Class, the King of Heroes could access the same treasury, allowing him to use this magnificent flying Noble Phantasm.
And as Sabers, both women possessed a high-level Riding Skill. A mere 'Radiant Ship' was, of course, something they could pilot!