"Excuse me, do you ever regret that you became such a king?" Shirou asked, looking at Saber.
"Naturally, I have no regrets," Saber replied with a clear look in her eyes.
"In that case, then to implement your own ideals and your own path, you don't need to care about anyone's opinion. Not to mention, such a king, in the eyes of a 'commoner' like me, is simply a shining king!"
It would be inexplicable to say that a king as clear as Saber was a foolish king. If you dedicate your life to your own kingdom and are not considered a qualified king, then who could be? Besides, even in the anime, the moment Rider saw the holy sword released by Saber later on, he also recognized her royal way.
Moreover, whether it is the "Hero King" Gilgamesh or the "King of Conquest" Iskandar, both of them are tyrants who carry out their own desires. It is naturally impossible for them to understand the concept of Saber as a king who is dedicated to the country and the people without truly seeing the light of Saber's Noble Phantasm liberation.
Her way of being a king has been so highly praised that Saber is quite moved.
"Thank you, Shirou."
At this time, Diarmuid, who was quietly waiting for his Master to finish speaking, also spoke with some excitement.
"Saber, knowing your royal ways, I have to apologize to you for the previous faux pas. You are a noble knight."
"Thank you," Saber replied politely.
Rider, who was drinking, had a strange expression, as if he was looking at something bizarre.
"Alas... I really can't understand..." Rider, who drank all the wine in his glass, sighed. "Speaking of which, Lancer, you identify with the King of Knights so much; do you have the same wishes as hers?"
Hearing this, Diarmuid put down his wine glass and shook his head slightly.
"No, the wish placed on the Holy Grail has already been granted."
"Why do you say that?" Rider asked, curious. Even Archer and Saber cast a puzzled look at Diarmuid.
"Because I only wish to be able to fulfill the duties that I could not fulfill in my previous life in the name of a knight, and be loyal to a monarch until the end."
Hearing this, both Archer and Rider's eyes lit up.
"You're such a faithful dog," Gilgamesh commented.
"He is a man of loyalty," Rider added.
For the two tyrants, such a loyal courtier was what they admired the most. And at this moment, Waver, who had been flicked on the forehead by Rider and was lying on the edge of the flower bed with his face almost on the ground, also got up. He set his eyes on Shirou, envious that he could summon such an "obedient" Servant. Unlike the Rider he summoned, who didn't listen to the orders of his Master at all.
"Why do I think you kid are looking at me the wrong way, huh?" Rider glared at Waver, who was so frightened that he quickly protected his forehead.
At this time, both Waver and Irisviel, who was standing behind Saber, had solemn expressions. The sudden eerie atmosphere in the air made them look around.
"Looks like there's a guest coming?" Rider frowned, sensing the Servant's presence.
The next moment, in the courtyard of the garden illuminated by the moonlight, one black shadow after another began to appear. Under the light of the moon, they revealed their appearances one by one. It was a figure with a skull mask and a black robe, encompassing almost all body types.
"These... are they all Servants!?" Waver couldn't close his mouth in surprise, and he quickly hid behind Rider, frightened.
No wonder he was so alarmed. Assassin, a Servant who makes a career out of assassination, has no glorious legend as a hero among its members, so its parameter values are low. With "Presence Concealment" as a class skill, the combat style that makes use of this ability becomes their lifeline. It can eliminate one's own aura to conceal oneself; not only magi, but also other Servants find them difficult to detect.
Assassins have the advantage of fighting in the shadows, but the disadvantage is that they are basically difficult to compete with other Servants in a head-on situation. However, the weaker Assassin has the advantage of requiring less mana than other powerful Heroic Spirits, placing less burden on the Master.
They are the most agile and lucky of all classes, and because they can use Presence Concealment, their evasion rate is high. They have a certain inhibitory effect on Berserkers who have lost their reason and Swordsmen who are not good at stealth combat. It is not advantageous against Archers and Riders who are also fast, but they have a powerful assassination effect on the Master of a Servant. If even a Servant can't perceive them, it is even more impossible for ordinary humans to feel the aura of the hidden one.
Although the Assassins of both the 4th and 5th Wars give people a feeling of "cannon fodder" because of their early exit, if you have seen the Heaven's Feel line, you know they are very difficult to suppress if they entangle you in the shadows. But based on today's events, Shirou can probably confirm that his arrival should not have allowed him to enter a strange world line. At least today, when the Assassins came to line up en masse to die, Shirou was sure it was Tohsaka Tokiomi's handiwork.
"Hey, hey... Rider... what's going on? Assassin after Assassin... isn't there only one Servant per class!?" Waver hid behind Rider, urging him nervously.
Seeing Waver's embarrassed look, the Assassins couldn't help but laugh.
"You're right. We are Servants with the whole as an individual, and the individuals within it are only shadows of the whole."
Assassin's words were something neither Waver nor Irisviel could understand.
"Old Man of the Mountain"—of the people who have inherited the terrible name of Hassan-i Sabbah for generations, only one has the ability to transform the flesh. Unlike other Hassan, he did not make any modifications to his body. Perhaps it can be said that there was no need, because although his body was mediocre, his spirit could make the body transform freely.