"One, two... Relax! Don't tense your bodies so much! How many times do I have to tell you to move naturally?"
"Three, four... I told you, don't let fear rule your hearts! Don't instinctively look away when a blade comes at you! The more you fear, the less likely you are to survive!"
"Five, six... What? Getting angry already? Thinking of giving up? Then get out of the village, and don't even think about eating later!"
On the East Village's drying ground, over a hundred people stood in formation, practicing their swordplay. Besides teaching them basic swordsmanship, Guinevere had organized them into three-person squads, each member learning a different set of techniques.
Time was short, and the task was immense. Guinevere could only hope they would learn to complement and support one another.
She also implemented training drills from her time training the Knight Order, demanding they memorize commands and strive for perfect discipline—acting instantly and ceasing on command.
As for the overall command of the Mountain People, Guinevere entrusted it to Hassan of the Hundred Faces.
"Miss Ruler, it would be better if you led everyone. We are merely Assassins."
"Tch. If you won't take command, am I supposed to expect you to charge into the fray? In terms of individual combat strength, you can't even defeat a single Enforcement Knight.
"But if you take command, your ability to split yourself can be fully utilized. Dozens of eyes scattered across the battlefield, sharing real-time intelligence—that's an unparalleled advantage in this era.
"Miss Hundred Faces, I have only one question for you: are you willing to give your all to ensure that more people survive?
"And remember, my ultimate goal is to confront the Lion King face-to-face."
Hundred Faces had asked her question in front of everyone, and Guinevere had answered just as publicly. After her speech, the various bodies of Hundred Faces could be seen huddled together, studying the battlefield command regulations Guinevere had hastily written.
"Impressive. Not only did you leave Hundred Faces speechless, but you also demonstrated your ability to recognize and utilize talent, boosting the confidence of a self-doubting Servant."
"Your Grace Arash, you flatter me."
A smile touched Guinevere's lips. After Ritsuka had departed with most of the Servants, only Guinevere, Cursed Arm, Hundred Faces, and Arash remained in the East Village.
Once Guinevere finished teaching the training methods, Cursed Arm took over supervising the repetitive drills. With Hundred Faces now occupied, only the temporarily idle Arash was free to speak with her.
"Lord Arash, let me confirm one last time: even if the most distant village is attacked, can you throw me there in time to help?"
"Miss Ruler, please have more faith in my arm strength."
This so-called "downtime" was merely a state of readiness, ensuring Arash could respond to any threat at a moment's notice. As a hero famed for firing an arrow over 2,500 kilometers, his range was sufficient to cover the entire Singularity.
Yes, this Singularity had borders. Guinevere knew this from her past life, and she had proven it to everyone. She had asked Arash to demonstrate the limits of his archery by firing an arrow to the farthest possible point. The result confirmed her theory.
The purpose of this demonstration was to crush any remaining resistance among the Mountain People against attacking New Camelot City.
For the people of this Singularity, there were only two paths to survival: journey to New Camelot to undergo the Holy Selection, or be fortunate enough to receive the Mountain People's protection.
Beyond these, the only other option was to cross the vast desert into the "World Beyond"—even though no one who had ventured there since New Camelot's descent had ever returned alive.
The conclusion that the world had an end utterly shattered the Mountain People's last vestiges of hope, forcing them to understand...
...if New Camelot City began a systematic purge, their only option would be to fight back.
"Lord Arash, let's run a scenario. If you were a Round Table Knight tasked with carrying out this purge, which village would you start with?"
In this era, the Mountain People lacked paper, but there was no shortage of sand.
Guinevere had constructed a sand map several square meters in size, recreating the entire Singularity's terrain based on everything she had seen and heard. She meticulously marked New Camelot City, the Sun King's desert, the rolling mountain ranges, and the hidden Mountain People settlements nestled within them.
In response to Guinevere's question, the great Persian hero materialized an arrow. Starting from the sandcastle representing New Camelot, he drew over thirty parallel lines across the map.
"My homeland's warfare isn't suited for knightly combat," he explained. "Victory is all that matters, so I always prepare for the worst-case scenario."
The parallel lines, combined with his words, made Guinevere understand Arash's thinking. She recalled how vulnerable most of the villages were. Even with other Hassans protecting them, they couldn't possibly fend off even a small squad of Enforcement Knights.
"So you're saying New Camelot City wouldn't even need a Round Table Knight to lead the purge? Then why did you agree to my plan?"
"Miss Ruler, you really enjoy playing dumb sometimes," Arash chuckled. "There's no way you didn't consider this possibility. You're the one who devised this entire scheme."
"Playing dumb? What do you mean?"
"Hahaha, well, if you insist! For instance, you sent all the other Servants with Ritsuka but deliberately kept me here, saying I'd be useful. Surely you don't just need me for battlefield delivery, right?
"Besides, didn't you say you were summoned by the Magus Merlin? He must have told you a few things. After all, his most famous talent is prophecy."
To a clever mind, any action reveals its true purpose.
But even the cleverest minds have limited information, and their conclusions can still be flawed.
Watching Arash's cheerful, confident expression, Guinevere didn't mind letting Merlin take the blame.
"Pfft. You're right, Merlin did mention a few things," she admitted. "He also said that if too many people know a prophecy, it's very likely to change."
"Miss Ruler, I understand your concerns. But since you've chosen to trust me, then trust me more.
"As long as the targets aren't Round Table Knights, I can stand here and snipe the Enforcement Knights heading for the villages one by one. In doing so, I'll also pinpoint the location of the Round Table Knight you're trying to lure out."
Arash hadn't misunderstood the combat situation. If New Camelot City truly adopted this strategy, Guinevere's only hope would be his long-range sniping.
But he had completely misunderstood the matter of trust. As someone who knew how "useful" he was from her past life, Guinevere wouldn't hesitate to trust him.
Just as they reached this consensus, Hundred Faces, who had been collectively meditating, suddenly froze. One of her personas stationed near New Camelot City had sent a message...
Lancelot and over five hundred Enforcement Knights were on the move. And that was the persona's final report.
"Arash, I'm counting on you."
Upon receiving the news, Guinevere and Arash climbed to the highest peak of the mountain. But as she watched him activate his Clairvoyance and focus solely on the distant horizon, Guinevere couldn't help but add:
"If you stay here and keep killing, what awaits you in the end will be the Lion King's Divine Punishment."
"Miss Ruler, people always die in war. You don't need to feel sorry. And I can promise you, if the Lion King's Divine Punishment comes, I will shoot it down.
"I will prove to everyone that even if the Lion King has become a god, she is not invincible."
Arash was still smiling cheerfully. From the moment he'd sent Ritsuka and the others ahead to save time, from the moment he'd realized why Guinevere had specifically kept him behind, he had foreseen the outcome of this mission. He had foreseen Guinevere's guilt and her decision to sacrifice him.
But... he embraced it willingly. He would offer his entire life to protect the people of this land!
Understanding his resolve, Guinevere said no more. She took a deep breath to compose herself, preparing for the impending duel with Lancelot.
This time, she still believed she could win.