Chapter 262 The old man in the mountains has been waiting for you for a long time!
The sand skiff slowly traversed the endless desert, with the rescued refugees being escorted by the Hassans, following behind.
Da Vinci appeared to be driving the sand skiff seriously, but his gaze occasionally flickered to the rearview mirror, curiously observing the few people behind.
Indeed, the atmosphere was a bit subtle.
On the sand skiff now, in addition to the Chaldea group, there was also a valiant and rebellious Mordred, and the Lake Knight, Lancelot, whose magic was sealed and who was tightly bound.
"I say, Captain…"
Fujimaru Ritsuka's gaze shifted between Arthur and Mordred, and finally, unable to hold back, she cautiously broke the silence.
"How did you and this little… cough! Mordred, meet?"
Mash, who was stroking Fou's fur, also cast a curious glance.
Her long-unseen brother had returned, but it was as if a mist lay between them, and many doubts also troubled her.
Just speaking of Mordred, judging from their previous interactions, the familiarity and trust between them couldn't be faked.
"Oh, you mean that."
Upon hearing this, Arthur's face showed a perfectly natural smile, and he calmly presented the excuse he had long prepared.
"Normally, a Servant's memories aren't inherited; the next time they're summoned, it's a completely new beginning."
"You can understand it as us having saved the world together on a certain timeline, and the world gave her a green light on the 'Throne'."
"That's right! That's exactly it!"
Mordred unceremoniously slapped Arthur on the shoulder, complaining non-stop about her ordeal.
"Suddenly being summoned here by that guy, and then hearing his unreasonable ideas, how could I possibly agree…"
Arthur couldn't help but raise an eyebrow: "Then how did you escape the Holy City?"
Mordred gave a bitter smile: "Because I was no match for that guy at all, I first feigned submission, and later, when leading the Purification Knights out, I took the opportunity to leave the team."
"Hmm, you've worked hard."
Mordred glared at Arthur, whose face at this moment was full of the relieved expression of "the child has grown up and finally uses her brain."
"Don't talk to me in that condescending tone!"
"Yes, yes."
"Hey!"
Although the reactions of these two seemed suspicious no matter how you looked at them, after experiencing so many Singularities, Ritsuka and Mash tentatively accepted the situation.
After all, Arthur's very existence was already the biggest anomaly.
Seeing Ritsuka and Mash withdraw their gazes, Mordred leaned close to Arthur's ear, lowering her voice, and glanced unkindly at Lancelot, who was still unconscious in the corner.
"Hey, Master, why are we still dragging this traitor along? He's just in the way; why don't I just cut him down with a sword? It would be cleaning house."
Arthur didn't answer directly, but merely raised his chin, signaling her to look the other way.
Mordred followed his gaze and saw the large cross-shaped heavy shield beside Mash.
She first frowned, then, as if remembering something, her expression became strange.
The indestructible Shield of Protection, the gathering place of the Knights of the Round Table… "So that's it…"
She suddenly understood, pouted, and said nothing more, secretly adding a thought in her mind.
'The Master's sister… how troublesome.'
As they chatted, a continuous range of hills and rocky mountains appeared on the horizon ahead of the sand skiff, starkly different from the monotonous desert landscape.
Just then, a nimble figure leaped down from the rocky mountain, landing precisely not far in front of the sand skiff.
Everyone looked up in unison at this male Servant dressed in light leather armor and holding a strong bow.
He had bronze, muscular arms and short brown hair, with a cheerful smile like a friendly older brother on his face.
"I'm glad to see you safe, Mordred. And to our guests from afar, welcome to the village of the mountain people!"
Arash had clearly already sensed their approach, and after his gaze swept over Ritsuka and her group, it finally settled on Arthur.
"I've been waiting for you, Child of the Stars. Everyone, please follow me."
Led by Arash, the group passed through a hidden and winding mountain path, and a village built in a valley appeared before their eyes.
The village was simple but orderly, and although the people coming and going were thin and weathered, there was a long-lost sense of peace in their eyes.
A Hassan, wearing a white bone mask and deliberately concealing his arms with a black robe, was already waiting at the village entrance.
Cursed Arm Hassan nodded slightly to the group, a greeting.
He then turned to Arthur and spoke respectfully in his unique hoarse voice.
"Child of the Stars, that esteemed person has been waiting in the stone temple for a long time."
Arthur raised his hand and ruffled Mash's hair, saying to the group.
"You haven't had a good rest since entering the Singularity, have you? Go settle down with Mr. Arash first; I have some matters to attend to and will join you shortly."
"Eh?" Ritsuka scratched her head, "Captain, aren't you coming with us? You haven't rested either."
"Ritsuka." Da Vinci pushed her back, "Let's follow the Captain's arrangements here."
Mordred hoisted the unconscious Lancelot onto her shoulder and waved without looking back.
"Then I'll toss this guy into the cellar first. After the Master is done, you can find us on the west side of the village."
Arthur nodded to the group, then turned and followed Cursed Arm Hassan towards the ancient stone temple in the deepest part of the village.
Inside the stone temple, the light was dim, and the eerie blue flames in the braziers burned silently, filling the place with deathly stillness and ill omen.
A tall, imposing figure stood silently in the deepest part of the stone temple's vast sanctuary, his aura merging with the darkness, as if an eternal embodiment of death.
He was completely enveloped in a dark cloak, his face adorned with a grotesque skull mask, and he leaned on an ancient, battle-scarred greatsword.
Just by standing there, an invisible pressure filled the entire space, and even death itself bowed before him.
"You have come."
King Hassan slowly raised his head, his voice like the booming of an ancient bell, solemn and grave.
"I am the First Old Man of the Mountain, the Hassan who slays Hassans, and also the Grand Assassin."
In the eye sockets beneath the skull mask, two points of eerie blue soul fire, serving as pupils, flickered, locking onto Arthur.
"I have been here, waiting for a long time. I know your purpose, Child of the Stars, are you prepared?"
"Yes, sorry to have kept you waiting."
Arthur nodded calmly in response, his gaze passing over King Hassan to the wall in the deepest part of the stone temple behind him.
That solid rock wall was now rippling like water, covered in a web of cracks.
From the pitch-black fissures, an nauseating aura of evil permeated.
"The threat lies beyond."
King Hassan's tone carried no emotional fluctuation, only the resolve to eliminate all evil.
A cold glint flashed in Arthur's eyes: "There's more than one crack within the Singularity. It's always good to deal with the one in front of us first."
"Indeed."
King Hassan uttered a single word and stepped aside.
Arthur raised his palm and suddenly clenched it towards the cracked dimensional wall.
Boom--!
Space twisted, a portal opened, and behind it was pure malice!
Viscous, ink-like unknown entities, sensing the aura of a fresh world, surged in like a breaking dam!
They had no fixed form, but followed an instinct to seek objects to corrupt.
However, in this stone temple sanctuary, there were only two targets they could attach to.
But neither of these two was someone they could easily provoke!
Clang!
Arthur's right hand made a grasping motion, and the holy sword, enveloped in brilliant starlight, appeared, instantly illuminating the entire stone temple!
King Hassan also raised his greatsword, and eerie blue soul fire ignited on its blade, the bell of doom announcing the end.
The unknown entities all trembled in unison, then began to corrupt the elemental particles floating in the atmosphere, rapidly solidifying.
Sand, breath of wind, flowing water, scorching fire… Roar—!!!
Countless elemental golems roared, pouring out of the cracks, filling the entire sanctuary!
Facing this surging tide of monsters, Arthur and King Hassan stood side by side, their expressions unwavering.
Next, it's cleaning time.