Talking absolute nonsense with a straight face.
This was everyone's first reaction to the young man's speech—excluding Astolfo, of course, whose thought process was different from that of ordinary people.
Astolfo, one of the twelve paladins serving under Charlemagne and led by the holy knight Roland, bearer of the holy sword Durandal. Known for subduing giants and possessing numerous legends and Noble Phantasms, he was a top-tier handsome man but also quite a scatterbrain, to the point that it was said he had lost all sense of reason.
Whether the rumors were true or not could be partly seen from the fact that despite being male, Astolfo appeared in cute, feminine attire.
Now, this curiosity incarnate was vigorously patting the young man on the shoulder, expressing his admiration: "Amazing! Assassins are amazing. I want to become an assassin like that too!"
This drew cold sweat from everyone, including the young man.
However, upon closer thought, the young man's words weren't entirely without reason. After all, as long as you kill the target without revealing your identity, it counts as an assassination—although turning a shadowy assassin into something like this just sounds so out of place.
"Wait, an assassin? Assassin?"
Caules, who had been speechless, suddenly had a change of expression, as if something had dawned on him.
"When my sister summoned you, she didn't add any extra incantations. Could it be that you're one of the Hassan-i-Sabbah?"
"No, he's not a Hassan," Darnic quickly dismissed Caules' idea. "Besides the possibly mythical First Hassan, the abilities and appearances of the other Hassans have all been exposed. Additionally, a common feature among the Hassans is that they wear a uniform skull mask upon summoning. He isn't wearing one, so he shouldn't be a Hassan. But if Fiore didn't add any extra incantations, how could she summon an Assassin... Assassin? Oh no, Sagara Hyouma!"
With his strategic mind, Darnic should have realized the issue immediately. However, the collective summoning ritual was so overwhelming, and Astolfo's activity, Gordes' departure, and the string of nonsense from the nameless young man distracted Darnic, causing him to forget something very important.
Upon hearing the name "Sagara Hyouma," Fiore, Caules, Celenike, and Roche all reacted. According to the original plan of the Yggdmillennia family, the Assassin class was supposed to be summoned by the family's last Master, Sagara Hyouma, who had not yet appeared. Sagara Hyouma had even prepared a special catalyst for this purpose.
But now, Fiore had summoned an Assassin. If Sagara Hyouma continued his summoning unaware, he would either summon a Servant with only Assassin (or possibly Berserker) aptitude, relying solely on the compatibility between Master and Servant, which would introduce too many uncertainties.
"Caules, contact Sagara Hyouma immediately and tell him to stop the summoning. Celenike, inform all our comrades to gather Lancer catalysts at any cost."
"Yes!"
The urgency of the situation prompted Caules and Celenike to leave the throne room at top speed.
Archer, whose true name was Chiron, maintained a three-body-length distance behind Caules and didn't forget to nod at everyone before leaving.
The lively Rider seemed somewhat reluctant to depart. If not for Celenike's repeated urging, he might have found an excuse to stay.
After the departure of the two Master-Servant pairs, the collective summoning ritual for the night also drew to a close. Roche and his Servant, Black Caster, soon bade farewell and left. Fiore also had no intention of staying longer.
"Let's go too, Assassin."
"As you command, my Master." Black Assassin gave a slight bow to Darnic on the throne and to Black Berserker before naturally pushing Fiore's wheelchair out of the throne room.
Fiore's private room wasn't particularly special. Besides the magical implements placed there, the other furnishings were simpler than those of an average young lady.
The simplicity here refers not to the value of the items but to the decorative style. Compared to the rooms of noble ladies who pursue taste or style, Fiore's room was rather plain. However, this did not detract from her image; on the contrary, it added an air of unique purity to her.
Here, Fiore began her first conversation with her Servant.
"I am your Master. Please call me Fiore. I look forward to working with you."
The young man, who had manifested as the Black Assassin, gently held Fiore's outstretched hand, bowed his head, and said in a soft voice:
"Thank you, Fiore. And I'm sorry, I cannot tell you my true name."
"..."
Fiore fell silent, her gaze lingering on the young man's face with a hint of confusion.
"What's wrong?"
"Have you forgotten your true name?"
"Yes." The young man released Fiore's hand and nodded seriously. "There are no issues with my thinking or perception, but my true name and the memories related to it are blurred. It seems there won't be any discoveries in the short term."
"Then, do you recognize this?" Fiore handed a box to the young man.
It contained a black metal fragment, which seemed quite unremarkable. It was with this item that she had summoned the young man.
The young man picked up the piece and examined it carefully for a while before shaking his head. "I have no impression of it. Is this something related to me?"
"The person who gave it to me said it is a fragment of an iron discus, and that the only mistake the great hero Perseus ever made in his life is related to it."
According to legend, after Perseus gained fame, his maternal grandfather, King Acrisius of Argos, fled to another land out of fear of the oracle (that Acrisius would be killed by his daughter Danaë's son). Perseus happened to be there and participated in the local games. He casually picked up an iron discus and threw it, unfortunately hitting his grandfather.
The oracle was fulfilled, and Perseus regretted it for the rest of his life.
"Answer me, Assassin. Is your true name Perseus?"
Meeting Fiore's expectant gaze, the young man, though somewhat surprised, still shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I am not that great hero. I remember his deeds very clearly."
"I see..." Fiore's beautiful aquamarine eyes dimmed.
"Although I am not that great hero, I promise you, I will prove myself worthy as your partner. I will achieve enough accomplishments to ensure your honor remains untarnished. Please believe in me, Fiore."
Perhaps touched by the young man's determination, or perhaps because his gaze was too direct, Fiore shyly lowered her head.
"Alright, I look forward to it, Assassin."
"Then, Fiore, it's getting late. Please rest well." A dark cloak appeared on the young man, and simultaneously, his figure began to fade.
"What about you? Should I prepare a room for you?"
"We can discuss that tomorrow. I plan to scout the nearby area before dawn. Familiarizing myself with the terrain is essential for an assassin."
"Then I'll go with you. It will be more efficient if I guide you," Fiore suggested.
"There's no need. Humans are not Servants; proper rest is necessary. Only when the Master is in optimal condition can the Servant perform at their best. So, Fiore, you should sleep now—we can tour the castle after breakfast."
"I understand. Goodnight, Assassin." Fiore did not insist, waving to the young man, who was now just a shadow.
"Goodnight, Fiore."
The shadow passed through the room, crossed the balcony, and disappeared into the vast night.
PS: Sorry guys. No Fran-chan this time.