Chapter 447: Shirou's Decision 

Jeanne, who had set her sights on Shirou, had no idea that the priest named Shirou was also keeping an eye on them.

Of course, considering the perceptive abilities of Servants, this time Shirou wasn't relying solely on Semiramis's pigeons. He also employed a fair amount of high-tech equipment. Like Sisigou, Shirou did not reject technological creations as traditional magi might.

Currently, Shirou, situated in the "Hanging Gardens of Babylon," was monitoring Jeanne's every move through cameras. Though the Gardens, being a purely mystical creation, did not come pre-equipped with modern display devices, by sharing the pigeons' vision and projecting it onto the monitors set up in a hidden room in Sighișoara, long-distance surveillance was still achievable.

"So she came back and even managed to evade my notice. Your concerns were justified, Master."

Semiramis lounged lazily on her throne, one hand resting on the armrest and the back of the other hand supporting her chin.

"…"

Shirou, standing beside the throne, remained focused on the screen, not responding.

Semiramis continued, unconcerned by his silence, "I didn't expect the Ruler to possess such wisdom. It seems we need to reassess this adjudicator."

"…"

Shirou remained silent.

This unusual behavior finally caught Semiramis's attention. She raised her voice slightly, "Master? Master?"

Shirou snapped out of his trance with an "Ah."

"What's wrong, Master? You've been quiet for a while now," Semiramis asked.

"Nothing, just lost in thought. What did you say earlier?"

"I said we need to reassess the Ruler. Her intelligence is noteworthy."

"We indeed should reassess her," Shirou first nodded, then shook his head, "but this time, it probably wasn't her strategy."

"Not her? Then who? That Black Lancer who looks a lot like her?"

"No, it's someone hiding in the shadows, just like us."

"Like us?" Semiramis's laziness vanished, replaced by curiosity. "I'm quite intrigued."

"You'll meet them sooner or later, and it won't be too far off," Shirou hinted cryptically.

"Then I'll look forward to it. That said, since you've said that, you must have seen through their strategy."

"Of course. I believe you can see it too," Shirou smiled, "After all, this isn't a particularly sophisticated plot."

"Well, I've seen through the method, but the motive… So I'd like to hear your analysis."

"Let's start from the beginning. Firstly, it's certain that this person reached some agreement with the Ruler without our knowledge, and even without the Black Faction's awareness. Although the specifics are unclear, the Ruler has considerable trust in them; otherwise, she wouldn't follow their arrangements."

"What's the goal of the plan?"

"If I'm not mistaken, it's to gather intelligence on us. This is also why the Black Lancer, who was fighting the Red Saber, later teamed up to fight the Yggdmillennia clan, and why the Ruler took that child to rescue Sisigou."

"It seems the Red Lancer's attack made the Ruler feel threatened."

Semiramis, being a natural schemer, could deduce a lot from just a little hint.

"The Black Faction is all concentrated in Millennia Fortress. If the Ruler is determined, she can quickly rule out the Black Faction's involvement. Next, it's our turn, those hiding outside of Trifas."

"Exactly. The closest and most suitable place to use as a base near Trifas is Sighișoara. It's only natural for the Ruler to come and check, but since we've moved entirely to the Gardens, she won't find anything—if it were you, what would you think?"

"I would think that you are deliberately avoiding me, which is suspicious in itself."

"What will you do then?"

"Draw the snake out of its hole!" Semiramis's eyes sparkled with increasing brightness.

"Bingo!" Shirou snapped his fingers. "With the six Black Faction Servants entrenched in Millennia Fortress, and with us having lost Berserker, the best bait is the seventh Black Lancer. Whether we want to recruit Black Lancer or eliminate her, we won't remain indifferent."

"As soon as we deploy our Servants, the Ruler can seize the opportunity to gather intelligence on us, achieving their goal. This is the clever part of the plan: the solitary Black Lancer is bait we won't ignore."

"And the formidable strength displayed by Black Lancer ensures that even if she can't defeat our elite, she can still escape. I think the pride of Achilles was anticipated as well. As long as she doesn't face Achilles and Karna simultaneously, she won't be in danger. Once Black Lancer escapes, the Ruler can inquire about our information. Servants are not puppets; as long as the Ruler sincerely communicates, it wouldn't be hard to learn that, except for me and Sisigou, the Red Masters haven't shown themselves, and even their Servants haven't seen their true faces. Thus, I become the focal point of the problem."

"At that point, using the Ruler's authority to command them to bring her to you would ruin your plan. Oh my, oh my, thinking about it, that would be quite interesting." As she said this, Semiramis couldn't help but show a mischievous, bewitching smile.

"Too bad they underestimated my caution," Shirou's expression remained unchanged. "I didn't rush to deploy the Servants who know the location of the Gardens. Instead, I sent Sisigou, who was acting alone, to take the lead. Although he could also reveal that I am problematic, as long as they can't find me, it won't affect the plan. Too bad, they were one move short."

"What about the Black Faction?" Semiramis asked her final lingering question.

"Who knows, they probably want to kill Sisigou to expand their gains, or perhaps it involves Black Lancer."

"Is there something you don't know?" Semiramis half-joked.

Shirou looked helpless. "Come on, even though I know more than most, I don't know everything. For instance, I can't predict what that person and the Black Faction will do next, or how long it will take the Ruler to find us. But it doesn't matter if I can't guess; we just need to make sure they follow our design."

"What do you plan to do?"

"Tell Rider and Archer that tonight's operation is canceled."

As Shirou said, Sisigou and Mordred were just the vanguard. He had also arranged for the highly mobile Achilles and Atalanta to be on standby, ready to support Mordred at any time. Now that the Ruler had appeared, there was no need for that.

"Once they return, have everyone gather here."

"You've finally made up your mind?" Semiramis waved her hand, dispersing the image before her as she stood up from the throne.

"Yes." Shirou stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Semiramis. "Your Gardens are complete, and 'that' is nearly finished as well. It's time to launch a full-scale assault on the Black Faction!"