âHassan, My name is Hassan.â
âHassan?â
âWait?â
He recognized that name from somewhere.
âWho is he again?â
Otto tried to remember if any of the main characters were named Hassan.
100 main characters.
There were hundreds of major characters, and it was hard to remember them all.
However, there was one character named Hassan that stood out.
Rashid.¹
The future rival of Masud for the hegemony of Caliphate.
Under him was a very famous subordinate, whose name was Hassan.
âAre you?â
âEi, No way.â
âYes?â
âIs your first name Hassan and your last name Ali?â²
Otto inquired, with a look of disbelief on his face.
âH-How did you know that?â
Hassassin replied in disbelief.
But it wasnât the Hassassin who was surprised, it was Otto.
âAre you really Hassan?â
âHuh?â
âAre you really Hassan Ali?â
âYes, thatâs right.â
âItâs not someone with the same name, right? Among the Hassassin, is there another Hassan aside from you?â³
âAs far as I know, Iâm the only one.â
Hassassin
âNo, there isnât,â Hassan replied.
âOf course, there might be other Hassans in different tribes that Iâm not aware ofâ
âYeah, thatâs it?â
âHuh?â
âYeah, you donât know all the members of the organization. There could be another Hassan.â
âThatâs true.â
âI freaked out for nothing. Phew.â
Otto breathed a sigh of relief.
The Hassan, Otto, knows is a SSS-level Hero.
Hassassin Hassan Ali.
The Sword of Rashid, the Old man of the Mountain.
Also known as the Angel of Death.
He was one of the most famous and feared assassins who would later go on to kill countless high-value targets during the World Wars.
Assassins are typically active only in the shadows.
But for an assassinâs name to be so famous, it means they have achieved many accomplishments and emerged into the light.
âYeah, it canât be Hassan Ali. It doesnât make sense to pick such an SSS-grade hero as a character. Iâm not that lucky.â
Obtaining an SSS-grade hero like Hassan Ali by chance is something that doesnât make sense no matter how much he thinks about it, so Otto dismissed any hopeful expectations.
âWhat are your plans for the future?â
Otto asked.
The idea of killing him was a bit distasteful, since he had grown strangely attached to him over the days.
Besides, the guy didnât seem like such a bad guy.
âIâ¦â
Hassan thought for a moment, then answered.
âI would like to follow the Archangel.â
Like the other Caliphs, Hassan had mistaken Otto as a representative of Anan, Archangel Jibrail.
âAnyway, since Iâm captured as a prisoner, I canât act as an Hassassin. Even if I go back, Iâll just be discarded as a weakling.â
âBecause you were unable to kill your self in time?â
âYes.â
Hassan nodded.
âThis was my fifth mission in a row. If I had succeeded, I would have been given the opportunity for advanced assassin training. But itâs too late now. As I failed the mission, I have no more chances.â
âOkay, then.â
Otto nodded.
âCome with us.â
âYouâre⦠taking me in?â
âYou have nowhere else to go anyway. Come with us. Iâll even give you a job.â
ââ¦â¦!â
âIâll really kill you if you mess around, so if you have second thoughts, speak up now. Itâll be awful if I trust you and then get betrayed.â
âThat will never happen!!!â
âEeesh, I can hear you.â
Ottoâs face crumpled at Hassanâs outburst.
âAs a Caliph, how could I ever betray the incarnation of the Archangel Jibrail!â
âHey.â
Otto scowled at Hassan.
âCould you lower your voice? My ears are going to fall off.â
âI⦠Iâm sorry.â
âThink carefully on the way. Consider what you can do in the future.â
âOkay.â
âWhen are we really going, anyway. Ugh.â
Ottoâs eyes were getting misty at the thought of returning to the Kingdom of Lota.
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Re-boarding the ship in Jalalabad, Otto and his crew set sail for the Kingdom of Lota via the Gurling Archipelago.
The ships belonging to the Black Fleet were to be left behind in the Gurling Archipelago.
The Black Fleet was not needed in the landlocked Kingdom of Lota.
Instead, only the Red Goddess and the cargo ships headed for Lota.
To ensure swift return, the presence of the Red Goddess was essential to increase the speed of nearby ships.
In that way, they left the archipelago and headed for the Kingdom of Lota.
âQasim.â
Otto called to Qasim and entrusted him with a mission.
âYes, Iâm here.â
âGwik, Gwuiiik!â
Qasim dropped to one knee and waited for Ottoâs bidding.
âHuh?â
Ottoâs eyes widened as he saw an optical illusion that made it appear that Qasim had a tail and that it was spinning like a propeller.
Of course, Kasim didnât have a tail, as one would expect.
Only a pair of bright, expectant eyes waiting for orders.
âGo to Crab Island and bring back our dwarf crew who are working there. There should be some blacksmiths there too.â
âYes, Your Majesty!â
Coincidentally, Qasim had been longing to see the Khamakâ´ for quite some time.
Having been separated from Khamak during the last shipwreck, Qasim had yet to reunite with it.â
Khamak is on Claw Island.
By chance, Qasim was swept away to the Skull Island, becoming separated from the others by the whims of fate.
âIâll make sure to arrange a proper reception to express gratitude for your efforts once you return with Khamak. Youâve truly endured a lot.â
âYes, Your Majesty!â
âThen, please return swiftly.â
âYes!â
Upon receiving Ottoâs command, Qasim and Pengyi left the fleet and headed towards Claw Island.
ââ¦Nothing out of the ordinary will happen, right?â
Inwardly, Otto was worried about Qasim.
Otto was worried that Qasim might encounter another strange mishap or fall from somewhere again.
Qasim was like a sore thumb.
âStill, heâs a really great guy, so nothing serious should happen. Itâs not like itâs a difficult mission or anything.â
However, since he also felt like he was worrying unnecessarily, Otto decided to set aside his concerns about Qasim.
After all, hadnât he just completed a mission to ransack the Ghost Horse Ridersâs treasure trove without incident?
âLetâs trust him. Qasim is also strong.â
Otto thought to himself and smiled as he watched the ship with Qasim in the distance.
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At Ottoâs command, Qasim headed for Claw Island, where he reunited with the baby Black Wyvern, Khamak.â
âKaaaak! Kaaaak!â
As soon as he saw Qasim , he scrambled over and hugged him.
âOh, my! My baby! Look how much youâve grown! Have you been well? Oguogu!â
âkkaag! kkaaaag!â
Unbeknownst to him, Khamak had grown the size of a calf.
It had almost doubled in size in the last two months.
âGuik! Is this one of your friends? Gwik!â
âI wouldnât call him a friend.â
Qasim answered Pengâs question with a shrug.
âHe just happens to be my foster child.â
âGwik?â
âHe imprinted on me, Hahahaha.â
âGuik! He seems to like Qasim a lot, Gwii!â
âYeah.â
Qasim stroked the back of the black wyvernâs neck and nodded.
âMy little one. Of course, youâve grown so much since I last saw you. My baby.â
âKkaag! kkaaag!â
âYes, Daddyâs home. Dadâs here.â
Qasim burst into tears.
He realized how much he had missed Khamakâ¦.
But it wasnât just Khamak who was waiting for Qasim.
âSir!â
Marianne, the girl he had promised to take to the Kingdom of Lota, cried and ran into Qasimâs arms.
âHeok!â
âHuhu, Sir Knight, I thought Iâd never see you again! Youâre alive, I knew you were alive, Huhuhu!â
âHahaha.â
Qasim was quite surprised by Marianneâs sudden attack, but he comforted her nonetheless.
âHave you been worried about me? hahaha!â
âHuhuhu! I thought youâd drowned in the sea, Huhuhu!!â
Marianneâs expression was beyond words.
Sheâd been withdrawn from food and water, thinking Qasim had become fish food, and had only just regained her strength after hearing the news a few days ago.
Thatâs how much Qasim had become Marianneâs emotional anchor and her only source of hope.
âOh dear, donât cry. Iâm fine.â
âHuhuhu. Thank God, itâs a blessing. Huhuhuâ
âThank you for your concern, young lady. Hahaha.â
Qasim had to soothe Marianne for a long time afterward.
Time passed after their reunion.
âEveryone, itâs time to return to our homeland! Please board the ship!â
Qasim took the people of Claw Island and set sail for the Kingdom of Lota.
There was no need for them to stay any longer, as the navy from the Gurling Archipelago would soon be coming to the island to build a full-fledged naval base.
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Meanwhile, Argon the Great has heard that the smuggling ships have returned, and he has gone to the harbor himself.
âThis should put my mind at ease. It was almost a disaster. It was a crisis where I almost couldnât repay the debt on time.â
However, a crisis is just a crisis after all.
With the ships returning from the smuggling trade, there was no danger of not being able to pay on time.
The risks of doing smuggling are great, but so are its profits.
With the money earned from this transaction, the Oberhauser trading firm would no longer be in financial crisis.
So Argonne set out to the port to personally commend those who participated in this smuggling trade.
âYour Majesty,â said Glen
The man who had organized the smuggling operation and the strategist behind it.
âLook over there. The vessels up ahead are closing in towards us.â
âI see them too, Glen.â
Argonne smiled.
âIt brings me great satisfaction to see their safe return.â
âIâm pleased to hear that, Your Majesty.â
Glen bowed his head.
âSince the smuggling trade has been successfully concluded, our financial difficulties at the Firm will also be resolved. Furthermore, the timing is very favorable.â explained Glen to Argonne.
âTiming is favorable?â Argonne inquired.
âAccording to the latest report, there has been a significant incident at Jalalabad, the trading port of the Caliphate Kingdom.â
âAn incident? Has the rebel faction attacked the trading port?â
Argon the Great understood Glennâs words uncannily.
He knew all too well that the Caliphs, being a warring people who fought each other at the slightest provocation, could easily infer what had happened just by hearing that a conflict had broken out.
âI see.â
Glen grinned.
âWord has it that the rebelsâ attack on Jalalabad has stalled trade ships from many nations. Which means thatâ¦.â
âThe price of the magic stones is going to skyrocket for a while!â
âAs expected, you are so wise!â
âHahahahaha!â
Argonne burst out laughing.
âAs expected, the heavens have not forsaken me! The heavens will not forsake me, unless I forsake it! Hahahahaha!â
Regardless of the circumstances, having accomplished the great feat of unifying the continent, Argonne the Great considered himself special.
He had always thought of himself as the chosen one, the one who was meant to be.
âIf the price of magic stones skyrockets, our trading firm will leave an even greater legacy! It wasnât a crisis, it was an opportunity! This is an incredible opportunity! Hahahahaha!â
Just then.
**Boom!**
A massive explosion erupted from one of the smuggling ships.
âWhat the hell!â
The Great Argonne exclaimed in horror.
However, that was only the beginning.
Due to not slowing down, the remaining smuggling trade ships collided one by one with the port, causing a massive explosion.
**Crash!** **Boom!** **Booom!**
**Fwoosh!**
The explosions quickly engulfed the harbor in flames.
As a result, other merchant ships docked in the port also suffered significant damage, exacerbating the situation.
With almost 30 smuggling ships crashing into the harbor and causing a massive explosion, the other ships at anchor were not spared.
** ** **
TL/N:
1. Ref Ch 156
Leader of Ismailis moniker âOld Man of the Mountainâ
2. Ref.
Hasan Sabbah died in 1124. His Order survived until Alamut was destroyed by Mongol invaders a century later. During this period, his fanatical movement of extreme deviants from mainstream Islam terrorized opponents far and wide.
3. Otto is asking because he kept bumping into different [Territory War] Lords and either Killing them off or Making them his subordinate.
4. Ref Ch 108
Black Wyvern that hatch from the Egg that Qasim has acquired after falling in a Wyvern Nest.