Robin Hood: The Man

Robin Hood wasn't just one person.

This statement doesn't mean his race was divine or elven.

The emphasis is on "one," the quantifier.

To fight against the supporters of ruthless tyranny, to fight against a well-armed army, the oppressed and hopeless people needed a leader.

They needed "hope."

Humanity needs hope.

The rise of religion, at its earliest, stemmed from extreme poverty. When people felt their very lives were no longer guaranteed, they turned their gaze to the afterlife. Or rather, they were forced to turn their gaze to the afterlife to find the courage to survive.

Similarly, for people who can no longer live, to resist tyranny, they need a spiritual leader.

As a spiritual leader, this person must be excellent, must be powerful, and must constantly guide them in battle.

However, this surpasses the scope of a human.

In fact, more than heroes, people need "gods."

People need heroes, but they don't care how the hero came to be. Ten years of arduous study? Waking early to practice martial arts? It doesn't matter, as long as he is wise, strong, excellent, compassionate, and willing to lead the masses.

Thus, a portion of the people with the most rebellious and adventurous spirit united first. They clearly understood that while a pie might fall from the sky, a hero certainly would not. Therefore, they decided to forge a "hero."

Everyone has different experiences and different strengths. By gathering everyone together and condensing them into "one person," he becomes omnipotent.

In the beginning, it was just a combination of "hunters," "craftsmen," and "squire knights." To fight against a large number of well-equipped enemies, guerrilla warfare was the only viable tactic.

Several individuals gathered, erased their own identities, and swore an oath under the sacred oak: from that moment on, they donned green cloaks, never showing their true faces, and from that moment on, they transformed into the mysterious hero "Robin Hood."

Therefore, Robin Hood is not a "hero," but a "heroic concept."

The mysterious green figure, Robin Hood.

That's natural, isn't it? Because as long as one wears the green cloak, anyone can be Robin Hood. This is the difference between a concept and a hero. Even if these people died, their successors, by donning the green cloak, could continue to act as Robin Hood and punish evildoers for the people.

And if you take off the clothes, they are just ordinary people. Living mundane lives, even if their enemies were incredibly powerful, it would be difficult to track them down. This is because they weren't "disguised as citizens," but "disguised as heroes."

In this way, they would inevitably be "mysterious." Because although the enemies were numerous, to maintain the army's equipment and provisions, the people would always outnumber the army.

Therefore, Robin Hood could quickly learn of any act of tyranny, anywhere, at any time.

Therefore, Robin Hood could quickly rush to the scene and respond to any act of tyranny, anywhere, at any time.

Therefore, Robin Hood was first-rate in everything from annihilation battles, frontal assaults, ranged combat, traps, guerrilla tactics, fortifications, and even logistical sabotage.

Of course, that's natural. Because the "humans" who comprised Robin Hood were not just one person. Human lifespans are limited, so each person could only choose their strongest aspect to accumulate experience. And when these experienced individuals gathered, they would form an invincible hero.

And this young woman was one member of the Robin Hood collective.

She was originally an ordinary village girl. Due to increasingly harsh taxes and corvée labor, her family had been driven to desperation, forcing her to begin resisting.

As a woman, her ability to help was quite limited.

But similarly... because she was a woman, she could do things that other Robin Hoods could not.

For example, being a village girl herself, she could blend into any market with her vegetable basket without a hitch. She could also ride in a carriage, under the guise of supplying the troops, and easily enter the enemy's main camp. Such gestures of goodwill from local residents were often taken as proof of submission. Even if the enemy's psychological defenses were strong, as long as she feigned weakness and spoke a few kind words, those foolish guards would believe her.

Of course, there were intelligent people among the enemy, but an intelligent person would never be just a sentry.

Alternatively, she could use her appearance to easily approach high-ranking officials and nobles, gathering information that men would not. Gaining opportunities that men could not.

As the "eyes" and "ears" of Robin Hood, this woman dedicated her life.

Later, as the battles became more intense and the hero Robin Hood became more famous, his enemies grew to detest him more. In countless encounters, his companions, the archers of Robin Hood, gradually fell, and the members of Robin Hood dwindled. In order for the title of "The Marksman of a Hundred Hits" to endure, the young woman and other

Robin Hood members diligently practiced archery. Excellent archers were rare, so they had to make themselves excellent archers.

Summoning with an oak branch from Sherwood Forest naturally meant wishing to intervene in this unknown contract, to intervene in this oath. Correspondingly, those who would answer the summons would be all those within the "Robin Hood" collective who were skilled in archery.

Naturally, this included the young woman.

As for why it was her...

"Probably because, like the Master, I'm also new. I haven't been 'Robin Hood' for very long."

Finally, ending her narration with this somewhat self-deprecating, indifferent sentence, the green-clad girl clearly made no attempt to hide her displeasure.

She gave Tsukahara Meiji a whip-like look, as if to say: I've told you everything as you asked.

It was evident that she still considered Karl an enemy.

However, after hearing her story, Tsukahara Meiji could understand her hostility.

For a "spy," it is only fitting that they trust no one but themselves.

Moreover, the beginning of the Robin Hood story is said to have originated from a tale of loyalty to the royal family, only to be betrayed by the royal family, and ultimately forced to rise up in resistance.

Although Robin Hood was loyal to the English royal family, and Prince John of England betrayed Robin Hood... this is something that even historians might hesitate to clarify, let alone the general populace.

Therefore, she did not trust Karl. Or rather, she did not trust the notion of an "alliance."

"So, does that mean you appeared as an Archer because of your archery skills?"

Suddenly, Da Vinci interjected.

Abruptly, without any preamble, a solitary sentence.

"Indeed."

Robin Hood frankly admitted this. His stats made it obvious, and there was no point in hiding it. If it was due to his Noble Phantasm manifesting, then the C+ rank Noble Phantasm on his status panel was frankly laughable.

Da Vinci responded with another hum, resting his chin on his hand. He withdrew from the conversation, letting his mind wander in thought.

Fearing he might disturb the great genius, Tsukahara Meiji quickly asked another question, shifting Robin Hood's attention from Da Vinci to himself.

"Um, Archer, that... aren't you hot? That hood and everything..."

"No, Servants are not human. Our state depends on the stability of our mana supply, not on physical conditions in the real world. If you wish to confirm my appearance, Master, you may say so directly. We are all new here, there's no need to be so reserved."

Robin Hood saw right through his thoughts. Tsukahara Meiji could only offer a sheepish smile, thinking to himself, Easy for you to say. I feel sorry for you being summoned by such an incompetent Master like me...

He removed the heavy, dark green hood, finally revealing his previously glimpsed brown hair. His waterfall-like long hair seemed like a special effect added to the "silky smooth like chocolate" often seen in TV commercials. Beneath that soft, flowing hair was a face as beautiful and exquisite as his hair.

Although she called herself a country bumpkin, her delicate skin and refined features indicated a good upbringing. This was not the kind of refinement expected of a girl who spent her days farming.

Her eyes, serene as a lake, held a look of suspicion, trusting no one. Mixed within that suspicion was a spark of confidence. Combined with her closed lips and slender, oval face, she was undoubtedly a beauty.

Tsukahara Meiji stared, dumbfounded. He had never imagined that such a beautiful girl could exist in this world.

But it made sense. She claimed she could sneak into the bedrooms of high officials. If she wasn't breathtakingly beautiful, she couldn't have done that, could she?

"What is it, Master? Could it be that you can't accept Robin Hood being a woman? Or perhaps, you can't accept a woman like me?"

As Robin Hood spoke, he grabbed the dangling fabric of his tunic, intending to pull the hood back up. This action made Tsukahara Meiji incredibly awkward. "No, no, I- I was just stunned! You're so beautiful! I've never seen anyone like you! I... Hey, Karl, say something too!"

"Indeed, her beauty is rare."

Karl agreed with a sincere nod. Robin Hood's brow furrowed slightly, and he sighed. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly stopped, his half-open mouth frozen in mid-air.

It wasn't just him. Da Vinci, Karl, Tsukahara, and even the other Servants and Masters all heard a distinct sound.

It was the voice of the Holy Grail, which had previously instilled basic knowledge in them. The digital clock on the wall emitted a faint yet clear chime as it struck the hour. The red numbers on the screen rapidly jumped from 00:59 to 01:00.

"The seventh Servant has appeared in the Rider class. I hereby formally declare the Holy Grail War to have begun."