Jeanne POV
A few hours have passed since their intense fight against Saint Martha.
With the forest reduced to cinders, their group had been forced to find a different spot to set up camp for the rest of the night.
Unfortunately for Elizabeth, she was in no condition to walk with that broken tail of hers, so she had to endure some agony as Ritsuka applied healing spells on her.
Once Elizabeth was healed, she was able to walk again, but she refused to do so, claiming her tail still hurt. Eventually, Archer had been pressured into giving her a piggyback ride to their next rest spot.
After they had a few more hours of rest, they woke up and had breakfast as usual and hit the road once again.
This time, Ritsuka had finished healing Elizabeth, and she no longer had the excuse of injury to pressure Archer to carry her, so she walked alongside everyone else.
But it didn't take long before they ran into more trouble.
"Hand over all your money, and no one gets hurt!"
A group of bandits had found them and were currently attempting to rob them. They all wore ragged clothing that smelled pungent enough that, even at her distance, it made her nose wrinkle in disgust.
These men clearly haven't bathed in a very long time.
Many of them wore chain mail armor, with a few pieces of solid metal armor on his arms and legs, and the helmets they wore on their heads.
The only one who stood out was a man wearing full plate armor.
His eyes roamed over the group, his grin widening as his eyes lingered on each and every woman in their group. She instinctively put her body in front of her mother to hide her from his gaze, but the bandit barely paid them any mind once his lecherous eyes settled on Lady Kriemhild.
"On second thought, leave your women behind, especially this pretty little thing-guh!"
The poor, misguided sinner didn't have a chance to say another word as a stake of dark magical energy pierced his abdomen.
Before she or anyone else in their group could protest her actions, several more stakes pierced the man.
Through his lungs, his legs, arms, and even his lower body.
Lady Kriemhild showed no mercy to the man who had threatened them.
The man's subordinates gasped in horror, witnessing their leader's effortless murder by what they perceived as an unknown supernatural means.
The stakes dematerialized, and the bandit leader's body fell to the ground in a wet squelch, a pool of blood flowing from underneath his body.
"Merde, she's one of those monsters from the Dragon Witch!!"
"God… please save us…"
She shook her head at the men, disappointed that they would turn to God when it was God himself who was punishing them for their sins.
How many had they killed before they arrived? How many women had suffered under them?
She can't judge them, but if they were true believers, they'd have lived as God wanted. That is for God to decide, not her, but she will pray for their souls. That is the only thing she can do now that they have earned Kriemhild's ire.
Kriemhild faced the men, and while she couldn't see her eyes, she could feel the sheer cold bloodlust emitting from them.
"Normally, I would just kill you all for your crimes, but I am in a rush, you see, and you're in our way. So drop your weapons and leave or DIE like your weakling of a leader over there." She pointed a finger at the corpse of the bandit leader, who had stopped breathing just a moment prior.
The bandits, however, were paralyzed by fear and weren't able to move right away.
A sigh escaped the woman's lips, and she stepped forward, materializing her evil blade for all to see.
Seeing the woman's blade, the men snapped out of their shock and scattered into the fields.
"Should we not stop them? They are going to hurt innocent people if we let them leave." Mash asked Ritsuka, who was in agreement.
"Alright everyone, let's round them up and turn them in to the nearest authorities."
"You guys might want to hurry. There are some wyverns headed your way! "
"Good grief. There's no end to these pests, is there?" Archer said as he watched a small swarm of wyverns descend on the group of bandits.
"Archer, please take them out." Ritsuka asked the darker-skinned servant, who merely let out an amused smile.
"I thought you'd never ask."
"The wyverns, Archer." His master spoke in a tone that allowed no room for loopholes.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it." Archer materialized his signature black bow. He brought out his hand, and a sword materialized from thin air.
He knocked the blade on his bow and pulled back on the bowstring.
No matter how many times she saw it, she still thought it was a rather odd way to use a bow and arrow, but she isn't one to judge another's fighting tactics, especially when they are effective.
He recited a chant, and the sword morphed into an arrow.
For a moment, he held the bow, seemingly allowing the wyverns to maul the bandits for a bit longer.
"Aaaah!!" The death cry of a bandit echoed in the plains, and as if taking that as his cue, he unleashed the arrow into the air.
It flew high in the sky, higher than the altitude the wyverns were flying, until it reached its climax.
And exploded.
A shower of arrows rained on the enemy wyverns, tearing through wings and piercing scales.
The swarm of wyverns screeched in pain and fury as the wyverns who escaped the rain of arrows set their sights on their group.
Her shoulders tensed, her body ready for another battle, but it never came.
The sound of a steel wire groaning under intense pressure hit her ears again, and unlike last time, the sword was shot immediately after it was morphed into an arrow.
Another rain of arrows fell on the wyverns, silencing their cries for good this time.
The only sound that remained was the groans and sobs of the men who were trembling on the ground, all of them suspiciously pierced in the legs and arms to prevent their escape.
"Apologies, master, it would seem there were too many wyverns near the bandits. So they might have suffered some… friendly fire." The man lied through his teeth, which made her purse her lips.
However, she didn't say anything about it.
So long as they remain alive, that is all that mattered.
The Master of Chaldea sighed, "it can't be helped. Come on, let's go get them."
✦✧✦
"Well, that's a shame." Archer said, as he saw the state of the fort, or what remained of it.
The castle walls of the town had been destroyed, its interior in disarray, and the streets drenched in dried blood.
"It seems the Dragon Witch has been quite thorough in her slaughter." Archer stated aloud after he had taken a moment to inspect the ruins of the town.
"So what do we do with the bandits then?"
Archer turned to his master, his eyes flicking to the tied-up bandits being dragged by Mash. Then the red-clothed servant shrugged, "Kill them, I guess."
The bandits, hearing Archer's words, began to shake in fear, a few of them praying for mercy.
Pleas that were softening the boy's features.
"Don't give me that look. Unlike Jeanne's mother, we can't really afford to keep these people around. Besides, misguided or not, they are bandits. Without any authority to punish them, the responsibility falls to us."
Ritsuka pursed his lips in thought, his mind likely swimming in doubts and the pressure of leadership.
She pitied the boy.
These cruel times were not kind to modern humans.
"Whether you agree or not, leaving these bandits to authorities would have meant their deaths anyway. So no matter how hard you try, their fates were sealed the moment they pointed their blades at the innocent." Archer told the boy, who let out a displeased grunt.
"I hate that you're right. Fine, do what you have to do, just do it quickly and without pain." The boy said with a defeated tone in his voice.
Archer, hearing him say that, smiled at the boy's decision, "As you wish, master."
The red servant turned around and walked over to Mash, his arm outstretched, silently commanding her to hand the criminals, who were praying louder and more frantically than before, over. Mash, the pure soul she is, sighed and handed them over to Archer, who nodded approvingly.
The men tried to resist, but the soothing sound of a piano cut through their screams and silenced them. Their eyes, once filled with panic, were now half-lidded and in a trance.
Her eyes moved to Mozart, who had been playing the gentle tune.
"Don't misunderstand, mademoiselle; I just don't want Marie or you ladies to hear their screams of terror as Monsieur Archer puts them out of their misery."
Archer didn't bother to stop and led the men behind a large piece of rubble.
She tried her best not to pay attention to the sounds of men breathing their last breaths or the abrupt silence that followed after.
Archer walked out from the wall, a few splotches of blood on his body showing that the deed had been done.
"Now that those pests have been dealt with, let's go. We've wasted enough time already." Kriemhild said those words without a care in the world as she pushed past everyone else towards the direction where she claimed her husband was.
No one argued with her and followed her, doing their best to not speak about what happened so that they would spare their master any further discomfort.
After an hour of walking in silence, the conversations began to pick up again as Marie did her best to cheer Ritsuka up by starting up a conversation about chocolate.
The boy seemed to forget what just transpired and latched onto the conversation like his life depended on it.
It had truly been a difficult journey, not just for Ritsuka but for everyone.
She can hardly believe so much has happened in the past two days.
Her mind kept thinking of her other self. She wondered how the Dragon Witch couldn't remember her mother or the rest of their family.
Is she truly a fake, as her mother claims? Is that why she cannot recall her family? If so, then she feels sorry for her. To live with only hate in her heart, it must be lonely.
But just because she felt bad for her other self did not mean she would excuse her actions.
The image of Saint Martha's maddened eyes boring into her soul lingered in her mind.
For a holy saint to be reduced to a monster brought sorrow to her heart.
Sorrow and guilt.
Even if she hadn't done the injustice herself, someone related to her had.
Realizing these thoughts were bringing her negativity, she shook them away and tried to remain positive.
And luckily for her, Marie was a beacon of positivity that refused to waver even after the previous night's events.
She was currently conversing with the invisible audience that had been following Ritsuka and was now following her as well.
"So, Le Chat, I am curious about Kalos. What is it like?"
Jeanne had grown used to hearing this chat make comments after a loud ring, but for some reason, that didn't happen anymore.
[Sycamore_Aug donated 100 bits.]
["Like Duchess-Diantha said yesterday, Kalos shares a lot of its geography with France. Our region is world famous for its flowers and cuisine, and it's credited as the birthplace of Mega-Evolution. "]
The voice, once sounding artificial and off, suddenly spoke in a more eloquent and human-like pattern.
When did this happen?
Wait, Mega-Evolution? What is that?
"Ooh, your voice changed. What happened?!" She supposed she would have focused more on the voice change than the unusual term.
They waited patiently for a response from Le Chat, but before it could speak, Ritsuka answered their question right away, as if he had recited this response from memory, as if he had done it many times before.
"Chat gets upgrades once it reaches a point goal, which they earn by donating a certain amount of money or by having more people follow my channel. They just unlocked the ability to speak without sounding like a robot and without the obnoxious ding sound. As for Mega Evolution."
She really didn't understand much about this twitch, but it sounds complicated.
"I see, then what is Mega-Evolution?"
Ah, there it was.
["I can answer that. But first, we have to introduce you to the first major difference between our worlds. In our world, we have these special creatures we call Pokemon. They are similar to your phantasmal species, and our world has an abundance of them. Before you say anything, while they are dangerous, they are also our partners, our friends, and our companions."]
Ritsuka, as if by instinct, clicked a few buttons on his wristband. After a few seconds, a flat image popped up over his wrist that looked really colorful from afar.
"Have a look."
She blinked in surprise when she saw the image of a cute yellow rodent standing on two legs waving at them with a large smile on its face.
Then, he slid his finger over the image, and an image showcasing many more colorful animals appeared.
C-cute…
"Oh my, are those the Pokémon you mentioned!? They are so adorable!" Marie said with overt enthusiasm in her voice.
["Yup, and these are just a few of the many creatures that inhabit our world. We have learned to live in harmony with them. They have the capacity to undergo a process called 'Evolution,' and unlike the scientific theory, this evolution is more of a metamorphosis Pokémon go through to become a more powerful version of themselves. Mega Evolution is a transformation that goes beyond normal evolution. "]
"I see, very interesting- OOH! That is an adorable doggy! He's so fluffy and cuuute!"
It would seem Marie's curiosity has reached its limit.
However, Mozart didn't have the same limit, as he asked his own question next.
"So how did your people manage to tame these phantasmal species of yours? They aren't well known to be friendly to humans in general."
["What you see in the pictures, Gudao, or rather, Ritsuka, is showing you is the fruit of the labor our ancestors cultivated after centuries and decades of living with Pokémon. Back in the past, Pokémon were feared, and only a handful of clans had a healthy relationship with them. Nowadays, we have gotten better, and we understand each other through our bonds, which we forge through battle!"]
"Battle?" The word had distracted Marie long enough from the picture of the cute brown dog to bring her attention back to Le Chat.
And once again, Ritsuka stepped in to fill in the context, "Yeah, in our world, Pokémon is a game franchise that focuses on turn-based battles. That means you pit your Pokémon against another in a Pokémon battle. In their world, Pokémon Trainers fight alongside their Pokémon against other Trainers or wild Pokémon to deepen their bonds and grow stronger."
"Ah, so Pokémon battles are a blood sport like dog fighting or bull baiting." Elizabeth said as she decided to throw her two cents in.
At hearing this, she could not help but feel sadness come across her features.
How could people force such adorable creatures to fight to the death?
"I admit, outside a video game, the concept of a Pokémon battle sounds a bit barbaric to people in our world because of the history we have with blood sports here." Mash looked a bit nervous when she said that, but for what reason she was unsure. All she knew is that whatever these Pokémon battles were, she didn't like them.
["We understand how awful that sounds to people of your world, but you must understand that in our world, Pokemon battles are sacred. From a young age, we make sure to teach children to respect their partners and to not abuse them. Any person who rejects our laws and teachings and deliberately seeks to pit Pokemon against each other to the death is the scum of our society. Having such battles is not just highly illegal but is also highly immoral. Anyone who practices such cruelty is heavily punished for it."]
What a relief.
"Well, it's pleasing to hear that such a thing is being regulated responsibly. As an owner of many wonderful dogs, I cannot say I am fond of dog fighting or many blood sports. Alas, they were too popular with not just the peasantry but even the aristocracy during my life. With the little political power I had, speaking out against it would have led to ridicule and would have also reflected poorly on my husband," Marie said, looking a bit sad thinking about the memory.
"The magical dogfighting is only a part of their culture. They also allow 10-year-olds to go out into the wilderness by themselves to catch, train, and battle these creatures!! "
Jeanne nearly stumbled when she heard the news. Her eyes widened in shock as she heard the outrageous claim Dr. Roman was making.
And she wasn't the only one, as this news had caused their group to stop their walk to gawk at the area where the voice was coming from.
"Y-you send children into the world to fight battles with these Pokémon ALONE?!" Marie asked, horrified and alarmed by the idea.
["I understand it seems neglectful and cruel, but really, having children explore the world with Pokémon is a rite of passage for all regions in our world. We ALL went through a Pokémon journey. It's expected that anyone who begins a journey earn at least a badge or two before calling it quits. Going on a journey also helps people build connections with other trainers, people, and Pokémon. They get to explore the region they live in and appreciate the outside world. "]
"S-still, to send out young boys or girls into the woods, where they could end up mauled to death or worse… If I lived in such a world, I would have forbidden my children from participating in such a dangerous tradition. "
Jeanne rapidly turned to face Marie, who was giving a closed-eye smile at the place where the invisible Le Chat was floating, surprised by the unexpected edge in her tone.
Not that she would blame her due to the topic being discussed, but she was surprised the cheerful Marie would express such negativity.
And based on the looks everyone is giving the Queen, she wasn't alone in thinking this.
["Please do not think children are not forced to become trainers; many stay in school and continue their education into a profession like normal people in the modern world on your Earth, but becoming a Pokémon trainer is just an alternative path many can choose to take if they wish.
If that does not ease your worries, rest assured that our rangers do their best to keep the routes safe for children to hike through.
We have constant ranger patrols enforcing law and order along the official safe routes trainers MUST take when on their journey.
Modern Rotom navigation devices and phones also have trackers that allow police to locate trainers whenever they are in need.
Children rarely die on their journeys. Most trainer deaths happen to trainers in their later years once they start exploring the world outside the established safe routes and zones. "]
Marie took their words into consideration before she took a breath, and her cheer had returned in full force.
"I apologize for losing my composure like that. I might have been summoned as my younger self before I had my children, but I take the safety and well-being of them very seriously. I will hold faith in your claims until I see what your world has to offer with my own hands."
She clapped her hands together.
"Now let us move onto another topic. Your Kalos claims to be an alternate France, but I am curious if I have a counterpart on that side. Is there?"
[Kalos-AHistory donated 1000 bits.]
Ritsuka seemed to have choked on his saliva, because he began to cough in an erratic manner.
"Senpai, are you ok?!" Mash asked him while she gently patted his back.
"I'm fine Mash, I'm just surprised by how much he donated. Thank you for the generous donation, Kalos-AHostory!"
Was 1000 bits a lot of money?
["Ah, I believe I am most qualified to answer this question. Forgive me for cutting off your conversation with Professor Sycamore. I am the owner of the place known as the Parfum Palace, our world's version of the Palace of Versailles."]
"How interesting; it's an honor to meet you, monsieur." Marie's tune shifted when she heard the man name-drop the Palace of Versailles. If she recalled correctly, it was a palace built by a king after her time to showcase France's wealth.
["The honor is all mine, Marie. Now then, to answer your question. After Professor Sycamore reached out to me to confirm the details of your history, I was able to confirm that you indeed had a counterpart in our world.
He was very ashamed he did not connect the dots earlier, but that is to be expected as he is a busy man with many things going on in that gifted head of his.
Anyways, your counterpart went by the name of Alisanne of Kalos. She was the wife of the king of Kalos centuries ago."]
"Hmmm, Alisanne, you say? Alice was one of the names my mother had considered to name me when I was born. How interesting. Tell me more about her."
["She was a woman who was fond of flower-shaped Pokémon like Roselia's evolution line but held Floettes very fondly in her heart." ]
Ritsuka showed his pop-up screen to Marie once more, showing off a serene-looking creature with red and blue roses for hands.
"Oh my. What a beautiful little creature!"
"This is Roselia. And this…" Ritsuka swiped left. "Is a Floette."
The image of a white doll-looking creature using a flower as an umbrella showed.
Marie looked transfixed by the creature as soon as she laid eyes on it.
["Queen Alisanne was so fond of the fairy types that it eventually manifested into an obsession with collecting every differently colored variant she could get her hands on. By the end of her life, she had managed to capture every known one in Kalos. To the world, she had succeeded in collecting them all, but if you asked her, she would vehemently deny it."]
"And why would that be?" Marie asked, fully enraptured in the tale Le Chat was spinning.
["That would be because one of the reasons she was obsessed with Floettes in the first place was because she loved the tragic story of King AZ and his Eternal Flower Floette.
Her greatest wish was to catch a glimpse of King AZ's Floette, a wish that never came true."]
Marie didn't say anything at first, as she was clearly deep in thought about her counterpart a world away.
Finally, after what seemed like a moment to collect her thoughts, she asked a question that gave her pause.
"By any chance did she… also meet the same fate as me?"
As soon as the words left her lips, the mood fell once more.
Mozart and Elizabeth shot concerned looks towards Marie, who merely waved her hand in a gesture that she was ok and that they shouldn't worry.
But it would not be easy to feel worry when someone asked such a question.
["No. She did not. Queen Alisanne died peacefully in her sleep, surrounded by her grandchildren. There were wars in the area, sure, but we never had a revolution like in your world."]
"That is a relief. I am happy Alissanne had such a peaceful life." And it sounded like she meant it.
"Marie…" Mozart looked at Marie with concern, but she brushed it off.
"It's ok, Amadeus. To be jealous of another me's life would be foolish."
Seeing her childhood friend was not bothered, Mozart let his concern fade.
["I apologize for any bad memories I may have brought up. Hopefully I answered your questions to your satisfaction. And if for some reason you find yourself in Kalos one day, please come to visit the Parfum Palace. I will give you admission into my luxurious abode free of charge."]
"That is very sweet of you, monsieur. Very well, I will accept your most gracious offer." The queen curtsied at the camera, seemingly having her curiosity satiated.
"If you are still willing to tell another tale, would you humor this musician by extrapolating on the tale of this King AZ and his Floette?" Mozart asked, his question being one that she was also curious about.
["Ah yes, the story of King AZ is an integral story to our region of Kalos. He was a king from 3000 years ago who brought many technological wonders to our region. He had a Floette whom he deeply cherished.
It is said that long ago, during the great war of Kalos, his beloved Floette had been sent to fight in the war. "]
Ah, she can see where this story is going. And it isn't good.
["Years later, soldiers brought back a tiny box holding her corpse. Stricken with grief, he used his intellect to create a machine to bring it back to life.
He succeeded and managed to bring his Pokémon back from the dead and granted it eternal life.
But the price for such a miracle came at a cost: the lives of thousands of Pokémon."]
The atmosphere suddenly grew quiet once the weight of resurrection and eternal life was dropped on their laps.
The resurrection of the dead is a divine act of God, for a human to perform such a thing… It's blasphemy of the highest order and an insult to the Holy Spirit.
Even so, she does feel bad for the King, to lose loved ones in war is a horrible experience. She does not wish that experience on others.
"Thousands of lives in exchange for a single one, even if they are animals, to kill so many for a single being is not just wrong, it's wasteful." Elizabeth chipped in from the sidelines, her bandaged tail drooping a bit at the somber turn the tale had taken.
"Agreed. He should have grieved and moved on from this tragedy, but from the direction this story is going, it seems like it's only the beginning. Am I right?" Archer asked Le Chat.
["You would be correct, King AZ was far from finished. His Floette had returned to life, but he was not satisfied. He could not forgive the people who killed his beloved Pokémon, so he turned his machine that gave life into the Ultimate Weapon and unleashed death upon his enemies, bringing an end to the long conflict."]
"That sounds rather familiar, doesn't it?" Elizabeth didn't need to explain why it sounded familliar, they all knew why.
"Yeah, it would seem like people seeking vengeance on France is a common theme across multiple worlds."
She was surprised that Kriemhild had been paying attention to the story at all. She seemed rather focused on leading their group towards her husband than bothering with it, but it would seem she underestimated her awareness.
["The Floette, saddened by the lives that were lost to return them to life, left King AZ behind. It is said King AZ had also been cursed with eternal life to wander the world in search of his Floette, hoping to seek forgiveness. "]
"Forgiveness…" Her mind went to Saint Martha and her teachings on forgiveness. How would she have reacted to this story?
"This King AZ… His story reminds me of the Wandering Jew. He was a man who taunted Jesus on his way to his crucifixion. This act caused him to be cursed by God with eternal life and forced to wander the world until the Second Coming of Christ."
["An interesting parallel between our worlds. Thank you for your knowledge, Mademoiselle Mash. Truly, this stream has been a treasure trove of knowledge, and I am eager to learn more about its history and its similarity to ours."]
"By chance… Did I have a Kalosian counterpart?" Jeanne asked, curious about that being a possibility.
["I won't deny that the possibility exists, but it would be difficult to determine for certain. I will investigate this matter, and if I discover any information, I will inform you. Hopefully I can find something before Gudao clears the singularity. Apologies for not answering right away."]
"You need not worry yourself, monsieur; I was merely curious."
"Curious, huh?" Elizabeth hummed at the word, "How intriguing. Were you hoping this alternate Jeanne was like Marie's counterpart? One who didn't die a horrible death at the pyre?"
The idea of living a life as a normal girl was something that had crossed her mind before, on multiple occasions.
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't, but it's mostly just simple curiosity after learning about Queen Alisanne."
"Is that so? Would you be jealous if your counterpart had a full, healthy, normal life without having heard the voices of saints and angels guide you to fight for France?"
"If there was a Jeanne D'Arc that lived a peaceful life free from conflict, then I too, like Marie, would be happy for her."
Elizabeth didn't seem to be satisfied with that answer and had seemingly grown tired of her answers.
"Do you not have any regrets about your death? Are you really willing to let bygones be bygones, even when the entire world hates you now?"
Jeanne frowned, realizing what Elizabeth was doing.
Her eyes flicked towards her mother, who was glaring at Elizabeth's goading her.
"No, I do not. What's dead is dead, and I have come to accept mine." She said to the idol.
"If you really feel that way," Elizabeth pointed a clawed finger at Isabelle, "then tell that to her face. I am not the one who needs to hear that answer."
"What is that demon talking about?"
The fact that her mother said the word "demon" with fear and disdain in her voice proved that she had been dragging this issue on for far too long.
Turning to face her, she locked eyes with her mother to show that what she was going to talk about was serious.
"W-What's with that look? Is something wrong?"
She hardened her heart and recited a small prayer to lend her the strength for what she was about to say.
"I apologize for having led you astray for so long, Mother, but I cannot keep you in the dark longer."
"W-what do you mean, Jeanette?" The fear in her mother's voice was palpable, and it made her heart tremble, but she had to remain strong.
A strong gust of wind blew through the road, causing her hair to billow in the wind, as if God himself was growing frustrated with her hesitance and just wanted her to get it over with.
"Mother… I'm dead." She said it. She finally said it.
"Huh? B-but Jeannette, how can that be? I can see you, I can hear you, I can touch you… How can you be dead?" But it seems her mother didn't want to believe her.
She let a sigh escape her lips, she needed to keep pushing.
"I am sorry to break the news to you like this, Mother, but I am dead. I was burned at the stake for being a witch who wore men's clothes. The reason you can sense me is because the Jeanne before you is merely a part of her soul given a physical shape; I am what is known as a heroic spirit."
Her mother seemed distraught at her words, not understanding the terms she was using.
"It's a lot to take in, I know, but it's the truth. My heroic deeds during the Hundred Years' War cemented my place as a defender of the world. That is the reason why I am here, I was summoned to put a stop to the Dragon Witch's plans and save France once more."
Isabelle was quiet, but Jeanne knew she had already spoken, so she must finish her peace.
"And, once she is stopped, my mission will be fulfilled, and I will return to the afterlife, where I belong."
She expected her mother to have many reactions, anger being one of them. She knew how much she disliked her other self. The Jeanne D'Arc before her wasn't actually her daughter, she was just a copy.
She expected fear because she was also an inhuman being who wore her daughter's face.
What she received was sadness, as she noticed the tears welling up in her eyes while she covered her mouth to stifle a sorrowful cry.
"Oh my sweet little girl… to think that even in death, this wretched country will not let you rest."
She was at a loss for words. She hadn't expected that reasoning from her.
"Are you not mad? I am not actually the Jeanette you knew. I am just a ghost of her legend wandering the mortal plane. I might differ in personality with her, but in this state there isn't much of a difference between me and the Dragon Witch."
She felt her mother embrace her.
"No, you are nothing like her. You are Jeanne D'Arc La Pucelle. My frustratingly stubborn Jeanette, who left her home to fight a war in the name of God for an ungrateful country that did not deserve her."
"I could not help it, I love my country too much. It is my home, and I have to defend it."
She felt her mother loosen her embrace so that she could look into her eyes, "Of course, you wouldn't be my Jeannette otherwise."
The two of them separated from their embrace, and Isabelle gazed thoughtfully at the group. "So I assume that all of you are here for the same reason?"
"Indeed. We are all people who performed great deeds in life that allowed us to become heroic spirits. Aside from our master over there." Mozart said.
Isabelle raised one of her brows at the boy, "master?"
"Ah, it's a term we use for mages we form contracts with. Alone we cannot hope to do much, so having a living person keeps us from fading. It's an unfortunate name, but we didn't come up with it." She tried her best to explain it to dispel some of the weirdness behind the term.
Her eyes narrowed onto Ritsuka, who looked away in shame.
"Oh right, you wouldn't know, but don't worry too much about it. Master is not a true mage; all he is doing is providing us with energy to stay physical." She reassured her and based on how Isabelle's tense shoulder relaxed for a bit, she had succeeded.
Her mother let out a sigh, "I don't really approve of such things, but after all the madness that has happened the past few days, it's clear to me that this entire situation is beyond my means to say anything about it."
She cleared her throat in order to get her mother's attention, "And now that you know about the supernatural side. Mother."
She harshened her voice in a dead serious tone. "Please, be careful how you speak to enemy servants in the future. We got lucky with the Dragon Witch, and I was able to save you in time, but I cannot guarantee your safety in every situation if you talk to the enemy and draw their ire. You've seen how easy it is for them to hurt people."
The gears inside Isabelle's head turned, and her face paled, likely from remembering the events of the past 2 days, "Yes. I understand I will be more careful from now on."
"Are the two of you done?"
She and her mother yelped as the deadpan voice of Kriemhild made itself known.
"Y-Yes, we are Lady Kriemhild… No, wait, sorry, I mean Your Majesty!! I'm sorry if I offended you!" Her mother spoke apologetically.
Kriemhild just scoffed, "I am not offended. Lady is good enough for me, although please refrain from apologizing so much. Or I cannot guarantee that my palm won't meet your face."
"Y-Yes, I understand!!"
Kriemhild nodded in satisfaction before she set her eyes on her.
She would be lying if she said she didn't flinch at that smile of hers.
"The same applies to you, Holy Saint."
"O-Ok…"
Kriemhild smiled and looked away from them, uncaring that she had just threatened an innocent civilian and her ally with physical violence for merely apologizing.
"Now then, we should get going now. We have a lot of ground to cover until we reach Siegfried." Kriemhild stands up and continues to head south.
No one was brave enough to deny her.
✦✧✦
Sasaki Koujirou POV
Inside a dimly lit room, a man in Japanese clothing was sitting cross-legged on the floor.
Before him, he had an assortment of tools. A Mekuginuki (a tiny hammer), a silk ball filled with stone powder (an uchiko), a nearly empty flask of choji oil, and a bunch of dirty rags stained in blood.
Due to the nature of his blade, cleaning was not necessary, but due to the sheer number of enemies he had slain yesterday, a deep clean was necessary.
He bowed before his weapon as a sign of respect before he got to work.
He unsheathed the blade facing away from his body, a task that took a few seconds due to its sheer size. This extra time only deepened his frustration as he saw the state of his nodachi.
Despite his best efforts to swipe the blood away with every cut, his sword was still caked with blood stains.
But the blood was the least of his worries.
His blade, once pristine and sharp, was now chipped in a way that was closer to a saw than a sword.
It was honestly a miracle it hadn't shattered to pieces yet.
If he had the means, he would have had his blade replaced by now. Unfortunately, none of the local blacksmiths could forge him a replacement nodachi.
He was no blacksmith himself, so he could not guide them through the process either, so he was stuck using this blade until it gave out.
He let out a sigh, his heart heavy, but his determination to clean it as best he could kept him focused on the task at hand.
He grabbed the cleanest rag from his pile and did his best to remove the grease and blood.
But no matter how hard he tried, the stains remained, the weight of its mystery refusing to leave the thousand-folded steel blade.
Seeing he was making no progress, he let out another sigh of frustration and decided it was good enough.
He tried to take out the pegs from his blade, but no matter how hard he tried, the pegs had grown too swollen by the blood they absorbed and had fused to the hilt.
"Cheh." He gave up trying to force the peg out in fear that he would break it. He didn't have any replacements left.
Instead, he pulled out his uchiko ball and lightly coated the blade in powder.
Thankfully, his nodachi accepted the powder with grace, much to his relief.
Once he finished, he grabbed one of the cleanest cloths he had to clean the powder away.
Finally, he opened the choji oil and dumped the last bit of it on his cloth.
He sighed but finished off by applying oil to his jagged blade.
Then, after letting it dry for a moment, he sheathed it back into its saya before putting it away for later use.
He then meticulously placed each item back into its storage box before he stuffed it back into his robes.
Suddenly, the cries of roosters from outside reached his ears. The sound made him realize he had spent too much time lamenting the state of his blade and was running late for his daily patrol.
Standing up from the wooden floor, he made his way outside.
The wooden door of his home opened with a creak, revealing a dim environment. Well, to him at least. For normal humans, it would be pitch black.
He took a deep breath of fresh air and then exhaled through his mouth.
He was ready to start his morning patrol.
Walking around the perimeter of the town to keep a lookout for more oversized swallows had been something he had grown used to. Up until the recent siege, there was no shortage of those things buzzing around.
But now things are quiet.
Strangely, it doesn't feel unsettling, so it's likely that the Dragon Witch's general really had pulled away and would not return for some time.
He honestly had no idea, but whatever the case, he would be ready when the time came.
A light hit his eyes, which caused him to squint.
It would seem that the sun had risen once again.
Which meant his patrol was coming close to an end.
And just as he predicted, he had arrived at the gate of the town as always.
With the perimeter secure, he could now focus on the second part of his duty, guarding the gate to Theirs.
He could hear the city behind him begin to wake up.
The smell of food being cooked was the first thing he picked up, followed by the sounds of families coming out of their homes and heading towards the fields outside.
Then he saw them, men, women, and children walking out of the gate. Their faces showed the weariness of enduring multiple sieges, but at seeing the face of one of their protectors, their hope lit anew.
Many of them greeted him with warm smiles and thanked him for his deeds.
Yet, no matter how much adoration they showed him, he merely gave a smile and a nod. To be frank, he was not used to this kind of reception.
Sure, his memories were fiction, but none of them ever held anything but fear from the general populace when he was near them. To see them happy and grateful towards him as a protector of their city was an odd experience.
"Good morning, Sasaki, I pray that your patrol went without issue?"
The voice of Saint Gerogios graced his ears. He turned to face the imposing red-headed man in white cloth. In the past, his eyes always drifted to the dragon-shaped shoulder plate on his left upper arm, but after a while he had grown used to ignoring it.
"Indeed, there were no swallows snooping around, nor any enemy servants. It would seem that their losses were too much last battle and they have fully retreated… for now."
"That is good to hear." The saint said, a genuine smile on his face.
"Are you up for another spar?"
The man let out a warm chuckle, "We have not even broken fast yet, and you already challenge me to a spar. Very well, I suppose it wouldn't mind." His face hardened.
"But is your blade alright? It looked rather damaged from the last time I saw it."
Ah, there it was again, his frustration at the state of his blade had made a comeback. However, he did his best not to let it show on his face too much.
"It is fine. If it breaks, it breaks. Although it would be a shame if it did, it cannot be helped. Swords are meant to be used."
Georgios nodded, "Well said, friend. In that case, we can go-"
"B-B-Bonjeour Monsieurs!"
His conversation with Georgios was interrupted by the appearance of a young French woman, who was holding a basket.
This girl was Elaine, one of the refugees who had emigrated to Theirs after her village had been overrun by wyverns.
"Good morning to you, young Elaine. To what do we owe the honor?" Saint Georgios asked the girl.
"I-I umm…. I wanted to thank you for your protection, so I made you breakfast to show my, I mean our appreciation!" The girl nervously said, her face flushed a deep red as she did her best not to meet his eyes.
"Unless I'm interrupting something important?" The girl said with a bit of fear in her voice.
Well, she did interrupt their spar before it began, but he wasn't a brute to say that to her face.
"No no, it's quite alright. We appreciate your offer and will gladly accept the meal." He told the girl, hoping to put her fears at ease.
The girl took a deep breath and walked to him, offering her basket of food for him.
As servants, they didn't need to eat, but if people offered, he would not reject their hospitality.
He took her basket and nodded at her gesture, "thank you for your kindness, Lady Elaine."
The girl's blush only grew a deeper shade of red.
Without wasting any more time, the three of them stepped to the side and sat down on some stools near the gate for a hearty meal of pottage and bread.
He had to admit, for a simple dish, it was quite tasty.
They ate and had a pleasant conversation about little things. About the dish and the ingredients, about anything, really. Anything, that is, besides the overgrown swallows that prowled outside the city's walls.
Finally, after a while of enjoying breakfast, they had had their fill.
"Thank you for the meal, young Elaine, it was delicious." Saint Georgios said with sincerity and gratefulness in his voice.
"Hmm, you truly are a splendid cook. Your future husband is going to be a lucky man." He couldn't help but agree with the Saint.
"Y-Y-yeah…. T-Thank you… ehehe… Oh! I apologize, but I must be going! My brother will be worried sick if I do not return!"
She quickly gathered her utensils and containers and put them back in her basket.
"I hope you two have a wonderful day!" Then as quickly as she came, she left, leaving the two men behind with full stomachs.
After a beat of silence, the Saint spoke, "So, are you going to respond to her feelings?"
He decides not to answer right away, letting his thoughts brew in his mind like tea in a kettle until finally, he responded.
"You know as well as I do that I can't," he got up from the stool he was seated on and walked back towards the gate.
"To lead a young maiden's heart on like that, it is not noble. If you consider yourself a man, you must make your own feelings clear." Saint Georgios chided him, but it was unnecessary.
He knew.
He absolutely knew that was the case.
He should reject her.
She is a living, breathing person, while he is merely a fictional character, a congregation of spirits that was given a servant container by sheer luck.
"It was not the appropriate time to do so."
He could feel Saint Georgios's eyes linger on him, judging him before he let out a sigh.
"Very well. I will not meddle in your love affairs, but as a man to another, the more you wait, the more painful it will be for both of you."
He knows that.
But he also knows that no matter what he does, she will be heartbroken.
Still, the saint is right. It would be better if he left her a heartbroken maiden in love than a grieving widow.
✦✧✦
Ruins of Lyon
Kiyohime POV
"She's getting close."
She looked at Siegfried-san, who had a very serious look on his face.
"So, the time has arrived then." She gingerly stood up from where she was sitting.
"I will meet them at the gate." Just before she headed out, she gave the Dragon Slayer a final look.
"Have you made peace with yourself?"
Without hesitation, the dragon slayer nodded his head, "yes, I have. I have no regrets and am fully aware of what I am getting myself into. Now please, go. My wife should be arriving from the north side."
She rolled her eyes at him, "I know where she's coming from Siegfried-san, you don't need to keep telling me." She knew because he would always face the same direction every single day from the moment he sensed her manifest herself on this land. It was rather romantic, but it got old fast when he kept reminder her about where she should go so she didn't miss her when she arrived.
"Sorry."
And there he goes again, apologizing without thinking.
Honestly, if he thinks saying sorry will be enough to talk his wife down from killing him, he is mistaken.
"Then, I'm off."
"Hmm, take care." The dragon slayer told her.
She left the castle where they had stayed and made her way to the remnants of the northern gate.
The scent of burned wood and people still hung heavy in the air, even after she and Siegfried-san did their best to clear all the lingering undead in the town.
Well, it can't be helped.
After a few minutes of silent walking through the ruins of a once-living city, she arrived at the entrance of the town.
Now that she reached her destination, she did what she set out to do and patiently waited for Kriemhild to arrive and bring down her punishment against her overly apologetic savior.