"Hmph. Rider!"
Watching Laurent and his group flee behind an illusion, Jeanne Alter scoffed coldly before turning to a woman beside her.
"What is it?"
"Your 'horse' should be fast enough to catch them, right? There's no need for direct combat; just track them and report their location. We'll wipe them out in one go then."
"…Understood. I'll pursue them at once."
As the Rider left, Jeanne Alter withdrew her gaze from Laurent's direction.
"Ruler, are you sure sending just one Rider is sufficient?"
"It's enough. If the goal is merely annihilation, her Noble Phantasm alone will suffice. But caution is wise; I'll summon new Servants once we return."
She waved dismissively at the others. "You're free to massacre as you wish. Kill any enemies you encounter—but while I've granted you freedom, don't go too overboard."
...
Elsewhere, having put considerable distance between them, Laurent finally slowed down.
"This should be far enough."
He was still carrying Jeanne, enjoying the warmth of her thighs pressed against his hand. Ah, this sensation is truly wonderful…
"Um…Laurent?" Jeanne timidly called his name.
"Hm? What is it, Jeanne?" Laurent smiled brightly.
"Your hand… Could you maybe move it now?"
"Oh—of course!" Laurent reluctantly set Jeanne down. He'd enjoyed touching enough; anything further would have inevitably led to something else.
Mash watched from the side, completely fed up with these two endlessly throwing dog food around.
"Doctor?"
"Mm, no hostile signals detected anymore. Ah, but I've located a leyline not far from you, inside a nearby forest."
"I see. Jeanne-san and…Marie-san, was it?"
"Oh my, calling me Marie-san already?" Marie's voice sounded delighted.
"My apologies…"
"Oh, it's not rude at all! Quite the opposite, I'm thrilled. Being addressed so sweetly makes my heart flutter!"
"You over there—woman!" Laurent suddenly interrupted their cheerful exchange, pointing irritably at Marie. "I'm warning you now—don't let me catch you having any weird thoughts about Jeanne."
"It seems there's a misunderstanding. That's quite troubling." Marie touched her forehead, unsure how to explain. "Rather than weird…I simply admire Jeanne greatly. I wish I could protect my people the way she does."
"Hah? Admiring something as foolish as that?" Laurent spoke bluntly without hesitation. Being close to Jeanne, he didn't worry about causing offense—such trivial things wouldn't upset either of them.
"Foolish? Gentlemen who speak so bluntly won't be popular with women, you know?" Marie smiled curiously at Laurent. "Besides, you've shown open hostility toward me since the start. Might I ask—what exactly is your relationship with Jeanne?"
"Why must I tell my name to a woman like you?"
"…Lau—" Jeanne quietly tried to reply, but Laurent interrupted.
"Laurent?"
Hearing this name, Marie pondered briefly before her eyes widened joyfully.
"So, you're Laurent?" Marie took a few quick steps closer. "I've always wondered about the man who stood by Jeanne. He must've been like a perfect prince, no? Now that I finally meet you, I'm delighted! They say you were Jeanne's steadfast knight—I'm sure Jeanne must have felt very blessed to have you beside her on her journey!"
"Hmph. Flattery won't get you anywhere now."
"It's not flattery! I genuinely am curious about the story between you and Jeanne. But now I realize my earlier words must've seemed very rude to you. As an apology, how about a kiss?"
Laurent froze momentarily. "Woman, do you think something like that could sway me? An apology is fine, but I still won't allow you near Jeanne!"
Jeanne, meanwhile, had grown visibly jealous. Looking uncomfortable, she unhappily tugged at Laurent's sleeve.
"Um…Marie-san?" Mash's voice timidly cut in. "May I say something?"
Marie blinked, looking guilty. "Oh dear, my apologies! Look at me, monopolizing the conversation—how embarrassing! What did you want to say?"
"Right, well… Since we detected a powerful leyline in a nearby forest, I suggest we head there and set up a base. Does everyone agree?"
Everyone quickly agreed. Laurent was no exception—he could eat some trees tonight anyway.
"Then it's settled. Once we arrive, let's discuss our next steps together."
After reaching the location and clearing out the undead lingering around the leyline, everyone finally relaxed and introduced themselves properly. Laurent gave only a brief introduction, carefully leaving out any mention of Évigi to avoid unnecessary complications.
Slowly, evening turned to dusk.
As a bonfire crackled, Laurent discreetly spread fine, spiderweb-like blood threads throughout the area. If anything approached, he would know immediately.
At one point, sensing movement, Laurent's brows furrowed slightly.
He didn't want Jeanne disturbed by anyone right now.
Is it someone sent by Jeanne Alter? If so, I won't hold back this time.
"You all stay here. I'll go patrol a bit."
Mash stood up as she heard this. "It feels wrong for Laurent-san to patrol every time. Let me go this once."
"No need. I'm enough alone. Besides, I don't really have much to talk about with you guys. I only care about Jeanne, so I don't quite fit into this group atmosphere." With that, Laurent turned and left immediately.
But they didn't notice—after turning away, Laurent's gentle eyes instantly chilled, filling with icy hostility.
Watching Laurent's retreating figure, Mash softly sighed, "Though Laurent-san rarely says it aloud, he really is very kind…"
Jeanne smiled gently, "He's always been that way."
Unfortunately, Laurent was already too far away to hear them. At this moment, he'd moved thousands of meters away from the group, perched high on a tree branch, waiting for the pursuer.
His crimson eyes gleamed coldly in the darkness, frighteningly cold beneath the night sky.
I don't know who's coming, but if it's not Jeanne Alter herself…I'll just kill them quickly and be done with it.
---
T/N: heuheuheu yuri im marie
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