Chapter 430
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Chapter 430:
"Repeat what you just said about Jeanne D Arc." I demanded.
He took an unconscious step back and I didn't even realize I was nearly in his face. "The Dragon Witch. After she was burned at the stake, they say she was raised from the fires of purgatory itself, wielding the cursed flames as her own. The ones responsible for her death, and even the King himself were all burned in her unholy wrath!"
".....ridiculous." I muttered after understanding his words. "Jeanne D'Arc going on a murder spree?" Just saying it out loud was absurd.
"I'm just telling you what I heard." The man grunted. "And then the flying beasts appeared. And ya just have to look up to the sky to see that something is wrong."
Right, from his perspective, I supposed they would believe such a rumor just from the fact that Wyverns appeared that coincided with that stupid rumor. Not to mention the Ring of Light is noticeable to everyone so that's not helping matters.
Absolutely no way this was Jeanne. The Jeanne I knew was....beyond reproach. Those Angels I met at the Peace conference were less in my eyes in comparison to her.
I was confident that she would emerge from the Corrupted Grail's Mud of Rin's Grail War untainted if she were exposed.
But, it wouldn't do any good for me to get upset over this. There was obviously something wrong, beyond the obvious of this place being a singularity. I would just have to figure out the details myself.
"Shouldn't there have been a treaty signed between the French and English at this point?" I started pacing back and forth, thinking aloud.
At this point in history, I can't say it has overtly significant. It's obviously important enough that a singularity formed a distortion, but compared to other events in the past, it's not very substantial in weight. The only notable occurrence that had ramifications beyond the borders is the ending of the Hundred Year war through an agreement signed by both the English and French Kings.
"The English King bastard died as well." The man spit out. "Good riddance I say. Only good thing the Witch did was scare off them English armies from the lands. If she didn't start burning down cities too then everything woulda been fine."
"....right." I took a moment to process that bit of information as well.
Just going by the process of events, History is entirely fucked up due to this sequence. The English Armies would return, the next heir would swear vengeance and I wouldn't be surprised if the Church joined in due to their people being burned in revenge.
That's not even considering the fact that there are god damn Wyverns flying around in mass enough that people are calling her 'The Dragon Witch'. How long before the Clock Tower of this time period would get involved?
No wonder this was a point of Singularity in the Timeline.
What a damn mess.
At least everything wasn't literally on fire like Fuyuki.
"You said this Witch was burning down Cities. Can you tell me about that?"
He grunted with a nod. "Heard Orleans was burned down by the Witch and she raised a Castle on the ashes. Lyon too, got a couple youngins from over there and they said that the city was mostly destroyed and burned by the witch. And something about a Knight protecting them or something." He said gruffly. "Nonsense if you ask me. Maybe other places too, but we didn't stay to wait. As soon as those monsters appeared, we packed up and ran."
I looked back towards the remainder of the caravan. Probably a dozen or so carts pulled with horses, oxes or donkeys. A lot of them looked held together only by prayers at merely a glance.
"Where are you all going then? If France is suffering at the hands of this Witch with...Dragons that can fly across the land faster than people can flee. Where will you go to escape her?"
He leaned on his spear. "North." He said simply. "Lots O' people saying that the Witch won't go up North, Eastwards that is. They say that the Duchy of Lorraine is safe from her, that for some reason she can't step foot on the land. We are headed for Nancy, the capital city of the Duchy."
"Why did she leave it untouched?" I furrowed my brow. "If she was burning down most of France, from what you said." It didn't make sense. What was there that would keep this supposed Jeanne D Arc at bay? The Holy Roman Empire? Did they set up there and are pushing back against the 'Dragon Witch' and using some of the Church's secret weapons?
They have plenty of weapons stored away that even I would be fearful of.
"Ah don't know myself." He shrugged, not giving it too much thought it seems. "You're welcome to come along. I'd be a shit man if I didn't offer our saviors a ride. "Side's, I wouldn't turn down the extra help if you wantin to come along. We be almost to the borders of what's safe. Once we get to the nearby Village, we'll gather some more supplies to make the Journey further North. But don't worry, they say the Wyverns don't dare to come close."
[Master?] Raikou's voice entered my head through our Servant link. [Do you wish to follow? It seems we have an immediate destination if you want to find the source of the conflict here. However, there is something unsettling going on.]
[Let's....get our bearings first. After what happened before, the last thing I want to do is rush into anything at the moment.] I sent back through our link.
"I'll gladly take you up on your offer." I held out my hand and he happily shook it. It seems like he really appreciated the extra help after dealing with those Wyverns. "What's the name of the place we're stopping?" Maybe I could inquire about some things there if they got a bunch of other people traveling through like them.
"Err, what was the name?" He scratched his head. "Damn kids said they got some family there and suggested we stop to refill supplies. D-dum, do...."
I stiffened in realization. "Domrémy?" I offered.
"Ah, that's the one!" He smiled happily.
[Master, why did you react that way after hearing that? Does the name mean something to you?] Raikou asked.
I supposed most people wouldn't know, especially the peasants of this era as it only got popularized long after her death.
[It's the place of Jeanne's birth...and where her family should still be living.]
"Well, I wouldn't want to keep everyone." I looked up to the sky. There were a few figures miles away in the distance, by the size this far away, I could guess they were more Wyverns, but they didn't seem to be coming our way. "Let's not wait for more of those monsters to come along."
"I'll make sure the others are ready and we will get goin. Should make it there before nightfall." He nodded in appreciation. "You two can get on my cart, I'll take ya there myself." He walked over, patting a nearby cart full of random items tied to it and a horse that looked rather tired.
I climbed into the back without argument and Raikou soon followed.
Raikou probably sensed my annoyance and discomfort because she pulled me down to lean on her shoulder while she took my hand affectionately.
By the sounds of it either Chaldea was keeping a low profile, or they hadn't arrived in the Singularity yet. I would check out this village and see the situation for myself before planning our next move.
[***]
Thankfully, we didn't have to deal with any more problems for the evening. The several hour ride was long and rough, but we finally arrived at what looked like the village.
It was very different seeing it in this era compared to when I took Jeanne to visit her hometown. They called it a village, but perhaps a town might be appropriate.
Atleast, it was bustling enough that it could be mistaken for one. But there also appeared to be a noticeable amount of refugees and travelers camped up in the area.
Not only that, but there was a large wooden wall erected around the perimeter. The wood itself looked like it had just been cut apart from the nearby forestry. And there were plenty of people being denied entry by some armed guards.
"Shoulda known something like this would've happened." The old man driving the cart let out an annoyed grunt. "Unlikely we getting any help here."
"You should be good from this point regardless, right?" I asked.
"Mmm, without those monsters overhead, we should be fine." He nodded. "We can figure out it from here if you're settling down here."
"Thanks for the ride." I nodded towards him in thanks, stepping off the cart. I held out my hand, helping Raikou off a moment later.
[Master!] Raikou called out in alarm.
[I noticed, Raikou. Just....try to find them and keep watch if you can.] I replied, also noticing the fact that what was most likely a Servant appeared nearby.
"You must be Madame Romee." I ignored the death glares from them and continued to focus on the woman. "Jeanne spoke about you. It's an honor to meet her mother."
"You knew my Jeannette?" She smiled bitterly. "I apologize, I did not catch your name."
"How rude of me." I took a step forward and gently took her hand, placing my lips against the back of it in a gesture of respect. "Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg, at your service, Madame."
She seemed amused by my action. "Isabelle is fine. Come, I have tea brewing, you can tell me why you came all the way here and how you know my daughter."
"Madame, are you sure – "
"If he wished to harm me, he would have done so already." Jeanne's mom interrupted one of the men about to speak.
"....Just to double check, they're here as guests?" I eyed the suspicious men.
She cracked a smile, giggling softly. "They are worried that someone was going to harm me. They are all former comrades of my daughter who retired and came to settle down here."
Oh...that's awkward.
"I apologize for my actions; I assumed the worst." I bowed my head towards them in acknowledgement for my assumption.
They glanced between themselves and there was a noticeable amount of tension that eased up.
"Alright, I guess you have a point about everything." The one named Philippe scratched the back of his head. "You two go out and scatter everyone else, Tell them the Madame is fine."
The other two grumbled and hobbled out the door. I glanced around the corner and noticed just how large the crowd forming outside had become.
I was broken from my musing as the man slapped me on the back. "Apology accepted, boy. Now get over there, the Madame offered you tea and you're not going to spit on her hospitality."
"Philippe, be nice to our guest."
He grumbled but nearly dragged me to the table where she was set up, a warm cup already set out for me.
"Thank you for the tea." I politely expressed my gratitude while taking a sip. Fairly watered down and lacking much of the taste that I'm used to, but there was a certain warmness to it as well. "....if you don't mind me asking, what's going on with...." I glanced at the man hovering nearby, leaning against the wall, staring at me.
"They all seem to think an old woman like me is in need of protection." Isabella chuckled. "Truthfully, I don't think I'm worth all this trouble."
"Madame, any of the men outside would gladly lay down their lives to protect yours. None of us believe those rumors about this Dragon Witch. We all owe your daughter too much to allow even the chance of you getting harmed because of it." Phillipe responded.
"You all are former soldiers that served with Jeanne, weren't you?" I summarized.
He nodded proudly. "After hearin what happened in Orleans, we all gathered her to protect her family. It was the least we could do." He sighed, slumping his shoulders. "Suppose I should give an apology for the treatment too. We've had a cloaked stranger appear the other day, and they nearly slipped inside the Madam's home under our noses. We've been keeping a closer eye on the place for outsiders ever since. Assumed you were involved."
"It was understandable." I waved it off. But hearing about a 'stranger' and knowing there's a Servant nearby, well, two and two wasn't hard to put together. "Madame Isabelle, I apologize if my question comes off crass but....where is everyone else?"
"My husband took our children to his Great Aunt's home further north." She looked down at her tea sadly. "After hearing that Jeannette died then everything that came after.... we couldn't simply leave under the hope that our daughter wasn't truly gone. We decided that he would take the children to safety and then he would come back and we would wait to see if our daughter came home."
Phillipe looked away, obviously not believing she would.
And I knew the truth as well.
And the look on her face, well, she knew she was holding out for a miracle.
"I'm sorry for your loss." I said quietly. "She was an amazing young woman. She called me a friend once, and that's a memory I'll always cherish."
"Thank you, your words were very kind." She smiled warmly, despite the sorrowful topic. "I was always worried that Jeannette was having troubles while fighting, but to hear she had friends makes me very happy."
I don't know how she's holding herself together so well. I've barely been a dad for months at this point, and I would be an uncontrollable mess if I found out that Kunou passed away.
[Master, I found the Servant.] Raikou called out.
[Can you see them? Do you recognize them at all?] I asked back.
[They are covered with a hood over their head, master.] Raikou stated.
I stood up from my seat. "I barged in and brought up some bad memories. Please allow me to offer up something as recompose. You said there was someone suspicious poking around? I'll go grab them right now."
At the very least, I wanted Jeanne's mom to not have to live like this.
I didn't wait for them to answer as I was already flying out the door. As soon as I crossed the threshold, I moved with a burst of Shunpo hopping along the nearby rooftops until I could catch up to Raikou who was on the move.
Apparently, this other Servant noticed something was wrong and was running away. Why they didn't Astralize, I didn't know, but I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.
It didn't take long for me to catch up, I could see the figure that Raikou was trailing as they weaved between houses.
They weren't fast, relatively speaking. As far as Servant parameters go, I felt like they were near the lowest end as I was easily gaining on them without pushing too hard.
I eventually jumped off a building and summoned up Mirage, halfheartedly swinging it downwards at them. I merely wanted to disrupt their attempt at fleeing rather than go for a kill. They swung their body around and materialized a weapon into their hand.]
My eyes widened because I recognized it.
A long pole with a point at the end, but it wasn't a spear. It was still furled, but the coloring of it was something I wouldn't forget.
A Banner.
I could get somewhat of a look at her face now, covered by the shroud and hidden under the moonlight.
Blonde hair peeked out from under the hood, and a familiar pair of blue eyes stared back at me.
"Jeanne?"
[***]
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Chapter 430:
"Repeat what you just said about Jeanne D Arc." I demanded.
He took an unconscious step back and I didn't even realize I was nearly in his face. "The Dragon Witch. After she was burned at the stake, they say she was raised from the fires of purgatory itself, wielding the cursed flames as her own. The ones responsible for her death, and even the King himself were all burned in her unholy wrath!"
".....ridiculous." I muttered after understanding his words. "Jeanne D'Arc going on a murder spree?" Just saying it out loud was absurd.
"I'm just telling you what I heard." The man grunted. "And then the flying beasts appeared. And ya just have to look up to the sky to see that something is wrong."
Right, from his perspective, I supposed they would believe such a rumor just from the fact that Wyverns appeared that coincided with that stupid rumor. Not to mention the Ring of Light is noticeable to everyone so that's not helping matters.
Absolutely no way this was Jeanne. The Jeanne I knew was....beyond reproach. Those Angels I met at the Peace conference were less in my eyes in comparison to her.
I was confident that she would emerge from the Corrupted Grail's Mud of Rin's Grail War untainted if she were exposed.
But, it wouldn't do any good for me to get upset over this. There was obviously something wrong, beyond the obvious of this place being a singularity. I would just have to figure out the details myself.
"Shouldn't there have been a treaty signed between the French and English at this point?" I started pacing back and forth, thinking aloud.
At this point in history, I can't say it has overtly significant. It's obviously important enough that a singularity formed a distortion, but compared to other events in the past, it's not very substantial in weight. The only notable occurrence that had ramifications beyond the borders is the ending of the Hundred Year war through an agreement signed by both the English and French Kings.
"The English King bastard died as well." The man spit out. "Good riddance I say. Only good thing the Witch did was scare off them English armies from the lands. If she didn't start burning down cities too then everything woulda been fine."
"....right." I took a moment to process that bit of information as well.
Just going by the process of events, History is entirely fucked up due to this sequence. The English Armies would return, the next heir would swear vengeance and I wouldn't be surprised if the Church joined in due to their people being burned in revenge.
That's not even considering the fact that there are god damn Wyverns flying around in mass enough that people are calling her 'The Dragon Witch'. How long before the Clock Tower of this time period would get involved?
No wonder this was a point of Singularity in the Timeline.
What a damn mess.
At least everything wasn't literally on fire like Fuyuki.
"You said this Witch was burning down Cities. Can you tell me about that?"
He grunted with a nod. "Heard Orleans was burned down by the Witch and she raised a Castle on the ashes. Lyon too, got a couple youngins from over there and they said that the city was mostly destroyed and burned by the witch. And something about a Knight protecting them or something." He said gruffly. "Nonsense if you ask me. Maybe other places too, but we didn't stay to wait. As soon as those monsters appeared, we packed up and ran."
I looked back towards the remainder of the caravan. Probably a dozen or so carts pulled with horses, oxes or donkeys. A lot of them looked held together only by prayers at merely a glance.
"Where are you all going then? If France is suffering at the hands of this Witch with...Dragons that can fly across the land faster than people can flee. Where will you go to escape her?"
He leaned on his spear. "North." He said simply. "Lots O' people saying that the Witch won't go up North, Eastwards that is. They say that the Duchy of Lorraine is safe from her, that for some reason she can't step foot on the land. We are headed for Nancy, the capital city of the Duchy."
"Why did she leave it untouched?" I furrowed my brow. "If she was burning down most of France, from what you said." It didn't make sense. What was there that would keep this supposed Jeanne D Arc at bay? The Holy Roman Empire? Did they set up there and are pushing back against the 'Dragon Witch' and using some of the Church's secret weapons?
They have plenty of weapons stored away that even I would be fearful of.
"Ah don't know myself." He shrugged, not giving it too much thought it seems. "You're welcome to come along. I'd be a shit man if I didn't offer our saviors a ride. "Side's, I wouldn't turn down the extra help if you wantin to come along. We be almost to the borders of what's safe. Once we get to the nearby Village, we'll gather some more supplies to make the Journey further North. But don't worry, they say the Wyverns don't dare to come close."
[Master?] Raikou's voice entered my head through our Servant link. [Do you wish to follow? It seems we have an immediate destination if you want to find the source of the conflict here. However, there is something unsettling going on.]
[Let's....get our bearings first. After what happened before, the last thing I want to do is rush into anything at the moment.] I sent back through our link.
"I'll gladly take you up on your offer." I held out my hand and he happily shook it. It seems like he really appreciated the extra help after dealing with those Wyverns. "What's the name of the place we're stopping?" Maybe I could inquire about some things there if they got a bunch of other people traveling through like them.
"Err, what was the name?" He scratched his head. "Damn kids said they got some family there and suggested we stop to refill supplies. D-dum, do...."
I stiffened in realization. "Domrémy?" I offered.
"Ah, that's the one!" He smiled happily.
[Master, why did you react that way after hearing that? Does the name mean something to you?] Raikou asked.
I supposed most people wouldn't know, especially the peasants of this era as it only got popularized long after her death.
[It's the place of Jeanne's birth...and where her family should still be living.]
"Well, I wouldn't want to keep everyone." I looked up to the sky. There were a few figures miles away in the distance, by the size this far away, I could guess they were more Wyverns, but they didn't seem to be coming our way. "Let's not wait for more of those monsters to come along."
"I'll make sure the others are ready and we will get goin. Should make it there before nightfall." He nodded in appreciation. "You two can get on my cart, I'll take ya there myself." He walked over, patting a nearby cart full of random items tied to it and a horse that looked rather tired.
I climbed into the back without argument and Raikou soon followed.
Raikou probably sensed my annoyance and discomfort because she pulled me down to lean on her shoulder while she took my hand affectionately.
By the sounds of it either Chaldea was keeping a low profile, or they hadn't arrived in the Singularity yet. I would check out this village and see the situation for myself before planning our next move.
[***]
Thankfully, we didn't have to deal with any more problems for the evening. The several hour ride was long and rough, but we finally arrived at what looked like the village.
It was very different seeing it in this era compared to when I took Jeanne to visit her hometown. They called it a village, but perhaps a town might be appropriate.
Atleast, it was bustling enough that it could be mistaken for one. But there also appeared to be a noticeable amount of refugees and travelers camped up in the area.
Not only that, but there was a large wooden wall erected around the perimeter. The wood itself looked like it had just been cut apart from the nearby forestry. And there were plenty of people being denied entry by some armed guards.
"Shoulda known something like this would've happened." The old man driving the cart let out an annoyed grunt. "Unlikely we getting any help here."
"You should be good from this point regardless, right?" I asked.
"Mmm, without those monsters overhead, we should be fine." He nodded. "We can figure out it from here if you're settling down here."
"Thanks for the ride." I nodded towards him in thanks, stepping off the cart. I held out my hand, helping Raikou off a moment later.
[Master!] Raikou called out in alarm.
[I noticed, Raikou. Just....try to find them and keep watch if you can.] I replied, also noticing the fact that what was most likely a Servant appeared nearby.
"You must be Madame Romee." I ignored the death glares from them and continued to focus on the woman. "Jeanne spoke about you. It's an honor to meet her mother."
"You knew my Jeannette?" She smiled bitterly. "I apologize, I did not catch your name."
"How rude of me." I took a step forward and gently took her hand, placing my lips against the back of it in a gesture of respect. "Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg, at your service, Madame."
She seemed amused by my action. "Isabelle is fine. Come, I have tea brewing, you can tell me why you came all the way here and how you know my daughter."
"Madame, are you sure – "
"If he wished to harm me, he would have done so already." Jeanne's mom interrupted one of the men about to speak.
"....Just to double check, they're here as guests?" I eyed the suspicious men.
She cracked a smile, giggling softly. "They are worried that someone was going to harm me. They are all former comrades of my daughter who retired and came to settle down here."
Oh...that's awkward.
"I apologize for my actions; I assumed the worst." I bowed my head towards them in acknowledgement for my assumption.
They glanced between themselves and there was a noticeable amount of tension that eased up.
"Alright, I guess you have a point about everything." The one named Philippe scratched the back of his head. "You two go out and scatter everyone else, Tell them the Madame is fine."
The other two grumbled and hobbled out the door. I glanced around the corner and noticed just how large the crowd forming outside had become.
I was broken from my musing as the man slapped me on the back. "Apology accepted, boy. Now get over there, the Madame offered you tea and you're not going to spit on her hospitality."
"Philippe, be nice to our guest."
He grumbled but nearly dragged me to the table where she was set up, a warm cup already set out for me.
"Thank you for the tea." I politely expressed my gratitude while taking a sip. Fairly watered down and lacking much of the taste that I'm used to, but there was a certain warmness to it as well. "....if you don't mind me asking, what's going on with...." I glanced at the man hovering nearby, leaning against the wall, staring at me.
"They all seem to think an old woman like me is in need of protection." Isabella chuckled. "Truthfully, I don't think I'm worth all this trouble."
"Madame, any of the men outside would gladly lay down their lives to protect yours. None of us believe those rumors about this Dragon Witch. We all owe your daughter too much to allow even the chance of you getting harmed because of it." Phillipe responded.
"You all are former soldiers that served with Jeanne, weren't you?" I summarized.
He nodded proudly. "After hearin what happened in Orleans, we all gathered her to protect her family. It was the least we could do." He sighed, slumping his shoulders. "Suppose I should give an apology for the treatment too. We've had a cloaked stranger appear the other day, and they nearly slipped inside the Madam's home under our noses. We've been keeping a closer eye on the place for outsiders ever since. Assumed you were involved."
"It was understandable." I waved it off. But hearing about a 'stranger' and knowing there's a Servant nearby, well, two and two wasn't hard to put together. "Madame Isabelle, I apologize if my question comes off crass but....where is everyone else?"
"My husband took our children to his Great Aunt's home further north." She looked down at her tea sadly. "After hearing that Jeannette died then everything that came after.... we couldn't simply leave under the hope that our daughter wasn't truly gone. We decided that he would take the children to safety and then he would come back and we would wait to see if our daughter came home."
Phillipe looked away, obviously not believing she would.
And I knew the truth as well.
And the look on her face, well, she knew she was holding out for a miracle.
"I'm sorry for your loss." I said quietly. "She was an amazing young woman. She called me a friend once, and that's a memory I'll always cherish."
"Thank you, your words were very kind." She smiled warmly, despite the sorrowful topic. "I was always worried that Jeannette was having troubles while fighting, but to hear she had friends makes me very happy."
I don't know how she's holding herself together so well. I've barely been a dad for months at this point, and I would be an uncontrollable mess if I found out that Kunou passed away.
[Master, I found the Servant.] Raikou called out.
[Can you see them? Do you recognize them at all?] I asked back.
[They are covered with a hood over their head, master.] Raikou stated.
I stood up from my seat. "I barged in and brought up some bad memories. Please allow me to offer up something as recompose. You said there was someone suspicious poking around? I'll go grab them right now."
At the very least, I wanted Jeanne's mom to not have to live like this.
I didn't wait for them to answer as I was already flying out the door. As soon as I crossed the threshold, I moved with a burst of Shunpo hopping along the nearby rooftops until I could catch up to Raikou who was on the move.
Apparently, this other Servant noticed something was wrong and was running away. Why they didn't Astralize, I didn't know, but I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.
It didn't take long for me to catch up, I could see the figure that Raikou was trailing as they weaved between houses.
They weren't fast, relatively speaking. As far as Servant parameters go, I felt like they were near the lowest end as I was easily gaining on them without pushing too hard.
I eventually jumped off a building and summoned up Mirage, halfheartedly swinging it downwards at them. I merely wanted to disrupt their attempt at fleeing rather than go for a kill. They swung their body around and materialized a weapon into their hand.]
My eyes widened because I recognized it.
A long pole with a point at the end, but it wasn't a spear. It was still furled, but the coloring of it was something I wouldn't forget.
A Banner.
I could get somewhat of a look at her face now, covered by the shroud and hidden under the moonlight.
Blonde hair peeked out from under the hood, and a familiar pair of blue eyes stared back at me.
"Jeanne?"
[***]
If you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
Chapter 430:"Repeat what you just said about Jeanne D Arc." I demanded.He took an unconscious step back and I didn't even realize I was nearly in his face. "The Dragon Witch. After she was burned at the stake, they say she was raised from the fires of purgatory itself, wielding the cursed flames as her own. The ones responsible for her death, and even the King himself were all burned in her unholy wrath!"".....ridiculous." I muttered after understanding his words. "Jeanne D'Arc going on a murder spree?" Just saying it out loud was absurd."I'm just telling you what I heard." The man grunted. "And then the flying beasts appeared. And ya just have to look up to the sky to see that something is wrong."Right, from his perspective, I supposed they would believe such a rumor just from the fact that Wyverns appeared that coincided with that stupid rumor. Not to mention the Ring of Light is noticeable to everyone so that's not helping matters.Absolutely no way this was Jeanne. The Jeanne I knew was....beyond reproach. Those Angels I met at the Peace conference were less in my eyes in comparison to her.I was confident that she would emerge from the Corrupted Grail's Mud of Rin's Grail War untainted if she were exposed.But, it wouldn't do any good for me to get upset over this. There was obviously something wrong, beyond the obvious of this place being a singularity. I would just have to figure out the details myself."Shouldn't there have been a treaty signed between the French and English at this point?" I started pacing back and forth, thinking aloud.At this point in history, I can't say it has overtly significant. It's obviously important enough that a singularity formed a distortion, but compared to other events in the past, it's not very substantial in weight. The only notable occurrence that had ramifications beyond the borders is the ending of the Hundred Year war through an agreement signed by both the English and French Kings."The English King bastard died as well." The man spit out. "Good riddance I say. Only good thing the Witch did was scare off them English armies from the lands. If she didn't start burning down cities too then everything woulda been fine.""....right." I took a moment to process that bit of information as well.Just going by the process of events, History is entirely fucked up due to this sequence. The English Armies would return, the next heir would swear vengeance and I wouldn't be surprised if the Church joined in due to their people being burned in revenge.That's not even considering the fact that there are god damn Wyverns flying around in mass enough that people are calling her 'The Dragon Witch'. How long before the Clock Tower of this time period would get involved?No wonder this was a point of Singularity in the Timeline.What a damn mess.At least everything wasn't literally on fire like Fuyuki."You said this Witch was burning down Cities. Can you tell me about that?"He grunted with a nod. "Heard Orleans was burned down by the Witch and she raised a Castle on the ashes. Lyon too, got a couple youngins from over there and they said that the city was mostly destroyed and burned by the witch. And something about a Knight protecting them or something." He said gruffly. "Nonsense if you ask me. Maybe other places too, but we didn't stay to wait. As soon as those monsters appeared, we packed up and ran."I looked back towards the remainder of the caravan. Probably a dozen or so carts pulled with horses, oxes or donkeys. A lot of them looked held together only by prayers at merely a glance."Where are you all going then? If France is suffering at the hands of this Witch with...Dragons that can fly across the land faster than people can flee. Where will you go to escape her?"He leaned on his spear. "North." He said simply. "Lots O' people saying that the Witch won't go up North, Eastwards that is. They say that the Duchy of Lorraine is safe from her, that for some reason she can't step foot on the land. We are headed for Nancy, the capital city of the Duchy.""Why did she leave it untouched?" I furrowed my brow. "If she was burning down most of France, from what you said." It didn't make sense. What was there that would keep this supposed Jeanne D Arc at bay? The Holy Roman Empire? Did they set up there and are pushing back against the 'Dragon Witch' and using some of the Church's secret weapons?They have plenty of weapons stored away that even I would be fearful of."Ah don't know myself." He shrugged, not giving it too much thought it seems. "You're welcome to come along. I'd be a shit man if I didn't offer our saviors a ride. "Side's, I wouldn't turn down the extra help if you wantin to come along. We be almost to the borders of what's safe. Once we get to the nearby Village, we'll gather some more supplies to make the Journey further North. But don't worry, they say the Wyverns don't dare to come close."Master? Raikou's voice entered my head through our Servant link. Do you wish to follow? It seems we have an immediate destination if you want to find the source of the conflict here. However, there is something unsettling going on.Let's....get our bearings first. After what happened before, the last thing I want to do is rush into anything at the moment. I sent back through our link."I'll gladly take you up on your offer." I held out my hand and he happily shook it. It seems like he really appreciated the extra help after dealing with those Wyverns. "What's the name of the place we're stopping?" Maybe I could inquire about some things there if they got a bunch of other people traveling through like them."Err, what was the name?" He scratched his head. "Damn kids said they got some family there and suggested we stop to refill supplies. D-dum, do...."I stiffened in realization. "Domremy?" I offered."Ah, that's the one!" He smiled happily.Master, why did you react that way after hearing that? Does the name mean something to you? Raikou asked.I supposed most people wouldn't know, especially the peasants of this era as it only got popularized long after her death.It's the place of Jeanne's birth...and where her family should still be living."Well, I wouldn't want to keep everyone." I looked up to the sky. There were a few figures miles away in the distance, by the size this far away, I could guess they were more Wyverns, but they didn't seem to be coming our way. "Let's not wait for more of those monsters to come along.""I'll make sure the others are ready and we will get goin. Should make it there before nightfall." He nodded in appreciation. "You two can get on my cart, I'll take ya there myself." He walked over, patting a nearby cart full of random items tied to it and a horse that looked rather tired.I climbed into the back without argument and Raikou soon followed.Raikou probably sensed my annoyance and discomfort because she pulled me down to lean on her shoulder while she took my hand affectionately.By the sounds of it either Chaldea was keeping a low profile, or they hadn't arrived in the Singularity yet. I would check out this village and see the situation for myself before planning our next move.***Thankfully, we didn't have to deal with any more problems for the evening. The several hour ride was long and rough, but we finally arrived at what looked like the village.It was very different seeing it in this era compared to when I took Jeanne to visit her hometown. They called it a village, but perhaps a town might be appropriate.Atleast, it was bustling enough that it could be mistaken for one. But there also appeared to be a noticeable amount of refugees and travelers camped up in the area.Not only that, but there was a large wooden wall erected around the perimeter. The wood itself looked like it had just been cut apart from the nearby forestry. And there were plenty of people being denied entry by some armed guards."Shoulda known something like this would've happened." The old man driving the cart let out an annoyed grunt. "Unlikely we getting any help here.""You should be good from this point regardless, right?" I asked."Mmm, without those monsters overhead, we should be fine." He nodded. "We can figure out it from here if you're settling down here.""Thanks for the ride." I nodded towards him in thanks, stepping off the cart. I held out my hand, helping Raikou off a moment later.Master! Raikou called out in alarm.I noticed, Raikou. Just....try to find them and keep watch if you can. I replied, also noticing the fact that what was most likely a Servant appeared nearby."You must be Madame Romee." I ignored the death glares from them and continued to focus on the woman. "Jeanne spoke about you. It's an honor to meet her mother.""You knew my Jeannette?" She smiled bitterly. "I apologize, I did not catch your name.""How rude of me." I took a step forward and gently took her hand, placing my lips against the back of it in a gesture of respect. "Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg, at your service, Madame."She seemed amused by my action. "Isabelle is fine. Come, I have tea brewing, you can tell me why you came all the way here and how you know my daughter.""Madame, are you sure ""If he wished to harm me, he would have done so already." Jeanne's mom interrupted one of the men about to speak."....Just to double check, they're here as guests?" I eyed the suspicious men.She cracked a smile, giggling softly. "They are worried that someone was going to harm me. They are all former comrades of my daughter who retired and came to settle down here."Oh...that's awkward."I apologize for my actions; I assumed the worst." I bowed my head towards them in acknowledgement for my assumption.They glanced between themselves and there was a noticeable amount of tension that eased up."Alright, I guess you have a point about everything." The one named Philippe scratched the back of his head. "You two go out and scatter everyone else, Tell them the Madame is fine."The other two grumbled and hobbled out the door. I glanced around the corner and noticed just how large the crowd forming outside had become.I was broken from my musing as the man slapped me on the back. "Apology accepted, boy. Now get over there, the Madame offered you tea and you're not going to spit on her hospitality.""Philippe, be nice to our guest."He grumbled but nearly dragged me to the table where she was set up, a warm cup already set out for me."Thank you for the tea." I politely expressed my gratitude while taking a sip. Fairly watered down and lacking much of the taste that I'm used to, but there was a certain warmness to it as well. "....if you don't mind me asking, what's going on with...." I glanced at the man hovering nearby, leaning against the wall, staring at me."They all seem to think an old woman like me is in need of protection." Isabella chuckled. "Truthfully, I don't think I'm worth all this trouble.""Madame, any of the men outside would gladly lay down their lives to protect yours. None of us believe those rumors about this Dragon Witch. We all owe your daughter too much to allow even the chance of you getting harmed because of it." Phillipe responded."You all are former soldiers that served with Jeanne, weren't you?" I summarized.He nodded proudly. "After hearin what happened in Orleans, we all gathered her to protect her family. It was the least we could do." He sighed, slumping his shoulders. "Suppose I should give an apology for the treatment too. We've had a cloaked stranger appear the other day, and they nearly slipped inside the Madam's home under our noses. We've been keeping a closer eye on the place for outsiders ever since. Assumed you were involved.""It was understandable." I waved it off. But hearing about a 'stranger' and knowing there's a Servant nearby, well, two and two wasn't hard to put together. "Madame Isabelle, I apologize if my question comes off crass but....where is everyone else?""My husband took our children to his Great Aunt's home further north." She looked down at her tea sadly. "After hearing that Jeannette died then everything that came after.... we couldn't simply leave under the hope that our daughter wasn't truly gone. We decided that he would take the children to safety and then he would come back and we would wait to see if our daughter came home."Phillipe looked away, obviously not believing she would.And I knew the truth as well.And the look on her face, well, she knew she was holding out for a miracle."I'm sorry for your loss." I said quietly. "She was an amazing young woman. She called me a friend once, and that's a memory I'll always cherish.""Thank you, your words were very kind." She smiled warmly, despite the sorrowful topic. "I was always worried that Jeannette was having troubles while fighting, but to hear she had friends makes me very happy."I don't know how she's holding herself together so well. I've barely been a dad for months at this point, and I would be an uncontrollable mess if I found out that Kunou passed away.Master, I found the Servant. Raikou called out.Can you see them? Do you recognize them at all? I asked back.They are covered with a hood over their head, master. Raikou stated.I stood up from my seat. "I barged in and brought up some bad memories. Please allow me to offer up something as recompose. You said there was someone suspicious poking around? I'll go grab them right now."At the very least, I wanted Jeanne's mom to not have to live like this.I didn't wait for them to answer as I was already flying out the door. As soon as I crossed the threshold, I moved with a burst of Shunpo hopping along the nearby rooftops until I could catch up to Raikou who was on the move.Apparently, this other Servant noticed something was wrong and was running away. Why they didn't Astralize, I didn't know, but I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.It didn't take long for me to catch up, I could see the figure that Raikou was trailing as they weaved between houses.They weren't fast, relatively speaking. As far as Servant parameters go, I felt like they were near the lowest end as I was easily gaining on them without pushing too hard.I eventually jumped off a building and summoned up Mirage, halfheartedly swinging it downwards at them. I merely wanted to disrupt their attempt at fleeing rather than go for a kill. They swung their body around and materialized a weapon into their hand.My eyes widened because I recognized it.A long pole with a point at the end, but it wasn't a spear. It was still furled, but the coloring of it was something I wouldn't forget.A Banner.I could get somewhat of a look at her face now, covered by the shroud and hidden under the moonlight.Blonde hair peeked out from under the hood, and a familiar pair of blue eyes stared back at me."Jeanne?"***If you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
