White Jeanne settled into the city.
It seemed almost unbelievable, and at first, even White Jeanne herself couldn't imagine she'd blend so seamlessly into this "evil" city, whose very existence felt like a blasphemy against the divine.
But after truly living here, she found things weren't as bad as she'd imagined.
"Good morning, Miss Jeanne."
Mash Kyrielight, a soft and gentle girl, somehow gave White Jeanne a sense of familiarity, as if they were close comrades from the same side... though upon closer inspection, she realized she might have mistaken her for someone else.
"Morning, Mash."
"What's for breakfast today?"
"A few slices of bread, a plate of grilled sausages, and a bowl of rich tomato soup."
Among the city's "idlers." Jeanne and Mash were among the early risers, and they'd become close enough to be regular "meal buddies."
"But what's with all this food?"
White Jeanne looked puzzled at the servers pushing carts, bustling through the corridors.
It was a lavish spread, and it seemed to come from different eras... roasted meat and wine from this age, alongside chips, chocolate, and soda from fifteen hundred years in the future.
"Oh, those?"
"They're offerings to the divine, to ensure Their continued blessings upon Chaldea... that's what the Doctor said."
Mash mimicked Dr. Romani's tone, her face showing a mix of piety and playful flattery.
White Jeanne, hearing such a striking word, was startled, not even noticing the spoon slipping into her soup bowl.
"Huh?"
"The divine?!"
...
Morning, after breakfast.
With a nervous heart, White Jeanne approached Alaric's room.
Her mind replayed the task Artoria had given her... to build a good relationship with this white dragon.
But was that even possible?
As the Messiah's saint, could she really bond with another divine being?
The answer was, of course, yes.
"No need to worry."
"I know of your existence, and I know of that divine being's existence."
"That divine being might indeed be the sole supreme entity in the heavens and earth."
Seeing White Jeanne's visibly tense expression, as if she feared committing some grave sin, Alaric not only invited her in with a cheerful tone but also shared the food on the table with her.
He understood Jeanne's concerns.
In the teachings of the Church, the [Father], [Son], and [Holy Spirit]... the Holy Trinity... were the supreme and only divine existence.
The Church denied the existence of other gods, deeming them "false gods."
But what did that matter? The truth or falsehood of a god was never for humans to define.
And, factually speaking, that divine being might indeed be the "sole one in this world."
... After all, other gods only protected specific nations or regions, but that divine being's origin was to "redeem all humanity."
If They could truly achieve that, acknowledging Them as the sole one wouldn't be incorrect.
"Besides, I'm no longer a divine being."
Alaric spoke candidly about his situation.
The End King of the Age of Gods had swung a pillar of light that pierced heaven and earth, severing his divine wings and breaking the shackles of [Divinity] that bound him.
From that moment, he gained true freedom.
... Surely no one actually thought being a divine being was a good thing, right?
... A god laboring to protect humanity... how could that compare to being a dragon, happily munching on chips here?
"Oh, I see. You're not used to talking directly with a dragon."
"Hmm... how about this? It's my first time turning into a human form since then. Hope it doesn't startle you."
...
Alaric transformed into his human form.
... Still the same youthful appearance, though a bit older and taller than the boy with baby fat on his cheeks from before.
By his looks, he was about sixteen or seventeen now.
Not quite an adult, but definitely no longer a "child."
"It was that... Artoria who sent you, right?"
"She's always like that, worrying about things that don't need her concern."
From the moment White Jeanne entered the room... no, from the moment she entered the city... Alaric had keenly sensed Artoria's "intent."
Wasn't it just to show him what the true [Jeanne d'Arc] should be like?
... Pure, steadfast, beautiful, kind... Was it any wonder that even someone as discerning as his ahoge sister spoke so highly of her, one of the most famous saints in history?
But such a perfect, almost statue-like existence left Alaric unmoved.
He could sense that this perfect saint surely had a real side to her. Yet she hid it well... when she descended into this world as [Jeanne d'Arc], rather than [Jeanne of Domrémy], all mundane matters became irrelevant to her.
In contrast, he definitely preferred the current Black Jeanne.
Full of flaws, but authentic enough to laugh loudly or cry openly... the Dragon Witch.
"So, former divine being."
"Can I ask you a question?"
Looking at the boy before her, who seemed about her age, White Jeanne, who had been somewhat tense, gradually relaxed and finally asked the question that had been troubling her:
"Have you been the one protecting and guiding her?"
White Jeanne asked with considerable certainty.
In her view, it must be the presence of this divine being that kept her "sister." born from anger, from straying further down the path of evil.
But...
"No, that's not it."
An unexpected answer.
White Jeanne blinked in confusion, staring at the boy who was once a divine being.
"You underestimate her too much, and you underestimate yourself."
"???"
"Even if she isn't truly another side of you, merely a shadow formed by the light shining upon you... since she was born from a true saint, how bad could she really be?"
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