When morning came, Laurent and Jeanne opened their eyes at the same time. Their bodies were nestled tightly together, even their sleeping posture locked in an embrace.
To put it simply—they were tangled like two octopuses.
Laurent could feel Jeanne's soft breaths, faintly sweet against his skin. And her body pressed against him—ah, it was truly comfortable beyond words.
"Ahem!" A cough suddenly broke the silence, causing the two to hurriedly pull apart.
"Aaah…what a wonderful morning!" Laurent yawned dramatically, stretching his arms as Jeanne mirrored him, equally embarrassed.
Marie stood nearby, watching them with a teasing smile. Even Romani commented softly, "Haha… It seems being summoned as Servants this time is a very fortunate thing for both Laurent-san and Jeanne-san."
"Well, since we're all awake, let's get ready to move out!" Fujimaru cheerfully announced.
Feeling especially generous after his good night, Laurent didn't mind sharing some helpful information with Romani and the others. When he brought up the dragon-slayer, everyone visibly brightened.
"In that case, let's head out right away!" Fujimaru said decisively.
Although Laurent was technically calling Fujimaru "Master" for now, he rarely obeyed any orders—completely different from Mash, who always faithfully followed Fujimaru's lead. Even Marie trusted Fujimaru fully. Laurent had to admit—the guy's charisma was certainly impressive.
As for whether they truly needed this dragon-slayer to deal with the dragon—Laurent had already seen it up close. "Friendly" wasn't quite the right word, but he could always devour it directly.
Heh heh…
Just thinking about it made him drool. Such a huge creature must taste great, right? That dragon's thighs looked deliciously muscular, and that tail—mmm.
It seemed last night's single Servant wasn't enough, after all.
Far away in the distance, Fafnir shivered involuntarily, sensing a vague threat.
...
Meanwhile, in the prison tower, Jeanne Alter's expression was dark as a storm cloud.
"Gilles! Gilles! Get out here right now!"
"My dear Holy Maiden, what could possibly have enraged you this much?" Gilles hurried forward as soon as Jeanne Alter called.
"You—how much do you really know about Laurent?"
Gilles replied cautiously, "He was your closest friend, and your most important companion throughout your life."
"Then what about the execution? Where was Laurent during my execution?"
"Holy Maiden…"
"You don't know?" Jeanne Alter grew even angrier. "Then let me tell you, Gilles! Listen carefully! The tyrant king of England, Évigi—that was Laurent!"
"Wh-what?!" Gilles's already-bulging eyes nearly fell out from shock. "That's impossible—utterly impossible! Holy Maiden, you always called out Laurent's name, didn't you? Look at the cross necklace around your neck! That was a gift from him! How could he possibly be Évigi, that hated king who ordered your execution!"
Hearing Gilles mention it, Jeanne Alter reflexively touched the cross around her neck, pausing briefly before anger surged back.
"And yet today, I saw that country girl calling Évigi 'Laurent' right in front of me. Tell me—why is that?"
"My dear Holy Maiden, you've clearly been tricked! That man can't possibly be Laurent. Laurent always stood by your side—he would never betray you!"
Jeanne Alter sneered, turning away sharply. "Enough. It doesn't matter. I won't believe anyone anymore. Even if he really is Laurent, I'll still kill him. Anyone who dares to stand in my way, no matter who, will taste absolute despair."
She turned her cold gaze back toward Gilles.
"Tell me, Gilles—which of us is truly Jeanne d'Arc?"
"You, of course, Holy Maiden. Listen carefully: you were betrayed and burned at the stake. Charles VII refused to ransom you and even falsely accused you! Not one person—not a single one—stood up for you!"
"…Then Laurent—" Her voice wavered slightly.
"Dear Holy Maiden, Laurent was just a single man. He couldn't defy an entire nation alone. Perhaps after those treacherous people discovered his loyalty to you, they swiftly killed him to silence him."
Jeanne Alter said nothing, fists tightening silently.
Gilles's voice trembled with bitterness. "Why did this unjust tragedy occur? Because of those accursed gods! This is the mockery our faith has brought us! Isn't that why we must reject Heaven itself, Holy Maiden?"
"You're right, Gilles. I have nothing left. Even if that man is Laurent, losing him makes no difference now. So I'll correct these mistakes—the Jeanne d'Arc who saved France was wrong from the start. My entire mission to save this country was a fatal mistake."
"Please don't think that way, Holy Maiden! Even if the entire world betrays you, please believe that Laurent and I alone will always stand by your side!"
"Heh. Gilles, your words remain as extreme as ever—but for once, you're right."
With that, Jeanne Alter turned and walked away, leaving Gilles alone, rooted to the spot.
"Évigi was the king…" Gilles murmured softly, memories resurfacing. Someone had rescued Jeanne at Rouen, then returned to England, crowned himself, defied all churches, and declared himself a god…
If Évigi truly was Laurent—
At that moment, Gilles's eyes suddenly brightened, his mouth splitting into an ecstatic grin.
"So that's how it was…ahhh, Laurent, compared to a coward like myself, you were truly the one worthy of standing beside the Holy Maiden."
He gazed toward Jeanne Alter's departing figure, laughing softly. "This time, I believe you will make the right choice, Holy Maiden. Long before I dared act, you already carried out everything I dreamed yet feared to do, Laurent. You took all the sins upon yourself, willingly shouldering the hatred of the entire world, becoming the enemy of all humankind—even the gods themselves—just to allow the Holy Maiden to shine."
"Now, compared to you, my talk of slaying God sounds like mere clownish boasting. I didn't even have the courage to save her back then…"
Gilles's fists clenched tightly, a new resolve hardening his eyes.
"But this time—for the sake of the Holy Maiden—I will never again show such cowardice."
---
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