[Altair Miller]
We stared at the spot where Martha had vanished.
"Not even Saint Martha could resist the Black Saint," said Jeanne, her expression laden with pain as her hand tightened around the shaft of her flag.
It didn't take a genius to know that the pain in her eyes wasn't from the bruises scattered across her body, but rather from the loss of her fellow saint.
"I don't think that's true," I replied, resting my hands behind my neck in a relaxed gesture.
"Master!?" Jeanne exclaimed, turning her head toward me, surprised.
"Saint Martha resisted the Madness Enhancement, even if only partially. And speaking from experience, I can say that's incredibly difficult." I turned my face to her, offering a gentle smile, trying to comfort that saint with a kind heart. "Honestly, her willpower seemed abnormal. Maintaining control under Madness Enhancement is nearly impossible. The fact that we could talk to her civilly was practically a miracle."
Jeanne blinked, her eyes locked on mine, not looking away.
"Yes… she seemed like a peaceful person, with impressive self-control," Jeanne said, her expression softening. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she released the flag, which dissolved into golden sparks.
"But she was pretty violent," Marie chimed in, stepping closer and leaning on the shoulder of the golden-haired saint. "I have to admit, that has its charm. A woman who solves everything with her fists—a true Iron Saint." Marie smiled playfully, raising her fist.
"In her legend, they say she defeated the Tarasque with prayers, but I bet she just beat the poor creature up… Why do people have to be so violent?" I crossed my arms, shaking my head.
"Didn't you beat it up yourself, Altair-senpai?" asked Mash, her big pink eyes focused on me, full of curiosity.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied, turning my face away and whistling innocently.
"You're terrible at pretending," said Amadeus with a mischievous smirk.
"Ignoring Altair-kun's lack of talent for certain things, we have a new destination now, don't we?" asked Ritsuka, tilting her head to the side.
I was attacked for no reason! Resisting the urge to flick that girl on the forehead, I opened my mouth. "Yes, our next destination is Lyon."
"Where's the dragonslayer, huh?" Nobunaga grinned, perched on a branch. "He'll be a key piece in our victory."
"Yes, but the question is: do we leave now, or wait for dawn? In my opinion, we should go right away," suggested Amadeus, crossing his arms behind his back.
"You really do love traveling, don't you?" Marie said with a smile, folding her arms over her chest.
"Freedom is addictive," Amadeus replied with a slight nod.
"Back to the point," I interrupted, "I agree, but some of us are injured." My gaze fell on Okita and Jeanne, whose bruises were visible. "Maybe we should rest for the remainder of the night."
"Don't worry about me, Master," said Okita, maintaining her stoic posture.
"I don't want to hold the group back either," Jeanne added, staring at me seriously.
Before I could respond, Marie stepped forward, placing herself between us with a gentle smile. "Altair, you're a wonderful knight, but I have the solution for this." She raised her arm. "«Yearning to bloom, visibly under the open sky! Dancing, to blossom in full glory! Passing, Guillotine Breaker!»"
A bright light surrounded us. Instantly, a soft, warm wave flowed through my body, bringing a sensation of revitalization. Before my eyes, my Servants' wounds began to heal.
"A Noble Phantasm," murmured Mash, reaching out her hands to catch the light particles falling, dissolving into her palms.
"Although my Noble Phantasm is primarily Anti-Army, it can also heal allies," explained Marie, waving her hand to scatter the last shining crystals.
With everyone healed, I smiled. "That's incredibly useful. Well then, next stop: Lyon!"
•••
In the middle of the night, a golden cloud and a crystal steed adorned with lilies were speeding along the road. The steed, made of gleaming crystal, was none other than Marie's Noble Phantasm.
Atop the horse, Marie rode with the elegance of a noble lady. Right behind her, Ritsuka clung to her waist as if her life depended on it, while Mash supported Ritsuka's back, offering balance. On my golden cloud, Kinto'un, were Nobunaga, Okita, Jeanne, Artoria, and Amadeus.
In just a few hours, we had covered several kilometers.
At sunrise, we spotted an abandoned city. Marie turned toward me and signaled for us to stop. Kinto'un spun in the air and landed gently beside Marie, who dismounted gracefully. I jumped off the cloud along with my Servants, Artoria and Amadeus.
"Altair, Ritsuka, we've found a city," said Marie, turning to us. "I want to go in and see if I can gather any information about Lyon. Is that okay with you?" She looked at Ritsuka, who had become both her temporary Master and Amadeus's, before we left.
"That's fine…" Ritsuka replied as I helped her down from the horse. Holding her in my arms, I noticed a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.
"Wonderful! I won't be long—maybe an hour or two," said Marie cheerfully.
"Hmm…" I murmured, gazing down at the city below. "Be careful."
"Okay~!" she exclaimed brightly, waving adorably before heading down the hill toward the city.
"She really seems to have endless energy," I remarked, grabbing Ritsuka's backpack off her shoulder and sitting down on the ground.
"Marie has always been like that," said Amadeus with a shrug.
"I can imagine," I replied, beginning to set up a campfire. With a small flick of my hand, I conjured a tiny Kinto'un. A snap of my fingers made it shoot out a spark, lighting the fire.
"What are you going to do, Altair-kun?" asked Ritsuka, squatting down beside the fire.
I smiled at her question and pulled out some potatoes that Dr. Romani had sent as supplies. "Campfire potatoes," I announced, calmly seasoning them.
"Campfire potatoes? That sounds pretty simple," said Ritsuka, flashing a small smile.
"Just wait, little Ritsuka." I wrapped the potatoes in aluminum foil and tossed them into the embers, confident in the result.
•••
"Oh my god!" exclaimed Ritsuka, biting into a steaming potato. "It was supposed to be just a potato—so why is it so good?"
"The red-haired girl is right," agreed Amadeus, taking a bite of his and nodding his head.
"My retainer, you have an impressive talent for cooking," said Nobunaga, her red eyes fixed on me.
"I appreciate the compliment." I bit into my potato and lay down on the grass, staring at the sky.
"This flavor reminds me of home," Jeanne said, her eyes distant with nostalgia and a soft smile. "The taste of the countryside," she murmured softly.
I smiled at the blonde, who savored each piece of potato delicately.
As Jeanne was eating, Marie arrived, waving her arms. Stopping in front of us, she broke into a smile. "Everyone, I have good news and bad news… What's that delicious smell?" Her eyes swept over the group, all of us holding potatoes.
She shot a look at Amadeus. "That's my Marie."
"Mean," she shot back, pouting.
With a quick flick, I tossed the last potato to her. "Thanks, Monsieur Altair!" Marie caught it gracefully in the air.
"What's the news?" I asked, sitting up in the lush grass.
"Hmm…" She unwrapped the foil and took a bite, letting out a small moan of pleasure. "The bad news is that Lyon, the city Saint Martha mentioned, was completely destroyed not long ago. The survivors settled here."
The news was disappointing. "And the good news?"
"First of all, this thing commoners eat is delicious!" She took another bite. "The second part is that the city is full of monsters that look like they crawled out of hell. But the good news is that the refugees told me about a protector in Lyon."
"A protector!?" Mash repeated, full of curiosity.
"Yes—a knight with a great sword who was defeating wyverns and skeletons. The problem is, when the city fell into the hands of a powerful enemy, he disappeared," explained Marie, her eyes still fixed on the potato, clearly enchanted by its taste.
"I see. So, that must be our dragonslayer. But there's a chance he's dead," I mused. "Even so, we need to go to the city and confirm. What a pain."
"Looks like it, Altair-senpai. We'll have to trust Saint Martha's words," said Mash.
Before she could finish, Marie lifted her head. "I almost forgot! I found out something else: a French nobleman visited the city last night, gathering defeated soldiers. They said his name is Gilles de Rais." Her eyes sparkled as she spoke his name, and Jeanne reacted instantly.
"Gilles!" she exclaimed, a mix of shock and relief in her voice.
Gilles de Rais, one of Jeanne d'Arc's followers during her battles. From what I remembered, after her death, he was accused of practicing occultism and murdering several children—although there's a possibility the accusations were politically motivated. I let out a small sigh. History is truly complicated.
"He's probably trying to attack Lyon to reclaim the city," I speculated, standing up from the ground.
"Definitely," said Marie, taking the last bite of her potato. "Isn't it great? Jeanne could ask him for help."
"I doubt it's that simple." I looked at Jeanne, who clenched her hand tightly.
"Why?" Marie asked, tilting her head, staring at the potato that was no longer there.
"He probably thinks Jeanne is an evil witch. Instead of an ally, we'd have an enemy," I explained. At my words, Jeanne lowered her head, a sad smile forming on her lips.
"Master is right. Because of my 'crimes,' it's impossible for him to fight by our side," she murmured, eyes downcast.
That stubborn saint. I placed my hand on her head. "You really like to martyr yourself, don't you?" I ruffled her hair, causing a faint blush to rise to her cheeks. "But his help wouldn't make much difference. Ordinary soldiers would just be cannon fodder against these monsters. We're more than enough to handle these creatures." I smiled at the self-proclaimed martyr saint.
"Right…" Jeanne murmured, looking down, embarrassed.
Marie stared at me, blinking. "That's the spirit! You deserve a reward."
Before I could react, she leapt toward me and planted a kiss on my cheek. Her soft, pink lips left a damp mark on my skin.
"…."
Everyone fell silent, surprised. Except for Amadeus, who seemed completely unfazed. Ritsuka took a few steps back, afraid she'd be next, and hid behind Mash, who was staring at us with wide eyes.
"Don't worry—she loves kissing people. It caused a lot of trouble in our time," said Amadeus with a resigned smile.
A bit of a late warning. It's already the second time, I thought, forcing a dry smile.
"What? Don't you kiss everyone you like?" Marie asked, poking at her own lips.
"I'm a king, so no." Artoria shot an irritated look at the Queen of France. "I'm beginning to hate this country more and more."
"N-no!" Jeanne waved her hands frantically, utterly flustered. "That's something you should only do with someone you love with all your heart… I'd only do that with someone I'd marry," she said, her face burning red, murmuring the last part.
"You're all weird," declared Marie, looking at us with suspicion.
The weird one here is you. But we have more urgent matters. "Even though it's a city in ruins, our destination is still Lyon."
••• ••• •••
Don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me.