Since there weren't many people this time, the atmosphere during the journey was considerably lighter than usual.
Taking advantage of the momentary calm, Marie Antoinette decided to introduce herself properly.
"Now that things have settled down, I would like to introduce myself again. My true name is Marie Antoinette. I am of the Rider class. As for who I am, I would be delighted if you examined me carefully with your eyes and ears. As for why I was summoned, unfortunately, I have no idea. After all, I don't have a Master."
As soon as she finished, Mozart spoke up.
"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I'm the same as her. As for why I was summoned, to begin with, I don't consider myself a hero. Yes, I'm amazing, but even so, I'm still just another artist... Well, I did apply magecraft to my music, but that was only because I was drawn to the sounds played by demons."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Jeanne d'Arc, of the Ruler class." Jeanne introduced herself.
"Yo~! As you already know, my name is Arthur. This is Artie, one of my wives and a Lancer, and that grumpy girl floating over there is Ishtar, an Archer."
"Who's grumpy, you idiot?" Ishtar shot back, giving him an irritated look.
Arthur simply ignored the complaint as though he hadn't heard anything.
Artoria, meanwhile, didn't react to the nickname. She was far too used to it to care.
Marie Antoinette watched the exchange with curiosity.
"My! What an interesting greeting! Yo! My comrades!"
She repeated the expression several times as she walked.
"Hmph... It sounds different when he says it... Perhaps I need to think more like a commoner..."
"That would be a little difficult." Arthur replied without even slowing down. "Technically, the only commoner here would be Jeanne."
"Me?" Jeanne pointed at herself in surprise.
"Of course. Artie and I are kings, while Ishtar is a goddess." Arthur replied.
"Exactly." Ishtar immediately responded, crossing her arms. "Finally, someone acknowledging the obvious."
"Don't worry, Jeanne. I believe you'd be a very adorable commoner." Artoria said when she saw the expression on the girl's face.
"Was that supposed to comfort me?" Jeanne asked.
Hearing that, Arthur couldn't hold back a laugh.
Ignoring that, Marie placed a hand on her chin as she reflected on it.
"I see... Then I need to find another reference."
"Ah, I know!" she spoke again with renewed enthusiasm. "Perhaps I need to be more spontaneous! Come on, Amadeus! Yo?"
"Yo." Mozart replied immediately. "I like it, Marie. Keep it up! I can feel a century's worth of love beginning to dissipate!"
Marie Antoinette fell silent for a few seconds and then shook her head.
"...Hmph. My apologies, Arthur. 'Yo' is a very stimulating greeting, but I must sadly refrain from using it. If Amadeus likes it, then it isn't appropriate for a lady."
Mozart placed a hand over his chest as though he had just received a mortal wound.
"Let's avoid slander, Marie. You're acting as if I'm some pervert who loves dirty jokes."
"Don't blame me." Marie replied naturally. "You're a child in everything except music."
"From my perspective, you're both children." Arthur laughed.
Arthur's response made Marie Antoinette and Mozart turn toward him at the same time.
Even Jeanne seemed surprised.
"That was a bold statement." Mozart raised an eyebrow.
"I agree." Marie nodded. "I'm beginning to believe he possesses no sense of reverence whatsoever."
"I'm just telling the truth." Arthur smiled at both of them.
Mozart, however, seemed to realize something.
"Wait..." He observed Arthur more carefully. "Now that you mention it..."
Marie also appeared to think about it.
Considering Arthur's apparent age, that statement shouldn't have made sense.
Artoria, who knew the answer perfectly well, looked away as if it had nothing to do with her.
Ishtar also seemed to notice where the conversation was heading.
"They only realized that now?"
"What?" Marie asked.
"That this idiot is much older than he looks." Ishtar replied.
"Ahem! How about we leave the topic of my age aside?" Arthur grumbled.
"Since I'm not in the mood for formalities, Marie and Mozart, you can just call me Arthur." Arthur said.
Upon hearing her own name spoken so casually by him, Marie blinked several times.
"Marie, you said?" she repeated quietly, almost to herself.
Then, without any warning, she quickly approached him, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Uh? Did I say something wrong?" Arthur asked, genuinely confused by her reaction.
"No, quite the opposite!" Marie replied immediately. "You made me extremely happy. The way you said my name was so natural! Please, splendid knight, could you continue calling me that from now on?"
"Knight?" Arthur tilted his head slightly.
Marie straightened her back with all the dignity the Queen of France could muster.
"Hmph... although I've heard very little about what actually happened before, your sudden appearance earlier was practically something out of a storybook." She raised a finger solemnly. "A handsome knight appears out of nowhere, saves a lady in distress, and defeats the enemies. Therefore, you are a knight."
After hearing that explanation, Arthur stared at Marie for a few seconds.
He was clearly trying to understand the logic behind that conclusion.
"I see..." Arthur finally replied. "I don't understand, but I understand."
Marie nodded, completely satisfied. As far as she was concerned, the matter was settled.
"Let me guess." She observed Arthur for a few moments before smiling mischievously. "You're very popular with the opposite sex, aren't you?"
The question nearly made Artoria laugh, while Ishtar merely snorted in disgust.
Arthur, on the other hand, showed no embarrassment whatsoever.
"Indeed." He answered without missing a beat. "Women are incapable of resisting my natural charms."
As he spoke, he ran a hand through his hair and struck an overly dramatic pose.
The silence that followed lasted only an instant before laughter erupted around them.
"So you've finally realized that the greatest entertainment in this world is witnessing my glory?" Arthur asked. "Very well! I shall allow it!"
"Look at me to your heart's content, then tell future generations all about it! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
Arthur spoke in the most narcissistic manner he could manage, drawing even more laughter from those around him.
The lighthearted mood naturally spread through the group.
---
A short while later, Marie ended her conversation with Arthur, who was currently discussing something with Artoria and Ishtar several dozen meters ahead, and walked over to Jeanne.
"You're Jeanne d'Arc, aren't you? The saint who saved France. You're one of the people I've always wanted to meet."
Jeanne hesitated for a moment before responding.
"...I'm not a saint."
"Yes, I know that's how you saw yourself." Marie smiled gently. "But the way you lived your life was genuine, and we all know the result of that. That's why people still remember Jeanne d'Arc and the Miracle of Orléans."
Jeanne remained silent.
"Of course, your life ended at the stake and eventually resulted in that witch." Mozart commented without ceremony. "It's very typical of Marie to only look at the good parts of a story. Am I wrong, Joan of Arc? Your life was a little unbalanced. You yourself feel uncomfortable when people treat you like a perfect saint."
He then turned his attention to Marie.
"Listen, Marie. You always say what you think people want to hear. Sometimes there are things that need to be criticized or denied."
"I don't need to hear that from you, Amadeus!" Marie replied immediately. "You already tell me that every day! Is that what you wanted to hear? You piano-headed fool! Human garbage! You're a pervert who can only get excited by musical scales! If you love music so much, you should become a piano!"
Mozart placed a hand over his chest.
"...I don't know if I should admit this, but when you insult me like that, I feel something indescribable. See? You can do it when you try. Now do the same to Jeanne. Faster. Harder. More violent! Point out all her flaws the same way you point out mine!"
"No, that's impossible, Amadeus." Marie replied without even thinking. "Human garbage like you only has flaws. But Jeanne d'Arc has none."
Mozart stared at her for a few seconds.
"...You're serious? I didn't realize the case was this severe. You really loved Jeanne d'Arc, didn't you?"
"I'd call it admiration, not love." Marie replied. "And perhaps a little guilt as well... a tiny apology, about the size of a teaspoon. The natural guilt that we foolish members of royalty feel toward the Saint."
Jeanne lowered her eyes slightly.
"...Marie Antoinette. Your words honor me, but that's precisely why I need to be honest. In life, I wasn't a saint. I fought tooth and nail for what I believed in and, as a result, stained my hands with blood."
She paused briefly.
"...And I don't regret it. Not the Inquisition. Not my own death. But I spilled far too much blood. I believed in the dreams of a simple country girl and... at the time, I never imagined how high the price of that dream would be."
Her voice remained steady.
"I never regretted it. But I never felt fear, either. And that is my greatest sin. Only the consequences of my actions made people call me a saint. I don't think that's the right word for someone like me."
Marie listened attentively.
"...I see."
A gentle smile appeared on her face.
"So you're not a saint, right? May I simply call you Jeanne?"
Jeanne seemed surprised by the question.
"...Y-Yes. Of course. I think that would remind me of the old days."
"Wonderful." Marie clapped her hands together, satisfied. "Then you can call me Marie. If you're just Jeanne and not a saint, then I want to be just Marie and not a queen. Please, Jeanne. Would you call me Marie?"
Jeanne couldn't help but smile a little.
"Y-Yes. Alright... Thank you, Marie."
"Thank you as well." Marie replied immediately. "I'm happy, Jeanne. And I'm sorry. I keep trying to impose the way I see you."
Her tone softened slightly.
"You're still searching for your own answers, aren't you? Just like I was on the day I died without fully understanding what was happening."
She then took Jeanne's hands.
"Those answers need to be found by you. I'll probably keep wanting to treat you like a saint, but I'll do my best to restrain myself. Instead, I'll believe in you and support you."
Marie then turned toward Mozart.
"Isn't that what friends do, Amadeus?"
"I suppose so." Mozart replied with a shrug. "Now the two of you can go out together for sweets or something like that."
---xXx---
"Everyone, we'll be arriving in Thiers soon." Arthur said.
They had already been traveling for some time, and as they advanced along the road, the signs of the war ravaging France became increasingly frequent. Abandoned buildings, burned fields, and trails of destruction appeared here and there along the way.
Amadeus observed the scenery for a few moments before speaking.
"Thiers... If I remember correctly, it's famous for its knives. So far, it doesn't seem to have been destroyed."
"Can you detect any Servants?" Arthur asked through the communicator, bringing a hand to the device while continuing to walk.
["Romani is checking... Alright, there are two Servants in Thiers. You should make contact immediately."] Olga replied.
"...That city just caught fire, didn't it?" Ishtar suddenly muttered.
The goddess was pointing toward the city in the distance.
A column of dark smoke was beginning to rise above the buildings, slowly spreading across the sky.
"Let's go check it out." Arthur said as he took the lead.
"Yes!"
(End of Chapter)