At the French fortress, Marie climbed the city wall accompanied by officials and generals, watching Reines and Jeanne, who were now just two small dots, wondering what she was thinking.
Mozart, standing beside Marie, remarked with emotion.
"Queen, you have grown!"
"Amadeus! But I don't want to grow."
Marie turned around, looking at the generals and officials behind her.
"Compared to me in this cruel world, I prefer the naive me who asked why they don't eat cake! There are so many members of the royal family who could save France, why did you choose me?"
Marshal Gil looked at the young girl with guilt, exchanged a glance with the French Archbishop nearby, then stepped forward and bowed.
"Princess Marie, it wasn't us who chose you, but the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail believed you could save France!"
The French Archbishop also hurriedly stepped forward and bowed to Marie.
"Princess Marie, Marshal Gil is right. The Holy Grail chose you. At that time, we who had lost our royal leadership were like scattered sand, collapsing all the way. Just when we thought we'd have to go to Egypt as slaves to survive, we found the Holy Grail in a church in Bordeaux. In fact, we didn't know how to use it. Princess Marie, it was the Holy Grail that summoned you on its own. You are the one who united us to survive until now. You are the Glory of France bestowed upon us by God!"
Marie froze in surprise after hearing the words of Marshal Gil and the Archbishop. She had always thought these officials and generals had summoned her. Now she knew it wasn't them, but the Holy Grail. A sweet smile appeared on Marie's face. She finally accepted the heavy pressure, remembering her wish and mission: to fill the sky with radiance, the earth with blessings, and make the people happy!
A ring of dazzling golden light suddenly appeared around Marie. The greater grail, which had vanished after summoning Marie and Mozart, emerged from Marie's body, manifesting a miracle before everyone with brilliant light.
"I am Chevalier d'Eon, the White Lily Knight who protects France and the royal family!"
"Oh yeah! My name is Astolfo! One of the Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne, and then, and then... please take care of me!"
Marie held the Holy Grail, which had finished the summoning and its light had faded. Watching the miracle-working Grail slowly dissipate back into her body, Marie happily pulled the newly summoned and bewildered Astolfo and Dion, shouting joyfully.
"Long live France!"
The subjects in the fortress, already excited and fanatical from witnessing the miracle, found an outlet with Marie's shout and roared in unison.
"Long live France! Glory belongs to France!"
Jeanne, who was moving away from the fortress with Reines, vaguely heard the shouts. A smile unconsciously formed on her face, making the flowers blooming by the roadside lose their color.
'France, my motherland, I think there is now a group of reliable people who can protect you!'
"Jeanne! Jeanne! What are you dazing off for?"
Reines's voice suddenly interrupted Jeanne's thoughts. Jeanne looked up to see Reines pointing at the text on the communicator.
"Jeanne, information came from Rin's side. No wonder the French were willing to give up a combatant like you. But we're about to get busy again. Rin wants us to meet up with Fujimaru and Mash immediately. It seems Rin is preparing to make a big move!"
After hearing Reines's words, Jeanne immediately opened her own communicator, but then she froze, suddenly remembering that she was apparently illiterate.
Reines also noticed Jeanne's strange behavior. Recalling the legends of Jeanne, she projected the information from the communicator with an odd expression and pointed.
"Well, Jeanne, let me tell you! The intel from Rin is that France is currently ruled by the 'Jeanne' known as the Dragon Queen! As for the location and identity of the Dragon Queen's ally, the Evil Queen, it's unknown, but the report says the Evil Queen seems to have an opponent in Britain and her main focus is still there. Also, the enemy has many Heroic Spirits. That's all the info."
Without giving Jeanne time to react, Reines continued.
"The order from Rin is for us to meet up with Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash, find a safe place, and have Fujimaru and me use the fate system to summon as many Servants from Chaldea as possible, while waiting for Rin to arrive with our new ally!"
"Wait, Master, are you saying the Dragon Queen is another me? Impossible, how could I do such a thing!"
"Well! It's information Rin gathered from Egypt after all, maybe there's some discrepancy!"
"Master, is that new ally Egypt?"
"Probably! After all, the place Rin went to was Egypt, and there are only a few factions in this Singularity!"
At this, a look of anxiety appeared on Jeanne's face, and she occasionally turned back to look at the French fortress.
"Did Rin say how to handle the French Army?"
Reines noticed Jeanne's expression and her glances toward the fortress, realizing what Jeanne was worried about.
"Are you worried about the French Army... no, France, right?"
Jeanne stared at the command spells on Reines's hand, clenched her fist, but thinking of her contract with Rin, she nodded helplessly.
Reines took in Jeanne's posture and expression, easily guessing her thoughts. She didn't dislike Jeanne's behavior; instead, she understood it well. Reines walked to Jeanne's side and gently pulled her to sit on the rocks of the hillside.
"Don't worry about me using command spells. If you want to tell the French Army, go ahead. But I suggest the best way is to have the French Army agree to an alliance with Chaldea."
"Master, you want Rin to help your family, right? If you do this..."
Reines waved her hand dismissively.
"You don't think Rin is a bad person, do you? Well, you've only been summoned by her for a few days, and being summoned in that manner, it's normal to have misunderstandings. Rin acts arrogant and unreasonable toward outsiders and likes to use them, but she's very good to those she considers her own! So even if we don't follow her plan, she won't blame us!"
Saying this, Reines reclined in Jeanne's lap, pillowing her head on Jeanne's thighs while looking at the sky.
"Hey, Jeanne! Back then, Rin almost took my inheritance and my family! I wasn't kind to her at all then, always targeting her, but look at us now, we get along pretty well! It's just that interests are hard to predict. Although Rin is the Director of Chaldea, Chaldea isn't just Rin; it's a group of people. Even if Rin agrees to let the French Army go, others in Chaldea might act on their own. Like I said, Rin won't blame her own people, so do your best, Jeanne!"
Jeanne lowered her head, smelling the fragrance from Reines's hair, and nodded gratefully, answering softly.
"Yes! Thank you, Reines!"
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