Kapitel 180: -177- Could I endure it so calmly?
"————"
Within the camp, a tense atmosphere hung in the air.
The soldiers of the French army were armed and had surrounded Rozen's group as they descended from the eagles.
Even Mash, who had happily jumped down from the eagle and rushed into Rozen's embrace, was surrounded by the French soldiers upon approaching him.
The reason was simple.
"That... that's the 'Dragon Witch'...!?"
"The detestable witch...!"
"She killed so many of our fellow men... and dares to show up here...!?"
Soldiers uttered fearful and hateful words while trembling, still surrounding Rozen's group.
Naturally, their animosity was directed at Jeanne.
"..."
Faced with this unjust treatment, Jeanne chose silence.
It was because Jeanne knew that merely explaining wouldn't clarify the current situation.
The one who ravaged all of France was the witch with Jeanne's appearance.
This was something known throughout France.
Given that, Jeanne's appearance here would naturally invite this kind of treatment.
Even with Rozen by her side, it wouldn't change.
Since Jeanne chose silence, Marie and Amadeus had nothing to say either. They could only watch, one with concern and the other calmly.
Even Rozen didn't speak at this moment.
It's not that Rozen wanted to let the situation escalate, but he knew that someone would step forward.
"Hold your positions!"
Gilles seemed to be trying to separate the troops as he walked forward.
"Marshal!"
"Marshal!"
The soldiers immediately rallied, fixing their gazes on Gilles.
Under the scrutiny of everyone present, Gilles's gaze only lingered on Jeanne.
"Jeanne..." Gilles hesitated and sounded excited, "Are you truly Jeanne?"
Evidently, Gilles was also confirming something.
For her best comrade-in-arms from life, Jeanne seemed unable to maintain silence indefinitely.
"Gilles..." Jeanne could only raise her head, meet Gilles's gaze, and smiled gently, "Long time no see."
A familiar smile.
A familiar voice.
A familiar feeling.
All of these surged into Gilles's heart, finally causing his excitement to become hard to contain.
"I knew it...! I knew it...! Jeanne...!"
Gilles approached with tears welling in his eyes.
"I knew you weren't dead!"
It seemed that Gilles had misunderstood something.
Jeanne didn't hesitate to dispel that misconception.
"No, I am indeed dead." Jeanne stared at Gilles and stated, "What stands before you now is just remnants, illusions, the lingering memories of the past. Gilles, please do not hold onto false hopes. This is my fate, irreversible."
Without explaining the principles of Servants and Heroic Spirits, Jeanne proclaimed her existence in this manner to Gilles.
"But... but...!"
Gilles became even more emotional, almost losing control.
Seeing Gilles like this, never mind the others, Rozen remained quietly contemplative.
Recalling the Caster he encountered in Orleans, as well as that Servant's madness, then comparing it to the marshal before him who would eventually become the same, Rozen suddenly grasped something.
(In this marshal's heart, Jeanne is truly a presence capable of altering the course of his life.)
Even after witnessing Jeanne Alter as the Dragon Witch in Orleans, and seeing her cruelty and hatred, the marshal, upon seeing a Jeanne who looked exactly the same as her, couldn't hide his excitement and anticipation.
He didn't order the soldiers to attack, either. No wonder after accepting Jeanne's death, the marshal would go completely mad, becoming a detestable murderer and blasphemer.
Currently, the marshal hadn't reached that point, but if things continued in this way, it was probably only a matter of time.
Jeanne should be well aware of this.
However, the saint still had no intention of giving Gilles excessive expectations or hope. She wanted him to face reality directly.
"I'm sorry, Gilles."
Jeanne spoke these words with a complex expression.
"For now, let's focus on dealing with the 'Dragon Witch.' After we defeat her, you'll understand."
Jeanne left it at that.
"Jeanne..."
Gilles opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't utter a word.
"Marshal!"
"Marshal!"
The French soldiers who had surrounded Jeanne now called out to Gilles in succession.
Presumably, these soldiers were also bewildered as to why Gilles didn't give the order.
Taking a deep breath, as if forcing himself to calm down, Gilles raised his hand after the soldiers had roused him.
"Lower your weapons."
Gilles issued this command.
"Marshal!?"
The soldiers were momentarily stunned.
In response, Gilles spoke in a cold tone.
"The situation doesn't seem to be as straightforward as we imagined. Follow my orders for now. I have a sense of the situation."
Gilles's words left the soldiers looking at each other in confusion.
In the end, the soldiers lowered their weapons.
However, the gazes they directed at Jeanne still brimmed with hatred and fear.
The meaning of those gazes, when they fell into Jeanne's eyes, was clear to everyone.
After all, these soldiers, who now obeyed Gilles's command, must have once followed Jeanne's command.
In other words, this French army had fought alongside Jeanne on the battlefield before, charging into the fray together.
Because of this, upon learning that Jeanne had turned into a witch and was wreaking havoc in France, these soldiers felt such intense animosity.
But Jeanne was innocent.
Innocent throughout.
It was simply unreasonable for her to endure such hatred now.
Even though France had betrayed her, she still stood up without hesitation when the country was in danger, ready to confront the threat of the "Dragon Witch." And now she was subjected to this hatred—was there any reason for it?
At least, Marie felt troubled by this.
"Jeanne..."
Marie attempted to converse with Jeanne.
However, Jeanne shook her head.
"It's okay, Marie." Jeanne smiled faintly and continued, "We are now Heroic Spirits, existing in the past. Regardless of whether it's hatred or gratitude, we can't take those away. So, let's just complete our mission and leave the rest to the Lord."
Seemingly willing to bear hatred and negativity alone, this saint was truly remarkable.
It was precisely because of this that Jeanne was so great.
At this point, Rozen genuinely began to admire this saint.
(If I were in her shoes, could I endure everything so calmly?)
Rozen's thoughts became a bit complex.
Shaking his head to clear his mind, Rozen turned his head and looked at Mash.
"Mash, are you okay?"
At the question, Mash revealed a serene smile.
"Yes, Senpai."
Mash responded briefly.
Rozen didn't know how this girl, who feared battle, managed to endure on her own during the time he was absent.
However, there was one thing Rozen was certain of.
"Leave the rest to me from here."
Rozen patted Mash's head.
Mash was momentarily taken aback, then her face relaxed completely.
"Yes!" Mash nodded her head heavily.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein