To Become a King and a Magician 576-580

Title: Respect the Jeanne Altrum of the Present

Inside a grand palace or perhaps a cathedral somewhere in France.

Before Chaldea initiated its quantum transfer, within this luxurious building that should have been reserved only for bishops or nobility, two figures stood on the highest floor, at the very center of the structure.

One of them, seemingly the leader, was a woman. Judging by her appearance and demeanor, she was stunningly beautiful. Yet, in stark contrast to her beauty, her expression was cold—filled with what seemed like hatred. Her face resembled a quietly burning flame.

Beside her stood a man with such a sharply gaunt face that he appeared terrifying. If someone encountered him at night, they’d surely believe he was a demon or devil. His presence was chilling and sinister, further accentuated by his oddly colored garments, making him look like an evil sorcerer.

“What a luxurious place.” The woman sneered, glancing around the room.

“While we fought desperately on the front lines for this nation, these so-called elites lived comfortably in places like this, indulging in debauched lives, deciding life and death with mere words... Ah, the more I think about it, the angrier and more disgusted I become. I want to burn it all.”

“Hehehe, if you wish to do so, then do it, my Saintess. Whatever you do, it will always have meaning.”

The sorcerer beside her tried his best to soften his expression.

“But before that, don’t forget what we must do first, Jeanne.”

—Jeanne.

If a third person had heard the man address the woman before him by that name, they would have been utterly shocked—perhaps even terrified.

Jeanne, or Joan of Arc, the saintly girl revered as a hero by the French people during the war, was supposed to have died three days ago, burned alive in a massive fire witnessed by many.

Saintess Jeanne had been executed by burning.

That was news every local should have known. Therefore, Jeanne should no longer exist in this world.

Hearing her companion speak, the woman called Jeanne let out a cruel smile and raised the object she had been holding all along.

It was a golden vessel, a chalice radiating a dazzling golden light.

The Holy Grail—the crystallization of magic capable of granting its master’s wishes, the embodiment of immense magical energy.

“—With this, I declare.”

Holding the Holy Grail, Jeanne stood at the center of the room and began chanting a spell in a cold, emotionless voice.

“Your body is under my command, your fate lies in my sword. In answer to the call of the Holy Grail, if you are willing to follow this justice, then respond to my summons.”

“With this, I shall show that I am the one who spreads all evil in the world. Yet, you must serve me with your eyes clouded by chaos. You are the one trapped within the cage of madness, and I am the master of the chains that bind you.”

“You, bound by three Geis, come forth from the Wheel of Restriction, guardian of the Scales—!”

As Jeanne’s chant concluded, the Holy Grail in her hand emitted a blinding light, so intense it nearly obscured her entire vision.

And when the light faded, seven figures suddenly appeared in the room, which had previously held only two people.

“Oh oh oh~~~~ This is a Servant summoning!”

Seeing the scene before him, the man in sorcerer’s robes cried out joyfully, like a devout pilgrim who had just received divine grace from the god he worshipped.

Jeanne, too, was deeply satisfied with her work. “You’ve finally arrived, my fellow warriors. As you can see, I am your Master. And I trust you understand why you’ve been summoned here.”

“Destroy and kill. That is my command to you. Prosperous villages, bustling streets—crush and trample them all. Do not worry about anything. No matter what we do, God will surely forgive us.”

“Ah, yes, yes. And besides, the clergymen now fleeing through this city, or hiding in every corner—my lowly Servants, if you wish, you may eat them as food. As your Master, Jeanne permits it all.”

In Jeanne’s eyes, if everyone in the world were innocent, then only the clergy were certainly filled with sin.

Devouring their souls or sucking their blood—such fates were well-deserved, even for the relatively virtuous. In this country and in the land across the sea, the Church was something that needed to be destroyed.

“Let us begin our cleansing, Servants.”

“With the dragon’s banner as our symbol, let us purify this nation, cleanse this so-called France of its sins.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

At the same time, on the opposite side of France, far from where Jeanne stood.

In a vast grassy field.

At a spot where the city was faintly visible in the distance, a glowing gate appeared—and from it, a figure carrying a suitcase leapt out lightly.

“Hmm, landed safely, landed safely.”

Looking around, the adult woman with beautiful red hair—Aozaki Aoko—stretched her arms and legs. “Ugh~ Hmm! The air outside is truly refreshing. Though Avalon’s scenery is beautiful too, staying there too long gets boring. Especially when I’m cooped up indoors all the time. If I didn’t come out, I’d probably die of boredom.”

“Though I said I wanted to leave, the journey from Avalon to this Singularity was exhausting. If only Merlin had prepared some transportation for me.”

Even as Aoko said that, knowing how that Incubus operated, he’d probably only move if Artoria forced him. These days, Merlin was practically busy full-time playing the role of a virtual idol named Magical Merry.

“Well then… I need to find a place to stay, and wait there to meet them.”

Aoko was still looking forward to meeting her little man. After all, their last meeting had been over half a year ago. Of course she missed him.

-

Title: The Giant Ring of Light

Ritsuka’s second quantum transfer was a completely new experience. During the transfer to Fuyuki, they had been affected by Professor Lev’s attack and hadn’t been able to properly feel the quantum transition.

Now, after a sensation like leaping through space, Ritsuka opened their eyes as their feet touched solid ground.

Immediately, a vast grassy plain stretched out before them.

“Is this… the Singularity?”

“Yes, it seems the transfer was successful, Senpai.”

Beside Ritsuka, Mash—who had already switched to Demi-Servant mode and was holding her shield—said this, then glanced at Hinako. “Miss Akuta also seems fine. Last time there was interference from Professor Lev, but this time there are no anomalies.”

“You don’t need to worry about me, Mash.”

“Fou~”

Just as Hinako proudly declared she was fine, a familiar voice suddenly came from Ritsuka. They turned to see Fou—who had somehow already perched on their shoulder.

Mash reached out and gently picked up Fou. “Fou? You came along again?”

“Fou~”

After affectionately rubbing its head against Mash’s hand, Fou nimbly jumped onto Mash’s shield. Ritsuka looked at it and asked, “Why is Fou here? Can it perform quantum transfer too?”

“I think so. Maybe it sneaked into my pod, or Senpai’s, or Miss Akuta’s without anyone noticing… There’s no way to send Fou back now, so we might as well bring it with us. When we return, Fou will come back with us.”

That was indeed the only option.

Just then—

“Hey, you two, look up at the sky.”

Hinako’s voice made Ritsuka and Mash instinctively tilt their heads upward. Both froze in shock.

“What is that?”

Above them was a vast, endless blue sky. White clouds drifted lazily, and a gentle breeze blew. This boundless blue expanse was something they could never see in Chaldea, buried deep beneath snow-capped mountains.

Under normal circumstances, Ritsuka—who hadn’t seen the outside world in a long time—and Mash—who had never seen it before—would have been thrilled.

Yet, within this otherwise breathtaking scene, something was deeply wrong.

“A ring of light…?”

Mash murmured.

Yes.

In the middle of the endless blue sky, there floated a massive ring of light.

It looked like a hole torn open in the heavens. Clouds wouldn’t enter, wind wouldn’t escape. It was strangely beautiful, yet also terrifying, radiating an overwhelming, unnatural presence.

“Why is something like this here?”

It was the same thought crossing all three of their minds. Though only instinct, they were certain this was not something that belonged in this era.

After staring at the ring of light for several seconds, Hinako was the first to look away, turning to Mash. “Mash, let’s get started. Didn’t Roman and Natsukawa warn us before we came? As soon as we arrive in the Singularity, we need to reestablish contact with them. I can feel it—the Mana flow around here is excellent. Communication should be easy.”

“Ah, yes, I understand. I’ll immediately cast a spell to restore communication with Chaldea.”

After saying this, Mash placed her shield on the grass. As a magical circle composed of several points of light formed, a projection screen suddenly appeared above the shield.

On the screen was the view of Chaldea’s control room.

“Oh, the magecraft worked… Hello, hello? Can you hear me? Fujimaru, Mash, Akuta—is the image clear?”

As if testing the signal strength, Roman on the screen spoke loudly.

Ritsuka smiled and nodded. “Yes, very clear, Doctor Roman. Chief’s face looks clear too.”

“Huh? I’m visible? I didn’t think I’d be in frame from this angle.”

Not far from Roman, Naoki, holding a cup of coffee, stepped fully into view. “Seems the quantum transfer went smoothly. Confirming your presence is easy for us, so we can do video communication like this. How’s the situation over there?”

“About that, just a moment. I’ll point the camera upward. There’s something I want to show you, Doctor and Brother.”

Mash said, directing the camera toward the sky. The giant ring of light immediately appeared on the screen, visible to everyone in the control room.

Roman immediately turned to Naoki. “Natsukawa, this…”

“There’s no doubt—this is King Solomon’s doing. At least in the 1431 history I researched, there’s no record of anything like this. But I think for now, it won’t affect you.”

Naoki said, sending information about the ring of light to Roman via his terminal.

The ring’s true identity was King Solomon’s third Noble Phantasm—a ring of light announcing the end of humanity. It was a manifestation of the heat accumulated from the burning of human history.

After reading Naoki’s report, Roman frowned. “King Solomon… Fujimaru, Mash, and Akuta, do not attempt to interfere with that ring of light. Since it’s a direct effect of King Solomon, it’s definitely beyond your capabilities for now.”

“At least wait until I arrive there.” Naoki added. “So, are there any other anomalies besides the ring of light?”

“Aside from that—”

“There are multiple life signs approaching us.”

Before Mash could finish, Hinako spoke up, reporting her senses. Like Naoki, as a fairy, Hinako had heightened awareness of her surroundings. While not as powerful as Naoki or Arcueid, her current abilities were more than sufficient.

“These signs… are human. I believe they’re soldiers.”

“How many?”

“About a dozen, scattered.”

Ritsuka thought for a moment. “If they’re local soldiers, they should know about the situation in this Singularity, right? Should we greet them?”

“I don’t see a problem. Then, further communication will wait until you’re in a safe location. Until then, use voice-only communication.”

“Understood.”

-

Title: Ritsuka: I Don’t Speak French!

Restoring civilization was an incredibly difficult journey. On such a path, facing all kinds of crises was only natural.

Powerful enemies, terrifying monsters, enemy bases full of traps… Ritsuka had imagined many dangers they might face. But no matter how vivid their imagination, they never expected the very first obstacle to appear before them would be—

“I don’t speak French!”

Staring at the group of tense French soldiers in front of them, Ritsuka suddenly realized the most critical problem.

Language.

As the foundation of human communication, language was undeniably the most important part of daily life. Without the ability to communicate, even normal living would become extremely problematic.

Until now, Ritsuka hadn’t worried about this. For some reason, although Chaldea was an international organization, most of its staff spoke Japanese and English—something that greatly helped Ritsuka, a native Japanese speaker. Even if they encountered someone speaking English, they could still understand.

But now they were in France.

They didn’t understand French at all! Not only could they not hold a conversation—they couldn’t even grasp what the soldiers were saying!

And it wasn’t just French. Considering the seven Singularities were located in seven different regions of the world, each with its own language, this meant Ritsuka might have to master seven additional languages besides Japanese and English!

They had thought that after graduating school, they’d never have to suffer through learning foreign languages again. Instead, they’d plunged straight into a foreign language hell…

“Who are you?”

“Why are you here?”

“Are you followers of that witch?”

“…”

Listening to the rapid-fire questions from the soldiers in front of them, Ritsuka felt like they were hearing a fairy tale. Beside them, Hinako also looked embarrassed. Even as a True Ancestor who had lived for thousands of years, her home had always been China. Being fluent in Chinese, Japanese, and English was already impressive enough. Expecting her to speak French was asking too much—she’d never even been to France!

As the only one among the three who had studied a little French, Mash carefully gathered her thoughts before replying: “Hello, we are lost travelers. We want to ask about the current situation.”

“…”

Upon hearing Mash speak, the French soldiers’ tense expressions instantly turned aggressive!

“Ils sont anglais! (They’re English!)”

“Attrapez-les! (Capture them!)”

“Mash, why did you speak English!”

Seeing the soldiers suddenly raise their weapons and surround them, Ritsuka quickly hid behind Mash.

Mash finally realized her mistake. “I’m sorry, Senpai. I was taught that English is the universal language, so I unconsciously answered in English. I didn’t consider the context of this era…”

This was the height of the Hundred Years’ War between England and France—meaning the two nations were in fierce conflict. Hatred between their soldiers had reached its peak. Speaking English in England was fine. But speaking English in France? What was the difference from speaking French in England?

It was essentially the same as spitting in their faces.

Therefore, despite appearances, the French soldiers’ attitude toward Ritsuka and their companions had instantly shifted from neutral to hostile.

Hinako, who had been embarrassed a moment ago, suddenly grew excited. “So now we have to defeat them all?”

“Miss Akuta? Uh… I suppose so. If possible, I’d like to calm them down first, then talk to them properly in French.”

“Fine. You two step back. I’ll handle this.”

Seeing Hinako start stretching her arms and legs, Mash and Ritsuka obediently retreated.

Ritsuka even warned, “Senior Hinako, please don’t go too hard. Try to show some mercy. They’re probably just ordinary people.”

“Do I need you to tell me something like that?”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

A few minutes later.

【—Even though you showed mercy, you still left them all unable to move. With Senior Hinako’s strength, I suppose that does count as mercy.】

Naoki’s voice, reconnected through communication, sounded slightly resigned.

【Well, this is partly our fault—we overlooked the language issue. I, Da Vinci, and Touko will try to make a translation Mystic Code for you.】

“Huh? I don’t have to study?” Ritsuka was slightly surprised. They had thought they’d have to go back and start learning from textbooks again.

【If you really want to study, I can teach you from scratch. But considering your tight schedule, you’d probably only get one hour of sleep per day. Is that okay?】

“I think the Mystic Code sounds great!”

Ritsuka immediately gave up and chose the easier, more comfortable path.

【Is that so? What a shame. I wanted to recommend my method first. I remember when I first enrolled at the Clock Tower, my English was terrible. I only improved through intensive lessons from Merry. Back then, I didn’t sleep a single second.】

Not a single second of sleep?!

That horrifying description made Ritsuka tremble. “Chief… please, please make the Mystic Code. I’m begging you.”

【Alright, alright, I’ll make it for you. By the way, how about Senior Hinako and Mash?】

“Thank you, but I don’t need one, Brother.” Mash shook her head. “I think the languages I know are enough to handle the current situation.”

“Give me one too. Even though I don’t want to talk or interact with humans, not understanding what others are saying is annoying.”

So Hinako wanted one after all.

【Then two—one for Fujimaru and one for Senior Hinako. Alright, I’ll inform Da Vinci and Touko. I think three days should be enough—Now, back to more important matters. How’s the current situation in the Singularity? Did the soldiers tell you anything?】

Mash nodded. “Yes, let me explain. Based on the information we got from the soldiers, the current state of the Singularity is…”

-

Naruto: The World’s Cutest Jeanne Alter Fan Club Destroyed by Headquarters

—France is now nearly entirely fallen.

That was what the soldiers had said.

According to original history, in the year 1431, King Charles VII of France should have already signed a ceasefire agreement with Philippe III, who sided with England. Though tensions couldn’t be completely erased, large-scale battles would certainly not occur for the time being.

But in reality…

“Charles VII is already dead.”

Mash’s voice sounded heavy.

Charles VII, who was supposed to sign a peace treaty with the English side, had died some time ago in this Singularity’s timeline. This was now a fact known throughout all of France. And the perpetrator behind this unthinkable act was someone the French people never would have suspected.

“The Witch Jeanne.”

Jeanne, who should have been executed by public burning, had now returned to the world as a witch. And just as she had been executed, she burned Charles VII alive in flames until he perished.

Afterward, the Witch Jeanne made Paris her stronghold and launched war across all of France. In just a few days, France—having just achieved peace and entered a period of calm—plunged once again into the flames of war.

The outcome of the war was also overwhelmingly one-sided. Since the war began until now, in only a few days, nearly all of France had fallen. Aside from a few major cities still resisting, there was no safe place left in the nation. Even the English army had already fled back to their homeland.

Honestly, this was shocking news—at least to Ritsuka and their companions. Though Ritsuka wasn’t very knowledgeable about French history, they had heard of Saintess Jeanne.

Originally, she was just an ordinary village girl who, at age seventeen, received a divine revelation. She left her hometown to join the army. Until her capture in a minor conflict at Compiègne at age nineteen, she led the French army to unprecedented victories. Ultimately, she enabled Charles VII, the rightful heir, to be crowned, laying the foundation for France’s eventual triumph.

In future history, Jeanne was recorded as France’s national hero, a Catholic saint, the world’s most famous holy maiden, and a globally recognized historical figure.

Yet someone like her was now slandered as a witch in this era.

【It’s not an incomprehensible situation, Fujimaru.】

Roman’s voice came through the communication device.

【In ancient times, boosting one’s own troops’ morale or demoralizing the enemy by slandering their leader was a common tactic. In modern society, it’s akin to making false accusations to deliberately tarnish someone’s reputation. And the primary source of the slander against Jeanne was England. As the opposing nation, it was only natural for them to defame Jeanne, who continuously thwarted their strategies.】

【But compared to what’s recorded in history, what interests me more is the resurrection of the Witch Jeanne—I believe this is the root cause of this Singularity’s formation.】

The dead cannot return to life. This was a universally accepted fact since the Age of Gods ended. In the Age of Gods, when someone died, their soul went to the underworld, which could still be accessed—because the underworld literally existed beneath the earth.

But in the year 1431, the Age of Gods had ended thousands of years ago. Even with Magic or Magecraft, the dead could not be revived. Jeanne was no exception. When you think about it, Jeanne’s resurrection was the greatest anomaly of this Singularity.

“So we just need to send the Witch Jeanne back to her coffin, right?”

Hinako, never one for subtlety, spoke bluntly: “Then don’t waste time here. Head straight to their base in Paris and destroy them all.”

“Destroy… you mean attack the enemy’s headquarters directly?”

“Yes. More specifically, I’ll go to Paris alone and self-destruct several times. I think the Singularity will end right then.”

Ritsuka: “...”

Mash: “...”

Chaldea: 【...】

It could be said this was a strategy only Hinako could suggest or even consider—brutally direct and logically unassailable. After all, her self-destruction did possess that kind of power. If one explosion wasn’t enough, she could just do it multiple times.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Back in Chaldea, Roman—unsure how to argue—turned to Naoki, who was calmly watching the scene unfold. “Natsukawa, Akuta wants to go to Paris and become a suicide bomber. What do you think?”

“Let her go,” Naoki said casually, sipping his cola. “Senior Hinako can do it, can’t she?”

【Hear that? Natsukawa says it’s fine, so I’m leaving now!】

“No no no no no! Akuta, wait a moment! That’s too reckless! No one just charges straight into the enemy’s headquarters like that! And Natsukawa, act seriously! Even though you’ll clean up after her, you can’t just be this relaxed!”

Roman quickly stopped Hinako, who was preparing to go alone and behead the Witch Jeanne.

“Besides, didn’t the soldiers mention it too? The enemies in this Singularity aren’t just the resurrected Witch Jeanne—but also dragons!”

Dragons.

That was indeed something the soldiers had mentioned.

The reason the Witch Jeanne could seize nearly all of France in such a short time was her invincible army—the countless Wyverns that formed her dragon forces.

“No matter how many times you self-destruct, you’ll definitely be hindered and disrupted by countless Phantasmal Species. This isn’t an enemy you can defeat with self-destruction alone.”

“Then I’ll self-destruct more times,” Hinako said firmly. “Besides, from the description, the creatures attacking cities are just low-tier Wyverns. Their accumulated lifespans are at most a few hundred years. They’re no match for me at all.”

If Mana stems from accumulated knowledge, then the power of Phantasmal Species comes from the accumulation of long life. Because their histories are so ancient, Phantasmal Species generally possess immense Mana, and their very existence is shrouded in mystery.

Phantasmal Species with lifespans exceeding a hundred years cannot be defeated by humans. Those over a thousand years old cannot even be handled by Magicians—their mere mystery is akin to Magic itself. The clearest example is Beo, Touko’s golden wolf familiar.

And dragonkind stands at the peak of Phantasmal Species. Even low-tier Wyverns possess histories spanning at least a hundred years. In the modern age, they were beings capable of erasing the Clock Tower—unless faced by a Jewel Mage.

Unfortunately for them, Hinako was a fairy who had existed since ancient times. Her accumulated history stretched back to the Age of the Chinese Gods. Fighting Wyverns and their ilk was mere destruction to her.

Seeing he couldn’t persuade Hinako, and with Naoki beside him looking like he was watching a show, Roman gritted his teeth and immediately pulled out his phone.

“Magical Merry! Emergency! There’s a crazy bomber here who can’t resist destroying the enemy base! How do I stop her?!”

【Just let her go. She can revive anyway, right? Besides, it’s great stress relief. I recommend Roman try it too~】

-

Title: Aozaki Aoko, Whose Hopes Were Doomed to Be Crushed

In the end, Hinako was persuaded by Roman through lengthy discussion.

It wasn’t that Roman didn’t trust Hinako’s abilities. But since they had just arrived in the Singularity and knew almost nothing about the enemy, launching a reckless suicide attack was not a wise decision. At the very least, they needed to gather sufficient information before making any moves.

Though slightly dissatisfied with Roman’s overly cautious thinking, Hinako eventually accepted it. Mash and Ritsuka also felt relieved. Having a senior who loved self-destructing was truly confusing—they didn’t know how to react.

“Then, if we’re not attacking the enemy base directly, where are we going now?” Hinako asked. “If we want to gather information, we need to find a city first, right? In that case, how about we follow the direction that group of soldiers went?”

“That works. Didn’t those soldiers mention that a few cities in France are still resisting the Witch Jeanne’s attacks? You can head there.”

The basic situation of the Singularity had already been learned from the soldiers. What remained was information about the Witch Jeanne’s faction. To correct the Singularity, Ritsuka and their companions would inevitably face the Witch Jeanne’s side. To avoid being at a disadvantage due to an information gap, it was crucial to gather intelligence on the enemy beforehand.

Though, in Naoki and Hinako’s opinion, simply sending Hinako—the Bomber-chan—to Paris to self-destruct would solve everything.

“Cities still resisting the Witch Jeanne… Weren’t they Lyon and Paris?” Ritsuka thought for a moment. “But which direction are Lyon and Paris in? We don’t have a map.”

【Don’t worry about that—we’ll guide you.】

Roman’s voice came through the communication device.

【Still, we can only show direction by comparing your coordinates with a modern map. Let me check… Your current position is near Domrémy. It’s quite far from both Paris and Lyon. You won’t be able to reach either today.】

“Then let’s go to a closer town first. Rest there, and start our journey tomorrow. Maybe we can also get a map from this era there, Senpai.”

“If Mash says so… Senior Hinako, you—”

“I don’t care. Forest or city, go wherever you want.”

Hinako waved her hand casually. In truth, sleeping outdoors was no issue for her. After all, she was a fairy. Moreover, compared to the modern era hundreds of years later, this past Singularity was actually more satisfying for Hinako. At the very least, the air felt far more comfortable.

And after scanning the surrounding area, Roman’s voice came again.

【Around you—specifically to the east—if you head in that direction, you’ll see a fortress. Just go there first.】

“Understood.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Slowly waking up from her bed, Aoko rubbed her eyes, walked to the window, opened it, and stretched her body toward the sky outside.

“Ugh~~~~~ Hmm! What lovely weather. So pleasant—no Wyverns in the sky today.”

It had been about a week since Aoko arrived in this Singularity. During that week, she had grown utterly sick of Wyverns appearing and attacking at any moment.

Not that she couldn’t defeat them. Though they were Phantasmal Species, Aoko—capable of defeating ancient monsters like Beo, who had a two-thousand-year history—could easily handle Wyverns. But even if it was easy, fighting them over a dozen times a day was truly exhausting.

Waking up peacefully like this morning was a rare luxury for Aoko in the past week.

A few days earlier, she had always woken up lazily to loud noises and desperate cries for help.

Besides dealing with Wyverns, in this week, Aoko had also learned part of the situation in this Singularity.

First, the city—or more accurately, the fortress—where she was now staying was called Vaucouleurs. It was a rural French fortress. Originally, during the Hundred Years’ War between England and France, this place wasn’t often involved in battles. Especially after the ceasefire agreement was signed, it had enjoyed a period of peace.

But recently, the fortress was attacked. Wyverns descended from the sky, mercilessly destroying everything around.

Aoko arrived just then. At the time, having just entered the Singularity, she wanted to ask someone for directions. She walked on, and eventually found Vaucouleurs under attack by a swarm of Wyverns. Guided by her principle of helping the righteous, she immediately acted and drove all the Wyverns away.

Afterward, Aoko was hailed by the fortress’s soldiers and civilians as a savior sent by God. They welcomed her with great reverence into the fortress. She also received information about the Singularity from them.

Jeanne’s resurrection, war breaking out again, and swarms of Wyverns rampaging across France…

Over the years, Aoko had traveled to countless places and considered herself experienced in many things. But she had never seen hundreds, even thousands, of Phantasmal Species freely flying through the sky. Remember, after the Age of Gods ended, Phantasmal Species had all moved to the Reverse Side of the World, with only a few remaining in the human world.

After learning part of this situation, Aoko decided to stay in Vaucouleurs—partly because the locals and soldiers asked her to provide protection and drive away Wyverns in exchange for food and lodging. The other reason was that she wanted to wait for someone here.

Since the Incineration of Humanity had occurred, her man wouldn’t stay idle. He would come to this Singularity sooner or later—so Aoko decided to wait here until Naoki arrived.

As for why she had to wait here… that was what Merlin had said. Aoko gave him slight trust. If she turned out to be wrong, she could always have Artoria hang him later.

Putting on her casual clothes, Aoko tidied her appearance. “Time for a meal, right? It should be lunchtime now…”

“Your Grace Aozaki, are you awake?”

At that moment, a voice came from outside the door. Aoko walked over and opened it, seeing a soldier standing there.

“I just woke up. What’s wrong? Did Wyverns come again?”

“No. There’s a suspicious group of people in strange clothing trying to enter the fortress.”

“Suspicious people? How suspicious?”

“Their clothes aren’t like ours, nor like noble attire. If I had to say, they resemble yours, Your Grace Aozaki… Oh, and when they spoke, they claimed to be from a place called Chaldea.”

Chaldea?!

Aoko’s eyes instantly sparkled—after waiting for a whole week, her man had finally arrived!