[Altair Miller]
Walking through the forest, I was flanked by Okita and Jeanne, both acting like true guard dogs, as if they didn't even want the wind brushing against my skin.
It was almost like I was a princess from a mushroom kingdom being protected by two plumbers… I couldn't help but smile at my own weird analogy.
I kept walking alongside them, unable to wipe the smile off my face.
Meanwhile, Ritsuka was chatting with Marie Antoinette, but my mind drifted elsewhere.
I looked down at my hand, opening and closing my fingers, lost in thought.
Could my fight against Jeanne be considered a defeat? Honestly, I didn't have an answer.
On one hand, I was the one who ended up on the ground. Conversely, I still had one or two tricks up my sleeve. If Marie Antoinette hadn't interfered, maybe I would have won… or maybe not.
However, I have to admit that triggering [Mad Enhancement] during the battle wasn't exactly an ideal scenario for me.
Even though that ability granted me an impressive boost in strength, it hardly seemed worth it when my mental faculties took a nosedive in exchange for that power increase.
The fact that I wasn't acting normally because of the skill didn't help either. Let's just say throwing myself into the middle of the flames and plummeting from the sky for kilometers wasn't exactly a stroke of genius.
In fact, it caused me considerable damage and forced my [Pseudo-Perfect Immortality] ability to work overtime.
While my mind wandered, I heard a beautiful voice echoing through the forest.
"Are you serious!?" exclaimed Marie, turning to me with stars sparkling in her eyes.
What's going on? I wondered, tilting my head slightly, confused.
Before I could grasp the situation, Marie Antoinette rushed toward me, grabbing my hand. With the beautiful white-haired girl standing before me, the sweet scent of lilies filled the air.
Clutching my hand, Marie Antoinette lifted her head and locked her eyes onto mine.
"What do you think you're doing, you idiot!?" Artoria, who had been silent until now, suddenly snapped, glaring at Marie.
For some reason, Jeanne didn't look too happy seeing my hand being held, while Okita merely narrowed her eyes.
The last queen of France, however, completely ignored the Servants staring her down, keeping her gaze focused solely on me.
"I, Marie Antoinette, truly admire you, Altair," she declared, squeezing my hand even tighter, her eyes shining with admiration.
Right, I was confused.
Ritsuka, standing behind Marie, was wearing a faintly amused smile.
What did that red-haired girl do?
"Hmm… thank you, but what's going on?" I asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Mademoiselle Ritsuka told me that you declared your love for the evil version of Jeanne in the middle of a deadly battle. Is there anything more romantic than that?" Marie replied, visibly excited, nearly trembling with glee.
"That wouldn't be the first time," Nobunaga chimed in from her spot leaning against a tree.
"It's true," Ritsuka added, pausing for a moment while casting a glance at Artoria, who was clearly not thrilled about seeing the French Servant clinging to my hand. "Altair-kun has already confessed his feelings to Medusa, and… well, he kind of claimed that Artoria belonged to him. If I remember correctly, his words were something like: 'If I see something of extreme value, isn't it natural to want it for myself?' Or something like that."
"..."
Marie Antoinette stared at me with even greater intensity, while Artoria huffed, though a slight blush tinged her pale face. Even I felt a little embarrassed about the situation.
"My dear Altair, you're like a very lost kindred spirit of mine," she said, flashing a radiant smile.
…
Please, someone, get me out of this situation.
As if answering my silent plea, Dr. Romani's voice echoed through the communicator:
"Sorry to interrupt, but it looks like you've got company up ahead. If you want to reach the ley line, you'll have to get past these creatures."
At his words, humanoid creatures covered in red fur with canine heads began emerging from the forest.
Werewolves!?... Honestly, thank you for this.
"Oh! Little wolfies!" Marie exclaimed, her goldfish-like attention span instantly captured by the werewolves.
Letting go of my hand, I gave a faint smile and raised my hand to summon the Ruyi Jingu Bang…
"Master, what do you think you're doing!?" Jeanne grabbed my wrist before I could complete the motion.
I blinked, confused. "Destroying some werewolves," I replied as if it were obvious.
"No, you're not," Jeanne shot back, crossing her arms over her chest—which, unintentionally, made them stand out even more. "Master, you've used up a considerable amount of magical energy. Stay by Ritsuka's side and rest." Jeanne raised her hand, pointing toward the red-haired girl.
"Altair-senpai, mademoiselle Jeanne is right," Mash added, striking one of the werewolves with her shield and knocking it backward.
"Sorry, Master, but I agree with the saint," Okita said, stepping forward with her katana drawn.
Nobunaga flashed me a mischievous grin and fired her arquebus, blasting a bloody hole in one of the werewolves' chests.
With no desire to argue, I raised my hands in surrender, giving in to the will of the crowd. As they say, the voice of the people is the voice of God. "Okay, okay, I get it!" Resigned, I walked over to Ritsuka, who was standing with her hands behind her back. Despite the scratches on her face, she wore a teasing smile.
While our Servants fought, aided by Marie Antoinette and her musician, Ritsuka turned to me. "First time!"
I rolled my eyes. "Repeating a joke twice doesn't make it any funnier."
"For me, it does," she shot back, shrugging with a provocative grin.
"Careful, little Ritsuka. A third time might have serious consequences," I retorted, returning her smile with a touch of mischief.
Ritsuka met my gaze defiantly, her lips curling into a mischievous grin.
"First time!" she sang, drawing out every syllable in deliberate provocation as she lifted her hands to shield herself from the flick she expected.
But this time… I had other plans.
With that thought, my hand came down fast—not on her head, but on that perfect, round, and inviting butt. The smack was gentle but firm enough to make the flesh tremble under my palm, soft as velvet, yet with a succulent firmness that yielded to my touch, only to bounce back into shape with a hypnotic wobble.
"Ahhn~!?" The moan slipped from her lips as her eyes widened in shock.
"Hmm… soft," I murmured, tracing my fingers over the same spot, feeling the heat of her skin even through the fabric.
My hand slid slowly over the curve of her ass, squeezing lightly before pulling it back.
Ritsuka blinked, stunned, as though unable to process what had just happened. The next moment, her face began turning as red as if it were ablaze. "Did… did you just spank me?" she asked, incredulous, her hand flying to the spot.
"Of course," I replied, ignoring the heat radiating from her face, hot enough to rival a kettle.
She opened and closed her mouth several times, speechless. Yet judging by her expression, she wasn't the least bit offended by getting her butt smacked in those lovely tights… if anything, she seemed to like it a little.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, I was the one who spoke, trying to change the subject: "Why aren't you using a mystic code to heal yourself?"
Mystic codes are simply tools that mages use, to help them perform magic.
In this case, the Chaldea uniform Ritsuka was wearing had three functions: First Aid, Instant Reinforcement, and Emergency Evasion.
Even with her face still red, she shook her head. "I'd rather conserve my magical energy and use it on Mash or anyone else on the front lines," she replied, her eyes serious, if you ignored the persistent flush on her cheeks.
"You really are a special girl," I commented, ruffling her hair.
"Don't treat me like a little girl," she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting, though there was a smile playing on her lips.
After a ten-minute battle, they managed to defeat all the werewolves. We continued through the forest and, within minutes, arrived at the ley line, quickly setting up camp.
"Good job! We'll send supplies as soon as the summoning circle is ready," Dr. Romani said, congratulating us.
"Order confirmed. Beginning summoning circle deployment," Mash announced, positioning her shield as a channel to transport supplies from Chaldea to us.
With the circle complete, Dr. Roman began sending everything we needed. Artoria received a stockpile of junk food, which she immediately began devouring.
Meanwhile, Marie Antoinette stepped forward.
"Well, now that things have calmed down for a moment and everyone's ready, I'd like to introduce myself again. My true name is Marie Antoinette. I was summoned as a Rider," she said, giving an elegant curtsey. "As for the reason I was summoned… neither I nor Amadeus has the slightest idea." At the mention of his name, Amadeus cleared his throat before speaking.
"I am Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Caster-class. I have no Master, just like my lovely Marie," he introduced himself simply.
With that, the two Servants turned their gazes back to us.
"Ok! I'm Altair Miller, something close to a Demi-Servant," I said, introducing myself casually. "These are my Servants: Okita Souji, Oda Nobunaga, and Jeanne d'Arc," I said, introducing the three standing behind me.
"I'm Mash Kyrielight, a Demi-Servant. I have no idea what my True Name is," Mash said seriously, and then immediately turned to Ritsuka. "This is my Master, Ritsuka Fujimaru." Ritsuka merely smiled, waving to Marie.
"Artoria. Saber," Artoria said curtly, munching on a burger.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Gracefully, Marie offered a bright smile, then added, "The saint who saved France. One of the people I wanted to meet in my life." Marie looked at Jeanne with admiration in her eyes, making our dear saint look down shyly.
"I'm not a saint," Jeanne murmured.
"Fumu! That's so typical of you. But the way you lived your life says otherwise. That's why everyone will always remember and admire the name Jeanne d'Arc, the Maid of Orléans."
Marie's words only made Jeanne sigh; she truly didn't see herself as a saint.
"Marie Antoinette, your words honor me, but in life, I was no saint. For fighting for what I believed in, I stained my hands with blood. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret a single second of raising my banner, nor do I regret the Inquisition or my own death." Her blue eyes looked at the white-haired Servant. "But that doesn't change the fact that I shed the blood of people. Maybe never regretting that is my sin, so I think the word 'saint' shouldn't be used for a country girl like me."
Marie fell silent for several long seconds, simply looking at Jeanne. She blinked her large eyes, and finally opened her mouth: "I see! So if you're not a saint, is it all right if I just call you Jeanne?"
"Y-yes." Not expecting that question, she stammered a bit.
"Splendid!" Marie clapped her hands. "Then call me just Marie as well."
"All right," Jeanne nodded with a small smile. "Thank you, Marie."
"Wonderful." Marie flashed a bright smile. "Now that I know all of you, I have a rather bold request. Could you follow us to save France? Let's fight together and stop the Dragon Witch from destroying the lives of my country's citizens. We must unite!" she exclaimed with a radiant smile. "Will you join us?"
Ritsuka and I exchanged a glance, while Jeanne shifted slightly, looking uneasy. With a conspiratorial smile, I opened my mouth: "Of course, that's our duty. Let's go kick some ass and save France!"
••• ••• •••
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