-151- Can you bring yourself to do it?

"Senpai?"

Mash turned her head to the direction of the voice.

There, Rozen emerged from the forest with a satisfied look on his face, as if he had accomplished something good.

Considering the eerie cries from before and his refreshed expression now, the soldiers in the camp cast fearful glances at Rozen, treating him as if he were a heartless executioner.

Ignoring the fearful gazes of the soldiers, Rozen approached Mash.

"If the 'Dragon Witch' holds the 'Holy Grail,' then by making a wish to the 'Holy Grail,' even if the miracle of resurrecting the dead isn't possible, summoning Phantasmal species, including dragonkind, might still be achievable," Rozen continued the previous topic.

"With the power of the 'Holy Grail,' I wouldn't be surprised to summon not just Phantasmal species, but even true dragons," Rozen stated confidently, sharing his perspective.

In other words...

"Based on this conclusion, the 'Holy Grail' that caused this singularity to appear is likely in the hands of the 'Dragon Witch,' right?" Roman quickly inquired, "So, where is the 'Dragon Witch' right now?"

Rozen had asked Gilles this question earlier.

And this place was equally significant for the Saint Jeanne d'Arc.

Because, in her lifetime, Jeanne d'Arc had liberated that very city, a tale still recorded in history.

This place was...

"Orleans," Rozen stated with unwavering certainty, "The 'Dragon Witch' is in Orleans. Using it as a base, she's invading all of France, transforming half of the country's land into the nesting grounds for the wyverns."

However, Rozen had one more piece of information to share.

"The unsettling sensation I felt from Professor Lev also originated from the direction of Orleans."

In other words, in Orleans, not only was the 'Dragon Witch' present, but there was also a hidden hand orchestrating events behind the scenes. Furthermore, with the 'Holy Grail' in their possession, they managed to summon so many Phantasmal species, possibly even including real dragons. The situation for them was undeniably harsh.

However...

"We can only rely on the two of you to break through this challenge," Roman sighed helplessly, "This is just the first of the seven major singularities, and it has the lowest amplitude of fluctuation. If you can't overcome it, saving humanity will remain nothing more than a dream."

Reality could be brutally harsh.

"All we can do is provide as much support and assistance as we can," Roman stated, "Whether it's the suspicious halo in the skies of France or the anomaly in Rozen's body, we will investigate and analyze them. We have capable individuals here; you can count on us."

That 'capable individual' referred to the person Roman had mentioned during the Spiritron Transfer, right?

Rozen was quite confident in the abilities of that individual.

Furthermore...

"The director is secretly investigating various records and data, trying to uncover some information from them."

Roman said somewhat mysteriously.

So, Rozen and Mash weren't alone in this fight; they did indeed have allies by their side.

"We're counting on you, Doctor."

Mash entrusted Roman with a solemn request.

"Leave it to us." Roman smiled and said, "Remember to keep in touch. If we detect anything unusual on our end, we'll notify you immediately."

With that, Roman's image disappeared.

Mash finally relaxed.

"Thank you for your hard work, Senpai," she consoled Rozen, then asked, "How did your research go?"

"Well..." Rozen became mysteriously vague, "You'll find out soon."

Seeing his response, Mash was curious, but she refrained from asking further.

At that moment...

"It seems like you've finished your business."

Carrying that statement, Marshal Gilles, fully armed, approached from a distance.

"Marshal Gilles."

Mash looked over immediately.

"Thank you for providing the information, it's been very helpful to us," Mash said appreciatively.

Rozen also offered a token of thanks.

"No need to worry. In terms of the outcome, it's a win-win situation. We've gained valuable combat strength, which gives us some confidence against the Witch," Gilles replied, shaking his head slightly.

Was this statement sincere?

After all, regardless of whether the 'Dragon Witch' was truly Jeanne or not, she was likely a Servant.

Since she was a Servant, she wasn't an opponent that ordinary humans could stand against.

Gilles' objective was to defeat the 'Dragon Witch' and reclaim the French territory.

Therefore, for Gilles, Rozen and Mash were precious allies.

The question remained...

"Gilles, can you really defeat the 'Dragon Witch'?" Rozen turned his gaze towards Gilles, questioning with a hint of meaning, "Even if she is Jeanne?"

Gilles met Rozen's gaze, and after a while, he responded, "I thought you were going to ask something else. It's precisely because the 'Dragon Witch' is Jeanne that I must reclaim the French territory from her. That's the one thing I can be certain of."

This statement sounded like what someone would say to a fallen friend, expressing regret and the intention to sacrifice them for a greater cause.

However...

"Can you bring yourself to do it?" Rozen looked straight at Gilles, questioning directly, "Can you really cast down a friend who's been resurrected with so much effort into hell again?"

Rozen's straightforward inquiry left Gilles utterly speechless.

Gilles didn't say anything further. He simply looked up at the pitch-black night sky. After a long pause, he softly uttered these words.

"France betrayed Jeanne, betrayed our savior."

The reason Jeanne d'Arc was captured was due to a small-scale battle in Compiègne. When she ordered her troops to retreat back into the city, the gates of Compiègne were closed prematurely out of fear that English forces would follow, trapping Jeanne and the remaining guards outside the city walls. This eventually led to her capture by the Burgundians.

According to the customs of the time, captives could be ransomed if their families could pay enough money. However, despite having supported Charles VII, who ascended to the throne with Jeanne's help, he didn't put forth an effort to rescue her. Consequently, Jeanne was sold to the English by the Burgundians and subjected to trial and punishment.

Hence, Jeanne was not only maligned by her enemies in England but also betrayed by the France she had fought to defend and save.

"It's precisely for this reason that I cannot let her continue like this," Gilles left this cryptic statement and departed on his own.

Leaving Rozen and Mash alone, exchanging a long and wordless glance.