(26) Jeanne d'Arc

(An: There was a lot of good suggestion for names in the last chapter. I saw badass names like Cocytus, Albion, Velzard, Veldora, and my personal favorite, Nix. I'll have to go with Nix since it's simple and easy to pronounce. So thank you to all those who give suggestions in the last chapter.)

"Let's name him Nix. A Latin word meaning snow. It will become a fitting name when he became a powerful dragon future." Seemingly proud of his naming sense, Alexander laugh lightly as he put Nix on his left shoulder.

Nix seems happy about his new name as he let a cute noise as he wags his tails.

"Nix, huh. Yeah, I kinda like that name..." Ritsuka said.

"Yeah, it's cute. Although not as cute as the name kyu, it will suffice." Tamamo said.

Alexander could felt a tint of dissatisfaction in her voice.

This discovery came as a surprise for him. This was the first time she shows dissatisfaction with his choice. From their first meeting, she played the role of an obedient housewife who will listen to what their partner would decide.

Was he mad about this slight change? Well, it's the opposite. He does not need a puppet who will obey whatever he ordered. Tamamo was like this puppet. This could be seen in their first meeting. But now, she was showing signs of self-respect. He hated the fact that she was willing to be treated like a tool in exchange for his affection.

'She is finally exhibiting some form of decision-making.' A small grin forms on his face as he watches Tamamo playing Nix.

"Ritsuka could you inform Romani about preparing the summoning."

"Of course, but what about the ley line? I thought the large mana we found was the egg."

"The ley line does exist but it's faint. It's right below where Nix's egg was found. It should have enough mana to summon Medusa and Archer in the singularity."

"I see. If that's the case, I'll contact Doctor then."

"Please do."

After informing Romani. The Chaldeans prepared the summoning using the previous method of using Mash's shield as the summoning ritual. Fortunately, this method does not require any fancy incantation. All Alexander and the others have to do was set Mash's shield on top of the ley-line and used a command spell to summon the servants. As for the basic resources like food and water that needed to be transferred, it does not require any action on their end.

(An: If you're wondering why not just Alexander used the Inventory that he never used... I have plans for that. I bet most of you forgot that he has an inventory, huh?)

"You go first, Ritsuka." He gently nudges Ritsuka by the side.

"Right."

The process of summoning is not that complicated. Ritsuka just used one of his command spells to summon Archer. There was no bright light or balls of light spinning. Archer just appears standing on top of the shield with his never-changing frown on his face. He still wears the same full black body armor add with a red long coat.

"I arrive upon your summon, master." He did a little bow before going to Ritsuka's side.

"Hm, please take care of me."

After Ritsuka, It was Alexander's turn. He did the same process for Medusa which uses one of his command spells. They did not have to worry about the excessive use of command spells since they regenerated once per day.

It did not take long for Medusa to appear before him. The same as Archer, Medusa wears the same outfit as she summoned a month ago. The difference was that she was not wearing her eye cover. Instead, she wears a pair of glasses that Da Vinci made for her. Its purpose was to act as a form of seal that prevents her mystic eyes of petrification from turning things to stone.

He still could remember the look on her face the moment she saw his face for the first time.

'I still could not believe that she could smile like that... Unfortunately, those smiles were the first and last time I saw her smile.'

"Is something the matter, master?"

He was brought back to the present by the soft sound of her voice.

"It's nothing. We should get out of here since we achieve our purpose here."

Nodding, everyone with the addition of the two servants left the cave without much trouble. In their way, they notice the temperature rise back to room temperature.

"So the harsh temperature must be related to Nix," Ritsuka said as he began to looked around with a surprised expression.

"Nix? Is it that thing on Alex's Shoulder?" Archer asked.

"Yes, he's adorable isn't he?" Tamamo gently picks up Nix from Alexander's shoulder and holds him on her bosom.

"Yeah, he is..." Archer seems indifferent about the topic after getting an answer as he only nods and keeps his gaze in front.

"We are here."

After leaving the cave unscathed. The Chaldeans decided to return to civilization. With the addition of Medusa and Archer, they were now more confident in facing whichever enemies that cross their paths from here onwards.

Tamamo and Alexander already memorized the paths they needed to take to leave the wilderness. With them in front, they began to lead the group to where they last meet the camp of soldiers. But arriving there, they saw no soldiers, but only death and destruction.

Burning tents, burned bodies, and broken buildings laid everywhere for the eyes to see. It was a nightmare.

Ritsuka could not handle the sight as he began to immediately throw up. Mash faced went paled but she was able to handle it better than Ritsuka. As for the servants they all wear a serious expressions on their faces.

"This is worst than I thought."

Alexander's calm but indifferent words brought them back to reality as they watched him approach one of the dead soldiers.

"They only have been dead for more than 5 hours. The enemy should be near. Prepare for conflict-"

"How could be so calm about all of this?!"

Ritsuka, the one who always wears a smile on his face snapped. The frustration, the helpless and the despair could all be seen on his face. The deaths of numerous humans must have put a lot of toll on his mind.

"Senpai?!" Mash was shocked to see him snapped like this. This is a big surprise for her as she has never seen him act like this.

Alexander's eyes calmly gaze at Ritsuka. There was no sign of any emotions whatsoever, only apathy.

"This is reality Ritsuka. The reason why I am calm about all of this is that I witness a lot of deaths in my life. Whether they were caused by others or by myself. If you witness such things in your daily life, you will eventually get used to things, whether you like it or not... or at least the past would say."

"Eh?"

Past me? What happened to him in the past? Is the past related to the moment? These questions filled everyone's mind.

"Ritsuka, I have known you for more than a month by now. I could tell you are a kind and optimistic person at heart... But you lack resolve. I will never be able to stay by your side and make decisions for Chaldea. As for Romani... Well, you could not depend on him when it comes to decision-making. And that only left is you, Ritsuka." Alexander's voice was calm but authoritative. Those who heard his words could not help be drawn towards him.

"You and I are the only available masters that Chaldea depends on." He drags both of his feet towards Ritsuka. He then gently pat his shoulder and said, "So you have to be strong, for Chaldea, for your servants, and lastly, for Humanity."

Hearing Alexander's words, Ritsuka clenched his fist. The emotional roller coaster is too much for him to handle. At first, he was frustrated and in despair seeing the deaths of hundred soldiers in front of him. Now, Alexander was giving him a motivational speech for him to be strong...

"I don't know what to think anymore..." The despair could be seen in his eyes as he lower his head.

'His cowardice is worst than I thought.' Alexander was dissatisfied.

"Look at me, Ritsuka. Tell me, what is your dream?"

His sudden question confused everyone.

"Dream?" Ritsuka asked lightly.

"Yes, your dream, goal, ambition. What do you want to achieve while you are still alive?"

"I-"

"I'm sure you have a dream. It's what makes us humans. I want you to think about it deeply. Give me your answer later. For now, let's get out of this place."

'That should distract him for a while...' Alexander thought.

*

After leaving some prayer to the dead soul. The Chaldeans left the place as it serves them no longer to stay in that depressing place. With Tamamo, Medusa, and Archer scouting the area, they find a camp similar to the first camp they encounter.

This time, Alexander and co are prepared to do some investigation. Medusa and Archer was the one who did the information gathering because of their nature to enter their spiritual forms. Tamamo wanted to come but Alexander denied her request since it takes a lot of energy for her to enter that state. He needed to preserve their energy as much as possible for an inevitable conflict with their enemy. With her request being denied, she could only sulk. That did not last long as the presence of Nix and Fou help her cheer up a bit.

With the duo's effort, The Chaldeans were finally able to find more clues about the situation. Well, the surface information at least...

Jeanne d'Arc, or her new nickname, the dragon witch, was the leading cause of chaos across the singularity. She leads a strong army of flying lizards and robed-covered people. This is also where her nickname comes from as whenever she appears in public, she is always on the head of a big dragon.

In her second debut to the world, she caused turmoil in the country of France. Not only was she was brought back to life, but she come back wanting blood to spill. The worst part is, she even brought seven people who have an unnatural amount of strength.

Her resurrection was the start of a nightmare.

With her lead, she easily captures the king of France, Charles the VII. The King cried for mercy as he call for the military to save him. The problem was the army was worthless against their strong might. They are similar to headless chickens, It was child's play to massacre the soldiers.

Adding fuel to the fire, Jeanne personally executed the king under the eyes of the french citizens.

Her feat was spread across the country which leads to most of its citizens to despair.

This, however, was just the beginning. She further spread her influence by destroying towns and villages that cross her paths. The military tried to resist but they hit a dead end as the soldiers they send on the battlefield become nothing but unnecessary sacrifice.

The deaths she caused were already in the tens of thousands. This number made the Chaldeans, with the exception of Alexander, clench their fist. Medusa and Archer are already used to hearing such a large number of casualties. Tamamo was a special case because of her love for humans. Hearing such so many innocent people die made her upset.

"We have to do something, Alex-senpai!" Mash exclaim with clear distress in her voice.

"I know, Mash. I understand how you feel, but it's reckless to act without planning, so calm yourself. Shishou taught you that an unstable mind is detrimental before a battle, right?"

"I know but-"

"I apologize for the interruption, but I spotted a woman with an identical description with the witch." Archer, who is on top of a broken house, announced.

"Witch? The Dragon Which?!"

"Yes, master. But there is something off about her..."

"Does she have any companion?" Alexander asked.

"No, she is alone."

"Alone huh," Alexander put his hands on his chin as he began to analyze the situation.

"Romani, what is the data on your end?" Flicking his wrist, he asked Romani by communicating using a brand new bracelet that Da Vinci delivered.

("I was about to tell you that a servant is approaching your location. Just like what Archer said, the servant is alone. I'm receiving no hostile intention on my end, so she is probably not an enemy. But be careful nonetheless.") His message was heard by everyone.

"Don't worry, we know what to do."

They prepared for any possible confrontation while waiting for the female servant to appear before them. This may seem overkill, but when Archer began to describe her appearance, they notice the big similarities between that servant and the dragon witch's description. Other than their armor and hair color, all their physical appearance is the same.

Who knows, maybe she already know their existence and was planning on deceiving them. You never knew.

It did not take long for the female servant to appear in front of them.

The servant was a beautiful young woman with long blond hair that flowed gently at her back. She is wearing a blue battle dress with a sword hanging at her side. There is an opening in her battle dress that shows her milky thighs. She is quite petite with a height only reaching 159cm(5.2ft). But what made Alexander paid attention to was her amethyst-colored eyes.

'Is it possible to have such pure and kindhearted eyes?'

They say that eyes are the window to the soul. Alexander, who seen have a lot of experience dealing with people, is a big believer in this saying. Throughout his horrible life, he has seen just how cruel humans could be to each other. He knows this as he is a psychotic killer in the past.

On the other hand, he also witnesses how kind and helpful people are in some situations. You could say that he saw both sides of the coin. But humans will always have a good and dark side to their personalities.

But the woman in front of him... contradict this knowledge of his. There's no "dark side" in that eyes of hers. Only pure and positive energy...

She is deserving the title of a saint.

"Jeanne d'Arc," Alexander muttered.

Jeanne, flinched when she heard her name. She closes her eyes seemingly waiting for something to occur. Seconds passed by but she felt no curse or scream that she expected to happen. She opens her eyes once more only to see the group of strangers looking at her strangely.

Finding her action inappropriate, she felt embarrassed. She tried to shrugged it off by coughing but her words still stuttered in the middle.

"Ehem. I-i apologizes, for my weird behavior." She said with a tint of redness on her cheeks.

"There is nothing to worry and be embarrassed about. Could I know the name of this young lady?" Alexander asked with a small smile. Unbeknownst to him, his passive skills (Charisma) and (King's aura) activated.

Jeanne looks at the handsome man in front of her. He is standing at over 182cm(6ft) tall. Because of their height difference, she has lifted her head slightly to look at his blood-red eyes which captivated her greatly. His eyes seem to suck her in, like a deep chasm. His natural charm was extremely deadly for her pure maiden heart...

She used all her willpower to remain calm and stop her beating heart from leaping out from her chest.

"Yes, o-of course, my name is Jeanne d'Arc. You could call me Jeanne for short."

"Jeanne, huh. What a beautiful name... My name is Alexander Lampros, here are my companions..."

While Alexander was patiently introducing everyone, Tamamo, who is been listening on the sidelines, froze.

'Beautiful, he called her name beautiful... my husband never praise my name... and yet-'

"Tamamo?"

"Huh?" Snapping out of her thoughts, she looked at her master who is giving her a concerned look.

"Tamamo is something the matter?"

"Uh, no, it's nothing," She sways her hand back and forth while trying to change the subject.

Medusa, standing beside Alexander also gave her a weird look. In this past month, she and Tamamo get pretty along well. Maybe due to their similar hobbies of reading or their tragic past, something within them clicked, and without them realizing, they become best buddies.

Seeing her panicked, there could only be one reason as to why is that...

'It's something related to master, isn't it?' Medusa could only sigh, he wanted to help her first friend but she is hopeless about topics like relationships...

'Sorry Tamo, but you are on your own.'

*

After the small shenanigans, the Chaldeans began to learn more about this Saint. According to her, Jeanne is summoned by the counterforce in the singularity as a ruler. However, due to unknown circumstances. Her commands spell did not exist and her parameters as servant decline one level down. The worst part is, her special skill as a ruler to locate servants, also does not exist.

Meaning, she is now no different from any other servant.

When the Chaldeans learn this fact, they were naturally disappointed.

On the bright side, Jeanne agreed to help when she found out that there was another her exist. Especially when learn the terrible things she had done to her homeland.

"Let me join you, it's my responsibility to stop this disaster."

Alexander did not disappoint her as he asked her for a temporary contract to which she happily agreed in. With this, Alexander now could proceed with his plans...