-150- Busy? Not available?

As the day gradually darkened, the wyverns that had been soaring in the sky over France returned to their nests to rest as night fell.

Gilles de Rais and his troops, in light of this situation, chose to set up a camp. They established the camp in an area not easily visible from high altitudes, allowing the soldiers to pitch their tents and start resting.

Rozen and Mash followed this military force and settled within the camp.

At this moment, Mash was reporting back to Chaldea.

"I understand the situation now."

Roman appeared on the projection screen, his expression appearing somewhat solemn.

"The group of wyverns laid waste to the entire land of France, and the 'Dragon Witch' Jeanne d'Arc… these are indeed abnormalities sufficient to create a Singularity."

Whether it was the appearance of phantasmal species unfamiliar to this era, openly flocking in broad daylight and destroying several cities, or the resurrection of the saint followed by the assassination of the French king, these were events that could overturn history.

However, these events were not recorded in historical records, indicating that they were anomalies that shouldn't have occurred in this era—taints in this era that needed to be rectified.

Mash reported these circumstances to Roman and continued speaking.

"Currently, we're working together with Marshal Gilles de Rais and his elite French forces, as per Senpai's instructions."

With Charles VII killed and France ravaged by the wyvern horde, the entire country had plunged into chaos. The French army was disorganized, appearing chaotic and disjointed. If not for the English forces also fearing the 'Dragon Witch,' given France's current state, England would have likely taken them down easily, turning France into the losing side of the Hundred Years' War.

Given these circumstances, the French forces were being restructured under Marshal Gilles's leadership, making every effort to organize effective resistance. They were seeking an opportunity to reclaim the ravaged land from the 'Dragon Witch.'

In essence, the enemy of the French forces was also the 'Dragon Witch.'

Enemies' enemies might not always be friends, but they could cooperate.

Therefore, Rozen proposed the idea of collaborating with Gilles.

"...Very well, your ability to combat those monsters is valuable to us. As long as you're willing to offer your assistance, we can provide you with food and weapons."

After contemplating this, Gilles agreed.

"Good, you've made the right decision." Roman nodded and then looked puzzled. "By the way, where's Rozen now?"

"Senpai...?" Mash's expression suddenly became somewhat complex, and she said with a hint of difficulty, "Senpai is currently busy with something and isn't available."

"Not available?" Roman was taken aback.

Just as Roman was about to ask further questions, a mournful and extremely painful howl erupted from the nearby forest, startling all the soldiers within the camp.

"What... what's that sound!?"

Roman was equally startled.

In contrast, Mash's expression became awkward.

"In fact, Senpai is currently conducting research on the wyverns that were captured today."

What exactly was the subject of this research?

Roman had initially intended to ask, but he heard the haunting howl again, causing his mouth to twitch.

"Let's... let's forget about it. It's probably better not to ask too much."

Roman retreated with a somewhat timid demeanor.

Mash also changed the subject.

"Though Senpai is... occupied, he still asked me to inquire about a few things from the doctor." Mash then asked, "Doctor, is Jeanne d'Arc's resurrection genuine or not?"

This was the first question that needed clarification.

Because...

"Senpai mentioned that the revival of the deceased falls within the realm of magic and might even be beyond the reach of magic itself. Even with the aid of the 'Holy Grail,' reviving the dead is a challenging feat."

However, even if resurrection isn't possible, that doesn't necessarily mean the 'Dragon Witch' isn't Jeanne d'Arc.

"After all, Jeanne d'Arc could very well be a Servant," Roman proposed, saying, "There's no past or future in the 'Throne of Heroes.' If the Jeanne d'Arc as a Heroic Spirit was summoned to her own era, that's entirely possible."

If that were the case, it wouldn't be surprising for people to mistake her for being resurrected.

In any case, ordinary people wouldn't know about the existence of Heroic Spirits and Servants. Seeing Jeanne d'Arc appear would naturally lead them to believe she had been resurrected.

"Senpai also thinks along those lines," Mash agreed with Roman and continued, "If that's the case, Senpai has another question. Could the saint who saved her country be the type of person who, due to slander and persecution during her lifetime, seeks revenge and ends up ravaging her homeland?"

"This..." Roman seemed a bit hesitant, then said, "While it's not impossible, it's hard to believe that the saint would become such a vengeful figure."

The term 'Saint' wasn't just an empty title.

According to historical records, Jeanne d'Arc was originally just a simple farm girl from a remote village in France. As a devout Catholic, she prayed earnestly and claimed to have heard the Lord's sigh of lamentation over human conflict, prompting her to leave the village.

A girl from a rural village, suddenly aspiring to lead an army, would undoubtedly face doubt, ridicule, and obstacles of all kinds.

But Jeanne d'Arc never gave up. In just two short years, she miraculously turned the tide in her favor multiple times, achieving victory in numerous battles. Even after being captured, she held her ground in theological debates against opponents who were experts in their field, despite knowing nothing beyond the prayers she had learned from the Bible. This made it difficult for her persecutors, who accused her of heresy, to find a suitable way to punish her.

"Marshal Gilles also mentioned that the saint continued to devoutly pray for a cross, even as she was being led to the execution platform, despite others around her hurling accusations of being a witch."

Mash's face turned serious as she spoke.

"A saint like that shouldn't become a Heroic Spirit carrying hatred and ultimately seeking revenge against her homeland."

Given the above, Rozen didn't actually believe the 'Dragon Witch' was Jeanne d'Arc.

More importantly...

"Senpai mentioned that there were no legends about Jeanne d'Arc involving dragons during her lifetime." Mash stated word by word, "Summoning dragonkind is the most advanced form of magic, not something that just any magus can easily bring forth. For Jeanne d'Arc to become the 'Dragon Witch' and lead a horde of dragons, that in itself is an anomaly."

Unless...

"Unless that 'Dragon Witch' holds the 'Holy Grail' in her possession."

At that moment, a voice came from the direction of the forest.