-193- Tomorrow, we will win

When Rozen arrived at the scene, Gilles was standing amidst a thicket of trees behind the open space, gazing absentmindedly in the direction of the clearing. His eyes displayed a mix of emotions like trance, ecstasy, and sorrow.

In the clearing he was looking at, Jeanne held her holy banner, gazing at the night sky, bathed in moonlight and looking exceptionally beautiful.

Gilles stood hidden in the shadows, silently observing Jeanne.

It wasn't until Rozen arrived and expressed surprise that Gilles seemed to snap out of it, turning his head.

"... It's you?" Gilles didn't appear ashamed of being discovered; he lowered his eyes slightly and nodded in Rozen's direction.

The surprise on Rozen's face gradually faded, and he cast a glance at Jeanne, who was gazing at the night sky in the clearing. He then slowly approached Gilles.

Perhaps it was Rozen's imagination, but he felt that this Marshal, who looked pale and thin, appeared even more exhausted than when they first met.

And it was clear why that was the case.

"What's wrong?" Rozen nonchalantly asked, "Haven't you talked to Jeanne yet?"

Since Jeanne appeared in the camp in the morning and reunited with Gilles, the two of them had entered a somewhat delicate situation.

To be more specific, Jeanne seemed to be deliberately avoiding Gilles and refraining from interacting with him. Even in public settings, Jeanne wouldn't exchange glances with Gilles. This left Gilles staring helplessly at Jeanne's direction, paying no attention to any other topics being discussed.

And it was the same now.

Up until this moment, it seemed that Jeanne was still avoiding Gilles, not engaging with him.

The reason was quite clear.

"She probably doesn't want to interact with me too frequently and affect my reputation within the army, right?"

Gilles looked at Jeanne again, speaking in a murmuring tone.

"That's just how she is."

Who could blame Jeanne when the soldiers of the French Army treated her as the 'Dragon Witch' and were on guard against her?

Although Gilles had suppressed the soldiers' panic, he hadn't received a thorough explanation himself and hadn't learned from Jeanne why she was present in this world after supposedly being burned at the stake several days ago. Of course, the soldiers in the army were even less informed.

This led to Jeanne not only avoiding Gilles but also the soldiers of the French Army.

Avoiding interaction with Gilles was also a measure to prevent him from being suspected of colluding with the 'Dragon Witch', a strategy born out of necessity.

Of course, that was just one reason.

Rozen knew that Jeanne's character probably led her to consider even more factors.

For instance, not wanting to raise too many of Gilles' hopes.

If she interacted with Gilles, he might start hoping that she hadn't really died and that there was a way to save her, only to experience even greater pain and despair when everything was over and Jeanne returned to her 'Throne'. The pain and despair she might cause Gilles would be beyond imagination.

However, in Rozen's view, this kind of consideration was meaningless.

Because...

"When a Singularity is eliminated, when the foundation of humanity is reestablished, all anomalies that don't belong to this era will be eradicated by the world, including memories. At that time, Marshal Gilles won't remember that you 'came back to life'. Why worry about giving him excessive expectations?"

Rozen had spoken these words to Jeanne before.

Unfortunately, Jeanne had responded like this:

"Even if memories don't remain, something will surely linger. That's what I believe."

The words of the Saint of Orleans were like prophecies or soliloquies, dictating her attitude towards Gilles.

Given this, Jeanne hadn't engaged in a proper conversation with Gilles throughout the day.

And perhaps understanding Jeanne's decision, Gilles continued to silently observe her, avoiding being noticed.

Rozen hadn't intervened excessively in this matter either.

While he found it somewhat difficult to watch, Rozen's life experience hadn't matured enough for him to handle complex interpersonal relationships.

Human feelings and emotions had always been the hardest to predict.

Rozen could devise tactics for battles and strategies for wars, but he was utterly clueless when it came to matters of personal emotions.

"After all, there's no instruction manual for this."

This was the flaw of being knowledgeable but lacking life experience.

Rozen could only watch as Gilles awkwardly navigated his own feelings and posed the question.

"How are you planning to handle this?"

It was the most direct yet complicated question.

How to handle it?

Gilles surely had his own thoughts on the matter, right?

And indeed...

"...My intentions haven't changed," Gilles spoke after a long pause, his voice quiet.

"I will go to Orleans and fulfill what I must do."

After saying this, Gilles turned his head and looked at Rozen.

"I'll leave it to you tomorrow."

With those words, Gilles turned and quietly left, distancing himself from Jeanne.

Rozen silently watched Gilles leave and then approached Jeanne's position.

However, before Rozen could even call out to her, Jeanne spoke up.

"Has Gilles left?"

The Maiden still gazed at the night sky, uttering just that single sentence.

Evidently, she had sensed Gilles' presence.

It was only natural.

Even though Jeanne's parameters had dropped significantly, she was still a Servant, and Gilles being human and not yet a Heroic Spirit, he couldn't possibly hide his whereabouts from Jeanne.

Rozen had anticipated this and nodded his head in resignation.

"He left."

Having said this, Rozen cleverly changed the subject.

"Why aren't you attending the banquet?"

It was almost like he was asking a rhetorical question.

After all, as mentioned earlier, the French Army didn't welcome Jeanne. If she appeared, the banquet would inevitably be disrupted.

Rozen was merely making casual conversation with this question.

Jeanne seemed to have caught onto this and considerately responded.

"Perhaps there might be more Wyverns. Someone has to stay vigilant."

It was indeed a valid point.

Rozen didn't say anything further, and he approached Jeanne, standing beside her, both of them gazing at the night sky.

Between the two, there hung a comfortable, unburdened silence that demonstrated a strong understanding.

"Tomorrow..."

After an indeterminate amount of time, Jeanne suddenly spoke.

However, just as Jeanne started speaking, Rozen interrupted her.

"Tomorrow, we will win."

Rozen smiled faintly and spoke with an incredibly relaxed tone.

"Just confirming that is enough, don't you think?"

Upon hearing this, Jeanne was momentarily taken aback, but she soon smiled as well.

"Yes."

Jeanne announced not only to Rozen but also to herself and everyone in this era.

"We will win."

"Without a doubt."

Jeanne affirmed this and was no longer lost.

Both of them gazed at the night sky once more.

And they continued to do so for a long... long time.