[FMMIKA] Chapter 246: Arrival of Chaldea

"What's wrong, Mash? You look quite restless."

Once again, the group of Chaldea found themselves in their Rayshift destination, a seemingly insignificant village in eastern France called Domremy.

After helping the soldiers fend off some monsters, the group of Chaldea seemed to have gained a bit of trust, or maybe it was just because Mash was too cute, which earned her some extra points. Or perhaps the soldiers were simply too exhausted to keep fighting. In any case, the group of Chaldea had gathered enough information.

"To the city, gather information, solve problems, and while you're at it, set up a teleportation channel, just like in an RPG, simple and easy—oh, and of course, for the battle part, I'll rely on you, Mash."

As always, whether Ritsuka had thick skin or confidence, it didn't matter.

Whether it was the enormous ring of light in the sky that was almost as big as North America, or suddenly getting into a scuffle with the French army and joining them, or the mysterious little creature named Fou crossing over with them once again, nothing seemed to disturb Ritsuka's peace of mind.

Today, the woman with red hair was living freely, enjoying her days teasing Mash, and playfully pranking Romani.

But Mash was different.

"I've wanted to ask since earlier, Mash, your expression has been off. Is something bothering you? Did you have time of the month today?"

"As a woman, don't say such creepy things, Senpai."

Mash's response made Ritsuka shake her head in exasperation.

Of course, Ritsuka wasn't the type to change her personality based on feedback. She continued with her cheerful banter, "So, what's wrong, Mash?"

"I can't really put it into words." Mash hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "I just feel like something is happening..."

"Indeed, something major has occurred."

This time, Romani, who was still at Chaldea, suddenly spoke up, "Jeanne d'Arc has been resurrected, killed the king, and is leading a horde of monsters to ravage the land. That's indeed a significant event."

"In any case, the cause of all these anomalies is this Jeanne, right?" Ritsuka said cheerfully as her energy seemed undiminished. "If we all gang up and beat down that saint, everything will be resolved, won't it?"

"It's not that simple..." Da Vinci interjected. Soon, the focus of the discussion shifted from Mash's concerns to Jalter and the complex situation at hand.

Faced with this situation, Mash opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately, she remained silent.

Her 'feeling' had nothing to do with Jeanne d'Arc. It was something else, something bigger, something more critical. It was just a premonition without more justification. So even if she spoke up, it wouldn't be convincing to others.

'In any case, we should move forward.' Mash thought to herself. 'While we're at it, we should recruit some Rogue Servants. After getting enough of them, we'll head to Orleans and end this whole chaos in one go.'

===

Meanwhile...

"Well, well, what a lively kid. I don't dislike kids like this. It's like seeing a younger version of myself." Artorius remarked as he observed the group of Chaldea through the magical mirror.

Anybody who knew Artorius's secrets would undoubtedly say something like "Forgive me for being blunt, but you were a much more annoying brat" after hearing his remarks.

Unfortunately, in the entirely restored, even more opulent Palace of Orleans, there wasn't even one individual who was familiar with the Dragon Emperor. Only a group of former thugs of Jalter who had recently surrendered.

The Blood Countess Carmilla stood respectfully beside the Dragon Emperor. After removing her eye patch, she resembled a court maid; even her Mad Enhancement seemed to have vanished.

On the other side, Chevalier d'Eon, still dressed as a musketeer, was trying hard to appear as a guard or a knight. Honestly, from their appearance, they'd be more suitable to dress as a maid rather than a musketeer. On the other hand, someone as tall and sturdy as Carmilla wouldn't attract much attention if she dressed in plate armor as a knight.

Both of them were Servants summoned by Jalter. They had come prepared to unleash madness and slaughter, but now they obediently cowered beneath the Dragon Emperor's wings, serving as his henchmen.

The Dragon Emperor observed the group of Chaldea with interest, and neither Carmilla nor d'Eon said a word.

Currently, the most awkward of the bunch was Jalter. She couldn't hold back anymore and started to speak.

"Is this Chaldea your enemy?"

"If it's not me, then it's you." Artorius replied with a casual tone. "Say... do you want to cooperate with them and oppose me together?"

"..."

Listening to Artorius, Jalter fell silent once again.

Unlike d'Eon and Carmilla, who had quickly adapted and become part of the Dragon Emperor, Jalter remained defiant. Though she was still alive and Artorius had revealed her 'secret', she refused to yield and clung to her independence.

From d'Eon's and Carmilla's perspectives, she was just a foolish girl throwing tantrums, displaying a last bit of pride, and playing hard to get. Her feeling was actually similar to theirs, accepting the Dragon Emperor as their new leader and guiding them down a new path.

Regardless, once Artorius revealed the truth, Gilles had a complete breakdown and was now locked up, awaiting the execution.

After learning her true identity, Jalter stopped stubbornly pursuing the destruction of France. Instead, she began to reflect on her past actions, feeling guilt and embarrassment. She even showed signs of becoming pessimistic, nihilistic, and self-destructive to some extent.

Of course, before she could do anything foolish that might genuinely harm herself, Artorius kept a close watch on her. He kept her by his side day and night, making it impossible for Jalter to engage in any misbehavior.

But, no matter what she thought on the inside, Jalter maintained her rebellious and hostile exterior. Even though deep down, she was essentially a well-behaved child, her outward appearance still reflected that of a rebellious and evil witch.

In short, she was what the Japanese people called a 'Tsundere'.

Jalter had her pride, after all. She wanted to appear dignified, respectable, strong, and cool. She didn't want to be seen as an easy girl.