After landing, we quickly left the airport and entered a prepared car. When we left the city limits, I sent out a few Stormhawks to scout. I needed to find the Ruler before they contacted either faction to talk about our tasks and plans. And, luckily for me, I quickly detected an energy characteristic of a servant from a truck not far away.
But at the same time, I felt two more such reactions approaching the Ruler at rapid speed, so I decided to move there quickly. Whistling, I called Arion to the side of our car before jumping onto her back. I instructed the girls to keep a safe distance and then made Arion rush forward. Arion immediately rushed past the speeding car, quickly leaving it far behind.
It was still an hour or so before dawn, so nothing was stopping contestants from fighting; thus, I needed to make sure Ruler was safe, but also that they didn't fall into some ploy of any factions. But despite my best wishes, the two other reactions were first to arrive, and judging by the magical energy that appeared, they were already locked in combat.
As I approached, I also detected one more presence, most likely a master, next to the Ruler. When I was near, I slowed down and stopped by the Ruler's side, watching everything happening around. Before me, two Heroic Spirits fought an intense battle, reminding me of my fight with Scáthach. As I lack a method to see through their true names, I couldn't identify them, but gauging from what they showed, I had the advantage if we were to fight one-on-one.
Next, I turned my head to the Ruler next to me, who was also observing me. She was a pretty woman with long blond hair tied into a braid. What surprised me was her face, which bore an eight or nine-point resemblance to Artoria. Only her eyes were entirely different, not only because of the color but also due to not holding that conviction and determination of Artoria, but rather a belief and purity. I must say that I instantly felt good about her; her aura radiated such feelings that made me wish to be close to her, and my Empathy further strengthened this feeling.
She also seems to share my feelings as she stepped closer to me, leaving the master alone on the side as if declaring that they had nothing to do with each other. She nodded to me in greeting, to which I responded alike, and refocused her attention on the battle in front of us.
-"Eh? Another Servant? Ruler, why are you standing next to him?!"-The master finally noticed me.
-"This Lord shouldn't be a Servant, but rather someone like me, a judge of this War."
-"Indeed."-I responded, my voice echoed around even when loud clashes tried to drown it out.-"By Gaia's decree, I'm here to destroy anything that threatens this planet."
-"I see."-The Ruler nodded, understanding my position.-"I'm here to uphold the rules of this War."
-"I'm aware. That's why I sought you out, Ruler. In this War, both of us are neutral parties, and we have our tasks to complete, so I believe cooperation would help us both."
Ruler nodded, agreeing with my idea.
-"This.. How can such a thing happen?!"-The master clutched his head.-"It wasn't part of the plan!"
We continued watching the battle in silence. I tried to gather as much information as I could, but I only gained some understanding about the powers of the fighting Heroic Spirits. All this time, I also watched Ruler on my side. She was continuously on guard, holding her standard firmly, ready to respond to any sign of danger. But she also put her back to me, showing that she felt I was trustworthy.
The hour quickly passed, and the sunrise arrived, marking the end of this round. The fighting Servants also stopped and returned to our side. The Saber of Black stopped by his master's side, while the Lancer of Red looked at me.
-"Oh? A worthy opponent."
-"It's an honor to be recognized by a hero blessed by the sun."
-"I hope we can meet on a battlefield one day. Please excuse me."-The lancer bowed slightly and left.
-"Ruler, come with us!"-The master spoke after he consulted his Servant.
-"No. To remain neutral, I shall refrain from contact with either faction as much as it's possible."
-"Ugh. Do what you want! Saber! We are leaving."
And so, Ruler and I remained the only people present.
-"My suitcase..."-Ruler sighed as she looked at the clothes thrown around the road.
-"Need help?"
-"No, thank you. Most of them are already destroyed."-She shook her head sadly.
-"I have some companions here; they might be able to help you."
-"Truly? I have some trouble due to money being needed everywhere."
-"That's how the modern world is. Before anything else, should we exchange information?"
-"Eh?"-She showed an expression of not understanding what I meant.
-"First, here are details about masters taking part in this War, you should watch out for a few, especially leaders of each faction."-I passed a stack of papers I took from Arion's packs.-"Next, there is the matter of terrain and the location of the Holy Grail. Given that the Black faction has it in their possession, the Red faction is at a disadvantage; as such, their attack on you is illogical. Do you have an idea why..."-I was about to ask a question, but as I looked at Ruler, I saw her eyes turn into spirals, fully disoriented.
-"..."
-"..."
-"Did I say something wrong?"-I asked, not understanding why she couldn't follow.
Ruler just looked at me, lost.
-"Ok."-I took a deep breath, calming down and thinking that maybe Ruler needed more time to think.-"Please read the documents, and after that, we can talk about my doubts and speculations."
I dismounted Arion and let her wander around. Meanwhile, I took out some rations from the backpack and set a blanket on the ground to sit. Ruler sat next to me, her eyes focused on the papers I handed her. I gave her ten or so minutes before returning to our conversation.
-"So, is there anything you don't understand?"-I asked about the documents she was reading.
-"Well...."-Ruler dodged my eyes, looking at the ground on the side.-"I can't..."
-"Speak up, I can't hear you."
-"I can't read."-She closed her eyes, face red with embarrassment.
I blinked my eyes. Her admission left me dumbfounded. For a moment, I couldn't comprehend it. When I finally composed myself, I couldn't help but massage the bridge of my nose; I didn't even notice when my hood had fallen from my head.
-"May I ask why you kept staring at these papers for so long then?"
-"..."-She didn't respond.
-"I see."-I nodded.-"Sit."
-"Eh?"-She opened her eyes, looked at me with surprise.
-"I said sit."-I watched as she sat at attention.-"Good. Ignorance is not an excuse, but a malady that needs to be cured. Teaching someone to read and write shouldn't be harder than training a mage."
The next five hours, I patiently taught her letters and pronunciation, heavily relying on the knowledge she was given by Alaya, helping her to organize and utilize it. The sun was already high above our heads when I finished.
-"Now, you should be able to read at the level of an average teenager of this era."
-"Thank you."-She bowed to me, thankful that I didn't despise her but helped her instead.
-"Don't mind it, Ruler. We are companions in this war, so it's only natural to help you."
-"I still thank you. Also, if you don't mind, just call me Jeanne."
-"Sure, Jeanne. I'm Eno, feel free to call me by my name."-I smiled at her, but a second later, my smile froze.-"Jeanne? Jeanne d'Arc?"
-"Yes. Have you heard of me?"
I couldn't help but cover my forehead, incredulity filling me.-"Have I, a British knight, taught French Saintes how to read and write in English? The fate can truly be a cruel joke sometimes."
-"Oh? Are you a knight from Britain?"
-"Yes, but from a different Era. Your war should be happening somewhere between 300-500 years later, depending on how different my timeline is from 'correct' history. I hope this won't make you hate me."
-"No, of course not. Everything that happened to me was a trial from the Lord; people were only his instruments. I'm happy to meet someone gentle like you here."-She smiled, truly harboring no resentment for her executors.
-"I understand why you were chosen as Ruler. Ok, Jeanne. Tell me what you think about the fight before."
-"I'm not sure."-She pondered for a moment.-"Karna, the Lancer of Red, attacked me due to his master's commands, but I don't know why such an order was given."
-"Hmm... Even though Rulers are neutral in principle, they are still human, thus can be swayed. The most logical approach would be to befriend you, and even if you can't be brought to their side, at least you wouldn't be against them. The only reason I can think of why they would try to eliminate you before confronting the Black faction is because they have something to hide."
-"You mean they are breaking the rules?"-Jeanne turned serious.
-"We have no proof, but the suspicion is enough to change our plans. The Black faction's inviting you to their stronghold is a show of goodwill, but also an attempt to show they have nothing to hide. Two of us alone can't confront the whole Red faction, but if we can gain their support, it would be easy."
-"But we need to be neutral."-Jeanne reminded me.
-"We will, but we can still make a deal with them. We can exchange some command spells for proof of the Red faction breaking rules. If they can provide those, our neutrality will be over."
-"Will they agree?"
-"They will. This way, they can not only bring us to their side, but also gain benefits from us."
-"I'll listen to you."-Jeanne nodded, not understanding my plans but believing in me.
-"While I'm happy that you trust me, you should work on thinking for yourself more."
Jeanne just nodded, listening to my admonition like a diligent student.
I sighed, knowing that I wouldn't be able to correct her trusting personality.
As there was nothing more to do here, I took out the phone I was given by Luvia and called her. A short conversation later, I learned that they stayed in the town of Trifas, so I called Arion and climbed on her back. I extended my hand to Jeanne and helped her to climb behind me. Her arms quickly went around my waist as Arion started to move forward.
We arrived in the town after a ten-minute ride, entering hidden by my illusion so as not to attract attention. Only when we entered a private villa that Luvia bought for this trip, did I cancel it. Jeanne and I dismounted Arion, and we entered inside after letting Arion return.
-"Good to see you safe, Eno. And this lady must be the Ruler."-Luvia greeted us as a host.
-"Indeed. This is Jeanne d'Arc."-I introduced Jeanne to everyone who came.
-"The French Saintes?"-Sakura was first to connect her to the figure from history.
-"Let's not stand in the entrance, please come inside. We were planning to hold a banquet. I hope you don't mind joining us."-Luvia smiled to the saint hiding slightly behind me.
-"Thank you for your consideration, Luvia. Jeanne and I are not true Heroic Spirits, so we need food to survive."-I spoke up despite the fact that I no longer needed to eat, not wanting Jeanne to feel awkward.
-"Perfect! Let's go."-Luvia smiled, hearing my compliment.
When we started to eat, Jeanne finally warmed up to the rest of the girls. She also explained that she is currently possessing a girl named Laeticia, thus she needs to take care of her body. This made Raines interested, as Laeticia needed to be talented in magic as well as hold a strong belief to be chosen for that role. I could feel that she instantly started plotting how to bring that girl under her wing later.
As Laeticia already entered the world of magic, having a backer would be good for her, so I didn't interrupt her; I only sent her a slight reminder not to go too far. Reines understood my meaning and gave me a smile and a wink.
After a meal, the girls took Jeanne for some shopping while I stayed behind, waiting for Morgan to contact me. I felt the connection slowly strengthening, and a few hours before dusk, Morgan's figure finally appeared in the air next to me.
-"Eno."
-"Morgan. It would seem that our preparations were proven successful."
-"Yes. How much time passed on your side?"
-"A week."
-"A little long but acceptable for a prototype. Can you tell me what you learned?"
I nodded and started to recount my actions and what I learned. Morgan, along with Scáthach and Medea, who joined shortly after, would ask a question from time to time. It took us two hours to be on the same page.
-"What a mess."-Medea commented after hearing everything.
-"You talk about the mystery in that world, or the Holy Grail War?"-Scáthach asked teasingly.
-"Everything. How can magic degenerate to such a point? Magecraft? Pathetic."-Medea scoffed.
-"At least we know that our plan to leave the Pan-Human History is not that bad for a world."-Morgan gave her opinion.-"What about your tasks?"
-"I still have no idea what the threat is. The Ruler will focus on making the War end as it should. I just need to watch out for when the threat emerges."
-"There is no other way. We will contact the person who is running errands for you and cooperate with him to gather as much information as we can. You can just focus on the Holy Grail War."
-"Thanks."
-"We are back!"-The girls called out when they entered.
-"Oh my."-Luvia was surprised by three projections around me.-" These Ladies are?"
Jeanne also looked at them with scrutiny.
-"My comrades from another timeline. I believe you should know them from legends and myths."-I introduced them quickly.-"We were discussing our plans."
-"Then please excuse us."
-"No need."-Morgan spoke, preventing the girls from leaving.-"We were almost finished as the War will resume soon. I will leave a mark on you all just in case. Eno promised to protect you, so don't make his work harder, am I clear?"
-"Yes."-They quickly responded, feeling cowed by Morgan's aura.
-"Good. Eno, be careful."
-"I will."-I nodded.
Moments later, the projections disappeared. I looked at the time, there was still some time, so I suggested we eat a supper before departing for the Yggdmillennia castle. Everyone agreed with my idea, so we went toward the dining room while Luvia informed the kitchen staff to prepare the food. When the sun fully set, Jeanne and I once again departed on Arion's back.