At the center of it all, within an unnamed forest on the snowy plains of the northern Ursus border, Patriot and those aboard the landship witnessed the descent of a miracle with their own eyes.
In that moment, it felt as if someone in the sky was looking down upon the entire continent. Yet, looking up, there was nothing in the heavens; nonetheless, a sense of majesty spread from the sky in all directions.
The moment Jeanne's blood filled the scabbard and the crimson liquid overflowed, they felt the intense gaze of a Great Being fall directly upon this spot. That gaze caused the Wyvern, which had been frolicking in the snow nearby just a moment ago, to pin itself obediently to the ground, signaling that it was a very "good boy" who listened to Jeanne's every word.
Everyone present, even the ancient Patriot, dropped to one knee toward a single direction. No one forced them to do so; rather, they felt that facing the God in the heavens in such a posture was only natural.
Before this, Patriot never imagined he would ever bow from the bottom of his heart to an unknown entity. In his long life, the thing he believed in least was the existence of "Gods." Even when slaughtering demons in Ursus, he had never lowered his proud head.
Patriot felt the mysterious light from above shining upon his body. That warmth made him recall the days he spent living with his wife and son...
While Patriot stood there reminiscing about his past, he suddenly felt the earth beneath his feet begin to rock and roll. The ground surrounding the forest started to rise, gradually forming a circle of mountains.
Patriot and the others were now inside one of these mountains, and even more shocking was that the interior of the mountain was hollow, much like a volcanic crater. To an outsider, it would be impossible to believe that a landship was hidden inside this peak. As for what other changes the surrounding environment had undergone due to this miracle, they would still need to explore.
Finally, the light shone upon Jeanne. The wound on her hand, cut by the blade, had already fully recovered, and even her sword had returned to its scabbard.
Bathed in the holy light, Jeanne sensed a flicker of displeasure. It seemed the Being was dissatisfied with her harming herself in such a way, and she was admonished to consider carefully before deciding to do so again.
Jeanne could only nod her head obediently in agreement. She hadn't actually wanted to use this method, but a miracle of this scale was beyond her own power; she could only rely on this form of prayer to connect with the power of God to achieve her request.
The price, however, was a massive consumption of magical energy. Miracles and magic are not free; even God strictly follows the rules He established.
Normally, Jeanne could rely on Originium particles in the air and food to sustain her daily needs. After high-intensity combat, she could rely on Originium to replenish herself. However, regarding the consumption from that prayer—even with God helping her complete the miracle—Jeanne's own drain would require at least ten pieces of Originium Prime to recover.
Fortunately, the holy light had restored everything. Jeanne truly didn't dare imagine what would happen if she ever actually used her Noble Phantasm, La Pucelle.
"That... is... the one you call... God?"
Once everything had settled, Patriot walked to Jeanne's side and asked her, looking as though he couldn't quite believe all of this was real.
"That's right. That is the Deity who has always been by my side, protecting me."
Hearing Jeanne's certain reply, Patriot said nothing. He remained silent for a long time before dispatching Shieldguards to scout the surroundings.
"To be honest, before this... I did not believe in the existence of... Gods." Seeing no one else around, Patriot revealed his true inner thoughts to Jeanne.
"I could not believe that if there truly were a God, why He would let this continent become like this. Why do kind existences receive no protection, while the selfish and evil tread upon the masses..."
Patriot spoke such a long string of words in one breath, then fell silent again for a long time. Jeanne could feel the fire of anger within him being ignited once more as he recalled those good people he had known...
If a God truly existed and simply watched all of this silently... then what was the point of everything he had fought for his entire life?
"Why... do the innocent... have to suffer such trials!!!"
Patriot almost roared these words in his low, gravelly voice. If Frostnova were to see this, she would likely be shocked to see Patriot in such a state. This man, who could handle anything with calm composure, was actually roaring in fury?
"But seeing you... seeing you preside over this descent ritual, I finally feel that God has not abandoned us, nor is He toying with us like ants in a jar..."
Patriot remembered clearly that when Jeanne cut her palm and the blood flowed into the scabbard, her aura had weakened significantly. That was a ritual that could truly have cost Jeanne her life.
If even the most favored child of God had to pay such a severe price to petition Him, then according to his family's prophecy, why would God want to protect the descendants of sinners like them?
"Apologies. I am old, and I tend to ramble... You need not mind the things I say. It is merely an old man venting his frustrations..."
Without waiting for Jeanne to respond, Patriot turned and left. It seemed he wasn't as "at peace" as he claimed to be; he needed some solitude to regain his composure.
The fact that God truly existed was simply too much of a shock, causing him to lose emotional control for a moment. Thus, in the absence of others, he spoke of his inner anger to Jeanne—not to gain an answer, but simply to speak it.
For Jeanne, this situation of someone venting their dissatisfaction to her was quite common. It was a normal reaction when someone discovers that a God truly exists in the world. The fact that Patriot could recover his mindset after just a few complaints showed how truly strong his heart was.
Knowing Patriot's tragic life, Jeanne couldn't help but feel admiration for his reaction. Anyone might attribute their misfortunes to the ruthlessness of the world. And that resentment toward the world eventually consolidates into a single entity: the so-called "God." People attribute all misfortune to divine punishment to prove they were right all along...
Whatever. These weren't things she could fret over. Some things cannot be solved through preaching; one must think through them personally before they can move forward.