To help the excited Sankta maintain some semblance of composure, Jeanne had no choice but to record a video urging everyone to remain rational.
Fortunately, the people of Laterano were quite obedient. After seeing Jeanne's video, their overly frantic state subsided slightly. At the very least, they stopped forming long queues just to "support" her charitable cause with excessive spending.
When Jeanne walked the streets again and saw that everyone had calmed down and regained their reason, she finally let go of the worry in her heart. It seemed her words carried quite a bit of weight in this city; otherwise, how could a few sentences make them behave so obediently? More importantly, thanks to her influence, the "well-intentioned but harmful" situation she had feared was nipped in the bud.
With that last matter resolved, Jeanne began packing her luggage, preparing to leave. This time, however, she would be leaving Laterano alone.
This was a suggestion she had proactively made to the Pope. After all, even if Lemuen remained by her side, the archer couldn't provide much practical help. A Sankta carrying a firearm joining an organization that was—at least on the surface—resisting the violent rule of Ursus would make operations incredibly inconvenient.
Besides, a girl like her staying in a village every day wasn't exactly ideal, was it? Rather than having her remain by Jeanne's side with nothing to do, it was better to let her move freely. Furthermore, now that Mostima was no longer a Fallen, it meant the three of them finally had the possibility of choosing a future where they acted together again.
The old man also understood that this Saintess was not just a beautiful ornament for show; she was a warrior with outstanding combat capabilities. If they truly encountered danger, it was a toss-up as to who would be protecting whom. In fact, according to Lemuen's reports, the Pope knew that Jeanne ended up protecting her more often than not.
Coupled with the fact that the Pope genuinely cared about the bond between those three, he realized it wouldn't be right to force them apart so soon, so he agreed to Jeanne's proposal.
There was one more point: the Pope agreed partly out of a sense of guilt toward Lemuen. He didn't want to interfere in the child's life anymore, wishing for her to choose her own path freely. This stemmed from his regret over letting Andoain slip away when he had come here! It felt unfair to Lemuen. Even though she didn't seem to mind, that man was the culprit who had seriously injured her and left her in a coma for years. Letting such a person walk away was something the Pope had no good excuse for. He was lucky the girl didn't hold a grudge; otherwise, he wouldn't even know how to explain himself.
"Just send me this far! If you go any further, we'll be out of the city! Besides, it's not like we'll never see each other again. I'll come back when I have time!"
Near the gates of Laterano, Jeanne bid farewell to the trio—including Lemuen, who had woken up early specifically to see her off. Fortunately, it wasn't peak travel time, and the path Jeanne was taking was a restricted official lane, so there weren't many people passing by. Otherwise, Jeanne wouldn't have been able to keep talking to them; it might have turned into a grand scene of Laterano "ceremoniously escorting the Saintess's departure."
That scene... just thinking about it felt terrifying.
"I agree with that. I believe we will meet again."
Hearing Jeanne's words, Mostima, who stood to the side with her habitual smile, nodded in agreement. However, Jeanne always felt that her smile hid something—as if she were keeping a secret. Though she didn't know what it was, Jeanne sensed that whatever she was hiding wasn't anything serious. Her tone felt like she was joking with a very close friend; the secret was likely a surprise she was planning.
She just hoped that when the time came, the surprise wouldn't turn into a shock for some reason.
"You should talk a bit less for once! But speaking of which, we haven't expressed our gratitude yet. Thank you so much for helping us again and bringing this girl back to us."
The person speaking now, Dawn Destroyer, looked much more relaxed, as if a massive burden had been lifted from her heart. Whether it was her facial expression or her tone, she was much gentler than when Jeanne had first met her, lacking that stiff, stern manner from before.
It seemed that Lemuen's recovery and Mostima returning to her status as a Sankta had a profound impact on her! And it was true—Fiammetta had always blamed herself for leaving the team, feeling that everything would have been different if she had been faster. She had spent many sleepless nights haunted by that thought.
But thanks to Jeanne, Lemuen had regained her health, and Mostima's "Falling" had been reversed through the technology Jeanne provided. Even on the first day of this year, she had successfully caught that bastard Andoain, given him a solid beating, and confiscated his Patron Firearm!
Having experienced all this, Fiammetta felt the stone weighing down her chest had shrunk significantly. The life they once led was being re-enacted in this city, and seeing that fantasy turn into reality made her feel deeply grateful to Jeanne.
In truth, all three of them were grateful, though their ways of expressing it differed. Fiammetta simply wanted to thank Jeanne to her face, but she had been so busy with Mostima's various administrative procedures lately that she hadn't found the chance until now.
"There's no need to worry about that! Seeing the three of you restored to your former selves makes me very happy too."
Jeanne looked at the trio, feeling very satisfied with what she had done. It was good news for her that her friends could reconcile with their past.
At that moment, the cathedral bells began to chime, signaling that most Sankta were starting to head out for their day. Seeing this, Jeanne worried she might be surrounded by fanatical believers again, which would ruin her plan for a secret departure.
Quickly, she said her final goodbyes, hopped into her vehicle, and hit the gas, speeding toward the gate.
"It'sgettinglate,soIwon'tkeeptalking!Ifyouever needmeforanything,justwritealetter! I'moff then. Seeyoulater,bye~"
(It's getting late, so I won't keep talking! If you ever need me for anything, just write a letter! I'm off then. See you later, bye~)
Jeanne fired off a string of words like a machine gun, and then the Originium vehicle sped away toward the distant gate.
Mostima watched the receding silhouette for a long time before finally speaking:
"That speaking speed reminded me of that squirrel from the Lungmen Fire Department! Talking to her is a torment comparable to a nightmare..."
Mostima's expression looked like she had just eaten a chocolate bean filled with ten times the normal amount of wasabi—as if she were recalling the person she least wanted to see in Lungmen. That squirrel who never seemed to use punctuation...
"Alright, stop dwelling on the painful past! You still have twelve reports to write today, and they must be completed by you personally. I can't help you this time."
Fiammetta's teasing tone brought a different kind of pain to Mostima's heart. Her face immediately withered, looking like it had been battered by hailstones.
"No way! You have to help me think of something! My all-powerful Dawn Destroyer! This many reports... it's going to be the death of me!"
"You'll just have to figure it out yourself! I have to deal with my own files with Lemuen today. I don't have time to look after you. Good luck!"