Ren and Morgana marched through the hallways, with Ren withholding a yawn as best he could as he pulled on the jacket of his uniform. Mash had woken them up early in the morning, telling them to head to the Command Center as soon as possible – a Singularity had been found. They both almost immediately hopped out of bed and hurriedly got dressed before heading out. As they entered the Command Center, just about everyone had already gathered: Roman and da Vinci were front and center. Mash was there as well, with their four Servants in differing state of alertness.
Roman nodded, flashing a brief smile as he caught sight of the two. “Good morning, Ren, Morgana,” he greeted as cordially as possible. “Sorry to wake you up so early and abruptly, but as Mash told you, we’ve found a Singularity.” Turning around, he tapped a few keys on his computer. The fireball of CHALDEAS whirled and vanished, changing into a globe once more, with an indicator pointing out a spot on Europe.
“The Singularity has been located here – in 1432 AD of France,” Roman briefed. “According to history, this was the period just after the saint Jeanne d’Arc was burned at the stake.” That was a name both Ren and Morgana knew well enough, both from popular fiction and their history studies at school. The infamous Maid of Orleans was known worldwide for a reason. “It’ll be in the middle of the Hundred Years’ War, but this era is during the war’s respite period so there shouldn’t be too much conflict overall.” Ren had to hold back a snort. When was that ever true?
“We’ve detected signs of a Holy Grail’s power at work here,” Roman continued. “Your objective will be similar to what you went through in Fuyuki: Identify the location of the Holy Grail and retrieve it. Once removed, it will result in the Singularity collapsing and Proper Human History being restored, at least for that timeline. Mash will be coming with you, of course, and we can dispatch two Servants with what power we have right now. So go ahead and pick who you want to come with, Ren. Morgana.”
The two Masters considered the four Servants before them. Thanks to their capabilities as Masters, they could see the skills and capabilities of each of them, deciding on what they needed or didn’t need.
“We’re gonna need someone for reconnaissance,” Morgana started, crossing his arms (he had changed to his bipedal form for the briefing and mission). Ren nodded, agreeing. They needed to know the lay of the land first and figure things out. After all, it wasn’t exactly like a Palace where there would be a map laying around they could use. To that end, the decision would be between Archer and Rider. “Roman, think you can get us a map of the general region?”
Roman nodded, then said, “Yeah, of course!” Tapping a few more keys, a hologram of the area appeared. “This isn’t an accurate map of the Singularity, though,” he clarified. “We’re just using geographic data that was preserved in our archives.” The Masters looked at the hologram regardless. Largely countryside with not much elevation or raised hills… Well, that certainly made things easier.
“Archer, you’ll be coming with us,” Morgana said, nodding to the red-mantled Servant. “Your eyesight won’t be hindered by any elevation so you’ll see for miles around.”
Archer nodded. “Of course, Master,” he replied, getting up from where he was leaning. Rider made no move or answer, seemingly deferring to their Masters’ decision.
“We’ll also need a fighter as well,” Ren added. While Rider was very capable of fighting, she was better for hit and run strikes, not for full on combat. To that end, that left Lancer and Saber, both of them preeminent in frontline combat. Ren considered. This was new, unknown territory and they didn’t want to attract attention. The latter part was especially important. He nodded to Lancer. “Lancer, you’re up. Saber, your presence would probably attract too much attention.”
Lancer grinned like he was promised a good time while Saber simply nodded. “Of course,” she replied gracefully. “I commend you for being able to calmly analyze the situation and create a strategy to quickly.” Ren smiled gratefully. A compliment from someone like King Arthur was solid in his books. If he told the others that, their eyes would probably pop out.
If he got the chance to.
Before they could dispatch, da Vinci stepped forward. “Before you go, my giovane prodigio and gatto magnifico, I’ve finished your requests,” she said, a smile of satisfaction and anticipation adorning her features. “Please, follow me to my workshop, and let the super-genius da Vinci show you what wonders she made!”
Roman sighed tiredly at her boasting, giving the two Masters a long-suffering smile. “Go ahead,” he told them. “I’ll warm up the Coffins in the meantime and get everyone else prepped.” Ren and Morgana nodded. Archer and Lancer walked towards the devices, followed by Mash who flashed them a quick, excited smile first before following the two Servants. Ren had to smile at her enthusiasm. Still, going back to Middle Ages France? That would certainly be a unique experience.
Following the Caster, they walked through the hallways before they finally came to da Vinci’s workshop. Stepping in, Ren and Morgana had to gape at everything they saw. The entire room felt like something out of a fantasy – well, more so – with magical projects everywhere, with all sorts of blueprints, paintings, and drawings strewn about. Things they couldn’t even begin to make heads or tails of as they moved through, doing their absolute best not to touch anything. There was somehow even windows with warm sunlight pouring in, adding a warm, comfy aesthetic to place.
“Yusuke would’ve gone crazy over this room,” Morgana whispered in awe. Ren could only nod numbly in agreement, still looking about in wonder.
“Ah, you’ve a friend who would recognize the genius of my workshop?” da Vinci replied, grinning back at them.
Ren blinked as she hooked his attention and nodded. “Yes. One of our friends is… passionately dedicated to art,” he answered. That was an understatement – it was more like he had sold his soul toward the world of art. Yusuke always looked for inspiration, painting and sketching whatever came to him from any source. It was exasperating at times (especially when it ate into his food budgets), but there was much to admire from that strength of passion. “I think you would’ve liked him, da Vinci,” he added, his voice dropping a bit in volume. “Art was everything to him, and to meet and work with an artist like you would’ve been a dream come true.”
Her ever-present smile softened with sympathy. “Then I look forward to meeting him after you reunite, ragazzo,” da Vinci replied kindly. Ren looked up in surprise, then nodded with a grin. Right. After the singularities were resolved, humanity would be restored, and he would see them again. Maybe he could bring them all to Chaldea – or bring people from Chaldea over to Tokyo. Yusuke would certainly like to meet with da Vinci and…
Actually, no, terrible idea. They would bounce off each other so much they’d create an art apocalypse. The world wasn’t ready for that. It never will.
She finally came to a counter where multiple items lay on a tray. The first was a knife. “As you requested, my giovane prodigio, your knife,” she explained. It was a surprisingly large affair with an oddly designed leather sheath. Taking hold of it, da Vinci unsheathed it. It looked fairly standard, with a black blade edged with steel. The blade was about a foot in length with an ergonomic grip. It didn’t look like anything fancy, but it would do the job. “You also requested a gun but I was thinking, ‘Trying to switch between one or the other would be tricky, and you don’t seem to me the type to use one in each hand.’” With a smile, she channeled some prana into the knife. It glowed and shifted, folding in on itself into a pistol. Ren and Morgana gaped.
“Well, you truly are a genius, da Vinci,” Ren chuckled, marveling at the weapon.
The self-proclaimed super-genius grinned. “I know, but it’s nice to hear it from you regardless, my dear ragazzo,” she responded airily. “Now, your gun can fire bolts of prana. It utilizes mana – the ambient magical energy in the world – with formalcraft absorbing and converting it for your use. I would say it’s about the equivalent power of a regular gun. Good for normal use, but useless against Servants.” She held up gun cartridges. “These bullets, however, are broken – oversaturated with prana. These will certainly be a threat to Servants, however minor. I don’t think I need to tell you to use them wisely.”
Ren nodded as he considered the possibilities. Although he stopped with his Phantom Thief activities, he still hit the arcade and regularly played the shooters there. He developed a taste for them after being trained so long. He had managed to set records on every shooter arcade game there with ease and up until now had been unbeatable. Shinya had been a great marksmanship teacher after all.
His smile faltered at the memory, but he recovered before anyone could notice. He took the offered gun and held it up, making sure to keep his fingers off the trigger. He poured prana into it – a practice da Vinci taught during a lesson in magecraft – and watched it turn into the knife form instead. The cartridge was inserted in the handle so there were no problems there.
Da Vinci nodded. “Good! Now, in gun form, you can switch between using bullets and not over here.” She had Ren switch it back to gun form and pointed to a small switch mounted on the side. “The neutral position fires the prana, while special fires the bullets. Simple, no?”
Grinning, he nodded. “You’ve really outdone yourself, da Vinci,” he complimented as he switched back to the knife form again, easily spinning it in his hands. Ren and Morgana had been worried – they didn’t bring any of their weapons along, leaving them either at home, in storage, or just selling them off. They didn’t have any use for them now that the Metaverse was gone. There was no way in hell they would bring any of their weapons with them to Chaldea, not with the very stringent security checks. Sure, the weapons were just models, but that hardly made a difference. And even then, they didn’t really have a reason to bring them. But even in the Metaverse, having a weapon that could switch between a knife and a gun was something that will very much come in handy.
The Caster smiled broadly. “Ah, that’s wonderful to hear, my giovane prodigio!” she exclaimed. Then her smile broadened as she leaned forward on the counter. “Is it comparable to the gear you used during your time as a Phantom Thief?”
The air around them immediately froze. Ren stopped twisting the knife in shock, gripping it now until his knuckles turned white as Morgana bristled. Arsene and Zorro were at the forefront as they started to flow prana through their circuits, ready to bring them out at the slightest provocation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ren replied stiffly. Already, he was calculating how fast he could get to the door and get out if need be. If they set Arsene and Zorro on her at the same time, it should be enough of a diversion to get out of the room. And then -
Da Vinci giggled, seemingly unconcerned. “For Phantom Thieves, you two are terrible liars,” she pointed out, amused. “Don’t worry, my ragazzo and gatto. No one knows except me, not even Roman or Mash. You merely reminded me of something I saw some time ago, and I decided to look into it. For a super-genius like me, finding information on the two of you wasn’t hard – especially when it was so readily available.” She walked over to her computer and tapped a few keys. Within moments, a video began playing. Ren and Morgana’s eyes widened as it played something incredibly familiar: Their calling card to Shido, courtesy of Futaba’s hacking. What made it a dead giveaway was Morgana’s inhuman silhouette as all the Phantom Thieves stood with their backs to the light, and Ren himself stepping forth, the light revealing his features despite his mask.
Morgana flinched. They had made a very crucial error in protecting their identities. They had forgotten that they were probably being investigated thanks to their experience and unnatural gifts and let their guard down.
Da Vinci closed the video, turning back to them with a more excited smile. “I looked more into your activities, the more I was impressed,” she explained happily. “From a lecherous high school teacher to a CEO to an upcoming politician! And I must especially thank you for exposing Madarame. That man is an insult to artists everywhere, and I wouldn’t even permit such a man to breathe the same air in my vicinity, if at all.” At the last bit, despite still wearing a smile, they both could feel a very dangerous aura creep into her presence and knew her opinion of the counterfeiter and exploiter couldn’t be any lower.
As she rambled though, both Ren and Morgana gradually relaxed, looking at each other in puzzlement. Morgana looked back up at da Vinci. “So… you’re not going to rat us out?” he slowly asked.
Da Vinci laughed. “Oh goodness no, my gatto magnifico!” she exclaimed. “If anything, I’ve become a fan of your work! Or perhaps a Phangirl, as it was called?” Both Ren and Morgana flinched at that. They certainly didn’t need the reminder of their fanbase, courtesy of Mishima and his Phantom Thieves website. It was useful for information and even helped saved the day more than once or twice, but that didn’t mean they didn’t cringe at it from time to time. Her smile settled into a gentler one. “However, I do suggest eventually talking about it to Roman or Mash,” she suggested. “They are both concerned about you two. Especially you, Ren. You didn’t have it easy, did you?”
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Ren gulped. He wondered how much da Vinci knew, how much she had found out. Sure, she had realized they were Phantom Thieves and was able to follow their trail of targets, but did she know about what happened? Why he was in Tokyo in the first place, and everything that came after? No. It was impossible to know that, right? His criminal record was expunged on false charges, after all. She was already verging on dangerous territory if she decided to research how they did their work in the first place as well. “No, I certainly didn’t,” he admitted. A half-truth would suffice here. “I’ll tell them in time. But not right now. Not when we’ve a mission to accomplish.”
The genius pouted but nodded at that. That was as good as they were going to get. Moving on, da Vinci gave Morgana a metal slingshot that, like Ren’s weapon, could transform into a cutlass. She also handed him a bag of projectiles he could use, also broken with prana. “Now, I suppose I should tell you something,” she added. “I may be a super-genius, but sometimes even geniuses can be limited with what materials they have on hand. However, there might be more fantastical materials to work with in the Singularities. I’ll let you know if there’s something I can use to upgrade your weapons.” Ren nodded. That sounded good to him and Morgana.
The last bit of gear were multiple flashbangs and smoke bombs, designed to confuse even Servants unless they had some sort of detection skill. They didn’t get their workstation yet though – there just wasn’t room to make one. It would be a bit longer before a room was vacated and they could spare the materials needed. That was fine by Ren and Morgana – that part wasn’t a particular issue. They had the most important items on the list. Although speaking of…
“One last favor, da Vinci,” Ren said as they were just about to head out the door. “Can you fashion something so Rider doesn’t have to wear her blindfold all the time?”
Da Vinci blinked, then giggled again. “How considerate of you. Of course, ragazzo, so long as you tell me how your weapon handles. Now, better head back to the Command Center. Best of luck with the Singularity!”
Ren nodded, and with that, they left Da Vinci’s workshop after securing their respective weapons. Roman looked up at them and noticed their new gear. He sighed. “I would tell you to leave the fighting to the Servants but you’re not going to listen to me, are you?” he grumbled, rubbing his eyes.
“Nope!” Morgana agreed cheerfully before walking past him. Ren just gave him a rueful grin as he followed Morgana.
The Coffins were extremely apply named: Large, cylindrical chambers meant to hold only one person each. They were designed to cut off power if the Rayshift success rate was anywhere below 95%, which was why nobody else had shifted with them to the Singularity after Lev’s sabotage with a bomb. Ren looked at them and sighed. Well, at least he didn’t have claustrophobia. Or if he did, it was more or less beaten out of him with the jail cell in the Velvet Room.
Mash beamed at him as he stepped forward. “It’s our first official Singularity, senpai,” she noted, looking over at the Coffins. “I’m a bit nervous.”
Ren chuckled. “Same, but I’m sure we can handle anything that comes our way,” he replied. “Especially with such a reliable kouhai coming along,” he further added, flashing a smirk her direction that turned her face red once more. He felt a quick pang of killing intent however and spun around. It came from… Roman’s direction? Who had his head buried in his monitor? He frowned. Was he imagining things? He turned back around and saw Archer smirking and Lancer throwing a shit-eating grin in his direction. Shaking his head, he called out, “Alright, let’s get moving – this Singularity won’t resolve itself.”
With that, they all entered the Coffins, the doors sealing in as the interior began to light up.
Unsummon Program start.
Spiritron Conversion start.
Rayshift starting in 3, 2, 1…
All procedures cleared.
Grand Order commencing operation.
With that, there was a flash of light, a whirlwind of energy, and Ren once more saw nothing.
----------------------------------------
First Singularity – AD 1431, Hundred Years’ War of the Evil Dragons: Orleans
When they came to, Ren blinked. They were standing on a verdant countryside with a mild sun bearing down on them. A bird chirped in the distance. He looked about. All around, it almost seemed to be an idyllic place. He couldn’t recall ever visiting such a place. Even in parks, everything felt ‘developed’ – concrete paths and fences, rented boats out on the water, with nature strategically planned and developed to whatever the architect wanted. But here, it just felt… peaceful.
“Fou, fou!”
Ren blinked as he saw a white ball of hair dart past him and settle on Mash’s shoulder, who also appeared nearby, drinking in the scenery. “Oh, Fou, did you sneak with us as well?” she asked, smiling as she pet the little creature. She looked back at Ren. “This is the first time we’ve officially rayshifted with the Coffins,” she noted. “It seems there are no complications or physical anomalies. Are you okay, senpai? Morgana?”
Ren nodded in affirmation. He looked about and saw the two Servants nearby as well. “All okay over there?” he called over.
Lancer shrugged. “No problems here, Master. Just kinda bored.”
“Um, guys?” Morgana called out. He had been first to notice it since he had to look up at everyone else, and as a corollary, the sky. “Look up.”
They all blinked in surprise and looked up – and saw a gigantic ring of light in the sky. Ren’s watch beeped as Roman came through. “Ah, finally got through, with a video feed too!” he exclaimed with relief. “Hm? What are you guys all looking… at…” Roman’s eyes widened. “What kind of phenomenon – no, it’s magecraft,” he murmured, typing away at his computer. “I’ve found no records of such a thing happening in 1431… damn. Ren, Morgana, Mash. We’ll analyze it on our end. See if you can find a leyline to set up base. After that, try to contact the locals here. We’ll upload a translation program now so you won’t have to deal with the language barrier.”
Ren looked back down and nodded. While he was passable enough in English, he certainly didn’t speak a lick of French.
“Masters, hate to interrupt but we’ve a problem,” Archer said. He had already climbed a small hill to look about. He pointed in a direction. “There’s a fort over there under siege. I can already see skeletons fighting with human soldiers over there.” Morgana’s eye’s widened as he ran up to meet Archer. He squinted his eyes as he looked at where Archer was pointing. “Wow, I can see the fort and the fight, but not much else,” Morgana commented. Then he frowned. “Still, we can’t just hang around here. Joker, what do you think we should do?”
Ren didn’t even hesitate. “Archer, Lancer, go ahead of us and provide backup to the soldiers,” he commanded. “Mash, stick with us. We’ll be right behind you.” Breaking up the group was probably a bad idea, but there weren’t any other hostiles detected, and the people there needed the help immediately. It wasn’t that far a distance to travel after all, and if they were ambushed, Mash, Ren, and Morgana could take care of themselves until the other two made their way back.
Lancer grinned. “Alright, just don’t complain we’re not leaving any for you!” he shouted. He lowered himself into a track runner’s start, then took off, leaving only a gust of wind and a small cloud of dust. Archer gave a small sigh. “I’ll find a better vantage point first and provide cover fire,” he explained before he went into spiritual form.
Ren, Morgana, and Mash looked at each other and nodded. “Let’s go,” Ren ordered. With that, they began running towards the fort. It wasn’t too far away, but even a few feet felt too far for Ren. He dearly wished that Morgana could turn into a bus, but with how cognitions were at the moment, it just wasn’t possible. Besides, he doubted the people of Medieval France could even conceive of a cat turning into a bus – they weren’t aware of what a bus even was to begin with.
As they approached, they could see signs of combat more clearly – the flash of Lancer’s spear as he weaved through combat, soldiers struggling against skeletons, and numerous arrows sailing down from somewhere, rapidly picking off groups or strays. When they got closer, they could see that the soldiers had been struggling, given the trail of dead bodies they were forced to leave behind, but the presence of Archer and Lancer were able to easily turn the tide. As Ren saw the dead bodies, he swallowed back the bile that rose in the back of his throat. He had been too late by just minutes. Could he have saved them if he was faster?
Still, there was little time to think about that. Moving quickly, they approached the rear of one of the last contingents of skeletons. Ren unsheathed his knife as Morgana took out his cutlass and Mash summoned her shield. Charging in, Ren cut through a skeleton, his knife cutting through with only token resistance to the bones. Morgana leapt up and cut off a skeleton’s head while Mash smashed through yet another. The skeletons were slow to turn, too slow before the three mowed through the group without much of a hassle. Before they could retaliate, another swarm of arrows came down, destroying the few remaining stragglers.
“Huh, guess I left you some after all!” Lancer commented cheerfully, meeting back up with them. He wasn’t even breathing hard at all from racing to the fort and fighting off skeletons. Ren and Morgana had to catch their breath a bit. Servants were certainly a different breed altogether than they expected.
Archer reappeared by their side from spiritual form shortly thereafter. “For now, no further enemy presences, Master,” he reported.
Ren smiled and nodded to both of them gratefully. “Good work, guys,” he responded. Straightening up, he looked over at the soldiers. Many of them had their spears pointed to the group, though their grips were shaking. He gulped. There were only a handful of soldiers left – it would be far too easy for anyone to just mow them down or rush past them if they wanted to.
“W-Who are you?” one of the soldiers fearfully called out. “A-Are you English? Or are you the D-Dragon Witch’s minions?!”
They all looked at each other. Mash stepped forward. “Greetings,” she called out. Her shield was gone and her hands were up – the universal sign of non-aggression. “We’re travelers and protectors. We only wish to know what’s happening during this time. Who is this Dragon Witch?”
Another soldier narrowed his eyes. “Travelers and – Lies! You want to get into our good graces and kill us, don’t you? Why else would you be wielding a cursed spear and accompanied by a demon cat?!”
Mash blinked in surprise and looked over. Lancer glanced at his Gae Bolg and just rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Morgana’s mouth dropped and he lost his temper. “I’m not a demon cat!” he roared back, jumping in a fury. “I’m just the most amazing cat you’ll ever see!” Meanwhile, Ren and Archer were both mastering their expressions as best they could, despite growing exasperation. Already, diplomacy and negotiations were breaking down, and in one of the most annoying ways possible.
Before Mash could respond, a roar sounded out in the distance, immediately catching everyone’s attention. Archer frowned as he summoned his twin blades once more, Lancer whirled his spear into a ready stance, and Mash summoned her shield back to her.
The soldiers were not nearly so composed, stepping back as their grip on their weapons quivered. One even dropped his spear. “Th-they’re coming!” one stammered out. “They ARE th-the D-Dragon Witch’s m-minions, they b-brought her c-creatures right t-to us!”
Ren gritted his teeth. He almost had enough of this when another figure suddenly raced forth. A woman with beautiful golden hair raced forth, adorned in armor. In her hand was a flagpole with the flag itself unfurled, a spearhead mounted on the tip. “Douse yourselves in water to avoid their fire breath!” she barked out. Her pure voice rang out like steel through the air. “You there,” she pointed to the soldier with soldier who dropped his spear. “Pick up your weapon! Brave soldiers of France, with me!” The soldiers looked at each other, but frankly, having someone take the front and leading them was better than dealing with this themselves or just running when they could be picked off.
Before any of them could ask who she was, a small group of wyverns plunged down from the air. They were about twice the size of an average man, their eyes ravenous for another meal. They swooped down, talons extended, seeking to grab a meal. The woman swung her flagpole up, knocking the wyvern out of the air and sending it crashing to the ground. Archer threw two pairs of his curved blades, the swords arcing through the air as they spun, burrowing themselves into the belly and wings of another swooping wyvern. Lancer in turn threw his spear, the weapon speeding out and burrowing itself in the throat of one coming right for him. Jumping aside, he held out his hand as the spear dislodged itself and flew right back to him.
“Archer, Lancer, kill and thin them out as much as you can!” Ren shouted. “Mash, Morgana, with me – we need to protect those soldiers!”
“Yes, senpai!”
“You got it, Joker!”
The wyvern the young woman had knocked to the ground unsteadily got back to its feet, glaring murderously at her. It reared its breath and fired a jet of flame. The woman’s eyes widened. She could dodge the flames, but the soldiers were right behind her. If she moved –
The dilemma was rapidly solved with Mash moving in between, her shield blocking the flames as they splashed around the metal. Ren and Morgana took a flank each, their gun and slingshot firing. Their shots bounced off the wyvern’s scales with little effect besides making it irritated. Ren amended his aim and fire again – and scored a clean shot at the wyvern’s eye. The creature roared in pain as its eye was put out, turning in rage towards Ren and charging. His eyes widened as he jumped out of the way, a claw barely missing him.
“Senpai!” Mash cried out in terror. She charged forward, lifting her shield as a claw meant for Ren smashed down, gritting her teeth as the claws scraped against the metal. Morgana moved in, his cutlass carving a bloody furrow on the wyvern’s wing before jumping back, causing the beast to once more roar in pain. His eyes widened as the wyvern prepared to breathe fire. Mash was just a bit too far away to protect him as Ren raised his gun –
A rank of spearmen closed in, thrusting at the wyvern’s unprotected backside. It roared in pain, its aim thrown off and causing a gout of fire to veer wildly off course. The young woman earlier charged in past Mash, smashing her flag down on the wyvern’s head. Mash moved in after her and gave it no time to recover bashing it with her shield in turn. Ren and Morgana ran about, providing a distraction with covering fire as Mash and the woman fought. Before long, it was dealt with, with the young woman driving her spear into the wyvern’s head.
Ren looked around. The other wyverns had been dealt with by Archer and Lancer, neither of them worse for wear. The soldiers were still wary but they didn’t raise their spears at them this time. The young woman breathed a sigh of relief. “Praise be to Him I was in time,” she murmured. She looked up at the group and gave a grateful smile. “You have my thanks, travelers, for protecting my people. Might I have your name?”
He blinked, then met her smile with one of his own. “I’m Ren Amamiya,” he introduced himself. “The one with the shield is Mash, and that’s Morgana. The other two are our companions, Archer and Lancer.” The young woman’s eyes widened slightly at the names but didn’t comment on it. “And you are?”
The young woman smiled. “I am Jeanne d’Arc. Please to make your acquaintance.”