You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

In my humble opinion, it would be better to send other Servants to explore first, and then decide whether to increase the fighting force or have you personally lead the troops based on the development of the battle.”

“Hmm…you’re very young, but your thinking is mature and steady. You’ll achieve great things in the future, Fiore.”

The glint in Vlad III's eyes faded, replaced by a calm demeanor. He greatly appreciated Fiore's advice, yet a sense of unease lingered in his heart.

He seemed to have been influenced by belligerent emotions just now, and made some irrational decisions... This proves that his mental state is gradually transforming into a more unrestrained vampire, which is not a good thing.

"So, who should we send to lead the charge?"

"Your Majesty, please send Saber!"

The middle-aged, overweight magician Gold Mujik, sporting a small mustache, stepped forward and excitedly recommended his follower.

"We'll definitely win! You won't even need to deal with the ordinary minions; Saber alone can take back the Rhinegold!"

“Saber…”

Vlad III gave a deep look at the tall, silent young man. Although Gold had his own selfish motives, Siegfried was indeed the best choice.

As a hero who had already obtained the Rhine Gold during his lifetime, sending him out would almost certainly ensure that he could obtain the treasure bound by cause and effect.

"Please, great hero~"

-

"Can't they see through such an obvious trap?"

In the suburbs of Tulifas, in a semi-abandoned manor that had just been bought, Iori found a relatively intact tea table and placed it in the overgrown courtyard, where he and Sera chatted while looking at the moon.

"Of course they can tell, but they have no reason to refuse."

Iori said confidently, "You saw the big battle between the Red and Black sides a few days ago, witnessed by Ruler, right?"

The Black Faction's Saber is Siegfried, the dragon-slaying hero, who is undoubtedly the most outstanding Servant. However, if they could acquire the Rhinegold, he could unleash even more of his power. Furthermore, the Yggdrasil appears as a family entity, and increasing their resources and wealth would be a welcome development for the Black Faction.

Besides, who would tolerate trouble being caused on their doorstep?

"Then... what about the red team?"

Sera was still a little unsure: "What if they don't come? Wouldn't we have to deal with the Black Faction Servants ourselves?"

"They won't refuse to come; it's not up to Amakusa!"

Iori asserted, "No woman can resist gold, the symbol of all wealth and power in the world, not even if she were the empress of Assyria!"

Chapter 123: The Family Affairs of the Holy Maiden Who Saved the Nation

A farm girl heard a voice from heaven in a wheat field and set out alone to embark on a legendary journey to save her country—all of which had ended hundreds of years ago.

The story is neither a tragedy nor a comedy; it is simply "history."

There was neither resentment nor regret in my heart, only "blessings".

Perhaps it was because of this lack of desire that the Heroic Spirits engraved on the Boundary Recording Belt descended to the mortal realm and were granted the [Ruler] class by the Greater Grail, a class that only saints could hold.

As the arbiter of the Holy Grail War, she embarks on a journey once again, not to save her homeland, but to maintain the balance of the present world.

—Now, this follower, who wields immense influence over the balance of power, walks along a country road bathed in the glow of the setting sun.

A blonde girl, dressed in casual clothes and looking no different from anyone else, slowly walked forward carrying firewood, a hint of solemnity appearing on her beautiful and pure face.

There was an unsettling smell in the air.

Whether in life or after becoming a heroic spirit, she was watched over and favored by "God." Her powerful intuition guided her toward the path of destiny. This was not surrender, but rather a choice made in accordance with her heart after recognizing her own mission.

After being summoned as a Servant, this talent was materialized as the inherent skill [Revelation].

This is a skill equivalent to "intuition," but the difference is that intuition is a sixth sense in battle, while "revelation" applies to everything, from battle to life, and even puzzle games. It always allows you to find the right path and always make the right choices.

Incidentally, Joan of Arc herself was an action-oriented person. Although she had this talent, it was difficult to explain to others, so in history she was often regarded as a brainless brute when leading troops into battle (in reality, she had a beast-like war instinct).

Interestingly, the propaganda at the time consciously highlighted her good fortune as God's chosen people while ignoring her military talents.

Now, her excellent intuition has once again come into play, allowing her to sense in advance that some kind of "event" is about to happen or is already happening.

She wasn't particularly nervous, because the feeling was like having burrs stuck to a cat—annoying but not dangerous.

what is it?

With heightened vigilance, Joan of Arc returned to the place where she had been staying.

Well, this young lady was short of money and couldn't afford to stay in a luxury hotel like Iori. She could only stay at a farmer's house in the countryside and shamefully freeloaded the room and board, compensating the landlord by doing manual labor.

Unfortunately, for unknown reasons (the previous Ruler Amakusa was still alive), she was unable to descend in her normal Spirit Origin form and could only attach herself to a French girl named Leticia.

This is different from the possession in cultivation novels. With the girl's consent, Joan of Arc obtained most of the girl's memories. Her own consciousness was still there, but when Joan of Arc descended, it entered the inner part of her consciousness and handed over the right to use the body to the saint who saved the country.

Leticia can perceive the outside world like watching a movie, and is protected by rules. Even if Joan of Arc dies in battle, Leticia herself will not be harmed, but will immediately return to her original state and be sent to a safe place.

The host's safety is guaranteed, but Joan of Arc faces many restrictions.

It cannot become a spirit, and it still needs to eat and sleep. Although it won't starve to death, it will feel uncomfortable if it is on an empty stomach—roughly equivalent to a Saber.

After experiencing the attack, she hitchhiked all the way to the vicinity of Tulipas. Out of caution, she did not make contact with either faction. She still does not know why the red faction's Master is so hostile towards her, so she can only lie low for the time being and wait for the Holy Grail War to officially begin.

Having little money, she stayed at a farmhouse. The elderly couple who were her landlords were very kind and accepted her without any reservations, treating her like family—this may be related to Joan of Arc's personal charm that made people unconsciously believe in her.

She lived a comfortable life on the farm, tending to livestock and processing fodder. This reminded her of her past life. Before she accepted divine guidance and stepped into the battlefield of carnage, there was also a farm girl in a small village in France...

However, it seems that the peaceful days will eventually come to an end. This time, there is no "voice of heaven," only the urging from the Greater Grail.

The Servants of both factions are already stirring, accumulating terrifying power. When the war horns sound, it will surely be earth-shattering!

A bad feeling crept into her heart. Joan of Arc put the firewood outside, opened the door, and cautiously looked inside. She saw that the elderly couple who had taken her in were safe and sound and were preparing dinner in the kitchen. She breathed a sigh of relief.

If anyone is implicated because of her, Joan of Arc would never forgive them, even if it meant abandoning her position and honor as the judge!

Of course, rational Servants generally will not harm the innocent unless necessary, since most of them are heroes who have been active in human history, and outliers like Shuten-dōji and Gilles de Rais are ultimately a minority.

"Oh, you're back, Miss Jenna. The firewood you've gathered these past two days is enough for the whole farm to last all winter. You've worked so hard."

The old man greeted everyone warmly, while also expressing his admiration.

Jenna may look thin, but she's incredibly strong. She can handle anything from herding horses to chopping wood, and many men probably can't even match her strength.

"I've already put the firewood away... Thank you for taking care of me during this time."

Joan of Arc thanked the couple earnestly, her eyes filled with unwavering determination despite her reluctance, just as they had many years ago when she decided to leave her homeland.

Upon hearing this, the old man paused for a moment, then felt a warmth in his hand as his wife grasped it. The elderly woman's expression was slightly sorrowful, but her voice was very gentle: "Has the time finally come?"

"Yes, I have to leave here."

Otherwise, it could drag the two of them into trouble—Joan of Arc knew very well what the consequences would be, so she did not hesitate at all.

"I knew this day would come, but I didn't expect it to be so soon... Is this going home?"

“…Hmm!” Joan of Arc hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

The couple probably thought she was a rebellious teenager who had run away from home after a conflict with her family.

"When you go back, live a good life... If you did nothing wrong, you don't need to apologize. Being honest with yourself is the most important thing."

"I really... thank you so much."

After saying a proper goodbye, Joan of Arc took the lunchbox prepared for her and prepared to leave. However, when she returned to her room to pack her luggage, she discovered that the suitcase containing all her belongings was missing!

how come……

A hint of panic flashed in Joan of Arc's eyes, but this was not the savior saint but rather "Laetitia's" subconscious reaction.

The girl she possessed was pure and devout, but in the end, she was just a naive female student (the kind with a good attitude towards learning but mediocre grades). When her entire fortune mysteriously disappeared, she naturally fell into turmoil.

However, Joan of Arc's will prevailed and did not disturb her mind. The Saint Maiden quickly realized that this could not have been done by petty thieves or an old couple. It must have been a servant who sneaked in while she was away. The unease she had felt earlier was mostly related to this.

But... this is unbelievable!

As a [ruler], the ruler has a strong ability to control and sense the Servants. Not only can they see the true name at a glance, but they can also sense the location of the other party from a distance. They can even issue a forced command when necessary. The ruler comes with a Command Seal and can issue two commands to each Servant.

And she didn't even notice that a Servant was approaching the hut!

Could it be Assassin?

"This is?"

Joan of Arc found a note on the table with three lines written thoughtfully in German, Japanese, and French.

Each Servant is instilled with knowledge by the Greater Grail, with language ability being of paramount importance. After all, Masters may come from any country or ethnicity, while Servants are figures from ancient times or even the age of gods. It would be a joke if they couldn't understand each other's languages.

Not only English, but all the major language families were in the Servant's mind, allowing Jeanne to understand foreign languages ​​she had never learned in her lifetime, and these three lines of text all pointed to the same location:

This is actually an address!

Below the note was a recent newspaper article containing a news item that Joan of Arc paid special attention to…

Rheinmetall? What does that mean?

Joan of Arc immediately thought of the Red Faction Servant who had ambushed her before, but intuitively felt that it wasn't aimed at her.

do you want to go?

Firstly, she couldn't let Leticia suffer such a great loss, otherwise her conscience would be uneasy. Secondly, this might be the fuse that ignites the Holy Grail War, and she had an obligation to witness it.

In addition, there is another very important factor:

She is quite confident in her abilities.

Therefore, there is only one answer!

-

This was a semi-abandoned manor. By the time Joan of Arc arrived, the sun had already set. The manor, bathed in moonlight, seemed shrouded in a thin veil, full of mystery. Joan of Arc strode in without fear.

As a Servant with [Revelation A] and [Magic Resistance EX], the magic traps that could be calculated and harmed Jeanne are basically non-existent. Moreover, this is not a magic workshop built on a ley line. Even Caster would find it difficult to set up a powerful large-scale ritual in such a place.

Following her intuition, Joan of Arc quickly found her lost box in the overgrown courtyard. She sensed no danger, but a strange, unsettling magic emanated from it.

She frowned slightly and slowly opened it... No problem!

Jeanne breathed a sigh of relief. She had already lost a lot of valuables when she was attacked by Red Lancer. If she had lost this box as well, she really didn't know how she would have faced Leticia.

This is a problem that even Catholic saints can't solve, since the Vatican won't give her any donations...

However, Joan of Arc quickly became wary again, because although the items in the trunk, such as underwear and loose change, were not missing, there was an extra item!

It was a golden object about the size of a trophy, which looked like pure gold but had a strange transparency. It seemed to be very close to a crystal, and the overall shape resembled a crystal cluster. The base was obviously an artificially modified mineral.

—Rhine Gold!

Chapter 124: Japanese Tradition, 100,000 Yen for a Shinto Clerk

Beautiful...absolutely beautiful!

It's hard to imagine that pure ore could possess such captivating beauty. Gold that hasn't undergone much embellishment still retains its original form, a beauty that would fascinate even goddesses, arouse Odin's greed, and drive dwarves to become dragons for it!

In the past, it was as if it had been covered in a layer of dust; although its essence remained unchanged, its appeal to people had diminished considerably.

But now that the Holy Grail War has begun, a strange "fate" has appeared, which has revitalized it and begun to exude the strange magic that once caused a great uproar in the Age of Gods.

Its effect is similar to the golden apple in Greek mythology, but it is far more precious.

"call!"

Joan of Arc was not one to be tempted by treasure, and she quickly regained her composure, but even so, she had to admit that she had been momentarily lost in thought.

Is this thing so alluring that it could even affect someone with [Extreme Magic Resistance EX]?

The Rhine Gold truly lives up to its reputation!

I thought what the newspaper said was just a lie, but it turned out to be the real thing!

But why would they be here?

— Joan of Arc, with her strong will, easily broke free from the curse of gold. Instead of developing a greedy desire to possess it all, she began to calmly analyze the current situation.

The Rhine Gold is the most exquisite relic that can be found in this era. It can also accumulate endless wealth. To say that it is priceless is an understatement. If it were allowed to circulate freely, it would cause an unimaginable upheaval in the world of magic.

Jeanne d'Arc is not a magician, but she knows very well how valuable a relic of this level is. No Master with a sound mind would discard it casually... Using it as bait would be too high a price to pay.

Moreover, even if it is bait, who is the target?

—The Saint Girl intuitively felt it wasn't herself.

"Ok?"