"Hmm~~Mana Supply, Mana Supply~~! The mana consumed by the Heroic Spiritualization just now was too great. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ”

After dealing with a series of troubles, Joan of Arc left the Tosaka family and went straight to the restaurant, which fortunately abounded in Japan in the middle of the night. Joan of Arc happily puts a variety of dishes in her mouth that she has never tried before, and happily hums her own little tunes. Then show a relaxed expression.

“…… It's just that you're hungry to eat so much, and you ate so much last time. ”

Zigger, who was sitting across from him, thought as he slowly nibbled on his bread. To him, the taste of food is not much different, and his sense of taste is extremely thin compared to ordinary people, not even binder and cream.

After all, it is a combat android, and Einzberen didn't think about this when he created it.

"That's, that's just because...... I'm using my physical body to manifest now, so that's why the consumption of mana is also quite strong. ”

Joan of Arc blushed and cleared her throat.

After a moment of silence, Ziggy yawned with a limited gesture. The clear and cloudless night can be seen from the narrow windows.

I wish I could have passed the day in peace—at least for the night.

Ziggy re-observed the scenery of Winterwood Town, a small town with a population of only tens of thousands - it's just that tens of thousands of people are beyond Ziggy's imagination, and if he hadn't escaped from the castle of Einzberen, he would probably have seen only a few dozen people in his life, right? But even now, even if you are free, can you know more than a thousand people in your life?

Is the total number of human beings more than six billion, and the number of 1,000 is insignificant. There are both good and evil people in human beings, but more often than not, there are groups that hover between good and evil.

Evil, Justice...... Ziggy could easily define that Caster as evil and Joan of Arc as right, but what about Darius?

"Hmm......"

They were the ones who created themselves and brought life to themselves, and with the knowledge gained from them and their judgment, Ziegy had to hesitate.

He was sure he would fight Caster, but he didn't know if he should swing his sword at Einzbelen. Maybe - aren't they wicked in the traditional sense?

This is the biggest problem in Sieg's life, and among the people he knows, the person who knows the concept best is-

"Well, Ruler, I'd like to ask you some questions."

"Huh? What's the matter? ”

Ruler asked, puzzled, and Ziggy explained his doubts. Ruler pondered for a moment, then she clasped her fingers in Zigger's hand and spoke to him.

"Humans are creatures that survive by constantly grinding into the world that is inside and the world that is open to the outside. Man is lonely, but at the same time he is connected to all the people in the world. Because of this, tragedy can be painful and angry. Sometimes some people have to hurt others without hesitation for their own benefit. What Darius did...... This is also true, but unfortunately, his behavior is exactly what the Holy Grail expects and is allowed, so for now, he is not evil. ”

Ziggy nodded slightly as if he didn't understand, and asked again: "That means that hurting others in order to protect your own important things can't be considered evil, right?" ”

But Ruler smiled bitterly and shook his head. At this point, a group of children walked past them, and they didn't seem to have any specific destination, but kept running around the outer perimeter of the store. The girl, who was particularly young in the group, ran desperately to catch up with the children in front of her, but accidentally tripped and fell to the ground.

Ruler tried to stand up, but quickly sat down again. Because the children who ran in front of them ran back to pick up the girl. They first helped the sobbing girl up, checked her wounds, and then told her that they were only minor abrasions.

The girl soon stopped crying. Seeing her appearance, the children smiled bitterly and took the girl's shoulders, and the other helped her from behind, and walked again.

"--It hasn't changed, no matter what era it is."

Ruler looked at the idyllic scene with an expression of nostalgia and pity.

“…… Have you ever had a time like that? ”

"Yes. I have four older siblings. At that time, it was equivalent to playing while doing farm work. We kept running around until we were covered in mud. ”

Ruler spoke in a nostalgic tone, not as Joan of Arc's past, but as an ordinary girl in the village of Donremi. After shedding his brief memories, Ruler continued.

"At that time, I was also very scared, and the people who supported me to continue fighting were my brothers and sisters, and my comrades."

――Are you talking about the people she was when she fought against the British invaders? Ziegy guessed, not saying a word, waiting for Joan of Arc's next words.

"Is what I did at that time any different from Darius? Accomplish one's own goals by harming or killing certain people...... I sacrificed a lot of people to protect my family, protect my comrades, and save my hometown, that's all. ”

"How...... How could it be ......"

Hearing that she, who was called a saint, slandered herself so much, Ziegy couldn't help but want to refute-

Or is it because of this that former friends have fallen into the evil way...... Do you understand? Ziegjun, for France, I am considered a saint and a hero of justice. But if you're one of the enemy soldiers I've killed, you should call me a witch, right? That's why I'm called a witch, and that's no longer normal. ”

“……”

Witch - that's what Joan of Arc called when she was burned at the stake, but was she more of a witch than a saint herself?

unimaginable.

"Do you understand? Ziegjun, good and evil, sometimes this is how they are intertwined. While doing the same thing, you are either doing good or evil. ”

Joan of Arc is undoubtedly the most famous saint in the world, and in Zigger's view, she is definitely a worthy saint - only a saint would be so full of sympathy and pity for the opposing side that he does not hate his killer at all.

Throw away the tragic death and setbacks, and continue to move forward without care. Although it is worthy of admiration, it is also difficult to laugh bitterly.

For her, evil is an existence that must be defeated, and it is a mistake that must be corrected. But, on the other hand, she is by no means the kind of girl who does not understand the dark side of the world, and she deeply understands that these contradictions cannot be solved by human power.

Or this kind of thing can only be hoped for by miracles - yes, for example, ...... Holy Grail.

"I see...... Why would you be so cautious about dealing with Darius as it should be......"

Joan of Arc replied with great sincerity that Ziggy would be a fool who was not even a clown if he avoided such a question.

It's just -- it's hard to accept.

"Even though you're a kid at your age, you're really growing...... It is precisely because you can accept this that it is called growth. That's what my mother said to me. ”

Joan of Arc said with a shallow smile. In that gentle voice, there is a kind of warmth full of tolerance. Then, she let go of Ziggy's hand and looked out the window.

Sow your seed in the morning, and don't rest your hands in the evening—Joan of Arc could not help but think of it.

The Holy Grail War has only just begun. What will happen next is completely unpredictable.