[FGO]: 40 (Patreon)

A green-haired woman emerged from an alleyway, holding the hand of a white-haired little girl.

At first glance, they appeared to be a normal mother and daughter, chatting and laughing together.

However, once they had left, the scene in the alley was fully revealed: a male corpse, covered in blood with his heart brutally ripped out, lay there, his face frozen in extreme terror, a testament to the torture he endured before his death.

...

Meanwhile, in a countryside school in France, a girl named Laeticia suddenly received a mysterious revelation.

Thus, France's most famous heroine, Joan of Arc, appeared.

Appearing in the Ruler class, Jeanne's arrival signaled the official commencement of the Holy Grail War.

...

The next day, Ryou woke up from his sleep. After enjoying a traditional Romanian breakfast of cornmeal with sour cheese and cream, along with some toasted bread, he stepped out of the inn and walked straight towards the outskirts of the city.

"Master, where are we going now?" asked Caster, in a state of dimensional concealment, softly.

"We're heading to the highway connecting Bucharest and Triifas, the capital of Romania," Ryou replied, a mysterious smile appearing on his face as he looked at the puzzled Caster.

"We're going to wait for someone."

Romania, a less developed country in Europe, is known for its Gothic architecture, remnants from the Middle Ages, seen everywhere except in the capital. Trifas, the headquarters of the Yggdmillennia clan, is a remote small town without an airport or train station, connected to the capital only by a narrow, long highway.

Ryou's destination was this highway, specifically to intercept Ruler Jeanne, who would inevitably travel along it. Besides gaining her favor, he had his plans.

Jeanne, traveling from France by plane, would first land in Bucharest, and then find a way to hitchhike to Trifas. Without Amakusa Shirou's "Revelation" skill, Ryou deduced her route through analysis and the original story.

Based on the timeline, Jeanne, as a Ruler, would only appear after all fourteen Servants of both factions had been summoned. Traveling from rural France to Romania would take at least a day and a night, meaning she would reach Trifas no earlier than the following night.

Ryou had ample time to reach his destination. Using gold and enchantment magic the previous night, he exchanged a large amount of euros, bought a second-hand Harley motorcycle in the morning, filled up the tank, and set off directly towards the highway.

After traveling day and night, he finally reached the highway by noon the next day.

Since the Yggdmillennia clan took control of Trifas, it functioned almost like a country within a country. To maintain the secrecy of their magecraft, they deliberately slowed down the town's modernization. Despite being in the 21st century, Trifas still resembled an old city from the '60s or '70s, with rare streetlights and reliance on that single highway for travel.

Magus are truly selfish beings, obstacles to human progress. If they love mystery so much, they should be thrown into the primitive forest to live as savages.

Lost in his thoughts, Ryou was suddenly interrupted by Caster's gentle voice.

"Master, are you looking for that woman?"

Caster asked, pointing ahead.

There, a blonde girl with long braids was negotiating with an elderly pickup truck driver. Dressed in a blue suit-style school uniform, without any accessories or makeup, she naturally exuded a holy aura. Just a glance at her seemed to cleanse one's soul.

From her sky-blue eyes, Ryou saw unwavering faith and pure innocence. His eyes lit up, and he twisted the throttle, sending the Harley roaring forward with a cloud of smoke.

The blonde girl seemed to have reached an agreement with the pickup truck driver, who gestured with his thumb towards the truck bed, indicating she should get in.

Jeanne was about to load her suitcase into the truck when she suddenly heard a screeching sound beside her.

A powerful Harley motorcycle skidded to a stop right next to her.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm late," Ryou said, winking at Jeanne while waving at the pickup driver.

"Uncle, you can go now. She's my friend; I'm here to pick her up."

Jeanne frowned slightly at this scene and was about to speak when Ryou patted her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "I've come to welcome you, Saintess."

Jeanne's pupils contracted suddenly, and she stared intently at Ryou's face, her questions stifled.

"You wouldn't want to involve ordinary people, right?"

Ryou said casually, then smiled brightly at the truck driver.

"Thank you, Uncle."

The pickup driver observed the situation and, seeing Jeanne not objecting, nodded.

"Young man, you should cherish such a good girlfriend. If you're late again, you might lose her."

The old driver teased them, then stepped on the gas, and the pickup truck quickly drove away.

"Wait! I'm not! I didn't..."

Jeanne's face flushed with anger at the driver's words, and she hurriedly tried to refute, but the driver took it as a lovers' quarrel.

"Ah, youth!"

The old driver laughed heartily and drove the pickup truck away.

Jeanne glanced at Ryou, who was standing nearby with a sunny smile, and asked, "Who are you?"

"Right, I haven't introduced myself. You can call me Nguyen Ryou, Saintess."

"Are you from the East? But your appearance..."

Jeanne looked puzzled.

"Oh, I forgot."

Ryou immediately removed the magical mask from his face, revealing a somewhat youthful Eastern face to her.

"Ah, much better."

Ryou exhaled in relief.

"What's your purpose in stopping me?"

Jeanne frowned as she examined him. Neither she nor Laeticia's memories included this man.

"You should know the reason. As the Ruler intervening in this fourteen-servant Holy Grail War, the only ones who could find you are those involved. And my other identity..."

Ryou smiled slightly. Before Jeanne's astonished eyes, the young man transformed in a flash of magical light into a burly man over two meters tall, weighing more than 300 kilograms, wearing numerous iron restraints.

With her Ruler class's "Revelation" skill, Jeanne immediately recognized the identity of the burly man before her.

"Berserker of the Red Faction, Spartacus!? But how is that possible!?" Even someone as battle-hardened as Jeanne, who faced mountains of corpses and flames without flinching, was stunned, her mouth agape. This scene completely overturned her understanding.

Ryou reverted to his original form, his expression calm.

"Why is it impossible? Aren't you the same, Saintess?"

"But I rely on the power of the Holy Grail..."

The shock Ryou brought was so great that Jeanne's mind froze for a moment.

Ryou waved his hand dismissively.

"This method is not a big deal. In the future, there will be more of this technology called 'Pseudo-Servants.'"

Ryou spoke seriously, though he was making it up.

"Pseudo-Servants..."

Jeanne pondered. Though she didn't openly acknowledge it, she had already accepted Ryou's similar state and the term "Pseudo-Servants."

"So, as the only two 'Pseudo-Servants' in this Holy Grail War, we are natural allies, Saintess," Ryou tried to seize the opportunity to get closer.

"No! As the Ruler of this Holy Grail War, I must remain neutral and cannot ally with any side," Jeanne immediately refused righteously.

'Damn it! Why is she so hard to persuade, while Sieg makes it so easy? It must be the original author who made Jeanne an idiot!'

Ryou cursed inwardly. He had hoped to use their shared 'Pseudo-Servant' status to draw her closer, but unlike the easily fooled Jeanne in front of Sieg, she didn't fall for it this time.

"Also, I'm just a country girl. Please do not call me Saintess; call me Ruler or Jeanne," Jeanne softened her expression, perhaps thinking her previous words were too harsh and unkind.

Ryou's eyes suddenly flashed with brilliance—there was an effect.

Indeed, no matter how capable and battle-hardened Jeanne was, she was, after all, only a 19-year-old girl before her death, an age as beautiful as a flower. If it weren't for her faith and inherently strong character, she would have collapsed long ago under the burden of saving France.

Perhaps, besides the mysterious aura of the protagonist, Sieg's submissive face and tragic artificial human backstory evoked Jeanne's maternal instincts. Coupled with the fact that 19 is an age of innocence and liveliness, it led Jeanne to behave almost like a foolish girl in Fate/Apocrypha.

The more Jeanne was like this, the more lovable she became.

If Ryou's initial motivation was merely to vent his resentment towards Fate/Apocrypha, he now felt a slight pity.

The 19-year-old girl before him hadn't even enjoyed the life she deserved at her age. Like a flower, she withered prematurely, dying a brutal death by burning. How could he not feel compassion?

Sieg, your wife is in my care now.

Ryou solemnly vowed in his heart.

"What's the matter? Is there something strange on my face?"

Jeanne asked curiously, seeing Ryou staring intently at her.

"No, nothing. I just feel fortunate to have met you," Ryou suddenly smiled.

Hearing this, a faint blush appeared on Joan's cheeks.

"Please don't tease me. I'm just a country girl."

Ryou chuckled but didn't argue. Instead, he patted the back seat of his Harley motorcycle.

"As an apology, how about I take you to Trifas?"

Jeanne hesitated, seemingly still mindful of her Ruler status, which made it inappropriate to get too close to a participant.

"It's very hard to get a ride to Trifas. If you refuse again, you'll have to walk. By the time you get there, the Holy Grail War might already be over..."

"That won't do!"

Ryou was only joking, but Jeanne, earnest and responsible by nature, took it seriously and sounded a bit anxious.

"Please take me to Trifas immediately!"

Ryou nodded with amusement.

"I'll pack your luggage. You sit on the back seat."

Without waiting for her refusal, Ryou quickly stored her luggage in a storage space.

This spatial technique did not catch Jeanne's attention; both magus and Servants could accomplish this.

"Wait!..."

Instead, Jeanne was a bit troubled by Ryou's presumptuous act of taking her luggage.

"Hurry up and get on, Jeanne," Ryou said as he sat in the front seat, not giving her a chance to refuse.

Jeanne hesitated for a moment, but her duty to the Holy Grail War overrode everything else. She sighed softly, looking slightly helpless, and sat sideways on the back seat of the Harley.

Feeling a faint fragrance from behind, Ryou showed a 'mission accomplished' grin.

The innocent and naive Jeanne didn't realize his malicious intent at all.

By taking her luggage, there was no obstacle between them. Once the bike started, Jeanne would have to hold onto something to maintain her balance.

Jeanne looked around and, finding no other option, had to reluctantly grab the hem of his clothing.

One had to admit, the master who designed this Harley motorcycle was indeed a master at picking up girls. There was nothing for the back seat passenger to hold on to. To maintain balance, they either had to hold the driver's waist or grab their clothing.

But trying to maintain balance by grabbing clothing only worked at slow speeds.

What would Nguyen Ryou do?

The answer was obvious...

Vroom!

Ryou suddenly revved the engine and then loudly warned, "We're about to set off. Hold on tight; let's try to reach Trifas before nightfall!"

As soon as Ryou finished speaking, the Harley shot forward like a warhorse whipped into action.

"Ah!?"

Jeanne couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

In her untransformed state, her physical condition was no different from that of an ordinary girl. To conserve mana, she usually maintained this form.

Ryou's sudden action caught her off guard, causing her to lose her balance and lean back. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around Ryou's waist.

"Coach! She's charging with the balls!"

Feeling the warmth and softness behind him, and the large, soft masses being compressed and deformed, Ryou wanted to shout out loud.

Ryou suppressed his excitement because they had now entered the second phase.

Why did he choose a Harley motorcycle over a car? The reason was simple.

Throughout history, from riding a horse together to sharing a motorcycle, after a thrilling ride, the affection between a man and a woman, especially the woman, would significantly increase.

This is because, during the ride, the woman instinctively holds onto the man's waist to maintain balance. This position allows her to hear the man's heartbeat. Combined with the exhilarating environment of speeding, it creates a strong sense of security for the woman.

Regardless of the type of woman, even strong, independent women have an underlying lack of security due to physiological structure. If this gap can be filled, her affection naturally increases.

Of course, in modern society, there are other ways to provide a sense of security, such as money, power, and strength.

But none of these apply to Jeanne. A mere 18 or 19-year-old girl who could lead the weak Gauls to rout the English couldn't be easily moved by ordinary means.

If it weren't for Sieg's mysterious protagonist aura, combined with triggering Jeanne's hidden maternal instincts, he wouldn't have succeeded.

Therefore, Ryou chose the ancient and romantic method of sharing a motorcycle ride.

Time-tested and effective, it has proven to be a hundred percent success rate.

(Everything above is a joke, please don't take it seriously, just kidding~)

Ryou didn't expect that just sharing a ride would significantly increase Jeanne's affection, turning her into a lovestruck maiden.

To win over a devout saint like Jeanne, one would either have to break her spirit through force or subtly leave an impression on her heart over time.

Honestly, the first method was tempting, but Ryou wanted a strong and kind saint, not a broken shell.

Increasing the difficulty for himself, he didn't regret it.

Didn't Gilgamesh say that what you can't get always seems so beautiful?

Waifu Jeanne...

One word—worth it!

Putting aside Ryou's various fantasies, after overcoming her initial panic, Jeanne distanced herself from him.

Ryou felt a bit regretful but didn't dare to make any sudden stops, drifts, or other maneuvers, driving steadily instead.

But was Ryou really that honest?

If this approach wasn't working, he'd try another angle.

"I wonder, Jeanne, what are your thoughts on this Holy Grail War?"

Ryou asked tentatively.

"I've only met you so far, but the Lord has given me a revelation that something is wrong in this Holy Grail War," Jeanne said, frowning slightly at her troubles.

Ryou was secretly delighted. It seemed his actions had some effect. Without some level of affection and trust, Jeanne, as the Ruler, wouldn't have shared this with him.

He quickly calmed his inner excitement and casually said, "I haven't interacted much with the Black Faction, but I know they've taken control of the Holy Grail and are creating a large number of artificial humans with magic circuits, using them as mana batteries for their Servants..."

Ryou suddenly felt Jeanne's grip on his waist tighten.

Without even needing to see her expression, it was clear that the naturally kind-hearted Jeanne had already developed a hint of aversion towards the Black Faction.

If this were a game, it would be like the Black Faction’s reputation value significantly dropping.

"As for the Red Faction, the Master of that Assassin seems to be a Servant left over from the last war. His name is..."

Ryou’s face was full of malice, "Amakusa Shirou Tokisada!"

"What! This is impossible!"

Jeanne exclaimed, instinctively tightening her grip around his waist and leaning forward, resting her face on his shoulder.

She didn't realize how ambiguous this position was. From a distance, they looked like a couple whispering sweet nothings to each other.

Smelling the faint fragrance at the tip of his nose, Ryou resisted the urge to turn his head and explained, "He seems to have gained a physical body that can remain in the present world by touching the Greater Grail during the last Holy Grail War."

Ryou glanced at Jeanne, who was deeply furrowing her brows, her face showing signs of contemplation.

He decided to fan the flames further, "I once overheard a conversation between him and Assassin. His wish seems to be to save all of humanity. After obtaining the Holy Grail, he plans to use the Third Magic to materialize the souls of all humans, aiming to eliminate conflict."

"!"

Without looking, Ryou knew that Jeanne's face had become extremely grim, and the hands around his waist were trembling involuntarily.

Ryou pretended not to notice her distress and continued, "To achieve this goal, he had Assassin Semiramis poison and control almost all the Masters of the Red Faction..."

"I defected from the Red Faction to escape their control," Ryou concluded righteously.

He wasn’t worried that Jeanne wouldn’t believe him.

With her A-rank Revelation skill, Jeanne could easily discern if someone was lying.

And everything he said was true, though these top-secret details were extract from an anime.

Deceiving with lies is the lowest form of trickery.

The highest form of deception is telling the truth, using it to guide the other party, allowing them to make their judgments and decisions.

Being deceived and still counting money for the deceiver is the mark of a true strategist.

"My intuition tells me you're telling the truth. If so, this is truly shocking. Moreover, the Lord’s revelations keep telling me that Amakusa Shirou’s actions must be stopped..."

Jeanne said, her face showing hesitation.

"But I..."

She looked at Ryou's profile, her hands around his waist moving subconsciously.

Ryou glanced at her and immediately understood her hesitation.

Although he had spoken the truth and Jeanne believed him, his current identity as a Red Faction Berserker and participant in the war made her wary.

Jeanne wanted to politely decline his offer to form an alliance and stop Amakusa Shirou on her own. However, Ryou’s previous gestures of goodwill made her feel a bit guilty.

"It’s okay, you don’t need to worry about me. I believe that building mutual trust isn't something that happens overnight but is achieved through actions over time," Ryou said seriously.

"Thank you for your understanding." Jeanne couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"I quite admire this quality of yours. Bearing such a heavy responsibility, you indeed shouldn’t easily trust others. Don’t worry, I’ll earn your trust through my actions."

Ryou added, "As expected of the saint who saved France. Unlike me, a mere rebellious failure (referring to Spartacus), I think I’m already falling for you."

A direct and unexpected confession made Jeanne blush, her voice lowering, "Saintess... I’m just a farm girl from the French countryside..."

Ryou first smiled slightly, then spoke in a serious tone, "But you must be careful. Amakusa Shirou has been plotting for sixty years. The Black Faction is not a threat to him; only you, as a variable, are his target for elimination. He was also once a Ruler and possesses the Revelation skill. He’s probably already aware of your presence and might have sent assassins on the way."

"Thank you for the warning. I’ll be careful," Jeanne said, nodding solemnly.

As if on cue, at that moment, both of them felt an undisguised killing intent emanating from not far away.

PS: Castoria/Jeanne: We don't know anything. We are just ordinary girls from the countryside.