Devouring World Dragon

Chapter 161 The Girl from Orleans
"Although her command was inexperienced, she possessed an extraordinary intuition that allowed her to easily make decisions that seemed unbelievable at the time but were later proven to be correct."

Duke of Alençon
There were several forts near Orléans, originally built for defense. However, in order to preserve their strength, the citizens of Orléans chose to abandon these forts, which then became British garrisons. More than 10,000 British troops used these forts to launch a siege of Orléans.

Incredibly, the French army's hasty and impromptu attack caught the British army off guard, and the French attack successfully captured one of the fortresses before the British troops in the other fortresses could react, while suffering fewer than two hundred casualties.

It went too smoothly, so smoothly that it left people speechless.

There has never been such a smooth victory since the Battle of Akkukin.

The Duke of Alençon, a relative of the Crown Prince Charles, possessed vast territories within the kingdom and was undoubtedly the highest-ranking among the many generals. Yet, as he watched the country girl atop the fortress, holding her flag and receiving cheers from the soldiers, he felt as if he were in a dream.

He had a very good impression of the country girl; she was youthful, energetic, innocent, and devout. Among the many generals, he was one of the few who believed from the beginning that she was truly a saint. The white horse was a gift from him to the girl.

"Jeanne, I never expected you to win."

As the girl walked towards the generals amidst cheers, a handsome general looked at her and said sincerely.

Gilles de Rais, who had always disliked women because he thought they were too weak, had to admit that this girl who dared to go to the battlefield without flinching had won his respect.

"Thank you, Giles."

Facing Giles in front of her, Jeanne smiled and nodded. Then, she also paid her respects to the generals who had argued with her during the day.

"Jeanne!"

When the girl walked up to the Duke of Alençon, he couldn't help but call out her name.

The girl turned her head, opened her eyes wide, and looked at the young nobleman in front of her. This twenty-six-year-old French nobleman was a rare and fierce general who had fought against the British army many times and was very prestigious in France.

"Your Excellency Duke Alençon, is there anything I can do for you?"

The girl asked politely.

Before the Duke of Alençon, the seventeen-year-old girl appeared remarkably composed. She had azure eyes, short, shoulder-length blond hair tied in a small ponytail, and wore armor incongruous with her status. Unlike other noble ladies, she wasn't reserved, but rather possessed a rustic charm unique to the countryside.

"Jeanne, why are you so determined to attack today?"

Alanson asked in confusion.

In his view, Jeanne was not an impulsive person; on the contrary, she was very calm, otherwise she would not have been able to successfully travel from her hometown to Shinon, or even win the trust of the crown prince.

But today she acted out of character, stubbornly demanding an immediate attack instead of allowing the army to rest and recuperate.

Jeanne thought for a moment before speaking hesitantly in front of him.

"Because... I think this way we can win."

A hint of annoyance crossed her face, as if she didn't know how to explain it to Alanson in front of her. All she could say was...

“That’s my intuition.”

intuition……

For a moment, the Duke of Alençon was at a loss for words.

……

Following that, Jeanne held a brief military meeting with the generals. This time, the generals acknowledged Jeanne's abilities and ultimately decided...

"Eliminate these British troops as soon as possible, and prevent their reinforcements from arriving."

At this moment, the British forces besieging Orleans are not many. Although the exact number is unknown, several generals roughly estimate that there are no more than 15,000 men, and possibly less than 8,000. However, the British already know that they are coming to reinforce, and may draw troops from nearby cities to reinforce them at any time.

The generals reached a consensus that they could not afford to delay, but what could they do with just over two thousand men?

If they were just holding onto this fortress, that would be fine, but to think they could wipe out these 10,000-plus British troops? That's just wishful thinking.

"But what if we unite with the garrison in Orleans?"

Jeanne asked.

Giles shook his head.

"We don't know the current situation in Orleans, how many troops are stationed there, or how much help they can provide. Moreover, if we rashly enter Orleans, we are likely to be stopped by the British army."

"Should we enter Orleans under cover of darkness?"

Jeanne did not give up, but continued to press for answers.

"It's dark? Entering the city under cover of darkness is certainly possible, but how do we know the Orleans people won't mistake us for British troops and attack us?"

Giles hesitated. "No, with such a commotion during the day, it's impossible that Orleans didn't notice. They're probably looking around and waiting for news."

Meanwhile, the experienced Alenson rejected Gilles' idea.

Jeanne thought for a moment, and finally spoke to the generals beside her.

"Let me lead a small force to transport supplies into Orleans."

"How can you do this? It's too dangerous!"

A general hurriedly said.

But Jeanne simply clasped her hands together and said devoutly.

"God will protect me."

Whispers could be heard from time to time in my ears.

……

As night fell, a small force of several hundred men, carrying torches, left the fortress and headed toward Orléans. Their presence was so conspicuous that it stirred up the British troops in the other fortresses.

"Want to chase?"

Inside the fortress not far away, a British officer looked at the troop, while the knight beside him asked a question. The officer thought for a moment, hesitated, and then shook his head.

"No need, it's too dark, there's no need to take the risk."

Yes, it was too dark, and the British army couldn't be sure if there was an ambush, so they had to give up.

Finally, the small group successfully reached the gates of Orléans. The only concern was whether the Orléans people would accidentally harm them, but Jeanne simply said to them...

"Don't worry."

Bertrand held a torch in his hand and joined the troops, his heart filled with tension. How could he not be worried?

If I were to get accidentally injured, that would be truly hilarious.

But not long after, the city gates of Orleans, which had been closed for almost half a year, finally slowly opened...

The girl holding the flag, protected by several cavalrymen, then entered Orleans amidst a throng of torches.

"Is she the saintess of Lorraine?"

"Is it really her?"

"..."

On both sides of the city gate, there were many ragged people, men and women holding torches. They looked at the girl riding a white horse and holding a flag, exclaiming and whispering among themselves, their eyes filled with hope.

Orleans had been besieged for nearly half a year, and the city's food supplies were almost exhausted. However, this did not prevent the citizens from learning about the Saint of Lorraine. Long before Jeanne came to Orleans, the legend of the Saint of Lorraine had already spread throughout the city.

A country girl of humble birth claims to have received divine revelation and steps forward to save France when men are powerless to help.

People say that she is God's messenger, and that she will save Orleans and France.

It was this rumor that allowed the city of Orleans, which was on the verge of collapse, to hold on for a little longer. And now, the saintess of Lorraine has arrived in the city just as the legend has it...

Surrounded by the crowd, the girl at the head of the group had to slow her horse down to a snail's pace, moving forward at an almost tortoise-like speed.

Among the many torches, the girl riding on the white horse shone even brighter, her armor gleaming, as if she had descended from heaven to earth, unlike any mortal.

"God..."

Many men and women in the city surrounded the girl, calling out the name of Jehovah as if God had descended upon Orleans. They excitedly reached out and devoutly touched the white horse beneath the girl or the armor on her body, begging for the saint's mercy.

Looking at the devout crowd before her, it was the seemingly overly young girl who appeared somewhat lost, holding a flag and surrounded by the crowd.

This scene will be remembered by the city and become its eternal memory.

As he watched this scene unfold, among the soldiers behind the girl, Bertrand, observing what resembled a scene from a classic saintly legend, suddenly recalled the words the girl had once spoken to him…

"Once we reach Orleans, God will surely grant us victory."

His wide-eyed, extremely serious expression was completely genuine.

(End of this chapter)