Devouring World Dragon

Chapter 165 Betrayal
(I had a cold for a while that just wouldn't go away, and now I have a terrible, unstoppable cough that gives me a headache every time I cough. I asked the doctor, and he said it's because coughing causes a sudden spike in blood pressure in the brain, which is quite rare...)
On March 23, 1430, King Charles of France made a decision: he ordered Jeanne to go to southern France to liberate the French territories occupied by the Burgundians. However, the king did not provide Jeanne with any army, but instead allowed her to recruit soldiers herself.

In other words, Jeanne, who was nominally the commander-in-chief of France, had no one at her disposal at this moment and was all alone.

"That woman has fallen out of favor."

All the French nobles were whispering among themselves; they had realized something.

Faced with this situation and after hearing the appointment, Jeanne remained silent for a long time, but the stubborn 18-year-old girl still mounted her white horse, put on her armor, and headed to Burgundy.

"I will reclaim the French territory."

The six months of courtly aristocratic education did not wash away the girl's vibrant spirit. She remained as lively and stubborn as ever, refusing to admit defeat. Even knowing that Charlie no longer trusted her, she had no intention of giving up.

If there were no soldiers, she would recruit them herself; if there were no officers, she would choose them herself. Unlike in the past, when she still had the support of the entire French court even in her decline, this time, the young woman could only rely on her own strength.

Logistics, recruitment, transportation, supplies... she had to solve all the problems herself, and even so, she still managed to build a small team of several hundred people.

However, for this young woman from Orleans who has repeatedly created miracles, a few hundred men are enough. The Burgundians are far less capable than the English, and with these few hundred men, as long as they plan carefully, they may well be able to create another miracle.

"For France..."

Riding at the head of the procession, carrying a flag, she was followed by numerous French soldiers. The young woman looked up at the flag, then lowered her head, closed her eyes, pressed her forehead against the cold flagpole, and silently murmured something.

……

"Minister, do you believe in miracles?"

Inside the city of Reims, King Charles remained silent for a moment, then suddenly asked a minister beside him a question. The minister was taken aback, unsure of what Charles was thinking, before replying after a moment's thought.

"Your Majesty, I knew nothing about this matter."

The loyal old minister simply answered honestly.

"Don't you know...?"

Upon hearing this, Charlie, seated on his throne, remained silent for a moment. His eyes darkened, and his expression turned ashen, as if he hadn't slept well the night before.

The ministers beside him did not disturb him. He was well aware of the proper order of seniority and knew when to speak and when to be quiet.

After a long while, a voice slowly rang out.

"Minister, a country girl saved her country. Isn't that a miracle?"

The old minister frowned slightly; he knew who the Dharma King was referring to, and then spoke.

"Your Majesty, she's just a madwoman."

The minister was not a devout follower of the gods. To him, this woman who constantly talked about God was simply a madwoman—stubborn, self-righteous, and claiming to be God's messenger sent to save France.

Although many people, including generals and commoners, did believe in this woman and revered her as a saint, the ministers still considered her nothing more than a fanatical madwoman.

“A madman… It seems that the efforts of me and my soldiers are not as good as those of a madman. France should produce more madmen like him.”

But King Charles of France just scoffed.

Yes, if Jeanne really is a madwoman, then the English who can't beat Jeanne, and the French generals who can't beat the English, aren't they even less than madmen?

The minister was speechless for a moment.

The Dharma King then fell silent again.

Looking at the dejected King before him, the minister had a vague feeling that something was wrong with His Majesty the King today, as if he knew what was going to happen.

"Minister, I have witnessed a miracle..."

The Dharma King lowered his head, muttering to himself, his eyes filled with deep confusion.

"When the kingdom was in crisis, everyone was powerless to save it and could only resignedly await its demise..."

Close your eyes, and all the memories come flooding back.

Flames, countless drops of blood—the English burning down villages after looting them, the English army that roamed freely across the kingdom, the French army confined to their castles, the sneer and arrogance of the English envoys…

Charles, a child who had endured hardship and displacement, frequently witnessed those scenes, so often that even the French themselves had become accustomed to them. And all of this stemmed from that war…

Battle of Agincourt.

In 1415, when Charles was twelve years old, the English and French armies prepared for a decisive battle at Agincourt. France mobilized most of its nobles, totaling more than 12,000 heavy cavalry, more than 17,000 light cavalry, more than 8,000 crossbowmen, and 60,000 soldiers of various types, while the English had only 20,000 men.

That was France's all-out war, the decisive battle of the Hundred Years' War. Everyone thought France would win, but... torrential rain forced the elite heavy cavalry into the mud, rendering them unable to charge. The French knights, despite their powerful equipment, could only move forward haltingly. Meanwhile, the English army, with its massive longbowmen, unleashed a relentless barrage of arrows that blotted out the sky.

Those mighty knights lay in the mud, their overly sturdy and heavy armor now a burden, preventing them from even getting up. They could only struggle in the mud and water, waiting for the English archers who would then come forward to remove their visors and slit their throats with daggers.

That was the darkest day for France. More than half of the French nobility were captured or killed in the war. The sudden power vacuum and the massive loss of troops forced France to surrender to its adversary and declare complete submission.

That year, Charles was twelve years old. Still naive, he was stripped of his title as crown prince because, according to the agreement, the throne of France would be inherited by the King of England after his father, Charles V, died.

In Charlie's memory, he only remembered that the adults were in chaos, as if the sky had fallen and the earth had collapsed. His mother was not by his side, and his father was regarded as the "mad king," a madman. Charlie, who was still unaware of what was happening, was bewildered and at a loss when he saw that scene.

After that, he lived as a "deposed crown prince" until the simultaneous deaths of the King of England and the King of France brought the throne back into play. The unwilling French nobles once again crowned him King of France, intending to use him to resist the British.

but……

"Can I really become the Dharma King?"

Charlie had been lost and restless more than once, unable to sleep, and his biggest doubt stemmed from his mother, who claimed that he was not his father's child...

He had prayed to God many times, asking for someone to guide him, and then, in that darkest moment...

The girl arrived.

"You are the only rightful king."

Her earnest and determined gaze was the most important reason that moved him.

……

"Minister, at that moment, no one believed there was any hope, but a young girl claimed she would save France, and she actually succeeded. Isn't that a miracle?"

The bewildered Dharma King closed his eyes, not looking at the people around him, and murmured to himself.

He himself could no longer discern the reason behind his impulsive choice at that time.

Like a drowning person instinctively grabbing at the last straw; like a gambler blinded by greed, choosing to place a bet without hesitation in an attempt to turn the tables... But perhaps, it was just a little joke played on that innocent look in someone's eyes.

"Since you trust me, then I'll let you play with the fate of the entire kingdom."

He was already exhausted and didn't want to carry on any longer. The destiny of the royal family, passed down through generations, might as well end in this little joke. At least... he could make that simple and stubborn girl laugh happily in the end.

It was just a young man in his twenties, making a small joke at the end of his life.

But who could have predicted that the girl would actually succeed?

When I mistakenly thought that "Orléans had fallen," I felt calm. On the contrary, when I realized that Orléans had held on, I felt happy, but was I also a little tired?

Charlie didn't know...

What is a miracle?
A miracle is when something absurd, incredible, or unimaginable happens.

A girl, a seventeen-year-old girl, a girl who would be nothing more than a high school girl in the future, ultimately saved her country. Isn't that absurd? Even the most eccentric bard wouldn't dare to write such a story.

However, that girl, who was only seventeen years old, really turned the tide and did something that countless heroes could not do.

His prayers to God have now come true, a miracle has occurred, but what is he doing now?
"Minister, I witnessed a miracle, yet now I must destroy it with my own hands... Why is this happening?"

Deep within his pupils, there was only profound bewilderment.

"For France...for the monarchy..."

The soft voice rang in my ears.

In a daze, the destiny that was carried on the shoulders of his ancestors seemed to have returned once again.

"Ah...hahahahahaha..."

To the ministers' astonishment, the Dharma King suddenly chuckled, his laughter filled with sorrow, accompanied only by the maniacal laughter of demons.

……

A few days later, news shocked the whole of France.

The girls of Orléans were captured by the Burgundians.

(End of this chapter)