Walking in the Question and Answer System of Heroic Spirits

Your will is forged in fire and iron; no matter what hardship or despair you face, you will never abandon your faith... But all I feel is sadness.

"So—don't go. You already know how it will end, right?"

Even though she knew it was an imposter, Joan of Arc had a feeling that this truly reflected her mother Isabella's emotions.

Chapter 308 Joan of Arc Would Not Hate

Undeterred, Joan of Arc grasped her mother's hand and said firmly, "Mother, even so, I must go to save this village and this country. I must step forward."

The mother was not comforted by these words; she simply continued to weep.

Rin Tohsaka: "Saying goodbye to my family and never coming back, was it really worth it?"

Joan of Arc: "I think it was worth it. In the end, I successfully protected my homeland."

The First Emperor said: "This is war. A nation comes first, then a family. If everyone only thinks about protecting themselves and doesn't protect their homes and country, then who will protect them after the country is destroyed? Do you expect the enemy to be kind and let you go?"

The Conqueror King: "That's right. We must never entrust our safety to the enemy. That would be no different from being a pig or sheep waiting to be slaughtered."

"As expected of Joan of Arc. With such a powerful resolve, it's no wonder she didn't consider ordinary heroes as opponents!"

[A voice, like a narrator, suddenly appeared; it was Shakespeare's voice.]

Joan of Arc: "Caster, even if you borrow your mother's appearance, you cannot sway my heart. If you are satisfied, then let's end this quickly."

"No, no, your story has only just begun! So move forward, Act Two, let's begin!"

With a snap of her fingers, the scenery around Joan of Arc immediately began to change.

The smell of blood, the smell of gunpowder—this is—

【battlefield!】

Unable to refuse, unable to resist, Joan of Arc began to relive the battles she had fought in her lifetime.

[No problem. Despite the impending setback, the near collapse, and the approaching limit, she was still able to endure.]

"No matter how many times this happens—"

No matter how many times it's repeated, the things I should do will not change, and the path I should take will not change. My past will not change, and I will not regret it.

Even if you face the final moment, your heart should not be discouraged.

"I see, just as your mother said. No matter the situation, as long as you find what you need to do, you'll only focus on moving towards the end. That's wonderful!"

Joan of Arc suppressed the urge to unleash a torrent of curses and could only continue acting out the story.

Ilya: "What an absolutely despicable old man."

Rin Tohsaka: "All you ever do is rub salt in the wound. Don't you have any positive energy in your head?"

Shakespeare: "Positive energy? You mean the kind with happy endings? That's the most hypocritical and boring kind. Only tragedy is reality!"

Feng Xi: "If I could summon Cao Xueqin, you would definitely have something in common."

Shakespeare: "Who is Cao Xueqin? Was he also a writer?"

Feng Xi: "That's right, a writer who, like you, doesn't act like a human being and writes tragedies."

Shakespeare: "Oh, then I must get to know you sometime."

Despite being a saint, she still fights on the battlefield; despite being a saint, she still accepts the killing of her comrades.

[The enemy soldiers, who should have been dead, continued to make accusations.]

"If she's a saint, why did she kill us?"

"You hold the holy flag, yet you still want to harm us?"

"We are not sinners, just ordinary people with different stances from yours."

Joan of Arc silently accepted these insults. Everything was as they said; despite being a saint, she still waved the holy banner and believed that harming others was not wrong. This was certainly not the behavior of a saint.

In the past, the saintess was someone who single-handedly repelled an evil dragon.

All I did was act as a commander, joining the others in defeating the enemy.

"That's exactly right. I personally believe I am definitely not a saint."

[No matter how steadfast one's faith, one should pray to the Lord daily—even after receiving revelation.]

The enemy soldier, whose head had been shot out, asked, "Then why did you step forward?"

Joan of Arc: "But even so, I still believe this path will lead to the right path."

As soon as the words were spoken, all the soldiers turned to dust and vanished along with the battlefield.

First Emperor: "Hmm, very good."

The First Emperor said: "Don't care about other people's opinions. Once you're on the battlefield, there's no right or wrong, only life and death."

The Conqueror King: "Yes, if you don't kill others, they will kill you."

Mordred: "Hey Sabbie, you can't be done with this much, can you?"

Shakespeare: "Heh heh."

[Joan of Arc: "Caster! There's a third act, isn't there? Shouldn't you hurry up?"]

"Yes, of course. This is a story that explores whether there are mistakes in your life, and if so, whether they should be corrected. Alright, let's move on to Act Three!"

[The scene shifts again, this time Joan of Arc arrives at Notre-Dame Basilica in Hans, to receive her coronation.]

The coronation ceremony was not considered complete until Charles VII poured holy oil onto Joan of Arc's forehead.

However, Charles VII then stared intently at Joan of Arc and said, "Saint Joan of Arc, why didn't you come here?"

The cheers ceased, and everyone inside Notre Dame looked at her with questioning eyes.

Joan of Arc: "...What do you mean?"

[Charles VII: "I have taken a different path from you here. At this point in time, even someone who is not God should understand that you are about to fall. Surely someone as intelligent as you wouldn't say you didn't know that."]

Joan of Arc: "..."

Charles VII: "Joan of Arc, answer me, do you say that the path you have taken is the right one?"

Joan of Arc: "...Yes."

Charles VII: "There is no basis for this. The revelation you received was only conveyed to you by the Lord; the results were added later. How can you convince others that only you believe the right path?"

Joan of Arc: "—To put it bluntly, this is the path I've taken, unlike Your Majesty who harbors suspicion but still trusts others."

Charles VII's desire for peaceful coexistence with the opposing Burgundian faction became the decisive reason for his separation from Joan of Arc.

"Looking back at history, it's true that you were right. But that's all just pointless post-hoc interpretations added by later historians. Did I make the wrong choice at that time and under those circumstances? Can anyone say I was wrong? And Joan of Arc, why—why couldn't you convince me! If you had the power, I would have believed you! It's not that I didn't believe you! It's that you didn't believe me!"

Joan of Arc shook her head, grasped Charles VII's hand tightly, and said, "No, it is fate that Your Majesty and I part ways here... and even if Your Majesty believed it, nothing would change. We are merely bricks in the vast ladder of history, and thus must walk the path we believe in. Your Majesty may be wrong, but you are also right; I may be right, but I am also wrong. Your Majesty and I are simply fighting with our lives on the line, that's all—is that not enough?"

As soon as the words were spoken, everything vanished.

Leticia: "...Lady Joan of Arc, do you really not hate the King?"

Joan of Arc: "I do not hate him, because I was captured in the war and it has nothing to do with him."

Leticia: "But he didn't save you..."

Joan of Arc: "He couldn't save me. At that time, both England and Burgundy wanted me dead, and the exorbitant ransom was just an excuse."

Bluebeard: "No! Joan of Arc, he betrayed you! You should hate him!"

Joan of Arc: "Gil, I will never hate."

Bluebeard: "Hmm..."

"—I just want to know the answer. Okay, let's move on to the next scene."

The scene shifts again, this time revealing a fat, large-eared cardinal.

"You pathetic bitch, we meet again."

【"Pierre Kochon..."】

Joan of Arc's emotions were complex as she faced the person before her.

[Because this man was the bishop who conducted her heresy trial, a member of the Burgundian school.]

Leticia: "This is the person who killed Joan of Arc."

Rin Tohsaka: "To be able to eat like that back then, this guy must have lived a pretty good life."

Ilya: "I heard that this guy is actually not qualified to judge Joan of Arc at all."

Weber: "It's all disgusting political infighting."

"Caster, it's useless. Even if you recreate him through your script, it's just repeating my past experiences. Your Noble Phantasm shouldn't inflict physical pain, right?"

Pierre shrugged and said, “That’s right, Joan of Arc. With my strength, I couldn’t even make you shed a single drop of blood. Only heroes like Karna and Achilles, or my lord, could stand against you.”

[Joan of Arc: "So, what is the purpose of this Noble Phantasm?"]

"I'll tell you that when it comes to the climax."

Shakespeare, dressed as Pierre, took a step forward, and the surrounding scenery changed once again.

This time, it's the execution platform where Joan of Arc was executed.

Everything around her seemed to have stopped in time. She could clearly see those who mocked her, those who looked at her with pity, and those who watched her go in tears.