Chapter 21

A chilly winter had settled in, and the new year had dawned.

Historically, France had generally enjoyed a mild climate, but this was the Little Ice Age, a period when average global temperatures had fallen.

Feeling a familiar chill, Maxime bundled up in thick woolen clothes. Jeanne had personally tailored them and given them to him as a gift.

He was more resistant to the cold than most people, so he could honestly have gotten by with something lighter. But whenever he wore something else, Jeanne looked disappointed, so he tried to wear these clothes whenever possible. They were custom-made, after all, and quite comfortable.

Today, he spent some quiet time with his family. Agathe, Coat, Jeanne, Pierre, and even Walter, who was shivering from the cold.

Despite their young ages, they all carried heavy responsibilities, and they talked while leaning on one another for support. They discussed all sorts of things, but Maxime was always at the center of the conversation.

“Let’s pray.”

Maxime did not recite a prayer.

He closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. His prayers always began in silence and ended in silence. The quiet might have felt awkward, but no one complained.

Watching Maxime absorbed in prayer brought them a sense of peace. It was remarkable how simply closing his eyes seemed enough for him to become so deeply immersed in prayer.

Watching him, Jeanne d’Arc realized that when it came to faith, actions mattered more than a hundred words.

Today, as always, she was by Maxime’s side.

Praying together like this is nice. …Still, I liked it best when it was just the two of us praying together, like last time.

Back in Domrémy, she had at least restrained herself because Maxime was busy, but ever since they had set out on their journey, she no longer hesitated to stay by his side.

Maxime had said it was fine. She would not give up this right to anyone.

Although doctrine had taught her to restrain her desires, she found it difficult to suppress her longing for another person.

A large part of that was because she could find no reason to do so. Maxime was closer to God than anyone else. What could possibly be wrong with staying close to him? That was how she justified it to herself.

Peek.

Every so often during the prayer, Jeanne checked on Maxime. She already knew he was beside her, but for some reason she felt uneasy and kept needing to make sure he was still there.

Whenever she cracked her eyes open, she saw Maxime, and her turbulent heart grew calm again. But when she closed them, her anxiety gradually returned.

Jeanne did not realize that what she was feeling was obsession. As usual, she simply offered her thanks to God.

I do not know what trials await us, or how difficult this journey will be

But I swear that if I can be with him, I will gladly walk even a path of thorns.

Even the suffering of life cannot compare to the blessings You have given me. Thank You for sending me a companion. Thank You for giving me life, my daily bread, and faith. I also repent for the time I was frightened by Your revelation to save France and ran away.

“…Amen.”

Maxime’s prayer happened to end at that moment.

Unfortunately for Jeanne, as soon as it was over, he went to check on the others. As their leader, there were many members of the group he needed to reassure.

They had spent their entire lives in Domrémy before setting foot in unfamiliar lands, but under Maxime’s guidance, all fifteen members of the group had regained their sense of stability.

***

The thin layer of snow that had accumulated overnight was gone by morning.

“Brother, a soldier from Vaucouleurs is looking for you.”

Coat called from outside. I was inside the house Robert had lent us. I signaled to Jeanne, who had been waiting with me. We had spent the last several days waiting around with no idea when we would finally hear something.

“He said he’d arrive the day before yesterday, so I guess he finally made it. Nobles really have no concept of punctuality.”

“I didn’t mind.”

“?”

Coat opened the door. The soldier who had accompanied him bent one knee in a brief salute. He was one of the people who believed we were saints.

“Robert has summoned you.”

“What does he want with us?”

“I don’t know. He only said you needed to come.”

The Duke of Lorraine had probably arrived, just as Robert had told us he would. Understanding the situation, I prepared to head out.

“Jeanne, are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Our destination was Robert’s residence, a place that had become familiar during our stay here.

“You’re here? Good, you came quickly. The Duke of Lorraine has arrived in secret. These are people of high standing… so mind your behavior.”

He greeted us in front of his residence. He seemed more tense than usual. I felt bad putting it this way, but he looked like a fresh recruit standing before a corporal.

At his urging, we hurried inside. There stood the largest fireplace in Vaucouleurs.

An old man sat before it. There was nothing particularly remarkable about his appearance. If not for his expensive clothing, I never would have guessed he was a duke.

“Good to meet you. I am the Duke of Lorraine.”

“I’m Maxime Blanche.”

“I’m Jeanne d’Arc.”

“So you’re the one… You truly are as young as the rumors say. Remarkable.”

He approached without hesitation and began feeling my body here and there. He pressed hard enough to make my muscles ache, betraying a palpable yearning for youth.

He doesn’t even have any guards protecting him. He’s certainly fearless.

All the knights were outside. The Duke of Lorraine had only one man with him who looked like an attendant.

What made this behavior so surprising was that nobles loved to preach about honor, yet behind closed doors, they resorted to underhanded and cowardly assassinations.

The long war had produced more and more nobles who valued practical gain over honor. Neither law nor doctrine could overcome human desire.

In that sense, the Duke of Lorraine’s lack of caution almost seemed like a kind of detachment from worldly concerns.

“Who is that gentleman over there? He doesn’t seem like an ordinary attendant.”

Behind the Duke of Lorraine stood a man who appeared to be fairly young.

“That’s my son-in-law, René. He will rule Lorraine alongside my daughter Isabelle.”

The duke was in the process of arranging for his daughter to inherit Lorraine, which had brought him into a civil war with his nephew.

The man introduced as René confidently offered his hand.

“Welcome. Robert spoke highly of you. Back when he served as my chamberlain, he was a man of few words, so you can imagine how surprised I was to hear him praise someone else.”

“Thank you for the warm welcome. This is Jeanne d’Arc, who received the revelation alongside me.”

René readily offered Jeanne his hand as well.

“No need to waste any time. Tell me about this revelation you received.”

Jeanne stepped forward first. She seemed to have gained confidence since before, delivering the prophecy of salvation with absolute conviction and persuasive force.

The Duke of Lorraine and René both appeared impressed by her speech.

I, on the other hand, was using God’s name to further my own ends. I could never bring myself to speak with the same passion she did.

Once her speech was over, I barely managed to add a few words at the end for form’s sake.

“I received a revelation telling me to help the holy maiden save France.”

“I see.”

The Duke of Lorraine nodded. He did not appear to have any doubts whatsoever.

“…Do you believe us? Or is that because you don’t?”

“Don’t misunderstand me. If anything, everything finally makes sense now. Ever since I was a boy, I’ve heard the prophecy that a young maiden would save France. If a girl has defeated the vicious Burgundian army, then that must mean the prophecy is true.

Even Domrémy being cut off like an island was God’s will. I knew it couldn’t have been because of any failure in my rule.

An uneducated country boy rebuilt a village, while an equally uneducated country girl led grown men to victory over the Burgundian army. None of that is remotely ordinary. It can’t simply be explained away as natural talent.”

A maiden of humble birth taking to the battlefield. It called to mind the legendary image of a holy maiden destined to bring salvation.

Both of us had already demonstrated our abilities in practice, so believing the prophecy was hardly unreasonable.

“I have a favor to ask of you.”

There was a reason the elderly duke had come all the way to Vaucouleurs despite his age.

“Pray for me. Pray to God that the pain afflicting me will disappear. If people of such holiness as yourselves pray for me, I’m certain it will work.”

He had come all this way just for a prayer.

I didn’t mock the Duke of Lorraine. The desire to survive was an instinct shared by all living things.

“I need to live long enough to face my beloved Alison again.”

That actually moved me a little. This wasn’t merely a survival instinct. Even while suffering, wasn’t he still thinking of the woman he loved?

“You and your wife must be very devoted to each other.”

“…What? Alison isn’t my wife. At my age, why would I love my wife?”

Alison was his mistress. The duke had just declared his desire to live while thinking of another woman.

Jeanne’s gaze turned icy. I felt a sudden chill myself.

“…If you grant my request, I’ll pray for you with all my heart. Issue us a safe-conduct.”

“Gladly. I swear it in God’s name.”

“If you help my father, I’ll write you a letter of introduction to the Dauphin as well.”

“…….”

Those were extremely favorable terms. As far as I was concerned, this was a deal we absolutely had to make.

“Jeanne?”

Jeanne still hadn’t answered. Only after I pressed her did she finally respond.

“…I’ll pray for you, but from now on, follow the teachings of the Church and remain faithful to the wife God has joined you with.”

“I’ll handle my own affairs.”

The Duke of Lorraine was clearly displeased at being lectured by a young girl. Still, since he believed she might be a holy maiden, he didn’t rebuke her too harshly.

Jeanne took his words to mean that he agreed.

We took the Duke of Lorraine’s hands and prayed for him with all sincerity. When the prayer ended and I opened my eyes, the duke was grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh… Ohhh…! The pain really has gotten better! So divine power really was the answer…!”

It was probably the placebo effect.

The Duke of Lorraine kept his promise. The next day, an attendant delivered a safe-conduct written on parchment.

A safe-conduct depended entirely on the authority and influence of whoever issued it. And since the issuer was none other than the Duke of Lorraine, it was effectively the best one I could possibly obtain.

“I spent the day looking over the roads you built. I was impressed by how solidly they were laid out. I was even more surprised when I heard that the section I saw took less than a week to complete.”

René was around my age, and he felt an innocent admiration for a young man who had been blessed by Heaven.

“Here, this is the letter of introduction I promised you. With this, you should have a chance to speak wherever the nobles are gathered.”

A letter of recommendation from a high-ranking clergyman and a letter of introduction from a nobleman. We now had everything commoners needed to gain an audience with royalty.

“Thank you for your kindness. France will not forget this favor.”

“You speak as though victory is already assured. That’s reassuring. …And there’s another gift.”

René pointed toward the horses tied to the hitching post.

“The Duke of Lorraine emptied his stables to provide horses for your group. There aren’t enough for everyone to ride, but we even brought horses used by our own men. This is the best support we can offer you.”

So that was why he had called us out here. He wanted to give us horses for transportation.

“…Please give the Duke of Lorraine my heartfelt thanks. May God’s blessing be with him.”

“We have high hopes for you.”

***

Most of France consisted of fertile plains. Rivers spread across the land like a spiderweb, and unlike Korea, the country wasn’t covered in mountainous terrain.

There was a reason the craftsmen of Neufchâteau had found it so strange to see me carrying a jige on my back. There simply hadn’t been much reason for human-powered transportation to develop here.

The land was blessed enough that carts and wagons could travel along most major trade routes. In that sense, horses were extremely useful.

None of us knows how to ride, so let’s modify the carts we already have and turn them into wagons. Even if it delays our departure, leaving fully prepared might actually get us there sooner.

If anything, this worked out well. Horses were hardy in the cold, but if it got too cold, they could fall ill just like people. By the time the wagons were finished, the worst of the cold would probably have eased somewhat.

I gathered the craftsmen together. Just as we were about to begin work, Robert heard the news and came to see me.

“I heard you’re building wagons. In that case, you’ll need drivers to handle them. I’ll gladly provide those myself.”

His attitude had changed since the Duke of Lorraine’s visit.

With several influential figures now supporting us, Robert had finally decided that he too could safely throw his support behind the would-be saviors.