Chapter 14

Half an hour late.

"So, there are two Jeanne D'Arc?" Ritsuko repeats the conclusion of their previous talk after lightly interrogating Jeanne that appeared in their camp.

"I'm afraid that would be the explanation as we have no way to confirm it either. Besides, the same person summoned as two Servants at the same time isn't impossible. There are past records of them happening before." Romani added while also trying to think for any explanation.

Pretty much everyone is staring at Jeanne which makes her uncomfortable but she understands as they cannot simply trust her when there is another her out there burning the nation as revenge. However, what unsettled her the most is the giant hulking man under the equally massive silver armor, staring at her silently since the moment he discovered her stalking the group.

"What do you think, Adam?" Romani suddenly asks for Adam's opinion.

"Hmn. For me, the most suspicious thing is the only memories she lost are the memories of the part from her capture leading up to her execution. Like someone purposely took only that part and it's by no coincidence that the other Jeanne's objective is to exact vengeance…" Adam voices his thoughts out loud. Although, it only seems to confuse them.

"How can you be so sure?" Romani wondered and confused how Adam could reach that conclusion.

"Let's just say, it's my intuition." Adam replied.

In the background, Cu and Archer already rolled their eyes at Adam's bullshit. While Alina just wishes she could just boast about Adam's powerful Psychic Mastery that can pierce deep into the Warp and pry out all its secrets while leaving none unturned.

Anyway, after interrogating Jeanne and making sure she is clear. Everyone rested for the night and decided that tomorrow they were going to locate the other Jeanne to confirm the theory they discussed and also put a stop to the Dragon Witch's reign of terror.

———

Later at night.

None of the Servants could sleep. Not that they need to and sleeping only helps them achieve lower mana maintenance without any additional benefit aside from the dream cycle.

By the bonfire is Adam, meditating until he is interrupted by the arrival of Jeanne. Her purpose is easily discerned as the curiosity in her eyes is barely hidden.

"Master…" Jeanne called out for her contracted Master.

The reason why Jeanne is contracted to Adam instead of Ritsuko is because Adam himself has vast amounts of Mana to supply to his own Servants without need to add more load on the sole reactor powering the whole Chaldea.

Because he is wearing his Aegis Armor, his face can't be seen and Jeanne didn't know if Adam was sleeping or awake and staring at the bonfire.

When Jeanne interrupted Adam's meditation, Alina and Sif weren't particularly pleased. The former shot the Ruler a glare while the latter woke up and gave Jeanne her disapproving stare.

With her presence this unwelcomed, Jeanne thought about leaving and finding other Servants to talk to. But Adam turns his head to her and stops her just as she is about to leave.

"Hmn. Anything I can do for you, Jeanne?"

"Ah. Master." She replied, a little startled by his voice that pierce through the silent atmosphere of the camp that only has the noise of cracking burnt wood and low snoring of Ritsuko.

Jeanne sat back on the trunk of a dead tree and looked at Adam as her previously discarded questions returned to her mind.

"I wonder if Master could answer my curiosity about a few things." She asked for his permission, hoping he would allow her to ask him a few questions.

Adam gave her a nod. At this point, it's already too late to ask permission. After all, to meditate isn't easy even to him who had done so numerous times over his ten thousand years of lifespan. His meditation isn't just any simple meditation but an attunement of his soul to this newer Warp which even though not as violent and hellish as the previous universe, it's still complicated as if something is trying to prevent him from accessing any further than its surface. Which isn't a problem since he rarely needs to dive that deep either. But it does make him curious as to what is trying to prevent his access to the collective unconscious mind of this universe.

"Then, are you perhaps a Divine Envoy of God?" Jeanne asked with her eyes widened and a familiar look of worship appeared.

Adam mentally recoiled at the thought of Jeanne turning into Alina No.2. Maybe it's not too late to transfer ownership with Ritsuko?

"What makes you think so?" Adam questioned, trying to find out what caused her to see him that way.

So, Jeanne explained how she had been spying on them the moment they turned up at the fort. She saw with her eyes, when Adam rallied the already hopeless and given up French Soldiers and people, his holy radiance was like a pillar of light, acting as the beacon of hope in the darkest moment that rallied the people to fight once more.

Of course, everything can be summed up as the visual effects of his Psychic Might. As his abilities are literally just him bending reality with Psychic power.

There is a reason why people of the Imperium worshiped the Emperor of Mankind as god. It's not a story of fabrication. But because of the visual effects on the mind of the common people.

To a powerful Psyker, they might see during the battle against the wyvern, Adam's Psychic energy influence the Immaterium, manipulating that external greater energy source in the Immaterium just like Magus uses their Od to manipulate Mana. He bent the reality to make those that answer his call to be impervious to attack and unable to die from fatal injury.

But to common people, they will see various things which their mind will interpret to its convenience. Just like the case of Jeanne here who isn't psychically attuned to the Warp. She sees Adam as an angel from her faith, sent down by her god.

Naturally, Adam would like to say no. But, one thing he learned the hard way about religious fanatics is they never ask a question expecting an answer. Instead, the moment you replied to their questions. They will either accept it if it fits their own headcanon or go into denial and conjure up their own answers that fit it

But, he can't just say Yes and shut her up. Because chances are like the previous Singularity. She might get summoned later to Chaldea.

"..."

Seeing Adam's long silence, Jeanne quickly lifts her hands up and stops Adam from answering the question.

"Ah, it's alright if the Envoy is incapable of answering the question. There must be a reason why it is kept a secret." Jeanne said.

Ignoring how she already changed the way she addressed him, it went about as he expected and the best way possible as now she cannot find him accountable for anything because it's her own misunderstanding now.

"What about your next question?" Adam asks to move on with the conversation. "Also, just address me as normal. It would be suspicious if you called me Envoy."

"Ah! Of course, I'm sorry, Master." Jeanne quickly corrected herself. "Anyway, my next question is, Master knows more about the other me right? More than what you had revealed a while ago."

Adam nodded without any hesitation since it wasn't something that important to be kept a secret from Jeanne.

"Then, can you tell me the truth, Master. Is that Jeanne really another me?" She asked, no. Demanded the answer from Adam.

From what Adam can see from her expression, it's denial and fear. She genuinely fears that the Dragon Witch is her another self that came to resent the very nation and people she loved and wished to save. The genuine fear that there is hatred existed deeply inside her which she couldn't confirm the truth now that those related memories were stolen away from her.

Adam sighed at the sight of Jeanne's distraught look. To think there really exists someone that pure and genuinely saintly like Jeanne. To the extent that she would fear that she would come to hate her beloved nation and people. The same one that put her on the stake and burned as heretic and witch after she saved them.

"No. She isn't you. At least, the hatred does not stem from you. Instead, it was engineered by someone else that projected his hatred in the puppet he made from you, your lost memories."

Upon hearing the answer, Jeanne felt incredibly relieved. Like a big knot in her heart finally loosening and her expression looks more relaxed as her worry all fades away.

"I see. Thank you, Master. Thank you for answering my questions. That's all it is to my questions. I hope you have a pleasant night, Master." Jeanne walks away and joins the tent where Ritsuko and Mash are sleeping. She simply lay on the tree used for support for the tent since the inside is full.

———

Next morning.

Although they had identified who owned the Holy Grail, they didn't head straight for the grail and instead worked to look for more Servants to recruit for their cause because the Dragon Witch not only controlled a real dragon and not just an army of wyverns. But she also has Servants under her command.

Adam wouldn't really care and march there to secure the Grail since he can revive anyway and dying a few times for the sake of an objective isn't something strange for him. But, the Chaldean already decided to increase their numbers. So, Adam just went along without voicing his own thoughts.

A while later, they exited the treeline and saw the well fortified town. With stone walls erected around the town.

'Master, I got a visual of the town and the inside is filled with Zombified townsmen. There is no survivor at all.' Archer reported.

"We ignore it and move on then." Adam replied before he explain the situation to everyone.

Jeanne, of course, being the most affected by the sight of this cruelty. As much as she wanted to stop to defeat all the Zombified townsmen and buried them properly, she cannot jeopardize the progress of the group.

By the late afternoon, they are about to find another place to set up camp as the sky is getting darker and the forest is getting darker even faster.

They spend basically the entirety of the day walking towards the presence of a Servant which Adam felt.

It was a boring journey. Adam feel uncustomed to this because normally, when he is deployed on battle. There hardly even time to breathe.

But here, he almost fell asleep on his feet while trekking through a forest and he actually would if not for the occasional hostile wildlife.

Suddenly, Adam felt his intuition tingling and immediately closed his eyes shut and channel his projection into the Immaterium and sensed some quickly approaching presence that Archer also sensed when they got much closer.

"Unknown Servants incoming! Possibly hostile… there's four of them!" Romani informed them when the Chaldea sensors detected those Servants. But quickly take back what he said when the sensors detected even more. "No! It's six Servants total!"

"Six Servants?" Ritsuko and Mash exclaimed as on their side, they only have four that are capable of frontal combat while Assassin are not suitable and excluded.

Understandably Ritsuko is panicked as Romani are because not only are they overwhelmed two to one, the enemy also commands the wyverns and a dragon.

In comparison, the Servants are much more calm. Almost too calm.

Cu and Saber already stand in the direction of the incoming enemies while Archer gets on top of a tree for a better vantage point to snipe down the enemies with a black bow and sword arrow ready.

"Order, Masters." Archer Trace a sword that turned into an arrow while asking both Ritsuko and Adam when the enemies become visible on the horizon.

Adam didn't call the shot immediately. He looked at Ritsuko first. She looks shaken and terrified of the prospect of battling a group of Servants and Wyverns. However, she hasn't been crippled by fear. Her mind still working hard to think of better solutions unfortunately, she couldn't and immediately turned to look at Adam only to realize he was waiting for her signal.

Then Ritsuko nodded, taking the reign off her hand and placing it in a more capable hand.

Adam turns his attention back to the incoming enemies but Jeanne's worried look enters his vision.

"Don't worry. I will not kill her. Yet." Adam said to Jeanne before he gave Archer his order.

"Caladbolg II"

A streak of blue light shot into the approaching enemy rank before it exploded very powerfully. The enemies immediately turn into disarray as Archer launch more while Cu and Saber immediately rush into battle to pick on those disoriented Servants after being knocked down from their ride.

"Alina. Sif. You two stay with Ritsuko and Mash. Keep them safe." Adam said before he also joined the Servants into battle.

—————

AN: Sorry, very slow update. Busy irl and difficult to write a chapter.

I am torn between including the 40k elements into the Singularity itself like for example Caster Gilles summon help from Chaos God or just simply summon them as Servants to also participate the Singularity