What's this? A new chapter!? Are my eyes deceiving me? No it's not, it is a new chapter! But wait! There's no omake in the end? Curses! Damn you Author, you know that people only ready your stories for the omakes!

Anyway, since no one really like long AN's at the beginning of the story I'll leave the rest at the end. Enjoy reading.

PS: Sorry for the poor quality. I find that my writing skill seem to be deteriorating the more I write. This never should've seen the light of day in the first place but I'm tired of rewriting it over and over again so I just went ahead with this one.

Warning: Bad grammar, wrong use of tenses and spelling mistakes inbound. You have been warned.

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-0- = line break

(0) = Pov change

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Roxane sat silently on top of a large rock, silently sighing to herself as she felt her aching bones groan again when she shifted her body. It was painful but she ignored it rather easily. She had experienced something worst that aching bones after all. When you reached her age you just learn to live with the fact that you are not as young as you used to be. She could be considered ancient by everyone in her village as the average lifespan of a person born during these hard times would be forty years old or less.

It would seem that her body still hasn't recovered from the exertion she had put them through, not surprising considering her age. Now that she had the chance to properly think things through, she could've just stay on one spot or let one of her golems carry her instead while remaining out of sight. She shook her head slightly to get rid of those thoughts. That night is already over, dwelling on the past will serve no purpose other than regretting over the choices that she could have taken when she had the chance.

She choose to turn her gaze over to the lush field all around her, her eyes stopping at where a duo of blonds were kneeling on the freshly dug ground, not minding of the dirt and grass getting onto their dresses. She watched as the pair of mother and daughter knelt in silent prayer in front of two crosses imbedded onto the ground; surrounding them were the same wooden crosses, arranged neatly in lines with different names carved onto each one.

She had taken to coming here in the mornings, ignoring the other's plead for her to stay indoors and rest.

The sight of the poor makeshift graves sadden her. To think that not a week ago, this place used to be a large empty field where the children could play in. The graveyard they were in was brand new, located on the outskirts on the village only because the old one next to the church was already filled. The crosses were only a temporarily measure until their gravestones could be made and a fence could be erected around the premise. But it would take a while before they could get to making them. They had to focus on rebuilding the village first after all.

She chuckled softly when she saw how the little blond was doing. Poor little Jeanne; she just wasn't used to kneeling yet. She was constantly fidgeting with her legs while trying to concentrate with her eyes closed and hands clasped tightly in front of her chest. Roxane could imagine just how sore her legs are getting from the kneeling. But nevertheless, the child endured, not once uttering a single complain even when she's clearly uncomfortable.

A small smile graced her lips as she took in the sight of the little blond. Roxane had to admire the child's perseverance, or is it bullheadedness? Either way, she's so young and already so diligent. Jeanne had wanted to learn how to pray after she had seen her mother done so. Isabelle was praying for the quick recovery of a wounded militia member while kneeling next him back then. Jeanne saw her and asked what she was doing ever so curiously. Her mother had explained that she was doing and told her that God would watch over them and help them heal faster.

Of course, that also includes a very lengthy explanation of who God is which Roxane suspects that most of it may have just gone over the child's head. Oh well, at least she got the general idea.

Jeanne had pestered her mother to teach her immediately after hearing that. After seeing the determine look on her daughter's face Isabelle could only relent and taught her like she had requested. It was always amusing to watch when she was practicing. She would always botcher most of her words when she prays it was just so adorable. She's learning fast at least so she has that going for her.

Jeanne was undoubtedly confused and disheartened to learn what had happened to the village after her mother carefully explained the event that had transpired to her. And of course, being a child that she was, it took some time and patience before she vaguely understood that something bad had happened. She still didn't know just what but at least she knew it's bad. Roxane still remembered the crushing sadness she has on her face when she first arrived the morning after the attack.

Jeanne had tried so hard to help in her own way after she saw the state of the village. Whether it's carrying water over to people who were clearing the wreckage or encouraging them with botched up sentences and words which ended up with her twisting or biting her tongue; she would do so with a determine look on her face. The things she had done would always lift everyone's spirits and her cuteness certainly played a crucial role in it. Witnessing the two year old doing everything she can to help made those indecisive few who was still in a depressive state, resolve themselves to start lending their aid instead of staying idle.

Jeanne had clearly done more than she realised in this past week and to think that she is only two years old. The girl will grow up and do many great things in the future and that, is something Roxane firmly believes in.

Roxane noted that the two had finished with their prayers and was getting back onto their feet and she recalled that they have planned to visit Alex next.

As they two slowly got up, she thought to herself that maybe she should be heading back to observe the reconstruction of the village. She had been sitting here for quite a while already after all. It wouldn't do if something went wrong because no one was there to manage the hard working men. Well, there is one who could but he's still a greenhorn in that area. Might as well lend him a hand instead of pushing everything onto him.

Roxane attempted to get up herself so she could join the two ladies on their trek back. And of course, her old bones protested angrily, causing her to winched in pain. She hoped that neither of the girls saw that, otherwise they would be fretting over her immediately and she had experienced enough of that already. They didn't have to treat her like a fragile object just because she's more tired than usual.

"Ah." Roxane heard Jeanne made a surprised sound and had to withheld a sigh before turning to look at the little blond. As she had expected, Jeanne was looking at her with a look of concern, indicating that she had clearly seen her in pain just now. "Mummy! Mummy!" Jeanne called her mother urgently as she tug on her sleeve, causing the older woman to look at her daughter with a curious raise of her eyebrow.

"Granny ish in pain." Jeanne pointed at Roxane's direction and Isabelle saw just what was wrong. The older blond immediately made her way over to her with a worried look on her face while Jeanne followed behind as quickly as her little feet could take her.

"Elder! What have we told you about forcing yourself." Isabelle, like Roxane had expected, quickly made her way over to her side to support her so it would be less of a burden to remain standing up. Jeanne took a bit longer to reach them but when she did, she just stick closely by her side with her hand clutching onto Roxane's skirt. Jeanne's eyes were firmly set on the ground. scanning it for something that would trip over the old woman while she walks. Roxane just smiled at the little girl's actions before turning her head to face her mother.

"Thank you Isabelle but this is really not necessary." She told her as she started walking back towards the village with the two blonds following her closely. She knows that they mean well but it really gets tiring after a while. Repeated attempts to assure them that she was fine would always fail so she just gave up and let them fret over her. It's quicker that way at least.

"I would have believed you had I not heard about how you were running around that night and saw how often you would winch in pain whenever you tried to move Elder." Isabelle rebuked the old lady sternly, causing Roxane to chuckle. To think that she would be scolded at her age. Life is certainly filled with surprises.

"I'm Elder no longer Isabelle. You should start calling me by my name soon otherwise your husband would think you were calling him instead." The old woman informed her with a smile. It was after things started to calm down did Roxane passed on the village most vital role onto Jacques and thus, the mantle of the Village Elder goes to him now.

He didn't want it of course, but he was never given a choice in that matter. Roxane had simply patted him on the shoulder with her grandmotherly smile on her face and told him two simple words: 'Don't care'. She had been meaning to retire but never found the right time for it and after the entire ordeal that night it's safe to say that she's way too old for this.

Isabelle let out a light gasp as she recalled that fact. "My apologies E- Miss Lalande. It's just that you've been the Elder for so long that it's almost impossible to think of you otherwise."

"My dear, I've known you for years so please, just call me Roxane." The old woman was undoubtedly amused. Even now people still had trouble calling her by her name even after a week after she had announced that Jacques would be taking her place.

"Ahoy there!" a familiar sounding voice suddenly called out to them, causing the three to turn their heads towards where the voice originated from. There, they saw none other than a bandana wearing man riding a large white mount majestically named Butt Stallion (no one knows who gave the horse that name in the first place but everyone went with it) making their way over to them. Roxane noted that Butt Stallion is dragging a large wooden cart behind her with.

"Ah, Durand. What brings you here?" Roxane responded as the man and horse got close enough for her to talk to without shouting. Durand pulled the reins in his hand, causing Butt Stallion to stop right in front of the ladies. Jeanne quickly hid behind Roxane when the horse's gaze seem to fell onto her. The girl was still somewhat afraid of the creature due to the intimidating size the large horse imposes. It didn't help that Alex used to tell horror stories to her of Butt Stallion kicking people off cliffs when she was in a bad mood.

"I've come to pick up the village's most important person and two lovely ladies by orders our ever so esteemed Elder...whose still fumbling through his responsibilities like a fish out of water and praying that things would work out in the end." Durand announced with a large grin. "Truth be told, he's starting to get worried since you all have been gone for quite some time."

"That man worries way too much." Isabelle shook her head slightly with a sigh but Roxane could see that she was smiling. What wife wouldn't like it when their husband goes out of their way to make sure that they were alright.

"Well you can't blame the man. It's only been a week since…" Durand trailed off with grimaced when he recalled what he had seen during the morning after the attack in vivid detail. He regretted not being there to help out but Jacques had pleaded him to stay in his home to protect his family. In the heat of the moment that Durand didn't think to ask why he was leaving his family behind and while he was to protect his family. It was after some thinking did he realized just why. It was Jacques' way of making sure he'd stay safe without hurting his pride and being the kind of person he is, he couldn't just stay behind and do nothing. Convincing bastard managed to make him stay behind while he goes off and put his own life in danger.

He would have told him off for doing something so stupid but his wife beat him to the punch. And boy was she pissed. He swore that the entire house was shaking when Isabelle was yelling at him. Good thing he had the foresight to bring the kids outside first.

"So he's still trying to learn the ropes I see. And here I thought I did a pretty swell job in teaching him how things are done around here." Roxane tutted disapprovingly.

"No offense El-Miss Lalande, but your so called teaching was only telling him not to mess up too much before telling him that he'll be fine and saying that he'll learn the rest in his own time. That's not much for the poor man to start his new position with you know. Jacques was almost foaming from the mouth had Isabelle not been there to offer him support." Durand replied.

"Nonsense, when I first started out I didn't even know I had to do anything besides walking around the village all day."

As the adults were busy talking, Jeanne took a deep breath from behind Roxane and mustered the courage to poke her head out from the old woman's side so she could look at the horse. When she did, Butt Stallion seem to be looking directly at her, causing the little blond to let out a soft 'eep' and quickly hid back behind Roxane. Butt Stallion just did of horse's equivalent eyes rolling in response to Jeanne's reaction.

Jeanne eventually regained her courage and slowly poked her head out again. She studied the horse with a curious stare while the rest of her body remained firmly behind the old woman, treating Roxane like a shield against the beast. Butt Stallion's gaze fell upon her again but this time, Jeanne only flinched but didn't hide away like before. The two were locked in a silent stare off while the adults chatted away, oblivious to the on goings happening in the background.

Butt Stallion's attention seem to be solely focused on the little girl because when she slowly switch sides to peek out from, the horse to moved it's head to track her. Jeanne seem surprised and could only tilt her head with a confused knit of her eyebrows. Then, she switched sides yet again to see what would happen. As expected, the horse turn it's head to follow her.

Seeing that the mare wasn't doing anything other than staring at her, the little blond started to calm down. With her wariness of the beast slowly subsiding, Jeanne starting being more daring and slowly moved out of her hiding spot, standing in full view of the horse. The little blond could feel a small measure of pride starting to swell within her chest for being able to face her fear like so.

Brave little lass ain't she? Too bad Butt Stallion had other plans.

That feeling of pride Jeanne felt was short lived because Butt Stallion immediately trotted on the ground with one of her hooves, causing a barely audible 'clack' when her hoof hits the dirt. The sudden action and sound caused Jeanne to jump slightly with a much louder 'eep' escaping her mouth before quickly dart back behind Roxane. Butt Stallion let out an amused neigh as she shook her head, her silky white mane fluttered along.

And of course, the adults never noticed what the two were doing.

"Alright, alright. I'll ride the carriage." Roxane raised both her hands in a gesture of surrender, smiling wryly to herself. While Jeanne had been busy playing with Butt Stallion, the adults were trying to convince the old woman to hop aboard the cart that Durand had arrived with. Roxane had stubbornly refused stating she can walk just fine but after a while of persuading from the two adults, she finally relented.

"Great!" Durand exclaimed with a smile, happy that the old woman he had known ever since he was a child wouldn't force herself anymore than necessary. Durand quickly dismounted Butt Stallion. "Now let me just get the stepping ladder from the cart so it would be easier for you." he said as his feet touches the ground.

Roxane let out a rather pitiful sounding groan as a hand went to rub her face. Isabelle looked at her worriedly, thinking that Roxane was in pain rather than in annoyance for the special treatment she's getting because of her old bones.

"Are you alright Miss Lalande?" She asked worriedly as Durand climb aboard the cart to retrieve the ladder.

"I'm quite alright my dear. Don't worry about me." Roxane politely replied with a smile. "I would be feeling a whole lot better if you two were to stop treating me like I'm going to die if you let a single feather touch me though." she pointed out wryly.

"No can do Miss Lalande. The new Elder's orders to everyone is to make sure you receive the upmost care from all of us so you'll have to bear with it until you get better." Durand replied with a small smirk as he set the small wooden step ladder on the ground so Roxane would have easier access to the cart without having to heave herself over.

"Ah. I see." Roxane replied as a realization hit her. So this was Jacques' way of getting back at her for pushing all her responsibilities onto him like that. Oh well, she suppose she deserved it considering how much burden she had passed onto him. With a sigh, she just started moving forward towards the cart with Isabelle following her dutifully. Jeanne was trying to make sure she couldn't be seen by Butt Stallion while using her mother and Roxane to hide her from view. "Oh well, I suppose I should enjoy it while I can." she said to herself as she slowly walk up the ladder and sat on the wooden plank on the sides that acts as a bench.

As the old woman was getting on board, Isabelle wraps both her arms around her daughter, causing the little girl to squirm ticklishly with a giggle before she was lifted off her feat. "Come on Jeanne, time to go home." Isabelle told her daughter as she climb the ladder herself with Jeanne in her arms.

"Kay~" Jeanne answered cheerfully as her mother set her down. She quickly found a spot to claim and instead of sitting down, she remained standing so she could look at the scenery. She planted both her hands on the on the edge so she doesn't fall off and waited for the carriage to move. Jeanne rather enjoy riding in carriages, it's never gets boring for her when she could watch the scenery move on their own.

Isabelle sat down next to Jeanne and smiled. Her daughter would always get excited when they were about to go somewhere. She looked like she would bounce on her feat in excitement at any moment so Isabelle wrap her arms securely around her daughter to ensure she remains in the carriage.

"Is everyone already on board?" Durand's asked the obvious with a small laugh as he retrieved the ladder and placed it inside the cart.

"Yes!" Jeanne answered excitedly, earning a small chuckle from her mother and Roxane.

"Are you sure? We could be missing someone you know." Durand teased, as he walk over towards Butt Stallion.

Jeanne froze, thinking that maybe she had indeed missed someone and quickly turn to look at her mother with a worried look on her face. She saw her wave her free hand at her with a warm smile and her worry lessened. She then turn to look at Roxane, who's trying to conceal her chuckles behind her hand at how adorable Jeanne was and the little girl realised that everyone was on board already. Feeling completely relieved that no one had been forgotten, Jeanne's head snap towards the bandana wearing man and nodded with absolute certainty. "Yes!" She answered again, this time sounding completely confident in her answer.

The adults just laughed good naturedly at the little girl's answer. Isabelle went to stroke Jeanne's head while her face was full of smiles and Roxane just smiled at the sight. Durand got on Butt Stallion and turn his head over to look at his passengers. "Alrighty, since everyone's already on, it's time to head on home." He announced as he shot a fist up into the air.

"Yay!" Jeanne exclaimed as she mimics the man, shooting both her arms up with glee as the carriage took off with Butt Stallion dutifully pulling it along.

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'One week. To think that it had only been week since that tragedy hadoccurred in Domrémy.' Jacques thought to himself as he slowly survey his surroundings, taking in the sight around him with a tired breath. Foundations of new buildings were already erected and was slowly being assembled together. The streets were clear of any debris and people were moving around without having to walk over or around a charred pile of burnt object. The fences had already been set up to prevent any wild animals from entering and causing havoc around the place while they focus on rebuilding.

All in all, everything look a whole lot better than it had been a week ago.

Jacques still couldn't help but think back to that time and a frown found it's way onto his face. His mind started to wander off as he went to help rebuilt his home, carrying thin logs over from the lumberjacks to the area where new buildings are being build. His body was moving automatically while his as his mind thought about just what had transpired during the week.

A week ago, you could see the ruin of what was once a proper and prospering village. The gate and fences that had once surrounded the place were in a sorry state. They were meant to keep wild animals from entering and giving the villagers a sense of security at night. They were not, in any way or form, made to withheld an assault from dozen of men carrying maces or swords. They were mostly torn and worn down from the assault it had endured that night. The aftermath left gaping holes where people or curious animals could easily enter if there wasn't anyone keeping watch.

A call for aid had been sent the moment they had caught wind of the bandits but it would be at least a day before the messenger would arrive depending on the weather and the condition of the road he were to travel in. He was to head towards Vaucouleurs as it was the nearest town with a battalion garrisoned within it's walls. After that, it would take a while for them to mobilize their forces to send to help them...provided that the commander didn't think it would be too late and didn't bother to sent any at all.

After the first day, there was no longer any black smoke rising from the charred remains of the destroyed buildings. The wounded that were gathered inside the church was treated as best as they could while the rest were trying to get their bearings and organizing themselves. Everyone was at full alert at all times, thinking that the bandits only retreated temporary until the rain stops. Paranoia and adrenaline did a decent job at keeping most awake at night, especially the night watch.

Morning came ever so slowly for them and it was clear that the bandits weren't coming back anytime soon, or at least they hoped that they weren't. Those who were keeping watch on the woods had their chance to sleep when others come to take their shift. Those hard working men promptly drifted off to dreamland the moment they lay down on whatever makeshift bed they could find on the church.

Many were still trying to get over the shock of their home being attacked and simply stayed in the church, unsure of how to proceed with their lives. A lot of people were staring vacantly at nothing, their minds had wandered off to lands unknown in effort to cope with their currently predicament.

But there were a few who simply was unwilling to stay idling around while their homes lay in such a state, him included. They started venturing outside to do what's necessary when the morning rays first shone through the horizon, giving them the light needed to move about without tripping over debris.

They had been was busy picking up the remains of what used to be everyone's home, clearing the debris away from the foundation so that new buildings may be erected in it's place. They didn't forget to salvage what could be salvaged in the scorched ruins but almost nothing much could be found as most were destroyed by the fire, turned into smothered charcoal.

Progress had been slow for them for during that time as they were only a few that were trying to fix things. They worked hard, uncaring of how long they had been in the field or their tired aching bodies. Who could blame them, they just wanted to keep their mind off what had happened the night before. But it proved to be a futile effort on their parts as the damaged buildings and bodies littering the street is a constant reminder of what had transpired.

Most of the villagers were still in various stages of shock back in the church and the children were mostly sleeping. The hardy men in the village who were more suited to the task of clearing debris were all too tired from the fight the night before and the night watch so they were resting. It wasn't until the sun reached it's peak did some of the villagers snapped out of their mopery and decided to help out did things started to pick up.

Buildings that were too badly burnt had to be torn down and rebuilt from scratch. The corpses of the fallen were removed from the streets before the children could wake up and see the scene of carnage, placed elsewhere so they could be prepared for their burial. A complete opposite treatment were given to the bandits as they were toss unceremoniously into a large pile to be burned after being strip of their possessions. The air was filled with the stench of burnt flesh for quite some time. Thankfully, they were burnt far away from the village so that they wouldn't have to bear with the smell while they burn.

On second day, the brave men who lost their lives in defending their home and those unfortunate few who were killed during the raid were given a proper burial in a new graveyard on the outskirts of the village. Almost everyone attended the funeral save for those too injured to walk to the site themselves. No one had the heart to tell the few clueless children attending why they were being burying. It was emotionally painful to watch as a few tried to stop the men from burying their papa and mama, clutching onto their legs in effort to stop them as they cried.

The adults were doing no better themselves. It was all too hard to believe that those people have already left us, especially when they were spending their time together just the day before. But seeing them being buried was the final nail the in coffin that they are well and truly gone.

Jacques sighed as he set down the logs at the designated area, a wide open space that was once the market. It was temporary repurposed to give room for the carpenters to work on the lumber, producing the much needed wood for building. He rolled his shoulders as straighten his back and gave one of the carpenter who saw him a brief nod in greeting. The carpenter nodded back before turning his attention back at the log he was sawing, it wouldn't do if he were to saw off his own hand because he wasn't paying attention after all.

The newly appointed Elder was about to head back to collect more logs when he noticed a young lad was running up to him from a distance, waving his arm to get his attention. Jacques decided to head over to him instead of waiting for him to come over. The lad skidded to a halt when he got close enough, his hands were planted on his knees to support himself as his back was arched over. He was panting quite hard like he had just ran one round around the village before reaching him.

"Deep breaths boy." Jacques told him as he gave him a once over, trying to figure out who he was while the boy was still busy sucking in air for his abused lungs. How Roxane managed to every single person in the village is beyond him but he hopes he could managed something like that soon. He can't just keep calling everyone whose name he can't remember 'Hey' or 'You' forever now can he?

The boy took once last gasp before he straighten himself and Jacques could see that he was sweating rather heavily. Now that Jacques could see the boy's face, he's certain that he isn't anyone from the village because he couldn't remember seeing a young lad like him around before. Not to mention he had met almost every children in the past decade and watched them grow because his wife just loves kids.

Was this how Elder Roxane managed to learn everyone's names? By getting to know them while they were still wee little laddies? Was that how she managed to pile up so many blackmail materials to use when people misbehave or when she wanted something done but was too lazy to do it herself? If so then he really need to start collecting blackmail material from the kids so he could use them in the future. It would make his job a whole lot easier when something came up.

The lad before him don a fine set of clothes, befitting for something of higher standing than mere peasants but not enough to be recognized as a noble. It just shows that his family is a bit richer than normal folks. His hair was sleek brown and he have a pair of hazel eyes that shone with worry. Still, Jacques was pretty sure that he had seen him somewhere before but he just couldn't put a finger on it. The past week had been hectic so it's no surprise if he had forgotten a thing or two in the chaos.

"S-sir! Miss Hector has ask for me to retrieve you." The young boy, who seemed to be very tensed for some reason, managed to get his sentence out while only stammering once.

"Ah, I see." Jacques nodded before narrowing his eyes at the boy, slowly his size him up while trying to remember the lad's name. The boy looked about fourteen at least, a young adult by normal standards. "Had she said why?" he asked, feeling curious as to why Amelia wanted him for.

"No Sir." The boy replied promptly while shaking his head and Jacques nodded again, thinking about the many reasons why he was being called and just who the boy in front of him is.

While Jacques was busy trying to remember just who he was talking to, he was unaware that he was unintentionally causing the lad distress. The boy gulp nervously underneath Jacques' absent-minded stare because from the boy's angle, it looked like a giant was staring down at him due to how tall the man is. The silence continued on for a while and the boy was seriously considering bolting away from the intimidating giant but was stopped when the man finally spoke again. "Thank you for delivering the message...Cobert?" The man said the name with a trace of uncertainly.

The boy blinked in confusion at the name. "It's Robert actually." Robert corrected.

"Ah, right. Robert." A look of realization come across the older man's face before he chuckled sheepishly with a small smile as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that. I was hoping I could remember your name on my own but it looks like I've failed in that regard. Mind re-introducing yourself to me?" The man asked, looking rather embarrassed.

At this, Robert relaxes visibly when the man no longer looked like he was contemplating his murder and was all smiles. "It's alright Sir. With all the things you have to do lately, it's perfectly understandable that you couldn't remember me." He said, sounding very mature for someone his age. "My name is Robert de Baudricourt. I'm the newly appointed squire of Sir Jean. He thought it would be best for me to come along in order to gain some experience on the field."

'Ah, that explained his maturity.' Jacques thought. Being a squire for a knight isn't as easy as it seems. The duties of a Squire were to learn about Chivalry, the rules of Heraldry, horsemanship and practice the use of weapons and the skills required of a Knight. It's also a known fact that Knights would oftentimes bring their squires onto the battlefield during times of war to learn what it's like instead of just hearing and reading about it. Though the squires were mostly brought along so they could serve their knights by leading and tending to their horses and helping their knight to put on their armor.

It's also a known fact that while no good man would purposely attack a squire unless their just that sick and twisted in the head or wanted to kidnap them for ransom, their mortality rate was rather high as they would come under fire from hails of arrows in the battlefield. Many squires were killed doing their duty and the constant fear of dying in the field would cause any kid to grow out of their childishness at the face of the grim reality.

"Alright Robert, thanks again for telling me. I'll head over right now so why don't you go back to what you were doing before." Jacques told him as he starting walking towards the church where he knew Amelia was at.

"Yes sir." Robert saluted before running off.

As Jacques moved, his eyes landed on a few men wearing armor and wielding weapons walking past him. Soldiers they were, ones who were actually trained for combat as opposed to the militia that they have. He gave them a polite nod of acknowledgment and they did the same before marching down the path with rhythmus stomping of their boots. Jacques continued on down the way he was going, his mind thinking back to the time when the soldiers first came.

It was on the third day after the attack did help came in the form of a small group of soldiers. The ones the battalion stationed at Vaucouleur could spare and a single knight was leading them. Robert was with them, hiding safely inside their supply wagon as a precaution. Their plead for help got though and the commander arranged this group to help them repel the threat they were told of. They weren't actually expecting that the village would survive the assault of course, and was only coming to clean up the mess left behind after the assault so diseases won't spread due to all the rotting corpses littered everywhere.

When the platoon arrived at Domrémy's doorstep, they were expecting an empty village burnt to the ground and filled with corpses of those who once inhabited the place, maybe a few survivors if they're lucky. Instead, they were treated to the sight of hardworking villagers working to rebuild the place.

The leader of the platoon took it upon himself to inquire what had transpired here. He were undoubtedly surprised to learned that the bandits were repelled and haven't came back since. The feeling of surprise he had felt reached another level when he learned that the villagers had also managed to do so with minimal casualties with whatever makeshift weapons they could get their hands on. Sir Jean couldn't help but respect them after that.

Once he finally got over the fact that a tiny village managed to withheld an assault while having obviously inferior equipment and experience, he took a moment to feel awed at their accomplishments before snapping back into his stern demeanor and ordered his half troops to secure the perimeter and half to help rebuilt the village.

With armed soldiers patrolling around the place the villagers started relaxing once more and started focusing solely on fixing the place while leaving the defenses to the professionals. It was rather hard to arrange space for the soldiers during their stay here but he managed somehow. At least no one complained about having to sleep out in the open with only a makeshift roof to cover them. It was the best he could do with everywhere else obviously undergoing repairs or in ruins.

Time passes on with a somber and funereal mood hanging in the air, shrouding the village like a suffocating cloak, squeezing out the liveliness and comfort that the village once had like a giant python. But that atmosphere is fading, that much he can tell. It might take a while for the people to regain their usual vigor but it's alright, just as long as they keep it up things will return to normal. Or at least as normal as it can get after what had happened.

Jacques was nearing the church, the old structure was still standing strong as ever after the entire ordeal. Not surprising since none of the bandits ever got close to this area. He headed straight into the building, arms outstretch to push open the double doors so he could enter.

-0-

The insides of the church can only be described as messy; but at least it was cleaner than what it used to be a few days ago. Jacques walked in and glanced around, feeling glad that there wasn't blood everywhere like before.

It was a certainly a horrifying sight to behold back then.

Blood spilled everywhere as the wounded was carried into the building to get their injuries treated as quickly as possible. Dozens of people were placed on the ground, laying on cloths and anything the could find to make clean beds for them. They groaned and wailed in pain due to large gashes on their body or broken limbs while those to know how to treat wounds rush about, tending to them. There were lot of shouting as people trying to instruct those who were still inexperienced on how treatment should be done.

Some men weren't so lucky and succumbed to their wounds despite the healers best efforts to save them.

The children were crying loudly as people were rushing about, confused at what's happening all around them while the adults had to ignore their cries to focus on keeping the wounded alive. Their task was made even harder because of the lack of lighting save for the ominous moon hanging in the sky.

In all honesty, the church looked more like a sacrificial altar than a place for prayers back then.

"Jacques, there you are! About time you got here. I thought I need to get you myself if you haven't show up in the next minute." Amelia called out to him as she limped slightly over to him from further inside the church, a displeased frown was evident on her face. The wound on her leg may be closed but it's still not fully healed yet. Roxane estimated that it would be weeks before she could walk properly and shouldn't push herself too hard least she strain herself. Of course, the warning was mostly ignored by the redhead as she insisted that she could help out in the church and look after the wounded.

The women in the village are all stubborn once they set their minds on something. It's almost like a curse or something. He hoped that his little Jeanne doesn't become like that when she grows up one day.

The brown haired man turn to face the approaching woman and he immediately understood why she wanted him to come over when his eyes landed on her.

Being cradled in the woman's arms was a small infant. She was wrapped in clean cloth to keep her warm and offer some protection from the wind. The baby was flailing her limbs around and undoing the bindings of her cover as she wailed at the top of her lungs with tears streaking down her face and staining her cheeks wet.

Looking back at the redhead, he could see that the woman was very tired and stressed. The bags under her eyes told him that she hadn't been sleeping well lately. The sight came as no surprise to him as Amelia had been looking after Catherine whenever she could and add to the fact that she also helps with the wounded, sleep is a rare thing for her during the entire week. He's rather worried that she might faint from overdoing herself.

He hurriedly make his way over towards the woman least she fall from exhaustion. "Here, let me." He said as he held his arms out to carry the baby for her. Amelia just gave a slight nod and carefully passes the infant over to the older man. Jacques carried Catherine in his arms like he would with his own children back when they were the babe's age. With the faint panic and ever so protective hold that a father would have when they're holding their own children for the first time. Even after having three kids and taking care of them until they were too big for him to hold; carrying Catherine, or any infant for that matter, still gave him a brief scare that he might drop the child if he as much as relaxes with her in his arm.

Thankfully, he didn't when she was passed over and Catherine fit snugly in his arms as he gently rocked her while she continued to cry. "How long has seen been crying?" The man asked as he look at the sobbing infant.

"An hour at most." Amelia answered tiredly. "She's been like that for an entire week now and nothing I do could get her to stop."

Jacques sighed as he continued rocking the child, hoping that the swaying motion would calm her down.

Catherine just won't stop crying. That's what the little girl had been doing ever since everything was over. The cause wasn't hunger as she continued to cry even after they fed her and needing a change was out of the question as her diapers were still fresh.

It didn't take long for Roxane to point out to them that Catherine's outburst was a child yearning for her parents. It would be as simple as handing Catherine over to them to pacify her but they all knew that such a thing wouldn't be possible. They had laid Catherine's parents to rest themselves after all.

"If only Anne or Henry were here…." Jacques lowered his head as he thought of the fate that befell the young child's parents, a look of guilt flashed across his face. If it were them holding onto Catherine then their presence should be all that is needed to make her feel safe again.

Anne Randall and her children apparently tried to escape to the church but was caught by one or some of the attackers that managed to enter the village in the streets. No one knows what really happened that night, only that she died to a sword wound to her chest. They had guessed that she tried to fend them off so that her children to escape. And Henry….If only he had moved instead of standing shock still when he saw a spear being thrust his way… Henry wouldn't have had to push him and took his place. It had not been a quick death for the man.

There was nothing Jacques could do back then to save him as Henry's lung had been punctured and was slowly being filled with his own blood. It had been agonizing to watch his old friend slowly bled out in his arms. All Jacques could do was nod in tears as Henry ask him to look after his family for him.

He felt a hand resting on his shoulder, causing him look over and saw Amelia there with a concern expression on her face.

"Jacques, it's not your fault." Amelia tried to reassure him, sorrow washed over her features as the memories of her late friends resurfaced in her mind. Jacques looked away, unable to meet the woman in the eye as he continue to rock the child in his arm. Even if she had said that, even if Henry himself told him that he didn't blame him in his last moments, the feeling of guilt just won't leave him.

The two lapse into silence, only accompanied by Catherine's cries and occasional groans and moans coming from the sickbeds.

"How are the others?" Jacques asked, clearing wanting to change the subject.

Sensing the man desire, Amelia complied and answered. "Thanks to miss Lalande arriving to help in time, they'll all pull though. They just need time for the wounds to heal before they could get back on their feet."

"I see. That's good." Jacques nodded, feeling relieved that no one else will die due to their injuries. "Now we just have to find a way to pacify Catherine." The elder eyed the crying child wearily, no amount of rocking seem to sooth her at all.

"Maybe take Catherine to Alex? I can take her there if you wan." The two adults heard someone suggested timidly from the side and they shift their attention towards whoever it was that had spoken. Elena was standing beside them, blushing sheepishly that she in intruded in their conversation and quickly look down to her feet as she shuffled them.

The child looked like she had seen better days and that's not far off from the truth. The usual bright aura that accompanies her was nowhere in sight, her fiery red hair had dirt and grime stuck in them while her dress was a mess and she had bags under her eyes, a clear indication that she hadn't been sleeping well. Seeing her like that sent pangs of sadness throughout Jacques' heart.

Both of the adults to look back at each other. When their eyes met, they both understood what the other was thinking without needing to say too much. The first time they had bought Catherine to her brother the infant mysteriously quiet down as she got near him. She had even slept peacefully for the first time too. But as much as it hurts for them to admit it, they both know that option won't be viable very soon and they can't keep relying on it.

While Elena's suggestion does prove to be a good one, they also have a feeling that she seem to have her own motive for suggestion such. She was most likely looking for a chance to visit her friend, like she always have for the past week. Letting their children met with Alex is something that the adults all agreed that's best avoided but they just don't have the heart to deny their request to visit their friend.

The first time they brought Alex's friends to see him, the girls broke down crying when they saw him laying unresponsive in bed and rushed to his side, begging for him to wake up while the boys just stood awkwardly by the side, unsure of what to do. Thankfully, Roxane had already finished dressing his wounds so they never saw what he was like when Roxane first brought him in. They dread to imagine just what kind of reaction the girls would have had they saw him in that bloodied state.

"Elena," her mother called to her softly as she made way over to her daughter. The older woman knelt down and place her hands on the child's cheeks, gently lifting her head so that their eyes would met. "Of course you can but I don't think you're in any condition to be carrying Catherine around right now."

Elena just nodded silently. She had been worried sick about him after seeing him the first time and terribly afraid that he wouldn't wake up; added to the fact that some of her close friends went missing after the raid, it's not wonder she wanted to stay by his side to ensure he wouldn't leave her too. "Will Alex ever wake up?" Her voice cracked at the very end as she look into her mother's eyes tearily.

Amelia winched at her daughter's question. She had been expecting it for a while now but she still didn't know what to say to Elena regarding that particular topic.

There was a reason why the adults were so keen to prevent their kids from seeing Alex at first. He's not going to make it, it's as simple as that. They didn't want their children to watch their friend waste away like that. They thought that by letting them stay with him will only cause them more grieve when he finally passes on. But in the end, they relented to their request and let them met. It would be cruel for them to prevent their children from seeing Alex. After all, they might no have the chance to do so anymore.

After the events of that night, Roxane had told them that she had found Alex and Catherine in the streets. According to her he had encountered one of the attackers on his way to the church. The boy managed to escape from his pursuer but was injured in the process while Catherine was unharmed. They were quickly taken to the old woman's home so they would be safe during the attack.

The adults went to see the children of their late friends the morning after while their own kids were still sleeping, they were feeling very worried for them and wondering if they were alright. Truth be told, they were quite alarmed to hear that Alex had been injured but relieved that he was alive. They were feeling optimistic that Alex would be fine and wound bounce right back after a few days like he always had when he got hurt when he was playing.

That optimism died when they saw him. Roxane had not told them the extent of his injuries before they visit and had yet to clean up the mess left behind after treating his wounds.

They were unsure how the boy was still breathing in that state. They had thought his injuries only amount of scrap and bruises, not looking like he had been ram against a hard surface repeatedly. His right arm seem to have taken the brunt of the damage that was inflicted onto him as it was wrapped up tightly in layers upon layers of bandages. Roxane said he's lucky that it still managed to retain it's shape. He has also gone into a deep slumber, showing no signs of awakening anytime soon.

Roxane told them not to hope too much as even with her medical expertise, all she could do was delay the inevitable. She told them that if he doesn't wake up soon then death is inevitable. The news caused everyone distress but the could do nothing more than wait. They feeling hopeful that he would wake up after a while...but he never did and that hope is slowly waning as each day passes.

"I'm sure he will." Amelia lied with a winch, unable to tell her daughter the truth while trying to make her feel better. Being the child that she is, Elena believed her mother and smiled at her with a nod, causing the older woman to feel an immense sense of guilt weighing her heart. "Come on then, I suppose Uncle Jacques here can take you there. He is heading there himself after all." Amelia eyed the man with a meaningful gaze and he nodded.

"Alright kiddo, follow me. We'll need to get there as soon as possible if we want Catherine to stop crying herself to sleep all the time." He jerked his head towards the exit and Elena quickly move to his side, missing the thankful look her mother was sending Jacques. "Thank you for taking care of Catherine Amelia and get some rest please. You don't want Gilbert to worry himself to the point where he wounds reopened."

Amelia snorted with a roll of her eyes. "Oh please, I'll be fine. It's him that I need to worry about. What kind of idiot tries to work with broken ribs."

With a small chuckle, Jacques made way out of the church with Elena following closely behind as she told her mother that she was heading out with a wave.

Coincidentally, they met the four that were at the graveyard on their way there and Isabelle decided to take Catherine and the girls to see Alex while Jacques was forced to go back to manage the village by Roxane. The man reluctantly return back to his duties with Durand following him to see if he could help out in any way, patting the new Elder on the back to cheer him up.

(0)

Roxane slowly opened the door to her home as the two child stood closely by the side. Isabelle was holding on to Catherine behind her, rocking the baby gently as her cries started to quiet down into soft sobs. With the door opened the two girls quickly ran inside, heading towards the only room she knew they would go as Isabelle shouted for them not to run. There was a shout of sorry coming from inside the building, most likely from Elena, before the sound of people running was replaced with shuffling footsteps as the children inside walked towards their destination upstairs in a brisk pace.

Roxane watched the kids go before she entered her home, leaving the entrance open so that Isabelle could enter herself. The mother of three closes the door behind her and excuses herself politely so she could be with the girls to ensure that they won't be too loud in the room Alex is in, leaving the old lady by herself by the entrance.

The old woman then made way back to her favorite chair by the fireplace and sat down there to rest her tired bones. She let loose a sigh of relief the moment she laid against it and made herself comfortable. While her body was resting from all the exertion it had gone through this past week alone, her mind was not.

Again, she found herself thinking back to that night. She knew thinking about it won't do anything to change the outcome but her mind still thought back to that night in the forest. Her golems managed to eliminate them all, leaving no survivors to tell the tale but failed to reach the hostages in time. Those bulky clumps of rock just didn't have the speed necessary to chase down that wagon.

All those people...lost. Who knows what kind of fate would befall them at the mercy of those scums. She has no way to track them down back then as she was already stretched thin. Her Prana was utterly spent from using so many spells in one go. Summoning all those golems didn't do her reserves any favors either. It was a good thing she could tap into the ley line and use that to power her summons; otherwise she doubt she could call forth that many golems without dying. Even after a week of rest, her entire left side still felt numb, a common side effect from overusing one's magic circuits.

Roxane sighed, something she had been doing a lot lately since the attack and closed her eyes. Maybe she should get some sleep while she can. God knows that she hadn't been getting proper rest in a while. She laid the back of her head against the wooden frame of her chair and took calming breaths as she tries to rest.

Jacques and Isabelle had choose to adopt the Randall kids after learning of their parents demise, something Roxane agreed to be a right choice as a child shouldn't grow up without a family. She knows that those two will treat the poor children like their own and shower them with the same love and support they shower their own children with. They certainly won't be left out in any way when they're with them. Whether or not they would let Catherine keep her family name is still debatable as the d'Arcs still couldn't quite decide if they should change it.

They thought that by keeping it, they could honor their late friends but on the other hand, Catherine might feel like an outsider in the family when she grew older when she realize she has a different last name than the rest of her family.

But at least for now, they didn't have to worry about Catherine growing up with no one to look out for her.

Alex however...

Some were still hopeful for his recovery but she knew that the boy was in his deathbed. She had told them a week ago that if he doesn't wake up soon, he would either die from either thirst or starvation. She gave the boy a three days at best before he passed away but that seven days ago and the boy still managed to remain in the world of the living. It's a very impressive feat considering how old he is. But as time passed, everyone could see how badly his body was deteriorating. His skin became paler and paler each day as his body had thinned to the point where they could see his bones. He looked almost like a corpse and people would've mistook him as one had his chest not been rising and falling.

There had been suggestions from others to feed him themselves but Roxane put an end to that idea rather swiftly. It's ill advisable to force feed a comatose patient as the food or water could enter the wrong hole and fill up his lungs. She didn't need them stopping his breathing when it's the only thing keeping him alive at this point.

Even if he did wake up now, it would be no use. His body has already deteriorated to the point where it couldn't keep up any longer. She had checked him over plenty of times, through normal and magical means and she could tell that today would be his last day. He had done well to stay alive for this long…

Roxane could only dread the aftermath of his passing and when his friends learned of it. If he had woken up a day or two earlier than there might be a chance for recovery, albeit a very small one. Now though, it would be better if he never woke up instead and pass away peacefully in his sleep.

The weary old woman just sighed again. As much as she wished she had a way to save the boy she couldn't. She's not well versed in healing magic and her medical knowledge was only something she had picked up along her travels to treat scraps and cuts gained in fights. And as expected, there was nothing among that pile of amassed medical knowledge that could wake a comatose person. She doesn't even know what caused it in the first place, let alone cure it. From what she could tell, it's like something is stopping him from waking up but she just doesn't know what. It would take a miracle to save Alex now….

It took a while but Roxane finally managed to drift off and entered Morpheus' embrace.

(0)

"Here we are." Isabelle told the two young girls following her as they stopped by a wooden door on the second floor of the Roxane's home. Minding the infant in her arms, the blond woman carefully turn around to look at the children that were following her and could easily see the tense expressions on their faces.

They're both anxious to see Alex again, that much she can tell. "Remember, when we enter you need to be as quiet as you can alright?" Isabelle gently reminded the two just like before. The two girls nodded while Jeanne held her hands over her mouth.

Isabelle smiled slightly and opened the door for the girls to enter. They both quickly dart inside the moment there was a large enough gap for them to slip though with Jeanne being in the lead. The room the girls had entered was rather small and somewhat barren save for the large bed that was placed against the wall on the right side of the room near the windows with a single nightstand by it's side. There was also a bookshelf with some books on the left but there's all there is in the room.

When Isabelle had entered the room herself, both the girls were already by the bedside that had a single boy laying in deep slumber, completely unresponsive to the world around him. Elena already had a worried and sadden frown on her face when she saw him and she could tell just why when her eyes landed on the subject of their visit.

Isabelle really have no better words to describe what he looked like right now. It was like staring at a slowly decaying corpse. The boy's complexion seem to be paler than yesterday's; his cheeks had sunken to the point where you could almost make out the shape of his skull. He had a blanket covering him that reaches to his chest but she could still see the state of his body. It had thinned considerably and she could easily see his bones. Isabelle couldn't help but think that it's a miracle and a curse that Alex is still alive at this point. The former because he managed to hold on for this long and the later because they could only watch as he continue to waste away with the chance of him awakening growing slimmer and slimmer with each passing day.

After listening to Roxane explain just how badly his body had become overtime, Isabelle couldn't help but face the truth before her. Alex is going to die, no matter how hard they wishes otherwise. She couldn't bring herself to tell that to the girls whom were in the room with her, still hoping with all their hearts that their friend would wake up.

"Hey Alex, are you going to wake up soon?" Elena cup her hands over her mouth and whispers at the sleeping boy's ear while Jeanne watches with anticipation as her hands clutches the helm of her dress tightly. They have been doing this every time they come over to visit him, each time hoping for a reaction from the boy but none ever came. Isabelle moved towards the other side of the bed, patting Catherine on her back as she shifts restlessly in her arms. At least the child is no longer crying.

The girls both waited for any sort of response but as the seconds tick pass, Elena's expression became more crestfallen while Jeanne's still remained hopeful. Isabelle place the infant on the bed next to her brother, not close enough that she would touch his injured arm but not far enough that Catherine couldn't feel his presence. Isabelle didn't know how but Catherine seem to be able to tell whether or not her brother was near.

Isabelle noticed that the child has already started to relax after she had set her down. No doubt already sensing her brother nearby. Isabelle let loose a weary sigh and relaxed herself after seeing that. She really didn't know how much longer she could last if the baby kept on crying. She could only dread the day where they could no longer use Alex's presence to calm Catherine down when he passed away.

It's a painful thing to do, watching someone you know wither away and not being able to do anything about it.

They all stayed in the room in silence for a while. Isabelle was making sure Catherine falls asleep; Jeanne was just staring at Alex, looking for any kind of reaction from him while Elena had a very contemplating look on her face. "He's not going to wake up is he, auntie?" Elena suddenly asked her from her side of the bed. Isabelle turn to look at her and saw her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. Elena would be the one who would be affected the most from his passing. Out of everyone that knew Alex, she knew him the longest. The two had been together since they were born after all.

Elena had already lost a few friends during the attack, some died and others were missing. The young girl had already change a lot since that night. She became very quiet and had started avoiding people her age and only stick to those that she knew. It's almost like she wanted to avoid making any more friends to avoid being hurt further if they suddenly disappeared. If Alex died Elena might become completely reclusive and lock herself away.

Isabelle move over towards the redhead, knelt down and pull her into a gentle hug. "We can only hope." She told her with a grim expression on her face as she stoke the girl's head. Elena just wrapped her arms around her and nodded stiffly against her chest before letting out a soft sniffle.

Isabelle tried her best to calm the girl down. She already had to deal with Catherine crying the entire way towards Roxane's home. She's not sure if she could deal with Elena crying too and not to mention it might wake Catherine up as well.

"I don't wanna lose Alex as well." She sniveled.

Isabelle could only hold the girl tightly. She knew telling her that everything would be alright and he would wake up wouldn't work. That lie is something she couldn't bring herself to tell. She probably wouldn't be able to sound convincing enough if she did, not to mention Elena could tell it was a lie as well. Isabelle knew that somewhere deep inside her Elena knew that her friend was going to leave her but she just couldn't bring herself to face it and instead cling to the every fading hope that he would wake up and everything would be alright.

They both felt a tiny impact coming from behind Elena and they both turn to look at what it was. Isabelle saw that her daughter had lunch herself towards her friend and hugged her from behind, as if trying to make her feel better. Elena just looked at her friend with tears siding down from her eyes.

"Ish, okay E-lena." Jeanne look up and told her friend with resolution shinning in those amethyst eyes of her. "Ah-lek ish strong!" she stated with a big nod. Jeanne was the only one who's faith in her friend remained completely unwavering. She truly believes that Alex would wake up even after seeing his condition worsen rapidly before her eyes.

Elena let go of Isabelle and wipe her tear streaked face before hugging Jeanne back, burying her face in her hair and Jeanne just squirmed ticklishly in her grasp. "Yes, you're right Jeanne. Alex is strong...he won't let something like this keep him down." Elena muttered, trying to sound hopeful and Jeanne just nodded in confirmation with a bright smile. The redhead let go of the little blond and slap herself on her cheeks. Jeanne just watched in confusion as to why she did that and Elena just shook her head rapidly like she would if she wanted to get water out of her hair. When she stopped Elena's expression seem to have regained some of her previous vigor and she smiled at the little blond but Isabelle could tell that it's a bit forced. "We have lots to tell him when he wakes up don't we Jeanne?"

"Un." her daughter let out with a nod before turning to face her, a look of pure determination on her face. "Mama, ima wanna try it."

Isabelle blinked, unsure of what she meant for a brief moment before a look of realization dawn upon her. "Sure thing hon." Isabelle told her and got up from her kneeling position while Elena just looked confused because she didn't know what was going on.

"It?" Elena asked.

"Just something Jeanne had been practicing for a while now." Isabelle answered her, earning a look of understanding from the child before turning back to her daughter. "Do you want to do it alone or do you need my help?"

Jeanne just shook her head, indicating that she wanted to do it alone. "Very well then. I suppose I should give you some privacy." Isabelle told her with a small smile as she went to pick up Catherine, noting that the baby was already fast asleep. "Elena, do you want to stay with Jeanne while she prays? You could join her if you'd like." She asked the redhead when the baby was in her arms.

Elena's face scrunched at the thought. She never really liked the praying. She never understood why her mother would take her there to the church every once in a while just so they could kneel on the ground just to say somethings. All she know is that her and staying still just doesn't get along very well. The redhead quickly shook her head in response to Isabelle's suggestion.

Isabelle just chucked at the child's reaction as she knew just how much she loathed being still. "Very well then. Do you want to come with me downstairs for now?" She asked the redhead and she nodded. Isabelle then walk over to her daughter and crouch down to her level. She uses her free hand to pull her daughter in and give her a quick smooch on top of her forehead. "You'll do just fine Jeanne, you don't have to worry about anything. Just have faith in yourself." She told her, trying to encourage her daughter the best she could, before letting go.

"Kay." Jeanne replied and quickly move towards the bedside once more.

Elena took another look at her longtime friend, hoping that he would rouse from his slumber now and was disappointed when he didn't. She just looked down sadly and walked towards the door with Isabelle. The older woman opened the door for her to walk through before heading out herself. Isabelle wanted to closed the door behind her but not before taking a peek at Jeanne. Although she could only see her daughter's backside she could see that Jeanne was hesitating and just stood by Alex's side.

"Jeanne." Isabelle called out from the door, earning her daughter's panicked reaction as she jumped slightly in place before hastily turning around. "Remember, you won't have to worry about getting it wrong the first time." She told her. "Just do what you always do okay?"

Jeanne slightly tilt her head towards the side before nodding. Isabelle just smiled and close the door, leaving Jeanne all alone with the sleeping male.

(0)

Jeanne turned back to her friend after her mother left, looking at his ghastly face with determination shinning in her eyes. She started with kneeling down on the floor a few inches away from left side of the bed. Her hand clasped together in a gesture of prayer, as she shift her body around to be as comfortable as she could.

She was about to start but felt that something was missing. She raked her brain to think of what until she realized that she wanted to make sure that her prayers could be heard by Alex instead of God alone so he would know that she's here with him. If he could hear her then he would know that everyone is still waiting for him to wake up. So far, every time she tried talking to him he never seem to react so she thought he couldn't hear her at all.

Her childish mind then thought if she was touching him then she could transfer the words that she wanted to say to him like that and proceeds to stick her hand into the blanket that's covering him.

She took out his uninjured hand from the blanket, not really repulsed or frightened when she saw that his hand had grown smaller and more bony then she remembered. It looked like all the meat on his arm was gone and the skin was rough and dry.

He is her friend, one that she had known since she was a little babe. He'd always be with her whenever he could, either to play with her or look after her when they're together. Something like this wouldn't frightened her away from someone who has only ever been kind to her.

She gently clasp her hand around his and pulled his hand towards her forehead, pressing his hand against it and closed her eyes. She could feel the familiar warmth coming from his hand, one that she always felt whenever he held her hand as they walked together. She took a deep breath and thought about all she knew about her friend. "O-our Father who art in hay-van." She began with a shutter and berated herself mentally for messing up so soon already but the young girl persevere without pause.

"Ah konfess mah need for you todey." Alex had been a constant companion in her life for as long as she had known him. From what she her family had told her, the raven haired male had come to visit her practically everyday when she was still a babe.

Despite not being able to remember any of the things during her infant years, she do remember feeling warm and protected from time to time. She gets a familiar sense of love and security when being with her family but the one she felt during those times were different from how she felt when she's all cuddled up with her parents. She still get that feeling even now and at some point in her life, she had discovered that it came from being with Alex.

She didn't know why she would feel that way when she was with her him but she didn't cared all that much. It's like Alex is watching over her like a guardian angel whenever they go out to play together. Mum had told her that she never really cried a lot whenever Alex is around and she really likes being all snugged up with him, feeling completely warm and safe. Somehow, she just knew that the boy would never let any harm come to her when he's around.

"P-plwese, make Ah-lek bettar for-from his in-jaries." She prayed really hard. Her face was scrunched up as she put in her upmost effort into her thoughts, thinking that she could channel some sort of telepathic energy to reach God if she tried hard enough.

She hope her heartfelt wish could reach him and he would take the time to make her friend better. He's very precious to her. The time they had spent together were always fun and she always enjoyed them to the fullest.

"He ish a gud person."

Jeanne kept Alex in her thoughts, thinking that God could see her what's in her mind so he could see just what kind of person Alex is. It might convince him to help her friend if she thought about all the positive things about Alex.

Alex, despite being only two years older than her, is a very reliable person and likes to act as her unofficial forth older brother. Whenever there's a problem that came up when they're together, Alex would most likely be the first one to come with a solution to solve it.

Like the time they forgot to bring something along when they head out to play, he would be able to make something from the things around them to replace it or when they wanted to reach somewhere but weren't able to, Alex will point out a way to reach it that they would never thought of in the first place.

Jeanne thinks it's like a superpower that he has because he always solve their problems quite easily. She had asked him how he knows all these things and he answered her quite playfully with a poke on her nose and a smile on his face as he told her he's just that awesome. Jeanne doesn't know what awesome meant but she assumed that it meant something good. But even with his superpower, there are some things Alex can't solve himself but that didn't stop him from trying.

Her brothers weren't as effective at dealing with a problem like Alex but it didn't make her think any less of them. She loves them all as well but she just prefer to go to Alex first before going to her other brothers. Alex's way of solving things is always more fun and interesting.

"Kind, and gentle, and vey-ry carrring." Truly, that's all Alex had ever been to her. He would always give her hugs and would pet her. If she did something bad or made a mistake, he wouldn't get mad or annoyed at her and would explain why what she did was wrong in his ever so gentle voice. He would even help her fix her mess afterwards. It never fails to make her feel bad that she caused a mess for him so she usually tries her best to behave.

She treasures the times where she could sleep on his lap, all curled up and comfortably warm. Sometimes when she does so, he would hum a lullaby or catchy songs for her to help her sleep faster.

Her friend didn't deserve to go though this. In fact, no one in her hometown deserve to suffer though all the loss and pain caused by that night.

"He did nathing wr-rong."

Among all the things that she remember of him, Alex also has many weird habits that she had noticed throughout the time they had spent together. He would often gnaw on his nail whenever he got too deep into thinking and ignore everything else around him and would mutter unintelligible things to himself. He also likes to chuckle all by himself from time to time, like he'd just make a joke that only he himself could understand.

While those habits of his were amusing to her, there was one thing that he would do that would make her sad without fail.

It's usually when he's alone or thinks that there's no one's looking; he would have a look on his face without any reason. He just looked so afraid and crestfallen. She doesn't know why he would make that face but she would give him a hug immediately when she saw him like that. She didn't like it when he's sad and hugs always do make him smile.

Still, the sadness she had felt back then couldn't even compare to how she's feeling now. Seeing him laying on the bed so motionlessly, hurt and dying ever so slowly. It made her heart wrench in pain, like something cold had wrapped itself around it and tried to squeeze it till it pop. But she didn't cry, Alex called her a strong girl so she wouldn't cry. She have to be strong for Alex and Elena as well.

With her eyes closed tightly and her attention solely focused on her prayer, she didn't notice how Alex's body seem to twitched as it emits faint golden light particles all over him.

"S-so, if yu can, plwese halp him."

Just thinking about all the things that they have done together made her realize that if he doesn't get any better then she would lose him. He would die and they would have to bury him, just like everyone else that died. She understood well enough that if that happened then she would never get to see him do all those quirky things of his again; never to feel his gentle touch as he pats her head to praise her; never to feel his warmth when they held hands as they walk together and never to feel his comforting presence as he keep her company.

Tears started to well up in her eyes as she thought of what life would be like without him and she tries her best to hold them back.

"A-Ah-lex, pl-please wake up." Her words then were no longer directed to the God she was prying to, rather, it was directed to the boy that she so desperately wanted to see again. "Ah miss yu." she said with a sniffle.

Jeanne immediately snapped her eyes open when something unexpected happened. Just right as she finished saying those words, she could felt something curl around her hand weakly. She slowly move her hand away from her forehead and hold it down to eye level so she could see. She could feel her heart soar in surprise and excitement when she saw the hand she's holding onto was weakly gripping back at hers.

She was almost afraid to look at Alex, fearing that she was just imagining it and the boy was still deep in slumber but she did it anyway. Those amethyst eyes of hers widen considerably and she squeeze them shut again and the tears that had been building up finally leaked free and slid down her cheeks smoothly. Rather than tears leaking of sadness, they were tears of relief. She could feel her own lips quivering as the edges slowly tug up into a smile as she opened her eyes again.

When she did, She was greeted with the sight of a pair of hazy half-lidded blue eyes that were looking at her and a weak smile adorning his lips. Those lips slowly parted as if to speak but no sound came out. Jeanne was confused when he tried to speak but couldn't, only managing to force out a weak croak from his throat. Then his face contorted in a grimace of pain that cause Jeanne to worry for him while he visibly put in effort to swallow some of his saliva while his body shifted slightly. In a few scant seconds afterward, his entire body relaxes and he just lay still on the bed with his eyes closed.

Jeanne quickly stood up and bought his hand towards her chest with her grip tightening fearfully. She thought that Alex's awakening was only momentarily and he just fell back to a deep slumber again. Her fears were laid to rest when a lone blue eye pry opened slightly to look at her. His lips parted again and this time he managed to say something, causing her to beam brightly for the first time since everything happened. "F..ive...mo..re… mini..tes..." he forced out hoarsely with a cheeky smile on his face. It's the same thing he would always say whenever she woke him up if he were napping, cementing the fact for the young blond that Alex is well and truly awake.

Jeanne release one hand from her hold to wipe away the tears sliding down her cheeks. "No," she replied as she shook her head, still smiling like she'd just received the best gift in the world. "Yu been sleeping fo to long."

Alex's lips just twitched at that before taking a deep breath. "Guess...so..." He murmured tiredly and it was then did the door to the room swing open with such force that it slammed against the wall very loudly, startling the poor blond as she yelped in fright and let go of his hand.

Both the occupant in the room turn to the door and saw none other than the owner of the house standing there with a look of surprise plastered on her face.

(0)

Roxane was having a dreamless sleep for once, one that she gladly welcomed as her dreams had been wrought with nothing but nightmares ever since that night, reminding her of her failures to protect her home. She was quite enjoying her sleep as well but sadly, the God of sleep and dreams didn't seem to be favoring her all that much today either.

She woke up as she felt a surge of magical energy that came out of nowhere. The old woman immediately sprung back onto her feet, eyes wide in alarm.

'What in the world!?' The old woman quickly looked around to see what was going on. It hasn't been that long since she doze off and something had already happened. Roxane's eyes narrowed in concern, trying to discern just what it was that she felt. It's certainly no hostile attack as things usually explode when a Magus fight. So far, her walls were still intact and there was no signs of any attackers so she could cross that out of her list and she breath a sigh of relief as she did so. She really wasn't in any condition to fend off any enemy attacks at the moment so she's rather glad that she didn't have to.

Now that she thought about it, it had been years since she had last saw another Magi and she doubt any knew where she resides nor had any grudge to settle with her.

Now that the old woman was a lot less panicky, she could take the time to properly pinpoint where the energy came from. Her brows furrow in confusion as she discovered that the surge of magical energy came from the room above her, meaning that it's the room Alex was in. Knowing that, questions started to form in her mind. Why was there a violent surge of energy coming from his room? Was he the one who emitted it? This had never happened before during the entire week he had been here but for something to happen now…

Fearing the worst, she quickly rushed towards the stairs, uncaring of how her body was reacting to her sudden activity.

She reached the top and into the hallway in with rooms on the side in less than a minute. Isabelle was there, walking towards the stairs, apparently heading ready to head down while holding onto a peacefully sleeping Catherine. Elena was following her, looking rather downhearted like she always does after she visited Alex. Nothing seem out of the ordinary with them so Roxane assumed that they didn't saw what caused the surge but still, it's safer to ask them if they had noticed anything later. Oddly enough, Roxane noticed that Jeanne wasn't with them.

Both the girls was surprised when they saw Roxane. Why wouldn't they be when an old woman suddenly came rushing up the stairs, especially when she's already pushing past her sixties.

"Eld- Miss Lalande!? What's going on? Why are you running up the stairs!?" Isabelle cried out in horror when she saw the old woman moving past them at a rapid pace and down the hall.

Roxane ignored them as head straight to the room Alex was in. She swung open the door without thinking, causing to to slam against the wall as she look inside the room.

What she saw was something she had never thought to be possible.

Alex was awake.

What's more is that he seem healthier than how he was before as she noted that the colour of his skin was slowly returning and some of his weight had been restored. She really didn't need to think all that much as to how he's suddenly awake and got better since the pulse of Prana she had felt was the only explanation. The question is how and why did it happen?

Her gaze shifted to Jeanne, who had let out a frightful yelp when she entered and was looking at her with confusion in her eyes. The girl didn't look any different nor could she sense anything out of the ordinary from her. She would've turn her attention back to the boy but the girl might saw something that lead to his recovery.

But before Roxane could ask the girl if she saw anything, she was interrupted when the two who she had left behind in the hallway caught up to her. "Miss Roxane, what on earth would possess you to-" Isabelle started but stopped short when she looked into the room and saw Alex awake. "My word..." Isabelle breathed out as her hand found itself covering her mouth and her eyes widening at the sight of the raven haired boy looking at her. She seem to be having trouble believing what she's seeing if her reaction if anything to go by.

Then came the other one when she finally pushed past the adults blocking the entrance to the room to see just what's going on. "Alex!" Elena immediately cried out when she saw her friend with his eyes opened and staring at the group at the entrance with a one eyebrow raised.

The redhead just charged straight into the room and towards her friend, clearly intending to give him a hug if the outstretched arms is any indication. She never managed to get close to him however as she found herself lifted off her feet. The redhead looked confused and why she was floating in the air instead of getting closer to her friend and turn her head around to see that Roxane had picked her up by her collar.

"Hold it right there young lady. We don't need you to give him a bone crushing hug and sent him back to the land of sleep just mere moments after he had awoken. I don't think he'd be so lucky to wake up again if that ever happened." Roxane warned the girl, earning a displeased pout from her as she tries to escape from her grasp.

Roxane turn her gaze back to the boy as she put the girl down. Elena quickly rushed towards him and stopped by the bed instead of jumping him, something Roxane is grateful for. "Alex! You're finally awake! Do you know how long you have been sleeping there's just so much that had happened while you were-" Elena immediately ranted off when she got to his side, firing off a long steam of words without pause as she told him all those things that had been pent up inside her that she's been dying to tell him.

Everyone could tell just how relieved Elena was as she's speaks with tears slide down her cheeks and a smile on her face. Alex had a blank look on his face as Elena rattled off, the same way he always does as he pretended to be listening whenever Elena went off on a talking spree while Jeanne was just smiling happily at the familiar sight.

"Alright, settle down Elena. You're talking too fast for anyone to catch what you're saying. Alex probably couldn't even understand most of what came out of your mouth when you spoke that fast. He'd also just woken up too so don't cause him so much problem already." Roxane approached the kids and place a hand on Elena's shoulder to stop her before Alex decided that sleep is a more preferable choice than having to sit though one of Elena's moments. The girl did and had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed and give off a sheepish chuckle as she looks down on her feet while poking her index fingers together.

Roxane move to sit on Alex's bed and look at the boy in the eye. His eyes still look rather unfocused as he look at her, like he's fading in and out of conciseness. "Alex, may I check your pulse?" the old woman requested and the boy nodded after a few seconds, probably trying to register what she had said. The three in the room with her looked on with interested as she took his hand into hers and place both her index and middle finger on his wrist.

Check his pulse was actually a guise that she's using as she's actually using structural analysis on him to see what had happened to him. The old woman was surprise to find that his organs and body that were previously failing had recovered to the point where full recovery is possible. The way he is now, he's in no danger of dying. "Well this is a pleasant surprise. It looks like you're going to be just fine my boy. We just need to make sure you eat and drink so your body would recover."

"Miss Roxane, how is this possible? I thought you said-" Isabelle began to ask but was cut off by Roxane.

"Yes, I'm quite aware of what I've said Isabelle." The old woman told her with a contemplating look on her face. "The only explanation I have for this is that it's a god given miracle." She told the blond lady as she let go of Alex's hand and turn to look at the younger blond. She'll need to find out how Alex recovered the way he did and Jeanne was the only one in the room with him at the time. She's not sure if something would happen again and she'd rather not be caught in surprise if it did. She'd ask Jeanne if she had seen anything but now is not the time.

Roxane stood up from the bed and address everyone in the room as she clapped her hands together to get their attention. "Alright, everybody out. The boy needs some peace and quiet and we need to make something for him to eat and drink so he doesn't die from starvation and dehydration, preferably porridge with warm milk. You girls can help too if you want." At that, both the girls looked quite motivated and nodded their heads.

Isabelle still looked very concern for the boy but otherwise nodded as the older woman is the more experience one in the room and she trusts her implicitly.

Roxane turn to the groggy looking Alex, giving him another look over before telling him that he shouldn't exert himself and do his best not to fall asleep again before he eat something so his body could recover. He's gone without eating for too long already and she'd rather not put that on hold any longer than necessary. The boy nodded in response but otherwise remained quiet, not surprising as he's still in a very weak state. Afterwards, the old woman herd the girls in the room outside so Alex could actually have some peace and quiet.

The old woman looked back into the room as she walked out the door to see how Alex was doing. The boy just looked rather out of it as he lay there but at least he's still awake. Knowing him, he'd probably try to move around as soon as no one's keeping an eye on him. "Boy, please don't do anything stupid like trying to move around on your own." She told him, earning a flat stare from Alex before he finally gave her another nod.

Roxane gave him a satisfied smile before closing the door. Then she usher the rest down the hall so they could get started at making a very long overdue breakfast. As the four headed down the stairs, Roxane vowed silently in her mind that once everything has settled down, she's going to investigate this strange phenomenon all while keeping a close eye on Alex and Jeanne.

(0)

I watch in silence as Miss Roxane close the door with everyone outside the room, Jeanne and Elena were waving with a look on their faces that told me that they will be back as soon as they can. There's also a look of warning coming from Jeanne's mum when miss Roxane mentioned me moving around. It looks like she knew what I wanted to do before I even thought of it.

I turn away from the door, looking straight at the ceiling as I try to ignore the feeling in my throat. I can still feel the searing pain in my throat from talking to Jeanne earlier, like someone had poured acid down my throat when I spoke to her. It was a very stupid thing to do, especially when I know that my throat is very dry. Oh well, at least Jeanne's more at ease now that she knows that I'm alright.

Then there's Elena. She looked like she had been through a lot and I couldn't help but feel guilty that I'm also responsible for that by being in a coma.

I can tell that a lot had happened while I was out and it looks like I'm going to find out just what sooner or later now that I'm awake. I'm not looking forward to it, that's for sure.

I lift my left hand towards the air shakily, hovering it in front of my face as I stare at how thin it had become.

A God given miracle huh…

I try to clench my hand into a fist. Sadly, I couldn't do even that as my fingers only twitched instead of closing down like I wanted it do. It looks like my body has deteriorated far more than I thought. My entire arm trembled before it lost the last of it's strength and my entire limb flopped onto my face. I winched in pain as my hand smacked against my face before I did my upmost to dragged it away to my side. With my sight cleared of any obstacle, I stare into the ceiling once more with a far-off look on my face.

More like a contract with his complete polar opposite.

The out of body experience was... bizarre to say the least but I try not to think too much about it and instead focus on the present. It's safer for my sanity that way. The things that I've discovered while I was standing on the border between life and death… let's just say I'm not looking forward to going there again. That would also mean I'll have to do my damnedest not to die again.

With nothing much to do in my state, I started estimating the amount of time I need to recover and started planning on what I need to do in the future to ensure the so called vision that I was shown didn't come to pass. There are lots to be done after all; things to look into, a deal with the devil to fulfill and a war to prepare for.

Needless to say, this life is going to be a very busy one starting now.

-0-

Year 1427, June, 7

Hey diary, guess what?

It turns out that the dagger that I had bought wasn't really silver. Well, not pure silver at least; more like 20% silver. So, conclusion: It's fake! Faker than a woman's silicone breast!

Anyho, message to the guy who said werewolves are weak against silver.

Unfuck you or whatever.

Anyway, I have a merchant to hunt down so I'll end this here.

-0-

Year 1427, June, 15

There's hair growing on my face!?

Am I turning into a werewolf!?

But there hasn't even been any sign that I'm changing after multiple examinations.

Fuck!

PS: Merchant's dead. Good riddance eh? Now the world has one less laying merchant to deal with.

-0-

Year 1427, June, 20

Turns out it's just facial hair. False alarm people. I'm not turning into a furry.

Thank fucking god for that.

Since I'm already growing it and all, I wonder if I should grow a beard. I'll go ask the girls for their opinion when I meet them.

-0-

AN: Ha ha, I lied. There's totally an omake here.

-0-

Omake: Summoning

-0-

Fujimaru Ritsuka, one of the forty chosen Master for Chaldea was standing in Summoning Room with a very contemplating look on his face. His team had just completed his very first Grand Order not long ago and in doing so, they had managed to restore 15th century France's history to it's rightful state.

The entire mission was a mess from the beginning. They had very few supplies and no personals due to the sabotage caused by the traitorous man with a funny top hat called Lev. Then there's the Rayshift, a machine that was used to transport them through time, was still in an experimental stage which could very well sent them to the wrong place and time; or worst, kill them in the process. But in the end, they managed to pulled through, somehow.

It was a tiring ordeal, mostly because of the endless waves of Wyverns that they had to face during that time period. The only reason why they managed to make it though France so quickly was because of Sasaki Kojiro, the Servant that he had summoned before departing for France. Sasaki made the entire process of mowing through Wyverns a lot easier.

Sasaki couldn't have done it all alone though. They had encountered a lot of Servants who became allies that made the journey easier and more eventful. It was sad that they had to part ways after they acquired the Holy Grail but somehow, Fujimaru had a feeling that they would meet each other again.

After the entire ordeal, he wanted nothing more than taking a nice, long, hot shower before heading to bed but he changed his mind at the last moment. With the concern of powerful enemies that he might encounter in the future, he thought he should take the time to bolster their fighting force first. After all, there's nothing wrong with having more allies to fight by your side.

And thus, he found himself in the Summoning room and did the usual procedure that he had gotten rather used to when Summoning new Servants. After the Servant was Summoned, he would try his best to get to know them. He's keenly aware that not all Servants are easy to work with *coughMephistophelescough* but given time, he's sure he could make things work out.

Well, that was originally the plan but…

"Ano...Senpai?" Mashu started as she stood beside him as her eyes gaze at the center of the Summoning Circle with clear confusion in them.

"Yes Mashu?" Fujimaru replied, looking at the same place she is with equal amount of confusion showing on his face.

"Is this normal?" Mashu asked, gesturing at the Summoning Circle.

"...I honestly don't know." Fujimaru answered.

The reason why the two were so confused was because of what had come forth after the summon. Nothing seem to be out of place when the summoning was going on. The circle lit up like usual, the air was primed with mana for the summon and then the area was enveloped with a bright golden light and a servant would slowly materialized from within the circle. Usually, said Servant would usually introduce themselves after they were summoned. Some did grand speeches, some did a short introduction and others (usually Berserkers) would just growl intimidatingly to convey their intent.

Oddly enough, he understood what those Berserkers were trying to say.

Things were a bit different for this summon though. After the golden light died down and the Summoning Circle dimmed, there's a large box in the middle instead of a Servant.

So far Fujimaru and Mashu had been staring at it for a full five minute with no idea how to proceed.

Fujimaru scratched the back of his head as he frowned. He's pretty sure he did everything right; he even did the chanting as stated in the manual Da Vinci gave him. He could ask the caster if she knew he had done anything wrong but she isn't around for the Summon like she usually is because she's busy compiling and reviewing the data that they had collected during the mission with Romani.

"It looks like a treasure chest from one of those pirate movies. Do you think it's a box class Servant?" Fujimaru suggested.

"I don't think that there's such class Senpai..." Mashu commented wryly before eyeing the box with a scrutinizing gaze. "Do you think there would be treasure inside the chest Senpai?" His purple haired Kohai asked excitedly with stars in her eyes looks at him expectantly.

"Well, I suppose there's only one way to find out. Do you want to try opening it Mashu?"

"Oh no, the honor should be yours Senpai. You're the Master after all and you did summon it. I merely came along just to watch who we'd get."

"We could open it together you know."

"Point. Let's do it Senpai." Mashu beamed excitedly as she drag Fujimaru towards the unassuming chest in the center by his hand.

The two stood in front of it side by side and crouch down to place their hands on the lid. They both looked at each other as their hands rest on top of the wooden surface of the chest before they gave each othera nod, giving the unsaid signal to push the lid open.

Then they excitedly push against the lid to open the chest so they could see what held within it.

The chest didn't open.

""Eh?"" They both let out in confusion. They both tried opening the chest again but like before, the lid remained shut regardless of how much force was exerted. It's strange really. There isn't any lock visible on the chest nor anything keeping it shut and yet, the lid refuses to budge.

"Hmm, this's odd." Fujimaru commented as he continue to examine the front of the chest, wondering just why it won't open.

"Very odd indeed." Mashu muttered, trying her best and failing to hide the disappointed in her voice as she got up and walk around the chest, trying to see if there's any hidden mechanism keeping it from opening. The only thing she found was two metal handles on the sides, most likely something to hold onto when transporting.

Fujimaru rasp his knuckle against the chest, trying to figure out what kind of material it's made off. So far, he could see that it's made out of wood but is it really though? When his knuckle made contact with the chest, it made a loud, echoing thunk from within. This seem to confuse Fujimaru even more as it sounded like the insides are empty...and very deep for there to be such an echo.

Then, moments after he had knocking on the chest, there was sound coming from the box. It was so faint that Fujimaru might have missed it if he wasn't so close to it.

"Wait, I think I heard something." The male said and lean in to press his ear against it, trying to see if he could hear better. Mashu immediately perked up and walk around the chest so she's standing near her Master, looking at what he's doing with interest. Fujimaru narrowed his eyes as he tries to concentrate on the sound coming from within.

"Really?" Mashu asked curiously. "What did you hear?"

"I...I think it sounded like something's rustling in there." Fujimaru told her before looking confused. "….and I think it's getting louder."

Just as the male finished speaking, the lid of the chest shot open so suddenly that he didn't have any chance to react. The lid caught him straight in the face, knocking him to the ground as he cradled his abused nose in pain.

"Senpai!" Mashu cried out in worry, rushing to his side but stopped short when something popped out of the chest.

"Howdy there stranger." A child, looking no more than four years old perhaps, greeted her with an energetic smile. "Are you the one who Summoned me pretty lady?"

'A child?' The thought ran through Mashu's head as she look him over. The child had spiky black hair, a pair of bright blue eyes and is wearing what she presumes to be clothing from medieval times. 'A child as a Heroic Spirit?' The idea of a child having done something so noteworthy that his soul would enter the throne of heroes is too mind blogging for the Demi-Servant to comprehend. "Erm...no. I'm not. Who are you exactly?" She replied to the child's question and asked one of her own.

"A Jack-In-A-Box obviously." The child answered before tilting his head and pursing his lips to the side. "Well, if it's not you who's my Master then who?"

"Ano...That would be me." Fujimaru answered in pain as he push himself up from the floor while gingerly rubbing his nose.

The child took one look at him and the smile on his face became somewhat strained. Then he turned to Mashu with a hopeful look. "Is there any chance I can swap him for you? I promise that I'll in my best behavior if that's the case."

"I don't think that's possible. He's the one who Summoned you after all and I'm also a Servant." Mashu told him sheepishly as she scratch her cheek. "Is there a reason why you wanted me instead of Senpai here to be your Master?"

The boy gave Fujimaru a glance before looking back at Mashu. "Nope. Not really." the other two in the room could tell he was lying.

"I get the feeling that he doesn't like me very much." Fujimaru muttered to himself as he scratch his chin in thought. "I wonder why?"

Having heard his Master, the boy look to the side and muttered to himself in irritation "Maybe that's because you look like a typical anime dense harem protagonist. I bet you don't even know the girl next to you have feelings for you ya dumbass.". Fujimaru didn't hear him but Mashu sure did thanks to her enchanted senses for being a Demi-Servant and she could only offer a wryly smile and a shrug for her Senpai as he look to her for any clue as to why the boy hates dislikes him. She's certainly not going to tell him what she had heard.

"If he ever tries to work his main character charms on me, I'm decking him in the balls." the boy continued to mutter with a very contemplating look before turning his attention back to the two. "Anyway, I think we should get the show on the road." The child said before leveling his gaze at the only other male in the room and straighten himself. "Since you're my Master and all, I suppose I should introduce myself just to be polite." He started crawling out of his chest and stood casually in front of the two with a same beaming smile he had before. The two noticed that the new Servant doesn't barely reach their waist.

"Well then, Servant Prankster- I mean Caster, at your service. The name's Alexander Randall but you can call me Alex for short. Please to meet you Master." He introduces himself to them as he stretch out his hand towards Fujimaru. "Why can't I get a pretty lady as a Master instead of this lame guy." He added disappointingly in the end, but only quietly enough that Mashu could hear.

"Huh? Did you say something in the end there?" Fujimaru asked inquiringly.

"Nope." Alex shook his head rapidly before nodding towards his hand. "What are you waiting for Master? Don't leave me hanging now. Shake the hand, seal the deal."

Fujimaru looked at the hand the boy was sticking out and shrugged. He reached out his own and grabbed on to the hand that was being offered to him to shake it.

*PFFFFFFT*

It was when their hands made contact did a loud, farting sound echoed throughout the Summoning room.

Alex pulled back his hand and started laughing at the sight of the flabbergasted looks the other two had when the farting started. "Oh god, I can't believe people in this era still fall for that." He said as he showed the two just what was on his hand. There was some kind of small brown pack stuck onto his palm. "Oh, by the by, that was goat intestine that you've just touched. Fresh too. Just thought you wanted to know."

Fujimaru looked disgusted as he quickly wipe his hand on his shirt. "Why would you even have that?"

"Hey, kids in medieval times just love ripping the guts out of animals to use them as toys. Brutal, I know, but it's entertainment so who can complain; certainly not me." He told them with a smile and the two highly doubt what he said was true. "Well then, now that the introduction is over and done with; I'ma go raid the fridge for something to chow. Call me when you need me. See ya later love birds." He gave them a wave as he dragged the box by the handle behind him and walked out the room without giving them another glance.

As the two watch the boy leave with Mashu shuttering denials, Fujimaru have a feeling that this Servant is going to be a handful while wondering what had got Mashu so worked up.

-0-

Profile and Status:

Name: Alexander Randall

AKA: Village Prankster, Jack-In-A-Box

Class: Caster

Rank: 0

Age: 4

Lvl: 25/25 (Max Lvl: 25)

HP: 1500/7500 ATK:500/3500

Cost: 4

Skills:

Skill 1: Reinforcement: E-

Increase own defense for 3 turns

Skill 2: Field Repair: E

Recovers own HP

Class Skills:

Item Construction: E-

Increase own debuff success rate

Territory Creation: E-

Increase own Arts card effectiveness

Pranking Tools: C

All attacks have a 1% chance of inflicting debuffs

Noble Phantasm:

Box of trickery

Rank: D

Class: Anti-Unit

Deals miniscule damage to one enemy + Inflicts multiple random debuffs that stacks on a single enemy regardless of resistance for 5 turns. Type and amount of debuffs are randomized.

Parameter:

Strength: E- Endurance: E-

Agility: E Mana: C-

Luck: A- NP: D

Character Biography

Character Info:

Height/Weight: 99cm 18kg
Series: Fate/
Stay Night?
Source:
The Unseen Guardian
Country of Origin:
France
Alignment:
ChaoticNeutral
Gender:
Male

[How do I fit in the chest? It's bigger on the inside of course.]

Bond Level 1:

Due to the unique nature of this Servant (If one could even call him that), he only has art cards available for rapid deployment of his Noble Phantasm. That's the only thing he's useful for after all. He's also very frail due to his childlike body so his way of fighting consist of hiding inside his box and throwing things at the enemy. That box of his is very durable. So far, it had miraculously (barely) survived an Excaliblast unleashed by an angry Arthur when he stole her snack that she was really looking forward to.

Bond level 2:

Reinforcement: E-

A skill that he had no recollection of learning but knows how to instinctively use it to strengthen his box so it could take a bit more beating.

[Stay strong Boxy! If we'll get though this, I'm going to reward ye with more pranking tools to fill yer endless depths.]

Field Repair: E

He basically just stick duct tape all over his box.

[What? Whatever works right?]

Bond Level 3:

Item Construction: E-

He make things, questionable things.

Territory Creation: E-

[It's not that hard really, all I did was piss on the ground to mark my territory.]

Please note that he's not being serious.

Pranking Tools: C

He throws things from his box that seem to be a storage of unspeakable horrors.

There used to be a playboy magazine in it too but it was confiscated.

Bond Level 4:

Box of trickery

Rank: D
Class: Anti-Unit

Despite Romani's best effort to find out what kind of Legend the boy stems from, they still don't know who he is. What's more confusion to everyone is that box of his that acts as his Noble Phantasm.

When deployed, the box would sprout long, thin arms and legs with a set of sharp teeth lining the edges of it's opening to act like a mouth. Said box would rush over towards the enemy and proceeds to eat them. No one knows what happen while they're inside save for the screams and the mad crackling of a sadistic boy that emitted from inside the box before they were spit out with multiple debuffs already inflicted.

No one has ever asked what had transpired inside the box and they most likely never will.

Bond Level 5:

He is not a proper Servant, rather, he's one of the pieces of one that was shedded away so the original wouldn't be held back by his morals to do what was necessary.

He represents the youthful innocence of a boy who grew up in a peaceful village surrounded by the love of his family and friends.

He dislikes his other selves due to the fact that they are too serious most of the time and tends to avoid them. He mostly spent time with Kid Gil or in that box of his. He's also very jealous that his other selves brought very interesting things with them when they were summoned while he only has a box.

Oddly enough, Jeanne D'arc is the only one who he'd listens to.

His presence is required in the Summon Room for a chance to summon the next piece.

Unlock Interlude: Material Collecting

This devil in disguise once asked his Master and Romani why most of the women that was summoned dressed like street prostitutes. Loudly. Right when most of those women were within hearing distance. All while wearing that dastardly grin of his on his face.

Needless to say, the two males ran away instead of answering his 'innocent' question.

Bond 10: Unlock Craft Essence

Serious demeanor

He is after all, just a child. Everything is but a game to him and the threat of the world ending due to the Singularities is non of the concern for him. But lately, he seem to understood just what is at stake after spending much time with everyone else. He dropped how playful and carefree he usually is while on the field and stopped monkeying around to focus on the task at hand. He even started to properly contribute to the fights as well.

…..

Everyone rather liked it back when he won't just pull out machine guns and rocket launchers out of that box of his and started spraying bullets and bombarding the place.

They also, can't figure out why would a child from Medieval France would even know of machine guns and rocket launchers and where he got them.

Attack animations change upon equip + Attacks now have 5% chance to reduce enemy's NP gauge by 1 and inflict debuffs

[It's time to get serious I suppose. Wish I had a BFG.]

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End Chapter

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AN: I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed my story. I certainly enjoy reading through them and finding out just what you guys like the most about my story.

Also, if anyone wondered why this took so long to come out; I just want you to know that I'm an avid gamer first, a twenty year old dude who has no idea what to do with life second, and finally, a chronic masturbater third.

Ha! Bet you weren't expecting the third one did ya!?

Jokes aside, the truth is that I only have three hours to write each day(probably) and most of the time, those three hours were used to read someone else's fanfiction or gaming instead. Also, for some reason I can't seem to focus on writing like it used to so quality might drop. I blame having a job for that.

So, instead of waiting patiently for me to update; go read someone else's story until mine gets updated at a very slow pace. A very, very slow pace. Maybe once or twice a year?

This chapter had also undergone quite a few rewrites and even after all that, I still not satisfied with it. Originally, this entire chapter was suppose to be written in a very serious mood but somehow, serious themes and I just don't mix together very well and I can't tell why. So, after a year (or something) of trying, I kinda gave up on the serious aspects and went for the next best thing.

Oh well, now that this is over and done with maybe I can finally progress the plot.

Starting next chapter Alex will be active once more. We'll get to see how he deal with all this. Orrrrrr, we can skip the part and head straight to the time skip. Who wants to read about a moody and brooding MC anyway. Certainly not me.

PS: I've also started playing Waifu collecting Simulat- I mean Fate/Grand Order recently. It's a great game.