Chapter 207: Jeanne d'Arc: "You only care about my face, don't you?!"
Fuyuki City, on the set of Fate/Apocrypha.
"Miss Medea, how should I perform this spell?"
"Your Majesty Arturia, could you explain the difference between Fairy blessed magecraft and ordinary magecraft that draws on natural mana?"
"Lady Stheno, is Greek Divine Magic an innate gift of the gods?"
"Lord Enkidu, what's the difference between primal magecraft and divine authorities?"
"Mr. Yan Qing, what's the distinction between Chinese formations and barrier magecraft?"
"Mr. Archer, can we experience your Reality Marble, just for a few seconds?"
...
"I'm a little envious of them," Jeanne murmured, squatting in a corner while munching on a chocolate bar.
The set had been busier than ever since the magi from the Clock Tower had arrived. For them, getting a close look at these ancient heroes was a rare and treasured opportunity.
Though they might not match Aozaki Touko in skill, every one of them had a passionate curiosity for the mysteries of magecraft.
During breaks, nearly every Heroic Spirit found themselves surrounded by magi eager to ask questions.
Naturally, the most popular was Medea, a Caster with an extensive reserve of magical knowledge, enough to teach classes at the Clock Tower.
Even Yan Qing had his share of admirers. While his theoretical grasp of magecraft wasn't great, he could offer useful advice in his areas of expertise.
There were only two types of Heroic Spirits who didn't attract the magi's attention: those like Gilgamesh, whose demeanor screamed "don't talk to me," and those like Jeanne d'Arc, who were essentially "illiterate" in magecraft.
To call Jeanne "illiterate" might be an exaggeration, but the self-proclaimed "country girl" in her FGO voice lines was truly clueless when it came to magical theory.
While Arturia had learned a bit about Britain's magical rituals from Merlin, Jeanne had gained her powers through divine miracles. For her, magical theory was a complete blank.
The mysteries of the world? Just pray to God!
The magi knew better than to waste their time asking Jeanne about magecraft. Their schedules were tight, and they couldn't afford to spend time on someone who wouldn't have any answers.
But for Jeanne herself, being left alone while everyone else was surrounded felt lonely.
"Sniff... I'm not jealous or anything... sniff..." Jeanne muttered as she nibbled another piece of chocolate, quickly unwrapping the next one.
"Sniff... I just think... sniff... doesn't anyone want to explore mysteries through faith? Sniff..."
She licked the crumbs off the wrapper and reached for another chocolate.
"They go talk to that Brit about Druidic magecraft... sniff... but no one tries learning through miracles... sniff..."
She grumbled and stuffed another chocolate into her mouth.
"I think it's because miracles are under the Church's domain, and it might feel inappropriate to ask," Li Shuwen, who was also unbothered by magi, replied dryly.
In his lifetime, the mysteries of magecraft were already in decline. Besides, he had always solved problems with his fists.
Though Li Shuwen was well-liked, no one sought his advice on magecraft either.
"If you went to the Church, I bet someone would ask you something," he suggested.
"No thanks. All they'd do is try to sell me mapo tofu," Jeanne said with an eye roll, tossing aside her empty chocolate box and opening another one.
As a Ferrero brand ambassador, Jeanne's biggest perk was an unlimited supply of chocolate—something Arturia was intensely envious of.
Jeanne had eaten so much chocolate that it became her go-to comfort food when she was feeling down. And not just one or two pieces—she could finish several boxes in one sitting.
It was one of the perks of a Heroic Spirit's physique.
"Jeanne-chan..."
At that moment, Mordred slouched over with a dejected expression.
Jeanne sighed. "Mordred, were you rejected by your 'Father' again?"
Mordred pouted and complained, "Yeah... She said I was distracting her from answering questions."
"Well... she does get overly serious sometimes," Jeanne replied, not quite sure how to comfort her.
"Jeanne-chan~" Mordred suddenly leapt forward, burying herself in Jeanne's arms.
"Jeanne-chan, I'm so lonely~ Snuggle snuggle~ I need to recharge with some 'A-Elements'~ Snuggle snuggle~"
The so-called "A-Elements," or "Arturia Elements," was clearly a made-up term by some Master, but Mordred had fully embraced it.
"You shouldn't keep using me as her substitute," Jeanne said, though her face softened into a gentle smile.
She wiped the chocolate smudges off her hands, gently stroking Mordred's head with a look of motherly tenderness.
Despite her initial cries of "The original is supreme, all knockoffs can die!", Mordred quickly melted into Jeanne's embrace. After all, aside from this large-busted "Father," there wasn't another Arturia-like figure she could freely hug at the moment.
What? You mentioned Alter?
Don't be ridiculous—she'd blast Mordred back to spirit form with consecutive Excalibur Morgan strikes, assuming she was feeling merciful that day.
Jeanne, though slightly exasperated by Mordred's clinginess, didn't push her away. On a normal day, she'd have refused outright.
But today was different. With no one else around her, letting this puppy-like Mordred stick around wasn't so bad to liven up the atmosphere.
"As expected— Jeanne-chan is the best!"
Feeling satisfied after being allowed to snuggle, Mordred purred like a contented cat.
Unfortunately, this warm and fuzzy moment only lasted a few seconds.
Suddenly, Mordred reached out and gave Jeanne's chest a squeeze.
"Hm..."
Feeling the soft and springy sensation under her hand, Mordred murmured, "So bouncy... totally different from Father's."
"You're mistaking politeness for indulgence! You do this every time! If you're so fond of it, why not go hug a frying pan instead!" Jeanne snapped, lifting her flagpole and thrusting it down with force.
Thud
Blood splattered everywhere.
This scene was witnessed by Shinji, who had just returned to the set. His hand, holding his phone to take a picture, froze mid-air.
"...What's this?"
"Master."
Jeanne lifted her head, casually wiping away the bloodstains on her cheek. She asked sweetly, "You didn't see anything, right?"
"Y-yes, that's correct."
All Shinji could manage was an awkward yet polite smile.
<+>
Shinji felt he was completely innocent.
After soothing the office's diva, who dreamed of becoming a star, he returned directly to the filming set in the mountains.
As soon as he got out of the car, he spotted Jeanne standing near the entrance, looking as lonely as a lost puppy.
Initially, Shinji had intended to go comfort her. But before he could, Mordred cut in line, burying her face directly into Jeanne's chest.
'Well, this is a nice scene. Let me snap a photo to commemorate it.'
With that thought, Shinji pulled out his phone.
But before he could even open the camera app, Jeanne's expression changed, and she wielded her flagpole as a weapon.
The scene was as shocking as the infamous one in Madoka Magica Episode 3, leaving Shinji so stunned he didn't dare move.
"Master, do you need something?"
Jeanne's words finally snapped Shinji back to reality, and he hurriedly hid his phone behind his back.
"Oh, nothing, I just came to find you," Shinji said, trying his best to keep smiling. "Let's discuss some filming matters."
"Really?"
Jeanne remained suspicious, thinking he was just making an excuse to avoid her wrath.
To her surprise, Shinji wasn't lying. He quickly gathered the main cast—Amakusa Shirou, Kairi Sisigou, and Astolfo.
There was no need to call Mordred separately; she was already lying unconscious at Jeanne's feet.
"Since you've filmed a few scenes together, you should all be familiar with the process by now. Let's talk about some of your acting issues."
Once everyone was present, Shinji got straight to the point, leaving the lead actors a bit uncomfortable.
From their perspective, while they weren't as good as award-winning actors, they didn't think they deserved criticism this blunt.
"Master, I think I did great!" Astolfo said, swinging his legs with a puzzled expression.
"Haven't all my takes been approved? Why are you saying there's a problem?"
Shinji gave Astolfo a glance and replied, "You're the exception."
Of course, Shinji wasn't saying Astolfo performed so well that he stood out. He meant Astolfo wouldn't understand even if he tried explaining, so he was a lost cause.
The others got the message and stifled their laughter.
Astolfo, however, genuinely thought he was being praised. Grinning proudly, he bared his little canine teeth. "Haha, I knew it. There's no way I could be bad at acting."
Ignoring the antics of this airhead, Shinji turned to Jeanne.
"Jeanne, your performance is decent, and I can see you've put thought into your acting. But in some cases, you're overdoing it."
"Even though you're the main character, there are scenes where you need to step back and let others shine."
"Master, are you saying I should just be a pretty face?" Jeanne huffed angrily, turning away with a cold snort.
"Humph~ You just like my face, don't you?"
"I do not!"
"Then why are there four identical faces in the cast? And that King of Knight even comes with double the fun."
"..."
Jeanne's sharp comment left Shinji speechless.
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