Chapter 358: Jeanne

Chapter 358: Jeanne

With Justeaze's surveillance, Shinji didn't need to do any terrain reconnaissance; it was just an excuse for him to act alone.

Tonight, he did not spend the night in the room next to Fiore's but chose to move under the cover of darkness. It wasn't because there was unfinished business in Fuyuki; rather, Justeaze had relayed a message—Ruler had stepped into the leyline where the Greater Grail was located, namely the Trifas region.

Ruler, the adjudicator, nicknamed "the Ruler," does not belong to the commonly known seven classes of Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker. Typically, Ruler is only summoned under special conditions.

There are roughly two scenarios for Ruler's summoning: one, the form of the Holy Grail War is extraordinarily unique, resulting in unknown outcomes, meaning the Grail deems a Ruler necessary; two, the impact of the Holy Grail War could potentially distort the world.

This Holy Grail War undoubtedly met the criteria, and thus Ruler was summoned.

The Transylvanian Highway is the only national road leading to Trifas. Since Trifas is disconnected from the tram network, vehicles traveling there are almost nonexistent.

More than half of the streetlights standing side by side on the road were broken, probably because there were no drivers to complain, so the government seemed determined to save on the budget.

A nearly fully loaded truck was driving on the national road. Its worn appearance and the screeching engine made the dilapidated highway look even more rundown.

In the passenger seat of the truck sat a beautiful young girl. Her long blonde hair was braided into a single plait at the back, and her clear blue eyes evoked the image of a sky washed clean after rain. She wore a white shirt with a black tie on top, and black shorts below, looking like a student from somewhere.

Seemingly sensing something, the girl rolled down the window and cast her gaze into a certain place under the night sky.

A few minutes later, a young man with purple hair and purple eyes appeared in her line of sight.

Like her, the young man was dressed in casual clothes, with a relieved smile on his face, waving both hands continuously.

The truck driver, a kindly old man, stopped the truck and asked the young man if he needed any help.

The young man said he fought with his girlfriend, was thrown out of the car by her, and was wandering alone on the national road, hoping the old man could give him a ride to the nearby city.

The old man agreed, just as he did when he agreed to give the girl a ride earlier.

The young man expressed his gratitude profusely and climbed slowly into the cargo area at the back of the truck.

Blank, not obscured or erased, but simply left empty, with the rest of the basic attributes, skills, and Noble Phantasm levels visible.

Unaware of Justeaze's existence, Ruler naturally assumed that Shinji genuinely had no name or had deliberately forgotten it, rather than using a Noble Phantasm or skill to conceal it.

Since the other party was so forthright, it was only appropriate for her, as the arbiter, to respond with corresponding sincerity. No, it was precisely because she was the arbiter that she needed to demonstrate sincerity; otherwise, hiding things would fail to gain the trust of both the seven Masters and their Servants.

"Ruler, Jeanne d'Arc, the adjudicator of this Holy Grail War. Pleased to meet you, Black Assassin."

"Pleased to meet you."

Hearing this name, Shinji felt no ripple of emotion. The moment he first saw her, he had already confirmed her identity.

Jeanne d'Arc, the Maid of Orléans, the French heroine who liberated Orléans during the Hundred Years' War, and a Catholic saint. From leaving her hometown at seventeen to being executed at nineteen, though only a brief two years, she left an indelible mark on the history of both England and France.

Of course, the girl before him bore no obvious traits that could directly link her to the saint Jeanne d'Arc. Shinji was able to confirm her identity solely because he had seen a face very similar to hers the previous day. Jeanne and that face differed only in eye color and the tuft of hair on her head; apart from these two points, they looked like they had been cast from the same mold.

Indeed, Artoria and Jeanne were that similar, in both appearance and aura.

However, there were notable differences in other aspects of their bodies.

For instance, height: the younger version of Artoria stood at 154 cm, while Jeanne was 159 cm, and the older version of Artoria was 171 cm.

And then—Shinji's gaze shifted slightly downward from that familiar face to those conspicuous peaks.

"With such an obvious difference, how did Gilles de Rais mistake her?"

The younger version of Artoria was an A-cup, while Jeanne was clearly a D-cup. To compare with Jeanne's figure, it would have to be the older version of Artoria!

Marshal, you truly deserved to have your eyes pierced...!

PS: Shinji is Man of Culture.