"Because I'm special."
This sentence shows Altria's attitude. She wants to confront Jeanne d'Arc, tell her about her uniqueness and the mission she is responsible for, and win her help.
This is not an impulsive decision, but an answer that was reached after careful consideration.
If it were another ruler, Artoria might not use such an unabashed and straightforward approach. She would approach carefully, judge bit by bit, and then decide whether to say it or not, whether to say it all or just part of it. The Knight King might not be smart enough, but she was the king of a country after all. As long as she could stay calm, she would have the necessary intelligence and caution.
The reason for choosing this method is that she is Jeanne d'Arc, Queen Scathach, and a person with similar personality and spirit that Altria herself has recognized. With this premise, Altria can get the answer by simply putting herself in the role of ruler.
Mentioning Gilles de Rais was also a test to see what choice Jeanne would make in this situation. Artoria was satisfied with Jeanne's answer, so she directly said that she was "special".
"Special?" Joan of Arc looked puzzled and wary. Could my abnormality be related to her
"That's right. Let's put it this way, I—Gu~~~~~~~~~~~~"
Before they could finish the second half of the sentence, they heard a strange sound. Although the sound was not loud, it could not escape the ears of the servants.
"Well, I am also a little special. I have to eat like ordinary people, otherwise I will feel hungry."
Joan of Arc lowered her head in embarrassment and explained in a low voice that the "gurgling" sound came from her stomach. Although she had eaten dinner at the church and was very full, running dozens of kilometers in the middle of the night and using holy water for exploration had exhausted the energy obtained from food and urgently needed to be replenished.
"I understand, I understand." Artoria nodded repeatedly, "An empty stomach is the enemy. Only when you are full can you have the strength to fight."
At first Jeanne thought it was a consolation to avoid embarrassment, but when she saw Altria's serious expression, she felt that it was more than just a consolation.
"You really think so?"
"Of course, my stomach protested earlier than yours. If I hadn't sensed your presence, I would have gone back to restock my supplies."
The great Knight King never joked about eating.
"I live not far from here. If you don't mind, come with me to eat something? Lingxia's cooking is delicious."
"This..." Joan of Arc hesitated for a while, and finally her reserve as a judge was overwhelmed by her body's instinct, "Excuse me."
"Then let's go now, we can talk on the way."
Altria said as she took a step forward, only to see Jeanne still standing there, motionless.
"What’s wrong with you?"
"That." When asked by Altria, Jeanne's face turned even redder, "I need to eat and sleep, and now I'm tired and hungry, and I can't walk anymore - can you carry me on your back?"
In fact, she could still move by consuming a large amount of magic power, but she would have to endure this desperate feeling of hunger and fatigue, which would become more and more severe. If she continued, Jeanne was sure that she would lose consciousness, so she had to shamelessly ask the Knight King in front of her - her skill "Revelation" told her that Altria could be trusted.
Revelation: Level A.
A skill equivalent to "Intuition". "Intuition" is the sixth sense in battle, but "Revelation" applies to all things related to the achievement of goals (such as choosing the most suitable path on a journey). Since (I think) there is no basis for this, I can't explain it to others.
Wow, this similarity is really speechless.
Jeanne trusted her so much, and Artoria would not let her down. She smiled and said, "Of course, I can, but I have a better way. Let me ask first, is there any surveillance magic or familiars around?"
"No." Jeanne shook her head. Ruler's exaggerated perception ability was enough to expose all surveillance-type mysteries. Since she had accepted the invitation, she couldn't expose Altria's base because of her own reasons. This was also fair.
"That's good."
With a call, the white horse appeared.
"This is my companion, Don Starlion. Don, this is my friend, Jeanne, can you let her rest on your back for a while?"
Don Starlion leaned his head in front of Jeanne and touched her cheek with his nose.
"Thank you, Don."
This display of intimacy brought an innocent smile to Jeanne's face, and also made Altria feel a little surprised.
BMW is psychic, but he is also proud. Although he will not refuse Altria's orders, he will never take the initiative to approach strangers. Once, Bedivere, who had just joined the Knights of the Round Table, rashly went to brush Don Stallion's back, and was kicked away by the latter.
Perhaps he thought of Jeanne as my relative. Altria thought so, helped Jeanne onto the horse, and walked in front to lead the way.
"Joan, if you find anyone spying on you, be sure to tell me."
"Um."
"I live in a peaceful little village, and I don't want them to get involved in the Holy Grail War."
"Um... "
"besides-"
The feeling of someone touching her shoulder interrupted Altria's words. It was Don Starion's chin.
"What's wrong, Dong?"
Turning around, I saw Jeanne slumped over Dong's back, her arms around his neck, her eyes closed, her breathing steady.
"He actually fell asleep." Artoria didn't know what expression to make.
She quietly looked at Joan of Arc's sleeping face. When her blue eyes were covered by her eyelids, her face was no different from her when she was a girl.
"Looking at it this way, they really do look like sisters."
Don Starlion shook his head in agreement. If it were not so, it would not be so close to Joan of Arc.
◇◇◇
Sighişoara, a secret place hidden by natural barriers and magic.
Semiramis was in high spirits, and proudly declared: "This is the garden I missed. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. How is it, master?"
"Great. I think you have integrated my request well." Shirou's eyes lit up, as if he saw what he had always dreamed of.
The building in front of him was an unimaginably huge one. It was made up of neatly arranged green floating islands, marble floors, and pillars. Various plants were intertwined everywhere, blending the chaotic ugliness with the gorgeous beauty.
It is more like a fortress than a garden. Rather than a fortress, it reminds people of a huge flying weapon. That is absolutely not wrong. This sky garden is a real floating fortress.
"Of course. Once Rider and Archer return, activate the garden. Even the Black Servants will probably be scared out of their wits."
Hearing Shirou's praise, Semiramis became even happier and laughed out loud.
"Before that, would you like to visit my courtyard? My master."
"I couldn't ask for more."
"I want to remind you that the poison I create will be maximized within the courtyard, so you must be prepared."
Shirou was slightly stunned, then smiled and said, "You are not worried about me."
"You—" Semiramis said angrily, "you will die, now, immediately—the wine of the proud king!"
PS: Mushroom has given an explanation for the issue of servants having memories in Fgo. I won’t go into details, but the general idea is that it is special because it is a singularity, so it has memories - see, Chaldea is so awesome!
PS2: In the FZ animation, the emperor's horse flew up, but not in the novel, it was always running on the ground.