Jeanne d’Arc.
A 19-year-old girl from the French countryside.
Her short life could be called a tragic epic:
From listening to divine revelations and leaving her town, to galloping across battlefields and repeatedly performing great deeds, and finally turning the tide to win the war;
Yet after her success, she was cruelly betrayed, burdened with baseless charges, bound to the stake at Rouen Square, and turned to ashes in the flames…
The revolving lantern in her mind let Jeanne relive her turbulent life—until those scorching flames, the mysterious envelope, the peaceful courtyard, the man before her, and the contract just concluded.
At this moment, inside Fati’s bedroom.
Having been guided here by Fati like a puppet in a trance all the way, Jeanne followed his request, removed her upper garments, and lay prone on the bed somewhat awkwardly.
When Fati’s slightly cool fingertips touched her smooth back, Jeanne jerked like a startled deer!
A bashful blush instantly spread from the base of her ears to her slender neck, and her fair feet unconsciously twisted together.
She buried her face into the pillow, letting out a muffled, annoyed protest:
“D-Does it have to be done this way?
This ceremony…
is simply…
too improper!”
Fati, with an innocent face but an aggressive gaze that kept wandering over Jeanne’s body, explained solemnly:
“This is the standard ceremony for joining a Familia and being granted ‘favor’; I am not making things difficult for you on purpose.”
His voice was steady and carried an unquestionable authority.
“Please endure it for a moment.”
Although Jeanne was not tall, her proportions were perfect.
Combined with her slender figure with proud curves and her cool, noble holy face, it gave Fati a stir of desire for conquest in his heart.
Seeing that the timing was right, Fati stopped teasing her and instead picked up a silver needle to prick his right index finger.
A drop of blood fell onto Jeanne’s back.
Second Magic: Heaven and Earth · Grace Blessing, activate!
[Heaven and Earth · Grace Blessing]:
Same as “God’s Benevolence,” granted by Fati Tirtiberne, exercising divine authority through human miracles.
Ritual Magicfavor Magic
Exercising divine authority with a mortal body, granting the target a blessing of the same rank as God’s Benevolence.
*Ding—*
The blood dropped onto her back, and as if dissolving in water, it rippled with faint circles.
Then, Fati extended his right index finger, using the finger as a pen and blood as ink, fluently writing profound and complex [Sacred Script] on Jeanne’s back!
The Familia’s crest, individual basic information…
countless golden lines and runes spread from the core, eventually converging into a complete, faintly glowing [favor] array.
When the final stroke was completed and Fati’s fingertip left Jeanne’s skin, the soft light gradually withdrew.
“From this moment on, Jeanne d’Arc,” Fati’s voice was solemn and gentle, “you are officially a member of the [Tir-Tirubeni Familia].
We are family.”
Feeling the sensation on her back disappear, Jeanne quickly sat up, her face crimson.
She instinctively held the pillow tightly to her chest, maintaining a duck-sit posture.
“Has the ceremony…
already ended?” Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum.
Fati’s gaze swept over her smooth back with a sense of satisfaction from completing the ceremony, and he nodded:
“It’s finished.
Here…
this is your favor information.”
He picked up a blank piece of parchment and lightly brushed his finger over it; the runes and information identical to those on Jeanne’s back instantly appeared on it.
After Fati saw Jeanne’s favor panel, he showed an expected expression.
The individual named Jeanne d’Arc was indeed exceptionally outstanding.
Combined with her appearance and figure, Fati’s gaze toward her was as if he were admiring some rare treasure.
“F-Fati…” Jeanne took the parchment, but her eyes were somewhat evasive, her voice carrying obvious embarrassment, “S-Sorry…”
“?”
Fati felt slightly confused, then noticed Jeanne’s blank and bashful expression as she stared at the words on the parchment, and he instantly understood.
“You can’t read?
That’s understandable.”
He smiled gently:
“Besides, this isn’t unusual in Orario.”
Saying so, he naturally sat down beside Jeanne, pointed at the Common Tongue characters on the parchment, and began to explain patiently:
“The characters on the favor are [Sacred Script].
Generally, except for gods, scholars, and a few knowledgeable individuals, few people specifically learn this script.
Therefore, the information copied onto parchment is in the continent’s Common Tongue.”
“I will teach you when there’s time later.”
[Name]: Jeanne d’Arc
[Age]: 19 years old
[Title]: Holy Maiden
[Race]: Human
[Class]: Cleric, Adventurer
[Affiliation]: Tir-Tirubeni Familia (Demeter Familia)
[Level]: Lv.1
[Floor Reached]: —
[ability values]:
Strength: I0 | Endurance: I0 | Dexterity: I0 | Agility: I0 | Magic: I0
[Development Ability]: —
[Weapon]: —
[Equipment]: —
[Casual Wear: Dark blue linen dress, waistband, mid-heel soft leather boots]
[Magic]:
Luminosite Eternelle
Deploys a damage-negation barrier while providing continuous healing and increased defense to allies within range; Wide-Area Barrier Magic
[Chant]: O my banner, protect my compatriots—Luminosite Eternelle!
(Luminosité Eternelle)
La Pucelle
Level and all ability parameters are added to magic power, including potential values; can only be activated once.
Recovery interval is twenty-four hours.Wide-Area Annihilation Magic
[Chant]:
The heavens declare the glory of God, the firmament proclaims the work of His hands;
Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they reveal knowledge.
My heart grew hot within me; while I meditated, the fire burned;
I shall meet my end here, offer my fate here, and offer the transience of my life here;
The only thing I have left, let it guard their steps;
O God, I entrust this body to you.
After despair, hope must be waiting!
———— La Pucelle!
[]
[Skill]:
Favor Crest
Obstructs detection; a disguise that deceives the gods, obstructing their lie detection and scrutiny.
Potential enhancement, high-speed growth; increases potential and vessel capacity, allowing for growth at an ultra-fast speed.
Revelation of Heaven
Large-range precise enemy detection capability; Revelation: Always able to make the correct choice at critical moments.
Ruler of Judgment
Greatly increases resistance to all magic; increases’Strength’ when dealing with it; Greatly increases resistance to negative effects; increases ‘Endurance’ when dealing with them; Slightly weakens targets or groups deemed hostile.
Saint’s Pure Heart
Slightly reduces any damage received.
Continuous recovery of physical and mental strength.
Holy Maiden
Massive increase to all abilities.
Slightly increases mental resistance of Familia members or allies within a certain range.
…The above is Jeanne d’Arc’s favor panel.
Even though he had already seen it, Fati couldn’t help but sigh in admiration when he scrutinized it again, then gave Jeanne a brief introduction:
“Jeanne, you should know.”
“Under normal circumstances, ninety-nine point nine percent of Familia members will not manifest any [Magic] or [Skills] when they first receive their favor.”
“Of course, there are exceptions, such as the highly gifted magic race, the Elves; their probability of obtaining magic initially is quite high.”
“As for other races, the probability of obtaining [Magic] and [Skills] is about the same as us humans.”
“Initially, racial differences only distinguish basic qualities.”
“For example, Dwarves are naturally much stronger in’Strength’ and ‘Endurance’ than other races.”
“Or Beastmen, who are more sensitive in their five senses compared to other races.”
“The Elf Race has a natural affinity for magic.”
“But it’s impossible to obtain’Skills’ initially based solely on these racial characteristics.”
“Unless it’s some extremely outstanding Special Individual within the race who can obtain a [Skill] in their initial state.
I call these shared racial’Skills’ ‘Racial Skills.'”
“For instance, ‘Vigor Refined Fist,’ ‘Spirit’s Luminous Chant,’ ‘Cat Walk,’ and ‘Lone Wolf’s Sprint’ are all among them.
Of course, ‘Racial Skills’ are also divided into tiers of strength; we can talk more about that when we have time.”
By the time Fati said this, Jeanne already had a concept of her own situation.
“You just received your favor, and you started with [two spells and five skills].
Compared to others, you can imagine how rare that is.”
Having said that, he looked directly into Jeanne’s clear eyes and his tone shifted, becoming solemn:
“Jeanne, I have locked your favor, so outsiders cannot see it.
But there are always exceptions, such as ‘Lock-Opening Potion’ and other contraband.”
“So remember, you must be careful when you are out.”
After thinking for a moment, Fati gave an example:
“For instance, Apollo, the main god of the [Apollo Familia].
That guy likes to use various means to force other Familias to submit, then gets his hands on the people he’s taken a fancy to.
When he’s worked up, he’ll even start a War Game to plunder them.”
“This isn’t an isolated case; such events are common in Orario.
So you must never let outsiders know about your favor.
If your information gets out, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
Hearing this, Jeanne’s fingers tightened around the parchment, and a hint of vigilance and coldness flashed through her sapphire-like eyes.
“To think there are such…
despicable matters?”
Fati gently patted her tense shoulder and soothed her:
“There’s no need to be overly nervous.
As long as the favor is locked, without ‘Lock-Opening Potion’, even a god cannot forcibly peer into it.
I’m just reminding you that walking in this city requires necessary vigilance and common sense.
Don’t reveal your trump cards easily.”
“…”
Jeanne narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Fati with a trace of danger in her gaze:
“Is the impression I leave in your heart…
that of a defenseless, silly, and naive girl?”
Fati choked up and quickly waved his hands:
“Of course not!
This is just a necessary spread of knowledge.”
He explained, his tone carrying sincere concern:
“After all, you’ve just arrived and know nothing about the basic rules of this world.
And…” He paused, then said frankly, “You truly are very beautiful and dazzling.
I’m just worried that if you were tricked by some ill-intentioned fellow’s sweet talk, I would really be left in tears.”
For some reason, hearing Fati say she was “beautiful and dazzling” caused a subtle joy to quietly well up in Jeanne’s heart, her cheeks warming slightly.
“Hmph…
You certainly have a way with words,” she muttered softly, her gaze unconsciously drifting elsewhere as her fingers aimlessly twisted the hem of her clothes, clearly immersed in her own thoughts again.
Fati watched from the side, a faint, imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
He knew Jeanne was off in her own head again, twisting her fingers.