Blue-Eyes White Dragon: Adopted by the King of Knights [98]

Jeanne Alter decided to face the invading enemy alone.

“I will win!” she declared firmly, as though stating an already-established fact.

“But I need some time to prepare.”

“I’ll return before the battle starts… Anyway, I'll leave the city in your hands until then.”

With a wave, Jeanne Alter left everyone staring after her confident, upright figure as it slowly vanished into the night.

“…”

Those left behind exchanged uncertain glances. They wanted to follow the Witch, curious to discover her secret, but fear of her driving them away forced them to abandon the idea.

Yet, one figure was the exception.

Whoosh—

Just as Jeanne Alter’s silhouette was about to vanish entirely, a white shadow swiftly brushed past them, heading in the same direction, disappearing into the vast darkness.

“Wait, are they running away?” Elizabeth bluntly asked after a long silence.

Kiyohime shot her an irritated glance without answering, choosing instead to head towards the kitchen to prepare for the supposed “victory feast.”

“Rather than running away, she's probably trying to draw away the enemy,” Fujimaru Ritsuka replied calmly, speaking in Kiyohime’s stead.

At that exact moment, she finally realized something:

Aside from the small white dragon, Jeanne Alter had absolutely nothing else in this world.

In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to say—she was completely alone against the world.

…

Jeanne Alter walked eastward.

However, she didn't travel far. She stopped at an abandoned farm, quietly coming to a halt.

It was a place Bluey knew very well—though now it felt strangely unfamiliar.

The cattle had long been led away by the dragon servants; even the haystacks had been carried off. All that remained now were abandoned buildings and tall grasses wildly overgrown due to neglect.

“So, you followed after all.”

Jeanne Alter glanced at the small white dragon behind her, neither surprised nor displeased.

She’d known the dragon would come. After all, they'd made a promise—never to leave each other.

“But why did you follow? There’s no grilled meat left for you here.”

Sighing, Jeanne Alter sat down on the grassy ground.

—This was the so-called “preparation” she'd mentioned.

In truth, she had nothing left to prepare. All her secrets had long been exposed, all her trump cards already played. Now, she wasn’t even at her peak strength anymore.

Yet, somehow, Jeanne Alter felt stronger now than she'd ever been.

“I can win!” she kept repeating to herself, as if performing self-hypnosis, desperately hoping to make her body forget the enemy’s overwhelming power and create a true miracle.

But seriously—how could she possibly win?

“One against five…there’s absolutely no way I can beat them!”

“Unless I use that move…but if I use it, I’ll vanish along with them.”

“If I die, then victory or defeat doesn’t even matter.”

“Little dragon, I really don’t want to die…”

“If I do disappear…will you still remember me?”

Jeanne Alter reached out, gently stroking the dragon’s scales.

Under the moonlight, Bluey clearly saw her hand trembling uncontrollably.

She was scared—truly terrified.

For the first time in her brief existence, she felt fear.

—This is a good sign.

She feared death.

That was normal; all living beings feared death. It was the fundamental truth shared by all creatures, proof she finally recognized herself as a genuine living being rather than merely a “shadow of vengeance.”

She feared being forgotten.

That, too, was perfectly natural, because it signified leaving behind a trace of one's existence. Without it, her entire life would’ve been meaningless.

These emotions demonstrated how much Jeanne Alter had changed.

She’d become a complete human being, capable of the full range of emotions—not just anger. Anger was still important, but it no longer defined her entire existence.

However, it still wasn’t enough.

This level of growth wasn’t enough.

Death’s pressure relentlessly pressed down upon her. Under this inescapable pressure, Bluey waited expectantly, hoping to hear from Jeanne Alter a single sentence truly demonstrating that she’d acquired a real “human heart.”

Jeanne Alter didn’t disappoint.

“Screw it, I’ll do it anyway!”

“Even if I can’t win, I’ll still fight!”

“If I can kill even one, that’s good enough!”

“Those bastards…do they really think I’m someone they can bully?!”

“Those pieces of ****!”

A stream of vulgar curses poured out rapidly from Jeanne Alter’s mouth, some even shockingly obscene.

Right now, she resembled nothing more than an illiterate village girl furiously hurling abuse at passersby from a country field.

But through this vulgar tirade, she gradually overcame her fear of death.

—And this very thing was the most fundamental essence hidden within the species called humanity.

Death was indeed terrifying.

Yet, to protect the things they cherished, humans never lacked the courage to face death head-on.

Thus, humanity created the miracle known as “living in defiance of death.”

[Ding! Your recognition of Jeanne d’Arc Alter has reached 100.]

[You have comprehended a new concept: Anger.]

…

Three days later.

The enemy army arrived.

Having prepared herself mentally, Jeanne Alter stood alone as promised on a battlefield far outside the city, directly confronting the pressure exerted by five enemy Servants.

Yet, from start to finish, Mash’s gaze remained fixed on the enemy commander.

“Wait a minute—!”

She stared at the iconic ahoge shining brilliantly under the sun’s rays.

And that lovely face, always exuding confidence, calm in any situation as though victory was assured.

“Your Majesty?!”

Mash looked up, incredulous.

This wasn’t the legendary “King of Knights” she knew from history and lore.

Yet at the same time, this person was incredibly familiar—someone she’d even worked alongside before.

There was no mistake; she couldn’t possibly mistake her!

After all, Mash herself was practically half of the Round Table—how could a knight fail to recognize her own king?

But if the enemy leader truly was the King of Knights, and the small white dragon had been summoned alongside her into this world…

Mash’s gaze rapidly shifted from the distant figure of the King—now standing among the enemy—to the small white dragon hovering in midair, clearly on their side.

Gradually realizing something crucial, Mash’s expression first relaxed, then quickly grew complicated.

—Wait a minute… This whole thing was scripted from the beginning?!

---

T/N: LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

This is a fan translation of 综漫：青眼幼龙，被骑士王捡到了 by 歌冰丽月. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!