Jeanne and her group drove the vehicle to a well-concealed spot, making it difficult for anyone above to spot the vehicle or its occupants. After the arduous journey, the six people dragged behind the vehicle were barely alive.
Without a shred of hesitation, Jeanne slapped one of the prisoners awake. The man's eyes were glazed, and he seemed barely able to hear their voices, whether from the jolting ride or Jeanne's sharp slaps.
"Answer me!" Jeanne roared, yanking his ear. "Is this the mining camp you mentioned?"
The atrocities committed here were so heinous that even if she hadn't been personally involved, she would never let them go unpunished.
The man looked around, his face lighting up with joy. "This is it! I remember perfectly. This is the mining area. I can find a way to get you inside..."
Jeanne ignored his words, knocking him unconscious, gagging him, and tossing him into the vehicle. If we let him inside, he'd immediately cry for help. Why would he lead us in quietly?
Next came infiltrating the area undetected to assess the situation. Ironically, this proved easier than finding the place itself. Due to the blizzard, even the guards at the main gate were slacking off, huddled in sheltered spots drinking.
Two gatekeepers armed with crossbows squatted by the entrance, drunk and bragging loudly. Jeanne and Talulah swiftly closed the distance and knocked them unconscious before they could react.
Talulah picked up the two automatic crossbows—standard issue for the Ursus military. Though heavily worn, they remained functional.
They handed one crossbow to Alina, giving her a weapon for self-defense. Truth be told, they wouldn't have brought her if they weren't worried about her running into the Inspection Team while alone. This place was far too dangerous.
"Let me say it again: I'll find a way to sabotage the crossbows while you two rescue the imprisoned villagers. We'll regroup once I've found you, and then we'll act together," Jeanne said to the others. Although it was unwise for just three of them to split up, they had no other choice.
"Alina, have you secured the Holy Shroud I gave you properly?"
Before they departed, Jeanne entrusted the Holy Shroud to Alina. When worn, it could withstand most Originium Arts and crossbow attacks.
Unfortunately, they hadn't had time to fashion it into a garment; they could only bind it around their vital areas. This significantly enhanced Alina and Talulah's safety as they moved together.
"Everything's secure," Alina confirmed, her voice earnest after double-checking. "I even managed to fashion a makeshift hood."
Never having experienced combat before, Alina was visibly nervous, worried she might slow them down.
"Alright, let's move. Remember to come back alive!"
With those words, Talulah ignited her flames, melting the lock on the iron gate. As she gently pushed the gate open, the three split into two teams, each embarking on their respective missions.
Jeanne's clothes transformed into black armor and a cloak, revealing her Dragon Witch persona—a stark contrast to her earlier Saintess form.
Moving swiftly through the unlit areas, the black armor served as her perfect camouflage. Her speed allowed her to dart through the darkness like a bat, slipping past undetected.
I have to say, the security at this mining camp is appallingly lax, Jeanne thought, scanning her surroundings as she advanced. If this were my army from my memories, I'd slap anyone caught being so careless.
Yet, she was immensely grateful for the guards' lax vigilance, which allowed her to destroy the most dangerous weapons first.
With a powerful leap, she vaulted over the five-meter-high perimeter wall. Just ahead lay the two heavy crossbows.
Before dealing with the heavy crossbows, however, she needed to eliminate the guards here. Unlike the thugs she'd faced earlier, these were skilled enforcers under the city's underworld boss—minor elite monsters in their own right.
Jeanne crept forward silently, her sword piercing a guard's heart. She clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle his cry and gently lowered him to the ground.
By the time she had dispatched the third enemy, the patrolling guards finally noticed something was amiss. They began to gather together, the crossbowmen trained their heavy crossbows on alert, while the others formed a protective perimeter around them.
This was exactly what Jeanne had anticipated. Magic surged from her body as a terrifying black flame erupted, instantly engulfing the two heavy crossbows and triggering violent explosions centered on them.
The guards were thrown into chaos, the men at the epicenter reduced to unrecognizable masses. Those who survived were engulfed by flames fueled by rage and hatred, their fates no better.
This was the Flame of Vengeance, a power only Jeanne, as an Avenger, could wield. It was a flame born from the collective resentment of herself and the tormented souls surrounding her—the karmic retribution for their own wickedness.
Apart from a trace of Jeanne's own resentment, the flames were fueled entirely by the suffering of the wretched souls who had endured unspeakable torment in this Originium Mine. Had she unleashed her Noble Phantasm at that moment, would the sky-rending resentment have reduced this entire mining camp to ashes?
The strange explosion drew the attention of those inside. Everyone rushed out to investigate, and when they saw the towering flames engulfing the Heavy Crossbow position, their first thought was of a Siege Cannon attack.
Amidst the inferno, they spotted the silhouette of a young woman. Clad in black armor and wearing a peculiar headdress, her dark cloak billowed behind her like unfolded dragon wings.
In her hand, she carried a banner embroidered with intricate patterns. Is she a standard-bearer? Did she set this fire?
"Some of you take aim with the crossbows! The rest, come with me to take out the standard-bearer!"
A figure who seemed to be the leader shouted above the din, and the crowd immediately began to follow his orders.
As the group advanced, crossbow bolts already whizzed through the air toward Jeanne, but each one was incinerated mid-flight, reduced to ash before it could even graze the hem of her robe.
Is that Jeanne? How did she transform like this? Where did these flames come from? Could it be Originium Arts? But she's not Infected, and she doesn't have a wand...
Talulah and Alina watched Jeanne, who was completely different from her usual self, and wondered what had happened to transform her so drastically.
However, they couldn't afford to waste time. With all eyes focused on Jeanne, they had ample opportunity to search for the villagers. They couldn't afford to squander this chance and needed to complete their mission as quickly as possible.
After all, every minute wasted increased the danger Jeanne faced.