4★ Jeanne

Fire Jeanne

A young Astromon skilled in battle, whose only weakness is her impulsive character. Those around Jeanne urge her to be more level-headed, but it seems recklessness is in her nature and rectifying it will be no easy task.

This Astromon creates much trouble for herself due to her hasty nature. One time, at an all-you-can-eat ice cream buffet, she ate too much too quickly and suffered a truly splitting headache. Adversity is never far from her side, it seems.

Thanks to her spontaneous nature, Saint Jeanne is ready to leap into action at any time, and her adaptability makes her an invaluable ally on the battlefield. Never late for an appointment, she is well trusted by her friends, and is always asking advice about how to turn her weaknesses into new strengths.

“So, a suspicious shadow was seen moving near the bridge, and now you’ve been asked to stand guard there?”

Jeanne nodded.

“Do you have any sort of plan? Do we really have to spend the entire night here beneath the bridge?”

As soon as the villagers had asked her to stand guard, Jeanne dragged me here and set up camp beneath the bridge. Did we really need to overreact like this just because of some vague story about a “suspicious shadow”?… is what I wanted to ask, but Jeanne wouldn’t have listened. There was already fire in her eyes, her heart full of indignation at anything that might threaten the villagers. I decided to go along with it, and staked out the area with her for three hours. The sun had finally gone down, and darkness began to cover the region. I tried to think more positively. Positivity… The shadow might actually be a robber, someone who was targeting passersby on the bridge at night. We couldn’t just let that slide. Jeanne made the right call. I kept trying to stay positive.

“They’re here, Master.”

Saint Jeanne woke me from my nap and pointed to what was definitely a silhouette of person. I had to stop her from running at full speed toward them and convince her to observe from afar instead. The silhouette was moving back and forth on the bridge as though looking for something. Finally, the person started running as though they had found what they were looking for. Were they really a robber? I was about to give orders to Jeanne, but she had already leapt from where we were hiding and was running toward the silhouette.

“Identify yourself!” she yelled while boldly blocking the person’s way. The silhouette stretched out a hand to reveal the shocking truth… that he was just one of the young men from the village.

“What were you doing out here so late? Are you drunk?” Jeanne had started the interrogation without waiting for me. The young man stuttered as he tried to explain himself.

“I-I just came out for a walk! Look, there’s my dog! He gets really hot during the day, so we come out at night.”

“…”

As the man said, a dog with a thick fur coat was running around a tree on the other side of the bridge. Meanwhile, the young man still looked startled and confused. We sent him away and walked alone under the night sky. “See? You were too eager. If you had at least checked to see if anyone had been assaulted by a robber, we could have saved ourselves some trouble.”

“I’m sorry…”

I do think one of her greatest strengths is that she won’t just stand by when she thinks someone may be in danger, but I didn’t say it aloud. She has to learn sometimes that running head first into everything isn’t the solu—

“Master! There’s another suspicious silhouette!”

“Wait! Don’t just rush into things!”

She still hasn’t learned.

Water Jeanne

This young Astromon takes to any task with sincerity and thought. Rumor has it Jeanne likes to abandon her serious side at times and have a little fun; an admirable characteristic, if true.

Preparation and routine are this Astromon’s forte, and a schedule is something to be followed to the letter. Almost every day goes exactly according to plan, and even a minor divergence from the timetable can make Jeanette a little flustered. Masters are advised to have a little patience when handling this Astromon.

Serious by nature, Saint Jeanne fulfills her militaristic role with faithful determination. More resolute than her adolescent days, she has also acquired a little more flexibility toward her love of meticulous scheduling. Recently she has been a little troubled by her master’s impromptu overnight business trips, so occupies herself with menial tasks to take her mind off things.

“Aaaggghhh…”

“What was that for? Something on your mind?”

“Yeah. You know how Jeanne is working as my aide, right?”

“Of course. You said she’s the perfect aide.”

“That’s the problem. Don’t get me wrong—she does an excellent job. She took my messy schedule and organized it very intuitively, and she even organizes all of my papers and puts them in their proper place. And no, it doesn’t stop there. She brings me my things before I even ask for them, and pours me water the instant I say I’m thirsty!

“It sounds like she’s reading your mind…”

“Right? I mean, it’s great and all… I’m busy with all sorts of things, so having her around is convenient. Really convenient.”

“But?”

“But now I don’t have anything to do to avoid working! Since Jeanne takes care of it all, I don’t have any breathing time! No time for slacking!”

“Ah. She’s too perfect, eh?”

“Of course, she does schedule breaks for me, but I’m not a machine. I can’t do everything on an exact schedule. It’s got me thinking a bit… about running away.”

“The truth is, Saint Jeanne came to me recently about something on her mind.”

“Came to you…?”

“She was worried that you were going out so much lately, especially when you would get off the airship and go out without guards or anyone to protect you. She had no idea, of course, that she was the reason you were leaving so much…”

“What should I do? She’s so perfect that I feel suffocated, but obviously I can’t tell her that.”

“Maybe she’d take it as a compliment.”

“Really…?”

“Of course not! She’d be upset.”

“Stop messing around and help me figure out what to do.”

“For starters, stop going out to avoid the issue, and try solving it through conversation. Don’t you think you should treat her with as much care as she treats you?”

“You’re right…”

“Saint Jeanne may be sincere and stubborn to a fault, but on the other hand, you’re independent and free-spirited to a fault.”

“Yeah… Without her, I’d probably have made a mess of everything, then would’ve gotten kicked out from the Astromasters’ Association because I’d be too lazy to fix it all.”

“So go apologize to her. She’ll be open to you if you’re sincere. You two are so great for each other that I’m honestly jealous.”

“Still… It’d be okay if I go out sometimes, right…?”

“Go ask her, after you apologize!”

Wood Jeanne

This young Astromon seems to always be either asleep or dozing. Jeanne possesses an innate ability to adapt to any situation, but soon drifts back to the land of slumber. Higher-ranking Astromons often scold her for being lazy, but Jeanne would rather take a nap than pay such voices much attention.

Jeanette can often be found sleeping in the most unexpected of places—on top of the airship’s chimneys, or the highest shelf in the pantry. The locations she chooses are sometimes dangerous, but she performs so well in training her master can’t really complain too much.

Her barefaced, cheeky nature has evolved into something even her master might find a touch irritating. It is this happy-go-lucky personality that sees Saint Jeanne generate great affinity with her master’s new Astromons, helping them to quickly fit into the group. Her motto is “compassion and courage,” words she truly takes to heart.

Another day, another new village in which I enact my plan. I make a living by receiving money from others. Mind you, I don’t simply beg for money. There’d be too much competition, and money’s tight for many people these days. Not to mention, they’d obviously be much more willing to give to a young child or someone with a disability than me. That’s why I’ve come up with a plan. First, I get all teared up and walk around the village like I’m looking for something. If I look desperate enough, then someone’s bound to approach me. When they ask what a nice young man like me is doing there, I break down crying and tell them I’ve lost all of my savings from my job. “Without my savings, I can’t… I can’t… My sister’s tuition… My mom’s medicine…” I trail off, my lips quivering. Then the other person will say something like, “I don’t know how much you had saved, but maybe this can help you keep going,” and they’ll give me whatever money they’ve got. You can make so much more money this way than by begging. The only problem is that you can only use it once per village before moving on to the next village. Still, it works like a charm. I started digging a hole in the ground. After an hour or so had passed, someone spoke to me.

“What are you looking for?”

She was pretty, and looked gullible. I had a feeling this one would end well for me. My eyes started tearing up as I told her I’d lost an entire month’s salary.

The girl started combing through the village with me to find the money. I’d encountered people like this before who offer to help me look. They’d give up after not too long, and I’d get back to my plan. However, this girl was something else. She was the worst. She wouldn’t give up, so that we ended up searching the entire village together.

“You look really tired,” I said. I had hoped she would take the hint and just give me a bit of money, but she also did look really, really tired. I didn’t know people could look so tired and still keep going like this…

“To be honest, I came out to the village to avoid my whiny master, and I was planning on finding a place to sleep where I wouldn’t be discovered… But I couldn’t sleep peacefully if I knew there was someone in trouble and I did nothing. Now that we’ve looked all over the village, though, I’m wondering… Did you maybe drop it in the water?”

She headed for the stream bank and lifted her arms in the air like she was getting ready to dive in. Stop. You don’t need to do this. It’s a lie. It’s all a lie! “It’s not there! It’s not in the water!” I yelled in desperation.

“Huh? You never know, right?”

“I do know. It’s not there because I lied about losing my money! Please, just go. Go get some sleep!”

“…”

She stared at me, right at my face. I turned my eyes away. I knew that if I stared into her eyes any longer, I would admit to everything. “I’m glad you didn’t lose anything. But lying is bad.”

“…”

“Do you have any interest in actually working?”

“What kind of work?”

“I’ll pay you to stand guard for me while I sleep. There are a lot of people looking for me, and it’s not easy to get a good night’s rest…”

She didn’t ask me why I lied. She didn’t seem to care. She just took my hand and started taking me somewhere. She really was strange, like a sleepy angel or something.

Light Jeanne

A young Astromon possessed of a strong will, Jeanne trains her mind and body daily. She dreams of the day she will don the pure-white armor of a knight to proudly protect both her master and her fellow Astromons.

“Jeannette must abide by three solemn vows. They are as follows:

1. Never retreat from battle.

2. Show mercy to the weak, but also respect.

3. Fulfill all promises made, and live without dishonesty or deceit.

Taking these vows is simple; observing them is another matter indeed.”

– Excerpt from “Essays on Astromon Society” by Telem the Obscure

A lady knight, virtuous and proud, who delights in serving masters of prodigious talent. Respectful at every moment, Saint Jeanne is compassionate to Astromons of any element, but strict and unforgiving towards herself. This character trait causes her more than a little stress, but a few kind words of encouragement from her master are usually enough for such anxieties to melt away.

We walked cautiously through the underground tunnel. According to the map, we’d soon arrive at the forking path that led to the prison. Under normal circumstances, I would have never accepted such a dangerous job, especially since it wasn’t even from the Astromasters’ Association. They’d probably yell at me if they found out about it… I don’t know if Jeanne knew I was scared, but she followed behind me with a brave look on her face. I would’ve never taken this job if not for her. Springing the Black Fox from jail… It seemed surreal. The villagers the Black Fox had helped swarmed us, with some even grabbing onto my leg and begging, but I was going to refuse. A thief is still a thief, even if they steal from the rich to give to the poor, and they were asking me to spring a thief from prison. Villagers in remote towns like this don’t seem to have a problem saying some crazy things… But, after intently listening to their story, Jeanne wanted to help.

“Jeanne, why’d you agree to this?”

“I was curious about something,” she said, stopping.

“About what?”

“About what justice is.”

She probably meant about whether it was just for the Fox to steal for the people, or for the police to lock her up. For someone as serious and upright as Jeanne, it was an understandable question.

We passed through the tunnel and were lucky enough to reach the prison without being discovered. None of the cells were occupied save for one in the middle. Saint Jeanne approached the woman in the cell.

“Are you the Black Fox?”

“I am. Who are you?”

“I’ve come with my master at the request of the villagers to rescue you. Come with us.”

The woman in the cell waved her hand.

“Nah, I’m fine. I finally got what was comin’ to me.”

Jeanne was taken aback.

“What?!”

“See, I was born into a really poor family. I went through some terrible things, things I can’t even talk about. Then one day, a thought hit me—if no one was poor, other kids wouldn’t have to go through what I went through. So I went and robbed a bunch of evil rich folks and gave the money to the poor, but I knew it was wrong. Still, I don’t have any regrets.”

“Don’t you think you did the right thing, then?”

“It wasn’t right, and it wasn’t evil… But maybe that’s too hard for you to understand. Well, since I’m here, I’m gonna go to court and tell ’em how hard a lot of us poor folks have it and what we gotta deal with. To me, that’s the right thing to do.”

“…”

“Now, you should get outta here before someone comes.”

Quietly, Jeanne turned and approached me where I stood as lookout.

“To me, the right thing is…”

She looked like she was lost in thought, no doubt wondering about chivalry and justice and right and wrong. I could tell today’s conversation was a milestone that changed the way she would look at the world moving forward. I bowed my head to the Black Fox in gratitude.

Dark Jeanne

A young girl who seeks to draw her power from the darkest depths of her soul. Her desire to grow in strength is apparent in the way she conditions herself, such as refusing to wear an apron even when cooking deep-fried foods.

This young lady Astromon meditates in the pitch darkness of night in a bid to become stronger than all others. When Jeannette awakens from her trance, just as the dawn is breaking, she always drinks two glasses of water and eats a special salad for breakfast to ensure she gets enough dietary fiber. Jeannette only ever uses her own home-grown organic vegetables, and she boasts of superior quality harvests than even the local farmers.

To achieve her goal of becoming the world’s strongest knight, Saint Jeanne chose to fortify the darkness that resides deep within her. In preparation for this, she strives to master the secret arts of stealth. In the constricting alleyways of the city bazaar, she delivers newspapers to the merchants, gently slipping through the throngs of shoppers like a breeze wafts though a forest; she goes barely noticed and rarely ever felt. Saint Jeanne also tried her hand numerous other trades, all to facilitate her quest for knightly greatness.

I was a little surprised when Jeanne said she would take on some part-time work as part of her training, but I didn’t try to stop her. Not that she would’ve listened anyway, and besides, she seemed to be stronger in battle, so I figured her work was helping her. Today, though, she was acting weird. She hadn’t come out of her room yet. I think she was supposed to deliver newspapers, serve tables at her restaurant, and sell packaged meals at the store. Maybe she was just tired. I decided to knock on her door.

“Jeanne? Something wrong?”

The door opened. Jeanne’s face was full of worry.

“Something on your mind? I’m happy to listen.”

“M-Master…!”

The floodgates opened as she told me everything she’d been thinking.

“So, let me make sure I’m getting this right. Every one of your temp agencies asked you to work on the holiday coming up? To the point where your managers started fighting over you?”

“Yeah…”

“But you’d wanted to—”

“I was going to go to the festival with you on our day off… But then they said they do better business if I’m there, and I couldn’t say no… I didn’t know what to do.”

I suddenly started to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation.

“Ha ha ha ha!”

“M-Master…?”

“Your only problem here is that you’re too good at all your jobs. That, and the fact that you’re so kind.”

“What?!”

“I’ll take care of it. Just wait here.”

I left her in her room and went down to the village. She had been taking jobs from every temp agency there, which meant it took all day to visit them all, but finally I got back.

“It’s all taken care of.”

“Really? How? What did you do?”

“I turned them all down. I told them you already had plans, and that you panicked earlier when they asked you.”

“You can do that…? But what if that puts them in a difficult position?” she asked, visibly concerned and fidgeting. I smiled.

“I think you’re a little mixed up. When you first started working, what was your goal? Wasn’t it to become stronger than anyone? You’re not working to help anyone, although of course it’s good if you can.”

“You’re right. I wanted to become stronger than anyone… I wanted to become strong for you!”

“In that case, no need to push yourself so much. Let’s go to that festival together.”

“Okay!”

Saint Jeanne busily moved around the room as though she had been recharged. I started thinking. She’s already really strong, and thanks to her work, she even managed to undergo super evolution. Maybe she should just quit her jobs…

“I’ll make some food to pack for you, Master!”

If working makes her that happy, though, I couldn’t ever ask her to quit. If she feels fulfilled, then so do I.