Ulysses: Jeanne d'Arc and the Alchemist Knight

Year 1415 France - Paris

Citizens!

Harfleur has fallen, but do not fear!

France is blessed with God's divine protection!

The day we repel the English army

and put an end to this prolonged war is near!

#01 Oath

Who's there? You can't just walk in here!

Sorry, but the store's not open yet!

And just when are you going to be open?

Oh, it's just you again.

I don't have new grimoires in yet.

Don't you get sick of coming here looking for those every day?

What's that?

Whoa!

Hmph. That's not a book you could read.

Put it on my tab!

For crying out loud...

Thanks, Master!

I'm not your master!

The Beast of the Apocalypse, eh?

Our nation has been under invasion by our neighbor,

England, since the last century.

The two nations have been at war since the year I was born.

That's nearly eighty years now.

One day, historians will refer to this conflict as the "Hundred Years' War."

This war between two Christian nations

for the rule of the kingdom has resulted in bloodshed and devastated earth,

creating much hardship for the peoples of both France and England.

Good grief.

Ow!

Guess that's as far as I can get on my own...

Montmorency.

Oh... Richemont!

Can't you knock?

You left the door open.

You have the lowest marks in the class in the military arts,

martial arts, and equestrian arts.

On top of that, your poor attendance puts you at risk of failing.

And this heresy you study...

It's not heresy!

Call it "alchemy"!

Montmorency!

Richemont must have gotten here first.

I-I'm sorry!

Hmph!

Ah, um...

I-Is Montmorency...

Bah! Why is a guy like him so popular?

Transmutation with the Philosopher's Stone!

This is the ultimate secret art!

They say the Stone turns its owner immortal!

Which means, if we master alchemy—

If we master alchemy,

no one will have to die in battle anymore.

No reaction?

I've heard this a hundred times.

So you want to buy up all the grimoires you can find...

That's just it!

I've read a bunch, and it's like they're written in code!

I'm not gonna get anywhere unless I get that old man to teach me!

Nicolas Flamel...

The alchemist rumored to have learned the secret art of Kabbalah.

I don't know what rumors you've heard, but I'm just an old bookseller.

Ask someone else.

Who does he think he's fooling?

Are you done talking now?

Then let's talk about reality.

Our nation has already let the English army come in

and take control of Harfleur.

As a noble, it's your duty to become a knight and end this war.

I'd rather have a job that saves lives than one that takes them.

Montmorency...

Oh, yeah!

Are you free tonight?

Huh?

What am I doing, exactly?

Hold it!

Charlotte?

Philip?

Fairies?

Yeah! I saw them, plain as day!

Hey, were those—

As you know, fairies are seen as retainers of demons

and are hunted down by the church.

So why does Nicolas Flamel keep a bunch of them?

Fairies must be connected to alchemy somehow!

Alchemy...

If the old man won't teach it to me,

I'll just have to ask the fairies.

It could at least help me start to understand.

F-Fairies don't bite, do they?

I once heard of someone who had a finger bitten off by a fairy.

Cut it out, Charlotte.

One might have even gone in through someone's mouth and eaten their innards...

Charlotte...

Hmph!

Quiet. The fairies will run away.

Why are you only ever nice to Philip?

Because you're always causing trouble—

I have a little sister, so I'm used to this. Don't worry about it.

Sorry.

He's not just nice to Philip.

He's nice to everyone.

That's why it makes me so mad.

Montmorency!

What is it?!

Th-They're...

English soldiers!

What?!

Richemont!

Your fight is with m—

He's weak!

A-Are you okay?

I'm... fine...

Oh, no!

Take this!

You did it! What was that?

Pepper and ash.

It's not even poison?!

I can't make anything that dangerous!

Oh, honestly!

Play along.

Huh?

You'd best turn back!

Do you know who this man is?

He is the first pupil of the famous Nicolas Flamel,

The Alchemist of Black Death, Montmorency!

The one and only!

That's right!

And my next trick will be to turn a man to stone!

Sorry, though. My master hasn't taught me how to turn them back yet!

I have to buy time until Richemont takes that guy out...

Ph-Philosopher's Stone!

By your limitless magical power,

turn this mortal into an invincible berserker!

Let's die here together, shall we?

I didn't realize the English had made it this far into France.

There. You should be fine now.

It's not like our mock battles.

Be proud!

You're strong, Richemont!

Montmorency...

We won because of my strategy!

Yes, I know. Great job.

I-I'm pretty sure I played a significant role, too...

You guys should be praising my Philosopher's Stone too, then!

It's just a rock.

This stone was buried deep in my family's storehouse.

There are piles of ancient treasures in there!

I think it's just a rock.

You don't have to be so blunt about it!

I wish things could stay like this forever.

We all study side by side,

but I am of the noble house of Brittany,

Charlotte is of the French royal family,

and Philip is of the house of Burgundy.

We live in mad times.

We may one day face each other as political opponents,

or even fight on opposing sides of the battlefield.

But if possible,

I would love it if we could stay friends forever.

We can, if that's what we want.

We're the strongest team around!

We can do anything!

We even beat up English soldiers.