Raise Joan of Arc to be an empress, then discard her.

As the princess spoke, her eyes were dreamy and sparkling, and her face still carried her usual smile. But Aaron could sense the usual indifference in that smile, as well as her high and mighty status.

Yes, Helena is the princess of this country, the apple of everyone's eye, and Simon is the one who married Helena. They are a perfect match, but their relationship is far beyond the reach of ordinary people. The gap between them and ordinary people is as huge as a high wall.

"Oh, by the way, congratulations." The princess seemed to have suddenly transformed back into that carefree young girl, patting Aaron's shoulder incessantly.

“I’ve always believed you could pass the trial. From the very beginning, I felt you were no ordinary person. You’re different from those young noblemen. I’ve always looked forward to the day when you could stand out and give those who looked down on you a good slap in the face, and show them that you are the real genius.”

Helena spoke with such enthusiasm and joy, as if she were the one who had always believed in and supported Aaron. Her enthusiasm and fierce determination had an infectious quality, which stirred something within Aaron.

They went up to the third floor, the best spot in the Crystal Palace, the seat at the very top of the gem. From here, one could overlook the entire interior of the gem and even gaze at the city, taking in a large part of Birmingham. Aaron stood on the sidelines, holding a crystal glass, looking down. All he could see were luxurious carriages and the graceful shoulders of noble ladies, as if he were standing at the top of the world.

"So this is what it feels like to stand above everyone," Aaron thought to himself, though this was far from the path he had originally envisioned.

At this moment, the waiter served them the dishes on silver platters. The moment the silver lid was lifted, the fragrant aroma and heat were released. The waiter presented perfectly roasted venison, sprinkled with coarse sea salt and black pepper, and garnished with rosemary and truffle shavings for added flavor. It was also served with a matching red berry sauce and cream. Just smelling it was enough to make one's mouth water.

The waiter separated the venison, cutting the tenderest part, the sirloin, into three pieces and serving them. Aaron knew that this kind of meat had to be paired with a slightly acidic red wine to cut through the richness of the meat. And just like finding a pillow when you're sleepy, the waiter opened the red wine wrapped in a napkin and poured the brightly colored liquid into their tall glasses.

Aaron was exhausted today. Since becoming a superhuman, his appetite and energy expenditure have far exceeded those of ordinary people. He had been feeling hungry for a long time, but he still ate the venison in small bites and slowly drank a sip of red wine.

The food was tender and the lighting was warm, which eased the tension between the three of them. This was the charm of wine and food, creating a feeling of family dinner together.

"By the way, Aaron, what do you think of our relationship?" Helena asked suddenly, picking up a piece of venison with her knife and fork.

When people ask about your relationship, it usually means they need your help. So, Aaron took a bite of venison and asked cautiously, "What instructions does the princess have?"

"Don't be so wary," Helena said sadly.

"Little Aaron, I've always been good to you, haven't I? Our relationship has always been good, hasn't it? And you're so successful, becoming a judge. Don't think that just because I have many friends, you're the only one among them who works in the Church of Judgment. How about you become a princess knight or something, and help me in the Church of Judgment? After all, we've known each other for so long and trust each other so much, of course you'd give me priority, right?"

We've known each other for so long... but it's only been less than half a month at most...

While Aaron was inwardly grumbling, he realized that although the princess spoke in a joking tone, her request was definitely not casual. His intuition was soon proven correct, as Helena immediately spoke again.

Helena picked up the red wine, a confident smile on her face, and said, "Of course, I won't treat you unfairly. Starting today, you can receive my sponsorship. This is royal sponsorship, but of course, it's only in my personal capacity."

"Sponsorship?" Aaron thought for a moment. "Wouldn't that be against the rules?"

Having just become the judge, he naturally had to consider the risks involved.

"Ah, so you're only willing to help Simon after all?" Helena said angrily.

Aaron was stunned, not understanding what the princess meant.

Simon replied, "Of course he'll help us; after all, we're family."

Simon's words left Aaron even more confused, because Simon said it with a matter-of-fact expression, as if Aaron had already agreed.

"That sounds like I'm being asked to abuse my power for personal gain." Aaron picked up a piece of venison with his fork, pretending not to understand. Well, he really didn't understand.

Simon explained, “This is not a case of abusing power. The Judgment Church is a force that needs to be composed of outside superhumans. Church members are naturally bound to have connections with other churches. Sometimes these connections are a drawback, and sometimes they are an advantage. The Judgment Church certainly will not give up this advantage, so this kind of thing is normal in the Judgment Church.”

Simon continued, "There is a man named Theo in the Birmingham Trial Church. He comes from the Church of War and still associates with it. He has even helped the Church of War with some matters. The Trial Church turns a blind eye to this. As long as principles and bottom lines are followed, the Trial Church does not restrict such things too much."

"I see."

Aaron was also hearing about this for the first time, and he looked enlightened. Simon was pleased with this expression, feeling as if he had regained control and his dignity.

So Simon leaned back on the sofa, took a sip of red wine to moisten his throat—his mouth was dry from explaining so much—but before he could even finish the wine, he heard Aaron say:

"So, can I ask others to help them and then get paid? After all, as long as I follow the principles and bottom line, there should be many people outside who want me to help them."

Simon nearly spit out a mouthful of wine through his nostrils and coughed violently.

After wiping his mouth with a handkerchief, he shouted, "Of course not!"

Simon reacted strongly, but Aaron seemed unconcerned. Instead, he stood up and went to the veranda, looking down at the nobles below. He pretended to be clueless and said, "I'll go down and ask them to donate a hundred gold flowers to me. I think many people would be willing."

"How can that be?!"

Simon swallowed the question, "What will others think of the Jagger family?" and instead turned to say, feigning sternness,

"They are just nobles from Birmingham; they can't offer you any real help."

Chapter 187 Benefits

Simon was confident about this. Although the local nobles might have some advantages in Birmingham, once they left Birmingham and entered the area between Lodoren, they would only be regarded as provincial nobles, and their power would be incomparable to that of the Jagger family.

Aaron seemed to agree, saying, "You're right, they really can't offer me any real help. I'd better find a bigger backer."

Aaron then turned to Helena and said, "Then I might as well grant the princess's request."

Simon was right. The power of these local nobles could not compare to that of the Jagger family, but even if the Jagger family was extremely powerful, how could they compare to the real royal family? Therefore, he naturally chose Helena.

Simon was speechless, unable to express his frustration. Helena, amused by Aaron's reaction, burst into laughter. Instead of trying to salvage the situation for Simon, she cheerfully spoke up for Aaron:

"Hahaha! Little Aaron, you're a genius! You're right, when it comes to joining a power, it's always best to join the biggest one. You'll join my ranks, and from now on, just say you're my little brother. I'll protect you in the Kingdom of Dok!"

"I'm your brother! Don't go to Her Highness for everything!" Simon tried to fight back.

"But I feel like you're not planning to give me any real help, Simon."

Simon used his status as the older brother to intimidate him, but Aaron completely ignored his pressure and just glanced at him sideways.

Simon felt uneasy under Aaron's gaze, inwardly roaring, "I've already married my young and beautiful sister to you, what more do you want?" The line of men wanting to marry Freya stretched from the Dok Strait all the way to the Lusset Empire, but he knew times had changed. Aaron had become the judge, worthy of Freya's status. This wasn't the time to lose his temper, so he calmed himself and said:

"Then what do you want?"

"I'm really short on money lately," Aaron said with a worried expression, swirling his wine glass and looking at the sparse amount of wine in it.

This is the absolute truth. He is really short of money right now. Although he has just landed a high-paying job with benefits such as a land title, annuity, and various perks, none of them are cash that he can withdraw immediately. And today, he just happened to owe 167 gold coins in debt, so he is really short of money.

"By the way, I've just become a judge, so people outside should be quite willing to donate some money to me." Aaron walked to the edge of the corridor again, ready to look down.

In the lessons he had learned in his previous life, people who passed the imperial examinations would immediately receive money from all sorts of people. If we round it up, he would be similar to a judge who passed the imperial examinations, and he should also receive money from all sorts of people. He really felt that he could give it a try, and he was eager to try.

Thinking of this, Aaron looked down and saw many nobles looking up at him curiously. It just so happened that Simon had gathered this group of people here today. These people were undoubtedly the powerful and influential in Birmingham. If Aaron were to open his mouth, these people would probably be very willing to "donate" him a sum of money.

"How could this be!"

But just as Aaron was about to do so, Simon strongly opposed it, pulling Aaron back onto the sofa, fearing that he would actually go down and ask the nobles for donations.

What a joke! Aaron is Freya's fiancé. They were officially engaged at the kingdom's celebration. Everyone knows he's from the Jagger family. If they actually see Aaron coming to ask them for donations, what will those nobles think of the Jagger family? Simon shuddered at the thought.

“But I’m short of money, and I remember when I became a judge, Simon didn’t help me at all,” Aaron began to mutter on the sofa.

Simon realized he would have to bleed a lot of money today. He coughed and was pondering how much to donate. Aaron, however, thought Simon was unwilling and said to Helena beside him, "I wonder how much donation I can get if I agree to become a princess knight for Your Highness?"

“Great! I can sponsor you 1000 gold flowers as a congratulatory gift.” Helena generously offered the amount.

1000 gold coins… Although it was just a casual question, Aaron was still taken aback by the princess's generosity. As expected of the royal family… her generosity was extraordinary, making him really want to agree…

"I told you not to come to Her Highness for everything. I'm your brother!" Simon couldn't help but shout again.

“Well…” Aaron rubbed his index finger and thumb together condescendingly, indicating to Simon that he should handle it.

“3000, I’ll give you 3000 gold coins as a subsidy,” Simon said through gritted teeth.

3000 gold coins... This was a huge sum for Aaron, but he still pretended to be calm and said, "Brother Simon looks a little unwilling..."

"Do I have to smile when I give you money?" Simon couldn't help but say.

“Indeed, no need. I’ve always believed that those who give money are truly philanthropists. Thank you, Brother Simon.” Aaron smiled and even gave Simon a slight bow.

Simon, looking rather dejected after being annoyed by Aaron, took a swig of his drink in a huff. Aaron then asked, "So, Simon, when will the donation arrive?"

"Do you really think I would lie to you?" Simon said coldly.

"Of course not, it's just that it's the first time I've handled a large sum of money, and I'm a little uneasy about it, so I wanted to ask for clarification. Is it through a bank transfer?"

Simon took a deep breath, wanting to tell Aaron that even for the Jagger family, such a sum of money wasn't something they could just use casually; it required a process, and it would be best to give Aaron the money in installments. But before he could speak, Helena said first:

"Since Aaron is so worried... I remember Freya has a special account, right? Let's transfer all the money to Freya's account, and then Freya can transfer it to Aaron regularly. That way, Aaron will feel at ease, right?"

Helena swirled her wine glass as she spoke, a beaming smile on her face, instantly chilling Aaron's euphoric heart: "Wait, call Freya..."

"Yes, put all the money with Freya first. You can ask her when you want to withdraw it. Since you're not married yet, let them experience married life and manage their own assets in advance. Freya will be very happy."

“But…” Aaron wanted to refute, but couldn’t find a reason for it.

"And you suddenly received such a large sum of money, which was given to you by Simon. Is it considered your joint property, family property, or personal property? If this money only ends up in your name, it will become a problem after you get married. You don't want property issues to arise before your marriage has even started, do you? So entrusting it to Freya to manage is the perfect choice. What do you think, Aaron?"

Helena blinked her big, sparkling eyes and looked at Aaron with an innocent expression. Aaron knew this was a calculated move, but he couldn't find a reason to refute it.

Simon also realized that this was indeed an excellent solution: "Since Helena has said so, let's do it this way. This matter can be completed in three days, and Freya will be very happy. What do you think?"

"me……"

Simon, speaking with the air of someone who's been there, said, "Although we're family, property is a serious matter. You'll have your own property after you get married, so this is just a good opportunity for rehearsal."

"However, I also know that extraordinary people usually have a lot of expenses, so that account will automatically transfer 40 gold coins to your private account every month."

"Thank you, brother..."

The huge sum of 2000 gold coins suddenly turned into a fixed monthly deposit of 40 gold coins into his account. Although it was still good, the difference was too great, and it still made Aaron's heart tremble.

"You're welcome." Simon was unusually magnanimous.

Aaron plummeted from the sky back to the ground, his emotions a jumble of feelings. He sighed, said something, and decided to go outside for some fresh air to clear his head.

On the top-floor sofa, after Aaron left, Simon sat down with a sigh of relief. Leaning back on the sofa, he said to the girl who had willingly leaned on his shoulder, "You've helped me again..."

“You’re my fiancé, who else would I help if not you?” Helena said.

Helena put down her wine glass, put her arm around Simon's shoulder, and slowly kissed him. Although their expressions were so gentle at first, their actions gradually became wild like wild beasts. Only they understood each other's feelings.

When Aaron returned from outside, Simon was already standing in front of the corridor. When Aaron came to his side, he saw that the waiters below had already set up a huge seven-tiered champagne tower on the first floor. Because of the belief in the Seven Gods, seven is a sacred number in the Kingdom of Dok. Therefore, the seven-tiered champagne tower is the highest-level decoration in the celebration and is only set up for the most distinguished guests.

Simon looked at the seven-story champagne tower and said, "The champagne tower we prepared today was originally for you and Freya, but since Freya is not here and you have become the judge, we have decided that this seven-story champagne tower will be opened for you."

As Simon finished speaking, the waiter holding the ladder poured champagne from the top champagne tower, and the nobles below cheered. All the cheers were for Aaron, but Aaron looked at the amber liquid pouring down from the top and was momentarily dazed. He had never expected things to turn out this way. He had originally hoped to stay in the government building as a clerk. He had been working for a year, and if he continued to work hard for two more years, he could participate in the triennial selection and possibly be promoted or transferred to another place. He never imagined that he would be standing here now, as a judge, receiving cheers from the people.

Aaron ultimately embarked on the path of a superhuman. Although he initially intended to live an ordinary life and never touch his past again, it seemed as if an invisible force was constantly pushing him forward, with unexpected events repeatedly derailing his life: Freya, Jagger, Eclair, MI7, the Church of Judgment...

These unexpected events seemed to appear out of nowhere, constantly disrupting his life until all of them converged into a single force, ultimately pushing him here, onto this seemingly predetermined path of the extraordinary…

Aaron instinctively reached into his pocket and silently pulled out a red silk scarf.

This scarf certainly didn't appear out of thin air. He changed his clothes twice in the Church of Judgment, and this scarf appeared in the pants he was wearing at the beginning. Someone had stuffed it into his clothes when he was in that strange church.

It turns out that none of it was fake; it all really happened. His transformation into a monster was real, all his memories were real, and the girl he met was real. She even put a silk scarf in his pocket, as if to remind him not to forget her.

While everyone was popping champagne to celebrate, he quietly brought the silk scarf to his nose. Even though it had been in his pocket for a long time, the scarf still carried an intoxicating fragrance.

This scarf must have been part of the girl's clothes. He didn't know what the scarf represented or why the girl gave it to him. But when he saw the scarf, he thought of the girl's feet and the almost insane shock of those legs walking towards him. His heart trembled, and his whole heart sank slowly, as if sinking into a deep pool.

Late at night, the White Giant Tower.