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

"But people blessed with the rabbit's blessing also have their own advantages. They can easily gain the recognition of the rabbit tribe. I once heard a rumor that a person with the rabbit's blessing only needs to swear never to eat rabbit meat again and bring three hundred carrots to the rabbits to gain the recognition of the rabbit tribe. Their advantage over you is that they can easily advance in rank."

"In the present Kingdom of Dok, some ethnic groups have reached cooperation with the kingdom's government. As long as the kingdom approves, the extraordinary individuals who are to receive the corresponding blessing can receive the blessing."

"Although the dragon race is powerful, they are also a solitary race. If you cannot gain their approval, you will never be able to advance further and will remain in the first stage for life."

Aaron was secretly pleased when he learned that his blessing was a dragon, but he did not expect such trouble to follow, and he was speechless for a moment.

"So talking directly to the dragons won't work. I'll take you to see someone."

"Can he help me take care of this?"

Chapter 218 The Dragon Family

"No, they can't help you sort it out, but they have a good relationship with the dragons."

"They have a good relationship with the dragons?"

"The Natural Blessing System has existed in the Kingdom of Dok for thousands of years. During these thousands of years, humans and spirit beasts have formed a cooperative relationship with the entire spirit beast race."

"As far as I know, there is the Clinton family, because their ancestor was the first person to receive the blessing of the wildebeest. Their family has reached an agreement with the entire wildebeest herd. If someone in the Kingdom of Dok later receives the blessing of the wildebeest, they need to maintain a good relationship with them. They will then help the blessed person plan their path to advancement. And there are countless families like the Clinton family in the Kingdom of Dok. According to tradition, families that cooperate with spirit beasts are called spirit beast families."

"You've always wondered, since the blessing is bestowed by the goddess of nature, the nobles shouldn't be able to guarantee that their descendants will always be extraordinary. New extraordinary individuals will inevitably rise in the kingdom, and extraordinary individuals will inevitably fall in the kingdom. So why do old-school nobles still exist in the Kingdom of Dok?"

"That's the reason. Those families that can maintain their prosperity in the Kingdom of Dok have all, without exception, reached a cooperation agreement with a certain ethnic group. It is said that when their cooperation reaches a certain depth, the ethnic group can even promise to steadily bestow the blessings of that ethnic group upon their descendants, ensuring that each generation of their descendants will have an extraordinary person from the corresponding ethnic group."

"Since ancient times, powerful nobles and powerful spirit beast clans have signed contracts to receive blessings, and weak nobles and weak clans have signed contracts to receive blessings. The nobles of the Kingdom of Dok have achieved a delicate balance through these contracts and blessings."

"I see." Aaron suddenly realized.

"However, now, a thousand years later, the relationships between various families and ethnic groups are complex, and the forces of nature are constantly infiltrating the Kingdom of Dok, leading to increasingly complicated events. But let's leave these aside for now, as they have little to do with you. After all, your blessing belongs to the most aloof ethnic group in the world."

"And the person I'm taking you to see is the only one in the Kingdom of Dok, known as the Dragon Family."

“But since this family can sign a contract with a dragon, they must be very powerful in the Kingdom of Dok. Are they some kind of high-ranking noble family?” Aaron asked.

"As I said before, dragons are a very proud race. Even they cannot guarantee that you will receive the blessing. Be prepared."

In the evening, Claire brought Aaron to Lodoron. Aaron originally thought that Claire would take him to the outskirts of Lodoron or to the fiefdom of a great nobleman, but Claire took Aaron directly to the center of Lodoron.

"Should we eat first?" Aaron asked.

“We’ve already arranged to have dinner together,” Claire replied.

Claire took Aaron to the Lodoren Museum, which is one of Lodoren's landmark buildings. Many foreigners choose it as their first stop when they come to Lodoren, or consider it one of their must-see attractions when they visit Lodoren.

Correspondingly, the museum is located in the heart of Lodoron. Those who live here are either long-time residents of Lodoron or nobles who live in seclusion in the city. When Claire brought Aaron to the residential buildings near the museum, Aaron thought to himself, "No wonder they are from the Dragon Family, living in such a good location in Lodoron."

“Okay, this is it.” Claire led Aaron to a stop in front of a two-story villa.

"He said we could just go in directly and not to be polite with them." Claire gripped the doorknob and pushed the door open.

This was an old-fashioned villa. The door creaked when it was opened. It was evening, and there were no lights in the stairwell. Aaron could only see a dark staircase leading upstairs.

With an angel by his side, Aaron had nothing to fear and followed Claire straight to the second floor.

"Welcome to my mansion."

A slightly weak voice came from the side, and in the dim light, Aaron saw a thin young man slowly walking towards them.

He had a head of silver hair as messy as a wild lion's, hanging over his shoulders like a rough mane. At first glance, it was hard to tell whether he was a man or a woman, until he raised his deep-set eyes.

He was a very strange-looking man. Judging by his face, he was definitely a Doc, but his skin was even paler than that of a Doc, and his face was like that of a Lucerne, always carrying a frivolous air. He was wearing a fitted tailcoat and a tie, and slowly walked up to the two of them.

“Marcus Drake, it’s an honor to meet you. You seem to have dragon blood flowing through your veins, just like me.” After introducing himself, the man extended his hand to Aaron.

“Aaron Brandon, I do not have dragon blood, but I have indeed received the blessing of the dragons.”

“I knew it at a glance.” Marcus winked at Aaron.

He then turned around and said, “I have prepared dinner for you two. Please come with me.”

After entering through the narrow staircase, Aaron found that the mansion was larger than he had imagined. However, because the space was so large, there were not many lights on. Various decorations hung on the walls. Unlike the picture frames that most noble families liked, the walls of the mansion were decorated with lifelike deer and tiger heads, giving the whole mansion an eerie feeling.

What surprised Aaron even more was that there wasn't a single servant in the entire mansion. When Marcus led them to their seats, he personally brought out silver platters and served them the food. The host acted as a servant, which might have been commonplace in Aaron's time, but it was quite unusual in this era when nobles valued face above all else.

When Marcus lifted the silver platter, Aaron saw a whole piece of blood steak on it, still wet with blood. Marcus then placed a wine glass next to him and poured blood-red wine over it.

“Your Majesty Claire must have told you about me, so you should understand that the Dragon Family eats like dragons, which is called Dragon Food.” Marcus winked at him.

"thanks".

After spending a whole day traveling from Birmingham to Lodoran, Aaron was hungry. He picked up his knife and fork and ate a piece of flesh. Although the seasoning was a bit rough, the taste was surprisingly good. However, it made his mouth feel dry, and he couldn't help but want to drink the blood-like liquid next to him.

As Aaron picked up his wine glass, he glanced at Claire beside him and noticed that she had also raised her knife and fork. However, unlike him, even while eating the bloody beef, her movements remained elegant.

"The beef was shipped from Castleland and delivered directly to me after it was unloaded. I even slaughtered the cow myself; it was still jumping when it was brought to you." Marcus ate the bloody beef, but his movements with the knife and fork and his sipping of red wine were elegant.

"Are you a member of the Dragon Family?" Aaron couldn't help but ask.

"It's the real deal, and I'm the last remaining bloodline of the family."

Upon hearing this, a flood of epic historical events rushed through Aaron's mind, and he asked, "Mr. Marcus, is your blessing also a dragon?"

"No, I did not receive a blessing. My father and mother were just ordinary people with no supernatural powers."

Aaron was startled. "Then what about you?"

"Don't worry, although I won't grant you a blessing, I guarantee I can take you to see those big guys. After all, you were brought by Lady Claire."

“However, the timing of your arrival is not ideal. It doesn’t like to see people at night. If you’re not in a hurry, it would be best to wait until tomorrow.” Marcus patted Aaron on the shoulder familiarly. “I have a few empty rooms here. Although they certainly can’t compare to the Church of Judgment, they are more than enough to accommodate the two of you.”

From the moment he entered, Marcus was speaking cautiously to Aaron while carefully observing Claire. It was clear that he was terrified of Claire, which was why he spoke to Aaron, who seemed more approachable, as if they were old friends.

“Of course, no problem. But do dragons also care about day and night?” Aaron imagined a giant dragon lying in the canyon.

“Of course it will, after all, it might disturb the neighbors. They are very sensitive about neighborly relations and don’t like being disturbed. We’d better go when they are in a good mood,” Marcus said.

"When is it usually in a good mood?"

"Well... as you know, people's moods are like the weather in Lodoron, always unpredictable. Actually, dragons are similar... and might even be worse than the weather in Lodoron, so it all depends on luck."

“It’s alright. Since it’s a commission from the Church of Judgment, I will definitely help you get it done.” Marcus warmly clinked glasses with Aaron.

Dinner ended quickly, and the two decided to stay at Marcus's mansion. Their rooms were both on the second floor and next to each other. After they settled into their rooms, Marcus brought them bedding and told them to call him if they needed anything. He also slept on the second floor and was a light sleeper, able to detect the slightest noise.

Aaron was grateful for Marcus's kindness, but he figured that if there was anything he and Claire couldn't handle, Marcus wouldn't be able to help either.

They slept in silence. When Aaron woke up, it was already eight o'clock in the morning. They were lucky; it was a beautiful day in Lodoron.

When Aaron got up, Marcus was making breakfast, and he seemed completely unconcerned about the day's events. Since Marcus wasn't in a hurry, Aaron didn't want to show it.

After a hearty docile breakfast, Marcus stood up, let out a burp, and said, "Alright, it's about time. Let's go."

Aaron was fully prepared when he got up, and changed into the Judge's armor. What surprised Aaron was that Marcus's attire was completely different from theirs. He was neither dressed in a suit and tie nor dressed in outdoor clothes to prepare for going out. He was just wearing the casual clothes he had worn when he came out of his room in the morning, as if he was going out to say hello to his neighbor.

To Aaron's surprise, after Marcus led them out of the mansion, he didn't take the main road or prepare a carriage. Instead, he took Aaron directly to an apartment building across the street from the mansion, seemingly to greet the neighbors.

"Wait...aren't we going to see the dragon? Is there something else we need to prepare?" Aaron suddenly grabbed Marcus's shoulder.

“Hmm? Yes, that’s exactly what we’re looking for, which is why we specifically chose this time, hoping he’ll be in a good mood,” Marcus said.

"Could it... could it live in this apartment building?"

"Yes."

"Is it your neighbor?"

"Mrs. Lille is its neighbor; I just live nearby, though I do visit occasionally."

Aaron examined the red brick apartment building in front of him. No matter how he looked at it, it was just a savings apartment building that could be seen anywhere in Lodoron. How could a dragon live here?

However, he suddenly thought of Igorius and Reinhardt. Those two dragons even lived in the lower city, so this dragon... was considered one of the better-off dragons?

Marcus led Aaron and Claire to the second floor of the apartment building. They walked smoothly to door number two in building three. Just as they were about to knock, the door next door suddenly opened.

"Hey Marcus, good morning."

“Mrs. Lille,” Marcus greeted her like a frequent neighbor, “Is Uncle Herbert home?”

“I saw him watering the flowers by the window this morning, and we even chatted for a bit,” said Mrs. Lille with a reserved smile.

“He seems to be in a good mood. We’ve found a good time.” Marcus knocked on the door. “Uncle Herbert.”

Seeing no response from inside, Marcus knocked harder. "Uncle Herbert."

Aaron swallowed hard, wondering what kind of "person" would emerge from inside.

Just as Marcus was sweating profusely and Aaron was becoming somewhat anxious, the door opened.

A tall, slender figure appeared at the door. Aaron first noticed that he was wearing black leather shoes, impeccably tailored black trousers, a fitted black tailcoat, a bow tie, and elegant monocles.

Aaron was slightly startled when he saw him, not because of his attire which was out of place in his home, but because of the cold aura he exuded. When his gaze swept coldly over Aaron and Claire, Aaron saw his cold yet exceptionally handsome profile.

"Good morning, Mr. Herbert," Mrs. Lille greeted him.

"Good morning," the man named Herbert replied coldly. Although his attitude was somewhat cold, he was not lacking in politeness. He seemed to have a unique charm, but overall he still looked human and did not have the feel of a dragon.

However, Aaron thought that Reinhardt and the others were the same, so he felt relieved. Although this person looked cold on the outside, he might be an easy person to get along with.

“Who are they?” Herbert asked Marcus.

“They have something important to discuss with you, related to the blessing,” Marcus quickly introduced. “And this is…”

“You are an angel.” The man stared at Claire, his gaze as piercing as ice.

"Nice to meet you, sir. I am Claire."

“I have no liking for angels or the Church of Judgment.” Herbert turned and went into the room.

Chapter 219 The Aura of the Dragon Slayer

Aaron and Claire exchanged glances. Then Marcus whispered, "He said he doesn't like it, which means he doesn't dislike it. You can go in..."

"So that's what it means," Aaron suddenly realized, and stepped into the room.

At the same time, he heard Marcus introduce the man: "Uncle Herbert, the man I brought this time is the Judge of the Church of Judgment. His blessing is the Black Dragon, so I hope you..."

Marcus was interrupted before he could finish speaking, "Is it that human?"

"Wait, Uncle... what are you going to do..."

The door suddenly closed behind them, and Aaron heard Herbert's cold voice: "There's something about him that I hate!"

Aaron's pupils suddenly dilated sharply. Before his body could react, he was slammed into the iron gate behind him. The force and spiritual power were so great that he had no chance to resist, as if he had been charged head-on by a black dragon.