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

“You have governed the country well,” Aaron said.

Joan of Arc was taken aback. She had brought her teacher here mostly because she wanted Aaron to see the Chen Kingdom she was governing. Just like a politician wants others to know about her achievements, other politicians might want their people to see them, but for Joan of Arc, she wanted her teacher to see them.

Or perhaps for many years she had imagined such a scene, imagining that she could not disappoint her teacher, subconsciously not daring to disappoint her teacher, and therefore not slacking off. But when Aaron really praised her without reservation, she was somewhat at a loss, perhaps because the scene was different from what she had imagined.

“I said back then… I wanted to change this country.” After a moment of silence, Joan of Arc looked up at the sky and said, “That was… my ideal.”

Aaron shook his head and said, "It's true. To be honest, at the time, I never thought you would become the future empress. In my mind, you would rule a region or fight on all sides. So I taught you mostly military knowledge and combat skills. I hoped you could survive the war. I never expected that things would turn out so unexpectedly."

"In any case, everything my teacher taught me shaped me. My teacher is the person who changed me the most. And my experience at the White Tower Holy College is what allows me to govern a country with ease now, instead of becoming a ruthless war machine."

"Did you almost get lost in the war?" Aaron asked.

“Yes, but I always remembered what the war was for, so I came back,” Joan of Arc replied.

Aaron nodded: "Let's go back and not disturb their happiness."

On the way back, Joan of Arc and Aaron each rode a horse. Aaron spoke first, "How have you been all these years?"

"Let's talk about the teacher first. Many teachers know about my situation, and I've also investigated your situation a lot. I know how you've spent these years in the Kingdom of Dok."

"So we're finally going to talk about this..." Aaron thought to himself, "This is bad news."

"Let's talk about this period first, and then slowly talk about the past, okay?" Fortunately, Joan seemed to give him a way out, changing the topic from directly talking about his fiancée to simply reminiscing about the past, which greatly reduced Aaron's pressure and made him more willing to speak.

“My years in the Kingdom of Dok… there’s not much to say.” Aaron hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Most of the time I was just living a normal life, eating, going to school, and sleeping.”

"As you know, the Kingdom of Doc is an island nation. Although they are very powerful, because they are located on an isolated island, their character is different from most of the peoples on the Old World. Their national traditions are also different from those of the New World. They don't like to socialize and prefer to live a solitary life in their own little circle. In short, they just want to mind their own business and don't care much about others. This is very different from us in Lusset."

"However, at that time, the Kingdom of Doc was just right for me. After experiencing the war and the excessive tension and strife before and after it, I longed for a quiet life and didn't want to hear about politics anymore. Although there were various political parties in the Kingdom of Doc, their debates were never my concern."

“I’m completely on the outside, or on the side of the common people.” So all the struggles have nothing to do with me. At first, in the colonies of the Kingdom of Dok, I didn’t quite feel this atmosphere because the people there were also suffering from the ravages of war. But when I arrived in Lodoron, I felt their temperament. The residents of Lodoron didn’t have that panicked look. Their attention was mainly focused on their own gardens and personal hobbies. They didn’t care what their neighbors were doing, as long as they didn’t disturb each other. Even the civil servants there had garden holidays.

“I lived there quietly and felt quite good. Over time, I gradually adapted. You might find this strange, but although I have lived in Lusset for many years and am a native Lussetian, I have gradually become more like a Docian over the years.”

Throughout the journey, Joan of Arc listened quietly and attentively, which made Aaron somewhat dazed. The most powerful empress in the world was listening intently to him saying things that only those who cared about him would pay attention to, not missing a single word.

“So that’s how it is…” Jeanne said softly, “These feelings are the teacher’s true thoughts that no amount of investigation could have known. Hearing this, I am very satisfied, teacher.”

She didn't say much along the way, her expression was calm. Seeing her expression, Aaron was momentarily dazed. As he talked and looked at Joan of Arc like this, a feeling that he rarely paid attention to welled up in Aaron's heart. It was a feeling of nostalgia, like suddenly seeing a yellowed old photograph. This feeling rose from his heart.

He paused, then subconsciously began to steer the conversation toward her, wanting to express that he had never forgotten her or the time they spent at the Royal Academy over the years.

Subconsciously, looking at Joan of Arc's figure, he was reminded of Joan of Arc's childhood. She was only thirteen years old then, just starting to study at the White Tower Holy Academy. Although he held a very high position in the Lucerne Empire at that time, he was also very worried about whether Joan of Arc would be bullied at school, whether she would not adapt to school life, or whether she would be sad. At that time, she was just a rural girl who had just arrived in the big city. Moreover, her father had died early, her mother was seriously ill, and she had no relatives in Esgard. He was her only support.

Thinking of this, his body gradually leaned towards her. It was an unconscious action, or perhaps an attraction of the heart, to express that he had never forgotten her for a moment over the years, and that he still cared about her.

Just as he had envisioned in his mind, Joan of Arc, who had noticed his movements and expressions, stared directly at him, her face also bearing a peculiar expression.

Sure enough, even an emperor would hope that someone would genuinely care about her, let alone the only person she could talk to about the past.

It was only natural for them to have such feelings, after all, they hadn't seen each other for many years and had so much to talk about. Moreover, the atmosphere was just right, and the setting sun was shining on them. Aaron looked at Joan's pure white face, the kind of face he usually only saw in posters, and saw that once-childish face had become mature. He saw that her golden hair was still as smooth as before, and he naturally felt a sense of emotion.

However, Joan of Arc's expression was not quite what he had imagined.

Chapter 236 Returning to be the Regiment Commander?

Is Joan of Arc, in essence, still the same innocent and romantic girl she was when she was a child?

Although she had outwardly become the emperor, above all others, she had never been able to display imperial majesty before Aaron. Now, she was no longer afraid to express her love, but in essence, she still retained her former self. Once she shed her disguise, she would reveal her true girlish nature, showing how nervous she would become if he got even slightly close.

All those proactive advances they made in their interactions were actually a reflection of Joan of Arc as Empress; as a young girl, Joan of Arc would still feel shy because of them.

For a moment, Aaron felt as if he had suddenly gained an unexpected benefit, and a strange feeling arose in his heart.

Yes, he was the teacher, wasn't he? He had always been the one in control of this relationship, and now that he was back in Lucerne, he might be able to take the lead again.

Although the possibility is hard to believe, Aaron, as a modern person who has lived three lives and received a modern general education, thinks it is very likely.

What one cannot obtain in youth often becomes a source of lifelong trouble.

In other words, from the beginning, Joan of Arc was actually bluffing; in reality, she was not as dangerous as he imagined.

Looking back now, it's true. His strength has now recovered, and the reason he feels at a disadvantage when interacting with Joan of Arc is mainly due to his psychological disadvantage. Perhaps he feels that he has let Joan of Arc down after not returning for so many years, and because Joan of Arc investigated his affairs in the Kingdom of Doc thoroughly, he is afraid of Joan of Arc.

As Aaron pondered, they unknowingly drew closer and closer. When the Empress came out, she had carefully disguised herself to avoid being recognized. She was dressed in a cowboy outfit, wearing a cowboy hat, tight pants, and a white shirt, riding a horse. It was unlikely that anyone in the Kingdom of Dok would associate this attire with their great Empress.

Now, as they rode closer and closer, Aaron wondered if it was just the setting sun's light that made him think of the Empress's face, which made him think of Joan of Arc, whose golden eyes shone like a deer's.

But when Aaron actually got close, to a distance that exceeded social distancing, he suddenly felt a jolt in his heart: something's wrong.

From the very beginning, from the moment he began to exceed social distancing, the Empress did not show the slightest sign of shyness or panic. She simply looked at him with eyes that held a hint of curiosity and a faint smile.

Hunters often appear in the form of hunters.

not good.

Joan of Arc simply looked at Aaron quietly, staring intently into his pupils, as if pondering, wondering what Aaron was thinking that would cause him to change his usual behavior and act in such a strange way.

"Teacher, I don't know what caused you to misunderstand." Joan of Arc brought her nose close to Aaron's, their noses touching. In the afterglow of the evening, sunlight streamed through the narrow space between their faces, scattering brilliant colors.

"Teacher... I don't know what I just said and did that made you misunderstand..." Joan said softly. They were so close that Aaron could feel the soft touch of Joan's lips as soon as she moved them slightly.

"Although I am indeed still the Joan of Arc I was when I was a child, and many things about me have not changed over the years, I feel happy to see my teacher again, I feel nervous when I talk to my teacher, and I get excited because I want to receive praise from my teacher, but in essence... I am still different from the me now."

"Didn't the teacher say that you can't step into the same river twice?"

"So please don't think that the current Joan of Arc is still the same little girl she used to be, or that she's still as soft as before. That's unrealistic fantasy, hehe... no... to be honest, this idea is actually quite cute, and it fits the teacher's style all along. Oh no, maybe I actually like this feeling. Maybe it's not bad to let the teacher keep this idea. I also want to snuggle in the teacher's arms like before, but..."

It was obvious to Aaron that Joan of Arc was inexplicably excited. Her smile was wide and her eyes were shining brightly. It was obvious that this was the happiest day Joan of Arc had ever had in many years. So even Joan of Arc, who had been through countless battles and had seen all kinds of storms, was unable to control herself.

She rubbed her nose against Aaron's. "I am who I am, teacher. I am both the little girl Joan of Arc and the current empress. Both of these have shaped me. If there are any similarities and differences between the two, I could talk about them for three days and three nights. But if there is any biggest similarity, it is that we both think the same about our teacher. That has not changed at all."

"They're all the same."

Well, Aaron knew he was like a rabbit that had fallen into a hunter's trap.

After saying this, Joan of Arc gently reached out and stroked Aaron's face. They were riding on a dirt road. In the Kingdom of Dok, such behavior might attract attention. Aaron might have hesitated a little because he had been in the Kingdom of Dok for too long, but he seemed to have forgotten that he had come to the romantic Lucerne Empire. They were just doing this on a dirt road, and no one would pay any attention to him.

"So, stop favoring the Joan of Arc from when I was a child. Even though it's the same me, I still think that my teacher would prefer my younger self..."

"What... does it matter?" Aaron swallowed.

“It would make me jealous now,” Joan of Arc said with a smile.

Joan of Arc gently touched his face and slowly left him. She was also glad that Aaron did this on the dirt road, rather than in Joan of Arc's bedchamber, otherwise things would not have ended so simply.

However, this also taught Aaron a lesson. Joan of Arc was no longer the girl who used to follow him around all day and was even a little insecure. Now she was the empress above all others, and he realized this once again.

“Teacher, there are still some places I want to take you to. Let’s go before it gets completely dark,” Joan of Arc said.

night.

A mysterious man stood before Aaron and Joan of Arc. He wore a long, black robe with patterns faintly outlined in black and gold thread. His appearance was silent and ghostly, as if he were a lifeless shadow, suddenly appearing before them.

But in front of Joan of Arc and Aaron, he behaved as submissively as a child. When he finally raised his head, Aaron saw his face clearly. His face was so exquisite that it was like a lotus emerging from the water, even more beautiful than most women. If he were dressed differently, he might be mistaken for a girl in a different place. Moreover, he was surprisingly young, yet his strength was already unfathomable.

"This is the current commander of the Obsidian Knights, Alain," Jeanne said calmly.

"Thanks to Your Majesty's grace, I have made the preparations as Your Majesty instructed, and the people inside will not discover it." His voice was magnetic, which was different from what he had expected.

"I didn't expect the current leader of the Obsidian Knights to be so young," Aaron remarked with some surprise.

"Actually, after the teacher died..." For the first time, Joan of Arc seemed somewhat hesitant to speak.

“I once thought about whether to abolish the Obsidian Knights as a memorial to my teacher, because at that time I felt that my teacher was really dead... and the Obsidian Knights didn’t have anyone left... so I might as well just abolish it.”

"But at that time, we were at war and we were frequently fighting with enemy countries. We needed strong fighting power. The Obsidian Knights were already synonymous with bravery at that time, so I ultimately chose to keep the Obsidian Knights."

“It’s a wise choice,” Aaron said. “The commander will be happy to see the current situation.”

"Well, all in all, this is my decision."

Joan of Arc gestured to the man in black, signaling him to lead the way.

"The Obsidian Knights of today are completely different from what they were before. Although most of the Obsidian Knights died in that war, fortunately, the Knight King had the foresight to leave behind some seeds and precious old knights. We used these old knights as the foundation to cultivate new knights. Although the process was very difficult and we built the knights almost from scratch, we have succeeded after more than ten years."

"Now it is a brand new Obsidian Knights Order, which I rebuilt myself. Some of the members are people that even I think are capable and strong. However, the reason why I worked so hard to build the order is because I want my teacher to see a different order and a powerful order when he returns here."

"The Obsidian Knights have never had a Grand Master. Even though I am the nominal leader of the Obsidian Knights, I am actually only the Vice Grand Master," said the person named A-Lian standing next to me.

Joan of Arc nodded and looked at Aaron.

“Teacher, this seat has always been reserved for you, and I have always felt that only a teacher should be able to sit in this seat again.”

Aaron was stunned by their suggestion, seemingly not expecting them to say such a thing, but after a moment, he shook his head and said, "No need."

A-Lian observed Joan's expression and, seeing that she made no move, silently stepped aside, no longer disturbing them.

"Why? Does the teacher feel that the position is too small and wants a bigger one? I don't think that's a problem. If you want other powers, you can hold multiple positions. I think that would also benefit the entire empire."

"Are you asking me to hold multiple positions now? To be a minister or a general? I was just an ordinary civil servant in the Kingdom of Dok before, I'm afraid I'm not up to the task," Aaron teased.

“Then how about becoming empress? That way you’ll be second only to the emperor,” Joan of Arc said calmly.

"I never expected you to have such a sense of humor now." Aaron tensed up.

"Although I didn't mean to joke at all, well... let's just assume that's what the teacher thinks for now. Can I ask the teacher why they refused?"

What you just said is really puzzling, but Aaron still started to ponder, "Yeah... how should I put it?"

"Is it because the teacher still feels he is a judge and therefore cannot take on a position in the Lucerne Empire?" Joan of Arc said softly. She had hesitated for a long time before asking this question. Having investigated Aaron thoroughly, she was well aware of his current status as a judge. She was not surprised by this, as she fully believed that Aaron could become a judge if he wanted to.

However, this still left her unsure: the Judges and the entire Church of Judgment had been expelled from Lusset as early as the time of the Mad King. Although Joan of Arc had not outwardly clashed with the Church of Judgment and its angels, she had never restored the Church of Judgment's status in the Lusset Empire, which already indicated her attitude.

As an autocratic Empress Lucerne, she was equally unwelcoming to the Judges and the Church of Judgment, and harbored an instinctive hostility towards the Church of Judgment.

While Aaron's position as a civil servant in the Kingdom of Dok, and even his status as the fiancé of a certain young lady, might make her feel a pang of jealousy, it wasn't too bad. She knew a little about the inside story and knew that Aaron's actions were probably not entirely voluntary.

But the issue of the judge is quite tricky.

First, she had to admit that the Church of Judgment was very powerful, and even she was afraid of their angels. The claim that the Church of Judgment could destroy a country had always been true, which made Joan of Arc feel even more disgusted.

But the biggest reason Joan of Arc disliked the Church's judgment was their idea of ​​weighing everything on a scale, which she found extremely offensive, as she valued certain things above all else.

What troubled her was their ideology.

She had also heard that Aaron had voluntarily joined the Judges in the Kingdom of Dok.

Although her analysis suggested that the matter was somewhat beyond her control, her subsequent actions revealed that her teacher did not dislike the idea of ​​being a judge; on the contrary, she admired it. If her teacher's true desire was to be a judge, rather than to stay in Lucert, it would indeed cause her a lot of trouble.

She even had a vague fear that she would lose Aaron again because of the trial of the church and the judges, which was the most intolerable thing for her and something she could not agree to under any circumstances. Therefore, she had never mentioned it until now, when she had no choice but to bring it up again in front of Aaron.

As she told Aaron, she was no longer the little girl she once was, and in this matter, she would show the decisive side of a queen, acting according to her own will.

Aaron, of course, also sensed Joan's slightly unusual expression, but he didn't find her expression dignified. Instead, he thought she looked like a little girl who was sulking, so he couldn't help but smile.