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

"Yes, because you've already tried your best, haven't you? And you've already been punished and atoned for your sins. Even if it was a trial given to you by God, you've already passed it."

"Yes...yes, teacher...I've really gone through a lot of hardship to get to where I am today...There were many times...I was on the verge of collapse, but I could only bear it all alone...because I carried the future of the entire country on my shoulders, so I couldn't not do it...If I fell...if I abandoned it...this country would be finished...because the teacher said...that she hoped I would save this country...that she hoped I would love it like I love my mother, because the teacher said...that one day I could lead this country...so I worked hard, and I became the queen of this country..."

“Joan of Arc…” Aaron was stunned again, “I didn’t expect you to still remember these words…”

“Of course I remember!” Joan of Arc shouted. “I remember every word my teacher said! Do you know how I’ve spent these years? I constantly recall those wonderful memories with my teacher in the Book of Omniscience, and even those unpleasant memories, I repeatedly recall them. These memories have become a part of my mind; even if I don’t try to remember them, they will automatically come back to me. It’s because of these memories that I haven’t broken down… Without these memories… I have no idea what I would have become… I’m afraid I would have… I would have…”

"Joan of Arc..."

"It's really tough, so tough... I long for someone to protect me... I long to be able to snuggle in my teacher's arms... just like I used to do when I was little, but there's no one around to rely on, no one willing to help me... only now..."

"Come back to me. I can't say I'll let you be spoiled... but at least you can rely on me..."

'No… I've grown up to be someone your teacher can rely on… If I continue like this, won't I be stagnant, still just the same child who only waits for the teacher to save them, who only knows how to cling to the teacher's arms?'

"That……"

"Just occasionally... just occasionally... when I really can't take it anymore... if my teacher can stay by my side... be my safe haven... I'll be content... now, all I need is this little bit of happiness..."

"It's okay to be a little greedier, it's okay to want more. You can have more happiness because I love you too, and I crave you too. Two people who love each other shouldn't only get this much."

"Really? Really? Teacher?"

"Okay...or rather...please let me be your support."

"teacher……"

Joan of Arc came to his side, stretched out her hands, and slowly embraced him. After so many years, Joan of Arc had grown into a mature adult and had become the empress of a country. She was tall and slender, but when they embraced, Joan of Arc's body trembled like a little girl. Aaron felt that warm body and, in a daze, it was as if he had returned to the past, as if the things of the past had not changed, but they had never realized their feelings for each other.

"How foolish... The person I love has been by my side all along... yet I haven't seen them until now..."

"Teacher, I like you... I'll say it no matter how many times I say it..."

"Hmm...I like you too..."

"Even if you think I'm stupid now, it's no use. I can't let go of you anymore. We will be together forever, for a lifetime."

"Yes, that's what I think too. Consider it compensation. We should stay together from now on."

"I love you... teacher..."

Under the sunlight, their lips slowly met. For them, who had experienced many ups and downs in life, this was their first kiss, their first time.

"I never thought... I would actually kiss my teacher one day, I never thought... it would feel like this."

"We will have many more firsts to experience, and we will experience all sorts of different things... This is just the beginning."

"Yes, we're getting married... teacher... and our wedding... I want to tell the whole world about us..."

"Well..."

"Teacher...don't you want to?"

“Okay…” Aaron said helplessly, “Actually, it’s not a matter of whether I want to or not. After today, I’ll probably be famous all over the world, given the huge commotion I’ve caused.”

Joan of Arc couldn't help but smile: "Yes, of course people would notice when you made such a commotion, Teacher... But you've always loved to show off, always causing a lot of noise, whether it was the battle with the Knight King in the city, the village, the mountains, or finally, the battlefield."

"Yes, I guess I'm just that kind of person who loves to show off. Since they want to see, let them see to their heart's content. After all, I have that kind of power now. Before, because of the Mad King, I didn't dare to be too flamboyant. Now, the Empress is above me, so I don't need to worry about it."

"I will stay by my teacher's side for the rest of my life, even if I am no longer the queen. We will live happily together for the rest of our lives, have many children, and then I will tell them about the things that their parents went through, let them pray at their grandmother's grave, and let them see the miracles that their father created."

"Isn't it a bit too early to think about these things now?"

"I can't help it... because I'm just too happy... I've never been this happy before... so I unconsciously started imagining things. We not only want to be together forever, we want to have many children, we want to make our children happy, we want to be happier and more joyful than anyone else, because we've already worked harder and endured more hardship than anyone else in the world, so we also want to be happier than anyone else in the future..."

"Okay, let's consider it a promise."

"Yes, it's a promise."

"This is... the future we have."

Chapter 244 Tavern Memories

Fifteen years ago, in Esgard, at an unnamed tavern.

The tavern is located on the outskirts of Asgard. It's a two-story building with no sign, situated on a dirt road. There are many roads leading into Asgard from other provinces, and this tavern is one of them. It doesn't have much inside, selling a little bit of thirst-quenching beer, and some ham and salted meat to go with the beer. It mainly caters to the rural people who come to Asgard.

It was still morning, and there weren't many customers in the shop. The owner was wiping wine glasses at the counter, and there was only one table of customers by the window on the second floor.

A plate of salted cured meat, a plate of pickled olives, and a glass of cheap ale—the customer had ordered everything the restaurant had to offer. After finishing, he found a seat by the window.

After sitting down, the guest tossed a silver coin into the waiter's hand: "Buy me a glass of juice, and the rest is yours."

The waiter, who had received the silver coin, quickly bought the juice, which still had ice crystals on it. The customer took the juice and handed it to the blonde little girl sitting opposite him: "Children shouldn't drink alcohol so early."

The little girl was pretty and dressed very well, with her hair braided. She seemed to be visiting a place like this for the first time and was very curious about everything around her. When she took the juice, she timidly said thank you.

"The food here is pretty average. You can order everything for a little money. Only the pickled olives are good. Most importantly, there aren't many people here usually. I come here occasionally." Aaron held the plate of pickled olives in front of Joan of Arc. "Try it."

Joan of Arc carefully picked up an olive and put it in her mouth. At first, it tasted very sour, but the sourness quickly subsided and the flavor became very refreshing. She could eat it without producing much saliva.

"Congratulations on successfully meeting the King and surviving. The King's head count has been quite high lately, and I almost thought I would have to draw my sword to get you out."

“Draw…draw the sword…” Joan of Arc, who was drinking juice, suddenly coughed. They had gone to the palace together that morning and entered the king’s study to meet him. The fact that her teacher had said something like “draw the sword” really startled Joan of Arc.

"How did you feel about seeing the palace today?" Aaron asked.

When this topic came up, Joan of Arc had something to say: "The palace is very beautiful... even more beautiful than I imagined... especially when I entered the Hall of Mirrors, I thought I had entered another palace... I have never been to such a beautiful place in my life, and everyone here is very kind, friendly, and polite..."

When the topic turned to the palace, Joan of Arc indeed began to talk incessantly, like a child. Aaron sipped his ale and listened quietly, occasionally smiling. After a long while, Joan of Arc realized that she might have said too much and became a little shy.

"It's a pity I didn't take you to places like the Lucerne Grand Theatre or the Church of the All-Knowing before we met the King, otherwise you would have learned more about this country," Aaron said with a smile.

“Of course I want to go to those places, but I…” Joan of Arc stopped and lowered her head.

"what happened?"

“I…” Joan of Arc held her skirt with both hands.

“You’ve already been to the palace and met the king, and you’ve survived. There’s nothing more to it than that. Just say what you have to say.”

"But... I'm just a country girl... Can I really go to those places...?"

"You've even been to Alice Palace and the King's study? And you still don't dare go there? Many Lucerne people never have the chance to meet the King in their entire lives," Aaron said.

Speaking of this, Joan of Arc also had feelings, but not because of herself, but because of her teacher.

Because the teacher entered the palace to meet the king as if he were going to a restaurant he frequented, not only did everyone in the palace recognize him and give him free passage, but they would also greet him and strike up conversations with him. They even extended their kindness to Joan of Arc, which greatly surprised Joan of Arc.

While Joan waited nervously outside, her teacher was surprisingly allowed to enter the study alone. Even though Joan was a girl from the countryside, she understood this honor. When Joan was called in, she was not so nervous anymore and kept wondering who her teacher was...

Who exactly is the teacher?

The teacher said she was a devil...

But Joan of Arc didn't think so. How could her teacher be a devil? In her eyes, her teacher was an angel.

The more Joan of Arc thought about it, the more inferior she felt. Her teacher was an angel, such a powerful being, while she was just a girl from the countryside with no special talents and not particularly clever. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been caught by the villagers while fetching water and needed her teacher to save her. Moreover, her teacher had to kill more than a hundred villagers. This incident was bound to cause a lot of trouble afterward...

Moreover, she often couldn't understand what the teacher meant, even though she tried her best to understand. She had to memorize it by rote to remember even a little bit. As for luck, she had even less. Her greatest luck was meeting the teacher. She felt that meeting the teacher had used up all her luck. If she hadn't met the teacher, she would probably have been caught by the villagers and burned at the stake...

Not only did she meet the king today, but she also survived being burned at the stake. After meeting the king, she was able to come to the tavern recommended by her teacher. This was indeed something worth celebrating. Joan of Arc picked up her juice and clinked glasses with Aaron.

They were eating upstairs when, after a while, the hotel owner nervously approached the table of guests, holding a golden envelope sealed with a coat of arms.

“Honorable guest…someone asked me to give you this envelope…” the hotel owner said tremblingly.

Aaron glanced at him, naturally put down his knife and fork, took the envelope from the boss, looked at the emblem on the sealing wax, and said, "Is that the Laland family crest? Take a look out the window."

The girl knew the words were directed at her, so she immediately drew back the curtains beside her. Sunlight streamed in, and she could see the outside scenery clearly. The shop was near the dock, on a simple little path where seagulls were perched.

But at this moment, there was an exquisite carriage parked on this path, and next to the carriage stood a man dressed in fine clothes. He was accompanied by a butler and servants. The servants were dressed in uniforms and rode a handsome white horse. They looked like employees of some official agency, while the middle-aged man was somewhere between an official and a nobleman.

Aaron looked past Joan of Arc to see the scene below, put down his knife and fork, sighed, and said, "Let them come up."

The owner retreated as if granted a pardon. Soon, a dozen or so orderly footsteps walked up to the wooden second floor of the hotel. The servants following behind him obviously had no chance to speak, respectfully guarding the entrance and stairs of the tavern. Only the middle-aged man took off his hat, walked up, and bowed slightly to Aaron.

“My dear Viscount, please sit down. Why bother with the formalities?” Although he addressed the Viscount with respect, Aaron did not move his buttocks from the stool. Commoners usually bow to nobles, but here Aaron was sitting while the man was standing.

Joan of Arc was also surprised. This seemingly old-fashioned man was actually a nobleman, and a viscount at that. Joan of Arc glanced at the person standing behind the man, who seemed to be of very high status.

"Boss, some more wine, and another plate of olives."

When the innkeeper brought out the olives and bone plate, Aaron took the small plate directly, placed it in front of the Viscount, and poured him a drink: "The beer here is of poor quality, but the olives are quite good. Your Excellency, please have a taste."

Although Aaron spoke respectfully, the man only placed his large body on the wooden chair at the table after receiving permission, making a creaking sound. Even Joan of Arc made room for him.

After he sat down, he subconsciously glanced at Joan of Arc sitting next to him, his gaze somewhat uncertain and suspicious.

"The girl I just brought back from the king is fine with her here," Aaron said casually, popping an olive into his mouth.

The man was increasingly surprised. He nodded to the girl, then, clutching his hat, nervously looked at Aaron with an awkward smile on his face, as if he didn't know where to begin.

"Sir Knight..."

Before the Viscount could speak, Aaron raised his hand to stop him, smiling as he said, "The Knight Commander is our commander. I am merely one of the knights under her command. Don't address me as 'Knight Commander'..."

“Yes… Lord Aaron…” The Viscount’s face was still full of smiles: “I heard that His Majesty the King is preparing to launch Project Viper…”

“His Majesty the King intends to launch Project Viper. The Viscount should be seeking out His Majesty the King, not me,” Aaron said.

The Viscount said, "Who doesn't know that Lord Aaron just came out of the King's study and came straight to this tavern..."

"So, you've been following me?" Aaron said.

"No, no... I just happened to hear that Lord Aaron is here..." The Viscount hurriedly waved his hand, cold sweat pouring down his face.

Aaron chuckled and patted the nobleman's hand affectionately: "Although I just returned from His Majesty the King, in the end, I'm just someone who works for His Majesty the King. As for the Viper Project you mentioned, I only helped His Majesty decide on a few slots."

"That's exactly what I need Lord Aaron's help with..."

Seeing that Aaron seemed easy to talk to, the Viscount didn't hide anything and said, "I also very much want to share His Majesty's burdens, but I haven't had a way to do so. However, I have a few very suitable candidates here... I wonder if Lord Aaron..."

"The candidate?" Aaron laughed again, picked up his wine glass, swirled it, and said, "Viscount, do you know what Project Viper is all about?"

"I know, of course I know. That's precisely why I want to recommend someone..."

"Then you should know that sending them into Project Viper is tantamount to sending them to their deaths, and the Viscount should be well aware of that..."

Aaron's eyes suddenly turned serious: "War is coming soon..."

Feeling intimidated by Aaron's gaze, he almost fell over, but he steadied himself by placing his hands on the table: "I know, I know, so my choice is definitely not a problem. I just want to share the burden for the country, which is why I found Mr. Aaron."

Hearing the Viscount's words, Aaron's expression softened again. He abandoned his fork, picked up two pieces of olives with his hands, put them in his mouth, chewed for a long time, and then spat out the two olive boxes, letting out a helpless sigh.

The nobleman had been sitting there for a long time. He was trembling with fear and sat upright the whole time. In just a short while, countless drops of sweat had been streaming down his neck, and he kept wiping them with his handkerchief. Meanwhile, his servants stood silently on the second-floor staircase, too afraid to approach or even listen.