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

Aaron shook his head and said, "Since Your Excellency is well aware of the consequences of sending people to the plan, Your Excellency should also be well aware that I am very strict in selecting people, and I will immediately eliminate anyone who is not qualified."

"Of course, of course, I did this to relieve His Majesty's burdens, and the person I chose has already satisfied you." The Viscount finally breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile returned to his face, like someone who had been constipated finally relieved.

He then beckoned, and only then did the servants who had been standing at the top of the stairs come up. It was then that Joan of Arc noticed that each of them was carrying a heavy chest. The servants were all very strong, but the chests were still very heavy to carry. Sure enough, when they put the chests down, there was a loud thud.

The Viscount waved his hand again, and one of the servants opened the boxes one by one. For a moment, Joan of Arc felt as if her eyes were about to be blinded by the sight of all sorts of treasures inside.

Aaron didn't even glance at the wooden box on the ground, and continued holding the pickled olives, saying, "Viscount, there's no need for that. You've given too many treasures, and they won't be of any help to my path to becoming a superhuman. If the people you sent are truly suitable, I would choose them even without giving me gifts. Why not take these things back with you?"

Upon hearing this, the viscount immediately ordered his servants to put away the wooden box. At the same time, he felt a little sad. These things were indeed precious, and together they were more than the entire fortune of some nobles. However, they were of no use to the young man in the black robe in front of him, because he was already close to the peak of his power. Now, when he needed to do something, the king would directly ask him to do it. How could his gifts compare to the king's?

After all, the other party was one of the most trusted subordinates of the Black Obsidian Knights Commander, and people said that if the Black Obsidian Knights Commander retired in the future and they elected a new commander, the man in front of them would have a great chance.

The Obsidian Knights, along with the Omniscient Knights and the Blazing Knights, are known as the three strongest knight orders.

When the Viscount saw the man in front of him, he regarded him as the future Grand Master of the Knights.

"Oh, wait... I heard the Viscount works at the post office; the chocolates there are quite good?"

He paused for a moment, then immediately said, "Yes, not only are our chocolates excellent, but our cakes and desserts are also very good. We provided some snacks for the last King's gathering..."

As he spoke, a waiter came forward and actually handed over a plate of chocolates.

Chapter 245 The Black Box

“It’s not good for a child to eat too much.” Aaron picked out a few from the box and said to the Viscount with a smile, “I treated Your Excellency to wine and olives, and Your Excellency treated me to a few pieces of chocolate. It’s fair.”

Upon hearing this, the Viscount glanced at the young woman beside him in surprise. He had heard that Aaron had just brought him back from the King's study, and yet Aaron had kept her by his side like this. He wondered who she was...

Although she only glanced at him in surprise, Joan of Arc felt very uncomfortable under the Viscount's gaze.

The Viscount dared not linger any longer. Upon receiving Aaron's words, he immediately left with his servants. Joan of Arc, watching from upstairs, saw the Viscount instruct his servants to load the chests back into the carriage, then he himself boarded the carriage and drove away.

Unbeknownst to Joan of Arc, when the Viscount returned to his carriage, his attention had shifted from Aaron to her. He was preoccupied with what Joan of Arc was doing in the King's study, her identity, and why she was with Aaron.

"Consider it a narrow escape from death. Have a chocolate. Have you ever had one before?" As he spoke, Aaron had already unwrapped the candy and stuffed one into his own mouth.

Joan of Arc took the chocolate and, imitating Aaron, ate one. It seemed to be her first time eating chocolate; her movements as she unwrapped it were a little clumsy. But when she put the dark treat in her mouth, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "So sweet..."

"Take all of these back with you." Aaron handed all the chocolates to Joan of Arc, who then put them back in her pocket.

In reality, they were far from as relaxed and carefree as the Viscount appeared, because they had arrived in Esgard two days ago, and Aaron had only brought Joan of Arc to meet the King this morning.

Before meeting the king, Aaron only knew that Joan of Arc was the person the king had prophesied, and that Aaron needed to bring her back from Orléans. But he knew nothing about what he would do with her or what would become of her. Therefore, he was very nervous when he let Joan of Arc into the study to meet the king.

The viscount then left, but when Aaron was about to leave as well, he discovered that the box the viscount had placed at his feet when he arrived had not been taken.

Have you forgotten?

Aaron thought it was unlikely. This box, which radiated a jet-black light, was priceless in itself, and the things inside must be extraordinary, but they didn't take it with them.

Was it specially left for them? Aaron frowned slightly, looking at the box with an uncertain gaze.

"This is a gift the Viscount wanted to use to bribe me."

The best-case scenario would be that Aaron's task would be simple, but the scary thing is, things aren't that simple.

*

Fifteen years later, in the Kingdom of Dok, at Dok Port.

Dok Harbour is one of the world's most prosperous ports. Every day before dawn, goods from all over the world gather here, are sorted, and then sent to all parts of the world. The dockworkers are responsible for picking and unloading the goods. When the sharp whistle of the ship sounds in the dark night, the dockworkers' day begins. The men, wearing the same short-sleeved shirts they have worn for ten years, are loading and unloading goods in the first rays of the morning sun.

Ports are often considered, besides battlefields, the place where masculinity is most evident, because of the dockworkers. These strong men, besides being husbands and fathers, are usually the pillars of their families, supporting several people with their robust physiques. Young men are not welcome here; they are considered lacking in masculinity, looking like effeminate men, unlike the delicate young masters in the city. In their eyes, bronze skin is the mark of manhood. Therefore, the heaviest and most difficult cargo is usually given to the proudest men, while inexperienced young men are only assigned to move small items.

The cargo arriving at the dock today was somewhat unusual. It entered the port of Dock early in the morning along with the cargo ship, as it was rumored to be a lucrative job, and the dockworkers were working with extra enthusiasm. The dockworkers were busily unloading the cargo from the ship, a scene that unfolds daily amidst the piercing honking of horns—nothing new.

Alvis looked up at the blinding sky. The morning sun wasn't scorching; on the contrary, it was quite warm, making him feel relaxed as it shone on him.

He had been working at the port of Dock for three years and knew the dockwork inside and out. Young and strong, with a clear mind, Alvis was a highly valued worker at the dock. However, while receiving multiple salaries, Alvis often had to spend his spare time helping to handle unfinished cargo or checking for injuries during unloading. He didn't complain about this, not for any other reason than that he had gone through the same thing when he was young. Now, the old men who had mentored him had retired, but their words still echoed in his ears: dockworkers must help each other. Although there are many workers, they are actually a vulnerable group. Vulnerable people need to stick together for warmth. Only in this way can they last. Gradually, this fosters a sense of human touch and a dock culture.

Jarvis appreciated this human touch, so he was always very conscientious. Although dockworkers were in a physically demanding job, moving things was also a skill. Experienced dockworkers knew how to move things more efficiently, while newcomers, though full of strength, were more likely to be injured by falling cargo. At this point, it was always the older dockworkers who would come to teach them. They would stand next to the newcomers, looking down on them with the disdain of an old worker, and say, "Hey, newbie, that's not how you move cargo boxes. If you don't want to become a cripple, you'd better learn more."

Such things happen from time to time at the docks. This is how people survive at the docks. People who don't know how to help each other and those who like to scheme are often unpopular at the docks. Getting their help is not difficult, but it's not easy either.

Arvis shook his head, feeling somewhat dazed. He was getting on in years, and with some savings, it was time to find a woman in the city to settle down. Although he was a minor foreman at the docks, he was still a bachelor, and the older workers always mocked him for not having slept with a young woman yet. This made Arvis lack confidence when reprimanding them. Once, even a fifteen-year-old dared to laugh at him, asking if he wanted to know what it felt like to get off a woman…

"Alvis! Didn't you eat enough breakfast? You look so listless!"

A boy's voice came from the left. That was the little boy that Alvis had mentioned. His name was Dylan. He could be said to have been "raised" by the dockworkers. When he first came to the dock, he would make everyone laugh because of his young age. Now he has been working at the dock for two months and is already an "old hand". The fifteen-year-old boy's body has not yet grown up. The cargo weighs on him like a mountain, but Dylan walks steadily and moves the cargo very steadily.

Alvis knew he had an older sister who worked at a tavern. She was a feisty girl who often dragged her brother away from the tavern by the ear. Whenever this happened, Dylan would yell for help, and the feisty girl would quickly glance at him, then blush and drag her brother away from the tavern. She knew that Dylan had always wanted to bring her and his sister together, so she always created opportunities for them. However, although Alvis was clear-headed at work, he couldn't quite grasp the situation emotionally, and there had been no real progress.

Alvis knew that Dylan's greeting wasn't just meant to be crude; he was worried about him. Just as Alvis said, being so absent-minded on the dock was dangerous, and he needed to stay alert.

Just as Alvis blinked, wanting to give the other person a smile to tell them not to worry about him, he suddenly froze, realizing something.

He finally realized why he felt something was off: it was the sound of the ship's horn at the dock... Normally, when a cargo ship enters the port, the horn would only sound for a long time, with thirty seconds being the limit. But today, the cargo ship's horn sounded for an unusually long time. Two minutes? Three minutes? It seemed to have started when he was in a daze, and he couldn't even remember it anymore.

Alvis stiffened abruptly, as if to say something, but at that moment, something unexpected happened.

The distant ship's horn suddenly became urgent, one long blast followed by three short ones. This sharp blast echoed throughout the entire dock—a warning blast. Alvis turned to look towards the harbor and saw a massive black ship, laden with cargo, emerge from the sea, speeding towards the white cargo ship that was unloading its cargo at full speed. A seaman in a black uniform was still futilely waving colorful signal flags from the lighthouse, trying to warn the rapidly approaching black ship. Various piercing signal blasts rose and fell, but the massive black ship, like a raging bull, charged headlong into the frantically honking white ship without hesitation.

"boom!"

Evacuation was too late. Most of the workers were still clinging to the cargo racks. The collision of the two ships sent those who couldn't get off flying. Those who were climbing on the cargo, who were initially like ants, quickly fell like dumplings. Some landed directly on the stone slabs of the dock, while many more fell into the sea. But these were the lucky ones. Some people fell directly into the cargo. The unstable cargo fell from the sky like rolling stones. With a roar, countless bodies were submerged. Alvis's scalp tingled. He couldn't even imagine what would happen in such a scene.

The dock was in complete chaos, but they were clearly unaware of what was happening.

When the explosions stopped and they looked back, they found that the black ship that had crashed into them was still accelerating. The next moment, countless items that should have been cargo exploded from inside. They were people dressed in black. In the morning light, the people in black stood on the top of the black ship, looking down at them. Golden light swept over them, as if gods were judging mortals.

"kill."

A chilling sonic boom echoed through the air. With the command, those dazzling black shadows, as bright as the sun, leaped from the black ship and shot towards the dock like arrows. Alvis stared wide-eyed as a shadow passed by the white ship, and the massive cargo ship instantly split in two. Amidst the white cargo ship's enormous wail, its center was cleaved in two, the hull disintegrating. Amid countless desperate screams, it slowly tilted to either side into the water. Alvis couldn't see what had happened. By the time he noticed, the shadow had already drawn its long sword.

Even though the sunken white ship had taken on a lot of water and broken in two, it was still stubbornly blowing its horn.

The sinking white ship struggled to sound its warning whistle, the sharp sound like a doomsday horn blowing on the dock. The white cargo ship tilted to both sides and sank. Just as the dockworkers were still staring wide-eyed at this tragic scene of the cargo ship sinking, the next moment, huge splashes of blood and screams rang out simultaneously above the dock. Some dockworkers who reacted tried to organize and resist, but in one fell swoop, their will to resist was shattered. The dockworkers began to run away crying and wailing.

The tide of people began to recede. Some workers standing at the front realized that something was wrong and tried to turn around and run away, but more men in black had already sneaked into the crowd like hungry wolves among sheep. Most people only saw a dark shadow flash past them, and before they could react, their bodies had already been cut in half, blood splattering on the spot. Those dark shadows seemed too professional in their killing, sneaking into the crowd as if they were dancing a bloody waltz. With each swing of the knife, one or even several fresh lives were lost.

Screams, wails, and the scraping sound of blades cutting through flesh filled the docks. The dark figures wielded their knives with swift, deadly movements, slaughtering them like livestock. Faced with this almost one-sided massacre, more people began to flee. They dropped their goods and turned to run towards the horse pier in a panic. The docks were engulfed by shouts and the sound of galloping horses.

This place has become a living hell.

Alvis forced his stiff body to stop and started running backward, but before he could run a few steps, he caught a glimpse of Dylan next to him. Dylan, like Alvis, was staring blankly at the dock, seemingly still reeling from what had just happened.

"Dylan, run!"

Alvis's hoarse voice rang out, but his voice suddenly stopped as an arrow pierced Dylan's body and struck his head. By the time Alvis called out to him, Dylan slowly turned his head and collapsed heavily onto the floor. The arrow had come out of his head, hitting the bullseye. When Dylan fell, the black blood from the back of his head had already soaked the floor.

Alvis stood there, stunned. Dylan hadn't been at the dock long enough; he didn't understand what an unusual situation was. He had just seen two ships collide and thought it was a maritime accident, completely unaware of the warning horn. Damn it! He hadn't even had a chance to tell him!

Chapter 246 The Angel of Judgment

He was just worried about himself, while he was troubled by his marriage. Now Dylan is dead, and his sister who works at the tavern knows nothing about it.

Alvis's hands and feet were ice-cold, but his body reacted instinctively and began to run backward. Not only Dylan, but every second the same scene was playing out on the dock. The people behind began to fire arrows. These were not ordinary arrows, but black arrows that looked like condensed water droplets. Alvis had already seen more than one person hit by those strange black arrows and never get up again. Those corpses were mercilessly trampled under the feet of those men in black.

"Oh right, the guard team, the guard team... call them the guard team..."

Alvis almost murmured these words. His mind had been in turmoil, but after being stimulated, he finally thought of a way to save them: the guards who patrolled the docks. They were always so arrogant towards us, like the lords in the city, or those superhumans who could fly and escape. Now it was their turn to step in!

As Alvis sprinted backward, he kept his eyes fixed on the man in the guard uniform, but just one look was enough to make his heart sink to the bottom.

"Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer!"

The guard being watched by Alvis fired a shot while signaling the dockworkers not to approach. It turned out that some people had already noticed them, but the guards were powerless to do anything about it. On the contrary, the more people there were, the faster the killing would begin. So, instead of aiming their muskets at the men in black, the guards aimed at the dockworkers. Seeing this chaotic scene, Alvis felt a sense of despair.

All the security forces near Port Dock are in the hands of the nobles. These guards are used to protect the nobles and will not be mobilized without the nobles' orders. The lives of the dockworkers are nothing to these noble lords. Even if they all die, it will not affect Port Dock. In other words, in this hell, no one will save them. Everything seems to have fallen into a dead end.

The sounds of slaughter continued to echo behind him, arrows flying past him and taking lives. Alvis saw some workers resisting, some lurking behind huge cargo crates, trying to launch a surprise attack when the men in black passed by. But the men in black seemed to be able to see through things; as soon as they rushed out, their long swords would always strike them even faster. However, when Alvis looked closely, he noticed a familiar figure. The man was named John, and he had two children at home. He was a very opinionated dockworker, and the surprise attack must have been his idea. But the difference in strength between the two sides was too great. He had only just charged out, swinging a cargo crate, when his body was cleaved in two in the impact.

Alvis's eyes were already red. He wanted to turn his head away, not wanting to see this scene anymore, but he suddenly noticed a small figure wriggling behind the cargo box. It was the figure of a child, a little girl in a pink dress, trembling and hiding behind the box.

How could there be children on the dock? Alvis couldn't think about it anymore. At this moment, every hair on his body stood on end, as if a flame was burning in his heart, causing him pain. At this moment, he almost forgot his fear and ran towards the man in black almost recklessly.

He was a sprinter among the dockworkers, covering less than 100 meters in just a few seconds. The man in black stood still, staring at him, successfully drawing his attention! While everyone else hesitated, his extraordinary courage was like the brightest star in the sky. In an instant, not only the man in black, but even people scattered far away looked at him. Never before had Alvis become the focus of so many people's attention.

Everything was going according to his plan. The man in black standing in front of the cargo box seemed to notice that Alvis hadn't seen the little girl behind him. For the first time, Alvis was so excited that he trembled. He had never been very lucky at the drinking table, but this time he had won!

Alvis approached the man in black, who remained motionless. Instead, the man slowly raised his long sword, the same sword he had used to pierce Old John's body. He seemed to be waiting for Alvis to run into him so he could cleave the reckless madman in two.

But the moment Alvis passed Old John, he suddenly bent down and slid across the ground like a football tackle. The man in black frowned slightly and instinctively bent down as well, a move to protect his lower body. Of course, Alvis couldn't possibly kick the man in black; he had never learned any kicking techniques. The sliding tackle was something he had practiced as a child sliding down slopes in the countryside. His real purpose... was the cargo box in Old John's hands.

Alvis suddenly grabbed the purple cargo box that Old John was clutching and threw it violently into the air. As the box tumbled through the air, Alvis saw the warning sign on it.

"Flammable and explosive materials..."

"boom!"

The longsword sliced ​​through the air with the force of tearing through space. The box, which was clearly much thicker and heavier than an ordinary packing box, exploded in mid-air, followed by smoke and the acrid smell of gunpowder. Alvis had succeeded. Inside was gunpowder transported from the East. Old John had somehow found the gunpowder box, intending to take advantage of the man in black's unpreparedness to deliver a fatal blow, but he collapsed before he could even throw the box. Now, Alvis had taken the gunpowder box from Old John's hand and successfully detonated it in the man in black's face!

A huge black fog drifted through the air, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air, adding to the chaos of the already disorderly dock. Alvis, like a ferocious wild boar, tumbled and crawled behind the huge cargo container, grabbed the little girl on the ground, and then ran away as fast as he could.

The joy of surviving the ordeal almost made his heart leap out of his chest. Alvis had never done anything so life-risking in his life. The violently beating heart seemed to revitalize this somewhat dull boy, sweeping away his previous dejection and making the road ahead seem suddenly clear.

The black fog in front of him was still very thick. The box, which could be lifted with one hand, didn't look big, but it contained a lot of gunpowder—enough to injure someone. This was Old John's original plan. Alvis was simply carrying out the original plan. The damage from the explosion, combined with the dense black fog, should be enough to allow him to escape. Just as Alvis was considering his next move, he felt something strange about the black fog around him. The bright path ahead seemed to maintain a constant distance from him. But when he realized something was wrong, the black fog, which would take at least several minutes to dissipate, was suddenly blown away by a strong wind. Alvis also noticed that he had been standing still all along. Unbeknownst to him, his feet were now floating in the air, and his whole body was being lifted up by something black.

“Well done, much better than that guy who went to his death before.”

The man in black walked over unhurriedly, holding a long knife. A breeze blew through the thick fog of the explosion, and his black hood fell down, revealing a head of blond hair. His skin was as white and delicate as a city woman's. He was completely unharmed. Not only was he not injured, but not even a speck of dust clung to him. He was as clean as if the explosion had never happened.

"Unfortunately, it's all in vain in the face of such an absolute difference in strength."

The blond man indifferently raised his long sword, as if Death himself were issuing a death sentence to a mortal.

Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Whether it's deliberately not grabbing the little girl, intentionally luring out people who might interfere, or even deliberately letting that crazy, foolish man come close to him, all his actions are simply out of caution. Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. His caution has allowed this ordinary dockworker to survive until now, and at the same time, it will ensure that he gets his ticket to hell.

Floating in the air, Alvis was still struggling. After struggling a few times and realizing it was futile, he pushed the girl away violently. He originally wanted to throw her to someone nearby, but there was no one left in the smoke-filled area, so he could only push the little girl's body as far away as possible, hoping to buy her some time.

However, after he pushed the little girl away, he found that his body had also fallen. The big black hand that was holding him did not use much force, while the blond man grabbed him by the back of his collar and held the knife above his head like a chicken.

"Killing him like this would splatter blood all over us, so let's keep it simple."

The man shrugged unhurriedly, as if he were talking about something trivial, but the gleaming longsword did not hesitate for a moment. Before he could finish speaking, it had already swiftly slashed down.

The blade flashed like lightning, its afterimage slicing through the sky; the sword's momentum was resolute and decisive, beyond even the intervention of a god.

As the long sword fell, the man seemed to already see the blood splatter.

However, just as Alvis's head and body were about to be separated in two,

"Click..."