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

“Because he only ever compares himself to himself,” the Duke said. “You have to understand, there are tens of thousands of people in their family, and there are several thousand of them your age. All of these several thousand people want to become extraordinary. In that kind of environment, it is difficult for people to gain self-esteem and it is very fragile. Moreover, the competition there is very fierce, so it is easy to create an environment where comparison becomes rampant.”

"I guess the old man deliberately let them have a competitive spirit back then. After all, without a competitive spirit, people have no motivation. As far as the family is concerned, they don't need that many children. They only need a few talented and promising children."

“You’re right. That guy is a product of this kind of atmosphere. He has to compete in everything and only feels good when he’s one step ahead of others. So he trains very hard and vows to surpass everyone who has ever looked down on him. He progresses very quickly. When he was young, his progress was much faster than his brother’s. He became one of the best in the family at a young age. He is the kind of ambitious child that adults want.”

"And the other one?"

Although he already had a general idea of ​​the outcome, Aaron still asked a question.

"He was an oddball among that group. He only compared himself to himself. As long as he was better today than he was yesterday, he was satisfied. He made a small improvement every day. Doesn't that sound much better than his brother?"

"Yes, judging from the results, the older brother is better."

"Yes, the hardworking one always wanted to surpass others, so he made rapid progress in the early stages. But the one who only ate steamed buns only compared himself to himself, making small progress every day. Little by little, he accumulated small steps and eventually made great strides. So, although the older brother didn't become famous until he was middle-aged, the younger brother gradually fell behind him. This was because the younger brother realized that he could never surpass his older brother, so he simply gave up. From then on, the older brother left everyone behind him, but he was still improving."

"Duke, are you trying to preach some grand philosophy to me by telling me this?"

“No.” The Duke paused, “What I mean is that while this approach of comparing oneself only with oneself, without comparing oneself with others, is good, it has a fatal problem.”

Aaron was also taken aback: "What's the problem?"

Chapter 267 The Journey Begins, An Unexpected Incident Occurs

"Death cannot be eliminated. Although you can always improve and always be one step further than yesterday, you cannot eliminate death. No matter how fast or how far you go, death will eventually catch up with you. When death catches up with you, all your so-called small steps leading to great achievements and the accumulation of soil into mountains will collapse. This is the biggest problem faced by all strivers throughout history, and it is also an inescapable thorn. Even the leader of the Void God Sect is no exception."

Aaron fell into deep thought, seemingly still pondering the question.

"Alright, that's the end of the story. That's all I wanted to say." The Duke clapped his hands. "I'm really great for telling so many stories today."

The Duke dusted himself off, picked up his wine jug and bamboo flute, stood up, and swaggered away. Aaron watched the Duke's carefree figure and felt a sense of self-satisfaction, like someone clapping their own hands and singing a song that resounded throughout the mountains.

"When is the celebration? In the summer? Doesn't that mean it's less than a month away?" Sarah was taken aback.

"Yes, otherwise why do you think Nande is in such a hurry? Time is tight, we have to leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Aaron was helping Sarah pack her luggage in the room. Since he didn't have much stuff in his room, there wasn't much to pack. He and Sarah packed some clothes and came here directly. They would get the things they needed for the journey from Sarah, since Sarah was rich and generous.

Since learning that she no longer needed to manage the estate, Sarah became much more cheerful and talkative than usual. Moreover, the thought of her father taking over her work made her smile even more and she kept helping Ottilia try on clothes.

"Esgard is quite far from here. Is it possible to make it in twenty-odd days?"

“We traveled from Esgard to here day and night, and it only took us ten days,” Christina said. “If we didn’t rest at night, we would have had plenty of time.”

“It only took ten days to travel thousands of miles…” Sarah felt a chill run down her spine just thinking about it. “Aaron, we can’t rush like this… we’ll break.”

“I know, that’s why we need to set off first thing tomorrow morning to avoid this situation.” Aaron casually tossed a folded bundle onto the bed, which was already piled high with items they thought they would need for the journey.

Sarah suddenly put down the clothes she was holding and said blankly:

"Speaking of which, we're going to Asgard, the city of a thousand cities. And for this celebration, the Queen has invited almost every major country. We'll be able to meet all the important figures there, maybe even the King of the Kingdom of Dok."

“No, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed this time… King Doc will not be attending the celebration; it will be his daughter, Her Highness the Princess, who will be attending,” Christina explained.

"In other people's eyes, you are also a big shot. Although you can't see the emperor, you can see many kings, big and small. However, you should be able to see the empress."

"Oh, Your Majesty! Maybe we'll even meet a saintess or a quirky witch!" Sarah looked at Aaron with a beaming smile. "Aren't you getting excited just thinking about that?"

“Indeed, a saintess will attend the ceremony, but you may be disappointed about something else… the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Cult will definitely not appear at this celebration,” Christina said.

"I think you should get excited first," Aaron chuckled. "We're not just going there for fun this time. If a fight breaks out, those people might not necessarily be on our side."

"I know that it's not easy for people to travel far from home after growing up, so it's good to give them some room for imagination."

"Alright, all that's left are your clothes. By the way, do you really need to bring so many clothes?" Aaron looked at another small hill next to the first one and said, somewhat embarrassed.

“It’s not just me who’s bringing clothes; we need to bring Ottilia’s and Christina’s clothes too.” Sarah waved her hand. “Alright, this is all girls’ territory from now on. Aaron, you can leave for a bit.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Aaron took a cup of tea from the table and was about to go out to check on the carriage preparations when Christina suddenly blocked his way, indicating that she had something to say to him.

*

In the hallway outside the room, Christina looked at Aaron and said, "Are you really going to take me to Esgard?"

"Hmm, don't you want to go back?"

“It has nothing to do with that. I just don’t understand why you would take me back after you’ve already taken me from him. Normally, shouldn’t you hide me here and prevent the people of Esgard from getting close?” Christina asked.

"Didn't that old man with the third eye insist that I bring you to the celebration? How can I not do as they wish?" Aaron smiled.

Looking at the smile on Aaron's face, and recalling Aaron's conversation with the Duke the night before, Christina had a question lingering in her mind, but she had never had the chance to voice it.

"I've been wanting to ask you a question, and you must answer me seriously," Christina suddenly said, looking at him with a serious expression.

"What's wrong all of a sudden? Why are you so serious all of a sudden?" Aaron was also stunned.

"Let's put that aside for now. What do you want to ask?"

"I wanted to ask..." Christina took a while to regain her composure and asked seriously, "Do you really intend to fight against that family?"

"Why do you ask that?" Aaron narrowed his eyes, neither admitting nor denying.

"Although I have never known your specific plans, I have been by your side and have seen your actions and preparations so far, so I can see some clues."

"As a contractor, you can understand my state of mind when I speak and know whether I am lying or not. Therefore, what I am about to say to you is from the bottom of my heart."

Christina sighed, looked at Aaron, and said seriously:

"My advice to you is not to confront them. Their strength is far more complex than it appears on the surface. People from other factions always say with ulterior motives that they already have the power to conquer the world, but they have just remained inactive and guarded a corner of the world. In reality, they are capable of forming an army. In addition to the extraordinary individuals in their families, there is another, even more powerful, hidden force."

Christina looked into Aaron's eyes: "I don't know how much you really know about them, but they are definitely not as simple as you think. Their strength and what they have hidden behind the scenes are beyond the reach of any force in this era. So I think you shouldn't have any thoughts of confronting them."

After Christina finished speaking, there was a few seconds of silence. Aaron asked, "Is that all you wanted to say?"

“Well, but…” Christina was about to speak when Aaron interrupted her, saying calmly, “I know all that you’re saying.”

"You knew all this?" Christina was taken aback. As a contractor, Christina could sense that Aaron wasn't just putting on a brave face. "But... why...?"

He turned around and greeted Christina, "Alright, there are still some things to prepare, let's go."

Christina watched Aaron's retreating figure, her mind still filled with a fog of confusion. Why? Why didn't Aaron feel any fear after hearing that? They were contractors; she could sense that Aaron wasn't lying, and what he said was his true feeling. But... why...?

Aaron originally thought that with a carriage and a map, the journey would be smooth sailing, or at least without any trouble. However, the outcome far exceeded his expectations, and the facts taught him that anything can happen when luck is bad.

At first, they traveled along a rugged mountain road. Ottilia, Christina, and Sarah all slept inside the carriage, while Aaron sat alone outside, driving the carriage and enjoying his time alone. If nothing unexpected happened, he could sit like that all day.

Then the unexpected happened. Aaron suddenly heard the sound of footsteps, which came on fiercely, like an army charging forward. But Aaron quickly realized that it was a herd of wild horses living in the mountains.

The herd of wild horses wasn't a big deal; he could just slow down and give way. Just as Aaron was about to slow the carriage down to avoid them, he suddenly realized that he couldn't control the carriage's speed anymore.

Then something outrageous happened. When they were crossing a cliff, the horse he had entrusted to him, which he had carefully selected from the sect and which had been hardworking and obedient all the way, suddenly turned bloodshot. Like a sheep that hadn't been given any mutton soup, it started pulling the carriage and charging towards the cliff like a madman. No matter how much Aaron whipped the horse, he couldn't pull it back.

The accident happened so suddenly. A few breaths later, the four-legged horse's front legs left the ground, and it plunged into the abyss along with the carriage. Only a few people who had been rescued from the carriage in the middle of the night were left standing on the cliff in a state of disarray.

The incident happened so suddenly that even the usually calm Aaron was stunned. After a while, perhaps because his mind was not fully clear, Sarah suggested that they also jump off the cliff to retrieve the horses. After all, they were not ordinary horses, but a kind of spirit beast that was nearly twelve feet tall. Falling off the cliff would not break their legs. Most importantly, there were their supplies on the wagon. It didn't matter if the horses died, but they still had to get the supplies back.

Aaron didn't know if he had lost his mind or what, but he agreed to Sarah's plan. So the four of them slid down the cliff together and embarked on a journey to find the horse, which lasted for two days.

Eventually, they actually found their lost horse by a riverbank. But before they could celebrate for long, they suddenly realized something was wrong, because their horse seemed to have changed.

First, its eyes became more resolute, and it had a scar on its face from a branch scratch. When they found it, it was frolicking on the back of a mare! This horse had never been castrated; it was a fake eunuch! Moreover, in just two days since its escape, their horse had become a member of the herd, and it seemed to hold a rather high position.

Well, things didn't go as planned at first, but anyway, they found the horse and their wagon, killing two birds with one stone. But just as they were about to bring it back to be used as a mule, an accident happened, and they angered the entire herd.

Aaron soon realized that the horse he had carefully selected from the sect's stables was not only not a eunuch, but also a master actor. Heaven knows when his plan began, perhaps it had already started in the stables. He first deceived the stable owner so that he could stand out from thousands of spirited horses and be chosen by Aaron.

And he had been hardworking and dutiful all the way, until he was on the cliff, when he revealed his true colors as a master strategist. He charged down the cliff and fell off, but survived. In just two days, he found a herd of wild horses and became the king of the herd. This was a Shawshank-style prison break. The absurdity of this story was no less than that of a eunuch who escaped from the palace and became the king of the harem in just two days.

How should I put it? Products from their manor always thrive wherever they go.

Faced with thousands of wild horses charging menacingly, and a four-legged steed that would rather die than return to be a mule, they could only silently retreat from the herd's territory and seek another strategy.

They had already wasted two days searching for carriages and goods, and the nearest city was quite far away, so they decided to forgo horses and hurry on foot until they were closer to the city, at which point they would find another way.

They thought the matter was over, but after two days of travel, they realized something was wrong. They suddenly discovered that traveling on foot was much faster than traveling by carriage. Normally, they could only travel a few hundred miles a day by carriage, and they had to detour and slow down when encountering rugged roads. But because they were all superhumans, they were traveling much faster than expected.

Actually, he had vaguely sensed what everyone was thinking while they were on their way, but due to the pressure of the journey, no one raised any objections along the way. So they traveled silently for eight days. And you know what? Since they abandoned the carriage, they really did travel at breakneck speed. The journey that was originally scheduled to take twenty days was completed in just eight days.

Finally, just as they were about to see the majestic Qishan Mountain and enter the False God Cult, Sarah couldn't hold back any longer and insisted on riding in a carriage! If she wasn't allowed to ride in a carriage, she was going to ride Aaron like a horse! Most importantly, she! Absolutely! Did! Not! Want! To! Walk! Anymore!

At this point, Christina raised a different opinion, suggesting that since they were only a few days' journey from Asgard, they should persevere and finish the rest of the journey. To her surprise, her suggestion was met with unanimous opposition from the rest of the team. So, the group went to the nearest city to rest for half a day, happily took a bath, bought some supplies and a few fine horses, and then rode off from the city gate towards Asgard.

Chapter 268 Minai

Just then, a beggar-like man suddenly appeared from the side, pitifully saying, "Sir, I haven't had any water for four days." Could you give me some food and drink? Aaron took out the food and water bottle from his backpack, intending to share some with the beggar. The man grabbed the dry food from Aaron's hand, repeatedly saying "Benefactor, benefactor!" He was so moved that if there had been a bottle of wine nearby, he would have immediately become sworn brothers with Aaron. Then, he started chatting with Aaron without stopping.

You wouldn't believe it until you start talking to him. He claimed his name was Minne Ajax, and that his family was quite powerful. They were registered mercenaries in the Lusset Empire, and he was a leader in a mercenary group—basically, the son of a mercenary leader. They had been invited to the celebration, but he had gotten lost while being chased by bandits and ended up wandering here. He recognized their accents and thought they were from Lusset, so he asked them for help.

When traveling, no one would reveal their identity to others. Aaron also made up a random identity for himself, saying that he belonged to a family that was not very famous and that he had been invited to the celebration. As for Minee's story, he didn't really believe it.

In fact, Aaron could probably guess what this guy was thinking. There are many people in Asgard with similar accents. The so-called similar accents are just an excuse. The reason he asked them for help was probably because he saw that their group consisted of one man and three women, and he thought they would be easy to get along with, so he asked them for help.

However, the man who claimed to be the leader of the mercenaries didn't seem like a bad person. He hoped that Aaron would give him a ride to Asgard, since they were both Lucernes, and promised to repay him handsomely in the future. Aaron didn't care and didn't take his words to heart.

But he never expected that karma would come so quickly. His mercenary group actually found him during their journey, and he discovered that what this talkative young man said was true. He really was the son of the mercenary leader.

Christina seized the opportunity to quickly investigate the Black Knight Mercenary Group. To her surprise, the Black Knight Mercenary Group was one of the top three mercenary groups on the Lusset border, comparable in size to an army. Minee was the leader of the Black Knight Mercenary Group, and his father, Eris, was the group's commander, a prominent figure on the Lusset border.

Then their situation changed. After seeing his mercenary group, the car was no longer the pitiful, impoverished place it had been. He returned to his mercenary group's convoy, transformed into a magnificent outfit, and rode in a small red horse to Aaron's side. He even held a golden sword in his hand, instantly transforming from a beggar being helped into a young master whom they could not afford to associate with, leaving Aaron completely dumbfounded.

However, it was clear that he was genuinely grateful to Aaron for giving him food and drink. After returning on his little red horse, he did not show any condescension towards Aaron. He even kept the dry rations Aaron had given him earlier, and chatted with him warmly while eating.

However, their situation took a turn for the worse. Perhaps due to their profession or because they had recently been attacked by thieves, the mercenaries clearly did not trust Aaron. Aaron and his men rode ahead on horseback, while the mercenaries' carriages followed a short distance behind them, showing great vigilance towards Aaron.

In particular, a beautiful young lady, who was said to be Mina's sister, sat in the carriage the whole way, watching them with her clear, bright eyes, very wary.

"Let me tell you, we were originally supposed to escort a very important person on this trip, and also help them deliver gifts—a huge batch of birthday presents for Queen Lucerne! The gold and silver alone could fill ten carriages! But guess what!" Minay slapped her thigh, angrily saying.

"Everything was settled, and a small batch of goods had already been delivered to my father. But then things changed halfway through. The people in the palace said they wouldn't let us deliver it anymore! They'd have another mercenary group do it instead! Later we found out that the mercenary group had intercepted us halfway. They spent a lot of money bribing corrupt officials in the empire to snatch the royal business away from us, leaving us only able to transport goods for some powerful families this time. Can you believe it?"

To make sure Aaron understood, Minee thoughtfully asked, "Brother Song, do you know about the Thunder Mercenary Group?"

"I know a little about them; they're quite famous."

When the topic turned to other mercenary groups, the talkative young master immediately perked up and said angrily, "Let me tell you, the Thunder Mercenary Group used to be just a small mercenary group. If it weren't for my dad's past...!"

At this point, the woman sitting behind them couldn't sit still any longer and interrupted him, saying coldly, "Brother, if you keep talking like this, are you going to tell him where your mother is?"

Mina turned around and asked innocently, "What's the point of knowing where my mom is? Isn't she sitting with Dad in that carriage? I already told Aaron a long time ago."

Mina's older sister wished she could just smash her head against the train car and die on the spot.

Aaron found this amusing, thinking to himself, "Brother Minee, you really didn't need to tell me this. No wonder these people are worried about letting Minee stay with him. Even he wouldn't feel at ease. This young master is really naive. If we keep chatting like this, he'll not only find out where Minee's mother is, but he'll also tell me how much money his father has. But after all, he's the kind of person who can get lost while escorting goods. No one else would do something like this."

Aaron soon began to regret saving him, because he found that the guy really talked a lot.