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

But to Minay's surprise, Harry put down his chopsticks and said with a smile:

“Our Omniscient Church does indeed have a lot of knowledge and skills that all citizens can learn. I even think some of them are quite ingenious. I can show them to Brother Miny later.”

"how about you?"

“I don’t belong to any family, I don’t know who my father is, I’m an orphan.”

Mina was dumbfounded and utterly shocked. Even the chicken leg in his mouth lost its flavor. Was this the kind of secret that important people should hear? Could he pretend he was too drunk to hear it?

Even Aaron was taken aback. All the intelligence pointed to him as a rising star in the empire, but no one had ever said that he was an orphan who did not belong to any family.

“I do not belong to any family. I came from the Knights, but I was as lucky as Lord Aaron. So from then on, I was not loyal to anyone but His Majesty the Emperor.”

Harry said this with a faint smile on his face, but everyone could see the seriousness in that smile.

At this moment, the commotion downstairs reached upstairs. The sounds of tables and chairs being smashed and shouting at each other could be heard. Even Sarah looked downstairs worriedly, while Aaron and Harry remained unmoved.

“That’s right. The maids you just saw downstairs, including the owner of this shop, many of them are related to officials of the Empire. Going back a few generations, their families may have produced generals who fought for the Empire. Everyone in this city has some connection with the Lusset royal family. The big shots in Asgard now may be distant relatives of some ordinary carpenter in town. So no one will boast about how rich their ancestors were. Having rich ancestors is the most useless thing in Asgard. We value the present.”

"Right now?"

"It might sound too righteous to talk about the present, but to put it bluntly, it's really about who has more power in Asgard, who stands out in the Knights, or who gets a knighthood. As long as you have power in Asgard, you can enjoy special privileges. Many hotels are even open to you for free, and it's okay to pay on credit. Some of the best people in Asgard can even own their own fiefdoms and businesses at the foot of the mountain. In short, as long as you have power, you can have everything you want in Asgard."

"So, if you have power, you can have everything? That sounds really good. I originally thought Asgard, as a city with a thousand-year history, would be a lifeless city, but it's actually much younger than I imagined. It's a city full of young people." Aaron toasted Harry, and the two drank together.

Harry put down his glass, his face slightly flushed, and said, "Of course, Asgard wasn't always like this. We have His Majesty the Emperor to thank for making Asgard what it is."

“No, no, no, that’s not what interests me. You’re saying that anyone with power has privileges, can own everything in Asgard, and can even have fiefdoms or properties, which means…” Aaron looked at Harry, his eyes shining.

Harry paused, instinctively shrinking back, and nodded, saying, "Lord Aaron is right. I also have my own fiefdom and property, but it's not here."

"Isn't it here?" Aaron was taken aback. "I thought you were invincible in Asgard, and your properties were everywhere in Asgard."

His tone even sounded somewhat disappointed.

Harry was both amused and exasperated, and shook his head.

"Although it is said that having power can get you everything, the properties and fiefs under Esgard's feet are strictly divided. Even if I am the emperor, if this property and fief were previously allocated to someone else, I have no right to interfere. However, this rule was originally promulgated by His Majesty the emperor, so she herself will certainly not violate it."

"I see."

“I am not involved in the hotel business. This hotel belongs to someone else on Asgard. I rarely come here and am not familiar with the people here. I may have to disappoint Lord Aaron.”

"I see." Aaron looked somewhat disappointed.

Observing the expression on Aaron's face, Harry put down his wine glass: "Let's not talk about these pointless things. Is there anything you'd like to do, Lord Aaron? There are entertainment venues and ancient buildings in Asgard that have stood for thousands of years. I can take you to see my fiefdom."

“I’m not interested in any of these places,” Aaron suddenly glanced downstairs and said, “but I’m quite interested in what’s down there.”

He turned to look at Harry: "You said that the properties under Asgard are strictly divided, so do you dare to handle things on someone else's turf? I was a little disappointed to see that you have to pay for your meals at the hotel."

"Is this... a provocation?" Harry was still smiling, but Minnie could see the gunpowder in his smile.

*

At this moment, downstairs at the hotel

Christina stood by the hotel stairs, shielding the woman with the toddler behind her. But a group of fierce-looking, burly men blocked her way as she was about to leave, fiddling with daggers in their hands.

Christina coldly stared at the man blocking her way with a defiant look in his eyes. The other men thought Christina was looking at them and started teasing her with whistles and laughter. Only Christina herself was watching the way the man twirled the dagger, trying to figure out just how capable he really was.

To Christina's surprise, the man twisted his wrist using the cavalry's technique of twisting a folding knife. Cavalrymen rarely use folding knives to kill enemies; they usually use them to divide spoils and cut meat. Although it was just an ordinary household item, it was still a signature move of the cavalry, indicating that the burly man in front of her was probably from a cavalry unit of the Empire and not an ordinary thug.

The story between Christina and the pitiful woman behind her had been clarified during the argument. The woman was a wandering woman living nearby, the adopted daughter of a famous bard near the hotel, and the child she was holding was the bard's daughter. Unfortunately, the bard had died a few days ago, leaving behind two orphaned girls who depended on each other for survival.

To make matters worse, the bard was a heavy drinker and often owed the tavern for his drinks. The tavern, however, didn't hold it against him because he was a good storyteller and often helped them attract customers. But unexpectedly, he didn't survive the autumn and died of illness outside the tavern. The bard buried him outside the tavern, her eyes swollen from crying. Afterward, she continued to play the zither at the tavern to attract customers.

Unexpectedly, trouble suddenly came knocking. A thug approached her, insisting that the bard owed them money for drinks and demanding that she return it. The woman was already grieving, and seeing the thugs aggressively trying to extort her, she became furious and got into an argument with them. Feeling that he had lost face, the thugs called over three or five of their brothers, even bringing their eldest brother who was serving in the cavalry. This is how the situation escalated to its current state.

The lobby was now a noisy mess, with diners discussing whether the bard had overdue bills for drinks. The prostitutes stood trembling behind Christina, while Christina stared coldly at the thugs in front of her, her eyes flashing with icy malice.

Having just experienced the pain of losing her father, the girl was already heartbroken. When she was blackmailed by thugs, she became so angry that she acted as if she would rather die than submit. Unexpectedly, this attracted seven or eight ruffians who surrounded her. One of them even worked in the military. Now, the girl was hiding behind Christina, holding her sister tightly in her arms.

The seven or eight-year-old girl had been blind since childhood and could not see what was in front of her. She only felt that her older sister was being bullied and tightly gripped her sister's sleeve.

Christina stood in front of the two of them, scrutinizing the man in front of her as well.

The people provoking her were not a threat; at most, they would fan the flames and utter a few sarcastic remarks. What Christina was truly wary of was the man leaning against the wall, who was merely chuckling.

The military's power structure is intricate and complex; a slight misstep could expose a vast network of influence. Even Christina couldn't see through its intricacies. Christina was originally fearless, otherwise she wouldn't have been called a high-and-mighty beauty. But now, as a traitor to the empire, she could no longer be as fearless as before. Moreover, her current strength was only half of what it used to be, so even if she fought to the death, she might not have a chance of winning.

She was assessing the difference in strength between them and considering the consequences of making a move here. In fact, protecting them behind her was an impulsive act, without thinking about the consequences. She just knew that even if things happened a hundred times over, she would still stand in front of them because she was Christina.

The man who had been standing quietly to the side, seemingly there to keep things under control, was a strong, muscular man in a blue uniform that covered his entire body. He was leaning against a table, working with his companion to whittle a slightly worn arrow with a folding knife. As he whittled the arrow, he held it in his hand, and his skillful arrow-whittling technique was the kind of demeanor only someone who had actually been on the battlefield would possess, not just for show.

Chapter 272 Emperor in the Army

Seeing the man's nonchalant attitude, Christina was already thinking about running away. She said in a clear voice, "How much money do they owe you? I'll pay you back."

Before she left, Aaron gave her a lot of money for emergency use. As long as the other party didn't go too far, she could afford to pay for some drinks. She could just consider it a way to avoid trouble.

The sharp-eyed man scrutinized Christina, seemingly trying to guess her identity. Christina was renowned throughout the Empire, but Asgard had hundreds of thousands of inhabitants. He might have heard of her name but not necessarily seen her, only recognizing her as a stunningly beautiful young woman. This might not be a bad thing for Christina; if he recognized her, the situation could be much worse.

The thugs scrutinized Christina's figure. Even the man in charge of keeping order, who had been sharpening arrows nearby, glanced at her. The leading thugs seemed to exchange a few words, whispering among themselves before speaking to Christina:

"Miss, the girl behind you not only owes us money, but also offended us. Well then, since you want to stand up for them, why don't you apologize to us on their behalf? Apologize, pay for the drinks, and we won't make things difficult for you."

"Apologize……"

Christina was taken aback. At first, she didn't understand what they meant, but when she saw the amused looks in the men's eyes, even if she was slow to understand, Christina realized that they didn't want her to apologize, but rather wanted to humiliate her.

"We don't owe them any money for drinks!"

Christina trembled with anxiety and anger, but she knew all too well the consequences of offending that man in the hotel. Christina's appearance had not deterred them; instead, it had fueled their greed.

"You want to deny it? It's clearly written in the ledger that your adoptive father owes you half a month's worth of drinks!" The leader of the thugs took out a ledger from his pocket, which even had the name of a bard written on it, but the woman's face turned red. "You're making false accusations!"

"It's fine if you don't want to apologize. Just pay back all the money for the drinks. It's five hundred silver coins in total."

“Five hundred silver coins…” The blind woman’s face turned deathly pale: “What kind of wine did he drink to owe you so much money! You’re clearly lying!”

Their lives were already difficult, and their only entertainment was drinking a little wine in the hotel. Although they would occasionally owe some money for drinks, they only drank the cheapest wines. How could they owe so much money? All that money was enough to cover their expenses for several months.

Moreover, his adoptive father died a few days ago, and the blind girl had used up almost all her savings to pay for his funeral. Today, she had no choice but to come to the hotel to play the piano again shortly after the burial. Where would she find any money left?

The people upstairs had a clear view of the scene downstairs. Mina was already furious and refused to eat her chicken leg. Aaron, however, asked the head waiter next to him, "Who is that guy in the blue shirt among those thugs? He looks very powerful."

"That guest is called Daryl. He was promoted to the Knights at a young age and has been fighting on the battlefield for many years. He only returned from abroad this year for the celebration. As for his brother, he is even more remarkable. He is said to be a general. This hotel is even his brother's property. The owner took the initiative to approach him to bring in investment when the hotel opened. So it's no wonder that he is so important here."

"I see."

Aaron nodded and looked at Harry: "Just like you said, as long as you have the strength, you can have your own property in Asgard. This hotel is owned by Daryl."

“That’s right,” Harry said with a smile. “Does Lord Aaron want to get involved in what’s happening below?”

“Didn’t you say that even you can’t easily intervene in other people’s fiefdoms?” Aaron said.

Harry smiled, looked away, and said, "But people are dead, rules are alive."

Harry looked downstairs and said, "Lord Aaron, how about we make a bet? A night's worth of drinks. If you say yes, I guarantee I'll take care of things down there within fifteen minutes."

"it is good."

*

"You are making baseless accusations!"

The blind musician was still arguing her case when the man in blue beside her straightened up and stretched. The leader, seeing this, understood her meaning and sneered, "If you don't want to pay for the drinks, then come on..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and a hand was placed on Christina's shoulder as someone whispered in her ear, "I'm here to help you."

Christina was taken aback. She stepped in front of the group and said, "Nice to meet you. This is my money for a few drinks for my friends."

As he spoke, he tossed a leather bag onto the table. The bag hit the table with a heavy thud, and it was clear that it contained a considerable amount of money, far exceeding the price of the drinks they had asked for.

"This is a gift from your younger brother for wine. Please have a drink."

Aaron threw his money bag at the ground. In Asgard, even Harry had to throw money to eat, so it was nothing unusual for him to do so.

The group of thugs were stunned, probably not expecting anyone to rush out halfway. They scrutinized Aaron with their eyes, while the girl was first surprised, then moved, not expecting that someone would help them in such a desperate situation.

But soon Sona became worried again. What many people didn't know was that this hotel was actually owned by Daryl. Sona had personally seen the hotel owner and Daryl walking together, chatting and laughing. They were local bigwigs, while Aaron and his group were clearly outsiders. Moreover, they had evidence of their adoptive father's debts, although the evidence might not be real, but the law enforcement of Asgard wouldn't care.

It's a celebration now, so the law enforcement in Asgard might be more impartial. But everyone knows that Asgard's truly valuable guests are sent by special agents from the Empire to a special embassy, ​​where they are served the finest food and wine. The maids serving them tea and water are all carefully selected beauties. Those who come to eat at second-rate hotels like this are mostly poor and powerless business people. The law enforcement may not need to cater to them; on the contrary, they have to rely on the law enforcement's whims.

After examining it for a while, Daryl slowly took out the ledger, but instead of throwing it at Aaron's face, he placed it on the table as a reminder. As he did so, Daryl took a sip of tea and asked with a smile, "Is this a friend from out of town?"

Aaron was taken aback, then turned to look at the indignant Minne beside him, feeling somewhat amused and exasperated. Daryl had probably done his homework on the forces that would be attending the celebration, and had gleaned some information from Minne's attire, which was why he had judged them to be from out of town.

That makes sense. After Minay encountered his own caravan, he changed into a magnificent outfit and even took out a pocket watch, as if afraid others wouldn't know he was rich. Perhaps it was because the pocket watch he was holding had some out-of-town features that Daryl judged him to be from out of town.

But thinking about it carefully, Mina's nouveau riche and out-of-towner attire basically screamed "Come and rip me off!" On top of that, he "impulsively" did something to save someone, making him the epitome of an impulsive young man.

However, it's fine to consider them as people from out of town. After all, it's a celebration, and they probably don't want to make a big fuss. If the other party recognizes their identities and takes the money bag, it means the matter is resolved.

The onlookers, seeing this, thought the matter was over. In the end, the customer paid up and admitted defeat, which was a common occurrence in this area. After all, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake.

Among the crowd of onlookers, a girl in a uniform stood silently watching the scene unfold.

Unexpectedly, after Daryl put down his teacup, he looked at the gold and silver jewelry peeking out of the leather bag and said with a smile, "Brother, you're very thoughtful."

Just when they thought the matter was over, Daryl suddenly swaggered into a chair, pointed to his brother next to him, and said:

"But we have so many brothers here. With your meager funds, I'm afraid you can't afford to treat us all to drinks."

After Daryl finished speaking, there was a moment of silence, followed by a deafening roar of laughter that echoed throughout the hotel. After understanding Daryl's words, the thugs in the hotel laughed so hard they were doubled over, and the ear-piercing laughter reverberated throughout the entire hotel.

But after a while, the thugs suddenly started chanting "Boss!" rhythmically. The shouts were actually from the army, and amidst the laughter and whistles, the shouts for "Boss!" grew louder and louder. Daryl sat smiling in the midst of them, his feet propped up on the low table without any restraint, clearly like an emperor among them.

They were wrong. They thought Daryl was planning to quit while he was ahead, and in fact, that was exactly what Daryl was planning. However, their idea of ​​quitting while ahead was different from Daryl's.

Daryl was willing to give them face, but he needed them to pay more money, and he also wanted to use their money to buy his prestige among his brothers in a three-pronged way. In order to make this friend, they had no choice but to cut their losses and pay even more money.

Sona's face was ashen, her body trembling. She hadn't expected things to turn out this way. The cacophony of shouts around her filled her mind. She felt like lambs to the slaughter, surrounded by wolves ready to cut them in half. They mocked them and tried to take their flesh.

"What? You want to be friends with me? But I have a lot of friends. Before you want to be friends with me, you have to befriend all my brothers first."

Daryl laughed as he basked in his brothers' respect. After he finished speaking, his brothers behind him burst into laughter again. The thug behind Daryl clutched his stomach, looking at Aaron with a mocking gaze, tears welling up in his eyes from laughing.

Even the onlookers burst into laughter. In any case, this was definitely one of the biggest laughs in Asgard during this period. Some people in the crowd whispered that they were bullying outsiders to the point of shitting on their heads. How could they make things difficult for people like this? If Aaron obediently paid up today, Daryl would acknowledge him as a friend, but Aaron would also become a notorious sucker who would never be able to hold his head up high again. Meanwhile, Daryl's reputation would probably rise for a while. In the army, no one cares how much you bully men and women. As long as you are good to your brothers, you will have a good reputation.

At that moment, a white shadow appeared behind him. Without him noticing, when her calm voice rang out, Daryl felt as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

He jumped up from his chair in fright. A white figure stood behind him, a faint smile on its face.

"Can I pay for it myself?"