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

At this very moment, thousands of miles away in Esgard, in a quiet room, Joan of Arc's cheeks were already puffed out.

Just then, the weak blue light of the Omniscient Stone finally disappeared completely. The Omniscient Stone already had very little spiritual power, and with her actions just now, its spiritual power was completely exhausted. It would not be able to be replenished until this time tomorrow.

The room became completely dark and silent. The influence of the military flag on the Omniscient Stone had also completely disappeared. That was good; the evidence had been completely destroyed.

A moment later, Joan of Arc picked up the military flag, tucked it into her hand, and lay back down on the bed, pouting as she said, "Teacher has this flaw... she can never refuse people... and she's too gentle with them, always giving them opportunities to take advantage..."

Despite her complaints, Joan of Arc couldn't help but smile. She hugged her pillow again and rolled over in bed, because today she had received her most precious gift.

The night is already deep.

This was the second night the caravan had traveled across the plains. As it turned out, without the interference of bandits, their journey was quite pleasant. Although these nobles did a mediocre job in security, they knew how to enjoy life. They carried a lot of food with them, including specialties that only Lister could afford. The service provided by the caravan's attendants was also top-notch; Aaron had not enjoyed such service in a long time.

Aaron stayed behind for two simple reasons: first, to ensure the safety of the convoy; and second, because he was exhausted. Traveling back slowly with the convoy would be like enjoying life, and the journey itself would be considered his work, essentially a paid vacation. Why not?

At night, the convoy would stop for a barbecue party. At this time, they would forget their different statuses and everyone would enjoy the barbecue together. Even the waiters would have a great time. It was a rare treat in the wilderness.

Damian and Aaron were having barbecue and drinking together. They were probably the people in the team who had the most in common. They had gotten along well these past few days. But just as Damian was holding the barbecue and preparing to have a couple more drinks with Aaron, he noticed that Aaron's expression suddenly changed.

Damian saw that the Omniscient Stone in his hand was emitting rapid blue light.

"What happened?" Damian asked nervously.

“Something’s happened,” Aaron said.

"What happened?"

Aaron did not answer. He put down the wine bottle, got off the carriage, and looked towards the direction of Esgard in the starry sky.

His feeling was absolutely correct. The Omniscient Stone was shining so brightly because someone had just crushed it. And crushing the Omniscient Stone was a distress signal that Aaron had taught Joan of Arc in a desperate situation.

Evening, Sacred Heart Church.

The church and workhouse are distributing porridge to the poor.

In the small square, beggars and poor people lined up, and the nuns handed them a bowl of porridge or a piece of black bread.

Today's porridge distribution was no different from usual. What was surprising was a beautiful blonde girl in the porridge distribution team. Even though she was wearing a regular nun's habit, her beauty could not be hidden. She worked very efficiently and her movements were even elegant. Soon, someone told others that she was a saint from the Sacred Heart Cathedral. People revered her even more, and many of the people who came to the church specifically to eat porridge came for her.

As the porridge distribution was nearing its end, Joan of Arc was called back to the church. She learned that because there were too many homeless people and the workhouse did not have enough beds, the church had also made room for some people, using straw as beds, so that some injured and homeless people could have a place to rest.

When Joan of Arc returned to the church, she found the nuns covering their noses and whispering amongst themselves, pointing to a spot where someone was sleeping. The reason was that someone there had been bitten by wild dogs, leaving many festering wounds on her body, and she emitted a foul stench that even the beggars and vagrants nearby dared not approach.

After Joan of Arc learned of this, she slowly approached the figure huddled in the corner. At first, she thought it was a homeless person, but upon closer inspection, she realized it was just a little girl. When the girl saw Joan of Arc coming over, she looked at her warily, like a little wild animal.

Her legs were haphazardly bound with cloth, from which the stench emanated. Joan of Arc then brought clean bandages and water to re-bandage her. At first, the little wild animal resisted, baring its teeth at Joan of Arc like a wild beast. But seeing that Joan of Arc was not afraid of the stench emanating from her bloody pus and that the other nuns covered their noses and avoided her, she gradually calmed down and allowed Joan of Arc to bandage her wounds.

After bandaging her wound, she didn't say a word of thanks and just lay down again. Joan of Arc didn't mind, took the water and left. The church was still very busy afterwards, and soon the lights were turned off. The nuns and old women stayed on the benches in one corner of the church to keep vigil, holding candles in their hands. The disaster victims huddled in the darkness on the other side, and the two sides kept to themselves.

As the nun keeping watch on the bench was dozing off, the one on patrol let out a scream, the candle she was holding fell to the ground, and a dark figure suddenly darted under her skirt, smashed through the window, and escaped into the night.

"Is it a rat?" The night watchwoman suddenly stood up.

“No, it’s a person…it’s a figure…” the nun said, her face pale.

Just then, the chef from the kitchen came running out: "It's a brat! That brat stole all our breakfast for tomorrow! He even stole one of our chickens!"

The nuns on night patrol gave chase, but were all amazed by the figure's agility. The fleeing shadowy figure, still nimble with the food stolen from the kitchen, vanished in a flash. Only one equally agile figure caught her by the tail.

Chapter 50 Bad Kids

"Joan of Arc!" Grandma shouted from behind, but Joan of Arc had already chased after her and disappeared from sight.

Joan of Arc jumped onto the roof to catch up with her. The moment she jumped onto the roof, she realized that the other person was definitely not an ordinary child. An ordinary child could not jump up a two-meter-high wall with a leg injury while carrying a lot of food.

However, despite her extraordinary powers, she seemed to be a bit slow on the uptake. To be precise, the child seemed to be extremely hungry, eating the food in her hand as she ran. Joan of Arc managed to find her by following the food scraps and chicken bones on the ground.

Seeing the scattered chicken bones on the ground, Joan of Arc calmed down. She thought that such a food thief couldn't be a vicious person. Just then, as she chased after him, she came to a dead end. The child was obviously unfamiliar with the terrain of Esgard and didn't know that running here was basically suicide. Joan of Arc wasn't in a hurry. She just needed to take the child back afterward.

Just as she was wondering whether she should go into the alley to pull the child out or try to force her out, she saw the child who had run in suddenly run back, the food in her hand gone. Joan of Arc grabbed her by the collar and lifted her into the air.

"Bad child!" Joan of Arc slapped the child's bottom hard, scolding her like a school teacher.

But the child struggled desperately in her grasp, and when she realized she couldn't break free no matter what, she looked at Joan of Arc with a panicked expression.

Joan of Arc's body was suddenly covered by a huge black shadow. Joan of Arc felt a terrifying chill and slowly raised her head to see a pair of eerie green eyes looking down at her.

The imposing figure still retained a human form, with enormous dark red wings growing from its back. Its skin seemed transparent, radiating a furnace-like red glow. Beneath that red skin, blood vessels expanded and twisted like living things. Joan of Arc looked at it and it seemed she could see its heart beating directly in its chest cavity. The rhythm of that heartbeat was dull and thunderous, making people feel uneasy.

Only then did Joan of Arc see clearly that blood was constantly flowing from under the monster's deformed claws and teeth. Several corpses had already fallen around it, each with a different and gruesome manner of death. In its other deformed hand, it held a dark red scythe that seemed to be breathing, constantly pulsating.

At that moment, the scythe was raised high into the air, facing the wind, and smashed down on Joan of Arc under his indifferent eyes. At that instant, the rat-like child suddenly opened his eyes wide, as if he would see blood gushing into the sky at any moment.

"boom!"

Dark red blood shot into the sky, soaking the child's figure. The dark red scythe flew into the air first, but a white sword slashed upwards first, severing the monster's arm. The monster's arm and weapon disappeared together, and the monster's swing missed its mark.

The monster seemed to feel no pain at all; it abandoned its weapon without hesitation and grabbed Joan of Arc with its other deformed hand, only to be instantly blocked by Joan of Arc with the spear in her other hand.

The monster seemed puzzled as to why Joan of Arc had summoned so many weapons in such a short time. It was knocked back by the spear, but in the next moment, the spear pierced its body with lightning speed, and the sword cut off its other arm. In a very short time, Joan of Arc severed the monster's upper limb and pierced its vitals. The children nearby were stunned. They never expected that the beautiful and gentle older sister who was distributing porridge could be so brave in battle.

The monster, now without support, collapsed to the ground. Joan of Arc discovered that it showed signs of resurrection. The monster lacked consciousness but seemed immortal. So Joan of Arc summoned her banner, leaped high, and plunged it fiercely into the monster's chest. The monster trembled violently, letting out a hoarse roar, before finally ceasing to move. Joan of Arc's banner seemed to possess the power of sealing.

After defeating the monster, Joan of Arc finally stopped, panting heavily. Although the battle lasted only a few seconds, it was extremely dangerous and not as simple as it seemed.

Joan of Arc was surprised that she had so decisively defeated this seemingly formidable monster. Previously, her opponents were often her teacher, so Joan of Arc lost more often than she won, or rather, she had never won at all. This made Joan of Arc feel somewhat inferior about her strength. Only now did she realize that if she left her teacher, she was not weak at all.

“But… what exactly is this thing…” Joan of Arc thought breathlessly.

The thought had only flashed through her mind for a moment. As she looked at the monster she had executed, an ominous premonition arose in her heart. If the other party were just a simple monster, it would be fine, and Joan of Arc would not feel any burden. But she vaguely saw a human shape in the monster. Its appearance and its face shape were like a person who was extremely angry and twisted.

As if she had discovered some kind of clue, Joan of Arc's gaze slowly shifted to the side, looking at the dark red scythe still attached to the monster's arm. Although she could hardly believe it, Joan of Arc could tell that this weapon was a Blessing.

But at this moment, the Blessing was completely fused with the monster's flesh and blood. The Blessing of Omniscience, which should have represented elegance, now presented a ferocious and terrifying appearance. The tortuous blood vessels seemed to wrap around the dark red scythe as if they were enveloping the core. At this moment, the scythe seemed to have been given the characteristics of being alive and was breathing.

A worst thought crept into Joan of Arc's mind: this was a monster transformed from a person with blessings and extraordinary powers. But when Joan of Arc looked at the monster's face, she couldn't imagine what it would take to become like this.

By this time, the child beside Joan of Arc had also realized what was happening and tugged at Joan's nun's robe, saying, "I...we have to go..."

Joan of Arc remained motionless, for she sensed a new presence. Her gaze was fixed on the darkness. Suddenly, she swung her sword backward, but froze, for she saw a terrified human face.

"Who are you! Drop your weapon!" the man shouted at her in fear. It turned out to be a policeman.

Before Joan of Arc could retort, they were surrounded by a dense mass of mounted police. The piercing sound of sirens filled the night sky, and the various colored lights almost blinded her. The police all stared at her with fear, their eyes fixed on the weapon in her hand.

"I am a nun from the Sacred Heart Church. I just happened to be here and have nothing to do with what's happening here." Faced with an increasing number of police officers, Joan of Arc withdrew her blessing and wisely raised her hands. She knew that no matter her status, it would be foolish to oppose the police at this time.

Chapter 51 Dark Forces

But the police wouldn't listen to Joan's explanations at all. Their attention was focused on the horrific corpses and monsters on the ground, and they looked at Joan with eyes that seemed to avoid her. Joan tried to explain, but the police handcuffed her hands. Even during this process, the mounted police still pointed their muskets at her, looking at her as if she were a monster.

The children around Joan of Arc were also handcuffed.

"I didn't kill these people," Joan of Arc explained while she was handcuffed.

"Stop talking nonsense and come with us!"

Without a word, Joan of Arc and the girl were taken to the carriage and brought back to the police station in Esgard. It was the first time Joan of Arc had experienced anything like this, but she felt no fear. On the contrary, the police took her to the deepest cell and quickly left her behind.

Joan of Arc remained calm, neither arguing nor making a scene. She made only one request: to contact the outside world.

She didn't know if the police had heard her request, but at most a few hours later, someone would interrogate her. Whether she mentioned the connection to the Holy Church, the Sacred Heart Cathedral, or even the Obsidian Knights, the misunderstanding would be quickly cleared up.

What still troubled Joan of Arc was the monster she had just encountered. What was that thing? And why did it possess such a blessing?

She heard noises coming from the next cell, including things like "Let me go." The police told her to behave and then threw the little girl in.

That child was no ordinary person; that person was able to throw her into prison with one hand, so he must be a superhuman as well. This actually reassured Joan of Arc a little; at least they should be safe.

Joan of Arc leaned against the cell wall with her eyes closed, quietly waiting for the moment of interrogation. But after waiting for several hours, Joan of Arc did not see any movement. Instead, she smelled a faint smell of blood.

Joan of Arc opened her eyes and saw that the prison cell was quiet and still.

But Joan of Arc felt a chill in her heart, and had a bad feeling.

Before she closed her eyes, she could still hear the policemen coughing and eating at the door, but now she couldn't hear a sound at all, as if they had all disappeared. At the same time, she saw a dark figure standing at the cell door. Jeanne stared at the figure and could see the baton at his waist, but she couldn't tell if he was a policeman or someone else.

Suddenly, he saw the policeman's baton fall from his waist, and then his body fell down. A new dark figure slowly emerged from behind him, and the fallen policeman had become a new corpse.

Joan of Arc had already stood up, her hands radiating spiritual power, ready to summon a blessing at any moment.

Her expression was more serious than ever before. She wondered who the person outside was? Why would they go to such lengths to kill a prison guard at the police station just to kill her? Was it her enemy?

Joan of Arc immediately thought of the villagers who had gone mad and tried to kill her three years ago, but then she realized it didn't seem likely. They didn't have that much power in Asgard. Were they her teacher's enemies? That was possible. Her teacher had once mentioned, intentionally or unintentionally, that he had offended countless people in Asgard, but very few people knew about her relationship with him…

The man didn't go into Joan's cell, but instead went into the cell next to hers, as if what was inside was the truly important thing. Joan was startled; the cell next door was the cell of the child who had stolen food from the church.

Sure enough, Joan of Arc heard a snorting and warning sound, like a wild beast issuing a warning...

The girl's small body pressed against the wall like a cat with its fur standing on end, staring in fear at the monster in front of the iron bars. She instinctively sensed that the other person was dangerous, as if a knife was already at her throat.

But not only in front of the girl's cell, a dark shadow appeared in front of Joan's cell as well. Joan finally realized where the chill in her heart came from, because in this cell, apart from her and the person next to her, there was no other living thing.

Joan of Arc broke free of her shackles with brute force, and the beginnings of a blessing appeared on her hands. The person standing in the darkness stopped and said, "Oh? There are even extraordinary beings?"

"Humans?" Joan of Arc retorted. "Who are you?"

The man didn't answer her, but just looked at the pocket watch in his hand through the cell. Joan of Arc suddenly heard the sound of the hands turning clearly, the hands clicking.

"I see," Joan of Arc said. "Is that your blessing?"

The man in black was clearly taken aback, and finally raised his head to look directly at Joan of Arc.

Most people would panic in this situation, but Joan of Arc was different. Aaron had told her from the beginning that battles between superhumans were often unpredictable because of their different blessings, especially when superhumans with the blessing of omniscience killed each other. Without knowing their background, anything they had could be their blessing.

It could be a glove, a pen, or even a pair of glasses. The more ordinary the object, the easier it is to overlook, and the more dangerous it is. The person in front of him was wearing a black-brimmed hat, a monocle, and a cane in his other hand. He was dressed exactly like an old gentleman, so people would easily overlook the pocket watch in his hand or doubt anything about him, unable to so keenly perceive that it was his ability.

"Very perceptive, seems to be no ordinary superhuman. Leave your name."

"Joan of Arc, I am a student at the High Towers College and a nun at the Sacred Heart Cathedral," Joan of Arc rattled off her identity.

These two identities are her most powerful identities on the surface. Students who can study at the Holy Tower Academy are often rich and noble. Any power that wants to get involved with the students of the Holy Tower Academy will have to think twice. The nuns of the Sacred Heart Cathedral are even more so. In the Kingdom of Lucerne, no one would say that their power is greater than that of the Church of All Knowledge.

"So you're a young nun. It's a pity, but today is your death day. I'll give my regards to your parents." The old gentleman smiled coldly, completely unconcerned about her revealed identity, as if he were fearless.

Who in the Kingdom of Lucerne possesses such power that they are not afraid of the two major powers, the Holy Tower Academy and the Church? These two groups represent the nobility on one side and religion on the other. Who in the Kingdom of Lucerne can surpass both of them?

“Give me a reason why I must die today,” Joan of Arc said.

"For the secrets of God are not to be explored by mortals."

“God’s secret…” Joan of Arc murmured softly, “But I am very powerful, it won’t be easy for me to die.”

The man closed the pocket watch in his hand, and the clicking stopped: "But I don't think so."