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

Joan of Arc tensed up immediately, instinctively gripping her teacher's hand tightly and lowering her head.

As Aaron said, the blessing is a festival, a performance, and a grand religious event, except that the performers on stage are these thirteen-year-old children, and the performance is about blessing. If you receive a blessing, you will receive the blessings of the entire empire; if you do not receive a blessing, you will receive the indifference of the entire empire.

Such a ceremony was too terrifying for 13-year-olds. The adults all stared at the stage, but Joan of Arc noticed the children immediately. She saw many children her age queuing up nervously.

Looking at the children's expressions, the better ones were just pale, while the worse ones looked like they were about to cry. Only a few children standing at the front had expressionless faces, and they were dressed more elegantly than the other children, possessing a calmness far beyond their peers.

The only exception was a child lying in her parents' arms. She was wrapped in a blanket and looked to be sleeping soundly. She looked a little smaller than Joan of Arc and seemed completely oblivious to her surroundings.

Joan of Arc was looking at the child with curiosity when she suddenly realized that she was getting closer and closer to the child. When Joan of Arc came to her senses, she found that the teacher was pulling her along and walking straight to the front of the crowd.

At first, some people whispered curses at Aaron for cutting in line, but the cursing quickly stopped because they realized that no one came out to stop him. More and more people saw the uniform he was wearing, and suddenly, not only the teacher, but also Jeanne became the focus of everyone's attention. Jeanne gripped the teacher's hand tightly: "Teacher... Teacher... Should we go straight to the front?"

Joan noticed that the vast majority of children were in another line, dressed in ordinary clothes, and looked like a line of commoners. Joan felt that she should belong there.

"Although the blessing ceremony has almost no risk of failure, it is safer and more efficient to have the archbishop perform the blessing for you."

“Archbishop…” Joan of Arc was stunned.

An elderly man in a loose robe stood at the front of the church. He looked calmly at Aaron, who was walking straight towards him, and said, "Aaron."

“Archbishop.” Aaron bowed slightly to the old man, then straightened up. “By the King’s decree, she is the prophesied maiden, and I have brought her here to receive the blessing.”

The prophesied maiden? Aaron's words reached the ears of the people in the first few rows, and some people exclaimed in surprise. Even the children standing in the front row couldn't help but turn their heads to take a few more glances at Joan of Arc.

"The prophesied maiden?" The archbishop looked at Joan of Arc. "I heard a girl was coming, but I didn't expect it would be you who brought her here personally."

The archbishop beckoned Joan of Arc to him and had her led into the front row of children.

Guided by the priest, Joan of Arc joined the group of children dressed in fine clothes. To meet the king, she changed out of her tattered clothes, but she only changed into clean nun's habit. A little nun suddenly burst into the line, quickly attracting everyone's attention.

Joan of Arc originally intended to slip quietly to the back of the group and try not to attract attention, but someone called out to her.

"Hello, my name is Luigi."

Immediately, children greeted the new girl. It was a blond, bespectacled little boy; he pressed his hand to his chest, looking quite adorable with his polite demeanor, but what he said certainly didn't sound like a child's:

“My father is the Marquis of Florimont, and I am currently studying under a bishop in a diocese of over a million people. After I receive my blessing, I plan to become the archbishop of that diocese within ten years.”

Joan of Arc was stunned. She never expected anyone to introduce her like that. The child standing in front of her was about the same age as her and looked very gentle, but when he spoke, he was completely like a little adult.

Joan of Arc suddenly remembered the boy she had met in the palace; their tone of voice was very similar.

“My name is Anglang. My father is the vice-commander of the Blazing White Knights, and my mother is Countess Melisandre. I have already joined the army, and although my rank is not high yet... my goal is the same as my father's: to join the Blazing White Knights and become their commander!”

Another proud voice rang out, and a fierce-looking boy stepped forward. He was the largest of all the children, like a small mountain to Joan of Arc, who was somewhat underdeveloped. Joan of Arc completely believed what he said because he looked as fierce as a small wild animal.

"My name is Eleonor. I don't have any specific goals. My future goal is to become a swordsman."

Finally, someone made a statement that was more in line with the child's opinion. A lazy voice rang out. It was a girl with curly hair and a short haircut that Joan of Arc thought was cool. She looked somewhat like a boy, but her already developing body made her undeniably a slender and graceful girl.

This child is named Eleonore. Her background is somewhat lower than that of the other children. Her father holds a high title, and her mother was once a popular star in Asgard. Even now, many people still remember her mother's name. Her father married a beautiful woman, and Eleonore is their child.

Chapter 5 Little Master

Joan of Arc then realized that this was the true nature of these children. Their lives had been smooth sailing, and they had almost never encountered any adversity. Yet, they had lost their innocence at a young age. That was why they spoke like little adults, straightforward and concerned with self-interest.

And these young adults are the ones who will inherit the power of the country in the future. Their future has been determined to a certain extent, and they have been involved in the affairs of the country since early on.

They come to receive blessings, like tigers coming to get teeth and prove their worth; it's definitely not something as innocent as a child getting their own magic wand.

"And you?" another child asked. "What's your name?"

“I…I am Joan of Arc, and I come from Orleans.”

Joan of Arc's voice involuntarily lowered. Compared to these children, she had nothing to say, as their parents all held titles and important positions in the country.

Children from such families naturally have smooth lives. At a young age, they already possess things that others can hardly have in their entire lives. They are people that Joan of Arc should never have met in her entire life. How could she introduce herself to these rentiers?

The children were clearly not satisfied with her introduction, and some of them had already deduced Joan's identity from the introduction. The boy who called himself Angrand, however, kept pursuing Joan.

Anglang looked intently at Joan of Arc and said, "What is your relationship with the person who brought you here? Why did he bring you here for a blessing?"

"That person... he's my teacher..."

“Teacher?” Angrand’s eyes flashed with a sharp light. He seemed to want to ask something, but the bishop’s voice rang out at this moment: “Alright, the blessing is about to begin. Please be quiet.”

Anglang stared intently at Joan of Arc: "Tell your teacher that I will surpass him in the future and become a knight even more powerful than him!"

After saying that, Angrand turned his head, leaving Joan of Arc standing there, feeling bewildered.

Joan of Arc stood there, completely bewildered as to why the boy had said those words.

"The blessing begins. Come up one by one according to age. Eleonor, you go first," the archbishop began calling out names.

The oldest child here is Eleonore, who claims she will become a swordsman in the future. After taking a deep breath, she looked around at everyone and walked forward with grace and poise.

As expected of a celebrity's child, she wasn't intimidated at all by the gaze of tens of thousands of people. In fact, the presence of so many eyes made her even more confident. Like an actress on stage, she confidently walked onto the stage and stood before the bishop. Even Joan of Arc couldn't help but admire her demeanor.

“Very good.” The bishop also praised it highly. Then, with a wave of his hand, Joan of Arc saw a white curtain appear above the church and slowly descend in front of Eleonor.

"Isn't the ceremony for receiving the blessing already clear?" the archbishop asked.

“Yes, please let me begin,” Eleonor said respectfully.

"it is good."

With a wave of his hand, the old man conjured a jewel-like mirror above the church dome.

Although Joan of Arc had never seen a gemstone in her life, she was still stunned when she saw the mirror. Not only her, but even the other well-informed children exclaimed in amazement.

The church has countless stained glass windows, which tell various stories in a religious style. Beneath those dreamy and magnificent stained glass windows, the mirror still looks exceptionally splendid.

It is not a gemstone, but it looks more dazzling than a gemstone. The entire mirror radiates colorful light, and the halo within it seems to contain all the colors in the world. It is as intricate as a kaleidoscope and as transparent as glass. If you look directly at that mirror, your gaze will slowly be drawn to it.

A giant kaleidoscope shone down from the dome, illuminating Eleonor. For a moment, people felt that Eleonor on the stage was like an angel, as if she were about to ascend to heaven. At the same time, a huge white curtain appeared in front of her, as if it led to the unknown.

"Receive the blessing of the all-knowing under the light of the all-knowing, ignite the spiritual fire within you, and let the lost lamb find its way home and find what you truly need." The bishop's voice rang in Eleonor's ears like heavenly music.

Eleonore closed her eyes, bathing in the holy light of the kaleidoscope. Her expression did not look relaxed. Seeing her holy appearance, even the Church of Omniscience was briefly quiet. People were staring at Eleonore in the middle of the church, wondering if she could receive a blessing, and what that blessing would be.

"How are you feeling?" the bishop asked.

“I…feel great!” Eleonore replied.

“Alright, now reach out your hand, through the curtain, imagine what it looks like, and then take it out,” the bishop said.

The most amazing scene finally happened. Eleonore closed his eyes, stretched out his arm, and confidently reached through the white curtain that seemed both illusory and real with one hand, as if he were groping for something behind the white curtain.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" the bishop asked.

Eleonore didn't answer; she seemed lost in her own world. After a moment, a flush appeared on her face: "Found it!"

“Good, pull it out,” the bishop shouted.

Eleonore abruptly pulled the object he was holding from behind the curtain. As it was pulled out, people had an instant feeling that it was as sharp as a sword, as if it had pierced the curtain directly, and it shone with a sharp light that hurt the eyes.

When people endured the pain to look at what she was holding, they discovered that she was holding a slender, swift fencing sword.

"I did it! I did it!!" Eleonore raised the foil she had obtained high, like a victor claiming his trophy.

"Eleonore! Eleonore! Eleonore!"

Eleonore's name rang out from the audience. As the first child to receive the blessing today, Eleonore undoubtedly became the focus of the entire event.

Eleonore, like a victor, strutted around the Church of the All-Knowing, brandishing her prized fencing, displaying her spoils to everyone, like a warrior who had caught a lamb on the plains.

Even Eleonor's parents were overjoyed to see this, clutching their chests and weeping with happiness.

“Alright, congratulations Eleonor, let’s move on to the next one,” the bishop said.

The next child to go on stage got stage fright, looking at the high platform and hesitating to take a step. Ungrand, who couldn't stand him, volunteered to go up. The bishop looked at the child's timid appearance, nodded, and decided to let Ungrand go first.

Chapter 6 The Bet

"I also hope I can get a weapon, but I hope my weapon is bigger than Eleonor's, preferably a heavy weapon, a greatsword, a spear, a hammer, anything will do, it must be able to swing with great force."

As he spoke, Anglang jumped onto the stage. He was clearly nervous, but he kept talking to calm himself down.

“Don’t be nervous. God’s glory shines upon you, and He will surely give you what is best for you,” the bishop said.

Like Eleonor, Anglang stood under the light of the kaleidoscope. Because of their different heights, the kaleidoscope adjusted its position so that the light would shine directly on Anglang's face. Anglang closed his eyes and began to imagine the weapon he wanted.

"Did you see what you wanted?" the bishop asked.

"It will take a little more time..."

"There's no need to exert so much effort. Those who receive the blessing will see the initial form of their blessing the moment they are touched by the light of omniscience. They just need to focus on that initial form."

“I know…” Angrand kept his eyes tightly closed. When Joan of Arc saw his fierce expression, it was the first time she had ever seen someone so desperate and fierce with their eyes closed, as if they were fighting against something.

"Is it ready?" the bishop asked. His voice didn't sound urgent, but Angrand knew the bishop was urging him.

“Alright…” Anglang didn’t dawdle any longer. He slowly stretched out his hands through the curtain, and Joan of Arc could see that his arms were trembling.

At first, he struggled to find his way out, pressing his entire body against the curtain, as if something behind the curtain was very difficult for him to remove. But as time went on, his movements became slower and slower, and then he became panting heavily, as if all his efforts had exhausted him.

"It's a pity you haven't received God's favor," the bishop shook his head.

Angrand's face turned pale, and he seemed to shrink back. The moment the bishop pronounced his death sentence on him, he trembled and withdrew his hand, but as the bishop said, he did not grab anything back.

"Next!" The bishop stopped looking at the boy whose lips had turned white and called for the next child, letting Angrand walk off the stage in a daze.

“How pitiful,” someone in the queue said. “He didn’t receive the blessing.”

"There's nothing to sympathize with, but he's no longer the same as us. The name Anglang will no longer appear in the circle. From now on, he has lost the right to compete with us," someone said.

Joan of Arc looked at Angrand's expression and was deeply impressed by him, because she felt that his expression must be the same as hers when she was pushed to the stake.

Indeed, that was the case. At that moment, the child felt much like someone being pushed onto the stake. He had already sentenced himself to death in his heart. Although he was only fourteen years old, his future, his dreams, and his prospects had all slipped away from him.

“Blessings are such cruel things; at the age of fourteen, they can be enough to sentence a boy to death, and all of this is by the will of God,” someone whispered in Joan of Arc’s ear.

Joan of Arc turned her head and noticed that the speaker was a girl with beautiful blonde hair. She looked at Joan of Arc and calmly said to her, "My name is Maria. Good luck."

Then, she lifted her skirt herself, went to the bishop, and curtsied slightly.

“Your Highness Mary,” the bishop said.

"Let's finish this quickly. I want to know what my blessing is." As expected of royalty, this person, who was close in age to Joan of Arc, appeared unusually calm.

Princess stood under the light of the kaleidoscope, closed her eyes, stretched out her arm, and slowly reached behind the curtain. Unlike Anglang, after being illuminated by the light of omniscience, she did not hesitate much before taking the object out from behind the curtain.

Two-handed swords! No one expected that the princess's weapon would be a two-handed weapon. Some children were stunned. They said that weapons reflect the inner world of extraordinary people, and it seems that a wild girl lives inside the princess.