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

"Congratulations, Your Highness." Even without the bishop's words, cheers erupted in the church as everyone offered their blessings to the princess.

"Is this my blessing?" The princess seemed quite satisfied with her blessing and stepped back with her twin swords in hand.

The princess stepped down, and another child took her place. The bishop then began the ceremony, and the people watched with great interest as everything unfolded on the stage. An elderly man recognized the child and began to introduce him and his parents.

If he is blessed, people will say that the family has a chance to revive; if he is not blessed, people will sadly say that the family has lost another hope and wonder if the family will decline as a result.

"Brigita!" Another child was called to the front of the stage. Following the archbishop's instructions, the ceremony was carried out. Half an hour later, ten children had come up to the stage, but apart from the first two, none of the other children received a blessing.

Another invariably true thing is that those children who receive the blessing can see the outline of the blessing when illuminated by the light of omniscience. They can often reach their hands in and receive their blessing. However, those children who do not receive the blessing often need to spend a long time, usually groping behind the curtain for a long time without finding anything.

This is the norm. Generally speaking, it is a good omen that the first child is blessed. People will say that this is the beginning of a good year. And if two out of ten people are blessed, it is considered a high probability.

“A big shot has invited you to sit over there. How about it? Are you interested?” The young man who looked like a priest came to Aaron’s side and stood next to him, looking at the stage.

"Please thank that person for me, but I'm perfectly fine here. I can see clearly from here," Aaron said expressionlessly. An invitation from a powerful figure should have been an honor, but he refused without even looking at it.

The young man wasn't surprised. Instead, he looked at the stage and said, "It's the same every year, the same drama played out again. How did you feel back then? Were you overjoyed when you received the blessing?"

Aaron didn't answer, which didn't surprise the young man. He turned to look in the direction of the children and asked, "Do you think she can receive the blessing?"

"She is the person prophesied."

“The king didn’t predict that she would definitely receive a blessing,” the priest said. “It’s rare to see you so interested in a child; it’s even piqued my interest. How about we make a bet?”

Aaron turned his head and looked at his clergy attire; his meaning was already clear.

"Just playing around." The priest smiled and took off a ring from his finger. "Let's bet on this. A little gambling is harmless fun."

“I’m not wearing anything like that.”

"I don't want anything from you. This ring should be enough to buy an apartment in Asgard, which is only a few months' salary for you. You can't even afford that?"

Chapter 7 God Bless Lucert (Part 1)

The priest had expected Aaron to make some more excuses, but to his surprise, Aaron readily agreed: "Okay."

"So readily agreed?"

"Why wouldn't you take money that's being given away for free?" Aaron turned to look at the priest.

Seeing Aaron's eyes, the priest felt a pang of regret for a moment, but he quickly shook his head. Who could say for sure about blessings? The people of Lucerne had proven over thousands of years that it was entirely up to God.

However, he didn't care who owned the ring; he was just more interested in Aaron and that girl.

The gamble was set up quietly, and the number of children ahead of Joan of Arc was dwindling; soon it would be Joan of Arc's turn.

She was the last one to go up on stage to receive a blessing. The pace of the process started to slow down as fewer and fewer people received a blessing. Each person who couldn't receive a blessing had to spend several minutes on stage. However, one or two people did manage to receive a blessing. One received a mirror, and the other received two pistols.

The person who received two guns caused a stir, as it was another rare double blessing. This was the second one to receive it today. In total, fifty children went up, and four of them received the blessing, which is actually a pretty good probability.

Finally, even the last child in front of Joan of Arc walked down the stage in disappointment, and the bishop on the stage finally announced her name: "Joan of Arc Darke".

The audience wasn't very enthusiastic because, before Joan of Arc, more than twenty children had already failed to receive the blessing. The atmosphere was somber, and the onlookers were getting impatient. The only way to alleviate the somber mood was through chatting.

When it was the other children's turn, people could talk about their family backgrounds and parents, and where they might take up a post if they were blessed.

But when it was Joan of Arc's turn, people could only stare at her blankly, knowing nothing about her. Only one voice whispered among themselves, talking about her being the prophesied maiden, and others mentioned Aaron, who had brought her there. However, no one dared to speak too loudly, for fear of reaching Aaron's ears. Therefore, the atmosphere at the scene was unusually heavy and quiet.

After half a morning, people were tired, and their initial excitement had worn off. Most people were discussing random things, and only about half of them noticed that the girl had come to the bishop.

"Do you know what to do?" the bishop said gently.

“I know, my teacher told me to just pray as usual,” Joan of Arc said.

Upon hearing Joan of Arc's words, the bishop paused for a moment, then said, "Alright, then do as your teacher says."

The light from the kaleidoscope shone on Joan of Arc's head. Dressed in her nun's habit, she bowed her head devoutly, clasped her hands together, and began to pray. When the light shone on her, she actually looked like a devout nun. People also noticed her actions on the stage, which were somewhat strange, as someone was praying before the blessing.

"Is it too late to start praying to God now?" someone said, shaking their head.

“But look at her, what a devout child she is! Perhaps the glory of God can truly shine upon her,” some said.

After watching so many children go on stage, Joan of Arc had a general idea of ​​the process, but she still remembered what her teacher had told her: just do it like you would when you pray. This would not only put her at ease but also make her less nervous. So she went to the front of the stage, prayed as usual, and calmed herself down as usual.

In fact, from childhood, while other children were still hating the boring and redundant religious activities, Joan of Arc had already developed an interest in them. Unlike all the other children in the village, she was always enthusiastic about religious activities and could always endure the redundant rituals that even adults couldn't stand. Many adults were not as good as her.

In addition, she could tell other people in the village that she had seen divine revelation. She was basically regarded as a fanatical religious person by the villagers, and even as a strange person. But for her, praying was as normal as eating and sleeping.

Therefore, as soon as she arrived, she naturally immersed herself in it, not thinking about anything else, just like usual.

Before she knew it, a minute had passed. Joan of Arc was still silently reciting in her heart, while most of the people below the stage had already lost interest in what was happening on stage, because the signs were already very obvious.

All the children who are destined to receive the blessing will see the beginnings of the blessing when they come up to receive the light of omniscience. They will then reach out and receive their blessing. The outcome is decided in about a minute. However, Joan of Arc, like Anglais, spent a full minute with her eyes closed, which is basically a sign that she will not receive the blessing.

"Looks like Aaron's going to be working for me for free for a few months," the priest said with a smile.

The bishop watched Joan of Arc praying without disturbing her. For some reason, he gave the girl ample patience, like a rock standing beside her, oblivious to the passage of time.

But in this atmosphere, people are always very sensitive to time. Every little bit of time seems very long. Joan of Arc had been standing on the stage for almost three minutes, causing some commotion in the audience. People were wondering why she had taken so long. What was the bishop doing?

The bishop remained standing quietly until he saw Joan of Arc frown and a puzzled look on her face. Only then did he ask, "What do you see?"

Joan of Arc's expression remained confused, as if she were puzzled.

“When you see it, reach out and grab it. Draw it on the screen according to your memory,” the bishop began to guide.

“We’ve received the blessing,” Aaron, who was staring intently at the stage, suddenly said.

"You got it?" The priest also looked puzzled.

On the stage.

"Describe?"

Joan of Arc remained puzzled; she had seen so many children go up on stage, and the bishop had never said those words to them.

“Do as I say, and draw the image in your mind onto the screen,” the bishop said.

So Joan of Arc did as the bishop instructed, but instead of reaching directly behind the curtain, she gently stroked the curtain with her fingers, as if her fingers were gliding across the surface of water.

"Can you see anything?" the bishop asked, his voice calm, as if there were only the two of them on the stage.

"There is."

"Then take out what you've described from behind."

Joan of Arc's hand paused gently in front of the curtain, then her fingers reached behind it. People's eyes were fixed on Joan of Arc's hand, but it seemed that she, like Angrand, was constantly groping behind the curtain.

She stretched her arms out very far, pressing her entire body against the curtain, and then, like a fisherman who had caught a big fish at the bottom of a river, she used all her strength to pull the thing out from behind the curtain.

Chapter 8 God Bless Lucert (Part 2)

As the object was pulled out, gasps of surprise rippled through the crowd. In Joan of Arc's hand lay a pure white sword, its hilt inlaid with jewels that shone brilliantly under the luminous light of the All-Knowing Sword, as if the sword itself were radiating light.

“I knew I wasn’t wrong; you do indeed have the talent to bestow blessings,” the bishop said.

Joan of Arc stared blankly at the sword in her hand. Normally, a child would be happy to see such a sight, but Joan of Arc frowned, her face not showing the joy of receiving a blessing, but still full of confusion.

The audience below the stage was noisy. Even those who had no interest at first became interested. Some people were shouting Joan of Arc's name, while many others were discussing who she was. Some people were also looking at her magnificent sword and wondering what she could achieve in the future with such a sword.

“I didn’t expect her to be our competitor,” said Eleonor, holding a swift foil in the audience.

The children who received blessings and those who did not have vaguely formed two circles. Although there were only a few children who received blessings and dozens who did not, the children who received blessings were in high spirits, while the children who did not receive blessings were in low spirits.

“It is a fine sword. You must cherish it and take your precious sword with you,” the bishop said to Joan of Arc.

But Joan of Arc seemed not to hear, remaining standing on the stage. She said in an uncertain tone, "I feel there's still paint left..."

"The paint isn't all used up yet?" This sounded like a childish question, but the bishop was stunned.

“Hmm, I think I saw something behind the curtain, and there are still things I haven’t taken,” Joan of Arc said.

The well-informed bishop did not take Joan of Arc's words lightly, but even someone as knowledgeable as him had never seen such a scene before. He stepped in front of Joan of Arc and whispered, "Could it be a double blessing?"

"Let her continue, Bishop. The blessing is not over yet. If she does not complete the blessing, the next person will not be able to perform the blessing." A voice rang out in the church.

An even more surprising scene unfolded. Aaron stepped out of the crowd, stood at the very front, and came directly to the audience. He looked up and stared directly at the bishop: "She is the girl the king was searching for in his prophecy, the one chosen by the Book of Omniscience. The king told me that if she received the blessing, he would make her a saint. But I think the blessing a saint receives is not so simple."

"Saintess?"

This was the first time people had heard this news, and the words came from the mouth of a dignified knight. The news immediately caused an uproar among the crowd.

“Continue to bless,” the bishop said, turning to Joan of Arc.

Joan of Arc couldn't process so much information like an adult, but she still followed the will of the unseen. As if she had a premonition, she pressed her whole body against the curtain once again. This time, Joan of Arc looked like a fisherman with her feet on the bow of a boat, ready to catch a big fish. Seeing her expression, people couldn't help but wonder what kind of fish she would catch.

“It is said that the one who bestows the blessing is the first to see it, but what exactly is it? What does she need to do to bring it out? And she already has a blessing, so what is she going to pull out?” Even the priest couldn’t help but murmur.

The object was clearly too large for the girl. It was as if she were fishing in the sea. She struggled for a long time, feeling as if she was being sucked into a curtain, before she could barely grab it. Then, as if she had made up her mind, she pulled it out.

The moment she forcefully pulled the object out, people were momentarily dazed, thinking she had really pulled out a fishing rod. But when they looked closely, they realized that what she had actually pulled out was the shaft of a spear.

The spear was extremely long for Joan of Arc, and she had to exert a great deal of effort to pull it out. Then people saw the blade at the tip of the spear. When the tip was pulled out, the silver tip seemed to be golden under the light. Only when she pulled the spear out completely could people see its true appearance. What kind of spear was it?

"Double blessing, the combination of a sword and a spear, what exactly does this mean?"

There's always a reason behind the combination of blessings, but the bishop couldn't see the meaning behind the pairing of spear and sword. It seemed that the girl on the platform was destined to experience war in the future.

"Wait! The spear... there's something behind the spear!" someone suddenly exclaimed, because they discovered that Joan of Arc's blessing was not over yet, and there was something connected to the back of the spear. Everyone was startled, and some people couldn't help but stand up to see the incredible sight on the stage.

Even Aaron was stunned. He had thought there would only be an extra spear, but Joan of Arc seemed to be even more extraordinary than he had imagined.

As others have said, the spear was not all that Joan of Arc was trying to pull out. There was something else attached to the back of the spear, which was connected to it by an iron chain and looked much larger than the spear. That's why Joan of Arc was struggling so much to lift it. She gripped the iron chain, and her whole body seemed to be held back by the blessing she was about to pull out.

"Others would be happy to get just one thing, but she's here to buy more..." someone whispered.

It was as if the curtain was being cleaved open. When Joan of Arc pulled the thing out completely, the huge curtain was split open as if the sky itself were being cleaved by it. The curtain shook, and what Joan of Arc had taken out lifted the entire white curtain. The first thing people saw was soft silk, the long shaft of a spear connected by iron chains, and on the flagpole was a huge flag in gold and white.

The gold and white banner, larger than Joan of Arc's body, was inscribed with the image of the omniscient light representing the omniscient God. At that moment, a sudden gust of wind blew, causing the banner to flutter in the air above the entire church, like a giant battle flag.

Beneath the banner, Joan of Arc held a silver spear in her left hand, as conspicuous as the banner itself. To her right, she held a magnificent, jewel-encrusted, pure white sword. The young woman stood on the platform, radiant like a Valkyrie in a painting.

No one has ever received three weapons during a blessing. People say that a blessing is a prophecy about a person, and that the person who receives the blessing will always use it at a crucial moment in the future. So what do these three blessings that the girl received represent? Where will she be able to use her talents in the future? What kind of place will allow her to achieve great things?

Moreover, one of the weapons she acquired was a flag, which was even engraved with the symbol of the Omniscient Light, representing the entire Church of Omniscient, the symbol of God, and at the same time, the symbol of the entire Lusset Empire.

"God bless Lucette..."

In the quiet church, the girl spoke softly in her unique, ethereal voice. Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the church could hear her clearly.

Then people realized that the voice came from the girl on the stage. She stood on the stage, holding a spear, with a long sword at her waist, and a huge banner in her hand. The banner fluttered above her head, and she was bathed in the light of omniscience, which also shone on the banner, making the scene seem so sacred.

Someone joined the girl in shouting, "God bless Lucert," and placed their hand on their chest. Soon, more and more people started shouting, "God bless Lucert," and placing their hands on their chests.