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

"At first it seemed strange, but after watching you for so many years, it doesn't seem strange anymore. Besides, for a long time I just thought you were a foreigner and I always wanted to train you to be a Lucerne, but it seems I didn't succeed."

"I……"

Aurelia shook her head: "You have your own world? You have your own homeland, right? I don't know what your original world was like, but you always regarded Lucert as a foreign land, so you couldn't regard Lucert as your homeland. Therefore, you have never really felt a sense of belonging to the Kingdom of Lucert, right? Because you came into contact with the dark side of this country too early, you didn't want to save this country when it fell into danger."

Aaron wanted to nod, but he also wanted to shake his head. No one likes to have their thoughts read, even if it's Aurelia.

Chapter 98 I will stop the seven kingdoms!

"I understand, but sometimes I still feel a sense of regret," Aurelia said softly, gazing out the window.

“Why regret it? You didn’t do anything wrong,” Aaron said hoarsely.

“But I’ve been with you for fifteen years, and you still treat Lucette like a foreign land.”

Aurelia said regretfully, "I've brought you back for fifteen years, and I still can't make you feel at home here."

“Sometimes I wonder, is there something I didn’t do well enough? Is it because I’ve never gotten married and haven’t been able to give you this feeling of home? Is it because I was injured too badly and haven’t been able to give you a normal life? Is it because I didn’t firmly oppose you becoming a knight back then, even though I knew it was a path of no return? I not only didn’t stop you from becoming a knight, I couldn’t even stop you from participating in the dark experiments…”

"This is not your fault..."

"But these are all facts. I didn't raise you to be a Lucerne. When I first met you, I hoped you would be happy."

"No...that's not how it is...it's not your fault...I chose all of these things myself..."

Aurelia shook her head: "I had already accepted the fact that you couldn't identify with this country. I comforted myself by thinking that maybe you were just that kind of person, and it wasn't my fault. But then you brought Joan of Arc back."

“Joan of Arc?” Aaron looked into Aurelia’s eyes.

"Isn't she the child you raised?"

Aurelia said, "You haven't spent nearly as much time with her as we have, yet you've made her truly feel at home here, made her happy, and even brought a smile to her face. I can't do any of that. I've raised you for fifteen years, but I've never seen happiness on your face."

Aurelia clutched her heart: "The more I see Joan of Arc happy and joyful, the more heartbroken I feel. Perhaps I really didn't do a good job back then. As a teacher, you did so much better than me, even though all of that is in the past..."

"But sometimes I really feel so regretful... When I first met you, I hoped to bring you happiness."

“But I didn’t do my job well, so as I die, I want to say I’m sorry… I didn’t do what I should have done… I couldn’t give you happiness, and I never saw a happy smile on your face. If I could have treated you like I did Joan of Arc, would you have considered this place your home?”

"Stop talking... This is not your fault... You did nothing wrong..." Aaron felt overwhelmed, as if an axe was chopping into his head, the shocking truth making his head throb with pain.

"Now there's no need to say anything more. I want to say thank you... Even though you didn't identify with this country, you raised her to be someone who truly identifies with it, making her willing to fight for it even after witnessing its dark side. These are things I couldn't have done..."

Someone once said that love is always feeling indebted. Is that really true?

He clearly felt that Aurelia had done him a great favor, yet she felt indebted to him? What absurd thing was that? He was the one who owed Aurelia the most; Aurelia had saved his life, and he was the one who had never been able to repay her. How could Aurelia be the one apologizing to him?

“No…that’s not how it is…I came here today because you must have something to say to me…” Aaron’s voice was hoarse.

“Yes… I originally had something to say to you… I’m a selfish woman… because before I died, I thought… I still hoped you could… but I…” Aurelia stammered, tears streaming down her face, her eyes filled with pain. The composure she had been putting on was shattered, and she could no longer hide the conflict in her heart.

“Then stop talking! You did the right thing! You should have done it! All your sacrifices were useless! All the things you did were useless! I am the one who can turn the tide! I am the one who can change everything! You’ve come to the right person!” Aaron strode up to Aurelia, grabbed her shoulders, and shouted.

“Aurelia, you’ve always thought you knew me well, but you’re wrong. There’s at least one thing you’ve never known: since I was sixteen, my strength has surpassed yours. You can’t even imagine how strong I am now!”

"So what if they're allies of the Seven Kingdoms? I'll stop them! I'll stop them all by myself! I'll stop all seven kingdoms! I'll hold them off from Asgard by myself! I'll drive them all out by myself!"

"Aurelia, haven't you always felt indebted to me?" Aaron said loudly. "Then let me ask you for something. Give me that thing! From now on, we'll be even!"

Without giving Aurelia a chance to refuse, Aaron reached out and removed the insignia representing the leader of the Obsidian Knights from her chest, shouting:

"Give me the position of Grand Master of the Obsidian Knights! I, Aaron Brando, will be the Grand Master of the Obsidian Knights! As long as I am the Grand Master, everything makes sense! I will fight for Lucretia!"

Aaron's eyes were fierce as he spoke, almost as if he were swearing an oath. Aurelia said she had never seen a happy expression on Aaron's face, but she had never seen such a fierce expression on his face either. He was baring his teeth and claws, so angry that he seemed to want to tear the world apart. If he had a mane, every single hair would stand on end. It was hard to believe that the boy who had slumped on the bench fifteen years ago had grown up to be this big.

A long silence followed as they gazed into each other's eyes. In truth, they didn't need to say anything; a single glance was enough for them to understand each other's feelings.

Aurelia took the badge and pinned it to his chest: "I, Aurelia, in the name of the previous Grand Master of the Obsidian Knights, voluntarily relinquish my position to Aaron Brando. I hereby declare Aaron Brando the 23rd Grand Master of the Obsidian Knights."

This ceremony was clearly irregular; the king was not present, nor were the other two grandmasters of the knightly order, and there was not even a third witness besides them. But that was enough for them; it was of great significance to them.

“Alright, that’s good. You don’t need to feel regretful, you should feel proud.” Aaron, who was kneeling on the ground, slowly stood up. “Because you have trained a Grand Master of the Obsidian Knights, and he is about to save the entire Lusset.”

"Now I'm heading to the battlefield, and I only have one request for you."

"any request?"

"Don't die."

Aaron's tone suddenly softened, all the ferocity and menacingness vanished, leaving only gentleness.

"You are the one who shouldn't die, you are the one who shouldn't die."

"Neither of us should die. We both have to come back alive. We've made a promise. Whoever fails to keep it will be the one who owes the other something." Aaron came to Aurelia, wiped away the tears on her face, and said gently.

They had nothing more to say. Aaron turned and left, leaving Aurelia standing there.

Ultimately, their ending was filled with regret, and it was only many years later that we learned of this regret.

Many years later, Aaron learned of Aurelia's death from the newspaper. It was said she died that afternoon, and no one witnessed her passing.

The only certainty is that after Aaron left, she did not choose to stay at home, but went to the rear to continue contributing her remaining energy. She did not keep her promise to Aaron and gave everything for the country.

In the year 883 of the Star Calendar, the twenty-third Grand Master of the Obsidian Knights, Aurelia Bessette, died before the end of the War of Asgard.

Chapter 99 Bread

Esgard.

The "fireworks" over the city had been going on for several hours. During those hours, the seven-nation coalition unleashed tens of thousands of tons of firepower on Asgard. Due to the continuous attacks and interceptions, the sky above the city was filled with white trails resembling scattered fireworks.

Below the fireworks, the city was in ruins, with broken shops and trampled signs everywhere. The wealthy merchants and nobles had all fled, and the entire city seemed deserted. The poor huddled under the eaves, trembling, because they had heard that the skies above their city would be breached sooner or later, and only by escaping to the center of Asgard could they avoid being affected.

After leaving the villa, Aaron strolled through the broken streets, intending to visit the palace before heading to the battlefield to see that person.

As Aaron passed the street corner, he heard the sounds of a fierce fight coming from the alley. He sighed inwardly, thinking, "Even at this hour, people are still fighting amongst themselves."

Aaron looked towards the alley entrance and saw two soldiers fighting with a large man. Aaron was taken aback when he saw the man, because he recognized him. The man was tall and had messy hair like a lion's mane. He was the man who had begged in front of the bakery. Aaron had given him a large basket of bread out of pity, but the man had disappeared in the blink of an eye. He never expected to see him again.

One glance at Aaron and he understood the reason for their entanglement. Now, Esgard needed people everywhere, and soldiers were conscripting men everywhere. The noble soldiers could not be offended, so they could only conscript civilians and poor people. Those who received the news or did not want to go to the front line had basically run away. Only this man was still foolishly staying here. If they didn't conscript you, who would they conscript?

"Let me go! Let me go! I still need to take care of Lily! I can't go with you!" the man with the shaggy hair shouted. He was indeed strong; even two soldiers combined couldn't hold him down. If pushed to the limit, the soldiers would probably have to draw their guns.

Just as Aaron was about to step forward, he suddenly heard a weak female voice: "Brothers, please have mercy, don't arrest the big guy. If you take him to the battlefield, we will all die."

Aaron then noticed that there was a girl squatting behind the man. The taller the man appeared, the thinner the girl looked. She was squatting in the corner, looking worriedly in the direction of the big man.

Aaron noticed that her eyes were almost pure white, as if she had an eye disease. The girl's subsequent actions confirmed Aaron's idea. She tried to reach out to stop the soldiers, but she had difficulty even touching them, which instead exposed her to danger.

"Lily, don't come any closer, they'll hurt you!" Aaron noticed tears streaming down the man's face. How embarrassing, a grown man crying like this.

"Big guy, where are you?" The girl's face was full of anxiety.

"Enough," Aaron stepped forward, stopping the two soldiers. "Let him go."

Everyone was stunned, staring blankly at him. The big man looked at Aaron in surprise, as if he recognized him, while the two soldiers noticed the black robe Aaron was wearing, which was the uniform of the Obsidian Knights.

"Sir, we are conscripting soldiers for the front lines. This is an order from the military." The two soldiers released the large man and saluted Aaron.

“You haven’t done anything wrong. Leave this to me. You can go now,” Aaron said.

The two soldiers glanced at Aaron and slowly left.

The big man broke free and rushed towards the thin girl: "Lily, are you alright!"

"I'm fine. I was just scared. I was afraid they would really take you away and I would never see you again." The girl reached out and touched the man's face. His face must have been wet, but the girl didn't mind and gently wiped it dry for him.

Seeing this, Aaron was about to leave when he turned around and saw an empty bread basket where the girl had been squatting. It was the bread basket that Aaron had given to the tall man.

At this moment, the tall man wiped his face with his sleeve, turned around and said to Aaron, "Thank you, thank you, you are such a good person."

Then he said to the girl next to him, "Lily, remember? I brought a big basket of delicious bread before! That bread was a gift from him! It was bread from Lele Bakery!"

The little girl "looked" in Aaron's direction, a look of surprise appearing on her face. Her face wasn't pretty; her white eyes made her look somewhat frightening. But as if remembering the delicious bread, her white eyes suddenly lit up, and she said to Aaron:

"Thank you. This is the first time I've ever eaten soft, steaming bread. It's the best bread I've ever had in my life, and I'll never forget that taste."

Aaron felt a slight stirring in his heart. The bread from Lele Bakery was just ordinary bread to them, but it was a treasure for the little girl for a lifetime. At the same time, he felt that he had finally done a good deed and was able to give those breads to those in need.

At that moment, he remembered the rumors about the man. The neighbors all disliked him because he was able-bodied but didn't work. Instead, he begged for money from the neighbors. Now Aaron understood that the big man was borrowing money for this little girl named Lily.

"Right? Those breads were delicious, weren't they? We want to eat those breads from now on, and we want to eat those steaming breads in the winter too." As the big guy spoke, tears welled up in his eyes again. Despite being taller than anyone else, he cried more than anyone else. Aaron had never seen such a crybaby.

"Big guy, are you crying again? Did they hurt you somewhere?" The girl felt the tears on the man's face and anxiously tried to reach out and touch his face.

"No, I'm not injured. I plan to go to the front lines with those people."

The alley fell silent, save for the large man's sobs. After a long while, the girl's voice rang out:

"Big guy, are you looking down on me?"

"No, I don't despise you. I dream of being with you. I'm also afraid of going to the battlefield, but if Esgard is breached, we will all die, and there will never be bread from Lele Bakery again. So I have to go there, at least to try my best to prevent Esgard from being breached."

The big man stood up from the ground, but when he was no longer hunched over, his body was as tall as a small mountain. The little girl could only "see" him by tilting her head back. He was trembling with fear, his face covered in tears, but he decided to go to the front line with the soldiers, even though he knew he would only be used as filler material, even though he knew that in the war of the supernatural world, it wouldn't even take a single bullet to take his life.

At this moment, a corner of the sky "shattered." To those below, it looked as if patterns had suddenly appeared in the sky above. They could clearly see that the patterns in the sky had turned into dense cracks. The barrier that had been subjected to relentless bombardment finally cracked, and fireballs like meteors fell through the cracks.

In an instant, the sky above them turned fiery red, and the neighborhood where Aaron was located was enveloped in the light of the fireball. People on the ground could feel the power of the fireball just by standing there, because when they looked at the fireball, they felt a warm sensation on their faces. It was the heat emanating from the fireball. In their understanding, only the sun could emit such heat.

Lily stared blankly at the sky, feeling the heat on her face, when the man bent down and hugged her.

A blinding white light suddenly filled everyone's vision.

This white, intense light seemed to have suddenly burst in. It overwhelmed everything around it, eclipsed all other light, and domineeringly covered the entire sky. Only when people's eyes were completely occupied by the white, intense light did black slowly appear in the center of the light, revealing the entire sky that it had severed.

Aaron held his long sword high, still in the swinging stance. The countless meteors in the sky had all disappeared. Most people didn't know what had happened. Only a few, and the person standing in front of him, knew that he had just cleaved the entire sky with that sword, and in the process, he had also cleaved countless fiery meteors in the sky. All those meteors were reduced to fine powder by that sword.

Lily didn't see the magnificent sight in the sky; she could only feel a breeze blowing in front of her, ruffling her dry, straw-like hair. Realizing something, she said, "Sir, was it you who drew your sword just now?"

"Yes, it's all over now." Aaron slowly put away Bai Yue. When he held Bai Yue in his hand, it felt like he was holding a white rainbow.

"Thank you, you saved us again," the girl said gratefully.

Only the big man was speechless with surprise. Lily couldn't see what was happening in front of her, so she could communicate normally. She probably thought Aaron had just swung his knife casually. Only the big man knew what incredible thing the man had just done, something that was comparable to a god.

"See? It's no use you going. I'm the one who has to go." Aaron sheathed his long sword and looked up at the tall man. "So run! If it's for your sake, I'm willing to fight this battle. At least it will save you from dying. That makes me feel more meaningful than the princes and nobles."

Seeing the big man still standing there in a daze, Aaron shouted, "Run!"

The big man finally moved. Like a giant bear that had suddenly come to his senses, he picked up Lily and ran away. Before running, he didn't forget to take the basket with him. Lily nestled in the big man's arms like his treasure. Although he was tall, the man was quite agile when he ran away. Only the blind little girl looked back at Aaron. No wonder the man disappeared when Aaron turned around that time.

The wind ruffled her hair, and her lips moved slightly. Aaron saw the shape of her lips; they said "thank you."

Aaron's lips curled slightly as he turned to look at the palace again.