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

Behind him, the thick fog of the battlefield slowly dissipated, and everything finally settled down. Apart from him, no one else stood on the battlefield. This epic war had finally come to a conclusion. At the end of the war, all that everyone saw was the iconic pair of swords.

At this moment, Lucerne soldiers, the Seven Nations Alliance, wyverns, and sandworms all surrounded him. The Lucerne soldiers roared, and cheers resounded throughout the battlefield. The Seven Nations Alliance turned pale; they knew that the tide had turned and the course of the battle would be reversed at this moment.

The man's face showed little excitement; he was already exhausted. The Dark Awakening had consumed most of his strength, and at the moment the battle ended, he almost couldn't transform back into a human and was about to become a completely cold monster. This was the most dangerous moment of the battle.

Just as he was about to fall, he saw a corpse lying on the ground, which was Aguirre Spange.

He fell to the ground, the holy sword lying not far beside him. Although he had been pierced through the heart by ten thousand swords before he died, he had a smile on his face before he died, as if he were a person who was smiling in the afterlife.

He died with a smile on his face, because he believed Aaron would win.

At that moment, Aaron regained his human heart. The black scales quickly disappeared into his skin, and his body shrank rapidly, turning him back into the exhausted human. That's why Aaron walked out of the thick fog.

At this moment, Aaron gazed at the distant battlefield. Although few Lucert soldiers remained behind him, and after more than ten hours of fighting, the entire Asgard was devastated, with less than one-tenth of their soldiers still alive, witnessing Aaron's victory on the final battlefield reignited the fighting spirit of the Lucerts. They roared and began to counterattack against the anti-Lucert alliance. This was an outpouring of long-suppressed emotions, surging forth from their hearts like a raging torrent.

Who would have thought that one day Aaron would become a symbol in the hearts of the Lusset soldiers?

Even as the tide turned, the anti-Lucet alliance continued its frenzied resistance. Aaron noticed several officers of the seven-nation coalition displaying crazed expressions, as if losing the war would mean the destruction of their nation.

At this moment, Aaron suddenly felt that the sunlight in the sky was a bit dazzling. He subconsciously looked up and saw that the thick fog in the sky was dissipating slightly. The faint light of dawn shone on him through the fog. Only then did he realize that a day and a night had passed. After more than ten hours of hellish fighting, the sun rose on the battlefield once again.

Aaron felt an unusual warmth. He stood there like a statue, not wanting to move a single finger. But then it suddenly occurred to him: why did the thick fog suddenly dissipate? It was because the wind was blowing over their heads. Why was there wind on the battlefield at this time?

Aaron looked up at the sky and saw a huge black shadow floating over their heads, like a whale swimming in the sea. It was not a dragon, but a huge airship. It was Chernough's technology. The world's largest airship was built by Chernough and was called the Whale. It seemed to be the one floating above their heads at this moment.

They actually used airships? But what use are airships? These airships can't carry weapons. Even if they could, dropping a few shells from the sky wouldn't change the situation. Instead, it would destroy the airships and cause even greater losses. Have the generals of the Seven Nations Alliance really gone mad? They're willing to sacrifice airships to teach them a lesson.

The airship's hatch opened, and sure enough, something fell down, densely covering the entire sky. Aaron would probably never forget this scene for the rest of his life, because what fell from the sky were not cannonballs, but blindfolded people who were not strapped with parachutes and were falling freely from the sky.

Seeing this, Aaron suddenly remembered something Jerome had said to him that day: "If you don't study weapons, someone else will."

Starting with the first soldier, his body suddenly burst into dazzling flames. Once the chain of explosions began, they could not be stopped. The blinding flames, like the sun, quickly replaced the warm sunlight, and the terrifying shockwave swept across the entire sky, engulfing everything around.

*

Esgard Palace.

Joan of Arc struggled to her feet and stared blankly at the scene before her. Her pupils reflected the firelight in the palace, and her face showed neither joy nor sorrow, like a numb doll.

At Joan of Arc's feet lay countless corpses, stretching from the corridor to the main hall like a road strewn with countless bones.

At the end of the path of corpses lies a throne, perfectly intact and empty.

Joan of Arc stood up and slowly ascended the steps above.

Two new corpses lay on the steps. The smaller one was Abby, and the larger one was the Mad King. Abby's body lay not far from the Mad King's, and judging from her figure, one would almost think that Abby was his child.

Abby plunged the dagger into the Mad King's body, and the power within him finally broke free and leaked out. Abby and Joan of Arc were both thrown back. When Joan of Arc returned to the Mad King's side, his body shattered like broken glass, and he was already dead. In his final moments, with only a sliver of consciousness left, he struggled to reach out to his throne.

The Mad King is dead, the Heavenly Fire can no longer be activated, the culprit behind all this has been eliminated, and her plan has succeeded.

But Joan of Arc showed no sign of joy; her face was filled with a blank expression of utter despair.

At this moment, a deafening explosion rang out from outside the city. This explosion was unlike any other before, except that its aftershocks spread for dozens of miles, and even the Asgard Palace shook. Standing in the palace and looking out, one could see huge flames shooting into the sky, as if the sky had collapsed and the earth had split open. It was an explosion that destroyed everything, and nothing could escape it.

Looking at the scene outside the palace, Joan of Arc seemed to have lost all her strength, and the last glimmer of light in her eyes disappeared, leaving her completely empty.

She turned around and, without a sound, collapsed onto the empty throne.

*

Fourteen years later. Birmingham, Kingdom of Dok.

The weather in the Kingdom of Dok is always unpredictable; you never know if it will rain the next moment. Therefore, the residents here are always used to carrying umbrellas when they go out, and the topics of conversation among Dok people are always inseparable from the weather.

But today is a rare good day. The sun is shining brightly but not too brightly, and there isn't a single cloud in the sky. The warm sunlight shines through the lobby of the government building, making people feel cozy and wanting to spend a lazy afternoon.

"You've grown so big already."

In the warm sunlight, a man's somewhat sentimental voice rang out.

The man, holding his coffee, smiled as he looked at the headline about Queen Lucerne.

His gaze continued to scan the titles below, but he couldn't bear to read any further.

Despite having extensive dealings with the Lusset Empire, the Kingdom of Dok, one of the most powerful nations in the world, does not hold a purely positive view of its neighbor, the Queen of Lusset.

For example, in addition to reporting on the tenth anniversary of the Lusset Victory Parade, the newspaper also provided young readers with information about the "Jesus Christi Coup" that shocked the world back then.

It is said that Queen Lucerne, under the pretext of stopping the fire from the heavens, led a group of people to storm the palace, killed the king, and launched the "coup of heaven fire" that shocked the world.

This is an open and well-known fact, known to people all over the world, and Queen Lucerne has never denied it. However, the people of Lucerne still vividly remember the horrific things the Mad King did back then. Therefore, although some people have a very negative view of the "Robin Hood Coup," considering Joan of Arc a despicable "usurper," and foreign royal families are also very afraid of her, many people also support Joan of Arc's actions and consider her a hero who saved Lucerne.

But the newspapers' attacks on Queen Lusette didn't stop there.

First, there was the attack on Queen Lusette's purge of dissidents. Newspapers described in detail how, in the ten years since her ascension to the throne, Queen Lusette had eliminated countless nobles and parties who opposed her. Even those who had once supported her were ruthlessly eliminated once they stood against her.

The newspaper also subtly implied that since Queen Lucerne obtained the Book of Omniscience, her methods have become increasingly like those of the Mad King, a name that has been vilified in Lucerne's history. The newspaper's comparison of Queen Lucerne to the Mad King is utterly despicable.

Upon seeing this, Aaron felt a little short of breath, but he forced himself to continue reading.

The next section of the newspapers mentioned Queen Lucerne's biggest point of contention: after launching the Coup of Godfire, she executed all members of the Ofranc royal family, from children to adults, without exception, and sent them all to the guillotine.

Even the Queen and Princess Charlotte, who had been expelled from the palace by the King before the war began, were not spared by Queen Lucert. Queen Marie was personally chosen by Queen Lucert to be executed. It is said that when she and her daughter were sent to the guillotine by the Queen, the entire city of Esgard was packed with people. This was the first time in Lusset's history that the Queen and Princess were sent to the guillotine after being tried.

By this point, Aaron was already finding it hard to look any longer, but he still insisted on looking at the last column at the bottom of the newspaper.

Queen Lucerne executed Lydia.

The newspaper detailed Lydia's life, explaining that she was expelled from the White Knights for her resistance during the war, and that she had been by Empress Lucerne's side before she became empress, practically her core confidante.

Seeing this, Aaron finally couldn't bear to look any longer. He threw down the newspaper, picked up his coffee, and gazed into the distance.

After a long while, he put down his coffee, his face returning to calm.

All of this has nothing to do with him anymore.

He had lost all his power and was worthless. Even when he was shocked to learn that Queen Lusette had staged a coup during the war, it was no longer relevant to him.

Chapter 110 Aaron's Girlfriend

Aaron was a high-achieving student who graduated from university after four years and passed the exams to enter the government system of the Kingdom of Dok.

Although he was a young man who had only joined the company in recent years, Aaron was not impetuous like other young people. He was quick-witted and, despite his young age, he was able to read people's minds and was very popular with his superiors.

Aaron was not only a top student who graduated from a prestigious university in the capital, but he also spoke four languages. In a country where graduating from a grammar school could make one a civil servant, he was exceptionally outstanding.

Although Birmingham, where Aaron lives, isn't a big city, it does have a port. While they don't often need to deal directly with foreigners, Aaron is able to communicate with every foreigner who comes. Therefore, whenever there's something related to foreigners, people in the building will look for him. Sometimes, when the police department is short-staffed, they'll even second him over. He's practically more useful than a professional translator.

Such things happened so often that even his superior, Dorn, couldn't help but mutter to himself, "This kid knows all the languages, and he speaks Lucerne and Chernobog as well as his native tongue. Could he be a spy planted by foreigners?" But whenever Dorn thought of Aaron's clean record and the fact that he was transferred in by that lord, he would put this thought out of his mind.

Although Aaron often stands out, he is kind and patient with others, and has a good reputation among his colleagues. He has several good friends, namely Franny and Bran.

Occasionally, when the three of them were working overtime at the government building, Franny would secretly bring over some alcohol, and then they would set up a table in the government building late at night and talk about their own lives.

Aaron was never a talkative person, and when he talked about the past, he always mentioned what happened during his four years of university. He was usually reluctant to talk about the past, but they were all most interested in Aaron's affairs because Aaron came from the capital, Lordaeron.

When the three men got together, the conversation inevitably turned to women, and Aaron happened to be the only one among them who had a girlfriend.

Franny and Bran were extremely envious of this, and often let out jealous howls in the government building late at night.

They had all met Aaron's girlfriend, Freya, who was a typical noble girl from Lordaeron. She was beautifully dressed, lived a refined life, and was both dignified like a lady and cute like a cat. For people from small towns, noble girls from Lordaeron almost fulfilled all their fantasies, and Aaron's girlfriend was practically proof of the existence of noble girls from Lordaeron. She met all the above conditions and was also the best among noble girls from Lordaeron.

Having a girlfriend like that would make any of them want to brag about it to others every day, but Aaron always seems helpless whenever he talks about his girlfriend.

Aaron had told them many times that their relationship was not based on free choice.

The two met in college. Freya was his junior, and he was Freya's senior. It seemed like it would be a natural progression for them to get together in college. However, at that time, Aaron was known for being only interested in studying and had no interest in dating. One day, Freya confessed her feelings to him, but Aaron rejected her.

But in the end, the two still got together.

This brings us to Freya's background. They say Freya is the epitome of a noble girl in Lordaeron, and that's no exaggeration. Freya's high birth often seems unbelievable to them. They often feel it's unreal that Aaron could have such a girlfriend, but it's true, Freya really is Aaron's girlfriend.

Freya's full name is Freya Jagger, and the surname Jagger represents the famous Iron Earl in the Kingdom of Dok.

Freya is the daughter of this Iron Earl.

From any perspective, Aaron was not a good match for Freya.

In other people's words, if Aaron hadn't gone to university, he would never have been able to get to know a girl like Freya in his entire life.

But that's exactly what happened, and it was a dramatic turn of events that even Aaron found incredibly absurd.

One day after Aaron refused, a long black carriage suddenly appeared outside the school. Aaron was wondering whose carriage was so impressive when two burly men in black got out and pulled him in without saying a word. In the carriage, he met the Iron Earl, whom he had heard of but never seen before.

As a college student from a colony with no connections or background, even if the Iron Earl were to deal with him now, he would be powerless. Anyone else would have been terrified and run away, but Aaron did not panic. In fact, Aaron's calmness impressed the Iron Earl.

The outcome was unexpected. Count Iron neither made Aaron and Freya break up, nor did he give Aaron three million to leave his daughter. If things had turned out this way, Aaron would probably have been very happy.

In fact, Earl of Iron did not start the conversation immediately. Instead, he dismissed the others in the carriage and had a "deep and simple" conversation with Aaron, allowing Aaron to fully listen to his opinions. Then, he found a secluded place and put Aaron down.

Looking back, Earl of Iron did not threaten Aaron; on the contrary, he hoped that Aaron would agree to Freya's request.

Inside the long black carriage, Earl of Iron took out all sorts of information about Aaron from a file bag. It contained everything from his birth to his schooling, including his network of relationships over the years, who he was still in contact with, and whether he had any foreign experience. Aaron was stunned by what he saw.

It was during that conversation that he realized how legitimate his identity was in the Kingdom of Dok. He was not from an ordinary rural area, but from the Stray Mountains, a colony in which the kingdom needed people the most.

The kingdom has been at war with enemy nations in the Stray Mountains for years due to interests. He is not an ordinary person who has lost both parents. To be precise, both of his parents died in battle. He is a descendant of warriors, registered in the kingdom's register. Although he is not a nobleman, his background is not too bad in the kingdom.

Moreover, he was an outstanding student in university, focusing solely on his studies throughout the year. He never had any scandals and consistently received excellent grades, becoming so famous that even the principal knew him. Looking at it this way, Aaron suddenly realized that he seemed to be a pretty good son-in-law candidate in the kingdom's marriage market.

Later, he spoke with Earl of Iron again and learned that Earl of Iron was actually willing to hand his daughter over to him, but his daughter's personality had developed in that way, and because Freya was absent-minded every day, there was nothing he could do.

Who is Earl Iron? If he just asked, the people who wanted to be his son-in-law could stretch from the strait to the other side. But when it came to his daughter's affairs, he was still helpless.

Normally, given Earl Iron's arrogant nature, he would never have looked up to him. But Earl Iron looked at all of Aaron's information from left to right and observed him closely. Although he couldn't see anything particularly outstanding about him, he found him agreeable in every way. His background and knowledge were decent, and his appearance was also quite good.

Most importantly, if they let their daughter continue to rebel like this, she might cause another mess like an abortion or elopement. Count Iron is getting on in years and can't afford any more trouble. The most important thing is that he can't afford to lose face. So right now, it's not about finding a rich husband, it's about cutting his losses.

The Iron Earl lived up to his name, a ruthless politician who, once he decided to make a painful decision, did so without any hesitation.

He gave Aaron two choices: either accept and become a rich husband, or refuse. But from then on, Aaron would have to stay away from Freya and drop out of university. The outcome was up to him.

Aaron thought a lot at that moment. What would he have done in the past? And what about now?

Finally, he concluded that after experiencing many things, his personality had changed. He no longer had the sharp edge he once had; instead, he had become more tolerant and gentle, no longer as outspoken as before. In short, the Earl of Iron was very good at judging people.

Aaron agreed.

This was the story Aaron had told them many times, but they never took it seriously. Being forced to be the boyfriend of a noble lady didn't seem so bad to them. If it were them, they would have given in long ago. Afterwards, they would look at Aaron with envy.

Aaron could only smile helplessly and say nothing.

“Speaking of which, Freya has been coming to headquarters to see you a lot lately, and she also asks me about you,” Franny said.

Aaron felt somewhat helpless about this.