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

Looking at Bella, who was panting and looking embarrassed, and then at Amelia, who was staring blankly at him, Aaron held his head, unable to equate the two of them with elite spies.

"Can their professionalism even compare to Eclair's?" Aaron wondered.

For a moment, Aaron even felt a little frustrated. Why were his opponents all as shrewd as gods, while his teammates were all clueless...?

Seemingly understanding the expression on Aaron's face, Bella quickly explained, but fearing being overheard by those outside, she could only whisper, "I...we really are professionals! Um...Amelia and I are both superhumans! We're truly elites!"

Amelia, standing beside her, nodded repeatedly, her wings fluttering gently in unison.

Aaron didn't disbelieve Bella's words, because upon closer examination, he could understand that their identities were probably the most confidential in the Ninth Bureau, making them extremely valuable assets that wouldn't be easily used.

It's important to know that behind Aaron stands not only MI7, but also the Iron Earl's secret eyes. Yet, these two managed to pass through the Iron Earl's layers of screening, get close to Freya, become her friends, and then get close to him through Freya. Moreover, they are both extraordinary individuals. This shows just how well hidden their identities are in the Kingdom of Dok.

And they seem to be extremely loyal to Lucerne, going through countless dangers to get close to him just to carry out orders. What kind of planning went into this, and how much effort they put in during the Ninth Inning, is beyond Aaron's comprehension.

It's already quite an achievement to have passed through so many selection processes, so it's probably tolerable that they lack some professionalism. Their current lack of professionalism is simply because they are still young, and these two are probably the best support Queen Lucerne can offer.

“Okay, I believe you,” Aaron said.

Having finally gained Aaron's approval, Bella and Amelia both showed happy expressions. Bella immediately said, "Mr. Aaron, please give us a task! Whatever the task, we will do our best to help you complete it!"

Aaron: "…………"

Aaron looked left and right, staring at the two girls who were even more beautiful than flowers, and couldn't fathom what task they could help him accomplish.

"The biggest help you can give me is for staying away from me," Aaron said fiercely.

The two, who were just moments before overjoyed, suddenly wore expressions of sadness. Bella looked like she was about to cry, wiping her eyes with her hand. Hmm, her acting skills were pretty good, but she lacked the genuine emotion that Amelia displayed.

“Don’t you believe in our abilities, Mr. Aaron? I’m not bragging, but we really can do a lot of things! We…” Before Bella could finish speaking, Aaron had already pulled them off the bed and pushed them out.

Aaron whispered behind them, "Don't get caught! Go back to your own rooms quietly! And then go to sleep peacefully, that's the best you can do for me!"

"Eh...! Is this...is this okay?!" Bella didn't want to give up.

Aaron didn't say anything, he just kept pushing the two of them toward the door.

“Um, at least take our contact information. Um… go to Raven Bar on Lice Street in the East District… give this coin to the bartender… then… tell the bartender you want a Martini with three olives—no garnish…”

The coin slipped from Bella's hand and fell to the ground, where Aaron stomped on it. At the same time, Aaron pushed both of them out the door. Ignoring them completely, Aaron slammed the door shut, picked up the coin in one swift motion, stuffed it into his pocket, lay down on the bed, hugged his pillow, and closed his eyes to sleep.

He swore that no matter what happened next, he would never get up again.

Fortunately, after standing at the door for a while, the two girls finally gave up and silently returned to their rooms. The night passed in silence, and Aaron finally got a good night's sleep.

The next day, early in the morning.

Aaron felt inexplicably uncomfortable when he woke up, perhaps because he had stayed up all night.

However, Aaron still set off from the villa early in the morning.

Today is an important day.

The Church today invited him to the Papal District to take a qualifying test to determine his eligibility for the blessing.

Before becoming a judge, one must first become an extraordinary being.

The vast majority of people are already extraordinary before participating in the judge's interview. People like Aaron, who are still ordinary people, participate in the interview and pass it, are the exception among exceptions. That's why they need to take an additional qualification test.

Aaron was filled with anxiety as he dressed. The betrayal of the God of Judgment by the goddess of nature was a minor matter to him; what worried him was whether he would receive a blessing.

To this day, he still doesn't know what happened to his body. He went to the library and searched through all the documents and materials, but he couldn't find anyone similar to him in history or records. But now Aaron can't care about that anymore; he has no time left.

Given that no one in history has ever possessed two blessings, his worst-case scenario is that he will explode and die on the spot, and his best-case scenario is that he will receive the blessing. Considering the risks and rewards, and taking into account MI7's constant investigation of him, Aaron decides to take a gamble in order to stay in Doc.

Just in case, he specifically asked his steward to drive him to the Papal District. Although he had to get up before dawn, the steward still said he was happy to serve him.

Early in the morning, a black limousine departed from the villa and drove slowly along the highway, its destination the famous Papal District.

Chapter 165 The True Face of Elliott

The Papal District is a very special place; it is referred to by some as a state within a state.

All the land within the Papal District belongs to the Judgment Church, which governs most of the laws in this land. Even some laws of the Kingdom of Dok are not valid in the Papal District, but this is still only the tip of the iceberg of the Papal District.

At the height of the Church of Judgment, the Papal District was located in Lodoron, and its territory was far larger than it is today. The power of the angels was even comparable to that of the king. After the Holy Covenant, the Church of Judgment withdrew from Lodoron, and the diocese moved to Birmingley. Although it no longer had its former glory, it still retained the shadow of a state within a state.

Some might think that the church's control over the laws of a region is too frivolous, but that's only because they don't understand history. Throughout history, the judgment of the church has always been a symbol of the law. Even today, the courthouses of major countries that believe in the seven gods still bear the emblem of the judgment of the church, the symbol of justice and judgment.

Even today, the Judgment Law of the Judgment Church remains a major subject that drives many law students to despair and leaves law schools in a state of utter despair.

"We've arrived at the Papal District, Master Aaron," the butler said.

The car slowly came to a stop. Aaron, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and saw a white stone bridge. At the bottom of the bridge was a rushing river. Looking out from the bridge, one could see a huge white stone monument standing in the distance, which was the symbolic border between the Kingdom of Dok and the Church of Judgment.

Below the stone tablet, two people were already waiting: Theo and Elliott, the two who had interviewed Aaron that day.

“Welcome to the Papal District. I’m just as excited as you are for today.” Elliott stepped forward and shook hands with Aaron. “Congratulations on passing the interview. We are all very satisfied with your results and hope you can give us more surprises.”

Although Aaron felt that as long as he passed the interview, he was fine, he still asked curiously, "How many points did I get?"

“100 points.” Elliott’s lips curled into a smile.

Aaron was taken aback: "Is the maximum score 100 points?"

“That’s right, a perfect score is one hundred. You got a perfect score in the interview.” Elliott’s smile was wide.

Aaron was shocked by the result. He had answered so well in the interview? The scene was so terrifying that he couldn't even remember what he had said.

“Since the Church of Judgment began holding interviews, very few people have been able to get a perfect score. You are one of them, someone who will go down in history. Therefore, we are all looking forward to your future performance,” Elliott said with a smile.

*

The butler bowed to them from behind and drove away. Aaron came to their side and they went with them into the depths of the square.

“You will receive your blessing today at St. Anne’s Church, but before you do, I’d like to tell you something,” said Elliott, who had a warm smile and squinted eyes.

"What is it?" Aaron asked.

Elliott suddenly jogged a few steps forward, turned around, and with a smile, grabbed his face. To Aaron's astonishment, he ripped the entire mask off his face as if removing a hood. The next moment, his unruly, light golden hair was freed, dancing freely in the air like seaweed, reflecting golden light in the sun.

"Phew, finally I don't have to wear this anymore." Elliott breathed a sigh of relief, a bright smile spreading across his face.

Legend has it that there was once a mighty general in ancient times who always wore a mask when he went to war. This was because his face was too handsome, not handsome enough to intimidate the enemy. Therefore, he would wear a mask that looked like a demon or god when he went into battle. I wonder if anyone from the same era as that general ever saw him take off his mask on the battlefield. In Aaron’s opinion, the general’s appearance without his mask was probably nothing special.

At this moment, Elliott's signature squinty eyes disappeared, replaced by shimmering, ocean-blue eyes. His smile was gentle, making one believe that the person with those eyes must also possess a captivating soul.

Even his tall and thin figure had changed, becoming more proportionate and slender. He was dressed in white and stood in the sunlight, yet his demeanor reminded one of a poet.

“Let’s get to know each other again, John Elliott.” Elliott extended his hand to Aaron again. “I’m sorry for keeping this from you all this time.”

"Is it because revealing your true face will cause trouble?" Aaron asked.

“Yes… I’m sorry, I’m someone who hates trouble… I try to avoid causing trouble whenever possible, which is why I did this,” Elliott said apologetically, though he still had a smile on his face.

Aaron understood; this was what it meant to be so handsome that you dared not go out.

Shaking hands with Elliott, Aaron turned to Theo with expectant eyes.

"No...this is my true form. No matter how much you look at me, I won't transform like Elliott..." Theo explained.

"........."

*

The three of them crossed the vast Papal Square, and Aaron soon arrived at the Church of St. Anne.

Despite having heard about it beforehand, Aaron couldn't help but marvel when the building appeared before his eyes.

The church is located on the riverbank, built entirely on a huge white platform. The platform is made of a single piece of white marble, with its foundation extending deep into the ground and connecting to the riverbank. When people first see it, they often have the illusion that the church is built on the river.

The church and platform are hundreds of years old. The river has been flowing over the marble for hundreds of years, and the water has smoothed the edges of the marble, making them as smooth as pebbles under a waterfall. When passing by the platform, you can always hear the gurgling sound of the water.

Stepping inside the church, one can truly appreciate its exquisite craftsmanship. Unlike many famous churches that are elaborate, grand, or awe-inspiring, St. Anne's Church is composed of white marble, sunlight, and water, a building purely from the Kingdom of God.

The church has a huge dome and atrium. The light projected from the dome is refracted through the water to create light and shadow in the church, thus constructing a sacred atmosphere.

The church's atrium features a huge pool directly beneath the dome. During the day, the light from the dome shines through the pool into the church, while at night the dome shifts and the water reflects the entire starry sky, making walking along the pool feel like walking through the night sky.

Apart from the atrium, the church is filled with water-related elements: pools, water curtains, and fountains. Walking through the church, you are surrounded by the quiet sound of flowing water. The pure marble appears even purer as it reflects the water. Walking through this water palace, one's heart gradually calms down, as if one's spirit has been cleansed.

The two men showed Aaron around the church and led him to a small room inside. The room was not large and had few furnishings; its purpose seemed to be to display the painting covered by a canvas.

Chapter 166 Angel's Blessing

“This is where the aptitude test will be conducted.” Elliott’s tone became serious. “Before we begin, I will give you two choices: will you choose the blessing of the angels of the Church of Judgment, or the blessing of the other seven gods?”

“The other seven churches will bless me? Can I choose the blessing of the Church of All Knowledge?” Aaron asked.

Elliott's expression suddenly turned somewhat awkward: "That won't do."

"Didn't they say that anything from the Church of the Seven Gods is acceptable?"

“It was possible, about thirty years ago… but the Church of Omniscience severed ties with us thirty years ago. The King of Lucerne expelled the Church of Judgment from Lucerne, and since then we have rarely accepted people with the blessing of omniscience. But don’t be discouraged, you still have other blessings to choose from.”

Eliot spread his arms and said, “You can choose the Father, the Church of Judgment, or the other seven gods. Choosing the angels is choosing the Church of Judgment, and choosing the Church of Nature is choosing the reward of the Kingdom.”

Aaron hesitated for once, not because he was undecided among the various blessings, but because he didn't know whether he could choose two blessings.

He knew clearly that there was another blessing within him. After so many years of observation, he had gained some insights, but he was still uncertain. Therefore, he asked a strange question: "Can a person choose between two blessings?"

The person being asked seemed puzzled, but still answered earnestly: "It's a strange question, but very few people are lucky enough to be favored by two gods at the same time."

But Elliott's next sentence made Aaron tremble with excitement: "But there really were such people in history."

"Seriously, such a person really existed in history?!" Aaron asked. "What was his fate?"

"I don't know, maybe it's good, maybe it's bad. But what I do know is that each of them is a god, and they all made difficult choices. Although each god is only one of the seven aspects of a god, walking between two gods means choosing the dark middle ground. No one can empathize with them, no one can understand them, and no one even records them."

Elliott stared into Aaron's eyes and said earnestly, "Blessings must be chosen according to one's own heart. We will not interfere with your decision, but you must follow your heart."

Should I make the choice based on my own heart? If so, I choose the blessing of the angels.

"May I ask why?"

"There's no particular reason. I just like using swords. The wings of an angel combined with a sword, like the angel of judgment in a relief, suits me very well."

Imagine yourself sprouting wings, wielding a one-handed sword, and descending from the sky with majestic and handsome features (use your imagination), bringing down divine flames of punishment. It sounds incredibly cool, like a divine warrior descending from the heavens.

“That sounds great.” Elliott couldn’t help but laugh.

But Aaron soon realized a problem: "As far as I know, angels' blessings are not given, but rather inspired. Angels are born angels and cannot become angels later in life. Yet you still brought me here to receive blessings. Does this mean that angels can now be created through blessings?"

“That’s what we’re here to tell you,” Elliott said.