Widow Bay Camp.
Outside the tent, everything was in an uproar.
Whether it was handling prisoners, treating the wounded, or tallying losses, everything took time.
Aaron, however, had the privilege of not having to do any of it himself. He only needed to wait for the results.
At that moment, he was inside the tent, holding a notebook and pondering as he added a few lines.
[Month of Green Banyan Rebirth, 19th. In my dream, I gained extraordinary abilities, which I named "Extraordinary Memory" and "Danger Perception"...] [But after returning to reality, these extraordinary abilities disappeared... Fortunately, I can slowly learn and reinforce "Extraordinary Memory" in my dreams.] [As for "Danger Perception," I suspect it can only be gained in dreams, and that it can sense dangers in reality. Its range... is uncertain... Perhaps I can estimate it based on how close the enemy gets when launching a sneak attack...] [It seems that in this world, gaining extraordinary abilities is difficult, but not impossible if one knows how to exploit loopholes... Perhaps one day I'll become a "Dream Diviner"?]
After writing in the Chinese characters only he could read, Aaron shook his head, put away the notebook, and lay down to sleep.
He had always slept well. Combined with the exhaustion from the battle, he immediately felt himself sinking.
When Aaron opened his eyes again, he saw those streaks of crimson light.
The dream world.
"Hmm, my mind feels much sharper. As expected, it's different from reality..."
Aaron sensed it again, then nodded with satisfaction. "I don't feel any danger either. Since Danger Perception hasn't warned me, things should be more or less safe in reality too?"
Each night's sleep added one unit of mysterious dream energy to his reserves, but there was a limit.
Only one unit per day.
So the idea of entering the dream multiple times in a single day to farm energy was unworkable.
Since he had already gained energy before, Aaron didn't feel any new energy being generated this time.
"The rules of this dream world are well worth exploring. There are still plenty I haven't discovered..."
Aaron rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
Since his mind was so active here, he quite liked using the dream as a place to think things over and make important decisions.
"Although I've foiled the Davis Family's scheme, the war at Black Crow Dunes is still highly uncertain. If the Sothos lose, no one will be safe..."
"Now that external conflict has eclipsed internal conflict, playing dumb is a joke. I have to help the Sothos Family defeat the Davis Family!"
"As for Colin's possible hostility and the like? I'll just have to choose the lesser of two evils. Besides, why would I be afraid of him? Heh..."
Just then, Aaron sensed something subtle.
"It's not danger, but someone's coming."
He closed his eyes and woke from the dream.
At that moment, Eight-Fingers and the other squad leaders came in, all looking pleased. "My lord, we've foiled the Davis Family's scheme and won a glorious victory."
It seemed that after interrogating the prisoners, they had learned something about the plot too.
"Good. Tell me everything."
Aaron waved a hand.
Eight-Fingers rubbed his index finger. "Because you discovered them in advance, we suffered very few casualties in the night raid, yet achieved a great deal... We took more than thirty heads and captured over twenty prisoners. The most important one is Roan Davis. Also, congratulations on killing the knight Wild Bear Saliba."
"As for the spoils, there are two large ships moored nearby. According to the prisoners, once they routed us, they planned to sail straight to our territory and launch a surprise attack on the castle..."
As he said this, Eight-Fingers broke into a cold sweat. If the Davis Family had pulled off their raid, none of them would have fared well.
"Bring Roan here."
Aaron thought for a moment.
Before long, a young nobleman was dragged in like a dead dog.
The arrow wound in his leg had been bandaged, but blood still seeped through the cloth.
Roan Davis looked up at the young man who had defeated him, his face filled with shock and disbelief. "You?"
Aaron had seen him before, when they had made their betrothal vows beneath the Sacred Green Banyan Tree. He smiled. "Lord Roan, it's been a long time."
Roan was the Davis lord's nephew and one of his trusted men.
He wouldn't have been sent on a mission like this if he weren't someone the lord trusted.
"I never imagined we'd underestimated you all this time." Roan sighed. "With military talent and ability like yours, you're the most outstanding heir!"
"About to die, and you're still trying to drive a wedge between us?"
Ignoring the varied expressions of his men, Aaron said evenly, "Still, you have one chance to survive. Take my men and raid the Davis Family's castle!"
Roan's expression changed as soon as he heard this.
Wars were indeed decided by sheer strength. While the Davis Family's main forces held the Sothos army at the front, they had already scraped together everything they could to form this raiding party. Their territory was bound to be nearly undefended now.
And they thought they were the ones launching a raid. They would never expect to be attacked themselves. As long as the raiders moved quickly enough, they could get there before the fleeing soldiers returned!
That made ships, such a convenient means of transportation, crucial.
Roan had never imagined that the ships he had meant to use to attack the Sothos would instead become the noose around the Davis Family's neck!
"Of course, you can refuse. I only need a guide, and I'm sure one of the other prisoners will be willing."
Aaron spoke unhurriedly. "And then you'll be of no use..."
Roan's expression changed dramatically at that.
Half an hour later, a group of men boarded the ships that had belonged to the Davis Family.
The prisoners rowed desperately as they headed toward Davis Territory.
Beneath the moonlight, the Mother River lay quiet and peaceful.
Eight-Fingers approached Aaron from behind, looking uneasy. "My lord... can we get there before those fleeing soldiers?"
The castles of this era were incredibly well-defended. If the defenders were prepared, their small force would never be able to take one.
"I don't know. We'll take our chances."
Aaron sounded completely unconcerned. "Besides, even if we can't capture the castle, we can still loot the houses around it... Harassing the enemy's rear is a great achievement in itself."
His men's expressions changed at those words, growing far more avaricious.
Even Eight-Fingers was tempted.
Indeed!
With the Davis Territory so vulnerable, it was practically a huge piece of meat.
It would be a real shame not to take a bite!
Before you continue