Wedding (Thanks to Taishang Kaitian Zhifu Xuanqiong Gao Shangdi Laotie for the Alliance Leader!)

Above the Black Crow Dunes.

"Kill!"

Thousands of soldiers clashed fiercely, erupting into a brutal, bloody slaughter.

Unlike the skirmishes of the past, today, Theodore Sothoth, upon realizing the enemy had truly begun to retreat, immediately launched a violent offensive.

And he achieved significant results.

As the sun set, the battlefield was drenched in blood, and tattered banners lay slanted upon the ground, resembling the end of an era.

"This war, in the end, has been won by our Sothoth Family!"

Theodore rode on horseback, surveying the battlefield, his heart filled with triumph.

"And there is Aaron; his intelligence was very useful. Hmm... he also deserves credit for holding Widow's Bay."

Theodore muttered to himself, only to notice his eldest son's slightly gloomy expression.

However, he said nothing.

At that moment, a ranger brought forth an envoy from the Davis Family.

"Respected Lord Theodore, I bring the goodwill of my master. We hope to shake hands and make peace; our side admits defeat and is willing to cede a portion of our territory."

The envoy was a fat man with a fawning face, who knelt directly on the ground.

"Seeking peace?"

Theodore hesitated for a moment.

Although he desperately wanted to annihilate the Davis Family, it was not something that could be done overnight. If the opponent resisted stubbornly, relying on their castle, even a few hundred men could hold out for a long time.

Just then, a raven flew down, caught by Turner, who retrieved the letter attached to it.

He glanced at it, his expression changing instantly, and he found Theodore to hand over the parchment: "My Lord, this is an urgent letter from Young Master Aaron."

"What?"

Theodore took the letter, his eyes widening, and he immediately turned to the kneeling fat man, stepping forward to lash him hard with a whip: "Are you trying to deceive me?"

"My Lord, I dare not, My Lord!"

The fat man rolled on the ground, his magnificent robes stained with filth, as he loudly begged for mercy.

"My son has already breached your castle, destroyed the drawbridge and the gates, and burned your grain stores to the ground!"

Theodore laughed heartily: "That fellow Andrew sent you here to sue for peace—could it be just to buy time to repair the castle?"

"What?"

Colin was shocked: "Aaron actually... breached a castle?"

When the previous report arrived stating that Aaron had killed a knight, he had been extremely surprised. Was this really his younger brother, who had always been low-key and lacked any presence?

Could it be...

A sense of urgency was deeply buried within Colin's heart.

"Pass the order down: Attack! Attack! Attack!"

Theodore roared: "I want to take the Davis Family castle and unify the Green Forest! I want there to be only one voice in the northern forests of Kagash!"

More than ten days later, Aaron received the news.

Theodore Sothoth had captured Davis Castle, beheaded the Davis Family patriarch Andrew and his heir Little Andrew, and completely occupied the territory of the Upper Green Forest.

From this day on, the Green Banyan Horn Flag of the Sothoth Family would fly over the entire Green Forest domain!

"The war... is finally over."

Aaron sighed: "Fortunately... I completed my minimum goal. I have managed to survive, after all."

One month later.

Inside the Green Banyan Tree Cave.

Because of the victory in the great war, Theodore believed it was a blessing from the Grandmother Green Banyan and insisted on holding a grand ceremony.

During this ceremony, Aaron saw the heads of the father and son, Andrew and Little Andrew, as well as even more bloody and cruel human sacrifices.

When the sacrificial stone altar was filled with flesh and viscera, and the banners representing the Davis Family had been burned to ashes, Theodore finally declared the ceremony over.

As the group walked out of the cave, Aaron took a deep breath, suppressing a slight feeling of nausea.

Killing in the midst of war and the slaughter that followed were two completely different things.

"My son, you have done well."

After taking off his ceremonial robes, Theodore tossed them casually to Colin and, for a rare moment, showed a smile to Aaron: "Tell me, what reward do you want?"

"How about a fiefdom?"

Aaron met Theodore's gaze and spoke without hesitation.

It was almost impossible to further divide the Lower Green Forest in the past, but now that they had acquired the Upper Green Forest, carving out a few knightly fiefs to reward those who had rendered meritorious service was entirely possible.

Furthermore, this was his way of signaling to Theodore that he had no interest in the position of heir.

In any case, even if he performed well, it was unlikely he could win Theodore's favor and convince him to replace the original heir.

What if this was just a test?

Hearing Aaron's reply, Theodore's expression tightened for a moment before his smile returned, unchanged: "Good, you will make a fine vassal."

"It is only natural for a liege to grant land to a vassal, and for the vassal to repay that with loyalty."

Aaron displayed a hint of excitement.

The landed nobility of this era was completely different from those in ancient China.

Although the titles of duke, marquis, count, viscount, and baron in the later stages of the Chinese feudal era shared the same names, they possessed no real fiefs or private armies, and were naturally subject to the whims of the emperor.

In the West, however, not even a king could hang a baron with a single decree.

In Aaron's view, Western kingdoms were like corporations, and the king was at most a weak chairman—the kind who could be ousted by the board of directors at any moment.

Within the Green Forest, once he became a knight, it would be difficult for Colin to do anything to him even after he ascended to power.

Theodore spoke a few more words before turning his gaze toward Colin: "The Upper Green Forest has been under the rule of the Davis Family for generations. Now that the ruler has been changed so abruptly, the commoners will inevitably feel some resistance. How should this be handled?"

"Father, I am willing to be your sword and sweep away all obstacles for you," Colin replied without hesitation.

Theodore looked somewhat disappointed and turned his gaze to Aaron.

"For the Upper Green Forest at this moment, pacification should be the priority. We can recognize the legitimacy of the lands held by those knights who have submitted. Beyond that... although the direct line of the Davis Family has perished, Sylvie still remains..."

A playful smile surfaced in Aaron's heart: "Why not continue the previous marriage contract? Let Colin marry Sylvie of the Davis Family and announce that their child will be the future heir to the Green Forest. How does that sound?"

"A fine method, showing the wisdom of a ruler!"

A joyful smile appeared on Theodore's face: "Did you hear that, Colin? Prepare to marry Sylvie immediately. The celebration must be grand!"

Colin looked as if he had been punched.

He had no desire to marry the woman who had brought him such humiliation, and besides... that woman was in Aaron's hands; who knew what had been done to her!

Yet, this was a political marriage. Even if Sylvie were a sow, he would still have to marry her!

Moreover, this was necessary to consolidate his position as heir.

As long as he married Sylvie and produced an heir, Aaron Sothoth and Sean Sothos would absolutely be unable to compare to him!

Bonus chapters will be released after the book goes live.