The Sun Has Gone Mad (Seeking Recommendations)

3rd day of the Month of the Withered Green Banyan.

Regardless of how Lady Sonia raved and protested, Colin's wedding proceeded as scheduled.

Theodore seemed prepared to treat this as a celebration for the unification of the Green Forest, making it quite grand; everyone of any status or standing in the Green Forest had come to Sothoth Castle.

The massive castle was decked out in festive decorations, and in the kitchens, a multitude of cooks were busy preparing and serving all manner of exquisite delicacies.

Roast spring chicken, roast lamb chops, steaks, roast suckling pig, vegetable salads, raisin pudding, cheese, mead...

All sorts of delicacies filled the long tables, and the hall was brimming with laughter and joy.

However, the main venue for the wedding was not here.

According to the customs of the Green Foresters, a marriage must be conducted under a banyan tree to forge a sacred bond.

And the most famous banyan tree in the Sothoth Territory was the "Divine Tree" located behind Sothoth Castle.

"Today, I am honored by your presence to witness the wedding of my son, Colin Sothos, and Sylvie Davis!"

Theodore wore priest robes, his expression solemn.

Aaron glanced at the bride and noticed that Sylvie was not resisting, and he immediately understood; this woman had likely resigned herself to her fate.

After all, what else could she do?

Furthermore, although the direct line of the Davis Family had been wiped out, collateral branches still existed, and she had to consider them.

Lady Sonia and Sean were also present, though they wore polite smiles that any outsider could see were fake.

As for the vassals below, their expressions were even more varied.

The original knights of the Sothoth Territory were naturally jubilant and felt a sense of shared honor, while the expressions of the new defectors from the Davis Territory were more complex and worth pondering.

"Huh?"

Aaron scanned the crowd and spotted a stranger.

He was a peculiar noble, dressed in robes of silk as smooth as milk, his hair groomed meticulously, and his eyes held a hint of arrogance, as if a city dweller had descended into the countryside, sizing up these Green Forest nobles.

"Who is this?"

His heart stirred, and he pulled the knight Turner Shorien aside to ask in a low voice.

"An envoy from the Kagash Kingdom, the King's jester—Ferry Gato. He brought the King's decree of ennoblement; it seems he intends to name the Lord something like a Count..."

It was evident that Turner held nothing but disdain for this.

After all, the conflict between the Kagash Kingdom and the Green Forest had existed since ancient times.

Long ago, those forest barbarians who couldn't survive had frequently raided the warm southern lands, forging a deep "friendship" with the lords there!

It wasn't until the Kagash Kingdom was established that this situation eased, as the Green Foresters were not fools.

It was easy to rob the soft-bellied southerners, but when those soft-bellied ones united, they were somewhat difficult to deal with.

Later, the Kingdom could not conquer the Green Forest, so they could only bestow titles upon the strongmen within, nominally incorporating the Green Forest into their rule.

Isn't this just expanding territory on a map?

Aaron realized that his own title and the Davis Family's title likely came about this way; hadn't he been titled some sort of Baron by the King before?

But it was utterly useless; neither side took it seriously.

Now that the Green Forest was unified, that King was likely stimulated by it, so taking some action was only natural.

Was this ennoblement meant as a gesture of goodwill?

Actually, aside from sounding good on paper, this is completely useless. Even if he's called a Baron, Sothos remains the ruler of the Green Forest!

Having understood this, Aaron couldn't be bothered to pay attention to the envoy and turned his thoughts back to the sumptuous banquet.

Rather than pondering these things, he was better off thinking about how to eat well tonight.

Nighttime.

The castle remained boisterous.

Aaron, however, had no interest in the bridal chamber rituals; he returned to his room, dismissed Tia, and lay down on the large bed.

Darkness, falling.

In the Dream World.

It was still daytime, with the scarlet sun hanging in the firmament.

"Keep going, hopefully I can see land!"

Ever since the war ended, Aaron had immediately dedicated the mysterious energy generated each day to exploration.

At this point, every time he entered a dream, he would move in a single direction, hoping to spot land.

"Another boring day of traveling."

After confirming his direction, Aaron continued on his way.

He didn't know how much time had passed when, suddenly, his [Danger Perception] was pricked, his consciousness becoming as sharp as a needle.

"The sun!"

Aaron suddenly looked up and saw that round sun he had corrupted, now turned a deep scarlet.

At this moment, this Scarlet Sun was radiating terrifying light and heat, the crimson upon it growing even more intense, darkening until it was almost black!

Patch after patch of black spots emerged upon the sun, looking like sunspots, or perhaps like congealed blood clots!

The entire world seemed to fall silent; at this moment, even the most frenzied creatures ceased their hunting, looking up to gaze at the changes in the sun!

Tears nearly spilled from the corners of Aaron's eyes, and just then, he saw those black spots coalesce and 'detach' themselves from the Scarlet Sun.

The detached sunspots condensed and solidified... transforming into a smaller black sun, hanging right there beside the Scarlet Sun.

Sizzle!

His consciousness felt as if it were being pricked by needles, and a blurred sound suddenly echoed in his ears.

It sounded like thousands of people shouting, or perhaps some inexplicable entity whispering and murmuring...

This babble seemed to contain some information, yet it was also laced with intense factors of madness!

"...Sun... Creation... Dark..."

The inexplicable information manifested in a peculiar, supernatural language that even an illiterate person could comprehend.

Aaron felt a certain quality within his heart being stirred, and he suddenly gained an epiphany. Gazing at the two suns—one red and one black—he could not help but sigh: "The sun... has gone mad!"

He already had some guesses regarding what was happening at this moment.

The original star had no consciousness.

Yet his modification had, in effect, given the sun a consciousness.

Although it was a consciousness of madness and chaos, it was a consciousness nonetheless!

For a stone, having emotions is progress; even if they are mad emotions, it is still a crucial step toward becoming a living being!

"And that black sun—just looking at it makes me feel fallen, corrupted, darkened... Is it the manifestation of the Scarlet Sun's madness, its personified avatar?"

Aaron could not help but offer a bitter smile: "What on earth... have I created?"

The previous Scarlet Sun was equivalent to the source of madness and corruption for this world!

And now, from that very source, something even more terrifying had been born!

He did not doubt for a second that the energy of that black sun could easily annihilate every living creature in this Red Sea!

It could be said that even the most massive and bizarre sea monsters he had seen before were like ants in its presence!

"If the Scarlet Sun is considered the Creator, then this Black Sun is at least the son of the Creator... or an avatar of the Creator... a god?"

Aaron's expression was very subtle: "Then what does that make me? The Creator of the Creator?"