Yiman

Blackstone Manor.

"Olivia cannot get off the carriage; as one blessed by God, her carriage door has been welded shut..."

With a faint smile, Aaron woke up.

He had watched Olivia all the way from her initial wavering to her continued determination, and she even intended to assist Lin in developing and expanding the Light of Redemption.

Furthermore, upon returning to the 'headquarters', she had held a thanksgiving ceremony for him, incidentally sacrificing a bit of the spirituality and mysticism of the 'Chrysalis'.

"'Chrysalis' represents life and change... yet, it also possesses the characteristic of immutability."

Aaron gazed at his skin. With a slight shift of his thoughts, he felt every fine hair on his skin become incredibly sensitive, even capable of capturing the subtle flow of gas in the air to judge the movement of objects within a certain range.

"Beyond that, by utilizing the characteristics of the 'Chrysalis', I should be able to harden my skin within a certain range... gaining defensive power."

"Of course, low-level defense still cannot withstand point-blank musket fire... but the fact that Olivia didn't die after being hit multiple times at close range, suffering only severe injuries, is enough to prove the point; the defensive power is not bad at all!"

He looked at his palms and discovered that between his fingers, there were, shockingly, strands of translucent—silk?

"I am... Spider-Man!"

Aaron let out a low growl. With a flick of his hand, a strand of silk shot out, sticking to the clothes on the hanger, and he gave it a hard tug.

Snap!

The silk broke...

It broke...

It broke...

"After all, in the parlance of the dream world, I am still just a mortal who has only just begun to awaken my spirituality. There is still a long way to go before I can cut through monsters with silk threads like Olivia..."

A wry smile appeared at the corner of Aaron's mouth: "And... the spirituality of the 'Chrysalis' is constantly dissipating. I even suspect that even if I perform the ritual to ascend in reality and fix the path, I will still be knocked back down..."

"This world is truly stifling..."

After he sighed, it did not take long for him to return to calm. He summoned the maid Daili to come in and assist him with dressing, then inquired about the day's schedule during breakfast.

Basically, as a noble of this era, daily life was very leisurely; being idle all day and lingering at hunts and banquets was the norm.

Occasionally, as a lord, one might inspect the territory or play the role of a grand judge to handle disputes among the commoners as a pastime.

Compared to other lords, Aaron could be considered quite diligent.

At this moment, the stout scholar Albert, wearing a gray scholar's robe, said: "Baron, you have a visitor today; it is Knight Yiman of the Emerald Territory..."

He was Aaron's neighbor, originally loyal to the Davis Family, but later surrendered very early in the Black Crow War, which allowed him to retain his fief.

Of course, the fief was retained, but he had no share in Theodore's recent grand distribution of titles.

"Is it the season for visiting friends?"

Aaron muttered.

"In fact, it should have started long ago, but due to the various sequelae brought about by the war, especially the various small disturbances in the Upper Green Forest, it has been delayed until now..."

Albert replied softly.

"A bunch of dregs. The war is already lost, what more do they want?"

Aaron sneered. These oppositionists included the remnants of the collateral branches of the Davis Family, as well as the dispossessed nobles.

They were unwilling to accept the failure of the war, so they hid in the deep mountains and old forests, becoming de facto bandits.

Of course, this was a matter of public security.

Apart from those few direct territories, the rest of the Sothoth Family's lands were left to the lords of each district to manage.

"What is the reputation of Knight Yiman?"

Aaron thought for a moment and asked.

These surrenderers and the rebels originally had good relationships and close blood ties; they might even be the same family.

It was hard to guarantee there wouldn't be any shielding.

And in their eyes, it was entirely predictable what kind of attitude they would have toward Aaron—a bloodline of the Sothoth Family, the culprit who caused the war's failure, and the occupier who seized their lands.

"Knight Yiman is a benevolent lord who also possesses great martial strength and is skilled at teaching students. His disciple, Mika, achieved good results in the last tournament."

Scholar Albert said: "Furthermore... he is actively extending goodwill toward our side."

"So, you think he is a firm defector?"

Aaron's expression was playful.

"Yes. After all, anyone with insight can see that the current Green Forest is already under the Sothoth Family. As long as one understands how to choose their interests, no one will go against this general trend... In other words, those who go against this trend will only be crushed without mercy."

Albert said.

"Then, I look forward to today's meeting."

Aaron closed his eyes and could feel Albert's steady breathing and heartbeat. It was evident that he was likely sincere in saying these things.

Is this also an ability of the 'Chrysalis'? I retract my previous judgment. Olivia is a woman even more foolish than Lin. Possessing such an ability, she was still tricked by a group of ordinary people? Did she trust others too much? Or, after the ritual, had her spirituality already faded to the point where she could no longer sense these things?

At this moment, not far from Blackstone Manor, a caravan was slowly moving forward. The scouts at the lead carried flags emblazoned with a double-headed axe, though the original azure background had been replaced with dark green, signifying some sort of change.

Inside the caravan, the curtain of a carriage was suddenly pulled back, revealing the face of a beautiful young girl: "How much longer until we arrive?"

"Respected Miss Monica, please be patient for a little longer. We will certainly arrive before the sun reaches its zenith."

A knight rode forward and answered the question softly. Watching the curtain fall and that pretty face disappear, his expression remained unchanged, though he tightened his grip on the reins.

"Ahead lies Blackstone Territory. Halt and rest, and send someone ahead to report our arrival; it is only polite!"

Knight Yiman was a middle-aged man in his forties. His short-cropped hair was half-gray, yet his spirit remained excellent. At this moment, he waved his hand, ordering the caravan to stop.

The group stopped to rest, some feeding the horses, others drinking water.

The young knight from before walked toward the river to fetch water, glanced around, and turned into a thicket of bushes.

In the shadows, another man dressed as a farmer, yet possessing skin that was delicate and smooth, was waiting for him.

"Insight into all!"

The knight spoke first.

"Insight into all! Mika... I am very glad to see you. Your loyalty to the Davis Family has always been observed by us."

The man smiled as he spoke, his tone still retaining a trace of aristocratic arrogance.

"How is the plan proceeding?"

"It is not going well. Although Knight Yiman expresses sympathy for the plight of the Davis Family, he seems unwilling to stir up another war... He has already decided to lean completely toward the Sothoth Family. This trip to Blackstone Territory also carries the intention of arranging a marriage for Miss Monica..."

A trace of pain appeared in Mika's eyes.

"That damned old dog," the man cursed. "And the equally damned Aaron Sothoth!"

He thought of his previous attempts to incite a rebellion among the people of Blackstone Territory to overthrow the 'outsider's' rule, only to be met with a shameful failure.

Last winter was supposed to be the best opportunity, but that Aaron had directly loaned out grain, and those ignorant commoners had simply followed him, casting their loyalty into the mud!

Then, this year, because of the bountiful harvest and lowered taxes, those commoners were even less inclined to change. They were truly a bunch of mud-bloods, destined to rot in the dirt for generation after generation!