Suspicious

The sunset was blood-red.

The day's fighting ended quickly.

Not many had died. In Aaron's eyes, it had seemed more like a test.

He had come to understand that the Davis Family wasn't planning to crush the Sothoth Family in one great battle. Perhaps the cost would be too high.

Perhaps they simply wanted to keep the Sothoth Family's main force tied down.

The tents were scattered haphazardly, and open fires burned everywhere. Many militiamen roasted food, bragged, and chatted.

Some even drank and summoned women.

The state of discipline left Aaron speechless.

He knew that small-time merchants and prostitutes who weren't afraid of dying often followed armies during medieval wars, but this was still far too much for his liking.

He returned to his squad's camp and called over Eight-Fingers and the others. "I don't care what the others do, but no drinking and no chasing women in my squad... In exchange, I'll make sure there's plenty of meat and bread! Understood?"

"Understood!"

Eight-Fingers answered loudly, then his expression turned somewhat gloomy.

"Are the casualty numbers in?"

Seeing his expression, Aaron immediately guessed what had happened.

"Yes. Adam was killed in action. The poor bastard had his skull cracked by a flying stone. A few other unlucky men fell on the battlefield and were trampled to death by their own side... Other than that, Sanchez and Baker suffered minor injuries..." Eight-Fingers replied quietly.

"That's war!"

Aaron took a deep breath. "Tonight, we'll take turns standing watch!"

He returned to his tent and took off his leather armor. Only then did he notice the soreness in his muscles, along with some chafing and bruises.

The battle hadn't lasted long, but swinging such a heavy sword had still taken a toll on him.

Beyond that, he felt mentally exhausted and sickened.

He forced himself to eat a little, washing down bread with water, then fell into a deep sleep.

The Dream World.

Aaron had completely given up on moving. He now spent the single mysterious unit of energy he gained each day from entering the dream on strengthening himself.

Although this strengthening wouldn't carry over to that other world, he suspected it might work like before, and require him to reach some kind of threshold.

Now that he was on a battlefield, he couldn't afford to miss any chance to grow stronger!

For that, slowing down his exploration of the Dream World was an acceptable trade-off.

Whoosh!

In the boundless Red Sea, enormous shadows occasionally glided beneath the surface.

Most had mutated beyond the point where Aaron could recognize them, radiating terrifying power.

Fortunately, they hadn't noticed him.

"As far as this world is concerned, I'm still just an observer, even though I can move now..."

Aaron used his will to pour the day's energy into himself. A faint coolness spread through his consciousness, and then nothing happened.

"Even when I strengthen myself in the dream, the effects aren't visible right away... Who knows how long it'll take before I become extraordinary?"

He sighed, then turned his thoughts elsewhere. "The Davis Family's actions today were suspicious too. The battle was at a standstill, and they even had a slight advantage, yet they withdrew at once, acting as if they meant to dig in. It seems they really do intend to keep the Sothoth Family's main force tied down!"

Aaron sensed the stench of a conspiracy. "Looks like... I need to talk this over with Father."

He didn't feel much for Colin and the others, but if the Sothoth Family fell, he was unlikely to fare any better.

The fighting over the next few days went much as Aaron had expected.

The Davis Family kept engaging, but the battles were clearly less intense. Still, they gave the Sothoth Family the impression that one more push would be enough to defeat them completely.

As a result, the entire army remained stuck at Black Crow Dunes, even repeatedly urging the rear to send supplies and reinforcements.

Aaron sighed and entered the command tent.

"Father, I took three more heads today."

As soon as he entered, he heard Colin's proud voice.

"Well done, my son. It seems the unification of the Green Forest will be achieved in my generation," Theodore said with a hearty laugh.

"Father."

Aaron sighed inwardly and stepped forward to pay his respects.

"My dear brother, I wonder how much spoils you've won?" Colin asked, seemingly curious.

Over the past few days, Aaron had been learning tactics and command from Alfred, so he hadn't paid much attention to spoils or taking heads.

He ignored Colin and spoke directly to Theodore. "I believe the Davis Family is deliberately showing weakness and preparing a scheme. We need to take precautions!"

"Pfft!"

Colin laughed, his expression openly scornful. "A scheme? On the battlefield, only strength matters. Schemes are for women and cowards!"

"Colin!"

Theodore silenced him, though his expression barely changed. He clearly didn't agree with Aaron either. "Colin has a point. War comes down to real strength. We know roughly what the Davis Territory is capable of. Mobilizing two thousand troops is already close to their limit... They don't have the strength to launch some other scheme. Besides, you have no proof!"

"What we need to do now is press our advantage and defeat them, destroying their main force before they can retreat to their castles and hold out!"

Theodore had always wanted to crush the Davis Family completely and rule the entire Green Forest.

But if the Davis Family had a chance to retreat into their castles, that goal would be difficult to achieve.

And although the family had fewer troops, the Sothoth Family's soldiers were clearly better trained, giving them an advantage on the battlefield.

Theodore had seen this too, and he would never let the opportunity slip away!

Seeing this, Aaron could only sigh.

Sometimes, smart people were more likely to fall for a trap. The trickster simply laid out what they wanted them to believe, and then the clever ones filled in the gaps themselves!

"Then... at least let me patrol the area. I might find some evidence."

Aaron took a deep breath and spoke.

"Oh, my dear brother, are you trying to desert?" Colin's eyes lit up as he spoke at once.

Leaving the battlefield at a time like this would earn him a reputation as a coward, and in a medieval world that worshipped strength, it would be as good as a death sentence!

Aaron glanced around and saw the knights' scornful looks.

But he didn't care. Even if the Davis Family had no scheme, staying alive mattered most!

"..."

Theodore was silent for a while, then finally spoke. "Get out. Take your squad with you!"

Though he was deeply disappointed in his son, he still didn't refuse him.

"Thank you!"

Aaron straightened his back, bowed, and walked out of the tent.