Medieval castles, built for defensive purposes, were constructed with massive rocks, and they had small windows, resulting in poor lighting conditions.
Particularly in the main hall of the Sotos Castle, many candles had to be lit even during the day.
Aaron stood in the corner, watching as his father, elder brother, and several knights animatedly debated something. However, his eyes were fixed on the white candles.
'In this world with low productivity, civilians too use candles or oil lamps for illumination, but the castles use beeswax candles which produce minimal smoke when burning. However, civilians could only resort to paraffin candles or animal fat...indeed excessive use might blind them.'
As for the dispute between his father and his staff, and the conflict with the neighboring territory, Aaron knew all too well.
That being said, he had great admiration for the time travellers in the novels from his previous life. They could single-handedly spur technological advancement, even industrial upgrading, as if their minds were filled with encyclopedic knowledge.
As for him, a humanities scholar, he could only recall some very limited and incomplete pieces of information.
Of course, even this limited information is exceedingly valuable in this era.
However, Aaron Sotos was simply devoid of enthusiasm.
After all, there was Colin, the legitimate heir. There was no way Theodore, a traditional noble, would allow him to inherit the territory, and due to his desire to consolidate power, Theodore opposed all actions that could potentially fragment the territory.
As the second son of the family, he would receive a meager inheritance when he came of age, and then, he had to make his own way in life.
Once, Aaron attempted it, he went through numerous failures before figuring out a cheap and durable production method for paper, thus establishing a paper mill.
But, his titular father, Sir Theodore, after a superficial word of praise, ordered the butler to seize the mill and make it public property.
This action immediately dashed Aaron's hopes, making him fully aware of his predicament.
Though his reincarnation technique was decent, it still lacked something crucial.
Not only did the strict traditional etiquettes of the ancient East exploit people, but western customs likewise.
In the territory, the lord's word was law! Any resistance without actual power was laughable!
Moreover, he could count himself lucky that he wasn't a civilian or the most lowly serf.
Once, Aaron had witnessed a clever serf child, trying to report a case of tax official corruption during Colin's field inspection.
However, before the child could even reach Colin, for obstructing the noble's path with his filthy body, he was kicked half-dead by the guards.
As for what was being shouted, Colin didn't even feel like listening!
Since then, Aaron became even more cautious, or perhaps silent.
As for getting rid of Colin, to take charge directly?
Truthfully, he had considered this but upon weighing their respective supporters and status in Theodore's heart, he forwent this not-so-appealing idea.
After all, because he presented himself as weak, Colin, though he didn't like him much, didn't kill him outright. To attack Colin first still felt somewhat unacceptable.
Just a single paper mill was sufficient compensation for leeching off on the family for so many years.
The conflict between Sotos Family and Davis Family was also primarily caused by this mill.
The profits from the paper mill had led to the Davis Family coveting it, they even sent spies earlier. After the clan leaders on both sides discussed it a few times, a peace treaty was finally agreed upon. Their direct descendants getting engaged was a symbol of this agreement.
But now...
"The Davis family is not satisfied with our previous solution, they want more..."
Theodore pulled out a dagger, slammed it onto the wooden table, the tail end still trembling, "we must make them understand, they've made a colossal mistake!"
The men in the hall roared savagely, with Colin being the most red-faced and hoarse.
Aaron also followed in shouting a few slogans, with little enthusiasm.
For some reason, Theodore glanced towards the corner, "Aaron, you are also sixteen, a grown man now. It's time for you to go to the battlefield and earn your own honors."
"Yes, Father." Aaron paused for a moment before responding calmly.
This was after all a society where two lords could get into a fight over a wild boar, he considered himself rather fortunate to have lasted so long without being drafted into the military.
...
As night falls.
"Even so, it sucks that while Colin got his engagement annulled, I have to go to war for him. Swords bear no love, I could die...I don't want to leave the pretty maid at home..."
Bare-chested, Aaron waved at a blushing beautiful maid to leave the room. Staring at the closed door, he thought to himself.
At this moment, Aaron felt no desire or want, like a sage, who with eyes closed stepped into dreamland.
His sleep quality had always been good. Basically, as soon as his head hit the pillow, he would fall asleep.
"When I close my eyes, the world ceases to exist..."
...
His body was falling, and abruptly jolted.
Aaron opened his eyes and saw a vast azure sea: "Here again, the same dream!"
As a time traveler, he had a unique ability, albeit useless: as soon as he fell asleep, he would enter into this dream and remain lucid as if he were dreaming consciously.
Even when he was still a baby, Aaron had entered this dream and saw this magnificent sea.
As for himself, he was in a quite peculiar state, seeming to be hovering just above the sea surface, without any weight.
He was like a ghost, able to pass through any object, yet devoid of power, unable to even lift a speck of dust.
It was as if...he were nothing more than a pure observer, a prisoner bound to one location.
Aaron even doubted whether this was just a special dream, and not a unique ability.
Not until he repeatedly tried and found himself always entering the same dream, did he have to reluctantly admit that this might not be a dream but another world.
"But...why am I situated in a huge sea?"
Aaron was speechless; he was nauseated from looking at the sea surface.
However, as time passed, he noticed that his consciousness seemed to be gradually strengthening.
Or in other words, each night's dream seemed to be augmenting the power of his consciousness.
Until tonight!
The accumulation of sixteen years seemed to have finally reached a certain limit!
Boom!
Aaron Sotos felt an indescribable sensation.
His consciousness expanded infinitely as if it had broken some chains, extending and expanding limitlessly...
Disordered, chaotic...he felt as if he were in the heart of a void, where distorted remnants danced with green flames and the mad sound of a flute...
A powerful force surged in his heart. It was as if he could change everything before him with a simple wave of his hand!
He chuckled. Looking at the sea surface that hadn't changed in sixteen years, and the sun in the sky, he thought somewhat madly, "It would be fun if it were red."
No sooner had he thought it, than Aaron felt as if a floodgate in his consciousness opened, and the power that had been accumulating for sixteen years poured out!
In the sky, the ancient sun suddenly developed spots of crimson, which connected and spread to dye the entire sun red!
The crimson light shone down, covering the earth, the sea...
Within this light, there seemed to be unspeakable horrors and strangeness hidden.
Splash!
The sea surface split open, and numerous fish emerged. Then their scales burst open as if many worms were wriggling beneath their flesh, growing sharp claws and teeth...
The monstrous fish gathered, biting, eating, and merging with each other...
Not far away, a larger shadow appeared. A whale-like creature emerged as the eventual victor and began an even more insane mutation...
"I... I didn't mean to do this..."
Feeling his consciousness regressing to the weakness of his infancy, coupled with the gradual release from madness, Aaron wanted to cry but had no tears.
At this time, fragmented information started to surface in his mind:
"[I am the Dream, the Entropy, the Everything!]"
"[I exist independently of all dimensions, I am indescribable, difficult to name!]"
"[I am omnipotent!]"
"[I am...the 'Dream Creator']!"