Blackstone Manor.
"Olivia cannot get out of the car. As one blessed by the Divine, her car doors are welded shut..."
With a slight smile, Alan woke up.
He had closely observed Olivia's wavering resolve before she regained her determination and intended to assist Lin in the further development of the 'Light of Redemption.'
Moreover, upon returning to 'headquarters,' they held a gratitude ceremony for him, along with sacrificing some of the 'cocoon's' spirituality and secret teachings.
"A 'cocoon' signifies life and transformation... yet it also embodies certain immutable traits."
Alan looked at his skin, just a thought made every hair on his skin turn incredibly sensitive, capable of detecting the slightest movement of air, allowing him to sense the movement of objects within a certain range.
"Besides that, using the traits of the 'cocoon,' it should also be possible to harden the skin within a certain range... thereby gaining defensive power."
"Of course, close-range gunfire is still untenable at lower stages... But Olivia, having been shot multiple times at close range and surviving with only severe injuries, says a lot; the defense is not bad!"
He looked at his palm and noticed there were semi-transparent... threads? between his fingers.
"Am I... Spider-Man?"
Alan let out a low growl, lifted his hand, and a thread shot out, sticking to the clothes on the clothes rack. He gave it a hard pull.
Snap!
The thread broke...
...It broke...
...It broke...
"After all, according to the dream world's terms, I am just an ordinary person who has just begun to awaken spirituality. To be able to cut monsters with threads like Olivia, there's still a long way to go..."
A bitter smile crept onto Alan's lips: "Moreover... the spirituality of the 'cocoon' is also continuously dissipating. Even if I were to advance through a ritual in reality, securing the path, I might still be brought down..."
"This world is really oppressive..."
After his sigh, he quickly calmed down, summoned the maid Daili to serve him, dressed up, and inquired about today's schedule during breakfast.
Basically, as a noble of this era, daily life was very leisurely, filled with nothing but hunting and banquets.
Occasionally, as a lord, he would patrol the territory or play the role of a judge, resolving disputes among the people as a diversion.
Compared to other lords, Alan could be considered relatively diligent.
At this moment, the chubby scholar Albert, dressed in a grey scholar's robe, said: "Baron, you have a visitor today, Knight Iman from the Emerald Territory..."
He was Alan's neighbor, initially loyal to the Davis Family, but later surrendered early during the 'Black Crow War,' thus retaining his fief.
Of course, the fief was retained, but this time, Theodore's grand conferral of titles did not include him.
"So, it's the season for visits and socializing?"
Alan muttered.
"Actually, it should have started long ago, but the aftermath of the war, especially the various minor disturbances in the Green Forest, has delayed everything until now..."
Albert answered softly.
"A bunch of trash, having lost the war, what more can they expect?"
Alan sneered. These opponents included remnants and branches of the Davis Family and disenfranchised nobles.
Unwilling to accept the defeat of the war, they hid in the deep woods, becoming de facto bandits.
Of course, this was a security issue.
Apart from the few directly controlled territories, the Sothos Family left the rest to the regional lords.
"What's the reputation of Knight Iman?"
Alan pondered for a moment and asked.
These defectors and rebels once had close relations, likely even familial ties.
Who knows if there would be incidents of sheltering among them.
From their perspective, Alan, a bloodline of the Sothos Family, the cause of the war's failure, and the occupier who seized their lands, their attitudes towards him were predictable.
"Knight Iman is a benevolent lord with strong martial prowess and adept at teaching students. His disciple Mika achieved a commendable result in the last tournament."
Scholar Albert replied, "Moreover... he has been actively extending goodwill towards us."
"So, you believe he is a loyal supporter?"
Alan's expression turned playful.
"Indeed, someone with insight can tell that the Green Forest now belongs to the Sothos Family. Anyone who understands this trend wouldn't defy it... In other words, those who defy it will be ruthlessly crushed."
Albert said.
"In that case, I look forward to today's meeting."
Alan closed his eyes, able to sense Albert's steady breathing and heartbeat, indicating his sincerity.
'Is this also the ability of the 'cocoon'? I retract my previous judgment; Olivia is dumber than Lin. With such an ability, she still fell for a trap laid by ordinary people, trusting others too much? Or did her spirituality decline after the ritual to the point she couldn't sense it anymore?'
…
At this moment, not far from Blackstone Manor, a convoy was slowly moving forward. The vanguard cavalry flew a banner with a double-axe emblem, but the original blue background had changed to dark green, signifying some change.
Among the convoy, the curtain of a carriage suddenly lifted, revealing a beautiful young girl's face: "How much longer before we arrive?"
"Honorable Miss Monica, please be patient. We will definitely arrive before noon."
A knight rode forward and answered her softly. Watching the curtain fall and the pretty face disappear, his expression remained unchanged, but he silently clenched the reins.
"Just ahead is Blackstone Manor. Stop for a rest and send someone to inform them; it's the polite thing to do!"
Knight Iman, a middle-aged man in his forties, with short hair that was half gray, seemed quite spirited as he waved his hand and commanded the caravan to halt.
The group stopped to rest, some feeding the horses, others drinking water.
The young knight from earlier went to the river for water. After scanning his surroundings, he turned and entered a thicket.
In the shadows, another man, dressed as a peasant but with smooth, delicate skin, was waiting for him.
"Perceive everything!"
The knight spoke first.
"Perceive everything! Mika... It's good to see you. We've always noticed your loyalty to the Davis Family."
The man smiled as he spoke, with a trace of noble arrogance in his tone.
"How is the plan progressing?"
"Not well. Knight Iman sympathizes with the Davis Family's plight but seems unwilling to ignite another war... He has decided to fully side with the Sothos Family. This trip to Blackstone Manor also has the purpose of facilitating a marriage for Miss Monica..."
Pain flashed in Mika's eyes.
"That damn old dog," the man cursed, "and that damn Alan Sothos too!"
He remembered his previous attempts to incite rebellion among Blackstone Manor's inhabitants to overthrow the 'outsider's' rule, only to face disgraceful failure.
Last winter was supposed to be the best opportunity, but Alan directly loaned them grain, and those ignorant peasants just followed him, completely disregarding loyalty!
Then, this year, with a bountiful harvest and reduced taxes, those peasants were even more reluctant to change. Indeed, they are a bunch of mud seedlings, destined to rot in the mud for life!