Tribulation of Mysteries

Inside a dark and damp cave.

White candles emitted a dim light, illuminating a dozen figures in black robes. They were twisting and wriggling on the walls …

"Mother Nature, Queen of the Forest, Origin of Life!

"I offer you a sacrifice with fanatical devotion. I offer you the blood of my enemies, the flesh of my prey, and the bones of my ancestors!

"Please bestow upon me a bountiful harvest, please bestow upon me youth, please bestow upon me strength …"

…

The figure in the lead prayed loudly. He used the silver dagger in his hand to cut off a piece of juicy deer meat and offered it to the stone altar.

On the altar, there were large patches of mottled blood, organs, intestines, and a few pieces of white bones.

Drops of dark red blood flowed down the cracks of the stone altar.

Bloody, terrifying, mysterious …

Everything was as if the believers of some evil god were holding a sacrificial ceremony.

Aaron Sotos had a devout expression. He went with the flow, but his heart was unperturbed. He even felt like laughing.

'After transmigrating sixteen years, I'm certain that there are no supernatural powers in this area. This includes the Sotos family's primitive worship — Green Banyan Tree Grandmother.

'Of course, in this barbaric era where beliefs are deeply rooted, it would be foolish to reveal that I'm a non-believer. Which religious reformation in history did not result in death? It's the same even if it's from another world!

'Moreover, the head priest of the Sotos family is the father of this body of mine. He's an old-fashioned noble, and I'm only the second son. Going against him and saying that the gods are just illusions … That's just asking for death.

'Also, I have to admit that religion is still very useful in numbing the people and consolidating feudal rule.'

Therefore, even if it was just an act, Aaron Sotos had to follow the people around him and play the role of the feudal lord's second son well.

He had a head of black, slightly curly hair. His light purple eyes seemed to contain infinite wisdom and mystery. The lips under his high nose bridge often carried a hint of a smile. His tall and slender figure made it easy for people to have a good impression of him at first sight.

Although Aaron had some complaints about the surname of the Sotos family, he was still very glad that he was reincarnated into a noble family.

After all, in this ancient society where the infant mortality rate was extremely high and the literacy rate of the civilians was extremely low, where they could die at any time due to rain or external infection, at least the nobles would not starve to death and would have the opportunity to receive education.

Because he had lived two lives, his personality was more cautious. Although he was the second son, Aaron lived a good life. Moreover, because he was afraid of dying from illness, he persisted in training and had a strong physique.

While he was lost in his thoughts, he followed a large group of men in black. In fact, they were the higher-ups of Sotos' territory who had completed the ceremony. A group of people walked out of the cave one after another.

Whoosh!

The fresh air blew into his face, making him unconsciously want to take a deep breath.

Aaron looked back and saw that the original cave was located under a huge banyan tree. The huge crown of the tree covered the sky and many aerial roots hung down from the branches. Thousands of roots were deeply embedded in the stone walls, forming a strange state of symbiosis.

In the distance, the sun was shining brightly and the blue sky was cloudless. At the end of the muddy and gravelly road, there was a European-style building built with round logs. On the surface of some of the logs that had not been stripped clean of the bark, there were still a few buds full of vitality.

A light breeze blew, and there were pitch-black ravens circling and dancing, letting out hoarse and unpleasant cries.

An unusually handsome black raven with a cylinder tied to its leg landed in the center of the building, on top of a window in a castle tower built with huge rocks.

"The crow's cries, an ominous sign. But in this world, the raven is only a messenger of the lord. There is no such thing as unlucky …"

"The raven that contacted me has arrived. It seems that something has happened in the castle."

Aaron thought casually.

"Let's return to the castle!"

The leader of the black-clothed men, the chief priest who had presided over the ritual, took off his black robe, revealing a grey coat made of wolf skin. There was a slash mark on the wolf's head, and a pair of deerskin boots on his feet. His face was resolute like granite, and his deep purple eyes were also staring in the direction of the castle.

This was Theodore Sotos, Aaron's father, the protector of the Lower Emerald Forest, the lord of Sotos' territory, and a dignified ruler.

He gave the order in a low voice and threw the black robe to Aaron. Without looking at his son, he mounted his warhorse.

The group left quickly, and a blonde youth in his twenties glanced back. He seemed to be comforting, but also seemed to be showing off and proud.

He rode a pure white steed and followed closely behind Theodore, as if declaring his status as the heir of the territory.

Aaron did not seem to notice. After all, he had no feelings for this half-brother of his, Colin, and waited quietly until the end.

He could feel Colin's faint hostility toward him, but it was not too much, probably because he did not pose much of a threat.

After all, as a transmigrator, acting spoiled and cute when he was young must have been very awkward, and any relationship needed investment and nurturing.

After raising someone else's son for more than ten years, he might be closer than his own son who had never been raised.

When he was young, Aaron found it difficult to get close to a stranger.

Over time, Theodore's indifference and estrangement towards Aaron became a matter of course.

However, Aaron did not regret it.

A threatening heir was even more stimulating for Colin. His third brother who had broken his leg while riding a horse was a good example.

Yes, this third brother was born from Theodore's third wife. One of his first two wives died in childbirth, while the other one died of illness. This third wife, Sonia, not only gave birth to a son, but she also gave birth to a daughter.

Aaron skillfully mounted his horse and followed the group back to the castle.

A group of people was already waiting at the entrance of the castle.

In the lead was Theodore's wife, Sonia, and sister, Jenny. Apart from them, there was also the castle's butler and scholar.

At this moment, the scholar was holding a letter in his hand.

Theodore took it and hurriedly browsed through it. His expression turned ugly as he said in a deep voice, "The Davis family of Upper Green Forest wants to annul the sacred marriage contract signed under the banyan tree. This is a declaration of war!"

Aaron immediately saw that Colin's originally proud face seemed to have been slashed by a knife.

Yes, after all, it's Colin who is engaged to the Davis family … It's actually not me, a transmigrator, who has the engagement annulled. This doesn't make sense! Although … I don't have a fiancée …

He secretly complained in his heart and looked at Colin with some sympathy.

Even for some transmigrators who had lived two lives, having an engagement annulled was a great humiliation, let alone an ordinary youth.