Gravel handed the letter from Reynolds' father to Reynolds and looked at him with bright eyes. "Read it and tell me what you think."
Reynolds frowned. What's there to read? The letter was very short, and it was filled with etiquette and formulaic statements. It was just a little more courteous than a formal document.
The count's father used vigorous and powerful handwriting to introduce himself at the beginning of the letter. Then he expressed his "reverence and admiration" for the Ice Peak Fortress managed by the Church of the Goddess. Next was to give money and interest to support the fortress' work. Then he tactfully expressed his hope that everyone would take care of his son.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see anything special." Reynolds shook his head and added, "Except that I think I should write back to express my gratitude and change."
"You should write back." The old man nodded, but he didn't show his usual kind smile. He stretched out a dry and trembling finger and pointed at the letter. "Read this sentence."
"Oh … I beg you to take care of my son, Reynolds Hall, and let him become a qualified warrior under the glory of the Goddess. If he works under me, he will receive an annual income of five hundred gold coins from Tao Deqi Manor for equipment and maintenance … "Reynolds raised his head and stared at the old man." Is there a problem with this sentence? "
"This is a place of exile, a place to say goodbye to the past. But your father hopes that you will still be Reynolds Hall." Gravel took the letter and put it a foot away from the candlestick. "Every qualified warrior here will get the surname 'Frozen', which means that you have cut off all ties with your past. So, you will become Reno Icebound, and no longer Hall. "
Reynolds scratched his head. He didn't care whether his body's surname was Hall or Frozen. Anyway, it wasn't the original "Yan". "Maybe … Maybe my father doesn't know the rules here in Ice Peak Fortress?"
The old man shook his head and patted Reynolds on the shoulder. "The Hall family has two titles, Royal Count and Holy Knight. Your family became hereditary earls because of the military exploits of your ancestors, but the word royal comes from your grandmother, who is the princess of the Revi Central Empire. This makes your family's bloodline related to the empire's royal family. She was the only daughter among the three children of His Majesty, Butch Leighton III. Her status was honorable, and that was why she was called royalty. "
Reynolds couldn't continue the conversation, so he could only nod and reply with "Mm".
"The title of count is very common, and the word 'royal' isn't rare either. However, the title of Holy Knight rarely appears among the secular nobles, right? The emperor managed the secular world through feudalism, while the church looked after the spiritual world. The knights of the Church, also known as the Holy Knights, had to be managed by the Church in terms of their weapons and armor, as well as their lives and training. Therefore, they could no longer acquire land in the kingdom. Let alone a hereditary count, you can't even be a baron or a half-joking baronet. "
"Paladins, including the title of Holy Knight, are not hereditary. However, there were three exceptions in the Empire, and the Hall family was one of them. Your family has a close relationship with the Church. There's no way he doesn't know the rules of the forts in the Setting Sun Mountains. In fact, part of our daily maintenance costs come from the Holy Knight family's support. "
Reynolds opened his mouth wide in surprise: this was the first time he knew of these things. In the past, Reynolds only knew alchemy, dealing with demons, self-destruction, rebellion, and hedonism. He didn't care at all, let alone learn about these political matters. If Reynolds had learned a little in the past, he wouldn't have chemically castrated the Duke's son in order to provide him with medicine.
"Your father deliberately linked the name Reynolds Hall with the annuity. In fact, he was hinting that he hoped to keep your surname, so that you could return to the family one day. I remember that you are the second son of the count. You also have an older brother, a younger brother, and two younger sisters, right? "
Reynolds nodded. No matter how hedonistic and rebellious he was, he still knew the members of the family.
"To be honest, without you in your family, it doesn't affect the inheritance and continuity of your family." The old man didn't take his hand off Reynolds's shoulder. Instead, he squeezed it a little tighter, "I've thought about it. The only reason your father let you keep your surname should be because he knew that you didn't do anything wrong and shouldn't be exiled. But he can't prove this point, so he can't prove your innocence for the time being. He can only let you keep your life through exile. "
There was such a thing?
Taking over this body meant taking over the past it represented. But in Reynolds's memory, there was nothing directly related to "chemical castration." He did have close contact with the Grand Duke's son and shared alchemy potions, but he didn't have the memory of concocting the castration potion. From simple to difficult, he knew 55 formulas, and none of them had the effect or side effect of ending his family line.
Reynolds tried hard to recall things about the Hall family, hoping to find evidence to support Gravel's point of view. Emotionally, Yan Rui had his own sustenance and didn't want to have a deep relationship with Reynolds's family. To him, the Hall family was like a foster family that he had suddenly entered. The feeling of rejection was an instinctive reaction. He even liked the beginning of his exile after transmigration, as if it was a certain degree of "freedom." This emotion, coupled with the memory lost due to the combination of medicine and soul, caused Reynolds to be unable to think of anything useful.
"I … I don't understand. Could it be that someone is threatening the count? "
"Threatening … child, I'm not a god. I can't see things that are so far away, and I can't see through time. All I can do is analyze. " Gravel expressed that he couldn't give an answer, but he had some ideas. "When I saw this letter, I was very surprised. Ice Peak Fortress was the most dangerous place in the entire Setting Sun Mountain Range, especially in the coming winter. If you want to be exiled, Jiechuan Fortress is actually more comfortable. So, the key point is: Who was the one who suggested that you come here? "
"It's the count." Reynolds still had memories of this. "It was one night, he came back from outside, pointed at me at the dining table and said, 'You pack your things and go to Ice Peak Fortress in the Sunset Mountains. You can't stay at home anymore. 'It seems that he never mentioned the word exile. By the way, I could have arrived here two months ago, but … someone invited me to play along, and we parted not long ago. "
"It seems that you have figured out some things, but you must remember, don't be fooled by appearances."
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