Chapter 214 The Mystery of Neil's Origins: A Meeting, an Illegitimate Child, and a Bleak Future...

"haven't seen you for a long time."

Edmund gave Rai a warm hug; he hadn't expected Rai to actually return to the capital.

Last night, when he returned home, the butler gave his usual report on recent events at home, and then he heard the names Lei and Valerio.

The address left by Lai was the Victor family manor. He immediately realized Lai's identity and couldn't wait to get there.

But it was already very late, so they didn't go there rashly so as not to disturb Lai and the others' rest.

In the morning, Edmund immediately set off on horseback to this place after finishing breakfast.

The manor has changed a lot compared to before; the windows are sparkling clean.

Although many places still show the marks of time, it gives people a feeling of being more alive and vibrant.

Clearly, the manor, which had been idle for more than 20 years, has welcomed back its owner.

"Please have a seat."

Ray and Edmund sat facing each other, separated by a heavy wooden coffee table.

Cher had already left, but soon brought the two of them cut fruit and hot tea at the right temperature.

This time, he closed the door tightly when he left the study and stood guard at the top of the stairs, afraid that someone might suddenly barge in and disturb Ray and Edmund's conversation.

"Why did you suddenly come to the capital? You didn't even give me a heads-up, or tell me how long you'll be staying here."

Edmund's tone clearly showed concern.

"The Great Forest of Eton is in turmoil, and there is fighting on the border. Part of the reason I came here is to seek refuge, but I am not sure how long I will stay."

"So that's how it is."

Ray secretly observed Edmund's appearance and expression.

"well."

Edmund sighed deeply.

They tried their best to avoid war, but they still couldn't stop it.

"Where are Hagrid's family?"

"They've temporarily moved to Eton City. My cousin Vivian owns a property there, and with the Duke's protection, it might be safer than Rosen Town."

Edmund nodded.

Lai hadn't seen him for several years, and his face seemed to have aged somewhat.

How have you been these past few years?

“It’s great. Neil has learned a lot at the Knight Academy. I bought a barren mountain and planted dozens of fruit trees. It’s just that these things might be gone by the time I go back.”

"Don't worry about that, Ray. Your life is more important than wealth."

That's right.

Edmund took a sip of hot tea.

The feeling he gets from Ray is very different now compared to when they first met in the small mountain village.

He could no longer simply regard Ray as an inexperienced junior.

He supported himself and Neil on his own shoulders.

"Where's Neil? Isn't he here?"

After going around in circles, Edmund finally asked the question that concerned him most.

Having not seen him for several years, he was curious about how much Neil had grown and whether he had gotten taller.

That child was well-educated and very polite.

Ray has brought Neil to the royal city; perhaps he can arrange for Dale to see him...

"Uncle Edmund."

Ray interrupted Edmund's thoughts.

"There's something I think I should tell you, and I'd like to ask for your advice and help."

Seeing that Ray's expression suddenly turned serious, Edmund sat up straight, waiting for Ray to continue.

“Tell me, Ray, no matter what happens, I will do everything I can to help you.”

Lei's expression shifted from serious to downcast and sad.

"This matter concerns Neil."

Edmund's expression shifted, becoming even more tense than before.

Ray observed this change, and his suspicions became even closer.

"What's wrong with Neil?"

"This happened two months ago."

Lei sighed and didn't keep them in suspense any longer.

“Neil was an ordinary person without magic, but that day when he was studying at the Knight Academy, he suddenly released a black flame by accident.”

Edmund's emotions changed noticeably when he heard Rye talk about the black flames.

"The teachers and students at the academy thought it was just a coincidence, but the changes in Neil became more and more obvious. Not only could he use fire-related magic, but his hair color also changed from brown to tan."

Just like... Uncle Edmund's hair color.

As Ray continued, Edmund grew increasingly silent.

"Later, on the day the boundary markers of the Eton Great Forest were collectively vandalized, Neil was kidnapped under the cover of night..."

"What!"

Edmund was startled and stood up, interrupting Ray from what he was about to say.

"Who took Neil? Have you found out?"

Edmund paced anxiously back and forth in his study, muttering a few words to himself.

"It must be him, it must be him."

"Found it."

Ray stared into his eyes and spoke slowly.

"It's the Arcanis family."

Edmund stopped moving and slumped onto the sofa.

"Why is it them? Why is this happening?"

"This trip to the royal city is to rescue Neil. As far as I know, the Victor family has never had fire-type blood."

Our parents, relatives, and all direct descendants of the Victor family have passed away. You were Father's best friend; there are some things you should know better than I do.

I want to know what exactly happened back then, and why my brother turned out like this.

Edmund noticed that Ray looked at him with the eyes of a wolf, as if he had seen through everything.

Lei knew.

This was Edmund's only thought at that moment.

“I want to rescue Neil. He is my only brother, even though we are not related by blood.”

Ray administered the final, drastic measure.

Judging from Edmund's expression, Ray knew he had made the right bet.

How did you know?

“I know a spirit named Hughton, and he told me this.”

Edmund fell into a long silence.

He was weighing whether or not to tell Ray, as he didn't want to involve his best friend's only bloodline.

“If you don’t tell me everything today, I will investigate it myself. Even if my current strength is limited, I have plenty of time and energy, and the truth will surely come out one day.”

Edmund stared at Ray, and finally his shoulders slumped.

"I can tell you, but you must inform me of every step you take from now on."

The Arcanis family is not one that a young man like you can easily provoke. Even I am not capable of directly confronting them.

I must protect your safety.

Edmund eventually compromised; rather than letting Ray stir up trouble, he decided it was better to let him operate under his watchful eye.

"good."

Lei temporarily agreed to the request.

Edmund considered his words carefully.

"That happened seventeen years ago. I have a younger sister named Dale, who is a bright and well-behaved girl."

Is Neil the illegitimate son of his father Valerio and Miss Dyer? No, no, no.

Lei quickly dismissed his unreliable guess.

When Neil was born, Mr. Victor and Mrs. Jennifer had already settled in the small village, while Edmund and his family were clearly still in the capital.

Moreover, he believed in Mr. Victor's character.

“Dale is six years younger than Valerio and me, and we often played with her. I thought they would end up together, but Valerio met Jennifer and later moved away from the capital.”

A few years later, Dyer became even more beautiful and reached the age where she should be getting married.

At a typical spring ball, Dale met a man.

She seemed a bit off after she got home. She kept receiving private letters from the city at the manor. I knew she might have fallen for that man.

None of that matters. As long as the other party is alright, her parents won't object to Dyer marrying him.

With her parents' tacit approval, Dal and he had been dating semi-publicly for six months. All it took was a marriage proposal for them to live together forever.

This was a very important thing for the girl, but Dale never got it.

We wanted her to break off her relationship with him, and Dilraba was also planning to do so.

But that man took advantage of a ball to rape Dier.

Thunder rumbled outside, and the weather was getting worse; dark clouds were gathering, brewing a terrible storm.

The veins on Edmund's forehead bulged.

"After that, Dale got pregnant. It turned out that the man had been deceiving her and hadn't told her his true identity."

After careful investigation, we learned that the man was the current head of the Arcanis family, who had inherited the family title. He was also married and had a son.

Dyer spent her days in tears, and her body grew weaker and weaker. She couldn't have an abortion right away, and her belly grew bigger every day.

We left her in the countryside, waiting until the baby was born before sending him away.

It was at this time that Valerio and Jennifer returned from the small mountain village to attend the funeral of Jennifer's relatives.

They learned of Dale's tragic past and, at her pleading, decided to take the child away.

Lei gasped.

The sound of raindrops hitting the windowpane came from the window. At first, there were only one or two sounds, but they became more and more frequent, and finally turned into an unstoppable storm.

"A few months later, Neil was born. But he also inherited the bloodline of the Arcanis family, with a black flame-shaped birthmark on his body."

His birth can be concealed, but the bloodline he inherited cannot be hidden.

We found the Grand Magus of the White Tower, who used forbidden magic to seal Neil's magic and change the color of his hair.

Jennifer, carrying Neil who was only a few days old, left the city filled with sin and filth.

Dyer suffered postpartum hemorrhage and barely survived, but she never wanted to return home.

She felt she had brought shame upon her family and was unworthy to return home.

A long time passed afterward, and in order to conceal Neil's existence, we never contacted your parents.

A year ago, that scumbag and his son finally died.

A cold glint flashed in Edmund's eyes.

Neil's status as an illegitimate child was not a big deal for the nobility, but it had a great impact on his own future.

He will never acquire that surname, even though they themselves disdain it.

They also cannot obtain inheritance rights.

If this relationship is exposed, he will live under that identity forever and be viewed with prejudice by others.

"But I didn't expect that the magic on Neil would fail and that they would discover his identity and kidnap him."

"What are their goals?"

Ray listened to Neil's backstory with a frown.

He decided to bury these old stories in his heart and never reveal them to Neil again.

Even in modern times, the status of an illegitimate child is looked down upon.

Miss Dale is innocent, and so is Neil.

He shouldn't have to bear such a heavy burden.

Edmund gave a mocking smile.

"The heir of their family is no better than his father. He started bullying men and women not long after he came of age."

He kidnapped a knight's sister, and the knight, upon learning of the torture his sister had endured, tricked and killed him.

The Arcanis family lost both its head and heir. In order to stabilize the family, they had no choice but to find children who had inherited pure bloodlines and train them to become the next head of the family.

But everyone knows that the theory of bloodline is just a pretext; what they really want is a compliant puppet.

Edmund spoke in a very heavy tone.

“They need an heir, and Neil fits their requirements perfectly. He should be safe for now.”

Lei stated his reasoning.

"Yes, as long as Neil is obedient enough."

The rain gradually subsided, but the oppressive air currents brought by the downpour remained unchanged.

It was still gloomy outside.

"We need to send a message to Neil."

"That's what Lei said."

"Well, but we still don't know where they've kept Neil."

"The message must be sent out quickly; the longer it takes, the more dangerous it becomes for Neil."

"I know, I know. It will take some time to deploy."

Having faced countless dangers before, Edmund had calmed down.

“Lay, don’t rush. Leave the message to me. You’re the person Neil trusts most. You need to write this note yourself, and it should be so that Neil can recognize it as yours at a glance.”

"No problem, I'll take care of it."

They both saw the same ruthlessness in each other's eyes.

"I have another question for you."

"you say."

“Neil’s mother, is she... still alive?”

"Yes, she lives in the countryside, so it's safe for her."

Lei breathed a sigh of relief.

"The best approach is to eliminate any future troubles and directly bring down the Arcanis family."

Edmund raised an eyebrow; he seemed to have misjudged him. Ray seemed to harbor ambitions different from his outward appearance.

"A family with a century-old foundation is like a giant tree with a strong root system."

Like a tangible force affecting the whole plant, besides the visible trunk, it also has an unseen, robust root system underground.

If you can't knock the tree down by the roots all at once, then it will one day sprout new buds again.

This is not merely the glory of one family; it also involves the complex and intertwined interests of other families.

Edmund said.

"I underestimated things."

Ray readily admitted his mistake, and Edmund patted him on the shoulder.

“You and Neil are both good kids. The grudges of the elders should not weigh on your shoulders.”

The rainstorm subsided and the sky began to clear.

"Don't get too involved in this matter. I'll let you know if there's any new information."

"good."

Edmund still didn't want Ray to get involved in the matter any further.

This involves a complex web of relationships; either they found a more suitable successor, or the old man took pity on them and released Neil.

Or perhaps they helped Neil become the de facto ruler...

In short, no path is ever easy.

Things seemed to have pushed them into a dead end.

Lei also had a myriad of thoughts in his mind.