Inside the room, Raymond, Jack, and Karl stared at each other, no one speaking first, while the butler Hans waited silently nearby.
"So, he really is my biological..." Karl gestured with his mouth, not uttering the two words.
Jack nodded in affirmation, picked up his glass, and took a swig of wine, a hint of displeasure on his face as he glanced at Raymond.
"Yes, Karl, though I don't want to admit it..."
"But Raymond really is your biological father. This can be concluded simply from your hair color, seven-tenths similar appearance, and surname."
Karl glanced at Raymond, who at this moment was trying to conceal his excitement, scrutinizing him up and down with pleasant surprise.
Karl's lips parted, as if to say something, but he hesitated.
He had lived with Jack for so many years, and he had once asked Jack about his father.
However, Jack had reacted with great displeasure, unwilling to bring it up at all.
From Jack's expression and reluctance, he could roughly guess that his never-before-seen father might not have been a good person.
Therefore, regarding the father he had never met, he had long considered him dead in his heart.
But now, this biological father had suddenly shown up, wanting to acknowledge him.
At least for a short time, he couldn't accept it; he had no emotional foundation with the other party.
Moreover, this biological father had never fulfilled his duty to raise him, so how could he call him father?
He was sorry, but he truly couldn't say it, even if the other party was a noble.
Raymond looked at Karl's slightly youthful face, seeing that he remained silent, and he understood the child's thoughts.
"Child... I never hoped that you could forgive me, acknowledge me, and call me father."
"In fact, I owe you and Elisa too much. I am not a good father, nor am I a good husband."
"I only hope that before I pass away from illness, I can leave everything I have to you, to make up for what I owe."
Listening to the other party's sincere words, Karl felt a stir in his heart.
He looked at Raymond's gaunt face and sunken eyes.
"Mr. Raymond... What illness do you have?" Karl asked suddenly, his brows tightly furrowed.
Regarding Raymond's strong desire for him to inherit everything, he didn't take the bait to ask about the inheritance requirements.
Compared to those insignificant riches or even titles, he was more concerned about the illness of this father he had never met.
Faced with Karl's sudden question, yet with no expression of willingness to inherit, Raymond was momentarily stunned.
After a slight hesitation, he finally revealed his illness.
"Pale Disease. The doctors say it's not contagious, primarily affects hematopoietic function, it's a chronic illness, and incurable."
Raymond calmly stated the doctor's diagnosis, showing no fear of death on his face.
Hearing the name of the disease, Karl propped his chin on his hand, his mind deep in thought.
Pale Disease? Affects hematopoietic function, isn't that leukemia?
It can be cured in modern times; it's not considered terminal at all. But the Witcher world is set in the medieval era. How would they cure it?
Seeing Karl still thinking, Raymond smiled faintly, "Child, don't be troubled by this. Even professors at Oxenfurt Academy say there's no cure for Pale Disease."
"Now, I only hope that you can inherit everything, so that the name of Eyre does not disappear from history. Cough... cough cough!"
Karl came back to his senses, pursed his lips, and disagreed with the statement that it was incurable, but he didn't openly refute Raymond.
After all, his public past experience certainly didn't include a normal education, let alone venturing out like a Witcher.
If he were to mention magical creatures like Djinni, which are like legends...
Jack and the other two would probably think he'd read too many fairy tales.
It's important to know that the Witcher world isn't just a superficial medieval setting; it includes chaotic magic and the Lady of the Lake.
Moreover, there are also spirits like Djinni who can grant wishes, and even explicit existence of deities.
If ordinary medicines or even elixirs couldn't cure Raymond's illness,
Then he would go find the Lady of the Lake or a Djinni. Just a mere leukemia, he didn't believe it couldn't be cured!
And even without intervention, a patient with chronic leukemia could survive for about five years, which was enough time for him to find a cure.
"Mr. Raymond... what do you need me to do?"
Raymond saw that Karl consistently addressed him as 'Mister,' and he understood that Karl still had a significant emotional barrier towards him, but he didn't mind.
He smiled openly and slowly said, "Child, strictly speaking, you are my eldest son, but the laws of Temeria would not see it that way."
"If you wish to inherit the title, you first need to be recognized, to change from a bastard to a legitimate heir."
"My acknowledgment of your status only allows you to inherit the property I purchased or acquired. You cannot inherit the title or ancestral lands."
"Therefore, you need to obtain special dispensation from Nanrick, the High Priest of the Melitele Church, or from King Foltest."
"If you can get dispensation from both, that would naturally be best, as it would make it very difficult for others to use your illegitimate status to challenge you."
After listening to Raymond's conditions, Karl felt a surge of speechlessness.
Damn it, it really is the Middle Ages. This inheritance system is utterly terrible.
The Melitele Church is the most widespread and ancient church on the continent, and its current High Priest is Nanrick.
Melitele's teachings focus on compassion and tolerance. If he told Nanrick his true experiences, he had a good chance of getting his special dispensation.
But King Foltest would be a harder nut to crack, because the Bone-Breaker King hadn't even revealed his own illegitimate children, let alone legitimized them.
If he wanted the King to grant special dispensation, it would likely involve some political interests.
Thinking of this, Karl's face showed difficulty. What he least wanted was to deal with politicians like the King.
"Karl, actually, this isn't as hard as you think..."
Jack drained the remaining ale in his cup, wiped the lingering drops from his mouth with the back of his hand, and spoke to Karl calmly.
"Your mother was adopted by me from the temple. Nanrick also looked after her for a while, and the priestesses at the temple might still remember your mother."
"Now, all you need to do is obtain the special dispensation from His Majesty the King."
"That's right, His Majesty the King's special dispensation doesn't necessarily require providing benefits." Raymond nodded, taking over the conversation.
"If you perform commendable actions, His Majesty will also grant you meritorious rewards. At that time, you can naturally request the special dispensation."
"In two months, a Martial Arts Tournament will be held in Vizima, the capital of Temeria."
"If you perform exceptionally, you are very likely to gain His Majesty's appreciation. If you want to participate, you should start training now."
"Jack was once a mercenary; he should have taught you the basics of swordsmanship, which will save you a lot of time now."