After Gavin was born, he lived in the castle with his mother, Alice, who worked as a laundry maid. Gavin learned about the situation there and his background through the conversations of the people around him, since the servants never hid their conversations from a young child.
His father, Morton Cortoine, the Earl's eldest son, died of illness on the ship back to his territory, leaving only Alice, who was pregnant with Gavin. In this world, marriages between nobles without the guidance of monks and the registration of scholars were not recognized, and their offspring were called illegitimate children. Moreover, according to others, Gavin's mother, Alice, was a foreigner from another continent.
Gavin lived in the castle for three years, but his adoptive grandfather, the Earl, never appeared. Instead, he repeatedly tried to expel Gavin and his mother from the castle. It was only thanks to the strong intervention of his adoptive uncle, Edmund, that they were not driven out. It is said that Edmund was punished by the Earl several times for this. Sir Edmund would occasionally visit him, even bringing Gavin some "toys" that he no longer needed.
Just when Gavin thought he would grow up here, an unexpected event occurred: the War of the Usurper broke out, and House Cortoine answered the call of Lord Tyrell. His uncle Edmund Cortoine, as the heir to the Three Towers, went to Highgarden in place of his elderly father, Lord Houghton, to lead the army with the Lord to attack Stormlands.
Not long after Sir Edmund left, Gavin and his mother were expelled from the castle. Perhaps Sir Edmund had foreseen this and had arranged accommodation for them in the town below the castle.
Alice was also given a job washing clothes for the army camp, and from time to time, people from the castle would send some money and goods to supplement their living expenses.
The pain of losing her lover, the strain of giving birth to Gavin, and the relentless toil of years had taken their toll on Alice, causing her health to deteriorate rapidly. Her face lost its former radiance; her skin became rough, her eyes sunken, revealing her weariness and haggardness. She was frequently bedridden with serious illnesses.
As a result, the family's finances were often cut off. Alice, who was frail and sickly, occasionally did laundry work, but the meager income was barely enough to support the mother and son. If it weren't for the fact that people from the castle often sent money and goods over, the mother and son would have had trouble making ends meet.
The pressures of life forced Gavin to resort to his own methods, refining salt to earn some income, but this was a last resort.
Gavin knew all too well that using knowledge far beyond what this world possessed to produce refined salt was undoubtedly a risky move. Before making the decision, he had considered it repeatedly. If someone with ulterior motives discovered it, it would bring trouble. After all, this technology was in his hands, like a child carrying gold through a bustling city—he had no way to protect it. Gavin was already considering whether to give away this salt refining technology in exchange for something.
After rounding a hill full of thorns and weeds, Gavin could already see the town below the castle. His forehead was covered in sweat. Gavin raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat, and once again he couldn't help but start complaining about his still-growing body, thinking that even this short distance was difficult to handle.
Three Towers Castle, like a dazzling jewel, sits atop the cliffs on the southern shore of Whispering Bay, directly facing the confluence of Redwyn Pass and Whispering Bay. It is only three days' journey from the old town of the Hightower family. The scenery here is breathtaking; the castle, like a resolute giant, stands atop the cliffs by the sea, its three towers piercing the sky like three sharp swords. These towers served not only as watchtowers to guard against enemies at sea but also as lighthouses to guide ships at night, from which Three Towers Castle derives its name.
This was a purely military castle. Due to its relatively small size, the people living inside the castle gradually expanded outwards. Over the long years, a small town slowly developed below the castle.
Three Towers Fortress was the ancestral fortress of the Kotoin family. Together with its two attached towns and dozens of villages, it formed the Three Towers Territory.
House Cortoine has a long and distinguished history, dating back to the First Men, and was once a powerful family. However, in the harrowing Dance of the Dragons over a century ago, Lord Owen Cortoine fought for the Black Party, only to be tragically killed by Jon Roxton at the Battle of Meadow, along with most of his family members.
The lord's death in battle severely weakened the family's power. Later, Three Towers Fortress was captured by the Hightoar family and only returned to the Kotoin family after the Dance of the Dragons. By then, the Kotoin family had only a minor son left to ascend the throne. For the next century, the family faced constant constraints and suppression from the Hightoar family, making their situation increasingly difficult and precarious.
Currently, only three family knights remain, and the number of regular professional soldiers is a mere hundred. Even with the maximum conscription of militia from within the territory, it would be difficult to muster a force of a thousand. Dealing with the Ironborn's raids on villages and towns is already quite challenging. If it weren't for the Redven family's fleet regularly patrolling the straits ahead, and the Ironborn raiding groups not being large-scale, the fishing villages along the coast would likely have been completely plundered long ago.
In a nameless tavern in the small town, Gavin handed the salt to the proprietress, Raman. When Raman saw six-year-old Gavin selling salt again, she couldn't help but pinch his rosy cheeks. Then, she weighed the bag of salt in her hand, took five copper stars from behind the counter, and patted Gavin's head, saying, "We milked a lot of goats this morning, so I'll take some for you." Gavin thanked her and headed towards the kitchen.
The proprietress of Rahman has become Gavin's only regular customer in recent months. Through previous interactions, Gavin found her to be a very genuine person. She is especially friendly towards children, and most importantly, she always gives Gavin some extra food.
Six-year-old Gavin looked exactly like a delicate porcelain doll. His silver hair complemented his fair face, which was as smooth and lustrous as mutton-fat jade, with a faint blush. His large, watery eyes were like twinkling purple stars in the night sky, bright and lively.
Gavin leaned against the counter, listening to the conversations of the people inside the pub, which was also an important channel for him to obtain information from the outside world.
The main topic of conversation remained the ongoing War of the Usurpers. As people of the Reach, everyone eagerly awaited the Reach's victory, especially the triumphant return of Ser Edmund, resplendent in glory. Each major victory was followed by a grand celebration, with many citizens hoping to participate.