In Winter, nas are of paramount importance.
For example, one must have a na before enrolling in a church school. The sa applies to engaging in trade, finding employnt... even being adopted requires a child to be nad by the elder of one’s own family.
An unidentified "thing" that is killed would only result in a charge of "destruction of public property" for the murderer.
Delving deeper, people often take the opportunity to ask about the aning of your na and, in the process, inquire which elder chose your na... essentially inheriting the network of relationships established by the older generations.
And this na must necessarily include a surna.
According to Winter’s customs, if a child cos from two different families, they can belong to either family—provided that the family’s elder is willing to na them. This ans in Winter, it’s possible for the nobility of great cities and the rural hunters and farrs, or even relatives within three generations, to be related.
And naming is taken very seriously.
It signifies that if the child later commits a cri or wins an award, it will be reported to the family by the local Winter church. The elder who endows them with a na will share in both their glory and their disgrace.
It’s akin to the concept of "godparents" in The Holy Nation.
Any na without a surna is a self-assigned "nickna," which holds no legal standing—because all "real nas" are given by the elder to the local church for record-keeping.
In essence, this is an identity card that can be verified at any ti and place with Divine Arts, without the need for presentation.
Claiming to belong to a family from which one has been stripped of their surna, or an unnad person arbitrarily choosing a surna for themselves, could lead directly to conscription into the Frost Beast troops.
Even if one has their own surna, using another family’s na is not allowed. If it doesn’t cause trouble, all is well, but if a cri is committed, and the family is notified, the elder who nad the offender might beco so disgraced as to take their own life.
Those who commit cris under the guise of another person’s na are deed to "insult the family" and thus receive a threefold increase in punishnt. The family whose na was usurped may consider the impostor’s family as an enemy—a feud that could last for generations.
If a family is stripped of their "family na," i.e., the surna, it ans they are "erased from the household register" in Winter. It’s the gravest punishnt, typically ted out for rebellion against the state.
Once stripped of their surna, they are no longer citizens of the Winter Duke’s Nation... Although not physically expelled, this essentially equates to being banished and deported.
Just like the wolf people.
Only the children of wolf people and humans may be given nas by the human side’s elder; pure-blooded wolf people do not have surnas.
Among the wolf people, so, like Dorin, bear the na "Dorin Angel," while others like Bella have no surna.
And for orphans—it’s the nad orphans who receive pity and may even be adopted; but the naless ones are like wild beasts. Their status is no different from that of the wolf people.
This is the Winter Duke’s Nation.
A land truly bound by Tradition.
This tradition isn’t about an adherence to the aesthetics of a bygone era, a rejection of technological advancent, nor does it constrain their ability to be adaptable and witty in everyday affairs... It doesn’t make them rigid or stubborn, and it’s not uncommon for people to fall in love with wolf people.
Take Dmitry, for example.
But they do indeed value tradition.
Bonded by bloodline and kinship, tradition forms a series of invisible chains carried by interpersonal relations, compelling everyone to obey laws and regulations—not legally bound by collective punishnt, but constrained morally and culturally.
Should soone attempt to assassinate the grand duke of Winter, their relatives would not be sentenced to punishnt, yet everyone locally would know of their kinship with a criminal; even if they moved their entire family away, the local Winter church would still inform the new residents about who they are related to and what they have done.
Whether a family mber does sothing comndable or reprehensible, it will be recorded by the Winter church—local residents will surely know each family’s dark history and monts of glory, and these recollections would influence marriage proposals, business partnerships, or apprenticeships.
It is such powerful moral constraints that force every family to undertake moral education internally.
If a child behaves improperly, they wouldn’t dare let him venture out, fearing he might bring sha upon the family. If soone leaves without permission, they might be stripped of their surna to compel their return. Conversely, if a child is exceptionally outstanding, distant relatives, even several generations removed and impoverished, would willingly provide financial support for him to "go out and bring honor to the family."
If soone dies heroically or valiantly, their relatives will be highly respected by the locals; conversely, if a family has a severe criminal, the entire family might not be able to lift their heads for many years—such is the emphasis on "face" in the Winter Duke’s Nation.
For this reason, "orphans" are a particularly vulnerable "group" in Winter.
It’s not that there are few "orphans," but rather that naless orphans may die unaccountably at any ti. If they die silently in the streets, there might not even be an investigation.
In the traditional concepts of the entire Winter, it is believed that "orphans without nas are unteachable." This is an unspoken form of discrimination.
Therefore, to prevent orphans from being orphans, it is necessary to bestow nas upon them.
——This ans the family must take responsibility for their future cris and penalties.
In the eyes of Winter people, these orphans are "children from other families." It is impossible to be certain of their nature, good or bad, and even if an Elder is willing to na them, others within the clan may stop them — after severing blood ties, no one wants to take responsibility for soone else’s child.
But if the orphan has already been nad, then it is not so troubleso.
After all, if sothing happens, it is not their own family’s disgrace... and even a casual education will suffice.
If these children’s parents died for glorious reasons, then it’s possible that all the local families will work together to raise him — they too hope to be touched by that "glory."
Therefore, the orphanages of the Winter Principality are completely different from those in other countries... they are not welfare institutions, but containnt facilities. Since those with nas are picked out, the majority of those who end up in the orphanages are naless orphans.
Only those in Winter who have a higher level of education, who have received education above college level, or who have beco clergy higher than bishops, can gradually understand... that it’s not that "naless orphans are bound to commit cris," it entirely depends on the education they receive.
Since taking the position of Cardinal, Dmitry has been working hard to improve the environnt of the orphanages.
If everyone treats the orphanage like a dump, then the "education" they receive will truly make them believe they are rubbish.
But these children are no worse than anyone else, and are not like those uneducated people — who think that naless orphans are irredeemable "children of beasts."
Having a na or not does not determine their inherent quality. Postnatal education and society’s perception are the real reasons for their downfall.
The lvin family gathers these orphans together and gives them the lvin surna — this seems like a great kindness, one that can make those orphans grateful to them for a lifeti.
In fact, it visibly improves their circumstances, turning them from naless orphans, who couldn’t even be considered human, into mbers of the lvin family.
However, there is certainly so conspiracy brewing beneath the lvin family’s actions.
Dmitry has such a premonition.
Through a hazy sense, he has already perceived — if he handles this conversation improperly, it might bring great trouble to Annan.
But Dmitry’s understanding of mysterious knowledge and the Transcendent realm is not deep.
Relying solely on his own knowledge, he can’t grasp what the lvin family is plotting... therefore he also doesn’t know how exactly he should respond.
Just as he was hesitating, the sealed room in the ducal mansion opened on its own, without anyone knocking.
——A good opportunity!
"Who is it?"
Dmitry imdiately yelled, "Don’t you know how to knock?"
He even had it planned out — to fiercely scold the person who ca in, pretend to be in no mood to answer, and put the lvin Earl’s unclear matter aside for the mont... until he could consult his mysterious advisor, "Vasily," and then reply.
But then he heard a very familiar voice, brimming with laughter:
"What, my dear Dmitry, does your brother need to knock to return to the ducal mansion now?"
——Thank goodness, blessed be the grandmother!
It was Annan coming back!
Dmitry almost imdiately sighed in relief, his whole deanor brightened, and even the perpetual frown on his face unraveled.
Whatever conspiracy the lvin family had was irrelevant now.
——With Annan’s return, Winter has hope for salvation!
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