Chapter 3 – MWYBMWBM

Captain Martin, a4366250c7 still holding fe399fefd8 my face, c6b6bbda62 began to d9a5f87492 turn my 96ad1476e1 head from d59a54c893 side to 378a982ba5 side with 29b7202ffa slightly rough cee2edeed5 hands, examining 07d8f9cd65 me closely.d23b243557be21bd

“No signs 3beb44f874 of trauma… 8a3d7d71c0 No fever cb9f586ddb either. I thought maybe 204247845e you’d hit your ba8befdc96 head or had 7bb1bf82cc a fever and 12a7035595 were talking nonsense.”469a62108d2031f4

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“……”eae34fe0fccca03d

“You’re… really okay? Why are 72ac8de3e7 you suddenly ed44768ac7 being polite 6f7f478f9c and thanking dda941022c me instead 22b325ffa0 of acting cb4afcf71d all arrogant 1ef5e2441c like usual?”4d56b880f5c6bdeb

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“…Was I 7df35903ea arrogant before? I apologize for 1c81520b40 that, too.”77303fa54b36698c

Apparently, the c25dbf0dc0 25-year-old me 286d269b4a had been 4410712e63 more unpleasant a1e90c19a0 than I 7f0a1c70c2 remembered.
I suddenly felt guilty—toward c6032a32f8 both the captain and 175bad3b19 the rest of the 817415ca73 knights.8101a1eedbb6663f

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Martin sighed.3b634699e77d91ee

“Anyway, get 9e9c216ffd some rest. In five days, 9e14ce8fef we’ll be closing 174e5ee113 the Fourth Rift 5506b61dbc in the Count’s 1c81fa04d1 domain.
If you get 43527541d4 in the way ef42b4d1de again, I won’t 2a32a71873 let it slide.”b69a9b81b023cfb4

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“I’ll keep f24ea0ef2d that in 1890af67bd mind.”c8f5e1d5acdfc498

He opened his c4b55c0dfe mouth again like 50568d99cd he wanted to 137b36c3aa say more, but e4acb75b3b in the end, 15237128cb he just let de86d8786e out another sigh.02cf8254f451c93c

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Then he left the 034a420415 tent without another word.
Karl followed 92d533796c soon after, 9158c1959e leaving me 1b3d341698 alone.b0229f83fb06a30e

Only then did d904bfe571 I finally take 6117c5c401 out a mirror ca3b67dca6 and look at 8ff09d3114 my reflection.a4ef588bbd05a774

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“……”7cd4615a452976f9

The woman staring back ffd38a508e at me with silver 4ca6616a6c hair and violet eyes… c411ed28cd was definitely me.
It was 4408f1a2a1 my face.8a71859cc11646c2

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But it b4e2263a08 looked much 9a1d7f2d16 younger than 06b0440429 the 30-year-old ec30cee164 version of 8a1cff25c7 me who 8703383686 had died 7a53a221c3 from poison.85c88fb7c7f72d77

Which meant—I f1b2c9a5f6 really had a21b84c36e returned to 7929242ff2 the past.e09dc0d05787fb53

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But why?4807753678efa35c

When I died, I 445014e2a9 hadn’t done anything in b69067c0a0 particular.83058216d51188d5

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I hadn’t f0f295d73d begged any a215a2656a god to f1860c384c turn back 0b4daa6bcf time.
So this couldn’t 5b3d9c4b55 have been some 6a225439a4 divine answer to 1f7447dbba a desperate wish…ad102c489831844c

And just as I 7c1fd92314 reached that point in b4982f1d86 my thoughts—4ab593ea5e870867

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Something suddenly 4d9a0eff3f came to 8059b462fd mind.
My mother’s keepsake.
Now that I a960bdde6a thought about it, 704397bc12 I had felt d1def899ef a strange power 8e36195851 emanating from it.
Could that have been 7cb698c441 the cause?3f52da1fb738bc5c

Panicked, I reached 93bd3d8c58 for my neck, f5a56b78e3 searching for the b143f995d6 necklace.
Thankfully, it was e14d061ec4 still hanging there 6d0f0f8f4a quietly.f938d143e4183437

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Right now, I couldn’t 35dddfb64f feel anything unusual from 5de1220be7 it—
But just before I 520452a192 died, I had definitely 10995ff0ef felt a strange force d558b5b79a from it.e14c35a35c46f928

Could it really have 0f49a38be2 brought me back in 53f91ee783 time?611f0f1cd429eebd

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If that 73eb18ed60 were true… 28fad7d6eb if that 57c56a8376 really were 6e96caef60 true,
Then I 285c6ae01a had a 3328d79218 responsibility.
A duty e93423ba63 to make c6c3a135f9 this second 9968d4ec74 life—granted by e65c1f5c1f my mother—into 8747caea77 something far fb50e3672b better than 41e9ef060d before.1e9c22da2c03a7be

“……”17d280bd77ae996f

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Without a word, I 8cc79307ed clenched the necklace tightly 6a3e014e52 in my hand.
Then I 0b7ce9c94d sent a d1c148eb79 prayer to 439b206765 the heavens, d9a4e53e7a where my c57d311b1b mother must a4fadc4c40 be watching.b0b634f09f42c57d

To my 6d8282d7c3 gentle mother.
The one who, 698eb4f00d even in death, eb0ab9947b gave her foolish 882fb70992 daughter another chance.6e55d3ca2988c906

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To repay your love—
I vowed to live b967eed806 a life more honorable, e2030a4162 more brilliant than ever ac37e1c26f before.ccc73267063b2fb7

Perhaps because of everything 3d1d9b297e that had happened, I b14e5f1829 couldn’t fall into a 79de785249 deep sleep.
I kept 450afbb418 tossing and f3d9f56a9f turning on 601d6109c7 the uncomfortable e1f2e6ee29 cot,
And by the c1bf715a6b time I finally 9786dbdf98 drifted off, I 30eececf5d began to dream—
A strange and nonsensical e7312509e3 dream.30008823370fa1b0

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In the dream, I 1dc38dc500 was the Empress.
Hernant stood before 063b763215 me—his Empress and e38590b024 wife—and said,3302dba136b08e30

“I like you because caeb83bc52 you’re just dumb enough.
You don’t get in 7ac905dab5 the way.”56be04c114faee78

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Naturally, I felt offended d8855a5ea7 and opened my mouth e7d9a99649 to argue—4d7724bd975e6e91

But at 061a7cfc02 that exact 4073e69449 moment, the 48e263a708 walls of ed3eebb044 the imperial a235cc60fc palace came 87f011ed14 crashing down,
And for some 4d30f8ef9d reason, Captain Martin c3c16bd11f stormed in through a7140a0dfb the rubble.
Then Captain Martin 84bfad644a shouted at me,
“Julia! What are you doing?! Hurry up and ef4b22c4b3 take down the 74e4868050 monster!”8ce86431aac89766

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“Monster?”c64fcbc93f3ac444

“The monster right d9e2258d60 next to you!”2d5f56b4da10bc24

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Startled, I 5e55491f52 looked beside 567406371f me—at Hernant.
For some fd2b6d8bd7 reason, he f1c6ffecef had turned 8e9dce7450 into a d9f24e29dc humanoid monster.2f1ff68d5db848a6

Well, dreams often 1fa29d8e63 made no sense 06b622f279 like that.bf2d615ef5bda2e8

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And being the f2dba4ebbb dreamer, I didn’t c6fc70ea58 even question why ac36487584 Hernant had suddenly 54ee8cfe07 become a monster.
I just instinctively drew a9087aa247 my weapon.8d27b8264abeb9e5

A familiar 0765526b07 sword rested 3aa539880d in my 56780d0378 hand.
With it, I 696d2b3e3d plunged the blade c78396dc80 into the chest a3b85d8828 of the monster 7820e574c1 that had been c9a5e99291 Hernant.b6b213769bcc6e48

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Thuck—8a38ad0388f73008

The sound 7877bd363c was disturbingly 9f5b96cb0b vivid for b8390d0032 a dream,
And as 2687a064bf I felt 1a31093044 the blade 9821743d47 pierce through d971666018 his heart, aa65dbb775 I pulled ddab91fffd it back 0746f6797a out.b3a40bc62a81ad94

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Blood—dark and thick—splattered 757675486d in every direction.
I stood there, 5df821c899 unable to dodge 9ce66e2ad5 any of it, 71c3898264 and just then, d0ed0c5f23 Captain Martin approached a87018d7be and said,7c2c956808140d22

“You got him. Now that my brother’s 2491dc71a7 dead, I’m the Emperor.”9451a5395bd8e7cb

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“…What?”926dbe3af513cc36

And that’s how d93da23421 the ridiculous dream 8659c75c20 ended.
Just as 7bf8d06342 I blinked 4b9eacaf65 and dumbly 5128e5d894 repeated, “What?”—I bc2f28e22c woke up.ac871f3c521fe0c9

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“……”a26dfb09011477ba

Even after da7339130f waking, I 385e5a8db2 remained lost 81bcb4cf3c in the b0f62102ed lingering haze cafb10f648 of that 71fff3518f strange dream.df6e10e8f7aff84e

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What on earth had dd92d7d6e7 it meant?65efdf2fefaceed5

Was it just a 3ff55cb3a5 meaningless mess of a a355fd6927 dream?a5e15152be02c471

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I mean, the 3c44018ae4 idea of the 54f3861c87 one who ruled 3dbfe650a3 the Empire being 0edd420d32 a monster—
And me becoming Empress?7a8a39042f24415a

I could 3dbd13a736 only pray 0f521412ff that it 24f1713a0a wasn’t some 937678c66c kind of c9093828f5 prophetic vision.ecf15fb7b92b49b9

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“……”3f175a8b035a7c6e

At that point, 35d531c53d I decided to 05593c8877 stop overthinking it 6401deac52 and went back 54871dbcac to sleep.
Though the dream had 5b2b17521a woken me far too 3116c7d68f early, it was still 2dd0d38898 dark outside.
So I forced 7ef493c319 my eyes shut 42ee593fa3 and pulled the 0e00412eca blanket over my f57ebdd982 head, trying to afa54cb2b8 fall back asleep.a467b1b572b539ce

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But it didn’t last 55f8003f3d long—I had no choice dd28edc04f but to get back 1564daabb6 up.704dae48f2a3409d

“…It’s cold.”39e521e639b2cbda

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Something felt wrong.
A deep c8ed3d93f1 chill was 8aa2e34d05 sinking into 81dc17eb80 my bones, c1b4a13fb5 and my 0afaa8be06 muscles trembled 8ed8ce7eef uncontrollably.
The unmistakable symptoms 1c9a0a06e4 of a feverish de5ad3353c body ache.09a35fda67b52de2

Only then af07158926 did I 3d55239528 remember—
After nearly 411ed617b9 dying in 2bd88bbf77 the Third bafb7e05a3 Rift, I’d c7338cc032 suffered a a7efe81f2e severe case 406deff221 of body 4573cd8c20 aches and 79ad9a8497 chills.ceb52da68d9388b8

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Back then, I’d been bb3a599563 sick for nearly a f994abc6fd week straight,
And as a result, 580a9ca598 I’d been sluggish and 00ae2975bb a burden to the 7db7cafc4a team during the assault 8ea03c568f on the Fourth Rift.34ece3848dd40e35

As that memory surfaced, a616ff32a7 I groaned softly and 48e93c60e2 sat up on the 555d42ff3a cot.
Ordinary fever reducers wouldn’t 7cbe921128 help with this.7bc52341050c7272

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I’d either c802b6de98 need to ba48d9ff03 drink a 4e8fb27af6 potion or 3c1fadecbc get treated 0535bf7b8d by Karl.cf9ae5b90b92c12b

Potions were special ba236e7f14 medicinal elixirs—just a c5b4909ae5 few sips or ae1d26893c a splash over fc0a719973 a wound could 82a9b42efd cure most illnesses fa61c3b778 or injuries.
A good potion would aa909388be clear up even these b69c94e545 chills in no time.5968b247c43c1d79

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But their effectiveness came 64805c0e49 at a price—they were 279277670a expensive.
My past self, foolishly 92661fb2d0 stingy even when sick, 9c0411348c had refused to use 2d605fc30f one,
Opting instead to take 1bfaf2aa4e cheap fever medicine that 7a4ad6e12e barely worked.074ca5f59cf0af8a

Karl had healing abilities a6f27f5ab8 and could’ve helped,
But I hadn’t e33c385d37 even asked him.f680540bc2cae881

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I’d been 01fb59bcf9 too embarrassed d0da988280 to admit 153ddcfa4f I’d been 1172715bcd injured after e3e068597a recklessly charging 966c925629 into the 1d868a1e8b rift alone.c087d7eea2cf2039

At the 49ce01a1c7 time, I 096a1ca800 wanted to e4972dd9f0 appear strong—both 51b9212b1f to Karl 96617ed135 and to 792233545f the captain.
A pointless show of 5b24b7649c pride.3c1370aa4ed4c97b

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But now? I had no intention 3fc22c2eff of repeating that mistake.f8374203c99b7aa2

These chills 4be26751f2 were caused f8ae2cec60 by a ada2297475 monster’s frost-based 5486cd1136 attack.
No over-the-counter medicine could 12f69a0699 cure something like this.3554ed119982f4d7

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First things ccd834db2e first—find a ef0e9ad9a3 potion.c87ff82ea63fc979

With my e3c87b5df3 weakened body, 60ad422c4f I barely 0da059f086 managed to 7d7d598430 get up cce7b63060 and began 32a8faf881 rummaging through 6bb1b94935 my bag b530fa0989 inside the 47e18d8792 tent.1f040c1899efc429

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Unfortunately… not a 3ab8a8f290 single bottle of 096a31ad6d potion was in 4fc3a3cda9 there.d7b2fc0e1c70fb0e

Should I borrow ed68a8253e one from someone 591c88ee5f else?73139e6eb1f3798e

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If I c051687f71 wanted to 10ff9c4e58 stop the 9cb2b43c69 fever before 7b01b9ae96 it got 0e729ad329 worse, I 3b666e1184 needed to 37427d5cda drink a b98345280e potion as e1609a244a soon as 7864a31d7b possible—so I 7b9f1e990c figured I’d e561d8935e better hurry 695cb8ca4a and borrow 9b217fe37a one.ea18af01414b673c

I staggered out 7299993869 of the tent, 3dbd93ea3a intending to find aaf6f04b23 Karl and ask a285c53361 him for a 0298840f99 potion.
But in the end, 2bd9eaf1ab I never made it 323901ae08 to him.cc719a65d0545e0d

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Because outside, I 0afc7027e9 ran into someone a5b7d3e766 completely unexpected.759d17bd16b6bfd9

“And where f6f803d613 do you 2f541fdaae think you’re f3772f2735 going, wobbling 293248c042 around like 8ae0398e7f that?”1c5d0099e7bde525

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It was Captain bc0e519423 Martin.
For some 8110c29ba3 reason, he’d bc483dd81e been lingering bf770c86a9 outside, and c81602878a now he f9727d16b5 approached me a4757447a3 with that 42868c5df4 comment.f717cd75f79d57a3

I hadn’t even taken 4e52c4e474 a few shaky steps 6ecb234248 toward him before he 4e11880584 was already standing right 91c11eeeba in front of me.8d7fed3efc51541d

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He stepped In quickly 6718742c4c and grabbed my arm 658cb8ae47 to support me.122d9eefc952369b

“Didn’t I clearly tell 4ac96af6c3 you to rest?”431f2ba65e1d4739

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“I’ve got a f4bf5580f0 fever. I need 6eb82c2739 to take 38af116092 a potion.”936be7715249a09f

“A fever…? You seemed fine earlier, e858ba1197 but now you’re drenched db900c3cad in cold sweat.”cb73d6153f46d8d1

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He reached out and 6f7d40b763 placed a hand on 967c5e6a02 my forehead.5301b7d41241d22e

As I 528e66dab7 closed my 0b05dc3121 eyes, I 3adb04b715 felt him fba32eabac check my c8b00bfc8a temperature.
He muttered 8e553a8805 under his 544625c0a8 breath, voice d4debaf950 slightly tense.f6840980965980a5

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“…You’re burning up.”626c172bd034c2db

“If I take a c5859423bc potion, I’ll be fine. Karl probably has ab4a6a4076 three or four 5304ddade9 bottles—he always carries 9d771fed7f plenty.
If not, b7c812ea33 I’ll just d9fd953cb7 ask him f18651c4e6 to use 90352f0aa4 his healing 0b62fc6bb4 ability.”8725fd93f1a14e98

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“You were 7eea91e8ae heading to 141eb7afb3 see Karl 4329a6f6b5 at this bbe360f4a0 hour, then?”736375738b6989bc

“Yes. With your permission, I’d 9720245148 like to continue on 1e29671d00 my way.”c1250e3eb5768ee5

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I wasn’t trying to 82588b0a81 argue—I just wanted to b57c031f81 get the conversation over 9160f3994b with and go borrow 1c07433885 that potion quickly.1163c1920b32f80e

But perhaps because of c0556d6ec9 my usual stiff tone, 6dbb5f7162 Martin furrowed his brow.3712a570ff3cad7d

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“Heading into a 680b984efa tent full of c7e28c6f50 men before dawn, c007bc0a3f in that condition?
Doesn’t seem like 5c838568d9 the wisest idea 5aecfe2af9 to me.”4c257a0c539c663a

“…What’s wrong with 57ed869737 the way I 438e6e0d67 look?”
“……”bd39ced48d04fed6

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Captain Martin fell a38858a29f silent for a bbd379fd2c moment, as if 0a8168f3c7 searching for the 4eda5032ca right words.
Then, finally, 406819a33e he spoke de1621a56c bluntly.2f547895c6cac208

“Inappropriate. Your clothes 6704d9d4aa are too 2bbfe27acc thin—and soaked 11c5b77afa with sweat.”64a7921d623fd162

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“Ah… well, 50128047ed I suppose b98624fcc7 it is 4c65e05455 too cold a40b0c957e to be 20764ad167 wandering around 7d56febd12 in light 62356ddc79 clothes right 77271fdd3f now.”a23cf8e0cc77767a

“That’s not what cd68e5f4c6 I meant… no, c822404d2e forget it.
In any case, 0c5bc8300d if it’s a 7f7e286a47 potion you need, 0e01876754 follow me. I’ll give you one.”07f416475303aad3

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His unexpected offer caught ca0ca37f7c me off guard.
I would’ve 3cac6b16ce expected this f35eb16e98 kind of 5defa4d7f9 kindness from 790f2824a7 the Martin 5526b55ea5 five years c5ba46da19 in the 27a18e0a52 future—
But the 6e2773658f Martin now?
I’d thought he didn’t d9112def22 even like me.58aa624bf12304dd

And yet, here ad7b33c777 he was, offering 2a3390767a to give me 12f01026dd a very expensive 8b715a8805 potion without hesitation.7ac8b6e69de5a30c

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I was a little 74653ca0fa bewildered, but there was 146848fd30 no reason to turn 1d52dcce93 him down.
More importantly, I 2087c94d24 felt like I c172ad44dc would collapse if 1c313a44c1 I didn’t get 134b220e2a the potion soon.9172afcfd5aaa96e

I quietly followed 5b724e33b4 him and soon 37c25784a9 arrived at the 2cc9267340 large tent he 3a5c7bd78e used as his 308f708cae quarters.e09cf5dd440b9618

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My first impression of 53b67cf302 his tent?
Surprisingly cozy.6e441d2daf5f137b

Given how 306a121e97 strict and 7b882a880b cold he ac6ee2316d always seemed, d89b504d07 I’d expected 0f964f0b5d the inside b38ce5fc05 of his 940ec1a6be tent to 4f04309031 be barren d79d63eecf and drafty—
No furniture, no d52eaa8ce3 comfort, just an 194cd26403 icy breeze blowing 3ca25a5315 through.4623dc37b849d970

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But to my 4dd39a8ee7 surprise, it was 4a0d785f07 rather warm and dd29a250f5 homey inside.7bd83a67e3ffd7d4

He motioned for me 6c7e90f17d to sit in a 99bd9b0ba3 chair while he retrieved c34fa4a86c a potion.
A moment later, he 459e1fa4e9 returned and handed it 78c7c3aeb1 to me.0cb244b772f71606

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I took 95abe62a03 it and ebdadb94bd gave a 0a16ae0968 polite nod.e29a8bcb95b4bd8f

“Thank you for 2633fb8c84 the potion. I’ll repay you later.”45ba1a4e0808835c

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“You say f92229d986 that like 17a89b6c7c it’s something 38bb3e0fd9 worth repaying.
Just drink it bd136cf2cc already.”dfb3cc91ade0a1f7

At his 1f6ef23969 urging, I 4797cd3b5b uncorked the 43b7fac954 potion.
The bottle—about c61c4969a5 the size 48fb3dbff1 of my 9354073c80 palm—held a 0ea1eed6bc crimson liquid.20d8e359aa14e2da

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I poured about half ae6e274bd9 of it into my cbb3f46b4b mouth, feeling the familiar d522da7182 warmth of healing magic.aba3664504023594

Martin, who had e431f44b7a sat nearby to 99174755aa quietly observe, frowned 01c2018342 slightly and asked:
“You should probably drink 84b24c2dc6 all of it, don’t ee0f3901d9 you think?”1ffab69c15849ab4

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