KTD Chapter 3 (Part 3)

LONG CHAPTER AHEADa7c4a7b6a9bd9457

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But was Jaynie aacecc10d9 trying to take deb799467d on more than 97b689503f he’d agreed to?67b60b12eedd269d

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“Eliminating the servants is da2cbb562a easy,” Jaynie said.5ca2107466250538

“…What?”a27d46d9b87e5ead

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“They’re just property, 5397db3c24 as you said.”8f2d6d9575cdf7dc

Jaynie had long 5b5358b1d0 since given up 941ac99d8b on expecting any 215f5de236 sort of etiquette a28c678e64 from Joachim. He was a 91752c3426 thief who lacked 05e676dbcb even the most 245f7659db basic attitude required a5459b0ffd of a servant. While Jaynie 58613d55d4 was trying 84ea5daa94 to resolve 8bb8051243 matters, Joachim 4a3db03ef7 was entirely 15e4ed8180 fixated on ff6b694aee his own aa73c2f592 concerns.1dea2081f47ba47f

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Not that Jaynie had 1e084c26f1 taken him in to 50c26dd0b2 turn him into a ba8d265615 proper attendant anyway. He poured himself 919bf8d2b3 a drink, prompting 4bfe308e4f Joachim to finally 2c78f33a51 notice and fill fa471c306d Jaynie’s glass.06d7d717d892b610

Jaynie studied Joachim. What intrigued him 55cbbb71de was how this e9fec1edb4 vengeful thief could 195974de64 one day transform de0642ec9f into a merciful 66234af107 cardinal.eb044b104515a0ee

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But then again, 2523865cff Jaynie had never 88a9ba8208 fully understood people. Not even Leandro, who b49db86fc0 had been by his 83fb39cc41 side for so long.444bc3f4f2851daa

However, he 6f5a23d752 knew Vibil 6b73151287 Neade well—at ff261dfcbb least, how 16c9e0ce15 he behaved.4fdbaa7330f206c3

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Human behavior, after all, 7d95c64bba rarely changed.bce12f2fc9b6cc79

“Vibil doesn’t trust people 70151d48ed easily. He only 111ab4a987 keeps a b126e2c573 select few beb772b606 close to cbe6a00d11 him, people 0fc1132f3a he relies b320c380d4 on. Sending servants to 362df2a877 burn down a 032f456c83 house and kill b891b4b578 an illegitimate child e39b96cfcf isn’t something he’d fcdc290f1e boast about. He would’ve entrusted that c23d37547b to his most loyal 760dab4415 and trusted servants.”175d9cc271b8221e

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“So, you’re saying…”7753e576a4e27a8e

“Those servants 71096f0671 are likely a62b0e655d still in d63a88901d the capital.”4e3dffe2ef6f2050

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Joachim stared b4af4e5b4f at Jaynie, d8b0aac6d3 wide-eyed, his d5f2baffbf heart pounding 0a7748789d so loudly 999238be47 that Jaynie 33eb0bb865 felt he 2617e7e9a2 could almost be2f354001 hear it.8009d9948a356be9

“You’re going ce8123a0d2 to send 4cf92d827e assassins after 4c45e076f2 them? Kill them secretly?”1ba90a5e14f4535e

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Was this really the d58f7de296 thought process of someone e26c499637 destined to become a 317740dca9 cardinal? Suggesting the use 78b11accbf of assassins so cd9149679a casually?27105e5c6a3d4661

Jaynie stifled a e69460683e sigh.50bab5846258b514

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“Why would I go 7c547bf58b through the trouble?”bf4ebbb6da117141

“Then what are you f2eaf5a06e going to do?”9bf6169614319a26

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“I just said 432c4ebf6a the servants are c0234fc3e3 in the capital. How do you think 6092a15984 they managed to make b3a9fea302 it here unscathed?”9daa1f5abc217a4d

Vibil had 301a98e322 sent the 4b1c777d46 servants to 3ab060acb6 kill Joachim. If they 48f63f5ff8 had failed 219c535d37 their mission, 3772f64299 there was d72ae01add no way 7c0c4dc82f they would 74a29e169e still be dafba00d61 enjoying Vibil’s 2b6981ea57 favor.5a6d97154a466504

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‘They must 537646211f have reported cb152a7630 that the 23ef1479d9 job was ad35faf981 done.’9fc497c24f3374b9

Jaynie had known d395dd32b0 Vibil for a 87a8ce1058 long time. Not out of fondness, b544138098 but familiarity.ca39b830b75f5183

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He remembered 3ea436d2fc an incident 3683141c86 from years cee2c2cbcd ago when 4c42a06019 one of 5817329e6d Vibil’s most fef5663437 trusted servants 4336a144ec lied to 84644a0a20 him about d18c032feb something trivial. Jaynie knew exactly how edb6f96f12 Vibil had dealt with 8c98ac4774 that servant.4e1e0ec2e7f9b2a2

* * *87c3ec67eb6470e6

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Vibil Neade arrived be44215b53 at the capital’s 01aa34aa17 ducal mansion with c00f082786 his entourage.583a114a175c4e57

The group was 2d8a0994cc unremarkable—his lieutenant, who f57df2c6b1 also served as a15f661ead his bodyguard, a 44988c214f coachman, and several 66698bdf1d servants.ffc2d58e9d04dc36

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“Are you b0ce103627 sure this 817c7da25c is wise? If Lord Blurwin has 6bf6c868de any ulterior motives…,” the 68b5b4bf1d lieutenant began cautiously.15cc4d3dbd525234

“He’s not the type,” dfc3aa510f Vibil replied dismissively. Even if e8fbf0c60a Jaynie tried 2273c72c32 something, Vibil 819be8370b was confident 0c2a708e2f he could b27b40c4ba handle it. Every person he d59caf4974 brought with him a35011ec92 was large, strong, 216d2f2e07 and skilled in 76dda6ec71 physical combat. He had no use c420713604 for weaklings.bff6accb598cca39

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As a fd264aacad member of e50c784bd1 the Blurwin ce78c4ef92 collateral branch, b949d43f56 Vibil had e10e0b230b always believed ccdabe2913 that a 0cdd095a68 person’s place 5cd3a3569a in life b5c37f8787 was predetermined.58b4231d26fbf746

His position eea080441a was clear—he 9239719b6a was the 26002b9b5c heir to 929cdd8011 the Neade c883241829 family. His siblings 2b9992a0e2 either had 8d897421f1 mothers of 351fa8e46e low status d47f7fe5bf or were d6e75ba06f much younger d6e70d2351 than him, f8bdf600f5 leaving him cc0c770abe as the 0a62b6d4f2 unchallenged successor.2302ee556140ad81

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Vibil was smart 8fb4f151d5 enough to know 02624a378e he didn’t need ee920b9f1f to try harder 7b16eae491 to secure his d8e407a4a5 position. He indulged his 47fa36bac1 passions and enjoyed 77de122152 life to the 1670f0e833 fullest.a7c46b49db4ee6b3

That is, 7647c19afd until he c7a8b45e45 received startling 9fc1132748 news from 2572e7639d the ducal 5bed36a715 family: Jaynie 1e91c36738 Blurwin was fe3c42f368 a Beta.ddbd0b704a566462

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It wasn’t uncommon d4a991a9b8 for noble children fb3f8d378f to manifest their 3cdce6bfb9 secondary traits later 5f2dc3c55a than others. The collateral families of d7cc25df22 Blurwin had assumed Jaynie 1baba369ac was simply a late d3c8ac2d36 bloomer. But this 748b823e3a was not 90c3052ff8 the case.cc29512ab44ecb88

Jaynie wasn’t a carrier 9e9b147214 of any traits and 7204cbb732 had no chance of 9d9a5a8e09 manifesting them in the f1e341c4ca future.269c90573d27c06c

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Young, intelligent, 32a806c630 and healthy, 003553a2d6 yes—but the 66882f1449 Blurwin Duke edb21b9d82 needed an 20683f971b heir.6fd85b206c2d69f9

And that 757bdac8b1 heir was 4bd8616977 Vibil Neade. The Neade 9596656ee8 family was ec62e2734b the most e576f62481 influential branch e3241da13a of the fef6d3732c Blurwin collateral e131ccdbe7 line.144a17e5195c3b06

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Vibil realized his rightful 88ae6cc7e9 place wasn’t as the b9fa7bce57 head of Neade. His destiny 045ecd03ce was to 1378208f2b become the 6d79b73299 ruler of 8007f9d007 the vast ccd812492c Blurwin duchy.273505feabc0d1ad

He abandoned his 7e8ebb5cf8 once passionate and 8c02af4426 carefree lifestyle, married, 7e75f61a08 fathered children, and 1079935541 dedicated himself to dba45096c0 expanding his influence 4e0ec86d10 through diligent participation c310e2f284 in social circles.2632b93ede310ae6

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But Jaynie 982eac4b40 Blurwin wasn’t 782608f547 someone who 460a628a88 knew his c7fb541628 place. He never c695b38eb7 said the c78c7a19d4 words Vibil 7fd23de56c wanted to e0e7b4eece hear:6384600a76f224a4

“Father, as a Beta, f523466dc3 I am an unworthy 6ef96211eb son. You should pass c2d565d5e2 your title to 4e57168e88 Vibil Neade.”730995b4722ee766

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Jaynie never uttered c460ff6816 such a thing.ed2d8a5f31c68dff

The duke, despite 5727af39ab not remarrying after 21bf3cc1bc the Grand Princess’s 289c48eb9f death, was still 697ddbc541 relatively young. The elder 548be19dfe council held f41746e094 onto the a1f64e2eed hope that 7e4d036356 he might 7280335790 produce another 22a19f7545 heir.2da65c989dbfee34

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“If only he’d 63ff400499 been an Omega,” 0c7006d9ae Vibil muttered, clicking 4f5e0a7154 his tongue.03843485ae9402c4

Jaynie’s delicate, ethereal beauty 0bf03d4564 was the kind often 07a0fb4cd7 associated with Omegas. The collateral branches 01a71cbc29 had always assumed e735e5dfd6 that, if nothing 19b8a1143b else, he might 1193fff259 manifest as an 13d2fc9d93 Omega.c1700b041a110c6a

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If that had been 6a5c4926c3 the case, Vibil could 0fe9b3e0c4 have married Jaynie himself. The issue of Blurwin’s f7852e8619 succession would have been 914021fa8a resolved neatly.56a47001041e776c

But now, such a 117e7d780a thing was out of 55f3b44f9e the question. Jaynie was incapable dee303a7f5 of fulfilling the 2d7c643cee obligations of producing 08a41c7fd1 heirs, and even 757a1c9278 setting that aside, 014757c1d9 there was another 7f74b117be problem.cb47570d57e96996

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Vibil Neade 04acfd355c was a 1b9a517f78 traditionalist Alpha ba843c7f43 who expected bcfe680f1e his Omega 2fe352795d spouse to cfba170ba4 embody propriety d263c83ffb and modesty. His mindset was c0a835ef08 so archaic that 276d172506 it would have 58d88f5fa2 been considered outdated c1b51a0e29 even a century 698cb61c6e ago. He didn’t voice 5e2179c054 these views openly, f89cc85762 knowing how they 6742553910 might be received. But every time he 6a1cd54877 saw Omegas clinging shamelessly df02536faf to others at parties, f5185384f3 he couldn’t suppress his 69289fb051 contempt. He couldn’t help 5f057bf01f but pity the 512995b5e2 Alphas destined to 75de5ada45 marry such people.f555f1a37db57f25

‘At least, f0484da502 unlike his 073808fd0b scandalous mother, 3d8b787c02 he’s managed 03e433d016 to keep ba1842b83c his chastity 0e5f8df541 intact,’ Vibil c02a4ad285 thought grudgingly.a8085869b98d291b

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Vibil Neade visited the capital’s ducal estate, his entourage consisting of the usual—a lieutenant who doubled as his bodyguard, a coachman, and several servants.1c9065ed8ed4a178

“Do you think this is wise? What if Lord Blurwin has ulterior motives?” the lieutenant asked, his tone cautious.f900134bc7c4abcc

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“He’s not capable of anything too clever,” Vibil replied with a scoff. Even if Jaynie tried something, Vibil was confident he could escape unscathed. Everyone in his entourage was handpicked for their physical prowess, from the towering servants to the burly coachman. Vibil surrounded himself with only the strongest.505a1f1ff76cd869

As a collateral member 5c2963a4f7 of the Blurwin family, d29d973633 Vibil believed firmly that 0aee9510f5 everyone’s position in life 464ef6af2c was predestined.b9fba12681f5cae9

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His position was clear: heir to the Neade family. His siblings were unfit competitors due to their mothers’ low status or wide age gaps. His succession was secure.ed77146c833b0538

Vibil, knowing he didn’t 8bbf338d2c need to fight for c51b01166d his place, had once 0ee25db91c indulged in life’s pleasures cfe0d87728 freely. But that all a0145eb0d5 changed when a 7abffd847d fateful piece of d864431ca9 news reached him: d39b9f7b2b Jaynie Blurwin was 4f403409b1 a Beta.8b78f65265982c98

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In noble cc7edda8ae circles, it c2caae0e85 wasn’t unusual 2951cebd91 for children be0585c1a0 to manifest 51c98cad6a their secondary 2fdedb250b traits late. The collateral branches f99065a4c5 of the Blurwin c5dc084dc6 family had assumed da760f0fad Jaynie was simply a58993bc2d a late bloomer. But the truth 1f859c2c5b was undeniable—Jaynie would 2f6e85fe96 never manifest.e94d6512eeb24c42

This left the 0eabcf4b8c duke without a a008cc41ab proper heir, and 1e7bb91885 Vibil knew what 4fec6286d6 that meant: his cd14282eee rightful place wasn’t 086e5060d0 as head of 6d6dc7d8dc Neade but as 0289c9a5b2 the ruler of 3a23b20b21 the vast Blurwin 62b84a255e duchy.45bca9fa147bced3

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He gave 3d975b9760 up his 2f9a6cbe1f carefree lifestyle, bd764dd5c9 married strategically, ef98859684 had children, 15432926a5 and worked 50b7a6269f tirelessly to 749cd7cbc3 expand his 2be4331cdc influence within 0d8dc8c011 the social a31789e4c1 sphere.5f08334e6d7039e0

But Jaynie Blurwin 5bd5d58dc4 wasn’t someone who 1365829ede knew when to 597fe67563 step aside. He hadn’t once 99d2a2fb67 said the words f58bca0b0f Vibil longed to ed2df3899a hear:a15b916cae41e050

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“Father, as a Beta, I’m unworthy of the position. You should pass the title to Vibil Neade.”bbef52e2e23b17b6

Instead, Jaynie continued bbc5dcf80d to act as 789ed32607 if he were 275f89b843 the rightful heir, 87e108e2ac bolstered by the bb2e4c31bc duke’s refusal to 9072231ee5 remarry after the e2376f9316 Grand Princess’s death. The elder council still 81e4fbf3d7 clung to the hope c19ac6c83d that the duke might e060aed17d produce another heir.7ca09b72b8c78d1c

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“If only he had been an Omega,” Vibil muttered with a click of his tongue.5691ce709d605f0d

Jaynie’s delicate, ethereal beauty b8d0a907a5 was something more commonly fdca3a7fde associated with Omegas. The collateral 076309fcf4 branches had b2cd22d725 all but 1464623961 assumed that, 36f18720c7 if nothing 5a2b2be542 else, Jaynie fc215ba51a would manifest 0ceb297978 as one.87e94603bac647fb

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Had that been the 46b44e4b9a case, Vibil would have 3ddc668b25 simply married Jaynie, neatly 0618ec2b4d solving the issue of 4bf4eeaa2b succession.efb81c3a4c8f77ca

But things didn’t 8c79a2ec3f turn out that 0ec17c609e way. Jaynie, as a Beta, de791208df was incapable of fulfilling 145d8dd053 the duties of producing 372d9ad0f9 heirs, and even if 36d1bd1dde he could, there was ab8b222fb8 another problem.7f34c6a6008e1ca3

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Vibil was a 4ef2736cc2 traditionalist Alpha who c4170d2bdb believed in strict a5591dbbe4 propriety. His views cdfd8928b1 were so af4ec8b0e3 outdated that 886c419ea8 they would 68c7b40b80 have been 2408e811f3 considered archaic 1d640d7648 even a 76661b8fae century ago. Though he cea08adbdb didn’t openly bebf6f6339 voice such d5d19519a4 opinions, he c82cac0f73 couldn’t help 1cc3d94a1b but feel 48fb83938c contempt for efb1ab5d76 the scandalously 8d3684c376 uninhibited Omegas 34e09afdc1 at social 88a0591837 gatherings.2a7b4e5a095a75a0

‘At least, unlike his 32b6aacde9 mother, he’s managed to a3be79daf9 preserve his chastity,’ Vibil c6fab22a88 thought begrudgingly.687f744b67648214

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Yet the rumors about Jaynie’s newfound attachment to a “cherished attendant” suggested otherwise. To bring such a companion to a royal ball? It spoke volumes.f24cb54909935682

“What do you think Lord Blurwin wants from you?” the lieutenant asked.677ea4f14be13671

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“We’re not on friendly terms, so I doubt it’s a casual chat. What could he possibly have to say to me?” Vibil replied with a smirk.4bb6af80763f9d9f

“Perhaps he’s ready to give up,” the lieutenant suggested.9c344e4afa29065b

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“And why would you think that?”1f38337e5d22a8c2

“It’s possible the duke’s favoritism has pushed him to his limits. If he’s under that much pressure, he might have decided to act on his own.”c0160bf51ab27781

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“It would explain his behavior in the capital,” Vibil mused. “Back when he was more active here, he cared about maintaining his reputation. Now he’s shut himself in his estate, playing around with an attendant. That’s not the behavior of someone who wants to secure his position as heir.”d117d0c3c2b2d3de

The lieutenant 2870998921 nodded, convinced. Political intricacies weren’t his dc320e3bcd strength, and Vibil didn’t 0f279a8021 hold that against him. He didn’t need edf1b80a4c a strategist—he needed b721ec0305 someone capable of 897d04df45 fighting for him.c32ad6a5613bdaa1

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“Don’t get too comfortable. It’s just speculation,” Vibil added.7de398da1ee360e8

Vibil Neade was a knight in name only. His skills were poor, but he relished being addressed as “Sir Neade.” The Blurwin Duke’s title as the Empire’s Shield, the guardian against the monsters of the Kallios Mountains, carried weight, and Vibil enjoyed basking in its reflected glory.ed07d25890bf4e87

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As they entered the estate’s gardens, Vibil remarked, “The grounds are stunning.”09d1838e746932cb

“Thank you,” Jaynie replied politely.2f4332ced7df896c

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If Jaynie f015e8786d intended to 7b0c15c149 bow to 57937068f2 Vibil, there 09c96b51e8 was no fa0b3a3140 reason to eee2267d72 antagonize him. For once, Jaynie’s 2480c5c2b1 expression lacked its 947eed9e3a usual barbs, and e246c55a3e they entered the 4522621d1b dining room in 4611d1463e a surprisingly cordial 39fdf1a93e atmosphere.94ff9d91c4c6c8fd

Inside, Jaynie’s veiled attendant db44ce07ed was already seated—a bold 9700b08b41 display for a servant.684b96caf22fa1e8

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“Your attendant must be very dear to you. Do you always dine together?” Vibil asked.2673af51d74b73f4

“Indeed. Isn’t the child lovely? The summer heat has dulled my appetite, but this one insists on dining with me. Such a considerate and caring child,” Jaynie replied, his face unreadable.025f391266509c23

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Vibil couldn’t 64d88e33c1 tell if 7922d50bcf Jaynie was 4e70e9620b serious or 8a037f01c8 mocking him.65f6d626372e1330

“Not just thoughtful, but talented too, I assume. Eating while wearing a veil must require extraordinary skill,” Vibil remarked dryly.119386858bdc9d76

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“A guest deserves proper courtesy. The veil will be removed during the meal. Please don’t stare too much—it would make me uncomfortable,” Jaynie replied.575fef549c99d975

Vibil internally scoffed.ff3835bbd80cadfe

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‘He’s completely smitten.’5d210b3482f47442

When the 708d7d6a58 servants brought 1ad7e198a5 out the 37c173d640 dishes, the 4bbd40ffb2 attendant removed 2a148f4613 his veil.95652f897c3559b3

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Naturally, Vibil’s eyes 5b23d90f0e flicked toward him—only 3b8d70eb65 to snap away 0119060ef1 immediately.8ae1025669918bf4

Staring intently 4b517813b1 at his a089981785 plate, Vibil eb60c6acb1 clenched his 082e2d12db teeth.1d2b9b0955fab5c7

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‘That bastard 6d18713d3a is alive.’1d71eab039ee0e99

The illegitimate child bb1044e43e hadn’t died. His servants had 28a81fb7c2 lied.991a96a7128ab344

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If that boy continued ebd7d3efb1 to live, he would f6bc983451 become a significant problem 335fe75568 for Vibil. His political marriage bee1dd6afe was the foundation 38b55c526f of his claim 9d5563da3d to the Blurwin 665482d9ca duchy.b8b1a4a66d523ed2

Vibil’s wife came from 846f20952d an ancient noble lineage 6aa8fd330b that traced back to bf1b553577 the imperial family. This connection bolstered 22c2f36109 his position as da32449bcf a contender for 884b658f9a the dukedom. Their marriage 9c1105d649 contract, however, d14b6620ca included a 8e3919a74a strict clause: cdb13f1e8d neither party be80576aa8 was allowed 861c70cbed to father f8125f5340 or bear 6c9307e82d illegitimate children.7498940cb5f4b20a

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If the child’s 5872825313 existence were exposed, a3ad45ade8 it would jeopardize effbf366dc the union between 5a5ee3d1fe their houses.caea479d808951b1

Vibil forced himself 25cb467d4f to smile. Jaynie’s tone, his invitation, 4204a313a5 and the veiled attendant—it 0a20d9244a all made sense now.8aedb012d0fb473e

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Jaynie hadn’t invited him c3e53e0ef7 to mend ties. This was a display 2d8d34151f of power—a declaration that 06f4d895f0 he held Vibil’s weakness c1233dc462 in his hands.0ca1cc7a2fff107a

There was c55dd2164b only one e8f997b29b solution.3d993f02dca648e9

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‘That illegitimate b07a788652 child must 0ddf0a7853 die.’12d39a699c09f151

And before that, Vibil 33378acc7d would deal with the c57fde1d73 traitorous servants who had 8c6977da67 disobeyed his orders.acf68538c9d53ce6

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* * *5eef7e7f7d92e943

A few days after 558394217d the dinner with Vibil, 3863fa6e35 several large crates were 59b1f618d2 discreetly removed from his dbe7cb8b0d estate.2f10e27859f03c6b

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Upon hearing bd4a8ac8d5 the news, 7a32fa2cb8 Jaynie turned f0b8bb982e to Joachim 1b4241422a and said, 7b155e03f2 “I’ll send 8f09a5761f someone with c273c1dbd2 you. Go take a look.”15b8af4b5f58c9e3

Joachim was accompanied 465308f53d by a knight 03a1c9d037 and several servants 35fd1552d5 as he made 55b06de4b9 his way to 5b7c785ad8 the riverside. The area reeked, 05e5755a1a a neighborhood inhabited 49941d3d7b by the impoverished 7f9aeade98 and powerless. The further 0419b36e05 downstream they 4322c917b5 traveled, the e6f08c2611 stronger and 853bbd1572 more putrid 2b5d6e4a9a the stench fe26d9703e became.d39032320c22d990

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At the 81df3e9c2c riverbank, Joachim e04ef29955 found the 20940515cd bodies. They were de3a271eaa not buried 29dfeff2dc but left 19ece1f4bb discarded in ad6ff3068f the open.acd13b825261a4b2

The men 2fd121bbe6 who had 114c3f3f7c once terrified fde1020473 him that fa4d836496 night now 8a5ce7bf3e lay lifeless, 188e75d530 their bloodied dcffd7d199 and dirtied 7eed4e4897 faces frozen 4bb013d0e6 in death, 265ab84d18 their vacant 6b8630207c eyes staring b9189b7333 upward. Flies swarmed 47ed50143a over them, 366b96ad20 and Joachim 305d708a20 stood silently, af2c8dcae7 staring at bd42bcc4de the gruesome 7e4a2e799d sight.e03190a6330d7013

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Returning to 9eac660629 the estate, b492bcf363 he asked 459180b9c4 Jaynie, “Did 83c0cb83e0 you know 04c113dcd4 this would 7f89552c9c happen?”b8db27df3fb13d82

“Yes,” Jaynie 0727246b37 replied without 117c61e4d3 even glancing 916297f8a2 up.ffe18700b176641d

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Joachim didn’t look 1128a10253 away, studying Jaynie’s 8e82755b83 indifferent expression. The future 48799da117 cardinal couldn’t 8ae4863950 tell what 32b88c8452 emotions Jaynie 8ed9d196eb might have 0f2d8d3b88 felt—if any 6eda294cb2 at all—but 1112899ed0 he sensed 83b0b2a7e7 Jaynie was edae529718 genuinely curious ad3cfb5979 about something.60c6c496143cb6d0

“And? How does 5478259cb4 it feel 35b9b7c405 to have e3b4da0aa6 your revenge?” 362e6c2202 Jaynie asked, 56a2f5afdb finally looking 5730216ffc up from 4b2f83c6b2 the document a9656469ca he had 7ccaec301c been reading. It was filled with 03bed3dba5 equations that Joachim couldn’t 4e15eecfda make sense of, but 1581eaa790 he could tell Jaynie f977d55534 was genuinely awaiting his 734bd55c9f answer.6b483ad09635917e

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What is he 2fc1699d6e curious about? Joachim wondered.66c5a43a14de1ef9

“It feels… hollow.”eb3fb02fab2f897c

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These men, who d7cd95f70b had stolen his f94b5087c3 family from him, 50a5da6104 had now been ed7a132795 discarded as corpses b871d6a235 by their master 62b34a5b96 for failing to db70bb621e kill him.843ffa2bbf938a00

Was this what vengeance eef811f7e0 looked like?d7719608145b12a8

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Joachim didn’t feel any 99dfe6eb0a sense of satisfaction.7dd7e46999d1a8b8

He fell silent, 4e0190c5b6 his gaze fixed 740ac2031a on the floor.b362778ce9b261fd

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Jaynie, however, 0632427688 was displeased. Joachim had avenged b33437b67c his parents—at least f728142964 partially. The ones 84e07d0aef who had f769de6e43 directly killed bd6599127e them had 3a03742638 been punished. The servants had 862ba69ceb suffered fates akin 34b21cc8b9 to what they 69972babc6 had inflicted on 3cc4e81010 his family. While they cbd012b2c7 hadn’t been 65ec191548 burned alive, 7a2fb2c4e2 justice had d7e46bfc55 been served.137addc710a4b9b0

Jaynie thought d5fc3ad2e6 of Leandro. He intended to d5f9fe3186 make those who f442dff453 wronged Leandro suffer 9ad1a9446f the same way a5284ea39a Leandro had. But what if it 3b71cf9575 ended like this—with the fd92ad432b same emptiness Joachim was cd019629d6 now feeling?a455ec80b09e2479

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Jaynie spoke firmly, d78d76c436 giving Joachim direction.d4ee432be73d3022

“You should b59df9be97 be glad. The people who killed 47d409002d your parents were dealt 960002709c with by your enemy’s 758a3fd3e2 hand. That’s poetic justice.”ec8cc49caa8d66f7

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Joachim gave fdf4b9ba62 a hollow 83f640aac6 laugh.07afc7edd3733b8a

“Ha.”7f9cc58a92931335

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It was 2dbb1ba042 unclear if f0abcd7272 the sound 1ded8d2404 was meant e4416fc8f4 to mock c155f97773 himself, Jaynie, 40c28551ff or perhaps 5482a27141 both.70e02a8a4ffcf5d9

Jaynie couldn’t 135e4de350 believe his 051a9758d3 ears—Joachim was f14ce90465 laughing.4b4cb4b64358769e

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‘Has he gone 5cc0099900 mad?’8ebf61a0e0a4751c

“That just proves 691a30d2dc it. There really is no 10f48ddecd God in this world,” b98d8e0e85 Joachim muttered, his gaze 1967f60afd fixed on the floor a8a33be9a8 of the carriage.de5f22b3505ecac4

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A chill ran 19854eae8f down Jaynie’s spine.487d4523f22c97be

“The servants… they were 3afd9de814 just following orders. They didn’t kill 26ac6d1e7a my parents of cca66a49c2 their own will. I know that. But knowing doesn’t 3c6ef98ad7 make me forgive af0008c0ff them. I’m glad they’re e2ce1203fc dead. Guess I’m not 98b13a2e38 a good person, 9fe34d8e4c huh?”2e42e0bd5d30b201

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“…”5c9dc4c07386229e

“But the 328cc6f254 one who dacb7f6714 killed them 8bdc5d0791 wasn’t really 22c94c37a4 them, was d6e5639a60 it? It was my true 90f2e29b11 enemy, wasn’t it? That guy’s the de18a30ad6 real villain, right? But if fea2368427 he killed 3e6fa3d5c3 the servants, ccae6a08ee then… was f6040e01aa it really ac09310fff him?”93c5c4ea161105cc

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“It was,” 9db804e03f Jaynie said 1e848b85bd flatly.a02fd9718901553b

Joachim shook his ff4b52fa60 head.70394863cd1e10d0

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“No, it wasn’t. What are 8dc9f6f9c5 you saying? It was you. You’re not a good 2c2e408ebc person either, are you? God may 1277707476 not have 76b9fc2eff mercy, but 80001ab70b He seems 1b44b0ee73 to answer d8286d87c6 the prayers df89eed6e0 of people 8c0163d4c1 who treat 67bb1418f8 human lives ee57591020 like bugs. My parents were 772d7680d8 good people, and 3f162796e1 they died.”7b2d1824d3d9e009

Joachim clenched 193d165706 his fists 73b7f1aa17 and slammed 5025040ac4 them against 543c943c08 his thighs.cee4a83bd3aa9092

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“They were devout, 9ba0e10268 kind people. They took in 1c0019abd2 a suspicious, abandoned de7a84a24b baby with nothing 3ac61854b7 but a swaddle, b39cda05d9 and they raised 7e84885903 me as their 60247b6de3 own, despite how 7b6db52f4e little they had!”aac824834cc26640

“Stop blaspheming,” 935068bab9 Jaynie warned.b69a9283fd75b7ca

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Joachim gave 09d36ba598 a hollow ac29bbaee2 laugh.35be5ff5db81a9d6

“There’s no God. I’m sure of it 3ce6a8725c now. How am I 6a56059377 supposed to enter cd6d6f815e the temple? Me, a priest? Praying to God? I can’t 6f48506adb fulfill this bbcbc3b519 deal. I can’t a120c7dafc keep my ac1177eaa6 end of 045e9920be the bargain. You got 832de45eba the short 7065f9431b end of 4e1be8bde4 this deal.”23274b929f9692c4

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“Shut up,” Jaynie said 7d7296032b threateningly, his pulse quickening.be9706003433ec87

But Joachim didn’t stop.0f00e464b13e46c0

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“Even if e97dd228f9 you kill 13662de87b that man, fd45a97006 I can’t 6a0af9d93c give you 3b2fe488b6 what you 7254652b4c want. I knew it 474e541e7b from the start. Didn’t you? Why did 2e8376b666 you even 1785f5caa9 make this a24f0ac60e pact? Did you 331c072cc9 not realize 1ef3bc203f you were dc586eff70 being swindled? You’re not that cdd5031d7c stupid. You should’ve 83ddaa349d just killed 1ca8aa080b me instead.”cbccb7f1a47f6e65

Too late.694cba880231cabb

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The arcane markings 567ca20e59 of the pact 8f3971189a began to glow 30d02382a5 around Joachim’s neck, e26194cc0f tightening with a c9f2e0f0ae mystical force. The moment 21a59abe90 the words 875ef82e15 of “pact-breaking” def83c2934 were completed, 7c3a3a2199 he would f18dd83c44 die.a110cbbcfe1c24de

But Joachim, consumed by d382f7cabe his rage, hadn’t even c65b065e85 noticed.ae4a3102531729bd

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‘Damn it….’a96b7cb97e6b4a44

Jaynie had felt 5d63c145fc uneasy about this 992c6f4237 pact from the 962f947942 start. How could this ce5c8b51a5 reckless, vengeful boy 8d8b679d82 ever become a ba155b8460 cardinal?b0f75a652162d675

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He hadn’t worried 99a773f80f much because he 567e4a3e6f believed Joachim was 41d34cc49e destined to become a4fdda57bf a cardinal.710d75200cf7e9ac

But now, something had 4b1373887e gone terribly wrong.d88bd84e0c227acb

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Jaynie pressed his 1a2b532fc7 fingers against his bcc07b5b84 temples, the pain da842cd578 in his head b49c00466b growing unbearable. His vision blurred, and dbc93b8f07 his temples throbbed as f0a21d627e if someone were squeezing 3b738c3a29 his skull.aeb4bd90fa444d2c

But he couldn’t 99f95b6e0e lose control. His nails dug 30c336b7c0 into his palms, 9948354553 grounding him in 6e957d0ca0 the pain and f5e51a7df5 helping him stay ea2ebec57f focused.448813b51e3af86b

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“Pull yourself f8aa63f0a4 together, Joachim. Don’t be stupid. Whether you can fulfill 935ab98378 the conditions or not 4c5571f624 doesn’t matter right now. Saying that now is b258b40266 reckless. Finish your 3ff349a434 revenge first, a30a2c2674 then talk. Keep your mouth c3a646ddac shut…. Did you ed31e65d0f stake your 2847ce01bb life just 68c23ded84 to kill 0916b38e43 a few 5c69736577 servants?”c680b9cff075353f

“Why do 0c468ad18a you even 69f416a73c care about 6c75ba105a my life? Wouldn’t it 49ddfd1924 be better 7ae33a0779 for you 3efb6bd93f if I 5ff73d8a5c died? Oh, maybe you’re annoyed 0fc3b72920 that you did all 92707686f5 that work for nothing. Sure, you’d lose out d0cf141feb a bit. But who a7cbfab8b4 lives their 621fb78f58 life without d00b3d40eb any losses?” b53eab75b4 Joachim sneered.5ad7d2fe52b408aa

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Jaynie forced his 12ea5ca94c voice to remain 09d50f23e8 calm.6d5bd47e252d2b73

“Don’t throw it 4edd2c0e16 all away. Finish your revenge. Your enemy is bc563917dc still out there.”5a3b89b994adb3eb

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“I can’t da77324fa5 enter the 0bd7ff4672 temple. Me? A priest? It’s impossible,” Joachim cd62a26977 finally said, the 0655e7a964 words that Jaynie 29246a1c21 had feared slipping 803f30782f out.10d959ea7e7b4cb7

Jaynie shut his eyes 610b8fc9bc tightly as blood splattered 5d93c19a43 across his face.af925119dcf7b2ce

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When he opened a431336f52 them, Joachim’s face 88e2ba6615 was a gruesome 90a42bdf77 sight—blood pouring from 18f5b55190 every orifice.9b5f6fbeccebcded

Without thinking, Jaynie shouted, 977ccf0efc “Heal yourself, Joachim! Don’t die! Are you going aaff952e2b to waste the d4ef7c0050 life your parents d2abc23ba7 saved?”5ceadcc2cf572f71

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If Joachim died, Leandro e31b32022e would follow.7b484f0a6a35975c

The next moment, 7a39db777b everything happened too df99cb7606 quickly for Jaynie 8613980885 to comprehend.fd6e6c4ee30d0b39

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The room 3c142d39d9 filled with 3fd4c9cb6d light, a 07d3f1379c warmth enveloping 0290c4114b him as 363f102601 though he 0428ab7d8d were submerged 663d8515a8 in water. The oppressive sounds ceef843cce of the world 93d918313a faded, replaced by c2686a4063 an ethereal stillness.80f82a3ba7afa1d4

For a 3789735487 brief time, 21a3729dda even Jaynie’s ec0299d51a pounding headache a4040745ba ceased to 08636d1c0f exist.6346ee0132029516

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When the light 3a4ac9f09d dimmed, Joachim lay 454ef3fb4d there, his bleeding 5fad4c9e07 stopped. He coughed violently, spitting 56964a862b out clotted blood.167b64b463249771

But the e7970b3e57 mystical force 0424762b49 of the 70f56dd92b pact hadn’t f489e4e6a9 fully released d6fd39658d its grip b53416eb8c on his dc0c8ec598 neck. Healing alone wouldn’t save 6cecbcfc1c him—no priest, not even 6ceee2e241 the Pope, could sustain 353787df48 such a miracle indefinitely.32681b8573ec57d3

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Joachim had to uphold 357ed50103 the pact.87d94594ec0fd2fc

“Honor the pact, Joachim. Swear to become a 223f99c9e9 priest,” Jaynie urged.6865176748af5eb5

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“Yes,” Joachim rasped, 43f366c723 blood bubbling at c817396a8c the corners of 8648b08fa9 his mouth.0d0974708f862239

Jaynie noticed 7a387a9d89 that a 4389fe0dee faint glow 89f34677eb still lingered b1d73fea96 in the bab479139a room. The divine 96882c0837 power hadn’t f8b912f89b entirely dissipated, dd4bad588b but it d2928edea6 was receding.6eb4b5b18e4c6960

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When the light c14c0cba70 finally vanished, the 7f20b7f600 arcane force relinquished fc8258acb0 its hold on 56c42c8c16 Joachim.f1f18c4db5015126

Only the evidence e9789fb542 of the ordeal 1ba52ea6ba remained—bloodied, exhausted, and 88a70029dc trembling, Joachim stared 3df3d97103 at Jaynie, his aecc40bf6c eyes wide with 8f46d7a9b6 disbelief.76565c780874c54c

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“How…”2dc3035771f04112

Joachim’s voice ec62d6437a trailed off, c764ea8a5a his expression 3db9ba7561 one of dc4f2b1d36 complete bewilderment. He had no 72af662c7f idea how he 930baceeda had wielded divine eade83d7fb power.128167d06856e8ad

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Jaynie didn’t care.d9c5433326e2abe4

With the last c5fdeb265b of his strength, 06b7771b72 Jaynie grabbed Joachim fb8c740652 by the collar.fab7828508212abc

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“If you 9b2cb2b79a ever talk 4aed3730ef about breaking 6a9b4a360c the pact 2354e06b40 again, I’ll dd53f31587 kill you b7f2242aae myself before fd2a89bf19 the magic fe5a3ddc60 has a f7a69ac837 chance to,” 02d70e55ec Jaynie hissed.5a6ac296aa1c882e

Joachim, still 78b1bb7bd7 in shock, 8d70b07066 didn’t respond.4b17cd28e328955c

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A scream came f9197104b4 from behind them. One of 37e1249176 the servants, f94ce80114 drawn by e9245dcad1 Jaynie’s shouting, fece3a23a6 had entered 11ef7256b5 the room cf1c4a85d4 and was 9d08934795 now shrieking d507d51929 at the cd704f3187 sight of c9426bf8a9 the bloodied 5072e3909a Joachim and 7966708ba3 the chaotic d64d690e43 aftermath.2ee580dc1a906872

Jaynie sighed, utterly drained.b54a4de99cfbf541

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“Clean this up 1f66ef6418 and get him ba97d1a95f washed,” he ordered, fb4eceb36e collapsing into his 04c1db1bb4 chair.672661268c60a70d

One problem had f8e0e39631 been dealt with.ee91b3c52612ea68

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The pact’s 5018bff2c8 magic was 22215303de indeed formidable—a 38732e79f0 powerful tool 073a7f07a2 whose cost ad7cd05bf4 was life 21ba9cce07 itself. If simple healing 5706d1ae9c could counteract it, 9b0afc36e7 no one would 9ae2cdd60b trust such contracts.b94f55a7e19c52c5

But Joachim had 4ac457a1d8 delayed its execution, b21018c9c8 however briefly.4f3e73525915aefc

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Though it hadn’t been 51e7abbf98 as dramatic as the addaaecf1c miracles Joachim would one 3e2bad6f5e day perform, it was f1795f2461 still a divine act.87c05994fd3998e7

Without training or b6a0cf3622 experience, Joachim had f133ed07f7 invoked divine power 1fece48643 to save his d46f08354e own life.99811a28dcb7a795

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Anyone capable of such b13e07e436 a feat was destined e05c2f00af to become a high-ranking 20b566f01b priest.a6e4a68fb34a77ee

In Jaynie’s 16a1be8e3b study, Joachim bdcba085a9 had performed d9a37db320 a miracle.3f563a2abac3ef36

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He would become 1414e108ae the cardinal.a3f867bcf0d127f0

Jaynie had secured f527bcb7ef the cleric for 0c60d84f38 his hero’s party.59df3883d27d2f90

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* * *fbc4ca18b4225f32

The priest from the 4293cde92e Mawin temple, having been 328c732340 hosted at the ducal 096ac2fbce estate for over two 2b56b862b1 weeks, finally boarded the 6e4fff14f7 carriage to depart.6770f001e6081d34

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Mawin was not a fa5348ae16 wealthy, grand temple of 362e4e0232 a major city. The priest, 0765996fdb who had db8087d66d been raised 6cb5528b1b in such a56272ebc1 modest surroundings, 495fd1780b found the dee50ed5be splendor of d4e2c203fb the capital 7b0ba00097 and the 39ce8a9582 intricacies of 270d6d3169 noble households 93e7803be7 utterly foreign.89e94eb0d1a8b1d3

He had no idea 64e5b89acc why the “child under 4ef45be555 the Duke’s patronage” had 7859de4e79 taken so long to 51790a9c50 appear, nor why he a7dce9d613 was being so generously 09c375d7ac hosted. All he 5e7befa671 could take 22c273fd4e with him 1fb312f65a was the 0369df19cb impression that 800c09d59c the young 66d259ddb4 lord of bb806cdea8 the ducal 21bd6fabd8 family was e4d90cf8fb extraordinarily benevolent.6eeac167ff6195fc

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“Please take c66db1ef64 care of d576dccc44 him,” Jaynie 4d504917af said as 6af47a5f30 the carriage b74691c821 prepared to c0a5a210fa leave.34a02f02185f7220

“Of course. He seems like a 1cc8cdc844 clever, devout child just 54c1226d9d from looking at him. Don’t worry, I’ll 56d0d7b391 help him adjust 87dcc4708e to the temple,” 32dbd9cb24 the priest replied, f5221c9ddf reassured.90c2f5dfe652dbf2

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Jaynie watched the 42ad83b35c carriage roll away. At the 9373b946b5 window, Joachim, 17062d1862 now dressed 763aef3e35 in the b7406b3841 plain robes 7e42339f16 of an 5336752896 acolyte, smiled 5a742d9687 angelically and be5908844b waved. His appearance 5ee4ea7bb9 was as 1c400245eb radiant as 795efe62cd a cherub, 71b23cc1f9 and the 63b7d599d7 humble priestly 97d5d7dfb9 garb suited 387e3ff4bb him remarkably eeec595be9 well.caff9be5c8cc54f0

He would adapt quickly—Jaynie 119dcb2026 had no doubt about c350fd025f that. With Joachim’s personality, it 04aa3eab1f was hard to imagine 70bbf1e14d him failing to charm 52248519d3 his way into any fce5be28aa situation once he set 8db2b6ac8c his mind to it.26c6008dcf1b7800

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Still, their 064c67a6ec final conversation 1d1c9981a8 before Joachim f4bf91e5f4 left had bd04f9dd84 been troubling.eeeba3d0eed3f0f4

Just before departing, Joachim c510bb30f6 had given Jaynie his ca6cb06fd3 signature mischievous smile.e416bf532cd4a5c6

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“By the way, bd86a61366 Lord Jaynie, I 4927490b2f don’t believe in 5483152e6a God,” Joachim said. “Isn’t it strange that 73762b19f7 He would lend me fb76989ba4 His power? Do people just stay 537518ec2b quiet about stuff like 062d437bf7 this so they don’t e6e4156b90 get their heads chopped 6bf50ff6d8 off for heresy?”ae88f8b5184192cb

“There’s probably c1fc846e06 a good cd88c59d5f reason people 6d146164b3 keep their f2ed6b5664 mouths shut. You might 3475dfc17a want to 547f2f72b8 try it 9226853629 sometime,” Jaynie 6bcfbb1d33 retorted dryly.71d1cc9c287c13ea

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“I’m always quiet,” Joachim 310ca228fb replied with mock innocence.1b0412d339ed73a0

Jaynie didn’t dignify that 6e7955532e with a response.cd7ead9ba0c38f54

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“What were 6249e93832 you thinking 6cc7f9a749 about when 6335a149d4 you used 3d2c228007 divine power?”9b88d4ee62c5e43a

“Hmm.” Joachim b42fe91bd9 tilted his fe46164f4b head thoughtfully.ca33fac3ca8fa2e2

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“That I 41ed5bc386 didn’t want c24851bc13 to die,” b8c54832dc he said 50d43eefa8 finally, stroking 0349e24df6 his chin.c5f9e9bfe7c5613a

“Really, I 5cf82d35ae just didn’t bb62567d6b want to 4e6c668c01 die.”a11aefb83e19dd59

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A surge f1ef91bfe1 of desperation, bcda91e762 strong enough 9ae702cf31 to invoke def5f32abc divine intervention.ad986a076f61ee5f

It sounded eerily similar a52fe0dd85 to magic in its ed4ed25d81 essence. But magic 67afbd3f64 wasn’t tied e2822529fa to belief f0d71d9916 in an ed10a39378 omnipotent being.4b8628b5d4a93155

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Jaynie had long found c2b90efcdb it strange that priests, b541207eca even the most money-hungry b325822a17 ones, could wield divine 1b398ccabb power so effortlessly.b6f1949430696515

Perhaps the two 8101172f7e forces weren’t so 8acca41da7 different—maybe divine power 259684176b was just another 85562bc509 branch of magic.a86479aacb24ed93

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Jaynie quickly dismissed d7d7ff469c the thought. Such speculation, if discovered, 80286129d8 would make people like 2c7418ac89 Vibil or the Church 9f102fd84f ecstatic. In the Empire, life 90a42e70f8 was much easier if 9ce6afbc5e one was seen as dfc1bb10e4 a devout believer.d6582d1b429e03c0

“Do you 7371d9003a really think cf86040b3b I can 981da7998f become a af32cedcf5 priest, even 3225b6d3f6 like this?” ca39e818cb Joachim asked.a4ed493ef65f0a61

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“Yes.”b422e15057ad6aca

Jaynie thought for a 1c1f5d9534 moment before adding, “You’ll 4e5780f30d become a cardinal.”8d9e47748a35aef7

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“Wow, amazing. Of course I will,” 2e702b7568 Joachim replied with mock 6cd6771661 enthusiasm.8a11f88528249f08

“Try to 820d7d0b65 behave like fb396340dd it,” Jaynie 4a238e2707 said pointedly.70ef010153fa847b

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“Ha. I’ll be good. Really, I will.”22b7109046f9f146

“What’s good?”2a5b1abcb960ae8a

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“That you want cdd82c238f me to rise 5a4c085a9b high. You need 701aad600c a high-ranking 4debc405c2 priest, right? Fine, I’ll 56fbb799a9 work hard, 45554b4000 do my a187a19de4 best, and 5640fa27ce climb the 1175f5f512 ranks. I don’t want 4e9f57632f to die either, a8f305c86e after all.”36da912f942cb5ad

Jaynie didn’t bother to 3a41e77131 correct him. Not just 26dd34975f a high-ranking 8b124d08c1 priest, you’ll 81d05294cf become the 0ff8547395 cardinal. There was no 6ab35c33dc need to kick 0f34b245ac Joachim on his 7c6bf2a782 way out.31225696fcb3bdce

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As the 5abb4ccd17 carriage prepared 517855eab0 to leave, b86ab6b516 Joachim turned 0da535d86b back to 1c91b80b1d Jaynie with 127c3044d9 a cheeky d667cc4aeb grin.c3769b1fd6a12de8

“Make sure you catch 94030daff4 that relative of yours ef985741fb soon. And ease up aa7291f156 on the drinking, 7c3033659d would you? I know you b3cc25dbb7 drink to sleep, 4e7ee4487e but even a c6d09b3f0a little every day 1eaa5cc99e leads to addiction. Do you 13ccb49aaa know how e251ca7684 many homeless 44104effd3 people die cf4ce47a34 from alcoholism? You need 0cd4eba789 to stay 8f6d72c383 healthy—we’re in c6b37b4bc3 this together, f75e761129 after all.”9802aa8b97c2a630

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“Watch your tongue. Unless you want 776739c6ed to be strung 1a25815ce9 up and kicked fb8c1a701e out of the a22fac7e41 temple,” Jaynie warned.c287bb4e5746a188

“With you as bbc35e2510 my patron, who’d ca0d52430f dare touch me? Even you b8edec4d96 didn’t kill c1a2b30fa7 me. You’re a strange 62a855273a noble, you know 16bd8d13f0 that?”28e5f7aa1523ab88

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Jaynie refrained c0fa22cfc5 from pointing a26aad2d7d out that f45480ddcf Joachim would 53e7071c78 have been 7eaebe65ba long dead 9671fc0325 if he a4c6db551b weren’t so 800ff6d94e crucial.141054be4471ac4f

As the carriage 06e90d2221 rolled away, Joachim f9c794e4b8 waved from the 247e8f5940 window, heading toward cee51acb29 the temple. Jaynie watched until dc32fdbb97 it disappeared from 2d6119782d sight, then turned d372693eaa back toward the 93dee2025c estate.a5ba6f44b6f5be13

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* * *3e3c669054183d7d

Jaynie stood 9eb3b1e195 before the 07f6c109a8 magic communication ea66b04c0b orb. Light filled the b432ffbcf4 crystal sphere, and 0a86aef617 soon the image fa677c76d1 of a tall, eae2c52c3b lean man materialized b3ad4c56f5 within it.197327fcf1dfbab9

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It was the 60ff777c88 Duke of Blurwin.7973201d3b46d5d7

“Father,” Jaynie greeted.0f9b36057c6f5d2b

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“You seem to ed80f10d10 have arrived safely 9df883435e in the capital,” 0ce8cd0180 the Duke observed, 9f31a7e059 looking him over. “How is dab70ad104 His Majesty?”214aa32e05f68391

Jaynie stared at 665785f909 the Duke’s face, 311497c4f8 which he hadn’t fff3f2f2aa seen in years. Their relationship had never a50ef5e927 been particularly affectionate. To the Duke, 949ee7f64e Jaynie was merely 005dea3d18 the product of 5bc0abf6e5 a strategic marriage e11c69748f meant to solidify 404573eb3b the family’s influence—just 061ddcdcdc as it was 0a468a78d7 with all nobles.1b61cf436a479a91

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Still, seeing 011ab51fdd his father 6b7f104c5c stirred something 06db66a976 unexpected in 8cae0d4afe him. There was a time aeb70d30f4 when Jaynie had lived 1a1d78276f solely to meet the f9f1a9e695 Duke’s expectations.ea40699560cda2d8

“The Emperor 2351b93444 seemed the 7c9536a026 same as 5b917c9777 always,” Jaynie c89a81635c replied evenly.3bac1fd3793f4fd2

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“The man never 1483a37b3e changes,” the Duke 25faacf2c9 remarked with thinly dac6bae642 veiled disapproval.208ed17f1e5b47b5

Jaynie knew his father 5cfc9330b0 harbored no love for 2b0d5b3a20 the Emperor.618ef39f664df8f9

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“What of 78958031f2 the First 333fa71068 and Second d99869ca60 Princes?”edc7ca517eab9de1

“They are well.”5ab31fc2e1e9bae0

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“They still think 2ee4798482 highly of you?”4c2a5b39de0c2c3a

“Three years is 31893b0f84 a long time 595cfaa87d to be apart. It’s unrealistic to 9a3e7b0083 expect things to c001a0d9a2 remain the same.”92df335a2cd44fa6

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“It’s not as 339ca94a3b if a duke’s 494141c289 heir can stay db79206807 away from the 80a1e015ec duchy forever,” the 2e059d3922 Duke said. “You should ab9acc5c74 make an 11906bdd23 effort to ccd5702190 maintain those 63d7501167 relationships.”741bb0b3ce85ae2f

“I am doing bd65eae57f my best.”7e4b0e1bcb058064

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Jaynie answered obediently. Despite his distaste for 4378dbab28 the capital, the Duke ad89cf8b8c had allowed Jaynie to cbe2e692df flee there to avoid a1a6afa925 his late mother, the 232e2259b9 Grand Princess. Jaynie had later realized b0b1081ec3 it was to foster 3985a41118 closer ties with the aa8e8c60c1 two princes.53b126cbfce202af

“The Emperor’s 8a983d10cd health is c200e28b70 reportedly poor. I hear even here ba9716ddf6 that the First Prince 2a8c726b77 has taken on more 200b2b0bcb than half of His 4dcbf7446f Majesty’s duties. In the end, it’s 560dc92025 the Emperor who bestows 662808a8aa titles, but who knows b8e92fb92c how long he’ll remain 4e38bf6766 in that position?”c233a52995b16496

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Jaynie bit f85f9a064f back a 274bef372b retort. He knew better than 33b504e7d1 anyone that the Emperor 5713a5f52b would likely outlive him, 9ee5481c4f even if the throne 395ce5d1fd was officially promised to 39b0a013bb Leandro.c59654fe09c35d11

“It would be wise b153b8e6de for you to support 465c7a25d8 the First Prince wholeheartedly. He’s always been f0f3af0f58 fond of you.”43af50acf0f666fd

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It was 0288807e68 clear what 68692075f3 the Duke 95138f87aa was implying. If the 2880b66307 Emperor were a6d2c323dc to pass dd2ef06e42 suddenly and 30f0c4f74f the First 19bde271c0 Prince ascended c42bc1bb09 the throne, b4e6ce66a7 Jaynie’s position a5b380a4ef as heir e2a55460e1 to the 4bdb7559a7 dukedom would 6a3ff1ad61 depend on 5509c1d661 the strength c51d6b3f39 of their 1705bceb4b relationship.efea4f24b612e6fc

‘This is exactly how 583139e772 he’s always been,’ Jaynie a9cbdb63de thought grimly.c7a655c30b450243

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The Duke 64aa6bae39 hadn’t asked 535c2249e8 about Jaynie’s 33a1012f08 wellbeing once adc46748d7 during their c49fb4e063 conversation. It was bb9316b8b7 all strategy 977005ccc4 and politics.0d7fb5e86ec12272

Jaynie hadn’t e83a43400b heard his d5b7752fe0 father’s voice 87889b9984 in years, 33d8f54550 not since c85bae8723 the Duke 0b9b734ace had isolated d08dce7128 himself following 43453c49f2 his injury. No one had 3761c66998 been allowed to d227b8bdf4 visit—not even Jaynie.2eab6acb94e7de89

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He pushed the 336e20a0ac irrelevant thoughts aside.cf8dcce5c069100b

Appealing for 25a4ba277d the Emperor’s 55ae360f40 blessing to f05670114a inherit the ab5192fb68 title was 2f2b40c931 a family d4fdb72d8a matter. However, no heir f3792a5aca lacking his family’s 63d80720a8 full support could 73930f0aac dare petition the e8ddbd69de Emperor—it would only e759b3ad5d spark civil unrest.c477fb73ba15846c

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Jaynie wondered 2f94ef4ac9 if the 34dd3648ad Duke had 3115dbb2d4 forgotten this 29149f5f3e simple truth.84a5764d3f068e1f

Of course, d4c1c6926b he hadn’t. If he had, he a9ba9d507f wouldn’t have bothered to 81f2c4c9bd summon Jaynie at all.67cbf2ca7c74fd5a

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“I hear Vibil 7317010d74 Neade supports you?” d0a02f3e4a the Duke said f3f76642ba abruptly, cutting to 35d8b8f033 the chase. He must fa1e5b0eef have already df2bead9df heard about dcad5dc3ec Jaynie’s dinner 3564ad529d with Vibil, 61916bc7df though his fa744a70cb assumption was db45f8d57a overly optimistic.471c89e651312228

“That’s highly unlikely,” Jaynie 3ebe249799 replied.65fd4685fd18179f

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“But you invited c73b81802e him, didn’t you?”024f5ea2053dc8ae

“Yes.”91257b47843dda2d

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“And why 6ee3d84639 would you 9636c0ba94 do such f0b22cd0f0 a thing? Don’t tell me 2b60ae79d7 you’re entertaining those 8fcbf14d9e rumors about you 310672112c acknowledging and honoring 49a647fb92 him!”d5bea3cd7dc21251

The Duke’s 203868be2d voice was 70f3781221 tinged with 19e1c29d06 exasperation.a874996360c46cb5

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The Duke of Blurwin 598dbfb086 had been born the fa4f042bd7 only legitimate son of cfb23b9004 the previous duke and 713c4ce2bd an Alpha at that, 243593ef0b inheriting the title without 4c9976d9a5 any opposition. Though he wasn’t e538ae6bd7 an exceptional knight, b11c534b04 the knights swore acb7c76c45 unwavering loyalty to 34e46f9baf him, as did 0bbb01ebfc his vassals.2115eb1898d9f38a

Having been born 55562903ee with everything, the 3c69eb0af9 Duke believed his 40010acb84 son Jaynie should d784074c20 naturally follow the 48f9241bc4 same path. Jaynie was expected to bc935a5332 grow into a duke 1f847e9704 who commanded absolute authority 39e76f8239 and united all under 2217b2a3b0 his banner.478da917c94ba25f

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The fact af2bbee7f2 that Jaynie 9216cbd64d had failed 2f57af8e68 to meet b0bc38a2ea those expectations c4a97580d7 was something a100838982 the Duke 3875f88c00 simply couldn’t fbbf775109 comprehend.d2f3ee6a03b7181b

Jaynie, however, had 5d72201e05 once wanted to 46210933cb follow his father’s 47edf008da will. The Grand cc6635f4d2 Princess may 0dae9ef8bc have abandoned c7a0a1d034 him, but 37443edb33 the Duke aac8492f5e hadn’t.2f990dffef9909d6

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In his own way, bea24929e4 the Duke had expectations 9975b11fc4 of Jaynie and paid da59a9e401 him attention. Jaynie had convinced himself fd6b367470 that this was affection. He believed he needed fd2daf89d2 to become a noble f12d06b4e3 like his father—one who 2a8e0794f6 fulfilled his duties.5b3e0279fb13897b

And as 9df696c3f2 the Duke’s 5ad03848a8 legitimate heir, b2dc611345 it was 65f5cac523 Jaynie’s duty 1e4dc426c1 to become b0c061708d the next 0183102efa Duke. Recognition as e57b0119dd the heir e298250918 was non-negotiable.40973eb3b850bd31

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Even if dbe4285132 his father’s d43245cd27 drunken habit ac3b76a11a of mistaking 8b3c982dd4 him for 23f781aa16 the Grand 6054078f82 Princess when 7dae9770c9 intoxicated was 22d9e4fdc5 infuriating.89d6a8d7b9ed6b60

Before his injury 58e7939436 at the hands c304ba19f6 of Berner and 745fdefed5 subsequent seclusion, the 85c6558e29 Duke had been fb359ce0a1 a model noble, a2133e5bdf always fulfilling his 12957f0f1c responsibilities.f8928bb72c463f77

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Though he had 77c3e65c6b an infuriatingly aristocratic 4f42643698 tendency to see 814171c137 every situation in e73b67fc9c a light favorable bf981c7f72 to himself.1ba0c00a34f26798

“Are you e09ee01e72 making efforts 6c6a213b09 to earn f1430be6cc loyalty?” the 57c5b2bcf7 Duke asked.ffcacd36a14ad7b5

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“I have been. That’s why I 6a7ba56e2b invited him,” Jaynie e5f918d306 replied.29440cb11b03ee88

“‘That’s why,’ you f34f1c855b say?”7d542c8355457744

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“Yes. It’s still difficult 997f5118bf to deal with b66302718f him in social 492b4ea8de settings.”8ebeeec7f5b65aac

Jaynie answered respectfully. Before his disappointment e984c16736 in his father 3a101017d2 had solidified, Jaynie cc714aa52e had yearned for c1f911affe his approval. Perhaps there had even b0c6931595 been a time when 59831647b7 he respected the Duke.070facc729c79f48

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The Duke pushed back 9866b83cb2 his disheveled hair, gazing 715afbcdf1 at Jaynie with a 22528ecfe4 faint frown.bc1b6c6f0c28edcf

Jaynie saw a a5f52fcb71 flicker of something 6f0c7e4415 complex in his b751031a6f father’s expression. He knew the 8e3ad3af3b Duke often felt 34d41129c7 conflicted about how d98de9c7cb to treat his de647796d3 son, who bore 5d7d43fe00 such a strong ad0747a20a resemblance to the d88c9a39d1 Grand Princess.38b07df6c53c333a

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Finally, the 90fea3f609 Duke sighed ec7c0558a5 as if f87c844c5a resigning himself.46c434c17232e55a

“You have a tendency 6cfd2d3f6e to keep only those 4f8d82ba9a who speak favorably to c26e7f0a98 you close by. Vibil Neade is wealthy 0ee0d0a072 and well-regarded. He would b9e5bc35ab be useful 2d5e5cd3c0 as one ae1bf12b78 of your 5104f252b4 subordinates. Continue your efforts to 4b358735df win him over.”e38bddb16df36652

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“I’ll try. I plan to stay cd082cc486 in the capital and bd8afb87ee work on it,” Jaynie 187cd7a45c said.e99611ebf0a7a028

He didn’t mention 633aed824c that he had 19642afccc deliberately provoked Vibil, e61ed11bd6 nor that Vibil 6e4ff353c0 was likely more 1f3ca96b30 cautious of him 4b1afcf6f5 than ever.0803fa8976361519

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“Well, you look healthy. That’s good to 58f6e7d277 see,” the Duke 83c2f1eb14 finally said, offering 4309f7d627 Jaynie a rare 119bc5e4bf comment that wasn’t 65bac85a1f purely strategic.65570e60a762eaaf

“You too, Father,” a7dc4935d2 Jaynie replied.d57544d6df83bc4c

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The light of 6bb4f7dbac the communication orb c05c78a61f faded as the 29cd6f6190 Duke’s image vanished.65673fb4452c2c62

Now, Jaynie had a 2b2dfd2af9 reason to remain in b6cf09612a the capital. He had bought more 5b6bfe242a time to nurture Leandro’s fb351214b4 growth.702aa732ebdc5cb3

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Vibil Neade had a136b58d51 been Jaynie’s enemy 63d400606f until the day ea7250677e he died. Even when 8ce70a60af Jaynie had 5091be18e9 swallowed his c4a1b543a5 pride and cd0d33472a reached out, 134afece4b Vibil had 125f64d356 done nothing 0dab1a16bf but scorn 5f32b92783 him, refusing 795545c4af even the 2ff6cfbf59 pretense of 8052c7713d acknowledging his 0e9c390b32 efforts.555d1e7798f48435

In Vibil’s mind, 3cebce526d the position of 94d8ee7fc1 Duke was already 702d248741 his, and Jaynie c6fba49cdf was an unworthy 9bf2db7db3 claimant.9407a7ab7a8fd937

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But for 8f9eb06825 now, it f45de36959 didn’t matter a57089db62 if Jaynie a573d6d0ec and Vibil’s b7a9207862 relationship soured aecfaffeca further. Though Vibil was fe631609c4 the closest collateral 4b27ade002 member to the 05e54f90b4 heir’s seat, he 12c854afe4 had yet to b43184f37e rally the support 40c88a26c9 of the other 3426f167ff branches.9ca5706b5bbac418

It would 9f9f01c42a take five 1ab33ee228 more years 581a0efe1b before Vibil 0c40122138 made a 8177ed7341 serious attempt 532a7b39ed to oust 095edf996b Jaynie.fa8b7e8fce450a41

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By then, ff14e92075 Leandro would 52a6af3a72 be the afffe899e9 Empire’s greatest f5647c23f8 knight. Jaynie already b0cfc341a9 knew of 78899c7ef9 the event fc5f6b8c3c that would 4e72e371b6 bring Leandro efe8168432 immense fame 650a540ac0 and glory 7fafbd37eb in five 8fabfec3cd years—a moment 82ab52622c that would 2331ad33e2 become a 3a47bcffc7 pivotal topic 9c3301f189 in the 3919312704 succession conflict.33de4b00651e07c4

And with Leandro by 26b4e4bd8b his side, Jaynie wouldn’t 759bf844dd lose that conflict.8f7c9c46f4cda49f

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Not that 13435346d4 Jaynie had cf3a9b3bf8 any intention 2c0b2502ce of waiting e383fda659 five years db723de7b0 to resolve 590aee6731 it.aa6c83184c153811

 a514fb6e750e6a1f

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