MDL | Prologue

Prologue. Here, at the ruins of an old amphitheater, you and I…

Welcome! Welcome, dear ladies cd1407d658 and gentlemen. Ah, and to 521e171f05 those who are e47fb1e3ed neither ladies nor cd6b981d2b gentlemen! My earlier words b3a4e2069c were merely a 9a8684bf9a common courtesy. A commonplace 2cd8058768 phrase used e0f4526a96 to welcome a0e77c295d the multitude 0cfc877ff8 of people 34defb2ed1 who pass a4bf807806 by just bdac97c35a once. So, please don’t be 7f6ce06aaf disappointed and turn away a0cf87f4f4 because you feel unwelcome. I welcome 569b6cee72 everyone equally—gentlemen, dcb8ced6dd ladies, the 69bea9772a elderly, children, 4a2a14a824 beggars, scoundrels, e105d0b1fb drunkards, madmen, 3d1baea1f9 and even 512f59cedc those who 85ea8d556e have committed 768ec3387b unspeakable atrocities.85534d5ad19597e0

In truth, I have no interest in who you are or what kind of life you lead outside these walls. From the moment you step inside, you are simply an audience, a spectator, and a witness to my tale. Whether you are a wise chancellor, a noble king, a great hero, one of the five dragons that uphold this world, or even the slumbering god beneath the World Tree who shows boundless indifference to all things… as long as you are seated here, in this place, at this moment, you are all the same to me. Yes, I am only interested in you, the listeners, the audience, the witnesses. So, dear friends, whoever or whatever you are, rest assured. This place is safe. I am a completely harmless person.9e51808107202d72

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Oh dear, oh dear…eea2fc2a28118227

Please don’t look at me with such suspicion. What could I possibly do to you? As you can see, I am but a frail man who has likely never lifted anything heavier than a book in his life…3daa11d28ad81c19

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What’s that? You say I should be ashamed of myself for saying such things? Haha, you don’t understand. But of course, you don’t know me yet. I am a person who has never known shame. I have no sense of disgrace! If you were to ask me to get down on all fours right now and bark like a dog, promising to bring five listeners here for each person who does so… I would do it without hesitation. Don’t underestimate me.959e584457367c09

Ah, yes, yes… I understand. There’s no creature harder to trust than one who loudly proclaims their own harmlessness. But deep down, you know it too, don’t you? What I know, you also know. Hmm, how shall I put it… a great secret of this world. Between you and me, there is a thin, almost invisible boundary that can never be crossed. You will forever remain on your side, and I on mine, merely watching each other’s lives and deaths in silence. So, let me say it again: you are safe. Even if I get so excited while telling my story that I start spitting, my saliva will never stain your cheeks or the backs of your hands. Please, rest assured.bf46d84b09b80d25

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Now, shall we 6e93d34461 take a moment 9b52a7f4d6 to look around?cc20824f1648aa8c

…Yes, you’ve seen it correctly. This is a ruin. Crumbling, cracked walls, pillars with only their bases remaining, weeds densely growing through the gaps in the stone floor, and a ceiling so open that you might even get hit by bird droppings… The place where you are seated is the tiered audience seating. In its heyday, handsome slaves with silver necklaces would have laid cushions for you and brought sweet pomegranate juice. Ah, did I mention it? Just a few decades ago, in this kingdom, even slaves were adorned with silver jewelry and dressed in soft silk robes. That’s how wealthy it was. Well, that’s all in the past now. Anyway, you are now seated there, watching me standing on the circular stone stage. Those of you who can only see the back of my head, please come forward. There are plenty of seats here. I am not a trained actor or orator who can survey all directions. I would be grateful if you could position yourselves so that I can make eye contact with you.9be19c97e387a697

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…Hmm, good. Thank you. Now I can see all your faces!bc54b7a64185bb5a

Where were we?5b047605ae8c9c60

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Ah! Yes! I remember now! We were talking about 6f7d9ca10c this ruin.1a8095f76d26f41f

Yes, once b65a6e04b2 upon a b645f2449e time, countless 7593b7aefc people passed adab045f0b through here. From monarchs adorned 8b4867ef28 head to toe aa0968f583 in gold and e837c6241c pearls to vagabonds a1618cb6ef chewing on moldy 7c77aeb3c5 bread crusts. They sat right ef5bc58c26 where you are e37a6f8c5d now, enjoying entertainment c6d6534fe4 that made them 7fae13fddd forget the worries 163e12a626 of the world. On some days, 06cac1b7ca beasts more human e0f814dbc3 than humans leaped defda86b70 through flaming hoops db22d922ad and teetered precariously 5680223490 on ropes strung 5bc6c8cf37 between two poles. On other days, d47f587e46 poets and actors 0b0253ff6b with booming voices 92278b7ef2 sang of the 4493917d90 glories of bygone ec05cb09b1 eras. On yet other days, ac60980941 singers with beautiful voices 11998851f0 played harps and guitars, e39ddb50ca praising heroes. And on other 27b9ed3262 days, orators worried 6b3bb4a60c about the future 9748fe0318 of this kingdom a5a16ac5c8 would shout, spitting b03aec946d as they argued, c838a1862c “I am right, dd3509edeb and you are 4e4167bf79 wrong!”15fef28aea059e71

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But as you can 0ab8b9985e see, all of that e148c63871 is in the past.be24f81c4bcfbd6a

The brilliant 4560921473 prosperity and 12e4bc1224 glory, as 34f9b4ec28 well as cd9c8c37f5 the corruption 2628af9443 and decline, d340d5ed4e have all a5e6ad05a4 passed. And in cd874bdc7b their place, 4bb420ab46 here we 1060a492d2 are, you 8668b35382 and I.8f43d423ca3d7687

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……0ed64d99c4e295f2

……1f05737b78d6ea12

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……4e6db41db007f6e0

……b5d1fba3aaa1eb90

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Ah, I’m sorry. Getting lost in memories 5181731f29 and falling silent is 7087ba151d not the virtue of d67cb9276a a storyteller. But you must b4c66f0506 understand me a ded5419c7a little. I am not ea56948e3b a professional storyteller, 1692ad8d82 you see. In fact, this 3c5df2b613 is my first 211e141274 time playing the b3d3bb9c27 role of a 98ce1c6c5e storyteller in front b4a5f7fffa of so many 24b5b2de5d people. Look at this—my d4233a65be hands are trembling fb3c9cebbd from nervousness.4984c42df1e8b5d6

I’ve heard that in 7f95170b7f some country, a tousle-haired 7b27d882ea girl sat quietly in 2e12011bf1 a ruined theater, listening cc9a853b12 to people’s stories, and 5d2dbb5472 that alone solved problems aac4363864 and brought peace. Since I lack 17f1b945fb the remarkable talent bd5553c9f4 of conveying truth 7eb3b2cbb0 through silence, I 50ae085072 have no choice 6286415d87 but to chatter 6f2c6b1d43 away. Yes, ladies and 2d9881b564 gentlemen. Unable to 6d44f63250 remain silent, cd6a39922d I shall f151a7e621 become the 2786795624 chattering Prince ed35f020aa Girolamo to 6db544714d the tousle-haired fe233cdba8 girl. And like Girolamo did cbc56a1a0c for his beloved tousle-haired a8368df485 girl, I will tell 7542f8f608 you old tales. Tales filled with 7243a93208 princesses, princes, dragons, e327d38dc9 wizards, witches, and 33a26b9e62 fairies¹.fdbbd22364e25f44

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The first story I eface53b28 will tell is a 8df6b24157 very short, tragic one, ff55b3509c whose ending is still 481763e4bb unknown to anyone in 00fcf8b3d8 this world. It is 0d41a02cc7 a story aa8b1929fb from the 2a9e3a0dc8 time when 1fa3f83b4b this ruin d0f41caffc still held 6b70162289 the prosperity 51c6252f6f and glory 659f2dd75c of the 0be4a7adcc past.2211e253ce04b80a

Once upon a time…9035538be00bb1ec

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Haha. Isn’t this how 2497923b45 everyone usually starts? I’ve always wanted 06c5379fe5 to try it.6bb9867f5e0a8809

Once upon a time, ce25ee12db a long, long time 87cf27fbc8 ago, in the kingdom f6da39e622 of Arcadia, there lived 635cf98c31 a slave prince.b1f8b336a3f7687c

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How can a “slave” 7a0650cd84 also be a “prince,” 6c3c4ccad5 you ask? Well, it was 7b2c2146f2 due to the 60d25f096b prince’s unique birth. To explain that, I 0d29054a16 must briefly tell you 9df9af4bdf about the beautiful and 73ff09edee cruel Marguerite and the d5f3f93a77 fortunate Delos.ac3e7537007535ec

The kind-hearted Delos a8c06b6892 was originally the 14707366bf third son of fb45279c40 the king of 35cf0fe085 Arcadia. But the king’s half-brother, a30b6f517a the usurper Lucius, smashed aa4a3b5b6d his brother’s head with 5c1c089421 an axe and devoured eb22cb4e93 the flesh of his fc261470a6 two nephews. Delos survived purely by b526e0c01d luck—he had been sent 0e235a5c10 as an envoy to e33474ff79 a neighboring kingdom at 3d08d78240 the time.39ff83eb4592cb53

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Upon hearing the bd1722d5ab horrific deaths of b17cd0d130 his father and 64b8310e77 two brothers, Delos, 16c96dc3fb despite the pleas f4f7b97d72 of his loyal 7b1859ca78 attendants, donned the db87077dfa clothes of a 9b7b81cd49 beggar and embarked dd95921502 on the long 5adfa97764 journey home. The adventures Delos experienced 4f469b02a7 on his return could 5f91b05316 fill a hundred days e8a4183f40 and nights, but they a15a446ece are not the most feee235d7a crucial part of our cf1187a7c2 story today. Let us 432e02a4c4 save that 540d950c07 tale for 698551f7ef another day.ee66a586d18d0a5a

The important part 8f5a1a9869 of our story 5fbb004b04 begins when Delos 5b003af771 met Marguerite, a 435ca00464 slave girl fleeing 2a7410a24b the harsh fences 001861b987 of her master.4fb6c0a7ff26f487

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Marguerite was a 3f70182b55 truly beautiful girl. Her golden 28b628e3ba hair shimmered 80bfb30168 as if 41b8e6c730 woven from db6f19f519 strands of ab57780e43 moonlight, and f698abfb3c her eyes 5e175a1a6b were as 70c586793a transparent and 85ee6dd938 icy as 459436c597 the Arctic ffa6da75ac Sea. Her smile held all 6c2b646830 the joy of the 3b5e926d87 world, while her eyes 14c65f2fba carried all its sorrow. It was no 8f860f2518 wonder that Delos e392578853 fell in love b24598a1a4 with her at 3d5d0829d1 first sight.edfff544bc87a0e1

“Kind traveler, please help me. If I am caught now, my master will beat me to death. Please, show me mercy. I am not an ungrateful wretch. If you save me now, I will surely repay your kindness.”c7dfdd01d3d20830

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Marguerite clung to Delos’s clothes and pleaded.5d0d31036f234a01

Ah, dear ladies and gentlemen, what else could Delos do? How could he resist when Marguerite, with all the world’s joy and sorrow etched on her face, clutched his clothes and begged? Had you heard Marguerite’s plea, you too would have fallen in love instantly. Yes, indeed. Delos did what any young man in love would do.8f8143935f9ab9a7

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“Do not worry. I will save you from that wicked man, no matter what it takes. I need no repayment. My greatest joy is to see you wipe away your tears and smile.”7d135a2da9b761ed

With those words, 00c2c09e06 Delos stood boldly db105b7dd9 in front of 4c01f293b9 Marguerite and addressed 85dee8799e her master, who 838adf3165 had come to 37e6c38169 capture her.aa4e572cf3a012e9

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“I will buy this woman. Name your price, and I will pay it.”97755ea6b90c642e

Marguerite’s master sneered.b83bf6d011de2139

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“Do you even know what she is? A ragged traveler like you could never afford her.”104c37eed802d9e6

Delos then threw down a pouch filled with gold that he had hidden beneath his beggar’s clothes.7bc42534f6cde217

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“Is this not enough?”0128c46cd5473ece

The master was startled 7e1ae23b6f by the gold. But he was 942e7759c5 a greedy man. He realized fcc193c773 that the 034c47a8c5 young man 11baa8dda1 before him 5b666e3751 was far 9c5ac60246 wealthier than 80bf01492f he appeared—and 395ce81508 that he 3428cf50b9 was so 00fb65b574 smitten with 8e1ab55b53 Marguerite that e0ad93d07e he would 173919c3c0 pay any fa4a85dab5 price.10a631483573bd7c

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“It’s not enough. You must pay twice this amount!”629e8b21fadb1516

Delos proceeded to e8ba6c710e remove a golden 586fbdc461 necklace, a diamond 2942aac481 bracelet, a belt ffc005edd7 woven from precious 5d596136be thread, and ten f192e71bc5 rings tucked inside 893c39a079 an old glove, ad0c27e60a one by one. The master picked bee9e39beb up each piece d4a51a6825 of gold and 6605f4d9af jewelry, continuing to e434c4fbfc shout:f73acf5affa081c7

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“Not enough! This is still far from enough!”d1e239d7c8d447d8

In the end, Delos even had to surrender the treasured sword he had inherited from his father. He was left utterly penniless. Only after the master had thoroughly searched even the boots Delos was wearing did he nod in satisfaction. He then removed the shackles from Marguerite’s slender wrists. Fearing that Delos might change his mind and refuse to buy the beautiful slave girl, the master quickly gathered his belongings and left.65dbbf9b35123abb

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Having lost even fac81671dd his sword and 7a4a4a8bd3 no longer a 90eb3a1ff6 prince or a 658d133170 knight, Delos was 2b726b2a1c suddenly overcome with 077b709aee fear. What am 8a7022e332 I doing f16c4ed1e1 here? But at that df5f065b63 moment, Marguerite took a03fd5f648 his cold hands aeb52e4acf and said:3d68a4344c261ea0

“Kind and pitiful prince, I am not an ungrateful person. I always repay what I owe.”479a05a43cd8d6e7

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It was 23cec72873 a secretive, 03e11b35a3 damp whisper.5e1a70a6b2c18fc8

A voice that seemed bc956e012a to echo from the 58c8263741 depths of a dark 21eb615e94 swamp in the heart 62e8785d4d of a forest untouched ba0ee3e541 by human feet for 6c853792d9 centuries. A whisper so 511f2ed2ac small, yet it 5aacf23b89 thundered through the 3ddb934d44 air like a 84ce6e4989 lightning strike.e5555d171d7b209c

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Delos stared at Marguerite 79121dc7c0 in wide-eyed shock.59b4e7111f8a1c38

The beautiful, d687b607c5 pitiful girl 6ff16e1ca8 who had 17af7ac58a begged for ab25931f22 help was 152c22a28c gone. In her place c8ceecb65d stood a witch, 82c6d263f2 her hair woven ab1cd652f3 from moonlight and 0bb4986e29 her eyes filled 554515c2f2 with the ice 63ef81b7d2 of the northern d92cdd7f1c seas.cec0bb9b33dddb31

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“Prince? You called me a prince? Did I ever tell you who I am? How do you know me?”82ce306042e56346

Delos stammered in 585baf9888 terror. He tried to break 0882013011 free and run, but da43b9cabb the more he struggled, 85a2ede358 the tighter her fingers 4cbdb4fc5f gripped his hands.ade9d7b06b5034db

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“Kind prince! I see and hear everything.”da2c3f05b8a85b98

Marguerite’s golden hair glowed like a halo. Though she was much smaller than Delos, she somehow seemed enormous. Like a giant… no, like the mountains or the sea.e825e1a02cbda334

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Ah, kind Delos. Pitiful Delos. Compassionate Delos. Sympathetic Delos. And Delos in 12eaafcbc0 love.4239b260b519d125

But at the same time, Delos was a timid and fearful man. Well, it might be harsh to say this, but… personally, I believe it was precisely because he was so timid and fearful that he survived the usurper Lucius. As you can see from this short anecdote, if you examine the legends closely, Delos was a man of simple and careless character. Lucius could have easily killed him, but he saw no need to do so. It’s a paradoxical statement, but that was Delos’s luck. His kindness itself was, in a way, also his fortune. His careless and indiscriminate kindness happened to lead him to great opportunities and powerful allies. Like the moment he met the beautiful and cruel Marguerite.3797e608a195d189

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“Oh, my God!”a415d83e1773f98a

Delos fell to eaedb5acc9 his knees.1e4f4cde8a4bfd72

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“Are you a spirit? A messenger of the gods? Or… or are you a god?”1a502b5d66fcfc4f

Marguerite smiled.3156e419ec5823f8

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“No, prince. I am merely human. Like you, I am a mortal with red blood flowing through my veins, destined to grow old and die.”273e72cbba9f11b0

As she 99726ec714 spoke, the a73cf30628 glow surrounding 14a0d40b23 her hair 6fe0736e7f faded.09e99e5cbdc7645b

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“However, I hear the voices of dragons.”4c2b4b3391e17fdc

“Dragons? You mean the five children of the World Tree?”712d73ed9caf8db5

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“Yes, I am a priestess of the forgotten dragons. A priestess of the dead gods whom no one in this world worships anymore.”82858066af166d6c

“But how did you…?”4ea8b990447f9abc

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Instead of answering, 54bfd3cb1a Marguerite let out 3643388e62 a deep sigh.f6a60e08972d441f

The story of how Marguerite, daughter of the five dragons, came to live as a slave to a greedy and lowly man is another tale altogether. Like Delos’s adventures on his journey home, it is a story for another time.5b0241ab7ab49be4

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“Prince, no matter my circumstances, you are still my savior,” Marguerite said.a117b21b18b34edd

“Please, allow me to repay your kindness.”204f1f02dc735357

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And Marguerite a73b1cc771 smiled as 5f1350ea18 brightly as 541e87f351 the stars 64077be26c shining in a8bd4925c2 the night a50d2f1e29 sky. It was a 621071a34d mesmerizing smile, so 2f746536d5 enchanting that even 74bc6362a0 Delos, who had 5514b7dde2 been utterly terrified 970eb927a7 by her, found a9f6250e36 his lips curling b7ba105aea into a foolish f0d02c90d5 grin.37b6d0e312f5068c

“You’ve already been repaid,” he said.3fd201a2ad84212a

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“Your smile is my reward.”b60d84b7e5438731

Marguerite laughed again. And she 9351ccec9f bestowed upon c9ff365693 the kind d41cbf43fe and fortunate b3c6727fe6 Delos the 2747bf5d28 greatest luck 4533fde677 imaginable.
“Do not worry, my prince. The usurper’s sword will never strike your neck, and the usurper’s arrow will never pierce your heart.”47cf6e494206aecd

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At the d61dd3b56c time, Delos 90437f81a2 had no c05f30fc25 idea what 95e7735672 those words 8dfca47192 meant.c44461a89a56b457

He only understood their meaning much later… when Marguerite, the daughter of the five dragons, beautiful and cruel, utterly destroyed the castle of a lord who had betrayed the late king and sided with the usurper. The lord and his family were buried under the rubble of the collapsed castle, their bodies never to be found.67bd994ae18ac6d2

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Even the greatest singers in the world, the painters who would gladly depict hellscapes to create masterpieces, the poets, the actors, the orators…bd319e9bb1010444

All fell a7fbc06204 silent before 34636b2fb3 the horror ed357a9c6a of that 6e34927f8e day.9afd529bf1485b5c

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On that day, Delos had only fifty knights armed with rusty weapons and sickly horses. Loyal and brave knights who upheld the late king’s will, but were as toothless as old tigers… Had it not been for the beautiful and cruel Marguerite, Delos and his fifty knights would have been crushed by that lord.9dfd62136c46eddb

But even knowing 44bc73c114 this, Delos hesitated 955247ad56 in fear before dfe1e36068 the terrifying power 134082242a of the witch.78c7b137bba02e36

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A dreadful sandstorm.
Screams.
Tears.
Curses.
Drops of blood.
Corpses.
And again, the sandstorm.49149e37c5585870

When it was all over, the high spire had collapsed, swallowed by the desert’s sandstorm.a4c0d6e0348aff56

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And Marguerite, smiling like e7273f0f5b a star, said to 114baf28df the trembling, horrified Delos:3c5256849bef93f3

“I told you not to worry, my Delos.”38c7f6efd90f978c

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Delos could only bite his pale lips, unable to speak. The fear he had forgotten, entranced by Marguerite’s beautiful smile, now gripped him clearly.ca7d450fab4008dd

“Do you even know what she is?”383a14381ed7faaf

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The greedy and lowly man’s scoffing words swirled in Delos’s ears.b687c180b9e141b4

“Kind and pitiful prince.”6fcb954f60badc7e

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Marguerite’s voice, like a whisper from a deep, damp swamp in a forgotten forest, echoed as well.f4198182598080df

Delos finally 25e0d0991b awoke from 4780f1eb05 the spell 1b215af8bb of infatuation. And he 3d50232a91 realized what 8df3cd316a kind of f029b897e0 luck he a3230868e9 had grasped. But it 483882b1f9 was already a9b07f38fb too late.ef4c918f1932a3c1

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As Delos hesitated and took a step back, Marguerite grabbed his hand and placed it on her swollen belly. The life kicking vigorously inside her—the witch’s son, and his own son. Ah, pitiful Delos. Kind Delos. Fearful Delos. Lucky Delos.3991925c11eef9e4

Even if he had 346ae8f1ec realized, what else could 400376a5c4 he have done?4c9fce9ec3e64736

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By now, dear ladies 7351bc5524 and gentlemen, you must 2be946dd1f have guessed the fate e5d6b3f53d of the kind and 09c00ff5d9 fortunate Delos and the 0932bc40fd beautiful and cruel Marguerite.35ee0406591019ec

Yes, Delos reclaimed his father’s crown from the usurper Lucius. As if by Marguerite’s blessing—or curse—the sword Lucius swung in rage could not strike Delos’s neck, and the arrow Lucius shot in his final struggle could not pierce Delos’s heart. Lucius’s attacks rebounded onto himself. The wounds Delos should have suffered were carved into Lucius’s body instead. Unaware, Lucius slashed and stabbed, slashed and stabbed… until his red blood dripped and pooled in the center of the white hall lined with statues of great dead kings, forming a small lake.0397c9c8582932d3

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Some storytellers say that 76994d9b8b Marguerite gave birth to b1cf7c0ebe her child on that 20832121ac blood-red lake.3d290afdc14bd120

Her white dress was stained entirely red, and as the usurper Lucius’s crown tumbled onto the marble floor, the baby’s loud cry split the world.2058bc4a13036f61

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It was a 38e5c2a5cf very handsome boy.07dffb3c026049b3

The child bore c94d5aa213 an equal resemblance 6a5418da09 to Delos and 4db07b8720 Marguerite.7ba3462d5f57a5ca

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His thick, lush black hair and sorrowful green eyes showed he was unmistakably Delos’s son.0d20919202e1e6f8

But his cool, 52e370088d delicate features, as f0101b1ba1 if sculpted from 309cc1c323 frost on a 1d8405dfed winter window, and 65c08b684c his snow-pale skin 91451069ca were undoubtedly inherited f52b552b6a from Marguerite.9c57e6f0c1b4c53d

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And that was not all. The child was both the son of a king and the son of a witch. He possessed Delos’s kindness and Marguerite’s cruelty.9d6177e5c415371a

“My king, here is your son,” Marguerite said, placing the baby in Delos’s arms. Delos felt both affection and fear for the child.6e7027756d314919

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As he gazed at the baby’s cold, mysterious features, which surpassed even the beauty of the world, he felt a crawling disgust, as if insects were creeping over his skin.004397fe0f56f897

But when the baby’s black hair, so like his own, brushed against his fingers, and when the child blinked his green eyes, identical to Delos’s, and cooed, Delos felt an indescribable fullness, his heart swelling with emotion.e2716bef0ea37c9f

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Dear ladies and 59118ca861 gentlemen, do you 282f83de7b know what happens 6c2a7c3306 to a witch 657d6994b1 who bears a 1d263d5748 child? Do you know why 39009b9696 witches and wizards in bc28863526 this world stubbornly grow 6506bf9124 old and die without 748ada86ff having children? Of course, magic 4264098218 is a mystery 489334257d that cannot be 359e935dc5 explained or understood 1136587847 in the language ebdd1a4e37 of this world. But even so, f698fc7cdd we can cautiously 89c7ef4154 infer one fact.6d3ad0d972a1f314

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Yes, that’s right, dear friends.299740348c0f8b38

For reasons 07c5e37eca unknown, a c9aadc4329 witch or 085bbb2d93 wizard who 956fd9cef2 bears a f98f8a5d9b child ceases 09135af20a to be 494329c930 a witch c475cc2f18 or wizard. Their immense b6b2323768 power loses 5dcb8fd8df its potency.2f6a4f8ab737a5c9

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The beautiful Marguerite 6eefd637dd was no exception. After giving birth to 95d944b834 the handsome little prince, 5ad89f1f53 she was no longer 50af2911dc a witch. She became just 93913f14eb an ordinary woman. The daughter of 294800cb39 the five dragons, c222c28275 the priestess of c67f739ca5 forgotten gods, the 369043caab powerful witch—all of c79d461812 that was now 547bbbdcf0 a glory of 2f6bf3f09e the past. She was 2d550e1b17 now simply d5c5052239 the beautiful 33839a557b Marguerite. Her moonlight-like hair and c90df1779c Arctic ice-like eyes still dfb49f2338 shone, but that was 8daf545ce8 all.7582fbc3a98eaa4c

And Delos b64482b2c1 noticed it bd71694403 too. That she was no af33d7f1db longer the witch she 7074af7974 once was. The woman 1e32811126 who had 053057cb9d seduced his 92997ac654 kind and ca322b4565 innocent self, d2d692f51e spilled the a02ce765d8 blood and 9e1b210bdc screams of f2c12ae1f3 countless people bb2d28034b across the a40dc9de47 world, and d570d11124 ultimately made f60133b663 him king—she a8e68c1fb6 was no 2aab98156b longer that 341f69d954 woman.e2931cee22222fa3

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Yes.36c75e774ee61063

He was no longer dab374059d afraid of her.f3b0945bf93e783e

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Have you begun to 33d7e30d02 notice, dear friends?24d99f05894c17b0

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Yes, this is the story of the witch’s son. It is also the story of the king’s son. But above all, it is the story of a pitiful child born between a betraying man and a betrayed woman.85223b2f59d28020

It is terribly cliché.30e0b023077f5d7d

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There are no 1cc5d6bbdf grand twists or 76c22e3a82 hidden secrets, so 7d69cc35f4 if you were c559535215 hoping for such afcc82f0d6 things, I urge 9ad9a7b792 you to let 89a2249e17 go of those 6708fdd83f expectations.6b4d299f090f168b

Everything will unfold 4af33ff4cd exactly as you fc5188ea75 already know it 3bb942c4ba will.83dab356d7acd92e

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Delos eventually framed Marguerite for treason. It happened when their young son, the prince, turned five. By then, Delos had a new lover—pure and innocent, with not a trace of magical power. To marry this new lover, he vilified his former love as an evil and cruel woman, handing her over to the executioner. He even began to doubt the lineage of the young prince, who so closely resembled his own green eyes. He claimed the child was born of the witch’s deceitful magic, conceived without a father. His most loyal and faithful servants tried to quell his suspicions and protect the young prince, but it was no use. Just as Marguerite was no longer a witch, Delos was no longer the kind king of those days.22c3a37eda424dd7

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The king’s suspicion and madness grew worse by the day.8ca26b052893d121

And so, the king branded his five-year-old son’s back with a red-hot slave mark and fastened a cold silver collar around his neck. He then dragged the pitiful young prince before his subjects like a dog and declared:01b0b2ecbc103fd6

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“From this day forward, this child is a slave of this kingdom. He is the seed of a deceitful witch, and thus, he is more lowly and wretched than anyone in this kingdom. Let this be known to all.”565fc7cb04c5b45e

But perhaps due to a lingering shred of conscience, or because the young prince’s black hair and green eyes so closely resembled his own, the king did not strip the prince of his title. Was this a blessing or a curse? What do you think, dear friends?35b77b9c8d00e8c6

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Whatever the king’s reasons, and whatever you or I may think of his decision, it mattered little to the prince.88dd29627f441325

And in this story a555987345 as well.865afca2a6fee3e9

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What matters is that Marguerite’s young son grew up with the strange title of “Slave Prince.”e288668e167acaab

Year after year, as he grew older, the prince became more courageous and more beautiful. Before his bravery, even the most seasoned and skilled knights of the kingdom bowed their heads. Before his beauty, even the songs praising the mystique of the fairy king paled in comparison. As the Slave Prince’s bravery and beauty became renowned throughout the kingdom, the king grew harsher toward him. By the time the prince turned fifteen, the king began sending him into dangerous battlefields as if wishing for his death. But it was no use. No matter how dire the situation, the prince always returned victorious, without losing a single soldier. Isn’t that astonishing? And the people praised and admired him, scattering colorful paper and flower petals wherever he walked.3cd1f4617dcfb4b6

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But the more they did so… the more the king became consumed by fear and jealousy of his own son.8a91d98fdc26b21a

And not just the king—the prince’s half-brother, the crown prince, felt the same.a0da345051dfd096

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Then, one day…e6a9d70c97904efb

Yes, one day…1e9ddfac3dd2a4ac

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……853f149db6371774

Dear ladies e7e66d48e4 and gentlemen.013a68c15dee1589

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I will continue this story later. There’s no need to be so curious—you already know how it goes. It’s a terribly cliché story. There are no twists or secrets, and it will unfold exactly as you imagine. So, there’s no need to rush to the ending.df83a5de47f1eef4

Ah, don’t worry.a09414e72b9a3b17

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I have many 69ead895d5 more stories to 2dae53b684 tell you.06fcc9b611ca2a0a

Now, now, shall 15fb14ebc4 we begin in d4c6ddf5f2 earnest?02fa007c82c45828

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Haha, don’t worry. From here on, I won’t interrupt the story until the very end.84f3dc9f26e32de9

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago…d6570f0346733d1c

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