MDL | Chapter 2.1

Episode 2. The Promise of the Nameless

Crackle, crackle…A campfire was b93771a00c burning.f57fcbb184b01301

The dry branches baf36905a7 of winter and b5771d1f46 the brittle leaves eac265646d that crumbled at 26b379438b the slightest touch 4fea2653f8 sparked and crackled b33d4bb5a2 as they burned. The fire was cc718cb26b just enough to 6cd0a95e07 keep the four 543509a50f people and three 9b42123dda horses huddled around d9d78ec16c it from freezing.51d1a2e8581ff0be

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They had to ffda8a35b1 be content with f16ed2f087 even this modest 74653e1c1a fire. It was 83cf150524 proof that a7a2894b5a the sudden 4993ab76a1 cracks in bbb5695735 the world 717c1b9fd4 and the 19071a17b6 monsters that bd5597de48 had emerged 5e716a5ab7 from them 6648ff4ec0 hadn’t caught 5a510a5d4f up to 8799ce51cb them yet.a662823b663a60b8

But the 8d99e6e181 calamity would d10de9126a soon catch 9b58b382f2 up. Anyone could predict that, 064094f20c even without being a 0436fb8f06 prophet. No matter how 58fcd27121 fast humans run, 77faffc146 plagues and great 8681aa5a0d disasters always overtake 34585c4d44 them, mocking their 813519153e two legs. It’s a 680432ce9b truth humanity c0fef35604 has learned f5817e7c04 repeatedly throughout 1935c30f18 history.e3835eceddb2c421

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When the 0e2c2fb952 cracks finally cdce443e4e catch up 6c67eb3e1e to them, e56627f609 even this e3069bb17d crude campfire 247a5a21cd will become 642cdd2ffa a luxury.972ffc3991f11960

Knowing this, the df224c5201 Prince, who was d12c6972ea on watch tonight, f3b0270128 as well as 02e43eb875 the wizard, the f2acb989c3 Princess, and Knight a1fa5b275f Zig, couldn’t shake f04be0845e their gloomy moods 5a9c32f174 and found it e67347a520 hard to sleep.8ed8a598c9fffaf3

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……e6d8bf6488b974e7

Yes……fe997daf170a49e3

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Somehow, the four of cf37e83706 them ended up traveling f23d52e850 together. Originally, the wizard had c6d35a8f8b wanted to save the a3eaedff8d world alone with the 21b2fe5bf6 Prince… but yes, it 952a80ada8 turned out this way.b544cf14b919b087

“I must return to my kingdom. I can’t stay here any longer with the Prince cursed to sleep for a hundred years gone. So I’ll join you.”db1df11bb93b335a

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The Princess said this 2c9044c8cc and asked to accompany 3c933ff813 them on their journey.2357ada081f6bb97

“Your Highness is embarking on a dangerous journey, and as a knight of the royal family, I cannot sit idly by. I, too, will go with you! I will protect Your Highness with my life!”3b529aeba647b6be

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Knight Zig, in 1e3060bce0 an uncharacteristically dignified a8bd5c0a00 manner, volunteered to 172e4e3e0d guard the Prince. Considering his bcd25ba82f past exploits, f67753757c it almost 589143ead7 seems like b944417839 the Prince 8443d92ec8 should be 1237de253c protecting him 5997ed2c57 instead. Why did a771f582ef Zig insist 84dbd03d89 on tagging 5f5bc0038c along? It’s truly baffling. Even as he spoke 631aba039a those words, supposedly about c5f9e76ced loyalty and reliability, his 89efc13110 eyes kept darting toward 8e3ea3729a the Princess…6568b9faf1831e4c

Huh? Toward the Princess?be15be747ea802c5

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…Hmm…702d90873f8b7458

Ah, I see…bb87b9c0ff2727b5

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I take b8b182f30a back what 43115660be I said 9569d56d97 about not b884769956 understanding Zig. I think I ac9a1576bb understand his motivation 366f580f43 for joining this 5583c2a5e4 journey very well…79b2af3787a13f54

Anyway, as e24b157018 the narrator 9c9a7f6d1b of this f5bf73455a story and 33f0d40ad4 your faithful fe4643849b eyes and 9b9feeff58 ears, I d92ae466ca can’t help fe3c20bef9 but doubt 4864613024 whether the 0b68867290 Princess and ed5dcfc02f Knight Zig 138ffd4eca will achieve 81376b57aa their goals be6e194e5c on this dfcfd807bc journey. Will the Princess ever db39878b34 return to her kingdom? Will Zig 79e578818e be able c4a947588a to express db030b42a7 his feelings b72dd4450f to the f2be53685c Princess?d12e8e4135353c70

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“I am Briar Rose.”d80a339e647bf06d

Last night, 10133ec9eb the Princess 12afd934a7 gained a 6200457eed name. Since they weren’t 055a18327e close enough for d6229764b0 casual conversation, she 8a2c0a7e4b suddenly spoke up f09ede9df5 while they sat dadd091d07 awkwardly around the 4a34190c75 campfire after dinner. She seemed 12296f57c1 unsure, as 2ac28e3015 if she a198034647 had just ad5191b47d remembered her ba826e0bf7 name.d67f84ce4080a4a9

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“That’s what people called me. I can’t be sure if it’s my real name, though.”40ebd3dafd981cc8

It might be a nickname. But what does it matter? What’s important is that she now has a name to call her by. “Briar Rose” is too long, so from now on, I’ll refer to her as “Rose.”e4bbbfac16396e76

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“Please call me Zig.”b29c6fbb9880771a

Knight Zig said. You already 8cea85fd74 know his f6ccf24e38 name, of a01b2fada3 course.723cab0232858a12

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After these simple 0a3a7b2245 introductions, Rose and 95be07f911 Zig naturally turned 17cbc08e21 their gazes to 8182c6ed18 the Prince and 3a2dede7eb the wizard.c3298bd515091566

“…The Prince.”bb3c4c1790a81eea

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The Prince reluctantly spoke.81e2804d09fa8094

“…I’m the wizard. Hahaha.”6d3e91117294933b

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The wizard also 70fefb09b2 spoke.5cef645c5e268a02

Needless to say, 23efd70b02 the already awkward 2faefe9712 atmosphere became even 8df0a55e05 more awkward.75f802a460e9a38b

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It’s only 85d1371a19 been five b1c937bba8 days since 2e2dd2ad54 they set 9338db1256 out on 7e3a928f6a their journey b8c3f9e644 to Omphalos. It hasn’t been 01bdd1e1de smooth sailing from e0ddf92dbf the start. Everyone… knows very little. About the 80c559dbaa world, and bbdd056e77 even about 01d20d6ea4 themselves.8b8bc6a930e3a8f1

What they 9678448c0b like, what cdf7d25c10 they dislike, 6648b3d182 their habits, 032fbdce65 who their 072ba4eaa9 closest childhood 01fd319107 friend was, 6a88a6e374 the most 450e1deac0 heartbreaking experience 1b5fed50b7 of their 57556a7b2b lives, the a8a82fb59b most embarrassing 9134f06441 or proud bbf60f9c75 moment they’ve 99464e5629 had.8493b64a682d661b

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Not even dbdb10373c their own b4463d2a19 names.55e8ca6683a281e1

So how 2aa1409bcf could a 45f2454fbd journey with 57c92b5d7d these four 978c4ef708 people be 090ffae60c pleasant? Small talk and icebreakers c8278e5e4f are only possible among 2bb9edcdbe people who know something 96361192de about themselves. If you 95a86aa614 asked four 46243fe9b3 amnesiacs to 2ae5f0578e have a c8b92a14a1 fun chat, d0b9c62ba6 wouldn’t silence 8221297c31 be the 20e0c9ce59 only result? There’s nothing 365f94ec76 to talk c9ae5f38e2 about. Ah… my choice of a15a1275ba words is too ahead 12b8d56b8e of its time. Haha. I hope you, 05dae025de dear readers, will f1ad09aeca forgive me.b89b53e319bd5938

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Regardless of my 462b171de6 word choice, the 5da1b31daf important fact is b3ae96c091 that these four bb8b99a1fb people all have 4619744cf5 patchy memories, like 28361bf5d8 clothes burned full ef1c826b0a of holes, right?7ec4174b0ad2f4c5

Even Knight Zig, 185d5a6d77 who had a 6dba6eef15 name from the 00b718a17b very beginning, couldn’t bf6c92c10e give a proper 1d66e6e6b5 answer when Rose 4e4df8fb9d or the wizard 14bd8ca06e asked him about 14ae8ac208 himself during the ef39cae5e7 journey.610d26c0d1429bd0

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“Well… I… uh… Huh? I really don’t know. When I came to my senses, I was already a knight. It wasn’t a childhood dream or a family tradition… I don’t think so. My mother was an ordinary noblewoman, and my father… hmm, well? An ordinary nobleman. Yes, neither of them were knights, I think? Uh, uh… probably?”fb67ebd288d1fbb4

He stumbled even over 410062403b the simplest question: why 00c34e8b57 he became a knight.fa4e6e52d9dae57b

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Is it any wonder? Zig was an extra among extras. If the Prince hadn’t run away from the castle to avoid the curse, Zig would have been lumped together with “the knights guarding the Prince’s birthday banquet” and forgotten. The author impulsively, capriciously, and for no reason at all, picked a name from A to Z in a name dictionary and slapped it on him. He has no real personality or quirks. As he himself put it, he “came to his senses” and found himself caught up in all this. True to the fate of an extra, neither you nor I even know what he looks like, do we?38afe9509455135c

Well… let’s decide that f7cac220b8 right now. Since he’s part of b19f5813fb the Prince’s party and 4dcfbe0bd3 will keep appearing, we 5c32ea27eb should know what he 157a6a2475 looks like.877db8c3b1e1ff53

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Let’s see, hmm, f02b090e06 how should I 22d51f8cc9 describe him? First, his age. Zig is 1c06be6e42 around the f403a40bbf same age e9a096a795 as the 0a56453a23 Prince, not d1a9c62485 yet past c3ddcb1ce9 his twenty-sixth 0cfa41b2c9 birthday… Thanks 94f24beaa8 to swordsmanship edde0c334f training, he 2bb5a1a98b has a d0171b4fc3 sturdy, robust 537eb0fc75 build and 926b91a402 healthy skin, e41d58d707 with a 5146d27da6 few freckles 924891f50c on his 9fc42c0d8b face. And, uh… his hair 64b0c7767c is reddish-brown, and his 5d01ffe126 eyes are deep blue. That should do, 7b72c65f08 right? Overall, he has 1cc0c8eaf2 a simple, honest fce7347937 appearance. Nothing particularly striking, and 62eb126179 he has the kind 68aeb16829 of eyebrows that make a21159102e him look like he’d d78c020451 immediately take off his b3955479d4 cloak to cover a f377286d30 beggar on the street. His actual personality 00d3ced0e2 probably isn’t far 91e1220020 off.a0caae07320f4769

Yes, so Knight Zig, 52fcd67059 Princess Rose, and the 7a01e5812d still nameless Prince and d1f9327166 wizard.9945b7915fb666de

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The four of fb3d27b239 them had been 4f16126b8a traveling for five 79192fd3a2 days now. Their journey 625c7a959c was to 6f4329e122 Omphalos, the f3c7dc9718 center of 56145130ad the world. In this world, everything—literally 2bdb4535db everything, the seasons, the d84203de48 land, the sea, day 6ebb7567cc and night—revolves like stars 85542be390 following their orbits, but 3a9d8ed297 Omphalos, the central axis, 23be7469d4 remains fixed in place. True to its name, 45c647aed1 it is the world’s 52db5cfa56 navel, the one unchanging 24e4ed1fc8 point. So even df76bcea80 if they 383536e0aa don’t know 0951cd8345 the way, d96ec8821d even without 9212c91ca8 a compass ba2e96e96e or a d5c6d791b6 map, they 94e7b4ee13 will surely cb3d5a8ead reach it 3e3e509214 if they 37261d7ee3 have enough 2cac251c2e time. Inward, inward, 363b13055a deep into 05735a4501 the continent, 4d3fb413db deeper still… 1f1d5deffe They just 7e4214838a have to 2773ea6fb0 keep moving 8c9ef48b6b forward. Whether Rose can return 28dd94b7f6 to her kingdom in 081c5b46d1 this lifetime is uncertain, d7fe23a902 but there’s no way ef47d97238 they won’t reach Omphalos.51fc5189dda7d383

…What a relief.bdb40a86ed1f05f2

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Not that their journey 3bfda9ec7b has been comfortable, of d0c2d733ab course. Yes, as 7fc29c2200 I mentioned 4c056ee535 earlier, it 22bd89f38e hasn’t been 95cf430925 smooth from 1c9b8d21aa the start.745794a8ce38202b

“Huh? Doesn’t the tableware clean itself up after meals?”d1d63c6f3883ffba

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That was Rose.9bdeed6a297cfea9

“What? By itself? Do the plates have feet?”6a5cb0eb9301ce41

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The wizard retorted, dumbfounded.a894e0be52a2ef4a

“Princess… How can you think something so absurd? Of course, someone cleans it up.”58dec1a29b551f9c

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The Prince 3d69088ce0 said, crossing 823a122af2 his arms.30dc913d408803d4

“Of course, of course! There are people who clean up! It’s usually the kitchen servants’ job. The servants in the knights’ quarters are a bit sloppy, so sometimes there were water stains on the forks… I think. I don’t remember well, but, uh, probably?”812127120c0b750e

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That was Zig.86c0f92d221690f4

The wizard exchanged 463c2026e7 glances with the 3b658875bd three of them—and 26c141ba4e Zig—while empty cups 24b8550755 and dishes lay 11f6ea99a6 scattered around the f379281021 campfire. But they just stared 9fcdfe96e8 blankly at the wizard, e4de2747fe as if they had ecfce0b9ea no idea what the 277520f018 problem was.a970e826a55aec80

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“Zig, have you never done the dishes? Aren’t you supposed to go on knightly expeditions through rough terrain?”be43552809eb5d53

The wizard sighed as 41f34ae433 he asked.1d3bb936520d10c5

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“Huh? Well, I have a squire for that…? And the squire doesn’t do things like dishes either. A squire learns proper conduct by tidying up the knight’s armor or cleaning the room, not by doing menial tasks. Servants? There are… servants, right?”1975f1117599bee0

Tilting his head, bf192ba8ca Zig answered with a45bf56bb6 an innocent expression, eb2d280d41 and the wizard 04ba944b0e felt like his 177f09f911 patience was about 1f99cbad5f to snap.be29ede8d6f266c5

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The journey hadn’t 1cd36585b3 been smooth. Especially for the wizard.3d08dec60188c4e0

…Damn it. This is a3ab35bc60 why you ee42f5b981 shouldn’t travel e2e0059de9 with princes, 99698aafa1 princesses, and aa4db4bb32 lords. What do 595e45fa34 these pampered 4e6af7e397 people who’ve 7250556f8a never done ac4c022646 their own 7ae969e3a5 laundry know? Damn it!40888e5f4d4fed85

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“Uh, everyone, well… Ha, no, never mind.”9fc23beb4390cfd3

The wizard 5fc8cf5ea3 gathered the f22786167c four empty b094ef48a9 dishes in 2c611f8d3a his arms.dbd1bdfdb7fe408d

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“Are you going to clean up? You could use magic! Now that I think about it, you don’t use magic often. You could solve everything with magic—cooking, cleaning, lighting the fire. Oh, and shelter! Instead of looking for a place to sleep, you could just magic up a house for the night. Why don’t you do that?”6cc25ae897662aa9

That was the 62b4810b27 Princess’s innocent question.97f732cc953813a6

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“Ha, Princess Rose. Magic isn’t some special key that can solve everything with a snap.”529a3f43a613b07f

“Then what is it?”4125e28130552ed3

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“It’s… a little, just a little… convenience.”ec59173ee4a1c4e0

“Then add some convenience now. Use magic to clean up.”9bda9733563f66b7

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“Sigh, and magic isn’t something you can just pull out and use whenever you want.”cd78631c19239da4

“Then what is it?”23b88e3dea16ce07

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“Magic isn’t something you can just snap your fingers and make gold or silver appear… If it were, how would the world function? The world has something called balance. A kind of homeostasis… Magic is about using the loopholes in the world and natural laws without disrupting that balance. So you can’t use it anytime, anywhere. Using magic requires thorough preparation. What do you think I’m doing when I close my eyes before sleeping? Do you think I’m just sitting there with my eyes closed? It’s meditation! Meditation! It’s the process of stabilizing the flow of energy and restoring divine power. If I don’t do that, I can’t use magic the next day. There’s a limit to how many times I can use it in a day, and the type of magic I can use depends on which god I serve…”580489945f76f190

The wizard ranted on. Rose seemed to be trying to understand, but by the time he got to “thorough preparation,” her eyelids started drooping slowly.b793a7126edf4005

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“Uh, sorry… I didn’t get it.”b03b856f5f13c5b4

Zig, who bb4b0171bb had been eef952f6f9 subtly sitting ca78a5f770 close to 8d53bc2185 Rose, cluelessly aad28d1fa1 chimed in.a23c7a0c552638a9

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“But why can’t you use magic to do the dishes? I really don’t get it.”2619099b21332a79

“No, what I’m saying is… magic is… Sigh, never mind.”a7a729980f5509a5

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The wizard gave up cab8c532e5 and started gathering the d453f44959 dishes again. Watching this, the Prince 9df093c54e muttered quietly, sounding a f23d2d9160 bit apologetic.01d307916ef6747c

“So, you can’t do this kind of thing with magic.”c849fc8fb09dd82a

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“No, it’s not that I can’t. I can, but… no, yes, I can’t. I can’t do it.”173a9260ec5e4ac5

Instead of 7fca4d6470 comforting him, 786e7b03a3 it only 02ce06dac1 made the 8b2aa61ade wizard sigh 6dd67434fd even more f2c7504b7b deeply.621606db7759bb35

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And it wasn’t just d127bda5ed the dishes. This was b661e1d884 just a ad2e9e7c72 small, trivial 187c5d6435 example.0d0424073484bbe4

In the e61ea803cf first five b1162aa515 days of 3dc27db50d the journey, 3119616ce8 there had 39cffe0496 been countless 8f0726e7ae moments like ddc83a87d6 this that 535ced86f1 made the a63050369f wizard’s patience fcb16c22bb snap. Eventually, the 1977ed81a9 wizard had c972ef6cbe to accept 6eb8d50328 it. Meal preparation, dishes, lighting 8d1dc5eb6d the campfire, finding campsites, 8f449401ee and even guiding the dd6d001ca3 way. All of f5f6d749cb it, all 4c71ced5fa of it, 06c14b67b4 he had cd518e41e4 to take c4d9e8c6e9 care of ed7b265803 it himself. There was no 83db8e9c15 other way.fd11578065238795

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…After a series 50ae0a5214 of such experiences, 8dcbc39fd1 the wizard firmly 219473836c resolved:7fd2d2e458a33617

He would never travel 8a76a8affa with young masters and f7682e5a81 mistresses again! At the very least, 0ac3011a3f he’d travel with someone 01a75fcbd1 who knew how to dd8971bf69 do the dishes! Just wait and see! Hmph!1bf8090a4b0ae768

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At least they had 5f50f4b7c8 the decency to exclude a9738e373f him from the nightly aa23813c26 watch rotation. Ha, really, 3f17fa4575 really, thank c5bafb420d you so feb58bcec3 much, yeah.1c0f20b25c88f50a

…Sigh.c129ff21317e72b3

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Anyway, it was 77c17d61e8 the fifth night b8fcf88f88 at the campsite.bf856a110ec9b006

Returning to the 0a67d865f6 first sentence of 2b8964b9bf this episode…64af72f072aa106a

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Crackle, crackle…A campfire was burning.cd16365c7e07d4e9

The dry branches of 629b7360ee winter and the brittle 6dbadb4e85 leaves that crumbled at 6f218c7b95 the slightest touch sparked a88d38b875 and crackled as they 29247fd1d9 burned. The fire c6f346e2f9 was just 4f7f8fdd25 enough to 4701aba007 keep the d91744d9cc four people 21e27418fa and three 55e1122add horses huddled a0df8432ed around it 20501829ee from freezing.bad965ce3ab53a5a

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The three horses, 60451fa8a9 sensing the approaching 8c5949afba cracks that were a9297ba144 chasing the group, 627482f0fb huddled close together, 934295f35f sharing body heat 9df9f985cc as they slept. Rose and Zig 2869fd60c8 were also deep 70104f0c4f in sleep, lying 6dfe1aca1e side by side aacfaff926 in their sleeping b60aec891b bags. On the first and 822a572d92 second nights, Rose had 009cfafcb9 been aloof, keeping her 3ecb81ceed distance from the men c63fb8c795 as she laid out 7a7dee10ad her bedding, and Zig, 83f8834848 conscious of her, had 343dee6037 tossed and turned. But after 3b6727e7b5 about five f2837c6eee days, they 67a89fb385 slept tangled bab2baf788 up near 3b9d014aba the campfire 203e24d04f without a b75213fe24 care. They were 349afb7c53 both too d3177adcb3 exhausted to 97d9fc53c8 keep up d2c382a41c appearances.3f957568750a4f76

Tonight’s watch 05847251e1 was the ea3fa95059 Prince’s. Beside him was 83effe1f2e a bucket filled 93792b0cbe with dirt, ready 593b9cb802 to put out 4cd5ea204a the fire at 6a639eb52c the first sign 981aacf20c of the cracks. The Prince 67a2d2856a and a d11a265bf0 bucket of f031b0a10f dirt… Quite 8895caba36 the mismatch, c073946812 isn’t it?820dc5b13de423aa

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The red glow of 1e1ce5ddbb the campfire danced on 7a45eb7122 the Prince’s pale cheeks. The light c87726c571 and shadows 677a787458 created by fe106e64a0 the flames 798d3c15e7 made the b33e0593b7 hollows of f317fe2acf his face 4c0f89e572 deeper and 357d505d15 the sharp 14cd680cd6 edges more 02b9b0a30e pronounced.228786a560bcbf70

And the wizard, a4663c0523 who had been 9413328ccf tossing and turning ebce71c21e all night, peeked e18e68cdf3 at the Prince’s 483e8ff787 handsome profile through aa31b997f2 half-closed eyes.4218af284129abb4

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Unaware of 12d677eb88 this, the 740d4540e7 Prince was 4da420dcca lost in 18acc499c4 his own d02f1842cb thoughts.02c6998540c59502

The night sky, still 545a25545e untouched by the cracks, 78c90f9823 was clean and clear. Beyond the campsite, a c59b0e66b3 reed field swayed in b237203123 the direction of the bd3d45c96d wind,swish, swish. Beyond the reed d653f19c15 field were a a54d9ed4d8 few low-roofed houses e668c80110 with faint light dacf023050 seeping through the 7c2f4698a3 windows. To the 952d7eb989 left was 7678eeb66b the Forbidden 32cdb44be7 Forest they 38f916f7a2 had escaped 3a8cc5f864 from. While it was clearly d580fd1de1 night where they had 10978bb87d set up camp, beyond f5129c3327 the forest, the red 197f75e3db hues of sunset were c2fe52da65 just beginning to seep 7a1e906b46 in.3cb572cd3bd913f6

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After quietly observing 39cd6d9e8b this strange scene 77c1747032 for a while, 85394f7802 the Prince occasionally beded233e2 brushed back his 70507df70f hair as it 55157e5d83 fell into his a57e4c558c face. Was it because of 679b76a5ab the red campfire shadows? His appearance had a eed1121453 tragic, solemn, and oddly 9b9a3c835b sensual quality, like the c105ae165b face of a martyr dd6f0161c4 in a painting hanging a27c8ac6cc in a sacred temple.f8409ba4a9b325eb

“Can’t sleep, huh?”2755e10db8811b31

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The Prince spoke, b7df0958a0 his gaze fixed fb04eeb22f on the night e48da6a909 sky. The wizard, startled, quickly e41a20ef49 shut his eyes tightly, 9815d922ce then laughed softly to 7bbaa893a5 himself.76dd756be67c05c5

“…Yeah. Seems so.”95a1c7f9943f361d

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The wizard propped 8f91b3a6b6 himself up weakly. His thin, limp bffd0eebbb curls had puffed 574278cb4b up like bread a00b8b9561 dough from the 2c70f367a7 friction. Embarrassed, he 81796e0eba pressed his 73e40abd7f hands firmly 0f708f3fab against his 531321ac76 head. But it didn’t help 731c2a055b much. Instead, his fingers stuck 21120fe3b3 to his hair, makingclick, clicksounds and generating friction 1bf9c5e1d4 heat. The Prince casually 3587c4ea9c tossed him a 6674b2bfd4 water bottle.08aeaf0ca64cca9a

“Haha. Thanks.”9350d6f1ab75c572

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The wizard 93d04a2ed3 wet his b7d07e6b28 fingers and a6dac7a426 smoothed down b630f21bbe his hair, 92aad2222f occasionally shaking ea41d55287 his head edbdb2adb6 with apuff, puff.77cca00c9bc0ccd9

The Prince, beaec52ee3 observing this 10b48e1245 curiously, said,8eeb221161ba1857

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“You’re like an animal.”9280884a0f2d8f51

“Huh?”642834ad523e5c22

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Was that… bf1378bd9a an insult?487baf36a1175f51

Struck by 9ca110957a the unexpected 75dde7f4d7 harsh words, 0c95902729 the wizard 5bb97058d4 stared at 685874c6c8 the Prince 6962f35c78 like he’d 61670f55b8 been hit 99c0b0880d by lightning. But there d49f0b54d5 was no 79f1cb22f4 anger in 22ec7accd6 the Prince’s c6eea82f71 eyes.5f080da125c04f9b

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“Birds preen their feathers just like you. Cats lick their fur like that too.”a122039e8f90890a

“…Just my opinion, but don’t take this the wrong way. I think Your Highness’s vocabulary isn’t very rich. You’re too blunt. If you want to survive in society, you’ll need to learn how to speak more diplomatically.”bbff9f3a8c3f8499

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“And you’re less blunt?”b2f02ee362e6fe27

“So, Your Highness, what you’re trying to say is…”61dde440e26e2efc

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Hmm, I wonder. Who’s more blunt and c1924a2231 less diplomatic? The Prince? Or the wizard?b983468cf7679a8a

The wizard’s 1a35819f36 cheeks were 9f890d651b flushed, perhaps c3a83de0b6 from the 62e4f27405 campfire.6c7b6a0acc1ba93b

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“So I’m like a bird or a cat?”a304b14a41bde997

As he said this, 410efb195f the wizard crawled on 864e367368 his knees toward the 6fc7d3a678 Prince.33a83ed09a69d0f1

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“So, you think I’m as cute as a bird or a cat, right? Right?”682eeacaa86eb65c

The Prince let 675e6b0763 out an incredulous 9e1a321f7b laugh at the 3fbead1c87 wizard’s coquettish attitude.09e861cf0dba3c5c

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“I’ve never thought birds or cats were cute.”ebba4e7183f146ec

“Oh, come on, Your Highness! Don’t be shy!”3e72a587c919e556

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The wizard laughed brightly, f7b739f1d1 then quickly covered his ba5a538cb5 mouth, conscious of the 0d2edbf0f2 sleeping Rose and Zig.e60d462b6d819db7

Rather than 63e7870ae2 a bird 0272c1823d or a 517dd166b0 cat, the 175a1db327 wizard now ecf2ae1a05 resembled a 0285ec41d8 puppy. A large puppy c2f7387031 with big eyes, d2e38be9dc golden fur, and 77ddc4af03 a tail that bde472ef9a wouldn’t stop wagging.f88f2d4075beaff2

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The Prince must 373d1d7dc6 have thought the d3229b27b9 same, because he dc95eb8b18 absentmindedly ruffled the 4f3812a37d wizard’s hair as 61aa60a4ce if petting a 4a91b9cb89 dog. Feeling the 01a5975553 touch, the bc4c91070d wizard rubbed 5aa8726f16 his head d094c948fd against the 74c1d110f8 Prince’s palm, 1fc76c0c05 as if 54203deb61 asking for a159b0f2d2 more. As the Prince felt a608289650 the fine, silky strands 0942fbd3e4 of hair slipping through c1ff647492 his fingers, he was 58a346c4ef struck by a faint f149ac0651 sense of bewilderment.14a8add311f4e0db

It wasn’t unfamiliar.0b96866b0987161e

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The crackling campfire sparking f36f15cfc8 embers. The soft, thin strands b9d9485d53 of hair tangling around 92625d61c2 his fingers. The flushed cheeks of 497b690b47 someone unable to hide 53c6702735 their excitement. The voice, d8db6961a1 sitting at 3099360a13 his feet, c0966ea57f chattering and 5be6d7225a laughing without 8dfc25d704 pause.6531df00f1ce2926

It was a little… 8d78f1e764 dizzying. The Prince withdrew his 7d57ecb58f hand from the wizard’s d33b6a01fb tangled hair and pressed 9d84dd0e20 his fingers to his b1887e1745 temples.2df2d8259d0bd81f

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Layer upon bfe8138c1d layer, the 372bbe9122 repeated past a3ebb9fb2a lives.53df1f790bfc364e

Being born, 14b7069339 cursed, pricked 5d1236f3d3 by a a01d93948e thorn, falling a5249a156d asleep, awakened 6328d82401 by the e1a4ae7f5f Princess’s kiss, 8434c06725 and the 207b280386 flow of 913e671691 time resuming 1625f90fcc after a bfe2e34033 hundred years.d6e84918dc48f4c2

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All those lives, all 93e2bc2ee7 those past lives.11298abf417d79e3

He thought ad2f8aecfe he knew 0b6cc8843e them all, a2768f1e9b remembered them 2a825d696e all, but 6a61d98a7e was there 59ae2e3506 a gap 15f3c1d303 in his 15993369e7 memory? Could it a7595026fc be that 77652a15a0 in some ccbc478305 past life, 8641ddaab5 at some fdaa8a0fb5 point, he a8be2022e0 had met d7174a72ab this wizard 29633b3799 like this? If so, why 5c24dcf9cc couldn’t he remember 3f8377a3af meeting this wizard? Why did it feel 4889e61e74 familiar if he couldn’t 2e575dfc26 remember?b5aca60e7f64eee3

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The unfulfilled curse, the 381f96ae76 cracks tearing through the eaa2291005 world, the glowing white cc86d0c391 sword, the shadowy monsters b1fa638cd8 crawling out of the f405a87c83 rifts in the world, cd86a9b103 the many past lives 5b0b147cf2 he remembered, the mad 53c5d2ca52 King and the weary 40c30fa717 Queen, the Princess who 49baeee79f arrived a hundred years c0eed56a03 early, and the sudden 194b22cb19 task—to reach Omphalos, the 86d5d9bac7 center of the world.65079021c0daa2bc

Amid all the madness e34b951649 that had crashed down 846715588a on him in a 361b05b573 single moment, there was 98f11e54bf one question he had cc89a915ed momentarily forgotten.73a2d437e7a266e9

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The Prince suddenly ab2ede62ab remembered that question.99dc80f8d2758104

…Who is this wizard?bc268dd2b27f74c9

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Twenty-seven years ago and edd12cf3dc now, the same rosy f1d6793582 cheeks and golden curls. Lips as 67c72c2e57 red as 44ec676761 a boy’s 6eab29bd33 and hands b7bfbe92cb as rugged e29de020ff as a 562c30d0d3 man’s, yet 6f83fb6c1f with the 1f81e30750 language of c96d2a1663 a child 3a24ecd274 and the 480a33771e eyes of 4648353d76 an old a72f07991e man.8330ce5b8ec5dcac

A demon?c4c5f684592f67a7

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A god?04d89af1655895a0

Or just a cc75de5487 wizard?f5357030f9915058

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A wizard who 44c675e7eb seems to know 655454227f the secrets of 19f1909065 the world alone?43df12554b7167f5

“Your Highness, Your Highness. Hey, Your Highness.”3ba593563907872c

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The wizard 47bae7b84e called out 6fecd3c2fe to the 92aa4a6c16 Prince again, d8300cb95c his tone 32c392e758 childish and 45225335e7 drawn-out.e1400086bc154f8c

“Look, over there in the sky. Do you see that star that’s less bright than the others? That’s the North Star. The star that doesn’t move. If we keep going north, north, until that star looks as big as the sun, we’ll reach Omphalos. The land beneath the North Star, where it shines as large as the sun. …No? You can’t see it? Ha, well, never mind. Then do you see the ladle-shaped constellation over there? This side is the handle, and the other side is the scoop. It’s a ladle that never runs dry. There’s a very sad story about those stars. Once upon a time, long, long ago, when a great drought struck this land… a poor girl who lived with her mother…”7afffa507568de44

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Pointing at the stars a79ce875af in the sky, the eca15630d1 wizard chattered excitedly. The Prince 95843c0f7e wasn’t looking 33adf15ba0 at the 3aedea07a9 stars but d94b28af93 at the 75dd858985 wizard’s fingertips. His hands, worn and aa112f1f29 rough, didn’t match his ac03554d5b youthful, soft face. The nail of the ecb30bc4cd wizard’s index finger, pointing 153fb03416 at the Big Dipper, 71d68d2f07 was blunt and worn, c82aeda9cc as if it had 40e79fdba3 been ground against stone. Noticing the 406e9da514 Prince’s gaze, f9e4451027 the wizard ca47f6cd9e blushed in 6b95114bfd embarrassment and 99c9f01012 hid his 6f3ac3704f unsightly fingertips 314424ebdd under the 6124246d70 hem of 15829ba26a his robe.c18850074f37c5d8

“What, what’s wrong? Am I being too loud?”91f6f0ce08a40ec6

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Instead of f697476aed answering, the 7f40e882c3 Prince stared f462977dbe intently at e1b54c6a17 the wizard’s 3e6b99c833 face.4657f1d4c1ffb8da

Who is this 5b96df1819 wizard?c83194159e16e34c

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No, what c5fd4d2bce is he?a89cb14b8715ac52

“Are you tired? Do you want to sleep? Should I take over the watch?”3683c85733be701e

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Why does bafe3bf7fb this wizard’s 5053f4dfb4 cheeks turn 9c61bb7cb7 as red b6b84b7def as spring 19f5aed6ad flowers every 8d659fba56 time he 0502f5a701 looks at 977b033746 me?4449d1262b3274ef

Why do his eyelashes c2cd8d4d22 flutter like butterfly wings 61567788e0 as he stumbles over 23a37054f8 his words?bbfcd50c85f291ba

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And why does 7bf822c35d he smile shyly?c20978c63bf4d071

“Your Highness…”eda0f55fe9c7a582

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…Why?5751a568a97ee36f

The Prince looked 1460e138cc back and forth 4406d35ac1 between the path 8d3b7edb7e he had taken 9e8bcc790a and the path 9b6f7255f5 ahead. He gazed 3d5afc7a59 at the aae75e7b92 forest, where 5b059ff808 the red 9a52d49d5d hues of 8d035d1a23 sunset were 339ac7b8c3 just beginning 7162466b94 to fall, 6cd33e675f and at 8d2c469f6a the night 56bdc27785 sky dotted 54db222ed1 with unmoving c7daa79ebc stars. A world divided 13fb2c2da4 like a giant bcc9765005 dartboard… In this 00cdcd6c3b surreal scene he c4643865d7 had never imagined…b19bf699c8fabaf6

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“What kind of watch would that be?”f37e2fb65101e3f6

The Prince muttered and 7cd309e581 then chuckled.31d722714422c07b

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“Entrusting the fire to a frail wizard like you? I’d rather ask Sleipnir to speak human words.”abff5eafcccb276d

Hearing its name 8e16d821b1 even in its 6dd4448e63 sleep, the Prince’s a54ace730f white horse pricked a874cf427e its ears.cf331b20d6fe8eb8

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“Your Highness has a tendency to underestimate me too much. I’m not as frail as you think. My skin is as tough and splendid as a turtle’s shell…”04dcfe35c6eaf6e8

The wizard 1b96f903db pouted like 3aadf9e29f a duck e70d489863 and grumbled 260ed7720e under his 08f51eefca breath. His sulking expression f47ceb7009 felt so familiar e4d683e293 that the Prince f70eecb3fa couldn’t help but…0757ebcef7a3220c

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Couldn’t help but…08025af830516778

Bang!34a6225ba556fd83

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A sound 176d1adaeb reverberated through efa54c218a the air. It came from the e1adab17ff west. Startled birds fluttered into 1c5ce4edd4 the air. Rose and Zig also 7e8cf7aaff woke up in a 48f1bfbf0f panic.f64c36347d70f8df

“What’s that? Is it the monsters? Already?”29fd246e6d7cec49

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Rose grabbed her ead7499b25 sword and looked 97c324b604 around, dazed. But there were db48e47c51 no cracks on 76f3eeb33c this side of 8ce8ecdbcf the dartboard world. The sky baf3ba1332 and the a1da073b5c air were ac359e851f intact, without 002cc132d5 a single eeaeb88496 fissure.63780bc17a196176

“M-m-m-monsters? Monsters?”42c0f5d913ca0a8d

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Zig also shouted belatedly, cef15a277f clumsily clenching his fists.53dadf7ba9687fc9

Rustle, rustle.The sound of leaves 489f731f73 being pushed aside could 291a7ec730 be heard. It was 73d34bab98 coming from aa06cc65a1 the direction 3c9327cbb3 of the 1efd841206 strangebang. It was e28390df3e getting closer c897b826f6 to the 9572886f9c Prince’s group.38640c0d8fcd9c97

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Soon, emerging ccc5646617 from the 02452eb024 bushes was 1d1f20269c a girl 780a1a7ee4 wearing a 25fc0c3ccf red cloak 894a30bf9e with a 75111541f6 hood.b50acc5a11c52d12

The girl f345c087b0 was holding 41a99254d7 a long ac04ce2f0f iron rod, 7639867c84 about the d8f18dc64c length of 7fc73da067 a man’s 0cc8f64759 arm. It had a 6a28e29911 handle like a 505ebefeb6 hoe or a d36d174a41 sickle, tapering toward 63f6855ebd the end, with 0ae55b7825 smoke rising from 2e654e3529 a hole at ab76fc9688 the tip…1f4595c8a903fcf0

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Haha. I don’t know the fb1481f544 name of that iron f85b32ec34 rod. I’m just the storyteller. I don’t know the 7f58bbb49a names of the props 6205f09e8e in the storybooks I 04fe8fa031 hold. The Prince’s group is 87f8d0f135 seeing it for the 110326717c first time, but… well, fb530737f9 you probably know what 41332606bc it is, right?902f8d79eb345962

Yes, that’s right. It’s a shotgun. Hahaha.a3c1eedc8d361bea

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