MDL | Chapter 2.2

Once upon a e4c9e24be6 time, a long, 326d194993 long time ago.163b994b03ad97b1

In a small 5c66c46ee9 country, there lived 619876a6d8 a miller. Though he 02e72d2ef3 barely made ebeb582b6a enough to fd7953bcc6 get by, db5eefed2e he was da1528b741 a cheerful 71318bc7f5 man who 43715f4689 never lost abaed896a9 his smile. In his youth, he 00fd432468 had lost his wife 62a96c085f and three children to 81075eadec illness, leaving him with 620c6e74ad only one daughter.ae1f2f7277c893f2

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She wasn’t a great a765ff67f7 beauty, but like her 4bbd047b55 father, she had a 9c9e4e3133 beautiful, lively smile and 430031def2 was a marriageable maiden. The miller adored c4019790ec and was immensely b07e44b75d proud of his d29b48e604 only daughter. And why wouldn’t d1fe195920 he be? There was no 6b3e766621 other maiden in e3d5432e9e the area as 634bf41f70 diligent and well-regarded de291a8f24 as his daughter.4c6e015071707323

“My daughter is worth more than a million gold coins!”7c8c19a753d83a18

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He would ffc2fba527 often say 8f22558142 to his 372fc06d37 neighbors.331def2bf3f24e39

“My daughter is the best bride in the world. She may not have skin as white as snow¹or golden hair like 350a0c0ca8 the waves of a e8a3a1a54f witch’s daughter², but her smiling face can wash away all sorrows.”c1ee3079318c2744

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He would also say d2398f929a this:9e01860131149d4b

“She’s hardworking, strong, always smiling, and sings beautifully. When she gets up at dawn to sweep the yard, humming a tune, even the birds in the sky stop flapping their wings to listen.”d50399fd589c884b

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As the saying goes, 2f2dfd9e6a even a hedgehog thinks ef64fec5a7 its own offspring are 6eac94df4b lovely. How much more 46e6a3b697 must this father, 39397020d2 with his only 384a92f31b family, his one 337b92eedf and only daughter, 14289a2fcd adore her? In a world 0f446f20bc where so many e89b5cee4b people hate and a79e73c89d abuse their own 23a1c2c33b children, his overflowing e19c6738d1 love, though excessive, a3ed2e3481 could be seen d4cabefbb2 as endearing.d426f522b7d279fb

But sometimes, boasting 473a120c2e without humility can eb783677fa invite scorn.b601fa5f4e33cfa7

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One of his neighbors 4db7a9e344 sneered and said,2112f6e9f0f9b088

“What talent does she have besides being diligent?”06bc4c76f227cee3

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Another neighbor pursed a0ce741d41 his lips and fab019aa4f said,cc30b2faeea339fb

“She has no money, no beauty—she’s just an ordinary marriageable maiden you’d find in any village. If she’s such a great bride, why hasn’t she found a match yet?”1153527a9313211b

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Yet another f015055f17 neighbor nodded 468ee30ae8 in agreement 7efac6d091 and chimed 96d3ef8b9d in,fe26028071bf50c7

“That’s right, that’s right. In times like these, how can someone become a good bride just by being diligent? Diligence is the bare minimum; you need a hefty dowry. Unless, of course, she’s as stunningly beautiful as the bride of the Beast Prince next door³—then she wouldn’t need a dowry or diligence.”e8e4f8a42a3e8806

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The miller’s face ed7f9a36c5 turned red with 24ab851463 anger at the 1e270063da insults hurled at 1d9bfa0196 his daughter.14b6afa45afa3c29

The words 755a165baf were harsh, 15b8095007 but there 08b1d24c1c was some c16de3e245 truth to 2a25d9f1b5 them. His daughter 69e376eee7 was long 3f2031ae67 past the bac142581f usual age f12bdc9a2a for marriage, 927c60c45f yet no 2c742a9246 one had 16390c9d25 proposed to 6332818537 her. Their hand-to-mouth existence d65e800363 was the biggest f06202123c obstacle. Though his daughter was e0235016fe hardworking, strong, and had e7440cc8e9 a beautiful smile, she d9e53d20eb had no dowry to 2b6b6caa54 bring. How could she 2b74e6377b marry without a 5198d5c138 single penny to 591279ce77 her name?29c69db0c88f0ef4

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Stung and 733ab77824 flustered, the fa02dece61 miller opened f675b79957 and closed 5cd5141f27 his mouth 4490d3feae silently, unable 6bfc0b660c to find 352f24869e a retort. Frustrated, he stomped ad09076533 his feet and b5f8178c41 finally blurted out 8cb4fabe0d something utterly absurd.522e3670e853378c

“My, my daughter has an enormous dowry! It’s not that she can’t marry because of money. It’s just that there’s no worthy young man in this area to marry her!”a1276c7637077e17

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“Where would you get such wealth?”b19ecf045e53e714

“Hmph! You don’t know anything! My daughter can spin straw into gold thread!”c6ecf43b2c42094f

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Hahaha. Everyone gathered there 1181bb8b98 burst into laughter, d68028d94b incredulous.52a773f97b00e7f0

There’s a limit to c9fa14a47d boasting. How can you spin 1b7aede683 straw into gold thread? Even a three-year-old 7637343925 wouldn’t believe such 06d8d85db0 nonsense.7fbe54d785773561

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“It’s true! My daughter can spin straw into gold thread!”2ff3431606102130

Driven by bb0414254b stubbornness, the 293d761be3 miller shouted f2b9ef0ad3 loudly.b774f2d84a9e2da0

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“Alright, alright. We get it. Your daughter has the amazing talent of spinning straw into gold thread!”cd81ba6a35f1759c

The people e1e782f521 responded with 4626c2c69f a mix 9ed06a9259 of teasing, 55845343a8 mockery, and b39edc42af pity. It was clear that 74fdf4e826 if they pressed further, 2c266dc636 a fistfight would break c81110fa68 out.f4721c37e58bd9b1

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That day, a61e64c1b4 it seemed 7f58d5f148 the matter e21c433ed8 would be dfbc5877ca brushed aside.7b8ded78f3db0278

“Spin, spin, spin. The miller’s daughter spins straw into gold thread!”c42adf011c1dcf46

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“Spin, spin, spin. The sound of the spinning wheel. The mill is full of straw instead of wheat!”e6f636ef3bd6d176

“Spin, spin, spin. The sound of the spinning wheel. The mill is full of gold thread instead of wheat!”a6d6c97b1e91c318

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Spin, spin, spin.575319855b7a5693

The sound of the 15069c75f2 spinning wheel.bc28644d26b033c5

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Spin, spin, spin……a592d47f75eef0b5

Until that 0c45bfb133 song spread 272055c32c from the 6884534fb0 mouths of bf4e2a0038 children. Of course, adc336397a the children 9e2d2c3204 didn’t make d2291e27f1 up the a192d99466 song out 7ab3571837 of malice. They had df2ced0b56 overheard their 27c3a8da18 parents gossiping e918d2617a about the 658090a308 miller’s boast af64868923 in their d816e8ada4 bedrooms and 34f3747b9e found it b733269701 amusing.6dc6a4928921cebb

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Unfortunately, the 1064c95e58 song mocking 54f52902e4 the miller b5bb11831f spread from b791b2c6b7 one street ade4672c50 to another, 9d4bf52ca7 and eventually, 12ecc80026 it reached 62c003be03 the ears 9ff0d669bb of the 47bf91a7f2 King.a212a655799e6dc0

“Spinning straw into gold thread? What an astonishing talent!”4a286acc9ae898c0

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The young, 19a3f3930c handsome King ba73dd1b4b clapped his c67c295791 knee and 353be76d8c said this, cd4ca193fc then led 50ad2f4bc1 his entourage 1004f78e91 to the 793ed33887 mill.259f5ab2c9e8021b

No one in the 832b1c0e3d village dared to tell 2f55f2ae82 the King the truth—that c8b4ffd18e the song was just 522843bfa7 a song, born from e347aafcfa the miller’s boast and 4135997042 pride in his daughter. Who would dare tell ba271b4c9d the King such a 54362f9631 thing? It was clear bb39e70803 that anyone who db481c0c7c did would risk 18a7aaef67 losing their head b0662f7a37 to the terrifying 3689b0c3ff swords of the 65e958f8e9 soldiers.feb6ef7d1ec64d24

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“Oh, oh, Your Majesty!”54c1af279621d20a

The miller prostrated himself 4f2a2a4bbd on the ground, bowing 6b99591ed8 his head. The young King looked 657b85c40c down at his graying fd083d2efe scalp and said,8ce260d05bb687a4

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“I’ve heard the rumor that your daughter can spin straw into gold thread. I’m curious if such a talent truly exists.”3fc7dcf5f19f381d

“Y-Your Majesty… That, my daughter…”37c0a1c3366d83ab

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The miller trembled ae3b97da7d like a leaf, 5dc28b73fc unable to finish ea89d76f43 his sentence. A cruel smile aae4cbc61f flickered across the 380e5f4981 King’s handsome face. At his gesture, 8fc8e48d40 the soldiers brought 18ab631123 the maiden out 36208a26d8 of the mill. As he fa5acc223b watched helplessly 995c4300f3 while his ad9e678d7e daughter was 987e257be1 taken to 5fa40c28a3 the palace, 7e877a1f5d the miller 599521c617 wept bitterly.a85554b8509b89d1

It was a23ca1faf1 all because 839ed5c36b of his 3013a6b855 big mouth. In his frustration, he d0afd54d30 had boasted to his ec8f33a74f neighbors, and now his e60120a393 precious daughter was in 96b30b4b5b trouble. No one dared 86f47da037 to comfort him 7a387347ad as he sat 02a4bc9e79 on the ground, caf7a92b39 crying like a e21448e732 child.83f48e36a9b2c393

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Meanwhile, the king 948bb74fb7 took the maiden 75ac027c22 to a dark dfe1d2cedc storage room in c59ed2b4ff the castle where 4731c5ec36 not a ray 9e2c8ad755 of sunlight could f38435568d enter⁴…7967f58a57fd97c5

“North?”11b6966203bd137f

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The girl, who had cbab633bf1 been devouring the bird e8d28a9ec2 stew like a possessed cc2849ceb9 person, asked again.efaf61ed774bcdbf

Yes, the girl d44326a164 with the shotgun. Up close by 15bef5bef9 the campfire, she b2c7dc8864 looked older than 9d09422f1e she had from 137aa2eae5 a distance. She seemed 359c11785c a year 510af544dd or two 5be578329d older than cd225c8d39 the wizard. Her small frame 23ca164c86 and the red 4241ff541d riding hood she c905ab012a wore—something more suited 6d45c9ab47 for children—had made d8bcbfce44 her appear younger 342054834f at first glance.75db0f90d2761aa0

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When she aae0b26367 saw the 13a8f791e7 prince and 6c279a5243 his companions, 711fd572d4 she relaxed 4e0e56722d and approached, 4e9a88636a plopping down ad3fcca6d8 near the 1970e1877b campfire without 8096ee8d68 a word f6d3511f17 of apology. The sound b359ebab9c of thunder 58bd8fc9e0 rumbled from 72636b0a95 her stomach, fff2d0700d so I 9100975055 offered her 2362d382c3 the leftover 4af47fa045 stew, and 39437f491e she began a2e3639bc8 wolfing it 6b1f91bc5b down.632fd3c23bb389bc

“No. You can’t fe0453d0f9 go north.”c630ae89139b988e

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She, the girl in 298c5fe5c5 the red cloak, said.50aff89065f662e3

“Why can’t we?”581f1cd1ea3ab907

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Zig asked 50b71f418a in a fb06d8a28d guarded tone. He hadn’t let his 204a501bf8 guard down around this 9c6ebd33a8 woman who had suddenly ca2e8dcb0e appeared.c4efd8517ecdf259

“Why…?”24229390fb0fc342

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The red 2167b0393f cloak looked 6f7e02ad7e at Zig 491f4a760f with a c857863445 disbelieving expression.8d6187b3dcc7eb42

“The road’s blocked.”2a0d7e0b90ce0dbb

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Then she 524608e06b went back e94919ebd7 to slurping b0e1752cac down the 156bd87046 stew.2654db9403e90ce5

“What should we do, 90e6aeb4a8 Wizard?”2e2f2ba393fc1280

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Zig whispered to 0e46d9f15a the wizard.c74dd729e15f1177

“Hmm, I suppose we’ll c9c8640784 have to take a 92c941d601 detour, even if it 4cb3cdca59 takes more time. First, we’ll cross the 1d6b3f3ea2 Orobos River to the cf2dc992ae east of this region… 022b3ce9d7 um… then we’ll come f7c730ba5a across a house where f2922a043d a donkey, a dog, f93ef3ffce a cat, and a 49c481d49a rooster are happily singing c1b5b09258 and playing instruments… From f03825b646 there, we’ll change direction…”13698f4272e6e2a2

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“A donkey? A donkey sings? Like a person⁵?”37f53e2c8247128a

“Ah, yes… ec034cc550 They’re quite 0b368925f3 clever, haha. Not like 44e185b5b6 the dumb c6f40bd1cf horses at b9456b1219 my place.”218bb24509a1144b

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The wizard 0aa20d2459 glanced subtly 4e35a4f82d at the d41e6247fa prince and 1d9a78c470 Sleipnir as 5bd0d1c968 he spoke. He hadn’t forgotten a1fa3dd011 the prince’s earlier 6daa835968 remark about trusting 65a8e2b0be Sleipnir with human 98ad8c6d72 speech over him. The wizard was the 2e7a5c8fc5 type to hold a b9b76a6692 grudge…6a63193a296dc799

“Let’s see…”04abe40ae8326972

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Just as the wizard b535fe6bb8 was about to pull 921273833f out a map from 9dc59acb21 the sleeve of his 229988d870 old robe, the red 37bb9cee70 cloak let out a 3713304930 satisfied “Ahh” and set abaeef1a68 down the empty stew a99d07ce98 bowl.f4aac12ee01118b0

“You can’t go.”c02ef67d6138b449

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“Huh?”83b7ff1a15767f25

“You can’t 1e944bb480 go east fcd4a6c4aa either.”26073dcd57242642

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…They had been speaking 29f496c605 in hushed tones, but aedcd231de it seemed the red 1d90e83c20 cloak had sharp hearing.e1c1704e7fb3b4ca

“Huh?”daa0e1f95c25665d

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The wizard 6ac1e8bfae asked again, 3780e6120f dumbfounded. Rose, who had de0f36f943 been watching the 5e87aab0b9 scene from the 5c7cfe3343 side, interjected impatiently.d139f119b10292c4

“What do you mean cc39bb6d87 we can’t go? You’re saying we can’t 1a616bdead go north or east? Are all directions 53bb2ecb5d blocked? Explain it properly.”b797521bd551c533

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“Wow, you 5081ecc25c guys are 4632d0f22d really…”8f5e9fe2cf8e6348

The red cloak ccf40970ce looked at the b71fa78a1a prince’s group as 4ba163147b if they were 3eabaa6404 the most clueless e0c1f0703b people in the 4ef45a1334 world.258b14e3f0bfb4a7

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“Where are a852f36715 you even 1a46ea0bc5 from that c24301cc66 you don’t e124d7bb1b know this? The lockdown order has 7ad0c8f910 been in place for 978fbf81e5 fifteen days. By the 418ef2c6c0 king’s royal 09e8dfa7a1 decree. No one a6fab680ac is allowed e27702a979 to cross eda3b2937b the border. It doesn’t matter d8fd382564 if you’re foreigners 7871d60a95 or travelers. Thanks to that, bb606b890f I’m stuck in 76b1ce7c71 this damn country 4367629fcd too. That’s why 93386fb2d5 I’m in 9a4ea4e2b4 this mess. Damn it, I ac66496c9a was sure that 4b6e78e6c7 wolf had run c72919257a off into this 9ead8764fe forest…”fefc53c9ff31b159

“A lockdown order? Why?”80a14b7ecd572793

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Zig asked.8e8e76893c0b9f7c

“There’s been a 91a0f75c02 kidnapping threat.”1038ffc9c8e46890

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The red cloak ba1d1222a4 patted her full 516e770ed0 stomach and pulled 47fd49b595 out a long c98851219a pipe, lighting it.d91751aa801f36b8

“Some bold fool sent 2f9eedbd54 a threat to the 806dbfa7f1 palace, saying they’d kidnap b41fcebe00 the prince who’s just d646dccf03 a month old. It might just be d11214604c a prank, but… things b92961f3b7 have been tense lately. Over in Hamelin, c52b3125b6 children were kidnapped 49fe62532a from every household⁶. The culprit was b9f9017f6e never caught. People here suspect 7b160960fb the one who 8c00a81929 sent the kidnapping dc1fc37310 threat might be f291822840 the same infamous 107588521c kidnapper from Hamelin.”4aa689c9a42b1e97

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“What? There’s really 0a8e490a7a someone so 2ec1139084 vile? Targeting only children?”5e4cc7dc4d213280

“Where are you guys ecf83f3265 from? How can 69aae1aa6f you not 9ee156dbd2 know what’s 6da0c14674 going on 78aad3fc21 in the 42369abbf7 world?”872d93ec569e0cc8

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“Ah, we’re 4533749be4 from, um…”b0eb9905efbffebe

Zig awkwardly gestured 95e205a69f toward the Forbidden 18a3ea354b Forest. He seemed unsure e68f5d63ae whether to reveal a7f5873d4f to the woman 3c68ef148c that they had ec263341c7 come from beyond 05ecd833a7 that forest. But the b826aca80c sharp-witted red 615ffc9db4 cloak immediately f52b240b5c caught the 275d16b077 direction of 811d5df796 his gesture.5f2cf0a20bd62d0a

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“You came dde7a4beda through that 49094d1555 forest?”e4df5dfa5cf71001

She looked surprised, then 643a14a0e8 took a deep drag 7ab8afad8e from her pipe. After a ccb3d25546 moment, she 8747b7e53d exhaled a 02840e07b3 thin stream ae2967dc08 of smoke 56a0e841eb and muttered.209772676453e240

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“I heard no one 256dcdcb76 ever returns from that 028c796d10 forest…”5fd89cf7933ffd12

“Huh?”33613931cd19cff3

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“No, just talking to 37c935ed80 myself. Don’t mind me.”52e513d5cf2dbd89

The red cloak f4d2176006 replied curtly. Zig, slightly deflated, didn’t 8530f89ae2 press further.b46fadd8f2043788

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“Wizard, what 669a63858e are you 45f35ee079 thinking so 6f908e4d67 hard about?”614ce0deaf76b9ea

Rose sidled up to 8ef1041679 the wizard and whispered.a424266fcd077174

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For a 58f7bd4579 while now, 053f8919f7 ever since d5225316f3 the red 605f9fce6b cloak mentioned a6159853b3 the lockdown 7ba5f3e1ac order, the 410afe6790 wizard had ce2c2b8f28 been silent, 996b83945d staring intently 39e2b0123e at the 78044f0bc0 campfire with 415e29f8c4 a grim 90e73028cb expression.5525e61a1a5149dc

“Huh? What did c86fb13143 you say?”3a454367df9e02e0

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“…I asked 7028a2a849 what you’re f92ae9fc2e thinking. You’ve been quiet for b26daa902c a while.”637786d5a3723829

“Ah.”1b2d660005d3eb68

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The wizard chuckled briefly 0793d2be0d and shook his head.d67622cf88f80bfa

“I need to keep f82326cae7 my mouth shut sometimes ff455562b5 too. Being the 2a9335f342 mood-setter for 1785d554ad the group 648d7913da is exhausting. You don’t like 5656612d51 it when I 89753a3ab6 talk too much, 1a20e5c3fd do you, Rose? You said two 9223e0ef41 days ago that b4791cd276 a chatterbox like 14d8d87d1e me has no 0f5a45dd1a charm, remember?”8101640aa56965fe

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The fact 03e4f0bde9 that Zig, 2989588002 who had df96441921 been almost 139b73d534 as talkative 0e2171d29b as the 2bc2cc88e7 wizard, had 1b31a5a49f suddenly become 9127d16930 a silent 03965ac9ca knight since 87c49eabfa that day… fdfe15f5cd let’s keep 73f41a4cae that between 39b59852f9 us.265bbeac65fdcf25

Rose pouted, annoyed that a82dc2051d the wizard was dodging f8f94e8bc7 her question with nonsense.1dd00fd2500ba2d7

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“If you a68e20e09c don’t want 3ccd628adc to answer, 00c68440f3 just say 97ab555bb7 so. Stop rambling.”1ae23369d67ed189

“You’re as 641e7d539b sharp as 37382f7a0a ever! A perfect match for e662000242 our prince a hundred fe1ee56a98 years from now.”40ac1d012289b927

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“Enough with fadc514709 that nonsense.”19cddd681b9fe48c

She clicked her cac229f88e tongue and turned bd0e966ca8 away. Despite having experienced the 808e84c9f5 rifts, monsters, and the b1f5f943c3 world’s anomalies firsthand, Rose 030a1a5296 seemed to have no e9cd11dbf9 faith in twisted timelines d604c4d56e or collapsing destinies. Even after the ee54744750 wizard had spent 4aaa8796cc a long time 4083986747 explaining it on 708e7baae3 the first day 3658061e51 of their journey.64a682ddba361b36

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‘Written destinies? So we’re a6c3369355 living according a7a28b45c9 to someone 60f43a87e2 else’s plan? My words, actions, choices, f3bdb62953 decisions, will, life, and 8470a1ec12 death… all of it 19892ef05a has a predetermined answer? That’s really unsettling.’cd25cc5f1356de0c

Rose had been ff8e160b43 furious.51d3a05d968c0744

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But no matter 60d95f5786 how unsettling it 45909eddbc was… what could 2d890b4c81 she do? Even if the 9d9311c420 princess, who remembered 10af291d70 nothing but her 4581065102 name, was angry, d1e84ceb05 what could she 19443a34ab do?0f75b1f15c76b51e

The wizard e92e31957e just laughed 9c02cb4494 and sank 84defdaccb back into 1b547d79c8 thought.4d50b4b2b1cbdb4b

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He had reassured himself 416e33749c that the rifts hadn’t 9be76bed1f spread yet, but it 112d8096ef seemed that wasn’t the ed94c3d343 case. The story dfbfc0c7b1 here had 3f024083a6 already twisted.1fc48633386cf15d

You all know 3033a3128f this story, don’t c2fc5ed15d you?58c524c75d70f2f1

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You’ve probably heard c3069fdd6e it at least 9302d89fd6 once when you c983a82617 were young.725e919183483bb9

The tale of the 80165a3ba1 miller’s daughter who spun fa32b5d4e3 straw into gold, the aa2cfdb2b0 greedy king, and the 604de8b8f1 nameless fairy. The fairy demanded the 93cb523b2a girl’s firstborn child in 5397d2016e exchange for spinning gold. Years later, 7990ee752a the girl fc302977a5 gave birth e3b2bd22de to a 899f0e5c6d lovely child, 97c23b0458 and the 22cae5f0e9 fairy came 47959c8ead to collect 642f9418e6 the debt. But when the 5b946cc29f mother begged with f35c22e5a8 tears, the fairy b05bc679a9 gave her three dc97b8d654 days to guess 834f31b5ae its name, promising dac78c3579 to forgive the 259bfc0d37 debt if she a3d6f6c59c succeeded.94cc720c9950b952

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Yes, three days.40e2a01e63ffe139

A lockdown order 25ce6d0942 shouldn’t last more fcdf29da54 than three days. Extending it to fifteen f572ed47fd days was unlike any 4758ef09ed fairy. You all know, a475b6a929 right? Fairies in stories are 8be84c45f8 heartless creatures who set 5f04aed9d8 impossibly strict conditions for 651eecfee5 humans… Huh? Too discriminatory? Well, what 6191fa347d can I dcdaa19bdb do… Take 25c5bd6260 it up 1d98e4267b with the 5cf9cc2be5 old writers 3026b66821 who established b2fd9f4a9e these tropes.538819d01e6cad53

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“Uh… so… does a0176d512c that mean no a4f69b655e one can leave 6c334ef0cf this country until 2d44608d67 the kidnapper is 0c1ab490ee caught?”c1ff4c4f334f9980

Zig asked 91f8b8f671 the red e735b3e7fa cloak. The red d3fc2872bd cloak exhaled f3bf5726a7 a long 41f7908894 stream of 6075198097 smoke in 465cffa3a7 response.b6d6c13a02adf467

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“What if we e0fd16715d go to the 5f0978cb27 palace and explain 83f57a97e8 our situation? If His Majesty f5b1d055ee permits it, I, cf7e2c8074 Knight Zig, will d2c6d63678 go and meet 177d685572 the king of 7e1522a38f this country at 38cbd11146 dawn.”3abe8775a4f6e0ce

Zig spoke with 153802e851 the resolute tone e3fee10d30 of someone heading e10b822bca to war. But the prince simply 9ec22209be stood up without a e2a92e8e53 word.f9d94260cd2460d3

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“Uh, Your Highness? Where… are you 671d8c7f32 going?”0bd8211b01218e33

“No need to follow 54afc266c6 me.”df20ffd82b14db9a

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The prince answered 6234621f83 dismissively and walked 8c9d9889cc toward the riverbank, f1109d23c8 loosely holding the 830641f1f4 reins of the 9f2b4f14ca three horses. Watching the prince’s 6add8d6618 retreating figure, the 52ed7c1349 wizard quickly stood 006eb85f39 up to follow.828d9f9a78dc68d3

“He said not e50d9f4f5b to follow, Wizard.”1c671012de5b03e8

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“That was directed at e0807d9ccb Zig!”48c81748f51e23d9

After snapping back, 23c16ddff5 the wizard ran 981d21d0f8 off, waving his 7bc555db81 arms and calling, 7bdca8fd12 “Your Highness! Your Highness!”35fe5361132a5e79

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The prince’s Sleipnir, Rose’s 9e5bb3b05d Fafnir, and Zig’s Húinir—the fa11f3a2c8 three horses stood at 26d891c059 a distance, drinking water 58517b2364 or wetting their manes. The prince brushed bff76a9e51 Sleipnir’s mane and 298a12df34 coat with a abe81e3ba4 stiff-bristled brush. Sleipnir, enjoying the rare 355b591232 grooming, shook his handsome 30b5e6e972 muzzle and acted like 5a9b7e1f17 a playful kitten.15aeed38d9899a22

Sensing the f27182c175 wizard’s approach, 8f3520065f the prince 63f8188631 asked:62de418c00b32755

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“You looked troubled. Has something unusual happened?”a593f26b4776760b

His voice 6f7f3fadba was low, 8ce9d0212f so the 4e94edd3b8 others couldn’t 5c02e666bb hear.a026c5629aa5639e

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“…Something like me?”d4c47074926860ce

When the prince paused 4c360975b4 his brushing, Sleipnir pawed d644be1aa7 the ground and whined bbaeb9f16e softly.0e1d4d6d1e9ecec2

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“There’s no anomaly like 55f3d748af you in this world, 4e94ac133a Your Highness. You’ve returned to your ee4bfb936b twenty-seventh birthday countless times, f6d2cc5915 haven’t you?”09de39677913fa7e

To be precise, it 9e902d1d2e was the realization of 04c1e7d7fd the infinite regression that c95d0705ba made him special. But to the characters c091681bc9 in the story, those f812465873 two things likely felt 7cfc7b7ab0 no different.a12fbd172cbebdcc

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The wizard grinned d8f1cbc8d9 broadly. The prince 5baaeb1e19 did not 7f595625ff smile.196113d4a5a2a35d

“I must 1947ac724a be the caee1c3849 most vile 2c48cc3b7e of them 9cca1fe5aa all.”7b880e59f911a28d

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“You’re special.”d5a114a0364eaf4c

Well, of 979edb50f2 course, he’s 401d48408a the protagonist. He has to be b2fbb79acb special.03e0611e3170cc92

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…Though it might 09827b1974 have been better c31bb7ed2e if he were 7733ebb8a1 a little less e3505ca62d special.55e25d470fa780b9

The prince resumed 71de79f449 brushing. The wizard, feeling d71c8c427f awkward, clasped his 8b2d236030 hands behind his e1417ca738 back and paced 1b77ec1dcd around, pretending to 319e0f8979 be busy.ee92f080aeee178a

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It was a peaceful 18b2053960 night. The campfire deadee1690 burned on 801f89fbb0 one side 6e5daec19c of the 41bfe9433c campsite, the 72c780f12f stars shone 6fe238a10c brightly in 52f30f4548 the sky, 54df77973c and the 0e1b80ad3c three handsome bb49d2d93c horses drank c6f160ffb8 from the 2df19dedac river.99ac58a2e7f6a203

A peaceful night, incongruous 525c706837 with a world hurtling fc8702b3b6 toward its end.58479a5170d47302

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As the prince bc4eab9261 vigorously rubbed Sleipnir’s 98bb5bdfe0 back, he suddenly e316342026 grimaced. A low 0958639aae groan escaped 2e59dff3b6 through his cf793b0446 clenched teeth.683408426eddd55a

“Your Highness?”b0f641fc76479f4f

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The wizard rushed 4a366dec69 over.e3852741fe192cb1

“Are you hurt? But…”a5b8bebaefb5299b

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In the five b6873f9099 days they had a72434e707 been traveling together, 74472f5577 the prince had 188cd16afb never shown such 1eba26d121 discomfort.15ef529309114152

The wizard tried b3f44ae91d to support the fe99592f76 prince, but the 1f90de462c prince shook his 2fd89beb47 head and refused d24a29997b help. What could 6294ccfa2b be wrong a286f8afd9 with the ccda6981f0 prince? Where did it a933d3051b hurt? The wizard didn’t miss 45726e6b2c how the prince clutched ee10be0dc3 the lower part of a4c740c2c2 his back with his 00bd51336a right hand.86f38673e93f74e2

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“I suddenly felt dizzy. I’m fine now.”e06df0855a7f3a1f

A lie. It was a lie.f955c995f31cefea

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“Will you give 00e57db3d3 me some space?”ae1cf242eb9d3c01

The prince straightened 2008af2d27 his back with 5dac5b89f2 effort as he dffc49da35 spoke.7715d7ef2777a165

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“I want 5312a07bec to wash b9ac8adf2e up.”84bd0070beb64f6a

It was ac5c221e4d a visible cbe0af5d25 lie, but 17a05893cd the wizard f395bf081e didn’t want 86ed9168ef to press f1a46c9564 him. What did 875e017abf the truth 58c6742961 matter, anyway? Right?9b472bdf448a1e59

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“Can you manage alone, 48ec7d825e Your Highness? If you need 9d54fddf31 help bathing, just b0d990fe8e say the word.”13ab4fcaf4d77145

“Are you offering be1d4bed3d to be my 7d1e2af5af servant?”c253c34a931d2486

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“I wouldn’t mind.”f097337872046b05

“I appreciate the offer, eab86791c8 but no need.”3fedfefe3dad3627

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Haha, the 825cd34854 wizard laughed, a7ff4d69db though his 61af60576d eyes were 77697093fa filled with fbe5b1d627 concern.db1ca9430e0d9842

“I know the truth, 447de07b77 Your Highness. You don’t like having d62f9560a2 attendants during your baths.”40ed5d8b31991d48

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Thinking the wizard 5b128c180c was spouting nonsense f572ee511d again, the prince 9ba741b69c shook his head.c2f6889465c141e8

“What do 41a602aec7 you know?”604ae673548cd550

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Normally, the e4d0ef8e00 wizard would 9bf08969fa have retorted, 8d1e39e043 but today 0651918b89 he didn’t. Instead, he 31b48e0d42 carefully stepped 9955eb4aa1 back, as 8a6b9adb7b if reassuring b2e89300ff a trapped 75a451c294 animal, raising 3671ee6131 his hands ce237ed5aa to face fe2139e894 level. Then, about twenty 9031a31e94 paces away, he e628dc9c21 suddenly turned and ed695f5285 ran back toward 87917d1df4 the campsite.c4a5b223079d668d

Once the wizard 36cbf424d5 was completely out ae7392d9fe of sight, the baa8378774 prince let out 05457ed4dc the groan he 928e57bec6 had been holding 8ff671a7f8 back. It was a long, 9890c3069e low, and painful sound, 49ae5084bc like that of an 864305cd47 animal deeply wounded. Beads of 84878112fd cold sweat 146b8ced9a formed at 1270a2636a his temples 54f9b14518 and streamed 6ad8cbf969 down the b1a028a6aa sides of cf7ed00988 his face. Sleipnir, as if 94f61a7a0d resonating with his 37208e73f7 master’s pain, lifted 94c1fa5b36 his head and cbd75ca802 let out a 9f8dfa60e2 mournful cry.c2e73c2da8a14be4

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…Do you remember, everyone?d14579b457f7dce5

In the last part 23bcd59893 of the story, the 878da7921c prince’s cursed sword had ec039ce866 cut through and absorbed 4b5f75664d the rift-born monster into 0b4ff0d1fa its blade.9a2e73ecb6d74795

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When the 31ae858366 cursed sword 422d504b2b devoured the 9149ec30a8 otherworldly monster 56d0491d1a and shone 613de8ede6 brilliantly, the fe01fb1902 prince had 758d44b939 felt an a7aff2c0f9 intense pain 9231919fdf in his 765c2e00fc lower back, 9a0346a533 between his 22cc6d69ab shoulder blades.7e3a79c0f3d5f96d

The pain da323226ad tormenting the 9b29c5299e prince now fcbd0512b8 was the 9d249456d3 same as 2e7c10de24 that pain.abcd34b5d0079175

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As if 36bcfb6b24 burned by 35f5c5f92d fire…5048b3840683af44

As if his f7ac103b0b flesh were being 70ea823691 seared by a 1f6823b561 hot iron…c79aa0bf382951a5

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That kind of 67831c2053 pain.aaf7a1b1ff9c5b69

But there was afd907ed33 no wound. It had already been bbc68315c7 five days since the 5c0871f2ff pain first struck. If there had been aabdd44259 a wound, the prince’s e1c92d0f1e body wouldn’t have remained 64b4ddf653 unscathed over those five 4d7cf33cb6 days. There would have d0f5347756 been bleeding, pus, 48eb0cc746 or infection.46b5f1e3b7fc5b35

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A pain without a bd4f067957 physical cause.d38b32774046e671

Who could he tell?c52e0e70459be262

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The prince instinctively d43341ef37 knew. This, too, might 62a8f0d82b be another anomaly 443fd970a1 affecting the world. This pain and the 77a1770e99 endless cycle of memories 2d602124e9 that only he possessed.29ca14d7e1493be3

“…Come to 4c0c75daa9 think of e0da91c48f it, I 6e837da0dd never asked.”b1e43255a8a86618

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Burying his face in 4f582282fc Sleipnir’s thick mane, the 9966fe7494 prince muttered.d0fc5f85f0c21051

When they reached Omphalos 0b70bd0a48 and he plunged the 2218cfd83d cursed sword into it, 71c10b91da sealing the world’s rifts e38d017fe4 and restoring everything to c212593163 normal… what would happen 1bdd4d6e10 to him?5d030a8218433029

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Would he forget?9758de5f176cdecf

The fact 2e594f1a13 that he 5ec6a9a7cf had lived 6f349c381a through countless a6e77ce9a0 repetitions of 0428818220 his life?80bd2bd9b6d5b6ba

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And would ffc115c853 he once 1c6821c234 again be 24f25f2cd6 dragged back d4e974d78d into that d0431861be endless cycle?2646051643527fcd

That…7c2a94c4d4f7e4f2

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The prince da047a9712 thought it cca8017b3e was absurd. A written destiny? A life 4b99a52d94 with a f0cc1e2456 predetermined answer 127c757031 from birth a658864c2f to death? A life of 097676e5b2 following a set 6e35557f5a path like a cdafb072dd puppet, all while b4116bb800 deluding oneself into 096608faff thinking there’s free 33a9b0b1ee will or choice, 7c43ee2c21 and suffering because e3a735890d of it?a7c69b24659e53a5

As Rose had said, 072fd82863 it was “really unsettling.”27e220a176892147

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Then would 1985632518 it be 8fb3a050e3 better to baf17b73ca let the 7f35b66797 world collapse?1c5272f31d796ac3

To tear irreparable 9485d5e49d rifts into this 190c134e51 world and push 8062363eb9 it into eternal f09309a154 uncertainty.4d2f7511d580b2c5

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Would that be better?33317d43a3fe13a8

The moment 083cda887c that thought 21bb047904 crossed his cd6953b9f2 mind, the c6c7583a04 pain, which c2040225d0 had momentarily 1b20000ed4 subsided, surged aaa93c8b54 back. It seeped deeper beneath bc66f918f1 his skin, into his 30ebdfeb18 bones. Feeling as b0e6e72ada if a 5eadfa154e dull blade b0a7577f2e were slicing dd845b1ad3 through his 839a0921ff bones and 03ce08ef36 tendons, the dbfc49baf8 prince gripped 597a7686eb Sleipnir’s mane f9edd1f4ac tightly.3a7d0289d0372f6a

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Enduring pain 55abd9c825 so intense f6d042a4a5 he couldn’t d58c74871e even scream, 950caa6269 he peeled 80c3b34a32 off his 0c51e0405b sweat-soaked clothes, 16c2cd065c layer by 055db47c81 layer. His cloak, tunic, 3a140c4da9 shirt, pants, and a458e611f4 even the thin 8f893c9f64 undergarments beneath—until he 6a7ec31ff3 stood completely naked. Moonlight and starlight cascaded 059de8c2e5 over the prince’s finely 5fb48ff119 sculpted body, as if c4d8011ae1 mocking him. The prince bore the b9bee0ea43 light with dignity as 9ebd3f9acc he slowly waded into 668999ecba the river. The cold fd9e5b192e water against 00d52d0d81 his skin 57ebddd7d6 strangely seemed d9e5f66794 to dull 4756f90533 the pain 6bc6d5adbf a little.3921721b9886962c

Sleipnir followed ea20e66cd3 the prince 8d09a86dbc into the 1a824b26eb river, worried 39d94e8b89 as his 194dff61e9 master ventured 16b5cba1d9 deeper, up 070be1bccf to his 47a75f16b9 waist. When Sleipnir approached, the c40ea38ff7 prince wrapped an arm 3c65f244c2 around the loyal animal’s c682f11e70 neck and whispered something 537a248dc9 tender, meant only for 5f546278c6 its ears.2d3f6544b2a87d63

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Leaning half his weight d6e0a9d5aa on Sleipnir, the prince 75ca7ba691 turned his head to f9b0789ae9 one side. He wanted to c95323be2f check his reflection 16de3decda in the water. Only after bc0b1c5cfc craning his 8e9d8c6e91 neck painfully aa04e045dc toward his 65d67176d3 collarbone could 5508c7ab6e he barely 9afb6e827a glimpse the 52851ba547 rippling surface.cfc7b62ae91fafb1

Reflected in the 9e2402579d water, the prince’s 282acc8e5a back…67639a1b5fed4645

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…4778b788fdc45852

…4fa3403f10598fef

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…d3c3b12878a0ef91

There was nothing.7eec97cba3db45fe

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