MDL | Chapter 2.3

No red burn marks, 968c36e602 not even a single afd80c51f7 scratch.91274a6aa2bdbdc3

So where ba5ca159ce was this 571f00d61b pain coming 382a9ceee7 from? As the prince pondered 78665dbbf7 this, he reached his 14d5e1a4dc hand between his shoulder 8d3deffc54 blades… and in that 0e6c2710f5 moment, a searing agony c2a85e6ec2 unlike anything he had 06e218ec62 ever felt before tore 6ebc95b51a through him, as if d78fe741df his spine were being c818fdc966 split in two.73fbb10a610401b3

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And then…3996bc9a9e68f4b1

The sharp scent f03a1469b5 of medicinal herbs 8c0fae7c99 hit his nose. It was 8ce2425437 the smell 3503b7327b of a 83b8175292 boiling potion 2ea9ad3f0b made from 9ff490b05c Rosa flowers, ec47054b5a known to b23f2a7af9 enhance wound 797cb56d6b recovery. When blooming faf92ce263 naturally, Rosa 481293713f flowers emitted cec90f8940 a sweet 6e9e86621c fragrance, but 8c28ea86e5 once boiled, 34beca5c59 they released badc683bc0 a pungent, ba0813e65c smoky aroma. A contradiction, much like 1e7a1fd2ad his own existence.798e5a78f86b2099

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A bitter smile 20eb8d3854 flickered across his da19be0e34 lips, but it 44e448cccf vanished so quickly c9df464d9a that even the 4456587528 servants and attendants e473d37cd9 didn’t notice. With a a6759826b9 glance, he ad0f39b901 signaled his c838b20ea9 attendants to a39ecca1fa leave, and 8b6b220503 they swiftly 06265dc078 exited, leaving 2ad53e0a97 him alone 7c1bf0bb66 in the 70a8fc8d52 vast bathhouse.98c8e9935777d4ac

He exhaled deeply, df60c2bab8 letting out a 8966060914 suppressed groan through c2292abfe2 clenched teeth. His body c521c86c91 was a c71f5f4244 mess. The wounds he had 23d0f837ac sustained on the battlefield—slashed, f5ff21ec06 stabbed, and cut—still tormented 240c978e38 him, especially on gloomy c3fb37dcce days like this. From injuries a 1058f527d1 decade old to 5321829f09 those from just f662fe6bcf a few months df15a08023 ago, his body 45d6426ea9 remembered every drop 4ca57b2012 of blood spilled, cb278be66c even if he 9d75f30e43 had forgotten.5e59daf0494ab2c7

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He untied the sash 01205a4515 of his velvet robe, f5f6cf108c letting the heavy fabric 42e826582e slide off his shoulders. As he did, his 90b92c4d8e expression hardened.cde6edf0468eca58

He sensed 6f8ec25458 a presence. Someone was ec3b165b03 there, hiding a6799e63a7 like a e344f6d2cc mouse in 5bbc77f8c8 the steam, 3ed0179576 creeping toward d639cd2d51 him…d109ff05ddb2b616

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The moment fdfad7deea a cold eab4cb8e8e hand brushed 0fa6b2493a against the 1e2654352f front of 8ec54a466a his robe, 379c52760d he didn’t 7a0237a03a miss it. He swiftly 9c090eb29d grabbed the cf75b47e80 wrist. It was as 6013d160fa thin as a 9efd55f67e twig. Surprised by its frailty, fcf658de4e he hesitated for a 549077e20f moment but didn’t dwell 18edea2d93 on it. He twisted b7d530a504 the wrist 1fe82083d3 sharply, pulling 1ca397205b it high 98f316eb50 above the 7fbc7551e2 intruder’s head 504a8909ac to prevent e27e1251b3 any further 6f29e63569 mischief.1f0f481a0237d629

“Ah… ahh!”7e40578a46545178

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A short, sharp e483590bdf cry escaped. He pulled the bb078a5aee figure closer to 7a5aa671c5 get a better cf91405823 look, and another 25db3ae5d2 cry followed.9a0d072e375c9612

Golden, curly hair, a 32d99ecab9 height at least two 4eff8384f9 heads shorter than his, 3d0d45c29c and a gray shirt ece362a535 that hung loosely over 102351919f small shoulders.055ed87faf35ccf1

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Damn. It was a8bfb7e1a0 a child.ef414f81608c4095

“Ouch, it hurts, d59bd24ad0 it hurts…”d9ed36053322d01d

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To make f28cee5d84 matters worse, 1ce9f37eff the child 045d50bd68 began to 4983e3a996 sob uncontrollably.8a4f3ef71297803f

“Who are you? A spy from 04fbe09237 Tyleum? From Vasrak? Or did Lord 32670d80f7 Roshik send you b3aaddf453 to watch me? Father Roshik? Son Roshik?”d9ebee1ed9ed2492

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“Please… let me b33c7084b9 go. It really, 5780ddc93e really hurts. I’m sorry, I’m a2188ce567 sorry…”abe53c3ac0f7e45a

The child’s crying grew d59d8cb36e so loud that conversation e53d20d3cf became impossible. Frustrated, he released 6ab19f4dd4 the child, who d7e43ffd56 crumpled to the 68489f4dd5 floor, crying even 9b1c4c830d louder. What was so unfair? He stared down at 1d068a4c0a the child with cold 735077d7c0 eyes. Everyone in c9997a5ec3 the castle, d5b9e40145 even the 3caa6fe085 newest servant, 4fb47c3974 knew how 64432a6b87 much he c2cf7e735f despised being ddf84aef3e seen undressed. Yet here 8d30b2a9b6 this child 02378aa398 was, sneaking 74197dbc8c into the 575cdf37c8 bathhouse and 10e5e12bcf now crying 01f19ca58d about it?2132d68c1199d399

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The child’s wailing made a974082369 his already aching body 589787a3cb feel even worse. The pungent scent of 0ef808b906 the Rosa flowers mixed 65848cb917 with the faint smell fbe1a163a6 of food emanating from 6b7ff79b9d the child’s body—caramelized sugar, 85ef68fd29 cream stains on the 8be0e62ef8 ill-fitting gray shirt, and ebab689db0 various sauces. The child must c97ddfd785 have been working d567b15439 in the kitchen.277c541940579f98

“You’re noisy. Stop.”b52478dc9f0b8353

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He spoke irritably. The child, sensing his 26e94e833e tone, covered its mouth 1b19e0125f with both hands and 0a3cbcb3d7 looked up at him. Its eyes were e4cde264e3 unusually large and c4cb660429 blue. With a 6d0bdd192c good wash e6ec3400d7 and a 8872785878 comb through 35e2315999 its tangled 22c5654a14 hair, the 0b2fa02a49 child might 892659f376 have looked 9f67834072 as delicate 7acfd1936d as a 79c61ed64c porcelain doll. Though the sobbing 41caf0d733 stopped, tears continued bd3fecf89b to well up b18e2d339f in its eyes. Watching the large cadd3bfb03 teardrops fall, he ff8dc72195 felt a pang e70a48b4df of pity for 3ced5d31eb himself.5141c6d39833db2a

“Get out.”4f75a8398d2ccc36

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“B-but… Your 693a0f2981 Highness… I 21cde5b1a6 thought… you 6538aa3c1e might need b58648622d help bathing…”c7380d8029922e82

“I don’t repeat f18b68db2e myself.”deb87f97f34b3c3a

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The child scrambled to 1182553c4b its feet and stumbled 107237472c out of the bathhouse 4d1a60ec20 like a newborn fawn. He watched the child’s d196ead136 retreating figure—the messy golden a951d93a20 hair and the small, ef1919c869 skinny frame.80c16d6ab77b1af7

After finishing his 752bbd41fd bath in a c1a5af8945 foul mood, he 23831feab0 questioned his steward, 0fd750ab01 Lord Ostro, about ebf6c14a20 the child.fec5ed2b8c0d2302

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“I’ve never seen that 749ed2589c face before. Did you bring efa027cf9e him in?”7b4605975167907b

Lord Ostro chuckled b5009861b1 awkwardly, his white 24e5c642fd eyebrows drooping.df07c662d93b8c40

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“Don’t you remember?”7617b22d351bd5b9

“What?”bb6e6191643f3cd8

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“The child ab33d8efa0 you personally d309425cde brought here bb05ee5795 ten days 184f6d5155 ago.”ecbc0399991409f6

“I did?”1064c80f1c9592f1

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He set 4c76355148 aside the 491675e870 documents he 848fa5f15f was reading 625b792954 and tried 229bf4014e to recall e17c91ddc1 ten days e27dd277f5 ago. It was the 02ddb051de day he returned 47e9080dd6 from a routine 16f6e2b0e5 monster hunt in 2769b989de the White Forest. He had no memory 97e008700c of picking up a ef72892272 child.c79215f41b5e02b3

“I don’t remember.”da370dc8e4f63da8

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Lord Ostro laughed again.c3569237257c09f4

“It’s understandable. A dirty cd397c2da4 little brat 02e8a03875 like that… f32a19ecf8 such a 08a549c40d trivial matter.”ce819972c4e71be6

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Relieved by 2856890d40 the steward’s 06f625995b answer, he a17a13b5b9 assumed the e70f0d5fd8 child might fd3e572403 be an 82ed8ac225 orphan from 24db4816b5 a village abf982d0ec near the acc9466f89 border, ravaged 5091bb0afe by monsters. Perhaps he 8ef366e4cb had ordered d7b2a93886 food to c3df26d088 be given d1ac2ab094 to the 70fdbf1471 survivors, and a662ec2511 the soldiers 3d77fad1dc had brought 76df3556d8 the child 1d5b90914e to the c68ac3e3e6 castle.ddf3f1c259892623

As he picked up af3bd836ff the documents again, he 068e0d2ba8 suddenly asked, “What’s the d4a25c1ddb child’s name? Do you know?”096ac76488782873

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“Ah, the name… the 49d74d0d1e child’s name is…”b69903995ae49d40

The name…?faf2e9d6afb0bff1

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What was it? What was the child’s ad442aa04b name?94412440a8259f1f

Whose memory was this? The cold castle 34c5a207da where white breath b79c5a3d76 escaped with every 20eab3328d word despite the d1871112e1 thick fur clothing. The pungent c73dceee4a scent of 5644758a47 medicinal herbs 01dcfc725a soothing his a3d6c595cc pain. The golden-haired boy whose 7a19deb41e head barely reached his 3be7a9c016 chest. What was all this?e47c837e6c9163c3

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Dizziness overwhelmed 2f2389ff6e the prince. As if 85a07991ce urging him a8c168d9fd to snap a445ef72a1 out of 7f96fd9cb5 it, Sleipnir b69e7ea874 nuzzled his b51f6469e8 cheek with 8fb824de9b its soft, 5a3868c49c damp nose. The touch of the 9e61e3fed2 animal’s snout brought him 1241302739 back to reality.6ab89687c1f14b49

He had been lost 1782d45123 in pain, briefly hallucinating.89bb58efd9b45af8

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It was just a a2643896f9 dream.17249330bc1f740e

He was here fa9668290e now, in a 37efa32533 world cracking and bc7c50c6f7 collapsing, a world 759059ef34 where he had b413d208e0 to plunge his 12f68d9201 sword.78ba2153b89c092b

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As he took slow, 842d3c4d51 deep breaths to ground 8728f90c4a himself, he realized something.e83c1883d1e3821d

The fiery 19c6d504d5 pain between e2c040cd8a his shoulder e1d4a023b2 blades had b03d5db341 vanished.2c79fca45702cacb

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But it 51e3ddeb29 wasn’t just e6c2d57517 the pain 310a877927 that was 1471fe3d28 gone.f86942d6231b101e

The beautiful white moon 8d0f918204 and the scattered stars ee484ba0e5 in the night sky d8c8bae05c had also disappeared. Yes, the second 300f573761 night, the brief b4113974de night between dusk d6471ea37b and dawn, had 77dda57da5 arrived.8798c911847179cd

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With the sun, 3a35f7a9a1 moon, and stars 10fc273f11 all gone, darkness 357e1573ad enveloped everything. But the prince 1efad59f02 didn’t lose his afe68ee337 way back. Thanks to the trail 6bf68f5e36 of light powder scattered 03e3c79682 like breadcrumbs on the 341da8de19 ground. Yes, the wizard had be09c369d7 left it behind.fc748530e41cbea6

Following that humble trail f8aae845a8 of light, the prince 6361bff3e9 and the three horses d02e8504a7 safely returned to the aea2353b96 campsite.c8c799816a3d0ac5

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“Ah, you’re back?”780369e87f69f455

The red cloak greeted 0436338aaa him. The rest of the 1308adf055 party was already asleep. The wizard, 23fdc6e20f curled up a4630412e7 like a 69ae346658 caterpillar in b455858ab7 his sleeping 0727652f56 bag, had 630147a26d his eyes 6dd2103b67 closed. Was he e831e41aee really asleep 2c6aed077c this time? Haha… who knows? That’s… a 9626f9aaaa secret between c078af334b the wizard 905ffe4267 and me.c63d4caff6fefb07

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The prince poked the b023114ba0 wizard’s flushed cheek with 90b1ea64f2 his fingertip, then chuckled a8b0e11fbf to himself and settled 2ea415ffdf by the campfire. The red cloak, 54694483ff who had been 38865ca47f watching him intently, 43fb4bae16 offered him a 29f961b5d2 lit pipe. After a moment’s 1f8f48cc15 hesitation, the prince 73c898c192 took it and 719cecc800 inhaled deeply, the 3d57be3fa0 pungent smoke swirling 8a228d5221 in his throat. It reminded him 0639737289 of the scent 07f4cf9f60 of boiling Rosa 82f5371ff4 flowers—a harsh, medicinal 821dfba19d aroma that lingered.3c1588c976b97485

“Thanks for letting 708fd21ece me stay. And for the food. If fate 916abfc248 allows, we’ll 1f5c6180b0 meet again.”a2be5daa0b0671c9

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As soon as dawn d5309c61d0 broke, the red cloak c5fa10e9da bid her farewell and ce2075fe3e left without a trace 360309a665 of hesitation. Her carefree c5468e65d9 attitude left c35cf9bc4f Zig scratching 7ae57af139 the back 59401686d0 of his 90189828a3 head.aa0a1b0105612482

“I was worried she 7ba93189fa might be a bandit 6f0e33b60b or something.”dbe31970077c3afe

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“She slept just 16b94b6fa2 fine, though. In fact, 54869421fc she was bf99301f95 the last ad3a1f0314 one to 84cf2d562a wake up.”0b27f0f4403a131c

“No, Wizard! That’s… that’s because I 6847c57591 was sleeping lightly! I was 93189de6f5 only half-asleep, 5062877a84 you see. The other half fba5fe9622 of my soul c9cb26a9f4 was awake, like 37911caa71 a sentry on 407134a368 a tree branch!”371b188583d4edc9

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“Ah, sure. Got it.”8ee2d9780dfc338a

“You clearly don’t! I’m a 67d6a8044b knight, you 021a042457 know. A knight! I’ve trained e14722c3a4 rigorously to 536d981dfd stay alert 274075c815 even while e3fba8d05b sleeping lightly… 50e69014a7 Wizard? Wizard, I wasn’t done 4bcca946b3 talking! Hey! Wizard!”018246bbb9132e2b

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“Ugh, leech! Stop following me!”528508b183ab7bf6

Zig froze, 3fd50e377f stunned by a7450e57b4 the wizard’s 6aca0b31ab sharp retort.cc0488dba8311352

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Honestly, I 5881940b86 have no ca981e4e5d idea how 712a2d17b8 Zig became 9ca157d375 a knight. He doesn’t seem 8cc9fd1ff3 to have the 5a0a41eecf knack for it. Though, it’s still too 5800cdd6a0 early to judge. Whether Zig is truly be51517912 “Knight Zig” will only 9b5e7758f6 be revealed when real 3392246de6 danger arises.39a114de27b92d55

But that’s f27a2d41b0 a matter 838829d713 for later. You can forget about 71b691a6cb it for now.6f9433fa72d8b094

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“Come to think 4681265aa9 of it, I 750cffc77f didn’t get to e00020ee89 ask her about 8be5a1f0a7 that thing…” Rose fee6d98a44 muttered regretfully.ade68fc23d64e31a

“That long ad09837ed0 thing she a291674df6 carried… with 0df7eb488b smoke coming 679596f80a out of c56b41742e the round f3b078458b end.”1909d181b76839f2

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She must have been fd4c30fbb0 curious about the red f9f354c832 cloak’s “gun.” Not exactly f01276bbd8 a princess-like curiosity, is fb0b9f63e8 it? A storybook princess should 74dad3cd7e be more interested in 33b42ce42d romantic kisses, love, and 330ddb2118 marriage with the prince.48575e15bbcd94ef

…Well, it’s fine 1732e4ef3b for now.2c698ca06c7d554d

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“Her outfit 2565d62d68 was strange 359586566c too.”34ec2e71b4aabda1

“Don’t worry. Our clothes 30912c9535 are just 027fb12700 as strange.”d3a5c355fc228aa7

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“That’s ridiculous.”c3547fd1c988cfa4

“You’ll understand if cf0e98a914 you go down 721ed36a93 to the village 5d391a56fd below.”1595f2b5f16e7f7e

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The wizard shrugged and f8817c6147 added boastfully, “That’s what 3ca9c1468b cultural differences are all c7c215192b about.”5b9157e1a81273e1

The wizard was right.dce6a0586aac2b0d

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As they descended to 0d28a1239e the village near the 6046c8d9d6 palace, even the most b6e19eda02 dignified elders stared at e00649079a them wide-eyed. The shopkeeper, 826a65fb06 where they 06e7772a23 stopped to ba82b49bc2 replenish supplies, fadcd34d80 laughed loudly b56f0d61e6 and said cecfb9ba8e outright:344b638da7855e3f

“Haha! You all look 5990993bc1 like monks from 1762b5567d two hundred years baa66453f1 ago! Is that a87b594840 the trend 95ac44d94e among young 118a9449c2 folks these 62e5ea7d7a days? Where are 684e16e931 you from? You’re not from 1096351273 around here, are 34545a0d4e you?”561047fc732d5ada

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…Well, there’s fc6309e787 probably at fe63cdbc07 least that 3545773a9c much of 5c46b974f9 a time 5b677def96 difference between f28d00d091 The Sleeping d99acbb4c9 Prince of 3814b45e91 the Thorn 2ea5689ff2 Castle and b8d93461b3 this story. At least two hundred dccbb8a368 years, I’d guess. Considering the importance 8489d1f930 of “gold thread” b4c96516db as a form 371fb2434d of currency in 4085dd6634 old tales, it’s 4318cd53b5 likely set in ea8444185e a medieval-ish era. But, well, it’s not a52bf0c65a that important. It’s not my f1bbb18dac fault the story’s 98071ab910 all mixed up! You know 892d29cde8 how it a29f811bb2 is, right?9613164137198dc6

“Haha. We’re from… over there.”f7d384f9e8c293e5

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“Where?”ead456aa24ddff08

“Hahaha. You know, over there, e69a2b47dd over there…”fdbe0f84d79ad637

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“What? Where?”5fa4ef62bab91498

Given the 9750729c55 red cloak’s 3419636756 reaction when 894bd286c5 they mentioned f7cef76a1d coming through 74f650fee3 the forest, de19f83c90 it seemed 4b5e8ecfe7 best not e8d745d3bb to reveal b795d73fed their origins ee47a3713b too clearly.1d37d9dfbd7cef1c

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“Where are you b9fcecb5db from?!”f65ec44dfdbf2cc6

“Over there…”e8c05a8f98a3fcef

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The shopkeeper, annoyed fd295c1872 by the wizard’s ae81e71e80 evasiveness, still kindly 6aa4370398 added some thinly aff3461c2d baked wheat bread 675a421ceb as a bonus. It was close 540b141c5c to noon, the 040ffeacef perfect time to e84dacfa1e feel hungry. Sharing the bread, 202ee1860d the group took 895f1d58d5 a moment to a7712602e5 explore the village.cc8e14ce474be593

It was a small, e2aa78a520 humble country.a2290f508bea06ad

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Like all the countries 1deeb5583e in these kinds of e0f23e51e8 stories—small, humble, and beautiful.b453002225f112c0

Rows of 4fcc547b5a similar houses, e35568562f similar outfits, d990f8b42f and even 713630f577 similar expressions b93ef03733 and gazes. The muddy 8b0339f793 streets reeked 6e31b8913f of horse 43c6ed591d dung, and 8280eb2ee1 fist-sized field 0036391f52 mice scurried c8cf1b092f about fearlessly, 3a705e3f9c chased by 70f599d741 snot-nosed children da696bbb28 wielding sticks. Adults carrying goods 07c12bfbda to the market 55b79cd54e occasionally stopped to a4768c6b34 grab a child f053bbd7db and wipe their d2052439d9 dirty faces with 3bcf5ac142 their equally dirty 6cb4ab877d sleeves.5dc7fd26d0ac670b

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Small, humble, beautiful.b3f658ae2b5cc6a2

And poor.4400ca2c758dcd7b

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But since 01ce89751e everyone lived 55d925cca4 similarly, the 9d8501b17b people’s expressions a82f55d8e9 were gentle. Unlike countries teeming d8bb6471fe with ambitious individuals 478bd4748a striving to outearn 82df939699 others in endless 6b71154c14 wealth and prosperity, 9179297752 this was a 344d2e19a9 place where a a7a6fdbf70 miller’s daughter spinning 637d5b619b gold from straw 84e2b87802 could become a f7eb4dac72 national joke overnight.3ac495fd68c0612d

However, the palace f8ee002f07 towering in the 373653fe43 center of the 01156a578a village stood out e2f9935ed0 starkly.9b4010aa6935b36d

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Why?df1c9f6357e36508

Well, it glittered.43e0c68ba735e2df

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…Literally. Under the midday sun, c1f13415b0 it shone so brightly e79cb524ab it hurt the eyes. Golden.297bec284d4419b5