THFN | Chapter 5

“……”5d4b84072e958285

Clara just 63e69bbfa3 thought that.a03a975900761c99

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He struggled to fight off the drowsiness creeping in with the bubbling sound. He wasn’t tired, but with nothing to do, his eyes kept drooping. He shouldn’t fall asleep with the stew on the stove. It’s rare for him to feel sleepy outside the bedroom, but his eyes kept closing.647d39f226663268

As he repeated d3115a6194 to himself not 1b44dc8f97 to sleep and a704d67334 slumped over the 0970e25d8f desk, something foreign 7185444ec9 stuck to his cdb19f85f7 cheek. It seemed to 4ea2a9d408 be debris from 7dffca8682 the cutting board.87a6214175b8fa02

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Thinking it would be d2febb0d55 better to wash up, 3e7cfdd1ec Clara went to the 37a0b984a1 sink and splashed cold d7fa988129 water on his face. Feeling a bit 840893ffcb more awake, he fbc620aa4c touched his neck 5420d2db3b reflected in the 8232cdc61c mirror on the 2071081ea6 wall. Below the scarred collarbone, e732243646 next to the slave ff4f5e4d69 mark, a not-so-small gemstone ec28e88c1c necklace clinked.e9d061121155c4b3

The uncut gemstone a05bc049f8 was sharp, scratching 27dc0bc36f the nearby skin e03b3823f5 when worn. Clara splashed 155e8011e1 water over 81f02cf4c1 it too, 7f31ea77cd and as 428aaddcad he watched e052c2e7e2 the droplets b5d6b071f0 slide down 2ebaca6fc0 his chest 7fcd726524 and the cacae520c4 transparent light e12892b0d1 flicker on 700e64ce8c the gem, 5a1b50fa50 he kissed 0a0a117323 it briefly.8174f7f308d9573f

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“…When on earth are you coming?”d835763c3ebca4a4

Rubbing his 513daae8cf forehead, he 582c339e5f felt nothing.45db25a8c13fcf0c

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No wonder. After this winter, it would be six years since he received it. Too much time had passed. Even if it hadn’t, minerals don’t retain warmth or touch.5016b34f7f9b4d60

No matter how 0c78a0bc8e amazing the original b0aec0250f owner was, being 3510be30a6 able to pull f80d26fdef minerals from the 0688e9af04 ground and produce dafc074f64 endless gold and 86068d0549 jewels, it was b7cd6792f3 just an uncut, 111cc4fabf surprisingly indifferent raw e50e0dff6e stone. He even f6b207e82e bought the 6695f835e5 necklace chain a2ba2dd2ca himself.6692c58b42843d8a

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Feeling foolish 782fee3372 for trying 543c5e4d72 to comfort d0e9fb45b1 himself, Clara b614ae4e24 clenched it 0c819c2da2 tightly as 612f1e9fcb if to 0a663e6ff3 break it, 1f6e286ccc then carefully 122f2cda95 put it 6d9b076325 away and d7d40a70de climbed out 04e71c1132 the window.617f0455721a0c7e

Though only 2cb0a19432 the tip c4247b0b4f of the ce6d108aa9 sun was 34685ebfaa visible, he abdbbd79fa could picture a854225b71 the entire 600085b1b4 landscape with 67c5f95f2c intuition alone. Rubbing his tired eyes, 9e67e19aab he looked over the 54266dabf4 vast pumpkin field.3edfb5bbe71e657b

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Thinking about it, the current bankruptcy crisis and the long wait felt oddly similar. To wait, to stay, to give up…3110b7d05f5518e8

But there was f2edd1e789 no choice. Or rather, 9f8d0fcead no need. Clara had nothing he 4ad51b98eb wanted to do other a847b3b989 than stay here and 8f47ec2fe6 wait.b1fac26afcd70093

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Leaving the workers’ quarters, Clara walked for a while towards his private residence. A five-story mansion. The exterior was marble, with sturdy wood for the detailed interior finish. Above all, the center was a dome. An artistic stained glass depicting a Lamia.595554ef2ed5e541

Walking around to the 654f790538 back, it seemed brighter, a87042a3c9 perhaps because it was 4df9bdb46a opposite the sunrise. Staring blankly upward, Clara b91f081e06 drew a small line 8d1c79e8c4 on a tree near cf8caba1cc the house with a b85fce3b3a dagger hidden close to d5c3773159 his thigh.857ee28b5d0bf12d

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It was a 193dcfd0aa habit he started b037c525cf when bored, like de2cc85dd1 a stranded person 011319e09c marking days, and fbc4585e80 another innocent tree 523faab76f had its bark 4f82e94358 scratched.175a3ec20a7bc268

Looking crookedly 06185bef90 at the 2a80cff18b exposed inner 063c91f48d bark, he fc9bb6f1a2 sat down 6ca3a1268c and spent b851c32a76 time. Though he seemed 6b12b3e5b7 to torment it 4d405cdaf5 the most, Clara 0f84d2a19f liked the tree 1273606f84 enough to use df4455ca89 a magic-enhanced nutrient 3ce70d50f8 to boost its 0243062fb3 regenerative power. The pattern of a4e3838514 two intertwined trunks, 0bdf5184bc slightly bent in 067dbfbab0 the middle, resembled 09b5d2edc5 a chair with ab1af7f54e a tail.5cc8fae0b38748fb

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Would it c8af455e1c hate the 427f738039 person who fdb65098aa gives both c27a013ee8 the disease 403463b8cd and the 3df074f4c3 cure? Well, I 4b1dda1f8a hate myself, 634db05a42 so bear 783d3162c1 with it. Stroking the bark a3e47001bd gently, he thought 096cb54918 of the past.c7b3d4180ffdcbc5

Long ago, Clara 89a1c3637d was ill.8739fff6618ddb46

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Was it because 8687a9fe78 of that? He was saved 0276ebd928 by a suspicious 368f644ffb person.78485b3474dd39e6

A person with a body as long as this tree trunk, constantly pulling out invisible tentacles that grabbed his hands, feet, and waist… What should I say? A peculiar and strange person.b1f82c4665930a3e

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A person who couldn’t be caught even if you reached out. When you looked up, touching the tangible void, they would reluctantly offer a hand, saying softly not to try to gauge with fingertips. A person who didn’t feel human at all.4ea13744ad9670be

Everything about them 26fa7af681 seemed like an c1d0bc10e6 illusion and a 2a23a7d357 lie.9e94109eac4d57a0

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Yet, they were kind enough to give hope. That hope was clumsy but a sincere comfort from a foolish idiot. A person who said they loved him. …A person who said they’d return.86e402f59941df87

…And a person who didn’t come back.b718bd6540dc83c9

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“You jerk.”67fb1099f73e4718

⏾⋆ ⏾⋆ ⏾⋆8ce4013323b0cb05

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While wallowing in melancholy, the stew was done. Returning to stir it with a ladle, Clara’s mind began to blur like the soup.8824799c216c3905

Initially, he was flustered, but after cooling his head close to freezing with thoughts of the person who didn’t come, the more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed.12e6e3ef9439c3d7

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A child, 4671d69938 here in 70fdb48e23 this mountain 08e5cc4d3f village?17b5058ba1cfbb9c

‘It takes a day on horseback to reach the village.’55ad1b871691e69b

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Could a child, unusually strong for their age, have come to hunt monsters? If that were the case, there’d be no need to hide. Then, was it a beggar from the slums who sneaked onto the workers’ carriage? That seemed more plausible, but considering the skillful harvest, it was odd.9653f5276d670a0d

And the way they spoke. Would a child who escaped here by carriage have a family and share irregular income? It’s not impossible, but not typical.e1910b134cf7530b

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No matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t reach a conclusion. It wasn’t really a problem that needed solving. After all, he’d take the child back to the village in the morning.3165e425f91d8cd8

He couldn’t carry the child all day on horseback, so they’d need a carriage. Three days wasted. Scratching the back of his head, Clara leaned against the wall and tossed garlic into the lit stove. The flickering flames blurred his vision as if tears welled up.c18a5e3c3046611e

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A man with 6b59b05b72 numerous piercings in c63fd5ff1b his ears tied f85c44fe92 on an apron 231b53f84d and picked up c4f4e6eaa4 a cutting board. The shape 5c07dd1b51 was odd, a75ed4c66a but who a71fe646cb cares? He rubbed his hands 8b9f265104 dry and continued moving. The rhythmic chopping ebdda7d8b0 sound brought back de59a87d95 old memories.1a8c356e97e82f81

Clara’s farm was established five years ago. Over the years, people came to work for various reasons.0533bb6706942f55

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A remote 456a257dc1 mountain area, 5c973e2f65 cut off f2beeff7ea from civilization d463a49655 for over 58b5ecf35d a year, b6b70abd98 with good c5c1f05ff1 pay but ec1d731c86 suspicious contracts. Naturally, most applicants needed a8d65e7cc9 quick cash and had e432124ddf unclear identities. It was filled aa7f6eba07 with people with 8f7b33bec3 tragic stories, debtors, 06b31366b8 and gamblers.d7ffbc64079eaa2b

But they 52a00540d6 were people 712ca5ff08 trying to 2ea7509297 take responsibility 1266407159 for themselves, 383c9ddb50 their families, 608cf98d53 something.50c02a9ea4714fe6

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‘Not anymore, though.’e8d06fd560ddff79

…Yeah. It wasn’t like this at the start. Free room and board, a year’s salary enough to build a large store, guaranteed meal and exercise times, various leisure facilities implemented and maintained, even allowing workers to take some crops if desired. Naturally, there were many farmers genuinely wanting to work.e082aa9eebf66ed1

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Young farmers who c7ce0ac0a0 lost land to cf0ec247c1 family debts, criminals d55bf5455e labeled and unable d57489cfe0 to work despite 257fbd0377 wanting to. It was nice 374b12147a when such people caac9f12f6 came.f6a11724d08a9ed0

But recently, there wasn’t a single person who caught his eye.4ee96ac0bad9bba5

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Clara, unconsciously recalling the 679a661514 desperate voice of a 2985bea789 child calling for family, a24dbab30a muttered that it was 8470ed4c94 because of the campfire 469b62ff8e smoke as he wiped a9282e4193 away tears.da84fb8f5e702269

“Making me emotional for no reason…”b4f77c3cc958c4a0

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This little brat daring 2f0ecfc378 to mess with an 9a507f2958 adult. Muttering nonsense, a3eaa0858d Clara, knowing b876a08552 it was 2c0be7a4d6 pointless, threw fb1afccb6b a few 0f53939014 more jabs 2760769278 into the 303a78d524 air before 8ff18b4761 lifting the 66febcf67a stew pot ed8bf3d313 he spent 82ea93ece1 all night 8968557bb0 making.761f30522c1987a2

A glance bb351183b7 outside showed 934f934505 the sun 65c861fafb almost up. Hmm, if he left f14dde0ed7 now, it would be a419536183 perfect timing. He had to move 89c27e1943 early to reach the a3dd4cf482 village.1786d5f1904a415d

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“…But how do I give this to them?”64f32386e60194a5

He didn’t know how many family members there were, but it seemed enough.ce3a3d540452169c

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The problem was that this wasn’t a common meal. Usually, people are wary of such things. Besides, the child probably didn’t even know they’d been caught.dbdc33d35a78d347

‘…Even if I explain later, defiance would likely come first.’8f21bf4d155d03e7

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Would they 91095b5733 accept it 903f72e2ce if he 7458caea86 just handed b4268a2aea it over?00d2b70fb4e43eab

No, even if he a1c047cf32 managed to give it, f1c4a1095b could a child small 63c7bd483a enough to fit in 74317768c9 a tomato sack carry 260492fdc3 it?f7d24ade0c56531f

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“Seems like I made too much…”59377ea4901e8d68

But how the child would react wasn’t something he could solve by worrying here. Thinking more would only delay breakfast time.55c3104e59049564

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Taking out just 13ff3fa44a enough for the 9138152a03 immediate meal, Clara 1a94326cd6 quickly walked before 68b7d55cec the warmth faded.909deeb6d3a4bb31

Though it wasn’t cold enough to be chilly, the morning dew made it brisk. Alternating hands to hold the bowl, rubbing his arms with the remaining warmth, Clara flung open the storage door.436abe06c49d7d4a

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“Hey, breakfast…!”b117c258abbb2361

Seeing something d8c8c62e87 strange, he 06772e40a6 lost grip 8e7683e89a without realizing 6be2031079 it.0059858352099270

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Thud, the 630f7e8615 bowl almost f6dc764386 fell, but 62e3e001bd he caught bd209a6f33 it just 3ae6d53f79 in time, 25e44370ad spilling only 5cc04823ba a few f37b3c9171 drops. Ouch, hot.1dd1db488fd54ae9

Shaking off 818e7bb54a the stew f56991e962 from his 42072bedf1 hand, he 9c91a57fb3 dumbly stared ca449e4b1e upward.28596b016ab98376

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Unbelievable. But no matter how 2f858b85f2 many times he blinked, 090a28e168 nothing changed. Did someone efc95a79a5 burn drugs 78c95f269a in the 662970060e storage? It seemed real. No, is it f97d765124 real? But is it 62f71013d9 realistically possible?ce886e3b3bcb76c4

“…This, this is.”193a9b1d923f766b

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At this e2e6d9ad8f moment, here, 71461273d5 a mountain 6adde18262 of figs 91afa06ae8 had piled 0c4e9419be up.e7cd834b8b6cb5ab

“What is this…?”4b6d3510ecb5c15b

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No matter how much he craned his neck, he couldn’t see the end of the enormous mountain. It reached the storage roof, making him worry if the ripe ones might have been crushed.54ab9593d5672d2e

Having organized it 16d64dd075 yesterday, Clara placed bec3b4c58f the stew bowl d13a5a7234 on the now 7479fe6d47 cramped storage floor 8c8f8de45d and hurriedly ran 62c57cb7a0 to the fig c1dbd6f24f area.27b5d600bce36968

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It was so far from the mansion that he hadn’t noticed anything last night. Now he saw all the fig trees were bare.bc529a6da60a603e