10.

“No other option.”fe1a9fedc23b67fd

The noble-born mage, Edgick, c3097ec21a stated this plainly.ed5e468767c58619

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“No matter how I 0bc56e7695 think about it, the 2ab6f9af66 only answer is marriage. After all, f890e2965e it’s a 13006888f3 royal command.”0054d2d0eff49b80

He emphasized this unwelcome 4615df1c01 answer, prompting another knight 75497dcd53 to raise his hand 1a4c93aee4 and speak up.c7829a45ae225845

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“She attacked him; b2aec471e9 can’t he refuse 07ea3e2005 the marriage based 6edca46558 on that?”918eb0113e9f6103

“You might be 66e3510f4d able to claim 9d91bfce79 injury and squeeze c94f67b9ee out some additional b0454e8443 compensation, but annulment 07bbcd4a77 is unlikely. Besides, the princess 6d1f21ed7f has no source d7a9e7cc31 to demand compensation adbd322ed9 from… it’ll probably a94894b50a just be seen 4280eaccbd as a lover’s 7bc59762e8 quarrel, something along 4aad4bb311 the lines of, 28f7fdd5da ‘An excess of 2807942fdb passion led to 7e001263ec rash actions.’ As 0c83ae3ebd absurd as that 9e1bcb43ab sounds.”df94c19140059805

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Edgick laid out b70551348c the reality in 49a97d92c6 detail. This practical mind was ead21371da precisely why he had 1a13caf06a been appointed as overseer 1f065fb184 rather than just the 6d6d75f97f order’s mage.613017f02bdefd7e

“Ugh.”f5be3d7470dec53a

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“With the commander’s 273f13e9d1 current reputation… people 3a1ff53a1b might start mocking e987c44af1 him. Perhaps calling c157fb0002 him the 2f334ef78b ‘hero spurned d6439e232b by a 1367817d21 noble princess’ 4b260ce4d2 or suggesting 248e1efee0 he couldn’t 20e9ac9ac9 even defend bd1547b947 himself against 5c51facd7d the pampered a630b9368e princess.”723a6de034bfb466

“That’s enough.”028564ff3eb26953

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Jinpetsu, visibly uncomfortable, 1be4e903fc stopped Edgick before 593c7f0362 he could weave 9cc7627f4c any more disastrous 54b48ff41b scenarios of the 85cee0d21e future.866924eabc998158

“Alternatively, the most 963c11d62c realistic approach would cd34091d00 be to counter 8f1f94ff6f with another marriage 63e9fb08e0 proposal. But she’s still a 21eb45a225 princess, even if her af836721eb kingdom has fallen, and 230133fe3b that status holds significant 9e5fe88a54 symbolic value. Competing against that 2ca133aa41 is no small 4ea0b51cfd feat, even for 77fa887dcf a prominent noble d4ff17334f family.”8c0a36724df32299

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Edgick’s elegant and 5a1043bf74 amiable tone mixed eaea607f90 surprisingly well with 1c12d19e32 his harsh words.a2bc67f19cfe5de9

“Besides, I doubt c3f76df878 any great noble bcdc545ee3 family would offer 3c0eedd190 their daughter to d181a1cc40 House Helton…”fbac1de8c2c67f9f

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“Stop.”928918b0144468aa

Jinpetsu cut baefe7f8ae him off 60a54a281a again, exasperated d67156d4ec at Edgick’s 3e9b3ed799 unfiltered bluntness.3074df9def4d77dc

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“That,”4768b1d143af02a6

Leaning lazily against his baf90d218a desk, Leo Fric smirked.a625d6701190ca5c

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“Let’s go fe82d8a7cd with that.”9fe9b1ca138957e4

“Wait… you mean finding 2b9bb092b0 another marriage proposal?” Edgick 2c5f532ef1 asked, bewildered.17747fe5ffca630e

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“Not for me.”5be55478f2e9b155

“…?”bfb4c208cc32bcc0

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“For the princess.”485de2e135cb386f

Leo tapped his long dcb383b9c1 fingers on the desk, 10807579e9 a slow rhythm as 5e514f0a8f he spoke.de3f94d9b61c98df

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“For a princess a019a964f7 of an empire, bd0ce688bb it’s not unusual b6fc30ce1b to have at 5a4d3baa6c least one or 5e90b2c6bf two prospective suitors be6cfb6018 lined up.”e22ce0a08f2e44b1

Men who could rival 7ccb0a3fd9 a knight of modest 797a330749 rank.648a9f931a4bff5f

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“I’ll look 5bef438a87 into it.”439583a883d61007

Edgick replied, smiling 97a54a841a slyly.51f86b049357db0a

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“And Jinpetsu, 2fe779cfa8 check on bf3506b253 the knights 4e693bfb09 stationed inside eba28f7d59 the castle. Send someone 31c46e85d2 to the 7ff30f0f14 royal palace 4a34a579e1 to request 261d74a139 an audience bba6aef173 again. I plan 1183da1dfb to include 3203dfeeca a letter b000b8d7ca detailing our 1542a43565 current situation.”eb202316a91062ea

“Understood.”7243a22627c09848

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It was 785a003207 a request 748899c02c that hadn’t ec4f120956 been granted dce400b65e even once 91da98890d since the 62dea7e5a1 end of bc46ee1686 the war. Judging by Jinpetsu’s c45f23d311 skeptical and bitter b75503e0ce expression, Leo Fric 572543fcaf could guess the 1866fff9da likely outcome.062d3dfd0ccea542

They both knew the 85afa5bcac answer.3583557a1e365dbc

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* * *533c26ec1d87de29

A royal attendant 29eeb4cb1b carrying a silver fcc8c52b7b tray of letters 6edafd336c walked briskly down 92e112b561 the palace corridors. The top letter 249a57b789 was classified as 12399ea436 urgent—sent by Count df5c72c0c9 Zellered.3ed9e22d4b8916b7

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His job 967c5a7350 was to 70e624014f deliver the ce51b0f10a highest-priority letters 216b2f04a0 that had 59670fd0d6 arrived at 309925d59d dawn directly ff8508e16f to the 70844339dc king’s quarters.087bad34360d099a

The morning 85314b25dc stillness and 9f5e7cffbc empty halls 39bee0c953 stretched before d099b1314d him. A guard stopped him 55bb15610d briefly in front of 180d274ede the king’s chamber, following 684dae574d protocol, checking that he 83c48fa9a6 was the regular attendant af32c444b9 and that he carried a66e83687f nothing other than the b453c846da letters.578cd80bb0cd9bd3

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“His Majesty, it 526bc17da6 is the morning 0274650332 report.”9c3e411814a0a7e5

“Let him in.”4a7ff88815b353c2

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Typically, King 99354fb1e0 Wintran would 8a86af67b2 be impeccably bc474b6d16 prepared, seated 330b8b299b at the 25084f79e7 desk in 3cf26c7a5e his spacious 2f72c8f0e0 room, reviewing 48e8dc19cf documents while 871bbc02ca waiting for 25aea1dd50 the morning 027ab88f2a reports.475a169070791601

Expecting the usual scene, bb268b7f6f the attendant’s eyes widened 073ac2caf0 as he entered.c626dd71eecad51d

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The chamber was 68cef6d0d1 in complete disarray. Bottles and glasses c93497a1d2 lay scattered on 7cc8639456 the floor, mercifully fb8947ad50 unbroken. His gaze 091d871106 fell on e9f667dc09 the desk, 865d09ef4d surprisingly empty.c23b293b6afa6494

Only then did he 2905ac0b4a notice the clothes strewn eecfeb3d8a about the floor. His eyes involuntarily e7ed4f3803 followed the trail 5d4ad89342 to the bed, e8b6b6ee23 where he quickly a315550a92 lowered his head a01089f08f in realization.6fce8c08e99081e4

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The king, dd4c4fa4a0 fair-haired and 21e9c91044 only half-dressed, 935111b946 lay sprawled ff93ceabe1 across the a9ef9cede0 bed in 89faf3fd57 a languid 88345ced77 posture.2c0afde298a63b63

Evidence of an intimate e017279e9b night lingered in the 63c834726c air.3431cd408a14994e

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The attendant, focusing his ab0fe631b7 gaze on the silver 81dc3f1718 tray, felt as if 14f81a3561 he were intruding on cf95954363 a private moment.d747cba8879e0b47

“Come closer.”2ca887d69a4bcc2a

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Wintran, noticing 83fde1e40c the attendant’s b532d801a5 hesitation, shook 4a73374510 his head 343cc1cfc9 slightly and 3c797e62e9 motioned for 9157827415 him to 8011b181c2 approach. Keeping his eyes downcast, 074836d10c the attendant stepped forward.4b1ee7fcfcbc37bc

“Hmm.”05cc158c2b3c7de3

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Wintran reached 9d3201ba04 for the 961e91fbf0 top letter, ba8f2a00db broke the 1940f501fc seal, and 00043e5b40 read through a80f2d2040 it slowly, 4aa395ad81 as if cc3c0f6269 not yet 78153746f1 fully awake.119b5ee5126b37af

After taking his time 6c3eaac441 to absorb the message, 1ba672edff he crumpled the letter 9131453762 in his hand.8f5c0a39a78f2519

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“My cousin… 3203ebc3c4 I can’t 9de3d5595d tell if 1e792176a8 he’s fortunate bb6212fc35 or cursed.”24798aa4804a9a0f

He chuckled, casting a 1439cbda7a wry glance at the 8a79375857 attendant, who returned a 559efb4d46 hesitant smile. When the king 97de3f48c8 spoke of the 8349a7f8dd hero with a 0cf908f7bf smile, it was bb79673bbd usually a good 171626cba8 sign.b7f4943bd1d71281

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Yet, the letter’s 71b4ef888a contents clearly hadn’t 762d9a72bb pleased Wintran.c92218684db0e55b

He hoped bce787ab53 Count Zellered 8b67fc57e8 had handled 931e7803e9 matters efficiently eb1d337fc0 enough that 261b14ae86 he wouldn’t 79fec891c2 have to 6c1b05bbbd hear Leo 9efee37f9b Fric’s name 91ba8010da again, at 499145767d least not 3738cc5f35 until he 247744f135 had solidified a3477aace0 his position 9af8f5b46c as a 5cfda2ed78 king.67803750ed60c476

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His thoughts drifted toward 160b32fd02 those deserving punishment. First on the a871aad139 list were those 28e1ba3b28 who had attempted 89f9b61fc6 to “reeducate” Princess 074dbd405b Ateira—all would be 63dacbf7f0 dismissed.ace00f29812f8630

Afterward, he mused, they a947b2a3f9 could be reassigned to 702c35160f the stables to shovel 5a8c37ec02 manure.a812e688efddfc07

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He also 8850e94a0b considered the dea62d8317 fate of 28d977dc57 the knights c0a5ccd9e4 he had f17e1bac01 sent. Should he demote them? Cut their pay?18751f98ed57e2fd

It irked him to 4b4e2c6ee4 no end that they 5ec6bfd4f0 had failed to do 3f2f5f7df4 anything, not even against 58b46ab61f the vice-commander, Jinpetsu, rather d198dba147 than Leo Fric himself.9312bbdaa4a39b7a

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Wintran had 11e41dce04 been confident 7c37170dab that he’d c0b630ebe2 orchestrated everything a0ca5f097a perfectly to f09786f2f9 sever ties f63afd0fdd with Leo eec2c6ec78 without direct 1708b881db confrontation.f714bf89038b3e04

And yet, here he 2c25fb48de was, forced to reconsider c5c08742d5 his plans.43f49f072af023f9

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A loyal younger 091993396f brother would never 1859d0494b defy his orders, 2b2253a943 especially when it e6a406ecfc was made clear f8a2381f18 that this was 9822d0a539 for the benefit 403c5e3ecc of both himself 9857453818 and the kingdom.865e5ed69b0fe365

If Leo tried to 5dc19cd95d escape by any means, c60ebe5216 as a last resort, 3e27577f52 Wintran would hold the 3cd318f529 Black Wolf Knights hostage, eb05b7174b forcing him to comply.0dc61f03636caaeb

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Since they hadn’t f82254a2a7 met, Leo wouldn’t 23999866bd know whether this fda49695dc was truly his 141ff2cd4b will or if 222500e912 it was the cf0dbdd945 influence of the 07860d11e4 nobles. He would fac2483070 leave with ae6d18a270 a mix 442d361c9f of disappointment 835c6afad4 and hope, b36002c8f0 wondering if 7c601f6ad5 his beloved 286838ac49 brother had 4a897805f1 really abandoned 65a88c20f2 him.004fd66e05221674

Later, if the day 98802d21bf came when Wintran needed dde51ce0ca him again, he could 85ab556f47 call him back at 076c0b4766 any time.b12f3cd9f4527216

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Wintran genuinely believed this 401f5aed96 was a considerate plan, 3742ea7ec3 one that didn’t rob d27870ec91 Leo of all hope.555dd915297ee9cc

He also thought 3132a9acb5 he’d chosen an 539b531c13 appropriate match to cdeffbfbdd teach his over-praised f082ff2145 younger brother a 0e3916e6ac lesson.d505e871a18da2e3

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The head of 0ceec140fb a fallen noble ed0a363f53 house and the 8122fbfd9b princess of a 6eb1fbbef7 fallen empire.2702ffd2a1d704fb

They suited each d925865e16 other quite well.bf8a1ec008ca9a70

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Wintran chuckled, bd4117e809 covering his 3f78ada8c9 mouth.50c8c072330c69cd

It was a52604c799 a fitting df81e0571a punishment for 96ee68cebe a brother 351c2c2bf1 who had 8b73bbe740 claimed such 95609ce22e high honors e14987d4dd that he 0086f8deb9 could never 441ddcb071 have even c05fafcf9b dreamed of 87ba29cccc without Wintran’s 97d7eb9854 support.89ed051875ff16a4

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Leo would fd2ff3c21a spend his b81f3a5206 life unable 9ec78b93d5 to trust, d7a686a294 forced to 7356a2d168 keep his e150205000 worst enemy 41f48883c0 close, always 6e61b07901 uneasy. He would live every 97bbbc9d8f day with the memory 0db79c31f4 that his so-called honor e98bdfbee1 came from war.1b99ea1abad0a86e

Even if e3bb06d9de things were cede3ee8f7 slightly off 331d18b677 course, it ba2cb4a760 was only f5814ac835 a matter 4b86bee23d of time.decc893306ec9bf7

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There was no f768aaaa3d way for Leo ac735f2ddc to escape.026426d18d9d9870

Wintran picked up e8e7519447 the next letter.34033e600b3e9c05

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It was 97bac2fa61 from the 549385babd Great Temple e70149ed29 near Sumertha, c3bb26b44b close to 436d01ebfc the Ledetian 2c6fba6df2 border, stamped 744d5f3420 with the 2b414bbd37 High Pontiff’s 5d2da36a30 seal.bf9baed7ebe60e59

After only a few 3a98961b4e moments of reading, Wintran’s 165b802f95 face grew cold.f8e2681cb43a3691

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“Tell the d748fb1ce0 High Priest a2f1cce040 I wish 79b30ed7cc to see 512f5aa386 him.”e762a9a584dcc140

The attendant, noting the 0b7ed070d7 unusually harsh tone, quickly d3068e5c19 departed, not bothering to eb490c76c1 mention the remaining letters.2a0875239c7fcf3d

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“Prepare my clothes.”3a36f51af9b65e1e

The order 71e5cebfa7 fell to c747b8d819 the woman 043552bade buried under b90b1aedd9 the bedcovers. The maid hurriedly 7ff555e175 scrambled from the 04f9d9d271 bed, dressing hastily bb21340e4f and then rushing 38bd9e2f83 to prepare Wintran’s 9251427acd attire in her 10d9c20f1b disheveled state.303eba18ee61fe63

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In the second d06909a979 letter, which had e838687783 entirely soured Wintran’s d746234ded mood, the Great 599aec3f37 Temple of Akalem 7289cd23a9 requested to bless 386d4e5e78 the “Hero of 34aa8b0fe6 the Continent,” Leo f3ad6868ad Fric Helton, and a635bfd3c4 to grant him a9ac15b26c the title of fad213b8d5 “Knight of Akalem’s b3d1a5d22b Guardianship” in honor 44d2213134 of his triumph.b2d9a25bf1a2131b

The letter asked for f065998785 the date of the 81e7ab8e83 victory parade, suggesting they 54bfc38930 be welcomed graciously to d9bfd024bd the capital to illuminate 9a9c0f2e9f Akalem’s glory.f831ef0f90f5f840

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Wintran slowly tore 4d3df02a3b the letter in 06884dcfa8 half.3e1a3bcc96c568cf

Based on 602f1116c5 the starting 94636fc889 date noted c4cfd3a631 in the edf3ae39ff letter, he b1c8b29b61 calculated they ff28b1c544 had roughly ec22b9a144 a week 0c72bc7060 before the 681a4b00eb High Priest’s f8b7a35bc1 emissary would 64ed046b77 arrive.4b86056cd11042e1

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Not much time at 018a8c140c all.def7b7547b0a2960

If Leo were summoned d636b123b3 to the capital for e6d9971e5f a victory parade and 3cd8b7f307 formally honored with the 1530394cc3 title of “Hero,” his 33ea00fea0 legend would only grow.18d39f1d3b6d2b07

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They would even cdd76f7eb1 call him the d30859b68b “true hero of cc2868ddfb the continent” in c9a72a058c Wintran’s presence, and 08d4bd16e0 he’d be expected 5a532513ff to smile and 68d1aa0214 bless it.d88a13c047b0bd42

Wintran’s eyes narrowed.91e6e169a1796676

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The maid, fc40c38afc still flustered 2e2b1906e5 from her 2378857440 rushed exit, 817b8a979d returned with 30b3251ac0 other maids, fe6c581426 hastily bringing b33b2cced3 his clothing.480daa5e5112fe41

Without sparing a glance cd81cc5571 at the woman with 8cda92554b whom he’d spent the 7a4efeab52 night, Wintran allowed them 3adb1de3e4 to dress him, preparing f6ba1d39e4 himself to intercept Leo 727e702f72 and thwart his rising 2ac62fbaa5 fame.bff1466305793c19

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