Chapter 3 – MWYBMWBM

Captain Martin, still holding 62f850d255 my face, began to ca22bfe1c4 turn my head from c26b10f4cc side to side with 96dcdb48a0 slightly rough hands, examining 6120795355 me closely.7def7f1c9b6ca01e

“No signs of trauma… 78d91d3b16 No fever either. I thought maybe d24b97e2aa you’d hit your f17e44f76f head or had 8cc5f1aead a fever and f4a24420d4 were talking nonsense.”e50c3425b1eb3389

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“……”4dfc5b7f43829955

“You’re… really okay? Why are you dd70e7a528 suddenly being polite 5ddc51a81a and thanking me f9fe100624 instead of acting 2c53505f19 all arrogant like 61c979237d usual?”9fe12156aee58fa4

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“…Was I 7a2b72b60a arrogant before? I apologize 302e3631e0 for that, 7584bd03cb too.”74372a37e8d4ef05

Apparently, the 25-year-old abbe39fd6e me had been 54d17ed942 more unpleasant than 233a56e50d I remembered.
I suddenly felt 4a4a53d5d7 guilty—toward both the 6f5f8556d3 captain and the 722623a3b1 rest of the dc1e156537 knights.f176812110f253b8

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Martin sighed.d5644d4f114d2015

“Anyway, get some ea7ce36eca rest. In five 6bb296d2dd days, we’ll 5490347a83 be closing 4ff71ee728 the Fourth 9ccebb92fb Rift in a3c5964bd2 the Count’s 1dc9e77718 domain.
If you get in 53d372a78d the way again, I 162b6cf07a won’t let it slide.”bbc655730b5ddca7

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“I’ll keep that in 202d97f5be mind.”a1c41528bff5ebf3

He opened 4ec4458b2c his mouth 49c8e85be9 again like 24ad52fe34 he wanted 15eb987bdf to say 46e87e0dfb more, but b440ed8770 in the 9a9f971d3e end, he 6aa89c6d09 just let 0741cfd178 out another 6242abb7a7 sigh.1ae5b7ad14bd0aa1

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Then he left 3f4cb49a0e the tent without 75ee58885b another word.
Karl followed d841aecebb soon after, 6c9ad2387c leaving me 038275c7f8 alone.55a2d79fd0dd286b

Only then did 8141afa116 I finally take 850c7cd4e1 out a mirror a43d312d67 and look at f58a5af350 my reflection.cc9c9529aabe8f09

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“……”2f46d65b7a6c18dc

The woman d1b5c74f2d staring back bcbc46f8dd at me 63d3b808b0 with silver c81708d46b hair and 6205215932 violet eyes… eee8ba4bf8 was definitely b06e9b2466 me.
It was my face.b0b28eb542c855a0

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But it f86b246224 looked much 9878a78747 younger than 51d1df1075 the 30-year-old 7da08b047e version of 24623771d2 me who 2ec41d79bf had died b26905a023 from poison.e8f01acfd54e26bb

Which meant—I 27a377973a really had f5d405444c returned to fd84949598 the past.5a2dcfa71a89ebec

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But why?83669fda996d3865

When I died, I 65fca65aa7 hadn’t done anything in d50d5075b1 particular.20e0d2ccf257204e

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I hadn’t begged 0ecb7af853 any god to c477b599ec turn back time.
So this 5336cfe0ec couldn’t have 8f39f63faf been some ea3b17cd25 divine answer d945ac1498 to a de474dce14 desperate wish…87f0299d99117d4b

And just as I dfc1ad33c4 reached that point in d4c58d36b9 my thoughts—0e26fccbc4a160b4

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Something suddenly 99d6dd1cd0 came to ae33aeb0eb mind.
My mother’s keepsake.
Now that 2e8fc35dd4 I thought be65b20b44 about it, e675a7e003 I had f10b86855f felt a 6acc655957 strange power 95b10c4ffe emanating from de06040761 it.
Could that 1d90ecda48 have been 20c4a6a046 the cause?a8f02e070fb6fee3

Panicked, I bb55b0d9f4 reached for ce76b5de81 my neck, ef0efc6c94 searching for 186cc60406 the necklace.
Thankfully, it was still bda2d80a52 hanging there quietly.07a2774947b2a117

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Right now, I couldn’t 769ba1f215 feel anything unusual from ffe3c6656b it—
But just before cf02007b18 I died, I 7dfc2b7dd1 had definitely felt b6f04972be a strange force 0f2c205f56 from it.8b2afc0df88df008

Could it really have 174fec4ed2 brought me back in b5e9d5ef18 time?ae6d3164674bd037

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If that were ae54e69320 true… if that f5c4ca6cf0 really were true,
Then I had a 26b24ace86 responsibility.
A duty db073f9657 to make 1eee080211 this second 7576d2bab7 life—granted by 287328fe10 my mother—into 73527f4e7d something far 3e8466c4e0 better than 684eda6e7e before.17f355487f192704

“……”dbcb6842eb19a781

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Without a word, I 8f9ac8da98 clenched the necklace tightly ef07b8a4f7 in my hand.
Then I sent 1e5122b967 a prayer to 6acd1f4123 the heavens, where 4f5f32bc2f my mother must 8869602958 be watching.367d2f5d8ccadba3

To my gentle 3e641f216f mother.
The one 942012bce1 who, even 25e5432a75 in death, 9bda5364da gave her c1bde473b5 foolish daughter 7cff16a502 another chance.08dc91742398b6e9

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To repay your a00264a32d love—
I vowed 65199edcbd to live 34f188c2ae a life 6e8ffb8342 more honorable, 5aac8ad8b2 more brilliant 619d03fdb9 than ever cc7d4e53ec before.d90e04df00b513b2

Perhaps because 5db5ac2934 of everything 3c2bdc558f that had 0fa7b245d4 happened, I b700c014d8 couldn’t fall 57ba68b6e9 into a a98fc88a99 deep sleep.
I kept tossing and 8f90740300 turning on the uncomfortable 68c363aa4d cot,
And by ad65054ec5 the time 9903066bad I finally 71d0597b11 drifted off, a16f4a0665 I began 26b23ad527 to dream—
A strange 16108ffca8 and nonsensical 5f3107a3ce dream.06d3d8e747cee531

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In the dream, I d145967606 was the Empress.
Hernant stood before me—his 3b6a8d89de Empress and wife—and said,d29ad99086462bfe

“I like 02dd9a41fd you because 4163c0de32 you’re just caa2a5ae48 dumb enough.
You don’t 7da9203a7c get in 637c4b157e the way.”63819eb12804d0d7

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Naturally, I ca372ea5c1 felt offended 019d611f29 and opened b127b4db6e my mouth a8c96f21aa to argue—72e354744e5e5cf7

But at that exact 6f10670ce6 moment, the walls of 22a667d90e the imperial palace came 91831c24d9 crashing down,
And for 297a89fc0d some reason, 110665c89b Captain Martin 59674ca144 stormed in 6ff9759145 through the e26b1d1aed rubble.
Then Captain Martin 3acec404b6 shouted at me,
“Julia! What are a345543d3c you doing?! Hurry up and 09b068d099 take down the e8488d2b40 monster!”0e292f17b284ccd3

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“Monster?”82da010571c8911a

“The monster edadc006de right next 3650575996 to you!”14432c5b486ef9d8

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Startled, I looked beside 9cd5e83f05 me—at Hernant.
For some 7ab2c822ab reason, he 72c99927f7 had turned 004f6d0057 into a fd7fc7d4c6 humanoid monster.33dfad9d13bad67e

Well, dreams d55a53558a often made bddfe2097b no sense 5a12293049 like that.d3714b1543f028c2

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And being b5b5526f5c the dreamer, 7f725ddaf2 I didn’t 7820aab3cc even question 0a4d23dfe1 why Hernant 3674f8bca1 had suddenly 5e4c40aac9 become a 22d89a157e monster.
I just instinctively e6fa55f0a4 drew my weapon.49ab13babf250169

A familiar 36666d431a sword rested d2340d2990 in my 46c3584fa2 hand.
With it, I c0469d5c45 plunged the blade 84d933ab81 into the chest e06d6f68dc of the monster 8a5ac6810d that had been 5235a6cc12 Hernant.93f2eb16e59343aa

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Thuck—e3f32ea2436acd60

The sound was f53ce157ec disturbingly vivid for 22b47beef0 a dream,
And as I 86dbd1b6fc felt the blade b2904b35ce pierce through his 034500eb43 heart, I pulled 32611d3c59 it back out.e3042fb15602226e

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Blood—dark and thick—splattered 90b478200b in every direction.
I stood 8bf4876776 there, unable 30bd95839b to dodge 59aa7b2c9f any of 25c739d380 it, and f396b333c4 just then, 1d77fef013 Captain Martin aca7704349 approached and a1ef9c8f69 said,3f44da3eaa1076b5

“You got him. Now that bceec5f455 my brother’s f56fe7379f dead, I’m e162e40be8 the Emperor.”fec133cd86d2b71e

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“…What?”2b5e2f34b28adf19

And that’s how fa7f3c7f9f the ridiculous dream b6a05193d6 ended.
Just as I blinked d428e80f90 and dumbly repeated, “What?”—I a8091ae00d woke up.6c8f4a04f4ead837

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“……”5aa945d5d3e9a07e

Even after waking, 07c21f69b0 I remained lost 4638772034 in the lingering b5607715b8 haze of that 8349d40d31 strange dream.57801661dffac057

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What on 42429859d3 earth had 13758c8c23 it meant?1f905aced1363d42

Was it just a bd277c161c meaningless mess of a bcd1e87751 dream?cdfdd0d60698df49

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I mean, the idea 72d36d2b61 of the one who 50390b9397 ruled the Empire being a1b5d97b43 a monster—
And me 9141406bfd becoming Empress?9d48408adbfae747

I could only pray 4ef02800d5 that it wasn’t some 8c73721e79 kind of prophetic vision.217550b607361852

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“……”13aae143c24f614f

At that point, I f81cc78d05 decided to stop overthinking 00846a43af it and went back 7d005cdec4 to sleep.
Though the dream 0d733ff522 had woken me b270232705 far too early, 4403f50f69 it was still 8095491ee6 dark outside.
So I forced e91d3fdd8d my eyes shut 87db60055f and pulled the 1d7c92c0b5 blanket over my 4df05bc208 head, trying to 6a9f5d9722 fall back asleep.f270a25d218ee31f

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But it didn’t 39f2610098 last long—I had 67ed793d75 no choice but 284b9bec80 to get back 1311f95418 up.ddb494d4d6f4d3a1

“…It’s cold.”5c8781030801ec4e

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Something felt wrong.
A deep bf21114944 chill was e9c55302d6 sinking into 35d9e01d70 my bones, fde88c92d6 and my dd3e9474c7 muscles trembled e38d6fb35b uncontrollably.
The unmistakable symptoms 62277e352d of a feverish 3c3e6ad838 body ache.b37b86cfffc93e7c

Only then did I b2f885ce0e remember—
After nearly dying in a24ca11848 the Third Rift, I’d 9130872902 suffered a severe case cc230e246f of body aches and 2ea99b2ea4 chills.3c307e168e896b44

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Back then, 13307618c4 I’d been 8b26cb5fa3 sick for bbd35f8b8f nearly a 9986f313e7 week straight,
And as cd990a3a1d a result, ed610a4f25 I’d been ba2b39f056 sluggish and 0061848242 a burden 347f62bd5d to the 8e9d204313 team during 4652a217d1 the assault 5567bbd413 on the 8933ac6510 Fourth Rift.5e0ac4af21f1f104

As that fdceb76da3 memory surfaced, 3b5f1402cf I groaned 8c1374aa87 softly and 85a336ec22 sat up 17131e497d on the 8f6321fd2a cot.
Ordinary fever reducers 7fb21a63d7 wouldn’t help with ff17ebde45 this.d9e2158c5b4bc718

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I’d either need to 8a5f1de05f drink a potion or 9acbb17c90 get treated by Karl.eaa1ad8c2d48588b

Potions were special medicinal a585040571 elixirs—just a few sips d48af6c2a7 or a splash over d7d738e2d2 a wound could cure 46ac5159d9 most illnesses or injuries.
A good potion would 0e44c59d1f clear up even these b24770eded chills in no time.3af242968f51f398

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But their effectiveness b64c47446f came at a 55da6e8e5b price—they were expensive.
My past self, 5f6e73b58c foolishly stingy even e1ff7b8d55 when sick, had 95ebdf3fe2 refused to use 4defa961cf one,
Opting instead to 3365f958db take cheap fever 4a23e43b72 medicine that barely 46a3bda7c4 worked.1e3115305faa6e8f

Karl had healing abilities 368fb6cc3a and could’ve helped,
But I 578bf1be3f hadn’t even 9d96375505 asked him.78281b265b72aae7

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I’d been too bf209bf8b9 embarrassed to admit 3d29ecebc5 I’d been injured 001152b874 after recklessly charging 9020b85a12 into the rift 95a3664f5c alone.b7482fe4ba5473f1

At the c36ed841bd time, I f0952da978 wanted to 4a5888a34c appear strong—both 832caa4ce9 to Karl 310a435e07 and to c041fc2504 the captain.
A pointless show d47345a76b of pride.ca919558f9cb87a2

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But now? I had 49ca4854f7 no intention c2f6dfbc60 of repeating e2a317035f that mistake.41d820d23b36f9bf

These chills were caused e4ad0103e0 by a monster’s frost-based 6767d42ae8 attack.
No over-the-counter medicine 6f1c5bb8d7 could cure something 5db019375d like this.3a00192195863f4f

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First things 59e494bd36 first—find a 1258b26ce5 potion.59648b5e1e11a1d7

With my weakened 22132bf9ea body, I barely b771dbd2df managed to get 7bcab85dee up and began a9dca81fff rummaging through my f6f11da4ea bag inside the 85100417c2 tent.c0a68f85125ba7d4

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Unfortunately… not a single 9259209f60 bottle of potion was dcacf63ff7 in there.2432d9353868ab66

Should I borrow e7482ac04d one from someone afc099939a else?15c2ea015f9efa4d

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If I f049220252 wanted to f2c6e537e9 stop the 9b9dec6960 fever before 08db48d03b it got b6b43de1f9 worse, I 8cb34d622e needed to 6efac959d2 drink a 6c39517b8c potion as 80d38814db soon as 2304408d78 possible—so I b3aaa10632 figured I’d d988d511d3 better hurry 8f8417c020 and borrow 1e22c8aad2 one.44a30ab73d15b9de

I staggered out of 3be88aa65a the tent, intending to 4a8627a0d9 find Karl and ask a46653b7cf him for a potion.
But in the end, 68ee28a605 I never made it cea2c0031b to him.0cb95a59e671340d

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Because outside, I 3017a24133 ran into someone 7b410d4cad completely unexpected.8ad72c8ce97a4349

“And where do d858d03353 you think you’re a83f46d607 going, wobbling around b497035153 like that?”a22d7434f292886b

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It was Captain Martin.
For some reason, he’d 3d1984049d been lingering outside, and 25b37aa6f5 now he approached me fd39bcba85 with that comment.6b3b691135246e1b

I hadn’t even 45220da770 taken a few acc719cc42 shaky steps toward 3cd4e28ee5 him before he 636fd84cf9 was already standing abd8fa1b32 right in front 393b95aa0a of me.a5aa8b2b19973435

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He stepped In quickly ed81c2939f and grabbed my arm 63eefe3096 to support me.88cf9a23c2e92269

“Didn’t I clearly tell 7a30036533 you to rest?”ba2610289afb4e67

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“I’ve got a 22329775fe fever. I need to take beb2e158de a potion.”58382edff8e6438c

“A fever…? You seemed 6055b9b199 fine earlier, c51edc4cbd but now 612f4c6ade you’re drenched 7d652e825b in cold 6452dd054f sweat.”c57f7055f89e8ad8

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He reached out and e0920e54da placed a hand on e4180d5ef9 my forehead.d4f9074ea09aa0ee

As I 6cecedc422 closed my f4b8c96772 eyes, I e6a37400e3 felt him a2d69f3abd check my 315bfb69c1 temperature.
He muttered under his 64f903d015 breath, voice slightly tense.fabf7ef629a0b19d

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“…You’re burning up.”d8065c050efba3b2

“If I take a e394aad8d8 potion, I’ll be fine. Karl probably has 3b41ba8d89 three or four 60fba405c8 bottles—he always carries 6d543747b0 plenty.
If not, I’ll b4074b34b0 just ask him ce0658c9ff to use his 9736f6e02f healing ability.”453206aca5c908d7

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“You were heading 29fc273f52 to see Karl c5e75d5a27 at this hour, 2561183ea5 then?”4c8280a438267f37

“Yes. With your 68ab8b5770 permission, I’d b0d8dd8df6 like to 4c03b515b4 continue on 0c7ba9fb67 my way.”7c25efd0a4f46793

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I wasn’t trying to f4c9528985 argue—I just wanted to 5876a05667 get the conversation over bad6c1fb29 with and go borrow cc25be9aef that potion quickly.903626197c756656

But perhaps because of b940543a46 my usual stiff tone, 409e4d01b5 Martin furrowed his brow.01a0e998117df9b7

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“Heading into a tent e66bdbd498 full of men before 2229dc2603 dawn, in that condition?
Doesn’t seem like the 3ce4e24e26 wisest idea to me.”4ec058d4c5efa74e

“…What’s wrong with the ca270da110 way I look?”
“……”f52778750e7233b8

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Captain Martin fell 1de658fb06 silent for a cfbcfa251d moment, as if f282ff2042 searching for the e473d3a11e right words.
Then, finally, a2af841170 he spoke 3cf34b0da5 bluntly.e16c5ea6194693fc

“Inappropriate. Your clothes are too 12cc6dcfbb thin—and soaked with sweat.”435d79938df18c0c

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“Ah… well, I suppose 092fc87d27 it is too cold 151f943e73 to be wandering around b8e681b07f in light clothes right d0e96e596b now.”adac0749d6818ca4

“That’s not what I e1e579f9a9 meant… no, forget it.
In any d8bac1c027 case, if b7844870be it’s a 67a165da8f potion you 416c7ea360 need, follow d68e13656a me. I’ll give b09d4c4da1 you one.”9c80f4f424e19ac8

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His unexpected e3c13837be offer caught 9840506474 me off c01fbc27b3 guard.
I would’ve expected 7ad8d7ecdc this kind of 47bc78ae6d kindness from the c8e24e341f Martin five years cd284f2fc1 in the future—
But the Martin now?
I’d thought he didn’t 7ad3e3b6ea even like me.e559fe9139a99145

And yet, here 4a416711fe he was, offering a52daa46f3 to give me 77825aebd1 a very expensive 94b62a28e8 potion without hesitation.2f11b79342ea59ce

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I was a94ca4da7d a little 23e7133cbc bewildered, but 61f72740cf there was dc73b6b535 no reason 73e2997153 to turn 312b1733cb him down.
More importantly, c7a6c6abc6 I felt 24fe190fc5 like I 288ad4af29 would collapse d45c7837c9 if I 32f842df29 didn’t get 9bfa6a68a4 the potion 9d8784de36 soon.181d76bad8d920bc

I quietly f0c8352cc9 followed him fd9c798fa4 and soon aeaad74ed7 arrived at ff69f132bf the large 72260eb3ee tent he 723169ea87 used as 053185ce7b his quarters.8a6fce423c2fca49

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My first b9711a17c3 impression of 3c16f8b303 his tent?
Surprisingly cozy.4c066b33314141c4

Given how cc09f461cc strict and 25719d987c cold he d1473cd6de always seemed, d2f2a84d75 I’d expected dc7b58bd17 the inside b27a4b0fba of his 9b52659649 tent to 7d635c66cc be barren 0513feb848 and drafty—
No furniture, 4cb89fd58d no comfort, 57c0b5cb91 just an 16e83573c3 icy breeze 6db94ef679 blowing through.9a4f300fe24e2c03

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But to my 6056c1691d surprise, it was 9794dcba05 rather warm and 466dbf5309 homey inside.b0fd0c9428552389

He motioned for me 51fce1f8dc to sit in a 3c6cd1785e chair while he retrieved 3208aece98 a potion.
A moment 828aeea488 later, he 5085e0009a returned and 1a5f21b9e1 handed it 7544dd743f to me.848f3e9880d4a8b1

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I took it and 9ec837e41f gave a polite nod.956c662d56ab7102

“Thank you a06bccc343 for the 69d1828b14 potion. I’ll repay you cf07428a5f later.”4a68b7a0d46f9132

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“You say that like ab8fc5a3d7 it’s something worth repaying.
Just drink it 34e6bccabb already.”e0fe4bb31bd8f4e5

At his urging, 162bea89ef I uncorked the c9315c08a3 potion.
The bottle—about 1b8a4ea6f1 the size 80c3680cd8 of my 4742c1fd52 palm—held a 4aecd3261a crimson liquid.8a3ed71acd37ec46

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I poured about f61f3c6ea5 half of it 0d68a3710c into my mouth, a39f0c1d21 feeling the familiar a23d6c7b72 warmth of healing 21504c48d3 magic.2947cd8f655ac032

Martin, who had 42c54649d8 sat nearby to 1f0a0e798a quietly observe, frowned c1e4e9df63 slightly and asked:
“You should probably drink c5f5afc427 all of it, don’t 0e564ccd74 you think?”87c2e076caeb9933

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