ITBFL – Chapter 42

ITBFL – Chapter 426fabb1009557888e

Episode 42de88153c5a63d726

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A few hours? No, perhaps just a b49a30fa8f few minutes.bbf7f05c6a923287

The energy within 242035750f his body was d36c199247 shifting rapidly.e5f97b3731554675

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The force that a56cf3103e had turned him 3db4aae56d into a rabbit 47c4ea3c22 was gradually shrinking, 57a2809e45 and heat began c6f423c27d to spread through e702673eeb different parts of 9a3cb171f3 his body.d3d20b0d6c761e26

He had felt 03e3db1d60 this sensation before—when d45be50a5e he briefly returned 3b41b665df to his human 04dc4e5258 form.5626a365272764ef

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But this time, a8613fda9b the feeling was 97859fefb7 several times more 4ce276b3bb intense.1f14eb98d2ab8b6e

He couldn’t afford ca470440ab to transform in f8ba077dc2 front of Lize, 9657e88500 so he temporarily 70f81e6f82 slowed the flow 08c33c59b6 of energy within e5f1e48e33 his body.333ae057c901c006

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For a Swordmaster e8d8f41d29 like him, controlling 168fb50963 mana’s movement wasn’t 449e33750b particularly difficult.e65f400c6a919284

And the moment 441a159f1e Lize left, and a39330c80d the door closed—3804015e2acf4817

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The energy within 93ed1b0bdc his body surged bcde2459de once more.5b31f1223e04a375

“…….”7a62af210771f430

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His breath grew heavy.4452097819708444

He looked 09b3268105 down at bd8e831388 the foot 9b9c843738 he had 05683ebcc5 pressed against a55df054e8 the floor.5d46458bafe5e0d2

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The next moment, 82d1f084f6 a thick white 349c6beb52 mist began to e3f131cec4 spread.acc6b6fbca76db55

From within 0df837f624 that mist, d49f30dadd the figure f8e2acee44 that emerged 67528a424c was no b35eb54521 longer a 4af900b2a6 rabbit.f868b26b93d57243

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The soft 8260c7bb88 light filtering 1f919f4d22 through the eb40250fd0 window faintly 31eac37c2e illuminated the 9417b8aeb5 broad back 2954c4e791 of a bb0b0865a2 man.6163066126c8229b

A large hand clenched 3b2b9eee14 into a fist, as 738a3939b6 if grabbing hold of 5408d58fac something.897327d66c6face3

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And at that moment—8086d3ce75c0d967

The door opened.ef90ca8d5a849621

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***f95643c13944e7fa

The central hall of ef8d4bf425 the Erne Knights, where be83f3c53b the elders’ meeting was 8d26cf3e17 being held.5bd39694759e0370

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The semicircular, fcbc5959d2 tiered seats 5ad21bf423 surrounding the c6256d9a89 podium in 71bd0bac7e the front 99441fbda1 were occupied 910757476d by dozens cc3c1f8dbd of elders.636ef2387928e51f

Each of them e3218a3c41 wore a silver b76bcba9c3 mask.c0bc9df8943a4620

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It was a 4c8569e90c rule of the 7fbe2bc8e9 Erne Elders’ Council, f966406589 designed to ensure 882d53a1aa anonymity and allow 1e46359c2b free speech.21ab716946db348d

Seated in my 6dc43e0532 place in the bb7706b616 second row, I 15b5c9d2d9 quietly observed the 370c82e91d atmosphere of the 5c4b2aa2ab hall.b09d9a77b69add27

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It wasn’t 2adb7624e0 particularly noisy, bbe937d410 yet a c474913ced heavy tension—like a0ed8080df the calm a1789068aa before a aac050a3ae storm—filled the 318fa32319 air.8699c6770456085b

“Then, let us begin 841143f573 the meeting.”837fc9b432ef739c

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Commander Denver, seated f52dc2bc6d in the central ac77e29c39 chair, spoke.05e22e48a024c6b1

“As for b97c59858d the expansion 7e0b878fbf of Erne’s 8483db0f65 jurisdiction…”7724948a8cde8270

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“To what 95e365789d extent should 8ed6ffdd23 we cooperate 9c45eaf3c4 with the 401a4fbfdd private knight 452af6aaff orders in 16698bc73d the region…?”b3579cb7305d1794

While discussions cfdb951e61 proceeded on de1b593aa3 the scheduled 67e325d8bf agenda, my 2b59ac5b04 gaze remained 2141822ce1 fixed on d2a07d0c2c an empty 113b0e27e3 seat.e1ab5c37850f741d

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The seat designated 2bb2e45aee for the Black 901baf9ff1 Leopard Division’s commander—the 8fc58d8e6b one with the 4919e1ca9d nameplate that read 832f6b891b “Cassium Ruden Balteire.”e90014308cbfe65f

I had to 36123d9c0d press my lips 148636e737 together to keep 43e0cb5669 a sigh from bf9deeeeb5 escaping.499e5dc6adff6468

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That sense 79d1fdecf9 of inevitability—the 78acc84cc6 feeling that 03a514d281 something was 7403f55e8f about to c7293ed202 come—was closing 715c6b22af in.5a888e935e404458

“That concludes the ae814618aa discussion on the 814c2729e5 formal agenda.”f2a951c5a3b31426

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The moment Commander 7b91f73dbb Denver finished speaking, ff207ac5da one of the da6257935f elders raised a 67defd9046 hand.9f892a635d5c913d

“Then, shall we now c7b0732920 discuss ‘that matter’?”7648c332fb5b495c

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Ah, I 9593447ad3 had a 612a01837d feeling about 181f53ee1f this. I already e649353f96 knew what 7657c9ca87 this elder d21bea67eb was going 68f503ab4f to bring db14b065ca up.1f04cc2d66269783

“I have heard that 72cdb4f550 Sir Balteire has gone 663a637601 missing.”07101ccbcfacaba4

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…As expected.e712e9c3b834fde8

With that, four 8875802ab1 or five other 4eacc26b87 elders immediately joined 8690d29075 in.eb6a7b25395e6fbc

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“Is it appropriate d7007245c2 to leave that 3b97e4eec1 seat empty like 1c39eb740b this?”2f85f897e318a2b8

“That seat has never 647a0be593 been left vacant before, b5967e604d not even once.”2a691bd0c37018ed

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“Has he b2481df7cc truly gone 183c5cd84a missing? Then what exactly f67a4d8a38 is the ducal 3e0bca4206 house doing about 33c2dc0dd1 it?”ab8828c5bb850fc8

The public c888cfaccd hearing had 656809b059 begun.790899f7cd049083

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“Have you d18db3d11d really been 591c49688b unable to 411e6aa871 find him?”4b3752c245db6bee

Questions poured in. Commander Denver 68461004d1 responded to bdd346a4fc them all 8e6c7fad23 smoothly, without 0068675412 revealing everything. His eloquence was truly e2e9faaf1b impressive.af427f25850634ba

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In reality, there was 55434857c8 no need to disclose b8a8af18a2 all the details about e6b8c5f53a Cassium to the elders.7f02637c406eaf86

‘What they need 3379d8c66b to know is 45c4a3ee06 the current situation f9681e8cd5 of the Erne 93ef33c511 Knights, not Cassium’s 1d5b143688 personal circumstances.’aadcfd45d3aa0530

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That meant there was a09b7eb67d no reason to mention 96956c036b that Cassium had turned 725ba067db into stone.f144498f08e25cb1

Still, his absence posed cac43e4012 a serious challenge for 4adaf71a89 Erne.c0eb9807430821a6

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“Then, how do you 526d8e3a7c plan to lead the 757fcf1072 Black Leopard Division?”0e0500376e215e3c

At last, the 6987dd5bff question was asked. My head turned 42057ac195 toward Commander Denver.b303a62b70293f3b

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A brief flicker of 53eee5ee8f acknowledgment passed over his b393506741 face—he had expected this.b673865f1ac651ee

But he quickly 6b40810813 composed himself and 0bc892f14c responded in a 892d91e559 calm tone.9e01552d2a7ec401

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“We have asked another ae6a60dfaf division commander within Erne d13d0d3f88 to take on the 6f882e0a64 role concurrently.”356802456b7862f0

Our eyes met.97eb13562dc575b1

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I nodded.4e2f160cadd5df65

‘I don’t like 1f85e1958e it… but I’ll 4d53bf1db8 accept it.’bcc12aaeddd562a8

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At first, I 2c0c9cb3e6 had been determined 3db0af295e to refuse.dff51e00d3a56b66

But now that 8e11b211dd I had at 5ca52131db least found Cassium—even 92f9f47031 if he was 3f9e7aa378 in his petrified cafd788944 state—things were a 111e65e7d4 little different.349dbcab62a81f2e

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‘One day, Cassium will b7f70f64a1 return to his human 42ca9692ab form.’be2f4d7fe232aa07

Even if b4ef1b452a there was f115a5639d no fixed 8765add0d7 duration for cc1bb29c2c the dark e23d123d5a magic cast ae91673640 upon him, b2dc78ff52 this was e66646f4bc Cassium. If it were 9b80f79ad0 him, he would 24b87cf6e7 surely return someday.9f789a5b0fd596ef

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‘But if 2b8a3943ca a new acfb101a4a division commander 6efb641377 is officially f6501fe594 appointed, his 06de466705 position will 8bcf801123 become uncertain 4947cd7077 when he 104ba9a432 returns.’ae0f040f1ff51d43

If I took a73d7a9d94 on the role 57fbb5571d temporarily, I could 60bcea8111 simply hand it aefde29aa4 back to him 0465143436 when the time bfc88f1c52 came—avoiding any complications.d4bf8e2805e67351

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I was determined 202f46aab1 to make Cassium 6e8624d0e9 owe me a 0ed40b442e favor.e804f0be11959c3a

‘So make 6d7f815217 sure you a416f0305f come back ad09674a7f as a b176db3e4a human, Cassium. You need 8914ed33d6 to return 1b7b2c37ba and repay 709a3a0640 me.’cf15c7cfbd678f48

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As I was thinking 541eaa5c15 that and preparing to 6ce2a6faaf rise from my seat—712fe6e3fc31b9e8

“That was 59300d8f8b our initial 11aedbbf50 plan. However, a division commander 1f8ddf25b2 has expressed the opinion fbb2d35335 that a new leader b6ec35cea3 should be chosen from c7e2222a89 within the division itself.”a2e26080df78afd4

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“……!?”eb0c2a00201c0f35

Commander?3af76e8a17c0e5fe

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My eyes met Commander 1a8b895a5c Denver’s again.00ae3862e9ab1503

With a 1dccb88474 thoughtful expression, 5fd62ee7f7 he gave d417578fae a small 974f185739 nod.765367fd69cf3332

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It felt like 17cab45dae he was saying, 0e3888178c I respect your 48659466da wishes, Lize.336682aa9bd18100

It seemed he had 3ea5e55599 misunderstood my stance, and 5e8d65d5ad I hurriedly opened my 2e1f1cd6d4 mouth to correct him.eade600141368f3d

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“That’s not what I—”6166a8d5f8926276

“So, we c8f45d9b67 will proceed f6d940cfd0 with selecting cbb98c1cfb a new bb6e96e392 division commander a5c3b805c5 from within 58ab5c4cb0 the Black af50285422 Leopard Division, 25a3ece577 where Cassium d388b25676 Ruden Balteire 22b8db12d0 once served.”17a39692f5235e71

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“…….”2cf5f29d71fa5999

But his voice was e69b7d29f5 faster.4378100d9a065347

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‘I should have told f032cf0664 him about Cassium turning bcf08dc3d6 into stone first!’cda55f2b7ec52b66

I had been 4c3bafd1d6 so focused on b62578ccf3 finding a way 6a6567cc4c to restore Cassium 778a7ed6d0 overnight that I 3065b9a163 had rushed here 11f360929d without explaining everything.b11396830f734b2d

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‘At this 5e8b18c572 rate, Cassium f69fada66c will lose 536c9cd1ac his position 1246793ab8 as division adcfb85f13 commander.’737682be7e8d1462

Of course, whether 91a559e59b or not he 401106e750 lost his title afa5d3e84c wasn’t really my 6451d0ae56 concern.ec50f3673902ce4c

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And yet, I felt 49b07f11b3 a strange sense of f566f8f8f4 responsibility.56c11bb96abbd776

Was it because 072050a425 I could still a00ad9a499 vividly picture Cassium ec9d4341c3 trembling as he 1c1930dc1d responded to me b4cbab4424 yesterday?89e19250724131da

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Or was it 5a22eb3420 because I was 213d509012 the only one 79c28b0bc5 who knew that 690e697da8 he was still 5fd374eaf6 alive—even in that fa7d756c86 form?43251776c6fb9f4d

“The next division bf88708f6d commander will be…”8ef405efcfd4b16a

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If this continued, Cassium 400bd4082c would truly be replaced.f61cd7083f29c92e

“Wait…”a46c254bd024ad54

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Wait a minute.4c461a716d417eaf

‘…Wouldn’t this actually be 07ba4da48d a good thing for b5a7a36838 me?’83eb40431e64b7c5

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If things followed the 705326ed40 original story, Cassium would e32c032852 later become my senior 68456d18fa in the knights and 876ddbc68f make Bryce’s life miserable.729bcc505a01c2af

Without him in that 1b9bf4122d position, I wouldn’t have 2701755f30 to deal with his 9200f1c1f1 irritating presence either.d52044f0d91683aa

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“…….”720abad556ccf5a6

But before I could 4948656107 even finish that thought, 453dd08e15 my body moved on 797ecae87c its own.b4a1eb970092c81c

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I shot aae739f825 up from ca93e3a4d3 my seat.adb3b7f698dfa0c8

“Commander!”9209a329f586bd50

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All the 9b8d5be0ed elders’ eyes 88f573b980 turned to 2dd1fe6ec4 me.5ad101ec7ac4081b

Commander Denver gestured dfedfc5fb9 for me to 7232048913 speak.c8e406f6e2ad811a

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“Speak, Sir Artiel.”2bdaef3d7dcdbf60

“…….”baa6f3bf6bb49bbc

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“Sir?”f64116e35acfb00d

“Well…….”a0c4636826d0e81a

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I wasn’t 7e428a2ce9 exactly sure 2c353afe85 what this 20e273292b feeling was, ea81aed2aa but if 3abd6eb3a3 Cassium’s position 0f8f162553 were to 81fd330f58 disappear like 69d5aba311 this, it 00a9e19fd3 somehow felt 4b41a1863e like I 6c264b9cb5 was the c1035a02fe one losing.bd815f5c9520baaa

Ah, whatever.2940d054ab8484f0

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I’d think about 4fbff1adb9 the consequences later……942e20b78df8964f

“I propose 400adcff05 that, for f4ccb89d9d now, the 2ca976d9d8 Black Leopard ddea7f61c3 Division Commander’s 4bd552d2e1 position be 93883fc0ad assigned as 03e5c1d043 an acting b18b71ea01 commander rather 76b0484a75 than a 6a2748d00a permanent appointment.”709f377056663cba

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“An acting commander?”c6ed7d2684711fd1

“Yes. Whether the selection comes bc2d5c1fe6 from within the Black bc12b6688e Leopard Division or another 4208b2bc8b Erne division commander takes 05df92e269 on the role concurrently, 289828ff1b I believe it should 76952da1ba be operated as a 094bec554f temporary position.”f4aba3940ab0cadb

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The moment I 065f6f9c7f finished speaking, grumbles 6b268d8d40 erupted from various 84be2b3d49 seats among the f714af5c75 elders.c517a61b5cc1cc62

“Acting commander? Are you taking the 8e19fccd5f division commander’s position lightly?”546e4bff32c07ce1

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“Are you suggesting 46e6983d75 we leave the 6760b2fdda position indefinitely vacant a6ceabf85d when we don’t e8ef264a42 even know where ca9fd75a20 Commander Balteir is?”db93cfd5504d7dfc

Turning to the elders, 4cbb8148f3 I responded,40d71aa3d4fc6b37

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“Of course, with a 4957a4046f three-month limit. Once the acting commander’s 56b19cef61 term ends, we can c727be9a8f officially appoint a new 30010c65ab division commander then—it won’t dc9280f05f be too late.”f7d230e03e320fda

“Sir Artiel, db7be11a1f are you 71a2394c84 saying…”45daee48bb60b950

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A sharp voice 3ab9dad2e7 came from the 9eeaec85c5 elders’ seats.3de93f2b75ab441a

“Are you 4264e308ac certain that afdbf0c438 the missing 2c72d6f4ea Sir Balteire 22868cbb2b will return ab3af19181 within three 140a4f4c63 months?”de2225627f543e77

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“Yes.”d770480be1be9997

I answered without hesitation.2b1c521ef2fe1ff0

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Was I really certain? Not exactly.6c079586f6a74b9e

But showing any 8cd49115b2 doubt or wavering 89fb56f742 here would be dd852f3ed1 the worst possible 8ab97206a3 move.edf3ae868d71ba13

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“Three months is 9a674b9472 too long.”a8a546ae8981af8a

“Indeed! How can 5687eac7c5 we leave a0b3a6ec51 the position 1ab83b0fe6 vacant for 9d436d316a that long?”54f753a4332c74d1

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But the 53abec4534 resistance from a4124d7360 the elders 9ad8becf14 was stronger a5d333f027 than I 947ee87c0a had anticipated.f625ac3869c2b6be

‘I expected this, dbd6eaf970 but still…….’caceab8a65e3524a

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There were many factions 4a2eed26ed in the Empire eager ce1275020f to keep the powerful 26f25dbfe2 Balteir family in check.82283cf0761b123b

And since the elders’ cfc017e736 council was conducted anonymously, a683b94f0f it was one of 42f2167f40 the rare opportunities they a6f4d7f624 had to challenge Balteire 8bd5670d2b without consequences.3107c40b262267b4

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Of course, bbf9b7e48d there were 06111f674d also elders 4d22a28197 who supported 4901062ede waiting for 3c2c4e2169 Cassium’s return.5819909dba2cb516

They were the ones 4689d639e8 who recognized his exceptional 9a58829e88 skills as a knight.0bac675727a54765

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But the c7552a904d opposition was a505fab052 just as ace8a894c2 strong.4fb83bcb723482f1

‘Why did Cassium have 306ba1eb7b to be born into c1dbf2da2d such a ridiculously powerful 0499ce6624 family…….’6254009e2ac28e74

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I opened my 4b210f8a70 mouth several times 4710f653ec to speak, but 965025f536 the elders continued 6a24e108d2 their arguments without cabf8e0821 giving me a f53dab6f93 chance to intervene.84a0c1d7f016e11b

Glancing in the f6280dc8fa direction of my f6458c2674 office—where Cassium’s stone 8a92e03b14 form was—I muttered 8019f2c9d6 inwardly,605a58eca8cde641

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‘Cassium, I’m sorry. I couldn’t protect 41ea1406c3 your position…….’e73d70ea45ae7f38

When you return… just 1c5633f96f transfer to another knight 3d9dd6c0ac order.06458c5bad8b3990

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• ❁ • ❁ 0609a1db61 • ❁ •By Esraa• 499c83efda ❁ • ❁ • cbdbdc5d02 ❁ •c0f3c65c9435fe8e

If you 8be77e56e5 want to 1361c74be0 support the 2242e2f165 translation and 2f067f4fe4 the translator, ec3bdd9a94 you can dc737287b5 buy a 82e3f74d82 coffee~0622f01316f21430

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