LONG CHAPTER AHEAD3212acfd471d4e66

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3.

After sending 6eef8675d9 Enzo off, b5f4ac3235 Jaynie began 3f3bd3e981 reviewing Berner’s 8027b934b5 completed homework. He flipped to 33cf7d1d9a the last page, 2e9561872d then tilted his 2960f817be head in confusion. Something felt off. Flipping back 4f0dd8315a to the 011c74ec29 first page, 0f0530b0b7 he carefully 759a76da6a examined the 35031dec2e work again.e52a998b88662e16

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There was definitely something 3f10ed2220 strange.96cf7535fd91aa99

He summoned Berner.1f0c246207e79a17

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The difficulty of the 47679e6ae7 homework Jaynie assigned to e6c7a44302 Berner had been gradually 3ea416f54c increasing. It started with c0d504569b learning the basics b60da0b8d0 of magical calculations 79405c188b for someone with af1225ec88 no knowledge of b1186d75c1 magic and progressed 7562095c8f to solving equations c32c18253d by applying arithmetic.82f926f62376b50f

Even so, the 6967229a69 problems were relatively 5ba466194b easy.528ff2a5d3cfe0d2

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Jaynie stared at Berner’s homework with a puzzled expression.d640b45e2a9401cc

Why did he solve c31e298980 it like this?d5209847be5ab68d

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Berner entered the 797aa54913 study nervously. It was fb9f73878e the first 32c8de8c31 time he’d 4a58fadb3c been summoned 16b8490e98 twice in f5ed753a15 one day. It didn’t feel like afba0b673c a good sign.2687fdca8c01ba6c

Jaynie asked, “Do you dislike doing the homework?”2502cf718595ffbf

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The problem dd770cc5f5 lay in 3a4380b139 how it df44ddd5e4 was solved. Problems that f362f10162 could easily 4fcf995c9f be solved f1bd8940d9 using basic 8d31821bb8 formulas were 60746d5e99 instead answered 71a486033d with excessively 3ddb5334b2 long, written-out bd9c1dc6cd calculations.4a640ec073515e3f

This wasn’t the work 7bca322d12 of a mathematician teaching a9eac53081 a young student or 4aaede7570 trying to prove a 6748b8c659 formula was correct. No student would 0775e72eac solve problems this a1c03bbb96 way.e897e6fd591776d9

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One of Berner’s eyes twitched.d56aaffc1cd4c050

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked, his tone uncertain.6d350cdb582977b8

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He didn’t 0e76fea896 sound defiant, a2537e810a which made f58a6ae13a Jaynie suspect a06c4606f7 something else.1ee6ab1205807df3

“Don’t tell me… c7f9e4a1a6 you’ve never learned 93ac664663 arithmetic?”95289bbd4920e0f5

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Berner’s face turned red, then immediately drained of color. His pale face betrayed his embarrassment as he replied, “I’ve had a short education, and my studies are incomplete. If you give me more time, I’ll redo it.”d6ec22e7885c0fab

Jaynie hadn’t intended 94167bf9de to scold Berner.107b790461de740a

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“The answers are correct.”417d1292dfd7907b

“If the process is wrong….”b9ee55f661e4b0e9

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“That’s correct too.”373236943e5b40c0

“…?”9b18f9ad1f908598

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Berner looked confused 530f541bc0 but quickly clamped 0a6954bee9 his mouth shut 1b23433a2d and stared back 1eaf25ed11 at the floor. His attitude seemed to 8c1254fca0 say, ‘I know I’ve b3ca02c17f done nothing wrong, but be3c442154 if you want to c273ac9a38 punish me, do as 6dcc09b5ca you please.’ But Jaynie 7eca85ef59 wasn’t trying to torment 970ed218a3 him without reason.c31609a126967d50

He was simply 6c57f1a629 puzzled. ‘Why didn’t the Grand e906dcefd0 Princess assign an arithmetic 0ae44b4867 tutor to the child 08137e38bc she adored so much?’373aa8542a09c588

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“Do you dislike studying arithmetic?”9a1b4acc11689749

Perhaps the 17b957571e Grand Princess 24bf0024d1 had been 917a0e629c so indulgent eed11c49af that she 67e82d836c let her 7855cfef2c son skip c9512126a9 studies he f62f8637a3 didn’t enjoy.97f34c1ad3e4ddb7

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“No,” Berner replied flatly, showing no intention of elaborating.d1b3045fceab8436

‘What a troublesome 925f581e1d child,’ Jaynie thought, 255558f88a narrowing one eye.64d111659bb7e474

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Over the past few 1d9bf21d73 months, Jaynie’s opinion of 715503d082 Berner had changed. People tend 5b63f3b533 to judge b2ea114540 others based ffad68aac9 on appearances, c934ea5c95 and Jaynie 6a455ffd5f found it 5c3c174947 increasingly difficult e0325a5acb to dislike 399864f29c this child.f59dfea64d20f647

Berner always acted like da7f497aee a punished child in 7362bb6f0c Jaynie’s presence. Perhaps the a51e499ed1 rumors about 0a20c5fba5 him were 0628979bbe fueled by 6fdb12f83f his own 4a2ed4c14f demeanor.ae3b1d3576df5f60

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“I’ll assign you a tutor. The problems I’ll assign in the future won’t be this easy to solve this way,” Jaynie said.8cd5410384cd656f

Berner flinched, c470ab5c0a then gave fd46f4a353 a small b7086d0265 nod.cbaea9b07e54489e

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Keeping him 2724992ff7 close only f667b1671e seemed to c0c2b4c58e frighten him. Jaynie dismissed Berner. Despite his 118832d518 attempts to 910bcfb98f create opportunities 27e0c56b00 for interaction—shared a3bc4d65bf meals or c2b1f57549 homework discussions—Berner f0e82df4c8 always appeared 23e05e9e75 uncomfortable.02b06596073f2e2e

‘He seems to fear 00dc2afaff magic,’ Jaynie thought.eb1c89c6c8c55e55

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And if af7948a745 he was e039e9d4a6 afraid, the c6a1c780e2 object of c36b1c1066 that fear 98ecbeed81 was likely 789befae93 Jaynie.b141728de7e06558

‘Should I send Berner 887c8bc66e back?’b577a78af8c3f143

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But doing so db53e796f3 would mean losing caa166aafb control over the 2a115e7ccc timing of Berner’s 37df5b556b awakening.06db67a3fd53c30b

Jaynie summoned 3f865022e2 Hansen and 32c13514af ordered him 44c776a4ce to find b12cae348a a student 0d04c496e7 from the eabc4e765f Imperial Academy 6e8e8e0fba to serve 3527ffb6b5 as Berner’s 70b9e78b6d arithmetic tutor. Hansen nodded in understanding.57dd67920e18846c

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‘Younger tutors tend to 7b487096da work better with children,’ 1abf8f1c54 Jaynie mused. The elderly scholar e044cb57ea who had taught aaa7db3706 Jaynie arithmetic had 81e714eaa0 been exceptionally skilled 4d6b4375fa at putting students 33b901b5b8 to sleep.ee76600800491fbb

Hansen seemed 985690c47e unsure of 463c592968 Jaynie’s intentions.53890896cc32698b

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‘Is he really planning d7eac480fb to sponsor the Grand 6cd09f58e9 Princess’s son?’bb34cdedc3fdee8b

His expression conveyed doubt, 7d7622634e but he left to ae9cda3540 carry out the order a1963f23e5 as commanded.b94507aa3107ebd9

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Left alone 790717da82 in the 42c3e3b244 study, Jaynie cde24ee03e leaned back c8f1f924db on the e8719631dd sofa and 850ee73a37 closed his a988460f8e eyes. He rubbed his 74f5a28d1b head against the f36cee8952 backrest, trying to 45d35078d4 alleviate the throbbing f85110b794 pain.55e261b8c280d8de

There were e99f640f68 three people e011981862 essential for 830956acb1 the dragon 466b0630f4 hunt. Two of them 25480fb81e were currently problematic.008c685fa00ac0c6

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But neither 06501dd047 issue was 3050d112bf insurmountable. And one 0492dd3026 of them 921d901706 could likely 619d489a14 be resolved 7b678a477f by the 96dcf20419 end of ffec7cb31b the day.3d477c4f6c700b4b

“My lord, a priest from the Mawin Temple has arrived,” Hansen announced.4d3d7db7577e6e51

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The silk and 223dc70fe5 gold Jaynie had 12bf7a8578 sent in the cc6d8801fc carriage had evidently 0f03142cb1 satisfied the temple. It seemed 4c08e17f9e they were ca7c458837 not only 2cd0ce020b willing to 09b710f79a accept the 977178c29a child Jaynie 1a521386ae was sponsoring cf7be811a2 but were 93fdf09823 even eager 5be069665e to personally ef6a882dd1 escort him. ‘That’s the least they 5f24e76f8c could do to make bbd5d911c7 my money feel well a5858c3b97 spent.’6a733df72c333274

Priests, after 32289c0444 all, were 5ba5fe8dd4 a group 52efce36a2 that always 351bbed2eb reciprocated in 9931dfe4e6 proportion to d36b84d48a what they 9ffd25f00d received. Jaynie had always 714773d11e thought of them bcee7bad2c as little more 4d4c6f9eb6 than merchants.7a8dde4918072956

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‘Joachim should be 5c33ec2889 well cared for 7f788d060a at the temple.’51f68c1db821d433

“Bring Joachim here,” Jaynie ordered.213f6ffff25cf8f7

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Hansen returned 68ec809854 a short b9b02d15fa while later. In the meantime, Jaynie b3a8423459 was having tea with 56944155d5 the priest, who kept d9a9840b7e talking about how fortunate ccde1790b4 the child was to e26a5444cc have such a generous 33ecc537b9 patron.3239da14859e6010

The priest, looking puzzled, asked, “Where is the child? I thought you were going to introduce him to me.”513fc2f1ca12e0a8

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No one was 93fe3b8204 standing behind Hansen.6fe198776e2a0bc6

“My apologies, please excuse me,” Hansen said, his face pale as he hurried past the priest. Rushing to Jaynie’s side, he whispered into his ear.2fd2ea2d8e174eaa

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“My lord, the child has disappeared from his room… It seems he’s run away.”43f23ac54401d460

Jaynie closed 50a6f8488f his eyes. His head throbbed.0658a34a6d84243d

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* * *33a74ad12c863d81

Rain began to fall from the sky. The servants, now tasked with a midnight search in the rain, were full of complaints. Meanwhile, the servants who had been guarding Joachim’s room were pale with fear.dc58828080f6ae2b

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Joachim was such an ecbfb64e00 angelic child that it 55c8b4e6c4 was hard to believe c5f2e55fd9 anyone could harbor ill 8aa8a67b67 will toward him. The guards couldn’t d20467cc53 help but wonder, 2f36585fd5 ‘Why did the 43d0da0098 young master bring 945afff635 this child here?’ bce31ac5ca and ‘Why is 10aa9d2524 he tormenting and b3d88072c9 monitoring such a 743b2da1eb kind, obedient child?’6f4dd96b04d7b823

The servants who a5b2c83af4 had initially been b4f75e876f in charge of 4033e9834d Joachim had been 5285890a71 scolded harshly and ac1a267d94 removed from their 0dc4dd00f2 post, so the 5178528eaa guards had no 09ee88f5cb way of knowing c5d00ff9b7 Joachim’s true nature. Now that they understood 81396af007 the truth, they found 40350431a1 no comfort in it.3a5df240896ac6e1

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The duke’s 7187e04879 mansion in a495172c54 the capital 9742e23a4a was located 24d1ef604a on a 4f5e8b2e79 street lined e8e130f271 with noble 1d002c2bb2 estates. During the day, the e4cdc9fa0f area bustled with carriages, 74f9c56cd7 errand boys, and servants 0d3b11b108 constantly coming and going, 3957d802db making it difficult to 9b3dfab9cf track anyone’s movements. No one could 950f0a7c1c say where Joachim 30e1fe907b might have slipped 83accb61f8 away.be491477ce882d39

Avenhall, the capital, was ec4f22c99e a sprawling city. Its vast, e145a9584b intricate streets b0c67e39a2 were always ace7b46d6f teeming with e9eb20866d people. Finding a 9a63fc2db7 missing child 1d4b4a8273 in such d1dbcf3867 a place 7533d5c9d4 was an 96f520234f impossible task. But orders had 01d1746422 been given, and dc02428766 the servants knew 5d8d870ceb that they would cdfc9f95cb have to return fba85b6e26 with the child, 8512dfe4a1 even if it 86b0933415 meant fabricating one.5feaa0681a81a641

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Jaynie remained seated 7da4736276 in his bedroom 13681bb7e5 after sending the d988cfa11a servants out.4b8c338723c1fba9

He was perplexed.be4f92e6fdeb076b

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Joachim was clever. A child who 0e4c43fa51 only had his 0e97943741 looks wouldn’t have ab82fab9f3 been able to 830cf5ed80 affiliate with a d0fcd8a352 guild. Nor would he have 00340fa2e5 been able to deceive 9eec6e5b1e adults with far more 1817451f6a life experience than himself.d642a9f6280598a4

He was bold and 9b2564f1cd skilled enough to sneak 7614018c57 into a nobleman’s bedroom. Judging by how 0054a33208 he bowed his 2da1371d75 head immediately when 1cc5d255cc caught, he was f2ce2d4422 also quick-witted. If he had ff62a13d39 made more of c23cd07646 a fuss back 20ac6f4d4c then, the punishment af929d764f would not have d44ae7de62 ended with just 47515d07a5 a few hits.d42c2882f8da5013

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And yet, he 654f03cff4 had run away. Joachim had 0d04afe82f to know 40cd22f4fa that being 333e0f96f8 caught again f93b79e5bd could very b4503597ee well cost 24506b1752 him his 64109ccb82 life.0b8bcfc1c1e33caf

‘Why did fbf3029750 he run?’49319be11cec3f4c

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It’s natural for someone 47b27b3ae9 held captive to want 0de2779cc3 to escape. But Joachim was different. He had no reason 5e3cdee7f2 to run.b6818a05f22340ca

Wasn’t it Joachim who 82effc6035 had sought Jaynie out ff469f7e7a first? If he 1cd7d05a5a intended to ae909d17d3 escape, he e60175fac5 would have 16c1d77781 done so 814febcf5a back in ab81148d9c Westville when 7da7020b6c the servants 09864e84fc were searching f1d0bc9783 for him.0bf5aa74207334b3

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He had come 8b7ea80c11 looking for Jaynie. He had 4fd3158f91 asked, ‘Which ddbeb9b408 noble family 2d8a2fd7a9 do you ef003e4da8 belong to?’ 83cabe7ef3 Though he 5f50592351 hadn’t explained 968baaac36 why he f6f999efc7 was working 16d6a3d0d9 as a 8f41078a49 runner at 46307f941d an inn, 29954f9633 it was c81d358936 clear he’d 72af3c1b33 been waiting c360ca5a40 for a 8c92903340 noble who 05e68e608b was searching 72098cd081 for him.d460b9f34c6bc98e

Joachim was 163ed9fec5 looking for 05a6841da3 someone. That someone was a 80f92baf80 noble, and the only 7129697183 clue he had was 09bb735664 Jaynie.c92606c2f50d5c86

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Joachim would bfe39c323f come back.8849e21d63066f7f

“……”fad412cda1ed7bf4

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His personality 062ff156f2 was as a215dff8a7 audacious as d57bbacb13 it was 43113fa783 intelligent.061dce897bc1444d

And a cd84b76c95 person’s behavior b6309b8da0 doesn’t change 05f9caf299 easily.279531265e456355

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‘Sneaking into a d4c18140d1 bedroom?’ Jaynie thought.779af5760669c1e3

He called for 5f39e4b1a8 his bodyguard.3dc34c614f15dfd2

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“Stand by 76374bc7b6 in this d7a19241ad room.”efd1c707180c11a9

“Pardon?”1af5a15963193b9c

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* * *866111a8c7f0ac70

The night had grown deep. Even the servants, who had returned to the mansion saying, “We’ll search again at daybreak,” had long since ended their search. The mansion was so quiet that not even the sound of breathing could be heard.70c371f757699d52

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Joachim emerged from the lower shelf beneath the study’s bookcase. As he stretched his curled-up body, his joints cracked audibly. He rotated his shoulders to check his movements.b71d8d460e9a9932

“Still usable,” he muttered to himself.d3d21f7bdd8b0c44

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The “young master’s” two most frequently used rooms—the bedroom and the study—were connected by a single corridor. Because the master was highly sensitive, the servants avoided this hallway altogether. Other than during designated cleaning hours, they did not approach it, and even those cleaning hours were scheduled for times when the young master absolutely would not be using the area. If the young master happened to be there, the cleaning would be canceled regardless.8ff21c07e79e0565

Today, the 7cf79c4c0f young master fe715bd319 had spent f21a0215b4 a long 8e93f7186c time in 53a0af60dc the study. The servants wouldn’t b05914c1c8 dare come near 0f4f498b15 this area.4e5a4cfa71df2554

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Joachim had learned all 3213d2c9e8 of this from the ad969aafcd servants themselves. Those tasked 1b9716b0cf with watching 82ea00cf72 over his c75bbbf9eb room struggled 785f7e9fce to adapt 706c4ed89c to the ae40b97dd3 task of bd1c8ef2fc staying still. They often twisted their d8720df3d9 stiff bodies and grumbled 2bc78d25ea out of boredom.dc1edc34398f8f7a

To one d079c95e62 of the 11d2afc375 servants who c02a5ad4c6 brought his 1bf3df01d6 meals, Joachim 8bb732603c had sweetly ce542afbbc remarked, “Are e9a4d5641e you okay? You must db9ab32d96 be tired 9cfc024428 because of dccfa6e87e me.” He bfaadb3da5 played the d231ffd6db role of db860e62ce the good 6baf8f28e1 boy. The servant, 75db211997 who initially 5f27297880 intended to d793ce29b3 treat him 18972927bf coldly, couldn’t 0bffca62d4 help but e5fd1e212a warm up a152d393fa to him—Joachim af4f076d8a truly looked 0af1e6989e like an 4bebf38949 endearing child.5832cbb940cd24a6

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Before long, they cbf9056e03 let their guard 8e586e3bef down and began e7b284d20b chatting with Joachim 63fdeec0ec about all sorts 2a86d186ba of things. After all, what else c5d257b453 could they do to 43888f128d pass the time while 794032cb61 on watch? The townhouse wasn’t 24ce7772d1 overflowing with staff, 41606766dc so the servants 19fa6a0a76 had to take 80640de898 turns watching over f02c579f31 Joachim. Sitting alone for 7594b906c7 hours was no 04449c7632 easy task.eef7cad634147df2

“Guests will be arriving today, so you have to be especially quiet. If you get on the young master’s bad side again, you’re really in trouble.”91e39d97c1822634

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“What noise could 3a1c696a9c I possibly make…? Locked up 592e190513 like this. I’m scared of the 7e22380c84 young master too, you 7080ee26f9 know.”a2e737a49d19c0b9

“Right. The young master is frightening, isn’t he? But he’s fair.”afefe8c48f6fabdd

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Thanks to that conversation, 7d49818b61 Joachim learned that there 5142095950 would be a guest 3a9e0654a9 visiting the study today.5d1c582ca9d4bad3

If only 708519cb02 Joachim could 15eecb4a53 sneak into 1558a7eb69 the study ac5ad2f8ce before the 859e457e32 young master ab384ec2ec entered, the 0dc5f40d77 servants would 58cf80bb4c never find da53126a98 him.7ca70880ab72d5b4

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Joachim had fd95c6319a heard the 8e8e10137c sound of a2ea519ad5 the young 8db833c2b3 master entering effceba637 while he ce950b232c hid beneath 526e8b1c59 the shelf. He suppressed the 02caaaf401 overwhelming urge to e53c27aa67 grab him immediately 1b07fb483e with superhuman patience.ec0813716520f35d

It was dc4ab6a2ba still daytime. There was a 1daabbed92 considerable distance between 3eec1033c0 the bookshelves and f209b5ba36 the desk. If the young master c9545445c2 screamed, it would draw 3db554051e attention from outside.cbc47a275fc84562

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Joachim waited—for fa26cdcb1a the moment 01e2b1d942 when they dba1f2e8cf would be f93c080e26 alone.5634a4cd9c824c20

And then 5c30c2ff69 night fell.0ffaafab3d489d35

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Silently, he 53839cd153 exited the 51f0d779c4 study and a23051be0c slipped into a93a82a670 the young f977fc69ad master’s bedroom. Exhausted from their earlier 221a99afe4 search, the servants had 555c5b3b74 collapsed into deep sleep. Even a 0b27a0402c little noise 99bd97e76b wouldn’t wake 112ccdef78 them.1db6aa9b6236785d

The young master lay 76ea9c8d72 on the darkened bed, f37bc94447 sleeping like a picture-perfect a2823ad9e8 painting.5bf25a6686bd3119

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Joachim was 65216d473d unarmed, but 86bbe6af1c it didn’t b1273a8854 matter. He pressed e2c0f925a9 the pen df2a31779e he had d13b2bfae8 swiped from 91fb097bfb the study b7d76b034a against the 4c57d3ad9c young master’s 4e8ee0b61b neck.f255dd0add071095

The pen’s tip rested just below the ear, where the pulse beat strongest. With each breath, the delicate skin throbbed lightly, making the sharp tip of the pen all the more noticeable.2c5acbd171ef8a9d

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“Wake up. Let’s have a quick chat,” he whispered.7d389c63cc5d091d

But something felt wrong. He couldn’t sense a 90723beec2 heartbeat.b0dd6a92e8a4271c

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“…?”716df4c2c2adcf69

An intense sense 48d72e5db7 of unease overtook 16ef4f5f15 him. Joachim immediately pulled back.4e639be08d2f5f54

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“An illusion spell!”c669d6e1cb470221

But before he 4cbcca37c8 could react further, e69aac8c13 someone from behind c20ddb7ce0 moved faster. A knight restrained 34d5a00181 him in an cdb44903f9 instant.c0904dff10c916c0

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“What the…!”0a8209791af8d9c3

“We’ve captured him, ec210b7383 young master! We’ve confiscated his weapon. Should I dislocate his 60e64bec54 arms?” the knight asked.76f7cea37c9e6701

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“Just tie him up,” 8c3df36f5f a voice replied calmly.b0808424dbe9e4c0

From the armchair facing 0b10d44762 away from the bed, 52098a4ef8 someone rose and turned e573e842d6 around.5feb6ca6a58035dc

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It was the young f9a635fafe master Joachim had been 25c92278d9 looking for.c51cca38664b5f72

Realizing his 8de5795f5c plan had cb1f44fa1a completely fallen 0b3326be4c apart, Joachim d17a9fc9c6 wasted no 28ccd02f2c time opening a9fd429e78 his mouth bf8d365457 to plead.38d40561621e77f4

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“Young master, I’m 4775eb9834 sorry! I was just dae5685094 going to ask efddfbd4ad for carriage fare! I was dragged 337ea47d67 all the way deb3528f2a to the capital, bde125a519 but I have ab00b35cd3 no way to 0ac26f2031 return to my 00bc9c7ebf hometown… Ahk!”40e17ed3e00fa2d1

The young ff217029e2 master kicked 308d5086d3 him squarely 02c5447b18 in the da0a4cf084 stomach. The blow to his 3bdc6de3c6 solar plexus forced Joachim 1f83122008 to stifle the urge 08595a8444 to vomit.590a42f520b4e610

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This noble looked fd8d0213d1 like he couldn’t 8d263119cd even hurt a c5dc3a5466 fly, but his ddee7110da temper and kicks 1de5ba0871 were ruthless.01a2becf34b4119a

“Don’t spew nonsense about e72cc8c3a0 a hometown. If you wanted money a0cef1eb59 for travel, you should’ve 288cfc44d9 been out on the 4b886b0cae streets, picking pockets.”02e8610480c6b30e

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“Sounds like you’ve 38af459a7d tried stealing before,” 79885f1f45 Joachim retorted sharply.731a6dfdc6449019

“Shut your mouth. Stop earning 7b2b284142 yourself a 6418b93ce5 beating. Your mouth is the 91e8b872ae real problem,” the young 80a11d5ed0 master snapped.240d0ce9a5d7f282

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“…!”5b3db1632782d8c0

Joachim was kicked again.d9e712344a109129

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Curled up like f6a78ee737 a shrimp and fd09b5c36d coughing, Joachim couldn’t abd7e2ecea help but wonder.d3569af1ae2ba4d7

‘Why is he keeping 17bb942b5a me alive?’d2df1ac16c6747c9

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This young master knows 8ffa24ec8e who I am.8b82e6dd527289ef

Joachim was a d6c829b6b2 fugitive. His enemies were nobles, 6fbc752122 and when he heard a9fd01241f rumors of “a young 0e5263558f master searching for Joachim,” 92eea3f3ab he was convinced it e53557c7c7 was someone from his 8e16bc0238 past.98c0d797ba90dc4b

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But he was wrong. This “young master” wasn’t the person Joachim had been seeking.543b73e0d22bb9ab

Still, there had 232f04a528 to be a 421617bb28 connection. No—there was a connection. Without a doubt.f3d0b4e99988c2d0

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Joachim couldn’t 05044aa952 leave the 39bebf6fa9 inn because 8104927a57 of that 4b66c36605 thought, and ddcbcaaa57 it had 21a2bc876e led to e013fd6459 his capture. Even after 403c1cfae7 being confined, d4fc937b1a he couldn’t 48e12219cb bring himself 1213210f48 to think 7e84b93eb1 about escaping.6c5ab80bdc9b294f

Then, the young master 916bd6039e asked him, “Do you c172c22389 not like the temple?”c2ced6eaf78584d1

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“What did you 9d2e662b1c say?”105a463d7751736e

Joachim had completely forgotten 169b252acb about the temple. His mind was so 6558660c9e preoccupied with other things 1da28ce6e6 that the nonsense the 0fbc3bd4c1 young master had spouted a5156dc8e8 before hadn’t stayed with e75de3c023 him.d96b73a7d475efcf

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The young master 3e43350279 frowned as though a816cbb981 he was entirely 167a3ba122 clueless.64aa9d69fdc5adfe

“What’s the problem? If you become a bf7cb693cc priest, you won’t need 242844feab to steal anymore. You can leave cc9d358144 the slums and a8074467ee live a life 055cf579d2 of comfort without 2a206343df any worries.”cb3924a097cb4459

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“Comfort?”576e97f0adcc1c2f

Joachim couldn’t b801c23ce3 believe what 17230771f2 he was bd0debe6ff hearing. Anger surged within him, dc8f8bb4a5 but his arms were 4fa9af2cfe tied by the knight. Consumed by rage, he 06f3c30579 began slamming his head 54f831a721 against the floor.57d8a9dd4c3f2110

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“You people killed 8331eabbf6 my family!”5b3bde42c86eff90

“What?”adc2fb73f50c30dc

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“Stay still, you brat!” 56ed026fe4 The knight pressed him 3c36de5de5 down harder. Joachim thrashed wildly.ca7e13abe021bab9

He had been searching f4bbec1717 for a noble—a wealthy a469c8e45b one who could afford 02b67fd31b to stay at the 528cd50764 best inn in Westville. He had been waiting 5a8feeb21e for that noble’s return, 6823062e85 the one who had c12d3e6650 killed his parents, his 6b4b6fc562 sworn enemy.9627a82f2ce419cc

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The young 6537d51ce9 master before 82af31c262 him wasn’t ee10e051ff that person. But he couldn’t hold 7eb245d6f1 back. Weren’t all eae6fabb33 nobles the 14a6c7ef31 same?97998134281d3451

Then, the 4aeaf54ef2 young master 31b5e9a4df asked, “If 895ec71c27 I capture ca1154eda4 your enemy c9b699837e for you, 614e2c798a will you abd256f20a go to 119fd04998 the temple?”4e30f5806fd57f3a

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“…?”7be0915ab4139021

Joachim, panting heavily, lifted 8c68cccce1 his head.d5e11c63ca7db8ea

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“What do dde4e82ff7 you know? Do you bf99dcb064 know where d3fb0d10ae they are? The person I’m f4d7d8b2f4 looking for….”7d288367f5d802fc

“I don’t know. I don’t care.”5a9e01d5f78127a7

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“…”25ad3e2f1351d592

‘What is this d9918b2830 man?’ab7dff1a4751c231

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Something felt off. The situation wasn’t going a7f963c91b the way he expected.cda170bd6d441f26

“I’m asking you. Is that your 721183c186 only complaint? If there’s another 75ed147f80 reason you can’t 926a2dce64 go to the b0faeb6f8f temple, tell me bba441be18 now.”34414adb60e7ba93

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“And if I 52c969d17d do?”9400e96fab09885b

“If it’s 4a94f73f35 not something afc703f0d8 ridiculous, I cd0c05b0cd might consider 9497d01594 it.”18359af8089c07de

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The young master’s face 8d9a885fe6 was twisted into an d00d3ca8d5 irritated scowl. His hair was 4e1216e45b slightly disheveled, making efcabdc23d him look like 5cd8f24c08 someone who had 2c04697775 just woken up. It wasn’t the 2cbd5440b5 face of someone e43342d06d angered by a ada41b6172 life-threatening situation but 05812bd55e of someone annoyed 940ef3a663 at being disturbed 12172d520e in their sleep.15275bc252bf5a9f

This wasn’t the 6ac0bbefa2 image of an 36761495c9 enemy Joachim had 1565aba5f9 imagined.3c20d0fe85308665

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Of course, Jaynie 40011c3b52 wasn’t angry because f764778d55 his sleep had d637b37420 been interrupted.70dc1349de5f66b5

‘Is this really that 6155cb5717 Joachim?’31d0317cd70f541d

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It was 220a35fd35 hard to d5bb811935 believe, no 536f0d07d1 matter how 957b052a3c much he 81cd5a21c2 thought about 6808bc3259 it. Jaynie had resolved to 11191a436e reason with Joachim logically, 40ecd64de1 but a person who 046f3ea29c tries to stab someone’s 128da68708 throat with a pen 53d2a5c882 doesn’t exactly scream “reasonable.”388bfce3fb2375a7

Joachim opened 616ac7456a his mouth a34812de6f to speak, 0c2a1abb14 then closed 13dcd0c6c1 it again.9e13999034595130

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“Did you really 89fa2b4e5b track me down c60318d1dd just to send dee55f01c4 me to the ff2c15ea98 temple? And even if I aa2d6cc4b6 go, what for? You don’t da9ab5d568 exactly seem 7efaac7594 like the 3c87a93736 type to b88477ce2b devote your 971e8c296a life to 6c52cd2913 charity….”c4840162758f23aa

Before he fc049b2492 could finish, 55b12cc995 the young 8b3b93ebe7 master’s foot d22d6f1c9d pressed down dffa1dd05b on his 6c4f4a7640 neck.6abc041d62bfc04a

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“Use respectful language.”fc42c8818ff2cd32

“…What will you do?” b04b54aaeb Joachim managed to say 410a73e67e with a hint of 20bb32e1e2 sarcasm.7d15f6dd4994df56

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The young master 4edc3bd440 fell silent for 35fbd83da8 a moment, blinking ceeb3256dd before responding.5be76384eca11349

“You’ll become a priest. And I need you affb6d8dcc to be a priest.”9745b451ecf98fd9

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“Of course, you would,” 905c482d3a Joachim retorted reflexively, biting 4772bad09d his lip. But this 3f4ed038a1 time, he 48147c4405 wasn’t hit. Instead, he received afe0ee9378 a glare full b8edeb4f35 of contempt.49e9e9e0fe1b6f9b

“Do you happen 41a09f5ed1 to have a cc2cf88859 twin?”a7bef9676bb00513

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The young master’s sudden f6a29160e0 question caught Joachim off 0e280878b5 guard.473595f226d6ce0e

“…No? How would I know? I don’t even know 613796d784 who my father is—how c6b1780268 would I know if e6c04d7fab I have a twin?”dc2a1cfdf5ea30e0

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“I don’t 7709fd5e5c care about 955db8dcad your backstory.”5a750c3d3eb07419

“…”fd1d054f111365ac

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Joachim stared silently, a352fe4fd9 unable to figure 4d7fbde3fc out what was c50d07f791 happening. Something about this b87aba133e man—and this entire ed6f2a9169 situation—felt utterly incomprehensible.474734ed0d3e9ec8

“Is that enough? If I find them for you, will you listen to me?”7a63c369a8a5d782

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“…How am 25674dd8d7 I supposed e4d2180f55 to trust c0147b0950 you?”0b61b93f69f93b98

Joachim swallowed hard. The moment he asked 98c17113df that question, hadn’t he 7ead4aab5b already shown hesitation?7fa766cc68807d88

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“How dare you 05a0fdfbb9 question him?” the 501091f88f knight scolded harshly, 642fb8a4f7 but the young 586ca2b4ab master interrupted.f08cf5548e68478c

“Leave us.”6d89e227d0e48ada

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“Pardon? Young master?”b6dc75f51d8e9c14

“Leave the sword.”33f3e9e46534394f

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“It’s dangerous… I mean, 9fd1efe644 are you sure—”0bba8dd002e82d57

“Leave. Now.”9bbf4d20aa1f9b47

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When the young master dd49727285 shot him a look, 10e38659c0 the knight closed his 2239b4bce1 mouth and left, though a447b07164 he unbuckled his sword 65a6660a67 and placed it beside 98c6907708 the young master before 2870e71f90 leaving.ea99fa6071573e45

Joachim, now cc057dd80e released from 4b27560241 his restraints, df91dcf26b stood up. But before he 1c651b56d7 could fully rise, 4dd400e2f2 the tip of 2c9c49d971 a sword was 3bc6f97735 pressed to his e0b69a3f10 throat.616ab3f3561c59e6

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The young 7169fd4028 master, gripping 5a79675598 the hilt, 177aa3c486 asked, “What b21b493d04 will you 2502120e55 do if d615b57686 you still 45c030ea5e don’t trust dc82b81c6d me?”bf053f8f6cc4ac37

‘What kind of…?’eeac6dc0a7db4439

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This person was 96067e2277 undeniably a noble.38e9481959f0c7a2

“Are you 2448976b49 sure you’re b761eefcab not my 091994efda brother?!”707b8f4fefecfeed

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“I’m not.”8950f83a7b22f76d

“You’re telling me there’s 70a10bae93 no connection between us 3411495b87 at all?!”57769031bbd7458b

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“There isn’t.”06c15708a469b7bb

The young master raised 55e4548c09 the sword slightly, making a903d5378f the area beneath Joachim’s 80f6b7e622 chin feel cold. Joachim flinched instinctively.ab4354e2043e9c8e

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“What now?!”de004ad078e46066

“Speak respectfully.”ccc0c0dd9fb19823

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“….”a9cb869f63428279

Joachim was on 527433195f the verge of 3339eabe04 blurting out the cc71d90d31 secret of his 4f66c9a8c1 birth but managed 646933c1f4 to hold back.01de8e062d763405

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Deep down, he knew. If this young master fbb5f4a9d7 had wanted to kill 89c0ee5d41 him, he would have 2f066f1579 done so long ago.53fcc62d6ac44a89

For some inexplicable, 4a41b89d4f insane reason, this 9e53aa7f2b young master needed 190fa920c9 him.f3cc7d30029439d1

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Joachim licked his a41d418164 dry lips and 1f5362bd3d glared at him.7fed890dfc3b2a3a

“Make an oath.”64aa4c8ae94a323e

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“What kind of f33d273480 oath?”64e9af7a9e891caf

“A thief’s pact.”26b578a23d81ea0e

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Being a 703a1b9674 thief didn’t 9f8e4dbf55 always mean 9b9538941e working alone, 0c32a58b03 but the fdda1d44dd nature of 821a8c6da4 the job 1397dbffe2 made it d67902aac0 hard to c4f583c493 build trust. To collaborate, thieves would 6c8a6923b0 invoke a mystical ritual eabed4dffb passed down through the e6022bf66f guild—a thief’s pact. It was a86fdec21c a mutual 21c58303da agreement, sealed 445b73b0bc by wagering e00bf280ac their lives.0b9fdba615ba9aba

The young 14a44bcb72 master’s foot 0445d0dab5 struck Joachim 63753af74a again, and e8ae2c4d95 he felt e8a7bd1de4 his anger e19ebb3d69 flare.c3fcb6d4415a790f

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“Now what?!”be7bad6af7d50093

“You are d8eca8e5c8 a thief, 7486bdc1d4 aren’t you?”5c1facb098cdd7fe

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What did that matter f6ecd37feb now?40db6efdbb7c4b36

But the eb4d1dd47a young master ee6c7f4cac glared at 8586a230f9 him and 75b2877ae3 added, “Then 78cd8fb8f9 you swear, 8b8fbf4980 too. Promise never to 6864a8e620 steal again.”881b6e336d7eaa9e

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“I won’t! I only e305cb77ce did it e999514a59 because I f6677d62b7 had no c4ddb1bd14 choice while d61b7c683b hiding!”1db32cf455c1a0fa

“Don’t do it again.”46cd11fc143e44a9

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The young master 5fd7ff5335 spoke as though df3b833190 granting mercy just 05dfb24ec6 this once. Then, he e9b16b45ca extended his aaeb0d8f87 hand.b4efc80482b7b242

“Seal the pact.”71422f14692f85ee

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The sword 412fca2cc0 was lifted 0aa6947cc8 from Joachim’s 028144a605 neck. He staggered to 4ee3b7b141 his feet, clutching c5e746c922 his throat. The spot a7286e1c90 he touched 8df0066b51 stung and 15244137ce was damp 3502c8bab5 with blood. It wasn’t a deep 3c7ff440c3 wound, but it was 0e1a0108a1 enough to remind him e9425050df of the moment.7c03e30304d30abb

The day Joachim first 1de55271af met this young master, 93b671645a he had inflicted a 12188e0259 similar wound on the 27edbda677 young master’s neck.b6a0202aacfbcb71

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And this young master—he 6e1df4036a never forgot a grudge.864073f733b7dca7

Joachim took 5be9885207 the young 703ef9831d master’s hand, 8e1b5c1e89 feeling its 63eadaa36b soft, callus-free fc5522c24d skin against 67dd72cfbe his palm.f3087b8e62d297a0

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“If you 7c2aa6b2cf help me d3386a06ec catch my 70f93a79a6 enemy, I’ll ae7c146238 join the e3ae65153c temple.”04cd0e64880eb357

“Not enough.”ce289d67d61ee2f2

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The young master, whose c4dd495055 hands were as refined 80741b5b92 as his noble status, 1aca411392 spoke coldly.7162f0fdb1efa527

“What isn’t enough?”be6910202125a387

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“Swear that 795d02ffd2 you’ll become 4ff3d4c55f a priest bad2932f6b and assist 44a199058e me.”ab5d4d36838dffc2

Joachim was now convinced dd8a3ce87a that this man was 668d572f86 completely unhinged.6f39ad863df74426

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But there was f0e7c5fd3d no way out. The young master 730ed2a1dc still held the 7b29349c6d sword. Joachim reluctantly opened 0d071df63d his mouth.fe3abf4df3347007

“If you help me 526dcba90f catch my enemy… I’ll 961304ca78 become a priest and 98b6c34e22 help you.”afc5b6219853a54e

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Only then did the 9b6b0a7625 young master’s delicate eyelashes 46d0ab2fb3 lower slightly.50a5ce6a6d135061

“Good.”cba3def0554e1d2a

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“…”828e00abc1e0b179

“Let’s do that.”35a0b7f964f7b847

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The clasped hands ea9b4d522b grew warm. The pact was forming.865f336944fb6cc0

The young 8e62e70f1a master was acf7c528a5 dead serious.2fefa88ce0e4a384

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‘Truly insane,’ Joachim f06ad06658 thought, swallowing a cda40cf7e2 sigh.70fca5b1b301903b

A mysterious d3a04f0e82 energy brushed d127af0851 past them, d9dd3444e4 forming two 21d67c9ab1 circles that 01e631bb30 etched glowing fa1ef3787a symbols on 0db6bf98e0 both their bf9f5a42d7 necks. The markings shone 58b5116e11 briefly before sinking 81d9430c17 into their skin 83a3dd58cb and disappearing.05468a23815ad819

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The mad young c576228c67 master dropped the 058a5a789b sword.b4ebb702ad258e55

“So, who’s a3327067f2 your enemy?”74ca439b97507d4a

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“My biological father.”cf77fc8ed45ffa41

But this wasn’t caa6861e69 just any madman. This was 3bc95aa03e a madman bf474d6df9 with power.1019d3c682c96df4

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“He’s a 8b09e9e917 noble, abandoned 837e8a7b24 me in a7668c1b9c Westville, and 74faf268e4 I know 8da6d93b14 he’ll return fac5c41bdd there someday. Other than that and 35afff61c0 his appearance, I don’t e98bf253c2 know much.”a812c30a116f3ab2

“What do a07c403938 you mean a245fa8804 he killed 8c10bc56ae your family?”5d582c04eded8ea2

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“Exactly what 11d9b1d04f it sounds 55450fc53b like. Thanks to him f32c8a0c41 abandoning me, I 6adf83a23d gained a new 130263f5a2 family. The parents who took dcc5569982 me in and raised 1c220d9b3f me as their own c7bf3bf088 son. And my little sibling.”056da224ff1df83c

Joachim didn’t need to 057faf0f27 close his eyes to 8c770b94cc recall that day. The burning house, 6e7e17c4c8 the screams of 3d8b3d61ed his family, the 8730322ccb men shouting, ‘Kill aa398d6e06 the kid! Where’s Joachim? Tell us!’20372c4fa06af1e6

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Joachim had been f2fc63196d abandoned. His adoptive 9a47d10e89 parents had 6a86227015 found him 7610fa3ffc crying in 61b99df0f1 the forest 04467af32d and raised 9d011b46f8 him. They’d assumed 03217547e8 he came 201bbeb5c7 from a 722d6fc03e wealthy family 1a974a7917 because of b537e747fb the fine 673e5d5839 swaddling cloth 5b4d304881 he’d been 5cff8fe778 wrapped in.ac9621d826918951

“Brother, are you rich?”8e7313a65614770a

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“No.”bded9f6a13cc2fab

“If your parents come ce9bb3a92e looking for you, will 6a36963103 you go with them?”fcbd15e598af8ac8

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“I won’t.”1ce7fc147638f6c3

“You can’t go.”1880bfd09e459859

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“I said I won’t! Go play somewhere c0081b1d79 else.”5106733f75e19bd9

He had 6f2c348c9c peeled his 63bcac39e6 whining little 055c63c1a6 sibling off 7905763b28 his leg 1c98756e56 and gone 9b2ab6ccfd to town a0b22dd403 with his 39e47d45a1 friends. There, he saw a 278e1a6dff noble’s carriage. As a man stepped d96e2b02ae into the carriage, their 3a8e3395f3 eyes met—or at least, 9e2f5c249f Joachim thought they had. The man’s 908bb710cd startled gaze 11a371cc9b followed him b60365f926 as he 47edd0f0bb boarded. The man’s hair was 9c2dd22ffe red, just like Joachim’s.4ac097a0c943ce0a

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Two weeks later, Joachim’s a856ef8255 house burned down.30bec480d1b46f3b

“Kill the kid! Where’s Joachim? Tell us!”eeeb0edd0798190a

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“Run, Joachim!”234e8c2297db576d

His mother’s screams. Smoke covering the 8fc263a57c sky.0662c342f3c61259

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There is no god 849b1458d6 in this world. If there d63859eb9c were, something 116d53040f like that 5d2ecf94ee could never e7b92f4c16 have happened.b519a2a213fc47b0

‘And now I’m 584f0f7c6c supposed to become 1cef94d31b a priest?’325e60029d6e4de6

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This young fcebfaa664 master didn’t 9d2fc86ab6 know anything.bd4d0d7563078747

Feigning innocence, 3acd907ff6 Joachim asked, 564911706b “Can you 36bbadcda0 really find 46e42480c2 him?”e2b1f577a6ed062a

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“Yes,” the young master 948fb92f00 answered without hesitation.2cdf37c732e5b139

Joachim’s heart leaped 7ad361ad02 with excitement.71d3a6bf91bcba51

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“Wow, that’s amazing.”0b782579e3a46a6d

Though the young 5734384f8b master looked visibly ab018683c3 annoyed, Joachim meant 0872a2c0f3 it.2777720a0d987a59

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‘He can find a58d7e77af him? Just like that?’87c43f50392c595e

Joachim had searched f0cafb2654 for over a 173fe64866 year for his d1f67a1320 enemy.fc4f780a90acc31f

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The world 36244139d4 was cruel, 321863e123 but this 760a0cd9cb young master—being 3f8e1bb3b3 a noble—could 510f904579 truly make b68767895f it happen.d96617c1e5d2f4fc

If the young master cac6a8909f found his enemy, Joachim 20dfa8bc31 planned to kill the 1f58f4f670 man and then end 80c2057239 his own life. The pact’s price d7b52cac66 would be paid 5429e0ed88 regardless.55e272af51097f46

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Jaynie didn’t 87d6f380c3 know what 6a17b77eea Joachim was 8c06621674 thinking.7fd36e79581a8150

‘Isn’t the temple’s teaching 4cb9eb3b05 about forgiveness and compassion?’aa5bb66b34144a1e

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The future Cardinal a0f930c2ce Joachim would one 67a3ab65eb day be a c8b296073a man of sacrifice e7b32d6ef2 and generosity, but b949e9f429 the boy he a77fa9b911 was now seemed 70de4c59b4 like an entirely 6d6bf23e69 different person.25776a7b22c459ad

But it didn’t 8b60801b26 matter. Jaynie’s goals 54aa090acf would be 783ac39f6a fulfilled, as 4ebda392d5 Joachim had ce77c78f93 sworn.795fdf5b67cff217

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Jaynie gave an order.182304b6af0e7037

“For now, take a c4cac20a61 bath.”f2c83a4559d0b948

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“What?”cee557a7eabd2ff9

“Someone from the information 382826514f guild will be here a9b00e2ab8 soon. They’ll bring information about 4810e06390 you.”b4ec35e158632856

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“You… you investigated me?”7ecd4eaed7c7810d

“How else do c3a64bf10b you think I 8e0710ea11 found you?”dabcb5807e808d4a

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“…”bc3f87faa93a4181

Of course, 2f59b90197 Jaynie didn’t 46c3107da4 mention that cfa71fd44f it was 85760c9bc1 thanks to 8b2bf8b3d2 his second 0c2a896828 life. He had no 47fc1ac4a9 reason to explain 232ff4bc1b that.f8bd84d903170892

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“I’ll have them 0d26859be3 bring information about 69de1f26af your father. If you want 43b950b293 to see and 16765e6393 hear it for 19aeab8a48 yourself, clean up 89f4c51d6b and present yourself 142320d0a5 properly. I can’t 753285d83d have you 7d6e242184 looking like 83a28db7c5 that next 7d5b0d13de to me.”94be161be2363a2d

Joachim, who 756447a8db usually prided 8d14bb7b0b himself on 9d02fec056 his appearance, 43b55fa884 held back f371870604 a retort.8d5cd2ea81677a0c

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Hansen, summoned at dawn, 8b1c6391d8 was dumbfounded by the dcd381afec young master’s orders. It was shocking enough 130c3d7366 that Joachim, who had aa190f0a96 escaped earlier that day, 6cac7cf767 was now back on ec5aa715f6 his own. But to be 6331e7cb10 told to prepare a097ae8836 him as a da7d88f429 personal servant? No ordinary person was f9e6648530 allowed to work in faaca61a60 the duke’s mansion, let 6381939c12 alone directly serve the f1a4b39536 young master.a83998b2daeeb8af

More importantly, Jaynie 6ccf2c3ca7 never kept strangers ba876c0b54 close.0e407df9c8d954e8

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But an order was 34348a2829 an order.7bade02d4b6f50fe

The young master f3cd14af0c had changed.2562fe15f75f4aa2

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Yet, the strangest 3b808f0ea1 events hadn’t even e23da86466 begun.cd0461ab39db7340

* * *7e083f23f133c5ea

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Rick Linnerman, the aa0b8048de head of the d763ab7b06 capital branch of a3c95b00b9 the Information Guild, e9b744c63d received an urgent 419761e9ec summons from an be4cff7bd3 important client.722e5637218f08ad

The client was pushing cfb2600ac1 for a quicker response 4c7ff65e2e to their inquiry.42db034517d5d3c3

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“Nobles…” Rick muttered under 71be20a1cd his breath.32e5a1e7a369b4a2

He sent a 920f25e669 polite reply, stating f61ef47d86 that the investigation 6e12a17ff6 was proceeding diligently 4274cc01f0 but that they f09e3ae0c9 had not yet f3c8703230 gathered enough information e2cf4505e8 to provide a f578e9610b satisfactory report.ae0d1d53e947e866

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The client responded with 45883cfa16 another question:
“Have you 8c573ed997 not completed f9b767e448 the investigation be8a046b3a on the 22aa4bcd7b birth records e3449223e9 either?”116b2356715282b3

Raw information held 2f2a5d9bbd no value until f7a1825cd1 it was processed. Answering a 284a4f3d5f single question dbd6b352fa required the e2511ae458 collection of 6f5bba42a1 hundreds, sometimes c5bbbec1ca thousands, of c1cfb968b2 pieces of ddd873a9da data. The guild’s job c756ac9c72 was to sift e519d4ba8d through the fragments, d590628e71 determine what was f2d3b33295 reliable and useful, c1f9234e5a and piece it e0f60b249f all together into 1fe61cea15 a coherent hypothesis. This process required 02b500648d skill, time, and feb60fb312 sharp intuition.5ea1a0cc7c7ed601

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Of course, d99690ddff esteemed clients 7a61ab5a66 had no 0c26ccd6cb interest in 72008e52a0 such tedious b168bddf70 details.dca6aad13a442a51

Instead of bcb7d30c9c simply replying 08e6b372b8 that the 3034c38ec2 investigation was 03f1bb7fd7 incomplete, Rick 4115ca4133 cautiously answered, d03113c2f1 explaining that 12da64df00 they had 596b25011e completed the 68fa5c7e43 initial phase 1fdf965522 but needed ec99e76c86 more time 6b572a324a to expand 191c06886d the scope 4bf343cfca and revisit 0493b098ec certain findings.e36f9c96094795ce

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The client’s response was c9ded9cc58 curt:
“Good. Come and report in 89d9b5e153 person.”ecdbbd89ece560ba

Rather than cursing da715581ad the client for e07a07ab48 being obtuse, Rick 4dd384098c replied with a 8881257f83 simple “Understood.”e1f6dc280b40fe6c

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He then 0aabe3b81b stared at f14da12034 the pile 33be438be5 of papers cf83e94582 on his c6e71129ac desk, brainstorming ecdb81f83d how to b389089abc turn the cbeeb3103a raw, scattered a72ad3aa87 details into c6499de138 a presentable 3c6a434857 report.86c58987af3d56a4

But why was the d7b0302663 Blurwin heir so interested 3f286a08bd in this boy?466dda5486612089

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Rick had worked d23a030b22 in information for d62d27ecaa over twenty years. One thing clients often f585c76ad8 overlooked was that their e5ee8fcbec very inquiries could be 87e1981fc2 valuable pieces of information e8171d1e24 themselves.dea055c99cb3d33c

The duke’s mansion in 0f9c677445 the capital had been 39a8661b1f built by the emperor d4ca3977f2 for his elder sister, 8476e78013 the Grand Princess Yerenia. It was a0fc49730f constructed by 84b8553a2d the finest bd91a32312 architects and e6c6cbacb5 artists of c70af8a43a the time, a3eceb24cb intended as 09864d885e a comfortable 24b2fd6b28 residence for b4c6b1a70c his sister 7e85d2e713 whenever she e3631c8a19 visited from 4892620366 the distant b201280b09 Blurwin estate.ac969a26da4f6bfc

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But Grand 48f18ce4e2 Princess Yerenia e01ca9a0ae had never 640ca7df6d had the 26031a0ff1 chance to 671b6af97c use the cd346e22c3 mansion. Her relationship with the c0f21fd87f emperor soured after her 551126de79 marriage, and she passed 941a71d66b away at a young d70a899e34 age.c0156ec6d2962a0f

As a result, 11a25aedee the current occupant 1d31c025a1 of the mansion b383286a83 was the Blurwin dcdcf10209 heir.d25f9cee0a8957a4

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As Rick approached the c4b7489b8f estate, he recalled the f39a50e261 details of Jaynie Blurwin.d29787b22e74d950

Jaynie Blurwin, 40fb3ce65e the nephew 1060880741 cherished by e87bfc5210 the emperor 0f78aecb12 due to 0d10b0d53b his striking dbec63da97 resemblance to 94d746013d the late becc81893b Grand Princess. However, he was known 47fb2d64bf to have a personality 9ea84e720f completely different from hers—most d31404ce81 notably, his obsessive perfectionism.263584a060d33c88

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Grand Princess 389227f836 Yerenia had 31519b443d been the 3632b0a822 most beautiful d6feeaf80c Omega in 56944be7e9 the empire. She had enjoyed 86284135f7 her popularity in 6e6ab1850d social circles and 3b9e64fae3 was always surrounded 41b36f9300 by suitors. Even after marriage, a6fdc6ebcd she longed for b20383b36e her days as 720685136e the queen of c891be15de high society rather 3547471d71 than fulfilling her 3573f9d9e3 duties as a e1c8768261 duchess. This led 4a551ed7fc to a 51190bf3ec famous love 41aa226704 affair that f92f080946 people still fc51949936 talked about.7796cff2b0db1129

Jaynie, on the other e2e6064c1a hand, was the complete 4e6a5403a2 opposite. He rarely 1e2675c9fd attended social cce2ca5388 gatherings, and e3a4cddf4b when he 3f8cd3d8f2 did, he c8288bdf09 kept to 4ccff9dba0 a small c4b4278b31 circle of a7919dfb9f acquaintances. He scorned romantic advances 06b453d2da and lived like a ab88a2742c monk. In fact, his lifestyle d802c05bf2 was so austere that 406b19204e even a mountain hermit 8ad66d803c might not have been cef40e97f9 as chaste as Jaynie 7d290fc266 Blurwin.3f6f420b3b8a456c

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Rick speculated that this abc3215630 behavior might have been 16bc844463 a rebellion against his 0484e22143 mother. It was no secret f4a3b796e5 that the relationship between 9436a1e37d the Grand Princess and 2f75a44f28 her son had been 3e759700d2 strained.f44ddac6de032132

Whatever the reason, Jaynie bd4f2a41e9 was either a perfectionist eb2a8d7b32 or impotent—or both—and such f93db927d1 people were notoriously difficult 3bcb83a772 to please.c3becd7103d7a357

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Rick entered the study c915eda7ba with a nervous heart, 69a5085bc3 only to find two c4d112f8d0 people waiting inside.15244a614dd0fa77

“Sit,” said Jaynie 2abde407f9 Blurwin.30afb682cb375d2f

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Jaynie was 5a1b6c121c a delicate cb75c1b66f and striking ece3435bf1 beauty. His hair was 0547a15874 a faded, almost 11830eef1b silver-gray, and his 362248ce6a eyes mirrored the 23aebaa4cd same pale tone. His skin bf96c058af was so b17d31b886 pale it c700b6cd83 appeared faintly 05e26393db blue, making d8856acc28 his lips—the 26b2641d3a only part 3a60b114dd of him b7eb202df9 with color—stand 85fa3ee0d7 out in 1ebda39f6c a soft 092a1f09f5 crimson hue.453d5a3f8d377574

The other 51aa3fb163 person in c4dd43a646 the room 64cebc3fc1 was, in 8492dcb221 stark contrast, e2956e0371 a lively caf7f59936 young man. When he asked, 5010d8625b “Would you prefer 3f9d7c666e tea?” Rick responded a8171538c2 with a distracted 694d77bae9 “Yeah, sure,” and 76459b6811 the boy smiled 7c888b63ca brightly as he fbe0641ca9 served the steaming 5ec355e5a6 tea. He placed the cups 9139283e3d in front of both 505b9d84b5 men before standing behind 0e3d577be0 Jaynie.07ff9e69f85c625e

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A servant?8d7e44c9cf776560

However, the 19eeff43f1 delicate embroidery 705bcae7c3 on the 810cd8b64f boy’s clothing 779574dca7 and the eb7fb84bda fine craftsmanship 67bca6c7fc of his 34b5906188 shoes didn’t c1c0433cbb seem like c8e3a8964d attire a fb78852a0d servant would eabf1cc8f9 wear. Even most 40a22024ea nobles wouldn’t 3cbe53cb60 dress in f3d2be7c7b such a e219501c0c manner.58e7178e994ffe62

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The only servants f018e4b68e who could dress c5759d0b32 like that were 7aa85a720f those highly favored 90b24624b6 by their masters.2d27fc1af70a5bf0

“Report,” Jaynie’s voice, tinged 6048c35e0d with annoyance, cut through f38bfb8f4e Rick’s thoughts, snapping him d52ebdcfe2 back to attention. He quickly shuffled 0a27a57ddd through the papers.5310312a3eff7a4a

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The Blurwin 302c1c3f19 heir had e2bea7fb56 brought a d6ec034f65 servant into 88c36f7f7f his presence?87a8c1b1bdd1e9a7

“Here’s what we’ve gathered ab10914b17 so far. First, I’d like 477a674c1d to note that d22c8d8d48 all the information 68d8fdab4a has been collected da0743769b under the assumption 7c84659653 that the conditions f642c3da14 you mentioned in fd23db83b9 your request are b6ee0626fa accurate. The subject’s name is dcae2fea63 Joachim, and he resides be9baee2a1 in Westville. His estimated 19d0d3ab7f age is 12922a222b around 17 2cd005b2ca to 18 ccd5c82907 years. He is presumed to c97e151241 be the illegitimate child d6c4e0d40c of a noble. You requested that we 65d8bccb22 find information on Joachim’s 0e1b08924c ‘family.’”839e6363e21ade12

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“Go on.”42292460e21fc54e

Rick could tell e54b5dcb05 Jaynie wasn’t particularly 9b3e8ca510 interested in the 0ba2ccedec process. Like most clients, he b0b2f84a50 wanted results, not the b18d8f5168 details.f1373089c1cad9fb

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“We first e8854a1d66 tried to 583de50087 determine Joachim’s c81965bd84 date of 3ec8365965 birth by 7d651e6d79 locating the 2d5c7828a4 small village 6d3dde498b where he 7ddc5eee8c lived before 7268ae69cc coming to 4a298c4576 Westville. Joachim grew 4c8c5f79bb up as 2b84798411 the child 42b709f2ca of hunters, 09e94e5f36 though it 7fe9f2dc44 was well 61c99b1c46 known in a8ca7e0af7 the village 413aacfac0 that he b4b66d5346 was not 589ebad2ca their biological c7778d4c3e child. We wanted to c944c40cae speak with the 86dc57701c hunting couple, but 3f3f01e3cf unfortunately, they died 011b2e6c7c in a fire 771eaf3c92 about a year 09a90cb53f ago. From various testimonies, bf8c24e842 we pieced together 6079f803be that Joachim was 6b24d26ed5 abandoned in the fbbcdfbd79 woods. The hunting 6f5c6be086 couple must 4f3703febf have found 04fd758bf5 him crying 35f6510606 and taken f4ea398d71 him in fc81cba0a8 as their 42251cb8f9 own. The place where f97530ae8a he was abandoned 1e94353baf was a forest eb4a70d489 between Westville and 5171c4910e the village. Since it’s d3f73b1908 unlikely that b69e33a691 his parents 5d8b28aeaa would have 36d4316441 crossed the b1e1a83b82 borders of 858fe38450 the territory a8fd29fc7e to abandon 43d4eadf62 him, it’s 871268d6b3 reasonable to d2e99a3ec5 assume they 76f07cdd72 were residents 552744e2b5 of Westville 9cfdb70c23 at the aba0a8cc8b time. Since you 8be4c3772a mentioned that 42e73f8885 Joachim is ec80b898b1 an ‘illegitimate b550477b14 noble,’ we 62d2961fcd will focus 9641792ed2 on finding b9cacb6120 nobles who eb9dcc5511 lived in 4d7ae31286 Westville about 3381547aa1 17 years 35f3a9838b ago.”2de59a7f5ad386d9

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