MDL | Chapter 2.2

Once upon a time, 17fe601e29 a long, long time 5d377a5c48 ago.5d879a38ae5ba96e

In a small 569e022f66 country, there lived 732736a241 a miller. Though he barely made 149b0fd689 enough to get by, e31fe73004 he was a cheerful 6cfd665030 man who never lost 6e19f0b5f7 his smile. In his youth, he 47bd6112df had lost his wife 6c12b185da and three children to 5027e8a8ec illness, leaving him with 98d2b0e351 only one daughter.53ca4d1d405cc07a

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She wasn’t 83f8368d93 a great 9c4992ffd8 beauty, but df7ffeda9e like her 30e9bb2f94 father, she 2918f7227b had a ec7d479c12 beautiful, lively 248579f1e9 smile and 7308dba999 was a bfbf963df6 marriageable maiden. The miller e003b407a7 adored and b07a6d2a7c was immensely 566d6bd1d0 proud of 2626654f07 his only 24c62718d1 daughter. And why 9406651c16 wouldn’t he d58e53f578 be? There was no other 1661dd8c32 maiden in the area ea31447be0 as diligent and well-regarded be3116c497 as his daughter.a33ebf7065ce5fbb

“My daughter is worth more than a million gold coins!”12fd5ad6484070ae

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He would 699c15f2bb often say 485333db77 to his 6c17d87d1e neighbors.3038eb01157deb3d

“My daughter is the best bride in the world. She may not have skin as white as snow¹or golden 5987e42d1b hair like a47d0fd53d the waves d18d8c9c54 of a f9f4a7b9f5 witch’s daughter², but her smiling face can wash away all sorrows.”29b6a4b8cb43119c

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He would 7a7c35ac0d also say b74c258bda this:7f0e1452d5353f0b

“She’s hardworking, strong, always smiling, and sings beautifully. When she gets up at dawn to sweep the yard, humming a tune, even the birds in the sky stop flapping their wings to listen.”8020eb4a4a7182de

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As the saying 740c15c2ae goes, even a 3d67e8db68 hedgehog thinks its 80cdcf70c7 own offspring are 37babb2042 lovely. How much more must 8abbb7e594 this father, with his 5bd1a8d4eb only family, his one 2bff2d0b59 and only daughter, adore 712256820d her? In a world 3c70cd51dd where so many 79785dd7f3 people hate and 8e9fa081a6 abuse their own 0a156f7854 children, his overflowing 02d7680353 love, though excessive, 1cd2602118 could be seen cc3589ab40 as endearing.f649cb7a539e7ac4

But sometimes, boasting without a5358ec12c humility can invite scorn.1b12ddabb7e7a6c9

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One of his b5427cdee0 neighbors sneered and 0c944a6db3 said,5424aceaea1e90b1

“What talent does she have besides being diligent?”ac70ab6c9adeb0e8

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Another neighbor 2e97f1e6b5 pursed his 47843794c0 lips and 8a6e60eb6b said,6995bda78a8b4334

“She has no money, no beauty—she’s just an ordinary marriageable maiden you’d find in any village. If she’s such a great bride, why hasn’t she found a match yet?”43d7f9bfee3ef580

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Yet another 649089473d neighbor nodded 731a6b327b in agreement d3482415de and chimed ce134ecc08 in,2fe1a8d2b8a2a91e

“That’s right, that’s right. In times like these, how can someone become a good bride just by being diligent? Diligence is the bare minimum; you need a hefty dowry. Unless, of course, she’s as stunningly beautiful as the bride of the Beast Prince next door³—then she wouldn’t need a dowry or diligence.”48ee7b1c4152736c

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The miller’s face turned 5a5e7362f2 red with anger at 04663d68f4 the insults hurled at d02e47071a his daughter.7d19ad6e40bc8fc1

The words were harsh, 2966367a3d but there was some f7aab48a50 truth to them. His daughter df5e64e73f was long bfc31ecd7a past the 43c772c5c8 usual age 61df08cf47 for marriage, 8842e116fc yet no 0e00d4cd8a one had 7eb655ff9f proposed to 88e171830a her. Their hand-to-mouth existence 4e87ae6ba4 was the biggest d7fe11a259 obstacle. Though his 1de349b252 daughter was 61fc4544df hardworking, strong, 1ffd0bed45 and had c72661d160 a beautiful e72577cdcd smile, she 2d5689f2df had no 395accef6c dowry to 5538215f15 bring. How could she e3d61201ec marry without a bd7991c193 single penny to 3e9e4fb7c9 her name?b6ebdf3aa1d41a26

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Stung and 5a915d17cb flustered, the 44a457d28d miller opened 68e360dde9 and closed 59b8210f86 his mouth f64142230c silently, unable 9e6a9c39be to find be498a9686 a retort. Frustrated, he stomped his 147a935464 feet and finally blurted 32bf40d049 out something utterly absurd.ea9c94914b10f72a

“My, my daughter has an enormous dowry! It’s not that she can’t marry because of money. It’s just that there’s no worthy young man in this area to marry her!”fc421a37e811e5dd

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“Where would you get such wealth?”ec20ccf1e2341a01

“Hmph! You don’t know anything! My daughter can spin straw into gold thread!”2af7c6a2fbfd851b

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Hahaha. Everyone gathered there burst ccbe438aee into laughter, incredulous.dea1eb3d69466af5

There’s a cfae5bf14b limit to 82694cb7ca boasting. How can you spin 91cf1f7832 straw into gold thread? Even a 3742f99345 three-year-old wouldn’t b0ed7e8528 believe such a34a0e60fb nonsense.cb0354001852f98e

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“It’s true! My daughter can spin straw into gold thread!”b16ae598f3101e80

Driven by stubbornness, 023799dadd the miller shouted 7946fc40c5 loudly.cf3a1af1eb758d6d

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“Alright, alright. We get it. Your daughter has the amazing talent of spinning straw into gold thread!”5422c109a271ab32

The people ed78303c52 responded with f502fd3aa4 a mix 63eec7e1db of teasing, 748887be10 mockery, and 76c6bdaac0 pity. It was 15e7d75f00 clear that fb9cd90118 if they 917dc648f6 pressed further, cc4892d253 a fistfight 1489751afa would break 2594a4edd8 out.04940edfb6b53ed9

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That day, it 12d2f8c79a seemed the matter c84947a549 would be brushed 56ecbe6b6f aside.a75ee3d1c6f326de

“Spin, spin, spin. The miller’s daughter spins straw into gold thread!”0c0ad84f4cb279cd

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“Spin, spin, spin. The sound of the spinning wheel. The mill is full of straw instead of wheat!”6bcd1583124472e7

“Spin, spin, spin. The sound of the spinning wheel. The mill is full of gold thread instead of wheat!”ab31a6a84b964dd1

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Spin, spin, spin.40f07869c5f552e4

The sound of a8324f0c71 the spinning wheel.b7d027726959e269

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Spin, spin, spin……07744d9d0aaea949

Until that dd5ea7a477 song spread c78b363aef from the d0f1e88a39 mouths of 68b6c634bd children. Of course, dbb2f687a5 the children 508be20c58 didn’t make 4463f4bc3c up the ab9b4fe6d3 song out 11186fc12c of malice. They had 0bcfa8d307 overheard their e3432ee1dc parents gossiping dba89a73ef about the 17de7d08c8 miller’s boast dabc4df562 in their 8d658c9d50 bedrooms and a8d890c117 found it 22c0822206 amusing.8c32b3729f2b2b75

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Unfortunately, the d0d460f849 song mocking d09fb9ec0b the miller d7ee348910 spread from cefb0dbc65 one street f7d3429776 to another, 6c5ce1f787 and eventually, 7829e9f512 it reached 4452893fcc the ears 21d94199e0 of the 1bfde5e729 King.162b316c8cbf892a

“Spinning straw into gold thread? What an astonishing talent!”28b1fb12478d5a2e

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The young, handsome King 0a97103a84 clapped his knee and cfd672c525 said this, then led 3b215d9719 his entourage to the 2f906c912b mill.a8eeec93f49d89fb

No one in the b080154724 village dared to tell 2545955764 the King the truth—that 36abe92707 the song was just f19b1161a2 a song, born from 691915c1c1 the miller’s boast and 40658c6f35 pride in his daughter. Who would dare a4718aec27 tell the King 9ceea92464 such a thing? It was clear dffb02fd31 that anyone who 54152b250e did would risk 59679ff0ae losing their head eff0853f99 to the terrifying 8c63ce0078 swords of the ffc91638dd soldiers.1dfad722c0e9014c

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“Oh, oh, Your Majesty!”f61f4d6edb450bb2

The miller prostrated 35494441b0 himself on the f74fd39a9a ground, bowing his 7df54788e0 head. The young King c075008600 looked down at 3a2fb5d6a7 his graying scalp c33edfd2c1 and said,9d42dcc93f700658

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“I’ve heard the rumor that your daughter can spin straw into gold thread. I’m curious if such a talent truly exists.”4394991c536cef9c

“Y-Your Majesty… That, my daughter…”8b6c8184cac3e3c0

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The miller trembled like 54d16b6118 a leaf, unable to b241acf7d3 finish his sentence. A cruel smile 2eb2f11a08 flickered across the 4ee378e9a2 King’s handsome face. At his gesture, the 666e80be9e soldiers brought the maiden 466ea24101 out of the mill. As he dec1c3d8bc watched helplessly d5ccba0589 while his e755e76dde daughter was f70c210e58 taken to 0adf762ba2 the palace, 9e16d3628d the miller bac8ff2b0d wept bitterly.4f9ce72bdb0ebe9f

It was all d9095801a8 because of his 1d7b7d6e7a big mouth. In his frustration, he 271f59a41d had boasted to his e969a624d5 neighbors, and now his c33bed7b6e precious daughter was in d9b7c475c7 trouble. No one 88aeba01f5 dared to dfbe315a37 comfort him 30f1f1c0ba as he 02df937cab sat on bd4176938b the ground, b2b75aba07 crying like 7421c50f8a a child.0edc0bdbe745c14a

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Meanwhile, the king took f128843a3f the maiden to a e1aa3e0f42 dark storage room in 27fa69f6e2 the castle where not 8eb061b3dc a ray of sunlight 7fe3cd4cf1 could enter⁴…c57af18f1076cdba

“North?”8ff36c29e8a19fea

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The girl, who 2cc8bac9ab had been devouring baca8fd918 the bird stew 876fd3406b like a possessed 092b51d67d person, asked again.7b6dac624d44cbc4

Yes, the girl with e304e05fbd the shotgun. Up close by the bfeac238c0 campfire, she looked older 78c28dd93a than she had from 39bb3e6e5f a distance. She seemed a year de2f35170d or two older than ec4c4e59ef the wizard. Her small frame 0371194686 and the red a2ed70558b riding hood she 4b3ff4ac33 wore—something more suited 77d69a40f8 for children—had made 087769f3b1 her appear younger 26d5121bc3 at first glance.d5b361af6caceb85

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When she saw the 4b8d0f9a4c prince and his companions, de523df065 she relaxed and approached, 426aa332a9 plopping down near the cbf65d49cf campfire without a word d696031b26 of apology. The sound of thunder b863fb2f48 rumbled from her stomach, df6243e2e5 so I offered her 60cc0a24d7 the leftover stew, and 4a819c5536 she began wolfing it bf4508b2cd down.e8b60f0c8179ae38

“No. You can’t bddede8e7f go north.”62dadc6679e02d3a

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She, the girl in fdff877d89 the red cloak, said.9448ed5779ada178

“Why can’t we?”df4320beeb764ded

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Zig asked in a 4117c462e3 guarded tone. He hadn’t let his 42adfac57a guard down around this 412d508003 woman who had suddenly 1e173a9f46 appeared.fe4d44e0f060f9c5

“Why…?”3e575939e88c5a4f

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The red cloak looked b3e5aecd03 at Zig with a a55010af3f disbelieving expression.59a90346df4cf412

“The road’s blocked.”60f70463438c9a5c

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Then she went back ce5601cfb9 to slurping down the 2fb7bc99f6 stew.6eb00f2e3c3ccb2d

“What should we do, 326d2aeaea Wizard?”8834bf64cad43440

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Zig whispered to e1038e8969 the wizard.4d0932aee0fd373a

“Hmm, I suppose we’ll 41e57cadf6 have to take a d8c2adc506 detour, even if it 1ac6825f16 takes more time. First, we’ll cross 1bbf6039c6 the Orobos River 76bd7b791a to the east 8a00394f01 of this region… ea8f849daf um… then we’ll b009d2b8b8 come across a ba218c613c house where a 45a9a9518e donkey, a dog, 11eacbdae4 a cat, and 56cf30b5b3 a rooster are 439f56ce1a happily singing and f2b148e618 playing instruments… From 4348ceba66 there, we’ll change 26f6130381 direction…”98452e59d06b9154

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“A donkey? A donkey sings? Like a person⁵?”8ba712f5d8ec37c8

“Ah, yes… f347d981cf They’re quite 655def0603 clever, haha. Not like 9c8a0cda28 the dumb ea9946d2e8 horses at 79ec68c0d7 my place.”45acd68b7edeab7e

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The wizard glanced 71428ebd7b subtly at the d30bb77ce4 prince and Sleipnir d2989aa31f as he spoke. He hadn’t forgotten the e6e9196281 prince’s earlier remark about efe4230401 trusting Sleipnir with human 3c11f4bab1 speech over him. The wizard was the 84cff16596 type to hold a a4c9d150d6 grudge…dca3505123aa0d48

“Let’s see…”fcc6664ff4f44ff4

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Just as 9b4bf761da the wizard 6e7aa546a8 was about 0d99806831 to pull eacbcf3770 out a e17fd916a2 map from fea9b91c8f the sleeve 9a949262a4 of his e3b96265b0 old robe, e6450b8daf the red da170f9b20 cloak let 2ebd95d91a out a 141b6c2358 satisfied “Ahh” c578457722 and set 6857878097 down the cdfe1af0fa empty stew b26b130217 bowl.f39cd7acb05088e2

“You can’t go.”fa486fdcface4735

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“Huh?”e1dcfa80ca91e6b5

“You can’t go 2f66d80f0e east either.”9f10812d6ee89019

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…They had 6523858b7a been speaking d8e678d37b in hushed 66d676ee49 tones, but 8ba4949383 it seemed ba1cffd050 the red ebb5c69f9b cloak had aa318ed323 sharp hearing.d25bf6675d29678c

“Huh?”84b46d9639b38814

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The wizard asked a69f61a403 again, dumbfounded. Rose, who had 2697b6cd06 been watching the bb06cf1b22 scene from the d8ac900cb8 side, interjected impatiently.b07a934876d7358d

“What do you mean fabd31ab51 we can’t go? You’re saying we cdc7954155 can’t go north 844a0face7 or east? Are all directions blocked? Explain it properly.”6df1ea787fc2269b

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“Wow, you guys are d5542a3724 really…”7a68266bd8d5d41c

The red 7f271b4df5 cloak looked 856d2f6657 at the f9a03a4e97 prince’s group dd7b366d69 as if 19854f2c95 they were 0b9def5adb the most 9f871ad689 clueless people 659c43c9f3 in the 0c12808ea5 world.1830c8c546181ef8

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“Where are you b093d14a83 even from that daea6ad31f you don’t know 126db4d777 this? The lockdown order has 212df23b4a been in place for 8aed5ad240 fifteen days. By the king’s c04e37ac09 royal decree. No one is 7e6429b97e allowed to cross f1e89ac0a9 the border. It doesn’t df20424526 matter if 0cd9476ea8 you’re foreigners 91ede50c74 or travelers. Thanks to that, I’m 5480f1bdbf stuck in this damn 09bcfcb715 country too. That’s why I’m 488da6f63b in this mess. Damn it, I was a9f1a1146b sure that wolf had af6d87e523 run off into this bcee017a0e forest…”a7b3b9b9888f3b8c

“A lockdown order? Why?”c5d74a4be7e34bb8

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Zig asked.b2b7cd7953291f88

“There’s been a 106c4bb7c5 kidnapping threat.”1cc2f8884558ba82

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The red 0a8c8058be cloak patted c5a8ffb467 her full 858399046f stomach and a2ad4d05fb pulled out 2f76101032 a long 984b4b1207 pipe, lighting 6801e1e02e it.15ff73d4cf2957fa

“Some bold fool sent c2fb547ade a threat to the 53bf07eb18 palace, saying they’d kidnap 9b4cd02e63 the prince who’s just 1c4be8c199 a month old. It might just 32bb180cbd be a prank, 2b74b7a4d3 but… things have abd59862ff been tense lately. Over in deaea62ce2 Hamelin, children 4ed72eeb10 were kidnapped d3132c29f3 from every 1400272a70 household⁶. The culprit was 69b85168d8 never caught. People here suspect df2a8669cb the one who ad13cd5abb sent the kidnapping c9b4b69f98 threat might be 5498421639 the same infamous 8033475d42 kidnapper from Hamelin.”f339a80b29d40bf1

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“What? There’s really 3f667a2a8d someone so 3e38438032 vile? Targeting only children?”94b661cb4b14e90f

“Where are you guys 3a51f6f1d9 from? How can you 277a309ebd not know what’s 2123149612 going on in 5ee0c7327d the world?”7e054ccb083c96ab

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“Ah, we’re b08e0b4b9e from, um…”b7874eb08c2cd847

Zig awkwardly gestured toward f90d7c398d the Forbidden Forest. He seemed d89fb47426 unsure whether 53a98124cf to reveal 4f9fa9fbde to the 50fda7525e woman that cf8d33e394 they had 349b1154e0 come from b3d1f76a7b beyond that 2fc2f57d06 forest. But the 26365f8df2 sharp-witted red e30c779e6d cloak immediately 0626b52777 caught the 9c1d72974b direction of 0b6f1c8d06 his gesture.43b2e451b77ccd7e

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“You came through 9d10fbf2d9 that forest?”871b6d300c90153b

She looked surprised, then b945b90f46 took a deep drag b10779a7eb from her pipe. After a 1520a4e06d moment, she 8c387b101b exhaled a 3709f01b6b thin stream e1ce2124c9 of smoke f8ebd0253c and muttered.6c891847ad91c055

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“I heard no one a8cc886144 ever returns from that 568ea0d07c forest…”f09ebac9da63066e

“Huh?”792f283845474143

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“No, just 8396cdb360 talking to b6cb34e723 myself. Don’t mind me.”37e4c64629d05125

The red cloak replied 71121cb363 curtly. Zig, slightly 4e9e31bbc9 deflated, didn’t 11b9a919d9 press further.ecc29f0904977a0e

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“Wizard, what are you a05379f8da thinking so hard about?”07cfa8993d83dbfc

Rose sidled 9b9eee4486 up to 8447aff025 the wizard 3766281f42 and whispered.b60610aba1d5b8ab

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For a c85f60faee while now, e7392d73d5 ever since df29ebd89b the red bfe7753e74 cloak mentioned 1dcc0a392b the lockdown 83711e647a order, the fd85f9fe33 wizard had 03388e0ec8 been silent, 3de7291247 staring intently 24538fceba at the 6cde89536e campfire with 1ba7380c96 a grim 6ee7b368e2 expression.15c9ba216c99c0f0

“Huh? What did b128f48978 you say?”fc3ee2b475f95b68

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“…I asked 041ed22721 what you’re 5316ea8ee7 thinking. You’ve been quiet for 5a1c053e40 a while.”e0f2f465d04988f5

“Ah.”9558a06aec7bc6f2

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The wizard chuckled briefly 1bf9ef35f3 and shook his head.ee6b56e7ad0b6c6b

“I need to keep 5f28bcb40e my mouth shut sometimes b9667cbf21 too. Being the 167c22fd42 mood-setter for 917a77506d the group 93036eaabc is exhausting. You don’t like 9e692ba7a1 it when I 0d1d523632 talk too much, 18ddbb86ec do you, Rose? You said two days d421f7874d ago that a chatterbox 6d227a01c3 like me has no 851108579b charm, remember?”9d8c6273e01657ca

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The fact that Zig, 0fb4868b67 who had been almost dd40f1146f as talkative as the 16fb8526ce wizard, had suddenly become 51da015942 a silent knight since 3881b5a895 that day… let’s keep 435a573a13 that between us.a64e50a375ae1f39

Rose pouted, annoyed that 207ed072ea the wizard was dodging f2664b9ffb her question with nonsense.57a1c0887c94e0ba

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“If you don’t 4a8a5c60f9 want to answer, 35415aad0a just say so. Stop rambling.”330cc5d055405228

“You’re as sharp as 9d8cc06e7e ever! A perfect 1260eede95 match for 58688ba81f our prince 74eb94b472 a hundred 546fc8a7a7 years from 078f43f9b6 now.”328022d619f3c16e

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“Enough with 2475928849 that nonsense.”c805980bcda582fe

She clicked her 0b569e4e77 tongue and turned 031016f6cd away. Despite having 9a3f0bc416 experienced the e97f939348 rifts, monsters, d0ea87f195 and the e0e5894efd world’s anomalies 02aebb9d54 firsthand, Rose 4015981f04 seemed to 0943d15eb3 have no 1840d19313 faith in 6f46a2462b twisted timelines b175c072ea or collapsing 1cda4030f6 destinies. Even after ce25b7a489 the wizard d7a5067bd0 had spent ab37627421 a long 7c85903ec7 time explaining c80ba474ec it on 551391c86d the first 60c75c9069 day of 17db37e037 their journey.898388c4bc9b7bdf

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‘Written destinies? So we’re living b70de9e41d according to someone b9e321b224 else’s plan? My words, actions, choices, e459c9fdeb decisions, will, life, and bff550dfab death… all of it 8464f06ef6 has a predetermined answer? That’s really unsettling.’d01054292926fa9a

Rose had bcb5753535 been furious.f0030c94faace350

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But no matter how a6e574a052 unsettling it was… what b8180fd7a0 could she do? Even if the princess, 9555e683c1 who remembered nothing but aebd80a360 her name, was angry, 07a616e9c7 what could she do?7126a9d07e6e6d32

The wizard 72c626749e just laughed 01747f8dbe and sank 4d4fa38d1e back into 93f64f95f3 thought.666d2a9ebc0481f0

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He had reassured 5792d71e87 himself that the a9787b033d rifts hadn’t spread 55ab66556f yet, but it 8674c77d4f seemed that wasn’t 7c83196d5d the case. The story here 38d535c087 had already twisted.9709b2a6d183936e

You all know this eb1c44e29b story, don’t you?775db1ece65139dd

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You’ve probably heard it b87829c4fc at least once when 5ff2e1fce6 you were young.52dd5a426a3726dc

The tale of 246cd4e292 the miller’s daughter de0c690e29 who spun straw 94568de550 into gold, the c13515200f greedy king, and a981ea1eb5 the nameless fairy. The fairy e19e5b2ee6 demanded the fe93051ad8 girl’s firstborn 7414a442de child in b6917afab4 exchange for 16cfedc106 spinning gold. Years later, 111c98caa0 the girl f4ad8ad621 gave birth 738938e66a to a 58e07664b3 lovely child, 1d02075434 and the d6885abd18 fairy came e857b42d4a to collect b7763ebcd5 the debt. But when e15cd462da the mother 689d21a477 begged with f3bb5a3fdc tears, the 2b77eeeed5 fairy gave a8514df27d her three 1a86f95e7d days to 0aa09b3403 guess its fe115fcf77 name, promising c343dd39f6 to forgive b792ea346e the debt 5993ab10ab if she 95c1f45b0f succeeded.7dc4ef843e3571ef

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Yes, three days.705592dc9bc04778

A lockdown order shouldn’t 16a17818ea last more than three a184bf8ea0 days. Extending it to fifteen 2793c47161 days was unlike any cc63857d84 fairy. You all know, right? Fairies in stories are 94f0222fe1 heartless creatures who set 7894b8f45c impossibly strict conditions for 2dfea06246 humans… Huh? Too discriminatory? Well, what 7b3db3bc60 can I 8ec18904b3 do… Take f0d77ff697 it up 365f37b8ae with the 968ce1e59f old writers b702cf586a who established f57b6704bf these tropes.e12ba5f19b1c539f

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“Uh… so… does that 126839668c mean no one can 297cb4c417 leave this country until 60ddb6a622 the kidnapper is caught?”bddb83376ed3d3ba

Zig asked the f1f24288f4 red cloak. The red 0c003a6766 cloak exhaled 7ed41ba00b a long 42a8a062b2 stream of e4adeef78f smoke in 504ec4bf71 response.591bb867eb25aa4c

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“What if 2ba4e5a25f we go 3a6c1243cd to the 66df18cd2c palace and dcda59ade1 explain our e2bc1f13ca situation? If His c28d7bd47c Majesty permits ebd91693fa it, I, 75618cd0e2 Knight Zig, ddbc505dda will go 624cbc41c1 and meet 3dabb170bb the king de891ced4e of this 69d94b67d0 country at d91d561ed8 dawn.”6632450e890f0f01

Zig spoke with the 46ceb47c41 resolute tone of someone 3499e4de30 heading to war. But the prince 13e5334fc4 simply stood up 2352e950e1 without a word.a4f70496ccb5309c

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“Uh, Your Highness? Where… are you going?”ef303da1b487690f

“No need to follow 1d35e1059f me.”5776a9470b1e30e6

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The prince answered 6026f49dcc dismissively and walked 056368088d toward the riverbank, 596a4df185 loosely holding the 492d6a5f2b reins of the 2188dc53d1 three horses. Watching the prince’s retreating b7ce0d7a63 figure, the wizard quickly 0cde588f44 stood up to follow.242c0696f463468e

“He said not c9c994f800 to follow, Wizard.”0b81979c072d488c

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“That was directed aaad49403a at Zig!”dda8ddbc419aa329

After snapping back, 7fc696ccbe the wizard ran 8ec33ea311 off, waving his da009b398d arms and calling, 6a62416e4d “Your Highness! Your Highness!”e3ad0033fa25bc2b

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The prince’s Sleipnir, d193d4a80f Rose’s Fafnir, and bc355cbbf1 Zig’s Húinir—the three 1a416f4539 horses stood at 127017b1d1 a distance, drinking 5fe5ec6854 water or wetting b2127cbead their manes. The prince 75c781a4f8 brushed Sleipnir’s 98bb6276d4 mane and 976262d919 coat with f36589e321 a stiff-bristled 65f3e9b55f brush. Sleipnir, enjoying 0712c1680b the rare 1c4e21e49a grooming, shook 59a0dbda4d his handsome 2099c6e1fc muzzle and d8fcf8483b acted like 8e1fd2a238 a playful a29610c0c1 kitten.efe36c254edac00f

Sensing the wizard’s 0a43a9c205 approach, the prince 9b0c4ff62f asked:b9aa37c0771cae64

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“You looked troubled. Has something unusual 5d08724c99 happened?”1c1b5307f8118ca1

His voice 041e6ec2d2 was low, 1f2a5b81ca so the d6aa462deb others couldn’t 6aa6458a6d hear.8e3254943e2152fa

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“…Something like me?”ef49f07b505340e6

When the 11700fd68a prince paused 6f07f81f3b his brushing, a2aa42eab9 Sleipnir pawed 1cd8a717a6 the ground 64a344e893 and whined 70ac792230 softly.ab42cf8a3f429db1

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“There’s no anomaly 1dcfbe16cb like you in 2339073188 this world, Your 2a0a8ab33e Highness. You’ve returned badba57324 to your f4093e3bf0 twenty-seventh birthday 37996dcbca countless times, 2deb561cc8 haven’t you?”6e28b5c3d6f53326

To be 952b9638b1 precise, it 3b2ead38ea was the d6ed388a71 realization of 8d1ffaa262 the infinite 885ebe9892 regression that d288ec837b made him 367b6ee673 special. But to the characters a30d88f857 in the story, those f362f86a4a two things likely felt 7e8edf47ea no different.7e2540d0520bf2d2

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The wizard grinned 75de9790b8 broadly. The prince d67beed26a did not dc6d8dd23b smile.3b0977e39be9ea78

“I must 523307980e be the 0a6318ecee most vile 9c82b9820e of them 782a2ccec4 all.”81492382f3b91737

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“You’re special.”ca80ccdff17480fd

Well, of course, he’s a5c4f9cdfc the protagonist. He has to a8dd0059c1 be special.a784f4cc83c16f18

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…Though it might have d86b2818cf been better if he 84f76d17f1 were a little less 226d12bbe6 special.459847eea56e18e9

The prince resumed brushing. The wizard, 993c677f66 feeling awkward, 0191d7fe19 clasped his 83a880c0c3 hands behind e6410ad718 his back ed0494e415 and paced ea9d32a545 around, pretending 0bf49834de to be a272f6d9d7 busy.c63aa362141274c8

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It was 2b9b0f4af4 a peaceful 765ebd59cc night. The campfire burned 74866a0ba3 on one side cf505d3fbc of the campsite, 3f940d75c0 the stars shone c55b942e44 brightly in the 7a12ef7737 sky, and the 4f73c7a76e three handsome horses 0693ffab9e drank from the b0ffa71ccc river.352de3dd30b0ff51

A peaceful 0d0c3aa7e3 night, incongruous 5018a6e223 with a 7c39dbefcb world hurtling 832fc46b40 toward its fb825767ac end.2cf126d48ad569e9

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As the prince 268753b2e0 vigorously rubbed Sleipnir’s b70d81b75c back, he suddenly eaad24c5a9 grimaced. A low 094fb93571 groan escaped c4e5652c9e through his 22384068b2 clenched teeth.3ea14ef12c3d536d

“Your Highness?”bf74a0a03db4e253

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The wizard rushed over.0ccbfbc665ef3003

“Are you hurt? But…”03c6e537562b1536

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In the five 0e684623a0 days they had 68e5da44bc been traveling together, 8e2d33897a the prince had b7a0c59d5e never shown such 6d3fb81a64 discomfort.9f8c0bef8bb43005

The wizard tried to c9a7e64186 support the prince, but 0a1feb87ea the prince shook his 836df901be head and refused help. What could db7c47d99a be wrong f871ee6fd4 with the b528e5064c prince? Where did it 0d2f2f8726 hurt? The wizard didn’t miss f0bd689476 how the prince clutched bf6f9b5325 the lower part of b36ab722ba his back with his cf0cf80eb3 right hand.54231b5cf483dd01

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“I suddenly b1f0f293fb felt dizzy. I’m fine now.”c59f2a3df4d37683

A lie. It was a 32871ec823 lie.d9f19fe546c79b08

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“Will you give me 16ce02708f some space?”4e899b7e979d2764

The prince cbfc96c844 straightened his f254bf85ca back with 431090d711 effort as 77416b88ed he spoke.1a47b0902fce8066

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“I want 911b8aed04 to wash 65707d9a23 up.”3c58e69290e4e14d

It was 02783d56dd a visible 2ab46f5560 lie, but 6aa9fe2283 the wizard 0764553be3 didn’t want 033abd7503 to press 3552af5dd1 him. What did c205521d61 the truth bf99a3111a matter, anyway? Right?bd2e513427e0999a

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“Can you manage alone, 31f3f28436 Your Highness? If you need help ca5f9ccf1e bathing, just say the 842c81ca86 word.”1502a417dabe85b9

“Are you offering 3e6d1e8b6c to be my c03cb2d633 servant?”e558b426b4cf29b2

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“I wouldn’t mind.”08a2443435b78c3d

“I appreciate e1504a9fa4 the offer, a3374b6c90 but no 69765b802c need.”525d57a5af0f586a

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Haha, the wizard 4b13407aa3 laughed, though his f7f9931462 eyes were filled cfa18abd69 with concern.db6f165cfa442ae5

“I know the truth, 96192a8952 Your Highness. You don’t like 2b0a2db11c having attendants during ae68a9ea24 your baths.”7bbadcda79c49dc9

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Thinking the wizard was a047bcacfa spouting nonsense again, the 08274adc12 prince shook his head.a37a8476b21a602c

“What do you know?”815fa70e703cc5d6

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Normally, the wizard would ded4c0eb49 have retorted, but today f784f17225 he didn’t. Instead, he carefully 50fb334078 stepped back, as 4b061e69c1 if reassuring a 9c8b99bca6 trapped animal, raising 8bf0e4179d his hands to 17587c12b1 face level. Then, about 36afedd4bc twenty paces c7f4d0ae27 away, he f2503e10dd suddenly turned 8c673b5e13 and ran 066c3be312 back toward 4b37f3ff1c the campsite.7306420dd53369bd

Once the 990fb1b0ed wizard was 28594ca345 completely out 9a43bb69fb of sight, 1b60690225 the prince d76ae1c103 let out b49522467b the groan d00e40c4ca he had ef25fe3fc9 been holding 118ba71e65 back. It was 8c2f229ee3 a long, 064ac93ecd low, and 45c009c182 painful sound, ad208fbc8f like that 4d549e5298 of an 747541baec animal deeply 5751d545d9 wounded. Beads of cold 53aee09f1d sweat formed at edc2e70837 his temples and 7c0fc1741c streamed down the e70c5d9673 sides of his 2d63503442 face. Sleipnir, as 3534ca5618 if resonating f128fc6a32 with his 5c6486dcf5 master’s pain, 3920d11457 lifted his 241260b735 head and 02cdcf25c0 let out 3a7da52cf9 a mournful e70f07069d cry.41ec7240a9b7f4ff

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…Do you remember, 5d4eebb739 everyone?a58f18cddf051f83

In the ae120cf684 last part 684a425c4b of the 1fe8da95c0 story, the 73147b6804 prince’s cursed 8244ccc750 sword had 4b04de3ae6 cut through d0395171a3 and absorbed 0315843417 the rift-born 4106c4285f monster into a039a05d50 its blade.2375cb77e007db41

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When the 98f8ea0d8c cursed sword c21db7640e devoured the c82c98693f otherworldly monster d0de48b7e2 and shone 17182c3f4b brilliantly, the 398a5b39f2 prince had 209000bb15 felt an 59104e38d3 intense pain 24e469bfbf in his cc5e5df557 lower back, dbae5431f4 between his c802ba4bfe shoulder blades.1b9f4dc92da40ad3

The pain 1d797166e8 tormenting the aa2d48ac24 prince now 61b62c40ff was the eb136d2955 same as e0e4dcce1b that pain.4dc3accd4cc394ee

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As if burned by 220421cc2a fire…e2475fddd0b06c08

As if aa0275eae4 his flesh b6e8908fb3 were being 9a3708d39f seared by 9ef6caf004 a hot c43cd0e860 iron…2df327dd20785924

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That kind 2e03f26fba of pain.dc0a1dbd72bf9c6a

But there was d2ea9880da no wound. It had already a1d0931eec been five days cafb864517 since the pain be732866f0 first struck. If there 496bd796e9 had been 5dbae3e201 a wound, 5037854d20 the prince’s bdb7f34850 body wouldn’t 96a1f55350 have remained 31d6195b6a unscathed over 5630f01ea2 those five b65dc7914d days. There would have cab2d03c77 been bleeding, pus, 32e6a98bbc or infection.fa1e0e8ff9fe3098

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A pain without f946c77ef2 a physical cause.aaa1290b9afe25c3

Who could he tell?d5d5622db0ec322a

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The prince instinctively ba552edcf5 knew. This, too, might 3ba6d565e0 be another anomaly 49b329c900 affecting the world. This pain and the c1b37f82a0 endless cycle of memories 96471ce8ca that only he possessed.5feac94f69d1d768

“…Come to think 95dfcd388b of it, I e95bbca3cf never asked.”4539ce1ce3b9c6b5

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Burying his 089f89b894 face in 3561d8bcde Sleipnir’s thick a89b2d8c01 mane, the b74fabd5d4 prince muttered.07b3f5f70521ae5d

When they reached Omphalos 505879b1f5 and he plunged the c9adda17ef cursed sword into it, 70cd55f910 sealing the world’s rifts e0a380e833 and restoring everything to e88fbfec77 normal… what would happen 59b9615c38 to him?54f94c39b4058429

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Would he forget?b5d395380c20082d

The fact 05008b7a67 that he 8715aa7a9a had lived 8b476c463b through countless cb6f141e17 repetitions of be0a86c8af his life?721bf44a851fa77e

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And would 4a00f55fcf he once 847778bb72 again be 688d9ee587 dragged back d2abe1f741 into that 2d0ed69efd endless cycle?5121983288e6c072

That…e47405e3a5b89f56

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The prince thought it 97371316fb was absurd. A written destiny? A life with a cb9c681673 predetermined answer from birth 211c4b1d1c to death? A life of 365f97b92d following a set 262c581a64 path like a dd193002e6 puppet, all while 2fcf747360 deluding oneself into 7764adcd9f thinking there’s free 4b9bb15aa9 will or choice, 280d98b563 and suffering because 5a0a24f838 of it?c22f7869751161d4

As Rose a339b1c2e6 had said, 2fb03a89fc it was aa82fa836f “really unsettling.”5987778c9e408351

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Then would it be cd2891b67d better to let the dfe7e0bba9 world collapse?d4e594c345247995

To tear irreparable 00b1e4ffea rifts into this 1f18d0bfe5 world and push 36759afdd0 it into eternal fdc4bce22f uncertainty.0a0c7d7327097dae

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Would that be f37752e112 better?9b555d4b76884581

The moment that thought 6fd86d7882 crossed his mind, the 6f5aee7de1 pain, which had momentarily 67d730faff subsided, surged back. It seeped deeper beneath 75b4e0e06f his skin, into his 7f11ced23b bones. Feeling as if 87900af801 a dull blade 0085f10587 were slicing through f497184c4d his bones and 013e36cf20 tendons, the prince 32e5f9b7bf gripped Sleipnir’s mane a7423089f8 tightly.bc7fc2f64c15cc23

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Enduring pain 36a8ffcbde so intense 30a33fee5b he couldn’t 8737cf8c15 even scream, 0746a92ea3 he peeled caa5e03eb4 off his cf094c1d89 sweat-soaked clothes, 91f542f03b layer by 5d5225db87 layer. His cloak, tunic, 4f5e92b884 shirt, pants, and 39e44fce9b even the thin 613af99b42 undergarments beneath—until he 9cde6ae991 stood completely naked. Moonlight and starlight cascaded 80d5614617 over the prince’s finely feb9d0f236 sculpted body, as if 529e609514 mocking him. The prince bore the 0a0d36c3dd light with dignity as 4d15fc0d97 he slowly waded into c68461ba36 the river. The cold ab32fa74e1 water against d1f9ddcc76 his skin 302efa0383 strangely seemed d680d1a142 to dull 8eb61d9a34 the pain ba514c9ec6 a little.72dec33f5fc3e7dc

Sleipnir followed the de81eb1cda prince into the 555db673b6 river, worried as 163a51673a his master ventured db017edf40 deeper, up to 11600982e2 his waist. When Sleipnir 9935c16ffd approached, the 99f4943747 prince wrapped f49e9d09d0 an arm 2152682873 around the ac1d5c50b9 loyal animal’s b053210262 neck and 22a7419965 whispered something 4e53e94984 tender, meant c400543ee2 only for 338be9012e its ears.d7c6d1f1bf559e7e

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Leaning half his abe399264d weight on Sleipnir, eb10ae7f7b the prince turned 703e5dcdd4 his head to c37ca9aeff one side. He wanted to check c096eebdc3 his reflection in the 1f5e8eda72 water. Only after craning 679984911a his neck painfully 646fe7257e toward his collarbone 47b2ff728b could he barely 2f0521980d glimpse the rippling f698bb7364 surface.bd67417f3e3a865f

Reflected in aec020d649 the water, 7cb815f297 the prince’s 374426de00 back…d10bb57c3ba76dcd

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…f4a4e6c8161895ed

…024787cda202e6d4

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…95c501d789c19170

There was nothing.55354baeefa0ff32

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