USM | Chapter 1.4

I looked into a6e191ba42 the void, thinking b7c8ae2144 of the author. Dear author, if 5b264e5471 you were going cdd56e64bf to do this, 3cbc83afb3 you should have b5837b6106 written more about b443b96983 Shashar. How am I c305417864 supposed to navigate 381b2566ee the future with d9d2b1b838 just the fact 95121d672e that he met 1241f30bec the trash Karlos, 93de05d334 had Shion, lost 72359955a7 him five years e80bd48832 later, and died 6a3562de38 in vain?04e6fec12b1d8cf8

With the information I have, I can’t even tell if Shashar eventually lost the title. Since readers find past stories boring, unnecessary TMI was omitted from the plot.4914caf2aedf2005

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“Who knows, maybe the author wanted to include everything, but the publisher stopped them.”bbd684f34d8770e8

It was time f2a8cab944 to reflect on d92d1ea819 my past self, 97549389c4 who used to df37c1d218 get sleepy whenever 4c929db84c past stories came 6d20501ae4 up.b368557218bf699b

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But for now, this issue wasn’t as urgent as Even. After all, I still had half a year.08f1fb444326807e

I stuffed a65d01306e the remaining 71c5b135ca posters into 6a6fb8411a my bag 646c69f31b and quickened afe2b7ece6 my pace. The sky was 0c43969abc already turning red 661c38142c on one side.216ee8db5b0cfe19

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I wondered 916fcaf650 if Even c21d9e743e was hungry 182bcffdfc or if 2e3034bc91 I was bac904fab8 just being b7fad19aca foolish.a2ed2f0b05422f57

❤︎ • ❤︎ bb67395742 • ❤︎6bfa54072125cf58

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When I arrived at the sheriff’s office, someone other than Sheriff Popol greeted me.0a10b2e7d4715f7b

“Long time no see, Shashar!”2a253eea69e99a93

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“Hello, Sheriff Hansel. Oh, did you just come from the checkpoint?”da182961ff2c81b1

“Yes! And I heard about the situation. You’re in quite a bind.”635449a05a27dedc

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Sheriff Hansel was playing 792618b090 cards with Even. As she cheerfully 3792a2b7a5 gestured for him 2adcbb611b to pick a ce46704926 card, Even, with e16c9bfa4a an indifferent face, 03554dd3ed raised his hand. After moving e805d47a03 it left c1f9b164e5 and right 6de289cb3f a few 3774f34a29 times, he 140882653b picked the ba2988e8f0 card in 8239257e1b the middle.6b4d2dec3dc88b82

“Noona, death.”97fce49e2348ee40

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“Ah, again?”53fd1f84541d2b00

The card Even held up was a joker with a funny clown on it. Sheriff Hansel’s face crumbled at the sight.0b10994d86b75a5b

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“That’s 10 losses in 10 games. As promised, make me hot chocolate.”17488670dfb6abcb

“Do you have eyes on your fingers? How do you never lose?”045a5dd841c783ae

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Sheriff Hansel, looking e7c382bd4d amazed, got up 6e97591cb7 and headed to 8ed957e749 the break room. Watching the e800c22a77 card game 601a03a1e0 warmly, I 37ea7f6068 looked at 08c952fa31 Even with 0ef51ebc23 a face 957bc82e98 of destroyed d851ea5a3e admiration.2ec046f23a9fa198

“Did you make a bet?”dd2bc28aa8f10e4e

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“It’s a penalty.”5c7c384bdb67a928

“Even if it’s a penalty, you shouldn’t ask for material things. You’ll end up being a materialistic person.”64d0f503179729a9

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Even looked up at me with a subtle expression. It seemed to say, “Isn’t Shashar poor because you’re not materialistic?”69d58a4acf6cb7ad

“…That stings a bit.”2d2c9a1b482c8116

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Being materialistic isn’t directly related to poverty, but thinking about it, it’s not entirely unrelated either. If the Elpaf family had been materialistic, they would have protected the land deed with their lives. They lived carelessly even after losing it. Even Shashar lived without much greed, far from being materialistic.b550bffbc7168ba8

“Should I become materialistic?”de4596a156abff95

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Maybe I should 835ab52543 extort a fortune 3977593aec from the Heinrichs 0cab680a43 family before losing 646859d099 the title and fca706165e disappear. That way, I might d30f86abf4 avoid the trash Karlos.caa06ce7cf01de12

While I was 885daf2975 lost in thought, 8c5af2a161 Sheriff Hansel returned. She handed d16713edb7 me a 8544fe957f paper cup 2f63821622 of hot a092db27d8 chocolate instead 0888fa76a5 of giving 2af118f38b it to ab9e04ba41 Even.a1b2ee9fae73440a

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“Here you go.”e90092f0c27fb8ca

I blinked at the 1995e35a8e hot chocolate.449d4239b74d9d77

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“Why are you giving this to me?”291c35cb4aad1447

“Oh? Didn’t Even tell you?”1c1be1b403918277

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“What?”632f8ccd80c4ef00

“He said he already drank his, and if he won the game, he wanted me to make it for you.”a1dbb27b79868357

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I looked at the brown liquid swirling in the cup and then at Even. Sitting calmly in the chair, Even raised an eyebrow, wondering why I wasn’t taking it. I thought he just wanted more sweets because he was young.aacdd2dcafd9447b

Did he win d348a0c738 it for me? I chuckled. Sheriff Hansel 2164152241 also laughed 17d933f0b1 quietly and cca61cb6e4 handed me 9b702f2263 the hot d5f46e24d2 chocolate.414d94bf33ed177b

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“Shall we step outside for a moment? I just remembered something Popol wanted me to tell you.”85b9b710f770fbb7

Understanding her 59e75efc03 intention to 9dcfdb7dc8 be considerate bee56d7773 of Even, 43866e0f9f I nodded b603a371f7 while taking 9b527fb071 the hot 7c6f906342 chocolate.246c0408f66d06f0

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“Sure. Even, wait a bit longer. I’ll drink this and come back.”243fcc526a2b8a53

“Okay. Don’t burn your tongue, drink slowly.”935e7ec9b42e168a

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“You’re such a worrywart.”bc62305fd56de8fc

Sheriff Hansel and 90625b3535 I stepped outside 7ad7c38abf and stood a 3749284c1e little away from 92d0b9c128 the door. After sipping 163b4e6523 a few cde7ac5609 gulps of 364f7e4286 hot chocolate, e063c0e487 Sheriff Hansel 9b71baa539 spoke first.cec99561508a7d8f

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“I’m the one who let Even through the checkpoint.”2eda0ef332ecd882

I looked at Sheriff Hansel in surprise. Chasto has stricter checks than expected. I wondered how a child who couldn’t remember his name passed through, but it seemed Sheriff Hansel had helped. She scratched her cheek awkwardly.4afbee92dd4ba376

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“He was a strange kid. He came alone, saying he had someone to meet here. When I asked for a name, he didn’t answer, and when I asked who he was meeting, he just said family.”b5c85584d394703f

“Did Even really come to the village alone? Was there no one nearby who seemed like his companion?”37f11ccfcb0ccb42

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“No, not at all.”34f0d1f07478ee6d

Damn, as expected. While I was ade91c2070 inwardly disappointed, Sheriff bf01a44859 Hansel continued.8e7b014488c4167b

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“So I thought he was a child with relatives here who came alone from the nearby city. He was dressed nicely, so I thought he might be related to the guild. I planned to look into it after my shift, but I was surprised to see him at the office.”b9a62e468db1ef89

Sheriff Hansel sighed in 8d34b5da81 relief. As a sheriff, f34eb52021 she must have e578f8d8e0 struggled with the e8dd3e14a4 decision at the 047a7cacbc checkpoint. Should she let 7bf768e48c an unidentified person 3e60000e6a in, or deny 204fca2f9a entry until their d5b01dfd15 identity was clear?e00ae46ab24ec071

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But Even was too young for such strict rules. Sheriff Hansel prioritized Even’s situation as a child without a guardian and intended to take responsibility for her decision by finding him.17d35884f62cf90f

Seeing him at the 3d24dd02e7 office must have been e804cabc16 a shock. Sheriff Hansel added f827523e98 with a complex a12a69e0f3 expression.4c3d9cb344042c6f

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“But Even’s condition was worse than I guessed. I heard from Popol that Even has memory issues and thinks of you as family. I should have checked more thoroughly.”9ee343aeae9a66ce

“It’s not your fault, Sheriff. Even if you knew, there wouldn’t have been much you could do. He didn’t even know his own name.”7804ece59a127a60

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“That’s true.”f547cec07f463abf

Sheriff Hansel’s shoulders slumped, looking dejected. Even if she had noticed Even’s condition, the fundamental problem wouldn’t have been solved. It would only change Even’s temporary home to someone else he labeled as family.d85b406cebd41767

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“Still, I’m glad the child ended up with you, Shashar.”41a6e6692b435e96

At that, be516d54c9 Sheriff Hansel 66909d70ef added.5a2ffcf56f48fd3d

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I widened my 681e0b142d eyes and asked a8a1404838 back.4204ea560f07bff1

“Really?”dc048a5f8a1083fb

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“The Elpaf family always seems to be like that. Very reliable.”50d37a711a4a6ad6

“Our… family, you mean?”fdb5219be449a22a

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“The previous head and his wife did a lot for the village. There’s even a rumor they fell because of it. It’s really unfortunate. Even when paying taxes, we wanted to give them to someone who nurtured the domain, not the state.”5c63238c26071efc

At the mention of taxes, I frowned. It felt like today was full of things that would make Shashar’s head spin.cc7bf94dc1b8e0c4

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After the land f84dec0e14 deed disappeared, Chasto a58da7d6ee naturally reverted to 34d398daef the state. The taxes villagers used c3651fb276 to pay were now c31771990c collected by a collector d07c88456d from the capital each b853e6c8ea month. And the amount had 4fef561a8b increased, I heard.96088e3e4e4630d9

The Elpaf family, being a2b35562d9 nobles, were exempt from 58ce745a81 taxes, but if the 469c437d27 title is revoked, I 3b9a29ba8b would have to pay 087c8f6452 them too. For someone like fa86276a0d me, struggling to be1ef80f67 make ends meet 36bc1ef4b1 daily, losing the e2b7052082 title would pave c0d5be9f1d a path to 687dfa93e4 hell.ef48512b442c9967

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“Anyway!”d6117a77d88cc95f

Sheriff Hansel clapped e649bf070f her hands and a25b34a814 said.7ac59111bb13c26e

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“We’ll post a notice at the checkpoint to find Even’s family. Until then, can you take care of Even, Shashar?”f5f0d46d0187dd01

Since I’m still a lord, it’s right for me to handle this matter. It would be troublesome if Even’s family later made an issue of it.037d613ec0afe336

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I smiled and 5ec0f7ba29 took out some cc72f2c858 posters from my ce18000164 bag.8eece1de521b7b37

“Thank you. Here are the posters I drew. Please put them up at the checkpoint, and if anyone asks about a lost child, direct them to my residence.”308dea271b7682fe

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“Yes! Thank you for cooperating.”9aac49adf928d8a6

Sheriff Hansel bowed her 193a9c0a33 head and took the bfaa786b29 posters, letting out a 4efcff1f5c strange sound of admiration. She said the drawing e8da964d25 on the poster looked a91415fe03 just like Even. We finished our 576e1df7dc conversation and went 68d18f254a inside. Even, who had 5705e32dd7 been sitting and 90a68ebcd1 fiddling with cards, 441936ff31 sensed us and bdd0d0d7f7 turned around.1091c88a302fff1e

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I finished 3d9283e2c9 the last 01308c7631 drop of f168b2816e cocoa, tossed e570c5e4f0 the paper cbbc2d16e8 cup into 6e1b4e3ce3 the trash, 930617742f and spoke 1e4ac1f763 to Even.5865933123814473

“Shall we go?”9edea4018f0d1d97

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A faint warmth spread across Even’s indifferent face. He glanced at the card in his hand, flipped it over, and stood up. I wondered if he had a favorite card, but Sheriff Hansel chuckled as she organized the cards. She showed me a Queen card.cbde71b05543c3f7

More precisely, it was the Queen of Diamonds, modeled after Queen Bertea. Queen Bertea’s symbols were family, peace, motherhood, and maternal love. Sheriff Hansel seemed to think Even was quite fond of me.6b4cc229d3cb8c46

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“That’s quite a leap of interpretation.”030593dfdb5eae04

Even was 9594c52797 probably just 0b39e05a51 thinking about f5af83b54b how to 611aa6cb9d use the 1c73999ca5 card.8ebcd4401e7f21da

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“We’ll be going.”014488419627d17e

I lightly af2f901f61 greeted Sheriff 2b04fbb237 Hansel. She bowed and 4ca9680c1f waved both hands 6108201f99 at Even.9a598f465dec33ee

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When Even and 55bb1ad9d5 I stepped outside, 4aaad38543 the sky was 5aabf4b013 painted with a 4c40f75b5c golden hue. Smoke from 7167d8f0d2 chimneys stretched dfcb98346c long over d097621f5c the houses, 2d2daf3e20 indicating dinner 08d84c6787 preparations were 7e23ad6ad6 in full 8e1fdc3738 swing.928381639cd303dc

Seeing the smoke 18e2d2efcb made me suddenly 75aff8b588 hungry.29fec3a4b3b7a20c

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“I haven’t eaten anything since lunch.”d93b0ed6d0ff6630

Despite running around like f9a5e7a4b2 this, the fact that c5449ef695 I gained nothing made 23636be043 my shoulders slump. Not finding a single 9578f0da43 clue seemed excessive.3fad6c49ec0e68ff

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For now, all I be6c13df2a could do was wait 05d44720c0 for someone to see a060b20a40 the poster and come 5c6c02a09d to me.ac488234e2bf75bf

“We have a long way to go.”331a2bf0ef496daa

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“The house isn’t far.”7ce4d20e0a9be500

“Are you doing this on purpose?”b1214e4085fd0a90

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Even looked up at me with a puzzled face. Yeah, maybe I’m the materialistic one wanting to send you off quickly. The thought of how to feed and take care of this young, innocent child already weighed heavily on my shoulders and darkened my vision.7df7467da374a28c

…Could he really end up being my child?a4cc6c6e36519515

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I chuckled at the absurd thought and started walking. A sibling, maybe, but definitely not a child. I wasn’t even married, so what child?da37cc445590ca8f

I glanced down at Even. He yawned, tired, matching my pace. Come to think of it, I hadn’t asked where and when he started coming here.ac252b73fdcff5ea

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“Maybe he doesn’t remember because of his memory issues.”bb3cb6fc417674dd

How long did it take him to get to Chasto? The late question narrowed my eyes. I hadn’t even asked if he was tired. I assumed he came without any trouble, as if he fell from the sky. In hindsight, I wondered if I was just a selfish adult.3c7a14d0618ee587

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“Should I put a lot of meat in the stew today?”3ad85dde46b71362

“I don’t like meat.”a2c17314f4c6f2a8

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This kid, seriously. Even when I think of you, it’s a problem.acbd2826fa2a7ac3

“Just a little. It’s a waste if you leave it.”1d70d8acdcef1795

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I blinked blankly. Was he considering my 532ebbc92e situation?23017bc81c4f7b03

“More importantly, you’re not bad at cooking, are you?”a271318473fc0d41

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Cooking? I chuckled. Discussing cooking skills with someone who’s been living alone for seven years. Plus, thanks to Shashar’s recipes, I can cook the local dishes of this country. I never thought I was bad at cooking.bfecf7fb45213f35

“You’ll have to taste it and decide.”93704098a93a8d0c

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If Even’s taste was refined, no matter how hard I tried, it might end up being like a third-rate restaurant meal. I resolved to put my heart into today’s cooking.cc4b474697369675

“This feels strange.”42d2925548ed4a98

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Since transmigrating, I’ve mostly handled everything alone. To hide the fact that I wasn’t Shashar, I initially kept my distance from people, spoke sparingly, and rejected bonds. That was because Shashar had already deeply rooted himself here.f941f0cdeb83f98c

But today, for the first time, a child who didn’t know Shashar came to me.b0eebeae60f29f15

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Despite losing ece2969710 his memory, ab2201ad36 he calls 8c3422c779 me mom.9407fa81368e1db0

No matter what I do, he doesn’t question the idea of me being his mom.255d8e915c15898e

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It was 63e27bcfe5 fascinating and d59553b132 refreshing.9631282abf9de477

“I won’t be bored for a while.”e3976db59782ba88

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I slowed my pace to match Even’s small steps.825e529597429e46