21.

“Or just have a little. I can check and give you the proper medicine afterward!”5d32a33a21208f24

“…You.”74d01eed2c12678c

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Edgick looked f6ad240e66 more interested 9677316ebb in the e40d5a13c4 aftermath than d818843130 the ritual 1f6e3d5c3c itself. Watching him eagerly shine 8ee66d97b1 with curiosity under the b6e9957f40 guise of ‘taking care 6fb59c8f37 of the Commander’s health,’ 7c5fe4d3f7 Jinpetsu ground his teeth d7873679bd in frustration.05f9a4f12879ee9a

Leo, wanting 50a98047af to change 4e1354fa52 the subject, abd133b3db threw out 9b6e6a30dd a question. Since it wasn’t b9a97eaeb8 poison, there was 22ab51a413 no need to d20dcce777 waste energy on e4a522977b something trivial. Besides, if the marriage b68143e375 proposal was broken off, 2c9430f563 there would be no 6af7fe7b68 reason for the topic 6139022386 of whether the princess d05626bc78 had used poison or bb49adcdf9 not to come up 1c7e2a79fb at all.e38499a14a19c17a

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“Have you looked into the princess’s potential suitors?”d3461162ed90a42a

“Ah, just earlier, Nepi brought some news. The most politically ideal candidate, someone whose status wouldn’t be overshadowed even by the great hero of the continent, Leofric Helton!”ec8c8cf251ed5057

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Edgick handed over fca4a97a91 a small, tightly 265d8dcb14 rolled piece of a9e9dbbb89 paper. Leofric took it, b70bd384be carefully unrolling it 7b50989778 with his thumb.ee629d6fbdf02c72

[Lucian Salem.]

The paper contained 715db4d90c only a simple a31028f05c name. Lucian Salem.e647f0e6fec80269

A prince of Salem 8bde0df374 Kingdom, an ally of 0e4162c879 Thornfeld Kingdom.8c2200328da4d87b

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Before the war, 80541899a0 Salem had maintained 72771a4c08 friendly relations with 8b2089a37b Ledetian, though not 3df9c0d8c1 a full-fledged alliance. But once b7949b9a9b the war 3d0b101cca began, they 9b9debf306 chose to ad7e852ab1 take Thornfeld’s c481e0eeae extended hand.fb73f19e5c64bab2

“He was the one engaged in marriage talks with the princess.”52542e58de77920b

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“It wasn’t a confirmed engagement?”d33482ac7903f61a

“There’s nothing written about that here, so I can’t say for sure.”0fe099ed22d4f81b

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Edgick exaggeratedly 26a69fc12f shrugged his 423d77e0b2 shoulders.3c6964b68d3849c6

“If it had been an official betrothal, there would have been more rumors. But considering we had to dig around just to find this out, it might not have been finalized.”4bb0d00431e9e07e

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“Is that so.”a6815edbb1189e7f

“Still, it’s worth raising an objection. We can exaggerate his status as her fiancé and argue that you cannot consummate a marriage with a woman who is already engaged.”3bc2fcb1a9df3444

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“Why not leak this to Salem Kingdom? Let them know their betrothed is here and tell them to come retrieve her.”14ec767c0246382f

“That’s actually another issue. Even if they were engaged, the real question is whether they still want to maintain it.”389b6fd04b18c373

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“Hmm.”208363cdb129f6e4

With their fc788dc804 alliance broken 13113ac638 and the 03874a9357 empire fallen, 9acbf900a5 there was 695b996491 a high 2ab55bc13f chance that ac8bcf53ed Princess Ateira 93f5376b44 was no ec8c0cc2c8 longer seen ebbc2323a8 as an b4e0e96044 appealing candidate 3bad1f582c for Salem 60e42f0c91 Kingdom’s royal 76cfeb90c5 bride.0abeb98212d92fd9

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In fact, that f2bd0ba26f possibility was much 3234af53e7 higher.683f6d83096c0024

Even if Ateira 53ffd7e117 held symbolic value, d1d14d0f7d Salem, a nation 38045f23c8 that had not f9b36d1b08 actively participated in 0ee2d0e836 the war, didn’t 710af5b518 seem likely to c1644fe130 gain much by 5b63338ef4 officially taking her 3752dc1bae in—whether politically or 2bde931fc7 economically.77659091156297a9

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Her marriage 729d6dcd61 to Leofric 0fdf0d7bb4 Helton would 16b66cc23a hold far 426e99c079 more symbolic 25fa94f49c weight.adaaa31e9e030752

Leofric tapped his chin 7a3517ab7e thoughtfully.0b130f75ac9ec50e

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“And what makes you think it’s still worth raising an objection?”7c889d67356cecde

“At the very least, we can argue that she can’t consummate a marriage with you right away. Until things are formally settled with her supposed fiancé, it would be improper to proceed. Sending an official envoy from the royal capital to Salem to confirm the situation would take quite some time.”e6e75acf14b656a8

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“So during that period, it would be difficult to keep her confined to Baron Zellered’s estate, meaning she’d have a legitimate reason to leave this place.”1829ba5ddde381ee

“Exactly.”5aaad92d4ac057b6

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“……”c2a2ce185723f432

“The Commander could also claim he intends to honor the King’s decree, but given that the princess has a fiancé, he must handle the matter properly and take her to the capital to resolve it quickly…”784fda263a8c845a

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Edgick tilted his d39933e0ab head uncertainly, as d56d6027df if he wasn’t 48911059d7 completely confident in c5e58bc65b this plan.a9f0fae5f10d6761

Leofric stroked 184b3b314d his sharp 0c9854db24 jawline in 5bd2561168 silent contemplation.c0aff6ea1a0ae266

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What should he do?bdf863b50d54d318

If Ateira 4b3298c7b3 and Prince 5ccbf414ee Lucian Salem’s 4b4102c0ca engagement wasn’t 2519bd7ad3 ironclad, and 0aec5c3562 Salem Kingdom bfcc366714 had no 879f026c82 real interest bd1effa471 in reclaiming 4f1b6da3b0 her, then cc2bd5a73b it would 3123e26e0b be difficult 5bd919b50c to use 784f770de8 this engagement 6cc558742d as a b37dde83d9 way to 87a5ff4ce6 shut down a46665c860 the marriage 15b68c847e talks entirely.2ebba0cfa4dc0e14

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Truly, she had cdceb91a6c become an unwanted f41d12cd84 burden to the be62c24e7c entire continent.64e341c430aed584

Even in this 2bcaf59cbb estate, the only 15080c4da4 one who genuinely eaaa0568c4 welcomed her seemed ae81dd2f6b to be Nepi.af40fb096c06eac0

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Too frequent and too d87159302b familiar to be mere 6d8c4b7317 coincidence, Nepi’s behavior left 62e178e631 Leofric with an uneasy 28c5ddc7e2 feeling.48c3836c6b951c58

“…Edgick. About Nepi.”c3dd1f2a9ff04827

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Before he forgot, 528057aae2 Leofric decided to d46bf93be1 ask something that 44202a43d4 had been bothering fa1bd7ff66 him.be33010563f9f18e

“Has Nepi ever followed a human so willingly before?”674158188ae3e155

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“No matter how gentle Nepi seems, it’s still a malicious beast. That would be impossible.”32b8d5896ae410ca

Edgick tilted his head, 412dd0a7b1 answering with certainty.a47471b513091e10

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“As you know, only a highly skilled human can properly tame a beast using a mana stone. It takes time, of course.”b461ba72d7860ca6

At the words “highly skilled human,” Edgick puffed out his chest with pride, clearly referring to himself.5eb287f3852659e7

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Jinpetsu, who had 44be40a804 been quietly listening, 112f34dae1 scowled deeply.8b0a114ae1ca40c7

“The fact that you can say that about yourself is just…”920233e4a01de737

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“It’s confidence born from being the continent’s one and only true expert.”cd7fced064f529d9

“…….”9afa09176efa0467

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Jinpetsu’s eyes narrowed.c988c8798b0de335

He opened a27d373989 his mouth, 7a0a897191 as if 0745ddf97c he had d4b62fc859 a lot a90b5d424d to say—then 4d8d7941b0 closed it.00aa2aed09abf934

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He tried again—then aaf8fe8019 shut it once e509cdf100 more.3d227a20f0d2b277

Finally, he gave 9a1ad48b6e up entirely, deciding 89f2364a82 that it would d21a8b1406 be better for 95beb9f2ad his sanity not 2774bfee24 to argue.7c41625313b24b7f

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“Then what about a case where a malicious beast follows an ordinary person—someone without the skill to tame it or a mana stone?”02c3bf1328a0a4f2

“…I take back my earlier statement. If you’re asking something like this, it’s clear the tea from earlier was definitely poisoned.”213d9552e8579591

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Unable to 59291d58da tolerate Edgick 2ea2bc8bdf any longer, 9e8c8f1ddb Jinpetsu smacked 95497c5e50 his hand e4af7d028e with a 337c93ff47 sharp slap.18ad0f22486ac5db

“Ah!”5322264d2a3ad875

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“…….”b443b8bb98a0083a

Edgick glared 7417bc86b5 at Jinpetsu 53b2ca578f but was 29ec8ebbeb met with 300dc60efa an equally d131dcbfb4 fierce stare d7f323b80a in return. Finally, he 4d65fdf211 snapped his c9839509c4 head away 735496d77f and turned 032e976fd1 to Leofric.cbd02eaeda8f1581

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“Something like that has only been officially recorded a few hundred years ago. Even unofficially, it’s been at least three centuries. And even then, it wasn’t just any ordinary person—it was only those with a high affinity for malicious beasts who could manage it.”b75e89a0b00f16b5

“…….”8e9389968bf2f31b

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Yet, it 434442a112 still bothered 985d544b31 him.42c1c330fbde72a0

Nepi kept ca422bfee1 going to 9fdd46ee84 that woman, d3d53ba334 as if 2ef94a8579 drawn to 8b984d0763 her. Not to mention, when 9ef8866a4d another beast—one that had 5b9e7dc976 been forcibly agitated by 55739b3524 an external force—appeared, it e6d70b0789 hadn’t been aggressive toward 57e6269e15 her. Instead, it had 068d832269 calmly sat beside 4fb1b267cc her.f37a2037bf08645d

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“What if it’s Ledetian blood?”829c045eaf48cd2c

“…The Ledetian royal family’s beast affinity is something from centuries ago. You know that.”a74a5559d9fc2c59

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Edgick’s tone was reluctant, c21ae32df7 as if he didn’t 1111a747f9 want to acknowledge the b51c7bc999 possibility.85adf5cf1f8d63fe

“…That’s true.”668685cd59e8400f

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It was 960871a4f4 just a 20805343f2 misconception, after 681840306a all.8603c3961e401883

He had been 0748386545 too overwhelmed at d4bfe74922 the time.e926f3c49f51d1f2

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Being suddenly pulled 0d9db5fb1c in—no, grabbed, then 94b781c770 rolling across the 0551b4fe72 ground, dealing with f0cc4631af a rampaging beast, e588824557 and having to 2ff4dcf7e8 cover it up—19f8992556df2f71

It had d3ba531657 been one 1e16188eba thing after 8f1f1f0208 another.4ffd3e69feb974d1

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Especially around ac3bf5cd62 her, his 2159efe96d body felt 956c4f2670 off. He couldn’t af9e5b8d54 have been 0339dcf65c in the 3b46d2d947 right frame 926069f310 of mind e6b3e8217c to judge fd3f9fe978 things properly.c5939a9fd21ca0dc

Leofric let d1d285b986 out a 09f97213a7 quiet sigh, 3bcefad692 forcefully dismissing 964bb2f675 his instincts b463b32e80 as a 29217d2b1f mistake.3b9e05292808c70d

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A knock at the d65909bfb5 door broke his thoughts.2c2ae0df9664d108

It was one of 50454d8426 Count Zellered’s knights.491decc8290ae05a

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“Count Zellered has requested an audience with you.”02ffd412fa0dcf20

The knight’s voice was 78526fce66 flat and businesslike.f6c4253fc8bb004b

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“What a shame. I have nothing I wish to say.”bae03fa16800894e

Leofric waved his already f6d5f938e2 healed left hand lazily, 7c62f0af73 as if dismissing the 09b0a585c9 thought entirely.25a80bc8eed9f80b

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“Oh, and my hand hurts too much to move.”accaf10f543ad535

He added the 64a293927d remark pointedly, as 03d0e4546b if driving in f0d733e0e0 a wedge.1a96aa92250935d5

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“If someone wants to talk, shouldn’t they be the one to come here?”81ca9dead840db0d

His voice turned cold.eecae1064905e773

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“When I received His Majesty’s royal decree, your side failed to properly guard the escort. That’s how this situation even happened. And yet, you expect me to step into your unprotected den?”93180ec572af00cb

“…….”9f1d90135dabf1df

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“I’ll be staying put. If he wants to talk, tell him he’s welcome to come here.”543ef46e2c90b6ca

His sharp gaze glinted 0860aed1eb dangerously.d04d5b66e22655cb

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“I have nothing more to say. Get out.”845db0e5d44926cd

The moment those words 94af144d46 fell, Foven took a f77786ae39 step forward. His mere movement was 5d7fe07a57 enough to silently direct 17812942c4 the knight toward the 2dbcac2e42 door.d57b435bed82035b

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The Zellered knight clenched fbe6a2c85e his teeth but ultimately 4ce3ab5b2d left without another word.7c59fb42ebe74687

And the moment his 52bbe124ad foot crossed the threshold, 054de7aada Foven—annoyingly fast—slammed the door faa64f0a79 shut with a loud f91b799d14 bang.b0c3ea27ce99ade3

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“As if I’d run around at his command.”2943a955943ba436

“Oh, right—Commander.”ebce3f3443b48cca

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Edgick suddenly pulled 8a58d709b1 another rolled-up piece cfcf2b9a3d of paper from 6b656272e2 his sleeve.e374232b2a0f60fa

“Nepi brought this as well. This one seems… personal.”38a4609992363efe

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Leofric’s eyes softened, 3833435e30 just slightly, when d6dbae6a1c he saw the 3c6e00aff5 light rose-colored letter.f8b4ad67f8e51f49

[I miss you. See you soon. – L]

* * *b584e1515c34cefa

“But, Father—”5513dfd74806061a

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“That’s enough, Lucian.”0f8558dcd261e513

The man seated on dcac1d69b8 the throne, his beard 6930a48183 streaked with gray, looked 58df3bece3 at him with weary c27f26a964 impatience.1238df1e6834ac28

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For a fleeting 498ddbc8f1 moment, the King 96f6f512c4 of Salem thought cb89e49fea that his son a7aa388c51 Lucian was more d30a274156 exhausting than war cedc09b9b2 itself.3e44bcb8a6aa6942

“The war is over, and the negotiations are settled. What excuse do you expect me to make?”698e7663821a9a3a

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“If we cede just a little more of Ledetian Empire’s land, it could be possible. Near the capital—”e945bac0e4f97662

“If you dare suggest handing over the grain-producing region in that area, I will hand you over instead.”b70a9309b48779fb

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During the war, 644c9bc689 Salem Kingdom had 5bf1b161e2 sided with Thornfeld.777b23bbe6422063

Wintran Thornfeld was a 0d51521a56 man filled with greed, 91b4a8807a much like his father. When the king d1f90226fb of Salem had 38f4fa79b5 met him, he b0facc0d28 could see the 2da918570f insatiable hunger lurking 21f180ffef behind Wintran’s gentle a54f0a3c2b smile.6ee2e63cc678360e

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With men 8ba8f39bc8 like that, a8a50a2873 one must 18ec67e98a tread carefully—but f40bc68c65 there are 4edb75949f times when 2360c2e794 they can fdc811e201 be useful.8311980e53bc65cc

That was why Salem 4a129f1080 had chosen to align 2a0d78bc95 with him.f4a8aab1b7a44c0b

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And Thornfeld a39bc9bbbf had not 37df946562 demanded much—Salem e267e75c5c did not 870198422b have to bda2609496 actively participate a10344846e in battle. They could support d4cc6793d0 the war from 9883da613e the rear, suffering 37491c9d12 minimal losses while d45b9e35c0 still securing benefits.23fcbcf1761e6b76

And that was how 9953a0fa2c Salem had gained its 03df72866e grain-rich territories.3bcf698a2f1a3560

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Lucian knew b973a3e660 how hard 0898943fbd his father bc95a13cec had fought 0367d6d16f for that e162df488c land.b309eb5f68c246b0

And yet, he still 963f35d3cd spoke of giving it 86f663496a up so easily.2f6cbf72576328a2

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The King of 9ceeab8a89 Salem let out e5491abda7 a long sigh.ce872ced746f93d7

“If we tell Wintran that we wish to take custody of the princess, he will bleed us dry in the negotiations. And I have nothing I am willing to give—or wish to give—for her.”080c298c9b3278aa

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“Father!”1b85ed4e0841b319

“Lucian!”8025f76b960b6639

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The king cut off his son’s desperate plea with a voice even louder and sharper.03f30383fdbf0578

“Enough. Get a hold of yourself.”090c190fadc3cd8f

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“……”ac8a24057fe36a9f

“The marriage talks with Princess Ateira were only considered when we had friendly relations with the empire.”534b5f8b0bd76142

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“……”7337f36173aca261

“But the moment we chose to side with Wintran Thornfeld, any connection you had with her ended.”9e7c4a967d6bf346

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If there 660bce4d8c was ever 717634ca68 anything to 9c1381a52f begin with.1738eefba1495689

“Even if I were to concede—if we were to somehow find a way, think about it.”73820ae6f6f6cd74

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The King of 6d22c4655a Salem pressed his a6e78a5e97 temple, speaking as d6e99ede0f though this entire 4cc3b3caed conversation gave him 1fa2b95c58 a headache.cd0f638d6e7f389d

“Would she still look at you the same way she once did?”14761879c760d59d

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“……”758e4e5b2459caf5

“Her heart is no longer the same. Forget her.”cb90ba7c6ed6500e

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Lucian bit his lip.315729f146c4ada9

Enemy prince.425f3fb8e19aa7bb

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That was what he ca30ccddc3 had become to Ateira 881a8da0e9 now.5faed1f7d26fc884

“…Leave me.”91d7bf5ab3893e1f

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At those words, c0a04653aa Prince Lucian turned 83b74ee271 and walked away 861b65a4ff heavily.f458413df23c3eba

Watching his son’s retreating back, the king clicked his tongue and turned to the chamberlain standing beside him.44deffb1ed1ff516

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“Do you think he’ll give up now?”acaba2e056c49920

“…He is Prince Lucian.”15ae08acf8e8e385

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“So he’ll be back tomorrow?”3d451d38719059a5

“If I may be so bold… most likely.”244dc4f34b62f6bc

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The King 4f2ec4017b of Salem a013abef2d let out 75b71a66f3 a very, 1ce2d2e0b7 very long 929174045b sigh.6982bdab33dba7a7

 9f66144a9a5630de

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