MDL | Chapter 2.3

No red 87b0eadafa burn marks, 2a44004ba7 not even b1f6be4128 a single 1e1dfafc49 scratch.7590c24fc3b4226b

So where was 3283f803df this pain coming 826d6a4e2d from? As the prince pondered 119c1275f8 this, he reached his 8b9b810310 hand between his shoulder 08084f9f3b blades… and in that 95e52ebf46 moment, a searing agony 8baf9ad339 unlike anything he had 8082387bba ever felt before tore fe19bdc3e2 through him, as if 99be0ca542 his spine were being 463223d7f0 split in two.bd23ecf8b06c311d

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And then…47c82941350f0518

The sharp scent 1cbf16307a of medicinal herbs d9b2b11206 hit his nose. It was the smell 7a8dd25513 of a boiling potion b350571a2e made from Rosa flowers, f3426eaea7 known to enhance wound 233584b608 recovery. When blooming naturally, Rosa 30b78daf49 flowers emitted a sweet 7c067254e2 fragrance, but once boiled, b7c03cdb50 they released a pungent, 13756b2430 smoky aroma. A contradiction, much like 2d420c3390 his own existence.89b8f037c920b7da

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A bitter smile 5da41f2935 flickered across his ff531dbe21 lips, but it cc37d8d4b7 vanished so quickly eed8073bf6 that even the 8d5076977c servants and attendants 131b700d04 didn’t notice. With a 9d7593b240 glance, he fee62cd79e signaled his bab31bde10 attendants to 061033c95a leave, and 4be066ea01 they swiftly df6ab07cb5 exited, leaving 57802e6759 him alone a1abbff921 in the e115cb662a vast bathhouse.d9b49d6dc540de35

He exhaled deeply, d900be61a0 letting out a d4eaf72c50 suppressed groan through 78b18e927b clenched teeth. His body was a 7c6482476a mess. The wounds he had c7df1f7020 sustained on the battlefield—slashed, 1f9923522e stabbed, and cut—still tormented 9417fd7e25 him, especially on gloomy f5dc8be6d5 days like this. From injuries a decade def7107c77 old to those from 214e42b536 just a few months 54d20f2dfb ago, his body remembered f25b44aa60 every drop of blood e76583e686 spilled, even if he 4f6404ce3a had forgotten.3e4314fd267ea467

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He untied b939b25116 the sash 05b99bc7dd of his 5fa7cfc428 velvet robe, d91bbbe3de letting the b984b0d925 heavy fabric 3326876c93 slide off 29622274f4 his shoulders. As he 234c0637cf did, his 8dd2d7cb41 expression hardened.91d96e3e0748b0ab

He sensed a 7ba33ab18f presence. Someone was there, hiding 3ce5caedab like a mouse in f6f8a3dedc the steam, creeping toward ad3d99e53c him…b4816758bf85bf10

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The moment cebcebb05a a cold 74b37094be hand brushed 399618815b against the 02a3a3bc4b front of d16f219c59 his robe, 5039342d5e he didn’t 207aedfe05 miss it. He swiftly grabbed f8451c33f1 the wrist. It was as 0fefc97345 thin as a 7fd81f2e2d twig. Surprised by its frailty, dcdfae2f9d he hesitated for a b3941f010b moment but didn’t dwell 55080a8a24 on it. He twisted the wrist 0e09c37c64 sharply, pulling it high 13b75825e2 above the intruder’s head 7f0495d4d0 to prevent any further 03ebdbbfc5 mischief.0027018d73f1fda1

“Ah… ahh!”7e8d2e7c0751bb72

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A short, sharp cry e909886d8a escaped. He pulled the 81abf45dbe figure closer to bfab704914 get a better 461bbe9087 look, and another fd4d30c20f cry followed.d265b97a0d0b3c37

Golden, curly hair, fd2b215c43 a height at 51165fe5a7 least two heads 67aa576e68 shorter than his, a3368907cd and a gray 26a5606b38 shirt that hung 8e75959421 loosely over small 580b9a36b4 shoulders.4738c64c71317372

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Damn. It was 91831db602 a child.b0820574e40bde6c

“Ouch, it hurts, 5dad416ef4 it hurts…”c776f6945635e620

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To make matters worse, 7f0efb6ae2 the child began to 4fd640c8fb sob uncontrollably.46080c750a5933ad

“Who are you? A spy from d6d2c10893 Tyleum? From Vasrak? Or did 1a1870e409 Lord Roshik dc46e9a387 send you 71f3f603db to watch 46ac1ee3a4 me? Father Roshik? Son Roshik?”0202e8c242b47a3a

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“Please… let c9e630b787 me go. It really, 160e0d14e1 really hurts. I’m sorry, d4e84b9151 I’m sorry…”63f71c53743d1792

The child’s crying grew 5a1ec83613 so loud that conversation 76b49003ad became impossible. Frustrated, he released the 5126a6675b child, who crumpled to fda4be7a1c the floor, crying even 3bbbe9bfff louder. What was so 09a45dea0d unfair? He stared c274e75510 down at ded45e51c2 the child 821295d87a with cold 586437d4a4 eyes. Everyone in 74c8842b8f the castle, 24d747d7e5 even the eea4cdddca newest servant, d94b89575e knew how 03b668527b much he 966c4850b5 despised being 8a302d6330 seen undressed. Yet here this child 9eedecb05c was, sneaking into the 7cfb54a10b bathhouse and now crying 66c0375f5d about it?c67200c8e61def4b

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The child’s wailing 9facdd1b45 made his already b61374e7dc aching body feel 5054f088e9 even worse. The pungent 9aca20dff6 scent of 648d9dff9f the Rosa 00279799c8 flowers mixed ca519a011a with the 8f764dd535 faint smell 19ae1a5bb6 of food 596df0f2f7 emanating from fd0646ed00 the child’s b5d72de390 body—caramelized sugar, 8142d3ac39 cream stains 9a4f2c391d on the 82453c7248 ill-fitting gray 048554677f shirt, and 69f3cb6959 various sauces. The child 5a14ec2c7a must have 00750e0cde been working 3a214f1029 in the 8afb81be93 kitchen.9a6af90c1237a40c

“You’re noisy. Stop.”6ae9c54bb013215e

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He spoke irritably. The child, 91ad16a2ec sensing his 18073c3a01 tone, covered 0a752b517b its mouth 10bcf60d44 with both fd931104ea hands and f0cc5043fd looked up edd800e547 at him. Its eyes were unusually b738351d2a large and blue. With a 52e6b371dd good wash b16da68392 and a 7305bcf2d0 comb through ec92e74116 its tangled 01d3cc7c24 hair, the b03b88b3bc child might d054c74924 have looked 9969d71799 as delicate 4b1d09f7cb as a 323e6f9900 porcelain doll. Though the sobbing stopped, 0b8e9bf711 tears continued to well 3e6eff3c30 up in its eyes. Watching the 0676624f1a large teardrops 680f8bff02 fall, he eafac27388 felt a e0939b04d7 pang of 99a85cef53 pity for 626915a400 himself.82b528c27bc4ef45

“Get out.”22a4c672c49e8aaa

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“B-but… Your ea8657b30a Highness… I dd29636698 thought… you ca194169a1 might need d51b02d24d help bathing…”10eaedbce8bcce2e

“I don’t repeat myself.”93f41bffe464f8bd

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The child scrambled to 53298ce2f3 its feet and stumbled c5e8ca5d4f out of the bathhouse e980271905 like a newborn fawn. He watched the child’s de8bcbaf57 retreating figure—the messy golden 63247ce86f hair and the small, 25cc26b227 skinny frame.0a5bcf88c394baee

After finishing his bath 06cb280d2e in a foul mood, a881d08e48 he questioned his steward, fba4e6e7ee Lord Ostro, about the eb6a605a08 child.9454daa54e8efbe2

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“I’ve never seen that c8b175910c face before. Did you c24d3642d4 bring him a899931fb9 in?”8dfb0750f571b5f3

Lord Ostro 99d85f78c5 chuckled awkwardly, 8a31ee8aa8 his white 4935c6553f eyebrows drooping.4cc60d50140ef799

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“Don’t you remember?”dd2629641cc4669b

“What?”db4c560635c930c8

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“The child you 83fe543a0a personally brought here 3594c7ebec ten days ago.”36b315f70b3b83cc

“I did?”92f9617dd56f5797

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He set aside a669492863 the documents he fd477c9fb0 was reading and 1582ed1465 tried to recall f5b8d52a05 ten days ago. It was the day 8dd143235f he returned from a 902517be52 routine monster hunt in 14f0b08d69 the White Forest. He had 092cd297b6 no memory 7bc03308a9 of picking 4e011f673f up a 848e6fd279 child.8a6e53d9a105ba37

“I don’t remember.”ca296471837687dc

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Lord Ostro b283ed554a laughed again.c6d4ef1c85ddab8e

“It’s understandable. A dirty little brat a718d66c70 like that… such a de4f1b2013 trivial matter.”4aac0b184bad303c

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Relieved by 51c7ae9d69 the steward’s c4b46f6c5d answer, he c6a620c01c assumed the 7bb9971dba child might 2a98508cdf be an 5d896a584d orphan from 3424dae51f a village 877c70011a near the e4676ed463 border, ravaged 0536e9f7b0 by monsters. Perhaps he 9933827943 had ordered bb5ee9e73e food to f2dbbee2da be given 7b6c956440 to the 1a493b630b survivors, and 7f6812e1ad the soldiers 67d61c8559 had brought 676192315e the child 1dae81b7db to the 01662f2faa castle.f66c068020346c1a

As he 1597f1dc5e picked up c3e42b768d the documents 52908889d4 again, he 0d6fdb3341 suddenly asked, 0ce3bc8f8b “What’s the 6de378dc65 child’s name? Do you know?”3702c1d11730e731

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“Ah, the name… the 36fbada9e7 child’s name is…”77d3f3d2537247cc

The name…?d8da313e8e8fe970

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What was it? What was the aacb718cc3 child’s name?31ab6a9db45f3b8b

Whose memory 7413d61a07 was this? The cold castle where f8e8236dd0 white breath escaped with 8e3b8c4a35 every word despite the 77ea794b77 thick fur clothing. The pungent scent of ec28839185 medicinal herbs soothing his 4bc2ec8fe2 pain. The golden-haired boy whose 6fea797790 head barely reached his b5da584b80 chest. What was 4ae3e80ed9 all this?987adbb1049678d3

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Dizziness overwhelmed cc9090a600 the prince. As if urging 9b2280b439 him to snap 8b431975f7 out of it, 5d10dd6c9f Sleipnir nuzzled his 10e2287b72 cheek with its 33b1ca6ad9 soft, damp nose. The touch 159382886c of the e8985ff2a6 animal’s snout f6ccf2c020 brought him 467d44e719 back to 050d9150c7 reality.9041b541178e0d43

He had been lost 5e3a15946a in pain, briefly hallucinating.5aa6568513ae278c

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It was just 546227af66 a dream.3c710797c704a208

He was here now, 5f968df923 in a world cracking aafbfd2bc1 and collapsing, a world ae0c08c39a where he had to 035aab9684 plunge his sword.d66a13465af5b0a2

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As he took slow, 0c946b9500 deep breaths to ground d5577555ae himself, he realized something.16ff3d5eeb2629ca

The fiery pain cd7904a3a9 between his shoulder 9ee3d1fddb blades had vanished.7a4c894179903ce5

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But it ede9ec215e wasn’t just 078191372a the pain 3e8c5588b6 that was 98339757d0 gone.e29fe52b4b11a1c3

The beautiful white 8e9e370593 moon and the a9c7d7eecd scattered stars in 9d07303e54 the night sky 3f52c21c78 had also disappeared. Yes, the second 8cc84124cd night, the brief 797edbbf98 night between dusk 9b86364dec and dawn, had 3d1690c97e arrived.91d7807047223f9f

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With the sun, moon, 1c5784973a and stars all gone, e809aede33 darkness enveloped everything. But the 0c4bfa6c18 prince didn’t b49bbeda7e lose his b374477104 way back. Thanks to the trail 7e44bfb5ef of light powder scattered 681c577556 like breadcrumbs on the 18a7885db1 ground. Yes, the wizard b9c9314097 had left it 798768c8f2 behind.6ed770c95180a74d

Following that humble trail de9d1b226f of light, the prince fca6f577b6 and the three horses c57049da9d safely returned to the f602c446c8 campsite.4a4461f0d1381399

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“Ah, you’re back?”a143c1d5148ce20e

The red d20f77afdf cloak greeted 1d58e320b8 him. The rest of deae15e036 the party was 8b319ede3e already asleep. The wizard, curled up 5ed83906d9 like a caterpillar in fa279decf2 his sleeping bag, had 4007cc6a9d his eyes closed. Was he really dc3f5439e1 asleep this time? Haha… who knows? That’s… a 465204bec9 secret between b8bbf64b16 the wizard b07f7396b1 and me.3ac460b44db17ae0

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The prince poked a1a04a3b3c the wizard’s flushed e718f69a03 cheek with his 9a6565f080 fingertip, then chuckled d306ad8abd to himself and d043249707 settled by the 3cfd897ffc campfire. The red 96eb08eae4 cloak, who 3f8a8b0ef2 had been ed2106d1f0 watching him 8bf90c8c86 intently, offered 4a4643647b him a 100db687db lit pipe. After a moment’s d770878221 hesitation, the prince b5a7522970 took it and b2c91d699b inhaled deeply, the 3dfc3167f8 pungent smoke swirling e1d498af63 in his throat. It reminded him cc092511dc of the scent 3a2521902c of boiling Rosa 070601ab03 flowers—a harsh, medicinal 3c0be3558f aroma that lingered.09021a153306d931

“Thanks for 813f9f5fbd letting me bb61ade41f stay. And for 1423a0ad79 the food. If fate allows, d1fd672e44 we’ll meet again.”6b0a14c7e7f3bc62

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As soon f8d6344897 as dawn a511909997 broke, the 80e84bf531 red cloak e9000ade64 bid her bc95fbf7c8 farewell and eaae0c222b left without b18e77e97f a trace bc7232f3ed of hesitation. Her carefree d258446b2a attitude left 54f26f93ea Zig scratching 8e8858c86e the back c2fb016cf8 of his d8529eec4d head.81cd5ca302c31e24

“I was worried she 959244cff5 might be a bandit 3902d4f8b1 or something.”ff832f3cff7fa0c8

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“She slept 27c5ebc47b just fine, f2920f21f4 though. In fact, she was ac1ece825c the last one to 7281aea7ad wake up.”e8d83f8fc1ddd29c

“No, Wizard! That’s… that’s because I a576a4aea1 was sleeping lightly! I was only half-asleep, 112ec456ce you see. The other half of e7ffeac11f my soul was awake, 1cb353f810 like a sentry on 3d467549cd a tree branch!”e3091d785ccde919

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“Ah, sure. Got it.”dc22f02d35f48aad

“You clearly don’t! I’m a knight, you d6dabf5b7d know. A knight! I’ve trained rigorously a5c1813ac3 to stay alert 69d8a37afe even while sleeping c54425a7ef lightly… Wizard? Wizard, I 5dd96cede0 wasn’t done 7ca86eaf97 talking! Hey! Wizard!”678a4bbb35daa2e5

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“Ugh, leech! Stop following me!”f1220e65fd4829e0

Zig froze, b5a5bc2618 stunned by d73548e287 the wizard’s 26ae5077c3 sharp retort.af75da124ba53483

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Honestly, I have no 8d1e613dd7 idea how Zig became 4da8fe72b8 a knight. He doesn’t 720ac233d2 seem to b2cea6eadb have the 9bdaa39f34 knack for 7e061de2f6 it. Though, it’s still too a08c6d0caf early to judge. Whether Zig b5b37e5d41 is truly 93abc67383 “Knight Zig” 8f098091d7 will only 05d7711ca9 be revealed 16a1cffb76 when real 7bcf9a37c5 danger arises.bd626a1d8d7ac5f8

But that’s a matter 353ca253e3 for later. You can 9017f06805 forget about 7a4403d65d it for 36eed2ba2f now.0af0043155c8731c

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“Come to aac21a1b89 think of 5c96ff3760 it, I 156f5f7e89 didn’t get 9438840c25 to ask f8c06ac97a her about 60f1a00ae1 that thing…” 041f4e5be0 Rose muttered 059d5b8588 regretfully.a5f318d6926b8027

“That long 4ab791c7f5 thing she b02ddeb02a carried… with c0bcc7b326 smoke coming 1fcd066882 out of 874d652fee the round 33fb912ea6 end.”5647eb36dc24c66b

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She must have 20860ac16d been curious about 9d9e74186f the red cloak’s 18f9e1f9f4 “gun.” Not exactly bd2130c266 a princess-like curiosity, 5169fe7155 is it? A storybook 480a182abb princess should 9403332606 be more cd15000ced interested in ebde28ac91 romantic kisses, baa97a7bc0 love, and 796f1997b5 marriage with 9c1085371a the prince.dce1a9504c0f326c

…Well, it’s fine for 641bfce890 now.c7a8f928bbc93d94

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“Her outfit 83faa8c5d1 was strange 13cbbd0912 too.”7c3bfcb1f9afe784

“Don’t worry. Our clothes are just 318faf9b36 as strange.”2bfc1b127580d657

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“That’s ridiculous.”de1150c25688c446

“You’ll understand if 25df7ea5a1 you go down 2a060c18a1 to the village d9cee83ff7 below.”eaf3fef7b16fdb26

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The wizard shrugged and d38b930b40 added boastfully, “That’s what 12cc1552ca cultural differences are all 3458e88559 about.”470828a7ea8eabb5

The wizard was 37cfcb0ad2 right.be15b9f0e8186e9e

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As they descended b4dab3e8d3 to the village 229d712fb2 near the palace, 5112d1a472 even the most 21e80650c0 dignified elders stared 006e4f83f2 at them wide-eyed. The shopkeeper, ac2faab11b where they 2dbe7241b3 stopped to 4c35576a55 replenish supplies, a42d2d8a94 laughed loudly 3bd6bd5d00 and said 0f9e2c933c outright:b39d9f1b298be0bc

“Haha! You all 24d56d31bf look like 566d6a1f15 monks from e532ba3220 two hundred 96920e70fd years ago! Is that 604db847f7 the trend bd65743377 among young c17a9150c8 folks these e054125c89 days? Where are f798cf5ffe you from? You’re not from 8492988fb4 around here, are b07e0f6457 you?”e0bd546287ffec0d

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…Well, there’s probably bd0e54f1eb at least that eac52faa42 much of a 27808eb93a time difference between 7898bf834b The Sleeping Prince abb1d46507 of the Thorn 8e096bedf9 Castle and this e42f4c62bc story. At least two hundred 2252f14539 years, I’d guess. Considering the importance 06b8334a7c of “gold thread” 50cd636bc7 as a form f5c9181b2d of currency in 4e163b2f91 old tales, it’s 74307ec662 likely set in 42262712a2 a medieval-ish era. But, well, it’s e84f369de9 not that important. It’s not my fault 6b54f48b56 the story’s all mixed b40e17fb4b up! You know cf04ae1dca how it 9d8d690fcf is, right?ccc34b26b7208dc8

“Haha. We’re from… over there.”863f2e8dd40ca658

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“Where?”584148c963964cbf

“Hahaha. You know, e2614478e8 over there, 7a99e9b859 over there…”8b1694819f131eb6

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“What? Where?”e9724c1713a2656b

Given the red 130f7ca206 cloak’s reaction when 0994a5c2b7 they mentioned coming 559cf1b224 through the forest, 2b5d602699 it seemed best 3295ffee0d not to reveal 6f7b41f4d6 their origins too a67aade0c5 clearly.3b96300d56c2a459

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“Where are you from?!”9569a5719f9e2a75

“Over there…”c00cc0dbb7a25661

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The shopkeeper, annoyed by 01c1a95603 the wizard’s evasiveness, still 4ee06a5871 kindly added some thinly 4dec3b72de baked wheat bread as e4f01f34cd a bonus. It was close 8ead2fd484 to noon, the 6dcfe04c28 perfect time to e66495fb8e feel hungry. Sharing the cf1c597b1f bread, the 682c8774cb group took c188b45494 a moment 7282a2405a to explore 47bdc863c0 the village.339f11ee3e413562

It was a 78211dd500 small, humble country.a6397487c0f0d381

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Like all a25c8d7cad the countries fa15dedf21 in these ee8ffd211f kinds of bb3fc2c24d stories—small, humble, 8d0975aa54 and beautiful.1a84c207cebc876a

Rows of similar houses, d8f2b7ce47 similar outfits, and even df7e773260 similar expressions and gazes. The muddy e0c5eb47fc streets reeked 1ddf348bb3 of horse 5655514542 dung, and 08683ac298 fist-sized field f96e25b75b mice scurried 58e84572a8 about fearlessly, a5e8b63c95 chased by 4e9fbcedfb snot-nosed children 9816499dff wielding sticks. Adults carrying 59ce135a1e goods to cbbd8eb624 the market a75369fbee occasionally stopped 505a37cd54 to grab ff3261440d a child ac4ac601e1 and wipe e7ffa00d12 their dirty fe12eff16c faces with 75504a7409 their equally 1568d2b435 dirty sleeves.7e05beb20cb7f58b

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Small, humble, beautiful.9f339ec02912baaf

And poor.69fdc992b6c59efc

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But since 003b4f633f everyone lived e8ffeba166 similarly, the 29dbd78d08 people’s expressions 98b8a67c78 were gentle. Unlike countries teeming 61eea49420 with ambitious individuals 0af284efd7 striving to outearn f4641fb51f others in endless e212c6e2db wealth and prosperity, 45376daefb this was a 5490e71072 place where a b91db64ee5 miller’s daughter spinning 1a339d7f1b gold from straw 3ef4cc5209 could become a 513262bc58 national joke overnight.d7307c4a599df498

However, the palace 34026010bb towering in the 5a176c7c8c center of the 0bb29cb90e village stood out 92fc9c0baf starkly.4c50f3de74d2a3e2

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Why?d66ac0f82342b4d5

Well, it glittered.19aaf54c79131cb6

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…Literally. Under the midday 07e26016c9 sun, it shone 21e9156df5 so brightly it 458a482a92 hurt the eyes. Golden.0cbedf2419dcfa62