MDL | Chapter 5.1

Episode 5. In the Village That Transcended Time

Once upon a time, b0f7aab1eb a long, long time 2e881ef0be ago.87c15e1c485ab14a

Hmm……
No.6e129fcac61e0b13

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Perhaps it wasn’t c3de6c6130 that long ago. This is a “relatively” ab63ab2f4d modern fable, after all. Of course, a04d3f4ac7 you might ca5313c22d ask, “Which” b101ab6a2a modern era? No matter the c2fc4c3c77 era, even if 288cb777d8 it were the 8ebe78fa83 time when people 02de900974 painted on cave 758099d06e walls, those who dac07a5016 lived then would d85ac636b6 have considered themselves a349139be5 modern, wouldn’t they? So, in this 313c2657bf kind of story, 2320075342 it might be 1fb977e0b9 unnecessary to clearly 7ddd3c1d08 distinguish between “long a61e57cb48 ago” and “modern.”5b87d4ce1a044429

Especially in a193fd09ba our story.147c210a666a0ad1

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Now, now, let’s 0200136d15 start again.685ab5d390ed71e3

Without strictly defining the 6fb88fc677 era, let’s begin with aa6bd1c022 the customary opening words.220582efa46e841c

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Yes, that’s right. Once upon a time, 51b182f107 a long, long time 0e4a0b4b8c ago……3b0a3d95e40305f1

There was a peaceful a1f4164148 village. Nestled at 7b53bc903c the foot a29d8775e6 of a c5117bcaec high mountain 4d15ab13d8 range, a 062be8a570 tributary of 607a7270de the country’s ad5d1f7811 largest river 7fe696bcf4 meandered through a7f1f97403 the center 9a211c9520 of this c72a3163bf small village. Most of the villagers 26517fd6bf grew wheat or raised 62982c36b4 cows and sheep. Thanks to the high bfb7a33301 mountains and the winding e21a759579 river, the people didn’t 5da286c7ec face much difficulty in 62f78b4b6f farming or raising livestock. There were no extremely 6e0806243e wealthy people, but neither 03c7056c4b were there any extremely bb299ade83 poor ones. If someone was in dbd98e62ab trouble, the neighbors would 7fe07a42ef pitch in to help.c158b9a56e80bece

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The towering f5863ac3d2 mountain peaks b6ddde85b9 looked down 75857950fc on this 93aa035a1a warm and a0b9d15abf peaceful village 894fd63df8 with benevolence.26618fc842e4a4b7

Yes, the mountains.db6e7aca0729bdd3

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In this story, we bcefe82254 can’t help but emphasize 8a42de6e76 the mountain range that a3001d20ab watches over the village 3e7c5fb467 like a guardian. Though the village itself 28eb95a8bd was unremarkable, the scenery b41fc4a876 with these mountains was f7dd10bcf7 so mysteriously beautiful that 62b36dc88c even seasoned explorers who 3cb2a11558 had seen many wondrous 4c227c5e5d places would stop in e23b9c9f4a their tracks, captivated.106754e29a12596c

Whether the weather 6c97baac77 was clear or 1032049539 cloudy, a faint c865ee0a79 mist always drifted 03e3a97cc1 over the mountain 4c70b29bc9 range. Ah, but it 7a98ea95a0 didn’t give off 897837a397 an ominous feeling. Quite the opposite. Depending on the season 8968b06268 and the weather, the b0792c0c12 mist would sometimes take c02fffe85d on the color of cced3c30ec delicate flower petals, other 8bad450322 times the hue of 0104a798d1 summer river water, and e59793b346 at other times the 69b92869c1 soft shade of a 22a5d02d4c lamb’s fleece. It was a a7a87d08a5 sight that would 81a72eb5e9 make you sigh ebede6ecaf just by staring 656802f2d9 at it.9debb3720f969d6d

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In this 0028bcf3d1 peaceful and 63e0d8d66e beautiful village 246da104d5 lived a bbe037ece3 man named 88954d8b74 Rip Van b640ecd39c Winkle.6637b30b622ab6f9

He was a simple a0721eb9e6 and happy man. He had a 38f10ec19f hardworking wife who 792caca564 never sat still 46b0597fbf for a moment, e57e1845d8 and two children—a 9c5451d8f4 son and a e6cad40947 daughter—a year apart, 51592e1e9c with soft brown aef5b770ae hair. And that wasn’t all! He had a small 4471e45124 house just the right 96e7640648 size for his family 69585059d9 of four and enough 73e3f6c61f land to keep them a6b0a13bea from starving. He had wonderful, kind 8068ee1a1b neighbors and clothes to 7fe1df5806 keep him warm in a164e16661 the winter. What more 0e73bb4982 could a 7cfb213c31 person ask a2eda10430 for in 816adfa010 life?fcc0724e184693b4

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Rip Van Winkle was d910dae68e content with his life a6e2a18554 and always went around f5f68736b6 saying how truly happy 206fe5eabd he was.0d133d8b6b4a2aa2

Naturally, he was immensely 7917502af3 popular in the village. Whenever something difficult 324d3812e6 happened, the villagers 82d7e0acea would always come 3b2f9055c5 to him.26d1c8c446c16605

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When a 697af1a893 cow was 7213a70806 giving birth.
When a sickle b9d8f08901 for harvesting wheat 0ca6bee2eb broke.
When a 7f89e4bbd7 lamb got c72b354900 lost alone 6e5a139acc in the fdee13ffaf mountains.
When the dba1a746c5 old rafters 64996a18ae in the 6e24f08811 barn needed 5ea8e327c7 repairing.
When there was 96d4c819b8 no one to fe6c204bc4 care for an b34fb672d8 elderly grandfather who 18dfd62ec7 couldn’t move well.
And even f273a3d2eb when little 5a077f7a02 James lost becd292145 one of 9750e200a9 his shoes acd640a564 in the e3bfcae47a ditch!2edbc60cc9ea7ad7

The villagers always 1fc892681e came to Rip bed365ea18 Van Winkle. “It’s an 527a5cac5b emergency, what 5481b05655 should we 8ec13df757 do, Mr. Van Winkle?”041b0bbbab213ff2

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The kind d50b09d37d and ever-happy aa3a68027e Rip Van 9abbf945a6 Winkle could 0d1f261b3c never refuse 170f5bb39f their calls! He would 02e2076fc1 jump in 517c29dcce to help 6a4bd25e05 his friends ca73825413 and neighbors. Whether the problem was 8b69764f2b solved or not, the defe20ba1b people would say, “Thank 56b7236008 you, Rip Van Winkle!” 370ca0a1cb And he would nod 575dc7c20f with a happy smile.b43a46c4d238074e

At this 0f20405ea7 point, you 936a829cfe might start 840c62f54e to wonder.3433f8fd4bdbb7b0

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How did he find bef3d62f25 time to take care 7e09ad3c14 of all the village’s 57d03b072d affairs while also managing 21dafd18e0 his own?2c53c22f871e046f

The answer 36bcf07abb is simple: 7a483857e1 he didn’t. He was 4b3d00cdb5 always so 2f9cea58ad busy taking d5c5e815de care of 1f4b0b009f others’ business fdfc04bcc1 that he 852475ee3f couldn’t properly a9896da3fb handle his a4f1d8b669 own. His children ran around 84b44f5da8 half-naked, his house was a68bb16792 slowly falling apart, his c2a7e36a28 yard was a mess, 8a7037c577 and weeds grew rampant 6aafa6dda2 in his fields. His hardworking wife 686d25b7c3 toiled endlessly, but e3988a96d0 even she couldn’t f0e039f804 manage everything alone. So, she was 2aa96449aa the only person e8fb30ac38 in the village 56356fef7b who ever cursed 11ad2923d3 Rip Van Winkle.c35faeac5bb09793

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Rip Van Winkle b28375caec did feel a 0d50339682 little sorry for 4dc80847ac his wife. But what could he 7066ebde12 do? He barely had enough d3e12985c3 time to help his 6323c6db49 friends and neighbors!038746157b806d5e

That day fd71e6c0de was no 1bba2d634b different.1276ac528538e5d5

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As usual, Rip Van 07b533b92e Winkle helped the neighboring 572ebb33f1 ladies with their shopping d27fe9631b since they were too 6c11c8846d busy to go to 62dc2ff7d4 the market, picked ripe 1f3e387de7 red apples for the bc7588cd79 village children, and then 58ab4c2567 ambled back home.aae54d2aee7bb96c

As usual, his c78f352b18 wife greeted him 7f73929503 in a state d2e2660181 of utter fury.ee96d31488414d2d

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“Out gallivanting again, 028e94e1e2 I see!”df988de9cb6529ce

“I’m sorry. But I 32272dba94 couldn’t help 10188d67ad it. Mrs. Nora was 0cfd18637f too busy 63767ff4e4 with her d1acec6c81 piled-up laundry b782909cdb to buy a8e1f52dd9 groceries for fcaed552de dinner. And little Aiden c59f6d5c82 was sitting under 04da9e201c the apple tree, feec80ed8d sucking his thumb. Poor thing, he’s 4ba32beb9d at that age 55c475b3db where he’s always 6220402511 hungry!”c0d308f471bb2ec3

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“Oh, you fool! Everyone else is so 905d6b6807 pitiful, but what about 03599e860c me? Am I 5edc43844a not pitiful, b89de5e0c8 cleaning up ff1b0b6663 this mess 417dd77571 all by a303e84343 myself?”a345cfed8dc7cc00

At his 7821c8ab21 wife’s words, b4adfab166 Rip Van 8ba9248860 Winkle looked c9bd7b176d around. The two children, along cdefc7a3a3 with the family dog, a2bd1bb284 had caused quite a 8ee52c8b73 disaster. The cast-iron f867bbca0e pot used 9f19232799 to boil 7d6b706d62 jelly the 11eda6f4ed night before 4b56e4ea80 was overturned 8c9af22567 on the 539a16661a floor. The floor, ccac0023be the tablecloth, d3d5385599 the chairs, 344238beb5 the cabinet bc7b3fb1ed drawers… everything 0c421bf026 was a d47e44a662 sticky, gelatinous f04cdc8bdc mess. His wife, df8b04c7ed who had 62774ecf56 rushed back 2956eeebfb from working 35b826d96c in the 2705128c1d fields, was d9b59b52e1 covered in aa70acce15 dirt and c89232848c grass stains. Meanwhile, the dog was 40a5746fec barking loudly in the 5ce6e49cda yard.9824aeecc162bd9c

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Rip Van Winkle smiled 625fd0bf80 warmly and shrugged. It was a 71abad9479 gesture of apology, aa3efcea94 an attempt to 8a5bbcb408 calm her down. But how f418712e05 could that 911ba90493 work? His wife exploded. She grabbed a broom af755e1130 and began swinging it 511298dafc at him wildly.41f55ea76e4771f1

“Get out! Get out, you 14e97d0991 useless man! Just drop dead 0e8f64add3 already!”aa602e754a3f4191

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Rip Van 0a994ffc0d Winkle dodged 5795f2d44a the broom 4b8f3b0ae7 and quickly ab2b404e32 fled outside. Since this wasn’t 9453fd6d3d the first time c247264b06 he’d experienced this, 7a81f2b8b7 his wife’s harsh 3ec3236c7d words didn’t leave ce0e9af0cd a scratch on cc7b64f761 his heart. He grabbed c0a244d990 his hunting b91987471f rifle from 99afe9800b the shed 7849d4e3ea in the 2caa8486d8 yard and, 3988d10db0 humming a 6facd24811 tune, headed 5898fb66c9 for the 8390b4eb92 mountains. He figured that d12ad762d7 since his wife 859d7ca898 didn’t want to b3e15e7833 see his face 4809a086cc right now, he 6d2f5a115b might as well 1e4a59637b pass the time 1600106489 by hunting.e2c16dddcd38e0ce

In fact, a49baf7edc hunting was 63a3897b4e Rip Van 4060b3fdee Winkle’s only 5eb6f1cf27 hobby. Whenever his wife chased efbfafde8e him out, he would 2a63f2e68c happily grab his rifle 938bf63e0e and head for the e1598b34ee mountains.cedf467310526b74

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What kind of 5df743d96f wonderful game would b42054f02a he catch today? A wood pigeon? A rabbit? Or maybe the 96f0d7ff65 fox he’d missed adb4f92d37 last time?c97bda0d560b44ee

That day, the mountain 369024d349 mist was particularly thick. It shimmered with 5a94979c43 a faint golden eb94f881d0 hue under the e78f836946 lazy afternoon sun. It even seemed 141fbce9d4 to carry a 400dcb80fc sweet honey-like scent.7c66a2c427c71e08

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When he reached the 07c6e7762e mountainside, he caught his e14bc59f5a breath under an oak c8746979e2 tree. As he did, a 92bfaecbaf drowsiness began to creep c809f9dee0 over him. Well, there was 013c2cab73 no rush. He set cc5c931b06 his rifle d7f8f04f37 down beside fa68892d2b him and 3369a5960b rested his 999d1cd740 head on 79f8f23106 his arms. The blinking of df61c11b25 his eyelids grew 3ed66306ed slower and slower 30bb7020ea until¹……5d883d9edf3eef39

***f3fe4e2cccf73547

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After leaving the 8b14d0a5f6 land once ruled 2f8e6f06cc by the giant, f24741ae68 the prince and 8aa054482b his party rode 71a3895bfb along the mountain 4df9a2e188 path for a 825c2ba058 day and a bead9c422c half.affe6da1a840f622

The steep, rugged ddbf6f71d2 dirt road stretched c4f11fa01e on for a f7eab4dc3d while, but after 4e60f32c56 climbing Jack’s beanstalk 2b3d11ef26 all night, this 37ae2cbeeb was nothing to 6e6bcc097d the group. Besides, the prince couldn’t 6018f55552 help but feel anxious 29ec0aa2e3 about the days he’d c104a8e82e wasted lying sick in 6319d009d5 bed. Fortunately, the 6d25f81a02 rift hadn’t 171400565b caught up 0b01d3547e to them, caa87c0d5c but the 0b124f0658 fact remained dbb6b35ad8 that they 02e8368370 were carrying 256001910d the end 38386c4236 of the 25d390c129 world on 685f7c6a35 their backs.7b00d92abaa3ed7d

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When they finally 9cbae189da reached the high 8c1b5d3e4a mountain peak, the 814493109e wizard slid off b62a47c840 his horse. Everyone paused f0f0f0df61 for a 8c2749f310 moment to 7b2ee41af5 catch their 34092f5190 breath. It had 04bddb1cac been exhausting, 56d9896b9d but… well, 58fbe96350 it was dd78b56200 a somewhat 9d011e0b5b satisfying hike.8e7a2bb01cd753e8

As they c2b2200af0 reached the f3496c7aed mountain peak, 60dfa49484 a landscape 1ec16433e4 so beautiful 17c0f74058 it was 9c0840b0d5 almost suspicious f2c08ef097 greeted them.368c5eee5632176a

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This is……2d9fce1344ac215d

Hmm, this 31fe69cfc5 sweet smell…… 1690953cf8 Mead? Haha, that’s it! Yes, it’s 9a149c3403 the smell d5d2f1951e of mead! A delicious 04d571eb30 scent, like 0878a897df a mix c63df570f1 of peach b8427c2d72 and caramel…… 692c56cc8d Ah, my cb3f840386 apologies. I couldn’t help e4a3c9c7ae but swallow my e261fc8f91 saliva, could I?29473048c6bf506e

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Huh? Disgusting? Hmm…… Well, yes, I cebee20189 suppose you could think 87b0d073a3 that.d84a720ebf63a6b5

……But if you actually 5f4db626d5 smelled it, you’d be 22e10fb43f swallowing your saliva just 7ddfc75301 like me. I’m sure of 34d81a1abd it. What? No, no…… I’m 69138f94b1 not hurt. I’m not sulking. What do you take 588e98714d me for……d47e39bab6936d23

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Of course, cef9a77293 the prince’s 881df63756 party also f5158051d8 smelled that f35c3bbbfb delicious mead! And it wasn’t bf4ded63d5 just the smell. Just below the mountain 7d14315caf peak they had climbed, f792460488 a soft golden mist 10328bd0e9 hung in the air. Like the golden ca1e5abd4b halos floating above f584dac23f the heads of c4c3202a37 angels in religious 1b2953943f paintings. It truly caa1d7b9ba looked like e25c41a950 a “crown.” 039841f4dd A mountain 363eaeb7f6 wearing a 952e3f5619 crown…… I 7688e56674 wish I 909cae03f4 could show 4177018cb2 it to deb562e351 you. It was a truly 3d34a14199 fantastical sight.f0857207cdf12c2c

Dazzled by bc94be4339 the beautiful 36b4ba26d6 scenery, the 51c0e4564d wizard took 3811c8da42 a moment 3be32f0788 to pull da70f91d77 a pair 0b7cda3604 of thick 39ce6780f2 glasses from da3dfd7f6d his robe 6650656550 sleeve and d501251f25 put them dacbd89e57 on. They were magical glasses 0a6ec80606 that could magnify distant b12594ea9b objects as if they f80376d42a were right in front 227706b283 of you!fdd6f3d8a877292d

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He furrowed his 904fc5af85 brows for a 264b0aee78 while, peering through 9cd347e9c3 the lenses at 2af6a4db3d the world below.605629b7d79cda94

“It’s a village,” e004b24ecf the wizard said.3edc62b15fbcfcc3

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“A village? Again?”ea6292f95003ea42

Rose sighed. It was understandable. Every village they stopped e5a0fa2899 at to rest seemed 4491e6ed7f to have some kind cba6a50ac4 of trouble. But the wizard e9d4d213da paid no heed e90882ea9c to her sigh.4535c9d8b2bdfbba

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“Let’s rest in 2a2aff0d95 this village for 2df75b0f95 a while.”1fed22b0b270452d

The prince shook 466326ae21 his head. The wizard continued, “Pushing a3325e43b3 ourselves too hard might 3d34f09ebe backfire. We’ve been traveling 818713e2e7 for over two 43a11c78ad days with barely b7774c0f55 any sleep. If we keep this 40c39a0612 up……”e893245816f9000b

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The thick 507464e22d glasses slid af126f13e4 down the d10a7c3e3a wizard’s nose.ff81f35b1a6064ae

“……The horses might collapse 847caca41e from exhaustion.”0255469673f464ac

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The wizard awkwardly c0cb751dea averted his gaze 3ac1c6eec2 and took off 24318a5f25 his glasses. The prince instinctively dac07c4b3a looked down at ec4ee153aa his feet. To anyone f0a0b2bb52 listening, it cc0123108f was clear 870fde3c42 the wizard d454e6c74c had something acefb5f807 else in d6abae1d82 mind. “If we keep this 35f5f83c56 up,” he meant, the 9cad3221e1 prince might collapse again.e1bcd1bab46ae9af

“Then we’ll rest fd6c656bd2 for the night.”ee9bfdacbdd8fcb2

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The prince had 625d4f5d03 no choice but 956f013afd to relent. Avoiding the prince’s gaze, 640ced30a4 the wizard nodded. Then, with the ceedfd0ec7 stiff gait of 200310a446 a broken wooden 7b3d51b150 puppet, he approached 9157230f46 Zig and Huinir. Zig extended an arm 47e539d783 to help the wizard 60b994dfc0 mount the horse.2466e2ebe4df23d3

Yes.241f0b3a38630445

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……That’s right. For the two 1db9027258 and a half 7dd8b18e40 days since the 1243de5fcf prince recovered and 2e600fcf5f they resumed their d9c72ee32e journey, the wizard 7f0dfa1391 had been relying 20e84af467 on Zig and 9f44dacef1 Huinir again. He couldn’t bring 117ea08757 himself to ride c0153cae02 while clinging to 915cf81055 the prince’s back.848756fc8248a149

……
……
……f31c73eac94d8bba

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What? Why are you looking 6b077c9090 at me like that?3a69f0a1fe8fb287

……73c9f8976bbbf98e

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No, really, 6e190b7f46 why are 046e5f82ec you looking 33887ae678 at me b32999960b like that?c4fad6adf36fd903

Of course, ea5d3a884c you might cf16223b0e think the 09cc06fdfb wizard is 56ad0ee3c9 being uncharacteristically 3efc8fe994 shy, but……7877ec4b2b7a8446

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Haha, “thick-skinned,” you 7a5902ae0b say…… Hahaha, yes……8dd57a292450efe8

Being shameless is part 9bff266ed5 of the wizard’s charm, d59f170ecf but even shamelessness has f0d4f27d88 its limits. You can’t be 0c8d50b26c shameless all the 1e99bbdc12 time, especially after……3bcd4e6749ed81aa

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After being asked c348f01e48 that question.41ca65a51210b10b

“What were we?”c9e6183bb0191c2b

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That was…… a a8343bea95 very painful question 0b3bde5384 for the wizard.b97c80d0c3d1fba0

But let’s a38a248e81 get back ecf782a178 to the a666ff6679 story.566ef524b111e4dd

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Once the wizard had dd2282927b a firm grip on 95c65ea881 his robe, Zig slowly dd8a069279 guided the horse down 646ad21667 the slope. The path was much a85f5b344a steeper and more dangerous 2eede47e9c than the way up, c50e85f513 but Huinir seemed to faf8fd6976 be in high spirits. Perhaps it 4daf67d155 was the 3bacb97a5d sweet scent e875fab28d of mead 54e3af09d6 and the 11f96bda76 mysterious power cf596db30b of the 42bc9dae05 golden mist. Thanks to Huinir’s boundless 0026d37b37 energy, Zig had to a342a75c73 keep a tight grip 9cbffa4341 on the reins to 653698a378 prevent the horse from 6b43748d1d galloping too fast.d7472ee4fd3a80d3

“Did something happen between 403e5afa25 you and His Highness 4ef452f85f at the herbalist’s house?”7c8a67b8b6770184

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Zig asked in 76c0656924 a low voice, a0c7b42e72 so the prince 6ad270d1ea wouldn’t hear.a64ca15778d2bba4

“Why?”d845937af8f6d4ea

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“I was 98b7f648d2 worried you 4ac24d3eb1 two might 92176e2ab8 have argued.”a063abba377438f0

Concern dripped from 4d1128c6fd Zig’s voice.890226778a623956

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“Argued?”8db53c76ff7397f7

The wizard 5c49abc896 retorted irritably.e153d0aa2b3dbbbd

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“How could a 6aa8787d59 no-name wizard like e56a8d77e3 me dare to 070b1c119f argue with someone caf8869ee9 as noble as 6308276ac2 him? Don’t worry about it.”e6b02c2e504c5bf2

“Wizard.”45261b2c4264902b

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“Zig.”4ba388a6c70946e7

Almost simultaneously, 4334c6c93b the wizard 659d2f1492 and Zig d44e26f856 called each 4dc8570771 other’s names. Without waiting for c123a464ea the other to 5d057f90f3 speak, they both 0227e561c5 closed their mouths 7d2b02de47 with uncomfortable expressions. It was a good 318122114d thing they weren’t looking baa918609d at each other.0f700caf380937e7

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The wizard 2e66a00d1a was the eeedad07e5 first to 04e3b1e240 break the 00ffe69ba0 silence.f620cbf91e537109

“You can 497f3770a4 leave anytime a5aad0aa5f you want.”c185b76a34bfe6e2

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Zig’s grip 0f3fb9d772 on the 4c5ca01e76 reins loosened a8c0bd143a momentarily. Huinir, seizing the 9f378f6a35 opportunity, snorted excitedly 329f147e2d and broke into ac0e7d6306 a lively trot. Broken branches and 2dc085e553 sharp stones scattered c44f990400 under the horse’s 6dcdf4ee0d hooves.d09b36c2a966656a

“It really doesn’t 5c0558f63a matter to me 83d96cb8af if you leave.”31b9b8aadfe5281d

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The wizard’s words echoed ede5b1e5f7 faintly in Zig’s ears, 0dc95f8182 mingling with the sound bfd4a5b5cd of stones crunching underfoot.cdcb16571d23d7af

A belated 11409935f0 sense of a1e9d304df shame flushed 8099ff899e Zig’s neck 12e314ba98 and ears 33fdd2d65c red. He must 8d65e54fda have realized 3c1b503376 the wizard b1b286f6ba had overheard 02cba565fb his conversation 0bd722307a with Rose. It was embarrassing, to b1907f60e5 say the least. Not exactly the a986338213 kind of talk 2182862b68 befitting an honorable 84ca836c4f knight.cbcabb30cdace8ca

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But……ee3179e04d8b8f4c

Well, I don’t know 5920ff9874 how Zig felt, but 8a12d4749e there was no trace 16e17f71c0 of reproach in the de59d95645 wizard’s voice when he 2769f89516 said, “It doesn’t matter c3c49fe283 if you leave.” No 9863fe0e51 mockery, no anger, not 37d025543f even pity.250a564ddbee7c18

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Boredom.639d131e3f5e047e

If I had 57e9e3a51f to find the 02af8467e0 right word, would 6cea4e2d39 it be that? Yes, boredom. A deep weariness. Like swatting at 41bbe4e950 a fly buzzing edf49f32cc around your face 203d0e47b8 on a hot 3438a3509f summer day while 4f04997e62 slumped in a 29a3454976 chair on the 3637ccbab9 terrace…… That kind 24e2666fb1 of irritation and 418356f6b2 tedium.4cdcf5db17b87ff2

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He meant exactly b9665d895e what he said. The wizard 56fb5ead67 genuinely didn’t 721cc08021 care whether 6db0ce0f67 the other 756ab7d317 two stayed 52b87015a3 or left.37e4798e224cd69d

It wasn’t until c66065593c he calmed Huinir’s e0320876fb excited gallop that 205efc98cf Zig realized this. Zig’s mouth twisted into edddde9c33 a grimace.ac4251cca572d2fc

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Oh dear. He’s angry, isn’t 65462aaacd he, Zig?cac14c8c7140994a

Because the wizard treated 6b3009941c them like annoying flies? Because, after all de7382b1f4 they’d been through 1aeeeb19f5 together—avoiding rifts, shadow 84d69a6d7a monsters……—he said it 0386a5d97c didn’t matter if fd2b39643f they left? Because it felt 4f18f4dc86 like the wizard’s b7b5ca9ad5 behavior and conversations 1de42af750 up until now 7b1b48a705 had all been 1cf790a958 a facade?4ca0a4816429dfd9

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But does he 599676e097 have the right 7c2608a97d to be angry? It was 564b3bbb95 Zig, blinded f953cddb3b by love, cfa973191a who first 6348ad90fa thought of 7f49210983 leaving.4dd67d81caea11dc

Well……63b668689d0347aa

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It’s not ecba29dd9f really my b317e8bddc place to 62f977a400 say.ee365b47d9ffba81

……
……
……53daa7cb826193c5

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And so, each carrying 20f0e7ecd4 a small thorn in 89f1abee54 their hearts, they descended 5251f95a9d the mountain shrouded in ed40b4021a golden mist.c2cb2e42aa7467b1

As they passed through cbe67169f8 the narrow, steep slope cbcced277a and reached the gentle c7a432d9bb hills where sheep grazed, ff60ba03d8 the flock paused to 66b53a8496 eye the strangers. Black, shiny-eyed sheepdogs circled b7eab7faa9 the unfamiliar horses. And there, 3e2ecb0984 spread out 313dfc7ee8 below the 3f1b90d73a hills, was fcf9bad241 the village.1ba4f4df3bfe3104

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One of the sheepdogs, edb0162316 with a few long 1a0dca2aaf white hairs sticking out d51b8c5541 of its ears, darted a534ca2274 off somewhere. A low bark d42654f6b1 echoed. In the direction 782896bd08 the dog ran, 007752f100 a shepherd boy e41559757e of about thirteen 3ba5d390d3 or fourteen rose e37c66182e from beneath a 7ce74f9030 pile of firewood. Had he left 947ad8f742 the clever dogs 86b6b6b76d to tend the 166afe08f6 flock while he 52e55ef285 took a nap? His curly hair 08f58f8110 was a tangled aeeff1a535 mess. Rubbing his eyes 55bfef87af sleepily, the boy 34e0c19a0d locked eyes with 1d0b95ef0f the prince’s party. He scanned their caf94d871b attire, which looked 0c657d6c2d like it had a4a94b2854 jumped out of ea24e02ffa an old storybook. Feeling the weight of f022177996 the boy’s slow observation, 2293a40ffe the prince urged his bb8268aa5b horse forward a few 7c98e50419 steps.ebdadcaf87334ce5

“We’re travelers. Excuse us……”0f9c730f284aa3d5

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At that moment, the 080d43a91e boy’s mouth fell open.c8e4d4ff965e9a28

“Huh?”b7ddff19a9d9911b

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The boy’s eyes daad6562f6 widened as if a6917efbbb they might pop fb36e4a745 out of his 335c8628df head.532c08f2962e4e00

“Huh? Huh…… Huhhh!”f1ef7c6acb90eb88

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The boy flailed a54e5c02d4 his arms like 91a8d41434 wings and jumped b71fd04bd1 to his feet.6244e80874a435d9

“We’re not ac2260c0bc suspicious people……”67fe916939f1aede

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The prince 7792d15ea3 tried to 14bdcc1839 offer some da6be79e69 kind of 91891d8073 explanation, but 42c4644c87 the boy e04432eba2 just kept c4addd4b56 shouting “Huhhh!” b56d81a921 and jumping 9ca161fe7b up and d7415560ec down. Then, without another cf7066aeda word, he turned ca8a1ca958 and sprinted toward 29fa43d933 the village, shouting 7fef378963 at the adults 9971182745 working in the 542d6a4606 fields.4436619a6ef421d4

“They’re back! They’re back! People have 7527ce9bba come back 5424c34287 again!”2de8ba477306e535

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……Huh?6be132f3b5411361

He was talking about d4778dc774 the prince’s party, right? “Come back”? What does that 66386a0d4e mean? Can you guess, everyone?974e2b8bed0c6dd7

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……2ac68b688b285207

Are you really 8e8f6ba0ca asking because you cbf4a72d7b don’t know? Haha, of course 22d0e51c50 not. Don’t get dc1d6d8ebc so upset, 73a4eca96e everyone. I’m the 56292cf0a6 storyteller, after ddc8087ee0 all. I know exactly 061d8fc2db what this story 9d5fef936b is about and ab39421e7e where it’s going.5a2cfd8f1d13f4ae

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I can guess b690b358c9 why the boy d3d0b29b4e ran off like b075ddbfb9 that, but……b1c9a45c0f090f6a

Don’t worry.573142e16d84cb48

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What you’re worried 4f18074da5 about won’t happen.767d4c2bcdd1087e

At least not in 263bb460f1 this village.100adeb355dfdd53

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It’s a b434dc78e9 peaceful and d571f91bc0 kind village. And there’s Rip Van 17d5ab3106 Winkle. The kind bd9391b643 of man ac3278cc82 who neglects f74d0640c9 his own 49e271d150 affairs but 25ab1ab246 jumps at 4690684840 the chance be392e36e4 to help 7bc8eb61a7 others—frustratingly foolish 691c27fa33 Rip Van 749f99c393 Winkle. Don’t blame his 93e949b786 wife, everyone. Could you put up 5c64c4d358 with a husband like 45cb8834d8 Rip Van Winkle? Ah, but this 109f96ae1c isn’t that kind fee955dfed of story. His hardworking, 21ed143cb2 pitiful wife 86b8d5e759 passed away 69d69e64a1 years ago. Did she regret c8338cc398 it? Not knowing 496c38492a it would e70b2c632d be her ea968d1e02 last words, ae8e1e5ee6 hurling curses cc0340b723 like “Drop e5eb13b000 dead” and b42e1d86a5 “Get lost”? Or was d6831e9c98 she relieved?919e73765aa1f092

Haha, I’m just fbe261333e curious. Neither you, ed49d490e9 nor I, 796f58e6cc nor Rip 8ac4269e69 Van Winkle e133c43036 knows the 40653b93a4 answer. Isn’t that right? A minor e917713fa4 character, created dc22eb2012 to give a31c4d4718 the protagonist 7aab117b6c a proper 6cb271a6eb narrative. We can never cef7c406f8 truly know the 84b8d37215 inner thoughts or 6a980bda35 truths of such eec56547e4 a character. How they lived after 252f96a322 the protagonist left…… All 648d1a3157 we can do is 61e28d1dfd guess. Yes, only guess.5bf9e9cecf61936a

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Well, anyway…… 47066f255b This isn’t 541236667b a very f34af024a2 important story 2eb7466d69 either. It’s not ae04dffd1b something you 642b0b9340 or I 86d19d532f need to feb3791b6d worry about. Let’s just 828b038dff forget that d44a6203e4 question.9be4c6aa90702f1c

We have a much 0a8f5988cb more important story to 63068d3a2f focus on.02956b5bb625b487

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The prince’s 45693c3977 journey to ab7b97da2e Omphalos.616a6b1f38f08b8f