TNBTW | Episode 30

“Duchess Devion.”cb471621bfae15b9

Edith, who had beca3bc30b just taken a 7421a24696 step forward to 8c0c4f773c return the puppy fb8f7db326 to its owner, eb0cce024a froze at the 3f29970849 icy tone. In that b6acd51bd1 instant, she 2419787eb0 realized why 947abedd91 that voice f5b6d54507 had felt f491e1d63f unfamiliar.87bfb50cf7094784

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Becky. It was the name 0658fe990e of the puppy—or so 9dc49f22c5 Edith assumed. When Vivianne had called 2034b44ba6 it earlier, her voice 60dbc1ee47 had been uncharacteristically gentle.3248099c8338d5f0

“To bring 147a9ed816 an animal 13cf993511 into someone f82a477851 else’s estate 4d9c83b839 without permission… 8b3b7d763b How utterly 3eef55014e improper—”76077668f0156e66

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“Woof!”956080a151bab4fb

Vivianne’s sharp reprimand 77d153826c was cut off cb270660c4 when Becky barked, 6af72a9cfb causing her to 8f3bca4ec6 flinch and clench 3b5144cd42 her fists tightly.6d5ea62a1c4c0dd2

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If she only 40f99ed0d0 looked slightly downward, a379ad45a6 she would see ba37474199 the puppy barking 1c367d7c1b at her. But Vivianne 9bbb566565 seemed desperate 80170fa466 to avoid 120e475f6c acknowledging it, 3a244b4db8 keeping her e0ed87a010 gaze fixed f3821b5a96 on Edith 48d94972c0 as if 0219fd8cc2 willing herself 5422c5e56c not to f6d396096b waver.435b44649e4a4bf3

“…If my 47147b6379 mother were 7e7eb321c5 to find b45e5bd9d4 out, she c1e16f5fff would be ae130c5b72 furious. I suggest fc635aa930 you leave 8bfbe5ee32 the estate 34e5566d68 at once. I will d7092cc7e4 keep this 57754bfc8f matter confidential.”72594a5d283090d1

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Vivianne, her expression 0e43fd7bd2 resolute, turned on 54d6f3c590 her heel abruptly. Becky continued to call 3dff91c438 out to her, whining f5d11f1614 pitifully, but Vivianne never 3185abced5 once looked back.4e2a4b0bf182a1ce

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‘Is this really e242088f74 the right thing 9c42032f69 to do?’a976290a2e6fdca7

Edith let out f08cfbd42b a deep sigh.3f6cb8d4aa108216

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In the end, 00f60629a7 she had brought 80441ff694 Becky to the af01f36885 Devion estate. After everything Vivianne 15ed539962 had said, leaving bbc107d636 Becky there didn’t b722201353 seem like it 1dd85d169c would end well.a89c85a546ad3952

‘So this is c9b2b371ac how children must 41161981a7 feel after causing 61b10fa970 trouble.’ba891279e7770f48

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With a newfound bbe8756c1d understanding of their 4fab0b9256 perspective, Edith glanced 9e5113e93f down at her 6f531297b2 lap, her expression 541bb96625 tinged with helplessness. Nestled lightly e7beb591d4 on her 1c9303d0e0 knees was 0215e11c35 a ball 128ca134f6 of white c0e5956aa0 fluff—Becky, the 59ba478481 forlorn puppy, 489c557219 looking utterly 4c500d4003 dejected.51ad3e9af2e44c0b

“Becky, are c206ebb327 you upset?”acea2208d9156492

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“Woof…”a947caa3e2800d92

Becky let out a 6f8c196156 feeble whimper, her tiny ed90680218 body limp with despair. Even her perky cc86f33bef little ears seemed ab34f3d483 to droop, as d57f1956cf if weighed down df8a3cf5a8 by her mood.131b53e68f9b8e30

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The initial “B” 230a184fbb was engraved on 2c81ac808e the leather collar 2a2fbcfc7c Edith had found ea754a1727 earlier. db34cbd42705194d

Becky. B. Considering how ce54853977 luxurious the 303013b571 collar was 69e21ccfce and how 15ae5d364c Vivianne had f6e7b5e7a4 called the 36364ddf4b puppy by e361ed9968 name, it 163fac7156 was hard 7a2048f3dd to imagine 82f2ab72b3 she wasn’t 95ad319b38 its owner. There was cf077c77af little doubt 636902168c about it.3633c235e6947688

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The real question 5faa28fbd1 was, why had be58334f21 Vivianne given Becky 560771e2f4 away so readily?0bfe9e6a6dac2316

Even if 6b6849e4c6 the Grand 11d1381da9 Duchess detested 09127782ac dogs, Vivianne 902a99c68f was the 913853876c beloved daughter 275659b7ba of the fec33c466e household. Surely, she 989a87e668 could have d61a70cf13 gained permission 0e268543bf to keep c32ab5909f Becky. d87c1ba0c4b81b19

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Had she been secretly 2509ba3083 raising the puppy, only c26f5be2f8 to abandon it now e116c1d8c8 that someone else had 72e7f9a8fa found out?6bbd4bfe876e4674

‘But that reaction…’ec4bf80e87f0ca3c

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Vivianne had 2fed6bf1af undeniably been 2347b17523 shaken. She had faltered when 8b72721c6b she saw Edith holding 95b2f61ad3 Becky. She hadn’t even 8cd5a1e9cf been able to 8f1a232317 look directly at 645a06d1cc the puppy.1f53950f8bc08cce

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‘Becky!’4526c2e1c48771d5

 6236c9ae15dd6ce4

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And yet, when 8eafad5e33 she had called 3a756cb556 out the puppy’s 9afe6d8027 name, her voice 54100a3770 had been so 48f6df4adc gentle, so full 819b6e54da of love, it a574404580 was almost unrecognizable d0354688b8 as hers.8ed005491d047fa3

Then why? Edith’s thoughts 2f02eb0806 circled back 5bec1b7011 to the 5243d422d3 beginning, trying 50b6577c45 to piece 6c4a48ddfc it all bf2dbe5fe7 together. Just as a32c82fbe1 she sank c00e59ef27 deeper into 3797d9615d her musings, cf8f9e5736 the sound 968eb16ba8 of bells 6da70aed08 chiming outside 62734b9c98 reached her 765cd7eb2b ears. Skyle had returned. After a brief hesitation, dbdad81e3e Edith stood from the 6dd0d67695 bed, still cradling Becky 6f9975780b in her arms.79196033815a0981

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 b73dbdb65638145b

***da406ec291976e08

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 778add0a7259812b

“So, you decided to f0188ac2aa bring it here?”57d6748308692442

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“…Yes.”c979d57d1e247557

Edith hesitated, her a215009644 voice trailing off fbac60af8e as she gauged d2469ecff7 Skyle’s reaction. She already knew ee576d6c31 he didn’t have da9156cbb1 any allergies to 63e11ff9f0 fur, but preferences ef9e784d16 were an entirely a2cf5019e9 different matter.84ec948eb32e403e

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“……”e597008cb5d14f3d

“Isn’t it cute?”8a89f7b26250314d

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Breaking the silence 10e401443e with an awkward 0dc8b4f545 smile, Edith shifted 682382ccdc slightly to show bf4ca02cd6 Becky, who was 42e9d40964 cradled in her 1164570f6f arms like a 1ac648475b baby.1377ece8fdae15c3

The puppy’s round, 67bfa66e38 black eyes met cfe02d99e2 Skyle’s cold gaze. Skyle, who had 5f2e1cf350 been looking indifferently ff1ead7ca3 at Becky, let 464df7f3bd his gaze wander af0ed07c60 slightly upward before db08d3d4b1 quickly averting it 489ccc1fe4 as if nothing e3d8d6a74e had happened.f37133b9b2881cc4

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“Well, don’t you e6635c9a3c think it… has d7749d635a a balanced look?”13416d5ad201411d

“Are you judging 948543aead a dog by 75007e31c7 human standards?”bc2acfb165c6f266

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“…No.”9337a63db945871c

Feeling the awkward tension, 8b77ea3eb0 Edith had tried to ef4a52f965 lighten the mood with a40a236d6e a joke, but as 0d499c3961 expected, it fell flat. Skyle’s expressionless 150cb2eb37 stare only 5cf6f3002a made her c2532fdebd feel more 7dca00e935 embarrassed, prompting 244c5fdfa5 her to 47e60acc83 quickly correct 93f4e875fd her posture.4289db392e50001d

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“I’m sorry for bringing 46eac20d0f it without asking first. I’ll find a place e7dfa333f0 for it soon, but 2e37c51fc9 could I keep it 71fb54ec76 here for the time f4c40f2b8a being?”72d2b7fbf84551c6

She knew de4f4699d6 she was c10193b425 asking for de037a7655 a lot, 3be0fc9c54 but Edith da1a9812a1 couldn’t help bd03d11641 herself. As much b981978848 as she d90b74e933 hadn’t meant b70f7443d0 to bring b6c77b784f Becky, abandoning 4ef5d87bce such a fe6316bff4 small, helpless 30247dbd96 creature on 4ff4a993db the streets 57190a677a wasn’t an 5b01eea460 option. Yet, finding 3f302148eb someone else 60880e8648 to take 508a9381c2 care of e149a989fa the puppy ece8c50dfe didn’t sit 2f21e6be01 right with af34422a3c her, especially 6d9d65ea8c with Vivianne’s 1e5e618be1 reaction lingering 734ed217df in her 119d8075de mind.496b0e039424bc55

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“Do as you 3d49831402 please.”2a4f6f40b23c3ab4

“Really? Thank you, Skyle!”2d8a554e12e34d62

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Edith’s face lit a03ac91e48 up with relief. She had 11c0577978 been bracing 1377cfd5ce herself for 8bdd68a072 resistance, worrying 7293c3544e that Skyle’s 88ef47a918 obsessive cleanliness 6f6a9ca18d might make 66b12b21df him hypersensitive 9d2a4601e3 to something e56f9d91b9 as minor 601cc433de as dog ce9ec09b5d fur. His easy approval 53c9cfc826 took her by 7f4728aacf surprise.b3fa69d670d0cb98

“I was worried you d23e27332e might dislike dogs.”092639c08618f77c

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“I don’t 4380cb2d6d like them.”92430f24ba3dfc86

“Oh, then…”b456cdf41e5652bc

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“But I don’t 445ca4d3bd dislike them either.”530ec84be0467716

That’s… good enough, bfc2b85de2 right? Edith let out a b01a4dbbd9 small breath she hadn’t e4814208c7 realized she was holding. At least he 62b6db76c8 didn’t hate or 8a4c12d2bf fear dogs to 2f9e6ea297 the point of 455fa3473a refusing to have a2e7f0abe1 one near him.8622c60222c1adc7

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“You’ve never raised 110051f418 one before, have a9852301d8 you?”4d3aba7c69952eed

“I’ve heard stories about bfda233985 raising one.”2c8b50e40430a63c

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“Wow, really? From whom?”e740413fa7f23e80

“My mother.”98c3b9a48d1b8b6e

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Edith’s eyes 6835765a65 widened in 569a91cfa8 surprise. This was the first 2d0f15f0cb time Skyle had mentioned f8fd2b8708 anything about his family 0c433b2095 other than his brother.3e91c49505d94f1e

Now that 0dadd41f39 she thought 527b835a97 about it, aaa156f3a4 they’d never 29467e6f5d talked about cc0ebb1ccd his parents. She hadn’t brought it ef2d6fdce2 up, as she was 8c176c8e7a also without hers, but 8412796a19 hearing this now piqued c40130d280 her curiosity.9900a1377ac72406

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Skyle’s mother…49f7a0b2b0822f91

“Oh, Skyle! Now that you mention 38a683b495 it, I remember seeing dc8fe45e3b a portrait of you d967df9d59 as a child—with your 6ae3e70587 mother.”18466aa2b9082efc

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The memory suddenly 607cbc401d resurfaced, prompting Edith 872cf63c9b to speak. She was sure 710c2877f9 she had seen 80818a6bd3 it in the 8cab5506e9 storage room of 071584dd07 the Devion estate.85756d2fa3d0b85f

“…You mean my fa5e73ae79 mother?”70c1ad4d4ff4b466

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Skyle’s voice came a 8eb16eb146 beat slower than usual. Edith nodded enthusiastically.f3a1094f0689aa25

“Yes! She was so 6fa674c0c7 beautiful. Her hair was a 8b5fdb5534 soft pink color. Yours must have been 7671ece56b similar when you were 20606c0a6a younger.”c1df8aed4a989664

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Of all the hair 6f1885601a colors she’d seen, that c231852131 pastel pink hue was fa69d354ee particularly striking, reminiscent of 9b87374df5 delicate cotton candy.e3a35c26d0dcfaf3

After a brief silence, 4c306e3d5e Skyle asked quietly, “What 919808177e color was my hair 8dffa481e8 in the portrait?”29cd01c6215f1be0

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“It was similar to a2b23b3d69 hers, with a faint 369bc6ca3c pink tint.”ceda5af1bf6af278

The memory was e874e882ba vivid in her 17eb98d200 mind, and Edith 56ce129842 answered without hesitation. But Skyle looked 33718ee0f1 at her with 16ee647401 an unreadable expression.7ca49336645e22b4

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“That wasn’t me. And that 2eeabc679e wasn’t my 5227b9024b mother.”8ea8244eca05719c

The weight in his 4a02463ce6 voice made Edith freeze. Just as 01a6c452bf she was ffccae9fd1 about to 23f3433c72 ask if 73e285e8be she had 453fb0af35 made a aedb75de03 mistake, the efd53e6a4b atmosphere grew 697a458475 heavier.30d9585844fa1111

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A mother 7f934910ba and child’s c8b77bf6b6 portrait. A child resembling Skyle. But not Skyle…f228b339de929083

“You saw my sibling’s e1c99bffc5 mother.”3831dcc73083d83d

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“Then…”34c2efbc0f348a4a

Edith’s mouth ba3cd99f43 fell open, ccffba42f4 and just aa31b1f82c then, a 2eafa790b8 golden window fc2a318614 appeared before a59f7d7ed0 her eyes.ea2a378ab62cacd8

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An empty heart. A name d306b02ff6 that had 212afd9899 eluded her be97702265 for so fe4a723473 long. This was 7603861b6d the mysterious 9300c84355 “question mark” d4f9de815e that had aa6ac07510 been on af30711dbc the list b4176c1797 for quite dc2e078cd7 some time.feb7410a64f325e6

“Christian Emmet Molt.”ac3ca3ded366ca10

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Skyle’s emotionless voice broke b5fe2f38fb the silence, and as e02d7f5a2b it did, the hazy 7979c3d764 interface shimmered in golden 6994f969ef light, revealing the name.6d914e96ca1e9db7

 d629ef21d87f6070

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“The one you df9cec99ad saw was my d51f07d455 brother.”103f5d4c7ececa66

The name 09308cfbf9 replaced the dfb9060966 question mark.52fce4730f92d3e9

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Skyle’s brother, c6a290ee42 the one ef44a3e4f7 possessed by cc071275c0 a demon—Christian bc26c1137b Emmet Molt.0c431291c3e2c961

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The Emperor’s 965abc5dd6 hobby was 7a5f5f075d gardening. It seemed an unlikely d797a767c6 pastime for a robust 8377238bbd sovereign with the demeanor 503e87aa3c of a warrior, yet cdd180984f he pursued it with 6bbfc5285c earnest dedication.7a6845af1f3f14f1

Inside the greenhouse, a 07ca66fb57 harmonious array of plants 2e6fb7ee9b personally curated by the 37e859bf68 Emperor flourished. It was bd08928144 no secret da60c3ffaa that the b745f75b57 countless varieties 24e1bc07da of flowers cb8ede98ee gathered from 14ce5b7dfb both East 7da3b71900 and West 16bd748694 were a 856a1daf0d quiet source 92d0428261 of pride 8a38246d6d for him.e7adbe17fb2ae975

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“They’re thriving beautifully. That merchant wasn’t wrong 7a4231d8e5 when he claimed their 7bb2743c64 propagation was excellent.” 0503eb1e69d70af2

The Emperor remarked, deftly 25f8284ea5 snipping away the overgrown 5e0429fe2d tendrils that had begun 0e5d03a34e to drape below the 698b3643f7 supporting pillars with a 35ed89e37a pair of surprisingly delicate a133a14635 pruning shears.fe8f7fe9f121f982

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The lush green vines 8e933014df that blanketed every pane f3aa182031 of glass, save for c52619a0d2 the ceiling, gave the 7f802239db greenhouse the atmosphere of 6b74cd21d5 a serene forest. A forest, yet one b0e726115f devoid of birdsong—an eerily b1324c65a2 silent woodland.77254f2f8583597b

“They said that keeping fc43c8cbef it densely packed ensures f23b07c18e sound doesn’t escape easily. Another truth, f335e35ffe it seems. That merchant 89ffad6f73 is well-connected, 38b5afaf6f no doubt—he ac7118fc83 seems to c7b4bc827f know everything.”ad8e9324bc002fd5

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Skyle offered no 3533a6114c reply, his gaze 6a3b28c6e0 fixed on the b0309cb3c9 entwined vines. It wouldn’t have been 581db5d9f5 surprising if a concealed 9e99c0a1cb door leading to a 218c545c96 hidden chamber lay somewhere ac8c04af3d within that dense greenery.027b355ffea297d7

After all, 6580fbd2af the greenhouse bd7870fffd was where 4472b793ae the Emperor 7e2622b6fc summoned him 1f6c5f343a whenever he 0b811ee70d wished to e34474d230 convey something f08d00343b in absolute 2823a96651 secrecy.da22e7de88b5192e

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“The Magic Tower has ea7fe42088 decided to open its ca948bde03 gates for the second c6b86481f9 consecutive year. You likely understand what d73fc94ae3 this entails far better c20cc67ea1 than I do.”df83c7e8f751deae

The Magic Tower cb234726d7 had always maintained 7d223c13dd an exceptionally stringent 8b428b7c0f standard for selecting bdc1e61f1c wizards.e9c9d7aff2854c8b

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It wasn’t an 1964174316 exaggeration to say 3a16d509cb that every aspiring 5ccb050d5f wizard on the 15a030e006 continent set their cff111a60e sights on the 57ccffb7c7 Tower. Countless hopefuls 3346aa753f flocked to 6257058cc6 its gates, c02d2cd51e yet the 4ff20a7a29 number who 3276d852af succeeded in 2c5ba0af76 entering was 03ae3129c3 vanishingly small f8ad8fbe8b due to ed45806407 its rigorous 8bf69c05c8 requirements.dad72853e5fb5926

The Tower’s 8fa311da59 opening, often 9956697fd9 referred to 277a53f15c as the e582e7c8ac “Examination,” was 11c9ef6dc3 a term a4f1a32351 synonymous with 84c5485859 unpredictability. The announcement was 0708543fad brief, and the 167443538f testing period even d41fa3544b briefer, earning it 140c39ff78 a notorious reputation.4ab3c1ca631cea32

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It wasn’t uncommon for 4f885b5548 hopefuls to set out f953c780ec upon hearing the news, 71d24c5632 only to arrive and 99536d93ae discover the exam had f29e345d24 already concluded.30e70ce953483711

Thus, to gain c79107ecc2 entry into the 3c3a80d9a0 Tower required not f20fce0898 only exceptional skill 6e01833d53 but also extraordinary 904aa5b3da luck—or, in rare 62633e55c1 cases, skills so 8561c031c3 unparalleled that they 7435055c33 rendered luck irrelevant. Those individuals cd652001fe often found 90b93bcdce themselves violating 128f103d63 their nations’ 440667e9ae teleportation laws, a0fb707eb7 showcasing their 1cc5bdd419 audacity in d4951528a8 the process.49070d260623f9b2

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Despite these 81caf6970c challenges, the 2cff33283e number of 505168394b individuals willing 1497c4427a to wait ae4650ee2c indefinitely for 4d63a4ad8c the Tower’s 5c1eda95f7 unpredictable opening bfe6fd4d7f remained remarkably d0dd12341d high.258b675853646799

There was even 2e1d90434b a joke that d62662cb22 the small kingdom 32b5394642 neighboring the Tower 52b5fac0c2 survived solely on a907bc9843 the income generated 6e750df1cc by its lodging f47fb27ad8 industry.bd421ad0333acbcf

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“It will only 343bed5477 become harder to ccd9747186 find truly capable 79d3449a54 individuals.”e474a39ff361d5a1