Cel jerked his hand back.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5AaVIVfbD
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"I'm sorry. That was—"83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdplj6wWQvs
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"It's okay." Her voice came distant, distracted. She touched her own head where his hand had been, fingers brushing through dark hair. Her gaze remained unfocused, lost in memory. "My brother used to do that. When I was upset."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4ksCZEvOa
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The words hung between them like smoke.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwm7w6lSft
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Cel's throat tightened. He needed to change the subject. Needed to steer away from this before she looked too closely, asked too many questions.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12hPxLskMB
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"You said your mother searched for him," he managed. "Is she..."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFTm0GAooG
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"She divorced him." The words came sharp and final. Lyra's expression hardened. "After everything - after what he did - she couldn't stay. Neither did I."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoLhcQrdqU
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Pride flickered through the pain in her voice.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSMBCNjM4c
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"My oldest brother stayed with Father. His choice." She shrugged, but the gesture was too tight, too controlled. "Mother and I moved here. To the capital."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqIbNGWu0H
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‘Too late.’ 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczkJ2SUTNQ
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The thought burned through Cel. His mother had finally found the strength to leave - after he was gone. After a year of torture. After she'd watched Lord Aldric tear the divine mark from his back and done nothing. 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhna12Bk2Ak
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She'd left when it was safe. When he couldn't be saved anymore. 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzcEKxj0ZC
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But at least she'd taken Lyra with her. Protected her. Given his little sister the escape he'd never had. 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpUbBMEGk2
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The bitterness and relief twisted together in his chest, inseparable.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpgyFiEQKB
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Footsteps echoed from the church entrance - sharp and purposeful against worn stone. Both of them turned.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2BMzkquGs
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A woman in servant's attire stood in the doorway, scanning the interior until her gaze landed on Lyra. Her expression shifted from searching to relieved.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBigdJ6WY9v
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"Lady Lyra," the woman called. "Your mother sent me to find you. It's getting late."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT919DVAevj
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Lyra's shoulders sagged slightly - disappointment mixed with resignation. She rose from the bench, smoothing her dress one final time.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxfpys7qkK
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"I have to go," she said, turning back to Cel. Something in her expression had changed - softer, warmer. "Thank you. For listening. For... what you said about the Moon Goddess. I really needed that today."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GWQcnuCLt
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She hesitated, then added quietly, "I hope I see you again. It was nice to meet you, Heir to the Moon."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAE92vOOYW
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His name in her voice felt like a knife and a comfort all at once.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVs2WczIZB4
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"You too," he said.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dzbtJi1tg
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Lyra offered one last small smile, then followed the servant toward the entrance. Her footsteps faded across stone, then disappeared entirely as the heavy wooden doors swung shut behind her.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPtfraRLZx
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Silence rushed back in like water filling a void.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqF3h6cZVun
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Cel remained on the bench, staring at the space where she'd been. His hands gripped his knees hard enough to hurt. 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HDT1wPAJ8
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She didn't know.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGCt9hn39R
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She'd sat beside him, cried about him, talked about him, and never once realized the truth.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnKvI5EUsW
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He should feel relieved. Should be grateful she hadn't recognized him - that the secret remained safe.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoMsZhWSXW
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Instead, he just felt hollow.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZczlYNhQW
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Slowly, Cel rose from the bench. His legs felt unsteady, disconnected. He moved toward the altar, toward the pale stone mark of the Moon Goddess that watched over this forgotten space.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqf90E0G9l
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The crescent seemed to glow brighter in the fading light - or maybe that was just his imagination. He stood before it, staring up at the symbol that had changed everything.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkz4hNnviU
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A carriage accident.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYsaHZu9EG
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So that was the story his father had told. Clean, tragic, unquestionable. And everyone had accepted it. His mother. His sister. The entire clan.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NbHYXkv5u
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No one had looked deeper. No one had questioned what really happened to the disappointment, the failure, the boy marked by the wrong deity.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWWBLpdCxD
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They'd moved on. Built new lives. Forgotten.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquV66OWkMU
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While he'd rotted in a cell.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vtuk5q3x0
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The familiar burn of rage tried to surface - hot and bitter. But it couldn't quite catch hold. Not after hearing the pain in Lyra's voice. Not after seeing how much she still carried his memory.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEo1Kb8KZh
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Cel's forced himself to breathe.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aZizSLctg
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He'd been gone for a year. Dead, as far as the world knew. In that time, everything had shifted - families had fractured, alliances had changed, stories had been written and believed.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxxlJDDmPs
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He needed to know what else had happened. 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGkccCXiQR
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Cel left the church, the heavy wooden doors closing softly behind him.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnnvQzPG7O
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Evening had settled over the capital. The sky had deepened to purple-gray, and lamplighters were making their rounds through the streets. Warm light bloomed in windows as shops closed for the night and families gathered for dinner.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRUTUl66NF
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His feet carried him without conscious direction, following the flow of people still moving through the city. Workers heading home. Late shoppers finishing errands. Groups of friends laughing together as they moved between taverns.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BpB3tNufa
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A tavern.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fdWzos4aG
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The thought surfaced with sudden clarity. Places where people gathered. Where tongues loosened with drink. Where information flowed as freely as ale.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90nDiOMvw1
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He'd never been to one before. His father had deemed such establishments beneath noble dignity - places for commoners and lesser merchants, not for nobles like him.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLg8yM2Kydw
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But he was no longer a Solmar.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYZIc9KS0L
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A sign caught his eye - faded wood with a painted barrel and wheat sheaf. “The Golden Hart.”83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkV287WQld
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Cel pushed through the door.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrYAaxwW11
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Warmth hit him immediately - body heat and cooking fires, the scent of roasted meat and spilled ale. The space was larger than it looked from outside, with rough wooden tables scattered across the floor and a long bar dominating one wall. Perhaps thirty people filled the room, their conversations creating a steady hum that washed over everything.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzMpoZ6kvk
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No one looked up when he entered. Just another hooded figure seeking a drink.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAS7uyMJ0HP
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Perfect.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccQqvHfIPB
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He moved to the bar and slid onto an empty stool. The bartender - a broad man in his fifties, with the kind of shoulders that settled arguments without words - glanced over.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9g32pzFBf
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"What'll it be?"83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qWzlZnvDZ
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Cel hesitated. He had no idea what to order. The extent of his knowledge about alcohol was that nobles drank wine and spirits, while commoners drank ale.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8p2NoizZUJ
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"Ale," he said.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdBXTiDtsU
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The bartender nodded and turned away, pulling a tankard from beneath the bar and filling it from one of the barrels along the wall. He set it in front of Cel with a soft thunk.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwI6h5pmvOk
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Cel placed coins on the bar. The bartender swept them up and moved to serve another customer.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUbwuNxhqV
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The tankard sat before him, amber liquid catching the lamplight. Cel lifted it and took a sip.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjy2HrFVlyO
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Nothing. No taste registered - just liquid sliding down his throat, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEMDYzpCH1
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He drank more, watching the level drop. Around him, conversations continued - complaints about work, gossip about neighbors, plans for tomorrow. The normal rhythm of lives that hadn't been shattered and rebuilt.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbz0YPIdibN
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The bartender returned after a few minutes. "How is it?"83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzCha0jEek
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Cel glanced at his half-empty tankard. "Fine."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbO4sFtX5on
83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66IboS344d
"First time drinking?"83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7lVj6BGz8
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"Yes."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlEbfGMYcO
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The bartender's eyebrows rose slightly. "You're handling it well. Most people make a face." He studied Cel with mild curiosity. "New to the city?" 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHdsuZPBFG
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"Recently arrived. I'm enrolled at the Academy."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUA4gCOUS3
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The bartender nodded to himself. "Thought so. You've got that look - like you're still taking it all in. We get a few of you in here from time to time. Though most stick to the fancier places near the palace."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIS4Z0yD8j
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"I prefer this."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ76khHzSpTF
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The bartender's expression warmed slightly. "Good answer." He moved to refill another customer's drink, then returned. "What clan?"83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXBHlUUtPC
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It took Cel a moment to realize the question wasn't about his affiliation, but his origin. 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4mzcsRj8a
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"Storm Clan territory," he said, using the lie Esrin had provided.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RfoRta8Cv
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"Rough up there, I hear. With the Void and all." The bartender shook his head. "Can't imagine living that close to nothing."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3j9ibfjLO
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"It has its challenges."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzaE6NKEtI
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The conversation lapsed. Cel finished his first tankard and the bartender replaced it without being asked.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLG9nCiJ8mH
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"So what brings you to the capital?" The question came casual, the easy interest of someone used to making small talk. "Besides the Academy."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkqUlJYCOF
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"Wanted to see it." Not quite true, but not quite false either.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOo7zoD09uv
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The bartender leaned against the bar, wiping down a glass. "Tense time to arrive. All the succession talk has everyone on edge."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3hIN5De8w
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Cel's attention sharpened. Succession had been a topic before he'd been taken - the aging Emperor, whispers of which prince would inherit the throne - but it had never been described as tense. "Succession? I thought that was settled. The First Prince—" 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7N5hSnKn8V
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“Was the favorite, yeah. But not anymore." The bartender glanced around, lowering his voice slightly - not from fear, just habit. "First Prince still has the Emperor's support, but the Second Prince has the Empress backing him now - she's been pushing hard. And then there's the All-Blessed." 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPfJDTx3UT
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Cel went still. As far as he knew, there were only two princes.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTjSS0SEvw
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"The All-Blessed?" he asked carefully.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NVyhdALmI
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"You haven't heard?" The bartender's eyebrows rose. "A kid blessed by all seven gods."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTqBc2HVLE
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‘What?’ Cel nearly blurted out his disbelief.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbPrJ0kLm1
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Being blessed by all seven deities was impossible. 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOm0LmvVr6
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Only the royal bloodline could be chosen by multiple gods - it was their defining feature, the foundation of their right to rule. Commoners, nobles, even the highest clan lords could not be chosen by more than one deity.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXokmnwdYre
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But all seven? That had happened only once in history - the world’s first Chosen who founded the Stellarion Empire.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVFIN7MKdS
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"An illegitimate child," Cel said. Not a question. 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJmkzNAN2J
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"That's what everyone assumes. Has to be, right?” The bartender set down the tankard and picked up another. "But here's the thing - the Emperor hasn't acknowledged him as a prince yet. No title, no imperial name, nothing. Just... silence." 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVo3TFOYBW9
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"Then how—" 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9uZi2tl1j
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"Life Clan took him in. Raised him, trained him, presented him at court." The bartender's tone carried a note of fascination. "They say he's the next Emperor whether the current one admits it or not. Ocean Clan's starting to agree. They figure if all seven gods chose him, that's authority enough."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxoyuHXc43
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Cel's mind raced. An illegitimate child. It was the only explanation. The Emperor had fathered a bastard, and somehow that child had received the impossible - blessings from every deity.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMMePHeSPU
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"What about the other clans?"83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqnUFtDkxd
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"Sun Clan's with the First Prince - they always back whoever the Emperor wants. Mountain Clan's with the Second because of the Empress. Storm Clan will probably follow Mountain, since Mountain's been keeping them alive." He paused. "Death Clan's a mess. No one knows what they'll do."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQHMLVNISQ
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"Why?"83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnOXdbK4Kr
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The bartender's expression shifted - not quite uncomfortable, but aware he was touching on sensitive topics. "You haven't heard about the Death Clan situation either?"83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5HxamnM2F
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"Only vaguely. My village was small - news didn't reach us quickly." Cel kept his tone neutral. "Something about their heir?"83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIobqdtpqM
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"Right. Well." The bartender refilled Cel's tankard for the third time. "Their heir - the Prince of Death - came back from some expedition as one of the Cursed. Then he killed the Sun Clan's greatest prodigy and vanished. Death Clan's been in chaos ever since. Even some of their own houses are talking about replacing the leading house entirely.”83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcmmeftMfu
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Raven. The bartender was talking about Raven.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CbSISSrYw
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But Cel forced himself not to react, just nodded slowly and drank more.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVn2Fh4lNN
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"The Sun Clan must be furious," he said.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGvUR5PwNo
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"Furious doesn't cover it. They went on complete lockdown for months. Only recently started opening back up." The bartender shook his head. "The prodigy they lost - he had a Divine Oracle as his guide. Do you know how rare that is? And some Cursed just waltzed in and murdered him."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XxSTY2O1u
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Cel almost laughed. The Sun Clan had lost their greatest prodigy. And here he sat, their greatest failure, carrying a Divine Oracle in his soul.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVMcx8C3uZ
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"Do they know why?" Cel asked, keeping his voice level.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBSpRyXUf1
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"Why does anyone do anything?" The bartender's tone carried the same casual dismissal as before. "Revenge, madness, corruption - who knows? The Cursed aren't right in the head."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJuUm5oAN5
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Cel's fingers tightened around his tankard, but he said nothing. Just drank.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDplMtWBnb
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The fourth tankard appeared. Then the fifth.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaQddNsWZX
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The bartender had been watching him with growing fascination.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sc71q7boc
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"You're putting it away pretty steady for someone who's never touched the stuff."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlwbQcIwvB
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Cel glanced at his latest drink. He'd lost count. The liquid went down as easily as water, with just as little effect.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRlM5fKTHC
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"I don't feel anything," he admitted.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2gs7t18aE
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"Nothing?" The bartender refilled the tankard, looking genuinely curious now. 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pKmQJCjPG
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"You either have a hell of a constitution or you’re lying to me." A pause. "But you don't seem like a liar." 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifCt3wKlfD
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Cel said nothing. Just drank.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwvP1bVnFe
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The tavern's warmth had seeped into his shoulders, loosening muscles that had been tight since the church. Not from the alcohol - just from being somewhere anonymous. Somewhere no one knew what he was or what he'd survived.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfGD5mE82Q
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"The succession's going to get messy," the bartender continued, returning to the earlier topic. "Three factions, and none of them willing to back down."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2uvX3sNHD
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Cel drank more. The seventh - or was it eighth?83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx598pQ3PJn
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"Sounds complicated," he said.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHd4IVWmoNW
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"It is. And it's only going to get worse." The bartender leaned closer, voice dropping. "Rumor is the Emperor and Empress are barely speaking. He wants the First Prince. She wants the Second. And neither of them is backing down."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkOdR5gi2a
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"What happens if they can't agree?"83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKfTcn84M4
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"That's the question everyone's asking." The bartender straightened. "Best case? One of them concedes and the succession goes smoothly. Worst case?" He shook his head. "Civil war. The whole Empire tears itself apart."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZZ01mpK8E
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The words settled over Cel like a weight.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHN9bKC7DU
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A year ago, he would have cared deeply about clan politics. Would have analyzed every alliance, every potential outcome, trying to understand how it affected House Solmar's position.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDoVsezCS5W
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Now it all felt distant. Abstract.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUYtwm5tNz
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Let them fight over succession. Let the clans tear each other apart. None of it mattered.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9q8X3L09jS
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He finished another tankard.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gwyu81jhG
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The bartender was watching him now with undisguised interest. "You're on your ninth. Most people would be under the table by now."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9I6VvGRY2
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"I'm not."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zRrh5uNfY
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"I can see that." A pause. "You sure you're alright?"83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPh56VNlul9
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"Yes."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcZOe0YPxx
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Not quite. But close enough.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZD6ON0keg
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The bartender studied him for a long moment, then seemed to come to some decision. "Look, I'll keep pouring if you keep paying. But I've got to ask - what are you looking for here? Because if it's information, I've told you what I know. If it's oblivion..." He gestured at the empty tankards. "Well, doesn't seem like that's working."83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmYBiZxrWb
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Cel stared at the amber liquid in his current drink.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJRvVsDvdl
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What was he looking for?83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYT4LY9tT0u
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Not oblivion. His divine body didn't seem capable of granting him that mercy.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitS9SGln5P
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He'd come for information. He'd gotten it - the clans were fracturing, succession looming, his family scattered. All the facts he'd needed. 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboIddJ2VSc
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The world had kept turning while he died and came back. Everyone else knew their place in it. 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHt2J3Bwlf
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He was still trying to remember what it felt like to have one. 83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSiDOZZ5Om
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"Just trying to figure out where I fit," Cel said finally.83Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKeIqx5nx1
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