Cel jerked his hand back.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMybdq7kV5
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"I'm sorry. That was—"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpSwt50ZXb
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUR5M5OA7tT
"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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUAqxARzFR
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The words hung between them like smoke.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzLOSMO2QE
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCdYt0BmU2
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNogbyQ86Us
"You said your mother searched for him," he managed. "Is she..."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyX7eaNX6y
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOFvc8sbTs
"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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLYv1Bdb85
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqltm67f4P
Pride flickered through the pain in her voice.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK94hja19HD
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy74Afl8N0Y
"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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5IM0EYNuJ
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‘Too late.’ 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BmxZPw4Vt
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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. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHoRPlX08y
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OLfYnrCYY
She'd left when it was safe. When he couldn't be saved anymore. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCb0jiKs1I
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPp7vKu51RT
But at least she'd taken Lyra with her. Protected her. Given his little sister the escape he'd never had. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGKxzPh8V7
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxx8yonBzAz
The bitterness and relief twisted together in his chest, inseparable.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZffWq4FZ9
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHf4B13PLq
Footsteps echoed from the church entrance - sharp and purposeful against worn stone. Both of them turned.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuKjx5riVzS
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtj5Lu6U42A
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3YRyhpYN1
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDvurUHKy9
"Lady Lyra," the woman called. "Your mother sent me to find you. It's getting late."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNagbqGhYq
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4AWvNB4rd
Lyra's shoulders sagged slightly - disappointment mixed with resignation. She rose from the bench, smoothing her dress one final time.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6hnVydYTR
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jvOAbSAju
"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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngz3wsNV9K
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJG3LVJgYB
She hesitated, then added quietly, "I hope I see you again. It was nice to meet you, Heir to the Moon."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRwCiyz9XJ
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJyMP7ida6
His name in her voice felt like a knife and a comfort all at once.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLv6PUGIcGM
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53dVcfJ72w
"You too," he said.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTc9gsKaqg
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWHo05d6MU
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RRcd00luH
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NPhhnWcst
Silence rushed back in like water filling a void.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JVfe8OuKW
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnu17EVqIek
Cel remained on the bench, staring at the space where she'd been. His hands gripped his knees hard enough to hurt. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡneLBzM8olx
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIviJUQOHw
She didn't know.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8kWuf85cI
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She'd sat beside him, cried about him, talked about him, and never once realized the truth.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLh50reMwP
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXAQzohvnD
He should feel relieved. Should be grateful she hadn't recognized him - that the secret remained safe.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kCjP5EkNH
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Instead, he just felt hollow.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxISbFN8Oi
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefTccxT5Vo
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr70CPK24jI
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiI3ZgWPcqp
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNv2ZLc0JcB
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A carriage accident.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUGYlhS8uJ
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkBfZbSwyZ
So that was the story his father had told. Clean, tragic, unquestionable. And everyone had accepted it. His mother. His sister. The entire clan.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYqf2KBwfe
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWFhpfK4eN
No one had looked deeper. No one had questioned what really happened to the disappointment, the failure, the boy marked by the wrong deity.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuahX6bLQI
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVjl5mmGFi
They'd moved on. Built new lives. Forgotten.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZNEWuXNkK
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While he'd rotted in a cell.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDTakUaMaS
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxZHM7lFmz
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlqsGghpjJ
Cel's forced himself to breathe.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4Dm6zLMhh
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw50wQKJCFR
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHC9PbLDQcZ
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSZCbq1vel
He needed to know what else had happened. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsWN6T3zQP
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQs6as8ftV
Cel left the church, the heavy wooden doors closing softly behind him.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQjPFgm8e0
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwokjC7SQRk
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzhiZEzzw3
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulYdQ3LQO0
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4DAIohaM8
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiANYiB3ly7
A tavern.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOHk598OeR
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquhllBX7mD
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zxXBrwyYe
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8Tzyd3ooT
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4j5efA8pBg
But he was no longer a Solmar.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AFu9qlnVq
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzg4zGeBSMc
A sign caught his eye - faded wood with a painted barrel and wheat sheaf. “The Golden Hart.”91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEy8Y1PrDt
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrs5vxYwcc
Cel pushed through the door.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vZCvWMt25
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qYaGbcWeq
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAurEaMqeR2
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqVcIXTmbK
No one looked up when he entered. Just another hooded figure seeking a drink.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTB6Ii3BfF
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Perfect.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpy8Yd17ArN
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhpiDNwFUZ
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekbztX4UD8
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdlJuLei1L
"What'll it be?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1obc3afJoj
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveNsXEHzR3
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwd3BmVcKM1
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMQ7h7HeCl
"Ale," he said.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFMPqnautc
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRprLo8hasy
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgoMYndB89Z
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwX5CASobEl
Cel placed coins on the bar. The bartender swept them up and moved to serve another customer.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFroBMRk2H
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofV6cEJTYc
The tankard sat before him, amber liquid catching the lamplight. Cel lifted it and took a sip.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzUlAZUuUz
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZB2lohCVDW
Nothing. No taste registered - just liquid sliding down his throat, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnOYLhPtcs
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7sn2GuK8w
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0FJFdgkjk
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZijZP7Rmq
The bartender returned after a few minutes. "How is it?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhS1ssYlze
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8ur2qJytW
Cel glanced at his half-empty tankard. "Fine."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljYEssDnis
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA98poXDCux
"First time drinking?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8ZzbQ8CKg
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzexmatpva
"Yes."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TW0LWZTwh
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwvLb0QD1b
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?" 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9IFlmPcWX
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FsVaohHMb
"Recently arrived. I'm enrolled at the Academy."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhE8OiszngA
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZhorU84Ke
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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfCdceL3yW
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6itWA8Lrqb
"I prefer this."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbLVkNjx65
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cm45nDtqY
The bartender's expression warmed slightly. "Good answer." He moved to refill another customer's drink, then returned. "What clan?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEdeQSLGkW
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAK66DFWT4C
It took Cel a moment to realize the question wasn't about his affiliation, but his origin. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡel0Oq3ydBp
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipCDufdvno
"Storm Clan territory," he said, using the lie Esrin had provided.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHcfLr3haR
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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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjt4sushFO
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiqqGFKq6p
"It has its challenges."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8LSpbH7hf
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The conversation lapsed. Cel finished his first tankard and the bartender replaced it without being asked.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tH6TP5z0i
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiTorA3CfP
"So what brings you to the capital?" The question came casual, the easy interest of someone used to making small talk. "Besides the Academy."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNTZCc7ILk
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QZV7TgdNY
"Wanted to see it." Not quite true, but not quite false either.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2BBbjGAoc
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2aINtM5JB
The bartender leaned against the bar, wiping down a glass. "Tense time to arrive. All the succession talk has everyone on edge."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBMuwQyXCN
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUix4TGxKH
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—" 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIB42fKdYnc
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEADyNrpII
“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." 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Ha2sutAJB
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgLuk8yrNd
Cel went still. As far as he knew, there were only two princes.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIV4Pqz8Yw
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDzdjTyvHF
"The All-Blessed?" he asked carefully.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1iRRF7UVu
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"You haven't heard?" The bartender's eyebrows rose. "A kid blessed by all seven gods."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj451N0VmfD
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapjTkFi4v0
‘What?’ Cel nearly blurted out his disbelief.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqew5puQiP
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPg7Xjmd32
Being blessed by all seven deities was impossible. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaWAO9gJTL
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyccujqJ7m
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YHGdteSpV
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmdZ9wyKpD
But all seven? That had happened only once in history - the world’s first Chosen who founded the Stellarion Empire.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUksQldatL
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0T6syvsWu
"An illegitimate child," Cel said. Not a question. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EGvhOoPSb
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSoPF1Mrtp2
"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." 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgka98oVj5
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"Then how—" 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxxvGDEJIB
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGByoZ30YFG
"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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9xelAGmFE
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ153XQw083p
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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdrAJdMmAX
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsnkyr1NOV
"What about the other clans?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8DV9XoZB4
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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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeuzg71fnK
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"Why?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlyWAg83cy
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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?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViGSVFyL6A
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgRS2BFcoO
"Only vaguely. My village was small - news didn't reach us quickly." Cel kept his tone neutral. "Something about their heir?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cDNf6XepP
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNMELF3BUa
"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.”91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHkinJGY99
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Raven. The bartender was talking about Raven.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQBhAsF0CU
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lFuAjn7OK
But Cel forced himself not to react, just nodded slowly and drank more.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmFpI4f1T3
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"The Sun Clan must be furious," he said.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqH4ya9bH9
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLfx2BtjUF
"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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDn9kmq4R1
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7hMff4Msy
91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6kOKPV4ZL
"Do they know why?" Cel asked, keeping his voice level.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIIIHpvWNp
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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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxsN8RGOPI
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Cel's fingers tightened around his tankard, but he said nothing. Just drank.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9jK66UXIi
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The fourth tankard appeared. Then the fifth.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaMhNi5fIx
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The bartender had been watching him with growing fascination.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhfEFQjfgT
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"You're putting it away pretty steady for someone who's never touched the stuff."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqIiXSu5R8
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMa6RtmzYp
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"I don't feel anything," he admitted.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEl8PffkrX
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"Nothing?" The bartender refilled the tankard, looking genuinely curious now. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveS7MBVozM
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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." 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkkNlHFBkO
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Cel said nothing. Just drank.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93uH032t44
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjW2X3Z6Cv
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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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42c0Kb1fAK
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Cel drank more. The seventh - or was it eighth?91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJ8JuDdV2c
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"Sounds complicated," he said.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogcyEuVZjd
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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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5SWbeiGh1
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"What happens if they can't agree?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPcstwOySy
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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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRZOjkDy37
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The words settled over Cel like a weight.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooqgc50c4V
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCK2qsiwvK
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Now it all felt distant. Abstract.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uyMK9c0Ho
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Let them fight over succession. Let the clans tear each other apart. None of it mattered.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3XWSqvnu6
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He finished another tankard.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4slso53ZB
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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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvDNi3XluP
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"I'm not."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ulFqAxc27
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"I can see that." A pause. "You sure you're alright?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGHY7rlR75
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"Yes."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gEZtKuMk3
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Not quite. But close enough.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52nmUwlk4r
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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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9rfwc2YXF
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Cel stared at the amber liquid in his current drink.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0ctOob6a4
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What was he looking for?91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUkzYmyYAK
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Not oblivion. His divine body didn't seem capable of granting him that mercy.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccMYH5NDOG
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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. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngBS9ZOGaV
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The world had kept turning while he died and came back. Everyone else knew their place in it. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cHEen6aZa
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He was still trying to remember what it felt like to have one. 91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMFKmRATq0
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"Just trying to figure out where I fit," Cel said finally.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXhZ41CVZD
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Want to read up to 6 Chapter ahead of othere?91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpJTPA369K
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