Cel jerked his hand back.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ00J8xqtQb
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"I'm sorry. That was—"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSD8XUDdwLq
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa29oHVQpQX
"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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8SkXvb62T
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The words hung between them like smoke.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEkBuuhuH6
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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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mL8mESS6Y
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYgdVlhWfJ
"You said your mother searched for him," he managed. "Is she..."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9QnJDnjwH
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1xAzBG2TX
"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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZa9lsnKVFL
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7uMFSQyncY
Pride flickered through the pain in her voice.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvM9QufFZvR
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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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpPufvdRJW
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72nQ55024e
‘Too late.’ 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE13HaSHTPX
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFK22riVST
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. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeEdMPY0jo
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She'd left when it was safe. When he couldn't be saved anymore. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGU73acjfxY
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBdBsux4nR
But at least she'd taken Lyra with her. Protected her. Given his little sister the escape he'd never had. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVkQhqoSv3
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGlVEBs8Nf
The bitterness and relief twisted together in his chest, inseparable.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8ZW9PUKkJ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rew8quVmW
Footsteps echoed from the church entrance - sharp and purposeful against worn stone. Both of them turned.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yoJrBD0AE
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EAFSbLtrI
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9opEl1Fv5l
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Oh6nuLvEs
"Lady Lyra," the woman called. "Your mother sent me to find you. It's getting late."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoXuYOjthy
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXC2kt1lrS
Lyra's shoulders sagged slightly - disappointment mixed with resignation. She rose from the bench, smoothing her dress one final time.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnU0IVW55C
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvf8M8ObSON
"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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsAFfmSAZ3
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyjnWn8SWd
She hesitated, then added quietly, "I hope I see you again. It was nice to meet you, Heir to the Moon."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Qoj9uXC9r
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His name in her voice felt like a knife and a comfort all at once.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPzcuuqkhn
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgKKK0cn8i
"You too," he said.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhViSXOqhb
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8U2DLwx9p
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUHdNmAyCQ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQisZjuhbA
Silence rushed back in like water filling a void.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKuJOuuuU1
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxb92rN1UM
Cel remained on the bench, staring at the space where she'd been. His hands gripped his knees hard enough to hurt. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXW0245hboX
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtR8q7jvUhO
She didn't know.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswk5KqQPTi
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxS9gi6zaU
She'd sat beside him, cried about him, talked about him, and never once realized the truth.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNZ30hrLMt
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJ358In1Hz
He should feel relieved. Should be grateful she hadn't recognized him - that the secret remained safe.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGazGk12kiV
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCQRLhogIC
Instead, he just felt hollow.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbgiID2iY83
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jRW6bDWrO
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3S7U4cP5W
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaoTeHdfwD
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6o51cFGDJ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnCEHSLIOz
A carriage accident.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5P6p41ROvm
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUV3YCI2KW9
So that was the story his father had told. Clean, tragic, unquestionable. And everyone had accepted it. His mother. His sister. The entire clan.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxJ7pnlAXS
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqnypK5OPE
No one had looked deeper. No one had questioned what really happened to the disappointment, the failure, the boy marked by the wrong deity.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVwjS1Jtml
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaO2KBHT7Zx
They'd moved on. Built new lives. Forgotten.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0xiyTxbWg
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkTJhIqPOC
While he'd rotted in a cell.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3i7H6w3S7
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePHyNDQVTO
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiaoUUPu0Z
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGz40rTc4Bn
Cel's forced himself to breathe.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0De9RFeUhK
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIteDZzIU4
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOzgkTKJoH
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazgmaPPpiZ
He needed to know what else had happened. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuENmohCjF
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIh1xec7zt
Cel left the church, the heavy wooden doors closing softly behind him.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxCB0I8Q0W
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmNr8rEBML
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSz15QyjvU
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr94mJDPZ3R
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4L30qGdvzR
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfnYh95IB9
A tavern.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQInls6764R
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGSnFXM9hJ
The thought surfaced with sudden clarity. Places where people gathered. Where tongues loosened with drink. Where information flowed as freely as ale.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqL4N7aIl4
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGa97YwDne
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurbEtx2BBQ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0Dx31IwhQ
But he was no longer a Solmar.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDM6vLROEQ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuT9ZwRYYw
A sign caught his eye - faded wood with a painted barrel and wheat sheaf. “The Golden Hart.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYc4eoNLtEB
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0QsKQco3g
Cel pushed through the door.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvzPVPDeks
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqEz9eKqDpF
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeO1NxLWzKB
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNvcaAgRBQ
No one looked up when he entered. Just another hooded figure seeking a drink.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOkfIZ7f95
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Perfect.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKnQXdE8AQ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRjiNwRKM3
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9R2QK7aZ6
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcqpinByiY
"What'll it be?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2GDvZA81d
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXehDJFiF8S
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQT9YxIyygR
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCC0hNqdLf
"Ale," he said.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfiOx9NtFu
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ezHBn8N3G
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgR6c0mpRFt
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggNDDCrb8N
Cel placed coins on the bar. The bartender swept them up and moved to serve another customer.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6km35yhGkX
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyqaVRPhY6
The tankard sat before him, amber liquid catching the lamplight. Cel lifted it and took a sip.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkACmdZrOq
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0XhwNwGmg
Nothing. No taste registered - just liquid sliding down his throat, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGO2uRmtOBV
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3X1gYPTuUo
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwml9ipudUL
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqH3NQeFS2Z
The bartender returned after a few minutes. "How is it?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdP8U3uoQt
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVISatz99fp
Cel glanced at his half-empty tankard. "Fine."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBLfWb0JmY
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFm45vEO7Ll
"First time drinking?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPww8eDH2s
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"Yes."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkUjh6rFKL
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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?" 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSn0IutueT
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLXbC2zQZb
"Recently arrived. I'm enrolled at the Academy."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUAuNjTsms
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0Tlh76Lf4
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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJ1hTLTjBD
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfStlDPzAf
"I prefer this."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiZ7gQEhUE
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuQAREArnu
The bartender's expression warmed slightly. "Good answer." He moved to refill another customer's drink, then returned. "What clan?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXqKmOExqN
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDQ614nwYg
It took Cel a moment to realize the question wasn't about his affiliation, but his origin. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyArkJ9FPzE
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVLPS0ghyC
"Storm Clan territory," he said, using the lie Esrin had provided.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WzUfBAGSJ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcF4drB7ipz
"Rough up there, I hear. With the Void and all." The bartender shook his head. "Can't imagine living that close to nothing."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqiw871hAC
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVO06IT55sL
"It has its challenges."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWvUbT5xQ0
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizFnDnwNMC
The conversation lapsed. Cel finished his first tankard and the bartender replaced it without being asked.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUrm5gSZiZ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6l9b3yDtDm
"So what brings you to the capital?" The question came casual, the easy interest of someone used to making small talk. "Besides the Academy."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnIOedSNfA
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnuVRtfebe
"Wanted to see it." Not quite true, but not quite false either.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0WeVkMiHw
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54Sw9qf3AJ
The bartender leaned against the bar, wiping down a glass. "Tense time to arrive. All the succession talk has everyone on edge."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRmndTA934
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJKPPjlvh6
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—" 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtN0DEftLJq
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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." 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzl5M3CUCXZ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJSoQ0s050
Cel went still. As far as he knew, there were only two princes.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLESVCSFpW
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"The All-Blessed?" he asked carefully.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzMDFozcCq
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAq6W7vDSMn
"You haven't heard?" The bartender's eyebrows rose. "A kid blessed by all seven gods."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUu6vHwGErn
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYAWEwetlf
‘What?’ Cel nearly blurted out his disbelief.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbeZmmk50h
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFimR8I11JT
Being blessed by all seven deities was impossible. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6ZH8QgHms
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPuUMX4cbp
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01NRVLxTie
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9bv9TlygnF
But all seven? That had happened only once in history - the world’s first Chosen who founded the Stellarion Empire.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOeumqirNz
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouEaE3cDoS
"An illegitimate child," Cel said. Not a question. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhlVflKhrW
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXq1OfZd0oQ
"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." 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Xy1mJdg0E
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"Then how—" 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWlRtUxndn
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3H48WQaHT
"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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Qqa9XIhXp
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hgoXXPrCX
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlm82xnRAJ2
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUP821wFBtC
"What about the other clans?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyMFdyUKTs
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqPeyiU1MR
"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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7BSNSQW4O
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1Eej9mwSl
"Why?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZ0hIX0gFI
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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?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FTMJPtQzb
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH13tNoKAJw
"Only vaguely. My village was small - news didn't reach us quickly." Cel kept his tone neutral. "Something about their heir?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftL39BDAFz
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡar54APhzH0
"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.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡded5BnLGX3
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Raven. The bartender was talking about Raven.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePxQp55eYj
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhi6j2J2chS
But Cel forced himself not to react, just nodded slowly and drank more.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthJQ3OBic7
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4t7O3VhFM
"The Sun Clan must be furious," he said.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtUx2S8zyu
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdzFbXqJsC
"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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqcYD5VJkO
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnMn4kYtSH
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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4IJ6LaPRv
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdwt33V1QX
"Do they know why?" Cel asked, keeping his voice level.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNt4bSaOjH1
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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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTs9FjsqqSB
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Cel's fingers tightened around his tankard, but he said nothing. Just drank.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWHdvVucdx
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The fourth tankard appeared. Then the fifth.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFkhgGKjyp
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The bartender had been watching him with growing fascination.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpWlUEMHW4
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"You're putting it away pretty steady for someone who's never touched the stuff."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniyRsRbD7j
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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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt26HfqAWEI
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"I don't feel anything," he admitted.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwP7wUM6yUi
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"Nothing?" The bartender refilled the tankard, looking genuinely curious now. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XsTI0hacI
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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." 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5xucgQplm
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Cel said nothing. Just drank.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Epqtz5SlG
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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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9nXeYpuYc
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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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllR8fAnk87
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Cel drank more. The seventh - or was it eighth?84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEetJ7LkqV
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"Sounds complicated," he said.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBuDqaP722
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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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGW1QNwGlF
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"What happens if they can't agree?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwVACfdsMu
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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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrBNxIsggz
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The words settled over Cel like a weight.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAzTLsJ8LR
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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.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvABg5Ya4b
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Now it all felt distant. Abstract.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVGlzfTITb
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Let them fight over succession. Let the clans tear each other apart. None of it mattered.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10Are8OzUE
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He finished another tankard.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TgJ1n1n5c
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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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ69Zol8Z9e
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"I'm not."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyVSzKrDk8
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"I can see that." A pause. "You sure you're alright?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DWVnZph3F
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"Yes."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPSlpwAnqA
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Not quite. But close enough.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqURJC7oiLs
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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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJt4VgAWxw
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Cel stared at the amber liquid in his current drink.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NY9lRmxFP
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What was he looking for?84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhQEZqSBVi
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Not oblivion. His divine body didn't seem capable of granting him that mercy.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJvLfenBHP
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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. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5O0wtBjVg
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The world had kept turning while he died and came back. Everyone else knew their place in it. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY00XTkF2wG
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He was still trying to remember what it felt like to have one. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclrrObeA7Y
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"Just trying to figure out where I fit," Cel said finally.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2NzDV6oB1g
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Want to read up to 6 Chapter ahead of othere?84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXjjpdf6mQG
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