Cel jerked his hand back.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XOAmvkLZn
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsNqbLfBp2
"I'm sorry. That was—"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIClG9k6y19
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLA8OQhlEf
"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYsDdw4AGS
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The words hung between them like smoke.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEi628OBiH
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSIcwBEcyD
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJH1nCIp51A
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIzfPGLELC
"You said your mother searched for him," he managed. "Is she..."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KqyxAqiMW
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHA4DTEhwx
"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXaDTcPYbmw
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8CFthcjhL
Pride flickered through the pain in her voice.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpvws4TFb3
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhDgSqh30N
"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvzWFKiCf1
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‘Too late.’ 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaCEtQXjad
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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. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DdzzcxsvP
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVc2f4I50n
She'd left when it was safe. When he couldn't be saved anymore. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjx8GSgoWB
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBo3axmpH6p
But at least she'd taken Lyra with her. Protected her. Given his little sister the escape he'd never had. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXKB44gv5t
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhx4nQ2a8AO
The bitterness and relief twisted together in his chest, inseparable.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mngapMEmR
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XImXpq6x7
Footsteps echoed from the church entrance - sharp and purposeful against worn stone. Both of them turned.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9ra7tfUYC
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuT7WC6u9Yk
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVQTWoqw4C
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhPgO6lQyi
"Lady Lyra," the woman called. "Your mother sent me to find you. It's getting late."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gUzCYcUdy
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85APxkFjME
Lyra's shoulders sagged slightly - disappointment mixed with resignation. She rose from the bench, smoothing her dress one final time.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5wXHjT6cB
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZn1a23YPhp
"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGl96wjbAG
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWziUa6OUOg
She hesitated, then added quietly, "I hope I see you again. It was nice to meet you, Heir to the Moon."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxcTxEuUBj
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3XcRDk3Zx
His name in her voice felt like a knife and a comfort all at once.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9phMf41f5z
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhfoDm79Mc
"You too," he said.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTdFYtqpJqs
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEFb3XO3ZR
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8F8aaK6BzF
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQ6PwFrz41
Silence rushed back in like water filling a void.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9tpV0j4cV
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWm6xlQU9Bq
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbj54ia9xmR
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pv2WGH0WR
She didn't know.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUv8HHaph7
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She'd sat beside him, cried about him, talked about him, and never once realized the truth.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqzVbehUxy
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0XyBkDtWh
He should feel relieved. Should be grateful she hadn't recognized him - that the secret remained safe.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OUypPer8t
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbokyOynJxe
Instead, he just felt hollow.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN625EF15Je
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIg9ir6RRUn
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40VKCrLlHq
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMZRrOZ956
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbeC0a1N7Rw
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A carriage accident.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxRgrGz80X
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZrg9Y6Z5V
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwvCk1AUoV
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1yqLo2HHH
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmxYNUcIjf
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWLLDtXuYy
They'd moved on. Built new lives. Forgotten.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLxvbujbt4
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuipbNNf5nY
While he'd rotted in a cell.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf19teyg1AJ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7wHGiXbgA
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2cJKlqqaI
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LXXJA1igt
Cel's forced himself to breathe.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpP8wWI1wa
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlPUuYNRt6
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhY5vpYeYw
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJe8XKyxnF
He needed to know what else had happened. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBIpgrBB7r
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQySmnqsSR
Cel left the church, the heavy wooden doors closing softly behind him.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXyVXXHn43
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDu4WWTXoS
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdawGFdzA4O
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkF4RQ1MEB
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvUfHEQ4GY
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgNahoJE8c
A tavern.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VUXloFSi8
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6p7Secjj9
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwgCMe0yHH
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRGxhd93VJ
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0OouxYZwO
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitAjfKhjQf
But he was no longer a Solmar.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6waRgg5HTt
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZdpA4pR2d
A sign caught his eye - faded wood with a painted barrel and wheat sheaf. “The Golden Hart.”84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQoSIuZaiAZ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwu43HaHHfU
Cel pushed through the door.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gqxUObmDL
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kgUhrfr8n
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXO1b4PlzD
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No one looked up when he entered. Just another hooded figure seeking a drink.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpZpUCGquA
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Perfect.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9VfRv0ZE1
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsuO5HQw5v
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDF37ZP0sf
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocgqJNpyfd
"What'll it be?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxP83zFpXJt
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3zyBH6uC5
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7thXY1sKJ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37lceeYFvl
"Ale," he said.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwUkCLKXhb
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVln1mcx5R6
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGaBAlMBgN
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsaM6KruU6
Cel placed coins on the bar. The bartender swept them up and moved to serve another customer.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQoIk4dFPdv
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2JbcIXef9
The tankard sat before him, amber liquid catching the lamplight. Cel lifted it and took a sip.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYUhUIkhgr
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Czs1Pjfzn
Nothing. No taste registered - just liquid sliding down his throat, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pFf5hwY6E
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65ibjBZZQt
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0WThrJaTd
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHcqqWSGmc
The bartender returned after a few minutes. "How is it?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdJBzXB796
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpypD4wBNcK
Cel glanced at his half-empty tankard. "Fine."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLJ7P4tARN
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzDwvJK0ka
"First time drinking?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBl5Bf8OcN
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzsHKAXoYG
"Yes."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJqVgewF4c
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cdU84m0jH
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaN5GEdMm3
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBfuhzrl8O
"Recently arrived. I'm enrolled at the Academy."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKtcpy1yBV
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfRc8gKPz4
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jQp6VO76B
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZUwGtDm8n
"I prefer this."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtFbrX1uCB
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUW6nUY7xtY
The bartender's expression warmed slightly. "Good answer." He moved to refill another customer's drink, then returned. "What clan?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQDjsHfEHy
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6wxaQrQQ2
It took Cel a moment to realize the question wasn't about his affiliation, but his origin. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4ZlPPuieM
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKY4cj5yFA
"Storm Clan territory," he said, using the lie Esrin had provided.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZLv4ATrL7
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiuSe5epPo
"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DUv5sYp0B
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggTbIQoJNL
"It has its challenges."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIdrH7yoXf
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqL3XPmS9Jg
The conversation lapsed. Cel finished his first tankard and the bartender replaced it without being asked.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfFYr8TfXd
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHegBDRnrZ
"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFk9gLE0Z7R
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtFtaC2h3O
"Wanted to see it." Not quite true, but not quite false either.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDibVKjurX
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNmTYT56yU
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DzfL1zT2Q
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLX1YFIITql
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡck2F0WbdvS
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSIhjTaCir
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6Q8ztBVWb
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGYU5fQETO
Cel went still. As far as he knew, there were only two princes.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDo3a4OGR9l
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8Pyzcz5An
"The All-Blessed?" he asked carefully.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvxKU3rib5B
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp05N0A785e
"You haven't heard?" The bartender's eyebrows rose. "A kid blessed by all seven gods."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTSVlJMofQ
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgN1IOSSe3I
‘What?’ Cel nearly blurted out his disbelief.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntTsxl1nvg
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpn7E96HP0
Being blessed by all seven deities was impossible. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBDmYO67xM
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJmBRQIdRo
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuI5oaiEygR
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu16xA83sjK
But all seven? That had happened only once in history - the world’s first Chosen who founded the Stellarion Empire.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQjrhHeOci
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcVY9qUHro
"An illegitimate child," Cel said. Not a question. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgGLNDuhuG
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kXtaBcANe
"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLU5dQjc4zD
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"Then how—" 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06oBsJOrNA
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2QUBUUYPz
"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQXkRLRIfe
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRil0mjW7i
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNskOagAQn2
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvT942OhHjB
"What about the other clans?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvago1e29DX
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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."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjuvsdfOzi
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbznifCFLgM
"Why?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0oOMePPcu
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmm3XsWu2Q
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciB489OdYp
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCxIiyziox
"Only vaguely. My village was small - news didn't reach us quickly." Cel kept his tone neutral. "Something about their heir?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JXPJ1kLTr
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2lfRQ7LBQ
"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mtMjwRSxe
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLMt2zwyFN
Raven. The bartender was talking about Raven.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvuIqAVgM5
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaZu1lqfri
But Cel forced himself not to react, just nodded slowly and drank more.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrheScSbE3
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11AOOQDaiH
"The Sun Clan must be furious," he said.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaFF5T7saO
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EXhUQX9aw
"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHSXxkFKW7Z
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0ycEQ0TjQ
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9aTvbouWB
84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLonBLdcS93
"Do they know why?" Cel asked, keeping his voice level.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9SmoLFCup5
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDelcsvYZL
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Cel's fingers tightened around his tankard, but he said nothing. Just drank.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HSTfTJ1EZ
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The fourth tankard appeared. Then the fifth.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgd1L9KIhi
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The bartender had been watching him with growing fascination.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeTJQizhIs
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"You're putting it away pretty steady for someone who's never touched the stuff."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlL7Iq3LaTR
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvn18ueBMTc
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"I don't feel anything," he admitted.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9toxJHla9F
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"Nothing?" The bartender refilled the tankard, looking genuinely curious now. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtvFhXxrUG
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0jVuTP6uj
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Cel said nothing. Just drank.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIx1QKgbtf
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0jARkf6n6
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtgHwMupM6
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Cel drank more. The seventh - or was it eighth?84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tkPmZIYAH
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"Sounds complicated," he said.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMbmWiOMUm
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJx21IiPu6
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"What happens if they can't agree?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyG11lhQke3
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCVo7Pq9X5
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The words settled over Cel like a weight.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCM44P07nCz
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoKN7mE1F0
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Now it all felt distant. Abstract.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVmK0xzZgg
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Let them fight over succession. Let the clans tear each other apart. None of it mattered.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjEJdl3eG8
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He finished another tankard.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRblvnyzPsU
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFKaodFrkQ
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"I'm not."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbLPi2zhRi
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"I can see that." A pause. "You sure you're alright?"84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZeuF8Wbya
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"Yes."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarodttwkhp
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Not quite. But close enough.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN730ejPKBN
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOTwRdVqo0
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Cel stared at the amber liquid in his current drink.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJLjvFoBvf
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What was he looking for?84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1IDvOeHjA
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Not oblivion. His divine body didn't seem capable of granting him that mercy.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMGX5iIsyQ
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHszxNa1e7
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeLjjc6zY8
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He was still trying to remember what it felt like to have one. 84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKPPPMKMBK
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"Just trying to figure out where I fit," Cel said finally.84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKOCUKdfc2
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Want to read up to 6 Chapter ahead of othere?84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vE8Kw12uc
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