episode_0060

Wedge-! A sharp sound of wind blew through the cracks of the cabin.

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Inside the cabin, Sonia was coughing repeatedly. With a red-hot face.

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“······.”

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After coming out for a moment, Ban sat down on a tree stump and bowed his head between his spread knees.

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As a result, summer and fall passed and winter came, but Bert did not return. I didn’t even hear that news.

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From what I heard while secretly going back and forth through the city, most people already thought Berthe was dead. Bismuth’s mansion was not much different from the mountain they were currently living on, with weeds growing up to their knees.

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However, even if the creditors had virtually given up on bringing Bert back alive, it was far from possible for the two to return to the city.

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I remembered half of it. Wanted badges posted here and there on the walls of the city. Sonia’s face was drawn there.

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“······.”

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Not long ago, after blowing off shame, Ban went back to looking for Finn.

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Finn, whom he met for the first time in a few months, tried to coldly ignore Ban, but eventually sighed deeply and told Ban about the situation.

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-It’s Nadal. The person who posted that wanted badge.

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It was said to be a wanted badge posted by a merchant named Nadal, who had invested in the Bismuth family.

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Finn explained that the trader named Nadal was quite famous in money circles.

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-I will never forgive that person for stealing his money.

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When most people hear that a merchant is famous, they think, ‘Oh. ‘You must be famous because you have money?’ You might think:

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But Nadal’s name was not famous in that regard. Sure, Nadal was rich, but he was more infamous in other ways.

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That is, if they were sure that they would not get their money back, they would immediately use their connections and assets to take immediate punishment. Therefore, it was also called a ‘mad dog’, which was not suitable for a merchant.

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Finn said that it was probably image making to avoid taking money from the top. But to Ban, such circumstances were not important. The problem is that Sonia has become his target.

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“······!”

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Ouch-! I squeezed my pocket, which contained almost half of the money.

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The bag that had been filled with shiny gold coins when I first brought it out was now replaced with dull copper coins and tarnished silver coins.

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Now it was almost impossible for the class to secretly go into the city and buy some herbs and medicine. Although I am suppressing the purchase of daily necessities as much as possible, it is clear that soon my pockets will only collect dust.

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“······Haa”

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Ban, unable to think of anything to say, ruffled and squeezed his hair. Not caring about my fingers and earlobes that were stinging from the cold.

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It was a very cold winter.

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***

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“···Woo-eup- Cough! Cough!”

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“Lady!”

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Cluck cluck! Sonia, who was eating the soup her class was feeding her, shook her head loudly and coughed. The illness became deeper than a few days ago.

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The noble girl’s body, which had somehow held on optimistically, eventually gave way. It was at a level where I could no longer pass it off as a cold.

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“Wow…”

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“Are you okay?”

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“Uh, uh···”

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Sonia just pursed her lips and couldn’t speak. Of course, in my heart, I thought, ‘Yes! are you okay!’ I wanted to give a lively answer.

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Sonia didn’t even ask why Van didn’t take her downtown. This is because while he was out in the city, he saw a wanted badge with his face drawn on it that Ban had secretly hidden.

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It was proof that it was impossible for him to receive treatment in the city. However, Sonia felt relieved when she saw the wanted badge. Because I confirmed that Van’s loyalty still remains.

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-As expected… the class wasn’t like that for no reason. There was a reason for everything – LOL!

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After learning the whole story, my condition improved for a while, but it was only a short-term relief from feeling relieved. Soon, Sonia became unable to get out of bed.

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The once shiny skin became rough and dried out to the point that the outlines of bones here and there on the body were visible. Sonia felt ashamed inside. Because I didn’t want to show myself like this.

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“···Half.”

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“Yes, yes! Lady!”

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“You always give for me. From the first time we met until now.”

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But Sonia is not stupid. He couldn’t know that his life was short.

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“I remember a promise I made when I was young… Just like in a fairy tale, we said we would live together for a long time. Do you remember?”

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“Yes, yes. I remember. Even for that promise-”

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“I really… I really hoped for it- Cough!”

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Because of her weakness, Sonia was unable to cover her coughing mouth with her palms. The blood that came out with the coughing was sprinkled on the blanket.

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“Haa···Haa···.”

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“······.”

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However, when Sonia saw the red dots drawn on the blanket, she looked into Van’s eyes with determination.

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“half. Even if I… can’t be with you anymore.”

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“If you say such ominous things, nothing will get better.”

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“No… please listen. There’s a lot you can do half the time, right? I’m good at cooking and I’m good at fighting. His eyes are sharp, but his face is also handsome. Also, he is strong and dexterous. And…”

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haha. Sonia, breathing heavily, continued to list the advantages she thought about the class.

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“So…since this is a class where many people know how to do this…”

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widely. Sonia squeezed all her remaining strength and placed her hand on Ban’s face.

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“Definitely. Do I have to live?”

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“······.”

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Van looked down at Sonia’s face and couldn’t say anything. It felt like my mouth was locked with a padlock.

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Looking at that face, Sonia closed her eyes with a smile on her face. Still, I feel reassured that there is someone by my side who cares for me.

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And after that, Sonia did not regain consciousness.

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***

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Wow. An unknown green grass entered Ban’s mouth.

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“Uweek-!”

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Sigh. Half of the people spit out the grass that had entered their mouths, whether it was an herb or something else. Then he grabbed a handful of the surrounding pure white snow and stuffed it into his mouth. It was an action to wipe away the poison.

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There really wasn’t a penny left in the money bag I brought with me. Of course, it was impossible to get herbs to feed Sonia.

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As a beggar with no money, it was no longer possible to bang my head and beg from the herb shop owner. The old man who gave her herbs two or three times shook his head coldly, saying he couldn’t do it anymore.

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So I half thought. I need to find some herbs.

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It was crazy. Winter, with heavy snowfall, is a time of rest even for skilled herbalists.

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And half of them don’t know anything about herbs. I couldn’t tell what was a medicinal herb and what was a poisonous herb.

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“This is not…”

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So Ban’s idea was to use his body as a lab rat. A thought several times more crazy than walking around collecting herbs in the winter.

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Every time I picked up the wrong poisonous plant and ate it, I felt like I was going half crazy. The world was spinning, all kinds of things I didn’t want to think about were spinning around in my head, and I kept vomiting because I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to take with me when I had nothing.

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“···This and this.”

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But Ban did not give up. After eating, I carefully boiled the herbs that seemed to make my body feel more energetic and the pain lessened, and poured them into Sonia’s mouth while she was sleeping.

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I don’t know if it’s effective or not, but it was the only thing Ban could do right now.

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***

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“······.”

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Van was looking down at a pale-faced Sonia at the bedside.

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After the final greeting, Sonia never regained consciousness. The only sounds were the occasional cough and the sound of breathing that would stop at any moment.

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“···Lady.”

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Van’s lips were stained blue as he looked down at Sonia with lifeless eyes. It was an addiction caused by repeatedly chewing poisonous plants.

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Tup. Ban carefully held Sonia’s hand in both hands. Be careful not to injure your weakened body.

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Before I knew it, I was able to take on half of it. The smell of death that I usually smelled in the back alleys, coming from the bodies of the dying guys lying on the floor.

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The inside of the cabin was full of that scent. The source, of course, was Sonia with her eyes closed.

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“······.”

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Van looked down at Sonia. He blinked extremely slowly and his lips were chapped.

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Although not as bad as Sonia, Ban’s physical condition was also not normal. I put off getting food and kept chewing weeds that I couldn’t tell if they were medicinal or poisonous. If your body is normal, that would be strange.

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“······.”

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Van placed Sonia’s hand on his forehead and bowed his head deeply. Hoping for a miracle.

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Before long, Van’s haggard eyes also closed. And suddenly, the collapsed body overlapped Sonia’s.

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***

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“God for the lowest. Is it?”

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“Okay.”

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Moana woke up after a short recovery, lay down on the bed and faced Revan.

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“Is that usually the name of God?”

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“No. This god is unique.”

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gulp. Moana took a few sips of the mana potion and opened her mouth.

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“Originally, priests know the true name of the god they serve. I just don’t think it’s polite to say it out loud.”

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El, who was sitting next to Revan, said something.

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“It feels like calling the name of a grandmother who is several times older than me in a friendly way.”

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“······.”

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It was a metaphor that seemed oddly meaningless, but it was an explanation that stuck in my head. Moana laughed for a moment and continued speaking.

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“Yes. But no one knows God’s true name for the lowest. I don’t know for some reason?”

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Revan shook his head left and right. Moana nodded.

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“The reason is that God for the lowest does not require anything.

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“Yes?”

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“Think about it carefully. Priests go around saying that their god doesn’t ask for anything, but is that true?

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gulp. Moana seemed to be thirsty so she swallowed a sip of the potion.

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“All the gods in the world require faith from their believers. In the process, I learn my true name. At best, we elves also have absolute faith and respect for our mother, the world tree.”

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“······?”

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Revan’s head tilted slightly. Because I thought to myself, ‘Isn’t that obvious?’

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“That’s right. It’s natural. I’m not sure, but I often think that believers’ beliefs are important to God. But-”

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Tuk. Moana drank and placed the empty potion bottle on the bedside.

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“God is not for the lowest. It doesn’t require faith. Therefore, its true name is unknown and few people even know of its existence. Even fewer people have been blessed.”

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“···What blessings does that god give?”

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“It’s unique compared to other gods. In general, the blessings that the gods bestow on their believers are set. But, the God for the lowly is different.”

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chuck. Moana said, pointing to the back of Revan’s hand.

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“I give him help to achieve what he desperately wants.”

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***

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This is the story after Van lost consciousness, which he does not remember.

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A woman’s voice asked the dying class.

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[What do you wish for?]

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Ban’s body didn’t even move. I didn’t even have the energy to move my lips.

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[I will ask you again. What did you wish for?]

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Ban’s subconscious, feeling his heartbeat stopping next to the young lady, instinctively responded.

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‘Hello, lady. A happy future.’

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Apparently, half of the people didn’t move their lips. However, an unknown voice was heard once again, as if it had read his inner thoughts.

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[Is there nothing about you?]

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‘···Even if I tell you, it’s damned.’

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[Think about it, child. You were born with nothing. But, does this mean that you value others more than yourself?]

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‘······.’

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After remaining silent for a moment, Ban thought without hesitation of thoughts that he was usually too embarrassed to even think about.

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‘Because your happiness is my happiness. Same thing.’

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[······.]

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Eventually, even Ban’s unconsciousness was cut off like a thin thread being pulled. It’s not long before my daughter and I are scheduled to die.

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The voice of a goddess with a feeble presence compared to the other gods spoke out as she looked down at the scene.

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[A child born with nothing seeks something more precious than himself. How could there be anything more beautiful in the world?]

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Saaaak – White divine power engulfed Ban’s body lying in the hut. Finally, those pure white energies came together and carved a pattern on the back of Ban’s hand.

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[Oh my. I hope you can walk the path you want. I am giving you a feeble blessing with that wish in mind, and I hope that there will be light on your future path.]

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A brief meeting and farewell. The goddess said a brief goodbye and left like a mirage.

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***

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“···Half?”

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“···Lady?”

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sudden-! Ban’s body instinctively reacted to the voice of the young lady he thought he could no longer hear. Sonia’s head rose from her lap.

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Sonia sat with her head on the bed and Van raised his head. The two quietly looked at each other. I thought for sure we would never meet again.

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The situation of the two, who were clearly on the verge of becoming corpses, was not good to say the least. His appearance was unkempt, and his body was skinny due to not being able to eat. But such trivial things were not important.

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“······.”

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“······!”

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The two hugged each other without saying a word. Like animals that want to remember each other’s body odor. Squeeze out all your energy and become as strong as possible.

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And the hug was released after a long time had passed. Only after engraving warmth into each other’s hearts.

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“···It’s been a while. Half.”

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“···Yes. Miss.”

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Van and Sonia looked at each other’s faces and enjoyed their long-awaited reunion. At least on this continent, there was no one happier than these two.