Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 565 Of course—no

"The girl received help."

Sordid got straight to the point:
"When she went missing on the battlefield, her fate unknown."

Some of the doubts surrounding the Imperial Council have been dispelled, but more questions have arisen.

"help?"

Minister of Commerce, Viscount Connie, laughed, with a hint of irony:

"Could it be a dragon?"

Thales's mind raced as he recalled the image of the disheveled, silly little rascal sitting amidst the ruins, silently gazing at the enormous, beautiful dragon head.

But Viscount Connie soon discovered that no one appreciated his jokes.

On the contrary, the usually smiling Duke of Cullen's face was frozen, and the treasurer, Joker Mann, looked grim.

Agriculture Minister Clapham was jolted awake again, his eyes wide with surprise, while Stiliandes, who had remained silent, hung his head in deep thought.

Thales sat down next to Gilbert, suppressing his curiosity and eagerness, and focused intently on watching the former foreign minister frantically flip through the documents in his hands.

At the end of the long table, the king's figure stood motionless, like a stone sculpture.

The entire imperial council meeting was unusually quiet.

Viscount Connie's smile gradually faded.

"Do not."

In the ensuing silence, the advisor Sodor made the final decision, ending Viscount Connie's embarrassment:

"They are suffering people."

The military advisor rested his hands on the table, looking at everyone.

Thales could sense that most of the senior officials present breathed a sigh of relief after Sodor said "no".

“The local Xitao people who suffer hardship.”

Sodor frowned, his hand sweeping across the roads and towns on the map, tapping lightly in the empty spaces where no pieces were.

"They helped the Grand Duchess, enabling her to survive the battlefield."

"And ultimately, we will gather and reclaim some of the elite forces belonging to Dragon Sky City."

The military advisor retrieved several white pieces that were outside the map and placed them back next to the white queen.

Thales felt relieved.

Therefore, Selma received help from the locals and safely crossed the perilous battlefield.

But he immediately found it strange.

“Wait a minute, didn’t Earl Cassel say that…” Viscount Connie asked, puzzled.
"Suriel Walton once massacred the Freedom Fortress, and her hatred for the people of the Freedom Alliance runs deep? If the suffering people knew the Grand Duchess's identity, why would they still..."

Many people look to Gilbert.

The former foreign minister, holding up his glasses, looked rather displeased, and his movements as he flipped through the documents became increasingly rapid.
"About this—excuse me, give me a few seconds—I think it's on these pages..."

Sodor coughed and looked at the people from the secret service.

The scarred man calmly stepped forward and eased Gilbert's embarrassment:
"Miko initially thought so too—that the suffering people of the Free Alliance and the people of the North were locked in a life-or-death struggle."

"Only afterwards did we discover that the intelligence we had was incomplete."

"So we quickly contacted the local intelligence station and then corroborated the information with historical records from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

The former foreign minister finally turned to the page he needed, let out a sigh of relief, and took over the conversation:
"Well, gentlemen, the situation in the Freedom Alliance is rather unique."

Gilbert raised his head, transforming back into the cunning star fox that Thales knew:
"In fact, unlike the suffering people of Qiyuan City, most of the suffering people of the Free Alliance—especially the group that Sodor mentioned—mainly live in the suburbs and countryside, are of low status, are extremely poor, and suffer from discrimination. Even if they enter Freehold to make a living, they do the lowest-paying jobs."

"Those who truly harbor deep hatred for them are not the northern invaders who target the nobles and wealthy families, but the upper class living in Freehold."

Thales frowned. He remembered that little Ronnie had hinted to him that the suffering people were one of the problems facing the city of Qiyuan, but he had no idea that the problem of the suffering people was not limited to Qiyuan.

"A bit... complicated?" Viscount Connie asked, voicing his true feelings.

"Do not."

Everyone straightened up and looked at the person who had spoken.

"It's not complicated at all."

King Kessel stared at the ring on his hand, his gaze lingering on its brass luster:

"Just like what happened last night."

last night.

The imperial council fell silent.

Thales instinctively turned his head away, avoiding the intentional or unintentional gazes of the crowd.

Gilbert's words rang out at the opportune moment, drawing everyone's attention and easing the tension:
“A century ago, the Commas Alliance implemented the ‘Hundred Countries Trade Route’ strategy, expanding its influence eastward, which caused turmoil throughout the Golden Corridor.”

"At that time, Exte was ruled by Núnn VI, who had recently ascended the throne. He negotiated with the Commas and eventually reached a compromise: to support local forces at the eastern end of the Golden Corridor and establish a kingdom that opened trade routes but still recognized Exte as its overlord."

Sordor, the consultant, frowned:

"The Freedom Alliance".

Gilbert nodded:
"As a product of compromise between two great powers, the Free Alliance was inherently structurally flawed: its source of power and foundation of rule were not internal but external, it worshipped the superiors but not the inferiors, and it developed in the cracks between the great powers by taking advantage of the high profits of trade routes."

Gilbert turned a page, his expression unusually serious:

"After nearly a century of rule, the high-ranking officials and their powerful families in Freehold, although they share the same blood as the suffering people, have become accustomed to being high above, exploiting and managing, holding important positions, and enjoying privileges. They no longer consider themselves as part of the suffering people."

Thales was relieved.

It turned out to be the case.

The real reality is far more complex and concrete than the dry, textbook statement, "The Free Alliance resides to the west of Qiyuan and to the east of Shanliu, enjoying commercial benefits."

As for Selma, she faces far more difficulties than I do.

"Therefore, the lower-class people in the alliance are actually a local force that can be won over to fight against the higher-ups in Freehold."

Prime Minister Cullen scratched his chin, looking rather simple-minded.
"But for the past few decades, the North people's attention has been focused on the nobles inside the castle, and on the regime they supported through compromise with the Cornish?"

Gilbert sighed:

"Let alone distinguishing between the poor and the nobles... to be precise, for the past few decades, the entire Freedom Alliance has been disregarded by the people of the North."

The former foreign minister frowned and remained silent: Even we were shocked when the battle report came in, and then we rushed to update our intelligence.

Thales composed himself, but another question lingered in his mind.

But what about Selma...?

"So, that girl garnered support from several groups of lower-class people, but..."

"Moneybag" Joker Mann squinted and asked:

"We're talking about real, costly wars, not logging, clearing land, or farming."

"Can a group of ragged poor people really help her win?"

This question touched on the point that puzzled everyone the most. Even though everyone present was very well-mannered, they couldn't help but lean forward in anticipation of the answer.

"No."

Sodor's answer was, as always, swift and decisive:
"But at least it will give her a way to sneak into Freehold, a way that only the poor and lowly who do dirty and hard work would know."

Thales' eyelids twitched.

"According to our intelligence, on a night after the Free Alliance's great victory, the Grand Duchess of Dragonstreet led her elite Grand Duchess guards—many of whom were the White Blade Guards from the time of King Nunn—invading the inner city of Freehold without warning."

Thales unconsciously leaned forward, joining the ranks of the assembled ministers, his eyes fixed intently on the white piece.

Sordor Red bent down and, on the battlefield where the white pieces had retreated and the black pieces had re-established, pushed that special white queen piece against the tide, yet it was unstoppable, toward Freehold.

Like the sunlight that finally pierces through the clouds and breaks through the sky.

"With the help of the guides of the suffering people, she captured all the high-ranking officials of the Freedom Alliance with a mere few hundred soldiers without shedding a drop of blood."

"This brings the curtain down on the entire war."

Sodor finished speaking.

A small gasp of surprise rippled through the imperial council.

Only Thales bit his lower lip.

He imagined what that night would be like.

A small elite force infiltrated secretly, capturing high-ranking officers without bloodshed...

It sounds like...

Very familiar.

Thales seemed lost in thought.

It seems he wasn't the only one who learned something from Chaman Lumba's madness six years ago.

"From governors and elder statesmen to bureaucrats and generals."

Sodor methodically and systematically dismantled the few remaining black pieces in the Freehold:

"This includes the most crucial Josh Kenya, and the precocious Ivan Borado."

"Not one was left out."

"Catch them all in one swoop."

"Imprisoned overnight."

Sodor withdrew his finger, looked at the only white queen standing on the battlefield, and sighed:
"Just when they were basking in their great victory and completely lost their vigilance."

The imperial council was silent for quite some time.

"what?"

After a long pause, Viscount Connie finally spoke incredulously, staring at the map strewn with chess pieces:
"So this war is just a way to highlight each other's stupidity and see who's the dumbest?"

He was at a loss for words, unsure whether to laugh or cry, or to express his feelings.

The rest of the people shared the same feeling to varying degrees.

"If you look through the case studies, Your Excellency, you may find that many wars in history are like this."

Sodor replied coldly, clearly in a bad mood:

"Often, the outcome of a war is not determined by how powerful the victor is..."

"It's not that we're envious, but rather that we're envious of how stupid the losers are."

Sodol lowered his head.

Moreover, war involves complex factors, too much chaos, too much chance, and too much uncertainty.

Even if we sit here and make the best plans and calculations on paper, it doesn't matter.

If you were to personally step in and face reality...

It's probably not much better.

“At least the Northlands have taken Freehold,” Gilbert sighed, trying to smooth things over.

"We did not disgrace the title of 'invincible in front'."

Thales let out a breath unnoticed.

Duke Cullen raised his voice and asked:

"So she captured the high command and took control of the inner city, but the rest of the soldiers and civilians in Freehold..."

Sodor nodded and turned to the scarred man.

The secret service representative stepped forward respectfully:
"With Kerkekor's rescue, the remnants of Dragonshort City quickly regrouped and the command chain was restored."

"With the help of the suffering people, they entered the city in batches over several days and joined the Grand Duchess's ranks."

"We ultimately captured Freehold without major incident."

Sodor picked up the conversation:

"Just like that, Qi Yuan was defeated and his defenses were in disarray. When Exster's situation was hopeless, Longxiao City suddenly rose up and turned the tide of the battle."

"It shocked everyone."

The soldier shut his mouth, and silence fell around the table.

Everyone was still feeling the afterglow of the battle on the table, immersed in different emotions, and it was difficult for them to recover for a while.

"Humph."

The white-bearded treasurer, Joker Mann, scoffed dismissively:
"After suffering a crushing defeat on the battlefield, it was only through the petty thievery of a woman that the situation was barely salvaged."

Even if they win the war, Exter will have lost all face and will likely become a laughing stock.

Those present had mixed feelings, and no one answered for a moment.

Until a young voice rang out:

"Lord Mann, this room is called 'Ballard's Room,' right?"

The assembled gentlemen turned around in unison, only to be surprised to find that the person who had spoken was Duke Xinghu, who was participating in the meeting for the first time and had been cautious and had never spoken up before.

Joker Mann dared not be negligent and sat up straight:
"Of course, Your Highness, this is indeed the great Barad Chamber, so?"

Thales studied him for a while before smiling with narrowed eyes:
"nothing."

"Let's go back to that country that's a laughing stock, where only women can salvage the situation."

Joker Mann was completely baffled.

The expressions of those present varied.

Gilbert coughed lightly and gestured to Thales with his eyes, at which point the latter leaned back and fell silent.

"That girl did more than just that."

Sodor's words brought everyone back to the battle.

The military advisor looked up and gestured to the scarred man beside him: "The Secret Service has more detailed information."

The secret agent bowed and handed over a different document:
"Freedom Fortress has fallen, its high command has been captured, and the army has been disarmed..."

"With victory firmly in her grasp, the Duchess of Longxiao City then ordered: starting with the Alliance Governor, capture all these prisoners, these traitors of the Freedom Alliance, veterans, high-ranking officials, generals, and soldiers—not one will be spared..."

The scarred man lifted his eyes from the paper, revealing a fierce look:
“Send them all to the guillotine.”

Thales paused, taking a breath.

what?
The people at the meeting began to whisper among themselves.

"Again?"

Prime Minister Cullen frowned and said:
"As expected of the bloodline of Nuen and Suliel, he is ruthless and vicious, no less than his father and grandfather."

“Women, you know,” Joker Mann exhaled.
"He has always been petty, narrow-minded, calculating, and vindictive."

"With such a huge loss, I would have done the same thing," Viscount Connie sighed.

"At least she was decisive and didn't torment them."

Thales didn't speak; he just frowned and pondered.

"How many?"

Gilbert turned his head, interrupting the discussion at the long table:

How many people did she kill?

The scarred-faced freak from the secret service glanced at the assembled lords.

He remained expressionless, simply switching to a different sheet of paper and reading out a surprising number:

"zero."

The entire Ballard Room fell silent instantly.

The adults stared wide-eyed and gaped in disbelief, taking several seconds to process the information.

From an angle unseen by others, Thales slightly curved the corners of his mouth.

"Wha, what?"

The scarred man nodded in agreement.

"On the execution platform, just as the blade is about to fall."

"The Grand Duchess removed her helmet and armor."

The scarred man's words were calm and natural, yet they carried a unique power, recounting a legend from a thousand miles away:
"The little girl left the army's entourage, walked to the front of the stage, and announced to the trembling crowd below." The secret service personnel replaced a piece of paper, and the adults present listened intently, their expressions a mixture of surprise, doubt, disdain, and wariness.

She said that enough people have died in this war.

"The blood shed by both sides has already been enough."

The ministers looked at each other, bewildered.

She said that the lives and livelihoods of millions of people, and the families and children of countless ordinary people, should not be taken care of by the selfishness and mistakes of a few high-ranking officials.

The scarred man raised his head:
She said someone had told her that.

"War cannot bring peace, just as death cannot repay life."

Thales' expression shifted.

"And she, the ruler of Dragon City, will not repeat the mistakes of her grandfather and father."

At the end of the long table, the king suddenly moved, raising his head and revealing his eyes in the shadows against the light.

"Amidst the uproar, in front of everyone, the Grand Duchess forgave and pardoned the prisoners of war on the guillotine, and untied them one by one. Finally, she personally helped up the heartbroken Ivan Borado and told him..."

The scarred man turned to the next document, his tone grave:

“‘On the battlefield, you harmed my people, but in response, ‘surprised Ivan,’ I will spare your life in exchange for an end to war and hatred.’”

The secret agent's voice faded.

The meeting room fell silent once more.

A few seconds later, Thales, filled with emotion, sighed and said, seemingly unintentionally:
"Narrow-minded and narrow-minded?"

Joker Mann's expression became very unnatural.

"absurd!"

Viscount Connie couldn't help but speak up:

"Woman's compassion! To release a tiger back into the mountains while in a foreign land—only destruction awaits her..."

But before he could finish speaking, the secret agents turned to the next document:
"The Grand Duchess also issued a 'peace decree' in public."

"The entire army of Longxiao City, whether generals or soldiers, shall not kill or mistreat prisoners of war, harass or plunder civilian residences, obstruct or disrupt public order, or affect the people's livelihood while stationed at Freedom Fort."

The scarred man raised his head:
"Anyone who violates this rule will be severely punished in the name of the Dragon Spear Soul Slayer."

Upon hearing this, not only Viscount Connie, but also Duke Cullen was taken aback.

"No way?"

The Prime Minister frowned and said:
"Will her vassals and her army tolerate this? How will she satisfy their greed? What are they spending money and resources to travel across mountains and rivers for? To sightsee? They have suffered countless deaths and injuries, how will she make amends?"

"Does she really think that the Freedom Alliance will obediently listen unless she kills dozens of leaders as examples? Doesn't she have any smart people among her to stand up against her?"

The ministers whispered amongst themselves, many of them equally bewildered.

Sodor's words rang out smoothly:

"Having experienced the previous crushing defeat and now facing the Grand Duchess's formidable reputation in this battle, I suspect that her men no longer have the courage to oppose her."

The scarred man in the secret department nodded:

"As the deputy commander, the one with the highest rank, Kierkegaard was the first to kneel down and obey orders."

"The rest followed suit."

"No one dares to doubt it."

Thales felt a little dazed, as if he had returned to the day of the Heroes' Hall, where Selma was shouting helplessly, but her vassals remained cold and unmoved.

"As for Freedom Fortress..."

Scarface read his intelligence report:

"The Grand Duchess strongly suggested to the Alliance Governor that the Alliance elders take out their savings and donate land to help the suffering people and relieve their distress."

“They even amended the laws, reduced or exempted service taxes, re-established courts, and reopened old cases.”

"By the way, solve the 'food and lodging problem' for the troops in Longxiao City."

Upon hearing this, Gilbert, standing next to Thales, took a deep breath, his gaze complex.

"She? 'advised' the Alliance Governor, 'advised' that group of elders?"

Joker Man chuckled twice:
"Ha, either the Grand Duchess's sincerity moved people, or the elders of the alliance are of high moral character and listen to advice..."

“That’s unclear,” Gilbert said quietly.

"But I guess both the sword in her hand and the blade on the guillotine must have been quite sharp."

“Initially, some people weren’t very enthusiastic and only paid lip service to the ‘suggestion’,” the scarred man said, frowning.

"So later, the Grand Duchess sent the Meteorite to have a sincere and earnest talk with the elders..."

A heart-to-heart talk with the meteorite...

Thales felt a phantom pain in his left wrist.

"It is said that some individuals were so moved by the meteorite's eloquence that they 'had a change of heart and died of shame,' while the rest..."

The secret agents bowed, then respectfully withdrew.
"They're much more enthusiastic now."

The gentlemen in front of the emperor exchanged knowing glances.

"More laws being amended, more courts being set up," Trade Secretary Kenney frowned.

"Why doesn't she just plant the black flag with a red dragon on the city wall, award it to a trusted northerner, and declare Freehold to belong to Exter?"

Thales smiled.

"Because of her, or rather, because her subordinates are smart enough."

Gilbert's expression was grave:

"Knowing how to weigh the pros and cons in order to maximize benefits and minimize harm."

"In this way, when she occupies the territory, she will not have to bear the burden and pressure of ruling."

"When you leave, you will only gain endless nostalgia and fame."

thump.

The king tapped his fingers on the long table, startling everyone.

But he didn't say anything, he just kept looking at the military advisor.

Sodor received the signal and cleared his throat:

"In short, the people cheered with joy at the issuance of this order."

"The elders of the alliance, on the other hand, were mostly in a stable mood."

"The armies of Longxiao City have also been appeased."

"Thus, with a combination of coercion and persuasion from Grand Duchess Walton, coupled with the losses from the previous battle, Freehold, which was already at its last gasp, lost its last bit of strength and will to resist."

With a complex mix of emotions, Sodor looked at the white piece that stood out from the crowd:
"'Lady of Blazing Blood' effortlessly and peacefully captured the city."

Without realizing it, Thales curled the corners of his mouth.

But he knew it was by no means "effortless".

"Lady Fiery Blood?"

Viscount Connie frowned and said:
"Really?"

Sodor gave a soft hum:
"That's what everyone calls her, or would you like me to call her 'Lady Dragon'?"

Connie smiled and said nothing more.

Sodor continued:
"With the capital falling and the suffering people surging, the other towns of the Freedom Alliance lost all will to fight and surrendered without resistance."

"The Exter people have turned the tide so dramatically."

The military advisor slowly sat down, no longer moving the pieces whose fate was already sealed.

The "purse strings" minister coughed:
"My question is, she was lost on the battlefield and far from her homeland, at her lowest point, with neither soldiers nor money. How did she manage to garner the support of those suffering people in a foreign land?"

"I can't very well offer myself up and sleep with them all, can I?"

Thales glanced at Joker Mann expressionlessly.

This gentleman is truly quite old...

Actually, it might be better to retire earlier.

He thought to himself.

The secret agents stepped forward again.

“We don’t know, but we discovered that the name ‘Blazing Blood True Dragon’ originated from these suffering people and then spread to the people of the North.”

Connie asked in confusion:
Why is that nickname?

"She set herself on fire, then sped into the city standing on the carriage?"

The scarred man shook his head.

"There are all sorts of versions of the story. Some say they witnessed a dragon descending from the sky and helped her seize the city..."

Connie frowned:

"Is it really a dragon?"

But he noticed that many of the ministers present were shaking their heads at him.

"impossible."

Sordor Red spoke again, seemingly annoyed:

"You may have only recently entered the Council of Kings, Viscount Connie, and therefore are unaware of this."

“But according to a secret agreement made hundreds of years ago between ‘Black-Eyed’ John and the entire Kingdom of Exter,” the military advisor scoffed.

"As an extraordinary being, the Sky Queen will only intervene in mortal affairs when disaster strikes again."

"Otherwise, we would have turned to ashes five hundred years ago."

Gilbert coughed, reminding his old friend to watch his words.

"Only concerned with disaster? I mean, it was clearly present in Longxiao six years ago—"

Viscount Connie seemed to have figured something out, and his face turned ashen.

"Oh, I see..."

Thales thought of the scene six years ago when he danced with the dragon, and remembered the Sky Queen telling him, "You have a nice dragon name." He couldn't help but glance at King Kessel in the distance.

Unfortunately, the king remained as still as a stone statue, completely unmoved.

“Of course, Lord Connie,” the scarred man from the secret service said shrewdly.

"For hundreds of years, we have been constantly on guard against the possibility that the dragon might break its oath."

"But so far, everything is fine."

Connie nodded awkwardly.

The scarred man continued:
"As for the Grand Duchess's nickname, some say she can turn her blood into flames and burn enemies to death, others say she can spread dragon wings and fan a gale by taking off her clothes, and some even say that she can turn into a dragon by howling at the sky on the night of a full moon..."

“That one on the night of the full moon, that’s the legendary werewolf,” Sodor couldn’t help but interrupt as these claims grew increasingly outrageous.
"They were all wiped out long ago by 'Wolf Enemy' and his Immortal Hunters."

The secret agents understood the military advisor's meaning, stopped reciting intelligence, and summarized accordingly:
"Therefore, none of these are credible."

The origin of this nickname remains a mystery.

The ministers whispered amongst themselves again, and Thales noticed that Gilbert gave Vicar Stilliards an inquiring look, to which the latter shook his head.

At this moment.

"What kind of girl was she?"

A deep, rumbling voice rang out, and the ministers stopped their discussion, all looking towards the end of the long table.

The scarred man bowed to the king's shadow:
"According to our intelligence, her parents were when she was one year old..."

But he was immediately interrupted:
"Thales".

The king's voice drifted over slowly, sending a shiver down Thales' spine:
"I'm asking you."

Joker Mann's eyes lit up:
"That's right. His Highness the Duke lived in Dragoncity for six years, so he must know her well, perhaps even as a friend..."

But the treasurer immediately recalled the scene where the prince had interrupted him.

Having figured out the cause and effect, Qiu Ke's face turned pale, and she quickly lowered her head, not daring to speak again.

What kind of girl was she?

Is it the little girl in the library, adjusting her glasses with bright eyes, or the ragged, shivering little girl in Valhalla?
Is it the little girl who gritted her teeth and struggled to drag herself along amidst the ruins? Or is it the Grand Duchess who glared angrily and raised her arm in the Hall of Heroes?
In an instant, Thales was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

Duke Xinghu took a deep breath before looking towards the end of the long table, meeting those meaningful eyes.

"That girl seemed calm, gentle, and harmless," the prince murmured.

"Sometimes, it even looks a bit... stiff."

"But little... Selma?"

Recalling the scene of the girl refusing to go with him, Thales lowered his head and unconsciously curved the corners of his mouth into a smile.

Gilbert frowned.

"She is a true fighter."

After recalling the past, Thales raised his head, each word spoken with unwavering resolve:
"No matter what we face."

"Calamity, dragon, or...king."

Whispers could be heard from the ministers around them.

Until they reached the other side of the long table, the king spoke coldly:

"Is it."

Thales paused slightly: Gilbert's elbow nudged him lightly.

The second prince, realizing what was happening, coughed:
"Ahem... I mean, she could be a very troublesome enemy, or of course, a potential ally."

Facing the scrutiny of everyone at the table, Thales said seriously:

Fortunately, I don't have a bad relationship with her... I mean, I can talk to her.

The men looked at each other in bewilderment.

The king remained silent for a moment before speaking:
"What leverage do we have against her?"

Thales's brow twitched.

“There should be,” he said, his expression unchanged.

"I'll go back and think about it."

Thales couldn't see King Kessel's face clearly, but the other's voice still came steadily:

"Could she become our ally?"

Thales' eyes lit up:
"of course."

"She wields real power in Dragon Sky City, rather than being a puppet of her vassals?"

"of course."

"Have you slept with her?"

"certainly--"

Ok?
Before Thales could finish speaking, his expression changed, and he quickly added the second sentence:
"--No."

There was a moment of silence at the long table.

For some reason, Thales felt his face burning up in the face of the many ambiguous gazes in the conference room.

A few seconds later, the king finally removed his scrutinizing gaze from him.

All that remained for the boy was a strange nasal sound:

"Humph."

"No sword, no sword, have you been slacking off these past few days?"

"Of course—no!"

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(End of this chapter)