You will be given a definition of a task first, then some input of the task.
You are given an English sentence with a blank, and you need to predict the missing word. After completing, the whole sentence should be gramatically correct and non-ambiguous.

but no on reflection the procureur was not a merciless man and it was not the magistrate slave to his duties but the friend the loyal friend who roughly but firmly cut into ____ very core of the corruption
Output:
the