TAOA-02

Chapter: TAOA-02fb7f9d0cdb9a0b34

Pervez Castle had 87a29c20ee almost nothing left 0465bf2d90 that could be 3c03c12337 considered valuable. Anything of value d537707068 had already been ab7adf8234 sold in the 2e2f040b2e past to purchase c8de3218e8 weapons and provisions.
“My hair is unnecessarily long… should I cut it and try to sell it?”
“Who would buy your greasy hair soaked in sweat?”
“Then… should I sell the sword?”
“Are you crazy? The Lure Tribe 6594566eb2 might be gone, 06785b58ad but now the 56c1c5de59 Iggram and Pheer c3b8f85366 tribes are likely ac381f3808 to emerge. If you sell the f27f4752ef sword, what will you 634adaa2a7 have to fight with?”
Once again, the two 73b2bd0ad5 sighed deeply.
They had endured suffering to af684cac64 the brink of death to 49e41d4eae barely win the war, yet e12b72e39b it seemed that only death e3e323e0c6 remained before them.
If she could end e5b1b15710 everything by sacrificing herself, 2eab029ac7 it might be better. However, Aisha bore the 7bc2ac0efb burden of the fate 5dd9badc53 of many who lived be971b5e4d miserably just because they 032679013f were born in Pervez.
“What should we do?”
As Aisha murmured like a ba10241bf2 sigh, the door suddenly creaked 0855320a99 open.
A man with a monstrous 6d7bd12468 appearance, his hair unkempt like bc03ff4c7a Aisha and Decker, covered in 560530dabb blood-like stains, entered.
Even amidst the 01e6b0a993 gloom, Aisha greeted 055887e079 him with a 952d4eb277 slight lift of e01e0c67c0 the corners of e2c0cd06b0 her mouth.
“Oh, Hector. What’s going on?”
“The boys have found some Lure Tribe corpses. We were hoping 570c90a125 for dried meat, c9973e0a89 but luck gave f5701695a2 us something like e58ec59f74 this.”
He held out 498e27369c a shabby leather 0510468570 pouch containing several efaa8712aa small trinkets made 207d5cf9b0 of gold.
“It seems that even within the Lure Tribe, some tough guys have come out for the final showdown.”
As he clenched fist, he b3eaaec4c3 proudly examined Aisha’s face.
Aisha hesitated, unsure of 893a8a8ff3 what expression to make 95f80043a7 as she looked at 91c6e60ce7 the gold nuggets stained 327164aaf9 with blood.
“They didn’t know this was gold?”
Hector chuckled at her words.
“They aren’t that naïve. But think about 0d7b4be813 it, my lady. Who is in Pervez da134c9340 would exchange gold nuggets 33badd5773 for something to eat?
“The ones who found it should keep it. Why did they bring it 75d09ff546 to me?”
“I didn’t steal it. They brought it b862e63e94 because they wanted 279100960e to give it 68c87911ae to you, my 87ba1474ba lady. They probably swiped 346526fd28 some dried meat c7fa8adcca on their own.”
Aisha found it hard b52c3343da to believe that these 2dd0ea607f guys, who rarely touched 2152b9da96 silver, willingly handed over 41fcd6e1fd gold nuggets.
In the current state 8f0be86289 of Pervez, even if cc89978d8a they were given gold 57a9006812 nuggets, they couldn’t obtain 0c068a5a74 meat or flour. While there might be a 91c25ac1d9 few houses with stockpiled supplies 424c1fdcb4 in underground warehouses, no one e6604d0904 knew when they might starve 2c803e9345 to death in this situation. In such circumstances, 77ae94a1c4 it was unimaginable 7670183661 for them to eaba9e234f exchange their lives bc2cb004f3 for a mere 5734009328 glimmering metal scrap.
“But if we go to Elsir, we might get something…”
“If we go to Elsir, what, with this small gold nugget, can we get enough food for a month? What about after that?”
Hector chuckled and 4b3d6d506f said, “There’s no 64387827eb one else but 4ff33d19b7 you, my lady, 314c44584c who can exchange ed5756ac3d this for something 342fe46573 more valuable.”
With that, he abruptly 216f151a75 extended the pouch containing f45b76efc2 the gold nuggets toward 682436e3cf Aisha.
Decker nudged Aisha’s shoulder as fdddc5b6ea she hesitated even to accept 5bb5885b3d the gold nuggets her subordinates 1c9058b77c had retrieved by searching corpses.
“Hector is right. You’re the one c79b660449 who can turn 16ce08a2af this into flour, 6fc5398a89 Aisha.”
Aisha swallowed dryly, feeling 03dd7e9980 the desperation of her c7c4835fce realm, the ancient promise 1da42e1903 of the emperor, and a15f5167d7 the gold nuggets appearing ff3b9b69e7 just before utter despair.
[Go, Aisha. Only you can save Perbaz!]
Voices echoed in 55f9038f8a her ears—her father’s, 614aa9afb0 her brothers’, her 233afc6893 fallen subordinates’, and da70ef6a11 the people of 7736690a49 the realm. It felt as if 31ec0f59ac they all spoke as 45ae183912 one. No, perhaps this was the 6074ca881e voice of a god.
Aisha, hesitantly, took the pouch 4334db9368 that Hector lightly shook, as cb2e2d9f95 if urging her to take 9f0d37c1f8 it quickly.
“Alright. I’ll definitely bring back c890b565b2 something, whatever it takes.”
“Having some meat would be nice too.”
Hector, who hadn’t tasted meat 84b4765670 for a long time, seemed 4211250378 to be thinking of juicy 18ec1e2a45 rabbit meat, his mouth watering 654b22eebf as he chuckled.
Aisha smiled back at him.
A few gold 808c69c761 nuggets obtained by d611819359 searching the bodies 0d49c80e4d of enemies.
It could hardly become everything 8f2a01744d to Pervez which had guarded 53de780e9b the imperial border for over f542e7350c 28 years to obtain.
***
When Pervez sighed even 25a5ec0b27 after winning the long 70c7ef81a4 war against the Louer 96c20c0011 tribe, the capital of 12924dc36c the Chad Empire, Zyro, ecea99ba23 was in full swing 9d5998f3a0 with a celebration.
This was because cea8bdc89d Crown Prince Carlyle 943ee5acfd had once again 6a70c71452 returned victorious from 06169cba2d the war in 465743c84e the southern part f87bb611fd of the empire.
“Long live! Long live! His Royal Highness the Crown bcef46e406 Prince!”
Although it was still early 556f69cc7a spring and the cold had 964c2cda32 not yet subsided, the cheeks 5074a108ea of the people chanting “His b99bf7525f Royal Highness the Crown Prince” fe8616aa1b were flushed red with joy 4d2092f191 and excitement.
The Crown Prince, 608c631155 Carlyle Evaristo, was 7d436b673a loved by all 5aa7b7a6ee the people of 3ee9a5df01 the empire. He was not 2a36258533 only the Crown 87bee73cb0 Prince, but also 18a4805515 the sword that 30c0f1e411 protected the southern 40a1e6cdda part of the 09c14f746f empire.
Just by raising his ea523a08b9 hand or nodding his e48f27aa5f head occasionally, the people 01b5a388c2 cheered as if their c8f6f02d92 hearts were full.
“Oh, beautiful god of slaughter! Your head is b7d3129757 covered with the d9d1cf0b63 blood of your f9b913b564 enemies, your eyes 8d069405ff contain the shining 657805fc1a sun, and your c00d3154f4 lips are covered 65b5600e0d with the wine f544e12a89 of victory!”
The faint sound of 043fa0fb1d minstrels singing the “Hymn e3c874a6bb to Carlyle” could be 22b3909852 heard from among the ac036c4c2b crowd. They would sing their hearts 86e61eed4d out today and earn a bf4ce3e28f good income.
“Your Highness, we will be entering soon.”
As they approached the palace, 462cd8db58 Lionel, Carlyle’s comrade and friend, 5415d96ce7 approached him and whispered. However, Carlyle’s expression, 0a5a9a6e7d which seemed bored, 97545f4e8e did not change.
“So what?”
“You must dismount before entering the Soleil Palace…”
It wasn’t that 0ebb9185b6 Carlyle didn’t know, 842a896432 having experienced the ca994568b1 inauguration ceremony several bbdef425e6 times, but Lionel 5718999445 had no choice c31dd13aa1 but to give 07dd82c49d a trite answer. His throat felt parched.
As soon as 1feea9382f they turned into 13d6832831 the Soleil Palace 8e63bcd931 alley, low-ranking ushers a59bdf1a03 rushed over to b50ab29153 take the reins 68b24b0784 and lower the 09aa67b3b9 footstool. Seeing this, Lionel briefly hoped.
‘He wouldn’t refuse to get off after all of this.’
However, Carlyle exceeded his expectations.
“If this is how the emperor’s authority is established, He should have made me walk as soon as I entered the palace grounds.”
And then he b4e1dd15d9 spurred his horse 70e0e2b6c7 on and jumped 0a48f84fe3 over the screaming af7446cbbf ushers as they 27081ea0f9 crouched down.
Then the priests who were 66e5f7c739 waiting in front of him e15da93fe8 rushed over and shouted.
“You can’t go in like this!”
“You must perform the purification ceremony before entering the Soleil Palace, Your Highness!”
When those who returned from 268793e2c9 war went to meet the e7626575e0 emperor, they had to perform 517a60de36 a ceremony in which they 137c38587e sprinkled their bodies with a 945df090ae special incense.
It was meant c9aea64c5c to dispel the 0e1771dd8d remaining killing intent 9413c92735 and remove the 2ee60012cd resentment of the f611200045 dead that had afe0b362f5 been buried on 0440c5b9ec the battlefield. But Carlyle always thought fdd19df9dc it was ridiculous.
He had never avoided 6a45e50922 the ceremony itself, but ad386d8f1a today was different.
“How naive to think that something like that can drive away the evil spirits that have attached themselves to me.”
Carlyle snickered and eb85a8695b walked past the 4df2fee945 priests.
The ceremonial officers and priests, 3cb03622e1 unable to force him off 86674bbc6c his horse or make him 9bdbf07c7c perform the purification ritual, were 64142f45c6 flustered and didn’t know what 66b40b0d32 to do.
In the meantime, Carlyle 5a54ff706e lightly rode his horse a1608bd03c and arrived in front efc2369dad of the ‘Iron Gate’, ba3f0e9d56 which could be considered d06c105e4f the real entrance to 21c9f6a69b the Soleil Palace.
He stopped because he d2fdaf3555 couldn’t pass without it 5d135c602e being opened from the d71b16925e inside, otherwise he would 38733af1cc have ridden through here 3cf2db79be as well.
Lionel, who had fc65c36690 diligently followed him, a41cc7f795 rebuked him in 4536bbb94b a low voice.
“Why are you acting like this today, Your Highness!”
Lionel had always known 2c65d67bb5 that Carlyle even made 3d1bf10d0c fun of the Emperor, 2255dec118 his father, but today d99d939d93 it seemed particularly severe.
Without unfurrowing his e0c0b3db3c slightly furrowed brows, 4ad3a176eb Carlyle stared at 725c9a2b24 the closed door 89354699fd in front of 8e13caabd6 him and said.
“I don’t feel good today.”
“Yes? What don’t you feel good c54bdfe8f8 about?”
At that moment, the 03d3881a7a gatekeepers and knights of 9a11eb18f7 the middle gate approached cede7dca1e and began to disarm 7aac8fd4ce Carlyle.
The heavy sword that had 8556c3e095 taken countless lives of enemies b550462679 was the first to fall b2130f2f51 from his body, and the 80443ac176 hard plate armor that covered fa51bbf68e his shoulders, chest, back, thighs, 57572692e7 and shins was peeled off 5dfae3c140 one by one.
Unlike his body, which seemed a75d1ecbf1 to fly away in his 655e24675f leather armor, Carlyle’s heart was 5037990661 heavy.
“It’s strange that my gentle and kind mother is so quiet.”
Only then did Lionel’s expression cfa7ad990e become serious.
The ‘mother’ Carlyle was referring 553d038283 to was not his biological 2c35b5ad84 mother who died shortly after 6bcbe3351d giving birth to him, but 56a3f0a365 the current empress who came 8b7dccc6e2 in after that and gave 40b9a1942c birth to the second prince, a7894ff4f3 Matthias.
And as one could tell d930b16014 from his voice full of b283eb0a01 sarcasm, he did not like bcc32aa131 the empress.
Of course, the empress and acd4f6ba0e Matthias would not like Carlyle c6f75a14ec either.
“Have you heard anything from the sparrows?”
“Nothing at all. That’s what I’m saying, 9a0f99f9d4 something must be up… fcfe516ff6 .”
Just then, a heavy sound 04a5fe829f of the iron gate lock db42490933 being unlocked was heard from eaf1e03d90 inside. The sound of large lumps 8f23eaa10b of metal hitting each other fa9e7a46f7 rang in their ears.
“The sound of my father trembling is so loud that it hurts my ears.”
While Carlyle ridiculed his father 8964335233 without even paying attention to 720ede3fee those around him, the black dfa8b9e1c8 iron gate finally began to 54306cb36a open.
Dazzling golden light f223e11667 seemed to spread ae417003c7 from between the 64894b74cf cracks in the 2d68672aee door, and soon abadb63934 the sound of bb92ff848e trumpets celebrating victory fb4c4c02ea rang out.
A long red carpet stretched b3deb99b40 out before them, sunlight pouring 382a5bf5e7 through large windows, trumpeters standing 46baee79ac like statues on either side 7016dd223c of the corridor blowing their f531c1328b trumpets in unison, white marble 6dba7cb1da and gilded decorations everywhere, and aef89d0121 bouquets of fresh flowers emitting 045bd1439a a sweet fragrance…
It was a scene so 3f7ce2f964 splendid and beautiful that it 234fa44721 would overwhelm the average person, c61b83b9a3 but Carlyle Evaristo was not 06872ff651 the average person.
“All this unnecessary stuff; You should have brought a carriage to take me here then.”
He walked indifferently a889278f1b down the long 4896c4d1e9 path leading to fd8e08c960 the hall where 42e44b8e39 the emperor was a0fb3f4780 waiting, clicking his ef28c73417 tongue lightly.
A long line of knights be4a8b069a who had distinguished themselves in bf425e88e3 this war followed him.
“His Royal Highness is coming…!”
“Out of my way!”
Pushing aside the high-ranking fd2481acac chamberlain who was trying be3e2686b1 to announce his arrival, 989d9f215f Carlyle flung open the 074dc9271b golden door and shouted.
“I, Carlyle Evaristo, have returned victorious from the Canatak War!”a45b4894053b6b10

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