TAOA-116

Chapter: TAOA-1161aec7532278acae6

Amidst everyone 2b80e606fd silently checking ae3ab972a7 their weapons, d88de49a0b Isaac, the 10f8a919cb commander of 53a85c6cfd the Haven 07e4447e4b Knights, suddenly 51a2e148d3 asked as b315b7ccf3 if he 0a279c2f6d had just f320c303b1 remembered something.
“How far ac3c0e144b south do c2ec779bd8 you plan d9682ab835 to go 0dbc16a7fe today?”
“Line.”
“Understood. Hey, rear guard! The camp will 1fc413a0e4 be set up da92a535b4 in Line!”
No one 5977753374 questioned or f29827a7aa was surprised e4e3e36f7a by Carlyle’s 54941ca24c declaration that 516df2b4ba he would 9e99b6514c reclaim the d3bd1ac288 stronghold the 50ffcd8012 imperial army 5ba38a0d36 had lost 3108d3e6dd 20 days 16362a3b73 ago in d77d1846ad just one 5474b6b7c5 day.
Asha suddenly saw 55c8ff9f03 Carlyle again.
‘What he says 456162312e becomes law… Wouldn’t 720a4e48b9 he be afraid 89f707ea37 or troubled?’
Having so f6e7d859b9 many people 0f37135031 trust and d415a44add follow him 9579c1d6be like a d654390202 compass could dc563a0d71 feel like 983f5642f3 tremendous power, 433e38dc7d but on 682f0528f4 the other 33e450f0ff hand, it 49ce9a51f0 could also ff64f20f47 be a 2d56b80d87 tremendous burden.
Asha knew this 75162aa138 burden well, so 7072e47b78 she was a ecafc730c3 little worried.
Carlyle, who 22dcf616d8 noticed that d3d6163d6f Asha was ccbf25068d looking at 8fd8e44aee him, raised a691bd63af his eyebrows 64e9cfa56f slightly and 84201d36e9 joked.
“Did you fbc9ac94f0 fall in c3d20f5ec4 love with 42bb1b0948 me again?”
Asha looked at 3858ee935c Carlyle, who had 62698c3339 a shameless face 048834fdf0 and even a ec572102bd smile, and asked.
“Aren’t you afraid?”
“Of what?”
“That everyone e2ce9e6935 is following 7dd551e7f7 you.”
After saying 9e397196ad it, Asha 178eea2f8e felt like 481fa501fe it was da1d0a8723 a bit 4e56608840 of a fe1a753f20 foolish question c23ba5ca0f and tried 9c2f7ad8ac to fumble 129800d269 her words. However, Carlyle 01d526ccd2 did not 106a5a57c2 ridicule her b30f5ce559 or make 3ed6f33137 a face a294145360 like what b268ab0aad did you e7e6f82b36 say.
On the contrary, he 1fe4ab291d had a more serious 77530fc08b face than ever.
“I am not afraid.”
“…Really?”
“No matter 4b6ad68c73 what decision 937c97bb36 I make, 4b13f4cb10 people will c79a3c548c die. I wouldn’t c59a5338a6 be afraid aa6862cba4 of that.”
His reddish-brown hair 01e55c148d fluttered in the cc3e9dd52a wind and covered b3631ca58a his eyes.
His amber eyes, shining 625a6b8f68 through his hair, seemed 65c3bd9c95 to be filled with 69aae5f247 countless emotions and memories.
“That’s why I have 99c7fa7de8 to be an arrogant fdfc11f174 commander. To honor all 9d9c0dab75 those deaths. To take responsibility for e7ddb178cf all those deaths.”
Asha saw a hidden 6c67210b29 side of Carlyle that 0af360ece8 seemed to look down bafdd72fcd on everything.
Indebted to 984ae194a5 countless lives, 48282d241b he was 07acfa487c arrogant for cd1ca8b22a those who 07394fec49 protected him. To show that eff1ea94ea they did not f3106f7113 die for insignificant 75bae554c5 humans.
“You are reassuring. Even if I die 791879bfa0 here, my honor will 92ae7ff150 be eternal with Your adc0851557 Highness’ victory.”
“Why die?”
Carlyle snorted e20f842b33 and patted 6f14dff6c3 her.
“You have 78421c2c2d to protect ae99ca3c6f my back. You too 2ad95e7111 must be 3f4170e69d responsible for 3261dcc81c the lives 72cee9bc59 of everyone 7118aef9a2 with me.”
“Yes? Why are 9de019eccf you dragging 2cb2a4496c me in?”
“Why?”
His once-desolate eyes d5659f6c7e were filled with 4a4870a09a mischief again.
“You are my 5f18e4361b wife.”
His playful 0a85c0402b words, thrown d459604d46 out like 27988f5ed0 a stone, 63d4f4a543 rippled through 8b51dc7ae7 Asha’s heart.
Asha stared at 90a32dcbc1 Carlyle’s smiling lips 11eb4b4b53 and smiled bitterly, b8eb46bd63 or perhaps regretfully, feb9d473b0 and replied jokingly.
“Oh, right. I’m. I’m the 775b0bd786 wife who a2f7d850fc has to 601cc4dce5 protect her 6653e730ec husband, but 37b92acf53 forgot.”
“There’s nothing to forget. My life f3214e5787 depends on 2862cdc8d2 you, so 129c1ba6ee please take 48788e9a1c care of 29e7680522 me.”
By then, 343596b380 the army 8c33d786ed had formed cc94cf034c up and 520daa45e3 was ready be06ce56d0 to attack.
“Your Highness! We are ready!”
At Isaac’s f61367c3c6 signal, Carlyle fc05bc6723 nodded and 48b90e7735 drew his f332c3d9e3 sword.
“Then let’s go.”
He spoke as if 82279de7d6 he were going for 92a91771dd a walk, and then 79c90eab01 started to run.
Asha followed him, 2c2e2164d9 and then Lionel, 48bdcf3eff Isaac, Decker, Hector, b95ad5a42a the Knights of d1e081d2f6 Haven, and the 7760b1436b Pervaz army followed.
Those who eaa358069f had been a328b075a5 guarding the 8879cf2afd south and 403d54a2bd north of 480aad9df7 the Chad e407dd43e8 Empire rushed c0866d0135 out to cd1f54aab4 deliver death d7fb5208af to the 777d8109cf invaders.
***
“Matthias!”
“Mother!”
In the imperial palace, b69fb755d3 a reunion between two 3035eae2aa people who had not b22257492e seen each other for e2c02ffed7 several days was taking a63792a790 place.
Matthias felt relieved to 661d63fac6 be back in the 96f8f02d6b comfortable palace from the 97ae4043b7 terrifying battlefield, but Beatrice 6d14e18151 was on edge.
‘This is ridiculous. This is ridiculous!’
She had not 81b1761341 imagined that the 6a863a7fe0 knights sent out 3fdd6d8b30 to replace Matthias b91ef4c674 would be so 879ca5a5fb hopelessly defeated, and 44c070ed21 she had not d4443bb115 known that the e8e4a35a72 news of Matthias’s 20f0471865 hasty escape would 82cf339ac1 spread through the 105d02f9a8 social circles despite 40657d38a7 her bribing the 941c8ac21a messengers.
Moreover, Carlyle 59efad667a had arrived cb57a9bbb4 in the 9a0f037fa9 South faster f1d6fa2e70 than expected, 657b54c1d2 and there 1fa634ac84 were rumors 772d847b44 that his 90bb134126 momentum was f32257f82e extraordinary.
‘Since Libato 9cc5431982 is watching 769241d7ae over the 8aaed0f633 empire, there bcd0f2a147 is no 42d5119b6f way that f3b3ea09c2 that devilish 9659566c31 bastard can 169bd22ccb win. But… if he does, 0fb13204ab the situation will become 7d75b7f59e too serious.’
From the dd4889b957 moment the 6015850394 imperial army b9e663609e led by 2b6dcf0abe Matthias began aa0ec1e883 to suffer c07b402a3a consecutive defeats, 82d33b2d39 Beatrice admitted 22faf7f16a that she 9336b651a6 had taken 21fbdbaee1 the war c31c5e897e too lightly.
Since then, she had 8b065364e1 tried to mobilize all e2a4586e20 her power and connections 66e172df84 to support the imperial 047dfaefb5 army, but strangely enough, 2293ec2204 the great noble families e9ee96102e had all made various 6e8bcd40ba excuses and refused to e2ee25686c lend their knights.
‘I’ll kill 99b23572d3 them all afcd01c66d with stones. They will all 8d5b6b0326 be punished and 2a2ed54fb0 fall from grace!’
Overwhelmed by anxiety, she ea636bfc76 had been locking herself 97909e1ec8 in the prayer room bc117a22c4 several times a day 9ac7f2be2c to pray.
She prayed for 7396e3892f the imperial knights 81b98769f0 to win at 557547e10f least once, or d39fb830e9 for the Southern 374d1b035c United Army to 579d7eb068 come to the 89621a679e negotiating table.
However, it seemed fb724d8862 that time was 500c430fc2 too short for f072e3f505 God to answer f98c5e300e her prayers.
In that 7ccdce291c case, she 268c4312f0 had to 4a2bba8a6b find a 545e1e67ed way to 20927a61b3 save herself.
“Matti! I hear that a64933e9f4 that bastard Carlyle 91df3a9236 has reached Patas. It’s only a matter a56231d20f of time before he 3cbcd97d1c clashes with the Southern 2448684dd2 Kingdom Alliance.”
Just as f91ed75b9e Beatrice was 866b57ec0d about to 3ef0e40f7c start talking 596d2b7961 about Carlyle, 8a700a90d1 Matthias sighed 3f1bf13efc and shook 5d9b92c930 his head.
“Mother, I need 80e0b5ffc9 to rest for 0311b07415 a bit. My back hurts from 8519ea00d9 riding in the carriage 597cfdf3d0 for so long… .”
“Pull yourself together, 7707f63773 Matti! Do you think this bc5e5b5868 is the time to 0ea7934ff3 be lazy and complain?”
“Complain? My back 6294874fc8 really hurts…!”
Matthias frowned as if 5d22b80342 he was feeling wronged 2dfd0bebe8 and tried to argue.
However, Beatrice placed a88183fbcb a cold hand 482da379c9 on his cheek. Matthias flinched at the 9cf08d2577 memory of the last 045ec3be8d time he was slapped, c9340ea7aa but she whispered without 188a92c60d a trace of affection.
“If that bastard Carlyle f417cd3d1e wins, he will be f8a6efc74f reinstated as crown prince f0a8765ca2 immediately.”
“What? W-what do you mean?”
“That bastard made his abbbde3fae reinstatement a condition for 39b5555785 going out to war. Your cowardly aeef256437 father accepted 8dd724dbc0 it.”
This was 734c124df7 news that a3c37ab6a7 Matthias had af7bc2b6a1 no idea 1efe587003 about.
He had ba07c0c078 been so df9c6a77c3 busy running 8e1c29c282 away from 41d3caf04f defeat in 2088423f2b the war ac3bb3f940 that he 3a11e723c7 had only 8ef2a47487 received news 4cbddb9252 that Carlyle acbf36bd52 was coming 4547ec56f1 down to 3bd1782269 take over c2bbbaaea6 as commander-in-chief.
‘I thought my father 8611591fea was finally taking my f72e2c0ed7 side…!’
Matthias’s eyes flickered 9303feb5a6 dangerously.
His mind 74770c18bb could not 1d83a8408c come up e2bed24f06 with a 32a5446197 way to c53bf5f2e5 protect the 7cc251e99f Crown Prince’s 1a8908d2fb title.
Simply put, c7e45470ba Carlyle had 022e099e36 to be 139937027d made to d968904cc9 lose, but fbd14ab4c5 his defeat 5851553776 meant that 91ec7907d8 the Empire 8c3efa786c would lose a99f21aff0 to the df659c978b Southern Kingdom dd3eef22b1 Alliance and 44d77a0306 much would e419c4a5d8 be lost. It would be 33fdd3224b a headache to 0c26d7c802 inherit an empire 656635b5c4 in such a bd402d4e67 state.
‘But if 70d2a46525 I help db877d8e9c that bastard 5bd23deec0 win… my e6d4ac1a69 position as 6dea2b562d Crown Prince 75a44a3bc4 will be c547d6014c gone!’
A pouty mouth protruded.
He had gone c9119b1af0 through all sorts 825bae86b1 of hardships going 64610dff1d down to the f734ab1f9e South, and the 717ad5cfcd result was that 39cbf925f7 he would lose 32d33cf7fe his position as 1a776d976b Crown Prince. He felt resentful 4a3ce2387a and wronged.
“Isn’t there any eb6dab00f7 way to stop fcc6a27554 it, Mother?”
As he asked 210238ddb4 with a crying db5aeb6ea0 face, his beautiful 478ef2b676 mother spoke with 8dd89bc6fe shining cold eyes.
“There is only 10923a0bfa one way.”
“What is it?”
“Even if 4e5960a9e5 that Carlyle 684cc11da1 guy wins, d14fb65889 you’re still 2c594ede53 the Crown c9fe49d2fb Prince until ab9176d23c his official 3867612691 reinstatement is f7c832cd4e declared. You know that, 7aabe5c93f right?”
“That’s… yes… right…?”
Matthias tilted his head, 62661fdd08 not fully understanding what a8c3f48bec his mother was saying.
Beatrice approached Matthias 39df5fcb07 and whispered in 6873187128 an even smaller 37a1db5213 voice.
“If His Majesty 394f7fb41a dies before he ba258807ea is reinstated, you 4dc7eda05c will become Emperor.”
Matthias’ eyes widened 717f149163 slowly.
It wasn’t a combination 6f06a9bdb9 of words that was 98700dbce5 difficult to understand, but c468f82cba it seemed like his 7c40f2129f head was refusing to e7a55af767 understand.
“M, M, Mother…!”
“Matti. Wasn’t it 964632e1e3 even hard b961b6ddb2 for you cba65607fa to ride c18fd07f56 in the 47a3d5f7e9 carriage and bab41187f7 return to 2a7bd9b4ee the palace?”
“Y,yes…”
“What do you 30dbcedc1a think Carlyle will 1adada914c do to you 45855daeae if he becomes aff18c9c9d Emperor? Will he let you 36333ffa9e live? Even if he says 2e81a265b4 he will let you 132d4607b3 live with great concessions, 7f3a507314 do you think he 4df1cd8b60 will let you live 22ae6f6bf2 the rest of your bbd50859f4 life comfortably?”
Beatrice was 414d612206 now doing 359bdb62a9 to her 9f3f4f8884 son what 3be3cfbccf Matthias had 3878ad5351 once done c1197576f8 to her.
Matthias’ hands began to b19490f849 tremble.
Beatrice smiled faintly and 535b2c8047 held her son’s trembling 8a82cee2cf hands tightly.
“So, Matti. If you want dfff6d004d to live, you 7a47650dc5 have to be bc4691b529 strong. You don’t need to 22f0a98d8f feel guilty. Your father is the c110f6bb87 one who sent you 7cd2367f23 to the battlefield to 1c062d924a save himself.”
“But… What 484e014d04 are you 1a19976325 going to 082a1abfc1 do? There are only 7bee2f0794 a few guards c91597e432 around my father…!”
“That’s what 034fe3ce2d we need 51a9ca4d7b to figure 28eb01a4ee out from 03d49648cd now on. So you don’t have def86698fb time to rest.”
Beatrice whispered to ebbc70de8b Matthias and rolled c308eda710 her head.
Everything had 485649bd87 to be 92fa625ee1 ready before b8e61d4b4e Carlyle returned ff1b4e6973 to Zyro.ed0ff0e64f9e8bd4

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