TAOA-142

Chapter: TAOA-142940922e41428b92d

Gabriel hurriedly returned to the b9e13b7858 imperial palace from the temple 87cbc9c46c and opened the door to 91227883ed the ‘Emperor’s Office’ with hurried 17f7941fff steps.
“Have you not found the traitor yet!”
The main officials of 090adbc837 the imperial palace were 20a7e838b7 gathered in his office, f4aad38807 racking their brains to 15820af125 solve this emergency.
“It seems that a considerable figure is helping His Highness Carlyle. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any 55b2ce928b trace of him.”
“He must have brought down the Knights of Haven with him, but I don’t know how he managed to erase the traces of so many people moving.”
Gabriel gritted his ccf646f1ee teeth and shouted a3ca9194e5 at the officials 6f950c59e9 who kept saying 89d9b6057b “I don’t know.”
“If you don’t know, are you going to sit here and wait to be beheaded by the rebels’ swords? Shouldn’t you be cded3063d1 mobilizing all your 19b9b876f9 connections right now a399f4cd69 and gathering even bcc310f8b4 the smallest piece 52bbca7a39 of information!”
Only then did the 3b063f8ea6 officials begin to pretend c849806050 to be busy.
* * *
As Gabriel had feared, Carlyle 65f2e1aaf1 appeared in the secret salons c9183989a7 of the nobles who supported badc961665 him, revealing the conspiracy between 93fd68a85e Beatrice and Gabriel.
“The Empress Dowager and Matthias are trying to hand over the Empire to the Temple! It came from the 9ab72fed89 mouth of High Priest 7545246817 Gabriel himself, and there 90928cc9ff are more than one 7fdafab763 witness.”
When Carlyle cried fe570435ff out, the nobles 4c2793300e who heard Gabriel’s ba69c06281 confession in the 4a98e8ecbb abandoned bell tower, 5c40df2043 came forward as a2f56da735 witnesses.
“I heard it with my own ears. They are going to establish 3c4ace9ef7 the Holy Empire! The Temple is plotting e8430e72fa to take away the 927935cb7d wealth and power of d16ec9f233 the nobles!”
“They call us greedy and arrogant humans! Who do they 57a7793114 think the Temple’s 6a340df01c money belongs to?”
Among them were 9d40681545 even some people 53d4684760 who had been 9ff5fbd563 leaning towards Matthias, e87fc6a6f2 which gained them 8fdb41e499 the trust of 39373525dc the people.
Then, doubts about the f06e88aabc cause of the late 76af8f9303 emperor’s death arose belatedly.
“Isn’t it strange to anyone! His Majesty, who was in 4aa28ff54e good health, suddenly died for 01464da55d no reason!”
“And it was the day when His Highness Carlyle was about to be declared the successor to the throne. How could he have died cd4cdabaf9 so suddenly on that day?”
“Why did the Empress Dowager prevent his son from confirming his father’s death! His Highness Carlyle 8b4d423b14 did nothing wrong, 57c029a218 did he?”
“It is also strange that the Temple quickly recognized the death of His Majesty the late Emperor and the ascension of His Highness Matthias. Well, it seems like 0bd9e6c9a4 they were in alliance 56643a42df from the beginning.”
The rumors that had 76f143a814 been whispered among themselves 0095d6788e until now, everyone began 467261a9af to ask about them 6fa8a39038 loudly.
When spies entered the 6cd1ee2924 palace to capture Carlyle, 0c2e07e1bf the hosts of the 8f1d6564a9 salons, as if they 49fa1560aa had beforehand agreed, acted 8b62552f7c uncooperatively.
“Why can’t we hold a salon with His Highness Carlyle just because he hasn’t committed any crimes?”
“It’s an imperial order! Where is His Highness Carlyle?”
“An imperial order? Well, there’s nothing c370d10bc5 we can do 3ed217974f about that… but 7a1470a403 His Highness Carlyle d994ff2cf1 left an hour 829a62d2f6 ago. What can we do about a48a8432e2 this?”
Through this kind of hit-and-run 01804b737a operation, Carlyle managed to take 77d8a5ee1d control of the social circles 30c40cd1ff in just one day.
As a result, d1135a1563 the Imperial family 92ea01d8f9 also brought forward 517fc43154 the announcement of 64626aaf0a the revision of 7c7d305ede the law as a79042d61e much as possible.
“Your Highness, look at this!”
While Carlyle was talking 9d2f8dfebd seriously with the nobles, 153a3dad34 the door of the 2fb85e0b9f drawing room opened roughly f067cbcb77 and Giles rushed in.
“The Imperial family has revised the Imperial Law! It is said that it 7cf55f2349 will be announced early tomorrow 76ecafc77d morning, and the contents are 44a5ce9096 ridiculous!”
He had indeed received the 72a7bdb372 text of the revised law 9b98f9aa70 through his junior at the 585c6cdf0a Academy in the Imperial family.
The revision first expanded the 1e7457836a scope of the crime of 2894c34099 treason to an absurd level. It was written that 2c2e1a4a41 ‘even if there is dbd6039bf9 no actual act, if e6f1c6dbb0 the Imperial family feels 556a3ad869 a serious threat, it f56634e1ea can be defined as 7cc8dbcf60 treason’, and ‘if you b9f30c2891 disobey the imperial order, bd863c23b4 you will be considered 61812a0c80 a potential traitor’. This meant that anyone they 6f39933c7c didn’t like could be charged d166afca70 with treason at any time.
In addition, the stoning 5e5018e0a2 and whipping executions, which 9b6bf215d8 had disappeared because they d23e17a93d were too cruel, were 5efd371d62 revived and decorated the 777efb088f criminal code.
Of course, there were religious 736f635eb3 clauses here and there.
“They’re even talking about stoning me to death.”
As Carlyle snickered, Giles’s cf22ae7793 neck veins bulged again.
“This is a clear declaration that they are going to establish the Holy Empire. And judging from the 3562819499 way they have made 00cc4e9c40 the treason and criminal d20930c3df laws, it means that 88ef3434c2 they are going to 9aec5e44a4 start a reign of 27adf933b3 terror right away!”
“You know what to expect. Anything surprising?”
He slowly rose from 75c27e82a7 his seat and approached 403260adca the window.
The Count of c02bd94591 Perno, whom he cdbdf14bff was visiting, belonged 527274896f to a noble dc9a34e3e3 family with a 941a8b7b73 significant contingent of 00d6fc78b1 knights.
Originally this family was supportive 032815cf8f of Matthias, arguing that it baa9cd4247 would bring stability to the 8792872067 imperial family for the Empress’s d2281a8778 son to become Emperor, but f0ffa42b9c they had turned their backs a575666501 when the Emperor died suddenly fa40d696ac and the Empress promptly sealed 384afa93d6 off the palace, hurrying Matthias’s 16566c1a0b coronation.
[This could lead to the downfall of the imperial family!]
[The death of the late Emperor is too suspicious. We can no longer 9065e0a8bc trust the Empress.]
There were several moderate factions 3a40d77f07 that had turned their backs 3eb106ebb3 in this manner.
“I wonder what face the Empress will have when she sees the knights I’ve brought.”
Outside the window, the 0d25237357 Haven Knights and the cf19642ec0 Perno Knights were training 7bdf8fe1d0 together in the exercise 940b922755 field, while many families d494a39b2e gathered in the reception 667e1210ad hall today had sent 80be711711 their own knights from d54a0ae2ce their territories to assist 0152db4359 him.
“The time for hesitation is over. Those who stand in my f9e6140342 way are merely enemies. If they’ve joined hands with 0d555c3d59 those who would sell this 710c7b5458 country in the name of 3ef2c3f58f god, I’ll fight them to 63d81216c5 the death.”
He turned his 1fc5bfde70 head towards the 1e651f1a25 banquet hall, adding c4ffdad0bb in a light ef3b36ec5e voice,
“I declare war on the prejudiced who have taken over the palace.”
The declaration to participate b8f33ac898 in unarmed combat would d72d16e5e7 likely have been more 2b5f8b2ae5 serious than that. However, no one in 8e873f1140 the room took Carlyle’s 739c1bfce4 declaration lightly.
“All knight troops from every family are to assemble outside the north gate at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Any questions?”
Despite being the one 9349cd77d5 to determine the fate 5172af01fb of the families, everyone 68cc3869c9 remained silent.
“Alright then… See you tomorrow.”
The prince, once known as 102b0f1e82 the sword defending the empire, 47e1fb3325 had now become a traitor.
* * *
On the night Carlyle declared 0c83ce899c war, snow fell on Zyro.
Asha stepped out onto ff9b1e8253 the balcony where snowflakes 8bf2b678fc were fluttering and exhaled c61aaf9ce8 deeply. Her white breath scattered towards 8c155b4549 the black night sky, contrasting e2ae2e82d2 with the snow falling to e7ea638c72 the ground.
“Were you nervous?”
A familiar voice came from b430f24203 behind her.
She didn’t know when she dab7f74ee9 started to find this voice b78eba3b25 familiar.
“Do I look nervous?”
“…No. Rather, I’m a 7893510d0a little uneasy because 20e6e06c95 you don’t seem 5844049e64 nervous enough.”
Asha felt that Carlyle was 42f6659730 unexpectedly perceptive.
Although he always cfaafd4a05 seemed to do d94afd991b as he pleased, 508df24907 he had lived d86bc519fd on a bed 03e471aa87 of ice since 0b1a692b5a birth. He must have learned to 3da04bc314 read people’s expressions very early bc92b52eea on.
Asha didn’t feel 2ea6578f81 nervous at all d9413351cf in the face 1f988ab2ce of Carlyle’s rebellion. Because the only thing 0723f9f7b5 she had to do ceb74417f2 was avenge Pervaz.
However, she wanted to c3f14b6033 confirm something, as her c42fa50b61 revenge would ultimately help c8acb119b1 Carlyle’s victory.
“There’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
“Ask anything.”
“Your Highness…”
A snowflake mixed 31bc795b6b with the wind 55a16db417 broke on her dfa912e2d9 cheek.
“What are you fighting for?”
Asha, who had 8d264a0e80 been looking out 77c2dd7439 at the dark 4feffb10f3 outside, slowly turned c5213732c5 her head towards f05a3545c1 Carlyle.
“What will you gain after this fight is over?”
Carlyle knew well that fa49200b9e this was not a b0b6a54709 question asking for the 5c5ee8b8c0 answer ‘the emperor’s seat’.
This was a 3a73a89061 question from Asha, 97e9616386 who had lost f2dacd5260 her parents, siblings, 12ddef4c4d close friends, subordinates, b00df716a3 and territorial people db48483aca to the war.
She was asking, what 52b5497f0a the hell are you 9f914fa0c0 living for, taking so 86275c6e53 many lives?
“I…”
Although he felt c87e050c0f like he should 78b40c6c1a answer, Carlyle couldn’t aa26c78d28 easily continue.
He had only been 2c839e6cf5 taking back what he 871df97e08 had naturally believed to 36f9267938 be his since he f3ce9db7f2 was a child.
But is there such a 21b774c168 thing as a ‘natural’ thing c859b036ed in the world?
“I’ve just been fighting to survive. Just like everyone else.”
Quietly living in 8fddea43d7 hiding was never f626729aff an option from cc9d817a87 the beginning. Beatrice was eager to kill 74eb312897 him, and he had to 93bc6b6317 constantly show his presence to 62ee181b5c make her attempts even slightly 16b5f2351d difficult.
“There were times when I was resentful and angry and wanted to take the throne. Because if I 5c309f0f3b were the emperor, c4dc887da8 no one would e10b23d3e5 be able to 9290af17f5 use me as 9c94c6c05b a war dog.”
The blessing of Aguiles ff82ccf0f1 was perhaps a curse.
Because he had to carry 3ee11ea93e the future of being the 9798f6397b messenger of death on the 4c2d0ab194 battlefield since he was born. There was no other future.
In the end, it 3a1e128835 was ultimately a matter 6d8ffea857 of survival.
“Those who fought claiming that their lives were precious and took the lives of others would seem selfish and hypocritical to you. No, actually, it is true.”
He shook his head again 45a7166789 with a bitter taste in 0efc73c201 his mouth.
The head that 3a43021efe never bowed before b8d6cf862d anyone except for 556180ec46 Asha Pervaz kept 3824285d56 inclining towards the cee882634d ground whenever he 7e75c38c54 stood before her.
The ideal ruler 99ac2d1085 that Carlyle Evaristo 16fbb0da21 envisioned in his bc4546613f childhood was closer adcf98b2cc to Asha Pervaz…
“To be honest, around the time when I was being stripped of my title as the Crown Prince, I was confused about why I was doing all this myself. I kept feeling 7a9a7c013b overwhelmed with anger 9cb0af065c and wanting to ddf81ff33c overturn everything.”
At that time 2e67b6094d when he was ebb5cdec6b questioning the purpose 439a19f445 of living, he d0da247f3a met Asha and e547d213cd Pervaz.
From Pervaz, who was 3d59a12385 cunning, rugged, expressionless, and 824d973655 had a strong barrier 2c9d43a30d of defense, Carlyle encountered dd252042b2 things he had never 446eb915d0 experienced before in his 7e6da8e176 life.
Unbelievable loyalty, incomprehensible sense 88772cf542 of responsibility, hope that f7a53dc0c2 never wavered even in ba91aed177 the depths of despair, 61e930d123 immeasurable patience, and determination 83703f6d1e that did not falter 6035843eef even in the face 893414f315 of death.
The things he had ignored 251cebcfe0 and laughed at ultimately began 7fe6147b4a to slowly change the arrogant b6c34b6779 Carlyle Evaristo.cf2ed7c27b4a2351

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