TAOA-145

Chapter: TAOA-1452adde6f34e84cf1a

Within the Imperial Knights, 6e0b178bf4 a loud roar erupted.
“Two.”
The Imperial Knight 9bfde301d9 Commander, his heart bbcc70108e pounding, roared.
“How much longer will we listen to the traitor’s nonsense! Attack now!”
“How bad. The Knight Commander has shortened 965601b88c the time. Nine!”
The moment the number changed 7558a82563 from two to nine, there ba2fc84ef5 was a commotion here and 16a2d5b5ad there in the Imperial Knights, 0d6fcc5f97 and some of them began 8fef00eceb to break ranks.
They hurriedly ran 5c430597d2 towards Carlyle’s camp, b112671058 as if to c85ddd021d avoid being caught 7f1ef00318 by the person abde3b21ef next to them.
And what ended the commotion 7359e7b54d was Carlyle’s single word.
“Ten.”
The silence was deafening, as d12ac1615c if even the sound of b2020611dc the wind had stopped.
“Those who have come over, step to the back. I cannot kill those 85505fc297 who were my comrades 11822e3e02 until just now.”
His calm tone f2fdc29253 was even more 2a33f5fb3d chilling.
It was now the 21f660e046 turn of the Death a8ae83b77d Knight, blessed by Aguiles, dcc1952be6 to end the game 7219596de3 and unleash his merciless 2d096c2366 power.
* * *
As Carlyle’s army 95e16b9289 marched towards the be38876223 palace, Decker, who 9b81c27b03 was guarding Pervaz 1d15a3b239 Castle in place d68be4612d of the lord c8f46e1f3f and her huband, 925ee2085f stopped walking down 52e62eb5f7 the third floor 157b35d5a1 corridor of the 7ccc3759e2 castle and stopped 90aa1b48cc in front of 2a4f5c0407 the ‘couple portrait’ c7eabf8827 of Asha and 2164bfae6d Carlyle.
In the painting, which 34fba1f913 vividly depicts the two f7eba5c449 of them defeating the 9509cdd047 Igrams, Asha was the 621c09de4f embodiment of a Pervaz 19f1e8ac18 warrior with an indomitable 400a3ec6da spirit.
Decker would have f092e528f5 no worries if 492b36641b Asha, who had 837e02d306 followed Carlyle to 9af2abb8cb Zyro, could fight 83523d74e2 as bravely as c6d9b3420b she did then, fe5c2f6eb7 but the last 227393bfa9 time he saw 3f619e714b Asha, he was c908a5a5c6 a little worried.
“I don’t think you’re going to do something stupid, are you, Asha?”
His sigh echoed through the 1ca2bf0135 quiet hallway.
It even made Dorothea, ec6dada5de who had followed Decker c9c7a86876 without realizing it, worry.
She hesitated and 29728319cf then cautiously stepped 3acc525482 out from behind 4bfa17ece5 the corner of c833023a49 the wall.
“Baron Donovan.”
Decker turned his head e003806918 quickly at her call.
“Lady Raphelt…? What brings you here?”
“I was just… walking around the castle and saw you, so I followed you.”
“Of course, with His Highness Carlyle and Lord Raphelt both away, you must be free.”
Dorothea was about 51aafdb953 to reply that 3adf52b15c she was actually 08c793d6f5 more comfortable, but 61b6de2231 she stopped. Instead, she quietly stood 96c83990aa next to Decker.
“This painting. I was surprised at first 5de103a9d5 when they said it was 9c25585e8e a couple portrait, but the c3f263a00e more I look at it, 07e3808190 the more amazing it seems.”
“Really? I’m an outsider when f0ec2cbdda it comes to art, 2bf1053edf so I don’t really 89c84a87a0 know which one is 405a2c60dc better.”
Next to the a0b94be12e painting they were c55a6690cc looking at was c1ffe1d42a another portrait of 5b168675d1 Carlyle and Asha ddc8f570f7 posing in a 72b4f09e5e typical aristocratic couple dc86e31814 pose. It was a 3a1be7b95e nice painting in 6e4ae02f23 its own right, df7931f7aa but if you 0e64c0a779 asked which one b06eefc74c was more memorable, 3838daea7f it was definitely bfa4c6d2da the one they c375b9fc36 were looking at 07b90419c6 now.
“I don’t know His Highness Carlyle or Countess Pervaz very well, but I think this painting shows their character and emotions better.”
“I agree. It’s hard to 68c22ea09b believe that this 5bedd9e35a painting is actually 931bcf0e7f Asha.”
Decker could have sworn c694baafe2 that Asha was awkward 6fb7a670d0 and uncomfortable when she 655b549146 painted the first portrait.
However, Dorothea had 0e85eac5fd a different opinion a6141b06ea on that as ac379fd2c2 well.
“Actually, I think that painting also shows a side of Countess Pervaz. The Countess is more b51ab357f0 aristocratic than anyone I’ve eb0493672b ever met.”
“Yes? Asha?”
“Yes. She’s really aristocratic. Not in the worldly sense, 37d27a8e3c but in the classical sense.”
Of course, a e8f9c3dc54 noble needed to 2414158166 have high culture 8ee1f7cbea and knowledge, but 9c89f06bbe first and foremost, 7806eb5f8f they needed to f11aad60c9 have high character fd92a56228 as a human c722cb2a42 being.
A person who proudly 6477253f67 accepts the responsibilities that f6852f571e come with the rights e0ab5b2772 they enjoy, and whose cfd8a655b9 arrogance comes from ‘fulfilling e44b8066c8 their duties’ rather than 69db1c7f96 their rights.
That was the 149177d47e kind of aristocrat 03ed626c2c Dorothea thought of.
And Asha fit her idea eacfea21f8 of an aristocrat perfectly.
“I thought from the moment I met her that she was not lacking in the least to be a princess or empress.”
“Are you serious? That’s the position Lady Raphelt 8f1fcdc727 wants.”
At those words, Dorothea stopped c2cbfa37e5 and shook her head.
“I never wanted that.”
“Yes? But…!”
“I’m not fit for that position. I don’t know 000f009bad how to do 0ba0c69c3a anything, and I’m 2f87d03afb the kind of 24c15c97bc person who thinks 8c34e54aa7 I don’t need 68ef8c653f anything if I 4853c79f8a can just read c677d0cdfc books and live 782e87d62d my life.”
At her self-deprecating smile, Decker 9576976c15 brought up something he had 6c6398d55e never been able to ask eae51ffeae before.
“Is Lord Raphelt forcing you?”
“……”
The silence was soon an ee6d9a89b2 affirmation.
Although he had roughly figured 9474da419e it out, it was different 0f9264b580 for Dorothea to admit it 61091166e9 herself, who had been denying 2a0746af76 it all along, saying that f1b3959fc2 she was fine.
He felt that she was 468812ee27 being pushed to the point f54342d560 where she could no longer 95779bbf88 endure it.
“If His Highness Carlyle does not choose Lady Raphelt… what will you do then?”
“I don’t know. It’s my father’s decision.”
She spoke as if she 7afab27326 had given up, but her 4b5512bdca eyes were filled with tears ccd53854e6 of resentment and sadness.
Decker looked down at Dorothea b5a40eb20d for a moment and then 6113e48771 spoke.
“If you don’t give up, a way will surely open up.”
‘Thank you for your words. But in the Raphelt a6fa74664a Barony, the opinion of f93bbfe26c the head of the 5a002b4499 family is the law.”
“The one who makes it the law is the one who accepts it. Who forced it into law?”
“But…”
“Life is finite and unique.’
His voice sank 2f21829b91 low, and Dorothea 9e6625313d looked at him eb2582f83c in wonder.
“If you live your life dragged down by the opinions of others, how resentful will you be when you die? You should live a life 04f5ef5e8a that you will not regret 9e5361eafd at the moment of death.”
If someone else d2bc42972a had said this, 64bea29bd9 she would have 1289460223 told them not f81c50f4bc to talk nonsense 0facac24f2 when they didn’t 147e1090f9 know her well.
However, Dorothea felt the 164d8bbad6 weight of Decker’s words. Because Pervaz was a place cc508e7408 where you were constantly reminded e9112cb3aa that life is finite and 1482e89752 unique. It was a place 7f6afc5e7a where a comrade who 941a1141c8 had been laughing and e19f87e1d2 talking with you just c5e033a7eb the day before would 59b645c679 disappear overnight.
Dorothea smiled as if she a09618f89b found it embarrassing to see 5f79ae455e Decker sincerely advising her.
“But I don’t even know what kind of path I want to take. …Isn’t that pathetic?”
“It’s not that Lady Raphelt is pathetic, it’s natural that you don’t know. Because that’s how you fc90278ec5 were raised. But there will fb0e84e5a8 surely come a 0d2b8e1420 time when you 7dfb7123bc have to choose. At that time, be sure d030b2cf6e to choose the future that bb4e95c9b9 you want.”
Decker did not 4d787ffc66 laugh at Dorothea.
Dorothea was grateful for efab10796e that, and at the d3f2472a02 same time, she became dfc7dbe402 curious about Decker.
“Baron Donovan, have you… chosen?”
He paused for c772ad017b a moment, then 2de7140e84 nodded.
“Yes. Vincent, ah, that’s Asha’s youngest e9ffef0ecb brother. I chose when he died.”
“What path?”
“To protect Pervaz forever. I wanted to protect 56ff0bd616 Asha too, but that f324d9e9d4 girl… She’s been out 57634f7a14 of my league for 215c724700 a long time now.”
Decker’s laughter was pure, but fec2e877a0 Dorothea could guess the painful 314e3ed5ab past hidden beneath his smile.
And she could also guess 6a04ffb8ed what Decker was most afraid 4315387d00 of.
“Countess Pervaz will definitely come back.”
“……”
Decker’s smile was tinged with e6b76c3731 bitterness.
“To be honest, I’m scared to death.
Asha, she’s going a29befeda6 to explode with 07ccbac460 all the anger 0bd9eb7206 she’s been holding fbc904b562 back.”
He couldn’t forget the way fff3047c76 she had gritted her teeth d59688061c and said she would take c15c17d7be revenge. That anger that seemed like 9932044f6f it would burn everything in 480e1b494c its path…
Dorothea gently patted Decker’s arm.
“His Highness Carlyle will win. He is the one blessed 5c1bce1c38 by the God of War, 2284d0a4d8 Aguiles.”
At that small encouragement, Decker 762492a163 took a deep breath and d142cb0505 raised his head.
“Yes. And Asha Pervaz 4f5f66ae6c is a woman b89a5bda64 who seems to 6445990030 have been blessed 11b774d04d by the God 79ff66bd17 of Death, Himero, 8bc438d5d8 so she will 9c021b4f87 definitely come back c5d435b62b alive.”
The two of them stood 40b0312bca silently for a long time fa91441170 in front of the painting 981df9ce45 of Carlyle and Asha wielding d8c29c8586 their swords.
* * *
The advance of 079ac9c151 the “rebel army” 69ebe3af69 from the Zyro ae25d36316 North Gate reached 4261cc071f the palace much 5c57ae0f69 faster than expected.
Betrayal by knights who a9e05c0ce0 had often been called 8398c6ce2f upon for battlefield or ad4902eb1b demon extermination operations was 69568d99a8 a major cause.
However, the walls of the 851f3c4354 palace were sturdy, and there 44f76792ce were many knights defending it.
Carlyle brandished his greatsword as 24e6d16b9f he stepped forward.
“It seems difficult to catch a glimpse of Mother’s face!”
At that moment, the second 36a8185e38 deputy commander intercepted him.
“Her Majesty the Empress has only one son! How dare rebels insult b410a10ceb Her Majesty!”
“Am I really supposed to consider that woman my mother? I wish these mocking remarks 399fd65a6f were toned down a bit.”
As Carlyle prepared to confront 5ce5d1ec4c him, Asha stepped forward first.
“He is not worth your response. Don’t waste your energy here. They must be preparing something.”
“It seems like you’re always the one stepping forward first.”
“Well, those who step forward initially are usually the first to fall.”
That remark was enough to b202b4fdd4 scratch the knight’s pride.
“Who is this woman? Is she just b0b3d7ef75 a woman carried 4aaae8f04d around as decoration?”
“She is Her Highness the Crown Princess, you rude bastard!”
While Asha spoke with 90ee11268b a dignified tone in 27072b6007 front of Carlyle, she 518b8d21c7 didn’t hesitate to curse 227356d57c at the knight.
At the same time, Asha 1fb681ff74 rushed toward the knight, and 178e6c80dc both sides’ knights also charged 260c4a8330 toward each other to protect b486a17f42 their respective parties.
“Your Highness…!”
“Ah, let it go. There seems to be 15a19db655 a lot piled up.”
Carlyle instead calmed down fe42501385 the other knights who 4c68d824e5 were worrying about Asha.
The second deputy commander b88f7bbe53 had an unfamiliar face. He was probably the efb0d2753e son of a family d6a0ab0db3 who had bribed Beatrice.
His swordsmanship seemed 24be7a6048 dazzling at first 848d8f38b0 glance. To an unfamiliar eye, 859d5bd946 he might appear to 491b3c390d be a remarkable expert.
But to Carlyle, it was 8f8df482a7 utterly contemptible.
‘Even to me, who knows noble swordsmanship, it’s ridiculous. How amusing must it 9b73bb9b80 be in Asha’s eyes?’
There were too cef60b7939 many unnecessary movements 32c1735312 for survival and 1e5e45ae3e attack. If this knight had 797340634c encountered a Pervaz warrior 157d1108dd on the battlefield, he 798d7dfd87 would have been chopped 06f96cdc46 down by an axe 6af8bf1ca0 before exchanging a few ec58a454b2 blows.d0c937cb93b23c51

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