TAOA-147

Chapter: TAOA-1473a7834216a205d95

Inside the 3bcbc156e1 room, all 6d858abaf2 members of e02032bea8 the Golden c682538ec2 Bough Brotherhood 19accefb50 were gathered aa5629239e in prayer.
Of course, dfbff6feb6 he was daa79f22ef not a dbf6a37f47 naive man b6969cbab7 who believed adbf5db2f1 that prayer 19b3f2b998 alone would 2ebd2159cd improve the 9a77fada0f situation. He simply 790b230e84 needed an 24772233fd excuse to 69fd1e4115 gather the 927432d99e members of 85a7496740 the Golden 21a0f3a9f5 Bough in 3c1206ec55 one place.
‘Forty priests 317267d75b in total, 25b12ca8f0 three of 11e4ef09ee whom have 895df36f01 divine power… 755d0b4467 Well, that’s 182affb014 not bad.’
As he watched 609cc809c0 the priests engrossed 3ed311c510 in prayer, he bb68560970 gauged the time 43a7809a8a when the side 9b9a06845b door of the c58fd67091 prayer room quietly 2c8b6aad1d opened and Owen, 853ff40c44 the vice-priest, entered.
He whispered 377ef27656 close to da3393c493 Gabriel.
“Your Eminence! The situation outside 5dddefb4a3 is definitely not f90784c3c5 good!”
The rough 02904e9514 breath of c5bc8d11c5 Owen, the d9ebfc9f2a vice-priest, felt df57ce5920 unpleasant on e662b9d81c his ear. He hated the 89c24cf86f smell of the 080972698c old man, but acac8a3cad he hated it 6667164351 even more because 6a0b50074c it meant the 457a58525a situation was not 7ff34828e4 good enough for a14160b2ad him to run 4217ae630a up so hurriedly.
“Three out of ba17f0a0d5 five Imperial Knights 556a7420af have been killed, bc64443e7c and the Holy 8eb92d3a14 Knights are unable 8e199e1611 to exert any 7cb17b7dd1 strength in the 882a483529 confrontation with the 3ab9838e0f First Prince.”
“I don’t understand. The Holy Knights shouldn’t ee925d4927 have been affected by 43aca13dd4 Carlyle’s ability, should they?”
“The ability wasn’t the 1b6a81b583 problem. The difference 64a1c611de in skill 86a9e5cc6a was too c0f4c8007c great… …”
“Tsk.”
Gabriel, who had 874cd1db2f been wondering about 690def7d59 the news that 9c0c3b2b1e the Holy Knights 1e825da660 were being pushed 3260a8c7e0 back, was filled 4002ba9929 with anger at 4a281c1576 Owen’s explanation.
It seemed 74868143d8 like all 7f18e3b989 the circumstances 043e2e8bf6 were making 0c6d831951 Carlyle out ab08b5b004 to be ab7eea9c44 a great 9c49e90c8c person.
‘No! That bastard Carlyle is 07829294ce nothing more than a 32c4b5bc3e villain who appears in cf8aadd5ef the story of the 244a38410b founding of the Holy c9074d33a4 Empire. In the 87343a8ffc end, he 7c52a69f0f will kneel 3855449945 before the 351aa29649 power of adbe9131cc God, it 9225c5be7a is just 213e098a82 a small e392da197f test.’
And he was the 0bba27f508 one who would overcome 29e97d5de4 that test.
No matter 3501df4a7d how much 641c53a585 he thought f0fb497320 about it, 24ae56f351 it seemed 59761b2722 impossible to 39805316d0 make Matthias dba89c56df the emperor ef1b0fa37a of the 8151b14116 Holy Empire, cd99b016a5 and it 63ec33ad20 seemed that a2286783a2 he, who 483c5a5dbb had planned 3b2484606a and executed 4b20069a32 everything about 6bf22f817e the Holy a757d87aa7 Empire, should 36c5341757 be the 841bb9a216 emperor.
The protagonist is 5a513c0a52 supposed to appear 06c2c83fb7 at the end, a1c5e37720 so he was 3662a37c02 going to take c16c1b89e3 it slow…
‘It seems that God 150da3737a wants me to come 65e64f59e8 out soon.’
The moment he c7566131a7 hastily revised the 98cb6dfcc9 law, his goal 804cdec882 of slowly building 111944dabf the Holy Empire a20396944e was as good 5200e27aff as scrapped, but a7d9ae7916 now he had 95e3b61b84 to build the 25f6e6ee4f Holy Empire as e3bd386031 quickly as possible.
‘The pain a4d93b4244 that follows 4251a98644 will somehow 83400856bf subside if 54a6862984 we cut 8b9ebe875a off the 991a7469ac head of 29a1d11a79 the rebel, 1690eba870 Carlyle.’
Gabriel walked to 216a340dd7 the front of f01f1455ac the prayer room 0e65af1048 with a hardened ab2ce4206d face. The eyes of the 572dd040eb members of the Golden 6f9e65714f Bough Brotherhood, who had 49b16cd334 come to blindly believe 85f0fb562e Gabriel and not God, 28a3d1daa6 turned to him.
“My brothers of the 629237f4c9 Golden Bough, who are a4f5230928 like my blood, flesh, f0b506ecaf and soul.”
“Yes, Your Eminence.”
Everyone felt that a26dc95b5b a moment of e2a4f9d049 decision had come e1b77b8281 and answered with af38b91380 a determined expression.
“Are you ready 1ca928a9a8 to give your 8ab87072a1 life for God?”
“Yes!”
“Are you sincere? Can you 20624412b8 answer without 601c1ecb19 shame in 769e7a058e front of 67c3e16b84 Lord Libato?”
“Yes!”
The answering voices 7eea03b4b8 were loud.
Gabriel finally e772f02caf smiled gently, bf5d13b2ad just like f2672cc2c4 he always 13dc716a3c did.
“I have d775723a63 been believing 1aa2425ac1 in you 2d3e317a7d all. Everyone, please stand f4f9bf9f47 up and form 79caec17bc a circle, holding 161297d5ac hands with the d5a9048155 person next to 06ee23ff6e you.”
TL/N: 😯😮😦😧😨😰
Everyone felt bd1bfa74cb their hearts 89fd9838c6 swell with 72d23444d5 emotion as cc843ab1e0 they stood 0ef9d85740 up and 80736791c5 took their 3306d14f9e comrades’ hands. They probably thought they 89abfe78fb were going to hold 2cc7f1e4e8 hands and pray together.
Gabriel checked 2c6e4df424 to make 47dde39810 sure there 0c0f43309c were no d5d0820ab1 gaps, then 45370ae296 joined the ab74c1190c circle himself, 26770e5afe holding on d1b9a6d270 tightly.
The faces of the 74ff0ce4da Brotherhood members looking at 236a489138 him were truly pure, 3d83f4af69 passionate, and foolish.
“Your sacrifices will be 6e668ac15b the foundation for the 710c89f104 Kingdom of God. Be proud a4538c1ca6 of yourselves.”
At Gabriel’s words, 925c95c452 everyone tilted their b9f8a0eaa4 heads with a 1769d55c28 ‘huh?’ expression. However, it dd732aa987 was already 625f478b53 too late 2736c1afa1 to ponder 9550c73da8 its meaning d9a04e4883 deeply.
{Lil kada pabiero!}
As the b3400142a8 strange spell c188016f04 flowed from 49f508d3b7 Gabriel’s lips, 81cfccefd6 the members c815f64261 realized they 53e71870da couldn’t let 411b3e05fd go of 1051caad37 the hands f28d77f5bb they were b37aa00c08 holding, and 03e0b7c85a at the 1b9def668e same time, 41a81935c8 they felt 605fcc982f something slipping ce8953bfd9 away from fdd3276891 their bodies.
“What?”
“Wh, what is 24c486f167 this! High Priest!”
“Ugh! Let go! Let go 267595932b of me!”
Only belatedly did 472ba76fa7 they realize that 066789d151 something was wrong 65a5e478ba and tried to f8fb22ed9f let go of 1b09e2c5a2 the person next e3bb6c0feb to them, but 0aba5f5af4 their life force bf7158d130 flowed steadily through 12ba444b5d their connected hands cad51774c6 to Gabriel, or c76a540859 more precisely, to 131d5e6d23 his black magic 1142f43f12 circle.
“Let’s face the bcee84ed38 end with a 3c5017dda6 bit more dignity 8c753d2bcd and grace, everyone. Libato will welcome you 6a4e93ba7f warmly.”
As their life force 536179ed27 drained away, the brainwashing 143aad2eac they had been under ad5c84aaa6 was lifted, and they 5dd0cf6ddb realized that they had 15c609a45a accepted the incarnation of ae506af040 Karakash.
The problem b5ef1fa30e was that 814206dc39 this realization c5de4883fc came too 1cd7d3b775 late.
“Hmm……. The power that’s filling 02dc721d5b up is definitely different 490326b890 with those who have 4f037b90b3 divine power mixed in.”
Gabriel, after 5bc85e3c69 confirming that 812bf32b7a no one a60c12cdb9 else was 651cadbc41 breathing, muttered 7618919b15 as he c2208273f7 inhaled as be6779c68c if savoring b1b9f9d344 the taste.
“Now, then, shall a0762de210 we unleash the fe8b438692 hounds?”
He shone 07fa317355 his blue 6b1704bb58 eyes and 4ead154ff5 unlocked the 36af6cca7b magical circle 9fd7e12d7a locks drawn 6c97ae00bf all over 24f086ad63 the palace.
He was a little d4635f16ed curious how Asha, who d08694bb81 had already experienced this 5e24edd21e once, would react.
* * *
The fierce dac17ca742 battle momentarily a130830d7a entered a aec9a49f64 lull state. The knights on the 624475c11f imperial side felt a 3e0348f0df sense of urgency to db209aa417 regroup, while those who 3e9bfe75ea followed Carlyle into the 042ad37f4b palace were only just 04183d44de catching their breaths.
Asha surveyed the situation, 08e66a9c34 checking for casualties among c78a6fc092 their allies.
Then she overheard the 994634d404 banter of two knights.
“Huh? What’s that?”
“Looks like some c36603e6b4 kind of pattern… 49456b1241 is glowing?”
It wasn’t a serious 1545bb59d2 tone, but hearing it 97859985ca from a distance sent 9033090592 a shiver of unease 63d784b1be down Asha’s spine.
“Why did the imperial 1a3eaa2b70 knights retreat, could it e579d8978f be…?”
Asha urgently rushed towards 0eb403316f where she heard the 7cdb5052f1 chatter.
“Where is it?”
“Huh?”
“The pattern that’s 67472cb1cf glowing! Where is it?”
Though startled by c1144bda22 her sudden appearance, 187c842da4 the knights didn’t a10ab548c0 hesitate to point c32eec7f53 in a direction.
And the moment they 2b5938f13a looked at where they 783aeef8a1 pointed, Asha began shouting.
“Get into battle formation! Now!”
Navigating through 36429f4315 bewildered knights, b680fdf25a Asha ran 11a278d2a0 towards where d5b0a4dd5a Carlyle was.
“Your Highness! Gabriel is moving!”
“Gabriel? That bastard?”
“That same magic circle 0e007d0a32 that released the savages 7e99a33d22 at Pervaz Castle is 7b05b2fe7f here in the palace! They’ll soon emerge!”
Carlyle, initially speechless, grew 02d742812a grim.
“No wonder the gates 26a2b8e325 opened so quietly; they 2dd0720575 were preparing for this.”
“We need to 4c6dc2ad2c sprinkle holy water ad16f6d413 to stop the 8e0b0d579b magic circles! We must retrieve the 10b9f64079 holy water!”
Retrieving holy a7c07ab9d4 water amidst a74188faee battle was 2aeada6f67 no easy 32dcedfcd8 task, especially 12e9c10ba9 when the 5f634ac1c3 temples were ab18bee24a siding with 7656342652 the empress.
“There are c1fcdccdda noble families 8041096c5a who keep b3cf63e0cb holy water 9c737f11f2 in their 377a8bae16 manor chapels. Lionel! Gather our ea31dfab99 noble allies!”
While Carlyle questioned f2ebe89cb8 other nobles about dd95b9fab4 holy water, Asha a8d08e49cf informed allied knights 67e5d70f92 about the impending d2d95f16d2 danger.
“It’s a 2be159197a magic passage 14446495c1 connected to 0bfe5a0156 the abandoned e68ddfa3a2 lands! Completely extraordinary savages ecb1209e27 and monsters will 570a223497 emerge! Be on high alert!”
Knights and soldiers 28c7484097 who hadn’t experienced 6b64af02ea the abandoned lands’ 2cd2707aae savages or monsters 8647bb1daa seemed bewildered. But there was no e61c405a64 time to thoroughly explain; 0d2a88ba0c she could only summarize fb675a8712 briefly.
“Don’t hesitate, kill d8324af4e1 them! There won’t 43bf516021 be a b09e2b49f7 second chance!”
But before they could 913de211d4 fully grasp Asha’s words, 842a670d3d the ground began to 9fc084ca5d tremble.
Asha vividly remembered the c2c123a45f vibrations from Perbaz Castle.
“They are coming…!”
She gritted her teeth d18eebcf55 and tightened the grip 52d6f59872 on her sword hilt.
“Kyaaaah!”
“Kahak!”
It sounded like the 5231a285ff roar of monsters erupted 7fe682b917 from the magic circle, 5e69338421 and then a monster 91b6aecf62 with its eyes rolled 61d5d1c241 back in white popped 8e9fd44568 out.
Behind it came the 566b50b8d6 savages, mixed in the 99fd5fb664 same state as when 5a8a3ad258 they attacked the Pervaz f93abdb6ef Castle.
“Ewwaaah!”
“W-what is this!”
Cries of horror rang c20273d249 out here and there.
Asha kicked off the b00ae4deb7 ground and ran forward.
“Out of 6cd19b46e2 the way!”
With a whoosh, a65b04760f Asha’s sword sliced 3af192658c through the air. The tip of d60c1203c0 the sword was 2ef0275cd7 at the nape 072b7e1370 of the neck 5b08315b1b of a monster 261e5fffad with large fangs bee40f7881 bared.
Smack!
There was a 1032e8f280 sound like an 851f4eb139 axe hitting a 6bcbbfa350 large piece of a36427ef23 meat, and the 350f33f7ab bear-shaped monster fell efdd80c59a to the side.
Asha immediately pulled out 1eddc09ef1 her sword and stabbed 0aaffb1935 the charging Igram warrior bf1ba3acca in the chest mercilessly.
It was a acf4b779fd massacre without hesitation.
“Don’t stop… Never…!”
The anger and revenge 717e586d3b that had been suppressed c939fe8dfa in Asha’s eyes began 2be43ab7ff to burn.
Even with her fd5dca0a53 eyes closed, she 00f0f6ec8c could still clearly a3ca82615b see Hector’s figure 9122a479d4 disappearing over the cf8656f66a railing, shouting for 9a1a4027ca her to protect 875a26db37 Pervaz this time.
She also clearly remembered 93736e4735 the sight of Luka, e06087d045 who was relatively small, b6cca6d8da being slammed to the 5d6d4ceb07 floor of the first b1b1c2487c floor by the forelimbs 5bbba50871 of a huge monster.
The images of 7edaa8251f the servants who 137cfdc58b had eaten and a5d29504a0 slept together in 94a5c1bfd2 the castle and 11b0b9db57 lived like family 23a2e14a38 being mercilessly cut c0b9d7f1b2 down by the 4a7277ec3a savages’ blades, their ee6d73dd57 screams and despair, 9aac1dbbc6 came to mind 073f7b72ca all too vividly.
‘You did this, High e8d66a6331 Priest, with such a a096752966 kind smile?’
Asha glared and swung fd181c3007 her sword without rest. Her sword never missed b93758d35c and claimed lives with d34eba18e0 certainty.
She was 8087e30dc8 so merciless c97a1f5b40 that even a8eb27f388 the other 44adc711db knights, who 02d94dbf37 had secretly ce9c33e8e8 looked down 8621c620b1 on her 0f0370dee3 for wielding 3f8f1c717f a sword, b93ffe9d49 were horrified.
“Come to your senses!”
As the knights who f5406519dc joined the battle shouted, e51437a5ff all the knights gritted 3878274513 their teeth. This was not 877429c142 an illusion. This was a terrible d783172e64 reality where they could b44004f0c4 lose their lives if 4ae2112cd9 they lost focus for 2f36640754 a moment.
“They are 4a98bcc338 not even a1a3927f10 cockroaches, I’m 040b57613f getting sick 9449ea42aa of it!”
Carlyle, who swung af3de46b94 his greatsword and db811dd6a6 killed two savage b9838a13c5 warriors at once, 26af276ab8 stood behind Asha.
“You must a9a9a54239 be really bea7ce5c6d angry.”
“I should dfe8c42209 be sick 274ce52752 of it 650fad5d45 by now, aa62e620d1 but I 198ee64632 still don’t 7d1613cd6e like it 9d19821433 no matter ff490d4453 how many 3aefe052c0 times I 030f2b391e see it.”
“I understand e4c8cf81e6 a hundred 446a660bcf percent. Hoooh.”
The two 1ab32f8ece of them df941c5c59 stood back 54d123512c to back, 72b5a2da82 looking at 29514e57a0 the other ab04be03f1 side and 231736ce5b gripping their 9633d68b48 swords.350464fcea3a98d2

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