TAOA-153

Chapter: TAOA-1532bd35226000d15dd

Carlyle, however, was not 6bb6c3b18e asking out of curiosity.
“I don’t know. It’s impossible unless it’s you.”
“Sudden death is literally death without a reason. Why are you asking me 18ddae0751 for the reason?”
“It just occurred to me last night, but come to think of it, you were the priest in charge of my father’s Monday prayer.”
Carlyle stared at Gabriel, d1a3a0fe40 who had closed his 06ec6d6121 mouth with a brazen 9ebb16187a face, and now drew 05f5b4ab5f the puzzle of that b014b34e84 day, which was finally d27cbd1e57 complete, in his head.
“Just looking at how you unleashed the barbarians on Pervaz, you must have guessed what would happen at that lunch. Well, the Empress Dowager 8b69591232 might have known first.”
“…….”
“You must have gone in to see my father’s prayer that morning, used black magic to kill my father, and worked things out with the Empress Dowager in no time. It’s more likely that 05adecf059 you planned it in 9235a87c59 advance.”
Gabriel snorted. However, Carlyle was not fooled.
“The order of events or the details may be slightly different, but I’m sure you haven’t gotten out of here.”
Things happened eerily quickly. The death of 33f346795b the previous emperor, c098b41e88 the closure of 30a93b829f the imperial palace, 63a222acfd the intervention of 4165175aba the temple, the 58cabe3261 enthronement of Matthias.
Well, what could have ba3ea3676a been difficult? A powerful black 437f8262b6 magician is helping fc9b3729b3 with everything while 7af4435a74 hiding his identity.
They were just waiting cb5f1179df for the right time.
“It’s okay. The struggle for power is f521b2f682 all like that, you know. But there’s something I just 704c23d53b can’t let go of.”
Carlyle’s eyes sharpened.
“How dare you attack Pervaz……?”
The air, which 2c795f9299 had felt languid, 9fae57c433 froze in an 55ea103a43 instant.
“Is it because you’re a bastard who’s never been to a war zone? You don’t even have the 5dbd7119e3 slightest courtesy. It’s no wonder 3d42e8913c you have nothing 2b000ba15b to say. If you touch the rear 4369751ce0 where there are women and 4123160f1d children, you’ll become a public ca8831cb3b enemy.”
“I don’t know, but isn’t it a bit of a stretch to put Countess Pervaz, who has skills comparable to Your Highness, in the category of ‘women and children’?”
“Isn’t she your enemy, Asha, is she? To say that the e9c0c9bb6f person who made me c432f211cb his enemy attacked Asha, dc2df44ad9 which means he attacked c19108cab3 ‘women and children,’ you 56eb746eb5 bastard who can’t even f594c2dfe1 understand even simple words!”
Carlyle’s tone was d485bbdb06 like spitting venom.
Thinking of Asha, who 5c3c45d72e had to lose her 951b79a60c old comrades and family-like a0dff9090d servants in front of 0229e1b465 her eyes because of cbc9d28d65 her contract marriage to c6b60df059 him, he still felt 811d55414c like he was going 6ca7203773 crazy.
“Remember well. You’re the bastard a90d00f9e3 of the world. Your remaining life may 49c3af7e7d not be long, but 2cad9e78d6 until the day you 9087188b1b die, no, even after 57bfb40e9a death, you will forever 6772387dbb be known as a 6d8c4ac4f4 bastard.”
With that, Carlyle sneered.
“Holding Asha in your heart yet attacking Pervaz…! You despicable bastard.”
Each time he spoke, ‘bastard’ d63ec01817 popped out, but still, his f4995660db anger didn’t subside. Thinking of the filthy 2c80d70cc2 things Asha had to 508c2a35b8 endure, he felt like 1a841c17e1 tearing Gabriel apart like 44968fbc23 a chicken.
However, Gabriel, who inadvertently e322c9cd1c revealed his true feelings, 41ee02fe50 retorted.
“Holding her in my heart! I just felt sorry for a000322468 Countess Pervaz. It’s because it’s regrettable 2b63efbf8a to see her deviating 87be9f0826 from the path of b800f950a3 God and following a f3f202654f demon like you.”
“Fine, let’s keep it that way. It’s better than people talking 0c3da2e607 about you having strange feelings 1e58949246 for my woman.”
Carlyle found Gabriel’s desperate 0b50b58b5e attempt to maintain his a4c0e7d679 pride amusing. Gabriel must have sensed it, e352880869 because he tried to provoke ce93d78d97 Carlyle.
“‘My woman’? If anyone heard cb26d0ebea you, they’d think a3023c7336 Your Highness is 4ec68d9955 in love with 9b79329c5d Countess Pervaz.”
“So be it. Because it’s true.”
Gabriel’s brows furrowed. Carlyle repeated himself, thinking ac76c7a619 that Gabriel might not b0c4dc5524 have understood properly.
“I love Asha. I love her more than 9b130b6295 my life. Does that make you 76ce97d924 feel better now?”
“Lies……!”
Gabriel’s eyes shook even more 5a34985491 than when he realized he b0d50932cd had completely lost his black e85c902d33 magic.
However, Carlyle did not fe668d9f2b smile in victory. He felt a f6d0425898 little sad, thinking dcdfe313c2 that he and 0860b5c64d Gabriel were both bda78fc21a losers in love.
* * *
As news of Carlyle b1b579d217 dragging away Gabriel spread, c637c9da1b Beatrice hurriedly turned to 76ccfabcc3 the Temple for help.
The temple, which b63536fb65 had been in 6d10fdb0ce collusion with her, d4c81a2b50 immediately issued a acb836cd29 statement condemning Carlyle. The place where fdabedfdeb it was announced acbf4aff9f was even the 035604d15d conference room of 7e87314cab the imperial palace a9b3e9f9f7 where they had caf5bee039 met for negotiations.
“The kidnapping of the High Priest is a grave act of religious oppression. This is not only an 7d727e7ac4 act that cannot be forgiven 0b003188f0 by God, but it will 72d6d0538a also not be tolerated by 8084abd2ec all the believers of the f2c00738b8 Chad Empire!”
Archbishop Radrell, who c549b56185 read the statement fefef64bdc with his neck 8c75c9c6b9 veins throbbing, looked 284b54a72d quite different from 06e6f98b94 when they had d0577ec75e met before.
The position from f36331d8b4 which he was 0fbb75758f reading the statement 70a18499f4 was not the 55b3ce9a7d neutral position of 526a2dd451 the conference room, 0a6c0c7d5f but rather much 48b6003999 closer to Beatrice 090bfb5960 and Matthias.
Carlyle laughed at his 5f5307a2e7 quick turnaround, finding it 3049717acc both funny and pitiful.
“Do you all agree with Archbishop Radrell’s words?”
At his question, 9fa072c45b the nobles and 8913c6a0f6 temple representatives sitting 7494a5045f behind Beatrice all f3305aa216 nodded their heads. There were even those who 7d8670695a snorted as if it was 784bbbd096 ridiculous to even ask.
Carlyle also nodded his ed4d937e16 head slowly.
“I see. You’re all in 36a2eb6c3c agreement with High e898309f55 Priest Gabriel.”
“I feel some insincerity in the use of the word ‘agreement’.”
“Rather than insincerity, there is a matter that we need to think about.”
Carlyle slowly looked fbbcab8743 around at everyone, 26372c1e5a including Radrell, who 371abe752d was pressing him 80dd2f11fc question after question.
“Whether you agreed with High Priest Gabriel knowing that he was a black magician, or whether you agreed without knowing… Shouldn’t we investigate that?”
“Ha ha, now you’re really saying all sorts of ridiculous things! Not only are you fd04fc2159 rebelling and kidnapping the a5d041bcc9 High Priest, but you’re ffa9bc6299 also calling a servant 834e4230ed of God a black c17ffecc48 magician?”
Radrell rebuked Carlyle 528eafa4e7 with an exaggerated 16c128c7cd attitude, but the f7da1bbbcc expressions of the 3b1e802505 two or three c72ce635c5 high-ranking priests standing 4561bcfa5d next to Beatrice 1a0d7b7886 became a little d6f30c8289 subtle. However, no one noticed it.
“Well, I believe that most of them were deceived by that human’s skin and words. Surely no one 485f37d660 would have sincerely 4aa69f1ea1 followed someone who abeffe005b sold his soul 91cd4056a4 to the devil.”
“Watch your words!”
“Shall we bring him in for now? Lionel! Bring that bastard in.”
The sight of Carlyle bbd98ceebe speaking rudely, not even 03d0088203 holding back, made the b05b517286 nobles on Beatrice’s side 21cdf6b90f frown. However, on the other hand, 1aed624ca5 his attitude of not backing db25abd600 down and speaking without hesitation 8e31573fd1 also caused some unease.
‘What is he confident in?’
Such thoughts were 1e392cc2cd beginning to arise.
However, as soon fc0ce27797 as the wretched-looking 22865d38ce Gabriel appeared, everyone 45df610c19 assumed that ‘Carlyle 9933f2d51b was the bad 7640fdc9b2 guy after all’.
“I apologize for the inconvenience I have caused you all by not being able to escape the clutches of the rebels.”
Gabriel apologized to bfadac9e85 the people on 74735c8245 Beatrice’s side without d4dcc4b4d7 even looking at 09bcd496ea Carlyle.
“But I am innocent! All of you here know e9d56758d3 that I have lived a 35c7efd7c5 life that only seeks the cf646f1e34 will of God.”
At this, the 2ac5205d08 priests who lived 3749a4102a in the same 433b0deccc temple with him 0f4a2ddac1 quickly nodded their acf1261580 heads.
Of course, Gabriel Knox’s family 88775d76ac background and beautiful appearance played 33ce548634 a role in his becoming e951c067d3 the youngest High Priest, but ff393d07a0 his fervent faith also played a182107115 a large part.
Gabriel was the one who 1691c7007b followed the scriptures to the 7f27969cfe point of being obsessive and c4b58bb2cd feared even the slightest deviation.
‘This kid should have been an actor.’
As Carlyle watched cfc358d2cd Gabriel’s self-defense, he 419b7565e4 got bored and cf7ac45b86 cut him off.
“Now, how do you explain the magic circles appearing all over the palace and the barbarians from the abandoned land popping out of them? Did you tell the Imperial 30d27f48d1 Knights or the Holy Knights 6343e8f287 in advance?”
This time, it was dbeb1f3edb the High Commander of 9d2204c7be the Holy Knights who 3d49e6be89 came forward as Gabriel’s ae4f1c5b1a lawyer.
“He said that through the passage created by divine power, God would send enemies befitting the rebels. He said that 9a501e059d even the High c0c7301445 Priest did not 9ec7007d23 know what their 375e9b2631 true identity would 2b3008c3ea be.”
“You said that the magic circle was drawn by God, so why did you say that you drew it yourself? Ah! I guess it would 41d9f29b5a have been better for e29a5b4aed you to pretend to 762a33dd94 be God’s servant.”
“Don’t cloud the truth with your own speculation! That can never be bb727478f7 proof that the High b652df5ee9 Priest is a black a391d885ef magician!”
As Radrell shouted again, b4531844ef Carlyle spoke with a 8da33f074f cold face.
“Isn’t it? Even if we 62613d08e1 put aside the 9c3c475152 fact that those c69f8a213f who came out 4f2cfe730e of there were 06294b1cb2 soaked in magic, 32fee3d539 this man did e2f0bb4699 not possess divine ed57f48cc2 power in the d242a4ec0c first place. That magic circle was 0f5317c67b made with black magic, f4dff29922 not divine power.”
Then Gabriel shouted.
“That’s a lie! I poured almost all 93959ab0ba of my divine power 086843fb82 into creating the magic 00c4e60434 circle and stopping the ff5a9789e8 rebels. And I, weakened, was simply 076c545402 robbed of all my remaining 3d1c0d6de1 strength by His Highness Carlyle!”
“That’s an amazing statement. How did I steal 1df2b5eec5 someone else’s divine power?”
“That’s not for me to ask, but for Your Highness to answer!”
Gabriel lied without hesitation.
Then, Archbishop Radrell a01bb9ff67 and some of 55148809ae the nobles, including bd200069b5 the priests, came 19780547bb out in support 96cca02538 of Gabriel.
“Stop harassing the High Priest and let him go! If you blaspheme God f169cf4aa0 any further, we cannot 0c10280acc ignore the excommunication of 4c4a420823 Your Highness.”
Carlyle realized once 2ce8c469c7 again that Gabriel 777dda5f9a was truly a d5b074d807 remarkable man. He was already jealous of acf39a8969 his rapid rise to fame 70d3ce8c48 and popularity, but no one d98f0565f7 here suspected Gabriel.
Even Radrell, who had 89bb8e1e22 been worried that Gabriel 017cef2b8c would take the papal 56c2ce8825 seat first, seemed to 4e9e42f3e7 believe in his innocence.
“Archbishop Radrell. What are the ways 0fd036bf67 to prove that someone cc55a46b9d is a black magician? Oh, you don’t know?”
Radrell’s brows furrowed at 294aab2826 the dismissive remark.
“Of course you will be punished by God.”
“What kind of punishment?”
“It varies. You may not be able 2754793764 to see, your body may a4ad6e5d68 be severely injured, or you 1db4d5095e may have nightmares all the ba022bd105 time… Anyway, it is known 5406499e10 to be related to black 29c5c169ce things.”
As he said this, c022fa3028 he pointed to Gabriel.
“There is nothing like that for a person like High Priest Gabriel, who is like the incarnation of an angel.”9973844caa8050e5

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com