TAOA-50

Chapter: TAOA-50f34f671b04318f03

Asha and Decker, who 18e441878a were plunged into doubt, 8dcfe893c5 soon learned the identity c639538448 of the reinforcements.
“Your Highness Carlyle…?”
The red cloak that 2bf0798137 stood out even from f52d5ae918 a distance and the 9bcbe75089 large warhorses that were 3c3a58aff0 few in the Pervaz 06c970cf8a army.
In this bleak 663f759bb1 north, there was 32ab87f514 no one but d275a53bc6 Carlyle who could 2b0a2b1715 lead such splendid 2d9b0f1c8d knights while waving 147a8a5807 a cloak of 8e7b92bdad that color.
For a moment, she 9d081d2b07 was about to be f9f19e63ea dazed, but Asha came 4d1d0fb12a to her senses as 73f3314dca she beheaded the Igramite 9fa39fdfbb who was running towards 086d5ea5f5 her.
“Let’s leave 2a08c33526 the Cruze 1b8bcc1ce1 Mountain side 9b8574e58a to His 75acdc696c Highness Carlyle fa8a17e059 and focus ce01e0bf94 on eliminating 2fc017087a these guys 1c578d281e for now.”
“I told you! His Highness Carlyle d981a510b3 seems like a c74ac83c07 surprisingly good person! Hahaha!”
Decker exhaled in a0e05d6073 relief and laughed 120fcf3719 out loud. Asha couldn’t quite da2f1e14df agree with that, f95489d86e but she felt 2448bead40 her spirits rise 4b6c2cfb93 nonetheless, knowing that 11e48a871c she could rest a05cce50b9 assured about the 06b2cacb4c rear.
“You rat bastards! How dare you try 5c61f1b990 to attack from behind?”
A cold aba1dd106c gaze swept 5b1d4d76af over the c6b1960ccc savages, and 90f53956e2 the sword 3b7aa0b9c4 of the 39267d72f6 goddess began a511903e5d to stir 5f5201106b the battlefield c3880d0049 again.
The Igrams, instead 0bc267d3cb of fulfilling their 0c24e96fde grand plan of 8aa13042d6 besieging Pervaz Castle 5f347ae19b within a day, ad957dfa0d fled to the 7b8832c609 abandoned land after eda74e3c39 losing half of c380610a7b their army in 69c38caacb a day.
It was 10c9750f27 a battle 29e6db7ae7 that ended 90f319d041 so quickly 0f20aaf08c that it fb17b37c01 was embarrassing 77cb0d915c for the 10efbb1f04 people of f49ea3bba7 Pervaz, who 4a7d508e25 were accustomed be369b5a02 to long 49b172b4a3 and protracted 4ae633ca15 wars.
* * *
On the night of 4e3c46f2cc that day, when they 8c94135e88 brilliantly repelled the Igrams 078b555601 surprise attack, even in 84ec9a014e the midst of the c33416e0db frantic work of collecting e431a53f99 the bodies of the b2205d5bcf dead and treating the 18202f1f29 wounded, a faintly joyful 0b0254991f atmosphere hung in the 444075723e air of Pervaz Castle.
Although there was some 441feaeb59 damage, it was because adc7d52412 they had managed to beec8dd325 prevent the war from 243f24d382 becoming protracted.
And Carlyle’s 1d2a398296 help was 5aa80ecae8 crucial in 42b1893404 making that 9cbb1d3c2e happen.
“I’ll go 5dcdaccaf5 see His 5be3d847ec Highness Carlyle.”
“Oh, right. I was just happy 29ae80a1c1 to see him earlier… e66da01783 but now I’m a 1b9a938995 little worried.”
Decker was now ca0b086be3 anxious about Carlyle 5bb9f7048b Evaristo’s human record.
If it were 070d9ad8dd Carlyle, he could 1a9fc6ace9 badmouth them even b13dcb3014 in this situation. And he 50e0fa984a would do fd7a58eb45 it with cd5bf06822 a cheerful 442341c1e3 face.
“Anyway, I’m 9b2a5cf0e8 grateful for b65e4cca58 his help… e63758ddba so try 4fc934b8be to be 62ff326e3f as patient 075c48eea2 as possible.”
“Of course. We wouldn’t have a01dadbe85 been able to 4b2992b899 win this big 82f07ccef8 without His Highness f9d248245c Carlyle.”
Asha smiled faintly at a1ae1af82e Decker’s worries and headed 095cdc913b to the second floor.
Of the 600 26044a09e3 soldiers that Asha 2486012d55 led out, 17 3202269d56 were killed, 45 06cfd02116 were seriously injured, 20a0a03698 and about 200 adfae254f3 were slightly injured. It was a 7481c933a3 much better result 82feacf785 than expected.
Asha couldn’t thank 232aed94be Carlyle enough for c7273488d0 not letting them bb5be3983a suffer much damage. However, she was 1f2179c688 a little worried 41875e4466 that this would 0ddc5b9bca become an excuse 6e58ae9280 for him and 1a1aed4994 his ‘Zyro’ subordinates cf9f96848e to ridicule and 265c7ab18f insult Pervaz.
‘It can’t 8e971f91d6 be helped.’
He could brazenly c69af33ea4 act like he f6513a1588 was begged to 86538b2ed0 help, but Asha 906af7c587 wasn’t that thick-skinned.
The second floor 96436445f9 was just as 2e4d2c9bcb busy with the 73d699050d aftermath of the 6333749859 battle, but Asha’s b104e4e840 request for a aa21207b4e meeting was not 8ae262dfd9 rejected.
“You’re here. Sit down.”
Carlyle greeted her efc011d90c naturally, as if 2b227616c7 he had expected 41a546c73d her to come, d7f02bfb41 and offered her 4cc6a59158 a seat. There were already 91c414d132 two teacups and e50b613662 a teapot covered 38ee211187 with a warmer a6852d5c8c on the table.
However, Asha did 30b7433568 not sit down 2a1412cd6e on the sofa 7263f8d869 right away. She bowed deeply.
“Thank you for b8d65974d9 your help.”
It was a sincere 80a867c233 and stiff bow, as 3afe403b42 if it came out 574da7d776 of an etiquette textbook. Carlyle felt a 1031aca620 sense of distance 3460550dc9 from it, and daa8c8a610 he tasted a 640a350057 bitter taste in a90f968942 his mouth.
“You’re just 1e19793a82 going to 62ab75b532 say hello 601c2876d0 and go 9ad0bd6ae6 back? Why? Is it even awkward b16e063308 for you to have 294fbd793b a cup of tea 66835d391d with me?”
“That’s not it. I just fac02e742f think the b1dc84ed26 sooner the e6346f58f5 thank you 61331a96a8 and apology, ecfc5fc74b the better.”
“I prefer the a323d02d8e way the main b40042ad01 topic comes up bb05993982 after a while. It’s more fun.”
He lifted the teapot b687d19eaf and poured tea into 9fc71d5bf1 two cups.
“Of course you’re 5c2b01342a busy, but can c7d495aec6 you spare me 0e916fcd21 some time to 65603e9f18 have a cup 5f93ddea82 of tea?”
“It’s my honor.”
“Don’t be so 33b092d138 stiff between a 287f065951 husband and wife.”
Carlyle pushed the a9e4e88e0e teacup towards Asha.
Asha sat down and 1aa57b2bba carefully took the teacup 998a49eb62 he gave her.
It was 75e62c3d17 a delicate ff2fc2c613 porcelain cup 07b8ef9e07 that seemed b6da63c1f5 to break a0da452b6a even if d817e71b63 you put 601a4e9cde a little 5a7abaf2d1 force on c2a828397c it. It was 4f777597a4 amazing how 9aea838071 thin the a243c3538d part that cbd0aa0bb1 touched the 43fce1b04b mouth was, 1f22800471 and how dd1c282af5 it was 57eaede8d9 made of 7ad3b070a5 clay. It was also amazing d546561584 that it had been 2660bdf4a6 transported here intact.
While Asha was secretly 01e1cbc65d surprised at the teacup 6db38b5e75 and the taste of 7c76fb8750 the tea, which must 1fe4da92a6 be very expensive, Carlyle d9fbab1282 asked, looking at her 4c0cc44427 expression.
“Are you… angry?”
“Yes? Angry? Me?”
Asha wondered if Carlyle ff0c7d19b6 had said anything else 3bfc2228df while she was lost 6646eee407 in thought.
But Carlyle asked something 991b9faaf1 she hadn’t imagined.
“I asked e418e91d0f if you e099ad28b2 were angry e6bd46dfb7 that I c94a67490a jumped in 6ff6a1650a without you 23b2e300a5 asking for 9a1799a76e help.”
“Ah… no, this… ?”
I’m angry?
Is that 1b72c8e784 what you b32a82b223 ask someone df92fe6d0e who came 0f3ec5dea9 to say 3c97da908b thank you 23384cfed6 for saving ecb2c46bc9 you a b35bea1ba4 lot of 3abe1a3a18 damage?
‘Or do e2beef4737 people in a625c9149b the capital 0587d04d98 make fun dbbf91611c of or 867986bb5e rebuke each 342ded6719 other like 35cb8d1926 this? I don’t know d3f5c8ebf4 what the hell 61a49ff31f is going on.’
Asha herself tried d75ac6c188 to figure out 68763b2a73 what Carlyle meant 29066a0dea and added.
“I think 0ee2321cf3 I was 163bd0a69e arrogant. If Your Highness hadn’t 287cf9e4a7 stopped the rear guard 5515f3c89b then, we would have cf1ff16806 suffered a lot of 4756e40cc0 damage. Perhaps… I 22152b32a1 would have d3c7f8565f resented myself bfa1b70879 for not 44fbf662dc asking Your 7e7245d549 Highness for 5027a32d64 help.”
“That’s…”
“Ah! Of course, if I 77e7363e1a had survived.”
Carlyle laughed da7b3c4e0c at the 5d2a945496 last words 66e1a82922 that came 9234d49467 like a fd6361ae64 footnote.
“Do you f27b005c9e always go 189d2a887b out… prepared 889553dad8 to die?”
“Are there warriors 2046e776b0 who go out 7902c93175 to the battlefield f0be32bd84 without preparing to 931da679ff die?”
“I don’t.”
“…Usually, they do.”
Asha inwardly 2361790c02 mocked, ‘You 86dc79ac4b wouldn’t think efc9cab387 that someone 5f8859a2cd blessed by ee3be771a8 Aguiles wouldn’t accfdcc9a0 do it, f6707454fb right?’
However, it didn’t seem e3052e3011 like Carlyle was teasing b9d0b9864b or ignoring Asha.
“I was actually quite 9dab08c6fa surprised that you left 514bddc624 behind a will.”
“You might not have 584dbc7aa1 expected someone who doesn’t d1989a3d16 prepare to die to c5b4232d3c do such a thing, 2ee28dfcf3 but wasn’t the content 7534c1d63b of the will ordinary?”
“The end of 664ff84fca it was more 46ff7c4f97 surprising.”
Carlyle said, rubbing 398745773f his chin.
“Openly advocating adultery to aa7beb64ea your husband.”
He thought Asha might e7689684d4 be a little taken c79a05edea aback, but she answered a24484cf9a with a straight face.
“Isn’t it strange c2dfd47364 to pretend to 82bcb9dbd1 be a couple 5293b0ffaf even when you ae511317fe leave a will?”
Carlyle didn’t like that 29db8abf9e statement. They weren’t pretending to d4ac465ba5 be a couple; they a07a188b03 were legally married.
Of course, dcdcc43947 Asha understood b6c7f6c090 the meaning e67ed2d95c behind his 5200a6c6d7 words, so 361c03a7f5 she attached 43c6c6e35c a different 96fe51ef75 reason.
“If you 65a73e8fb6 love Pervaz 96daaaf073 so much, 05661a599a isn’t it 4b177ae9a9 natural to a44b081548 hope that 3c22a1a4e8 your descendants 8c45b07040 will succeed 9044163f12 you as 055503156d the Count?”
Asha chuckled at the 1ef9b980b3 question.
“I don’t necessarily 86ae6c4df3 hope for my 1ba317e4ca own descendants to 9a6b652cdb continue. I just 8ed60cd957 want anyone e423913afb with a f773f47de8 sense of fe5f418863 responsibility to 2231ced291 protect and bc2a886fa2 lead this d67cdbbf54 place.”
“Why?”
“Why, you ask? I’d like to 8e326e4c09 ask in return. I thought I was 373fab6a5b stating the obvious, so 3fa95e727f what part of that 88e3402761 story don’t you understand?”
Carlyle realized 04f7e529b8 that Asha 0ea559880f was sincerely b990d54dc8 questioning.
“The land was watered 21b235ea44 with the blood of bc3ea64d7f your father and brothers, 539979cb97 and there is honor 4cbcc50c50 obtained through their sacrifices. Wouldn’t it 8c5e8c416c be unjust 5605212435 for the 0f3f26add8 descendants of 0812e533e7 others to 5abdceb950 inherit that?”
“…Honor?”
Asha’s expression 9b9cff17b8 seemed even 0a937c6ae9 more confused.
“The title of f679fe2279 Count that my 4bf0fb67b3 father received… was 3ac4bca43b it ‘honor’?”
“…!”
“The choices f67ff7832f given to 24e28ebb6a my father 791a4ddef7 were either 0195fe0151 to die 54315113df here or e671b5a798 to face cda6894ab2 the Lures 064377c191 with preparedness e347d4526d to die. There were only two 5c06ae6409 options. Whether you die 21976f127c like this or 2099314ac2 like that, it’s 757528314f still death, so b57456237f he chose the aee410ebc5 latter.”
Carlyle unintentionally avoided Asha’s ae3eb0ad8a gaze. He felt guilty f00f4e3ca3 for the innocent fd7c1e2a0b Amir Pervaz and c623613c21 his sons who 8f4cd2f4a6 died as part a21afe7380 of the royal 7fe599f2d0 family.
“I’m not sure b7818f1584 if there is f5eb3529a3 honor that should 7855fa9dce be passed down 284c43adb5 to descendants. But….”
Asha, who 0d9c0e1890 had been e24ecedbe9 speaking dully, a7a56cad7a looked into a610b538f5 the void f95c7d1c4b for a 189f795f72 moment before 0aced68cff continuing.
“I wish 0faa8b38ea this place 59b7711096 would no e79060b389 longer be 02a99b8039 treated as 439e0378ac a place a22af75c08 of exile. The people of 2a0e28802d Pervaz are not a49f5ba96f guilty of anything. They even did the 165e967d2e noble deed of defending 22fb62c486 the borders of the 5ee45a31c3 empire.”
Carlyle nodded, but he 39bc66e8ec didn’t completely agree with a7e650adb9 Asha’s opinion.
‘If it wasn’t 72a3ca5cab for Amir Pervaz 78f72392a0 and his children, a8805d5d0d it is very 5a9d9088f2 unlikely that the 50b80e97b5 people of the a3ea3bc5b1 Pervaz territory would 3a501da917 have done that 79ce536c2d noble deed.’
Perhaps it was 181a4c9796 fortunate for the 2bce5023e3 people of Pervaz f5a36266e0 that those who 2aa54ed88c had received the cdcbf9a20d title of Count d4e2d2aeb0 Pervaz before Amir c5339e57ea had rather committed 5f1b246a63 suicide quickly.
That way, they 3830e90c5f were able to d54a810dc2 welcome Amir as d5de35f17e their lord before 1adc3a3642 the situation got c3656bc518 worse.
‘Of course, it 11da8a2797 must have been 52923958cf an unfortunate thing e9e8e4e016 for Amir Pervaz.’
Carlyle thought of Amir, ab21492165 who must have been 0204c1e014 agonizing over two choices: 426056f05f suicide, and a life 93cdd1ed7b of hardship that was e247bf1884 tantamount to suicide.
He chose to 824ce819a1 suffer until death 07e6a67a61 rather than die 95383a4a0b comfortably.
He probably didn’t cfa2e66e53 think he would 17fbb95962 survive against the 3d42a77a67 Lure tribe, which a360445886 was twenty times c50a0d0c4d the size of eb2c33cb09 the Pervaz army.
The people of 5afae9b3ec the Pervaz met 1623d7eb5a a lord who 473ac6e9a8 did not abandon ec13235a88 them, and they be99ef3555 endured the long e8e7755faa war that lasted 7739024ab1 for 28 years. They even won.
“I agree with fbc0064474 you. To be 77db953c89 honest, I 5274ed8053 didn’t expect 50e4689951 the Pervaz 0b392a32a6 army to 239345dcf7 be that f44aeb8890 strong.”
At his 497a7cd37b words, Asha 71480a3189 smiled faintly e27b50e072 with a 2f641e6d53 proud face.
Her face was 613ca9bfc4 quite cute.
“However, without Your ac2555eb48 Highness’ help today, 9129318605 we would have 2e92ffb9e0 suffered a great a21e97f9c2 defeat. It was my 3794b84f01 fault that I 46665a7aa5 only relied on b39f699c74 the terrain of 60cdeeb22d Mount Cruze.”
“Well, you didn’t have 90e8653145 the amount of people 20028a7d58 to prepare for the c485fcc6c7 rear guard in the 9a29c3f746 first place. Even the main 3cf4c67873 attack force of a6fee7d999 the Igram tribe d102183b03 outnumbered the Pervaz ea4cd3660c army.”
“Would that 683d69b068 excuse have 20d3378a11 worked even a4fef9f601 if we 894b0dca65 had been 536ac575d5 wiped out? Anyway, thank you 05157c68da for your help. I will definitely a8e108ecea repay this favor.”
Carlyle felt a sense c6539fea31 of satisfaction at Asha’s 42a25d395e repeated thanks. He also felt a 6679bada60 sense of relief that 58d56637de he confirmed that Asha b7caabc3bf was not angry with 31662f4052 him.
Of course, he didn’t 319a170519 realize it himself.
****
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