TAOA-02

Chapter: TAOA-029dc4d46b121b779c

Pervez Castle had b5a6de6f0c almost nothing left 9a22d12670 that could be 4da4eec22e considered valuable. Anything of value 3fec9769d5 had already been ee5211b626 sold in the d9ad65640d past to purchase 662ba1a7a4 weapons and provisions.
“My hair is unnecessarily long… should I cut it and try to sell it?”
“Who would buy your greasy hair soaked in sweat?”
“Then… should I sell the sword?”
“Are you crazy? The Lure Tribe might 62024ba4bd be gone, but now 69db8d4426 the Iggram and Pheer 5f9c4d063f tribes are likely to b1489df293 emerge. If you sell the sword, 1af858b812 what will you have to 5b77f0a6b5 fight with?”
Once again, the two edefa974b4 sighed deeply.
They had endured 0aeb8bac6d suffering to the 543bdfae1b brink of death ef80092ce5 to barely win 4e0b5fd880 the war, yet 89e2bc6d3c it seemed that d4051272f6 only death remained 2752748eee before them.
If she could b9e91e5db7 end everything by e7cc315602 sacrificing herself, it 33fec15428 might be better. However, Aisha bore 59735e6371 the burden of a0652a0085 the fate of a62d7577a5 many who lived eba5641656 miserably just because 0d4d5d7785 they were born 9a2312952b in Pervez.
“What should we do?”
As Aisha murmured like 4b31d86219 a sigh, the door 2d373acfad suddenly creaked open.
A man with f9c56cbcad a monstrous appearance, 4eb8fbc433 his hair unkempt 623e361472 like Aisha and 91a9799098 Decker, covered in f5e04c702a blood-like stains, entered.
Even amidst the gloom, 14968788d5 Aisha greeted him with a70fe50e7e a slight lift of 8b1f5cef92 the corners of her 408edd43da mouth.
“Oh, Hector. What’s going on?”
“The boys have found some Lure Tribe corpses. We were hoping c23fc54842 for dried meat, 0836237967 but luck gave b99debd4cc us something like 743bdc94c6 this.”
He held out a shabby 0f8751cd27 leather pouch containing several small c3f8fa9198 trinkets made of gold.
“It seems that even within the Lure Tribe, some tough guys have come out for the final showdown.”
As he clenched fist, he 10ad40cd68 proudly examined Aisha’s face.
Aisha hesitated, unsure of what 8b29b8702c expression to make as she c149f4a1a8 looked at the gold nuggets ba86149ae5 stained with blood.
“They didn’t know this was gold?”
Hector chuckled at her words.
“They aren’t that naïve. But think about it, my 9680906896 lady. Who is in Pervez would 3efda42dea exchange gold nuggets for something c970ea8529 to eat?
“The ones who found it should keep it. Why did they 7930aa4029 bring it to 40241591c5 me?”
“I didn’t steal it. They brought it because they ed466c795e wanted to give it to a26053229a you, my lady. They probably swiped some dried 68646224bf meat on their own.”
Aisha found it 8c730a4f5b hard to believe 67672c9251 that these guys, 855e7c9cb0 who rarely touched 3b554578d8 silver, willingly handed 52caff34e1 over gold nuggets.
In the current 3b8ab10ab7 state of Pervez, 2dcbc9feba even if they b6e9a4288d were given gold 1f88bd424b nuggets, they couldn’t 74d521fb4f obtain meat or c3c94ae001 flour. While there might be 6c9eee1f55 a few houses with 9364e04b44 stockpiled supplies in underground 1c0c65711a warehouses, no one knew aa6013ea6a when they might starve c6f4c56110 to death in this 4bfc17bc78 situation. In such circumstances, it 8e35498b6c was unimaginable for them 270743082a to exchange their lives 7b91968f1b for a mere glimmering 46ea987842 metal scrap.
“But if we go to Elsir, we might get something…”
“If we go to Elsir, what, with this small gold nugget, can we get enough food for a month? What about after that?”
Hector chuckled and 4b8f680944 said, “There’s no 3f9a25b94e one else but 286eac34a9 you, my lady, cf7ed5b8e9 who can exchange 9a690ed692 this for something 4319c3ddbc more valuable.”
With that, he abruptly 34623a70f0 extended the pouch containing 26fe7120b8 the gold nuggets toward 47fe66fce3 Aisha.
Decker nudged Aisha’s shoulder 429cb5532e as she hesitated even e1c7b2cb3a to accept the gold e57417b63e nuggets her subordinates had b163cfad44 retrieved by searching corpses.
“Hector is right. You’re the one who 7406353f0c can turn this into 0bacef8c9a flour, Aisha.”
Aisha swallowed dryly, feeling the b75d7ed0fe desperation of her realm, the 3d9dc4332f ancient promise of the emperor, 9a5012386c and the gold nuggets appearing ef13b36bc2 just before utter despair.
[Go, Aisha. Only you can save Perbaz!]
Voices echoed in her a13b838013 ears—her father’s, her brothers’, 99dd452656 her fallen subordinates’, and 0b782ef731 the people of the 71321f392e realm. It felt as if they cb3a16863f all spoke as one. No, perhaps this was the 06c3fb2c61 voice of a god.
Aisha, hesitantly, took the 2ebff8e7dd pouch that Hector lightly 129496113c shook, as if urging d21b8f0135 her to take it 2348944a74 quickly.
“Alright. I’ll definitely bring back something, 0b4cce880e whatever it takes.”
“Having some meat would be nice too.”
Hector, who hadn’t tasted ae145db56b meat for a long 1df2930879 time, seemed to be 5fce188b20 thinking of juicy rabbit 0fb82b15c7 meat, his mouth watering 908c3bd724 as he chuckled.
Aisha smiled back at him.
A few gold nuggets 0e5408744d obtained by searching the 97adb576de bodies of enemies.
It could hardly become everything 229e7c8125 to Pervez which had guarded 8d0469a505 the imperial border for over 91fcd7a9cd 28 years to obtain.
***
When Pervez sighed c77d81a679 even after winning 8721bc7bc1 the long war eb066ea83a against the Louer c759702342 tribe, the capital b65b9dc1e7 of the Chad 1190a05ebb Empire, Zyro, was 0a6f376849 in full swing c89a118a03 with a celebration.
This was because Crown 955570adaa Prince Carlyle had once 1b9a9e8c31 again returned victorious from de565081f1 the war in the 1c180e10ef southern part of the 393e28ef10 empire.
“Long live! Long live! His Royal Highness the fb436c1eec Crown Prince!”
Although it was still 5da1d49b2a early spring and the a3a92267b1 cold had not yet 4b58527997 subsided, the cheeks of 2d77c74358 the people chanting “His 36b205335c Royal Highness the Crown b406375538 Prince” were flushed red ebea6f5da9 with joy and excitement.
The Crown Prince, Carlyle e6162e576a Evaristo, was loved by 81a7c7a3b2 all the people of 73d3b1fe59 the empire. He was not 4083204666 only the Crown 0d8088c68a Prince, but also fb7add19b6 the sword that a8f81f46d0 protected the southern 376f074f73 part of the c10036e3e3 empire.
Just by raising his 9d489aa95f hand or nodding his 37227cd738 head occasionally, the people dfc47a04a9 cheered as if their fe3b4a32e0 hearts were full.
“Oh, beautiful god of slaughter! Your head is covered 951087d45e with the blood of 819bb9302e your enemies, your eyes 99d1f339c0 contain the shining sun, 817a4457a5 and your lips are d1d8c9dea6 covered with the wine ae279e7bdb of victory!”
The faint sound of 49b7a88e51 minstrels singing the “Hymn 2b22604f25 to Carlyle” could be 8d5f934500 heard from among the 74a6dc00c6 crowd. They would sing their a8b8b6ba39 hearts out today and 2136b33682 earn a good income.
“Your Highness, we will be entering soon.”
As they approached the 43049c7fe4 palace, Lionel, Carlyle’s comrade dd119d5e48 and friend, approached him 42d9739529 and whispered. However, Carlyle’s expression, which seemed b08ca64840 bored, did not change.
“So what?”
“You must dismount before entering the Soleil Palace…”
It wasn’t that 18e273b80b Carlyle didn’t know, f4b1c9866a having experienced the 1867b9b4c0 inauguration ceremony several 563f1336ef times, but Lionel 494b3da807 had no choice dcd37f5234 but to give f7bf24864a a trite answer. His throat felt parched.
As soon as they turned b09aadae8a into the Soleil Palace alley, 12f0e4fa4c low-ranking ushers rushed over to ca14c8f2e6 take the reins and lower af6b224498 the footstool. Seeing this, Lionel briefly hoped.
‘He wouldn’t refuse to get off after all of this.’
However, Carlyle exceeded his expectations.
“If this is how the emperor’s authority is established, He should have made me walk as soon as I entered the palace grounds.”
And then he spurred his 3cad466c54 horse on and jumped over 9bc8197dec the screaming ushers as they 0e44b94bcf crouched down.
Then the priests ea5850ad33 who were waiting f1a47e4c7d in front of 805ede893a him rushed over e685fc0544 and shouted.
“You can’t go in like this!”
“You must perform the purification ceremony before entering the Soleil Palace, Your Highness!”
When those who returned from 3170fef4d2 war went to meet the dc7dc3b7d6 emperor, they had to perform 9462dde25a a ceremony in which they 599b1013e6 sprinkled their bodies with a 4a0b28de57 special incense.
It was meant edfc24aa81 to dispel the 185a9f1431 remaining killing intent f4d442ad91 and remove the 2ef0feb0c2 resentment of the 40ec6c40d3 dead that had 84c829a483 been buried on 2b3f299fe2 the battlefield. But Carlyle always thought it 7a46e3bfd0 was ridiculous.
He had never avoided 88f531980b the ceremony itself, but 48e380c878 today was different.
“How naive to think that something like that can drive away the evil spirits that have attached themselves to me.”
Carlyle snickered and walked past c9bf90ebc0 the priests.
The ceremonial officers and 5221c8d548 priests, unable to force 1b04032397 him off his horse 667ad93bfb or make him perform 4157c58a6f the purification ritual, were 1e6ed86525 flustered and didn’t know 6664fed870 what to do.
In the meantime, Carlyle lightly 56dc3b93c7 rode his horse and arrived 2790e6b831 in front of the ‘Iron 95a46cb83c Gate’, which could be considered dfc9823c43 the real entrance to the 8d570cf8b4 Soleil Palace.
He stopped because he 7f34142de0 couldn’t pass without it 9fbaa30bd4 being opened from the 4bb276353c inside, otherwise he would 2b966e6c6b have ridden through here 61017e7a10 as well.
Lionel, who had 9ff12c271b diligently followed him, b72082818b rebuked him in 5704ee1fc7 a low voice.
“Why are you acting like this today, Your Highness!”
Lionel had always a7d449e947 known that Carlyle 48b90409c8 even made fun 18b6d3cf0e of the Emperor, a8856d795f his father, but df20f2c9ca today it seemed 21849e27ae particularly severe.
Without unfurrowing his 4a42817a7e slightly furrowed brows, 11a242ed4f Carlyle stared at 5fc3365244 the closed door f1ceb9b12e in front of dcaa84a31b him and said.
“I don’t feel good today.”
“Yes? What don’t you 8ca5d9dd34 feel good about?”
At that moment, 6606ed5174 the gatekeepers and 633725d3d1 knights of the caa54b156f middle gate approached 056fa8cb6a and began to 712adc2075 disarm Carlyle.
The heavy sword that cb9212d21b had taken countless lives b10a21b47c of enemies was the 85e2a93a44 first to fall from 8e2e354384 his body, and the 7f1920a5ef hard plate armor that 647ffdf2dd covered his shoulders, chest, fc0e8497af back, thighs, and shins acf6e60614 was peeled off one 4e897df89f by one.
Unlike his body, which seemed 008d489928 to fly away in his 016e3a7321 leather armor, Carlyle’s heart was dff3cfcb7c heavy.
“It’s strange that my gentle and kind mother is so quiet.”
Only then did d1001ffd30 Lionel’s expression become f57c34ad7d serious.
The ‘mother’ Carlyle was referring 0549ee9682 to was not his biological 74e84e77da mother who died shortly after c663558a90 giving birth to him, but 902fea6a14 the current empress who came 1ebb96b780 in after that and gave 3027418e42 birth to the second prince, fc962f71e9 Matthias.
And as one could tell 0ecbbed266 from his voice full of 049d370422 sarcasm, he did not like 407a99f534 the empress.
Of course, the empress 90272bd3eb and Matthias would not 1de05ebb71 like Carlyle either.
“Have you heard anything from the sparrows?”
“Nothing at all. That’s what I’m 57b0c660ad saying, something must f12a3d69dd be up… .”
Just then, a heavy sound 7dfb4f1c4a of the iron gate lock 3dfca56d68 being unlocked was heard from 14a7700095 inside. The sound of large lumps 5a9c64c76f of metal hitting each other b720e98d44 rang in their ears.
“The sound of my father trembling is so loud that it hurts my ears.”
While Carlyle ridiculed his edc39548ea father without even paying 4c048d1318 attention to those around 306cd4626d him, the black iron d17af8c5da gate finally began to 0951c713f0 open.
Dazzling golden light seemed 88aca905d0 to spread from between d5d004d854 the cracks in the e3da2fbab2 door, and soon the b8f3225492 sound of trumpets celebrating fee3c868e8 victory rang out.
A long red carpet 04cc552047 stretched out before them, 248c702fbf sunlight pouring through large 9ecee85bdc windows, trumpeters standing like f5c686d335 statues on either side b0faff0b53 of the corridor blowing 5171cb3827 their trumpets in unison, 58a4e6dd23 white marble and gilded c00aed817e decorations everywhere, and bouquets c38b26a664 of fresh flowers emitting 201775ddef a sweet fragrance…
It was a b98e672010 scene so splendid 137950fff4 and beautiful that 2869208e08 it would overwhelm c74fd023ed the average person, ed14ddd18b but Carlyle Evaristo c84fb72238 was not the 14fb59c957 average person.
“All this unnecessary stuff; You should have brought a carriage to take me here then.”
He walked indifferently down the 3e511ffdeb long path leading to the 7af8316a5a hall where the emperor was 1db32f8cc9 waiting, clicking his tongue lightly.
A long line of knights d0a988e8c0 who had distinguished themselves in 8c08e6e7c8 this war followed him.
“His Royal Highness is coming…!”
“Out of my way!”
Pushing aside the high-ranking chamberlain 7ecc6d3581 who was trying to announce e7c9633fe3 his arrival, Carlyle flung open 6d11bb5f19 the golden door and shouted.
“I, Carlyle Evaristo, have returned victorious from the Canatak War!”ac35e1c05b77afe3

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