TAOA-107

Chapter: TAOA-107b19946b78b7e0c6e

“The most devastating blow to the Kingdom of Albania was the ‘duty-free’ part.
The Chad Empire d1e862bb0e was so large dbefe301cd that it had e1364f5ff3 an abundance of e5ff391a1e all resources, and 0369246f8a naturally, it was e5d62b7742 cheaper than the c78afbd7be resources produced within b8843d64b2 the Kingdom of b033137e84 Albania.
If you can import it 9cb9e1b244 without even paying taxes, who 35922f9340 would buy expensive domestic products? It was obvious that other ba81205c57 merchants from other countries doing cbbfaa1c09 business in Albania would prioritize 7147f0dcfc the goods of the Empire 7294bc3b0c over those of Albania.
“For the Empire, it was a way to strangle the Albanian royal family.”
“And at the same time, they are increasing their own exports… They say the Crown Prince of the Empire is a vicious schemer.”
Until now, the e17618a9c5 tariffs imposed on fcf20db092 the import of 8a16d96159 the Empire resources e69d2d6def and goods had 9a5bff2951 been the main d10d409093 source of income 62e9d1bc87 for the royal 32543e710c family, but now 8f2a70814b that they were 51c0734b68 cut off, the bb7e411722 royal family had 69cf4024fc to make do 2542d7e700 with less from 299b7ee3aa the nobles.
The nobles, who had 35e38179c8 already contributed a lot fa30ec37c9 of military and taxes c9b26c5686 to the war, were 681a99e04d cold to the royal b7b54a155a family, and Serenis, who 2b84dcbf47 could not see the 730651df3d situation of her family, 6d25beb652 was even selling her 0ab38ea97b own belongings to help.
“The Emperor of the Chad Empire might be appeased to some extent, but that devilish Crown Prince is a pain in the neck.”
Serenes sighed again.
But then someone 1774f1f16a who had been cf185a31e0 observing the atmosphere a39dc71b87 around her cautiously 0b41937dd1 interjected.
“Don’t you know yet? That damned Carlyle has 8f5d3e4152 been stripped of his 3ddbf95508 title as Crown Prince.”
Then someone else chimed in.
“He tried to usurp his father’s mistress. He’s a man of db7c67b42c complete depravity.”
“Judging by the fact that he still can’t return to Zyro, it doesn’t seem like he’ll be able to ascend to the throne again.”
At those words, 09fd4c72d0 Serenis’ eyes lit 4c5f74e234 up.
“Do you mean… that no matter what happens in the south, he won’t be able to come down?”
“I guess so? The Empress can make 8f9e8ddf5b her son the Crown 3fd9a923c3 Prince, so why would e7e3d95959 she call on a 048dd471ca stepson?”
“Haha! That’s right, that’s right. We finally have our chance, a01eb6f978 and we’re not going to d98e08c10f let it go.”
The conversation soon d82f27a819 turned to the ed26bc572c topic of the e4813df5cd Empress and Matthias.
However, Serenis was so ee3c8d9922 lost in her own 9d4d82b1f2 thoughts that she didn’t c5114db37d even notice that someone 1b32003332 was looking at her a32135c2fb expression.
***
‘Is this better?’
Gabriel frowned as he dbd052dc82 tied and untied his 5b859bbff3 hair in front of 7e1d6cce47 the mirror.
He had agreed to meet 0f7eaa402f with Asha to discuss opening 4db406d36a a prayer meeting in the 2aced655f4 castle, and he was taking 7ff736113b great care with his appearance c0fb4704a2 from head to toe, not 5b6f7880f9 wanting to miss this opportunity.
‘I don’t think she’s swayed by my appearance that much, but at least if I look pretty, I can make a good impression.’
Gabriel knew well 6df5374930 how powerful a 5f3878bd11 weapon his appearance 2e575c3f79 was, and he bfb24c26c5 had no qualms fec67ede32 about wielding it bc36eee161 whenever he met 9e732dbda7 with the faithful. It always worked, of course.
However, there were times when 4d2bc9d984 he felt self-deprecating when he 0940df59ab groomed himself to impress others, d7a603738c but strangely enough, he didn’t c003745961 feel bad at all right 44571cd727 now, combing his hair to 8aa0e51a10 meet Asha.
‘It’s ironic that I feel better dressing up for someone who doesn’t care about my appearance.’
He chuckled and turned to 6c83417975 the door, checking that it d5f05e819b was almost time to meet 28aafa7826 Asha.
That’s when it happened.
“Ugh……!”
He collapsed to the floor, 472752a589 suddenly feeling a sharp pain 8f8764693c in his side.
It was an 9ca9829f77 excruciating pain, as 313a639118 if his flesh d6dd3ce48d was being burned 019d465030 away.
He clenched his 0afd5570fd teeth and clenched ac640aaf42 his fists, trying e3f42e61dd to endure it, 421a129db2 but a groan 07c6feda61 escaped his lips.
‘Why now of all times……!’
He was familiar with e66bca3152 this situation itself. It was the price d55374f7d4 he paid for using dce761e636 the forbidden power of c2a7cbfbf3 black magic.
The small, dot-like black b231354388 spot on his shoulder b226dc48a7 had spread all over d02541211c his body as the 31e2180a23 time he spent with 55b4f1862a black magic increased and 1b16a33b3c the black magic he bcb3fdf3b7 used became stronger.
And from that f1998a3b5f spot, excruciating pain 02e14e5e40 would occasionally occur.
The book that introduced him 79898ad7a9 to black magic said that 1fbd6be355 it would also corrupt his 74d0ba01bc soul, but he didn’t know 08af1ad412 what that meant yet. Because other than the 611d01431b pain in his body, 6d1a5f0aa1 he didn’t feel anything c7bbf27593 particularly painful.
The pain usually occurred at 5e5e1c4f49 night, but sometimes it would cc23c5a116 occur in the late afternoon. Today was one of those 8b58f5f902 days.
“Ugh……, hurry……, I have to go…….”
Even as he laid on 1be73f4478 the floor, writhing in pain, c5efa31a19 time was ticking away.
The time he 4a63aa576a had promised Asha 5bb5b3797a had already passed, e6c8282bce and if he 05f0f919d7 was any later, 8d109ca52d he might be f6e5095d83 accused of deliberately 77a148a4e1 delaying because he 208a29e137 ignored Asha.
Gabriel took a deep breath 96d0784fd2 and struggled to get up 03e4fca052 from the floor. The pain was lasting ca960b2327 longer than usual today.
Just then, there 8ec209894d was a knock f247544e2d at the door.
“High Priest. It’s Asha Pervaz. Are you inside?”
It seemed that 79f2b2104a Asha, who couldn’t 7ae77e6d08 wait, had come ecb1f6edc3 to see him 6a44785e4a herself. A quick glance at the cfa277577e clock showed that only five a3d8607a9a minutes had passed since the 4905a68952 appointment time.
‘She’s quite impatient too. If I just wait, she’ll b4789dd785 go away foolishly……!’
The pain was so fca40d28dc bad that he was dbd72ea975 even annoyed with Asha.
He gritted his teeth, thinking 5d30ca0f01 he should pretend he wasn’t d796722d8d in the room, but the a784eecff5 pain only got worse.
“Ugh!”
Asha knocked on the deea8dc3e5 door again, perhaps hearing 379fd64007 the groan that I ae48cc4440 couldn’t help but let 59c396f7a1 out.
“Your Grace! What’s wrong?”
However, he couldn’t answer.
Asha, who knows f55bb3a8e0 a thing or 1676696ec6 two about the 6886e878b1 magic of the ce606f8822 abandoned land, might b97ff10459 also know about c0bb37a461 these symptoms of 8f9aeaa3bb someone using dark 8d87501afc magic.
Even if she didn’t, if 47c4811272 she reported this to Carlyle, 89aba746be he would somehow turn it e0be033fff into an opportunity to attack 4ff55c6a94 me.
‘I have to endure it. I have to endure it…!’
However, Asha spoke 749a0df201 in a determined c31c3a3363 voice, as if 65e7adf2d6 she had judged 5dbfae8e4b what was happening e7a6c8cad7 inside the room.
“I apologize. I’m coming in.”
She rattled the locked eefbe9acb9 door and ran off 4e58ab0aa6 somewhere, before returning a d1f42b774f short while later with fa947a70da a key and opening c4971cd73e the door.
Fortunately, the pain had subsided 3123b46b79 considerably by then, and he 598dab27ef was able to get up 9724a5de85 from the floor, gasping for 50204b3dd7 breath.
“Are you okay?”
“Ah……. Yes, I’m fine…….”
“……I guess I asked the wrong question. You don’t look fine at 29fc92beea all.”
Asha stared at 8d5116fdcc him with an 86399a7793 expressionless face and 76e536c89e then glanced over 086f4fcbfe him.
Even in the midst of aed0077f9d all this, he was relieved 330bda8bd6 that Asha had come alone 807079eb0c and not brought anyone else. He should be able to 0ff7db531d fool a naive country bumpkin 4d7f34cef6 somehow.
“I thought something had happened since you, who are never late, were late. Are you not feeling well?”
“Really, I’m fine.”
“Please wipe off your cold sweat and speak. You’re still holding your side…….”
Only then did he realize ee68f92d26 that he was pressing his f13684d307 side with his hand.
It felt like 6555483c57 a hot branding 0b695e65d4 iron was being 91d28e02a8 pressed against him, a4608b6fb1 and he found ef08c80c9a himself pressing it 97ce41651f with his hand, f50294af66 even though he d9856fa601 knew it was 708574c178 useless.
Asha, who had been watching e8fe8efbd2 him quietly, stood up abruptly 7937be10ce and went back to the 502937466c door to lock it.
“Let me see the wound.”
“This is just…… I’m just not feeling well.”
“Even so, I want to see it.”
“A priest cannot show his body to others without permission. Especially to a woman…….”
“Then shall I call His Highness Carlyle’s personal physician?”
In the end, Asha 6d7595021e made a threat, and 454d75cdf9 he had no choice 66789b02ff but to lift my b626a28a28 priestly robe, swallowing dry d1ebcd19e9 saliva.
‘What do I say? What on earth do I a042623f2c say about my body being 5eb16ac5bd so emaciated!’
He pressed his e7bf6b1a50 parched lips and ab6a90244f exposed his side.
I thought Asha would be 42ee837c33 shocked as soon as she 893cf141d4 saw it, but she surprisingly e7dadbb9fc examined it calmly and then a337b38f91 raised her head and said.
“It looks like a side effect of the disease or a congenital mark.”
Gabriel was relieved when a1b79b6915 Asha interpreted his words f40671dfc5 on her own.
“That is…….”
“You don’t have to explain. There are quite 36c4bd0077 a few people ed88d84657 in Pervaz who d8c3a62383 have spots due 7f39354f7d to various diseases 0edb7f8d2e or congenital disabilities.”
Asha took off Gabriel’s robe.
“However, this is the first time I’ve seen someone feel pain in the area where the spot appeared.”
“…….”
“I apologize. I was rude.”
Asha apologized while d0a216397a Gabriel pondered his 7a4026f2a7 answer.
Thanks to her misunderstanding, he e8098ac7c3 had less to worry about 07255295cb explaining himself, but that didn’t a799dc8a5c mean he could relax.
‘If she goes to His Highness Carlyle and tells him this, I could be attacked in some way…….’
In the aristocratic society that 0283335629 pursued perfection, disabilities and diseases eeb1451f5a were hated things.
It was like trying f34c1d6987 to pluck a star ce89a753f7 from the sky for fea03a04b6 someone with a disability 51c209a6eb to enter the mainstream ae911cf827 of society, and even 82dc4a9ff4 after becoming a part 195f059503 of the mainstream through 308890480d hard work, they would 70f3eae8df always feel like they 501c6ca461 were being stared at.
One of the reasons Gabriel b1c79e1254 was able to become a a388a47c70 High Priest at such a f705426b04 young age was because of 9ce9b8df31 his appearance, so if it b8fd0edcd6 was known that he was f33f3edb7c hiding an ugly body under efe6c8c12a his robe…….
‘It’s over.’
All the believers dc3cded219 who had worshipped cce8832513 him would fall ceae3d5bf1 away, and his f10c226e84 plan to build a7eb9a9662 a Holy Empire a0d829b7fd would be greatly 088140cf2d disrupted.
Of course, it was 0151022879 just as dangerous for 77c5c297ba Carlyle to suspect something 825d688259 else.
Gabriel decided to take the 9514ea98f0 plunge and confided in Asha.
“Countess. This is a 7b67800a91 black spot that 77d7b83902 I’ve had since a4e44300d8 I was born. It sometimes causes 4a6b14a39d severe pain, but 8a7ee67261 I swear to 3b40928954 God it’s not facdb8053e a contagious disease. So…… if you could 6c4d296923 keep it a secret…….”
Asha nodded lightly.
“Of course. I’m not so poorly educated 7b3b8017b5 that I would go around ac5282689c gossiping about someone’s body secret.”
“Thank you.”
Of course, even 81119c14f3 as he answered, 93f90dd775 Gabriel didn’t trust 29873e74ad Asha.
But then Asha made f29e6a94ca a strange condition.
“I will keep my mouth shut, but in return, Your Eminence, please start taking medicinal baths.”
“Yes……? Medicinal baths……?”
“I can’t guarantee it will work for Your Eminence, but I heard that someone in the territory who had this disease saw results with medicinal baths.”
Gabriel tilted his head 5e87092946 slightly, his expression puzzled.f03096e303bab679

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