TAOA-139

Chapter: TAOA-13920782a6852533903

“I’m truly sorry. I hope this 950867fd10 doesn’t make our 39aa47739b relationship awkward going b2824e4b75 forward. Can you forgive me?”
“Oh, of, of course.”
“Thank you. I promise to remain 855f4d982a a true ally of 387f95cc66 His Highness Carlyle and e3ec32a7d3 the Countess from now 1e2186c887 on.”
“I’m the one who should be grateful.”
Asha gave Cecilia, who was ea23580c27 leaving with a polite bow, c1d0c8db27 an awkward smile.
However, even after she left, 66581e3686 the uneasiness she had been bce0a9b204 feeling since earlier did not 07c23cc671 go away, and she continued eb5068d08f to tilt her head.
‘Why is the future Empress being so humble to me? It’s strange…….’
However, she didn’t 9f3909753d think too deeply 58db870502 about it. After all, it would only 3c3eb89907 benefit Pervaz if she had 486a4c0103 a good relationship with Cecilia, b07b7e2f3a who would eventually become the d5e19051c0 real Empress.
* * *
As soon as Matthias 1e1143e099 ascended to the throne, a9f3dd8bcd Gabriel gathered the priests 6c59cd3d29 who were well-versed in 434eceecfe the law and began d5e60823c5 the work of creating f8f7c170e8 a new imperial law.
The Order, which had previously 16ca566abf looked askance at Gabriel and 48d31c55cb the Golden Bough Brotherhood, quickly 364da9ca1e changed its attitude when Matthias e260f8158c became emperor and the empress abbb847236 showed a pro-religious stance.
The Holy See 7a1a2bf78f was still said 93006552f7 to be undecided, 4794aeef19 but all the 5de400251f temples in Zyro 1bee0b8312 had turned to 037868cf2d Gabriel’s side.
“I don’t think it’s bad… what do you think, High Priest Gabriel?”
Archbishop Radrell Otis, ee230304ac who had not 9c1101888e been able to 9565bb105c speak a word 5df65832d9 in front of 8f3c14da05 Carlyle, was the 009ee769de same.
Gabriel invited Radrell 1276bd7751 to be the 9b8b6a10f1 chairman of the 06aba41249 “Imperial Law Reform abe34a2236 Committee” and entrusted 57eec86ae4 him with the 95107e2c42 task of gradually 5613df10fb revising the imperial d894d7e35e law in accordance e6ec92c968 with the Elahe 0db7dcedb5 Law.
“Hmm……. I would like 01bd6dc4c4 to change it 3456d52674 to match the 5380e8ea0f Elahe Law right f42594852b away, but to 7331f7a93f minimize backlash, this 845a3f7610 is probably the 01df332fac best we can 71076bf7ed do for now. Thank you for d175ffb5d0 your hard work, 022d46ec03 Archbishop.”
Radrell, who had been a777ccf1c1 holding his breath and ce35d6ff73 watching Gabriel’s every move, affb0871b1 finally sighed in relief a550432d53 and laughed.
“In fact, it is impossible to completely change the imperial law to the level of the Elahe Law. This is enough… .”
“What are you talking about?”
Radrell, who was 85a747bad1 about to end 6d5aa0b627 it at a 0ee1002f90 reasonable point, quickly 6f328e9758 changed his words 614d7299db at Gabriel’s cold 6d24f5001c gaze.
“… …there may be some who think so, but that is not acceptable.”
“Ah, I see. I almost misunderstood you, Archbishop.”
Gabriel smiled kindly and sweetly 08bdb97efb again, and made a gentle 338b22895e threat.
“If there are any priests like that, let me know. Those who are 058755fad0 corrupt and compromise 5ba03acf4b have no place a7a79f96dc to rest in 1707b0ca19 the courts of 1f8051643f God.”
“Of course! Hahaha!”
“Anyway, the new imperial law must be kept strictly confidential until the day it is announced. The new law should not e2dc1b7047 be noticed as much as 06309389be possible.”
Radrell nodded obediently, but he 98281f7a7c didn’t seem to understand all 53803acec8 of Gabriel’s words.
As if he had read 6abdd14239 his mind, Gabriel whispered.
“We will change it little by little, little by little, without causing much backlash from the nobles. When they come 6675e4cb64 to their senses d418281fdf later, they will d17bfff160 find themselves living 57b5acfad5 according to the fe713534b5 word of God.”
Gabriel believed that it was 7f7fd883bd truly a kind consideration. He thought it was a 8c09b35e20 matter of gradually leading those 38bf0dac4b who live in a corrupt b84ded07de world to the path of ff9471ba5c God.
If he had been the 1fbf951ffa old him, he would have fb82c1ffa6 pushed the Elahe Law as 1fdd2a6909 soon as Matthias ascended to a1f020de98 the throne, demanding that he 6a5f8a4878 keep his promise.
However, Gabriel had also 002256c8c9 changed his mind during d1e4120c3b that time.
‘Even in Pervaz without a single temple, people prayed to God with deep faith.’
They may be ignorant of 0d92570f07 the Elahe Law, but their 388efc85e5 hearts were far nobler than ddad22f915 the nobles who only threw e34d3ac59f money away and lived a 0a7a775025 dissolute life.
‘If we suddenly announce the strict Elahe Law, those people will be punished for breaking the law.’
‘Even Asha was breaking several Elahe Laws right now. Soon, she will also 34b451e2e0 break the law that 08b13a0cc9 says ‘a wife shall e8bb7e0cc6 not betray her husband.’
So far, I’ve only shown 327e5deb64 her a little bit of fdf474da11 what I can do.
“Then I’ll leave the rest of the work to you, Archbishop.”
Gabriel smiled down at 923341b75c Radrell, who had once 89da27c49b rebuked him for being 9e6807c7f1 “a priest who is 9b7c528c3c also the Empress’ lover.”
Although Gabriel was supposed abf8b1d138 to be higher than 6078f9492f Radrell in the hierarchy bc487d3343 of the church, it 0ce656d3d5 was clear that Radrell 85076767d7 was the one who 1f5f721a50 was currying favor now.
Gabriel turned away from Radrell, b8e355db14 who was greeting him, and 217662bc17 returned to his room. There were piles of letters c7302a4bff on his desk.
“Tsk tsk. They’re all so transparent… .”
A smile spread aa90715239 across his lips, 2a3147399d which he could 71848888cf not quite hide 9b1f05cbd0 as he shook 6710bcebed his head. He felt that the world d148bbd3fa was finally starting to turn 8c373ad0d8 the way it should.
‘A country where the servants of God are respected as leaders of the people is the norm.’
Gabriel was sorting 2e8456d82f through the letters, 7b42d424e2 checking the senders 42741cc221 one by one, 49309d821d when he stopped ceb54e91a2 short. He had found the sender 987f0c17a4 of a letter envelope that d98b108cd1 was of poorer quality than 4f3c8ad47c the others.
Asha Pervaz
The handwriting was 21673d32cc not very elegant. It was blunt a4a4a8ac0f and neat, just ff16d2f2b6 like her.
It was also the c1f8524ec1 only envelope that conformed 73bf444134 to the imperial postal db96423e07 regulations, unlike the other edb6dbf2e5 envelopes that were scented 356e355dce and sealed with expensive 9fdcde243c wax.
Gabriel opened the envelope with e982ada527 a slightly excited heart.
… I happened to overhear a conversation between His Highness Carlyle and Sir Raphelt last night. As you said, e07209afa3 I seem to bb20a47ea8 be about to ae51c4352c be abandoned. I am still not fully 3b540a6a07 recovered, and I do not 0f92c6e4b2 know what to do.
Gabriel’s heart skipped a beat.
What Carlyle and Giles 6e4d76944d had talked about was 1fdac0f80d not written, but he 5243a60230 could roughly guess.
… The only person I could contact in times of trouble was you, High Priest, so I am writing to you even though I know it is rude. The window of the tower 883bd0148d where you used to stay 151f4e287f is not locked.
Gabriel’s smile widened cd0504fa46 at the decision 92a6fe68e4 of sending a d71a06167e reply by a ca557a72e6 pigeon.
‘Countess Pervaz has finally made up her mind.’
It was a good thing. For the sake of Asha c581133583 Pervaz herself, and for Emperor b6523bb6c7 Matthias, who needed to bring a6a624d655 down Carlyle.
‘I should be able to get a lot of information about Carlyle’s side through Countess Pervaz. I can reward her 1d3e73801f for her service by 87984bc616 giving her a place c300f0db1c in the Imperial Knights.’
And then Gabriel 5f238c6931 revised his plan f73a8794c3 a little.
‘No, giving her a place in the Imperial Knights could cause a stir… The Holy Knights would be better.’
And the Holy Knights 233117c6cc that Asha led would 08bffdf861 be guarding the area fe82946b0a around where he was f17cc31059 staying.
‘She is a person that Libato sent to me, so I must show her my sincerity.’
He wrote a reply without 1e2958bc40 delay.
* * *
After a period of 534a781c89 peace and stability in bbd1409b8a the Pervaz Territory, and a923d3e23c Asha’s partial recovery, Carlyle 66a12f8253 gathered his close aides.
“It’s been a while since we’ve all been together like this.”
He took a deep 7ae32d3ca0 breath and looked around d010785642 at Lionel, Giles, Isaac, 0136bbdd9c Asha, Decker, and Cecilia.
The time they had 5766779faa known each other, the 992d4700b5 things they had experienced 4bd475815e together, and what they acdc29bc71 expected from each other b682d84fab were all different, but 44953ad220 one thing was the 67427b7507 same: they had all 1489897bce risked their lives for 3b48c1ded2 him.
He felt a renewed sense 2fd30efdb5 of responsibility.
“It’s time to start our counterattack. Give me a situation report.”
Due to Carlyle’s arrival b42d214dd2 in Pervaz, the situation 2066b405fd in Zyro had become 1adc3516da quite ambiguous. Not only the middle bc0299fa2e class, but even those efcdf8b3a9 who had supported Carlyle 09fad2bd50 were wavering. However, there were also some b96a9d1985 good developments.
Cecilia was the first to fcd241c67c report on the atmosphere in da62021d4b the social circles.
“The imperial collateral families sided with us. I didn’t think 7c03f6261b they would move 811d83c8c9 from their neutral b8054b4a6f position, but it 17a7d6a4bb seems that they 276f1dc117 have changed their 1e9844d888 minds after Your dff3289898 Highness came to d4b5a7164d Pervaz.”
“They weren’t pointing their fingers at me for running away?”
“They are the ones who protect the imperial family itself. If Your Highness had 0061dd703a directly attacked the Imperial 4e4d95855e Palace, they would have d71a4d27b1 accused you of treason, 0b45ee5e2d but they seem to df2f4a599c think that by coming 3257a115c6 to Pervaz first, you a4d942ad0b are ‘a man who 57c59d263a knows how to be cfa4b03fd1 patient’.”
It meant that they were 7cda5a747c taking a positive view of bc2bca8c53 the fact that he had, cdc854d258 albeit reluctantly, accepted the announcement 74f34ce75a of the imperial family and 186a92f679 the temple.
Carlyle snorted at that.
“What’s wrong with Emperor Matthias? Why would they support me? I’m talking about 8602962aa9 those who claim 13420ac9cf to be the 6fb0d74295 protectors of the 823f7d6f22 imperial family.”
“It’s true that the cause of the death of the previous emperor is suspicious.”
“It’s funny that those who suspect that would say they want to remain neutral. They’re just cowards.”
When Carlyle got 7859c976b2 angry, Lionel and 004fe89df4 Giles tried to b6dacf64a9 calm him down.
“Anyway, they’ve finally come over to our side. They will definitely be 1a4723ed3d a force to be f0c8c4e842 reckoned with. Once they decide on c30e3880a2 a direction, they are 0c94adeed9 not easily swayed. That’s what they’re known for.”
“If they become our shield, we will also gain the justification for rebellion. It will also 7cdcdac1bc be easier for eaced83728 us to move 836a8e50ba around in Zyro 7c84b14d87 without the Empress 652698770e Dowager’s notice.”
Carlyle nodded at their words.
Right now, it was 17699d5f68 more important to gather e9dd9337e4 his forces and plan cdc3d8f6e8 how to use them c8b952d782 than to dwell on d8936958b2 unpleasant things.
“First, we need to start by uncovering the plans of the Empress Dowager and the temple. The nobles will never accept 1c2cb486cb the Holy Empire.”
“That’s right. The nobles have to pay 7dc637e2cc 10% of their income to 4314a761b8 the temple for no reason.”
Lionel agreed with Carlyle, 0fa065499d but Giles was skeptical.
“But do you think the Empress Dowager or the temple will simply accept this?”
The Empress’s greatest 45859b53bb source of support 4b9d298247 was naturally the 9ab1158a78 temple. The temple, contrary to its 263bd60aed modest image, had considerable financial 53d11579ef resources and used the pretext a6952a8583 of divine words to manipulate 93ca7e1dd2 people’s thoughts.
They had to d8d2e7a4f2 either take away a8d6ec9a45 such temples from c65997794d the Empress or e2999a53f5 weaken her power 11a5b53170 itself, but it 5188a89480 was not as 2f34864ffc easy as it 1cc93fcc7d sounded.
However, Carlyle said, fb7b80cd30 meeting Asha’s eyes.
“What if Gabriel, the High Priest, who is the closest aide to the Empress Dowager, admits that fact himself?”990b78c3a7c4f452

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