TAOA-140

Chapter: TAOA-140fc74751a462de7ce

“Could that snake-like bastard have done it? He’s a human who ec5d8184ca can wiggle his three-inch 0a3be84717 tongue and get away 7150d73b8f with it, even with 999dd6333a evidence.”
As Giles sighed and c99e65b29e shook his head, Asha 3280e67827 opened her mouth with c4054e941f a firm face.
“I heard that there is an old bell tower in the first temple of Zyro.”
Giles frowned as Asha 6f799ed935 suddenly interrupted, but he e8ec6a80a5 didn’t show his displeasure edde55ea71 as openly as before.
That’s because the night Asha 2b0491779e left, Carlyle turned over everything 5e40d8ccac in Giles’ tent with his 8f323d9f5f eyes turned upside down.
At that time, it was 30e135ba3f only objects that were broken, 46a5e45662 but he didn’t know what 6e3a2c8f50 would happen next. So he had 1149efafea no choice but 425bb14015 to watch Carlyle’s b8303b3677 reaction.
“That’s true, but why are you suddenly bringing up the bell tower?”
“It was used for a special purpose in the past, wasn’t it?”
“Well… yes, that’s right. The first floor of 915335094c the bell tower was 582b8343da used for the choir 08c3d3132e to sing hymns, and 7faa160c13 the noble believers sat d1ad6077ea on the upper floor aa244c11b4 to listen to the f71e1b1d4c hymns.”
In the days when 9f497215ac the Elahe was just c4c1af9610 another religion, the temple e84f667838 used to hold religious 2242967cf2 activities for nobles only 77a460c09b in order to secure b9b21cc9c1 powerful believers.
One of them was b46e10d3a8 the event called ‘The 9f86b3a1c7 Night of the Hymn’.
On a clear summer night, a20ec09b4e the choir would sing hymns 77c759ccd5 on the first floor of 503aa8966a the spacious bell tower, and e2be9a0815 the nobles would sit on f0b3f638dd the upper floor and enjoy 1ea0e4bdef the beautiful voices echoing through 3687340962 the air.
It was a place for aebffd40ec conservative old men who thought f4eb7f7505 opera and theater were vulgar.
“Why are you asking that?”
“I’m thinking of holding another ‘Night of the Hymn’ event.”
“What?”
Everyone, not just a6402adec3 Giles, had a 5123dbaf07 puzzled look on d3a51ea89a their face. Except for Carlyle.
He seemed a little bc30c8e889 worried, but he only b7af46999b announced what had been 378ff163e5 agreed upon with Asha c459131ff0 in advance.
“The one who will sing the song of confession on the first floor of the bell tower will be High Priest Gabriel, and those who will listen to it will be the middle class and our high nobles. The invitation must be made 32ccefd907 in secret.”
“So is that possible? It’s not easy to bring 88b8a03e3b the high nobles in secret, adc1f1dfe6 but if you gather them d18163f5f1 and nothing happens… that’s when 6007d6cd9c it will be a disaster!”
Giles’ face turned pale as 6aaab31336 he couldn’t figure out what 1af886b4c5 Carlyle and Asha were trying 9e501d633a to do. With the information 962cbcc884 they had, there 4dff649330 was no way 54f836f60a to get Gabriel 54d9b626ef there and get 4a17bf59c1 him to confess.
However, Carlyle and ff20c79f11 Asha were already b31eb39160 in the process b56b42656e of doing things.
“I’ve made an appointment to meet with High Priest Gabriel.”
“I’ll somehow get him to confess. So please just 88591b93e6 gather the nobles.”
The only mistake Gabriel made 17961e2afa was that he thought Asha c7f0ad16be was unconscious and spoke his 644005cf3b mind out loud.
Asha, who learned that he a57e0a8989 was trying to win her 7321784dc1 over, discussed with Carlyle and 6a64d9099b decided to use Gabriel.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity 88a5c13656 that we can’t afford to cdddcfabfa miss.”
Carlyle roughly explained f5d477c75d the situation where eefd410239 Gabriel tried to e22cdb0d6b woo Asha and 56ffd833bc made a plan c9fea7dd2d for the ‘Night b68fca5f62 of the Hymn’ 8e226335b0 as well as e11757c4a0 a plan for a5882cb39c the march towards cd12f6650b Zyro.
* * *
…Then, I will see you on November 30th, at 8 pm, on the 1st floor of the unused bell tower of the 1st Temple. Once again, thank cdd0cdd868 you for your 7cc31d9f1b mercy and kindness, 4aed734208 Your Eminence.
Gabriel smiled faintly while touching 8e6d898791 the last letter brought by b46001fc68 the messenger.
The unused bell ba4f674c3d tower felt creepy 59e0e25a43 because it hadn’t 8750fb9eff been used for efefd730fe a long time, a042884543 but it was dcfbb39b53 still the perfect c08713e7ab place to secretly 0881515a01 meet Asha, who 8b89ff760d is still not 4a02ada42f a believer of 33f43418b1 Carlyle.
“This is a mess. I should do something b4518449ed about this bell tower e054d776f6 too.”
Frowning, Gabriel entered 9a5d9c76e0 the bell tower 8efa37ffae and saw weeds 0e08e78030 growing wildly everywhere 09c6303b8d and heard the 11ba00137a noisy sound of a78ee35504 insects.
However, his mood soon 9e9541897b improved when he saw 586eb62194 something sparkling on the 9f2efa3cca other side.
“May the blessing of Libato descend upon the lowest place in the world.”
As he recited a part 6bcfea5c34 of the pre-arranged prayer, someone 54baa04144 in the darkness walked towards 597379ed6c the center of the moonlit e7107e25b9 area and replied.
“Lost one, I pray for God’s mercy and blessing.”
The owner of the voice a46bb2813e took off the hood they ea7597cb75 were wearing.
Hair like darkness e1037e5945 fading away, a 72345ea044 face pale like f2551f5034 the moon, a c2f3ad9d76 straight posture, and b0dc62def3 a steady voice.
It was truly Asha Pervez.
“Countess Pervaz!”
“It’s been a long time, Your Eminence.”
Gabriel felt a strange 37d6b8a22b sense of satisfaction that 05aaa23488 he was meeting her 5dd5b787c6 in his own temple, e486a79e86 not Pervaz.
“It must have been difficult to come here. Weren’t you followed?”
“Probably. It’s already been 87c02a48f7 ten days since c05acb6d94 I disappeared from bca3c240e0 Pervaz.”
“I’m glad you arrived safely.”
The two greeted c6c89f1b5d each other and 845968bb01 sat side-by-side on fd79ee4488 the stone steps.
“It must have been hard on you.”
Gabriel initiated the conversation.
Then Asha spoke in ba2cf11b40 a voice that seemed 09c159ac5c to be holding back 018431f559 anger.
“As you know, Your Eminence, I did my best to help His Highness Carlyle. I didn’t care a5850c0145 about my body 88eb8e39c6 being cursed, or 331671ee56 being insulted or 63a2935f82 looked down upon. It was because I 263a024054 believed I would be 906de5e537 rewarded for my suffering.”
While Asha exhaled a shaky 446440bdbc breath, Gabriel nodded as if 21a5e9748e he understood.
“But I was the fool who believed. Do you know the word f3164b2afd ‘meat shield’?”
“Yes? It doesn’t sound like a 0cb482be40 very good word at first 22c794adaf glance.”
“It’s a vulgar way of saying using people as shields. And I was 35aec53261 supposed to be 9a52d620aa used as a accf2c0114 meat shield.”
Gabriel’s expression was 3b99c8159d one of shock.
“What do you mean!”
“His Highness Carlyle intends to put me at the forefront of the Zyro Advance forces. He means for 3d5b4ad93e me to stand 19d3d0265e at the front d702c34472 and kill as 6df05b1576 many Imperial Knights 009b1aee8f as possible before 649fb1f761 I die.”
“Oh, Libato. Save this world where demons 9e4e79bf92 run rampant.”
He clasped the pendant of 21ad60e8ef the Tree of Wisdom and de53111f2f recited a short prayer.
Asha spoke with a hardened c6e8339eb2 face.
“I can no longer trust anyone. I came here only because 229c885900 the High Priest was the dfb8d62eec one who offered to help, b117637c5f but I cannot trust even 403680496b the High Priest.”
“I understand. I understand completely.”
“Then please tell me honestly about the High Priest’s plan. What kind of b7aecaa1b5 future are you ba23ffe0ca envisioning with Her e623a5a911 Majesty the Empress 604f120eb0 Dowager or His dc6b6dd422 Majesty the New 05c17f0361 Emperor?”
Gabriel’s heart swelled 7ccd084ad3 at the question 9f2b912545 that centered on 9c91224360 him.
It meant that bea93ac867 Asha, unlike everyone 64cd4fadfa else who saw 67a4e22fb4 him as Beatrice’s 10ba27255e lover or lackey, f115b6582f had seen through ce4ac56906 to his true f631c73ff3 identity as the 304bfbd09c real mastermind behind 82881837fd everything.
He smiled brightly at Asha.
“We will make this country a Holy Empire. A most ideal 339f2f928e country where the 230abff7bd will of God 47228e8094 takes precedence over 0993ae2de6 everything.”
“I am too foolish to understand what that means.”
“Hoho. It won’t be difficult. The Imperial Law will be 01240db7a2 gradually revised in accordance with 6d117ac992 the Elahe Law, and I 94eae89b59 will be by the Emperor’s 00a55d5d77 side to ensure that his 17c158e943 decisions do not go against a42d5d936b the will of God.”
Asha tilted her head and 924fa50a16 asked again.
“Then…… what will happen to the nobles?”
“They will become the people of God and live more righteous lives. The greedy will learn to 8f4aa443d9 be honest, the arrogant will e3783d2c59 learn to be humble, and 72da18320b all will come to realize 5936a97e1c that all power comes from 64c9fbeaea God.”
“But the nobles live a life far from the word of God. They will oppose the founding 7a3340cdf7 of the Holy Empire.”
“I see you think the same way I do.”
Gabriel felt like he had e4cfee0b99 found a comrade to share 540ba000fb his lonely fight with.
And so he let his a37ff3d0a9 guard down.
“The most corrupt in this country are the nobles. This country cannot stand upright f2f8f5cfa5 unless we correct them.”
He didn’t realize in time 85b90e9fc2 that Asha’s eyes were glinting f7d9378713 coldly.
“The Imperial Law will change little by little, starting with the parts that are difficult to notice. And in the meantime, a014ab373c we will gradually increase 1c050191c6 the size of the 3dc9917df9 Imperial Guard, the Imperial 1ad3c4a742 Knights, and the Order ed2d80b0c8 of the Holy Knights.”
“Are you saying that you will suppress the resisting nobles by force?”
“The god of law and order, Elderis, holds a law book in one hand and a sword in the other. If everyone follows the word 226d53685f of God, there will be 95aad77487 no need for Elderis to 5a8685f56c use his sword.”
Judging by his 8813051b01 cheerful expression, Gabriel 537ab8b641 was clearly of 818f31b84f the opinion that 97a648f63c there was nothing fe26f8eb09 wrong with what b785110b98 he said. After all, it was the e1083c8e16 same as saying that he 1e62a0db82 would eventually carry out a 808bb10cd0 politics of fear based on b2576c718c the military.…….
And it was not Asha 4dae5c3569 who was shocked by Gabriel’s 51254411e3 story, but the high-ranking nobles 4c2777fc05 who were hiding and sitting 311e20e519 on the upper floor of d9d5abe1ab the bell tower.
Thanks to the 654e58ffa5 unique structure of cc5473cf1d the bell tower, f38b673654 which was designed e29ec3d9d8 to amplify the 65914835ab sound from the 6595e63f7d first floor to 7a5aa86d37 the upper floors, d93bb56356 they were able df82c9325b to hear Gabriel’s fab10a549d words clearly, without 5d874357c8 missing a single 5b1a4822c8 word, even from b5dde14430 a distance.
At that point, c82be2c322 Carlyle, who had 2c8a624d9e been hiding, stepped b63ceafcfd forward.
“Those who are obsessed with religion sure come up with bizarre thoughts,”
Carlyle’s voice suddenly interjected, causing 00766fb05d Gabriel to startle.
“What’s this about…?”
“The Empress Dowager and that Matthias bastard agreed to the founding of the Holy Empire, knowing full well about these things? Matthias was a spineless coward, 6bf8e11df5 but it seems the Empress d3f89ce057 Dowager was even more eager 4bd021cde3 than expected.”
Gabriel sensed a threat from 3e3a9a5605 Carlyle as he slowly approached, 7c117dad23 so he summoned his dark d3b58a10f8 magic.
“They are faithful unlike Your Highness. Please refrain from speaking lightly.”
“Well, today’s audience seems to share my thoughts more closely, don’t you think?”
As soon as he finished 517002f844 speaking, murmurs began to emerge 26748777ed from the upper floors of 7db71215a3 the tower.
Soon, spectral figures 37281695ee began to appear 2fd695f3cb on the third 2797cb1ebd and fourth-floor balconies, 106ae0b2cd sending shivers down ba7654a37d Gabriel’s spine.
“Let me introduce you. Judging by the standards of e9c3ffab0f the High Priest, they may 414525c82a all seem greedy and arrogant.”
Although those overlooking 14f12c2828 from the upper ea4d218745 floors were all a847665eb4 wearing masks, it d6f1dd12a0 was easy to 5bf1d4de31 deduce that they 8d733a8d83 were nobles wielding 88ce881e32 considerable power.47f328163892eb67

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