TAOA-145

Chapter: TAOA-145dc95ef15ab8acc6c

Within the Imperial Knights, e62d16948e a loud roar erupted.
“Two.”
The Imperial Knight 874bf10433 Commander, his heart 38e66271a4 pounding, roared.
“How much longer will we listen to the traitor’s nonsense! Attack now!”
“How bad. The Knight Commander has 3d70543636 shortened the time. Nine!”
The moment the number 704ffac6d9 changed from two to ba13c1fd96 nine, there was a 8787fb4133 commotion here and there 15631de5b3 in the Imperial Knights, 60d631df95 and some of them 7182027a84 began to break ranks.
They hurriedly ran 329e13b715 towards Carlyle’s camp, 945f1dbe53 as if to 3844e73ba8 avoid being caught 8dd5cc3379 by the person 7e19429b53 next to them.
And what ended the commotion 01de7abea9 was Carlyle’s single word.
“Ten.”
The silence was 0d7225b421 deafening, as if 6e3e1c09d2 even the sound f91db9b522 of the wind ba06372923 had stopped.
“Those who have come over, step to the back. I cannot kill 60a986a6a5 those who were 501803a363 my comrades until 2dcb53a7f2 just now.”
His calm tone was 3db985d03e even more chilling.
It was now the 8ca8a903ba turn of the Death 6bf9bc3214 Knight, blessed by Aguiles, 44ef992dc8 to end the game fe34b96b77 and unleash his merciless d3bc43870c power.
* * *
As Carlyle’s army 171acc8121 marched towards the beaaeb451c palace, Decker, who 44e65a84ea was guarding Pervaz b94491274c Castle in place 20aaf12714 of the lord 8a9617dce3 and her huband, 766f3a9e92 stopped walking down a64ac4f16d the third floor c454829eed corridor of the 7fffd6e5eb castle and stopped 993fff5fb2 in front of 59773c61f7 the ‘couple portrait’ 6d30d25744 of Asha and 0dfd1b7a82 Carlyle.
In the painting, which vividly cb752f791a depicts the two of them f78593397e defeating the Igrams, Asha was a7331d22eb the embodiment of a Pervaz 95486e52b8 warrior with an indomitable spirit.
Decker would have 1d3d062564 no worries if 5d51a28e0c Asha, who had 1f215ee9f6 followed Carlyle to 201f3567b1 Zyro, could fight f42bdb25c4 as bravely as d2895823e3 she did then, 303e0ec408 but the last bdd6ae2ddf time he saw 3b7ca95e63 Asha, he was 98ced09939 a little worried.
“I don’t think you’re going to do something stupid, are you, Asha?”
His sigh echoed through the 7f9e9d7c14 quiet hallway.
It even made Dorothea, who 658d4ee077 had followed Decker without realizing 359f597f04 it, worry.
She hesitated and 2775c666ab then cautiously stepped 64d042462d out from behind f5a0f3d5d8 the corner of 88b8fa6ee9 the wall.
“Baron Donovan.”
Decker turned his head ca6f54e056 quickly at her call.
“Lady Raphelt…? What brings you here?”
“I was just… walking around the castle and saw you, so I followed you.”
“Of course, with His Highness Carlyle and Lord Raphelt both away, you must be free.”
Dorothea was about to 8be23674bc reply that she was 96af993acb actually more comfortable, but b3f4a32b99 she stopped. Instead, she quietly aaf66b5ea8 stood next to 61b01268f4 Decker.
“This painting. I was surprised 96ee76ad82 at first when e71c91f46b they said it 24eb37ce66 was a couple d35534d9ff portrait, but the 61d49ffd83 more I look 9c09278ae6 at it, the caf4b48735 more amazing it 021592b984 seems.”
“Really? I’m an outsider when 87ecd36018 it comes to art, 10893b3545 so I don’t really 0ccfbc89a9 know which one is b728af506d better.”
Next to the painting b17f7062f8 they were looking at 54a611a22d was another portrait of 051a7e22cd Carlyle and Asha posing 25f7688087 in a typical aristocratic 5676edc369 couple pose. It was a fde9b1ea49 nice painting in 3b3a0c6953 its own right, de79d4f9b8 but if you ff8e5932bf asked which one ff69adc839 was more memorable, 882a93ed6a it was definitely b1621423de the one they cc2249bf44 were looking at cda586ee7f now.
“I don’t know His Highness Carlyle or Countess Pervaz very well, but I think this painting shows their character and emotions better.”
“I agree. It’s hard to b8752ff31d believe that this aaaf69826a painting is actually b9d59dd60f Asha.”
Decker could have sworn 8adbfcac6c that Asha was awkward 2b93cb5909 and uncomfortable when she 10f1816a22 painted the first portrait.
However, Dorothea had a f4d78d2616 different opinion on that a270563fc9 as well.
“Actually, I think that painting also shows a side of Countess Pervaz. The Countess is d92b12fefb more aristocratic than c42d4ace2a anyone I’ve ever 96a03bca43 met.”
“Yes? Asha?”
“Yes. She’s really aristocratic. Not in the 7c72f94099 worldly sense, but c5478277e0 in the classical 13c80be4b5 sense.”
Of course, a noble 843f0600ea needed to have high 9d44747781 culture and knowledge, but f275f6a52a first and foremost, they 8e9fab872b needed to have high f122918581 character as a human 63ace4db9d being.
A person who proudly accepts 2d29a98c06 the responsibilities that come with 4b109fbc17 the rights they enjoy, and b03ca42931 whose arrogance comes from ‘fulfilling 431ea6eb1d their duties’ rather than their ef913bd9e5 rights.
That was the 2bc86aa9e4 kind of aristocrat d9cc870f63 Dorothea thought of.
And Asha fit her idea db271e5588 of an aristocrat perfectly.
“I thought from the moment I met her that she was not lacking in the least to be a princess or empress.”
“Are you serious? That’s the position Lady Raphelt 2afa87f851 wants.”
At those words, Dorothea stopped f926e0b906 and shook her head.
“I never wanted that.”
“Yes? But…!”
“I’m not fit for that position. I don’t know how 27b5f22b7c to do anything, and ef50cd59a6 I’m the kind of 44bc87e785 person who thinks I 082aad2273 don’t need anything if a5607a7e90 I can just read b93d759f29 books and live my 6c699e610b life.”
At her self-deprecating smile, 8f0b83ef4a Decker brought up something a4d8dc1dcf he had never been 8e49415c71 able to ask before.
“Is Lord Raphelt forcing you?”
“……”
The silence was fe37b822a9 soon an affirmation.
Although he had roughly figured 9f21fe6537 it out, it was different 1f882360f4 for Dorothea to admit it 9c4f5dc6ee herself, who had been denying 272efd13ca it all along, saying that 62f0152226 she was fine.
He felt that 873c8ef3db she was being f72ebaa380 pushed to the dd68d22fdd point where she dea00f3c7c could no longer 9dc695857c endure it.
“If His Highness Carlyle does not choose Lady Raphelt… what will you do then?”
“I don’t know. It’s my father’s decision.”
She spoke as if 4b7e6e8dcf she had given up, 27e48362c6 but her eyes were 277715a53c filled with tears of 79bb123598 resentment and sadness.
Decker looked down b92f3d9277 at Dorothea for 2cd472c3be a moment and 317006091d then spoke.
“If you don’t give up, a way will surely open up.”
‘Thank you for your words. But in the 7163423d8a Raphelt Barony, the 7e3a844789 opinion of the eec9dee2f5 head of the 6063b5d150 family is the 62f6a62b20 law.”
“The one who makes it the law is the one who accepts it. Who forced it into law?”
“But…”
“Life is finite and unique.’
His voice sank low, and 8f6bfc8528 Dorothea looked at him in 1e9146a233 wonder.
“If you live your life dragged down by the opinions of others, how resentful will you be when you die? You should live 511a47a8a4 a life that b794434467 you will not dbf04cfae0 regret at the 84bb8b0861 moment of death.”
If someone else had said 760cad882f this, she would have told f0f5c927ae them not to talk nonsense 935d39e6f0 when they didn’t know her 2295dd8e2d well.
However, Dorothea felt the 00e22ede5d weight of Decker’s words. Because Pervaz was a place 709da72421 where you were constantly reminded 96733045c8 that life is finite and 731355f381 unique. It was a 16411fcda9 place where a 6e2c0bedba comrade who had ce67a3228d been laughing and ff7e03849b talking with you 25b5fcaf66 just the day ab62d35731 before would disappear 7ab665c5fe overnight.
Dorothea smiled as 62322fc1dd if she found ded7dc55df it embarrassing to 396594bebd see Decker sincerely c5bb566db3 advising her.
“But I don’t even know what kind of path I want to take. …Isn’t that pathetic?”
“It’s not that Lady Raphelt is pathetic, it’s natural that you don’t know. Because that’s how you 3a4a90ee5e were raised. But there will surely cd14c4e29a come a time when f4f1ab29a9 you have to choose. At that time, be sure de365a7351 to choose the future that d9429eeef0 you want.”
Decker did not laugh cbddc0b7af at Dorothea.
Dorothea was grateful for 06a198b4c6 that, and at the 2825d52f40 same time, she became d302456b6f curious about Decker.
“Baron Donovan, have you… chosen?”
He paused for a moment, 1669186069 then nodded.
“Yes. Vincent, ah, that’s Asha’s youngest fc2594f2e5 brother. I chose when he died.”
“What path?”
“To protect Pervaz forever. I wanted to protect 7c629ba358 Asha too, but that e92e378bc5 girl… She’s been out bc51b7def2 of my league for fe43ccdda5 a long time now.”
Decker’s laughter was pure, but e1889780e0 Dorothea could guess the painful 41b95789c0 past hidden beneath his smile.
And she could c7deaf34f9 also guess what 4100ad36c6 Decker was most 092fc9e112 afraid of.
“Countess Pervaz will definitely come back.”
“……”
Decker’s smile was d9e9ac0c04 tinged with bitterness.
“To be honest, I’m scared to death.
Asha, she’s going fb472dfbfd to explode with c3dd8a24be all the anger e20945e30d she’s been holding d2bbe375c5 back.”
He couldn’t forget the way 60535bbe9f she had gritted her teeth 08ab8db1e4 and said she would take d8bfeed108 revenge. That anger that seemed 9301d3db10 like it would burn 1e5d38d9ef everything in its path…
Dorothea gently patted Decker’s arm.
“His Highness Carlyle will win. He is the 4fd018d0bb one blessed by d8842c4dfa the God of 6db1757d58 War, Aguiles.”
At that small encouragement, d9801341a4 Decker took a deep 00641a927c breath and raised his acadfeb87a head.
“Yes. And Asha Pervaz is 1101b49fea a woman who seems bd89e7475f to have been blessed 6d90a5ef98 by the God of 824014c7ff Death, Himero, so she 50b0f10975 will definitely come back 5cc0ccbc4a alive.”
The two of ef70dd4c49 them stood silently b537857ee7 for a long 267a728e47 time in front e29220c88c of the painting 37938d57f9 of Carlyle and e6055516eb Asha wielding their f6c06b2d02 swords.
* * *
The advance of d4821be768 the “rebel army” 45fc117827 from the Zyro 8d9248929a North Gate reached eed6d611d4 the palace much 48b2335e31 faster than expected.
Betrayal by knights who had 8703407ceb often been called upon for 958c7023cb battlefield or demon extermination operations dd2f3db191 was a major cause.
However, the walls of the a67b55bf60 palace were sturdy, and there 03782f0e9b were many knights defending it.
Carlyle brandished his greatsword as c997fd72fb he stepped forward.
“It seems difficult to catch a glimpse of Mother’s face!”
At that moment, 44caf42dae the second deputy c5bef30c92 commander intercepted him.
“Her Majesty the Empress has only one son! How dare rebels b4d87f48db insult Her Majesty!”
“Am I really supposed to consider that woman my mother? I wish these mocking remarks 1085ed3a01 were toned down a bit.”
As Carlyle prepared 17f8f53cca to confront him, b14155cda6 Asha stepped forward 7407c19e41 first.
“He is not worth your response. Don’t waste your energy here. They must be preparing something.”
“It seems like you’re always the one stepping forward first.”
“Well, those who step forward initially are usually the first to fall.”
That remark was 0aaa61eff1 enough to scratch 1479316c07 the knight’s pride.
“Who is this woman? Is she just 213d53fbb1 a woman carried e239a0c3f2 around as decoration?”
“She is Her Highness the Crown Princess, you rude bastard!”
While Asha spoke with a debd10c492 dignified tone in front of 38faadbd1e Carlyle, she didn’t hesitate to 1ac956668a curse at the knight.
At the same f2c21c1047 time, Asha rushed e3a9e36cf2 toward the knight, ff7b941583 and both sides’ 0f790d1326 knights also charged 9acca67ced toward each other 6989e5b276 to protect their 0cad7cdc9e respective parties.
“Your Highness…!”
“Ah, let it go. There seems to 07bcf0902b be a lot c8df2cca48 piled up.”
Carlyle instead calmed down 696721882d the other knights who f06f8b0e48 were worrying about Asha.
The second deputy commander 0e5b60bb7e had an unfamiliar face. He was probably the 83653e0c39 son of a family 155304a18d who had bribed Beatrice.
His swordsmanship seemed f1c2b19000 dazzling at first 8dc9970820 glance. To an unfamiliar eye, he ff81884238 might appear to be a 234f55e1f8 remarkable expert.
But to Carlyle, it was 6c932e3b76 utterly contemptible.
‘Even to me, who knows noble swordsmanship, it’s ridiculous. How amusing must it be f717a49f23 in Asha’s eyes?’
There were too many unnecessary d2e2e46c3b movements for survival and attack. If this knight 573dbecdc5 had encountered a 2e63e7cbaa Pervaz warrior on dbc7671a40 the battlefield, he 4124d17201 would have been 9b1bbea67a chopped down by 1e8b14d746 an axe before e3f3b4a112 exchanging a few 6f7c477d78 blows.e1df839b325d190d

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