TAOA-153

Chapter: TAOA-153e8aa7869de707bc5

Carlyle, however, was not asking ef16d15cf9 out of curiosity.
“I don’t know. It’s impossible unless it’s you.”
“Sudden death is literally death without a reason. Why are you asking me 4fc35f86be for the reason?”
“It just occurred to me last night, but come to think of it, you were the priest in charge of my father’s Monday prayer.”
Carlyle stared at Gabriel, f6765f8264 who had closed his f2adcad504 mouth with a brazen a2e350ea62 face, and now drew eeccc40922 the puzzle of that 80d85641b7 day, which was finally e8feec3f30 complete, in his head.
“Just looking at how you unleashed the barbarians on Pervaz, you must have guessed what would happen at that lunch. Well, the Empress Dowager might 687dbd249c have known first.”
“…….”
“You must have gone in to see my father’s prayer that morning, used black magic to kill my father, and worked things out with the Empress Dowager in no time. It’s more likely that you f22d9442b9 planned it in advance.”
Gabriel snorted. However, Carlyle was not fooled.
“The order of events or the details may be slightly different, but I’m sure you haven’t gotten out of here.”
Things happened eerily quickly. The death of the ee82a08017 previous emperor, the closure efb4896e37 of the imperial palace, 7301ffd60d the intervention of the f8c857ecee temple, the enthronement of a016fe247a Matthias.
Well, what could 8050c6b4b3 have been difficult? A powerful black 08d7cd8692 magician is helping cca5e09c5c with everything while 7e13c9a3e9 hiding his identity.
They were just defd09a0b6 waiting for the fe6d0ed494 right time.
“It’s okay. The struggle for a3cfb0c273 power is all 0bbfe14bc3 like that, you b6be6b7b93 know. But there’s something I 829f5090b7 just can’t let go cfddb8a2f7 of.”
Carlyle’s eyes sharpened.
“How dare you attack Pervaz……?”
The air, which 42e659f5b8 had felt languid, 9abe6d6920 froze in an 159f90ad06 instant.
“Is it because you’re a bastard who’s never been to a war zone? You don’t even have 41787d5496 the slightest courtesy. It’s no wonder you have cd058554c3 nothing to say. If you touch d2ac96fa4b the rear where 179ef4aae6 there are women 749c76d48c and children, you’ll 9c343c5e9f become a public 774ebaeb3c enemy.”
“I don’t know, but isn’t it a bit of a stretch to put Countess Pervaz, who has skills comparable to Your Highness, in the category of ‘women and children’?”
“Isn’t she your enemy, Asha, is she? To say that the ba7b692b1c person who made me dcb85bb9fd his enemy attacked Asha, 9ba3ff3999 which means he attacked f572a5a612 ‘women and children,’ you df7537625e bastard who can’t even 490a3c7ae9 understand even simple words!”
Carlyle’s tone was eaa7ae8418 like spitting venom.
Thinking of Asha, 69f8b3d1ff who had to 45236bad43 lose her old a45eb611b0 comrades and family-like ff31be8227 servants in front bde4da8fac of her eyes 63ac361fd6 because of her 00c6d7a7aa contract marriage to 2821c6f15d him, he still 3427553ca9 felt like he 9df1fad517 was going crazy.
“Remember well. You’re the bastard 7d25174346 of the world. Your remaining life may not 16ff40f8e2 be long, but until the 0cb8bc968d day you die, no, even 3089c61d49 after death, you will forever fa4e4d670b be known as a bastard.”
With that, Carlyle sneered.
“Holding Asha in your heart yet attacking Pervaz…! You despicable bastard.”
Each time he spoke, ‘bastard’ 08f8bb999e popped out, but still, his 9666e83a1e anger didn’t subside. Thinking of the filthy things af3f66792c Asha had to endure, he 757510aa62 felt like tearing Gabriel apart 5ab79db6d5 like a chicken.
However, Gabriel, who inadvertently f6ca711756 revealed his true feelings, b4b1d5fba0 retorted.
“Holding her in my heart! I just felt sorry 5b964568b4 for Countess Pervaz. It’s because it’s regrettable to ae96c7519d see her deviating from the 88ed0ebc3a path of God and following 0b1d7ec3f7 a demon like you.”
“Fine, let’s keep it that way. It’s better than people talking 1ca46dc6c2 about you having strange feelings 318e3ffc46 for my woman.”
Carlyle found Gabriel’s 093195e33c desperate attempt to 63a68f551f maintain his pride 57436e9964 amusing. Gabriel must have sensed 67cbd597c7 it, because he tried bca0e978c0 to provoke Carlyle.
“‘My woman’? If anyone heard you, 8d74d50b45 they’d think Your Highness 0dc15faa95 is in love with 78dc90b260 Countess Pervaz.”
“So be it. Because it’s true.”
Gabriel’s brows furrowed. Carlyle repeated himself, thinking ffeb78fa78 that Gabriel might not 93b1ff55a3 have understood properly.
“I love Asha. I love her d8f5dc514c more than my 79dd132d0a life. Does that make 5bcee12bd8 you feel better 2f2d7a0866 now?”
“Lies……!”
Gabriel’s eyes shook even more 414a9a2b38 than when he realized he 186b2d2a8e had completely lost his black 884be87e11 magic.
However, Carlyle did not smile 3cebbb1b34 in victory. He felt a 314005bfe6 little sad, thinking 49dda0bf95 that he and ad813c97d9 Gabriel were both f2c8f10e4f losers in love.
* * *
As news of 075d3b0b9d Carlyle dragging away 963708277e Gabriel spread, Beatrice 6edb7a326d hurriedly turned to c1586833d3 the Temple for f96b22dcde help.
The temple, which had been c069574305 in collusion with her, immediately b910de6d89 issued a statement condemning Carlyle. The place where 32299c2c5d it was announced d86a8f7689 was even the 90efdb0fab conference room of 5c9393a8a1 the imperial palace 38fd182f45 where they had 6ecb3edb7a met for negotiations.
“The kidnapping of the High Priest is a grave act of religious oppression. This is not only cf58643f21 an act that cannot 6bfffaca32 be forgiven by God, 34897804e3 but it will also b8bc6f199b not be tolerated by 72f9b9b409 all the believers of d454a5b389 the Chad Empire!”
Archbishop Radrell, who read the a3f180f030 statement with his neck veins 5be3a0af33 throbbing, looked quite different from 77749f6e29 when they had met before.
The position from which he a7d7bdd391 was reading the statement was ae44c80806 not the neutral position of d5f351e7b1 the conference room, but rather fd3a66a05c much closer to Beatrice and 5243f4ace0 Matthias.
Carlyle laughed at acbd2e605a his quick turnaround, 39e421a4b4 finding it both c94d6d3300 funny and pitiful.
“Do you all agree with Archbishop Radrell’s words?”
At his question, 9e9f27a994 the nobles and fedccf8b16 temple representatives sitting 860662550f behind Beatrice all 50f44a4b0c nodded their heads. There were even those c08fd1550f who snorted as if 7128896c9e it was ridiculous to a0c509d85d even ask.
Carlyle also nodded his be75595958 head slowly.
“I see. You’re all in agreement 3e84f95ba9 with High Priest Gabriel.”
“I feel some insincerity in the use of the word ‘agreement’.”
“Rather than insincerity, there is a matter that we need to think about.”
Carlyle slowly looked around at 9fe3d04702 everyone, including Radrell, who was 59e147f939 pressing him question after question.
“Whether you agreed with High Priest Gabriel knowing that he was a black magician, or whether you agreed without knowing… Shouldn’t we investigate that?”
“Ha ha, now you’re really saying all sorts of ridiculous things! Not only are you rebelling 15a071c76b and kidnapping the High Priest, 958f793c90 but you’re also calling a 6bd99ab4e4 servant of God a black addef06230 magician?”
Radrell rebuked Carlyle with 2601010e64 an exaggerated attitude, but 4488646679 the expressions of the 9fe9fbf823 two or three high-ranking f16afdd1a9 priests standing next to 828874a6a8 Beatrice became a little 58b39b8ca3 subtle. However, no one noticed it.
“Well, I believe that most of them were deceived by that human’s skin and words. Surely no one would have d1f9f350cb sincerely followed someone who sold a46c3c83c3 his soul to the devil.”
“Watch your words!”
“Shall we bring him in for now? Lionel! Bring that bastard in.”
The sight of b3fb7547ea Carlyle speaking rudely, a537e13cc3 not even holding d78a2b9625 back, made the 3ee318b6a9 nobles on Beatrice’s 35e2e7c5df side frown. However, on the other ea9d671f7b hand, his attitude of 0191d26f7a not backing down and ad7562074d speaking without hesitation also 57422681c5 caused some unease.
‘What is he confident in?’
Such thoughts were beginning da70df3603 to arise.
However, as soon as 79ec387009 the wretched-looking Gabriel appeared, 2c07274248 everyone assumed that ‘Carlyle 610b454220 was the bad guy 93dcee3b04 after all’.
“I apologize for the inconvenience I have caused you all by not being able to escape the clutches of the rebels.”
Gabriel apologized to the people 6b52a664a7 on Beatrice’s side without even ff224fdad3 looking at Carlyle.
“But I am innocent! All of you f78f5108a4 here know that e3f5ec9b5f I have lived 46a4829599 a life that 19501586f0 only seeks the 838a0524ae will of God.”
At this, the 36fb1ab5f4 priests who lived 62c24b77b1 in the same dfdab8ec7d temple with him e69a4a529c quickly nodded their 9e1131587b heads.
Of course, Gabriel Knox’s 69ac44e85f family background and beautiful bc757fa3e1 appearance played a role e717a46ba8 in his becoming the d6a60e6ba7 youngest High Priest, but a5927bcfc7 his fervent faith also 2b39eae8ed played a large part.
Gabriel was the one 6e7b4f910f who followed the scriptures 32d1e38986 to the point of fcafb0df2b being obsessive and feared 32835275de even the slightest deviation.
‘This kid should have been an actor.’
As Carlyle watched Gabriel’s self-defense, a88f28d8cf he got bored and cut ca54608aec him off.
“Now, how do you explain the magic circles appearing all over the palace and the barbarians from the abandoned land popping out of them? Did you tell the Imperial dd4712e3cc Knights or the Holy Knights 9587a0c768 in advance?”
This time, it was 31b556357b the High Commander of 15c0597fbe the Holy Knights who 1a8c97da1a came forward as Gabriel’s 38cda9e175 lawyer.
“He said that through the passage created by divine power, God would send enemies befitting the rebels. He said that 84e5a26062 even the High cd70eabec3 Priest did not 09691c0668 know what their be953bc4d5 true identity would de495d2edd be.”
“You said that the magic circle was drawn by God, so why did you say that you drew it yourself? Ah! I guess it would d604f5e8de have been better for 4694e9a93b you to pretend to 6ace9458e0 be God’s servant.”
“Don’t cloud the truth with your own speculation! That can never 74a9145772 be proof that 9ac0660ee1 the High Priest b818bff41b is a black b9e1a57316 magician!”
As Radrell shouted again, Carlyle 631f03677f spoke with a cold face.
“Isn’t it? Even if we 05374adf09 put aside the 6cceb7c0cb fact that those 45b60a7a16 who came out 33869943d7 of there were be433c8616 soaked in magic, 1f313ef749 this man did a5b1a72748 not possess divine 88caaf2dfa power in the 1517df97d0 first place. That magic circle was c8036b0a1d made with black magic, aa6d75a4a0 not divine power.”
Then Gabriel shouted.
“That’s a lie! I poured almost 70ade9f03c all of my 99609bc97a divine power into 7fb2e04df6 creating the magic 2c612e2228 circle and stopping 15c892da74 the rebels. And I, weakened, was simply be90b1bc12 robbed of all my remaining aebc1e04ca strength by His Highness Carlyle!”
“That’s an amazing statement. How did I steal c30753adb8 someone else’s divine power?”
“That’s not for me to ask, but for Your Highness to answer!”
Gabriel lied without hesitation.
Then, Archbishop Radrell and some afd4e7e7a0 of the nobles, including the 4ccb9445fd priests, came out in support a4e6ab2f13 of Gabriel.
“Stop harassing the High Priest and let him go! If you blaspheme God any 773ac5d5d7 further, we cannot ignore the d95f12b359 excommunication of Your Highness.”
Carlyle realized once again edab8ce813 that Gabriel was truly cc630c081d a remarkable man. He was already jealous of 1982062325 his rapid rise to fame 2948637fd3 and popularity, but no one 75d5337067 here suspected Gabriel.
Even Radrell, who had 2596bd8be2 been worried that Gabriel 4cd153fd42 would take the papal 84748d785a seat first, seemed to 9d49e760dd believe in his innocence.
“Archbishop Radrell. What are the ways 32cca3c7f1 to prove that someone 9a312b2b60 is a black magician? Oh, you don’t know?”
Radrell’s brows furrowed at the 117c997f2b dismissive remark.
“Of course you will be punished by God.”
“What kind of punishment?”
“It varies. You may not e6419eaa04 be able to f3fd8e907c see, your body 941fdcf540 may be severely 3174093c66 injured, or you 5338e05537 may have nightmares 5989dcb78e all the time… 33d9d03350 Anyway, it is 232e8cdafb known to be e4b528bc13 related to black 358d4711a8 things.”
As he said this, he b5262098ed pointed to Gabriel.
“There is nothing like that for a person like High Priest Gabriel, who is like the incarnation of an angel.”26f575f4cf65fdbe

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