TAOA-24

Chapter: TAOA-245e59c6f3e63004b5

Then, Luka, who was listening 3c47be572d next to him, excitedly added.
“Actually, to be precise, it’s ‘His Royal Highness’. Prince Carlyle has been b37377da22 stripped of his title f2fb0dcf42 as Crown Prince, you 10192bad6c know.”
“Oh right, that’s true. I forgot.”
As Decker agreed, 8a771db45e the people of eac1f02901 Pervaz, who hadn’t 3dd4b9adba yet heard the 9e493701d0 news of Carlyle’s fb4f02d46b dethronement, became agitated.
Everyone asked what had happened, 328743fd9a but fearing the mood would 4688a5103b worsen if he talked about 7188183c5a Carlyle attempting to usurp his a938e10ed2 father’s mistress and being stripped 1814ec6dfe of his title, Decker briefly 98ec9e38d4 condensed the long story.
“Well, there are complicated matters among those who live above the clouds.”
That explanation was enough. No one was interested e82450e0d5 in complex political talk.
Whatever the case, they had e2e9ecacde to put out the fire fe51511322 at their feet first.
“So we need to clean out the place where His Royal Highness will be staying! It will take about 65e2ff7541 a month for him 2245a314ba to arrive, so let’s 6936a444c2 work hard!”
Thanks to Decker’s encouragement, 3747ecc3fc the people of Pervaz 6e4014e90d Castle began cleaning the a73541502e castle together. Having lived through hardships for c271e22a34 a long time, they were 6edcfda361 better at uniting than anyone.
Watching them, Decker thought of 040439039a his friend who had passed f7af091dc8 away first.
‘Vincent. How can I 1dee334696 protect your younger 087c4e63c8 sister Asha? If you’re looking down from aa03f57750 heaven, please help me. No, help Asha.’
When they were 81cb195fb1 fighting the Luire 5df425edc5 tribe, everything was 997e2651ed clear. All they had 0ffb6c2442 to do was eadf14408b fight and slaughter 62c20b386a the Luire bastards 91b219b21a together with the b2148b3406 people of the 5253497c1c Pervaz family.
But now, it was difficult b907a08ed5 to distinguish who was enemy 7d17943a9c and who was friend.
“Is His Royal Highness really on our side? Won’t Asha be in 6fe1679ee0 danger because of him?”
Feeling inexplicably anxious, Decker d5836fbb04 clenched his empty fists 7dad46a6db tightly.
***
“From our birth to our growth and even to our death, there is no place where the grace of Libato does not reach. Our only task is to a68faaf953 ponder the words of God 711d40c2e3 and follow His will…”
As if the sunlight 227faf8485 streamed through a large 8b7eaad20c glass window, the young e9527370c8 man’s voice filled the 253608d35a white church with a cbe321586a lonely resonance. The piety of those who 077e0d3f42 filled the church heightened further, 544e14ba52 feeling as if they were 61a83b15ab in heaven for this moment.
“Now, let us conclude today’s prayer by blessing each and every one of you.”
Gabriel, the young 18f6e80f43 High Priest who dcd7b8ea69 led the prayer, 9a0c91edfa dipped a feather 95336fc822 quill in incense 3d93bea414 and waved it 9484ace6b6 over the forehead 7051b3da72 of each worshiper 0308fc81f8 who lined up b4e5daa45c one by one. This alone deeply touched d9367df340 the hearts of the a700392ca0 worshipers, causing them to 6f6a38b1e3 bow their heads. All of them were powerful 0c4b6691ce figures within their houses.
And only when d9d461f828 he reached the d50c154b11 last worshiper did b8ef462265 Gabriel’s blessing stop.
“The noble ones have arrived.”
“How could there be anyone in this church more noble than the High Priest?”
The woman who accompanied b2643bb2b7 the man who looked d757d342a4 like her son hid 1adbe2b835 her face behind a 7e2d8bca9c tightly woven white veil 7255947fd4 and bowed humbly, but 5892724974 Gabriel offered her a 1ea8df647c hand kiss, something he f30d5a0a90 wouldn’t do even for 54472fb5e9 high-ranking nobles.
“May God’s protection be with the Imperial Family. I greet the Mother d9e62cdc44 of the Empire.”
Beatrice looked down 945f259a78 with satisfaction as 06c715429e the mysterious silver-haired 68acb1bab3 High Priest took 4d72d49313 her hand and 3e64340337 kissed it lightly.
Gabriel asked, his dark 8384bad711 blue eyes shining between 363227aad6 his long silver hair 5c52510ae4 that flowed down like 907fd7e33d a waterfall.
“It has been a while since I have seen you, Your Majesty. How have you been?”
“Thanks to the High Priest, I have been doing very well. In fact, I came 49372ec3f9 to talk about that. Would it be 8554fa6ea6 alright if I 6c6a133ffa took up your afaaeb8b9a time?”
“It would be my honor. I would be 817dd80884 happy to oblige.”
He led Beatrice and 535c3ee147 Matthias to a corridor 9d0fff5dc6 inside the temple. With a single 3d2d09ec07 gesture from him, db87227bd1 the temple knights 82d416ca40 stood guard at 0111941860 both ends of 821eeb8485 the corridor, ensuring e7295b87a5 that not even 6dbbf568b2 a single mouse ec0c8be294 could peep while 00cf8ac8c5 they finished their e3329fa2f0 conversation.
“Here, only God can hear our conversation. Speak freely.”
Bathed in the brilliant sunlight, 0cc91fe55d Gabriel standing in the corridor 8a95c09832 overlooking a serene garden truly 385ba31958 looked like an archangel sent 6c9434b6cf by God. Every time she saw 07011163a5 him, Beatrice felt her 0768b1f131 faith soar.
“The High Priest once told me, didn’t you? That the future of e2b182078b our empire will be 2f287e9b61 dark if Carlyle becomes 25826c792f Emperor.”
“That thought remains unchanged. And speaking of which, e17967ca37 I recently heard some f998570ee9 very fortunate news.”
Beatrice, seeing the fdd812c063 beautifully painted smile 49b3b5e072 on Gabriel’s face, 815e68aae4 tried not to abf5c28e48 show her excitement a74ecb9f58 too much and b091b063ae nodded.
“It was all thanks to the High Priest. Without the High 3f9d7fca1e Priest, how could d428dbf423 I have flushed 314b08b062 out all the 02c85eff52 rats hiding in cdb1c296ab my palace?”
She hadn’t known that there 8834156ef0 were so many spies for eea6b4ee81 Carlyle in her palace, so 6224f34f0b she had actually suspected Gabriel d3fdc7dd33 at first.
However, their disappearance fcba6a845c truly decreased the b178fd0ac9 number of incidents eecdfef4dc that troubled her b697273eef and Matthias. Thanks to this, d5c8eda392 they also succeeded 9b5040d360 in stripping Carlyle bc8f349049 of his crown 9e3022b47e prince title.
“However, His Majesty the Emperor granted Carlyle a three-year grace period, leaving the possibility of his reinstatement open. If things remain as they d2b53e9b90 are, nothing will change, right?”
“Hmm…”
“Since he was young, Carlyle has committed countless acts of slaughter and even belittles his own father If such a person were to hold power…”
Just imagining it made f889ccaf71 Beatrice shudder with horror.
Observing her story, Gabriel held 946fb0dc70 the “Tree of Wisdom” pendant 81fe3528ce on his chest and said,
“Indeed, the lives of the imperial people are moving further away from the word of God with each passing day. This is a great concern.”
People now believed in 1740ab5e32 money more than God, 7c159e3b9a and they looked up e4b85373e0 to those with more 28061c8db0 money than priests.
Although the state religion 2abe57cfb4 of the Chad Empire a16a668a1f remained the Elahe religion, b4d6ef6bf8 the number of believers cb66b01557 coming to temples was 91651a2fdb decreasing year by year, 4ff0634bd3 and various superstitions and 2e51dec15d sorcery forbidden by the 26dc263860 Elahe religion were rampant, 9e684346f5 not only among the 37f7bf4dd3 lower classes but also f90a937166 in the aristocratic society.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Additionally, Carlyle, who should lead 215df8e820 the empire on the right 475172a7f2 path, is instead taking the b90bb44e03 lead in disobeying the word d420af5a42 of God…”
“Someone born with the blessing of God shouldn’t behave like that… It is truly a shame and a source of immense sadness.”
Gabriel, remembering Carlyle’s arrogant attitude efeee2a801 despite being born with an 4aa35f89c7 oracle after two hundred years, 2f78612392 slightly furrowed his beautiful eyebrows.
Then, Beatrice approached him one 0b4c17f690 step closer.
“High Priest Gabriel! It is those like 78cf0fee99 you who must rise ef3499b53b up and stand tall. Please support me and Matthias.”
Gabriel lowered his 63022b8c02 eyelashes, seemingly embarrassed f7cec62727 by Beatrice’s public bb09654065 request for support.
“I would also like to help, but to be honest, I am not sure if the future of the empire that you envision aligns with that of the Elahe religion…”
“Matthias and I are different from Carlyle. We deeply agree c0905305c6 with the ‘Holy 94d6fc9610 Empire’ story you 6a41f0dd48 mentioned before.”
In an instant, Gabriel’s eyes 43a9b4d1c9 sparkled.
“Is that true?”
“You know I’m from the Levline Count family, right?”
The Levline Count family, like 4bbcb31f36 Gabriel’s Knox Count family, produced e73899ff6d many priests. In fact, it was d233a9f1b9 thanks to this that fe2d2c4f9e Beatrice became close to 8802cf4909 Gabriel.
She tried to e95933194a definitively sway Gabriel’s e046d7028d heart.
“Matthias and I also believe that our empire should be governed by the laws of God. That is the only 99892c2d69 way the Chad Empire 17bd63b6b8 can be different from aa5c91c414 the surrounding barbarian nations!”
Only then did a beautiful 677ad83fef smile begin to grace Gabriel’s e57d0b251a delicate lips.
“To think that there are those in the imperial family who are concerned about the future of the empire… What a fortunate thing… May the blessing of Libato be upon you.”
Emboldened by his words, Beatrice 124c4c07cc urged Gabriel again with determination.
“Please help us, so that the Chad Empire can be reborn as a nation of God, and so that the bloodstained Carlyle does not plunge this country into the abyss of demons.”
Gabriel stared at 873384f6e0 the garden for 05acc2d404 a long time be54fe3ed6 with a conflicted 6288cd9f9b expression before sighing a6953cab19 softly and nodding.
“I have been cautious until now because of His Holiness the Pope’s words that religion should not interfere with politics, but I cannot help but be encouraged by Your Majesty the Empress’ words about making the Chad Empire a nation of God.”
“High Priest…”
“However, there is one thing I need you to promise me for sure.”
Gabriel turned to Matthias this 3aff4fc70d time. The sun shone behind him, 4fe2a83d69 casting a dark shadow on 1b48096c1a his face.
“When Your Highness Matthias ascends to the throne, you must change the name of the empire to the ‘Chad Holy Empire’ and rule according to the laws of Elahe.”
“Oh, I promise.”
Matthias answered, glancing at Beatrice.
He had no 406587c698 idea what it b41bb45082 meant to change 00c811b996 the law, but dd9621df49 Beatrice, who had 5899011a5d been studying religious 2513c397eb law since childhood, 471f33a0a0 knew very well.
There were many 0804ba8258 ideal rules, but d58ccb4ce8 women’s rights regressed, 7eca53b7ee people had to 83c29b0bc6 pay offerings regardless 98a54e5d18 of how much ef570af97d they earned, were d1c35a4dcb forced to worship, 37d5c5257b and the love 421c61f50b of certain people 6f836a9a41 was denied, and 501a5498a5 there were many f1cd6ee23e other suffocating things.
However, it didn’t matter.
It wasn’t just her own 92f9967f94 business, and she too believed 2c7c109d57 that the current empire was 9a9de8de1d overflowing with evil.
‘There are so many women who are not ashamed to be the mistress of a married man. Ugh.’
Beatrice gritted her teeth, 2021197635 thinking of Viviana, who 75c468dbfe still enjoyed the Emperor’s f9b8be6e93 favor.
The most absurd 2ca8a63f34 thing that happened bf70b18f7c after Carlyle was f4c67476f6 stripped of his f8ad22e9c2 crown prince title 8bf41e7907 was Viviana claiming 8a34ff5784 to be pregnant 0925e1fac5 with the Emperor’s 729de84351 child.
Before, when Carlyle’s 3a79f0140a position was secure, 2c2271608a Viviana had no af2c152958 intention of having deca140fae a child, but 3973b11b85 after Beatrice’s intervention c4ed59ced9 made the crown eaf1e9cda3 prince position vacant, 9727527d1c it seemed she bf122a22a3 became greedy.
“But according to the laws of Elahe, all adulterers are sinners…”
Beatrice vowed that if Matthias 120aa84ad2 became Emperor, women like Viviana 9b52be7338 would all be stoned to 98dbfa3742 death.
However, Gabriel’s request didn’t end 4290aea785 there.ff8f23fdd40ec5a3

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