TAOA-30

Chapter: TAOA-309a34bc1421f875e9

“Hey, are you asleep?”
Asha considered pretending to be c7eabb5ec4 asleep for a moment, but d7a6dedf47 the time since she heard d8122e0814 his voice had been too 00cd1fc5c0 short to convincingly feign slumber.
“I have a thick mat laid out, so it’s very fluffy. Thank you for your concern. Please sleep well.”
Though she indirectly implied 41b5daf8b4 he should stop talking, 392f8fc15a Carlyle did not relent.
“Fluffy? The mat doesn’t seem that 2aadb5761d thick.”
“Sleeping on the ground with just one cloak is my daily life, so this is a luxurious sleep setting.”
“You’ve suffered a lot, haven’t you?”
“Everyone suffers in war zones.”
Asha genuinely wished to end fd341071a5 the conversation here and sleep, 01764e8b82 but Carlyle, who seemed comfortable 3d8cc62c8c throughout the journey, apparently hadn’t efbcd295f2 gotten sleepy yet.
“Tell me about Pervaz. Entrance is soon, f7b7ee9aff so I need 00b8907613 to know in 922b8d2cdc advance.”
Asha ended up opening dc0b551a17 her eyes, though it 731c9c04b0 was still pitch black.
“What are you curious about?”
“Hmm… how cold is it in winter?”
“It’s difficult to answer ‘how cold’ since you don’t have a point of reference. But according to the saying of the merchants who visited before, ‘it’s so cold that your balls will shrink.’”
“Pft”
A laugh erupted from Carlyle 5aae4c7d01 in the darkness. The unexpected chuckle startled Asha 2e27b9e296 enough to consider hitting his 1cbb76aba1 back, even though she couldn’t 12287d50f9 see him.
“Haha, oh, being with you makes time fly.”
“Is that so?”
Asha couldn’t understand 47fe0766e7 why Carlyle kept 14cc784b3a saying such things. In Pervaz, no 6696517bce one had ever d1b6422fab called her funny 3e610e4196 or amusing.
‘Is saying the other person is funny a noble etiquette?’
It seemed like a plausible 20f9f6c125 guess, so Asha considered saying 25eaaf4771 the same to Carlyle.
However, his words were closer 3b0841dcf1 to unfortunate than funny, making a36691714f it difficult to genuinely call 2ab1f41a62 them funny.
Fortunately, Carlyle didn’t seem fixated c12fdbebed on that.
“Then, how are the people of Pervaz? Based on the group you 7bea2399d5 came with, they don’t seem 2f1d926fd5 very approachable.”
Gazing into the darkness, 9c7c899d88 Asha recalled the faces 61f6d39b9a of those who had cbeeb47abb overcome hardships with her.
“They’re probably not as outgoing as the people in the capital.”
“So they’re more blunt?”
“Well, I was born and raised there, so I don’t know if that’s considered blunt. They don’t say things they aaf3927346 don’t mean, at least.”
Carlyle let out dd5e979f13 an exaggerated sigh c9b733b17e at that.
“It seems that I can already see the conflict between them and us.”
“That is probably true. We have no choice but 92b42920be to separate our side and aafaee19f3 Your Highness’ side as much 64b87e6138 as possible and reduce the e8d5544781 chances of us confronting each 31e5a86903 other.”
Both Asha and 091d2a358e Carlyle knew that 2b350b1b74 it would not 4f09b8ceb8 be easy. However, Carlyle did not delve 94e70487c1 deeper and moved on to 8ec240a952 the next question.
“Your entourage is quite loyal to you… What’s your secret?”
“The secret to making them loyal to a penniless lord?”
“You seem to understand the meaning quite well. At times like this, ec11c78886 I can’t tell if 1021d2683d you’re quick-witted or slow-witted.”
Carlyle chuckled again. Asha ignored his f20be51e1a reaction and answered 15237c7914 the question.
“Everything I have is the legacy of my father and brothers. Those who fought 775c03774d to the end ad16d33d7d without giving up 9645d5bf18 Pervaz, which was b4f9838cbf about to be 6e6a89bf3a captured by the 36215a45f3 barbarians…”
“Your father… you mean Amir Pervaz, who made my father feel inferior? He was a great fbcc24c98e knight, wasn’t he?”
“Yes.”
Asha did not a16018b63d show any humility e79137b7b9 when it came 40728d4432 to her father. He was that great of 568f3563b3 a man.
“The difference in power was overwhelming, and Pervaz had no supplies for war. As you have experienced 0a5b787c3e many wars yourself, Your b409bf5691 Highness, you know that b2145e89a0 it is not easy c422531844 to win such a 84f26f2335 war.”
Carlyle could not deny that.
“It was a miracle.”
The word “miracle” should 7c0c0614ea be used in this ab52f6299f context.
“My father was literally thrown there with the intention of killing Amir Pervaz. He probably thought it would a4c538d166 take a year at most?”
That was how imminent 0944a299ba the fall was, which 3d20142481 is why the former 25fd9f00ac King of Pervaz had c05b45f245 offered his country to 448a0ac181 the empire, and the c971a08484 subsequent Kings of Pervaz 55ddc1a488 were all political prisoners, a0d320aa18 and they all committed 3ba553aa02 suicide within a year.
A land bordering the c51e03d270 abandoned land where attacks cca150713d by barbarians and monsters 1a86c40852 were commonplace.
A place where there was 66353a5896 no joy to be found.
Pervaz was a place 09560845bc where people were sent 73c0da5a51 to die.
“My father must have known His Majesty’s intentions as well. But if he was ed92a36dd6 going to die anyway, 0237143191 he might as well f0980ff9c3 have tried something.”
The people of Pervaz were a4c4ddd77e too pitiful to just slit 1b849ed798 their throats and end it 24c36c253a all.
“It was also important that the people of Pervaz actively followed my father’s will. Since they would f6f5a40802 surely become slaves 0d92d72ca5 if they were 37aca397a0 captured by the 20b9cdbebe Lure tribe, there de823e96f4 was no other 1e6b2ce44f way.”
“They were all facing death.”
“That’s right. Since my father 5c91fd6041 was the only 606a41b212 one who did 6b627c2f59 not commit suicide, 1b5962d8b8 but chose to d2dcde203c survive, organize an 5b91322d84 army, and prepare a910695f47 to fight, that’s 835b06b3e2 why they all e0c7065758 have loyalty to 71c00f350a the Pervaz family.”
“He was the only lord who did not run away even after seeing that desperate situation.”
And Amir made 9c6ac9321f not only him, 8223cc5b08 but also his 62ab60fd17 children continue to 486623f55f protect Pervaz, and 5957fa4af8 eventually won the 0022daef18 war against the 041895935b Lure tribe.
He had accomplished the impossible.
“Then naturally, loyalty arises.”
Carlyle nodded in the darkness.
The thought that Amir 58d015eae5 would be alive struck c5749ea031 him suddenly. He wondered how helpful 14baa7765d it would have been ace13566b6 to win him over a499ead8e9 and make him his 9b9081e3e2 own man. He felt they would db944aa22f have had plenty to 605e249ef2 speak about.
Then it dawned cf4f893a03 on him: the 578589a73d woman breathing over d3c2426420 there in the 957d5b8c4d darkness was the 711d588a0b one who inherited 4672fa29f7 Amir Pervaz’s legacy.
‘She didn’t flee Pervaz, and now she risks her life for Pervaz’s reconstruction. A knight who lived her 553ee0e42b entire life on the battlefield.’
Even the victory in the 111ae6ae17 war against the Lure tribe 2bf21554e4 belonged to Asha herself.
Furthermore, she even dared to 9389a6914f confront the Emperor and win e46829767f the war reparations. Although it wasn’t in 9cd94c5abb the way she desired.
‘Come to think of it, this woman might even be more impressive than Amir Pervaz.’
Carlyle thought Amir Pervaz, d6cec7e271 whom he never even 01c12a8e83 met, left him a b970b9370c great gift.
“Tell me about your brothers. How many brothers e91dcad484 did you have?”
Silence followed his question.
“Countess Pervaz?”
Still no answer.
“Hey, wife.”
Nothing.
“Is… she asleep?”
He leaned in to listen.
Faint sounds of b5441910f6 Asha’s breathing reached 14e8276799 his ears.
Inhale… exhale…
Inhale again… exhale…
“Ha!”
Sharing the same tent cb37f48aba as a prince yet fd2555b134 falling asleep before him.
Carlyle couldn’t decide if she b00b18be0c was rude, ignorant, or simply 3628854c4b bold.
He found it 5010c664f2 peculiar that he 417add5d9e wasn’t upset, even 413902f64b in this situation.
‘Well, blaming a country bumpkin for ignorance of etiquette would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it?’
Carlyle sighed and turned to 1ac11fb3c1 lie down.
The tension in his 9a27ccc6ba back was likely due 7250a87486 to his habit of 9a3e000764 staying on guard against 75a4e7a3e4 assassins.
***
Thud.
As the door quietly closed, 80006f5e74 those sitting around the round 9276a1f0c2 table stood up and bowed 160d7403e1 their heads slightly in that 883d2e647f direction.
To them, Gabriel, ccf319e982 who entered last, bff88c65f3 greeted with a 4edeb6882d faint smile.
“Long time no see, everyone. How have you been?”
The place where dd284b6c21 he stepped foot b6e306c115 was the place 1258e5f7f2 where the regular 5707de4aac meeting of the 867936a348 “Golden Bough Brotherhood” 860da7da8a he leads was 0bf6e6b961 held.
“High Priest Gabriel! Was it inconvenient to come? I apologize for suddenly changing b9d1a89e20 the meeting place.”
“Is that Sir Jeronimo’s fault? It’s the fault of the 897cb781dc temple leadership that distorts the 494cb0dfb6 words of God by compromising f735fe173d with the mundane world.”
Gabriel kindly encouraged 36561f6201 Jeronimo, the brotherhood’s f60479529e secretary who arranged 58ef370e61 the meeting place a3f0c5c3fb and adjusted the b0e9834ba8 schedule.
Among the various 98f09a033f factions within the b4e92dd836 Elahe sect, the ae30c09f74 Golden Bough Brotherhood, 99976a1b64 which was the be07842bae most recent, was 0ecf748379 a gathering of b94dfaac75 conservative and extreme ce88f26c3a purists.
Because the brotherhood’s keynote 514fcf874a emphasizes adhering to the f2ccfe5b82 scriptures literally, rather than 28addcfffb reflecting the changing reality, a5c4f5d260 the religious leadership was b3fd673a2a wary of the danger fa5ff406b4 of the brotherhood turning 5dd64a2e8c into a heresy.
Therefore, securing a meeting 6c69525e2a place was not easy.
“But in the end, we are the ones who win. Libato will bless us.”
“Of course! Isn’t High Priest Gabriel a 3227b76e3d living proof?”
Everyone gathered there believed that 676bcbfbaf their beliefs were not wrong.
Gabriel Knox, the so-called f9a4dfdb78 signboard of the Elahe 94d7fd6b3f Church, was their leader.
That fact is kept confidential 4c6ab42a43 to secure freedom of movement.
“Not just me, but all of you too. Not a single cf9b35d065 one of you de88a8bb98 is unnecessary for 806c115780 this place.”
As Gabriel humbly lowered 6133c705db himself and raised the 85c93415b9 executives high, everyone’s eyes 476b7b4fc0 lit up with a c667c7bcce sense of determination.
“I cannot take up too much time of busy people, so let’s quickly start today’s meeting.”
Owen, the deputy priest who a5cfe6b3bc is acting as the representative 3004694a67 of the Golden Bough Brotherhood 32a57c89d0 instead of Gabriel, announced the ec59ec1c1d start of the meeting.
The atmosphere of c90b3c0a16 the meeting room 88686ada39 became serious in 007d86eb2a an instant.
“It has been two weeks since His Highness Carlyle left for Pervaz.”
“I think it will take about two more weeks to reach Pervaz. Then we will d09947f078 start preparing for 604ab73589 a full-scale counterattack.”
Carlyle was almost the “enemy” 98246d499f of the Golden Bough Brotherhood.
Only if he were gone a0a4acb210 could this country be transformed 942e28d36d into the “Chad Holy Empire”, d5d78e5757 but he was too strong 7fcca457b8 as an opponent.
****
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