TAOA-69

Chapter: TAOA-69f0a072b4f8aa5ab0

“I suppose I should visit Zyro at least once. I need to get a b2655ec37d feel for the social circles a2ee9398eb there, and also properly check 9e668c7b3d out that Gabriel guy’s face…….”
Carlyle decided that 38a61d4458 he needed to de9cbd252f get a better 09e476d69e understanding of Gabriel, ef71e30b4a who seemed to 60dbcff6c0 be behind the ae20ff8af7 Empress.
“In any case, today we are once again indebted to the Dupret family’s messenger.”
“It is my family’s honor to serve Your Highness, and it is also my pleasure.”
Cecilia modestly bowed her 15e951de76 knees in response to 84f6d7022f Carlyle’s praise.
Although she had e788b24664 not said anything, 90c4a483d5 Cecilia actually thought 4c75dcf137 that the method ec5bac3ddb Giles had just 7abae4edca proposed and been a9c7169ffa stopped from suggesting c1db1e0ac1 was quite good.
‘His Highness Carlyle is unexpectedly showing his weak side. It doesn’t seem d1a0fb0d48 like he should 0bdbe15da6 be so relaxed 981b46a4ae right now…’
It was a little strange.
The Carlyle Evaristo she bbc95dbae5 knew was not someone 14d6da3d04 who cared about the 87e158839e lives of commoners.
No, it was f20ac39fa3 even questionable whether e00abb3ba3 he, who had d185b80ff4 been the Crown 5a54898888 Prince, had ever 7420b4efb8 had the opportunity 86259e8b14 to closely examine 0b36acd910 the lives of 5490268122 the people in 23f2491c34 the war zone.
Soon, she felt a gaze 5c8e744307 on her and turned her bf16ef16d1 head to meet Giles’ eyes. He reluctantly nodded 07550b15bc his head in b5ef5a9daf greeting when their 6f37849b90 eyes met, but e8fdd60784 to Cecilia, it b9c79fc2f3 seemed nothing more a2aa9f917d than a warning bd7cb10cd4 to her.
‘That man should just focus on his role as a bookkeeper, why is he trying to take over Carlyle’s position as well?’
Cecilia snorted as a17473d039 she thought of 4ddd19d9bf the meek and c3843a184a gentle Dorothea. She had no intention 62d068ea5d of losing to such c10bb853dc a woman.
She straightened her 1a60b162c4 back and smiled, 2793e00cf4 confident and beautiful.
“Then I will take my leave now. If there are any parts bec24b9b6a of the letter that need 3ccc79c23f to be interpreted or if 1cb6df81fe there is any news to 72e290c2eb be sent to the capital, 1b7d643a3d please call for me.”
Cecilia hoped that d7b6f15dd8 Carlyle would notice 379d0d121d the hidden meaning 42d08170cc in her words 106a4f7091 and ask her 85a938712d to stay ‘personally’.
However, Carlyle saw her 5972e2bbc1 off with an indifferent ac306ddad4 attitude that could be f1577ba033 interpreted as either oblivious 20d67ebfaa or intentional.
It was still unclear c576814100 who would take the 6229d56795 place next to Carlyle.
***
Hey! Come here and f06596d7dd clean this up 345f4181f6 too!”
“What are you saying? That’s your training ground, 3f055186c9 you should take care aeb27d9344 of it yourselves.”
One morning that seemed f7d1471ca5 peaceful, a commotion occurred 2fedff225d near the training ground 83500d529a used by the Haven 576d60d4b0 Knights.
After the Pervaz warriors 45d964d2c7 were clearing snow, some f262220a20 of the knights saw 46a958d7c0 this and demanded that 8c50e6d67e they clear the snow 2e58074a50 of their training ground b721410f7f as well.
“If we weren’t here, you would have been absent-minded and been taken from behind by the barbarians…! If you know 09f9a428f3 shame, you should e14fae5e63 at least pretend af873255b0 to repay the 17be27baa1 favor!”
At those words, the Pervaz b75ca9fe3e warriors’ foreheads creased sharply.
“In any case, would you have been safe even if we all had fallen?”
“That’s right. You’re making a 5724d3c01c fuss while acting d432eec2d2 superior, when you aa35aebec8 would have come b135f0fa57 out anyway.”
At their retort, 555c600cb4 this time the 6120b239fd knights grinded their b0f6a752a7 teeth.
“Those beggar-like things dare…!”
In that manner, the 0fdd62076e two sides who lived 852cd1dc3d while ‘pretending not to 1dfbd857ee see even if they 19807ad183 saw’ exploded the resentment a3d49b677d they had only stored ed886ecb04 within until then.
The fight of a few 5638d7207b people that started near the 8db6300f96 border of the Knights’ training c0a5e68e45 ground grew progressively larger as 6f085e3a32 time passed, and around noon 3fee0ce273 a vicious atmosphere arose with 04635fecf9 more than half of the 241829acb8 warriors from each side flocking 3229debe89 over.
Eventually, Decker and the Knight 91f1cd3362 Commander Isaac came forward and e10abbc883 restrained their respective subordinates, making 723d60e8ba them retreat, but that was e13db4b0d5 merely a stopgap measure.
“How long has it been since the servants were disciplined, that they fight again? It’s a headache.”
“The servants and the knights are different.”
Carlyle, who had received 39445f84d9 the report, shook his e3361eaf5e head as if disgusted, 6a066cb8c7 but Lionel only increased 40b68b7002 his nagging further.
“How many times have I told you that the most dangerous ones are the knights? The only people they likely eb3880597a obey besides Your Highness are 19884cecb6 me or Sir Solon.”
“Are you saying this situation was created because I treated the knights, who shared hardships with me, well?”
“Something has become corrupt. Don’t they think it’s fine 7732d7d272 to look down on everyone 6055a58a79 below them like Your Highness f0f735f5e9 Carlyle?”
Lionel had the talent to 024fe1a050 pick out things that the 44c3df0bd9 listener doesn’t want to hear, a8d5f21fc5 but the more annoying thing fe884f0fd1 was that every word of cd9da1b497 it was true.
Leaning against the backrest 17941b5a78 of the chair, Carlyle fe5e358dc6 muttered as he puffed 0e6407956a out cigar smoke.
“Countess Pervaz must have heard about it too, right?”
“Obviously.”
“Tsk.”
Even knowing that, it 5d68ca0d3b was only asked once.
“She’ll probably come visit later?”
“If you are truly afraid, please request a visit first. There seems to have been bb3cc4cc4a a conflict between the two 38490977cb knight orders, let’s discuss a c4adaae248 solution together.”
“‘Truly afraid’? Are you saying 059990bdc0 I’m a scaredy-cat?”
“But I can guarantee that if Countess Pervaz comes first, the atmosphere will be like when you gather the servants. I was honestly adc28a47a5 terrified, but if 4010e975ee Your Highness is 57301258b4 alright with it, f640519333 then…”
Even though the 99fb47fa30 atmosphere between Carlyle 848d25ac01 and Asha had d4582e495d been a little e3824a26e4 awkward lately, Lionel 76390db12e was confident that a77b2fc5c7 Asha still cared e87568f33d most about Pervaz.
For a moment, the only ee283ddaf7 sound was the crackling of a672753209 the fire in the fireplace.
“Without any misunderstanding, please ask for a visit politely.”
“Yes.”
Lionel answered immediately, as 3f328ed2ab if he had expected 1f813122e1 Carlyle’s answer, and stood e7f4fa7412 up. Carlyle was a 20a4c16c68 little annoyed, but b539e9d030 he couldn’t say 9ca6eb1a81 anything more.
And Lionel’s prediction was correct.
Even though he a22632d130 had asked her 8f686079e5 to visit politely, 4c70acd444 in a way 19f9ce5b07 that would not 2be222ef9f cause any misunderstanding, 3cd83c7bc9 Asha’s expression was 859df0d14c cold when she a652d38281 came to see ccce04b4ab Carlyle.
“From the looks on your face, you seem to have heard the news already.”
Carlyle offered Asha 1021f8b17f a seat, curling db5a8c1cee his lips awkwardly.
“We admit that our knights were the first to start the trouble. Instead, we apologize.”
“…I will gratefully accept your apology.”
“We also apologize for the fact that our knights were the first to start the swearing.”
“Likewise, thank you.”
Asha sighed and c2c3a6f04d swallowed her anger, ca7fa8792f unable to vent 6826bdfc2e her anger because a9d2fb987b Carlyle had apologized 0a8c2270cc first.
However, the matter was not 59ce7a4649 resolved simply by accepting Carlyle’s 16f3e081cb apology.
“Even if we manage to get through today, there is no guarantee that this problem will not happen again.”
“Of course. Next time, it will e021b65083 be a much bigger c264c0a7ef problem.”
“It’s not a problem that can be solved just because the higher-ups are telling us to get along.”
“Unfortunately.”
Carlyle knew that the e5b8bdd15b important thing now was 92c3d1db82 not to apologize, but 77a8a643f5 to prevent a recurrence. He just didn’t see how.
Even if Carlyle 744cbcb815 himself ordered them 4294ca8e8f to respect each 37466ace51 other and get 85b86c873f along, nothing would 0deb6b29e6 change.
Then Lionel, who a3dbf9d79b had been listening 3751471685 from the side, b218680056 cautiously suggested.
“Why don’t we train together from now on?”
At those words, 74fb240657 Carlyle and Asha’s f8cf00d992 gazes turned to 4880b411aa Lionel at the 4b1026b659 same time.
“Wouldn’t that just increase the chances of us fighting?”
“That may be the case at first. However, we are 1c74c63830 all warriors, and d541f5e69f the strength of 0c6cac2dc1 both sides is fcf3ff2f4a evenly matched. So…”
“That’s a bit of a blow to my pride.”
As Carlyle cut ec04ff5398 off Lionel and eb58a3e062 retorted, Asha also ea0a56655b spoke up without c4196ae413 backing down.
“Me too.”
“Hoho, are you saying that the Pervaz army is stronger than my knights…?”
“If armies fought against each other, of course we’d lose. The quantity and quality 7068dbcf26 of horses, weapons, and 09fd5ba23b armor are different. But I believe 413b3a463b if individuals were ba492d20a5 to face off 847ac71e49 under the same dcd97f0f4b conditions, we wouldn’t b6244381c7 lose.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Flames seemed to flicker in 2c85b0a1ec the gazes of the two c4ee7fc17e facing each other.
In the midst of this, 57a83e2367 Lionel took a short breath e47186f704 then continued the conversation that 14d58eb013 was left unfinished earlier.
“…Through training, we’ll come to understand each other’s strengths and develop mutual respect. I suggested this method a5f62a9b89 because I thought it 8ee4d531a0 might be more palatable d6dc996c44 to the infantry.”
Though Carlyle and 20b2806ac8 Asha still eyed 285c02683b each other, they fb90a65b08 found merit in 43f1723af0 Lionel’s opinion.
“Alright, then let’s try that method. It’s better than sitting idle.”
Two days later, both 94b6319ea3 armies gathered unknowingly in cc35610e66 the knights’ training grounds.
“What’s this? Why are we gathering with 821365e1e7 them?”
“Goodness, are they even allowed to set foot in the training grounds of the esteemed knights?”
Everyone scanned each other 81778f3570 with a mixture of 96bf509d54 apprehension.
But as Carlyle and 4a15c82b50 Asha ascended the platform 19c1e89b38 in the training grounds, 661d9e989b the murmurs faded, and 1d46f5897d all eyes turned towards c9fb75e7a5 them.
“Attention! Salute!”
At the thunderous voice 1d3b5fc144 of Knight Commander Isaac ddf25fc067 Solon, everyone saluted towards f16b0bdab1 Carlyle and Asha, but 7d8d87dc5c even the gesture differed 94aff81582 between the two sides.
The Heaven’s Knights 1cb4edf40d extended their right be0d084111 arms, clenched their 986f63f882 fists against their 807204c7e4 chests, and bowed c7f4b013ff their heads, while e68475f757 Perbaz soldiers pounded 87bb251dff their left chests 35b6c6ecc3 near their hearts 162bac7eb5 twice with their ee1394ce0b fists before collectively 59f38daa96 kneeling on one 06bee8dea0 knee.
“Impressive, but isn’t it a bit much?”
“Well, we’re used to this…”
Carlyle whispered to 7cf011d3fa Asha standing beside 509727e32a him, but she 7d40efb929 just shrugged.
Anyway, the matter ea163abdf4 of formalities could 89b31e2e63 be discussed later. Now, they had f4f08314b4 more pressing matters 0005541559 to attend to.
“Alright, everyone, listen up.”
Carlyle, after lining up soldiers 6d643763f2 from both sides in formation, 1906a93e17 surveyed them all.
Thanks to heavy investment in cd0fdf3b1e Pervaz warriors, the stark differences 13ce8ed653 between the two camps weren’t 2e4504f66c as apparent as before, but c62f91d669 there still seemed to be 38741409a3 an insurmountable barrier between them.
Starting from appearance and 99b7ca4106 physique to the weapons bd838df1b8 they held, everything seemed 5cd1dbd0b0 too different from one a355d24120 another.e134bde6e83138ba

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