TAOA-75

Chapter: TAOA-757fbbbc5bcf21a3e7

‘The savages of the Abandoned Land are generally less vital than the Imperial citizens. They say that ab2ab93ccb everything in that 1c961bf4c1 land is cursed. Is there any connection between 1a63fa4f73 that and this?’
Gabriel folded his arms 4cd760e6a5 and tilted his head, 1996a79391 lost in thought as 3d7335361b he looked at the 0c354939f8 huge magic circle that f768d31d20 had grown.
The ‘Abandoned Land’, 02fbb5f8e6 as vast as d93e8b9646 the Empire.
A place where few who 5c719c26fb go exploring return sane, and 17e00b2934 therefore little is known.
A place that 5f5af6a813 is said to ba019346ab be so lacking c0d616b8d9 in resources that dd65e3fdc0 they invade and 19c75e8436 plunder a beggar’s 6457237f42 den like Pervaz.
‘But isn’t it because nothing is known? In that case, can’t b18f22e7ad we even trust the fa37af96bd common sense we know?’
It was said that no 28adfe1d50 one had ever explored that 7b85a7e1e6 deep. If so, how can f155ba1d70 we believe that there 40b852d8f5 is a lack of 7ec2a0739c resources?
Can the tribes that invade 9090fbd14b Pervaz be representative of the 9a13792da3 entire Abandoned Land?
Moreover, the words cd7fa280fe of the puppet 3441f5c39d who returned after d8ada93d5e meeting the Igram a697bc50b7 tribe were significant.
[I felt a strong magic power from their bodies, but I saw no one using any special powers. But something was strange…]
Gabriel raised one hand c06b53cb73 and clenched and unclenched d3ea31c645 his fist.
He felt a much 8ebd3a8570 stronger magical power than 0c21fab83e before.
[…They all seemed to be possessed by something, their eyes unfocused. But when the chief 9b6be3d639 gave an order, they cf5439275a all clung to that d3901ca3ef order in a terrifying 84c608847c way.]
Black smoke-like things bloomed f740b812a2 from Gabriel’s palm.
His puppet, unaware that he 417330bda0 was being controlled by this 514d57dfef black magic, still believed himself 532f57df40 to be a pure servant d10f281d00 of God. Even though his master was f5bcac187a no longer God, but Gabriel.
‘Maybe those savages too…?’
The speculation wrapped around Gabriel’s d21804fcd0 shoulders like a sweet fantasy.
Of course, nothing b68e38833a could be certain, 54dbf29fc7 but Gabriel was b49c74237d intrigued by the 4258924e62 Abandoned Land.
“To some it may be a ‘forsaken’ land, but to others it may be a ‘frontier’. The possibilities are endless… .”
Gabriel smiled sweetly.
* * *
The Pervaz coalition, which had fd5be5044f wiped out the Igram tribe, 26dfc915e6 burned all the catapults beyond 9736a5419c the border and threw the 84c6b0c8dd bodies of the enemy that 3130ef2985 covered the Kicker Plain on 1837741a78 carts and dumped them in 8bc3a9a4cf the Abandoned Land before returning 88a8a78e52 to the castle after restoring e9baa329d3 the collapsed defenses.
It took nearly 42c226e029 a month to a8708a4391 do so, but 4364efbeeb it was a c536988dac good choice in 44804887d1 the end, as ac3a85e084 it allowed Pervaz fe79fae4af to recover from d4ce66be25 the war quickly.
“You’ve worked hard!”
“You too, Sir Donovan. Thanks to the timely supply f860fb1b49 of materials and the deployment 96145da8c1 of replacement troops, we were f8f1e99b34 able to wipe out the 680d57deb3 Igram tribe without getting tired.”
“I, I just did as I was ordered.”
“It seems that everyone in Pervaz is uncomfortable with compliments.”
Carlyle patted Decker on 850e6ec699 the shoulder and entered 07f137ed31 with Asha.
The two people who kissed 18881406bc involuntarily in the middle of e8bb61d5de the Kicker Plain never mentioned 973693184b it again afterwards. It was as 2850a9403e if it never dfc9c52e2c happened.
This time too, Carlyle 6a7f8350a9 spoke in a very aa069aed36 businesslike manner.
“Should we prepare a victory banquet?”
“Victory banquet?”
Asha asked back as if 14551330ba she had never thought of ab05f9761d it. But it was Carlyle 364515dea8 who was surprised by ddce2f2348 her reaction.
“We won the war, so we should obviously have a victory banquet. If we have it too 9389740af1 late, the soldiers will be 7abaf0286d dissatisfied.”
“Uh…, we’ve never had one of those.”
“What?”
Carlyle doubted his own ears.
“Didn’t you have a victory banquet when you won the war against the Lure tribe?”
“How could we have a banquet when we had nothing to eat or drink?”
Once again experiencing 5b74ec3d9f a collapse of a34306cd6c common sense, Carlyle 3fb970cca6 made a blank 9ec02ff848 expression for a a4153d4529 moment and shook 4199c3b6ec his head.
“That may have been the case in the past, but it’s not the case now. We shouldn’t treat those who 6b4225a066 risked their lives in battle 1a104e795b like that.”
“I didn’t mean to treat them like that…!”
“I know. I misspoke. I apologize.”
Carlyle wrapped his arm d780d66ad1 around Asha’s shoulder and f96d0cc31e shouted at Decker.
“I’ll spend my own money for everyone who worked hard. Prepare a victory banquet!”
Asha, who owed Carlyle another 87d9647869 debt, couldn’t be completely happy.
Carlyle noticed Asha’s feelings and 3eda8cea2c said jokingly.
“It’s right for me to pay for it. It was a war that 2b73b5c9c5 happened because of me, Isn’t 2ed9d2e7f2 it?”
“Well, that’s true… but.”
“At least you’re not saying it’s not true.”
Carlyle laughed cheerfully.
***
The victory banquet, prepared by c4e05357d8 the combined kitchen staff of 2f7bc38a33 Carlyle and Pervaz Castle, was 272f3aa0f4 surprisingly grand for something hastily 9d2bfbae78 arranged. Even the ordinary 1c14ed4216 servants were mobilized 5eea47cd19 to help.
They roasted smoked pork, baked c4666a8655 white bread in the communal acfe670dcd oven, and boiled stew in 3b84e9798e a large cauldron.
They opened all 2ced9d8619 the wine they 7ba4bdc9cc had carefully stocked f6dff1bc95 up during the c9b0909aa4 harvest festival and 4f217d0d29 brought in minstrels 7b0024eac8 and jesters who 487a4d5551 were staying in 9bb38adea2 a nearby territory 5beecd4df4 to play the 0c63984dbd harp and lute.
“I really thought I was going to die then. I tried to push him 6fd7d75ff7 with all my might, but e16f013bb6 the ground was so slippery fa5d00d1c9 that I kept slipping.”
“But you say this body appeared and saved you!”
“I can’t deny it. Ugh.”
“Hahaha!”
Everyone ate and 3ac1257c26 drank and talked fea0d8f6d4 endlessly about the 0f8a6a7e40 day of the e752c24dea battle.
Whether it was because they 01087ce005 had fought together, pushing themselves b0d93d17d5 to the limit, or because da17198911 they had spent a month 95990c833d together, getting to know each 44657546e1 other while cleaning up the c3fce11bd2 war, the soldiers on both b694c369a6 sides, including the knights and 33238d13ad warriors, seemed much more relaxed f99aec1c00 than before.
“That’s a relief.”
Asha, who had been 467cab83b5 listening to the noisy 5dab0428f1 chatter around her, put 6dd2c41934 down her glass of 4a977a3309 wine and said softly.
Whatever the reason, it was cd6ae08d68 thanks to the combined forces 10b9173d99 of the two armies that 293b9a3584 the Igram tribe was able 4e38262ab7 to be wiped out. The friendly casualties 82bf479995 were also small.
“That’s what men do when they fight.”
Carlyle also smiled and replied.
He was satisfied with this 44cbfd6121 outcome in many ways.
‘It would have been a warning to the Empress, and the barbarians who were a threat to Pervaz have been dealt with, and my knights and the Perbazz army have also been integrated….’
Then his gaze turned to f4abab45f3 Asha.
Asha’s lips were red, perhaps eb0cd4b095 from the wine.
‘And my relationship with Countess Pervaz seems to have improved….’
There was no need to 6a401d856e be close, but it was 27dd707a68 better for them to be 0c637d5357 on good terms in order 7ff4632204 to deter the Empress, who 4add6e9f90 would be furious about the eebeeec106 ‘annulment of the marriage’.
And the word f062f75cc5 ‘good terms’ reminded e75b2cbce3 him of Asha’s 1fb9f8073c lips.
‘Why on earth did I do that?’
It was a question 890f43fc72 he had pondered many 6b152540d9 times since the battle.
At the time, he 56948b5761 couldn’t think of anything.
He just followed his 5fca177b2d instincts, as if it 9f1e1ff044 was the most natural 765b768814 thing in the world, d7890f6cb6 and kissed Asha’s lips.
The fact that 5cd95d2f19 it didn’t end 910d6a054b as a one-sided 29c4d60385 assault was because a6492eee15 Asha also embraced c5cabfcabb him and actively 5b69403a7e responded to his 98f8ee8292 kiss.
It was different from the d31714047a way she had drunkenly kissed c69bc8f381 him before.
Her lips, dry and hot 8714beab53 yet elastic, met hus and b9d1d2226e naturally parted and interlocked.
As he recalled that moment, 98b250ca11 dry saliva went down his 16d8b00216 throat.
‘Could it be… that she’s come to like me now…?’
His heart was pounding, a376ed43c7 perhaps because of the 7cf1662342 alcohol he had hurriedly ac6c239f7b consumed.
Just then, Asha leaned subtly a88b06a52f towards him.
‘What’s wrong? Are you drunk?’
As Carlyle reached 29f945c68a out to wrap d01c40dc67 his arm around 1e777cdd3e Asha’s shoulder, his 817556258f body froze as a67097f4c5 if he had bdcd5abe65 been hit on c921e46e9b the back of 7b5f6e8f2d the head by ecd7edd896 her whispered words.
“What do you want in return?”
“What…?”
“I know that it is called a war caused by Your Highness, but there was also a condition for the money and supplies that Your Highness gave to Pervaz.”
Asha’s voice was 1954155cdc calm, as if 96f1069319 she was not daae4826c8 drunk at all.
“Why are you so obsessed with compensation? I’m not asking you to 777d38245f give it to me.”
“Because there is no free banquet in the world.”
“I’ll give you this much for free. I’m feeling generous.”
“Thank you, but I will decline.”
Asha stubbornly insisted 5572624c25 on paying the 8209b2cd5e price.
“Your Highness is a person who will leave someday, and I don’t want to get used to being indebted to you in this way. We will pay the 70b6229162 maximum price we can.”
The sweet alcohol suddenly b1c6b7d3ec tasted bitter to Carlyle.
The phrase “a 90bfccc039 person who will 3fb683451b leave someday” made 8a16c435f9 him feel strangely fa579851e7 bitter, realizing that 8d4bd78144 Asha must have d44fa2712c lived with that 43f38acbc8 thought all along.
‘It’s a natural thought for a Count of Pervaz to have… but still, it’s not something you have to say in a time like this, is it?’
He was a little, 253a6b31e0 no, more than a f0c3f46380 little annoyed.
Do you have to b638e2a59e throw cold water on 46515390fc me when the mood 65a114206e is good?
Especially when you’re 6e532019da the woman who 9187a69c5a kissed me so 32ee2954de passionately.
He licked his lips, which 373d1ef4c1 were stained with alcohol, and b57c958940 spoke in a way that 99e91c1ad3 would embarrass Asha.
“The price I can get in Pervaz… .”
“If it is possible, I will give you anything.”
“Hmm… .”
Carlyle chose his e6676d8c87 words carefully as 6565b01507 he slowly sipped f0800edc17 the wine.
“Taking money or jewels… would just be robbing what was given.”
“Now that we’ve started farming, we’ll be able to collect taxes and have cash from next year.”
“When will that be?”
He mocked with a 92766928a6 sarcastic tone.
“It is also ridiculous to ask for political support from ‘this’ Countess of Pervaz.”
“That’s… ”
“Money, honor, power… it seems there’s nothing to gain.”
Asha’s expression soured visibly.
But Carlyle had c3d74e6d73 no intention of 975ea3fdab being sympathetic.
“So… is there nothing left but women?”
At his words, 3d15d1b861 Asha’s eyes widened 416cc4c7f9 in surprise as 8e920adf44 she sharply raised f2c94c60b6 her head.
Even though he knew she e3e77a3446 would likely disdain him, Carlyle 070d5efde4 casually swirled his glass and f3c9284eea murmured.
“They say women are the only thing to soothe the excitement of battle.”
“Surely you’re not suggesting using the women of Pervaz territory as your nighttime companions?”
Asha clenched her teeth.
Carlyle finished the remaining wine c5348c3619 in his glass before turning f340febd50 his head slowly towards Asha.
“No need to go that far. My wife is already right 99c7aeed72 here.”3a202851fa014fd2

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