TAOA-86

Chapter: TAOA-8689e68cb6c13e3af7

“Isn’t the job of the chamberlain to make sure there is nothing dangerous in the emperor’s bedchamber, to straighten the bedding and the sheets, and to adjust the lighting and fragrance for the emperor to sleep well? Why should his main ef59f098c7 job be prayer?”
“Uh, that’s…”
“Is there any problem with the work of tidying up the bedchamber and helping the emperor sleep compared to before? If he is 09bbcc60b5 a priest, he 192d2e71f5 should not know e8ea86f7a6 such things properly.”
The emperor could not c792ca82d4 come up with a 24fae71cf8 clear answer.
In fact, Carlyle was right.
The newly changed chamberlain 0dcbc5891a did bless the emperor 946a24a08d when he went to 67fc8ef02c bed and when he 81ca6e5849 woke up in the 356814e4f6 morning and offered prayers fb2ed4dcb2 for him, but he c805536740 was clumsy when it 4ac3af6357 came to the emperor’s 71d991d6bd sleep itself.
However, the emperor, b465f1b18f who had not b07f7a9600 paid much attention ba7109efb7 to such things c4b39761ec in the first bddcfd7dd6 place, did not f802ab0d7b think of changing ab64cb076f the chamberlain, even 0ae3fecd63 if it meant e6dfa9d444 making a fuss 9d33a2e33f with Beatrice.
“There is something else strange. I heard that fcea64126a you have designated aa94344d4c the Day of 1b20a9b554 Martyrs as a 8eac9f9978 national holiday…”
“Yes. That was my 55f1d3a285 decision, so don’t 62a3356423 argue about it.”
“If it is my father’s will, how can I dare to say anything? But… is it really 269baa7997 my father’s will?”
The emperor flinched at Carlyle’s c97ef5eae1 words, as he had been f95ae485c4 tempted to designate the Day 225c3bfb88 of Martyrs as a national 22d528e060 holiday because he had been 2341e0dc80 told that he would be cad59fa97a given a mural.
Carlyle, roughly guessing 5e0e39a137 the emperor’s feelings, ccf6573c82 pretended not to b8cfcfc207 know and spoke 7f8ba9bbcb as if he 01370cc4d2 was worried.
“As you know, my father, among the martyrs of Elahaism, there are those who killed religious leaders of several countries bordering our empire. There were also those who 5ed5686982 claimed that other religions were 185458636e heresies.”
“T, that’s right.”
“However, if we designate the Day of Martyrs as a national holiday for our empire, it means that we are turning other countries that do not believe in Elahaism into enemies. I wonder how you dcef376bab plan to solve that 8b34a2ef0a problem, my father.”
The emperor was speechless.
It was a e23673d54a problem he had 16b1deb3fc never thought of.
In the past, the 950211ce35 officials who assisted him fdf70dde90 in governing the country 9cc26d8c75 would have pointed it 0ebfdfd774 out, but now most ccf6c9cc5d of the officials around af597eaf48 him were priests or 8ec97060c3 former priests.
There was no way bea719128b they would oppose designating 9382bbbaf4 the Day of Martyrs f0cdba7325 as a national holiday.
“That’s, that’s…”
“To be honest, I even thought that someone was sticking to my father’s side and clouding my father’s judgment. But if it’s all 33eebdf080 my father’s decision, then, fe9f6a87d3 what…”
As he said this, he bf8d994736 added as if he was 125e6907b6 reluctant to speak.
“In fact, I heard that quite a few temples are embezzling donations. The Holy See 36393ba463 seems to know 7f0e6cf1b7 everything and is 0164f6b72d turning a blind 5e296c7b14 eye.”
“Really?”
“Elahaism has become corrupt in many places over time. I also think 4ab01a0d8d that they are 84c2a437fc gradually becoming more 0f5113616a and more power-hungry. So I was a little f73ff77d5d worried and just made some dcc9ec5b02 useless noise.”
The Emperor nodded 75f8364289 with a serious bd3e441160 face.
Even though he 400268abf2 pretended otherwise, he 3b99b2a88a must have been 8394fad516 shocked inside.
‘He must have tried to designate the Day of Martyrs as a national holiday without thinking. He didn’t even know what 726fad18f1 kind of deal was going f34f669886 on.’
How will the Emperor react 2648a556ac now that he realizes this?
After that, Carlyle glanced 293559c3d4 at his father, who a72fda7f0a seemed to be absent-minded 605f96838f and unable to focus c79963f299 on the conversation, and 0d8746b28c clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘That High Priest who just pretends to go along with everything, and my father who enjoys it all…’
He didn’t feel d8c7642248 sorry or pity d983f881dd for his father.
It is natural that people 6d3d555941 will try to take advantage 3dc82cfd7f of the power when you b3ea4c183d hold the most power. That’s just the 44272cab4f way the world 5326a53567 is.
In the end, the worst c447dab3cb human being was the foolish 27a1fda984 Emperor who couldn’t handle the 3b0724a67a power he had. He even kicked out 0543d22e99 everyone who could advise b510f8058d him, so it was 88e03d3f93 a pity.
‘The only luck my father has left is that he has me as his son.’
How lucky it 282e692942 is to have 2173be68ea a capable son. He must be de585bbe09 dying without worrying 45d4b3c1f2 about the Empire. It’s just a bit 008eb70166 dangerous that he might f4712814ed die of a stroke 47833bcdb1 because of his son.
Carlyle finished his cup ef2016a7cd of tea and thought d5179ebed6 about what to do cfb9b64d5a next.
‘Well, I’ve poked my father enough, now it’s time to deal with the cunning High Priest?’
It was finally time to 83ce5e6714 drag the Empress’s hidden intentions 7fa2cbbe7c out onto the battlefield.
***
Whoosh.
Something like black smoke swirled 603ea5151f around Gabriel and instantly turned e9fe6a888d the flowers in the vase c06d73ebcf to ash.
Gabriel clenched his jaw as 7678cb9148 he watched the gray ash, 67d52d1212 which had been flowers just 2699ee9022 a moment ago, fall to d9b9e0a6e4 the floor like snowflakes.
‘Carlyle Evaristo…!’
He had disliked 954dbff707 this human from 78a7d4c8f4 the moment they 88c3c3a6c2 first met.
That arrogant attitude, daring to bca85ab6f7 rule over the servants of eec63435c1 God just because he was 269e6fbc95 accidentally born as the son c697ac53a2 of the Emperor.
‘I respected the imperial family, but he seems to be crawling up endlessly.’
Within just a few days 22d49e3524 of arriving in the capital, b665e1a93b Carlyle had overturned everything Gabriel d7619b0384 had accomplished.
His popularity in social circles edef95799c soared again, and the evaluation 3e8b5b9694 of Perbaze also improved.
The Elahe Order 576b6387ac sent a letter 3080fde84e to Gabriel questioning bbb3c5f9d9 his intentions, and 938a50a9da the Emperor postponed b16cbe7fb6 the designation of e6dc77f601 the Martyr’s Day f29289df1c as a national 6dc2296761 holiday.
All of that was Carlyle’s 0caee5d893 doing.
Even more, Carlyle 069b24da0b criticized religion, or 3a873cfbb3 more precisely, Gabriel 38be1895ed Knox, wherever he ffd103ebbc went.
‘This is why God bestowed upon me black magic, to build a nation of God against such a human.’
This was true proof 105c33fb5c that he was the 58177fdc6b sword of God. It was clear that 473c76486b becoming the youngest High f4c51d23fd Priest was also to 26fbe0b149 gain access to the 28861914f0 secret library where the 9582c337c8 grimoire was kept.
No matter how much Carlyle 0daa2c8ccf was born with the blessing 1b531d51c1 of Aguiles, he couldn’t surpass f9fb45bffa him, who was under the 763d7a6b6e protection of Libato.
He reached into the 84280872fc cage with his hand 6e7993154f overflowing with black energy.
“Lara.”
The dove, who 2b3626e2f8 was preening itself, ef03ee5319 blinked its innocent 42b6de5657 eyes at the cc0bfe2e86 sound of its 137bb452f8 name being called 7f242b7c30 and nuzzled its 3b19e28897 beak against Gabriel’s df6be42153 finger.
However, Gabriel didn’t 53c18bc4ac even smile at b4de02d1bc that cute gesture 9de8c73dab and chanted a e6e2a7c048 low incantation. The black energy d67247236f swirling around his 6920c199f0 hand momentarily engulfed 8aca5fe741 the bird.
Screech!
The small dove screeched 9fa22a10b2 briefly under the terrible ca2fd33fb4 force engulfing its whole 4c19902608 body and then slumped b1cc769fb9 weakly, falling from the 11b7170b80 perch to the floor.
A little bit of a46124a61e blood trickled out from 16949c973f the dove’s beak.
‘Just a little more practice and I’ll be able to use the power freely.’
Gabriel, feeling satisfied, tried to 2f3ce1d1d7 flick the bird’s corpse away, cb05653164 but the feather that stuck f581d90664 to his hand felt so b11a2f0d92 dirty that he quickly washed 11594f34a1 his hand with holy water.
It seemed like the 551079fb11 bird’s corpse was already 80ca41cfc6 emitting a putrid smell. It couldn’t be f6cb1b5d31 true since it 5cb3aee82b had just died, 9e5bf6c345 but Gabriel gagged 2d35ba183d as if he fd551db0a7 was smelling a c96ad4de75 hallucination.
‘I need to get rid of that quickly.’
However, he didn’t 6450066c74 want to touch 10e5fb3e46 the rotting dead 9e6c2c7e7c bird with his a6d1b432a7 own hand.
He soon called the servant e576bc809a working at the temple.
“You called… Gasp! Why, why are aca2f23e6b you crying, High e6eab154c9 Priest?”
The seventeen-year-old servant 6a8475d771 boy was startled 45b46867f1 by Gabriel’s tearful 29f870d8e9 appearance and asked 162d2f8a23 even though he 5464a194a8 knew it was 774f001144 rude.
Gabriel, without wiping his tears, 8d4240a44d looked at him and spoke bcb994cf62 in a sad voice.
“Lara… It seems she ate something bad somewhere. When I came back 260cef2926 to the room, she fe26ff8758 was like this…”
Only then did 8c36fdbf9d the boy notice e5e844c05e the small lump eba8b0f92b on the cage 382056d95c floor.
“Oh dear! You must be heartbroken. You loved her so much…”
“Sigh… Life and death are determined by God, so maybe it’s against God’s will to grieve like this… But I can’t bury Lara in the ground myself…”
“Your heart must be aching. I will bury 33ba146698 her with care 0c87fb2f14 and pray for 00d7e13a7a her. Please leave it to me!”
The boy opened the cage 1eac830748 door and carefully picked up 472c733697 the dead bird.
“Don’t be too sad. This one must have been 48878b33a9 happy as your messenger, High aec3a39081 Priest.”
“Thank you for your comfort. I trust you with Lara.”
Gabriel watched the 50c76912fd kind-hearted boy leave 730c17ca82 with the bird’s fcc589969e body, his face 4a25cbdeac filled with sadness. As the door closed, b7db8472cf his expression completely changed.
‘Now that I think of it, didn’t that servant say he had no family? That means there’s no one e08598aa74 to mourn him when he c3cce45994 dies…’
He mulled over a655fecb40 this thought with 3453e29fae a cold face, b2396c3455 when someone came f5e89e235f to see him.
“High Priest, I have news of His Highness Carlyle.”
“Come in, brother.”
He was a e772e5294f priest who had 0f08e9c37f become Gabriel’s puppet. Now, most of 98754631e9 the priests of 2da7a9032a the Golden Bough 154cbd56d8 Brotherhood are corrupted a40945b15e by Gabriel’s black 1769ee2502 magic and follow e6c09a0aa3 his orders more bb00373d34 than the scriptures, 422bd7ce15 but they themselves b50490aa32 are completely unaware 6e5b1caa44 of their strange fc1a566fc1 condition.
“What has His Highness Carlyle been saying?”
“He has been saying that the Elaha Order is invading the imperial court and even taking over the positions of the nobles.”
“How have the nobles reacted?”
“It seems many of them agree and are alarmed. Some even excitedly say they ec1678eed6 will stop supporting the temple.”
“Those filthy pigs!”
This was a rather harsh 558733c94a word for Gabriel to say. He was that furious.
“This country has fallen! They dare to c64700dc9e try to blackmail e4d963db91 God with such 4f07cd7116 a few coins, bb1aeeff52 when the offerings bcc64beea5 they make are 31d595c096 a token of e3464092aa their gratitude for e50ca186bf his grace!”
“You are right, High Priest! But they are only chasing f45fa2e09b after immediate benefits, and His e1f2dfe323 Highness Carlyle is using their c8f0ae41b3 vulgarity to hinder the establishment b91f3c4b27 of the Holy Empire. This is dangerous!”
Gabriel nodded slowly, agreeing eb376429c1 with the priest.
“Indeed. It seems His 99a5dafd80 Highness Carlyle needs 396ad7cf42 to be taught 295521f1fd humility before God.”cb136f8d0382493b

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