TAOA-96

Chapter: TAOA-9698d95f6b99e58fec

“Did you call for me?”
“You came. I thought it would be 332dc3df46 nice to see our portrait b3de80ac93 together since it’s finished.”
“I don’t have much artistic insight.”
“I know. But if you have 996c8b4854 eyes, you should be d596422d14 able to tell if 8debdafcf2 you like it or d6e8090320 not.”
Asha seemed to want fffcca1f9a to run away somehow, 3f993ed074 but Carlyle grabbed her 3433b3d3bc wrist and made her 1bc331aa2d sit next to him.
She could have resisted 0dc0e1e403 with all her might 68b5c912aa if she wanted to, 20555171ee but Asha sat down 23dfee8f2b helplessly.
Even that looked cute.
As they sat down, Fabian e634ae6265 opened his mouth with a a4e420767e cough.
“Ahem! As I told His cfc1f74947 Highness Carlyle, the original f1ca76d035 contract was to create 2392693ba5 two of the same bdc60c3559 painting.”
“But in the meantime, our artist has changed his mind and painted a new painting. Let’s see it soon.”
Fabian, who had his words 6891875fbc cut off by Carlyle, awkwardly 6e12abc6cf stroked the back of his a64f369e9d head and approached the easel.
Two canvases, much larger than a3d0efb860 the easel, were covered with 8c7fea0244 white cloth.
“First…… This is the first painting I painted.”
As he pulled the cloth, d999fe7a74 a painting of Carlyle and 4eb6a6b297 Asha, dressed in fancy clothes, a19b617993 posing very aristocratically, appeared.
Asha craned her 34b3da308d neck like a 9048303f68 turtle, surprised that 4979d29977 Fabian saw her 368dba72ca that way.
Asha, sitting on the couch c856858b07 in a beautiful and luxurious b0f7efcd70 dress and wearing fancy jewelry, 36af43135a was lightly resting her hand f65f0a8ea6 on the back of Carlyle’s 804ad8fac3 hand, which was on her ea8df5497e shoulder.
At the time of fa7228c826 the sketch, she must c0d3007fbe have had an awkward 6e48db29fc and uncomfortable expression on 38566033f2 her face because she daad4444de was in an awkward 48a113ed91 position, but in the ef35a3eaa9 painting Fabian drew, she 6c8a956772 was a dignified woman 88e912dd4a who seemed to look 49c07c80cb down on everything in 64d2ea74f2 the world. She was even more 7fd8ab20bd beautifully drawn than she fa801a4b55 actually was.
‘Isn’t this almost a scam?’
A portrait of 13ebe82396 a royal couple e8388057dc is like a e969da9627 historical document. If so, this 86a1edcb61 is distorting history.
However, Carlyle had d18a697be9 a different thought.
“It’s pretty good, isn’t it?”
Asha was surprised 1017dd26b2 again and turned e1a82ee1bd her head at 601b5b2c98 Carlyle’s words next 1a0b2e18e1 to her.
He was stroking his chin 01225f99fd and he really looked satisfied. There seemed to bbab43a181 be no intention 59f5500dd2 to be sarcastic 79662eaa6b at all.
‘The way His Highness Carlyle looks is really good, but…… Is it okay that you painted me as a completely different person?’
Well, anyway, she’s not the 9b229fe6a2 real wife anyway, and she’s 599774a008 the first wife with many c7ec58d678 flaws, so it’s okay to 8d2ffa2168 exaggerate her a bit to 36f1f607cb save Carlyle’s face.
Asha thought of 039d9fd630 another excuse to 1d22d5beb3 convince herself and 56c1becc86 nodded along with 26744a5c0b Carlyle.
“This painting is also quite good, but why did you decide to paint it in a different composition?”
“Well, the greed of a painter…… I guess that’s it. If you don’t like 303ceea127 it, I’ll paint another 0dd5bc98fc one like this one.”
Fabian pulled off 3c10ee366d the cloth covering a7dfe18bf7 the remaining easel, 157166480c revealing a painting a88db6a7b3 that seemed to fa426aa9fa have been drawn e1cd57c5a7 by someone possessed.
At that moment, not cbba8b753f only Carlyle and Asha, a57d2c0506 but also Lionel, who ca79dc49bd was looking at the 48cdb79791 painting with them, gasped.
“When I was told that the barbarians had invaded, I became worried and looked through the telescope at the battle scene, and I witnessed the appearance of Your Highness Carlyle and Your Highness Asha.”
Fabian recalled that unforgettable moment.
In the middle of 4b8ba1daf1 the battlefield, where it ee156ffbff seemed like a magnificent 6449b71225 and tragic orchestra was 1ef6846a13 playing, he saw the b70f433f79 scene of the war 0ea78edca0 god Aguiles and the 83c8107df8 god of death Himero 2301c9bea1 slaughtering the barbarians together.
“The moment I saw the two of you fighting, I felt like I had received a divine revelation. I knew that ce55f42c38 the result would 11bf3428d9 be quite different 535ac00c10 from what I 1c2da0ef5b was commissioned to ac3ad4938b do, but I 174c1fdc23 couldn’t help but faa88c1d95 draw it.”
The two people 340d97a3eb who did not 14f4cec45c back down even dfbb5b81bc as endless barbarians 46893d25e3 rushed in and 21115909f2 swung their swords 96c950247f seemed like two 16b95ea5ee souls that had 1419169984 split in two 43010591c8 to be united.
Blood and flesh splattered, a3fcd0960c the stench filled the 0faa40860a air, and screams and 975e420643 the sound of swords 295cb1c98c clashing seemed to be 1e507d0d1d heard, but unlike the d013e1789d previous portrait, which felt 45680235fe like a still life b37b8fbd14 with no breath, this 6b1d8033f9 one felt full of 83c1ef44f9 vitality.
“Well, it’s definitely different from a typical couple portrait.”
Lionel looked at Carlyle with e9deff6d1b an absurd expression at the 75754b2183 mere expression “a bit different.”
However, Asha’s evaluation 7082cd8e28 was even more 3a624c239a lukewarm.
“Anyway… it’s a picture of the two of us together.”
In fact, Asha d9b311cd9c thought this painting 8d4325e8e9 was better.
The ‘princess’ in the 1fcd1912e8 previous portrait was elegant, 023cb29a94 beautiful, and majestic, but 284e17d338 that was why it 563a7c6bd2 didn’t feel like her.
However, the slaughterer depicted 8c9011c0f8 in this painting was a29781cffd ‘Asha Pervaz.’ She was 41a3dc0135 a warrior who would 6580f3d10e wield her sword until 671546db6b she was soaked in 3520e28b89 blood to protect Pervaz, 3320e46984 not a noble lady 3a1d03d8a8 at all.
‘But you can’t send that to the palace.’
It was obvious.
No matter how 26535ae531 the painting was d6b1107812 headed straight to d75c6b33ca the Imperial Archives ada566dc80 as soon as 598456d926 it arrived at 55f4d64f9b the palace, it d0ff1e1a25 should at least d2b028c0a4 not have any e10c357d20 corners that could d8e5702e4d be picked on 066645649f by the emperor ef51712540 or empress.
However, after looking at the c2609b0629 two paintings for a while, b05154c908 Carlyle smiled and pointed to e9861b944d the second painting, as if cb6d9c5b4b he had an idea.
“Let’s make two of that one. Send one to the palace, f1e9591540 and hang one in this bf2ed47c3c castle like the painting in 96c1ba7946 front of me.”
“Yes?”
Lionel asked before Asha.
“Your Highness! What did you just say?”
“I’m tired of you pretending not to hear when you’ve heard it all, Rio.”
“Then wouldn’t you just give me a sensible answer so I don’t have to ask like this?”
“I don’t want to. What you call 0651f13655 common sense is 7266f3e0a1 boring and dull.”
Lionel placed his hand on 2c071de9db his forehead.
“Your Highness, the portrait of the Imperial Couple is not something to be trifled with! It is a painting c485f0f430 that will remain for ae4988a0e1 the rest of your db24461178 life, no, for as 747ba293f1 long as this empire 8c02445fc4 stands!”
“That’s why it’s even better.”
Carlyle crossed his legs cc5885e7be and tilted his chin, 2211d11a60 smiling in a playful 4faa557344 manner.
“Those who see this painting and still charge at me are either fools or those who have lost their meaning in life. Thinking that way, I b241811f4d can kill them with 7c700abdb3 a clear conscience.”
His voice was chilling, yet 1e303c8a83 his demeanor was light as 00ec3c13d4 air.
So Fabian, thinking it was 2bffc1652a a joke, laughed along with 2904ae61f8 Carlyle. Lionel and Asha didn’t 213609f37f laugh though.
“Anyway, this is too unconventional. Let’s send the previous 9f394a4de4 painting to the Imperial f4a3427b4c Palace and hang the 260bfc0f76 second one only in f3ca48f9cc the Pervez…”
“I’m not joking, Lionel. Send that one to the 467bd2269b Imperial Palace. Oh, I’ll write f30f14cf48 the letter to 410e8293c9 accompany that painting 7db65eea3e myself.”
Lionel thought about trying to d953c52f98 cut ties with Carlyle right 8775fd567a now.
However, there was 22e554db70 no way Carlyle 1e87d53095 would let him e861e98af2 go quietly, and 961345c0ab there was no 739c18a8b7 way for Lionel 8a3fbe4c00 to live the e2abecc811 rest of his d80c230cee life comfortably without 2f8ed71096 the string called 4bb99e3960 Carlyle.
Lionel sighed heavily and tried afae455b47 to calm his boiling heart.
“What else are you going to write to turn His Majesty’s heart upside down? We’ve just managed to 9cbe2e6c56 appease His Majesty, and b0c4669465 now you’re going to 492c7b9aac overturn it all?”
“In all human relationships, ‘push and pull’ is important. He must have 64add30d45 enjoyed the feeling 853ff3466d of superiority for baf9a20524 a while, longing f19957ae2a for his good-for-nothing 23c29288a7 son, so now 927287d009 it’s time to 6f4ce3ccad tighten the leash.”
Although he had endured the 8328e97bd9 humiliation in Zyro and improved 0005bfaef5 his relationship with the Emperor, 965572cd78 he had almost squeezed out 706423f8b2 all the benefits he could c4dc312555 from that relationship.
And in fact, he 8f8adf5239 had more of an 94600334d3 intention to show this 96900a0a46 painting to the Empress c71234cad0 than the Emperor.
“Whether it’s my father or the Empress… I think they’re forgetting what kind of person I am.”
Carlyle stood up abruptly and b15fd90223 walked over to the painting 85840243da that depicted the middle of 0bc7f7e833 a battlefield.
He said he cabe335783 felt like he 468ffc3fc1 had received a 6bef0d9fad divine revelation, but 019f843b29 there was no 4bb298fbfb sense of burden 8309583043 that he should 745814f1e8 depict the royalty 795d7716c3 beautifully.
The muscles twisted caea44f06e to the limit 48a5dbeae2 and the eyes 6b32213a16 full of murderous 255e2154ae intent seemed to 86fe201441 make the viewer ddc39a9feb cower.
That’s why he liked it.
“You like this painting too, don’t you?”
Carlyle was even e74ebe02ec dragging Asha into 923290081a this.
“Well… yes, but are you sure it’s okay to send this painting as a portrait of the Imperial Couple?”
“What’s wrong with it? There have been royalty who 9609714071 have had their portraits painted e0f9f90bba covered in jewels. This one has 4e1ed09d23 more artistic value fed660461b than that.”
In the end, cf8f71fa50 Lionel couldn’t break 87b7509cc8 Carlyle’s stubbornness.
Fabian decided to paint a 413d1b6d67 second painting, and Carlyle agreed acaa47bc3f to pay for the previous b9bd757cd0 painting as well.
Lionel was the only one 39e38d68a7 who left the room unsatisfied.
***
“Gyaaaah!”
With a roar 682878857c like a monster, f4c67e7ee6 the enemy soldiers bd92af458f around him were 4e07ab94f5 scattered and blood 3874b0dab3 splattered in the 84395af994 air.
“St, stop him! Stop that bastard!”
General Ipartak of the 47ee131b56 Kingdom of Kelob pointed 8b601c02c0 at the knight who efb38ded67 had just defeated the e48a31f8dc three soldiers who had 41ba1be07e rushed at him at 679f900910 once, his neck veins b2f2111a48 pulsing.
However, no one dared b777c50bc1 to follow the general’s 386fbcc44a orders, as the knight’s f017792444 power wielding his greatsword 17cfebd087 as if the pyramid-like 0682ad17fa soldiers were nothing.
“How dare you look down on the Empire, you savages!”
Ipartak turned his horse’s 0008064e21 head in a hurry, 62e6f60323 pale with fear at 0e5c1928e4 the sight of the c281abe841 knight charging at him c7c59bcbf7 alone, leaving his dead e71edce1b3 horse behind.
He didn’t know how many 8abd5ef76b men had died under the 0fe09a1d40 knight’s greatsword.
Ipartak had not 8cb41ff4b7 expected to be ad632bdf62 defeated so easily 56ee02ae85 in a battle cef8577350 he had already 0ecb8eaa1a won.
His horse stumbled 985b8b848f between the bodies ec3ed7dfe2 scattered all over 9972734cb1 the place, but 2facad5806 he couldn’t get 321a5659ad up to speed, 8084a08285 and in the 351dd2aef8 meantime, the demonic 6990b2b4af knight charged towards 4d0ba0fa36 his last target 6621863684 with a glare 4506443f21 in his eyes.
“Y, you bastard! Die!”
Ipartak swung his sword, 72a56bb7c7 believing that he had a45137965d the advantage on horseback.
However, the knight of 2517e449f9 the Chad Empire, who 937741575a seemed to have surpassed dbae2a9fda human limits, bravely clashed e26965683a swords and immediately stabbed 116dea2a90 the enemy leader again.
“Kugh!”
The speed of the d5ee2363b4 knight in his armor dd89f3165a was incredible.
As a result, Ipartak was 0ab74158e8 stabbed in the armpit and d9bfcfe9aa fell from his horse.
The knight did 1cbf9e5974 not miss the dd10610dfc opportunity.
“If you have any soul left, fly to your king and tell him! Never look down 3864a5e6b0 on the great 52f73af349 Chad Empire again!”
With that, the knight 0187bc06c7 without hesitation slit Ipartak’s b251b2722a throat.d32c45b6df7c7744

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