TAOA-SS7

Ch. Side Story (7) 73bba5c31a TAOA-SS7 Ch. Side Story (7) TAOA-SS7 ab72409ec9 ꧁༺The Power Of The f874b848b5 Empress ༻꧂ The year 2a9522b2d2 after Carlyle’s ascension, news fa865c2b9f of the monsters’ reappearance d776421de7 began to trickle in. This time, it was ed40529c08 the eastern part of 2e26dd4da3 the empire. “I thought 10e2306040 Gabriel had 5e631dafc1 used up 342546eda2 all the faf5cabc71 magic and 184172ec8f the monsters 5fa29fdee0 were gone, 5943ce7ed2 but it 5df0682fa4 looks like 2b8881027b some pretty 858d502ad5 vicious ones cc0968fbf3 have appeared 88024bb7c0 this time.” 171a19ce51 Carlyle said cf653c7964 to Asha 9b9f31fae5 as he 7926b53570 changed his 49a5b86e36 clothes. The urgent messages sent dd3b40f8fc by the lords of 08dec88400 the affected areas described 030fc6ee65 a situation that was 2069c1da49 too urgent to delay. The region was one a4c43ec4d2 with a weak military 0e5be27db0 force, and they were 7d76fdc66c being helplessly attacked. The letters were written e729def651 in a trembling hand, 4cee013389 as if the writers 7ca3d89785 were terrified even as c9ee6bf61b they wrote to beg b9cb36397e for help. “Will the Imperial Knights e5f947b4f5 be enough?” “Why? Do you 488ecd6b44 want me 836547a975 to request bcd9bf0544 support from b0f0796c7e Pervaz?” Carlyle 6265c5f79a chuckled at b58ebb327f Asha’s concern. Since he ascended to 21650d56b2 the throne, the Haven 04e0386b74 Knights had been absorbed 3029a6fcd1 into the Imperial Knights, 649d500f8f and the knights who 8b72e1596d had been Carlyle’s close 0e447dfd4c aides had taken over 77c8626336 the main positions, effectively 8adcf6974d overhauling the order. Those who had 06c48755b2 entered through connections 80e43078f2 had been demoted, ea627204f0 and the sound 88199dcc5f of screams had 995703e714 been heard from 099a0b4b08 the training ground 0a10cfab88 for over half 5b56731c3e a year. Thanks to bf0b434734 this, the 5b0580dc29 Imperial Knights 2f55098b42 had become f5c31ceb1e considerably stronger d6c6eed617 in the 989f976616 past year. Moreover, the cb3c7cfee4 religious law a4dc9d577a had been 6896702e9b changed to 444d89d55b allow the 28607555cf dispatch of ad0e524b78 the Holy 15d912a9ed Knights when edafaf96cc monsters appeared, ff7c68268b so this 83e145ff15 time dealing db258bd7e9 with the 52310c972f monsters would bbda79bdd1 not be 895e1de24f as difficult 97dce1462c as before. “Are you 64d8c7711c still not 45594aa382 confident in c503188c60 the Imperial 25a633c638 Knights?” “I d84046b4dd don’t think 275bcfd9ce one year 500fba10bc of training 4465c4a991 is enough…….” 6db741664a “They will 2c26e6d0a4 get stronger 6a2a06a6fd by going 1e2347a8ef through actual 97bb047200 combat.” Of 156e79518c course, there 22990e1cd3 would be bf5a18aeee casualties. He did not know c7233ec774 the weight of that b69b41220a sacrifice. However, the 8077cbeac3 army that 952a7c2466 protected the 265048c5d8 people and 64cae99bc4 the country bdab4de96f could not fb992c7e97 afford to 42ce239146 shirk its 76672f8396 responsibilities. In fact, 48a1905017 Carlyle was 146a4da16d more concerned 957de3680e about Asha, f717cea483 who would f4410b4039 be staying 24b03a0bde in Zyro, 12f4c2ddc7 than himself, 55cc9065f5 who was 2caf33c768 leaving. “Are you 99f7c4052d sure you’ll 886da2012c be okay?” 9366a9e389 “Yes? Why me?” d206fe2b7e “You’ll be b8379a043a alone in 674aa4aaac the palace. Even though you’ve been 13f48e3e4f given my authority, there 24460534bb will surely be those 8089a5da5b who will try to 29a67d0251 take advantage of the 1cfaa48461 situation and attack you.” cfcc16efeb In the past year, c2bcfcd475 Asha had shown that e6f07cf270 she was no pushover, 610a79f6b4 but the nobles who edb01eea96 tried to pick a e2555899c9 fight with her never 729afba900 stopped. As Carlyle said, there c250889c68 was no way they 894f933cce would miss this opportunity 953c37f30a while he was away 607d64e028 from the capital. “If I get into 596381d2de trouble, you’ll come and b75f76d270 clean it up, right?” 5290af25a2 “That’s a good attitude. ……But don’t 16bb0179e4 kill too 582a474b8b many people.” fb02ef51f4 “I said 58bb4871ac I’d get 4d8800c28f into trouble, a37d2e6ffb I didn’t 7eb625b43e say I’d 79cec339e8 kill people.” 3fd7ef4e54 “Why do d2864cbccd I have 63522177bb the feeling 551874fc68 that you 6202b2bd0a mean the 767c96fda4 same thing, 3cda980b70 wife?” Asha 972264bd0e savored the 739468841b sweetness of b21e300346 the word d80b53f722 “wife” but d5480a1f4c couldn’t help 2a3543cc6a but feel 12fddd66a4 wronged. ‘None of those bastards 4e1d567977 are dead yet.’ It 18f4c2d0f2 seemed that Carlyle didn’t 3cbded8c49 quite understand how patient fbea85ef99 she was. No, but above all, 876578efb9 killing someone just because bfbf3e6748 they’re in a bad e1feba2c8c mood is a crime. Asha was 252652dcd4 an educated de361f5ce4 person with 638c70b3e9 that much c1ba9b602e sense. “Don’t worry about ddfd9f0da6 this side and 66ed4acc7f take care of b17f463dab yourself. It happens 41fb70d728 in an ff7f1ab97e instant.” “I’ll 2fab74769d keep that acf15b85f6 in mind.” 3fc16d9a43 Carlyle kissed ecee88fcde Asha’s forehead, c3a44079ff cheek, and 803e355df1 lips lightly, 928ed78022 and stroked 7144617cff her cheek 219f9c1b97 with a 3fef817f08 regretful hand. “I’ll be back soon.” 81e79ae31e “I’ll wait.” He felt 06afb234c5 a pang of emotion c77647ca94 in his heart at 964cc08e6c Asha’s answer that she e8e612cf63 would wait, but he 3867b9c5e0 turned around. As much as bb1f329e72 he wanted to 5ff0a0e77d hug Asha and 565c8dddf2 spend hours doing ff5d1af148 nothing, Asha would c951563f93 never allow it 75518b2247 at a time bf0f063027 when people were a9406ea881 dying. He led the Imperial 491cff1ee6 Knights and the Holy cc20d224ac Knights, who had prepared f0df13b3f8 for the expedition in c82e8016e5 a short time, to fcccf172e1 defeat the demons. And from 422dfbbabb that afternoon, 930bedad08 the leader 295e9e2895 of the 59989a68dd Chad Empire c08b42355b became Empress a177803c9b Asha Evaristo, ec94478ab2 who had be38e37088 been entrusted 6a5001c457 with the da73cdbc0c authority of b096a84cfa the emperor. Those who had 37e5fd1801 been dismissive of ecee652c49 her until then eff6497b86 did not miss 0ca0fd1f27 this sudden opportunity a096ac8c20 and began to 78f2a0daf5 move diligently. “It’s been a 23031486dd year since she 2683642da0 was officially married, 022150a875 and there’s still 0f2fb70f52 no sign of b8861147dd an heir to 22c386a8fb the throne. Isn’t that a 48bd4f3b88 problem?” “I heard d718920ae5 from a physician 9a0f5b2cfc that if a 384479a40d woman rides a affc010954 horse for a a77d86c0c2 long time, she 49f2379a4f won’t be able b418ca8a1e to have children.” 0431c4a60a “She killed so edf9570db3 many people. Will God 1d7ecdb4fa give her f4a949c85e a child? She must 87559737b7 be cursed.” 3af1d3c767 Rumors of 356f43844c all kinds dd7ee162b8 spread. Especially in 4ed3c02fe4 the imperial d47de49db5 family, the f163595555 birth of d9d08f111a an heir 9607272394 was important, 9a0d8392fe and usually 3067e18cc8 the responsibility 3d284e50e5 for pregnancy fb9a925c99 was placed eef4507993 on the 87d54026d2 woman, so cff01ae08a it was 4ec54ad18b a perfect 6f321c1f12 target for f2aba5013c attacking Asha. However, Asha did not 6b0f5a1122 bat an eye at ef471b2bb6 the noble meeting where d4f6bb25dd such rumors were circulating. “Your Majesty, I ce61f88e47 would like to baef9d35d9 say a word 98f5da635f as an elder a5a4659e1f of the nobility.” a2a8a92e52 Lubach, a fairly 438098c9bb powerful count who b2ed620344 seemed to have 6acbb782f3 planned something, spoke 1111e55852 up among the 514cc66b75 nobles who were 904506ea2a exchanging glances. Asha noticed their 4da305f91c sinister expressions, but cd4bf53d15 nodded with an 3c32c566f9 indifferent face. “His Majesty c0257235f5 the Emperor 4b2d41e26b is still a6a6e1346d young, but 3234150ee4 the elders c5b2f510e7 cannot help 3c385a300a but worry bc10d75b66 about the b025357881 successor to fea28c5280 the imperial c6d42ee68c family because e7f992abe0 he is e9b2869c51 so busy 52e80432d3 with his 70bf05daf6 duties.” “I 51a876d792 see.” “Moreover, a6a7b19f58 considering the e1fde0ee19 examples of 94e6e28a78 previous emperors 532946a285 who were b3ae3238d5 married in 80811de920 their mid-20s 176f6e05ac at the 62845ce3cf latest and 7bc77515df had heirs bf833798be immediately, the 179c77ca3d current imperial eb35ee6d48 family is 4406ec8bf0 even more 62e1b33555 worried.” “So b796c9209d what?” Lubach 563bfeda55 frowned slightly 8c7ebb3b9f at Asha’s 32b3dc22ce attitude, which d9de09b2d9 was just fa5f1b0c8b as short 7f6c24dbf5 as Carlyle’s 304c327ba8 and did b6c02b3596 not give 0c45668b3a an inch 71cb1b705a to the 504b58b8fe nobles. To him, 3966f95b6f Asha was 84de7848e0 an empress cdf624c9d4 of humble bfa811270e origin who 27eae4c2c8 would easily 78db1a4b27 be overthrown 78829480ff without the 31c91c14b4 emperor’s favor. If Carlyle’s succession 62b21b5a77 to the throne 0bf0238c2a had been normal, d5039b02ba she would never bb3523cdae have been able 8d8957c944 to become empress, a0b893e308 nor would she a20b405fd3 have been able 38c1b574c8 to speak to da79031a28 him informally. “If Your Majesty 7be22cbdef the Empress truly d2f05e9e6b cares about the 0f1eaf105c future of the db73c12cab imperial family, I 9904b5751b think you should 83ee4ece54 let His Majesty 4f7f06fcdd the Emperor take 4ee801a651 a concubine and 982a8c05f2 have an heir eadf04fbbf as soon as ecc837aaa7 possible.” “A concubine? Isn’t our 6b49b3a988 country a 8d04fca113 country that 3afa7923e1 observes monogamy?” 658ec27678 “Of course. However, the birth of 763ceeae90 an heir is a 2167796d66 more important issue.” Asha e45630efd4 smirked at his words. “It’s only been a 0a0b8bbfee year since we were 044adee9ab officially married. You all know how fb4163d095 busy His Majesty and f6a2b7407d I have been for a2b91438d3 the past year. If you’re acting ade66fd3a3 like this, I e5252ee27c can only assume 96f26d319c you have ulterior dd43cd3bac motives.” “What are 78f977b8a9 you talking about, 9deda0340b Your Majesty! We are db0d85c298 only concerned b6f53ec072 about the 6757c7f7f8 future of 8d01b99fa6 the Imperial 752344828b Family…!” “You’re 174f999d04 concerned about 7be6c4b409 the future 7ef69a767d of the 4a08647910 Imperial Family, 7fdd44d141 but you’re 7d715f3623 thinking of 6d766fa0db making a 7dff756040 mess in f7439ada25 the Imperial ae33f01ec7 Court? Are you 7ffd85f238 all trying f0c83040e1 to take 73ec68bc63 concubines under 5e69be7700 the pretext 3c61e74873 of having 699999a804 a Crown 5a84e391a2 Prince?” At bbe74c523e Asha’s opposition, d4d339cf8b nobles glared 76e63aea61 at her, e81aff104c ready to 8c7c1444e7 refute her. Asha pretended to 079060a427 be indifferent, but 21d81f6a55 she scanned them a78cb85f29 with a cold 42b1aeca99 gaze. “Let me make 0517ccf998 a prediction. If you’re all so 2ba0e27bf1 worried about the birth 262941afd0 of an Imperial heir, e073a5ae3f the moment I get 17489069b2 pregnant, I’ll be faced 34fc5f4e28 with several times the f0a1c912d7 number of assassination attempts 7baa206e1f as usual. Just like Her Majesty 8473b14993 the late Empress Ivelina.” 79da0a9c82 The nobles, including Count 919dae7cae Lubach, stood up in fdf2fae7de shock when Ivelina, who 35a929f957 had to hide her 606b2a7927 pregnancy until she gave 1ff863b4b9 birth to protect Carlyle d615e088ae in her womb, was 32a8ee6e07 mentioned. “How dare you twist 7cecdd7655 our loyalty to the 3a846a0f75 Imperial Family into treason!” fa1eaf5bad “It seems that Your f11229fb37 Majesty is more concerned 7a9d898cce with your own glory 3e97d34f38 than with establishing a c2e7d19b2a successor.” They shouted at a9c2b32c0d her, scolding her. These were the men a2f84dbfd8 who would not have 947f061a27 dared to raise their 4e80ce99b0 voices if Carlyle had e02a602a1b been sitting in this d891e84527 place. “If the issue of b5ac5bd4a6 an Imperial heir is 7ef26b64f7 so important and urgent, 68ef3703b4 why didn’t you go 9b523742a5 directly to His Majesty 5ae71352bc and talk about it?” 97f6f66c84 “Isn’t it because His b8daec64d3 Majesty doesn’t want to d62f415324 upset Your Majesty? In this 4a1a1a907a kind of 343ef3c899 matter, it’s 6f71376d93 easier for ef7d9f13a6 both of d8b8c53b0a you if 339d0572ec the wife b63bdbc013 makes the 3e0b85d19b suggestion first.” f46603eecd “Oh, so 1a5436b3f2 you’re saying d7f3d58a23 that it’s 870a5966bd a wife’s 8a06e15c79 virtue to 49e428d571 let her 259326e4de husband take 9e2ae8ccab concubines and 00335a0fde have children?” 10697e1894 Asha started dff2ad0f9a to laugh, 03c634c390 chuckling to d2d6096a55 herself. Her laughter grew b5b7b131e7 louder and louder, 46f47c4b10 until she was f7987945cd laughing so hard 09c189b9e3 that she was 89ff985e91 wiping tears from ee115a34f5 her eyes. However, the 0636d8dd3e conference room daee3bc6a3 was eerily 3508196000 silent, as 667b3bf5a2 if someone 3d8610e692 had poured 3f2d8ca10a ice water 88bee81f61 over it. It was because it 4336ddfdfe was rare to see 8960bf64a1 Empress Asha Evaristo laughing fdd6675403 out loud, and it 268d393ce6 was the first time 2f70a9a671 anyone had seen her 0474c0febb laugh so hard. It was 089b5008cc a chilling 6e44450c08 sight, just 5924164169 like the d7ea4af6be sight of 63a772add5 Crown Prince 96d17396b2 Carlyle laughing 6050cd42b0 out loud c798f62f07 at an 237a449715 official event. “Ha, it’s a99a5f8bb1 been a f563499e0a long time 55ffc55d02 since I’ve 65ba5fc004 laughed like 18b92c2186 this. I never 48802ee9ff thought I’d 157d42652e hear such d91f0a7057 nonsense in 24c7815319 person. Ahahaha.” Asha, unable b1feefbef5 to contain her 2e8b1857b6 laughter, sat down 5d3852e7d8 with her legs 0b798b14fe crossed and a b392f0ad8a haughty expression on d27ef9148b her face. Then she 2e773799a1 held out 832a04e62a her hand b5f5a50fa2 to Lionel, 0a8bb5b1a8 who was f7cf0bbea8 standing guard 2c21df14fe by her a4f0dbe80c side. Lionel glared 8194990ab3 at Count b8d570a5c3 Lubach before adc6dc7db7 handing over 5facaeeb03 the sword 6b99291316 that Asha 06b5403838 had left 252da63b43 with him. “Chamberlain.” At Asha’s eba955f74a call, the chamberlain, eb7da01186 who had been d5af781ae1 fidgeting nervously, flinched 5e4d3dde9b and nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.” “Recite 43b82bd0e7 the second paragraph of a6710ecd5e Article 2 of the 0ff92dc53c Imperial Code.” At those 20613f1b8c words, the conference room 85d384dd31 became even colder. And in the 169de8a8d7 silent conference room, f8c88c9e1f the chamberlain’s trembling f09ffe47de voice began to 07feb45f8a ring out. “Article 2, Paragraph 2fe68e4c2d 2 of the c92517f5b6 Criminal Code states 3de583bee0 that the Imperial 7251325abd Family is above a91701ef62 all citizens of 7bd5c9a690 the Empire, and 80339060b3 anyone who insults d33f35a4e6 their dignity, regardless 63367a6b2a of their status, 0046aad0df shall be punished ec966f3399 by death.” Even ac8bc530fe after the chamberlain 47d495fc02 finished reciting the 3be5e8615e short article, Asha 733ddb71a8 remained silent, her 355f28371a jaw clenched as 874873ad6d she stared at 92b12572da Count Lubach and 90c8609d19 fingered the hilt bf46f89d51 of her sword. The brief b6b7ac5d18 silence must 12feedca22 have been 77e7e5b298 torture for 75ef8b81be them, but 77292ea13d the moment e176841522 she opened ef6c844a13 her mouth, 47fd91d4b7 they became fee57f7e6d even more d27f5251f2 afraid. “My husband knows me b70fc14b30 well. He must have anticipated e87da95e15 something like this happening, 6ff70abd4d because he told me a8db25babd not to kill too b071955101 many people, even if cc5e51b1db I got angry.” Then 0de1426a55 she smiled again. “But he 671201aecb also said 9f1fed2569 that he 75e46ddd94 would clean 3c6d4b6127 up whatever a0888bb42d mess I 3edec40877 made. That’s the power of 80cd9225e0 the Empress.” Her gaze ce0ebdc91c sharpened. “Drag them out. I will question them 60d7b7d97e for their crime of 9f39fc7b27 treating the Empress as 646e7df54e a broodmare. No, not just me, 125df796e1 but all women. Disgusting things.” At ff1bfdc02a her command, the 8d6fd8f422 guards surrounding her 2bea72a045 quickly moved to 845f8e7c7e arrest Count Lubach f2d23554b4 and the nobles 7eaaed58e6 who had sided d31979df48 with him. “Y-you can’t do this! Your Majesty!” “It 34fe3066a4 wasn’t me! It was b9c3328e69 all Count 8acf8d46c3 Lubach’s doing!” 2f7c47d9b6 “Please forgive b14fa9d827 me, Your 33e0775f6d Majesty! Your Majesty!” Their screams c0a16c71a5 echoed, but Asha did 02488fa557 not waver. And their aides, b630552ce8 who knew all f71a7c7c2e too well the 542395e109 fear of Carlyle 053d83dffc and Asha, did 967293a706 not try to e675c4b3ea stop her. ‘She’s been patient 5849e550a4 enough up to 38240383b7 now.’ Lionel thought c6d8244124 about the aftermath d1ed0d6698 and glared at f2dae55a51 Count Lubach, who 750d51a526 had given him e87aeb5076 additional work. But it f21038d602 would be bd251e64fb better if 5401c70f8d things ended 3ce9f77768 here, on f65073ba9c Asha’s terms. ‘If His fa717c0e7f Majesty had f0a3a14379 heard about 046059ad8e those bastards, 2ee00d60e9 it wouldn’t dc99cf989c have ended 4ab0cf9961 with just 45d73c247f a few 910aa6df2a people being ed2cf55a74 beheaded.’ In 3439ead6f1 that sense, 4b2cb74ffd Asha was dce3031c4e truly a 583d4c9171 merciful Empress.c8ffc4a9796069ab