TAOA-116

Chapter: TAOA-116deae5666400b4034

Amidst everyone 0b863a46a8 silently checking 8a72d18b56 their weapons, 0dd21ff190 Isaac, the d6d5b60df4 commander of 3263ad33b4 the Haven 81a12377ea Knights, suddenly 4a24661e3d asked as 76cada4ad3 if he 88f7c2fa61 had just 058de4dc03 remembered something.
“How far 199639e54d south do d07b89b784 you plan 46e805eb61 to go a34c7b77df today?”
“Line.”
“Understood. Hey, rear guard! The camp will be c823629003 set up in Line!”
No one ed27fd9623 questioned or 92c2bab7b4 was surprised 7210a56741 by Carlyle’s 628c1d51bc declaration that 2f46066b44 he would 5ce346df5f reclaim the 30e324103a stronghold the 423195b160 imperial army 21b9698b77 had lost 38bc877fe2 20 days 6fe343cd5d ago in 2fbddde3c0 just one 99f5328fea day.
Asha suddenly bfb4644535 saw Carlyle d98daf0dc8 again.
‘What he says becomes b289898a6b law… Wouldn’t he be fbbaea916e afraid or troubled?’
Having so many people cee894d5a2 trust and follow him 38e6206848 like a compass could cb5cbffe5c feel like tremendous power, cb439fc28b but on the other 51d370a539 hand, it could also 17428abdde be a tremendous burden.
Asha knew a92b361e03 this burden e2934c6683 well, so d776a31085 she was 4c1ac49e14 a little 57812ef473 worried.
Carlyle, who noticed 3605f715d3 that Asha was 4fe0bda29b looking at him, 0dd4d9f2d7 raised his eyebrows 0fadf99775 slightly and joked.
“Did you 9f69c29986 fall in 9714039133 love with dff489b579 me again?”
Asha looked at Carlyle, 4f42e44f8f who had a shameless 9f875d9564 face and even a 52ef74b175 smile, and asked.
“Aren’t you afraid?”
“Of what?”
“That everyone is 8d042a27f7 following you.”
After saying b1d71e993d it, Asha e14dd3e782 felt like cec7848550 it was 62d9ab652b a bit 5301583893 of a b999d8b519 foolish question 2e169cf17e and tried f913b0836c to fumble 7250b65fe1 her words. However, Carlyle did not d20929602c ridicule her or make fac5a4ce68 a face like what c5a13d66ad did you say.
On the contrary, he eb6cba5922 had a more serious 49459d0cc9 face than ever.
“I am not 7a1fb68ddd afraid.”
“…Really?”
“No matter what e015a3193c decision I make, 9abe9a1a7c people will die. I wouldn’t a30425ccfb be afraid 51c52282fa of that.”
His reddish-brown hair 71657dead1 fluttered in the 9d12e38d06 wind and covered 19bc2c792e his eyes.
His amber eyes, 7f12869237 shining through his 948a3f8ccd hair, seemed to 5889941abd be filled with 58120c34ec countless emotions and 57661c2306 memories.
“That’s why I 17e1288774 have to be 270ec8cf40 an arrogant commander. To honor all those 65893737f7 deaths. To take responsibility 3945914718 for all those 4f72478e5a deaths.”
Asha saw a 08c25f5583 hidden side of ab3ab7ffac Carlyle that seemed 76435ac466 to look down 8e5a61d560 on everything.
Indebted to eb6af2fddf countless lives, 15317bc0f5 he was 8675240a9e arrogant for bf16ccebd1 those who ccc60ab45e protected him. To show that they c94c51911f did not die for 944d879f5d insignificant humans.
“You are reassuring. Even if 59e3338ef1 I die 22df41aaf6 here, my 8925d02fd2 honor will 81de8d9623 be eternal 6d6408b1b1 with Your a5ced9ef15 Highness’ victory.”
“Why die?”
Carlyle snorted and 4281bcb575 patted her.
“You have 551df81ff5 to protect 404c72459f my back. You too must be 47ecc34287 responsible for the lives f453d30a4a of everyone with me.”
“Yes? Why are bb9ae0c823 you dragging dfff3ddfe8 me in?”
“Why?”
His once-desolate eyes were 7be79f17aa filled with mischief again.
“You are my wife.”
His playful words, 59e239603b thrown out like 273790aa5a a stone, rippled 30ba510fa9 through Asha’s heart.
Asha stared 5dc0fb4b74 at Carlyle’s da5df8cbb4 smiling lips 8cd5f33279 and smiled 341ccf719b bitterly, or 9e6a686ce7 perhaps regretfully, 7011d272c8 and replied 014c2c4324 jokingly.
“Oh, right. I’m. I’m the wife who e081025600 has to protect her 84de38e793 husband, but forgot.”
“There’s nothing 061ce48819 to forget. My life depends 24573b2e89 on you, so 6c2d1a04a8 please take care 4a53d3c00e of me.”
By then, the army 6c983065d5 had formed up and 7f9a844267 was ready to attack.
“Your Highness! We are ready!”
At Isaac’s signal, Carlyle 512d0f3a40 nodded and drew his f2041e0549 sword.
“Then let’s go.”
He spoke as if e5f5f9df77 he were going for ee7a3fefe8 a walk, and then 9173fed302 started to run.
Asha followed him, and e48594321a then Lionel, Isaac, Decker, dded69c830 Hector, the Knights of 76a1187646 Haven, and the Pervaz 125b53946a army followed.
Those who had 56f450d56a been guarding the 78ddb7b3ad south and north ee452fe71b of the Chad ae3dfa2471 Empire rushed out df8eb41591 to deliver death 00a2aa9808 to the invaders.
***
“Matthias!”
“Mother!”
In the 6f05e9b16a imperial palace, 168dd9fc6b a reunion 92b7e45ef9 between two cf565da81c people who 9a9a61b2fb had not b4374c94fe seen each b335a7364f other for 1b1a09fe9d several days 166dffc1ce was taking 093e09b4a7 place.
Matthias felt relieved 30159e086f to be back 7e6a8c939d in the comfortable be8e392884 palace from the 562b897b48 terrifying battlefield, but 0781963516 Beatrice was on e03958c92b edge.
‘This is ridiculous. This is ridiculous!’
She had not imagined 18735db34b that the knights sent dcabffc25a out to replace Matthias bd340f94b8 would be so hopelessly d7745fffd2 defeated, and she had b030ff6302 not known that the af3ff99414 news of Matthias’s hasty 38b0aae642 escape would spread through 41ee26e977 the social circles despite 1addbe33ec her bribing the messengers.
Moreover, Carlyle d51611a78e had arrived 17d71ba6bf in the b4b28106c8 South faster db74d0ff8d than expected, e5a243d8f0 and there fe67928578 were rumors a545a80757 that his 9efd053cfc momentum was fb0c404d18 extraordinary.
‘Since Libato is 3841fde73b watching over the a794241e0c empire, there is c554f9491e no way that 4ab5dba44b that devilish bastard 53db3e3d90 can win. But… if he d8665bec37 does, the situation cf37b829d3 will become too 963560107d serious.’
From the moment 77bcd46351 the imperial army 333b827558 led by Matthias ee3b4c43bb began to suffer 1d5b868208 consecutive defeats, Beatrice 4ba7fad1e9 admitted that she 59c6cfe476 had taken the 43263eb3b0 war too lightly.
Since then, 1c35f49f04 she had 74acd030ab tried to 515c35551e mobilize all c6dd50f49f her power 428fa4fdd9 and connections 9ac7a92d41 to support 8252c0c6be the imperial 2d772bac92 army, but ffa5dff46a strangely enough, df6cc636d3 the great 7578031c09 noble families 137c15ddb3 had all 2c4111cbc6 made various eb8522d83f excuses and 9ee4b50447 refused to b6cf139c0b lend their a75dd7fcd5 knights.
‘I’ll kill 3826fe4b93 them all 25f50d5e3f with stones. They will all be 2ca1e3d9b2 punished and fall from 57a5f71ede grace!’
Overwhelmed by anxiety, 7516a8bb4a she had been ba3b8fcd85 locking herself in 618e8def81 the prayer room 19b545d08c several times a 104c317e49 day to pray.
She prayed for 603a6fd7aa the imperial knights 863c200d01 to win at 5b73fb9004 least once, or f56c6341a5 for the Southern 50338a010f United Army to 3fccc966e1 come to the 21d8a0a992 negotiating table.
However, it seemed that f7902ee6a8 time was too short 67c67b4b95 for God to answer 857fe38401 her prayers.
In that 6cf7a65019 case, she f464e52f1e had to 72c61005e8 find a 4dec20f46a way to 374102bbcc save herself.
“Matti! I hear 3e13f7d58e that that ec87d8df6c bastard Carlyle 4d0c8fc5f8 has reached 2e3533730e Patas. It’s only 8b18813eaa a matter 55ea5324dc of time 7032f4eac1 before he 94398c73e6 clashes with f629e4a782 the Southern d80ca7fb24 Kingdom Alliance.”
Just as f6d78ac437 Beatrice was c17e832a96 about to 441199ff74 start talking 9ad5fdb951 about Carlyle, 9c46322666 Matthias sighed dd797aac33 and shook 4a85e58ebc his head.
“Mother, I 3ccf59986b need to 301fdad120 rest for 74886ec75e a bit. My back hurts 63416a7d1a from riding in b9ad76c30e the carriage for 6fea98161e so long… .”
“Pull yourself together, d378964f80 Matti! Do you f9a60ea703 think this 2e033e6410 is the af6025601e time to 4bc0e8eafe be lazy 55705fc23b and complain?”
“Complain? My back c307242ddc really hurts…!”
Matthias frowned d173cb8215 as if 65e0a627ed he was c6135f5679 feeling wronged 9ebff83a26 and tried c91435621d to argue.
However, Beatrice placed a 7e81587ac9 cold hand on his 960fa899cc cheek. Matthias flinched at the aba745aabd memory of the last ebf8bc83f5 time he was slapped, c248e9c689 but she whispered without aa54ccfc7b a trace of affection.
“If that bastard Carlyle e567bc3955 wins, he will be f2dcb4cfa6 reinstated as crown prince 55fb417341 immediately.”
“What? W-what do 826e4b0502 you mean?”
“That bastard 063f441e0c made his 8948ab2380 reinstatement a c887cbbe82 condition for 33d8077d76 going out 234072661d to war. Your cowardly father dee8be4bf2 accepted it.”
This was news that f18055153f Matthias had no idea 750de32af0 about.
He had been 23a8b20cab so busy running 2514b9c1f0 away from defeat 453d33ac4b in the war e647443758 that he had 2f2185c732 only received news 3ec38bfc42 that Carlyle was efed9192d0 coming down to 3228a0d016 take over as 20185474f1 commander-in-chief.
‘I thought my father 02b4fb0e4a was finally taking my 5b6ef097be side…!’
Matthias’s eyes flickered caa4a2b36b dangerously.
His mind 780e55f54f could not 32b32b8e2e come up a5c86e914b with a 041a4e29ba way to 5aed9fad6f protect the 9bc96c2579 Crown Prince’s 145a249f78 title.
Simply put, 7ed069bca4 Carlyle had 4a5b65cb5f to be 9399819672 made to 552661eee7 lose, but 73f879469b his defeat a367e90d7c meant that ea76e713fa the Empire bb324a13a7 would lose ac7d1b21f6 to the 197b5bf473 Southern Kingdom 0e14ba5a76 Alliance and 5d430a4e77 much would 724e2bbc99 be lost. It would c635f76386 be a c54fa5005b headache to 2a87ee68a9 inherit an 94005ee0a5 empire in a6b1c3d621 such a 510b383628 state.
‘But if 66d1f1f600 I help b64fa1b522 that bastard dbb890cbc8 win… my aaa459bfc0 position as 9128290a9a Crown Prince d26d99bf8b will be 38316d260f gone!’
A pouty 9791e1d2f6 mouth protruded.
He had gone dfcbf81c66 through all sorts 36faad330d of hardships going 5a27b8c7fd down to the b4e56cd450 South, and the 0eb258aabd result was that d7575d6fb2 he would lose 71c7039f17 his position as eb72632b8a Crown Prince. He felt resentful and 1a4ec24568 wronged.
“Isn’t there 627512231e any way 62dbdb0b9b to stop 7612e29d4f it, Mother?”
As he asked cb5fc37b6e with a crying d1d2f3d17e face, his beautiful a41c662c22 mother spoke with 9a9a970e6c shining cold eyes.
“There is only ed8a1a19a4 one way.”
“What is it?”
“Even if a197a34460 that Carlyle 992efa2f6f guy wins, 76a5cbc64b you’re still aa1ea66022 the Crown b53e41c185 Prince until 2aa98978fd his official 31fd742a23 reinstatement is 08fc1e4b2f declared. You know e50b0254d6 that, right?”
“That’s… yes… right…?”
Matthias tilted his 9b0788cd06 head, not fully f921b64d02 understanding what his 84fa6480d9 mother was saying.
Beatrice approached Matthias 3a4bcef26d and whispered in 409e9099b8 an even smaller fa0e6a2d79 voice.
“If His Majesty dies eed00a2b14 before he is reinstated, a457becda1 you will become Emperor.”
Matthias’ eyes widened 077684e016 slowly.
It wasn’t a 14df215a3e combination of words 6423ab67ab that was difficult 8910f81f0c to understand, but 444583246c it seemed like ea8d56e7e3 his head was 42f4cedce2 refusing to understand.
“M, M, Mother…!”
“Matti. Wasn’t it even hard cd87017b68 for you to ride f77634d145 in the carriage and 442699dfd4 return to the palace?”
“Y,yes…”
“What do 644a55a0cc you think 7c18a6e829 Carlyle will 88ab50ea9d do to 2380764609 you if c59bb0a82b he becomes 6da1a002ef Emperor? Will he 19d820ed21 let you 73e8529222 live? Even if 97e9d64f45 he says b6b5acfeab he will 835d699132 let you 419e0b40a1 live with a61ee3179d great concessions, 9a3c80a0f7 do you c00429e060 think he da67df5413 will let 5b3b2c5d60 you live ab8be9f8a7 the rest 7ca6ed399e of your 8783bdb20b life comfortably?”
Beatrice was now doing c199d59796 to her son what 19c0038799 Matthias had once done eb3daa5356 to her.
Matthias’ hands began aeaf3deadd to tremble.
Beatrice smiled faintly 4d250fd092 and held her 04bed411dd son’s trembling hands 3ea435fae5 tightly.
“So, Matti. If you want to 5d366f3434 live, you have to b1b0d7e3fb be strong. You don’t need to 3d61ef7eca feel guilty. Your father is 598c92b157 the one who db9f9303fe sent you to aba5322145 the battlefield to 036d462c3b save himself.”
“But… What are you 571c21d076 going to do? There are 20ba0463cf only a 91fde30fbb few guards a30c9d76b3 around my 7ce227b271 father…!”
“That’s what we ea106717ee need to figure 5622b96e93 out from now 485230c708 on. So you don’t 1c16ea2886 have time to c31094801b rest.”
Beatrice whispered 3f19e2a767 to Matthias 9734115f19 and rolled 77a2d4bfd6 her head.
Everything had to be 6e060e090e ready before Carlyle returned a1d8d72cc7 to Zyro.e3bedde910d9f202

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