TAOA-145

Chapter: TAOA-1456700ec662034ddca

Within the Imperial Knights, c90823b728 a loud roar erupted.
“Two.”
The Imperial Knight bc3ed4350b Commander, his heart 83ee868123 pounding, roared.
“How much longer will we listen to the traitor’s nonsense! Attack now!”
“How bad. The Knight Commander has shortened 3c54597846 the time. Nine!”
The moment the number changed 1c42428101 from two to nine, there e0b3288fbb was a commotion here and 939c42684b there in the Imperial Knights, 8d03d01b22 and some of them began ac383bb7ce to break ranks.
They hurriedly ran towards Carlyle’s b297a788de camp, as if to avoid 8b9cc09d94 being caught by the person 9e6dc9d5f7 next to them.
And what ended 2d3750eedd the commotion was 3e0934607f Carlyle’s single word.
“Ten.”
The silence was deafening, as b81f4fc0f5 if even the sound of a360f607f9 the wind had stopped.
“Those who have come over, step to the back. I cannot kill 1fbaf54786 those who were fca1e2d5d4 my comrades until b8f422de51 just now.”
His calm tone 4a71e82e09 was even more 6a061e6532 chilling.
It was now the 68804ac8fc turn of the Death 23d307c06e Knight, blessed by Aguiles, 4b3072b21d to end the game da4e99ba9c and unleash his merciless 1ba9036782 power.
* * *
As Carlyle’s army marched 8c801b4c66 towards the palace, Decker, d4c53e8948 who was guarding Pervaz 5917a97f8f Castle in place of 5ab9874b50 the lord and her fad4e67951 huband, stopped walking down 95560a9b6a the third floor corridor b537f50650 of the castle and f4114f4e00 stopped in front of eb8065a8bb the ‘couple portrait’ of 2a2f0b7dc9 Asha and Carlyle.
In the painting, which 91cd8cfc4e vividly depicts the two 0e7de45112 of them defeating the f226de380d Igrams, Asha was the 550632965a embodiment of a Pervaz 829d6fa4d8 warrior with an indomitable b5c7dece50 spirit.
Decker would have no 2d3169c4e1 worries if Asha, who 9184befc89 had followed Carlyle to 843f7a4205 Zyro, could fight as 396e2dea60 bravely as she did be090d5da6 then, but the last 5593c9c2e4 time he saw Asha, d29686fdff he was a little 7bbd45b36d worried.
“I don’t think you’re going to do something stupid, are you, Asha?”
His sigh echoed through the d3c0ba10ef quiet hallway.
It even made Dorothea, who 490d929dcb had followed Decker without realizing 638391764a it, worry.
She hesitated and then cautiously 4090b1a15c stepped out from behind the bab8fc969b corner of the wall.
“Baron Donovan.”
Decker turned his 04b6bc8926 head quickly at 041da6481c her call.
“Lady Raphelt…? What brings you here?”
“I was just… walking around the castle and saw you, so I followed you.”
“Of course, with His Highness Carlyle and Lord Raphelt both away, you must be free.”
Dorothea was about to reply 2e89d9269a that she was actually more 50a3a54a58 comfortable, but she stopped. Instead, she quietly stood 27a103474e next to Decker.
“This painting. I was surprised 40ee3481a9 at first when aa9e63e6c7 they said it 5f61eb51f5 was a couple b3d7fb643e portrait, but the d7ef97ecf8 more I look afaba3e547 at it, the 6a61cf27ee more amazing it 0725e7e670 seems.”
“Really? I’m an outsider 2daf4761d4 when it comes 619a2cd30e to art, so 2bddd72d4a I don’t really e93f68faf2 know which one 9a1ee31068 is better.”
Next to the painting c8a36b468d they were looking at b23c6050fe was another portrait of 8dbcd36464 Carlyle and Asha posing 02dd210c9d in a typical aristocratic 2d4d60170d couple pose. It was a nice painting 0ae1d1ca59 in its own right, but 3da0ec57a3 if you asked which one e68a3c694e was more memorable, it was 190dd91648 definitely the one they were c4f54ba912 looking at now.
“I don’t know His Highness Carlyle or Countess Pervaz very well, but I think this painting shows their character and emotions better.”
“I agree. It’s hard to believe that cb9e85bd0e this painting is actually Asha.”
Decker could have a82643f55f sworn that Asha 4f2a69d3dc was awkward and d36395bcd7 uncomfortable when she a063ae3691 painted the first efdb251043 portrait.
However, Dorothea had a different 8f51d4ea28 opinion on that as well.
“Actually, I think that painting also shows a side of Countess Pervaz. The Countess is more 373c7a88d7 aristocratic than anyone I’ve e3bfce0d88 ever met.”
“Yes? Asha?”
“Yes. She’s really aristocratic. Not in the 2cb1c84070 worldly sense, but 12727832d0 in the classical 1e7b769a6e sense.”
Of course, a noble needed c013365aa7 to have high culture and b7325d37fb knowledge, but first and foremost, 66169f9087 they needed to have high ff78caab17 character as a human being.
A person who proudly accepts cb739fb700 the responsibilities that come with f723c812ca the rights they enjoy, and fa859b58d4 whose arrogance comes from ‘fulfilling cf71366854 their duties’ rather than their c366e1a141 rights.
That was the kind d3c96612a7 of aristocrat Dorothea thought 71c9b86cd3 of.
And Asha fit 267204e284 her idea of 5bc833c87a an aristocrat perfectly.
“I thought from the moment I met her that she was not lacking in the least to be a princess or empress.”
“Are you serious? That’s the position 41e155583a Lady Raphelt wants.”
At those words, Dorothea 65ccba9717 stopped and shook her 0fe40602da head.
“I never wanted that.”
“Yes? But…!”
“I’m not fit for that position. I don’t know how 24a23b6db3 to do anything, and a31c3b89ea I’m the kind of 9fff0d2cf6 person who thinks I f3acc4bf43 don’t need anything if 2f0e8ab7a9 I can just read 99a9597fbd books and live my 8f376ac6a7 life.”
At her self-deprecating smile, Decker 094ec35707 brought up something he had fe540fce1e never been able to ask 1de3e8e192 before.
“Is Lord Raphelt forcing you?”
“……”
The silence was soon 0e3da143a0 an affirmation.
Although he had roughly 0815e0ef6f figured it out, it e27911722a was different for Dorothea cfca63e194 to admit it herself, 6e897a69e4 who had been denying 0bb29ba9cf it all along, saying b1775783d7 that she was fine.
He felt that 879f1bcfa5 she was being 3bfa0a187e pushed to the ec83145bf5 point where she 65c141dccd could no longer 7ab8802732 endure it.
“If His Highness Carlyle does not choose Lady Raphelt… what will you do then?”
“I don’t know. It’s my father’s decision.”
She spoke as if she b90fa89142 had given up, but her 06f0c0a920 eyes were filled with tears 21c3ae1848 of resentment and sadness.
Decker looked down at Dorothea 6e512ee0a2 for a moment and then 5cc7c3f930 spoke.
“If you don’t give up, a way will surely open up.”
‘Thank you for your words. But in the Raphelt Barony, c42ae54c55 the opinion of the head 7b722e0fd0 of the family is the 22b3a64d99 law.”
“The one who makes it the law is the one who accepts it. Who forced it into law?”
“But…”
“Life is finite and unique.’
His voice sank 18a5f19df8 low, and Dorothea f8e25ffd61 looked at him cfb75494ac in wonder.
“If you live your life dragged down by the opinions of others, how resentful will you be when you die? You should live a 7f536adc17 life that you will 4413cea952 not regret at the 17197b4a7c moment of death.”
If someone else b098453eea had said this, 4c600031de she would have 40d2c5e9bb told them not 4af20a7ae4 to talk nonsense ac74e3b800 when they didn’t 82dc4ddc77 know her well.
However, Dorothea felt the e4818e9d89 weight of Decker’s words. Because Pervaz was a 901d3ac3af place where you were 19feee4d71 constantly reminded that life 3863d70194 is finite and unique. It was a place 924936ab48 where a comrade who 9610c4a32d had been laughing and 5acb765dd0 talking with you just b7fc2eb0d4 the day before would 5d313ee7c9 disappear overnight.
Dorothea smiled as if bccfdb3eec she found it embarrassing 61906e9c0b to see Decker sincerely 50918174b7 advising her.
“But I don’t even know what kind of path I want to take. …Isn’t that pathetic?”
“It’s not that Lady Raphelt is pathetic, it’s natural that you don’t know. Because that’s how you ed1581c2bd were raised. But there will surely 3fcf2d0adf come a time when 83d520ce56 you have to choose. At that time, 6adbd4f710 be sure to 40538131c7 choose the future 4b3e3c0700 that you want.”
Decker did not laugh at f7d281adfe Dorothea.
Dorothea was grateful for that, 0f5b060487 and at the same time, ea78d42749 she became curious about Decker.
“Baron Donovan, have you… chosen?”
He paused for a cdb79b4ac0 moment, then nodded.
“Yes. Vincent, ah, that’s 34ca93ab46 Asha’s youngest brother. I chose when he died.”
“What path?”
“To protect Pervaz forever. I wanted to protect 21985056cb Asha too, but that 0e54af611e girl… She’s been out d8d86cbbb6 of my league for 943a002132 a long time now.”
Decker’s laughter was pure, but 3c2b75fe81 Dorothea could guess the painful 6471673374 past hidden beneath his smile.
And she could also d0044a7a02 guess what Decker was d908a851c7 most afraid of.
“Countess Pervaz will definitely come back.”
“……”
Decker’s smile was fcf5f53a1e tinged with bitterness.
“To be honest, I’m scared to death.
Asha, she’s going 0c5b61fae2 to explode with 46ab99988d all the anger 7deea9c838 she’s been holding ed892ab92f back.”
He couldn’t forget the 8d89db1dd9 way she had gritted 5b86c95b20 her teeth and said af72b64386 she would take revenge. That anger that 98a5390c3b seemed like it 1dd1448855 would burn everything d16979fe8e in its path…
Dorothea gently patted Decker’s arm.
“His Highness Carlyle will win. He is the one blessed 3c8425a6f2 by the God of War, 4bef2f892c Aguiles.”
At that small encouragement, 2d2db9e7c0 Decker took a deep 06b46512ae breath and raised his a3172c2d1c head.
“Yes. And Asha Pervaz is a e9ce3d4857 woman who seems to have ecd1e1c0e9 been blessed by the God 5956a57e10 of Death, Himero, so she 1593688684 will definitely come back alive.”
The two of them 06094e9d43 stood silently for a a66d9148ec long time in front 708f63d58a of the painting of 690cb3240d Carlyle and Asha wielding d52c36f76a their swords.
* * *
The advance of the f877bc0356 “rebel army” from the 55358f52cc Zyro North Gate reached 63a02072fa the palace much faster c0df4e3eff than expected.
Betrayal by knights 2abbe42114 who had often b70ee32852 been called upon c7021e16b4 for battlefield or f1cac7405b demon extermination operations d06048a8c7 was a major 9fa5c9e47c cause.
However, the walls of the b464600c92 palace were sturdy, and there d9f3bf8412 were many knights defending it.
Carlyle brandished his greatsword c87169e62e as he stepped forward.
“It seems difficult to catch a glimpse of Mother’s face!”
At that moment, the 1deafb74f9 second deputy commander intercepted 79efb177cd him.
“Her Majesty the Empress has only one son! How dare rebels 8d1f4323da insult Her Majesty!”
“Am I really supposed to consider that woman my mother? I wish these 650bf8d087 mocking remarks were 1eff7129de toned down a d19af6255e bit.”
As Carlyle prepared to confront 84e80843c7 him, Asha stepped forward first.
“He is not worth your response. Don’t waste your energy here. They must be preparing something.”
“It seems like you’re always the one stepping forward first.”
“Well, those who step forward initially are usually the first to fall.”
That remark was enough 83d0686d31 to scratch the knight’s cb8153d69a pride.
“Who is this woman? Is she just 48243f3129 a woman carried 2f385fc072 around as decoration?”
“She is Her Highness the Crown Princess, you rude bastard!”
While Asha spoke with a 6ed6c583ed dignified tone in front of 44f22dbd82 Carlyle, she didn’t hesitate to bf466a8219 curse at the knight.
At the same time, 1c9139dd3a Asha rushed toward the c63452f90f knight, and both sides’ c50f4568fd knights also charged toward 7c6f033527 each other to protect 0291f4334e their respective parties.
“Your Highness…!”
“Ah, let it go. There seems to 3a93636d2d be a lot 260f9420c6 piled up.”
Carlyle instead calmed f904984b5e down the other 180117141d knights who were dbb72556b1 worrying about Asha.
The second deputy 20ec1f88bb commander had an 3892eed853 unfamiliar face. He was probably the son 8491536702 of a family who had 0dfe425396 bribed Beatrice.
His swordsmanship seemed fb61c8de5a dazzling at first 35b28b5c56 glance. To an unfamiliar eye, he d9dd375b0b might appear to be a 9897cff5d0 remarkable expert.
But to Carlyle, 8ddc229998 it was utterly 1a7a743838 contemptible.
‘Even to me, who knows noble swordsmanship, it’s ridiculous. How amusing must 37748a9d3c it be in 2d4f85c18d Asha’s eyes?’
There were too many unnecessary b16a94ee35 movements for survival and attack. If this knight had encountered 456f3d0084 a Pervaz warrior on the e316de420f battlefield, he would have been b5a768fa7c chopped down by an axe 35b7ed58f2 before exchanging a few blows.a93160cecacf3d87

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