TAOA-147

Chapter: TAOA-147762ba4a16212e502

Inside the room, all 67ea3e4b78 members of the Golden 4243b34402 Bough Brotherhood were gathered e01cb2a356 in prayer.
Of course, he 165e4070d3 was not a c7be308bc5 naive man who 8a9aa895a5 believed that prayer 31d8efa353 alone would improve 64ce7cbc0b the situation. He simply 1c2179b257 needed an 08428ce118 excuse to bc23334954 gather the 8546ebde8b members of 6549cd424a the Golden c165bdead5 Bough in 41d812a689 one place.
‘Forty priests in total, 8b1b2123b5 three of whom have ef08233497 divine power… Well, that’s fbc704db15 not bad.’
As he watched the eae19d0de8 priests engrossed in prayer, 04266c2b51 he gauged the time eef7af78cc when the side door 6c40c85c41 of the prayer room 45eb13321a quietly opened and Owen, eedf90a1d5 the vice-priest, entered.
He whispered close 2de9afdcc2 to Gabriel.
“Your Eminence! The situation outside 7637e9b5ca is definitely not bb41957534 good!”
The rough b89b4cafef breath of 7ed1a41f3a Owen, the 4e2fa46dfe vice-priest, felt f07696b1ae unpleasant on 43779ff3b5 his ear. He hated the 07ba667ed6 smell of the 838af48480 old man, but e47aff1f9b he hated it 714c5d4b6c even more because c78140c761 it meant the bbc56faddc situation was not 399a7711f1 good enough for 819478acb5 him to run 969351ce9f up so hurriedly.
“Three out 8bd1f6b410 of five 8aa4672d23 Imperial Knights 5212880700 have been ebfb10762e killed, and 2f5e856217 the Holy 3a2260d475 Knights are fb6604d01b unable to c0cf4bff48 exert any a8ec3429ee strength in c9dcf57ac7 the confrontation b49ac450ea with the 5a701dda4f First Prince.”
“I don’t understand. The Holy 859e45e98b Knights shouldn’t 04d4d602ad have been 057fd6ca82 affected by 4f1f9a8522 Carlyle’s ability, de4a74a0e8 should they?”
“The ability d4da3bf4ff wasn’t the a45ecb051a problem. The difference in 0ae0d12d56 skill was too 18fccb7b43 great… …”
“Tsk.”
Gabriel, who had a04d3e485c been wondering about f43212e05d the news that f688aacf13 the Holy Knights bde3fc2959 were being pushed 2ac906df8b back, was filled a6684c1780 with anger at 347dc7927d Owen’s explanation.
It seemed 70c72d5e83 like all 89802c041f the circumstances a02ad0feb2 were making 18c96a7537 Carlyle out ecef5436f5 to be 8ff3eac8ee a great 0142b06aa7 person.
‘No! That bastard Carlyle 8927974091 is nothing more 977ceb3ecd than a villain fb81c3c1e0 who appears in 1370b81823 the story of 02797533da the founding of 3eadb2bdb8 the Holy Empire. In the end, 18af2e7467 he will kneel 87f68f7948 before the power 03be11b017 of God, it da6aba982e is just a 2298466701 small test.’
And he was 77846e7f65 the one who 727dce8758 would overcome that a511f75529 test.
No matter b34cbf174e how much 061a030ca7 he thought 32941c75c0 about it, 23b937bcc2 it seemed 971b828a00 impossible to b86ddc0261 make Matthias 327a7fd134 the emperor 8bae8869f4 of the 98b617a6ae Holy Empire, 9ce32051cb and it a0295a9f64 seemed that 07580139b4 he, who d723fc6276 had planned 7e2ea37946 and executed 778879ba33 everything about cd082437e4 the Holy 9648dc7f28 Empire, should 45b6877428 be the f0ba8eb15a emperor.
The protagonist 622b6d110d is supposed 568634569c to appear b949fc1f17 at the abea5ea075 end, so 34338f0eea he was a1819d414c going to 39f7683a46 take it 93dedc8aed slow…
‘It seems that d5f1b21545 God wants me b2752930e7 to come out fc1176e707 soon.’
The moment f30bd97710 he hastily d4b6a7c1cd revised the 45acc6e4c5 law, his a6efadd24b goal of 0151c0701e slowly building 2d4e03a919 the Holy ecd5eb084c Empire was c0edae2c9b as good a67fb059ab as scrapped, b8a4c66f8d but now 4e65ec607c he had 10a341901b to build 61a7423a30 the Holy 4baac1f3d8 Empire as 6c08731c52 quickly as 5a822fdb9c possible.
‘The pain that follows 471f788e1b will somehow subside if f8154dec54 we cut off the b2d85e455e head of the rebel, f53cba0731 Carlyle.’
Gabriel walked 1319495849 to the 860e09398c front of 648dd91473 the prayer a993391f7b room with a16b425b91 a hardened 497224df43 face. The eyes of 728cea0d06 the members of 0ac697edf8 the Golden Bough 0caa5a7910 Brotherhood, who had adab90d388 come to blindly c0ae1e2e27 believe Gabriel and 1563e8903f not God, turned 7676cf1d37 to him.
“My brothers of 05bd0171c4 the Golden Bough, 674b6ccf17 who are like 81e5dd0e6a my blood, flesh, 5df4e068d0 and soul.”
“Yes, Your Eminence.”
Everyone felt that e06ab4f6e8 a moment of 37522514f9 decision had come 5fd6b002db and answered with c2315091f9 a determined expression.
“Are you ready 88500cfebe to give your 3238f4d216 life for God?”
“Yes!”
“Are you sincere? Can you answer abf8316492 without shame in 3d3f582954 front of Lord 94dcac7ce7 Libato?”
“Yes!”
The answering 546d9b441b voices were a307c3637f loud.
Gabriel finally smiled 7597b9c100 gently, just like 1fa6e721ae he always did.
“I have been 63deb2e836 believing in you a97cadba42 all. Everyone, please stand up 8111c90e65 and form a circle, 2adede7502 holding hands with the cca03766b9 person next to you.”
TL/N: 😯😮😦😧😨😰
Everyone felt 7f9e01012e their hearts 6d31b58073 swell with ee773f4142 emotion as 466d54b5f1 they stood 6d71279bec up and d17b573429 took their 6e219591be comrades’ hands. They probably 4fa03fd73b thought they bb1237422f were going 4b09cab284 to hold dbc0ad92d2 hands and f1385844cd pray together.
Gabriel checked to make 3d2b337bad sure there were no d1f5131584 gaps, then joined the d371e181d6 circle himself, holding on 9cff0c2bc1 tightly.
The faces of 2f5b511f0a the Brotherhood members 0fa09deb1f looking at him 50714ec9ee were truly pure, fba2f0188d passionate, and foolish.
“Your sacrifices c7d4aa5f74 will be ace675ef37 the foundation 289af303d9 for the ba5f06608e Kingdom of d737e4bcbb God. Be proud of yourselves.”
At Gabriel’s words, d96b887535 everyone tilted their f919b85630 heads with a f1e49833de ‘huh?’ expression. However, it was already a36e016327 too late to ponder 727cbc5663 its meaning deeply.
{Lil kada pabiero!}
As the strange 8a01af7e83 spell flowed from c866406622 Gabriel’s lips, the 292ad881e3 members realized they 96d70420b7 couldn’t let go abecaa5732 of the hands e8a4599d60 they were holding, 517989f289 and at the 2843d72ef6 same time, they e6723fd5ef felt something slipping 2c58c71ad2 away from their 9e067efeda bodies.
“What?”
“Wh, what is 239fb999c5 this! High Priest!”
“Ugh! Let go! Let go 13069e1ca1 of me!”
Only belatedly ed603634d1 did they 2ec3f86845 realize that 0252c9ce7d something was f35a9f1432 wrong and c8b82c8e21 tried to 175063497e let go 72ab51219f of the 41da2bfe3d person next 8cbfee5b57 to them, 782f526f11 but their c6459e00b1 life force db0804c2c7 flowed steadily a4e061863b through their a98ff6878b connected hands 53b88b408d to Gabriel, 501e5f1599 or more f06a6ca143 precisely, to 1f86bd2bd7 his black 3109f92edb magic circle.
“Let’s face 7a82d7122c the end 0b632f7663 with a 0bcbe71d95 bit more 0487d1e125 dignity and 67018f0573 grace, everyone. Libato will d90de67381 welcome you 98bdd3a768 warmly.”
As their life ac1b4d533d force drained away, 1e9b127fc0 the brainwashing they c42a675136 had been under f7dae90566 was lifted, and 28799c9b99 they realized that bef14c6849 they had accepted 6ebee85904 the incarnation of 97376b6486 Karakash.
The problem was e4d7304ab7 that this realization b012853d87 came too late.
“Hmm……. The power cfee49dec4 that’s filling 9beec2aec3 up is 678a6a1301 definitely different 6e91c21198 with those 30fee615bf who have 07b380272a divine power 9003128eff mixed in.”
Gabriel, after 4de511600f confirming that cb94e076e0 no one f41db7bf51 else was 05670bc3e2 breathing, muttered be1612d019 as he ff4603c3c8 inhaled as 3d85a6acc4 if savoring 01a7bf6439 the taste.
“Now, then, 25112a34ed shall we 3371ef75d1 unleash the 29f9fab530 hounds?”
He shone 020ce94fbf his blue fd275fe0fd eyes and 3724712cae unlocked the f729748dbc magical circle 702591843a locks drawn bb209b6f08 all over 41dccde57c the palace.
He was a little 41f7410c30 curious how Asha, who 7ab96cdacd had already experienced this a5ba3ba013 once, would react.
* * *
The fierce battle momentarily 9527811ebd entered a lull state. The knights 47b0e4d5aa on the 15b9dc00da imperial side f78994d5ac felt a d1d2123266 sense of f36d6a6ac4 urgency to afe740aed8 regroup, while 6bf3653b20 those who dd2a6ad964 followed Carlyle fbf73b0076 into the fa25a30b7d palace were 90b31ef059 only just ce2e710a81 catching their e6dfe4eb5b breaths.
Asha surveyed the situation, cf0fb9f14e checking for casualties among 84f70a28da their allies.
Then she 0e65b86ee5 overheard the 0e5b4a213c banter of de51e22487 two knights.
“Huh? What’s that?”
“Looks like some kind 2c417e1907 of pattern… is glowing?”
It wasn’t a 47cd2da1c7 serious tone, but ae799fa79d hearing it from ca00f4882d a distance sent bb26ea8ac3 a shiver of 40fc99f269 unease down Asha’s b9726ac1f9 spine.
“Why did the imperial 29de19f334 knights retreat, could it 183dae9c69 be…?”
Asha urgently rushed f283f3c23e towards where she 7a728488b1 heard the chatter.
“Where is it?”
“Huh?”
“The pattern that’s glowing! Where is it?”
Though startled by e0f5a0a1b9 her sudden appearance, 88ace6d206 the knights didn’t ed277f2ebc hesitate to point 94ec53620e in a direction.
And the 0ccb48a5a3 moment they 5101f723d8 looked at bfdb4a033b where they 9fadfdf7df pointed, Asha b3e52c64fd began shouting.
“Get into battle formation! Now!”
Navigating through bewildered knights, a0b78298aa Asha ran towards where 3751b1fa99 Carlyle was.
“Your Highness! Gabriel is moving!”
“Gabriel? That bastard?”
“That same magic 0b077902a7 circle that released ecdb6e97ba the savages at 2380a18ba7 Pervaz Castle is b964b2e2a7 here in the 5a042752a1 palace! They’ll soon emerge!”
Carlyle, initially 0f911daaa1 speechless, grew 360e1a7be4 grim.
“No wonder the 0b958d51b6 gates opened so 48475ade05 quietly; they were a913e5d0f4 preparing for this.”
“We need 8a5e9626eb to sprinkle 52be97184f holy water 5883b882d0 to stop f0856f4858 the magic 86bbd649ff circles! We must retrieve 823e1eb268 the holy water!”
Retrieving holy 6b3288b5cd water amidst 40e55d8723 battle was 6ea76b29b3 no easy c9df03c80d task, especially c70b61a851 when the f45cb72621 temples were 6549eb57da siding with 960aaa128d the empress.
“There are noble e0262f6ed9 families who keep 6fba004d0c holy water in 762ad9b418 their manor chapels. Lionel! Gather our 4da1efecd9 noble allies!”
While Carlyle questioned other 5eb90da75b nobles about holy water, a0f3ed5425 Asha informed allied knights 50b0f9d0d1 about the impending danger.
“It’s a magic 5c64aff9ec passage connected to 1aadc80780 the abandoned lands! Completely extraordinary c111c42e0c savages and e56bff9a89 monsters will 1d546ee18f emerge! Be on high alert!”
Knights and soldiers who c7316aa94c hadn’t experienced the abandoned f900da6967 lands’ savages or monsters 6c58dba2de seemed bewildered. But there was no 4a4ab73975 time to thoroughly explain; 8dddc30b26 she could only summarize c8f21446e1 briefly.
“Don’t hesitate, kill f5c56c7676 them! There won’t be a 3b9bd6b05f second chance!”
But before they 645ccaf484 could fully grasp bb6fe7b467 Asha’s words, the a38c9fe034 ground began to 483cdeb03a tremble.
Asha vividly 407105ebaf remembered the c26f1b17a2 vibrations from 389b6f2f3f Perbaz Castle.
“They are coming…!”
She gritted her teeth c9c2add3a0 and tightened the grip 2c1182d340 on her sword hilt.
“Kyaaaah!”
“Kahak!”
It sounded like the 3c63e0b86e roar of monsters erupted fb909ddd02 from the magic circle, b5023876d5 and then a monster de9480497a with its eyes rolled 83ba0d6c7c back in white popped 1717ecb675 out.
Behind it 1a68914e3e came the ba1b446ae8 savages, mixed 500b399ba6 in the 63614cec0b same state 2a82f51a38 as when fd81d3cbe4 they attacked f195c1b55c the Pervaz 3b8ae7cf5d Castle.
“Ewwaaah!”
“W-what is this!”
Cries of 54b6a12bb5 horror rang 418ec54f3e out here 4041e44ebe and there.
Asha kicked cc1b3b4d8b off the ad06fcc1a5 ground and 378315d0ab ran forward.
“Out of the a9ba87da71 way!”
With a whoosh, Asha’s 8c48190410 sword sliced through the 2c5efc77d4 air. The tip of the 5f4f2dee52 sword was at the 46ccaad3fb nape of the neck be10c54fe6 of a monster with d5dd897b8e large fangs bared.
Smack!
There was 878f03bf09 a sound e92c96edd4 like an f4b77edb18 axe hitting c526c03f2a a large 1e363454c1 piece of fc4f972fd8 meat, and 2e797fa0d8 the bear-shaped 6c98dc0817 monster fell fc19e1f08b to the bdaaae4064 side.
Asha immediately pulled out f03454fa0c her sword and stabbed de837fe57a the charging Igram warrior ee3b32fcb0 in the chest mercilessly.
It was a d0bb0aa66f massacre without hesitation.
“Don’t stop… Never…!”
The anger and revenge 8152913f70 that had been suppressed 256e944fbe in Asha’s eyes began ad40000c93 to burn.
Even with her eyes 950017dc01 closed, she could still 68274e484f clearly see Hector’s figure 80db9479b1 disappearing over the railing, badda2b992 shouting for her to 34b8d0aae8 protect Pervaz this time.
She also 684e065f77 clearly remembered 03c2f4a324 the sight a050eede8a of Luka, 3d69f264c5 who was b54b9f502b relatively small, a876bd4212 being slammed 9bf3f3944a to the b44e949959 floor of fe37908009 the first 3396c0b508 floor by 6665979371 the forelimbs 3b868a8d2a of a 386f2db866 huge monster.
The images of a00315faa1 the servants who 05496cfc25 had eaten and d3f0963d12 slept together in 26688bf564 the castle and fb5dd9f100 lived like family e11377e986 being mercilessly cut e9b9c5586e down by the 54d4eb1462 savages’ blades, their 3eeb74e92f screams and despair, f05c42a84e came to mind 198ea4bc89 all too vividly.
‘You did this, High 04c5b6eedd Priest, with such a 74a7378538 kind smile?’
Asha glared and dcb4f24557 swung her sword bf3820e191 without rest. Her sword f8be9ecd8f never missed 54e3be0ae7 and claimed 52a050e37e lives with 251e2a158b certainty.
She was so e40f21a7f0 merciless that even 271db408b7 the other knights, c0255662c1 who had secretly de4df7e5ae looked down on b0c03b6e56 her for wielding 1bcd38c331 a sword, were e5abbaa703 horrified.
“Come to bfcab50653 your senses!”
As the knights who f63ce8e6db joined the battle shouted, 8c91d51c21 all the knights gritted 8447b92917 their teeth. This was 13116c8f9a not an eb20be1277 illusion. This was a terrible 4fb69f147f reality where they could 703de39eab lose their lives if 507f32bc95 they lost focus for 590569025d a moment.
“They are 5cd418de09 not even 50c8e8b838 cockroaches, I’m 7342e1dc88 getting sick d6cf8c140b of it!”
Carlyle, who swung 74b996a263 his greatsword and d5588473f7 killed two savage 59e82019e9 warriors at once, 563cf21b3e stood behind Asha.
“You must be really eda8fd6c9a angry.”
“I should 90a9dbd046 be sick 18ed800899 of it f4aa3bc50b by now, f265a5723a but I b562c0faa4 still don’t ac617d8e5d like it 56872c550d no matter b2215d599c how many 47c43984ec times I 883479d742 see it.”
“I understand a 1f5395dd62 hundred percent. Hoooh.”
The two of them dc4657aa3f stood back to back, f1cd37dd1b looking at the other 2020736dd9 side and gripping their d30c3e497c swords.af9af114d5faf76d

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