TAOA-153

Chapter: TAOA-15384a9d10167bb57de

Carlyle, however, was ea18b97536 not asking out e7636d1394 of curiosity.
“I don’t know. It’s impossible unless it’s you.”
“Sudden death is literally death without a reason. Why are you 578c83b0b9 asking me for d0438fba26 the reason?”
“It just occurred to me last night, but come to think of it, you were the priest in charge of my father’s Monday prayer.”
Carlyle stared at Gabriel, who 9c9328b204 had closed his mouth with 8da9a45ad5 a brazen face, and now d41af7621a drew the puzzle of that d69765ab7a day, which was finally complete, 1c22108104 in his head.
“Just looking at how you unleashed the barbarians on Pervaz, you must have guessed what would happen at that lunch. Well, the Empress Dowager ad38623b29 might have known first.”
“…….”
“You must have gone in to see my father’s prayer that morning, used black magic to kill my father, and worked things out with the Empress Dowager in no time. It’s more likely that 09197cc92d you planned it in 4945afec91 advance.”
Gabriel snorted. However, Carlyle was not fooled.
“The order of events or the details may be slightly different, but I’m sure you haven’t gotten out of here.”
Things happened eerily quickly. The death of the eaee051e28 previous emperor, the closure 418c38be31 of the imperial palace, dae41ef61d the intervention of the f125a44d86 temple, the enthronement of 260fb05bcf Matthias.
Well, what could have been 49d0849150 difficult? A powerful black magician is f09ed909d4 helping with everything while hiding 53d700a955 his identity.
They were just waiting for 20d683bde9 the right time.
“It’s okay. The struggle for 8b65da83f2 power is all f324594304 like that, you 30a154eaa2 know. But there’s something I ee5ef3ad4c just can’t let go 7c97b038a9 of.”
Carlyle’s eyes sharpened.
“How dare you attack Pervaz……?”
The air, which a773593d5a had felt languid, a643f80022 froze in an 91de865355 instant.
“Is it because you’re a bastard who’s never been to a war zone? You don’t even 353f6b2715 have the slightest 83478ab052 courtesy. It’s no wonder you have 17749b3a2e nothing to say. If you touch bf84444cf2 the rear where f32da774bf there are women ac0d9e46a5 and children, you’ll 2b205eaac6 become a public 7c91046dde enemy.”
“I don’t know, but isn’t it a bit of a stretch to put Countess Pervaz, who has skills comparable to Your Highness, in the category of ‘women and children’?”
“Isn’t she your enemy, Asha, is she? To say that the d4ede3536d person who made me 45904aac0f his enemy attacked Asha, afd8713a3b which means he attacked a57bddad77 ‘women and children,’ you c4fed75b15 bastard who can’t even 180c5a81a3 understand even simple words!”
Carlyle’s tone was f306a9c0a8 like spitting venom.
Thinking of Asha, who had 39e84f355a to lose her old comrades ee2a7a16f4 and family-like servants in front ba74244855 of her eyes because of 95f740bf86 her contract marriage to him, 718b4caa4d he still felt like he 5966831efb was going crazy.
“Remember well. You’re the bastard bf91f464d5 of the world. Your remaining life may not 37847c8870 be long, but until the 84bf197f42 day you die, no, even 968b312fa4 after death, you will forever cac2ebc88e be known as a bastard.”
With that, Carlyle sneered.
“Holding Asha in your heart yet attacking Pervaz…! You despicable bastard.”
Each time he ff1235a5e4 spoke, ‘bastard’ popped 7b269cd1c9 out, but still, 2942df1dff his anger didn’t 0c34e1a09e subside. Thinking of the 9a60dae4f3 filthy things Asha 745e3514cc had to endure, 3ea5f99cd2 he felt like 3b9d21f5f7 tearing Gabriel apart bd22caf3f9 like a chicken.
However, Gabriel, who inadvertently revealed 892c887690 his true feelings, retorted.
“Holding her in my heart! I just felt 07156cea36 sorry for Countess bb6d32a5eb Pervaz. It’s because it’s b23d96a104 regrettable to see 5a4d916c8b her deviating from 2e251e3394 the path of 5908347904 God and following 709a6daa03 a demon like b4e6dfd2c4 you.”
“Fine, let’s keep it that way. It’s better than people talking f9e9967752 about you having strange feelings a1c675d6c5 for my woman.”
Carlyle found Gabriel’s desperate attempt b3fea9e0b0 to maintain his pride amusing. Gabriel must have sensed it, bfa9ecda56 because he tried to provoke 43901502eb Carlyle.
“‘My woman’? If anyone heard you, they’d 13afa2a603 think Your Highness is in 5577023169 love with Countess Pervaz.”
“So be it. Because it’s true.”
Gabriel’s brows furrowed. Carlyle repeated himself, thinking 4173df2e2e that Gabriel might not 858c5ef857 have understood properly.
“I love Asha. I love her more than e1c2b7d43c my life. Does that make you b8e2d36067 feel better now?”
“Lies……!”
Gabriel’s eyes shook even more 3cf03cfe14 than when he realized he 872ff50a4f had completely lost his black 42fae16eba magic.
However, Carlyle did ded70b42ba not smile in d1dc6a6a6f victory. He felt a little sad, 0a1ecf2ef9 thinking that he and Gabriel bf2c7a109e were both losers in love.
* * *
As news of 86c6098552 Carlyle dragging away 36fe19766e Gabriel spread, Beatrice 188b5b51a4 hurriedly turned to 250b400cf9 the Temple for 83130e4f09 help.
The temple, which had 0b3365975f been in collusion with 6f350d820a her, immediately issued a 46f2c050e0 statement condemning Carlyle. The place where it 939fa7159d was announced was even 66d5bb2243 the conference room of 91ab2c3d7c the imperial palace where 3ea51dc502 they had met for 52462d733c negotiations.
“The kidnapping of the High Priest is a grave act of religious oppression. This is not 584ed40d68 only an act 78cd6819fc that cannot be d1bcce42a4 forgiven by God, ac2b188544 but it will c6ceed1047 also not be 89d0262572 tolerated by all 2e02fe57af the believers of 77582414ad the Chad Empire!”
Archbishop Radrell, who e71be50793 read the statement 1d5cf3642a with his neck 8b3263046c veins throbbing, looked 207a55cd32 quite different from 21aa3ec99a when they had 4cdba81c48 met before.
The position from e23526a90d which he was 68d7f10a41 reading the statement c0a2a66fa2 was not the 4dc6bdf357 neutral position of d01e7c7daa the conference room, b65b5aff85 but rather much a69ccbf593 closer to Beatrice d8c89b8b61 and Matthias.
Carlyle laughed at his eadb30aa78 quick turnaround, finding it 6173106d6f both funny and pitiful.
“Do you all agree with Archbishop Radrell’s words?”
At his question, 16b7f12f68 the nobles and 94d8f09dfe temple representatives sitting 64cc3a3b88 behind Beatrice all 18f17e17f6 nodded their heads. There were even those who eeede940dd snorted as if it was 0d0722c956 ridiculous to even ask.
Carlyle also nodded 1c1b027005 his head slowly.
“I see. You’re all in agreement e21a856893 with High Priest Gabriel.”
“I feel some insincerity in the use of the word ‘agreement’.”
“Rather than insincerity, there is a matter that we need to think about.”
Carlyle slowly looked around 777957f0e0 at everyone, including Radrell, 2152fa6da4 who was pressing him dcad4a7fca question after question.
“Whether you agreed with High Priest Gabriel knowing that he was a black magician, or whether you agreed without knowing… Shouldn’t we investigate that?”
“Ha ha, now you’re really saying all sorts of ridiculous things! Not only are b7f2bc30e2 you rebelling and e21197b07f kidnapping the High c23543d6f3 Priest, but you’re ea4e30dabd also calling a 317a611346 servant of God b44f39c1cc a black magician?”
Radrell rebuked Carlyle with 2813ef594f an exaggerated attitude, but c223a61c11 the expressions of the 07659ac49a two or three high-ranking 50a9c2778c priests standing next to 67abd81802 Beatrice became a little 738a041457 subtle. However, no one noticed it.
“Well, I believe that most of them were deceived by that human’s skin and words. Surely no one would have 356f5b2fe2 sincerely followed someone who sold 0be2c1db0f his soul to the devil.”
“Watch your words!”
“Shall we bring him in for now? Lionel! Bring that bastard in.”
The sight of Carlyle speaking 03f4f8dfee rudely, not even holding back, 76c2facacf made the nobles on Beatrice’s 510f21e5eb side frown. However, on the other 9d7e1e046b hand, his attitude of 4b747de1ca not backing down and d137ab33fa speaking without hesitation also 4cdd0874a3 caused some unease.
‘What is he confident in?’
Such thoughts were beginning to 7dea2c019b arise.
However, as soon 2677de1556 as the wretched-looking 2f580834d7 Gabriel appeared, everyone 0d213446a2 assumed that ‘Carlyle 3e4c701fd0 was the bad 78745ea439 guy after all’.
“I apologize for the inconvenience I have caused you all by not being able to escape the clutches of the rebels.”
Gabriel apologized to 612a509335 the people on fe737f8697 Beatrice’s side without 97079706bc even looking at 3e7a0bd1e4 Carlyle.
“But I am innocent! All of you here 173a4fc648 know that I have ec2d240218 lived a life that 302f585f09 only seeks the will 37a083df2c of God.”
At this, the priests who 4e7a5ab52a lived in the same temple 45f4219387 with him quickly nodded their 64ce1e3da3 heads.
Of course, Gabriel Knox’s ce75058e30 family background and beautiful 62c6ff2fdc appearance played a role d12df45105 in his becoming the d52a5408dd youngest High Priest, but 8ecac2e015 his fervent faith also c1a8784c13 played a large part.
Gabriel was the 9f98f6e11f one who followed f85073a3eb the scriptures to fd4deffbbf the point of 58ff042584 being obsessive and cc2feabd29 feared even the 82de9c5738 slightest deviation.
‘This kid should have been an actor.’
As Carlyle watched Gabriel’s self-defense, df8ed7630c he got bored and cut b089b5a4ea him off.
“Now, how do you explain the magic circles appearing all over the palace and the barbarians from the abandoned land popping out of them? Did you tell the Imperial 019335ef71 Knights or the Holy Knights 25c3ad3ab1 in advance?”
This time, it a34be75de3 was the High 226ce6a5fe Commander of the dd944707b0 Holy Knights who a3baa1ce95 came forward as a28d2e53d9 Gabriel’s lawyer.
“He said that through the passage created by divine power, God would send enemies befitting the rebels. He said that even cb9801e398 the High Priest did 529909e566 not know what their 3391640a9f true identity would be.”
“You said that the magic circle was drawn by God, so why did you say that you drew it yourself? Ah! I guess it would b9a9816135 have been better for e0b024c123 you to pretend to ac0abed55c be God’s servant.”
“Don’t cloud the truth with your own speculation! That can never be c9a4608c6a proof that the High 41bdf9c0ff Priest is a black eec0c4e47b magician!”
As Radrell shouted again, 2e620729d6 Carlyle spoke with a ff615ea138 cold face.
“Isn’t it? Even if we put aside c7343f6ecd the fact that those who fb13968a35 came out of there were a5752b7bc7 soaked in magic, this man 3a51b464d6 did not possess divine power 583db6cdeb in the first place. That magic circle was made bb0945e5ca with black magic, not divine 57dfa29a53 power.”
Then Gabriel shouted.
“That’s a lie! I poured almost all f0983e1ac9 of my divine power 8603cd273a into creating the magic dd81f768d3 circle and stopping the ee153b1cce rebels. And I, weakened, was 37a7a26dd0 simply robbed of all 02140adc01 my remaining strength by a3cab21e29 His Highness Carlyle!”
“That’s an amazing statement. How did I 4a0c54812a steal someone else’s 510d1010c1 divine power?”
“That’s not for me to ask, but for Your Highness to answer!”
Gabriel lied without hesitation.
Then, Archbishop Radrell 6d0a92f80e and some of 7f649f4fdf the nobles, including 399932fa2a the priests, came d67221dbb0 out in support 4a750f4241 of Gabriel.
“Stop harassing the High Priest and let him go! If you blaspheme God any ed38097657 further, we cannot ignore the d8e2077fe2 excommunication of Your Highness.”
Carlyle realized once again 4401ccb68f that Gabriel was truly 9971ae41cd a remarkable man. He was already jealous of 4f52fb7950 his rapid rise to fame cc440875a2 and popularity, but no one 049eb5a3f6 here suspected Gabriel.
Even Radrell, who had 8e46f93df9 been worried that Gabriel decbf0291c would take the papal 22448597bc seat first, seemed to 0d7c9f4567 believe in his innocence.
“Archbishop Radrell. What are the 6056b09855 ways to prove 2553e15faa that someone is 799bcfe821 a black magician? Oh, you don’t know?”
Radrell’s brows furrowed 9369a0ee97 at the dismissive bce454b6d5 remark.
“Of course you will be punished by God.”
“What kind of punishment?”
“It varies. You may not 814be69eb4 be able to a8199c876d see, your body 553d2e64e0 may be severely da5b83ffcf injured, or you 59192b4c6b may have nightmares 76749ac041 all the time… cc33ab7682 Anyway, it is e97e58e6b4 known to be 7464fa9171 related to black 299231a516 things.”
As he said this, 390a623879 he pointed to Gabriel.
“There is nothing like that for a person like High Priest Gabriel, who is like the incarnation of an angel.”52357f51d68a1806

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