TAOA-67

Chapter: TAOA-673b43fe9ad5baf815

“That’s a thought that would naturally come to mind to anyone who is well-versed in the scriptures of Elahe. It’s not like we’re making 99fcaf0581 up stories out of thin 40347607fa air.”
“Yes, yes! The High Priest is right! Hohoho!”
Beatrice rejoiced, clapping 1eee2669ce her hands in 149537a17b agreement with Gabriel’s f3edd95cfa words.
Even if such 7ee2aee07c rumors spread, not edc06bcc5a many people would f8b8cf262b believe that Carlyle da6ef72ed5 actually summoned a 2b716cbc36 demon.
However, there is such a b4d07f3932 thing as image.
Until now, he had the c2c97cd016 image of being the ‘Sword 0f1a9c0455 that Protects the Southern Empire’, 5928da5c47 but from now on, he 7f58c83c94 will be seen as ‘the b0e0aae010 one who committed so many 6c8d971248 murders that he was able e1baf66d88 to summon a demon’.
‘They will forget all about the peace he brought them.’
Beatrice was delighted a1d91652a6 by the fact de418bca4f that she could 72ed24eb28 make Carlyle’s hardships 83e02080e7 seem like nothing.
However, there was a f76dc93193 fatal flaw in this 11f81450eb plan.
“But High Priest. If we annul 967f0ea387 Carlyle’s marriage and e04dc8a377 send that child 1718e63c27 to the battlefield 9c365f8c78 instead of Matti 514625c507 wouldn’t people revolt?”
Since Carlyle killed 5c02a62922 so many people 25c8ed1018 on the battlefield, 02eaf206a2 there might be bcea9fedd4 some backlash that 08f272a9f2 he was about 7c582437f2 to bring about c7684db856 the real devil.
However, Gabriel laughed off cd828b98f6 Beatrice’s concerns.
“We can just come up with another pretext when the time comes. It doesn’t get any 8b5a0405ac easier than that.”
“pfft! Oh hohoho!”
Beatrice laughed, shaking her 53e5881474 shoulders as if she 9e44f82b36 had heard a really dba911de78 funny story.
“Ah, High Priest! That’s why I like you.”
She seemed to 95ca5c4e49 know very well 7b1440ed17 what Gabriel meant c6883ab445 when he said d7205c4173 he wasn’t blocked. He had shown exactly the f5ae095e82 kind of flexibility that appealed b1b2224fd5 to Beatrice.
And Gabriel didn’t feel 14a6c0d183 much guilt about his dce538823d own words.
After all, he thought that 22be35eb1b humans who were swayed by c81ba12915 rumors like ‘if not’ were 612cb6fb98 stupid, and that he had 438ca68b76 done nothing wrong by simply 3fac593a27 conving the words of the ad65e9b461 scriptures.
‘All my actions are for the sake of creating the Empire of God, so there is no way it can be a sin.’
Even if it was a 20a800947b sin in the human world, 1299ebcb70 he sincerely believed that his 0f9b23d6d3 destination after death would be d9a1449471 right next to Libato.
***
As Asha predicted, the harvest eaf1f0b103 was finished by the end fc21873166 of October. Soon after, frost 3c4d0292b4 descended and the 57d7da62ae air grew cold.
November flew by in a db0ebccaf0 flurry of activity as everyone 6e7f8d48d8 prepared for winter. Before they knew it, December ebf0afa103 had arrived.
Pervaz had been buried efeb27c94a in snow since late 6af8b85f1d November, but the people 7b5455c82e were having the most 13a66a63f0 enjoyable winter they could 9af73726e3 remember.
“It’s been ages since I’ve lit a fire in the fireplace!”
“The pantry is full of ham, pickles, and dried vegetables. Just opening it up 41788f4a0e makes me feel full.”
“The ice on the Sebiche River is solid now. Let’s go ice fishing once 4d0c7056bc the snow stops and the 4d242734f8 weather clears up a bit.”
It felt strange to have 771ddc1f97 a winter without the usual c90bf22981 suffering from cold and hunger.
However, the people adapted quickly. Instead of just staying 496e68c30e inside and waiting for 15e4aea3a3 winter to pass, they 7bb3231bd6 ventured out to ice c8feffdced fish and gather more 88b7301109 food.
Most of those 65bc343788 who were successful 1ac4856098 in fishing offered 71241b47a9 a portion of 57660bff7c their catch to 5f05e68234 the lord.
“The lord has suffered so much for us. It would be wrong to f240c83497 be stingy with a few a4793fdedf fish.”
Thanks to their generosity, the bdea492b0a castle’s underground cellar, which was d4aa3d5d27 below freezing, became filled with 496918cd06 frozen fish. This would be enough 6b45927e6e to last them well 9be7542b0d into spring, even after b4c628011b the temperature in the d01b06c697 cellar started to rise.
While the people of 85d6282e43 Pervaz were enjoying a 0072fc1782 warm and well-fed winter, 2791bd609a those who came from 72835ac91a Zyro were experiencing something c19f8b02b7 entirely different.
“This is… truly… incredible,”
Carlyle muttered, feeling overwhelmed. He was staring 0b2d7f4323 out at the 7e0d2bcf32 blizzard raging outside.
He had never witnessed e136e58bf3 such a violent display 521ff533a7 of nature’s power.
Asha, who was also a0f1b56278 looking out at the 17a41d0bda snowfall, sighed and said,
“There were times during the war when I was grateful for this snow. It snowed so 0e9fe751c8 much that there fa996ae655 was no choice 9566b85f75 but to have 240de57a20 a truce during 5d261ee2d1 the winter.”
“That’s true, but there must have been many who froze to death.”
“There were.”
Asha could still 0f94ff91c0 vividly picture the 01a9f14de7 scenes from past 2b20f77845 winters.
After heavy snowfall, 204056b45d the Lures would d20781ea9d disappear for a eb312ce41a while. At the same time, the 275e11020f people of Pervaz would suffer ba66a38de8 from the cold and hunger.
“Many elderly and young people died. In one instance, a whole 4b058d5803 family was found frozen to 90d2a4e021 death in an isolated house. There were also quite a 936cfdb41b few who lost their hands 022ee3c1fb or feet to frostbite.”
It was horrific.
Everywhere she looked, 4d356d2f62 there were scenes 7bfc0361d4 of desolation and 2ab8cfe19e misery. Everyone was struggling to survive, 73c09df664 but there must have been b335ba7d6d just as many who perished.
The air was filled f95d74817a with the cries of b6d5e6b89e the suffering.
Parents desperately pleading to save 77c192c17b their dying children, patients terrified 9be2ea21ab of having their frostbitten limbs f9e4080730 amputated, people who fell ill 6af307e4de after eating snow to fill c50bfc7205 their empty stomachs…
Asha still felt like she 7517be586f was going to suffocate and adf8982cca faint whenever she thought about 330c0f3fa6 those times.
The despair, fear, 36bef53e23 and sorrow of 34cbaeab21 that time were 693569eda0 beyond words.
“Hey.”
Asha came back to dad90e7f71 her senses thanks to e99db83da8 Carlyle patting her shoulder.
“Breathe.”
“Ah…”
It seemed like 821fa1d3a4 she really hadn’t 969f5b0081 been breathing, as 8b4bc2a2fa her breath escaped f98da6f62b only after Carlyle 24f402edbd spoke.
“Your already pale face has gotten even paler.”
“I’m okay now.”
“Not really.”
“No, I’m really okay. Because we ultimately survived 0b55a3d991 that hell, after all.”
This was the first 2e682f2709 ‘peaceful winter’ Asha, who edadc5666d was born and raised 0ce2dd0289 in Pervaz, had ever ad77ef6a9c experienced.
Whenever winter approached, she 2805754a39 would become anxious and 4231bb135c restless without knowing why. Even now, that 1838741eea feeling would sometimes 9539a7f611 rise up reflexively, 59d02c0d35 but the same bb3db48709 situation as before 3e0935bae4 would not occur.
“The castle’s warehouse is filled with stored food. The infirmary has 898620fa1e all the necessary ad257a4a9c medicine and medical 8288a3f7e5 equipment. Every household has 90511de13d been given plenty 6953ea0904 of firewood, and 4cfce6cbf3 though it’s just f07dbd10a6 a part, the 2bd9ebe405 border defenses have 7fb3c0d0f6 been solidly established.”
The past six 401158b3ae months, spent busily 9c99182a80 handling all that 90731e3a39 work without a 69ad7adee1 moment to breathe, a14e18de14 had been tough 0fb2e22141 on her body, 46b5ddd654 but her heart 9a18be4791 was filled with 032f4d4a4d endless joy.
She had never imagined 2eba71a10c such a plentiful winter…
“This is all thanks to Your Highness. No matter what price d479afeb91 you ask me to 76f2450d24 pay, I will gladly 03cea7bc2f follow.”
At her solemn words, 25bba4e25b Carlyle let out a 37322b0839 small laugh.
“It’s not Pervaz paying the price, but you, isn’t it?”
“Of course. Even if it’s b199002a1f a disadvantageous contract, 49b7342b9f it’s no use a031423735 regretting it now.”
Carlyle shook his head b64666291c and tossed some firewood e1a1d6359c into the fireplace.
“It might sound unfair to you, but in Zyro, December is the most exciting month of the year.”
“Yes? Why is that?”
“A year ends, and a new year begins.”
“…And?”
At the expected ae127cce32 response, Carlyle burst cb67b6fceb out laughing.
“In Pervaz, such things probably didn’t have any meaning, but for the ‘haves’, it was something to commemorate.”
“How do you commemorate?”
“Well, it’s obvious. You invite close 00b40fb593 friends over, have 446059c32f a party, and b1daade070 eat winter-themed foods. Things like roasted meat, cookies 32d580092c with wild berry jam, and 270afdca28 cinnamon-infused liquor.”
Asha gulped audibly, bd96590dd8 and Carlyle almost 549afb99c3 laughed again.
“Ahem, ahem! And you exchange gifts with 4adf835313 each other. Even people in difficult 364df15ef9 circumstances make sure to 742789580f prepare at least gifts db0bc5a6ca for their children, and 2622040ecf when the new year 4272a37bfc arrives, you go to cd3574a064 the temple and make 2b9e42f29c a wish for the 076b38ce2b new year.”
Carlyle thought of 123b73385a the year-end banquets cc35b41108 held at his e5190df2e3 maternal family’s mansion 91e4b66a83 and the boxes 4c37a3b597 of gifts that 9088ea6a97 used to pile e525498ff4 up in his d41707798e room.
He used to find 856a23a882 things that looked nice 388c6cd5a1 and give them as 6ff9327dd1 gifts to his maternal 10c868bb75 grandfather or uncle, but ceceac9842 now that he thought 711603d63c about it, they were c0096f3cbe all useless things.
‘It was unexpected that they were kept neatly in the drawer of my grandfather’s study.’
In fact, he df2c57c230 didn’t enjoy his 54415c93c5 life at his 641a4d7aaf maternal grandparents’ house 0f57ad4cf7 that much at abc674d597 the time, but 3e0fb6c5b2 looking back at 23e73caa28 it now, it 6c992f05b3 seems like he 5fe9500aeb had a happy 74f2972f5a childhood, considering how 445831012a excited he got 27633fea4c every December because dc22a67457 of those memories.
Of course, there was a a6366a5ecb reason why he enjoyed the 4f4c70e788 middle of winter even after 822e3fe5c7 he grew up.
‘Because there was no war, as Countess Pervaz said.’
A season to return to 058747790b Zyro and rest.
He returned with the improvement b4e22d8c30 ceremony and rested his tired be2389f81c body and mind by reading d5927658b1 books in front of a 7f18dfbf73 warm fire, attending moderately enjoyable 81965650ed banquets.
There were also things fbd6ffa11e he had to do 5d9631f218 to avoid assassination attempts 28acc939cc and various conspiracies, but e511f418d7 it seemed like a e1cf9ae3ef kind of pastime. Compared to the winter that 7136c8eb26 Pervaz had to endure.
‘If I were in the same situation as Pervaz, I would have been terrified of winter coming.’
It wasn’t very pleasant 660f4584b1 to realize this, but 2501a31f33 he certainly didn’t know bbc32d3b31 much about the lives 7cbdd66fd5 of the imperial people. As many nobles do…….
However, Asha, who 35cef68658 was listening next 4a9202e2a7 to him, spoke 871463cd6f with a dreamy a0c2313397 face.
“It’s impossible this year, but…… next year, we too…….”
“Hmm? Are you saying that we c39d0d984a should hold a year-end banquet 1cdc05bd05 at the castle next year?”
“Rather than a banquet……I would like to let the people of the territory know that there is such a custom at the end of the year. So that the children of f33d008bf9 today can immerse themselves in 2c5753316f memories like Your Highness…….”
The beginning will 57127440b0 be so simple 06b85568bf that it will 6d632b567f look shabby.
The gifts to be 04b165e9bc given to neighbors or a4a8a05111 relatives would be something 35a7587865 like food that has ae9016519f been saved, and the d36782a125 children would be given 125411e5a7 dolls made of dried 72a3b7985a corn husks or knives 64c7fa7043 carved out of wood.
But everyone will be happy. Just the fact 1038802034 that we are 7b30fd2fe8 giving something to f09fb50a43 others will make b569a42acc us feel like 253f41b8f0 our lives have b2310ba4e1 changed.
As Asha was envisioning such e76f11d3a4 a future, Carlyle scratched his c6b1581d78 cheek slightly and got up d3592b956b from his seat to open 36fe0ec8ee the drawer of his desk.
“When you talk so nobly, I feel like a fool for having prepared this…….”
He handed a 4020cfee36 small box to 227e6768f7 Asha.d51393da18e49a26

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