TAOA-69

Chapter: TAOA-69faef4b0f7b9548d4

“I suppose I should visit Zyro at least once. I need to get a cb392400b7 feel for the social circles 3b52eb93bc there, and also properly check d23dde21e1 out that Gabriel guy’s face…….”
Carlyle decided that 90e8da183a he needed to 750657bac3 get a better 4c9bc66815 understanding of Gabriel, 7cd2aeb6a0 who seemed to 822aea5b09 be behind the 99839e5414 Empress.
“In any case, today we are once again indebted to the Dupret family’s messenger.”
“It is my family’s honor to serve Your Highness, and it is also my pleasure.”
Cecilia modestly bowed her 238c6d58b2 knees in response to 7088037a8e Carlyle’s praise.
Although she had 8e743ef4d8 not said anything, d9da016daa Cecilia actually thought 8821b19e5a that the method 6a6f6da98f Giles had just 0b95b3fa99 proposed and been 5541ab6084 stopped from suggesting 0a5e30f5ca was quite good.
‘His Highness Carlyle is unexpectedly showing his weak side. It doesn’t seem c64335a622 like he should 024cd43d54 be so relaxed 562c981e8f right now…’
It was a little strange.
The Carlyle Evaristo she knew 3856753fe4 was not someone who cared c4d87ab1b4 about the lives of commoners.
No, it was even questionable 4977366c72 whether he, who had been f92fe04972 the Crown Prince, had ever d18f92147c had the opportunity to closely da2d0daccb examine the lives of the 9ce28e0a4f people in the war zone.
Soon, she felt 1237e1f5b3 a gaze on 540f61e4e0 her and turned a46a643c71 her head to 64bcb87cc9 meet Giles’ eyes. He reluctantly nodded 6cbc50ed42 his head in 9eaa50aff1 greeting when their 0d09fd4ece eyes met, but c2f83002e6 to Cecilia, it 561a3cf528 seemed nothing more 7110938735 than a warning fcc88d00d2 to her.
‘That man should just focus on his role as a bookkeeper, why is he trying to take over Carlyle’s position as well?’
Cecilia snorted as she 5df60f42fa thought of the meek e4f27efb53 and gentle Dorothea. She had no intention 67746c1a31 of losing to such 771d7e0a22 a woman.
She straightened her back and 6ca7be6f12 smiled, confident and beautiful.
“Then I will take my leave now. If there are any bf2dff19fc parts of the letter ab40637221 that need to be d49cff7e8e interpreted or if there c38a18da1a is any news to 4ef6064645 be sent to the 149905c264 capital, please call for fc55819656 me.”
Cecilia hoped that 7d02c46fa0 Carlyle would notice a184d6a147 the hidden meaning d1cdc9efde in her words 18bf033c6c and ask her 8c9667da63 to stay ‘personally’.
However, Carlyle saw her off c130a3fdf4 with an indifferent attitude that 43bd180e38 could be interpreted as either c97e79a0a0 oblivious or intentional.
It was still unclear who e008c3081c would take the place next 3b93bf5ae0 to Carlyle.
***
Hey! Come here and 9ba1ae90d5 clean this up 877cc8d2a5 too!”
“What are you saying? That’s your training 186998e88f ground, you should 9c31c04a79 take care of 77b3500181 it yourselves.”
One morning that seemed 1ed34388ed peaceful, a commotion occurred 4f5daa0d4d near the training ground c109598898 used by the Haven 73de79826b Knights.
After the Pervaz warriors 32f2deae9d were clearing snow, some a7aad1738f of the knights saw 2cad0d35c2 this and demanded that 8d63084c2f they clear the snow 36b4875ac7 of their training ground b0c66eb496 as well.
“If we weren’t here, you would have been absent-minded and been taken from behind by the barbarians…! If you know e30f4c155c shame, you should 9e62c9725c at least pretend f8f13775db to repay the 215daa750e favor!”
At those words, the Pervaz 0f0eeecb88 warriors’ foreheads creased sharply.
“In any case, would you have been safe even if we all had fallen?”
“That’s right. You’re making a 3cd2e0b1fb fuss while acting ac023afdb0 superior, when you f3c5e49d03 would have come da1129aefd out anyway.”
At their retort, this time a03ab9e5c7 the knights grinded their teeth.
“Those beggar-like things dare…!”
In that manner, the two 8a55023412 sides who lived while ‘pretending f609161278 not to see even if a7d2761b9e they saw’ exploded the resentment 25d6702ff8 they had only stored within b44cc1822e until then.
The fight of a few 7aa37ccc59 people that started near the e810c90158 border of the Knights’ training f56f98d969 ground grew progressively larger as 7e913b95ae time passed, and around noon 0f5d683dae a vicious atmosphere arose with c86eeacebd more than half of the 109f8c3ee6 warriors from each side flocking be0e3eaa8a over.
Eventually, Decker and the 1bdb551ca2 Knight Commander Isaac came da1b5a97b4 forward and restrained their 19459b02da respective subordinates, making them 167a6b2cda retreat, but that was 29273901ec merely a stopgap measure.
“How long has it been since the servants were disciplined, that they fight again? It’s a headache.”
“The servants and the knights are different.”
Carlyle, who had received the af6cdd7665 report, shook his head as 18c0ee4532 if disgusted, but Lionel only 2f6d8c2c2e increased his nagging further.
“How many times have I told you that the most dangerous ones are the knights? The only people b61b07b656 they likely obey 584e2ae4a0 besides Your Highness 184f73a1ea are me or c7fb403ef5 Sir Solon.”
“Are you saying this situation was created because I treated the knights, who shared hardships with me, well?”
“Something has become corrupt. Don’t they think it’s 3d3ee0337d fine to look down 7e99fd177b on everyone below them 9da570fe5f like Your Highness Carlyle?”
Lionel had the 2dae685959 talent to pick 13c9aceb2d out things that c0fb92c736 the listener doesn’t 05e5fe6fe2 want to hear, 8c451e6110 but the more 4a37891573 annoying thing was 979a48c8dd that every word 58a9161c89 of it was 483c69a433 true.
Leaning against the 128f574812 backrest of the 9f927fcc08 chair, Carlyle muttered af8e967149 as he puffed 0c496bf0b9 out cigar smoke.
“Countess Pervaz must have heard about it too, right?”
“Obviously.”
“Tsk.”
Even knowing that, 41b5302ad9 it was only 61e254b392 asked once.
“She’ll probably come visit later?”
“If you are truly afraid, please request a visit first. There seems to have ccca493793 been a conflict between 3c4ac6f7cc the two knight orders, d70af9f9e6 let’s discuss a solution 7aa3da00a1 together.”
“‘Truly afraid’? Are you saying 58b9032e36 I’m a scaredy-cat?”
“But I can guarantee that if Countess Pervaz comes first, the atmosphere will be like when you gather the servants. I was honestly 6c8471aa93 terrified, but if a32852ad59 Your Highness is 3969c584ca alright with it, 890bb24705 then…”
Even though the atmosphere between e4f8f59502 Carlyle and Asha had been 74eca30ed8 a little awkward lately, Lionel 16e50d8504 was confident that Asha still 9f02d9610d cared most about Pervaz.
For a moment, the only 473a87e511 sound was the crackling of 23a98bd6ff the fire in the fireplace.
“Without any misunderstanding, please ask for a visit politely.”
“Yes.”
Lionel answered immediately, 34548900f2 as if he 84784a1bfa had expected Carlyle’s 1b35033e8b answer, and stood c7d0ce2a86 up. Carlyle was a little 5d864875f5 annoyed, but he couldn’t 92be7e4b2e say anything more.
And Lionel’s prediction was correct.
Even though he had asked e978db8aa2 her to visit politely, in 66b3503ac4 a way that would not 1174cfa975 cause any misunderstanding, Asha’s expression e058209b39 was cold when she came a18d47128f to see Carlyle.
“From the looks on your face, you seem to have heard the news already.”
Carlyle offered Asha 0e1b7d09a1 a seat, curling 145e105964 his lips awkwardly.
“We admit that our knights were the first to start the trouble. Instead, we apologize.”
“…I will gratefully accept your apology.”
“We also apologize for the fact that our knights were the first to start the swearing.”
“Likewise, thank you.”
Asha sighed and da2a8a0719 swallowed her anger, e5ab610791 unable to vent f4ca33b8a8 her anger because 7fb0dc0b6d Carlyle had apologized 57922bf67d first.
However, the matter was not 3c710b9bb5 resolved simply by accepting Carlyle’s 7bd73a3f3f apology.
“Even if we manage to get through today, there is no guarantee that this problem will not happen again.”
“Of course. Next time, it will be d095c0bb1a a much bigger problem.”
“It’s not a problem that can be solved just because the higher-ups are telling us to get along.”
“Unfortunately.”
Carlyle knew that the bf9d074f4c important thing now was d84a530733 not to apologize, but 1f02983995 to prevent a recurrence. He just didn’t see how.
Even if Carlyle himself ordered dfa92b5d67 them to respect each other d5b017e60d and get along, nothing would 9aba7c456d change.
Then Lionel, who had 7dfd311263 been listening from the 014d1f4804 side, cautiously suggested.
“Why don’t we train together from now on?”
At those words, 266ac18ae9 Carlyle and Asha’s 4e17ace7b4 gazes turned to e0615ea418 Lionel at the 4b4d62739e same time.
“Wouldn’t that just increase the chances of us fighting?”
“That may be the case at first. However, we are all warriors, 8af1a16621 and the strength of both 2b6fe3fc1a sides is evenly matched. So…”
“That’s a bit of a blow to my pride.”
As Carlyle cut off 53d3583d85 Lionel and retorted, Asha 573e44eea7 also spoke up without b23769990a backing down.
“Me too.”
“Hoho, are you saying that the Pervaz army is stronger than my knights…?”
“If armies fought against each other, of course we’d lose. The quantity and quality 728c200cc5 of horses, weapons, and f255349202 armor are different. But I believe 8171f16e2a if individuals were 11dbdbfbef to face off cd826d69e3 under the same 5dc1745a00 conditions, we wouldn’t cfdd658c55 lose.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Flames seemed to flicker in ab00de49c0 the gazes of the two 25569ed7b4 facing each other.
In the midst 8874e1178d of this, Lionel e133fa85bb took a short 3c315876f2 breath then continued b8f9fb15a8 the conversation that 7a23463c1e was left unfinished 4baf23df91 earlier.
“…Through training, we’ll come to understand each other’s strengths and develop mutual respect. I suggested this 9582dd9a56 method because I fb409c319a thought it might f13e060d04 be more palatable 129b32b247 to the infantry.”
Though Carlyle and b5921a7e07 Asha still eyed 3e37344441 each other, they cf16a02d1f found merit in aa86a65012 Lionel’s opinion.
“Alright, then let’s try that method. It’s better than sitting idle.”
Two days later, both 86c11bab0e armies gathered unknowingly in 45dc781b7e the knights’ training grounds.
“What’s this? Why are we e26da26e8a gathering with them?”
“Goodness, are they even allowed to set foot in the training grounds of the esteemed knights?”
Everyone scanned each 645b363ed9 other with a 988ef91bbb mixture of apprehension.
But as Carlyle and 3f13247c77 Asha ascended the platform 671b57ce53 in the training grounds, c06c7ec093 the murmurs faded, and e4cd9b26e8 all eyes turned towards 84e536c5e3 them.
“Attention! Salute!”
At the thunderous voice 3a7f4714f4 of Knight Commander Isaac 3678cbc58b Solon, everyone saluted towards 2595e7f7b0 Carlyle and Asha, but 157325ccd3 even the gesture differed cdd9af1e10 between the two sides.
The Heaven’s Knights extended 9eab2e443b their right arms, clenched ebdf19c084 their fists against their 26e5075751 chests, and bowed their 2969225b72 heads, while Perbaz soldiers 98f074d363 pounded their left chests edb3b4c296 near their hearts twice 45bc36515c with their fists before c8370d9894 collectively kneeling on one e6ff2760ac knee.
“Impressive, but isn’t it a bit much?”
“Well, we’re used to this…”
Carlyle whispered to Asha ca32afee0e standing beside him, but d49a29d0e5 she just shrugged.
Anyway, the matter 3b1badaafb of formalities could 6a0b4b41c6 be discussed later. Now, they had more 318c94faba pressing matters to attend 3c7098dcc0 to.
“Alright, everyone, listen up.”
Carlyle, after lining up soldiers ba654514df from both sides in formation, 544c920ffa surveyed them all.
Thanks to heavy investment in f25b0785ff Pervaz warriors, the stark differences 42144cfa6a between the two camps weren’t cb3576be5f as apparent as before, but 22184c2c95 there still seemed to be 643aacb3a6 an insurmountable barrier between them.
Starting from appearance and d8d49f7f72 physique to the weapons 5e3b173a27 they held, everything seemed e08bbe3a9a too different from one 35a4eaa262 another.866f9edc574fd928

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