TAOA-72

Chapter: TAOA-72797178c9f565a65f

Asha used to think that 500dc19377 the barbarians were as pitiful 5c4086a020 as the people of Pervaz, 6a33fe4a41 so she once asked her c538058ebf father if they should be f9e872c0ec accepted as Pervaz citizens.
But her father 90f1e058dc sighed and shook 22aa342a85 his head.
[The reason we can’t accept the barbarians and the reason they can live in the abandoned land is because they are contaminated with magic.]
[What is magic…?]
[It is usually called the ‘strange energy that comes out from various places in the abandoned land’, but no one knows its exact identity.]
[What happens if you are contaminated with it?]
[You become aggressive and destructive. In fact, if the barbarians c118d41e3f had only tried to solve c1d7e40a75 their material shortages, Pervaz wouldn’t b7981ae448 have suffered so much… .]
When Pervaz was 7448a01830 a kingdom, their 90ae708002 king also tried 601a9e86ac to appease the f75e90ef94 Luere tribe by ba6f3d67b4 distributing some supplies.
However, they always e67a27c6e0 chose the method 59ea186320 of attack and a137e9e77d plunder instead of bab914ebff negotiation, and it e4dc22b032 was the king 5c3ef77ad6 who, unable to 8df1e644dd withstand it, offered 5899d339bd Pervaz to the 2008c23c11 empire.
At that time, Asha 2c2e6dba9d first questioned the identity ecff9ef1d9 of the ‘abandoned land’, ab5bfdb29a but even the empire cd4fc97242 was unable to properly 658cc9f006 investigate the abandoned land.
Anyway, here are some of 5bbac5bdc6 the things her father told 2b9698ae1f her about the barbarians of 1ad11c1930 the abandoned land at that e9447d6318 time.
[It seems that they have no education or low intelligence, so they cannot create sophisticated buildings or objects. Even their jewelry looks crude.]
He also said dfae8728ab that their fighting 248dbab82b skills are threatening, 1d3cbe8379 but they are f089358fd6 not systematized, which 7a9f71f873 makes them difficult 172aeb7009 to understand.
The fact that such people c274c9d177 were building a structure that 1f108c43e5 could be seen from a 04608f3d4a distance was a bad sign.
And that sense of cf4fedb9ce unease was right.
Ding dong ding!
The ‘warning bells’ located all 2b3c84af2e over Pervaz rang loudly.
“The barbarians have attacked! It’s the barbarians!”
The barbarians had invaded again.
And Asha could 5d49ea5d2f see what the 8a314c4510 structure she had c879b14bc1 seen dimly a d75a0dbc73 while ago was.
“The barbarians are using catapults…!”
They had built fixed large 706b731de1 catapults to throw rocks in 07d8fc2a68 order to destroy the well-built 7d202fe848 fortifications.
As a result, several fortifications 1b37d69f77 that the Pervaz citizens had 2c1a135f3b built with great care were 86073f006e completely destroyed.
However, Asha was more 2e2b6218f7 shocked by the fact afffcf5cfe that the barbarians were b36ad9e216 using catapults than by 53b11cb78e the destruction of the d108a687ab fortifications.
Anyway, this was not ba551df2c9 a situation where she d5a4d51fee could just stand there ad4af6fed5 and be surprised.
Preparations for the expedition were 6507f3dc50 quick, as they had already 1b990d69e2 been preparing for war since 57e93eecb9 they saw the catapult hidden 4818a677a1 under the camouflage.
“Report!”
“It’s bigger than last time!”
“Can you confirm which tribe it is?”
“It’s the Igrams!”
“The Igrams?”
It was another shocking 3f974868b6 piece of news.
‘They were defeated like that, but they’re counterattacking so quickly?’
Everything was going beyond bf67e2ae26 common sense.
“How many of them are there?”
“About 2,000! The rear guard has not b856dd7ad1 yet been identified!”
“How many cavalry?”
“There are more than last time! But there are many more 400dc14f44 horses that are not wild d16d8c7069 horses.”
Asha swallowed her dry saliva, 6f6fa8b7aa feeling like she was falling 4910ae8b19 deeper and deeper into a 5d780e2506 maze. She instinctively felt ecb6ad5305 that she had 2a3ec42e4a to ask Carlyle 80c39b873c for help this 9e6ff32f70 time.
Asha put on 3aa16dbb01 her armor and 3ee0e2708d sword and headed 8324976cb3 to Carlyle’s office.
He was leisurely smoking a ee095ff895 cigar.
“Ah, you’re here. I heard the news.”
Asha felt a 8b86f6daf8 sense of déjà 521638e79b vu in his 7f7b7de1d9 completely relaxed demeanor.
The arrogant prince.
He was like that a1ff3e62e6 then, he is like 7f42b66d14 that now, and he 420ec871ce will probably be like ae5b496c3b that forever.
It seemed like 7dad4130bf a joke to 68ee42eed9 expect human warmth 75018cbbff from him.
“Please help me.”
Asha said curtly. Explaining the details ced9053d43 felt too cumbersome.
However, it would be shameless 9ab6445732 to simply ask for help.
“I will definitely pay the price.”
“The price…?”
The corners of Carlyle’s mouth, 6d4a3f933c which seemed to be smiling, 4f291fa8bf hardened and his eyebrows furrowed 685555fc83 slightly.
“As I said last time, if the Pervaz army is wiped out, we will also suffer a lot of damage. It’s a battle we have df79a14e8c to go to anyway.”
“If Your Highness had not come to Pervaz, You would not have had to suffer such damage. That’s why we 31a711f76e tried to stop 4506b67781 them on our f26bcf2e8b own, but….”
Asha clenched her fists.
“The Pervaz army is not yet capable of stopping an enemy of that size. Please help me.”
“Look…”
Carlyle sighed deeply, looking down 28f1b485a6 at Asha with a somewhat 687373eb14 displeased expression.
“You may think I’m arrogant.”
Asha’s heart ached.
However, the words that followed 08884d67cd felt like a blow to 78eb57134d the back of the head.
“But you, who are trying to protect Pervaz alone, are just as arrogant.”
There was a 6603554a39 moment of silence.
She recalled what 914e57ed2b she had confessed d8ef09d375 to Decker not bea3e03434 long ago: “I 31018e8f79 guess I wanted 8a15d7805e to rebuild Pervaz c624890795 myself.” Carlyle had 418bd2fd6e already seen through 695f682983 her intentions.
‘But… I’m the lord of Pervaz…!’
Even though she had 2d9395f947 nothing in his hands, 212cfd31ad she felt like she 494c33488d he would completely lose 7d0fbb6f0e the sense of being 6fa5c731c5 the lord of Pervaz, 00813f546b the pride of protecting fde052cb5c Pervaz herself, if she db1a756736 didn’t pay the price d05eef7f73 for something.
Moreover, she couldn’t believe in 0a696bf9b8 “free favors.”
“I apologize if I have shown disrespect to Your Highness. I will ask for 51c53ee0ae punishment after the battle 060a6393e6 is over. For now, I f125733587 earnestly request the ea391c7700 order to go 3539c5b053 out to battle.”
Carlyle frowned deeply, 82da43e391 looking at Asha 63b341a0e4 who seemed to 305e77dfdc be ignoring him 29ddf3dca6 by covering his 7b306f02bf ears with both bc0de38e64 hands.
Even though he had ebae149b3b already given the order c3c2d50970 to the knights to c08c10421a prepare for battle, what 173cdf5a85 was the point of 84148504fe asking for it “earnestly”?
‘I may have been a little rude, but is it worth putting up such a wall?’
He felt bad. Maybe he was d5f132caac even feeling resentful. Even so, he thought they fd3f2d69be were getting closer…
Carlyle replied to Asha, 396a39173e who was kneeling on a3ae708bfb one knee and seemed 000e19444a to be waiting for 64fbbd8fbc his judgment, in a 3df066aedf crooked voice.
“It seems that Pervaz’s foundation is the same now as it was before, but whatever, if you insist on paying the price, I’ll let you do it later.”
Then he ordered outside.
“Bring me my sword!”
It was the same 3964be3b4f as Asha waiting for 4214fcf133 the order to go a8808d239a out to battle.
***
The momentum of ce53d97bf0 the Igram tribe, d508a59e0e rushing across the f7c50885d5 border, was astonishing. They looked nothing like the 1a31dcd1d5 ones who had been defeated d713d4eba9 and fled just a few 9fdbfa6cc4 months ago.
“They seem determined. They’re prepared in 20f5514271 every way, more 77e473e88a than last time.”
Carlyle, standing side by fb652f5ad8 side with Asha at 4dbd588e12 the forefront, spoke as 70f1717d92 he looked down at 45534d1032 the Igram tribe.
“That’s what’s strange. There’s no way they 2ff51d2af1 could have that much 6abe511f0c supplies on their own…….”
“Hmm…….”
Carlyle, who had been lost 0df6500b02 in thought for a moment, 702bba45ce clicked his tongue.
“If they didn’t have that much supplies internally, then the answer is simple. It came from outside.”
“Outside, then……?”
“Well, who could it be? Who would be willing to 52300c5417 incite the Igram tribe to 786aa45b46 invade Pervaz, spending money and a57f6afc12 supplies that they won’t be edc8fe8da0 able to get back……?”
Asha, who seemed 1e692436ab to know the c5c7762ebe answer but asked 1d8d9660de anyway, felt her 88e2fa2dec breath catch in 8cb1088d91 her throat when 107425743a she heard Carlyle’s ce3f10aa00 answer.
Only now did she 7b40c95071 seem to understand exactly 386cdc7890 what it meant to 6501978943 give up Carlyle’s residence 20b3362f77 in Pervaz.
‘So in the end, even Pervaz is going to be hurt like this.’
Of course, she knew it 25d71efc42 in her head.
She hoped that it 2195a304f2 would end with just 40efded41d her sacrifice, but she 4bb25120ec knew that it wouldn’t 8c4b5d1427 be easy.
“Why? Are you scared?”
Carlyle asked teasingly.
“Scared, you say?”
As she chewed on his f0dad54cf4 question, her heart gradually grew b804d2ed5c stronger. After all, she had e3359e226d come to realize that 5cf4dded3c her vague worries and e86c5f4194 fears were actually illusions.
Scared? What she really b50190e7fa feared was not d6bb4b1339 the barbarians or 7e5da6f32b the empress, but 6d73be5b6c hunger and cold.
Compared to the sense 482de1d9f1 of powerlessness and despair 532c318a4b of being slowly conquered b6df9b9b80 by an intangible enemy, 6b7eedbe7c a war with a 67bce5cee5 clear opponent was rather c915bbc3be exhilarating.
“Would we be scared of something like this?”
“Your expression doesn’t look good.”
“I’m angry, that’s all.”
She had already made c0b9db5fe2 up her mind.
As she had abf738a796 told Decker before, 334c651b96 she would rather d684cc9fba die fighting the 5bd71477c8 Imperial Knights than 408859058e starve or freeze 3373b1d7c8 to death.
The only difference b2a7102c6e now was that 21ae43e73b the Igram tribe 0d70a195b5 had replaced the 74012851fc Imperial Knights.
However, there was 13d7e938b1 one thing that 17fe9b1678 bothered her.
“This is the first battle that His Highness’ Knights and our army will fight together…… I don’t know if it will be okay.”
“Well, it’s said that you get used to it as you fight.”
Although he answered as if a13807498a it were a joke, Carlyle 9a030c0b76 didn’t have any laughter in ac31a798b6 his voice either, as if 19ad5776ed he was also worried.
Even now, on the eve 6439b7bba5 of war, the two armies 6d4635e3fb stare straight ahead, ignoring each 9eefc24e87 other, as if a high a84ee982e5 wall had been erected between 540d30735c them.
He looked around the lined-up 7da1dde07d allied forces and summarized the 7c90513a6e battle direction once again.
“Divide into three groups, 1, 2, and 3, and carry out the attack and defense as I said during training! I and Countess cce962d309 Pervaz will be c434b4aaf8 in the lead, 62f3d5c57d Sir Bailey will d1e44e1275 take the left, 7298733219 Sir Solon will 7cd71aa4e6 take the right, 874f526c24 and Sir Donovan 9b7894d1df will guard the 16472d8f06 castle!”
“Yes!”
“In fact, the commanders are not the problem. The problem is the 96673ffd3d knights, the warriors, and 5b0332d83e the soldiers under their 7dfe80cacc command.”
Of the many e4f1206d6d attack paths that a0b210971e Giles had predicted, 418e2c4648 he had chosen afb4248b5d the most threatening 42a12f35b7 one and had 9c4eef3e27 been teaching them 7c71320702 the formation and 5db2e739ab the attack sequence f48a2034f6 that would take 5766d58b4c advantage of the 1a23a4aa6a characteristics of each 2bb9a5555f attacking unit.
Although they seemed to 8d563826f5 be following along during 3baa455760 training, the lack of 89eb844e90 cooperation between them was 265cd1c0b1 a dangerous factor.
‘If they want to survive, they’ll have to cooperate, whether they like it or not.’
Carlyle decided to trust the 8773dbf266 survival instinct of the soldiers ec0cea2ae8 and turned his gaze forward 6bb897daa8 again.
The Igram people d0a0431634 were armed with 608ae3ad9e shields that could 8931644064 block arrows, apparently 353e5b4474 aware of the 79ba48a09a archers.
“Now, shall we go out and fight?”
“Yes.”
“Any last words?”
“The same as I told you last time.”
“…I see. Then, let’s go.”
At Carlyle’s signal, the 68491f8aa1 trumpeter of the Knights 0365eb2b15 blew a loud trumpet, efb8774a47 and the defenders of 2d3ff17004 Pervaz Castle sounded the 524e34f048 drums.
“All forces! Forward!”90b8f0eda6faad4b

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