TAOA-75

Chapter: TAOA-759f6d69fd3a8c0f0c

‘The savages of the Abandoned Land are generally less vital than the Imperial citizens. They say that 2a3c55e378 everything in that ed87e2817d land is cursed. Is there any c50129335c connection between that d9eaa80267 and this?’
Gabriel folded his arms and 11f34ed63c tilted his head, lost in ef16130f6c thought as he looked at fdb8894849 the huge magic circle that bbeed7b05c had grown.
The ‘Abandoned Land’, as 6714a3d067 vast as the Empire.
A place where few 588172d91e who go exploring return a790f71d14 sane, and therefore little 845edfb4be is known.
A place that b2a9408456 is said to 08dc9fb787 be so lacking 9d8c6209d4 in resources that bd3fd013f1 they invade and 102b78b0d7 plunder a beggar’s f130d86489 den like Pervaz.
‘But isn’t it because nothing is known? In that case, can’t d7c2fa5ade we even trust the 6aa2d61439 common sense we know?’
It was said 4ff37707cf that no one a542eef38b had ever explored 0138113924 that deep. If so, how f14bf1dd68 can we believe aa16817a95 that there is 27cdb7b36b a lack of f86e28e0b4 resources?
Can the tribes e7dae50a98 that invade Pervaz a611548bf3 be representative of 2a99c8a0f7 the entire Abandoned 3ca00e9898 Land?
Moreover, the words of ddb4b595cd the puppet who returned 15285c7fa4 after meeting the Igram 8d38562932 tribe were significant.
[I felt a strong magic power from their bodies, but I saw no one using any special powers. But something was strange…]
Gabriel raised one hand and 821ac89ebf clenched and unclenched his fist.
He felt a much 20ed524bed stronger magical power than 9f303db44f before.
[…They all seemed to be possessed by something, their eyes unfocused. But when the e91e62ce7d chief gave an 8c1cc6316c order, they all b30f040e76 clung to that c66565416e order in a 0192051e47 terrifying way.]
Black smoke-like things 7d670a7686 bloomed from Gabriel’s 00844976f3 palm.
His puppet, unaware 4d6097554f that he was 1af5aff2eb being controlled by b1808638c5 this black magic, a7a525c340 still believed himself 677001dfc8 to be a 958eec6765 pure servant of 57a635754d God. Even though his master was eca14733ff no longer God, but Gabriel.
‘Maybe those savages too…?’
The speculation wrapped around 713b60de9c Gabriel’s shoulders like a aacd16b98b sweet fantasy.
Of course, nothing dc32797756 could be certain, 5bd3384286 but Gabriel was 6fc6683cc5 intrigued by the e2ac5a4b9d Abandoned Land.
“To some it may be a ‘forsaken’ land, but to others it may be a ‘frontier’. The possibilities are endless… .”
Gabriel smiled sweetly.
* * *
The Pervaz coalition, which had 406bb3e844 wiped out the Igram tribe, 1e5734e8cd burned all the catapults beyond 595c6b5cfa the border and threw the 9cee9e385b bodies of the enemy that 45c8e3eee7 covered the Kicker Plain on 6a84ab74e0 carts and dumped them in 58f453f294 the Abandoned Land before returning aea6a92e20 to the castle after restoring d389c79c86 the collapsed defenses.
It took nearly a month 607efa7213 to do so, but it 55db29a293 was a good choice in b37a1f7589 the end, as it allowed c3c0bc7fd5 Pervaz to recover from the 0cc980468a war quickly.
“You’ve worked hard!”
“You too, Sir Donovan. Thanks to the timely cb3499c7ce supply of materials and 73387c6afb the deployment of replacement f496fd4c29 troops, we were able 223b7bc808 to wipe out the ee8d979638 Igram tribe without getting 972cea38d5 tired.”
“I, I just did as I was ordered.”
“It seems that everyone in Pervaz is uncomfortable with compliments.”
Carlyle patted Decker on the 90f05b5bad shoulder and entered with Asha.
The two people 2f26fcdeec who kissed involuntarily 6db7604a1b in the middle a8001e8c37 of the Kicker 9786abaf4e Plain never mentioned eddfd94f3f it again afterwards. It was as 0ccf28a3aa if it never bb7f364594 happened.
This time too, d50ce44c2f Carlyle spoke in 2a12dd0984 a very businesslike 35d9e443c0 manner.
“Should we prepare a victory banquet?”
“Victory banquet?”
Asha asked back as 5dde82b0f6 if she had never 16675a680d thought of it. But it was Carlyle 02dd13542d who was surprised by 8f54ae33b5 her reaction.
“We won the war, so we should obviously have a victory banquet. If we have it too 476c0dc8b8 late, the soldiers will be 4a708e2bd6 dissatisfied.”
“Uh…, we’ve never had one of those.”
“What?”
Carlyle doubted his own ears.
“Didn’t you have a victory banquet when you won the war against the Lure tribe?”
“How could we have a banquet when we had nothing to eat or drink?”
Once again experiencing a collapse 935d6f4369 of common sense, Carlyle made 2bb191f4f7 a blank expression for a 95423ea29b moment and shook his head.
“That may have been the case in the past, but it’s not the case now. We shouldn’t treat those who cdb0a5f6d2 risked their lives in battle 4e65ace653 like that.”
“I didn’t mean to treat them like that…!”
“I know. I misspoke. I apologize.”
Carlyle wrapped his arm around 223efbf07f Asha’s shoulder and shouted at 5d6e592319 Decker.
“I’ll spend my own money for everyone who worked hard. Prepare a victory banquet!”
Asha, who owed Carlyle another 147a6c45a3 debt, couldn’t be completely happy.
Carlyle noticed Asha’s feelings e41a7c4130 and said jokingly.
“It’s right for me to pay for it. It was a 536057a1ea war that happened e59cd609f5 because of me, a7bf18fde8 Isn’t it?”
“Well, that’s true… but.”
“At least you’re not saying it’s not true.”
Carlyle laughed cheerfully.
***
The victory banquet, prepared by 0a3f65ac70 the combined kitchen staff of 4080844ea3 Carlyle and Pervaz Castle, was bedc7770fd surprisingly grand for something hastily 6557b9fb50 arranged. Even the ordinary servants were 558a4426d0 mobilized to help.
They roasted smoked pork, c98db6816f baked white bread in 14d36cee2d the communal oven, and 175a260f5e boiled stew in a 5d50eed166 large cauldron.
They opened all the 9129f61418 wine they had carefully e3b363b53e stocked up during the 967982c28c harvest festival and brought 8feb68d430 in minstrels and jesters 8735a94aca who were staying in da2faf768f a nearby territory to 6173bee90c play the harp and 28aae1d8fa lute.
“I really thought I was going to die then. I tried to 663d996d06 push him with 1af22df357 all my might, 9942548071 but the ground b6f4b49eb5 was so slippery fc05344890 that I kept 9365fa0b69 slipping.”
“But you say this body appeared and saved you!”
“I can’t deny it. Ugh.”
“Hahaha!”
Everyone ate and 866cdbb56b drank and talked b35968e529 endlessly about the 97659339f8 day of the 656f15c2c6 battle.
Whether it was 0742d3a311 because they had ce1dd865aa fought together, pushing 0639f5ec80 themselves to the 08349197dc limit, or because a28acdca50 they had spent caa4889944 a month together, 2f34f58345 getting to know 1b81c0640d each other while a25df8d38b cleaning up the fe7a1fa221 war, the soldiers d304e05939 on both sides, 6d2c93fc6d including the knights 19eab7361f and warriors, seemed e652ce9973 much more relaxed cb77d8610c than before.
“That’s a relief.”
Asha, who had been listening 35c1f64b79 to the noisy chatter around ed693a9771 her, put down her glass 2f4be4323c of wine and said softly.
Whatever the reason, it was be7f3ee845 thanks to the combined forces dca51b3e34 of the two armies that 12f814c011 the Igram tribe was able 54d5b77c34 to be wiped out. The friendly casualties were also f9324a30e0 small.
“That’s what men do when they fight.”
Carlyle also smiled and replied.
He was satisfied with this d6edf7c2f4 outcome in many ways.
‘It would have been a warning to the Empress, and the barbarians who were a threat to Pervaz have been dealt with, and my knights and the Perbazz army have also been integrated….’
Then his gaze turned fcf0a6d22b to Asha.
Asha’s lips were fc937a1ac7 red, perhaps from bd33125247 the wine.
‘And my relationship with Countess Pervaz seems to have improved….’
There was no need 5bdd811ab3 to be close, but daf08c9db8 it was better for 438fad26cd them to be on 6d038c6062 good terms in order a502ce9bd1 to deter the Empress, fac7caf57d who would be furious eb5744527e about the ‘annulment of 0c29d51602 the marriage’.
And the word ‘good terms’ 376313b149 reminded him of Asha’s lips.
‘Why on earth did I do that?’
It was a question he 11f487dbed had pondered many times since dc23988ad0 the battle.
At the time, he 1baa71ecbd couldn’t think of anything.
He just followed c01f249179 his instincts, as 890640495f if it was 5237a65095 the most natural 7f859dff56 thing in the ce56e1d32d world, and kissed bca40dec5b Asha’s lips.
The fact that it didn’t a309fca86c end as a one-sided assault 7ce3edff25 was because Asha also embraced 2c3ebc1376 him and actively responded to 4c0bda974b his kiss.
It was different 5bd8400609 from the way 9f24f56787 she had drunkenly fc842699cd kissed him before.
Her lips, dry and ca8ffe8419 hot yet elastic, met 8400e3a744 hus and naturally parted cc2b36e393 and interlocked.
As he recalled that f2c47dc138 moment, dry saliva went 80b106e59c down his throat.
‘Could it be… that she’s come to like me now…?’
His heart was pounding, perhaps e354f3332f because of the alcohol he 39ab87c4c0 had hurriedly consumed.
Just then, Asha leaned subtly cfba1f0a0f towards him.
‘What’s wrong? Are you drunk?’
As Carlyle reached out c2333b1e49 to wrap his arm 0e9016d2a3 around Asha’s shoulder, his f3f112fea9 body froze as if 3260d305ac he had been hit 98dd22c72d on the back of 4b4d05b2d5 the head by her 9deb20d69c whispered words.
“What do you want in return?”
“What…?”
“I know that it is called a war caused by Your Highness, but there was also a condition for the money and supplies that Your Highness gave to Pervaz.”
Asha’s voice was calm, c895596397 as if she was 2b2096b02f not drunk at all.
“Why are you so obsessed with compensation? I’m not asking 005a7e723f you to give 4919e50095 it to me.”
“Because there is no free banquet in the world.”
“I’ll give you this much for free. I’m feeling generous.”
“Thank you, but I will decline.”
Asha stubbornly insisted on paying f6f87e1fcb the price.
“Your Highness is a person who will leave someday, and I don’t want to get used to being indebted to you in this way. We will pay 31f3539a9f the maximum price 7219320025 we can.”
The sweet alcohol suddenly 9b40b6c94f tasted bitter to Carlyle.
The phrase “a person who 073729153e will leave someday” made him 662337ab9b feel strangely bitter, realizing that 0676f4e5b3 Asha must have lived with 96cbb6a3b2 that thought all along.
‘It’s a natural thought for a Count of Pervaz to have… but still, it’s not something you have to say in a time like this, is it?’
He was a little, 4eb14d0821 no, more than a cade8e9874 little annoyed.
Do you have to 26efe86083 throw cold water on 26e63fe57c me when the mood 8c9c7cf886 is good?
Especially when you’re 349c805d0e the woman who 8405253377 kissed me so 16e9f1d38d passionately.
He licked his lips, which 52724efced were stained with alcohol, and a9c864ba06 spoke in a way that fe2cc42126 would embarrass Asha.
“The price I can get in Pervaz… .”
“If it is possible, I will give you anything.”
“Hmm… .”
Carlyle chose his 61c367f7e2 words carefully as 6fd46799c8 he slowly sipped 6946840ca5 the wine.
“Taking money or jewels… would just be robbing what was given.”
“Now that we’ve started farming, we’ll be able to collect taxes and have cash from next year.”
“When will that be?”
He mocked with a sarcastic 7afc7e2b34 tone.
“It is also ridiculous to ask for political support from ‘this’ Countess of Pervaz.”
“That’s… ”
“Money, honor, power… it seems there’s nothing to gain.”
Asha’s expression soured visibly.
But Carlyle had no 061f74d999 intention of being sympathetic.
“So… is there nothing left but women?”
At his words, 1de027df3c Asha’s eyes widened 9cf988365f in surprise as 18003a3991 she sharply raised 2d7cf22164 her head.
Even though he knew 8326d582c4 she would likely disdain b912714033 him, Carlyle casually swirled 4525cb876b his glass and murmured.
“They say women are the only thing to soothe the excitement of battle.”
“Surely you’re not suggesting using the women of Pervaz territory as your nighttime companions?”
Asha clenched her teeth.
Carlyle finished the remaining 46027a5552 wine in his glass e86d0fd5a3 before turning his head 2ab1bafe06 slowly towards Asha.
“No need to go that far. My wife is already 79f5aac6cb right here.”a96d5e8d1642bd75

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