Nateaser: Reborn As My Love Interest

Elder - Ch. 110

As a finishing act, I put out the fires and used that extra energy to restore the gate to some degree. My plans worked out so far.

"As long as I'm alive, Sanctuary will not fall to any kind of monsters, be they dead or living, even if they come from the depths of the abyss!" I shouted but had to reinforce my voice with magic to drown out all the noise. This was met with even more cheering. It took quite a while until it died down, and I was ready to advance to the next phase.

"Your Grace, please. Even if you protect us, the people are starving." I heard one of my agents vail just on cue. I quickly found him in the crowd, although I almost struck him with a lightning bolt when I saw his terrible excuse of garments he put on. I told them to dress as the people in the slums, but his clothes were immaculate, like a rich craftsman.

Nobody else seemed to notice it though, and thanks to the spell I secretly released to steer their collective thoughts, the actual poor soon joined the vailing as well. I pulled out my best acting to show how surprised I was to see the suffering of the good citizens.

"Starvation?! Did you abandon the church, or kept this a secret from me until now?" I yelled theatrically, opening my arms wide. I really should have written a better script though. "As long as you ask, I can provide. I'm here to protect you from harm and ensure none of you suffer. Show me the enemy and I shall relinquish it, whether it is monsters or hunger."

For now, the people cheered, and beggars started to approach me. It was time to reveal my ace and prepare the hidden Bag of Holding below my modest gray robes. I made it look like I pulled the fresh loaf of bread out of thin air, and handed it over to the closest person.

They were in bad shape, even more so than I expected, and I had to force myself not to pull away from their sorry sight. But I worried needlessly since the crowd soon went wild after seeing me repeat the same cheap magic trick, feeding them with the bread they could thank the undead I slaughtered. Stern's soldiers were still out at the manor house to bake more, but for the people, it seemed like I performed some sort of miracle to feed them an endless amount of bread.

I handed out a ton's worth and ran almost out before the nobles finally made their move. I thought they lost their ambition or didn't take me seriously enough, but the speech I prepared for their arriving soldiers didn't go to waste. Stern was right, they were easy to figure out and didn't try to do anything until the people started to chant my name. Now it was time to finish the show with a bang.

"It saddens me to confess, but the gods of the Cranta Panteon abandoned us, humans. It's even more terrible, that our beloved Church was in the hands of a necromancer until I uncovered the Pope's true intentions..." I gave a theatrical speech as the noble's soldiers not so discreetly surrounded me. "The corruption in the Empire and the Church ran equally deep, but now that I took control, I can promise to make everything right, and provide safety and food to all my followers."

"What kind of heresy are you spouting, woman?!" One of the nobles finally made his presence known, yelling. The crowd didn't notice them until now, but their cheering suddenly died. "You led the Church and confess it's corruption? Not only that, but you accuse the Empire and its leaders as a whole. So you finally show your true colors, and entice the crowds for treason? Take her away!"

I suppressed a grin. I felt stronger than ever, and with a flick of my finger, I could have wiped out this idiot and all his soldiers for good. But they played at my hands without them knowing, talking about showing my true colors right after feeding the poor. I could tell the crowd was on my side, and if I let myself be taken in by them, I'd nearly become a martyr in their eyes. Stern's tactics rubbed off on me.

"I wasn't the head of the Church until very recently," I spoke softly, but my voice was magically enchanted so that everyone in the slums heard me. "It was led by a Pope who got into his seat via the nobles of this country. And yes, when I talk about corruption in the Empire, I also mean them. The nobles who got their power, wealth, and vast lands from the King but refused to cultivate them, and let the good people here starve."

"So you don't even deny your treasonous rhetoric. Men, seize her at once." He gave the order but looked very surprised when the heated crowd rushed to surround me and block the path of his soldiers. I planned for a long time, but things turned out much better than expected. I could have skipped the next step and still get what I wanted, but why stop here?

"No, good people, don't endanger yourselves for my sake!" I yelled, faking as much emotion in my voice as I ever felt in my entire life. "I trust the King of this country and his judgment. Please, only support me with your prayers, enough blood was spilled today thanks to the evil Pope and his undead minions."

The slum cheered as one, and the people reluctantly let the soldiers pass to capture me. I couldn't believe they were this easily manipulated, and seeing their palms put together, I felt stronger than ever before. I had to hold myself back so I don't strike down the nobles right here, but the martyrdom they endowed on me was more than worth it.

They made a big mistake in their desperation when they should have known better, I'm untouchable by their puny weapons and forces. Even if I didn't reach sainthood just now, Stern left his soldiers in my hands, and they already outnumbered their forces two to one. But this served me perfectly. I wanted to end the nobles right by the King, without providing them a chance to recover. The hardest part was to stop myself from laughing like an evil maniac.

"Elder Ghisella of the Inquisitorias, by my noble decree, I name you an enemy of the Cranta Empire, and seize you until you stand trial in front of the King!" The aristocrat yelled, his voice almost completely drowned out by the booing of the people. At least they knew my name, I didn't expect them to utter it. But they forgot an important detail.

There were no Inquisitorias now, it was only me, Saint Ghisella.