Having reached an agreement with Garfiel, the representative of those who wished for the Sanctuary's liberation, we were informed that the villagers were in the cathedral. Emilia and I decided to calm them down to avoid any possibility of conflict.
Not only that. We went because Roswaal did all this to further enhance Emilia's image in the public eye. Since he failed to protect his people and solve the problem, the outcast half-elf's intervention was ideal for turning her into a hero in the eyes of the villagers and, of course, in the eyes of the people of Lugunica who heard the tale of the Sanctuary's liberation.
"Why did you talk to Roswaal like that?" Emilia asked. "I know it's a little suspicious, but pressuring him like that won't do any good."
"I know. I just wanted to make a few points. I'm sure Garfiel and Rem heard everything from the hallway. But don't worry about that. Your priority now is to talk to the villagers."
"I'm not sure I know what to tell you..."
"You just have to show your determination. Speak up without fear, and they'll believe in you."
"Do you think I can earn their trust?"
"You've already done it. The children adore you, and Milde told me that almost all the adults have a good opinion of you."
The half-elf made a gesture of hesitation.
"That's good, but I'm afraid I won't be able to meet their expectations."
"You can do it. You've run for ruler of all of Lugunica; this is just a small stepping stone on your way up."
My words were quite effective in cheering Emilia up. The tension in her body relaxed noticeably. She patted her cheeks and walked purposefully toward the doors. I followed her, feeling proud of her emotional progress.
When we entered the cathedral, the villagers were delighted to see us and showered us with questions. Of course, everyone wanted to know how the others were doing. We explained that the threat had been eradicated and the group that had gone to the capital had already returned to the village safely. There were many expressions of relief, but no cheers, as the troubles were not over.
"The Lord couldn't do it... How long will we be stranded in this place, Master Leandro?"
I smiled widely.
"We came to talk about precisely that."
The situation at the Sanctuary wasn't easy, but Emilia stepped forward and spoke bravely to everyone, both those who looked to her with hope and those who did so with distrust. Her determination was conveyed through her words and body language, reaching every villager present.
"I want to tell you that I will take charge of overcoming the trials and freeing the Sanctuary so that all of you can return to your families! I promised myself that I will do this no matter how many attempts it takes or how much effort I have to put in."
She didn't bow down, she wasn't afraid, she wasn't hesitant. At least at that moment, she truly believed she could keep her promise. Hopefully, she'd still think that way after experiencing the trial, which wasn't very likely. Still, this was better than seeing her doubting herself without even facing a hardship.
"That 's it, that's how you talk!" I secretly raised my fist as the villagers smiled. In this version of the story, everyone was familiar with her. Thanks to my strategies (festivals I made up out of my ass that I forced everyone to participate in), they had become familiar with Emilia: they knew her personality and motivations, and many of them adored her for being the one who made local frozen dessert production possible.
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A Random in Re:Zero
FanfictionWhat would happen if someone else took Subaru's place in the story? What would his path, his decisions, and his relationship with the characters be like? Would he have more power or intelligence than Subaru? Would he choose the same route, take an a...
