Chapter 76: The Art of Persuasion

A heavy silence fell over the chamber.

Heresy.

There wasn’t a single person in the room who didn’t understand the weight of that word.

Heresy meant those who worshipped the same god yet twisted the doctrines to suit their own purposes.

It referred to unforgivable enemies of the faith who used religion as a tool for personal greed.

It was a term that had been commonly used during the dark days of inquisitions and religious trials, where heretics were hunted down mercilessly.

In recent times, however, it was a word one would only occasionally hear in sermons or moral lessons from priests.

But now, someone was declaring the Holy Emperor’s court heretical?

The very heart of the goddess’ church, the home of the Holy Emperor, the high priest of all believers?

If the core of the church was heretical, that meant the entire church was fundamentally corrupt and needed to be uprooted.

“Do you have any proof?”

A bishop stood and questioned the saintess, his voice trembling despite his attempt to sound composed.

It was clear he was barely clinging to his reason.

The only reason the reaction wasn’t more volatile was because this was the Kingdom of Ulranor.

Here, the clergy had a degree of independence from the Holy Kingdom.

They controlled their own ordination rights, appointments, and even the organization of the local church, making them somewhat detached from the Holy Emperor’s authority.

While they professed to follow the same faith, in practice, their operations were semi-autonomous.

This insulation lessened the immediate shock, though the blow still landed hard.

“Proof, you ask? Of course, I have proof. Are you not looking at me right now?”

The saintess boldly declared, her voice clear and resolute.

“Do you not believe your own eyes when you see me standing here before you?”

She raised her hands toward the heavens, her voice echoing in a powerful prayer.

“Lord, watch over the children whose faith wavers. Grant us your divine power on this earth, a sign of your grace… [Holy Cross].”

—II-OH!

She invoked another miracle, and the room was instantly bathed in a soft, radiant light.

The parliamentarians’ eyes widened in awe as they witnessed her divine power manifest once again.

This time, she conjured the twin-cross symbol of the goddess’ church, a radiant sigil that hovered in the air, emanating a warm, invigorating energy that filled everyone within its range.

It was a miracle designed to restore vitality and bolster the spirit, a method often used by previous saintesses to inspire faith and awe among the believers.

In this moment, the saintess displayed the majesty of the goddess’ power, leaving no room for doubt.

No matter how skilled a magician was, they could never replicate what the saintess had just performed.

This was a power that only someone with the qualifications and authority of the saintess could wield.

In other words, her ability to use such miracles after making such a bold declaration was undeniable proof that her accusations carried divine approval.

“Even after saying such things, my divine power has not faded. I, the goddess’ representative, have directly condemned the Holy Emperor’s court, yet the goddess has issued no punishment upon me.”

“Th-That’s true now that I think about it!”

“If she can openly criticize the Holy Emperor’s court and remain unharmed…”

“What would’ve happened if she were wrong? Surely, divine punishment would’ve come by now! There should have been some oracle condemning her for deceiving the faithful!”

Even on Earth, claims made in the name of absolute authority had a way of sounding convincing, even if they lacked airtight logic.

And in this world, where gods were real and their presence was felt directly by the people?

There was no need for further explanation—it was self-evident.

Moreover, the one making this claim wasn’t some random charlatan; she was the saintess, the one and only representative of the goddess on Earth.

She was the sole individual directly appointed by the goddess, the person who could communicate with the heavens more freely and directly than anyone else.

If someone of her status made such an inflammatory declaration and the heavens remained silent, it was as good as an implicit admission that her words were true.

From the saintess’ perspective, this was just a calculated move to exploit the goddess’ name for the sake of her argument, given her years of suffering with no oracles to guide her.

But to the parliamentarians witnessing this scene, it was exactly what it appeared to be: the goddess silently endorsing the saintess’ words.

“Do not doubt the truth, my friends. The Holy Emperor’s court is an utterly corrupt institution. It is no better than the aristocrats of this kingdom who were purged by Representative Royten—perhaps it is even worse. No, I’m certain it’s worse.”

“As true believers, it is our duty to denounce and root out evil. I beseech you to help eradicate that den of earthly corruption and restore the goddess’ justice to this world. Please lend me your strength.”

With her head bowed low, the saintess finished her impassioned plea.

Her posture conveyed a desperate request, asking the audience to stand with her and not reject her call.

Thus, the shocking and fiery speech came to an end.

“Phew, this is more tiring than I thought. The pressure of having to speak eloquently in front of so many people is exhausting.”

“It gets easier with time, Saintess. I felt the same way when I started.”

As she stepped down from the podium and exited the chamber, the saintess wiped the sweat from her forehead, grumbling as she did.

Having spent most of her life confined to treating people, she had no experience speaking in public like this, which only added to her fatigue.

For a beginner, the saintess’ speech was remarkably effective.

Her use of emphasis and ability to provoke reactions from the audience were impressive—was it a natural talent?

If she had been born into a noble family, she might have become an exceptional politician.

“So, is my job done now?”

“I’d like to say yes, but unfortunately, it’s not. A nationwide pilgrimage is next on the agenda.”

Now that we’d convinced the leadership of the kingdom, the next step was to sway the public and the provinces.

She’d need to deliver public speeches, travel to different regions, treat patients, and guide public opinion in our favor.

If this were the modern world, where live broadcasts and video distribution were possible, things might be different.

But this is a medieval fantasy setting.

If an outsider wants nationwide support and backing, they need to put in this level of effort.

“It won’t take too long. It should be done in about two months.”

“Ugh…”

Hearing my explanation, the saintess slumped her shoulders with a weary expression.

Still, since she didn’t lash out, it seemed she understood the necessity of this plan.

At least I wouldn’t have to spend time convincing her.

“Please endure it for a little longer. Soon, you’ll achieve the results you’ve been hoping for.”

“Let’s hope so. Truly.”

With a sigh, she took a sip of water, then glanced sideways at me, her gaze lingering for a moment.

“When all this is over, I’ll need to think about how to live my life. I don’t plan to stay a saintess forever, keeping my purity intact. I’ll pass it on to the next generation eventually and find my own path in life.”

That’s understandable… but why are you looking at me while saying that?

Regardless, as planned, the saintess began her journey across the major cities of the Kingdom of Ulranor, accompanied by her escort.

Her mission was to visit densely populated areas, denounce the atrocities of the Holy Emperor’s court, and gain recognition and support by performing miracles and offering aid.

“Hear me, citizens! The saintess herself has graced this city with her presence!”

“If you are ill or suffering from serious conditions, come forward to receive treatment! Opportunities like this don’t come twice!”

The routine was simple.

Every time they arrived in a new city, she would appear in public, ensuring that people who had only heard the title of “saintess” through rumors could witness her in person and recognize her existence.

“There we go, you’re all healed now. You should be able to walk again.”

“Th-Thank you, Saintess! I thought I’d never be able to use my legs again!”

“How can I ever repay this kindness…?”

“If you’re truly grateful, just attend the speech tomorrow evening. That’s all I ask.”

Using miracles only she could perform, the saintess steadily won the hearts of the people.

She restored severed nerves, healed festering wounds that had decayed beyond hope, and performed other acts of healing that no ordinary medicine or magic could achieve.

And once the crowd’s awe and admiration had reached a peak?

“Servants of the goddess! Your tithes are being squandered by the Holy Emperor’s court! The hard-earned money you offer is being used to buy the steaks served at the cardinals’ dinner tables!”

“While our goddess may have instructed us to pay tithes, she did not demand endless donations. The current church, which forces endless offerings for all kinds of ridiculous reasons—”

“The goddess wills it! (DEUS VULT!) The punishment of the corrupt Holy Emperor’s court is the will of the divine! Join the holy war to defeat the enemies of our faith!!”

She threw herself into rousing the people with fiery rhetoric.

It seemed she had discovered a latent talent for public speaking, as her eloquence improved by leaps and bounds.

With her innate charisma and the weight of her title as the saintess, her speeches became more powerful with every delivery.

After her fiery speeches, it was our turn to act.

We edited and distributed her statements, along with the citizens’ enthusiastic responses, to spread her message across the kingdom.

We also sprinkled in the damning information we had stolen from the Holy Emperor’s court.

We detailed exactly how much money the clergy had stolen, the luxuries they indulged in, and why their punishment was not only justified but necessary.

We compiled all of this into leaflets and posters, which were then distributed far and wide.

And the reaction?

“Those filthy bastards…!”

“It’s the saintess’ command! Grab your tools—we’re heading to the Holy Kingdom!”

“I’ve had enough of those smug priests lording over us. Let’s show them what we think of their corruption!”

The response was explosive.

In this era without newspapers, magazines, or radios, even official government notices were passed around and read out of curiosity.

So, naturally, propaganda with such sensational content spread like wildfire.

Protests condemning the Holy Kingdom erupted everywhere, and acts of violence against local clergy increased dramatically.

We even received reports that the amount of donations to the goddess’ church had dropped by nearly 70% within just a few days.

Public opinion in the kingdom was rapidly turning fiercely hostile toward the Holy Kingdom and the Holy Emperor’s court.

“Y-Your Excellency, please calm the people down! If this continues, we might get swept up in this chaos ourselves!”

“Just bear with it for a little while. Things will settle down soon, so there’s no need to worry.”

Though even our kingdom’s clergy were unfairly caught in the backlash, I told them to endure it for now.

Once the Holy Emperor’s court was demolished, this wave of fanaticism would subside on its own.

And honestly, let’s not pretend your predecessors didn’t indulge themselves just as much.

If you’ve inherited their position, it’s only fair that you deal with a bit of their karma, don’t you think?

“By the way, has there been any response from the Holy Kingdom yet?”

“None. The news must’ve reached them by now, but there’s not even a hint of a statement.”

“Did we hit them too hard…?”

I thought they’d have recovered enough to react by now, but maybe we overdid it.

Meanwhile, in the Holy Kingdom.

“Have you still not found the cardinals’ bodies?”

“No, sir. There’s too much debris to sift through…”

“This is maddening.”

With the mass deaths of clergy, all administrative functions had ground to a halt.