Herald of Steel

Alexander’s grand speech made both sides of the room remember some key details.

While it also made the nobles note of Alexander’s uncanny ability to turn black into white, with many finding it fascinating.

Because just listening to his speech, one would think that Ptolomy had not taken the throne from Amenheraft, but was graciously handed it over.

Even Pasha Farzah was impressed by how Alexander was able to twist the logic, using mostly true events to portray his side as the just one.

So to help his teammate out, the veteran fox too quickly added, “That’s right. His Majesty is no usurper,”

“He only took on the heavy responsibility of guiding the nation when its previous leader ran, leaving the seat vacant.”

“You can’t be a coward and run away from your capital, and then still be expected to be the king.”

Pasha Farzah loudly accused Amenheraft.

“Yo..you…” And Amenheraft was caught so unprepared by this attack, that he could muster no comeback.

Everything they said was technically true, only that it was said in a way that seemed to portray him as a coward who ran whereas Ptolomy stood and fight.

But that was not at all true how it happened.

The reason why he ran and Ptolomy did not was because the force attacking him was friendly to Ptolomy.

In fact, Ptolomy too had run when Amenheraft retook the city after defeating Agapios.

So Alexander’s grand speech really had no basis in logic.

But it did not need to.

Because it had basis in people’s hearts.

People loved to compare things one to one, even if they were apples to oranges.

And so for some, it made them think that Amenheraft had really lost his place as king, as opposed to Ptolomy stealing it.

“Bullshit! It’s like they say, empty vessels make the most noise.” This angry retort was said by Manuk, who could no longer take Alexander twisting the words and decided to join the fray, angrily pointing and protesting,

“You say Ptolomy is not an usurper!”

“We all know how the king you serve is only being propped up by foreign powers.”

“If you were not then why would you want to open our country to outside trade!”

“This is clearly the foreigner’s goal. To have us sell our country.”

As the archpriest said this, he even quickly turned to face the crowd before Alexander would respond, addressing them as such,

“My fellow nobles, I would like you all to recall that Matrak was given special permission to trade with the outside world due to their great contributions to our country.”

“And what happened then?”

“Were they grateful? Did their pasha stay loyal?”

“No!”

“Instead he fomented a rebellion.”

“And he even killed His Majesty.”

“Why?”

“The real reason is because he was tempted by foreign powers.”

“These you people must not be allowed to rule this country. Or else our dear Adhania will soon cease to exist.”

Manuk appeared to be able to spew the amount of bullshit as Alexander, which was not surprising given he was the archpriest and hence very adept at giving sermons.

As Manuk spoke these alarmist words using the proposed trading plans, Alexander was actually surprised.

He did not think they would get to know about it so soon, or that their reaction would be so intense.

While from the back, Lady Inayah spookily sighed a bit, knowing this reaction was inevitably due at some point, as did the Queen Mother.

It seemed this was simply how the Adhanian court was.

As for Alexander, after hearing about this, and sensing many curious gazes turn suspicious and even hostile as they learned of the intended plan, he quickly tried to think of a way to alleviate these concerns.

But he found it difficult.

Because what Manuk had done was the classic trick of throwing lots of accusations at once in a short period of time.

And if Alexander was to address them one by one, then it would take too long, and that would simply lack the impact Manuk’s speech had.

After all, it took a few seconds to make a whole host of accusations, but it might take an hour to explain all of them.

So Alexander simply avoided that landmine and said this, “Whether opening Adhania for trade will make the country flourish or turn it destitute remains to be seen.”

“But please memember that all the other countries around us heavily trade among themselves and they still exist as individual countries don’t they?”

“Even in Adhania itself, as Priest Manuk has pointed out, Matrak trades with Thesos.”

“And whether that has destroyed the province and replaced it with Thesians, or if it has enriched its nobles and people is clear for all to see.”

“So I believe the man is simply trying to spread fear and misinformation here.”

With this said, Alexander declared,

“And remember, the decision to open trade is not even final.”

“There are many nuances to the plan which Priest Manuk has conveniently skipped” 𝐨𝘃𝗹.

“Thus I advise all interested to check up on how we intended to start doing trade.”

“Because it will be really small.”

At this point in his speech, Alexander gestured his arms toward Ptolomy, and continued,

“And His Majesty has already promised that if anyone refuses to open his territory to trade, he will respect their wishes.”

“He is not a tyrant like Amenheraft and will never force his own decisions upon his retainers…. as it should be.”

Alexander flashed a knowing glance to Ptolomy as he said so, and though nothing like this had been ever discussed, the king could only nod and smile, “That’s right. We will always respect each and every noble’s decision.”

And with this, though not eliminate, Alexander at least was able to deactivate Manuk’s bomb, as the nobles were reassured they would be able to tune off the trade any time.

A result that did not at all suit Amenheraft’s faction, as Pasha VIvizan roughed coughed out,

“Bah! What trade! Our fathers and forefathers stopped trading with the outside barbarians for a reason.”

“What do we need to trade for?”

“What does our great country lack?”

“You youngsters are simply hoodwinked by this fork-tongued devil!”

The old man now appealed to the nobles’ culture, heritage, and ancestry.

And in this time period, people viewed such things with a great source of pride, with many simply following what their father and their father’s father did.

Reasons and logic did not work there, with the most recent example being Lord Nibraz’s family still using chariots just because they had done for generations.

And hearing this, Alexander did not actually feel corned.

Instead felt he felt that he got the chance to say a piece he had been wishing to for a long time, but what not gotten the chance to.

So began with the words, “Yes, it is true that the previous generous of Adhania’s nobility banned trade.”

“And they did what they thought was best for the time.”

“But times change.”

“And it would be foolish for us not to adapt with it.”

“Especially when the only reason is the words of only one man.”

Here Alexander paused a bit agins to flash his palms in an understanding manner,

“Now, I know what many of you might say.”

“That those are not the words of any ordinary man.”

“And those are the words of a king, a god-king, someone chosen by the gods.”

“But ask yourself this, has he really been able to guide you the last few years?”

“Unable to properly respond to a drought sweeping across the country.”

“Getting into wars.”

“Having a civil war.”

“Losign his capital.”

“Those really do not seem like the works of a being blessed by the gods, do they?”

“And even after those fiascos, his decisions were questionable.”

“After His Majesty Ptolomy had taken the throne, we did send peace delegations to the man you follow, proposing to live in peace and harmony.”

“But he refused to even entertain them.”

“And what was the result?”

“A huge battle!”

“And the destruction of his 100,000 army, along with the crippling loss of so many of his retainers.”

“The loss of many of your own kin, your fathers, brothers, sons.”

“And for what?”

“So that you could have access to Adhan, to the Grand Temple, to the Life Sea?”

“So that you could perform your pilgrimage safety?”

“Well, do you not have all these already?”

“Did you not just accomplish our Jtaama already?”

“During which part of pilgrimage did you find His Majesty’s accommodation to be lacking?”

“So what was the point of declaring war on us if, after his loss, Amenheraft had he come to us for a peace treaty anyway and then gotten exactly what he would have gotten if he had just accepted our previous terms?”

Each of Alexander’s analyses felt like feral bites to Amenheraft, as the young boy completely thrashed him in front of everyone.

And what was supposed to be Amenheraft using his aura and prestige to suppress the boy, was now turning into a full rout for him.

While Alexander, after crossing Amenheraft to his heart’s content let out a bombshell,

“And so I urge all nobles and particularly the pasha to not blindly follow Amenheraft, but move according to what best suits you.”

“Because His Majesty has no qualms with any province staying neutral in this conflict.”

“In fact, we would be even open to reducing the temple tithes to anyone choosing not just to switch sides, but just to stay neutral!”