The royal palace of the Strathlade Kingdom had been turned into an open-air venue for a speech. Symbols of the God of Agriculture—a golden ear of wheat—hung prominently across its walls.
The people of Holmes filed in under the watch of guards carrying wooden clubs. Soon the palace was packed, the crowd buzzing with excitement.
Before long, the nobles emerged from the palace, surrounding Count Shuesterm like stars around the moon.
After killing the king, Count Shuesterm had become a regicide. But following his devout repentance, the Agriculture Church had pardoned him in the name of its god.
Plenty of people still called him a regicide in private, but officially, Count Shuesterm was innocent.
At the sight of Count Shuesterm, prepared spells rose into the sky one after another and burst into brilliant fireworks. Tens of thousands of people in the palace applauded and cheered, the crowd surging.
When the fireworks ended and the cheers began to fade, Alpha Shuesterm, dressed in gold-trimmed clothes and long stockings, stepped onto the platform. Under the expectant gaze of the crowd, he spoke in a deep voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Count Shuesterm..."
"Many call me a regicide. Others call me a pioneer in the struggle against tyranny. They have heaped titles on me, some malicious, some full of praise, and carried my name to Pitemon, to New Shaquay, to Ambrizet..."
"But I know I am nothing..."
"You were the ones who freed yourselves from the king's tyranny. You were the ones who drove out the faith of cruel officials and the Evil God... Because of you, the dawn of freedom now shines on the Strathlade Kingdom. Because of you, the hope of democracy has been born in Holmes..."
In the distance, a Mage watching Count Shuesterm's speech heard his magically amplified