The Valley of the Wind had suffered under Tolmekia for a long time.
Perhaps because her spiritual power had grown further, Nausicaä's speech was extraordinarily stirring.
Most of the people agreed with her, and a chorus of discussion erupted below the stage.
Some, however, looked uncomfortable and lowered their heads, clearly disagreeing with Nausicaä.
How could the Valley of the Wind, with so little strength, stand against the mighty Torumekian Empire? Didn't the princess know her own limits?
Standing on the stage, Nausicaä saw thought and unease in people's eyes.
But that was exactly what she had hoped to see.
True suffering came from oppression and plunder. Only if the people of the Valley of the Wind came to understand that for themselves could her speech be considered half a success.
Ignoring the slight commotion below, Nausicaä moved straight to her next topic.
"Fortunately, heaven has not abandoned the Valley of the Wind. The wind that never ceases has brought us a turning point."
"The great Erdtree took root here because of the wind."
"That's right. The miracles you saw did not come from my own power, but from the Erdtree."
As she spoke, she stepped slightly to the side, revealing the Erdtree a short distance behind the platform.
"It was the Erdtree that dispelled the curse of the Sea of Corruption and purified the forest. It was the Erdtree that bestowed the Blessed Crops upon us, freeing us from the threat of hunger. And it was the Erdtree that gave me the power to save lives in today's fire."
"Without the Erdtree's divine favor, none of the miracles you saw would have happened!"
Nausicaä had deliberately set them against each other, drawing a stark contrast between Tolmekia's brutality and the Erdtree's generosity.
The crowd below grew even more fired up.
Those who had helped fight the forest fire, the farmers who had witnessed the crops being ripened, and the other villagers who had just seen the fire extinguished in an instant and personally experienced Nausicaä's healing power all spoke up in agreement.
They only had to look at the mountain of grain, breathe in the fresh forest air so different from that outside, and think of the miracle that no one had died in the fire...
With those facts before their eyes, what was there to doubt?
The Valley of the Wind had received a god's favor!
Of course, there were also a very few people like Yiduo, who fancied themselves clearheaded and were certain this was nothing but an elaborate deception. They were just waiting for Nausicaä to give herself away in front of everyone.
The corners of Nausicaä's mouth lifted slightly. Next, it was time to let the facts speak for themselves.
"Perhaps some of you have noticed that the food beside me is not even enough to give everyone here a full meal, much less put an end to the famine."
"But please look over there-that is what will truly ensure that no one in the Valley of the Wind ever has to go hungry again."
Nausicaä raised her arm and pointed beyond the light of the bonfire.
Looking in the direction she pointed, they saw a patch of land that had once been ravaged by fire but had now been cleared and turned into farmland.
Apart from some frames that seemed to be for vines to climb, the land was completely bare.
Fortunately, not everyone was as stubborn as Beruto. Almost all the villagers waited quietly for another miracle to happen.
They knew their princess's character. Nausicaä would never fob them off with empty platitudes like "that land is the hope of the future."
"Mr. Tree, you can begin now," Nausicaä asked Mu En through their mental link.
"Mm."
Even if it might seem ungrateful after all he had gained, Mu En still felt a little embarrassed when he heard Nausicaä's reverent and fervent speech.
He knew he had only done those things to survive. He was nowhere near as noble and great as she had described.
Though he was reflecting on himself, he didn't let it slow him down.
Soon, golden light burst forth with a clear chime.
This time, Erdtree's Favor was no longer an aura that touched everyone equally. Instead, it became a surging wave of light that swept straight toward the crowd.
"Ah!"
"What is that?"
Faced with such a magnificent spectacle, the crowd cried out in alarm.
People instinctively tried to dodge the great wave, and some even fell off their stools.
But they soon discovered that the wave was harmless.
Not only did it strike with no force, it enveloped everyone like warm spring water.
The instant the light swept over them, people felt their bodies grow lighter. The aches and illnesses caused by prolonged hunger vanished, and the old hidden injuries left by heavy physical labor quietly disappeared as well.
The prayer was more powerful when Mu En cast it himself than when Nausicaä did.
Those who had experienced it when Nausicaä used it before were all right, but the others who had never been healed nearly moaned with pleasure.
It was a feeling of relief that sprang from the instinct of life itself, as vigorous vitality flowed into every part of their bodies.
Unfortunately, the wave of light did not linger for long. It passed over the reluctant crowd and surged straight into the empty field.
Watered by golden power, a miracle burst into bloom before everyone's eyes.
Red and yellow sweet peppers swelled like little lanterns. Onion shoots shot up to knee height in an instant, with plump white onions bulging beneath them. Thick, deep-purple carrots pushed through the soil, half exposed...
In the blink of an eye, the empty plot became a vegetable garden laden with produce, its fresh fragrance drifting on the wind and filling everyone's nostrils.
In front of the platform, Beruto nodded in satisfaction at the sight of the people of the Valley of the Wind, their mouths hanging so wide open that their jaws had nearly come unhinged.
After a short rest, the old farmer had disregarded the old women's advice and thrown himself back into preparations for the celebration with even greater enthusiasm.
Now it seemed his efforts had not been in vain.
This time, Beruto had not planted those dry staple crops, choosing instead the vegetables they had decided on earlier.
The visual impact of these fresh vegetables and fruits, with their brilliant colors and varied shapes, was far greater than that of potatoes and wheat.
Most importantly...
"Hehe, this time I'm finally not the only one who's lost his composure before Lord Divine Tree."
Even though they had been prepared, everyone was still left dumbfounded by the sight beyond their imagination.
At that moment, they felt as though they were standing in the fertile, pure land of ancient legend, where milk and honey flowed.
Nausicaä's voice rang out again, bringing everyone back to reality.
"Lord Divine Tree has promised that all who believe in the Erdtree and are willing to contribute to the prosperity of the Valley of the Wind will receive his rewards."
"Such as great martial strength, a long life, and-the promise that you will never have to fear hunger again."
"The field before your eyes is proof of that."
Waves of discussion rose higher and higher among the villagers, until they drowned out everything else.
"There really is food we could never finish eating..."
"Long live Princess Nausicaä!"
"No, long live Lord Divine Tree!!!"
Mu En knew that Nausicaä's soul-stirring speech had been a resounding success.
The reason was simple: besides hearing the people's cheers, he could clearly see the power of faith gathering into a river and flowing toward him!