Yurasia...
A hero class and one of the most powerful characters in the entire game save for the players themselves at the beginning of the game.
Our blades continued to clash until even with my greater value she managed to sweep my leg and take a mounting position with her blade aimed at my throat.
"If I stab you, you'll cut me down to right?
"That's right, so can we can this a draw?"
Even pinned to the group my sword was pointed straight at her heart, due to her movements I could tell she was not wearing armor so this would be the decisive blow and most fatal I could land in my position.
"Why did you show up here?"
"Because you are the worst most despicable and most vicious lord even in the history of this territory, if only my people could have been saved in exchange for my life!!"
Her blade drew back preparing for the final plunge.
"W...Wait, Wait!! there's something wrong!!!"
Her blade halted in the air momentarily
"First, we need to put our swords down and talk this through"
"I can't do that!"
"Why not!?"
"You are a vicious lord a snake..."
"I am not a rogue lord!"
"What!?"
This time it was her turn to be surprised.
"What kind of lord is one who fights at the front of his people to defend those who cannot defend themselves?"
"You.. you have a point"
Good she's wavering
"I watched yesterday's battle from afar, the way you lured the Kingdoms army was brilliant indeed"
"See, you are wrong about me"
"Even goblin scum will do a good deed if it cost them their lives right?"
Her resolve once again stiffened
"Setting fire to private dwellings like candles because the streets are dark at night, or flogging their owners for not burning their own house down well enough. There's always an ulterior motive behind that inhuman behavior"
Wait... what?
"Eh?!!"
God, damn it Julius what kind of freaky sadist are you!!!!
"The people are subjected to heavy taxes on the harvest and if they disobey they are imprisoned, eventually sold off as slaves. I heard that even a general in the army was imprisoned for complaining bitterly to you!"
Please stop telling me my own black history.... it makes my soul weep
"There's more!! I guess you've even taken a liking to kidnapping girls, stripping them naked and making them run for your pleasure!"
Oh yeah I mean that did happen...
But didn't i stop it?
"Ah, that is..."
This is a problem,
Yurasia, as I know her in the game, was a hero who never gave in to external pressure and continued to fight for her people, when you weigh your life against the righteousness within you, a character who is extremely eccentric and stubborn that she will choose to lay down her life for her justice without hesitation.
It's super troublesome but... when you have such a strong character in your own forces...!
"Why do you assume I'm a vicious lord?"
I want this gem, I could subdue her with my [Crush] unique skill but recruiting a righteous character cannot be done through power but rather the opposite.
I'll need to win in a battle of words.
"Where did you hear about me?! From Visigoth's assassination request huh?! Did you even bother getting to know the real me or just the one they made up?"
I need to shake her mental state with logic
"I have travelled to many countries and heard it from people in pubs and villages!! I am here to put all the evil ones to death with my own will!!"
It's the only way
"I see so you heard the gossip and assumed I was a rogue lord! and that by killing me you would save the suffering people, but I suppose if I was a rogue lord, do you think I would be incompetent enough to ignore my own bad reputation without a word against it?"
"..."
"Do you think such a detailed incompetent lord can win against the Great Visigoth national army?"
Her faith is wavering hard
"Do you honestly think a truly vicious lord would tolerate such notoriety?"
"Are you saying you acknowledge and contemplate everything!"
"Can't you see that even an assassin like you doesn't truly believe the rumors as you're trying to resolve this through dialogue, I say it is more vicious to try to kill someone like that!!"
"You.. you don't have to say it like that!! It would make me a completely bad person!!"
"So here's a suggestion, I assume you heard my conversation just now with my chamberlain?"
"Yes, but it changes nothing!"
"It changes everything! The vicious lord in your mind takes pleasure in oppressing the weak for his own personal gain, a narrow-minded man who cannot tolerate even the jokes of little children, the people are livestock and slaves not to be seen as real people but filthy consumable things, a thorough enemy of the people... right?"
Her eyes widen as I scathe myself
"But, I'm different!"
Removing my blade from her breast and placing it on the ground before raising my arms above my head
"I would give up my sword for the chance to save my people!"
Visibly shocked she retracted her own blade a bit but still kept it pointed at me.
"Watch me for a day, once my plans have been fulfilled I'll let you judge me, and if I truly am this despicable lord you've heard of then I shall offer you my neck to sate your justice"
"A day, you want to live for another day as if you can change my mind in that time, in a land where all your own citizens complain in the face of the rogue lord!"
"It's a day, watch me, take a tour of the city, see just how I and my people truly live and after all that tell me if they really are better off without me, and if that still doesn't satisfy you claim the tyrants head in their presence to let them all know justice has been served"
"You...!!! have a lot of confidence in yourself huh?"
She took her blade away before sheathing it.
"Okay, I'll take your offer, but just know you cannot escape and if you try you shall suffer greatly before I grant you a swift release!"
Ok good, now time for the counterattack, can't do too much about the circulating gossip but the 80% taxation rate is a whole different story!!!
It was impossible to begin with
If 80% of the harvest was squeezed out of the public there would be an immediate revolt because of high levels of discontent.
And my possessions as lord and income from the territory would be much more than expected.
The loyalty of my people is only 10 right now so it really only has one place to go.
Up!
"Well then, I'll visit again tomorrow but know this Lord I shall be watching your actions very closely"
"If you're going to leave at least tell me your name?"
Can't go exposing my inspection skills after all.
"!! My name is Sarah, just Sarah"
Having decided to take her leave and watch my actions from the shadows rather than by my side she dove from the window she'd just broken into the room.
However... Sarah huh?
Looking at the contrasting information from the status window vs what she just said.
It seems like in the beginning you're an adventurer operating under a false name huh?
I look forward to tomorrow!!
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