Chapter 10: The Oratorical Command
I. The Political Crucible
The Northern Provincial Capital was gripped by a tense, heavy silence. Rebellion had been momentarily checked by the news of Minister Garrick's treason, but the underlying fear of the Sacrificial Magic remained—a corrosive political disease. Evan understood that eliminating the mastermind was merely the start; he now had to dismantle the very idea of the rebellion.
Lord Corvus, the overwhelmed Governor, urged immediate military action to prevent any public gathering.
Lord Corvus: "Your Highness, the garrison is prepared to declare martial law. We must not risk another speech; the people want a display of force against the perceived source of darkness."
Evan: "Force confirms their fear, Lord Corvus. It tells them the King hides the truth. I will speak in the main square, today, and I will be protected only by Captain William and the truth."
Evan's Strategic Acumen recognized that the populace needed a spectacle of vulnerability and absolute confidence. His presence alone, shielded only by a single warrior, was a powerful, non-verbal message of trust.
II. The Architect of Narrative
Evan climbed the stone steps of the central magistrate building, looking down upon the gathered crowd—a swirling mix of fearful commoners, aggressive ringleaders, and subtle agents of the remaining corruption. William stood behind him, a magnificent, silent fortress, his longsword sheathed but his presence radiating an unshakeable Stand.
Evan waited until the aggressive jeers and desperate demands of the crowd had peaked and begun to recede, using the power of patience to control the energy of the square.
Evan (Voice clear, carrying the full weight of the Crown): "You look for the face of the enemy! You look for the source of the curse! You are right to look, but you look in the wrong direction!"
He delivered the opening with immediate, Eloquent Authority, seizing the crowd's attention by validating their pain. He then exposed the deep-seated corruption: Garrick's scheme, the financial betrayal, and the role of the Volkar Empire.
Evan: "Your pain was harvested! It was packaged and sold by Minister Garrick, a traitor who used your hunger and your faith to line his pockets and weaken our defenses for Volkar's easy conquest! Your fear of Magic was turned into a weapon against your own Kingdom!"
He shifted the focus from the mystical fear of magic to the tangible, economic fear of invasion and corruption—a shift every common person could grasp.
III. The Rhetorical Force
The core of Evan's address was the dismantling of the Anti-Magic doctrine itself. He could not deny the existence of dark magic, but he could change its classification.
Evan: "The dark arts are a shadow, but they are not the Kingdom! Every man here knows the power of the blade—it can be used to defend the innocent, or to murder the just! Magic is not a person; it is a tool! A tool left behind by history! When a weapon is used for murder, do you punish the axe, or the hand that wields it?"
This powerful piece of Rhetorical Force created a necessary intellectual space: it separated the abstract fear of the curse from the concrete reality of the traitor's intent.
He then leveraged the presence of William, the man who was pure strength and loyalty.
Evan: "I did not bring the Royal Guard to fight you. I brought Captain William —a warrior whose strength you saw used against the Volkar assassins! He stands here, ready to defend you, not to conquer you! I am here to tell you: The true King fights the traitors and the invaders, not the prayers and fears of his people!"
The collective will of the mob broke. The ringleaders were isolated, unable to argue against the logic, the evidence of treason, and the undeniable presence of the Volkar enemy. The mob's energy was successfully repurposed into a surge of patriotic relief and a renewed sense of order. Evan had won the battle for the city's mind.
IV. The Strategist's Next Move
Within the hour, the city began to calm. Evan's Oratorical Command had given the populace a new focus, restoring enough public trust for Lord Corvus to begin a clean-up operation.
Meanwhile, Evan's victory was immediately noted by Theron's agents. Theron received the detailed accounts of the speech, noting the Narrative Control that was woven through every sentence. Theron understood that Evan was not just stabilizing the North; he was building a powerful, legitimate base of support among the common people.
Theron (Internal thought, analyzing the report): He uses his voice to command trust, and his Captain to command fear. He is securing the Kingdom from the bottom up. We must find the origin of his discipline before he becomes untouchable.
Evan knew his strategic victory in the capital was now complete, but the looming deadline of the Sacrificial Magic was already beginning to stir again. He had one more political task in the North—a gesture of goodwill and lasting peace—before he could safely return to the capital and face his brothers.
The stage is set for Chapter 11, focusing on Evan's final goodwill gesture in the North and the escalating counter-strategy from Theron.