I've finally exited the forest's reach.

Smoke. A lot of it. What has happened up ahead at the station?

The guard tower's up in flames...

If those people caused the people of Ruvere to fight amongst themselves... maybe the Eindell team did the same thing here. That might explain the damage.

There's still a short distance to Eindell. I wasn't expecting to see the fighting spread till the station. There are corpses strewn about. Imperial guards and civilians.

There's even a blockade in front of the gate to the city...

I don't think Sophie could have passed this area yet. I should wait here for her to arrive-

"H-halt! Kid! Where the hell did you come from?! We can't let you into the city! Are you an Imperial or a rebel!?"

Ah... as expected, the natives are trying to fight back against the Empire's occupation.

But seriously, these guys are even scared of an injured kid? What a bunch of cowards.

Which answer would be most beneficial for me? I need more information. But I don't really feel like spending Willpower on this guy...

"Asking for my name, before giving yours? You have some gall, lowly filth."

"That arrogant way of talking! Y-you're an Imperial! Aaaah!"

Oops. A swing and a miss.

This guy is so sloppy... not that his friends are any better. I'm barely putting any strength into parrying, but their swords are flying away on their own.

"You're such worthless fighters but you consider yourselves rebels? The only thing you're rebelling against is a proper weight."

Are you mad at the air? Why are you running and swinging your sword like that?

He fell down by himself after I sidestepped him. Are you serious? How did these guys manage to kill the guards? They must've been caught off guard or didn't fight back... poor idiots.

"K-kill me!"

All of his friends stopped moving, the moment he ended underneath my boot. I didn't even mean to step on him, he slid forwards into my foot when I tried to step back.

"And why would I do that? It is a boon for the empire to have an enemy like yourself."

"Y-you! Fiend!"

Oh. I see my chance.

-Willpower: 14/24-

"Maybe we should consider who is the actual fiend here... You pig. Eating yourself to death every single day. You've led a privileged life, have you not? But you still chose to rebel against the Empire. You're nothing but an entitled child in the body of an adult."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

That touched a nerve.

"Shut up! You monster! You're the privileged one! You know nothing about the suffering of the weak!"

What bold statements from all of you... I'll be sure to change that. I want to see just how much I can manipulate an uneducated crowd. In Ruvere, there were already tensions I could exploit between them. But here they're solely hostile to me.

You, my not so dear rebels, are going to be guinea pigs to test out my acting chops.

-Willpower: 13/24-

"I don't deny I've had privileges but is what I said untrue? Judging by your rotundness, you must've been happy to be able to gorge yourself to death. Meanwhile noble children half your age like me, are sent to their deaths as soldiers to protect their country. To protect ungrateful scum like you, who've never had to fight a day in their life but yet still choose violence, destruction and death. Do you understand the emotions that I'm feeling? Why have you rebelled against the Empire? What reasons could you all possibly have?"

I am genuinely curious. What would make someone who is living a good life go out and risk their lives for?

"For the poor! The oppressed natives who are being unfairly treated by the Empire!"

Really... the poor and oppressed. The cult brainwashing's got them bad. Those are probably not even their own words. They're the words of activists and protestors...

These rebels, can they come up with a single thought on their own? With their personal beliefs and opinions? Or maybe they just don't have any...

-Willpower: 12/24-

"You want to help the poor and oppressed. That's a good thing. But how was slaughtering the guards at this train station supposed to help?"

Ah... that's the expression I wanted to see. Dumb founded but slowly thinking...

"The Imperials guards were oppressing-"

-Willpower: 11/24-

"Yes but the guards here protected everyone. Visitors from other countries, Imperials, the lower class. The guards protected everyone who used the Continental train. From all classes, from all walks of life, they protected everyone equally. How did they oppress the people..?"

Oh oh. Yes you dumbasses. You've finally connected the dots. You stuck your hand in the cookie jar. And now your hand can't get out. Your stupid faces tells me that you know you've made a huge mistake.

-Willpower: 10/24-

"You were used to cause conflict-"

People like sure are common... Weaponized by a belief, a movement, a cult, an organization, by schools. Everyone who falls under x or y is bad. Everyone who opposes our 'goodness' is bad. It is okay to disregard 'bad' people's feelings and opinions. There isn't a need to listen. And once they refuse to listen to others, to think for themselves... there is rarely a way out. The brainwashing is complete. But maybe these sheep can still change their minds.

"-Now that the station guards here are dead, how will this aid the poor and oppressed?"

X and y don't have humanity because they don't share our 'good' beliefs to protect the weak, oppressed, under privileged.

"Will these senseless deaths put bread in the mouths of the hungry or money in the pockets of the poor?"

So that's why I'm demonstrating to you idiots. I'm an Imperial, a bad guy on the other side of the fence... but I have your beliefs.

"And now who will protect the weak and powerless from the wild monsters encroaching on the city's borders..? To take up the duty upheld by these now dead guards..."

I'm displaying our shared humanity... Isn't that shaking up your world?

"You don't care about the weak! You're a monster!"

-Willpower: 9/24-

"But I do. That is why I became a soldier. To protect those who could not protect themselves... What do you think is going to happen to them even if your rebellion succeeds? During the course of this rebellion, most of them will starve to death. The churches won't be able to give food out because the city is under martial law. Do you realize the consequences of your actions?"

Is your faith shaken? It definitely is. Your legs are trembling like newborn foal.

"Did we do the right thing?"

Congratulations random person. The moment you asked that question, your compatriots' minds were affected too.

That is why this type of extremist thinking is dangerous. It makes people easy to control when their minds lean so heavily to one side.

As soon as I showed some slightly similar goals to theirs, their perception of me warped completely.

Look at them sweeping the floor with their gazes. They're ashamed of themselves. Hahaha.

-Willpower: 8/24-

"Does your rebellion have enough resources to support an entire city? You claim to protect the weak but your rebellion has abandoned them to die!"

Now sheep... What will you do?