Chapter 120 120: Setting the stage

"Come in, come in!" I shouted from a small stage created by putting a simple, wooden platform over a total of five empty barrels. "All mid and high-level adventurers assemble, we have a job for you all!"Thanks to Selia's magical trick of some kind, my voice carried far further into the streets than it would normally do.Quite the effective tactic to counter all the military recruiters when all they had was their own voice and hopes it would be their words that would attract the greatest crowd possible.And judging by how a few passersby already stopped to listen to what I had to say, whatever trick Selia used, it was working."Do you wish to earn good money without the need to spill human blood? Are you willing to make fortune doing what all of you trained to do, by adventuring?!"Seeing how more and more people started to gather – most, likely only because they already saw a crowd forming and gave in to their innate curiosity – I decided to get to the core of the topic right away."My company is now recruiting adventurers to establish a logistic line between this town and the jungle of death!" I announced with the loudest, most serious voice I could. "It's time to put an end to all those who doesn't want the good people of this town to profit from the treasure trove of that forest!"My second comment instantly made some people scowl while others squinted their eyes, confused.Who would want to stop them from earning?That was the question I wanted to take root in their heads. And, quite obviously, I had absolutely no plans of providing them with any answers.If I did, I would be seen as someone trying to rally people against some faction, powerful figure or whoever it would be that I would point my finger to.I would never do something that stupid… and counterproductive.No.It was much better to just point towards some unspecified entity and then leave it to the people to "figure it out" who I had in mind when whistleblowing like that.All that I wanted was to establish that there was some force trying to put the good people of this town down for some nerfarious purpose.As for what purpose it would be? What force was behind it? What was the goal of it all?I left all of that for the good people of this town to "figure out themselves", making whatever they "figured out" much more compelling than anything I could ever try to tell them.People always valued their own discoveries more than what they were told. It was a mental trick so damn effective, it even made its way to the standard salesman training I received when I applied for my part-time as a shopping clerk!"This town is filled with powerful adventurers… But, despite such a massive force easily capable of generating massive income, isn't this town declining?!"I threw out yet another question for the crowd gathering below my stage to answer themselves.And coincidentally, it was a question everyone could easily answer by just taking a quick look around.Some parts of the town were in disrepair, with the owners of the buildings either dead or now gone from the town. Other parts of the town, once bustling with life, were now lacking the same air they had in the past.To a degree, it was a natural process.For a town settled to serve an industry of adventurers going out into the forest of death, it had to enter a process of slow decline once the hype for this kind of adventure died out.It was a natural process, a consequence of human mentality, typical changes and simple laws of physics and mathematics.But the locals?They likely had no clue about it. Save for watching how the town they either built themselves or emigrated into in search for a better life is falling into a decline, they couldn't know the reasons behind it. All they knew, is how their livelihoods were worsening with each passing day, week and month.And now that I claimed there was some ambigious force behind it?They were more than willing to lend me their ears!"I will tell you what's going on!" I proclaimed out loud, only to earn myself a look of disbelief from Selia and looks of doubt from the small crowd we already managed to gather. "It's all because we are not fighting back!"Then, came the second most important part of the show. A performance I paid, through Greg a pretty penny for."And how could you know that?!" Someone from within the crowd shouted… somehow managing to create a voice loud enough to cut even into my speech, even with Selia actively trying to amplify the reach and power of my voice. "You are not even a local, so what does it have to do with you!"There was a massive difference between someone trying to call me out on the flaws of my speech, story or anything else… and someone paid to do so.In the first case, I would have to actively defend what I was trying to create here, fight off any attempts to make the bad guy and dismantle all the possible doubts that came with it.But when those doubts were raised by someone tasked with doing so?"And how is that any different for any of you?!" I screamed right back, not letting anyone else join in on calling me out. "Most of the people here are outsiders who settled here in hopes for a better life! How are the adventurers here any different, when they came here to prove their mantle by venturing into the forest of death and then ended up staying once they realized just how much bounty it held?!"I allowed my words to linger in the air for a moment."It is true. I'm different from all of you!" I called out again, striking my fist against my chest as if I was admitting my sins.Then, I opened up my arms."But at the same time, I'm also exactly the same as all of you!"Once again, I created a short pause to let my words sink into everyone's ears."I'm an outsider because it wasn't even that long since I arrived in this town. But I'm also a local, because just like everyone here, I just want to peacefully make a living!"I reinforced my points by elaborating on them.Just a little. One sentence for each of the points I was trying to establish.And judging by the nods of approval I spotted within the crowd, all of my techniques were working.Or maybe just some of them?Since there was no way to really measure it, I never bothered doing so in the first place. What was important, was that the people gathered below my stage weren't now just lending me their ears — they were actively listening."Just like all of you, I just want to earn money, eat good food and have a comfortable place to sleep and spend time with my family. I want to have a stable future where I don't need to worry about tomorrow. And most of all, I'm sick and tired of all the warring when it's only goal is to destroy and steal what others build rather than trying to create something I could call my own!"Slowly, I started to switch the narrative. And while I included a small anti-war bit, I made sure not to go overboard with it.For now, I was just a merchant hoping to recruit people to combat the decay of the town. If I were to say too much, however?"But there are forces at play, forces too powerful for me to name or point my finger at without worry of having my entire hand cut off! Forces that wish for this town, for this community, for all of you to fail, to lose your money, your businesses, your security, all so that they could swoop in and take everything you own for no more than some pittance!"Once again, I railed the crowd a bit.Because now that I was about to get to the point, to reveal my grand plan, I needed them to be as heated as possible.After all, people bound by their raging emotions rarely took a step back to give something a serious, calm and composed look! And while I actually planned to revive this town… Right at the beginning, there were simply too many holes in my project for it to survive if everyone started to poke their fingers into said holes!"I know I can't stand up to those forces. I know none of you can. But there's something that we all can do!"Then, after the third and the last pause designed to give the people a moment to think through everything that I've said, I reached out with my hand and pointed it to the side of the stage.Following the plan, Selia then dropped down the hood of her cloak before climbing up to the stage with a single jump and presenting her face to the crowd."What is it?!" Someone, an actor paid for by Greg, called out."TELL US!" This shout wasn't paid for.It was a result of me planting all the emotional seeds during my speech and now watching them blossom."WHO IS IT THAT TRIES TO DESTROY US?!"'Okay, that's a bit too much,' I thought, clearing my throat into my fist just loud enough to stop the shouts from the crowd and focus everyone's attention back to me and Selia."I don't want you to fight. I don't even want you to try to actively resist those who wish doom upon this town. I want all of you to do something they won't be able to do anything against, not without revealing their ugly faces!"Then, wasting no time for yet another pause, I reached out with my hand to the side, only for Selia to grab it and then raise both of our hands up before speaking out herself."We want to make you guys rich! As rich as those who settled this town in the first place. As rich as those who came here from across the continent to seek fame and fortune!"Selia then lowered our arms before letting go of my hand and taking a step forward alone, coming almost to the very edge of this town."I want you to join us in our undertaking to make this once bustling town great again!"Taking half a step to the back, I allowed a small smile of satisfaction to creep up to my lips.By now, the crowd was all heated, with some people in the middle of it already starting to chant Selia's tittle."SAINTESS! SAINTESS! SAINTESS!"Others came with a different chant."LETS MAKE THIS TOWN GREAT AGAIN!"And as the emotions, rather than calming down, continued to grow even more intense, I moved forward only for Selia to step back as soon as she sensed me move, giving me the focus of the stage."So what?!" I called out into the crowd before spreading my arms open like a father happy to welcome strangers into his family, "do you want to make money and become rich with me?!" I threw the question into the crowd, only to then turn my hand and point at a fake military recruiter stand I had Greg set up just the day before."OR WOULD YOU RATHER THROW YOUR LIVES AWAY AS CANNON FODDER SO THAT OTHERS CAN GET RICH OF YOUR UNNECESSARY SACRIFACE?!"