The Empress's Will to Live: System Help Me!-Chapter 20: Store??

Daisy not only flipped the narrative, but she actually did the best thing she possibly could. She understood the needs and the will of those around her, even because of this little fuck-up.

She understood that from Orsen to Böring to everybody who was in the room with her, they were truly from the Imperial family, truly for the Empire and its people, and not just some motherfuckers who wanted to seize power or hold an influential position. They were with her as the Empress to change the Empire into a space where nobody was starving, nobody was suffering... just restoring the whole thing.

And that was something she needed to know, as even in the game itself, when she played on her phone, it was crucial to keep up the loyalty and trust of your own servants, the ministers, the generals, those people she needed to secure the most. Though in the game it was much easier; she just needed to tap on the bar and it went up. But now, at least she realized that she truly needed to be careful with her words and her plans, and dearly needed to think in real-life terms, not just how she did in the game.

Though at least now they had taken the oath for the second time, which meant they were truly on her side. Even so, a question remained what the fuck was she supposed to do next? 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Hundreds of thousands were still outside the palace, applauding in excitement. Heralds and messengers continued to spread Daisy’s words throughout the entire Empire, which meant more and more people were placing their faith in her... millions of them. And the worst part was that even the starving looked at her as their hope, which meant that if she did nothing, then she truly was fucked.

"Böring. Zarah." She spoke as she looked at them. "If what I said is true, and the three kingdoms won’t attack, then what can they do?"

It was a necessary question, because it was obvious that after how she had openly disrespected them, they would undoubtedly try something, even if they couldn’t wage an outright war.

"In my opinion, the only things they can do are influence the villages and towns near the border, or send a mercenary to assassinate you, Daisy." Böring said. "But the first is far more dangerous. We can protect you, but if they manage to influence those villages and towns, then we would be forced to fight our own people."

"Böring is right," General Zarah continued. "The Empire is vast, and your words reaching those regions will take weeks. That means the three kingdoms are already ahead of us, and they will undoubtedly send people to manipulate the poor and starving. If we add up all the villages and towns involved, we’re talking about around half a million people."

"And those people won’t care about any of my words." Daisy replied, "but will they spread their own truth, one shaped by the manipulation of the three kingdoms?"

"Exactly, but it also means that their voices will grow stronger in those regions. It will become a power movement, and more people will join it." Zarah looked at Orsen, then back to Daisy. "Which also means your voice will be drowned out."

Fuck... what am I even supposed to do about this...

This was the first time she truly felt stressed, the first time her heart began to beat faster and faster, because there were only two options and neither of them would work.

One option was to send aid to those regions, but by the time it arrived, the people there would already be in open rebellion, thousands of them and the aid would amount to nothing. The other option was to send soldiers to stop them, to crush them, but that would spark a massive scandal across the Empire. Even the people who believed in Daisy would lose hope.

It would only work if they accepted the aid and believed in her... but that would take far too much time.

The whole situation looked like a loss. It felt as if she had to choose a side, and that side would be the masses who believed in Daisy. But that also meant she would have to deal with those who were already influenced by the three kingdoms, because right now, even if the heralds could reach those regions, and even if they did, it would be guaranteed shit. Those people were starving, stripped of dignity... words from a herald wouldn’t mean anything to them.

But then there was something else... something she hadn’t even thought about. Something she didn’t even know was possible.

[System Suggestion: You have 5,000 points to use in the store. It may help.]

...what?

[System: You have 5,000 points to use in the store.]

The shock on her face was so obvious that everyone in the room froze in confusion. Her mouth was slightly opened, and for a moment, she seemed completely disconnected from the world.

"Leave me. I need to think for a bit!" She snapped back to reality, shouting at them. The outburst only deepened the confusion, but everyone still obeyed, leaving the room. They thought it might simply be too much for her, that she needed time to decide... but hell no, she was furious.

"You motherfucker! You said nothing up until this point?!" She shouted, smashing her fist into the table.

[System: It is not my fault that you did not listen during the tutorial. It was highlighted that you have a Store where you can spend achievement points.]

She couldn’t say anything. She was so angry that she could just beat the fuck out of the System if it were a person. Like... she knew exactly what the Store was, the same fucking thing that was in the game, where she could buy a lot of things, fast passes, boosters. She could learn new technology, foods, medicine, everything. And now the motherfucking System just tells her that she has it, though it was really her fuckup.

She didn’t listen to the tutorial twice in a row, didn’t listen even for a single word of it. The first time she was crashing out and the second time, which was this life, she straight jumped into business, executing nobles and addressing her people... twice in a row she fucked up, which also meant she could have lived in the first life if she would have listened.

"Open the Store!"

[System: Opening the Store.]

"My fucking god..." Her voice just went low, and all the anger and the frustration she felt just disappeared in her as she saw the System window in front of her.

Hundreds of items that could not only help her, but help everybody. The same items that were in the game, boosters for crops, marching soldiers, mining or cooking, technology development, medicine everything was in there... with one problem.

"Why are all of them... locked?"

[System: Your current rank is level 10. All of the items are rank-based and will unlock as you progress. Available items are two. Would you like me to show them?]

"Yeah, do it."

[System Available Items: Imperial Herald of the Majesty]

"I’ve never used that... what does it do?" She asked, having no idea, and with her own heralds already out there spreading her words, it felt like a completely useless item.

[Imperial Herald of the Majesty: A one-time-use item. Once activated, you must specify the message you want the Herald to deliver and the target who should receive it. After you provide the instructions, the Herald will teleport to the location, sound three trumpets to gather the people, and then announce your message. The main advantage of this item is that it is a manipulation-type.]

Her mind almost exploded hearing it... especially hearing the words teleport and manipulation.

"You mean that... the Herald will manipulate the people to believe in the message?"

[System: Right, but the duration is a short period of time. Three days, and the manipulation will end after. The item can’t be used on influential people, only ordinary citizens.]

It was a cheat... a fucking cheat item she needed the most, almost as if God himself had put that item there so she could buy it and send the Herald to spread her words to those people.

It was just too much to even think about.

An item that could manipulate people for three days, making them believe in the message, whatever it was. It could be literally used in the worst possible way... and well, she already had an idea of how to use it.

"How much is that?" she asked, staring at it.

[System: 2,000 points.]

I have enough for that... what is the second time you tried the risk too?

[System: Exactly.]

[Second available item: Dragon Dance Sword Skill]

Well... it was obvious which one she was going to actually buy.

"Give me the Imperial Herald!" She shouted, not even thinking twice. In her mind, she didn’t need any sword kills, she already had the military and even her bodyguards on her side.

[System: You have successfully purchased the "Imperial Herald of the Majesty."]