Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 944: Pledge of Support

Chapter 944: Chapter 944: Pledge of Support

He took this chance to speak while there was magic amplifying their voice.

It was all thanks to Alwin’s magic.

The Elder’s voice would not have been heard by an unruly crowd with instigators hiding in them if he spoke without the amplifier magic.

The people were silenced at the Elder’s words since he was respected in Sibruh because of his achievements during his term.

Arabella heard from male servant’s thoughts that the Elder heard Arabella’s speech from his room, so he asked them to bring him here.

They had no choice but to obey or else the Elder would have walked on his own, even with much difficulty.

"Please, be seated comfortably, Elder," Arabella smiled at the Elder, who remained standing, even with much difficulty, because she was here.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," the Elder said, and the male servants quickly brought a seat for him.

They had been holding on to the seat while hiding behind the wall, but Arabella heard their thoughts.

The Sibruh Family was touched by her consideration and said, "Our deepest gratitude, Your Majesty."

With the crowd finally silent, Arabella continued her speech.

"As I have said earlier, I came here to Sibruh to find something I can help with.

And just from looking from this distance, I could already tell Sibruh does need help in various aspects.

My assistants and I had several meetings before heading here.

We understand that a great population of Sibruh relies on farming, trade, and other agricultural-related activities.

However, due to the pest infestation and plant disease, you have lost your source of income, especially with the lockdown and temporary prohibition of farming.

We understand why you are worried about your future.

Rest assured, we have you in mind.

As His Majesty already relayed to you, food supply and other necessities will continue to be provided by Riva.

You do not need to worry that it may run out since we have ample supplies that can last for several years.

We have more than a hundred storage houses in Riva alone, so you need not fret that the food supply will stop coming.

Further, thanks to the lockdown, other territories were not affected by the pest infestation and plant disease.

Thus, a number of territories had pledged to send food supplies and other necessary resources to Sibruh and all the affected territories."

Arabella moved on to the carrot part of her speech.

She used the stick first to ensure the people listened.

If the carrot came first, there would be nothing to appease them after the stick.

"Ohhh!!!"

[If the other territories are also helping, then we don’t have to rely on Riva alone.]

The people gasped, their moods changing slightly at what she said.

"Is this a promise, Your Majesty?"

Some people dared to ask.

"Yes, I swear on my name as Empress Arabella Lobelius Valeria."

Arabella easily pledged since she was sure of it.

"Supply from Riva will come as promised. The supplies from the other territories as well. Hear it from my assistants themselves, who belong to different families in the Empire."

Arabella gestured to her assistants.

They had planned this part so they knew what to do.

Alwin will also amplify their voice so everyone can hear it.

The pledges were unexpected, but a lot of houses with good harvests that were sure they would not be affected by the plant disease and pests had offered a portion of their produce.

Their reasons were: to curry favor from Arabella and Ferdinand, to show off that they managed their territory well and thus had a good harvest, as their duty as part of Valeria, and out of sympathy.

Helping a territory in need was one reason for several kingdoms joining together in one Empire.

"I am Ronald Reginald, assistant to Her Majesty. The Reginald Household had pledged to send 15% of its produce to affected territories and various seeds and seedlings for farmers once farming is allowed," Ronald said.

As a territory ruled by Estrellians, the Reginald Dukedom always had a good harvest.

Not to mention, it was currently ruled by Ronald’s father, who was an elf.

Seedlings from them were sure to result in good harvests if taken care of properly.

The farmers were delighted to hear about this since even the seeds they hid were eaten by rats.

Receiving free seeds and seedlings meant they did not have to fret about money to buy some.

Arabella and Ferdinand originally planned to get a supply for this from the Department of Agriculture.

But with the Reginald Household volunteering to do it, they did not have to worry about it anymore.

"I am Oscar Maximus, assistant to Her Majesty. The Maximus Household has pledged 15% of its produce to affected territories and weapons for soldiers to use for the winter," Oscar said.

As a military household that supported the Imperial Family, Oscar’s family had among the largest numbers of weapons in the Empire.

Weapons for knights were usually provided in good quality.

Soldiers were supposed to receive theirs as well.

But in far-flung territories like Sibruh, which was not as rich as others, the knights were the priority, and the distribution depended on the ruling households and their budget.

Thus, the soldiers who heard this were delighted since the Maximus household made good-quality weapons.

They had weapons distributed by the Sibruh household, but something from Maximus would be much sturdier. Plus, expensive to boot, and they would receive it for free.

"I am Narcissa Ryvaleh, assistant to Her Majesty. Ryvaleh has pledged 10% of its produce and a supply of winter clothing for affected territories," Narcissa said.

Ryvaleh did not have as many farmlands as Reginald or Maximus, so their pledge was a bit smaller.

It was still a lot, though, and highly appreciated.

The people were delighted to hear about the winter clothing since the production of thread and textile was affected by the pest infestation and plant disease.

Thus, producing enough clothing had also become a worry to the locals.

Winter meant needing a lot of layers due to the cold. Thus, they were relieved to hear that they would receive some for free.