From Trash to Villain Master of Card: With Harem of Evil women-Chapter 57: Day 2 - The Power of Words

Temporary Infirmary — Night of Day 1

Adelheid was lying down while medics checked her bandage for the third time.

The combat had partially re-opened the wound—not seriously, but enough to require new stitches.

Kaito sat beside her bed, watching the process with a guilty expression.

"I shouldn’t have let you fight."

Adelheid looked at him.

"You couldn’t have stopped me."

"I could have tried harder."

"And I would have fought anyway."

The medic finished securing the new bandage.

"Commander, you need absolute rest. No more physical combat for at least two weeks."

Adelheid nodded.

"Understood."

The medic left, leaving them alone.

Kaito gently took Adelheid’s hand.

"Was it worth it? All that pain, just to..."

"Lose," Adelheid completed. "Yes. It was worth it."

She sat up slightly, grimacing.

"Because I proved something. To myself, to the people, to you."

Her eyes met Kaito’s.

"That I won’t give up. That I’ll fight to the end for what I want."

Kaito squeezed her hand softly.

"I know. I’ve always known."

They remained like that for a long moment.

Finally, Adelheid spoke in a softer voice.

"Tomorrow is oratory. It’s not my strength."

"I know."

"I’ll probably lose to Lilith."

"Probably."

Adelheid smiled despite the pain.

"Thanks for the brutal honesty."

Kaito smiled too.

"You want me to lie?"

"No. Never."

She paused.

"But I’ll try anyway. Because there’s still strategy. And that... that I can win."

"I know."

Kaito stood.

"Rest. Tomorrow you’ll need all your energy."

Adelheid nodded.

When Kaito reached the door, she spoke again.

"Commander."

"Yes?"

"What I said today. In the arena. About protecting what I love."

Kaito stopped.

"It wasn’t just rhetoric."

Kaito didn’t respond.

He didn’t need to.

He left, feeling the weight of those words.

---

Naporia’s Room — Same Night

Naporia was sitting on her bed, her torso completely bandaged.

Three broken ribs were no joke.

Valeria was there, helping adjust the bandages that Naporia had loosened trying to move too much.

"Stay still."

"I am still."

"You’re not."

Naporia grumbled but obeyed.

Valeria worked with mechanical efficiency, but something in her expression was different.

Less empty. More... present.

"Why did you do it?" Naporia finally asked.

Valeria didn’t look up.

"I already told you. You wanted to win more."

"But you could have defeated me. Easily."

Valeria finished securing the last bandage.

"Yes."

"Then why?"

Valeria sat in the chair beside the bed.

She was silent for a long time.

Finally, she spoke in a voice that sounded like she was discovering the words as she said them.

"The Commander called me a friend."

Naporia blinked.

"And?"

"It’s the first time anyone has used that word for me."

She touched her own chest.

"I don’t fully understand what it means. But I think... it involves putting others’ needs above your own."

She looked at Naporia.

"You needed that victory more than I did. So I gave it to you."

Naporia studied her for a moment.

Then she smiled—not her battle smile, but something softer.

"Then I guess you’re my friend too."

Valeria processed that.

"Am I?"

"Yes. Because you did something for me without benefiting yourself. That’s friendship."

Valeria nodded slowly.

"I understand."

She stood.

"Rest. Tomorrow is oratory."

"I know. I’m going to lose horribly."

"Probably."

Naporia laughed, then grimaced in pain.

"Don’t make me laugh. It hurts."

Valeria almost smiled.

Almost.

She left the room.

---

Library — Midnight

Lilith was alone, surrounded by books on rhetoric.

But she wasn’t reading.

She was staring into space, processing something.

Aria entered with tea.

"I thought you’d be celebrating."

Lilith looked at her.

"Celebrating?"

"Tomorrow is your trial. Oratory. You’re going to dominate."

Lilith took the tea Aria offered.

"Probably."

"Then why do you seem... pensive?"

Lilith drank her tea slowly before responding.

"Because I lost today. And I don’t remember the last time I genuinely lost anything."

Aria sat across from her.

"Does it bother you?"

"Not exactly. It... surprises me."

She set down the cup.

"Adelheid defeated me with pure willpower. No tricks. No superior powers. Just... refusing to surrender."

She paused.

"And I realized something. I’ve never fought like that. I’ve always used manipulation, cunning, indirect power."

She looked at Aria.

"What does that say about me?"

Aria considered the question seriously.

"It says you’re intelligent. That you use your strengths."

"Or that I’m a coward."

"Or that you’re strategic."

Lilith smiled slightly.

"You always find a way to make it sound better."

"It’s my talent."

They remained in comfortable silence.

Finally, Lilith spoke again.

"Tomorrow I’m going to win. But I’m going to do it honestly."

Aria raised an eyebrow.

"Without manipulation?"

"Without direct manipulation. I’ll use words, logic, genuine emotion."

She looked at her hands.

"But not my power. I want to win like Adelheid won today. With who I am, not with tricks."

Aria smiled.

"Kaito will be proud."

"Maybe."

Lilith stood.

"Or maybe I’ll lose spectacularly. But at least I’ll know I truly tried."

---

Main Plaza — Day 2, Dawn

The setup was completely different today.

There was no combat arena. Instead, an elevated stage with a central podium. Semicircular stands around it for the audience.

It looked more like a theater than a battlefield.

But the tension was just as high.

The crowd had returned—some different faces, some the same. But all curious to see this very different type of competition.

Kaito was in the judges’ box with a panel of five randomly selected citizens to represent the people’s perspective.

Gorman explained the rules.

"Two parts. First: individual thirty-minute speech. Topic: ’Why I Deserve to be Queen of Neudämmerung.’"

The crowd murmured with interest.

"Second part: group debate for one hour. The topic will be revealed then."

"The judges will score based on clarity, persuasiveness, emotional connection with the audience, and logic of arguments."

Kaito added.

"No use of supernatural powers. Only words."

He looked toward the preparation rooms.

"A draw determines the presentation order."

Gorman drew tokens from the urn.

"Naporia presents first."

Murmurs—some sympathetic, some with morbid anticipation.

"Followed by Valeria, then Adelheid, finally Lilith."

Kaito sat down.

"Let it begin."

---

Speech 1: Naporia

Naporia ascended the stage in her full imperial uniform.

Every movement revealed the bandaged ribs beneath.

She stood before the podium.

Looked at the crowd.

Opened her mouth.

"I’m the strongest."

An awkward pause.

"I’ve killed more enemies than the other three combined."

More silence.

"And... uh..."

Naporia clearly hadn’t prepared beyond that.

She looked at her notes—which consisted of three lines written in clumsy handwriting.

"I’ll protect everyone. With my sword."

The audience waited for her to continue.

Naporia tried to elaborate.

"The others... well, Adelheid is good with strategy. But I win battles."

"Lilith is... cunning. But I’m direct."

"And Valeria is... Valeria."

Someone in the audience coughed.

Naporia continued desperately.

"If you choose me as Queen, no one will dare attack us. Because I’m terrifying."

She paused.

"In a good way."

More silence.

Naporia clearly didn’t know what else to say.

"That’s... all."

She stepped off the stage.

Five minutes of the allotted thirty had passed.

The judges exchanged glances.

One whispered to Kaito: "Can we give negative points?"

Kaito sighed.

"Just... be generous with points for honesty."

The score appeared: 4/10

Naporia saw the number and shrugged.

At least she’d been honest.

---

Speech 2: Valeria

Valeria ascended the stage in her full armor.

Axe on her back.

She stood before the podium like a soldier in formation.

She spoke in a flat, mechanical voice.

"I will serve with maximum efficiency. Eliminate threats. Protect resources."

A pause of exactly three seconds.

"As Queen, I will implement optimal security protocols. Organize defenses with mathematical precision. Neutralize opponents before they become problems."

All technically correct.

But completely without emotion.

As if she were reading an instruction manual.

"My qualifications include: superior physical strength, adequate tactical knowledge, zero emotional compromise that could cloud judgment."

The audience listened with respect but no real connection.

"Statistically, I am the most viable option for the kingdom’s long-term survival."

She continued like this for twenty minutes.

Data. Statistics. Logical arguments.

But zero charisma.

When she finished, the audience applauded politely.

But no one felt inspired.

Score: 6/10

Better than Naporia in content, but worse in human connection.

Valeria accepted the number with no visible reaction.

---

Speech 3: Adelheid

Adelheid ascended the stage with the help of her cane.

Her posture was perfectly military despite the visible pain.

She stood before the podium.

She didn’t use notes.

She spoke with a clear voice that carried natural authority.

"Citizens of Neudämmerung. Soldiers. Friends."

Her gaze swept across the audience.

"I won’t tell you I’m the strongest. Naporia is stronger than me in direct combat."

"I won’t tell you I’m the most cunning. Lilith surpasses me in manipulation and political strategy."

"And I won’t tell you I’m the most efficient. Valeria executes orders with a precision I will never achieve."

A deliberate pause.

"But I will tell you this: I am the one who has been here the longest. Since Dreisburg."

Her voice filled with contained emotion.

"I saw when this kingdom was nothing but an idea. I saw when we were just a handful of refugees and deserters."

"I fought in every battle. I wept for every fallen soldier. I celebrated every victory."

She pointed toward the fortress.

"This place is my home. You are my family. And I served as Supreme Commander not because I was ordered to, but because I believe in what we built."

Her voice intensified.

"As Queen, I won’t just protect you. I will understand you. Because I have bled with you. I have lost with you. I have won with you."

She looked directly at Kaito.

"And I will continue to do so. Until my last breath."

The audience was completely silent.

Adelheid continued.

"Neudämmerung is not a kingdom of conquest. It is a kingdom of refuge. Of second chances."

"And I am the embodiment of that. I was summoned to be a weapon. I chose to be a leader."

"I was gravely wounded. I chose to rise."

"I was defeated yesterday. I choose to try again today."

Her voice softened.

"So I don’t ask you to choose me because I’m the best at something. I ask you to choose me because I am one of you."

"And I always will be."

She bowed slightly and stepped down from the stage.

The audience exploded into applause.

Many stood up.

Kaito noticed tears on the faces of some veterans.

Score: 7.5/10

Strong. Emotional. Connected with the audience.

But it lacked the element of future vision that some judges wanted.

Adelheid accepted it with dignity and sat down.

---

Speech 4: Lilith

Lilith ascended the stage barefoot as always.

Her dress flowed with every movement.

She didn’t go to the podium immediately.

She walked to the edge of the stage.

Looking directly at the audience.

And when she spoke, her voice was different.

Not seductive. Not manipulative.

Just... honest.

"I am a villain."

Pause.

"Not figuratively. Literally. I was sealed away by gods because I represented a threat to the established order."

The audience tensed.

"I was a queen in my time. I used poison—not physical, but mental—to overthrow tyrants who enslaved their people with false religion."

"And I was punished for it. Sealed away. Forgotten."

She walked slowly across the stage.

"Until Kaito summoned me. Gave me a second chance."

Her golden eyes gleamed.

"And you know what I’ve discovered in these months here? That Neudämmerung is a kingdom of second chances for everyone."

She pointed toward the audience.

"You. You were refugees, deserters, reformed criminals. They told you that you were worthless."

"Kaito told you that you were worth everything."

Her voice intensified with genuine passion.

"As Queen, I would do the same. I would take the discarded, the forgotten, the ’villains’..."

"And I would show them that they can be heroes."

She paused, letting the words settle.

"Adelheid spoke of bleeding with you. And it’s true. She has been here longer."

"But I understand something she cannot. I understand what it feels like to be judged. To be called a monster. To be discarded."

She looked directly at specific people in the audience.

"As some of you were judged. As some of you were discarded."

"And we chose to rise anyway."

Her voice dropped, becoming more intimate.

"I don’t promise you I’ll be a perfect Queen. I’ll be a Queen who understands darkness. Because I’ve lived in it."

"And that is why I can guide you toward the light."

She walked back to the center of the stage.

"Neudämmerung doesn’t need a Queen who is strong. It needs a Queen who is wise."

"It doesn’t need a Queen without fear. It needs a Queen who understands fear and chooses to act anyway."

"It doesn’t need a perfect Queen. It needs a real Queen."

She looked at every section of the audience.

"And I am real. With all my flaws. All my scars. All my dark history."

"But also with all my experience. All my determination. And all my commitment to this place that gave me a second chance."

She bowed deeply.

"Thank you for listening. And for considering that a villain... can also be a queen."

She stepped down from the stage.

The silence lasted three seconds.

Then the audience exploded.

Not just applause.

Cheers. Whistles. People standing.

Kaito watched, fascinated.

Aria, sitting nearby, whispered: "She said she was going to be honest."

"And she was," Kaito responded.

Score: 9.5/10

The highest of the day.

By a wide margin.

---

Break Before the Debate

The four queens were in separate waiting rooms.

Naporia knew she had lost spectacularly.

Adelheid knew she had done well but not enough.

Valeria wasn’t processing the result emotionally.

And Lilith...

Lilith was alone, looking at her hands.

Still trembling slightly from the adrenaline of speaking with such honesty.

Aria entered.

"You were incredible."

Lilith looked up.

"Was I?"

"Completely. Genuine. Powerful. No tricks."

Aria sat beside her.

"How did it feel?"

Lilith considered the question.

"Terrifying. And... liberating."

She smiled slightly.

"Maybe there is power in honesty after all."

---

Group Debate — One Hour Later

The four queens ascended the stage together.

Four podiums arranged in a semicircle.

Kaito announced the debate topic.

"How would you handle a famine crisis threatening a third of the population?"

The four tensed.

It wasn’t a theoretical question—it was a situation Neudämmerung had recently faced.

"Naporia, you begin."

Naporia cleared her throat.

"We hunt more. Organize mass hunting expeditions."

Pause.

"And... uh... maybe trade with other kingdoms."

Short. Simple. But not detailed.

"Valeria."

"Efficient rationing. Per capita caloric calculation. Optimized distribution based on labor need."

Technically correct but without compassion.

"Adelheid."

"Organize military agriculture. Soldiers farm during peacetime. Establish communal farms. Implement crop rotation."

Solid. Practical.

"Lilith."

Lilith took a moment before responding.

"First, we assess available resources. Not just food, but also relationships."

"Negotiate trade with allies—Stahl, for example. Offer Adenites in exchange for grain."

"Simultaneously, redistribute resources internally. Those who have more, share. Not forced, but incentivized."

"Plant fast-growing crops—potatoes, turnips. Harvest in sixty days."

"And establish a ration system that is fair but flexible. Families with children receive more. The elderly and manual workers as well."

She paused.

"But also something more important: transparent communication. The people need to know what’s happening, why, and how long it will last."

"Panic kills faster than hunger."

The audience murmured with approval.

The debate continued for forty-five minutes.

Naporia tried to contribute but got lost in details.

Valeria offered efficient but inhumane solutions.

Adelheid proposed military structures that worked but were rigid.

And Lilith...

Lilith navigated every scenario with a combination of pragmatism, empathy, and long-term vision.

When it ended, the audience voted.

Results:

· Valeria: 15% (respect for efficiency, but no connection)

· Naporia: 18% (honesty appreciated, but clearly out of her element)

· Adelheid: 28% (solid, reliable, but predictable)

· Lilith: 39% (a combination of intelligence, empathy, and communication)

Kaito stood.

"Winner of day two: Lilith."

The crowd applauded.

"Updated score: Naporia one, Lilith one, Adelheid zero, Valeria zero."

He looked at the four.

"Tomorrow: Strategy. Prepare yourselves."

Day two had ended.

And now it was tied.

Everything would depend on the next two days.