The Soul Reborn: From Silence to Sovereignty Chapter 63

Chapter 63: The Day We Stood

While being in Noah’s arms as we lay on the bed doing our normal nightly routine ever since my pregnancy. I couldn’t help but think back to right after Malhart walked away.

After I turned to leave, I glanced back once he started walking. I watched Malhart go, his smug expression still burned into my memory.

Even though that annoyed me, I was already thinking ahead.

Letting him observe and take notes still gave him the freedom to spin things however he liked. With no one in the South to challenge him, his version would become the truth. I refused to let falsehoods leave the North.

I would never allow it!

Not while my daughter was still growing inside me and the North was finally beginning to bloom after years of stagnation. Everything Noah and I had built now teetered on the edge of someone else’s narrative.

The plan was to intercept anything he tried to send out before it got anywhere near the South. Those special messages Noah and I have exchanged in the past were possible to block with the right preparations.

Because here’s the truth… the only way to win is to remove the possibility of denial.

They call what we’re doing radical, as if teaching science instead of scripture could somehow unravel society. As if showing a child how gravity works or how blood flows through the body is more dangerous than leaving them in ignorance. They would rather cling to flowery words and outdated etiquette than nurture a mind that dares to think.

But what’s truly dangerous… is ignorance.

What’s criminal… is keeping people weak by teaching them myths and calling it law.

This world believes in spirits they’ve never seen before. Gods they can’t explain and forces they claim to feel but can’t prove. While I don’t deny faith has its place, it can’t be used for the foundation of a nation.

I’m sure the Holy Kingdom will have something to say about this in the future, but so far they’ve kept quiet, and I hope it stays that way. We do us, and you do you.

So I’ll show them the truth clearly and publicly.

I’ll put the laws of physics and the proofs of mathematics in front of every noble, commoner, and little snake sent by the crown. They will watch and learn as I prove why the way they think is wrong.

If it can be proven, then what crimes have I committed?

Once the fire of knowledge is lit, you can’t extinguish it.

If the South thinks they can steal what I'm building and claim it as their own, they're dead wrong. I will fight them tooth and nail with the greatest ally in this world by my side. So go ahead, snake of an advisor. Make your move; I'm ready.

Let them rot in their outdated temples and noble houses. Because the moment they try to take what I’ve created, we declare war and secede from the South.

Make no mistake, this school is my legacy, and this movement is the North’s.

It will be given to my daughter in the future, and she can do with it what she will because I trust her to build it to even greater heights considering who her parents are. Yeah, I’m bragging, hehe.

That night, I didn’t sleep much. I kept waking up, pacing the room, and planning in even greater detail how to show everyone what we will become.

Before the sun even crested the horizon, multiple messages were sent out to all nobles, merchant families, scholars, guards, and even the common folk who lived closest to the fortress.

This gathering would be the most important demonstration in Coldmere’s history.

I would seat Corven Malhart in the front row with his golden seal and dead eyes. Force him to watch the world move forward without him.

He wouldn’t just observe the future but witness it.

The courtyard had never seen a crowd like this before. Of course it wasn’t realistic to fit so many people into the newly built school, so in front of our castle was the most optimal.

Even on such short notice, people came in droves.

Nobles lined up on one side in ornate cloaks and cold curiosity. Commoners filled the open spaces, shoulder to shoulder, whispering with wide eyes. Traders, artisans, and even the castle staff stood near the back with expectant eyes.

My reputation was spreading so much through the North, and chants with my name were blurted out as if everyone had planned it in advance.

I emerged through the main gate of our castle, flanked by the people I’m most familiar with up to this point.

Livia walked to my left, straight-backed, eyes sharp, her cloak dancing in the wind. On my right, Noah moved like a calm storm with his imposing, graceful, and solid appearance. He offered me his arm, and I, of course, took it without hesitation. I leaned on him like the solid pillar he was.

We walked slowly, my growing belly making each step a little harder than the last. But I refused to slow down, not when there was still so much to do before Lyra's arrival in just a few months.

Bors and Kellan walked behind us. Their intimidating faces made people either look away or step aside as they approached, but to me they were just oversized puppies, fiercely loyal and harmless.

As we passed the crowd near the front, people parted like the Red Sea, not completely out of fear, but respect. You could see it on their faces as we passed.

Noah leaned down as we walked his voice quiet and rich against my ear.

“You look like a true saintess,” he whispered, “one who’s about to rewrite everything.”

I smirked. “Be careful; I’m just hormonal enough to believe your words.”

Livia glanced sideways at me with that dry expression she’d perfected. “You’re dangerous.”

“I’m just right,” I replied resolutely.

“That’s what makes you dangerous,” she murmured, though her eyes shimmered with pride.

She’d told me more than once in all her years she’s never learned as much as during these past few weeks. Being in my service is truly a blessing, and she thanks the gods for bringing her to me. Of course I hugged her when she initially said it, but now I just smile brightly at her when she reminds me of that day.

Of course she wasn’t alone in saying that; those five newly educated professors felt the same way.

The stage was simple but high enough so everyone could see. Five professors were already at attention with nervous faces while fidgeting. You could see big creases in their note paper, clutching it far too tightly.

As I took the stage with my entourage, they visibly straightened and relaxed. Who knew I had this kind of effect on these five men?

The wind caught my hair, swaying it gently from side to side. I preferred wearing it down rather than styled. It suited me best, I thought, and spared me the trouble of elaborate preparation.

Looking down at the crowd as the volume was around eleven. I put my hand up, and they all stopped instantly. I got off on it a bit. That much power was addicting.

Then I began to speak.

“At some point in your life,” I said my voice strong. “You were probably told not to ask too many questions.”

Many nodding heads in the audience; of course, the nobles just stared.

“They tried to convince you that obedience was a virtue, that kneeling meant safety, and that silence created wisdom. Maybe you believed them, or maybe part of you still does.”

I let that sit for a bit.

“But let me tell you something.” I looked out across the crowd, my voice ringing clear.

“Stupid people are leading the blind. That’s the true nature of all these laws currently in effect.”

I paused as many started whispering in the crowd.

“It’s not because you’re weak or unworthy. The system that raised you taught obedience instead of thought. In this society, there is no space to question and no room left to dream.”

I took a deep breath. “That’s not your fault.”

A quiet ripple ran through the crowd.

“This is the future you would have faced if not for the new way of thinking I’m working so hard to bring to Coldmere and eventually, the entire North.”

I turned back and looked at the five waiting to present shortly; all their eyes were wide as they saw the reaction of the crowd.

In front of me, thousands of ears listened, hungrily.

“I’m sure you’re all wondering what makes this school so special,” I said, letting the silence settle for a moment. “This is the spark, the beginning of real change in a world that has remained stagnant for far too long. It’s a place that teaches rather than preaches, one that leaves behind outdated values to build a future shaped by knowledge instead of tradition.”

Surprisingly, a decent wave of laughter rippled through the audience at my bold critique of how this world operates. The nobles, however, glared at the crowd with eyes like drawn blades, as if silently wishing they could cut down every voice that dared to criticize.

“We’re not raising puppets here. From this point on, children will learn how to carve out their own place in the world, not how to bow to those who claim to be above them. They’ll come to truly understand the mechanics behind how things are learned, built, and brought to life.”

I raised my voice. “I don’t wish for any more kneelers to be born in this world.”

Noah and I could care less if these people knelt to us, but they should still show respect at the very least.

This, of course, struck a chord in the common people, who all started chanting, “All hail Saintess Seraphina!”

The nobles became visibly concerned by the actions of the crowd and, obviously, my words.

With the fire I’d started now blazing into something unstoppable, I began to wonder if this was the version I was always destined to become.

To be born with such complicated origins, then becoming a person who truly mattered in this world felt like a fragile miracle. I couldn’t bear the thought of letting anyone down.

I felt this had to be the real me. Once this world's version merged with my last, I had truly become whole. This had to be my purpose because it felt… right.

“I don’t care what the capital down South says,” I said with a softer tone. “They can watch, fear, or try to take what we build. But they’ll never understand it.”

My eyes fell on Malhart in the front row, whose gaze fell on me with narrowed eyes.

“This is not for them but for our children to grow up with brighter futures and for the North to become the most remarkable place in the world.”

A cheer broke out that rivaled the one when I stood on that rock. It started at the front and then spread like a fire in dry brush.

Now that everyone was pumped up, I turned to the professors. “Show them what we will begin teaching.”

As they stepped forward to demonstrate their newly found knowledge, I couldn’t help but have a wide smile at how well everything was currently going. I, of course, stepped back and allowed them to shine.

Today wasn’t about me; it was for showing the North what happens when you give people true education.

Tomorrow would speak of who had the courage to act.

As they began sharing what they had learned, I noticed a spark of curiosity in the eyes of those who truly mattered. The commoners represented the future, because expecting the nobles to change was little more than a fantasy.

Their initial nerves faded with each word, the air around them shifting as they embraced their true calling as educators.

I hadn’t noticed how much my body was trembling until I felt arms wrap around me that were warm, strong, and steady.

Even though I stood in front of all those people and spoke so calmly, it still didn’t come easy, and I sure felt it afterwards.

Noah said nothing; he was just there to fully support me. His hands rested over my belly, and his chin brushed against my shoulder.

The strength in his arms wasn’t restraining but liberating.

As if he was saying… Keep moving forward; I’ll be right there backing you up and catching you if you fall.

I leaned back into him, settling comfortably in his arms, the strength he gave me spreading through my body like it was my own kind of superpower.

Together we stood there for a while as we watched our professors teach Coldmere things I’m sure they could never even imagine.

The crowd listened to every word, but at the same time I saw a lot of question marks over people’s heads. It will take time to properly educate the masses.

It was becoming clear to many just how little they knew and how much more they longed to understand.

Behind me, Livia stood with her arms crossed and a smirk across her lips. It was obvious my speech shook her, and I’m sure she wanted to say something like, “You’re ridiculous, brilliant, and exactly what this world needs.”

I had no intention of speaking again, letting them bask in the glory of their personal knowledge as the people get a better understanding and grasp of their capabilities. This will help moving forward for funding the school and many more in the future.

I’m sure the nobles fear what’s on the horizon, realizing that the gap between them and everyone else is narrowing fast.