She was quiet for a moment, wrestling with the implications. "I spent twenty years being told that political maneuvering was sinful. That the holy remained above such worldly concerns."
"And look where that got you. Controlled, restricted, used as a symbol for someone else's agenda." Damien's voice was gentle but firm. "There's nothing holy about being powerless. If you want to actually help people, you need authority. Getting that authority requires being willing to fight for it."
[CORRUPTION PROGRESS: Teaching strategic ruthlessness]
[ELARA: Learning practical power dynamics]
[INTIMACY +8]
"Alright." Elara straightened her shoulders. "Then we play politics. What's our timeline?"
"Aldous will move within days. He'll call an emergency Council meeting to have you declared heretic and stripped of your Saintess title. We need to preempt that."
"How?"
