>>98485212He's really no more evil than Alderode or Cresce, even less so considering he's basically a figurehead with no real power and their exchange is essentially meaningless. He's just reveling in the fact that she's wasting her time and he's in no position to personally grant anything of value. The people who are don't want to, and no amount of appealing to moral outrage or responsibility is going to change that.
I totally get why people like Sharteshanians over Cresce or Alderode, because there's a sense of rationality to them. They can be bought and bargained with like a sensible person, the only meaningful difference between a merchant and a mobster is wares and interest rates.
Say you're given a choice between a mobster, a politician, and a zealot.
The mobster (Sharteshane) wants money now so they can make more money later. There's power too, but money is an easy shorthand for power.
A politician (Cresce) wants power so they can have power, if given the choice between money and the opportunity freely to stomp on someone's throat, they'll certainly take the latter.
A zealot (Alderode) wants to open up your skull with a polearm and make sure you have the 'right' thoughts in there. If you don't, they killed a heretic; if you do, you died a righteous man.
Is it any wonder people prefer the guys they could just pay off?
