I Returned As the Governor of the Country That Abandoned Me

33 – Road to Johana

“Are you ready?”

In front of the Governor-General. In front of dozens of Imperial troops gathered under Serena’s leadership, I asked Serena.

“Yes. No problem.”

“Let’s go.”

After hearing that I was ready, I stood at the forefront of them and started leading them.

Our goal is Yohana. In order to head there, which is presumed to be the base of the Resistance.

“If it’s hard, you don’t have to go.”

“.. It’s okay.”

The road to the front of the palace where the kingdom army is waiting. I said to Ariel, who was walking behind me.

However, the answer that comes back is the same as expected. Not only now, I kept telling her that I didn’t have to go, but she said that she would go.

“It may hurt you.”

So I warned her. Maybe a final warning. Honestly, I wished she hadn’t participated in this mission.

Worst case scenario. If most of the people in the Yohana region joined the resistance, I would completely dry out the seeds of the Yohana region.

“The girl is an imperial citizen.”

“I see.”

I stared at Ariel and nodded her head. Although they say they are imperial people, they couldn’t hide the feelings of earnestness contained within them.

She is hoping. Please, I hope they didn’t join the resistance.

Nevertheless, by nodding her head, I no longer blocked her path. This is my choice If you decide to let her join her, she just needs to be prepared and responsible for it.

“Serena.”

“Eh, sir.”

Thought so, I called Serena’s name carefully, who was next to me.

Serena answered in a voice that Ariel couldn’t hear because she wasn’t blind.

“If the circumstances reveal that most of them joined the resistance, you and Ariel will return to the Governor General.”

“Your Excellency, do you think they joined the resistance?”

“No. It is unlikely.”

Johana is the most closed village in the kingdom, maybe on this continent. Although they belong to the kingdom, they do not properly interact with people from other regions of the kingdom.

It is highly unlikely that the people of Yohana would have accepted the ideology of the Resistance, which insists on completely overturning the existing system.

Probably, he and some resistance fighters, who were former knights, used it as a hideout.

“Nevertheless, we must prepare for the worst. If such a situation arises, you must immediately leave the seat with Ariel.”

“.. I see.”

Understanding what I meant, Serena nodded her head. Serena then turns her head to look at Ariel. Somewhere in Serena’s eyes as she looked at Ariel, a feeling of pity was felt.

Ariel just tilted her head and looked at Serena, whether or not she knew Serena’s feelings.

‘Have they become very close?’

Looking at those two people, I thought. I don’t know what the relationship between the two is like. However, since I have often seen the two exchanging swords at the gymnasium, I think they have become quite close.

It is good for two people to be close. For me to live as a governor, the existence of two people is essential.

After thinking about such things, I arrived at the entrance of the palace. In front of them, the kingdom army and the officials who will lead them were waiting.

“Your Excellency, are you here?”

As soon as they found us, a girl came over to greet us.

“Plos von Impello. Are you the bureaucrat sent by His Highness?”

“No. Excuse me..”

Poulos turns his head and points to the rear. Alfred, Prime Minister of the Interior. He came here himself.

“I didn’t know that the Prime Minister would come in person.”

“Since the Governor-General came personally, can you entrust a low-ranking official to accompany His Excellency?”

As much as I personally took part in this work, the kingdom sends a suitable talent. If you listen to it from the outside, it may sound like words of consideration for me, but in reality it won’t be like that.

A check against me. That must be the real reason the Queen sent Alfred.

“Then, let’s go.”

Alfred said that and opened the carriage door. I didn’t bring a wagon on purpose because the Yohana area wasn’t that far away.

However, it is not polite to ignore his sincerity here. I nodded to Alfred and got on top of his carriage.

Alfred rides along with him. Serena and Ariel, who saw me getting on the carriage, stood on either side of the carriage and began escorting it.

Smart-

As Alfred and I settled into the carriage, it was then that a sound came from the window next to us.

“Your Excellency. I will depart.”

“Yes.”

The person who knocked on the window was Serena. I gave her departure order through her like that.

The carriage begins to move little by little. It was awkward to sit alone with Home Minister Alfred, but it was unavoidable nonetheless.

“It will take about three hours to get to Johana. It’s not very far.”

Inside the carriage, where an awkward current flowed. It was Alfred who broke the awkward flow and spoke first.

“.. I know. That’s why I didn’t prepare a wagon…”

“Oops. I don’t know if this is not our excuse.”

As he said that, Alfred laughed. It’s still the sound of a good-looking laugh.

“That child is from Yohana, right?”

“Yes.”

Alfred shifted his gaze to Ariel outside the carriage.

“You are really beautiful. I have never seen such a beautiful child in my life.”

I stared at Alfred who complimented Ariel on her appearance.

Pure admiration without any emotion of lust. He was purely complimenting Ariel’s looks.

“I heard that His Excellency took it because he had a great talent for swordsmanship?”

“That’s right.”

I heard rumors like that going around recently. Because of her Ariel’s looks, I took her in as her squire.

However, that is not the truth. I took her as my seed because of her talent.

“That person also suffered a lot.”

Alfred’s gaze moved to Serena this time.

Serena came to Hiran since childhood. Maybe Alfred knows more about Serena than I do.

“He assisted the former governor and was entrusted with numerous tasks. But, well, since His Excellency came, wouldn’t that person’s workload have also decreased?”

It was then that Alfred’s expression became puzzled for a moment as he continued talking while looking at Serena.

“Hmm.. Commander-in-Chief seems very tired today.”

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“… “

Serena’s face looks tired even at a glance. I couldn’t say anything to Alfred’s words.

“I am truly envious that such people are assisting Your Excellency. Because I still only have disciples who are lacking.”

“Are you talking about Flos?”

So far, what he has praised about Ariel and Serena is their build-up. Maybe he wants to talk about Floss with me.

“.. What a clever kid. However, I’m afraid that the way I behave is rather radical, and it will look bad in Your Excellency’s eyes.”

They have maintained a closed tradition for hundreds of years and established their own identity. Flos insists on opening them up.

A truly radical reform plan. If you are smart, you can say you are smart, and if you are radical, you can say that you are radical.

‘Is a disciple a disciple?’

I looked at Alfred and thought. A disciple with a different political opinion from his own, maybe a static one. Nevertheless, Alfred is still Flos’ teacher.

‘.. Or something deeper.’

More than a priest-teacher relationship. I felt that Alfred’s eyes, looking at Floss through the window, contained emotions beyond worry.

I followed him and slowly moved my gaze to Flos.

[Wow.. Unnie’s hair is pretty.. Can I touch her hair?]

[Yes? Are you nineteen years old? Younger than me.. But why am I like this..]

[If you are pretty, you are my sister!!!]

Flos is clinging to Ariel, who is walking next to her, and is talking about this and that. Seeing her like that makes me deny my thoughts that I thought she would be a bit clever.

“..If she doesn’t challenge her imperial authority, I don’t care what she does.”

It honestly doesn’t matter which way that guy reforms the kingdom. No matter how strong this country becomes, the only thing the empire can destroy if it puts its mind to it is only for a moment.

A Commonwealth Kingdom? The very name of the Federation is a problem. They are strong only when united under the name of the Federation. Usually, they are busy keeping each other in check so that their country can lead the federation.

“On that day, if I had accepted that child as my disciple, it would have been really good for him.”

Soon, Alfred looked out the window and murmured.

“What did you say?”

However, the voice was so small that I couldn’t hear it, so I asked again.

“No. Let’s talk about work.”

Alfred is looking at me and smiling softly. I still didn’t know what he was saying.