𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 (5)

Partutti said in a firm voice. 

“Your Excellency. The scoundrels of this city do not appreciate Your Excellency’s grace at all. Even though You have shown such compassion.”

The orc was egging Johan on as if he had made up his mind. In fact, he was confident.  

From Johan’s position, he had no choice but to be dissatisfied with this city!

Although Johan had become the new master of the hundred kingdoms, he was extremely cautious in wielding his power. His caution was unbelievable for a violent conqueror.  

They didn’t show any loyalty in return for being so considerate of the city. It’s no wonder the new Count would be angry enough to wave his sword around.  

“It is frustrating.”  

However, Johan didn’t think much of it. Because his concepts of honor, loyalty and obedience were quite different.

The nobles thought themselves naturally honorable and that others should respect that honor, and they got angry when that was violated because they felt their own value was damaged.  

But Johan reacted like ‘𝘖𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯’ or ‘𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘺.’ In the first place, he didn’t even expect genuine loyalty from the hundred kingdom’s nobles.

“Call the soldiers and have them arrest these scoundrels and put them on trial. I will testify.”

‘𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦.’

Partutti’s words reeked of blood. He seemed to have built up quite a grudge against the masters of other guilds.  

The grudge of not receiving proper treatment as the guild representative and being ignored did not disappear easily. Partutti was determined to take revenge on them and seize control of the city if he could.

“The city soldiers are also there, if we try that, they won’t just stand still.” 

“On the pretext of monsters, call additional soldiers. In the meantime, I will bribe the mercenary officers. If you want, I can set the city on fire, so take that chance to subdue the masters. . .”

“. . . . . .”

Johan was slightly refreshed. There was a reason why Partutti pretended to be clever with his own brain.  

It must have been clear that whenever he was ignored by the city guys, he mentally pictured how to burn down the city.

‘𝘖𝘩 𝘯𝘰. 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳.’  

For a moment, Johan was also tempted to be refreshed, but held back. It would be nice to just sweep away with force, but the aftermath was entirely Johan’s share.

Contrary to what many believed, Johan was not a conqueror who solely believed in and pushed with force. The most powerful of Johan’s virtues was precisely that patience.

“It’s too extreme. I don’t want to see the blood of the innocent.”

Partutti pouted when Johan wasn’t looking. He seemed to want to see quite a bit of blood.

“Still, shouldn’t I hear how this happened?”

“Of course!”

“Call the guild representatives.”

Partutti grinned slyly. Seeing the mercenaries rushing out, it looked like it was going to be a good day.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

𝘢𝔴ᴇʙ𝘴ᴛ𝐨𝙧𝕚𝔢𝕤.ᴄ𝙤ṁ

“I trusted you.”  

At Johan’s words, the guild representatives looked at each other in puzzlement. As veterans, they sensed something was wrong in Johan’s words.

“Even when the nobles were chattering about your disloyalty, I didn’t believe it. Because I believed you would not be disloyal even though you received autonomy.”

“Yo. . . Your Excellency. Have we done something wrong?”

Instead of answering, Johan slammed his fist angrily on the armrest. The chair, made of rock hewn from solid rock, shattered into pieces.  

In an instant, the atmosphere became brutal and the council members couldn’t even breathe, bowing their heads.

When someone who was originally gentle gets angry, it is even more scary.  

Those who had gotten used to Johan’s magnanimous appearance until now were scared to death.

‘. . .𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘪𝘵.’  

Inwardly Johan clicked his tongue. It wasn’t even a shabby chair, so it was a pity.

“My words are not over yet.”

“S-Sorry!”

“I can understand hastily going hunting after hearing false rumors, but I can never forgive conspiring secretly with the Emperor’s envoys.”  

“!!!!!”

Johan’s words hit them like getting hit in the head with a sledgehammer. They didn’t expect to be called because of this.

‘𝘏𝘰𝘸??’

‘𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘺 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴?’

Only a few knew about this. . .

“No answer, huh.”

“Ah. . . no! Your Excellency! There has been a misunderstanding!”  

“That misunderstanding produces quite a bit, doesn’t it? Will there be more misunderstandings in the future?”

So confused, the representatives couldn’t even come up with lame excuses. They panicked and hemmed and hawed. Next to him, Fahid of the Mulc family carefully opened his mouth.

“Your Excellency. Would they really conspire with the Emperor? There must have been some mistake. Give them a chance to prove their loyalty.”

“What chance are you talking about?”

“If they are loyal to Your Excellency, they will capture and offer up the Emperor’s envoys now. Please allow them to do so.”

“No. . . wait. . .”  

As the flustered master tried to stop Fahid, Johan’s intense gaze poured down on him. He hastily bowed his head.

‘𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥!’

He couldn’t think that Fahid was colluding with Johan, so he could only complain inwardly. 

If they captured and offered up the envoys in the name of the city, the aftermath would be the city’s responsibility. How would the viscount or the Emperor judge them. No matter how much they pleaded their case, it wouldn’t be accepted.

“That would be good. They won’t be able to offer it. Right?”

“We. . . we will offer them. Please wait a moment, Your Majesty!”  

First of all, you have to solve the problem at hand. With tears held back, the representatives shouted. Thinking about the damage of assets that would occur in the Emperor’s fiefdom because of this, their hearts already ached.

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸