Chapter 185

This "Governor" was called out so naturally, so smoothly.

The corners of the eyes of the surrounding generals couldn't help but twitch.

This fat pig changes his face faster than turning a page.

Roko glanced at him and said blandly: "Master Silas, you've worked hard."

"Not hard, not hard! Serving the Governor is the honor of this humble one, the honor of the entire Commercial Alliance!" Silas smiled until his eyes narrowed into a slit.

He knew he had really bet on the right treasure this time.

"Where is Archibald?" Roko asked.

"Reporting to you, Master," Vittel stepped forward and answered respectfully, "The traitor Archibald has been controlled by us and is locked in his study, waiting for your disposal."

"Very good." Roko nodded and dismounted.

He threw the reins to a knight and then stepped onto the steps of the Governor's Mansion.

With every step he took, the guards on both sides of the steps knelt on one knee in unison, lowering their proud heads.

This is submission to the strong, and also awe for the new master.

Roko walked through the long corridor and came directly to the council hall of the Governor's Mansion.

This place was once where Archibald issued orders and controlled the entire province.

At the end of the hall sat a huge and magnificent chair made from a single piece of obsidian.

That was the throne of the Provincial Governor.

Roko walked to the throne and stopped.

He did not sit down immediately but turned around to look at Vittel, Silas, and those Sunset City generals following him.

His gaze was calm and deep, as if he could see through everyone's heart.

Everyone he looked at couldn't help but lower their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

The entire hall was terrifyingly quiet.

After a long time, Roko slowly spoke.

"I know that many of you are very uneasy right now."

"You are wondering how I, the new Governor, will treat you."

"Whether I will settle scores with you, whether I will take away your power and wealth."

His words spoke to the hearts of every surrendered general.

Their hearts were in their throats.

A faint smile curled the corner of Roko's mouth.

"Rest assured."

"I, Roko Raymond, am not Archibald."

"I came here not for slaughter, but to establish a new order."

"A fairer, more prosperous order."

He paused, his voice becoming sonorous and powerful.

"From today on, for all who truly submit to me, no matter what your past status was or what mistakes you made, I can let bygones be bygones."

"Your positions, your wealth, your families—I can guarantee that they will not be affected in any way."

"However!"

His tone shifted, and his eyes instantly became sharp.

"If anyone dares to play tricks or engage in underhanded activities behind my back—"

"Then, Archibald's today will be your tomorrow!"

The cold words swept through the hall like a cold wind.

Everyone couldn't help but shiver and hurriedly knelt on one knee, swearing loudly.

"We swear to be loyal to the Governor until death!"

"Very good."

Roko nodded with satisfaction.

This was the effect he wanted.

Kindness and severity combined, a slap followed by a sweet date.

This is the most basic way to manage subordinates.

After finishing, he slowly turned around and sat down on that throne symbolizing the highest power in the Sunset Province.

He leaned back against the cold chair, looking down at the people kneeling below, an unprecedented passion surging in his chest.

The Sunset Province was in his hands.

Next, it was time to deal with that pathetic "predecessor."

"Guards," he said blandly.

"Bring Archibald up."

When Archibald was dragged into the council hall by two Storm Knights like a dead dog, he had completely lost his human form.

His hair was disheveled, his robes were untidy, and the wound on his forehead, having not been treated, had congealed with blood and dust, looking dirty and disheveled.

Those eyes that were once full of majesty now held only emptiness and deathly silence.

He was like a puppet whose soul had been extracted, letting the knights throw him into the center of the hall.

With a "thud," he fell onto the cold floor, but didn't even let out a groan.

The people in the hall, looking at the miserable state of this "former" Governor, couldn't help but feel a sense of sorrow, like a rabbit mourning the death of a fox.

Once upon a time, they were also like this, kneeling before this person, looking up at his majesty, and trying to guess his thoughts.

But now, in just one day, everything had changed.

The high-and-mighty Governor had become a prisoner.

And that Baron from the New Wind Province, whom they had once looked down upon, had sat on that throne they had dreamed of.

There is nothing more fickle than the affairs of the world.

Roko sat on the throne, looking down at Archibald lying on the ground, not a ripple in his eyes.

For someone about to die, he couldn't be bothered to waste any more emotion.

"Archibald."

He spoke slowly, his voice echoing in the hall.

Hearing his own name, Archibald's empty eyes finally gained a hint of focus.

He slowly raised his head and looked at the young man on the throne.

Sunlight shone down from the dome of the hall, gilding the young man's figure with a golden outline, making him look like a god.

And himself, lying on the ground, as humble as dust.

The stark contrast was like a knife, stabbing Archibald's heart fiercely once again.

"Heh—heheh—"

He suddenly began to laugh in a low voice, his laughter hoarse and shrill, like the cry of a night owl.

"Winner takes all, loser is the villain—Roko Raymond, you won."

"You won beautifully."

He struggled to sit up from the ground, leaning against a pillar, looking at Roko, his eyes devoid of fear, leaving only a calm, deathly silence.

"Kill or torture, do as you please."

"I only ask you to give me a quick end, to leave me with a decent way to die."

With death approaching, he had instead let go of all fear and unwillingness, leaving only the last bit of ridiculous dignity belonging to a noble.

"Decent?"

Roko laughed upon hearing this.

"When you colluded with the Scorpion Society to harm the people of the Kingdom, did you think about giving them decency?"

"When you sent the Bulake Wolf Bandit Group to slaughter the people of my Vanguard Valley, did you think about leaving a shred of decency for those defenseless women and children?"

"When you colluded with the Castilla Principality, intending to invite wolves into the house to overthrow the entire Kingdom, did you think about leaving any decency for the millions of compatriots of the Bulake Kingdom?"

Every word of Roko's was like a heavy hammer, striking Archibald's heart fiercely.

His complexion became whiter and whiter.

Roko stood up and walked down from the high steps, step by step.

He walked to Archibald, squatted down, and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Archibald, your biggest mistake was not greed, nor was it arrogance."

"It was that you betrayed your country and betrayed your people."

"A traitor like you does not deserve any decency."

After finishing, he stood up and didn't look at Archibald on the ground again.

He turned around, facing all the generals and nobles in the hall, his voice as loud as a bell.

"Pass my order!"

"Three days from now, at Sunset Plaza, there will be a public trial of the traitor Archibald!"

"I want the people of the entire Sunset Province to see with their own eyes the end of a traitor!"

"I want to proclaim his crimes to the world! Let him and his family be nailed to the pillar of shame in history forever!"

Public trial!

These four words made everyone in the hall feel a chill in their hearts.

They knew Roko was killing the chicken to scare the monkeys.

He not only wanted to kill Archibald, but also wanted to use the most public and cruel way to completely destroy all influence of the Archibald family in the Sunset Province.

At the same time, it was also a warning to all of them.

Those who submit will prosper, those who resist will perish!

"Yes, Governor!"

Vittel and Silas were the first to kneel on one knee and respond loudly.

Others hurriedly followed suit, and the sound, like a mountain of calls and a sea of roars, echoed throughout the Governor's Mansion.

"The Governor is wise!"

Archibald, lying on the ground, trembled violently upon hearing the words "public trial."

His last hope was shattered.

He knew he would die in the most humiliating way.

He would become a laughingstock, a negative example, spat upon by the world for thousands and ten thousands of years.

"Roko Raymond—you are so ruthless—so ruthless!"

He let out a desperate roar, then rolled his eyes and completely passed out.

Roko couldn't even be bothered to look at him again.

"Drag him away and guard him strictly. Don't let him die, and don't let him go crazy."

"Three days later, I need a clear-headed traitor to kneel on the judgment platform."

"Yes, Master!"

Two knights immediately stepped forward and dragged the unconscious Archibald out like a dead dog.

After dealing with Archibald, Roko walked back to the throne.

He looked at the people kneeling below, knowing that now was the time to give these newly conquered subordinates a little sweetness.

"General Vittel."

"Subordinate is here!"

"You made a decisive judgment in a crisis, set things right, and made a great contribution to Sunset City. From today on, you are still the City Guard Commander-in-Chief of the Sunset Province, and furthermore, in the name of the Governor, I bestow upon you the title of Viscount and a manor in the east of the city."

Upon hearing this, Vittel's body shook violently, and a look of wild joy appeared on his face.

Viscount!

He had struggled his whole life and was only a general without a title; now, with one word from Roko, he had become a true noble!

"Thank you, Governor! This subordinate is willing to go through fire and water for you, and will not refuse even death!"

Vittel excitedly kowtowed.

The other generals in the hall, seeing this scene, had red eyes.

Their hearts were filled with envy and jealousy, but more importantly, hope.

They saw that as long as they served this new Governor loyally, they could get benefits they hadn't even dared to think of before.

"Master Silas." Roko looked at the fat man again.

"This humble one is here!" Silas hurriedly responded. "You and the Commercial Alliance have made great contributions in this incident. What I promised before is still valid."

"From today on, the Commercial Alliance will have the exclusive operating rights for all official trade in the Sunset Province for a period of—thirty years!"

"Furthermore, all commercial taxes in the province will be reduced by thirty percent!"

"Boom!"

Silas felt a wave of happy dizziness rush to his head.

Exclusive operating rights!

Thirty years!

And a thirty percent tax reduction!

My god!

This is a golden mountain fallen from the sky!

"Thank—thank you, Governor!" Silas was so excited he was incoherent, his fat body shaking like a sieve.

He knew that from today on, he, Silas, would become the most sought-after person in the entire Commercial Alliance!

And the Sunset Province, with the help of the Commercial Alliance, would also usher in an unprecedented, prosperous era!

With the series of rewards, the atmosphere in the entire hall instantly changed from oppressive and fearful to enthusiastic and impassioned.

Everyone saw Roko's generosity and courage.

The last bit of doubt in their hearts vanished completely.

They believed that following such a Governor with a firm hand and a generous hand, their future would definitely be brighter.

Looking at the excited and fanatical faces below, a satisfied smile curled the corner of Roko's mouth.

He knew that from this moment on, he could truly be considered to have controlled this city and this province.

However, just then, an intelligence knight ran in from outside, his expression grave.

"Report!"

"Governor, urgent report from the Royal Capital!"

"News from the Raymond family: the Third Prince—has rebelled!"

"The Third Prince has rebelled!"

This news was like a huge rock thrown into the council hall that had just been jubilant, stirring up a thousand waves.

The hall instantly quieted down, and everyone's face showed shock and gravity.

Although they already knew from Archibald's secret letter that the Third Prince had rebellious intentions.

But knowing he had thoughts and knowing he had truly raised the banner of rebellion were two completely different concepts.

This meant that the Bulake Kingdom, a country that had been at peace for nearly a hundred years, was about to fall into a bloody civil war.

And the Sunset Province where they were located, as the gateway to the western border, would bear the brunt and inevitably become the front line of the war.

The generals and nobles who were just excited about receiving rewards suddenly had a shadow cast over their hearts.

They subconsciously cast their gaze toward the young man on the throne.

They wanted to see what the reaction of this newly appointed Governor would be after hearing this news that was enough to overturn the kingdom's landscape.

However, to their surprise, there was not the slightest surprise or panic on Roko's face.

He still sat there calmly, as if he had long anticipated all of this.

"Speak specifically," he said blandly, his voice devoid of any emotion.

The intelligence knight took a deep breath and reported in a deep voice: "Reporting to you, Master, just last night, the Third Prince, in the name of 'clearing the monarch's side,' united with some generals of the Royal Capital's garrison and launched a palace coup!"

"They have controlled the palace and placed His Majesty the King under house arrest!"