City of Desire: Chapter 1075 Governor of Greltheaven (Patreon)

Proofread by Thomas F

The massive crowd cheered as Stone, Leila, I, and others, along with a few companies of soldiers, marched back into the city.

“There are far more than I had thought,” I said, looking at the crowd, smiling, waving at them. They cheered and threw flowers at us with enormous smiles on their faces.

There have been victory processions before, but not of this level and with such enthusiasm.

“The victory is enormous this time; we dealt with attacks from all sides. People understand the enormity of it and are showing their appreciation,” replied Robin.

Everyone is here, including Robin and Carla, who were out of the Dominion; both of them had played a big part behind the scenes.

I would have liked Rutto to be here, but he is still in Bilgas and would stay there for a few more days. I might have forced the position on them, but now they are fighting intensely for the appointment to the lower positions.

I could have interfered in that, but that would have backfired later.

They need to feel that they have freedom. If I take it all away and make them my complete puppet, they will try to get out of my control.

It is why I am letting them have their appointments and converting the men they appoint.

Many had already sworn loyalty to me secretly.

I waved and patted children, which seemed to make their parents very happy.

The procession lasted until I reached the square, where it was already filled and more seemed to be arriving by the second.

“Welcome home,” greeted Valentina. She was a little nervous. Well, it is a big day for her as well.

“It feels great to be back.”

“You seemed nervous,” I said as we walked toward the stage. “We were going to do this six months later.” Yes, that was the original plan, but things changed.

“Yes, but Norke and Bilgas happened,” I replied.

Now, the territory is bigger, and it means more responsibility on my shoulders. Even for a control freak like me, it is too much. So, I am handing more responsibilities over to her.

We planned for it for months and were going to do it half a year later, when things were fully stabilized, but as I said, plans change.

I stepped on the stage and turned to the people, my citizens.

The entire square is packed with people; tens of thousands of them. There was some space when I dismounted, but now every inch of it is packed.

I could see their expressions, feel their emotions. I could feel their hope, but also fear.

Still, the hope burns bright; that fear is nothing but a speck around it.

“My people,” I said, pausing as all sounds stopped. “I have returned, and I have brought good news.”

“We won!”

Immediately, a loud cheer rose from the people. So loud that it shook the entire city, surprising me.

“The undead had been driven off from our territory that came to take what was ours and attack our freedom and way of life; their armies and their banners were broken.”

“They fled. Many surrendered and knelt,” the cheer came again, quieter than before, but the one that is filled with hope and pride.

“But I will not lie to you; the war is far from over,” I said, putting on a somber face.

“We have defeated the enemies, but we have not defeated the greed that drove them. They will come again to take what is ours, to destroy what we have built, and their desire for our way of life.”

“We will not let them; the brave sons and daughters of the dominion will fight, and the next time, the defeat they will suffer will be such that they will shake at the very name of our dominion.”

“My promise to our enemies,”

“Come if you wish, but remember, every son and daughter of the dominion will be ready to face you.” I paused and smiled, seeing the fighting spirit blazing in the eyes of my people.

It might only be a few years, but they come to love the dominion, the freedom, their way of life.

And they will fight to protect it.

“I will protect our home, our future. It belongs to us, our children, and if any hand moves to take it from us, we will cut that hand, no matter who it is.”

“It is my promise to you, my people!”

I finished, and the cheers that followed shook the very city.

I waited for the cheers to die down and the people to fall quiet. I turned, looked at Valentina, and smiled before turning back to the people.

“The dominion had grown, from a single city to over a third of the region.”

“Every one of you played a part in that, small and big. One of the people who played the biggest part is my dear friend, Valentina Elyrian.”

Valentina appeared beside me and smiled. The nervousness was gone; now a graceful smile sat on her face.

“It is why, I believe, there is no one better than her to be responsible for what I am giving her today.” I could see their eyes focus on her.

“I, Remus Silver, Lord of Dominion and Velvet Garden, appoint Valentina Tasmina Elyrian as Governor of Greltheaven,” I announced.

I could see the shock and surprise on the faces of many, but soon most turned to acceptance, and they cheered.

She was already a chief and was handling most of the affairs of Greltheaven. Now, she would handle almost all of them, but unlike most governors, her job would be more difficult.

She will have me micro-managing under pressure from different groups, from Velvet Garden to merchants.

That is what makes her perfect; even someone from Velvet Garden, including Carla, wouldn’t have been as perfect as she is for the job.

There is no resistance to her appointment, aside from the church.

Nobody could bully her, not the Velvet Garden, the army, or merchants. She has my complete confidence and trust; those people know it too.

…

Valentina Elyrian

I watched the people with bated breath as Remus announced me as Governor of Greltheaven.

It’s a massive responsibility.

The original plan was to do it six months later. He would give me more and more responsibilities slowly until, six months later, I would handle most things in the city.

The war had changed the plans. Especially the conquest of Norke and Bilgas.

Remus will now focus on most of the dominion, leaving Greltheaven to me.

Well mostly. He is a control freak!

I looked at people before turning to the woman I love more than life itself.

‘I thought crying was for babies,’ I couldn’t help but tease her. ‘Such occasions are the exception,’ she replied, glaring at me.

I was about to reply to her when a loud cheer rang out through the crowd, not as loud as Remus’s, but still loud.

This couldn’t help but surprise me. Remus is one thing; he is a lord, and he performed a miracle. They worship him, but me, I mostly stay in the background.

There are also those rumors about me.

Finally, the cheers stopped, and I looked at Remus. He smiled encouragingly. I am lucky to have a friend like him.

“Thank you for the trust, Lord Silver.” I thanked him, then turned to the people.

Half an hour later, we walked off the stage and stepped into the carriage.

“I know this is sudden, but if I didn’t know you could handle it. I wouldn’t have given you the responsibility.” He said as the carriage began to move toward the city hall.

The new city hall.

“I am grateful for it.” People would kill for this responsibility.

I heard others tried for it, but it’s not a position Remus could trust anyone with. Aside from me, there are a handful of people, and all of them have their own big responsibilities.

“Also, for you making Lena my bodyguard,” he smiled at that.

Now, I am officially governor; I would be allotted bodyguards of a certain rank and level. I didn’t ask Remus for Lena, but I am extremely grateful for her.

Finally, they reached the central square, which had fully transformed.

We hadn’t just built a new city, but all the administrative buildings of the city.

The new city police headquarters, the city court, the public service office, and other things. The square is also much bigger than before, with large roads leading to it, with a massive fountain in the center.

It is big enough that it will easily accommodate even the busiest day.

The large blue iron gates, with a symbol of a rose, opened, and the carriage moved inside into a large compound. A few seconds later, it stopped.

We stepped out and turned to the city hall. It’s in the same place as before, but it is much bigger.

“He did a very good job,” said Remus, and I nodded. Not just good but incredible.

It’s a broad, imposing five-story building made of pale sandstone, supported by massive pillars. Large windows frame the building, from which the whole city could be seen, and a massive wooden door lets people inside.

It is beautifully carved, with designs that describe the history of the city.

From its founding to the battles we fought. It isn’t just the battles; you can see the Velvet Garden, the merchant, the mage guild, the orcs, and everything else that helped build the city as it is now.

It provides a note of delicacy and grace to this imposing building.

One interesting thing about nearly everything we used to build this came from the wasteland. Remus insisted on it, saying, ‘It is wasteland that made us, and we should be proud of it. ’

We stared at it for a minute before we walked through its large stairs and stepped into a large lobby that leads to different offices and floors.

Currently, there are only a few people, but today, the offices will start moving in.

In less than a week, all the offices will be moved back into the city hall.

We took the elevator and stepped out a few seconds later. It immediately brought us in front of the large wooden doors. That was my personal elevator, only for me and the upper echelons of the city.

It saves a lot of awkward conversations.

My guards were already standing by it and opened the door before Remus, and I stepped inside.

“It’s too big,” I said.

I wanted a smaller office, but Remus said I didn’t just need to be Governor, but also present myself as one.

I brought all my staff, but despite that, it feels bare. Though I like the view, I see the entire square and the city beyond. I also like the grand desk and furniture; they are well-crafted.

I hesitated for a moment before sitting behind the desk. Remus walked toward the massive glass window.

It's comfortable, but its weight is immense. Now, as Governor, I will need to do more, and it wouldn’t be easy. Given the height, Remus wants the city to achieve.

“The legacy is going to open in less than two weeks. Even at our average estimations, tens of thousands are going to come to the city.”

“You need to make sure that it happens smoothly. They don't face any problems and have the best time of their lives here. So, they would return,” he said.

We live in a wasteland. We do not do agriculture or mining aside from crystal.

Tourism is the best bet, especially for the Greltheaven.

Tourism brings massive money, and we have to use it at maximum efficiency. Legacy is our main attraction, but this is not all the city has.

It is why we have spent so much on infrastructure and beautification.

We have gardens in every part of the city, wide roads, and fountains. Not to mention stores and the police; there are a large number of them.

They have been trained to be friendly and helpful.

“I will not disappoint you,” I replied. I will not; I have a plan, and I am going to move according to it. 

Nearly an hour later, he walked out, and I stepped out a minute later.

I was already late for the meeting, which I had called, but I had been discussing important things with him, including some of my ideas that he liked.

This thing didn’t change. I may have become governor, but it is still his city.

Many decisions will need to go through him. I don’t mind; I am used to it and even like it, even when it is sometimes frustrating.

Soon, I reached the meeting room, and the guards opened it.

“Governor,”

Immediately, the greeting rang out as all the people sitting across a large, mist-crafted table got up. These were the leaders of Greltheaven.

“Councilors,” I replied.

We had changed the titles. Chief is too generic; it did not highlight the rank properly. So, from now on, they will be addressed with the new title.

“The first order of business is…”

The meeting lasted longer than I had thought. Thankfully, I had kept my schedule open, but now I only have ten minutes before my next meeting.

I stepped into my office, and the doors barely clicked closed when I found myself pushed against the door with soft lips pushing against mine.

I didn’t resist and let her hold me completely.

It was some time before we finally broke contact.

“I wanted to do that, since you took the oath,” she said, and I felt guilty. I took the oath on stage; people normally have spouses beside them on such occasions.

We will never have that, and I had accepted it, but still it hurts.

She seemed to see that as she took my face in her hand. “I am happy, you are happy; this is more than we had imagined.” I nodded.

“Remember how we used to go over the plan of our escape every month? It’s been a long time since we did that,” she said, and I laughed.

We used to look at every gaze, every whisper cautiously.

I knew the consequences of it and nearly suffered. If not for Remus, we would have been executed.

It’s been over two years, actually, since we last did that; I nearly forgot about it. It was something very important, but suddenly it ceased to be part of our lives.

“This is our home; we will not be going anywhere,” I said and kissed her.

It was gentle and soft, and I let go after a few seconds.

“Well, congratulations, you deserve this,” she said, and I smiled before I remembered something. Something- she is going to like it a lot.

“I am not the only one who gets something incredible today,” I said and took out a large wooden box.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Open it,” I asked as I handed it to her. She looked at me for a moment before opening the box. Immediately, a gasp came out of her mouth.

A few seconds later, she took out a yellow lightning-bolt blade with shaking hands.

“It’s beautiful.”