I Returned As the Governor of the Country That Abandoned Me

26 – Mood Breaker

It was a day when it rained incessantly. However, flames that did not match the weather were consuming the surroundings, and I slowly began to look around.

Numerous corpses scattered around. These were not the corpses of Imperial soldiers.

I slowly moved my steps and started to dig my way through this hell. Here, maybe they could have been.

“Aran.”

It was then that a thin voice was heard. When I turned my gaze to where the voice came from, there was a girl standing still with a sword.

However, standing is not standing. Even if she was touched just a little bit, she felt like she would collapse at any moment.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry, I’m too weak…”

Standing next to such a girl, Ellen was crying. I ignored Ellen’s sobbing and slowly started walking towards him.

“The reason I took time off must be to save you all, right?”

“Yes. Saved Didn’t anyone die like this?”

The girl said with a bright smile. However, I couldn’t agree with her words.

“You… you didn’t survive, did you?”

“Aran..! This is because of us..!!”

“Shut up, Ryan.”

Even at a glance, this girl’s time is running out. That’s why, I wanted to hear this girl’s excuses, even just a little bit. I feel like if I don’t listen now, I won’t be able to hear it for the rest of my life.

However, what the girl said to me was not an excuse. It’s just that she tells me what she wants to say.

The girl’s body slowly started falling towards me. I carefully lowered her posture and sat down, supporting her body as it fell on me.

The distance between me and him, close enough that our breaths could touch each other. It was then that he slowly opened his mouth.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t listen to your story.”

[Knights and ministers, bow in silence before those who devoted themselves to the Empire.]

It was an event that started simply after all the evaluations of the servants and before the full-fledged knight appointing ceremony. In line with the huge voice resounding through magic, we all lowered our heads and began to meditate.

A list of knights and their servants who were sacrificed while fighting for the empire. On the side where we bowed our heads, there were definitely them.

‘Elina von Lyrath.’

Bowing my head, I repeated the name. A female servant who drew attention for her outstanding skills along with Ellen when she was a young servant.

Among the male squire who made up the majority, his talent always shone.

After the silence, raise your head and look forward. It was then that the sound of sobbing was heard from the side.

“.. Sorry. I’m sorry, Aran.”

The main character of that voice is Ellen von Dreamit. Maybe it’s because he came up with the same name as me? I grabbed the two shoulders of the guy who couldn’t be restless like a panic attack.

“.. Calm down, I’m fine. Ryan.”

“Huh? Uh..”

In order to calm down Ellen, she called Ryan, who was standing next to her, but it seems that he is still stuck in the memory.

Still, Ryan’s condition was better than Ellen’s, so she decided to leave Ellen with him.

“Go with Ellen and cool her head. Your servants will be with me.”

“Ah, thank you. Let’s go, Ellen.”

Ryan, who heard my words, led Ellen, who was still trembling, and started to escape from this place. I always avoided this event, but I don’t understand why I attended today.

“I…”

As both of them exited, Ariel was looking at me. She won’t understand this situation either. The servants who serve Ellen and Ryan as knights are also keeping their silence and watching their side.

“Focus on the inauguration ceremony. This is where you will have to stand someday.”

I spoke to those who were looking at this side. I don’t have to worry about it.

Ariel still looks this way with worried eyes. I grabbed his face and turned it the other way. Because of forcibly turning his body, he struggled against my hand, but soon settled down and began to stare straight ahead.

[The new swords that have proven their faith and qualifications, make their appearance before His Highness the Prince.]

Two servants who appeared at the call of a huge voice. It would be natural if it was natural, but Ariel did not become one of those two people.

It would be unreasonable to expect something like this from her who has just grabbed her sword. Nevertheless, one day, I have no doubt that Ariel will stand in that position.

[The new sword of the Empire. I appoint you in the name of the 2nd prince.]

The swearing-in ceremony soon began. This time, the knights to be appointed step forward, and the 2nd Prince personally gives them knightly medals.

“Your Excellency.”

And then it was. In front of me, I heard the voice of a girl.

“I’m sorry.”

I know why he is calling me. Because my hands holding his head are shaking like crazy.

That’s why I chose to turn around. Please, I hope you don’t ask why I’m shaking my hands.

But contrary to my thoughts, another question popped out of her mouth.

“Your Excellency, I heard that you received no other seed except for the girl.”

“..Yes.”

“What is the reason?”

Ariel’s gaze was clearly looking forward, but I felt her strange gaze at me, as if she had eyes on the back of her head.

“Because something happened for a while in the past. Don’t care… “

“Your Excellency. Do you remember the last time the girl asked you to tell her about His Excellency’s past?”

I can’t remember. Before coming to the Empire, he once asked me to tell him about the past.

[Knights who have become the new swords of the empire, kneel before His Highness the Prince.]

Those appointed as knights began to kneel in front of the prince. However, what is important now is not that ordination ceremony.

“This trembling hand. Does His Excellency’s past have anything to do with these trembling hands?”

The guy said, holding my hand on my head. As his hand wrapped around mine, the trembling in his hand started to subside little by little.

“..Yes”

“So, can you tell the girl?”

It was then that Ariel, who was holding my hands, began to squeeze my hands with her words. She took my hand and it was as if she was telling me not to run away.

“Among my classmates, there was one other classmate besides Ellen and Ryan.”

Is that the reason? It was then that the words that she would not have said if she were by nature came out.

Soon, the eyes of Ellen and Ryan’s servants around me turned to me. They probably know what the story is about. However, it would be the first time hearing that story from the person concerned.

“My name is Elina von Lyras. Among us, she was the most gifted girl.”

“Is that so..?”

Is it because an unexpected story came out? It was then that Ariel’s voice trembled for a moment. But I have no intention of stopping. You were the one who stimulated me in the first place.

“If a knight participates in war, his servants also participate in war. That’s how we participated in the war, and the knight we served died in that battle.”

It is still vivid in my memory. He blocks the enemies alone, and the image of him who told us to run away. Perhaps, the reason why I do not bring in seeds may be because I thought that I did not have the ability to protect seeds like he did.

Of course, there were other, bigger reasons.

“In that battle, Elina was also killed. I didn’t think I had the confidence to protect the seed like he did, and she didn’t want to make it die.”

But I didn’t tell Ariel about it. Only part of the story. The story is dark right now, but I didn’t want it to get darker than this.

The servants who followed Ellen and Ryan also made a somewhat regretful expression. Listen to the knights you follow.

“Is that so..”

Soon, the voice I heard in front of me was full of moisture somewhere. I only talked about a very, very small part of it, but it seems that it stimulated the guy’s emotions.

[Applause for the Empire’s new sword.]

Clap clap clap clap-

“Did you have a hard time?”

At this moment when all the eyes of the people gathered in this place turned to the front, only one girl turned around and said to me.

“Yes. In this state, it seems to be difficult.”

The story ends here. Because there is no need for comfort. Rather, the situation right now is extremely dangerous.

I quickly grabbed the guy by the shoulders and forced her body to turn again.

“A.. Your Excellency?”

Ariel seemed startled by my sudden action, but he couldn’t help it.

“Clap your hands.”

“Yes?”

After saying that to him, I quickly started clapping. A gaze from far away. Because the second prince was staring at me.

Ariel started to clap her hands after me while tilting her head in puzzlement.

How much did you clap like that? Around the time the applause gradually died down, the prince withdrew his gaze from this side and looked elsewhere.

‘.. Thank God.’

I was able to put my mind at ease after confirming that the prince’s gaze was directed elsewhere. If he were the 2nd prince, he would be a great man who could always find fault with these things.

[I would like to express my gratitude to all of you who have come this far, and I will end the ordination ceremony for this article.]

“It looks like the ceremony is over, so let’s go back.”

“Oh, yes.”

Soon, when I heard a voice announcing the end of the ceremony, I told Ariel to go back. I sincerely thank him for preventing an awkward atmosphere with Ariel.