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Chapter 467: The Provincial Governor

Nearly all the evidence gathered from the investigation pointed to Volantis.

In a high-level military meeting in Pentos, everyone suggested a furious retaliation against Volantis. However, Jon Clinton suppressed these calls.

He instinctively felt that there was something more to this matter.

Yet now, hearing what Viserys had said, Jon's expression shifted slightly.

He had not expected that the true enemy indeed came from Braavos, mixing truth with falsehood, attempting to divert attention to the south.

Fortunately, he had calmed down at the time and temporarily refrained from retaliating against Volantis, or the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Now, hearing the King's words, the matter seemed settled. He had taught Braavos a painful lesson, though Jon wondered what state Braavos was in now.

The man with ash-red hair, dressed in noble attire and wearing the Hand of the King's badge, pondered in silence.

At that moment, Viserys turned his head to look at Jon Clinton and said, "Jon, we need to talk later."

He did not explain to Daenerys why Volantis had stolen the dragon only to set fire to Braavos. Jon's expression faltered, and he quickly nodded.

"Very well."

The Iron Throne was within reach, but for some reason, Viserys felt a bit restless, even somewhat evasive.

Perhaps this was why he had unhesitatingly ridden the dragon to Braavos.

Because stepping out of the circle and looking at it calmly from an observer's perspective, he realized that the throne, forged from thousands of swords, had no real value.

Instead, it brought more disaster, with conflicts surrounding this iron chair stretching over hundreds of years, filled with bloodshed, killing, and sin.

In simple terms, it was a case of being capricious.

But this did not prevent His Grace from whimsically taking a walk and setting fire to a city to ease his inner anxiety.

In the Royal Garden of the Nine Towers Palace, filled with exotic beasts and blooming flowers, Jon Clinton appeared behind Viserys, his eyes complex as he said, "Your Grace."

The young princess had been present earlier, so some things were not convenient to say. Therefore, they had chosen to speak outside.

Jon had first seen Viserys in the city of Pentos when the young man had not yet come of age but had the courage to lead a mere two hundred soldiers into a hostile city.

Jon, then a member of the city's defense force, had seen Viserys's figure from afar.

But he never imagined that a few years later, this boy would soar, breaking free from his constraints, and no one could limit his height thereafter.

Viserys handed Jon a small booklet he had written during his leisure time after the war.

He had thought a lot about the future, mainly planning and reflecting. However, Viserys had uncharacteristically chosen a cautious attitude, seeking the opinions of his senior officials.

Jon took the booklet from Viserys and glanced through it, his face changing slightly.

It was all Viserys's handwriting, recording some of his thoughts. Though it seemed a bit messy, the expression was clear.

"The concentration and unification of the state's power is the trend of the times."

As many nobles of the Seven Kingdoms feared, Viserys decided to apply the system he had experimented with on the Essos continent to Westeros.

He decided to take advantage of the conquest to make sweeping changes, cutting through the chaos.

His first cut, from top to bottom, was aimed at the heads of the Seven Kingdoms' rulers.

Viserys's provisional plan was to abolish the military title of 'Warden,' strip all ducal titles (except Dorne), demote them to earls, retain their lands, and restructure them into 'governor' positions.

From now on, only members of the Targaryen royal family could be granted ducal titles.

Except for the heir's title of Duke of Dragonstone, other dukes would have only honor without real power, and the title could not be inherited.

As for the abolition of the Warden and the establishment of the governor's position, it was still a ruling position in a region, but not as secure and powerful as before.

The King had the right to dismiss the governor at any time, appoint another local noble to the position, or even parachute in an outsider.

Viserys's plan did not stop there.

His sweeping actions were even more radical than in Andalos, which was why Jon Clinton's expression changed so drastically.

Viserys planned to change the political system of the Seven Kingdoms and nine regions, subject to the Iron Throne, into 'provinces,' abolishing the title of the Seven Kingdoms.

The power of the provinces would be highly concentrated in the central government. From then on, Westeros would have only one kingdom, and only one kingdom

would be allowed.

Dorne, due to its outstanding merits, would temporarily remain outside this sequence, retaining a certain independence and the title of 'Prince,' existing as a special region.

The dazzling words 'strip titles,' 'establish provinces,' 'appoint governors' made Jon Clinton's heart race, and his breathing became rapid.

He had never thought that Viserys would be even more radical than he had imagined.

Especially when he saw the line 'Jon Clinton provisionally designated as Earl of Griffin's Roost, Governor of the Stormlands Province,' his throat even rolled, feeling a dryness.

"Your Grace, is this... too fast?" Jon Clinton, though having weathered many storms, couldn't help but feel his heart race at this moment.

Although the power of the governor after the reform was greatly reduced compared to the former Duke of Storm's End, it was still a meteoric rise, becoming the ruler of the Stormlands Province.

Griffin's Roost was small, but it was Jon's home.

And although victory was assured, the war was not over, and the future of Storm's End was still undecided. It might be left to the Baratheon family or completely expelled.

Other names were also on the list.

'Provisionally designated Bessie Joyce as Governor of Pentos.'

'Provisionally designated Geoffrey Bracken as Earl of Stone Hedge, Governor of the Riverlands Province.'

'Duke of Summerhall, Rhaenys Targaryen.'

'Duke of Dragonstone, Dany.'

Seeing this, Jon Clinton was slightly startled.

He quickly averted his eyes, not daring to continue reading.

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