After being forced to step down, the once-annoying nun eloped with me.

No matter how beneficial a reform may be to the country and its people, it will inevitably face unprecedented resistance if it involves the interests of the old interest groups.

Using Earth as an example, even if a powerful individual were to develop miniature nuclear fusion technology, the government couldn't simply promote it and completely abolish the existing energy system. After all, millions of people in this industry rely on the old energy system for their livelihood. If you directly promote something good, who will deal with the millions of unemployed people?

Before applying powerful technology, don't we still have to figure out how to deal with these political follow-up issues?

So...didn't Miss Margarita consider how to handle the subsequent political impact of the reforms?

Yang Hao fell into deep thought.

Miss Nia simply shrugged at this:

"Margarita will handle political issues herself—she means that as a vampire, she has her own way of dealing with politics, and it's good if you're willing to learn about it... but if you just want to focus on industrial or other governance reforms, then she'll handle the follow-up issues herself."

"So, I handle external affairs, and she handles internal affairs?"

"Correct."

Yang Hao understood after hearing that.

The President has the ability to handle subsequent political issues. He only needs to prepare a plan on how to make the pie bigger and bigger, and then make the pie of Issugard bigger and bigger. The President will naturally handle the small matters of dividing the pie.

Hmm... that's a clear division of labor.

Yang Hao nodded thoughtfully. Just then, Fen frowned and sneered:

"Or perhaps, the president will choose the easiest way? That is, to put all the blame on my husband? Heh. After all, my husband will be gone in two years, so taking the blame doesn't seem like a big loss, right?"

The elf was as emotional as ever. But she did, however, bring up the issues that the people of Isgard might avoid.

Although Yang Hao will be in charge of Issugard for two years, it will only be for two years.

If that president really wanted to, she could have easily pinned all the social problems arising from the reforms on Yang Hao during the last six months, and then severed all ties with him after he left, thus ending the matter once and for all.

While those problems might genuinely have arisen as a result of the reforms... it's clear that the actions of the Isgardians are still quite displeasing to the elves...

Even though their husbands came to help them solve a lot of trouble, they might still shamelessly...

Tsk tsk.

If that's the case, I might as well just go home and sleep now.

The elf smacked her lips, and in response to her question, the black dragon merely gave a mysterious smile:

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty Finn—we would never joke about the future deepening relationship between our two countries. Moreover, Margarita has no reason to do so."

"Why?"

"What if I said we hope Mr. Yang Hao could come back to govern for another two years from time to time in the future?"

"This joke isn't funny, Black Dragon."

"I think it's quite humorous, isn't it? But in the end, please rest assured. We can't possibly pin these problems on Mr. Yang Hao—after all, we immortal beings are quite self-aware."

Chirp, chirp, chirp.

For the time being, the elf accepted Nia's explanation. But Yang Hao still had one more question to ask.

That is—if one day his reform policies run counter to the direction of the Issugard Council, which path will the President prioritize?

Faced with Yang Hao's question, Nia remained silent for a while before scratching her head and saying:

"I think... this thing will never happen."

"what?"

"In other words, we will most likely wait for you to confirm the plan before we put it on the agenda in parliament—I mean, we will wait until we have a result before we come up with a plan."

"Isn't this a very problematic situation?"

"How could that be? If we really put it in the parliament for discussion, something that could be done in five days might drag on for one or two months... So we can just produce results and then put on a show."

"But won't your people object?"

"be opposed to?"

Nia blinked.

"Of course there will be objections—but will that do any good?"

"I thought you guys were really democratic?"

"Hahaha, just kidding~ Although our country is a democracy, in practice it's almost the same as a dictatorship. But people always need a fig leaf, so we'll just maintain the facade of a [parliamentary] system for now, okay? And everyone accepts it."

It seems we don't need to worry about this issue.

Yang Hao muttered to himself: Since Isgard is a country that is democratic on the surface but dictatorial in reality, then the [mutual exclusion scheme] that I was worried about should basically not appear.

That makes things tough for the president's daughter...

Only those who have been dictatorial emperors can understand this pressure.

If a leader truly desires to indulge in pleasure and entertainment, then so be it; he might as well treat the entire country as a sacrifice.

But if a leader truly wants to make the country better, the pressure of dictatorship can be enough to drastically change the temperament of even the most intelligent and composed person.

...not to mention dictatorships that lasted for decades or even nearly a century.

Yang Hao felt a little sorry for the female president. And just as he was feeling sorry for her, the ship officially set sail with the whistling of the steam pipes.

For this trip to Isgard, the Isgard navy has mobilized its full strength, deploying the highest level of protection and being on high alert.

Not only were there escort ships acting as human shields around the core vessel, but numerous giant dragons were also circling overhead from time to time, scouting the area...

When Yang Hao returned to the deck area to admire the sea view, looking at the giant dragon circling overhead and then at the fleet of nearly twenty ships, he wondered if the people of Isgard were making a fuss over nothing...

But Nia's serious explanation made him realize once again how much Isugard valued him:

"You are the hope of our country. Although Margarita is also the hope of our country, who wouldn't want two hopes to exist at the same time if they could?"

"You're making me feel a little embarrassed... It's clearly just a normal business relationship."

"Sigh. Mr. Yang Hao, we hope to have a good relationship with the butcher when we buy a piece of meat, let alone with you?"

"I understand, I understand... But then again, what is the capital of Isgard?"

"Are you asking about the new capital or the old capital? I know more about the new capital, but as for the old capital... you'll probably have to ask Kino. But she's on another ship, probably throwing up right now."

"vomit?"

"She gets seasick."

...

Yang Hao was very curious as to why a siren would get seasick.

But then I thought that fish can also drown in water, and all my doubts disappeared.

He simply refocused his attention on his work, and while curiously considering the possible differences between the new and old capitals, he confirmed his direction: he would ask about the new capital!

"The new capital...is a coastal port city, which is also our destination for this trip..."

The new capital of Issugard is a port city called [West City].

With a population of over 20 million, West City is a vibrant and dynamic city, surrounded by numerous factories and agricultural facilities.

The educational resources are also very abundant, and in addition to ships sailing at sea, there are steam trains on land connecting it to the adjacent satellite cities.

In a sense, this city symbolizes the new and ever-changing side of Isgard—but the only drawback is that the gap between the rich and poor in the city seems a bit too large.

If the wealth gap between the nobility and the poor in the Roman Empire can be considered to be within an understandable range.

The wealth gap in West City is truly baffling...

“In the city’s slums, you can see laborers struggling for a loaf of bread... but in the same city, you can also see the bourgeoisie spending a fortune on a banana. In a sense, less than 10% of the people in Wiss own more than 85% of the city’s resources... This is something that Margarita and I have been unable to deal with until now.”

"...This is really something."

"After all, the resources that the rich possess are legally obtained... Simply slaughtering them and dividing the money won't help; at most, it will only bring temporary prosperity. Margarita has found the real reason for such a large gap between the rich and the poor: it seems to be a problem with resources related to education and upward mobility... However, we are still at a loss as to what to do about it."

"Can't you do it either?"

"Mr. Yang Hao, expecting me, a minister of industry, to handle economic matters is less likely than hoping that I'll become a virtuous wife and loving mother someday."

Black Dragon shrugged, her chest bobbing up and down with the movement of her dress as the ship rocked during the voyage.

Yang Hao, meanwhile, was lost in thought, gazing intently at the distant ships.

He roughly knew what the first job he would have to do after he got there—but was that really a good idea?

He could probably solve Ysgard's current problems—if it's just about educational resources and upward mobility, he could.

However, this will lead to an explosive growth in talent in Ysgard twenty years from now. Because of their large population, they will produce talent even faster than the small, poorly populated united nations with their elite education systems... Is this really a good thing?

Yang Hao fell into deep thought.

Nia looked at the man who was deep in thought, and then at the two silent women behind him who were staring intently at her.

She smiled. She knew that the deeper Yang Hao hesitated now, the more ruthless her plan would become in the end...

I just don't know if Margarita will be able to cooperate with me...

Nia sighed.

And in Issugard.

After shivering, the president wondered if her best friend was really going to sell her out.

Chapter Two: [The President and the Regent] - 8K

For elves, life at sea was hell.

"Ugh... I'm going to vomit...!"

Watching the elf vomit again while leaning against the trash can in the luxury suite, Yang Hao patted her back with a wry smile and sighed helplessly.

In the continent of Elusia, elves are a completely terrestrial race.

Although they can swim, it doesn't mean they can adapt to the rough and turbulent sea environment—simply put, they get seasick.

Especially given the current state of advanced navigation technology, even though the ironclad ships of Isgard had taken every effort to maintain ballast and minimize ship swaying that could affect combat, the sheer amount of rocking still caused many elves to vomit...

The elf masters were in a sorry state.

The petite Finn was even more so. She vomited violently, and even after using magic to buff or "heal" herself, she still couldn't stand the ship's rocking...

It could only be said that elves might not be suited for long-distance ocean voyages—just as Yang Hao was gently comforting the elf who was vomiting and somewhat exhausted, Elena, standing nearby, sensed a murderous intent and threat emanating from the elves...