I'm in Terra

Da. Da. Da...

The subtle footsteps woke the angry emperor from his thoughts. He glanced at the Speaker of Parliament Witte who pushed the door open and loosened his clenched fists without leaving a trace.

At least in the Imperial Parliament, he still has the most solid allies and support.

Fyodor approached Witt and asked casually, "Is there something urgent? Must it be in the evening?"

"It's about the application to restart the research that Boris submitted this day." Witt pushed his glasses, his face expressionless.

"Although the majority of the vote during the day passed, I still feel something is not right."

"What's wrong with that?" Fyodor asked, somewhat puzzled. "Developing new weapons is crucial to improving the Ursus army's combat effectiveness. Furthermore, we can also use this opportunity to support the new aristocratic forces in the south. Isn't that a good idea? I remember you voted in favor during the day, right?"

"But the problem is that Count Boris's real intention doesn't seem to be to establish a weapons research institute," Witte said.

"I've looked through Chernobog's funding application records from previous years and discovered several funding black holes. The records state that experiments were terminated due to unexpected events. However, the specific details of the experiments are very vague. The amounts recorded alone are substantial, and the amounts Boris secretly concealed are likely even greater."

"...One or two of them like to play tricks behind the scenes." Hearing this, Fyodor couldn't help but rub the bridge of his nose. "What should I do then? The parliament this morning has already approved it. Do you want me to authorize an emergency termination?"

"No need. I think it's better to use the situation against you." Witt shook his head. "Forcibly terminating the deal will only damage your prestige. Why not use the recent financial constraints as an excuse to provide Earl Boris with minimal financial assistance? At the same time, send someone to follow the funding chain and find out what he's up to."

After listening to Witte's analysis, Fyodor nodded with satisfaction: "Very good, as expected of Lord Witte. Come here."

As soon as he finished speaking, a guard in a pitch-black coat appeared before him: "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

Fyodor glanced at the snow gradually melting on the inner guard's shoulders and was a little surprised: "Is it David? Just in time to come back?"

The internal guard glanced at Witte, then lowered his head: "I was just about to report to you when I heard you calling us."

Fyodor was looking forward to it. "Very good. I'll arrange for a few people to investigate according to Sir Witte's advice. As for now, please tell me the results of the investigation."

"Here, now?" The guard glanced at Witt, the meaning was self-evident.

"There's no need to avoid Lord Witte right now." Fyodor noticed the inner guard's gaze and waved his hand nonchalantly. "If I can't trust Lord Witte, I'm afraid there won't be many people in this country I can use."

"Yes!" The inner guard quickly lowered his head and reported everything he had seen and heard in Luxembourg. Of course, he subtly omitted the details of his conversation with Kasiena and Kasiena's attention to Victoria.

But even so, after hearing about Victor's deeds, Fyodor couldn't help but turn his head to look at Witt. And in Witt's eyes, he saw the same shock and joy as his own.

"He's only 18, right?"

Neiwei nodded: "Yes, just turned eighteen."

Fyodor exclaimed in admiration, "At only eighteen, he's already managed a small town in perfect order, and he's even brave enough to proactively train and command troops. Most importantly, this isn't his limit. I can bet that, given time, he'll rise like a shining star."

“But there are also many problems.”

Witte pushed his glasses up. Although he was also quite surprised, he felt it was necessary to pour cold water on His Majesty to sober him up at this moment. "Judging from his methods, this young governor seems to be somewhat reckless and violent. Not only does he disregard the laws of the Empire, but he also has considerable ambitions."

"It's understandable that he's full of youthful vigor." Fyodor nodded indifferently. No one is perfect. It's already quite remarkable that Victory can do these things at such a young age. He himself was much crazier than Victor when he was 18 years old.

Of course, the most important thing is not how outstanding Victoria is as a young man, but...

"Do you think it's possible that he'll side with us?"

The inner guard shook his head. "Sorry, I'm not sure. Judging from his behavior, he has a strong sense of identification with Ursus. Meanwhile, the elders who could have constrained his alignment were assassinated by the aristocratic faction. However, judging by his behavior, this young governor has considerable ambitions, and he's open to any olive branches extended by other ministers."

"Have the other ministers taken action?" Fyodor was stunned, then turned his head to look at Witte beside him.

"It's probably from the old nobility, either the Chervens or the Pages." Witt pushed his glasses, recalling the recent movements of the capital's nobles. "But I think there's still time. Victoria's inauguration documents haven't been drafted yet. Your Majesty could prepare a reward for suppressing the rebellion along with the appointment letter. I'm sure it would be just as effective as the gold, silver, and treasures offered by those ministers. Also, does Governor Victoria have any other preferences?"

"Preferences?" The inner guard was stunned. The image of a black snake and those scenes of reveling every night flashed through his mind.

"From what I understand, Governor Victoria seems to have a special liking for beautiful girls?"

A Feast of Wine and Meat: 10 coins! Coins! ! ! ! ! !

"Ah, this..." Fyodor and Witt looked at each other and smiled awkwardly.

It is normal for a man to like gold, silver, jewelry, power and beautiful women. They were also proud and frivolous when they were young.

However, in their current position, every move they make represents the will of the country, so they haven't thought about this kind of thing for a long time, nor are they suitable to do this kind of thing.

Seeing that his Majesty was also somewhat embarrassed, Witte considerately changed the subject: "Ahem, how about we put this aside for now? Let's stick to our original plan. If Governor Victoria is a guy who can be easily swayed by a woman's words, then he is not worth our continued investment."

"Well, my dear minister, you are right." Fyodor nodded and gave the final order: "Then, David, you may withdraw first. I will leave Count Boris's affairs to you. Regarding Lord Victoria's matter, I will personally issue the written notice."

The inner guard nodded slightly and disappeared into the darkness.

At the same time, Victoria temporarily stopped his extravagant life and returned to the track of remedying Luxembourg.

The good news is that Paul's takeover went more smoothly than expected. Miss Dorothy arrived in Luxembourg earlier than expected. Together with Kashena who occasionally slacked off and helped out, and Swain who was semi-retired, the decision-making staff was barely enough.

But the bad news is that Victoria is running out of money again.

Although Mr. Malfoy generously assumed the majority of Norvinsk's debts after Paul became lord and the Bush family was confirmed to have crossed the class barrier and become aristocracy, he was completely powerless when it came to Luxembourg.

Support the implementation of reforms and rebuild the cities destroyed in the war. Just the list submitted by the Finance Department every day makes Victoria sweat.

Not only did he invest all the wealth collected during the previous war, but even Luxembourg's internal reserves were completely exhausted by Victor. It can be said that except for the money spent on rewarding his soldiers, all the other money was thrown into the bottomless pit of reconstruction by Victor.

Although Luxembourg can still barely maintain its expenses, it is only for the first half of this year. If Victor does not want to use the power of the military to establish a complete dictatorship, he must first find a way to meet the various expenses.

For this reason, Miss Dorothy once again embarked on an endless journey of overtime. Although she could not conjure up money, she was extremely sensitive to the flow of various funds after receiving Malfoy's training and education.

If Victoria is responsible for opening up new sources of income, then Miss Dorothy's responsibility is to implement the use of every penny of funds to ensure that every ruble is spent wisely.

"Is Norvinsk still trading with Yan Country?" Victoria tapped his head, thinking about how to get funds.

First, the simplest and most foolish method is to raise taxes and plunder the people. But this is completely meaningless. How much money can be squeezed out of these civilians whose families have been broken up?

Therefore, if you want to rob someone, you have to start with the rich. You have to take money from whoever has money.

Who are the richest people in Luxembourg? Of course, the nobility and merchants.

But now most of the businessmen are on the same side as him, and he has to rely on these businessmen to provide future tax revenue.

As for the nobility? Haha, now in the whole of Luxembourg, no one is a genuine nobility, let alone Paul, not even Victor himself.

"It's still there. Are you planning to expand the trade routes, sir?" Dorothy, who was working on financial statements, quickly responded when Victoria asked about Norvinsk. "I've done some research, and the market in Yan Country is still worth developing. The scale of Norvinsk's caravans alone is such that demand far exceeds supply."

"Then let Mr. Malfoy find a way to expand the scale." Victoria rubbed his temple. "This kind of thing can only be done by Norvinsk. Luxembourg has many people and many eyes. It is easy to be caught when arranging trade with other countries. It can only be done secretly by someone we trust."

"I understand. I will discuss this matter with my uncle alone." Dorothy nodded and continued to work hard on her calculations.

"Speaking of trade with Yan Country, I have a good idea." Just as Victoria was about to start the next topic, Kashena suddenly interrupted:

"I'm quite familiar with Yan's international situation. Yan's mainland is still relatively slow to accept foreign products. If you don't mind, you can try to take the caravan further. I know a place where Ursus products might be even more popular."

"You mean..." Victoria raised his eyebrows and looked at Kashena with pretended confusion.

"Longmen," Kasheina said confidently, "As the only open city in the semi-blocked Yan Kingdom, Longmen has a natural desire for foreign goods. More importantly, this city openly refuses any Ursus goods. If we could allow caravans to smuggle through Longmen, the huge profits we would reap would be unimaginable."

I knew it.

Victoria curled his lips speechlessly. Where else could the place in Yan Country that Kashena would miss so much be except Longmen?

But since Kasheina took the initiative to mention Longmen, it means...

"Can you let the caravan sneak in? That's right. After all, you once coveted this city, so it makes sense that you planted a spy in it." Victoria breathed a sigh of relief and put the plan of smuggling Norvinsk goods into the schedule.

He knew that Kashena's proposal was definitely intended to be a subtle move, but it didn't matter. He and Kashena were on the same page regarding Longmen. Victor even supported Kashena's intention to manipulate Ursus into a war with Yan Nation.

After all, without war and chaos, how could he continue to climb the ladder? The governor of a mere mobile city was not worthy of being his life's goal.

"A Tao, let's make arrangements after get off work. Also, don't call me Governor when there are no outsiders around. Just call me by my name or Master."

Dorothy was startled, then smiled brightly: "I understand, Master~"

Victor rubbed Dorothy's head and turned to look at Kashiena. "But this is only a fundamental solution. Smuggling Longmen can provide me with sufficient benefits in the future, but it can't solve Luxembourg's recent economic deficit."

"That's right." Kashena nodded in agreement. "Then, my dear Governor, how do you plan to resolve this problem? Since you're willing to help me find a backdoor, I will work diligently for you... just this once."

"Before that, I want to know when my official appointment will come." Victoria ignored Kashena's hint and turned to ask another question.

"If the appointment comes in time, I will first take over Rossiya's territory, which will more or less fill some of the financial gap."

Wine and Meat: 11 Farewell Fantasies

"To Victor Kalashnikov, Acting Governor-General of Luxembourg. Since the unexpected death of Admiral and Governor-General Akaski, Luxembourg has been plagued by incessant strife and chaos. Rebellious forces have secretly colluded, ignoring and trampling on the sacred imperial laws, leading to the assassination of several key figures in the empire.

Fortunately, Colonel Victory Kalashnikov inherited his father Akasky's bravery and wisdom, thwarted the conspiracy of the rebel forces, and restored stability to Luxembourg.

According to Articles 100, 112, and 201 of the Holy Imperial Decree, Colonel Victory Kalashnikov was entitled to inherit his father's title. Furthermore, due to his meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion and governing the country, the Imperial Diet voted to recognize his achievements as Acting Governor-General.

Therefore, Victoria Kalashnikov was specially granted the title of Count, and his military rank was promoted to Major General and he officially succeeded to the post of Governor-General of Luxembourg.

The current Emperor of the Ursus Empire, Fyodor Vladimirovich, personally writes: This letter of appointment will take effect from the date of its approval by the Imperial Diet.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, and all the ministers for your kindness." Victoria bowed deeply and was about to take the appointment document, but unexpectedly the congressman shook his head and then took out a second document.

"Your Excellency, Governor, please wait a moment. Here is a second document." The councillor smiled slightly and continued reading: "Given the meritorious service of Major General Victor in suppressing the rebellion and the fact that Luxembourg is a vital line of defense on the empire's borders, and considering the poor geographical environment within Luxembourg, the overall level of damage is high.

Therefore, the Imperial Diet voted to exempt Luxembourg from taxes for one year, and to halve all taxes for the next three years. His Majesty Fyodor, in the Emperor's name, also presented a commendation to Major General Victory Kalashnikov, hoping that he would continue his efforts to safeguard the Empire's borders.

"I will do my best to repay the empire for its cultivation." Victoria knelt on one knee and carefully took the two appointment letters.

The congressman waved his hand in satisfaction upon seeing this. The soldiers behind him unloaded the large iron boxes from the truck one by one and opened them to check.

Victor took a glance and found that the contents of the box were nothing but the large amount of red gold that Victor urgently needed. Although these dozen boxes of red gold could not fill the hole in Luxembourg, they could allow him to breathe a sigh of relief.

Compared to the witty, elegant and valuable gold and jewelry that the ministers privately sent to him, His Majesty Fyodor's reward was quite practical.

However, despite being short of money, Victoria still grabbed a handful of red gold from the box and stuffed it into the pockets of the parliamentarians and accompanying officers one by one.

"You have all come from afar and have worked hard. I am truly ashamed that I failed to entertain you properly. I hope you will accept this small compensation."

Feeling the heavy weight in his pocket, the councilor's smile grew even brighter. "It's just a small errand. I'm truly touched that Governor Victoria took the time to care for us despite his busy schedule."

After a brief greeting, the escort team did not stay in Luxembourg for long, but instead embarked on their return journey after accepting Victoria's invitation to a banquet.

Looking at the appointment letter in his hand, Victoria was completely relieved.

"Come here, ask the mayors of Rossiya to come to Luxembourg to report on their work. Also, ask a few brothers to pack this red gold and send it to the warehouse."

Along with this order, news of Victor's promotion to general and his official appointment to the Luxembourg government spread throughout Luxembourg. The small towns in western Luxembourg abandoned their last shred of hope, and the mayors fled dejectedly to Luxembourg.

They knew that heavy bleeding was an inevitable fact, and compared to losing lives, it was more cost-effective to spend money honestly to avoid disaster.

Of course, some people also had ulterior motives. After receiving the news, many wealthy locals packed up their assets overnight and tried to escape to other cities. However, they faced the infected guerrillas who had been waiting for them for a long time.

After completing Victoria's orders, the infected guerrillas did not leave the Luxembourg area directly, but reorganized the team near the border of Rossiya.

Firstly, they knew that Victory was the only one in Ursus who would condone their existence. As long as they left Luxembourg, they would once again face pursuit and interception by other legions.

Secondly, having just absorbed the entire Sarkaz mercenary group, they needed some time to adjust and reorganize. Although they were all infected, the Sarkaz were not easy to bully. If it weren't for the Patriots' strong prestige, they would have already started a war with the Sarkaz mercenary group, let alone the so-called integration.

The composition of the entire infected guerrilla force also became more complex during this integration: the Shield Guard led by Patriot, the Snow Monster Squad led by Froststar, the wandering infected group led by Talulah, and the Sarkaz Squads led by various Sarkaz Squad Leaders.

At Tallulah's suggestion, the group abandoned the name Infected Guerrilla and called themselves the Integration Movement. They believed the country needed integration, and they would speak for all Infected.

Of course, it is unknown how many people in this team really think so.

"Victory succeeded. Those infected in Luxembourg should be much better off in the coming days, right?" Froststar looked over the information the snow monsters had gathered, tilting her head back and taking a swig of the liquor. Feeling the spiciness transform into a rich warmth in her mouth, Froststar felt a rare sense of ease.

Thanks to Tovidoli and the scum in Rossiya, they rarely enjoyed a period of sufficient supplies. Not only did they have enough food and drink, but they could also occasionally seize some gold, silver, jewelry and various kinds of alcohol.

"But we can't stay much longer." Tallulah leaned against Frost Star. As the awakened Draco, only she, with her tough skin, could withstand Frost Star's heat. "If we continue to stay in Luxembourg, it won't be good for either us or Mr. Victor. Let's not forget our goal. Simply changing a city isn't enough to be considered a success."

"We can't stop." The patriot sitting on the other side of Frost Star also nodded: "But, Yelena, you are different."

"There's no difference. Wherever you go, I'll go. It was you who picked me up in the first place. Are you going to abandon me now?" Frost Star certainly knew what patriot meant, but she chose to raise her head and swallow all the wine in her hand.

As the body grew warmer, Yelena, feeling a little dizzy, vaguely saw Victoria's face.

"You promised me we would meet again, right?"

Wine Pool and Meat Forest: 12 The Power of the Demon King

"I think you all know why I invited you here, so let's get straight to the point without further ado."

In the specially dimmed conference room, Victor stood with his back to the projection screen, staring expressionlessly at everyone in the room. Beside him, solemn-looking soldiers stood by the wall, watching silently.

This was undoubtedly a Hongmen Banquet, and the participants were none other than the mayors of various small towns who had to come to Luxembourg with a bitter face to report on their work.

The number of towns controlled by Rossiya was not that many, only four, and the town where Rossiya himself lived only had a deputy mayor.

In other words, there are only seven mayors coming to report on their work this time, and whether they can return intact depends entirely on Victoria's wishes.

Glancing at the dry smiles of these powerful figures, Victor publicly stated the purpose of inviting them here: "Luxembourg is currently in a state of disrepair. As members of the Luxembourg government, you should all work together and contribute to the development of the war zone."

Hearing Victoria's words, a middle-aged man snorted disdainfully, "Hmph, dream on. Since ancient times, we have all obeyed the orders of the Earl of Clyde. We have never seen a general command across ranks. You are so young and don't know the rules. You should go back and nurse for a few more years."