People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Before the crowd of Sherag could react, the elder stepped forward and grabbed Enya's shoulder, the force of which caused Enya's expression to twist for a moment in pain.

She turned around and saw the First Elder's furious expression, followed by a loud question:

"Your Holiness, how dare you distort the divine oracle of the great god Yeragand!"

His words meant that two completely opposing voices had emerged within the Manju Academy, and regardless of the outcome, the Academy's prestige would be greatly diminished as a result.

But it's still better than his rights, the rights of the Manju Academy, being stolen by this treacherous saint and that absurd government!

With this sharp, confrontational shout, the crowd instantly erupted in chaos!

Chapter Nineteen: I'm only responsible for completing my mission.

For Sherag, faith is its soul.

Unlike other countries on this land that believe in God but do not revere Him, Sherag was truly created by Jeragand! This isolated snow country, if not for the protection of Jeragand's power, could not have remained untouched by natural disasters for hundreds of years, becoming a paradise like a peach blossom spring.

The people's devotion and steadfastness to Jeragund were not easily shaken by a few words. Therefore, even Ernst never intended to deny Jeragund or promote atheism from the very beginning. Because that would not be progress, but foolishness, ingratitude, and a failure to even achieve the most basic principle of seeking truth from facts.

To Ernst's surprise, instead of targeting Manju Academy, Manju Academy itself developed problems.

This was a tremendous shock to all the people of Shelag.

On one side was Saint Kalan, the most respected religious leader of the Jelagands, who had passed numerous tests and selections and declared that the Jelagands believed Ernst was innocent.

On the other side, the most respected elder of the Manju Academy, who had laid the groundwork for a long time and said a series of seemingly reasonable statements that had already stirred people's emotions and public opinion, announced that the saintess had distorted the oracle of Jeragand and that Ernst was guilty.

At this moment, the same question popped into the minds of the Sherag people watching in Holy Stone Square: Whom should I believe?

To believe the Saintess of Kalan? That would be to deny one's own past self, to deny the words of the Grand Elder whom one has respected and accepted since birth, and to deny the habits and common sense accumulated throughout one's long life. It would force one to accept and understand the new things Ernst brings.

This is an incredibly difficult task.

But believing the Grand Elder would only create greater problems. It would mean denying the Virgin of Kalan, denying the more ancient traditions of Sherag, and denying the chosen and recognized representative of the Jeragund will. Instead, acknowledging the Grand Elder, a secular leader who cannot directly communicate with Jeragund, would have a greater right to interpret the Jeragund oracle than the Virgin of Kalan.

But if they are to acknowledge that the secular leader is superior to the Virgin of Kharlan, then how can they refute Ernst's claim that his actions did not betray Jeragand? After all, Ernst is now the nominal secular leader of Sherag, and in principle, he has more right to answer than the Grand Elder.

Without a doubt, this was a spiritual upheaval and shock.

This time, it seems there is no one who can convince everyone to step forward and reach a consensus.

The Holy Stone Square was in an uproar. People who used to see each other all the time were now gathering in twos and threes, forming their own small groups. At first, they were looking for each other to agree with, but then it gradually evolved into trying to persuade others to agree with their views. In the end, the debate inevitably degenerated into simple and direct personal attacks!

"Ernst speaks a language I can't understand, and all he does is sell land. Why is he innocent?"

"But the Holy Maiden says he is innocent. This is an oracle from the great god Yeragand. Don't you believe it?"

"Holy Maiden... The Grand Elder even said the Holy Maiden's interpretation was wrong! Besides, why are you in such a hurry to speak up for Ernst? You didn't accept rice from the Shivaesh family, did you!"

"You...you're talking nonsense! You're insulting me! I'm a devout Jeragand believer. What's wrong with me believing what the Holy Maiden said? But you, the Grand Elder is your father? You dare to question the Holy Maiden on his behalf?"

"Look, they're getting anxious!"

"Dian, if you can't win an argument, all you do is talk nonsense. I'll give you a punch!"

Seeing that the struggle on and off the stage had reached a fever pitch and that personal attacks were gradually turning into chaos, Enciodes finally got the perfect opportunity.

He stood up, ignoring Latatos and Actos who were casting questioning glances at him, and directly gave the order to the Black Knight Mace:

"A riot has broken out in Sacred Stone Square, and the trial has been suspended. To prevent any casualties, Jian, immediately mobilize the 'security personnel' from Kalan Trading to go up the mountain and assist the Perroch family in maintaining order!"

"What?" Actos immediately stood up and stopped him, "Enciodes! What do you want to do? The Perroch family is the one responsible for maintaining order at the trial. You are not allowed to let your people get involved!"

As if completely ignoring Actos's warning, Kejian raised his right hand knowingly, bowed to Ensiodes, and strode towards the passage leading down the mountain.

Ensiodis, however, calmly turned around and looked at Actos with a hint of disdain in his eyes.

Even at this point, Aktos was still only thinking about preventing the Shivaesh family from infiltrating their power into the defense work, which really made Ensiodis feel somewhat amused and bored.

He sat back down in his chair, calmly looking at the burly Arctos who approached, and asked in return:

"There are nearly ten thousand people in Holy Stone Square right now. Chief Aktos, if these ten thousand people were to riot, would the few guards you brought be able to maintain order?"

"This is a sacred mountain, before the sacred stone. If an accident occurs because of your lack of guards, can you bear the responsibility?"

He smiled, offering advice like a wise and earnest teacher:

“Kalan Trade has transport vehicles and is close to the holy mountain, so they can get here the fastest. I’m helping you.”

Actos's expression changed several times before he finally gritted his teeth, let out a cold snort, and turned back to his seat.

Watching him leave, Ensiodis shook his head helplessly.

The little bit of power you crave is, in my eyes, nothing more than a minor accessory.

But what I want is more than just defense work.

What I want is everything.

..........

Shelag, at the foot of the holy mountain.

Following the pre-arranged route, Jian found the Snow Demon lying in ambush and the commander, Horned Matterhorn.

"The boss's orders have come down; let's get ready to go."

Having relayed Enshiodes's orders, Jian was about to leave, disguising himself as someone who had just returned from the Kalan Trade Post, and return to the Holy Stone Square with the Mountain Snow Demon troops, when he was blocked in his way by the man in black.

The Black Knight glanced at the insignia on the arm of the man blocking his way, his brows furrowing in confusion. He asked, puzzled:

"Mercenaries from Blacksteel International? What are you doing here?"

"Just completing the task."

The leading Vaiva girl replied,

"If you want to take Ernst Shivaish away, then please leave."

"Who sent you?" Jian asked.

Razer shook its head: "We will not disclose the employer's identity or the details of the mission."

That's what they say, but it's not hard to guess.

In the entire Sherag, only two factions have any external communication or interaction with the outside world.

On one side were Enciodis and Kalan Trade, and on the other side were Ernst and the Sherag government.

As an international mercenary organization based in Colombia, the people who could recruit them are naturally quite capable.

"Didn't Magnus Bank consider the consequences of doing this?" Jian threatened, then offered a tempting offer: "If you let them pass, my boss can sign a similar agreement with them."

But Razer simply shook his head, expressionless.

"You can contact Magnus Bank for the negotiation."

"I'm only responsible for completing my own tasks."

Chapter Twenty: Jeragand declares me innocent (4200 words)

What happened down the mountain?

It's unclear who first noticed the spreading unrest, but gradually, the already chaotic crowd on the hilltop began to spiral out of control.

Ensiodis frowned.

According to the original plan, the Snow Demon should have already stormed the Holy Stone Plaza and been fighting the Peroch family by now.

However, it is obvious to anyone that the military conflict did not break out in Sacred Stone Square, or even in the Sacred Mountain, but at the foot of the Sacred Mountain.

Something went wrong with Jian's work; something went wrong with Matterhorn?

Ensiodis considered the two possibilities but shook his head.

Impossible. Matthon was his most trusted confidant, and his loyalty needed no test. As for Jian, although he had just redeemed him from Kazimierz at a high price, Ensiodes always trusted his judgment of people. Jian was the kind of person who would choose his own employer. If she didn't like someone, no amount of money could make him serve her. On the contrary, for an employer she had chosen, even if he did nothing, Jian would do his best to complete his tasks meticulously.

That means there's a problem elsewhere.

Did the Perroch family set up an ambush beforehand and stop the snow demons from going up the mountain?

Ensiodis's gaze swept over Arctos, the tall Ursus man's face revealing undisguised worry, clearly concerned about the scale of the riot. Noticing Ensiodis's gaze, he turned his head and loudly questioned:

"Enciodes, didn't you say your people were here? The crowd is about to get out of control, where are your people?"

Ensiodis looked away and replied, "It should be soon."

It shouldn't be him. Actos couldn't fake that expression; he wasn't that cunning.

Could it be Blangau?

But Latatos seemed unaware of this matter; otherwise, given her personality, she would have exposed Ensiodes's troop deployment scheme from the very beginning and joined forces with Ensiodes to capture him on the spot.

That's strange, where did the plan go wrong?

Ensiodis was completely baffled. After ruling out all possibilities, he had no choice but to turn his attention to Ernst, who was standing on the Holy Stone Judgment Platform at that moment.

It's just him.

Ernst stood tall and proud on the judge's bench. Even though the commotion at the foot of the mountain could be heard by those on the mountain, and the Holy Stone Square was in chaos, he still showed no sign of panic.

He doesn't need to worry about it.

Because he is talking to another person at that moment.

Or rather, another "god".

Jeragand's voice was sometimes like thunder falling from the sky, and sometimes like a stream flowing from the mountains. The two contradictory attitudes of majesty and gentleness were mixed together, yet they seemed to be perfectly natural, showing the special nature of the gods and making them unforgettable.

"Are not you afraid?"

He asked in a low voice, as if a mother were concerned for her child. Ernst shook his head, but quickly gave a wry smile and nodded.

"If it's failure, I'm not afraid. There will be many more opportunities after failure, and I don't want to be an orphan in success."

"But if you're asking me if I'm afraid of dying, yes."

Who can be unafraid of death? Perhaps the warriors fighting against demons on the Sami Ice Plains are unafraid, perhaps the guards of Ursus who roam the land are unafraid, perhaps those with lofty ideals who believe "death is necessary to fulfill them" are unafraid.

But Ernst was still somewhat afraid.

At this moment, Yeragand's voice became stern again, as if a strict father were questioning his child:

"Why? I see those reformers; they are not afraid of death."

"Did they succeed?" Ernst countered.

“Some succeeded, some failed,” Jeragand replied.

Ernst shook his head: "There are very few who succeed and countless who fail. You may not understand from your perspective, but for great things in history, especially things of change, the worst thing is for the people to die and the policies to end."

The death of a person and the end of their policies seem to be an unavoidable topic for humanity and the nations they have created.

Cases like Shang Yang's reforms, where the reformers died but their methods still exist and influenced later generations for thousands of years, are almost unique in history. More often, there are examples like Wang Anshi's reforms or Zheng He's seven voyages to the Western Ocean, which were clearly beneficial to the country in the long run, but were abruptly stopped or even overturned due to the death of the person who presided over and supported the reforms.

The forces opposing reform in Sheragne's movement were so powerful, and the conservative and backward population was so numerous, that Ernst could not place his hopes on the wisdom of posterity to become the Che Guevara of Africa who can only be remembered and commemorated by posterity.

It's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death. If you can live, why not live?

Jeragand's voice fell silent. Just when Ernst thought He had left, He suddenly spoke again. This time, His voice was like that of a young girl, light and melodious, which immediately eased Ernst's heavy mood.

"Actually, I've been thinking about this a lot. Is it good or bad that my protection and faith in me caused Kjerag to stagnate for a thousand years?"

Ernst responded respectfully, "Your greatness is beyond question, but humanity is always a creature that needs to emerge from its cradle."

"So, I'm also waiting for your answers."

Jeragand's voice changed again; this time, it seemed to transform into an eternal mountain, its echoes reverberating through the valleys, majestic and far-reaching.

"The answer sheet given to me by the elders tells me that Kjerag should remain as it is. Nothing needs to be changed. Under my protection, Kjerag can continue to thrive for another ten thousand years."

His voice then transformed into the sound of wind chimes coming from afar:

“Enya told me that Sherag might need change, and the people certainly need to think and be free, but everything still needs to be centered on me. Faith will have absolute dominance in Sherag, and she will not allow anyone to overstep the boundaries of the rules.”

His voice boomed, as terrifying as thunder:

“And Enciodes gave me a hesitant answer—Sherrag needs a complete overhaul. The three great families should be abolished, the Manju Academy should be shut down, my existence is an obstacle to Sherrag, I should be banished from this snowy land, and all that remains is my idol. The one who will lead Sherrag should be the Colombian-style free order built by the Kalan Trade, and the one who will lead the thoughts of the people of Sherrag should be self-interest.”

He withdrew his supernatural powers, and in the darkness, Ernst felt a gaze watching him through the sacred stone.