People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Kelsey's small mouth was slightly open, and her expression was so bewildered that Ernst could almost see the vast Milky Way and complex mathematical formulas behind her.

After staring for a while, Ernst finally couldn't resist and waved his hand in front of Kelsey. Seeing that she still looked confused, Ernst suddenly had a bold idea!

He reached out and touched Kal'tsit's head, feeling her soft, light green to white short hair. Then, he picked out the longest strand and gently tugged at it.

You think Ernst was going to pat her head? Wrong! Completely wrong! Ernst is a man of ideals and ambitions. He could easily pat heads with Lavshine and Miss Lola (Aurora) when he got back; there would be plenty of opportunities. But the chance to tickle Kal'tsit was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Sure enough, the moment Ernst succeeded in provoking Kal'tsit, Kal'tsit shuddered violently, her gaze shifting from dazed to sharp as she looked at Ernst:

"what are you doing?"

Ernst replied, "Born of my mother."

Kelsey: “?”

Seeing Kelsey's expression that suggested "it's necessary to give you a psychoanalysis," Ernst finally smiled and changed the subject:

"What was Dr. Kal'tsit thinking about just now? She seemed so engrossed."

Don't you have any idea what I'm thinking?

Kal'tsit's eyelids twitched, and she almost couldn't help but let out an impolite click of her tongue.

Thankfully, years of upbringing finally overcame the small fluctuation in her heart. Kal'tsit took a deep breath, pretending nothing had happened, and asked:

"I'm just curious, is this... mecha guy you brought back also one of your employees?"

Ernst turned around, glanced at the Flame Demon Safar sandwiched between Miloki and Horhaya behind him, pursed his lips, and shook his head, saying:

"Not yet."

Temporarily? That means you really want to bring him under your wing!

Kal'tsit suddenly felt a sense of suffocation.

She never expected that Ernst's trip to Colombia would actually allow him to collect information about a branch of the Sarkaz race.

You didn't tell me that when you came here. You said, "I'm here in Colombia to do only three things: find employees, find employees, and find employees again!"

So, this is what you mean by "finding employees"? You called three times, so you ended up finding three?

Feathered Serpent Horheya, Durinmielloi the Lantern, plus a Sarkaz Balrog?

To be honest, even with this, Kelsey could still console herself. After all, it's normal for politicians to not always speak the truth. In a way, Ernst wasn't exactly lying; at most, he "deliberately misinterpreted the question."

But the problem is, isn't this a bit too outrageous?

Balrog, Balrog! How long has this breed of Sarkaz been out of print?

Kal'tsit has been traveling the world for over ten thousand years. How could she not know whether the Balrog race is extinct or not? If there are still living Balrogs in the world, are the Sarkaz royal court, Kal'tsit, and all the previous Balrogs blind and have not discovered them?

She had initially thought that Ernst's ambitious arrival in Columbia, even with a one in ten thousand chance of being a mere collector, would at most involve collecting Sarkaz from the Royal Court, such as the Children of Earth and Stone, imps, or, for those with a more extreme taste, succubi. Most of the Royal Court's races wouldn't be in Columbia at this time—they already had affiliations, either with the Military Council, Rhodes Island, or scattered across Ursus and Sami, all quite busy.

And you're telling me you drew a Balrog?

Is this reasonable? She just wants to know, is this reasonable?!

It's like the Columbia Tremont March rotation banner has refreshed, featuring the following characters: Rhine Fist Queen Saria, the lost Feathered Serpent Horhyah, and the conscientious employee Himeru. The hidden featured characters are Head of Structural Engineering Palvis and Head of Originium Life Sciences Levi. Everyone's saying this banner is really strong, and if you want to strengthen your team, it's definitely worth a try.

At this moment, someone suddenly jumped out and said that he had drawn a limited character that had been out of print for thousands of years: Royal Flame Demon.

Dude, is there even this stuff in this pool? You're really going to pull it out?

It's open? This frame is really cool, isn't it?

This isn't just any ordinary European dog, this is a fucking cheater! We have to crack down hard!

Feeling her emotions and expressions teetering on the edge of breaking down, Kal'tsit took a deep breath. Just as she was about to say something to congratulate Ernst, this guy who collects cheat codes, she noticed the complex emotions in Ernst's eyes as he looked at the Balrog.

What kind of emotion was that?

A sense of apprehension, helplessness, and even a touch of disdain. It's like pulling a permanent character from a limited-time gacha pull—you can't say it's bad, it's useful after all. But you can't say it's really good either...

To paraphrase a famous line from a drunken man named Daha Yu: "I'd give my heart to Skadi... not to you, Wendy."

Is he still not satisfied with the result?

Kal'tsit suddenly had this whimsical idea.

Some ideas, once they arise, are very difficult to suppress.

Kal'tsit took her third deep breath and said:

"Mr. Ernst, do you know who this mecha guy is?"

“You know a little, right? He’s from a branch of the Sarkaz, and apparently a fairly well-known member of their royal court. He’s supposedly very strong.” Ernst paused, then, seeing Kal’tsit’s slight nod, added, “But I didn’t see that coming.”

Kelsey was slightly taken aback by his words, somewhat unable to understand Ernst's meaning: "Why? Mr. Ernst has fought with him before?"

Ernst glanced at the Balrog, and Safar, imitating Ancestor Seven, spread his hands, indicating that I had no objections:

"I am not ashamed of being defeated by a stronger opponent."

Ernst continued, "I didn't, but Seria knocked him down with three punches."

"Could you put it more tactfully? We were clearly evenly matched!"

Safar retorted with dissatisfaction, then muttered under his breath, saying things like, "I'm not in my full form yet, what's there to be proud of about beating someone like me?" "I'm evenly matched with Saria, I burned her too," and "The Columbians have no sportsmanship, they try to trick me, they try to ambush me, this old Balrog doesn't give me any face." These words made Horhaia and Vina, who were standing nearby, burst into laughter, filling the ship with a joyful atmosphere.

"Alright, alright, once we get back to Sherag, I know a martial arts expert who might be just as strong as Saria. She'll probably enjoy (whipping) you."

The image of Lady Mace flashed through Ernst's mind.

With the Flame Demon as her sparring partner, she wouldn't have to risk her life fighting avalanches every day, right?

As for whether there would be any danger if the mace couldn't defeat the Flame Demon, Ernst could only say that there was absolutely no need to worry.

Regardless of whether this premise holds true under the power of the mace, once they return to Sherag, the Balrog will be nothing more than a small kalami in front of the great god Yeragand.

Ms. Jian's identity has been officially recognized by both Ernst and Enya, and her identity file has long been kept in the Manju Academy and the Sherag government. In other words, Jian has long been a Sherag citizen.

Although she didn't seem to believe in Jeragand, the great god is all-loving; whether you believe in her or not, she blesses you all the same!

Thinking back to this, Ernst realized that he had somewhat overlooked Kal'tsit, who had brought up the topic.

He looked at the lynx lady in front of him, whose lips were tightly pursed, brows were furrowed, and whose face looked as if she wanted to squeeze her features together in a "numb" expression, and asked, "Does Dr. Kal'tsit ask this because there's something wrong?"

"N-nothing...it's nothing." Kal'tsit waved her hand.

It means that what it once had, it no longer has.

Because this Balrog doesn't seem quite normal either. The Royal Balrog was knocked down by Saria, the head of the defense department at Rhine Labs, with three punches. Why would I have such a dream?

And his "emo" state... well, this Balrog's abnormality makes him stand out among the many Royal Balrogs who are known for their volatile and bloodthirsty nature, yet are also loyal and reliable.

What Kal'tsit didn't know was that the Balrog in her mind was also Safar when he was first resurrected.

However, the situation in Terra is now too complicated. After his debut battle with Saria, Safar changed.

It's not that he realized this, it's that he's lost his mind.

Finally, before saying goodbye to Ernst and heading to the medical department to work overtime and clear her head, Kal'tsit added one more thing:

“Mr. Ernst, to be honest, I also know a little about the Sarkaz. If you have any questions about the Sarkaz, I can help you.”

Finally, as if afraid Ernst wouldn't come, she added:

"It's free."

Chapter 205 A Place Where Inspiration Gathers

Shelag, Tukarim.

A month is neither a long nor a short time. On Earth, a month is probably only enough time to build the framework of a house on a normal construction site. If the construction period is not so tight and the progress is not so rushed, sometimes, even the framework is still far from being built.

But this is the magical Terra.

So when Ernst got off the Snowpiercer, he was greeted by the interior of an utterly unfamiliar building.

Nearby, the path from the train platform to the waiting hall has been paved with absorbent and non-slip stone bricks. A rectangular tunnel, indistinguishable from a modern train station, extends directly into the waiting hall. Many advertising columns have been added to the walls on both sides, equipped with LED tubes. Since the business has not yet started, they are currently covered by colored paper left over from the last harvest festival by Manzhu Academy. However, it is not hard to imagine what it will look like when commercial advertisements are hung up.

Walking through the passageway into the waiting hall, Ernst's view suddenly opened up. The ceiling height of the entire hall had been raised to at least twenty meters, easily surpassing the height of the Sherag government office building. Countless Originium lamps decorated like stars hung from the dome, subtly showcasing the unique personal taste of the Rhine Lab director behind the project.

The high quality of the Originium lamps provided excellent lighting for most of the hall, while the streetlights placed in the hall, made into light boxes and engraved with religious stories such as "Jeragonde Encourages Farming," "Jeragonde Rescues from Natural Disasters," and "Jeragonde Declares Innocent," illuminated the few remaining shadowy areas.

In the center of the waiting hall, rows of iron chairs were neatly arranged. The engineer in charge of this renovation must have put a lot of thought into it. Given that overall heating in Sherag was still difficult, she placed an Originium heater in the middle of each row of chairs. This heater did not burn fire; it was more like the "little sun" that Ernst remembered. While radiating heat, it also ensured that the unfortunate children from the locals would not accidentally touch it out of curiosity and start a fire.

In addition, Ernst also noticed that the second floor of the waiting hall was under construction, and the shops surrounding the station were already taking shape. Although it was clearly not yet open for business because it had not yet been leased, at least it was already taking shape.

In conclusion, although various aspects still reveal that "this waiting hall has not yet been officially put into use," there is no doubt that this building has become the most iconic modern building in the entire Kjerag.

Ernst was overwhelmed with excitement. The sense of accomplishment from building something from nothing left him speechless. He just wanted to walk around the station a little longer, to explore its details and see what ingenuity was hidden within.

But the approaching figure in the distance had already sent a greeting to his ears.

"Welcome to Shelag! Shouldn't we say that now?"

Lola, who specially took time out of the construction site to wait at the station to welcome Ernst back, and Hinterlea, who had nowhere to go and was slacking off because the government office building had been officially demolished, came forward to greet him.

Lola's face still showed excitement, but perhaps because it wasn't her first time at the train station, Hinterlea's expression was much calmer. She introduced the place with a touch of pride.

"Boss, how does the brand-new Kjerag train station feel?"

"Fantastic!" Ernst praised without hesitation. "It's a pleasant surprise, both in terms of economic and cultural applications!"

Although she had actively sought praise, Hintley became somewhat embarrassed after Ernst's earnest compliment. Her flushed cheeks turned slightly to the side, and she waved her hand dismissively, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"It's not that amazing. Boss, you've seen these streetlights too, right? It was Miss Lola who suggested fixing them like this."

Lola smiled, looked at Ernst, and said seriously:

"I got my inspiration from Master Ernst."

Lola's words were not flattery or an attempt to cleverly give credit to her superiors; they came from the heart.

Ernst's act of distributing paper cutouts, window decorations, and comic strips of the Jeragund story at the harvest festival certainly gave her a lot of inspiration, and it was the source of her suggestion.

If the traditional culture of the Great Yan Dynasty can be used to praise Yeragand, what about other things? What else do we usually overlook that can actually play a different role?

Lola ultimately chose a street lamp as the vessel.

The light that shines, dispels the darkness, and guides the way for travelers is precisely what perfectly embodies the image of the great god Jeragand in people's hearts.

Thus, the Jeragund sculpted street lamp was born. For Rhine Lab, which was in charge of placing the order, this was not a difficult task. After all, they weren't the ones making the lamps; they were simply placing the orders with the appropriate manufacturers. And what hadn't these manufacturers seen? They had accepted all sorts of strange requests, from small decorative sculptures to even bizarre ones like "the light they emit is black."

Fortunately, Ernst was unaware of Lola's thoughts, and Lola was also unaware that in Ernst's mind, streetlights had another function.

Otherwise, if someone were to hang themselves from a streetlamp one day, it would be somewhat blasphemous to the great god Jeragund.

Uh... actually, it doesn't really count, does it? Jeragund also had a doctrine of punishing bad people.

This looks even more like it!

Lola was a reserved girl from Sherag; even though she had studied at Columbia University, it hadn't changed her personality much. Seeing all the admiring glances directed at her, she immediately felt embarrassed and changed the subject:

"Actually, it wasn't just me; everyone contributed a lot of creative ideas to the new train station."

"Miss Hintraya lived in Kazimierz, so she suggested that the Kjerag train station could follow Kazimierz's example and open some supermarkets selling Kjerag souvenirs, so that tourists could have a place to buy some local Kjerag specialties. Ms. Nasti designed the overall shape of the train station. If the young master observes the train station from a high place outside, he will find that the shape of the train station is like the head of a large pack animal. She said that this is to commemorate the contributions of the pack animals and also to symbolize that the Kjerag people, who once lived in the mountains and were like the pack animals, can finally go out through the train station."

As she spoke, Lola raised her head, looked up at the "starry sky" above the dome, and smiled:

"And then there's General Christen, who actually initially suggested replacing the dome with reinforced glass so that people could see the sky directly at night."

"The sky over Shelag is pure. There are few places on earth with such an unpolluted and pure sky as Shelag. That's what she said."

"But Ms. Nastya argued against this proposal. Because Kjerag experiences snowfall year-round, ensuring people can see the sky through the glass windows of the train station would require a huge amount of money for daily snow removal, which is simply not worthwhile. And..."

"And what?" Ernst asked curiously.

Lola awkwardly twirled a strand of hair behind her ear: "Besides, she said, 'If you want to see the stars, just go outside. The train station is closed at night, who would sneak in just to look at them?'"

Ernst was speechless for a moment.

It seems... it seems there really is nothing wrong with it?

Ernst was initially a little disappointed that Christen's idea had not been realized, but after hearing these two reasons, he suddenly felt that Christen's idea was indeed a bit impractical.

Looking up at the sky from inside a train station sounds romantic, but not everyone on this land is interested in the sky. Those who are interested can look up from outside, while those who aren't, even if you make the sky transparent or turn the train station into an open-air space with the cold wind howling, might not even look up once.

For these people, the sky is worthless, and gazing at the stars is a waste of time.

As for how to arouse the interest of these people who disregard the sky, that is probably the ultimate goal of Project Dome—breaking through the isolation layer.

Ernst also looked up at the star-like Originium lamps hanging from the dome, and at himself, who had been drawn to them as soon as he entered the hall.

In retrospect, these "Christine compromises" are actually more intriguing to those who "don't understand the sky." It's quite ironic.