People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Ernst obtained the promise he wanted from King Ivangelista XI: "If Kjerag is willing and able to host the World Summit, Lateran is willing to join Kjerag as a co-initiator to extend an invitation to nations on Terra that care about international peace and stability and are committed to establishing a new order on the land. The first World Summit will be held in the pristine, snow-covered land."

King Ivangelista XI was cunning; he deliberately emphasized Sherag's strength in his words and mentioned Lateran's willingness to "provide assistance," which, to some extent, was also an attempt to maximize Lateran's weight and status in this initiative.

But Ernst was not unprepared.

"Your Holiness, I actually have another idea that is not quite mature. I wonder if I could ask you to give it a try?"

Ernst's smile was genuine, but having been "deceived" once before, Ivangelista XI clearly didn't believe him. He sat up straight, subconsciously putting a piece of mousse cake into his mouth, his voice somewhat muffled:

"Don't mention it, please speak."

Ernst said, “We all know that the purpose of the International Summit is to establish a new order among the international communities of Terra, but this will inevitably lead to dissatisfaction and backlash from some of the old order’s rulers. Of course, I don’t think that ‘a Grand Duke’ would be so eager to launch an attack just because Sherag held an international conference. But it’s hard to guarantee that she won’t try to sabotage us.”

The Grand Duke of Caesar, who wished to remain anonymous, was certainly not an isolated case; Ernst was merely giving a random example.

As for why I mentioned Kester, well... because Daphne was right next to him?

If you find something bad happening on this land and can't find who did it, it's the Duke of Cactus. —by Daphne Windermere, heir to the Duke of Windermere.

King Ivangelista XI clearly understood this principle, which was one of the reasons he specifically invited Ernst.

Ernst had a good relationship with several of Victoria's grand dukes, at least on the surface, which might be an opportunity to persuade them to attend the summit.

But Ernst thought further ahead.

After all, not all Terrans are as sentimental as Sakota. The establishment of the International Summit would inevitably harm the interests of some beneficiaries of the existing order. For example, if the International Summit were to emulate the UN system and establish an international order based on the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, Victoria would inevitably be limited to fielding only one representative.

Not everyone wants to rebel for independence like Wellington did. Given that only one representative can be fielded internationally, Castle's influence will inevitably diminish.

This directly harms her interests, and it's not something that can be persuaded by mere personal relationships.

As I said before, there has to be a benefit to make an exchange.

So Ernst, who already had a rough idea in mind, raised one finger and suggested:

"In order to prevent any accidents from happening at the first World Summit due to insufficient preparation, lack of experience, or deliberate sabotage by some extremists, I think it is necessary for us, as the organizers, to conduct a rehearsal."

"rehearse?"

King Ivangelist XI tapped his fingers slowly on the armrest, a hint of understanding appearing in his eyes.

"You want to hold the zeroth World Summit? Before the official World Summit, how about having a small meeting with the major powers?"

Ernst paused, taken aback. This was an unexpected path, but upon reflection, it seemed to make some sense. Since the interests of certain major powers and grand dukes would be harmed, rather than facing their resistance when the first formal international summit was held, it would be better to hold a smaller meeting beforehand to discuss the distribution of benefits.

Ernst's idea was somewhat similar, though not as obvious.

He said, "To be precise, I do want to convene the zeroth international summit, but it is not a small meeting between major powers."

He paused, then continued.

"It was the World's Fair."

World Expo, World Fair, Global Expo, Face-Saving Conference, Card-Showing Conference—as long as the meaning is conveyed, you can call it whatever you like.

Ernst knew very well that the international order on Terra was essentially still a dog-eat-dog world, merely cloaked in a veneer of civilization. King Ivangelista XI's plan for a summit of nations was, in fact, to make this veneer of civilization thicker, more complex, and harder to remove. To put it bluntly, it was to erect a facade of morality for the wicked, to put everyone on a pedestal, to eliminate many, or at least reduce, the blatant, disgusting acts of bullying the weak.

Although nothing has fundamentally changed, arguing is better than fighting, right? At least fewer people will die, right?

However, not all ferocious beasts are willing to have their fangs and claws restrained. This was also a concern for Ivangelista XI.

Ernst's purpose in proposing the "World's Fair" was quite simple.

show off.

Of course, it wasn't Sherag showing off, but rather setting up a stage for these ferocious beasts to swagger and display their power.

When major powers shift their display of power from the battlefield to trade fairs, even if only partially, Ernst's objective has been achieved.

To reduce casualties, allow the nations of the continent to understand each other's strength, and lay the groundwork for the upcoming real international summit, accumulating experience and reducing resistance—there are only zero times and countless times in everything; once you've done it once, it won't be so difficult to invite them again.

Some might ask, how could a major power possibly reveal its true strength and capabilities at a World's Fair?

Yes, that makes sense. As a nation's lifeline, its trump card is naturally not something that can be shown on stage.

However, did the person who raised this question not consider that the Trimont Scientific Achievements Fair in Colombia, which is also a showcase of strength, but only scientific research strength, is exhibiting the most advanced and confidential scientific research results of each company?

of course not.

Everyone's not stupid; in this kind of setting, only mid-to-high-end achievements are showcased. The real secrets, of course, are those that are kept hidden.

But since everyone is showcasing mid-to-high-end success, isn't that the end of it?

An expo isn't a game of strategy like the legendary horse racing game. Compared to showcasing their trump cards, the quality of their mid-to-high-end exhibits is the true standard for determining a nation's strength. Just as Ursus wouldn't display its inner guard, and Victoria wouldn't bring out its unicorns, the mere fact that they've revealed their weapons—the Ursus Empire's Artillery Forerunner drones versus Victoria's self-propelled city defense artillery—is enough to give both nations a rough estimate of each other's power.

Previously, this comparison process was conducted underground, with spies, intelligence agents, and diplomats collecting relevant information through clandestine channels and then transmitting it back home for comparison. Ernst, however, wanted to bring this process into the open and transform it from a shady, unsavory activity into a respectable and beneficial one.

This would save countries money on intelligence spending and save face for everyone, so it wouldn't be refused.

King Ivangelista XI nodded thoughtfully, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Ernst.

It must be said that this was indeed a very ingenious idea, and it perfectly captured the mindset of the leaders of various countries.

Who doesn't want to enhance their reputation? Who doesn't care about their image? Who doesn't want to "civilly" understand their competitors?

"That's a good idea."

He agreed.

Ernst added, "Furthermore, I believe the exhibition should not be limited to military topics, but should also include technology, culture, historical heritage, and so on. It should be more diverse."

King Ivangelista XI smiled slightly: "Is this so that smaller countries can also have a place in it?"

Ernst nodded.

The majority of the World Expo is undoubtedly dominated by powerful nations, but some smaller countries, relegated to the periphery of the international community and lacking recognition or opportunities to make their voices heard, can still make a small appearance at the Expo by showcasing their unique cultural characteristics, historical heritage, and so on.

These are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

Similarly, these countries that have benefited from the opportunity, these independent mobile city-states, will undoubtedly become staunch supporters of the upcoming World Summit—having tasted the advantages, they will naturally want to maintain them.

Ivangelista XI had been persuaded by Ernst, but he was still somewhat curious:

"And what about you? As the hosts, what will you showcase to ensure you gain enough recognition and make the upcoming international summit stand out?"

Ernst smiled mysteriously, not answering directly, but slowly uttering two words:

"future."

Chapter 236 Treasure, Wrath, Return Quickly

Lateran, Papal Palace.

Fiameta felt somewhat heavy-hearted.

After three days of investigation, she finally confirmed a fact—the enemy was indeed very cunning, leaving no trace whatsoever!

Well, this certainly doesn't mean that Fiameta searched for three days and found nothing. In fact, the fact that he didn't obtain any information is enough to say a lot.

Rumors exist, so the people who spread them must exist, and the "precursors" that Patia mentioned must also exist. Since the "precursors" exist, it is only natural that if someone does something, they cannot do so without leaving any trace!

If that's the case, there are only two possibilities if she can't find anything. Either the rumor has nothing to do with [Pioneer], or someone is covering for the person spreading the rumor.

Fiamet didn't know who had secretly done these things, but this person's status and influence must have been considerable; otherwise, given Fiamet's position as a Papal Palace employee and former guard member, he wouldn't have been completely clueless about it.

There's a mole within Laterano's upper echelons!

Fiameta has realized the seriousness of the matter. If the rumor-monger and his accomplices have infiltrated the upper echelons of Lateran and become one or more of the old guys in the Papal Court, then the situation in Lateran cannot be described as stable and secure; at the very least, it can be described as extremely precarious!

The rumor concealed Ding Zhen's true identity; the identification was—a letter!

Now that things had come to this, even if Fiameta wanted to cover it up, it was too late. After a night of thinking, she finally made up her mind.

Since I can't find out the truth myself, for the safety of Laterano and to expose the conspiracy of the rumor-mongers, I should report this matter.

However, there are rules to reporting. Fiameta is currently unsure who in Laterano's upper echelons is covering for [Pioneer], or what their position is, so reporting to his superiors would seem somewhat dangerous and useless.

After all, his superiors had investigated for a long time but hadn't found any clues.

Either the mole is among them, or everyone is just so incompetent that reporting to them would be pointless.

Fiameta planned to bypass his superiors and report directly to the top!

She planned to take the opportunity of reporting to Pope Ivangelist XI to directly inform the Pope of this matter and ask him to take charge of the follow-up investigation and to investigate the Papal Court case!

Fiamet was quite pleased with his idea. After all, no matter what, the Pope, the leader of Lateran, couldn't possibly be a mole, could he?

"Cough cough cough..."

Unable to hold back his coughs, King Ivangelista XI ignored Ernst, whose face was taut and who was clearly trying to suppress a laugh, and asked Fiameta in front of him,

"Fiameta, your mission doesn't seem to be related to this, does it?"

Fiameta pursed her lips, somewhat puzzled as to why Ivangelista XI didn't seem so distressed about the rumors, but she still frankly admitted her dereliction of duty:

"I apologize, Your Majesty. I did not do a good job in receiving foreign guests this time. I will go to the Papal Palace to accept my punishment myself."

After speaking, she looked at Ernst and bowed again.

"And Mr. Ernst, I'm sorry."

Her and Mostima's original task was to act as guides for Ernst's group during their stay in Laterano. However, Fiameta failed to fulfill this responsibility and instead chose to investigate rumors. Although Mostima's deception played a part, Fiameta's actions were indeed disobedient and derelict in her duty.

King Ivangelista XI and Ernst did not actually intend to reprimand them; they were merely trying to shift the topic and attention.

After all, it was these two who made the decision to let Andorn go. Ernst hoped that this idealist could do more practical things for the land, while Ivangelista XI had his own considerations and debated with Andorn for nearly two hours in the underground chamber.

They can't very well contradict themselves.

“Well, in that case, Mostima, Fiameta!”

King Ivangelista XI pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and called out.

Fiameta and Mostima, who was standing to the side with a slight smile, immediately replied, "(Yes!) I'm here."

"You two were negligent in your duties back in Laterano. However, there is still a chance to make amends."

"Latland does not yet have a resident messenger from all nations in Kjerag. Mostima, would you be willing to serve?"

Ivangelista XI gave Mostima a wink.

Mostima nodded subtly, giving an "ok" look, and replied:

"Of course, Your Holiness the Pope. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to make amends, don't you think, Fiameta?"

Fiameta: "?"

The little phoenix paused, its expression still somewhat confused.

Something's not right, something's definitely not right!

But what's wrong?

No, no, no, why is Mostima suddenly being so polite? Calling the Pope "Your Holiness the Pope" is one thing, but to even talk about making amends and going to Kjerag as a resident messenger is completely out of character for her.

No, that's not quite right. The Papal Court is indeed short-staffed right now, and Mostima seems genuinely interested in Ernst and Scherrag. Plus, they didn't do a very good job as guides this time, so being pulled in as temporary workers seems to fit the Pope's personality, doesn't it? Seems reasonable?

Right? No, that doesn't seem right. Yes, yes... Hmm, something still feels off.

Did I miss something important? No, I've only been gone for less than three days, and I haven't heard of anything major happening in Laterano during that time.

Li Boli, out of the loop.jpg.

"Fiameta, what's your opinion?"

Seeing that Fiameta remained silent for a long time, looking bewildered, King Ivangelista XI spoke up to remind her.

“If you don’t want to go, I can lift the supervisory order on Mostima. The notary office and the Seventh Hall also need manpower. You can stay in Lateran with your grandfather.”

Fiamet snapped back to reality and shook her head firmly:

"No, Your Majesty, I am willing to go."

“Mostima could be in trouble at any time, and the fallen angels are not to be trusted. I think it is still necessary for me to be a guardian.”

Ernst turned his head slightly and whispered to Vina and Defiance behind him:

"See? That's what tsundere is."

Daphne blinked: "Why? Translate it?"

Ernst made a cameo appearance as a clerk:

“What Fiameta means is that Mostima is in danger. The fallen angels prevent Mostima from using her gun, greatly reducing her strength. She is very worried about her, so she must stay with her.”

Dai Feien nodded knowingly, then said with a hint of disdain, "Isn't this perfectly fine? Why not just say it directly? Why use such an uncomfortable way of putting it? This tsundere attitude is really hard to understand."