People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Ernst was taken aback by the hint of Sherag's simple and honest manner, then nodded with a touch of guilt: "Of course, Sherag will not restrict your personal freedom."

I wonder if, when Saria hears Christen's slightly accented Dongbai accent when they get back, she'll get so angry that she'll call Sherag to settle the score with him.

Hmm... but actually, I'm not afraid! Although Saria is terrifying, Ernst's side also has some experts!

Quickly go and ask Three Fists... cough cough, no, I mean quickly go and ask General Jeston, the five-star general, to protect you!

Before Ernst could even mentally compare the combat power of Jeston Pro Max (Sherlock version) and Saria (Commander version) and determine which was far superior, Christen interrupted Ernst's thoughts with a single sentence:

"Next, when I return, I will consider staying in Shelag permanently, but this will require your approval. What do you think?"

What? Christensen has been added to the permanent pool?

Why would I have such a strange dream?

Ernst nodded, somewhat puzzled: "What about Columbia?"

“I go back to visit occasionally,” Christen said, her gaze rising as if looking directly up at the sky through the ceiling. “Or, if given the chance, I’d like to see it from another perspective.”

Ernst nodded.

It seems we need to hurry up with things at the expo as well.

Let's send Nastya another order.

Chapter 246 Duke Windermere: Why isn't my daughter responding?

Victoria, Duchy of Caster.

Victoria has been relatively calm lately, with no obvious moves by the dukes and the Sarkaz of Londinium remaining silent. Everything seems to have returned to normal, and apart from a small number of suffering citizens of Londinium who have voluntarily sacrificed themselves for the greater good of the nation, the overall situation is quite satisfactory.

The Duke of Caesar naturally assumed that it was his achievement.

The reason is simple: why haven't the Grand Dukes of Victoria taken any action? It's because she hasn't made any moves lately. If she were to make a move, the Duke of Windermere would certainly follow suit, and if Windermere were to make a move, the Duke of Wellington, also a military noble, would inevitably follow suit as well. This would then influence the judgment of the centrist and opportunistic Duke of Godottin, forcing him to take some action to maintain his influence.

This perfectly illustrates the saying "a single hair can move the whole body." From this perspective, hasn't she done nothing at all, yet isn't that the greatest contribution to peace in Victoria? Surely the Grand Duchess of Victoria wouldn't be deprived of a Terra Peace Prize nomination?

Why did the Sarkaz of Londinium fall into silence after occupying Londinium? The reason is quite simple: her messengers had made contact with Theresis and appeased the disobedient mercenary leader.

Well, it's somewhat arrogant to still treat Theresis as just another mercenary leader. Duke Kast has also slightly changed his attitude towards Theresis, separating him from the profit-driven Sarkaz and treating him as a worthy adversary.

But that's all. The Sarkaz are a disorganized bunch; even if they occupy Londinium, what good will it do? The Grey Hats' intelligence network already covers every corner of the city. There's no way the Sarkaz can hide a single soldier from them and send one into the city!

With only a few hundred mercenaries, even if each one was as strong as a god descended from heaven, Duke Castle had a vast amount of "usable" weapons to wear them down to their last drop of blood.

Now, the Duke of Castells' attitude toward Theresis has changed from "an insignificant tool" to "an opponent who needs to be seriously analyzed and dealt with, but is still insignificant," while her overall strategy remains unchanged.

Previously, she might have used the Dukes of Stafford and Cavendish as pawns to throw Londinium into chaos, so she could then conveniently enter the city as a "savior" and sit on the throne. Now, her goal remains unchanged; she has simply replaced the Dukes of Cavendish and Stafford, who are unlikely to amount to much, with Therese.

The Sarkaz can wreak havoc on Lentinium just as well, can't they?

Rather than grandstanding like the Duke of Windermere by using slogans like "conquering the module" and "reclaiming the capital" to win people over, the Duke of Castle had a much longer-term vision.

She didn't care about the slight prestige she gained at this moment; her gaze remained fixed on the crown from beginning to end. Therefore, she didn't care about the Duke of Windermere's first layer of scheming. She preferred to pretend to "endure humiliation" for the time being, letting the Duke of Windermere enjoy his triumph for a while, before stepping forward as the "leader among dukes" when the script truly needed her to appear and take all the spoils as the undisputed winner!

That period won't be too long, ranging from one or two years to three or five years, depending on how long Theresis, the object of her "breeding," and the Sarkaz in the city of Londinium can endure.

Before that day arrives, she will play the role of a "peacemaker," boosting her reputation, participating in various activities, and trying to subtly improve her public image, which has slightly declined due to a series of events.

As for the citizens of Lentinium who sacrificed their lives for their country...

Duke Caesar has already placed one of his hidden agents in the city of Londinium, Alde Cumberland, a descendant of the Cumberland family, in charge of coordinating efforts within the city to form a "Londinium Self-Salvation Army".

Of course, the purpose of this self-rescue army could not possibly be to actually save the citizens of Lentinium—if they could do such a thing on their own, then what would be the point of having a duke like her? Wouldn't it be awkward for her to be the destined savior?

The purpose of the Self-Salvation Army is to establish a hero and a target. The hero faces the citizens; Alleide is in the open, while Shekrist remains in the shadows. On the day of liberation, she will emerge from the shadows and rightfully inherit all the prestige the Self-Salvation Army has accumulated during the Sarkaz occupation. She will become a "brave and indomitable freedom fighter!"

The target is the Sarkaz, to create some trouble for them and prevent them from taking control of Lentinium to a troublesome extent. At the same time, try to exacerbate the conflict between the Sarkaz and the citizens of Lentinium, and make the citizens' lives as bad as possible—only when your lives are bad will the salvation be meaningful.

Otherwise, why would these lords of Londinium be willing to fall at the feet of this foreign emperor?

She was calculating with great fanfare, yet these schemes theoretically had no possibility of failure. After all, while each link in the chain was related to her, none of them directly implicated her. If the plan were disrupted, at worst she would simply fail, neither making a profit nor incurring a loss.

Even the plan for the self-defense army to be "wiped out by the crazed Sarkaz mobs" when the city fell was one of the ideal outcomes envisioned by the Duke of Caster.

She alone is enough to reap the rewards and glory. Any more than that, and there's only one fruit—it'll be hard to share!

Therefore, when she heard the report from the Grey Hat that Ernst had also sent her an invitation to the World's Fair to be held in Kjerag three months later, she did not hesitate for long and readily accepted.

The reason is simple: the timing, content, and subsequent impact of the World's Fair perfectly aligned with her short-term goals of "building reputation" and "being a good person."

"Ernst is like a mind reader; I'm growing to like this junior colleague more and more."

The Duke of Cactus exhaled a satisfied smoke ring, a slightly intoxicated smile on his face.

"It's like a pillow being delivered when you're sleepy. The World Expo brings together the top leaders and the most abundant intelligence from all the nations of Terra at the lowest cost. It's truly a brilliant idea to accomplish the most with the least amount of money."

"Why has the Grey Hat never offered such a constructive suggestion?"

Caster glanced at the bowing man in the grey top hat, who shuddered but did not answer, only lowering his head even further.

Looks like he knows he's wrong and has started to repent...bullshit!

The man in the grey top hat bowed his head not in repentance, but simply to avoid the Duke of Caesar noticing the eye roll he was making.

And why can't the person in the grey top hat offer such a constructive suggestion? Even if I did offer it, what could you do about it?

Given your disgraceful reputation at banquets these days, if you were to host the World's Fair, it would likely be reduced to the Victoria Fair or the "Duchy of Castells Fair".

And given the situation in the Duchy of Caesar, what are you planning to exhibit then?

The man in the grey top hat thought to himself, "Oh! I see. You can just set up a huge display case and put up a sign that says 'The Duke of Caesar's Conscience'."

"If someone comes and sees this sign, they'll ask, 'Why is there only a sign? Where are the exhibits?'"

"Then I can just reply to them with: '404 not found'."

It's not that they're greedy and can't afford it, it's just that they have no conscience and offer better value for money!

Of course, the man in the grey hat wouldn't dare say such things out loud. He could only mutter a few complaints in his heart.

Moreover, he hadn't considered that the World's Fair was indeed a fact; Ernst did possess exceptional abilities, an undeniable truth proven by history. The man in the grey hat could only strictly obey the Duke of Caesar's orders, bowing and saying:

"I feel deeply ashamed. I apologize. I will definitely correct my mistakes in the future and will remind my other colleagues."

“Go down,” said the Duke of Caster. The man in the grey top hat had just turned to leave the office when she suddenly called him back, “Wait.”

The man in the grey top hat turned around with some confusion, only to see the Duke of Caesar's serious expression. He quickly said:

“I almost forgot about that. Since I’m going, that woman, the Duke of Windermere, will definitely be going too.”

"When the time comes, arrange for two skilled fighters to accompany me."

"You... do you intend to compete with Duke Windermere at the fair?" The man in the grey top hat asked, somewhat astonished.

The Duke of Caesar glanced at his clueless subordinate, sneered, and replied with an air of righteous indignation:

"No, I want to prevent her from 'distinguishing' me from being better!"

.............

On the other side, the Duke of Windermere's mansion.

Kent had also received a letter from Defiance and was sitting on the edge of his bed reciting it to Lady Amphilis Windermere, who had just woken from her afternoon nap and was unusually showing a bit of weariness and languor.

"So, Ernst is going to hold some kind of... exposition in Kjerag?"

"Do we have anything we can send to the exhibition?"

"Duke Windermere asked. She had never been particularly knowledgeable about or interested in these matters; as long as Kent was around, she would entrust all matters such as domestic affairs, territory development, and consolidating the people's hearts to him."

In this land, to have someone you can truly trust is a great blessing. Anferis also hopes that Defiance can find such a person, and she will fully support her.

In response to Amphilis's question, Kent nodded slightly:

"Of course, even disregarding the famous musical instruments of Liincarden, the swords passed down from the Dukes of Windermere, or the cannons from the Four Emperors War, they can all be considered as collectibles and belong to the category of [historical culture] listed by Ernst."

"Amphilis, you need to consider whether you want to attend this event in person?"

"me?"

Anferis paused, instinctively wanting to refuse, but then she thought of how her little Defiance had been in Sherag for so long without any decent news or movement, seemingly making no progress at all, and she hesitated again.

How about going and taking a look?

Chapter 247 Abrahana: I'll make you rave about gold coins sooner or later, Old Deng!

Victoria, Duchy of Wellington.

Unlike the Duke of Caesar, who kept a close eye on Ernst's movements, the Duke of Wellington hadn't actually heard of Ernst for some time. To him, there was no need to delve into the matter of a disobedient pawn. If Abrahana hadn't shown a rare interest in the man, he might not even remember who Ernst was.

Since it was Abrahana who was interested in Ernst, the Duke of Wellington delegated the authority to interact with Ernst to Abrahana herself. He himself basically did not participate in the discussion or arrangements, only stamping or ticking off the reports that Abrahana submitted regularly, and he probably wouldn't even glance at them.

Perhaps this could be considered another rather unique way of demonstrating trust? After all, Abrahina's position within the Duchy of Wellington is indeed quite sensitive. Putting aside her hidden Drak identity, her currently exposed identities include "Duke of Wellington's Envoy," "Tara Independence Movement Demagogue," "Suspect in the Earl of Warwick's Murder Case," and so on.

On the other hand, Abrahim's hidden lineage of the Drakgal lineage is also the most important symbol that the Duke of Wellington needs to raise the banner of rebellion in the future and make Tara independent from Victoria.

Therefore, the Duke of Wellington resorted to such methods, attempting to subdue Abrahina through a combination of kindness and coercion, in order to achieve his own goals.

And clearly, his casual move of having nothing better to do—sending Abrahana as a plenipotentiary envoy to contact Ernst—has yielded unexpected results.

"The World's Fair?"

The aged yet resilient man repeatedly pondered this word he was hearing for the first time. Countless guesses and ideas quickly flooded his mind.

Like the Duke of Cactus, he quickly realized the immense benefits the World's Fair could bring. Terra desperately needed such an event that allowed leaders from different nations to gather, compete, and flaunt their achievements without truly harming relations or peace between them.

The Queen's Celebration of Letania is one example, but it's held every year with little variety: talented men and women showcase their skills, several carefully selected orchestras play popular tunes from Terra over the past year, and finally, the Royal Orchestra and the Golden Law Guardian perform a piece that is not only music and a ritual, but also Letania's own Golden Law Music.

Those who are familiar with the process can recite it perfectly. They may feel amazed and moved after watching it once or twice, but after watching it many times, they will feel bored from the bottom of their hearts.

It's the same old show-off every year, and it's always Letania showing off. Aren't you tired of seeing it?

The World Expo has both the capability and the opportunity to become the next major event capable of attracting Terran leaders.

This means countless benefits: prestige, money, connections, and an opportunity for private exchanges that differ from official meetings.

"Hmph, that young man does have some interesting ideas, no wonder you care about him so much."

The Duke of Wellington chuckled, his expression towards Abrahina carrying a hint of amusement.

Despite being teased, Abrahana didn't seem embarrassed. Instead, she took the initiative and asked:

"Why not? Would Your Excellency the Duke be happy to gossip about me?"

The Duke of Wellington burst into laughter. He clapped his hands on his thighs repeatedly: "Hahaha! I'm getting old. Isn't it normal for an old man to enjoy listening to the gossip of young people?"

Abrahana replied tactfully, "Not at all, Your Excellency the Duke is in the prime of your life and cannot be considered old."

The Duke of Wellington then stopped smiling, looked at Abrahina with some suspicion for a few moments, stroked his beard, and said calmly:

"I hope that's really what you think."

Abrahana remained silent, but instead made her smile even brighter.

It must be said that the Duke of Wellington's political acumen was truly astonishing. She originally intended to take advantage of Ernst's letter and use her position as a special envoy to subtly influence Wellington's decision to participate in the World's Fair.

But even this harmless little scheme was quickly noticed by the Duke of Wellington. If she hadn't answered the Duke's questions fluently and without revealing any flaws in her disguise, the exhibit that would have been sent to the World's Fair for the Duke might have been "the last human specimen of the extinct Drak."

She wasn't ready to use flames to lift herself up and seek revenge.

"Report back to Ernst for me." The Duke of Wellington paused before speaking, "Thank you for his invitation. The World's Fair is indeed an interesting event, but my grand tour around my territory will not be interrupted for any reason, and I myself must remain aboard the Gastrill. Therefore, I am destined to be unable to attend the World's Fair in person. As an alternative, I will send an envoy to observe it, and I hope he will not disappoint me."

He glanced at Abrahana and said casually:

"As for whether you are the envoy, that requires some consideration."

Although Abrahana did not reveal any flaws during this test, the Duke of Wellington was not the kind of person who would only take action if he needed evidence, and he was not without other capable people under his command.

Faced with the clearly provocative statement, Abrahana merely flickered a purple flame on her tail, which was then extinguished in an instant. She smiled and nodded.

"As it should be."

Old Bi Deng, you'll get your gold coins sooner or later.

..........

Columbia, District of Columbia.

Vice President Wilson was perhaps the last person to receive Ernst's invitation, and his answer was simple—"Don't rush, let me find my parents first."