People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

As the current leader of Rhodes Island, the precocious Rhodes Island girl has already learned to think about these things on her own, even without Kal'tsit by her side.

Are you still on Rhodes Island?

Hedley asked the question he most wanted to ask.

Amiya nodded. "Yes, I'm the CEO of Rhodes Island now. Rhodes Island is a pharmaceutical company now. Some old friends have left, but Dr. Kal'tsit, Mr. Logos, Ms. Kroos, everyone is still here, and Dr. Warfarin has also joined us." Amiya paused, then invited, "Would you like to come up and take a look?"

Hedley recovered from the shock of "the once insignificant little rabbit transforming into Theresia's heir," hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head: "Forget it. With my current status, there's no need for me to go to the island anymore."

As a teacher in Seraphim, he should have no connection with Rhodes Island. As a spy sent to Seraphim by Theresis, he should not risk his life to provoke Theresis. Moreover, his arrival at Rhodes Island would serve no purpose other than to evoke sad memories and would only bring trouble to the island.

The Sarkaz mercenary Hedley, who served under Princess Theresa, is dead. It's better not to have him now.

Amiya pursed her lips and nodded with some disappointment.

Although she was young at the time and didn't have much of a memory of the events that happened during the Kazdel Civil War, she had a deep impression of her former companions such as Hadley, Ines, and W.

She certainly wanted to recall these former subordinates of Princess Theresa, but to be honest, she couldn't really make these decisions herself; she needed Dr. Kal'tsit's approval.

Therefore, the invitation just now was merely to ask him to "come to the island for a look".

Mr. Hedley must have his reasons for not wanting to.

Perhaps sensing Amiya's disappointment, or perhaps seeing her slightly drooping ears directly, Hadley hesitated for a moment, but still couldn't help but say:

"However, Amiya, although I can't go to the island, if possible, I'd still like to take a picture of Rhodes Island, is that alright?"

Amiya's ears perked up again, and she immediately nodded, "Of course, Uncle Hedley, do you have a camera? I can go back and get it!"

“No need, I have one.” Hedley shook his head. Under Amiya’s questioning gaze, he took out a ballpoint pen from his pocket.

He picked up a ballpoint pen, removed the nib in front of Amiya, revealing the miniature camera inside, pointed it at Rhodes Island, and twisted it slightly.

There was no sound, but the video footage of Rhodes Island has been preserved.

Then, he looked at Amiya and said:

"Amiya, could you turn your back and pretend to walk towards Rhodes Island?"

Amiya was taken aback, and although she didn't understand, she still did as she was told.

Hedley picked up the pen again, repeated the process, and took another picture.

"Alright, Amiya, thank you!"

A genuine, radiant smile finally appeared on his face.

"This way I have something to look forward to, which makes me feel much more relaxed."

Although she had absolutely no idea where Hadley got this obviously suspicious spy camera, Amiya nodded as if she understood:

"Did it help Uncle Hadley? That's great."

Hedley smiled and nodded.

He treasured the copy of the photo that included Amiya, but for the other copy that didn't include Amiya, he meticulously edited it using his excellent literary skills.

Didn't Theresis want intelligence? Here it is.

An evil spirit, the evil spirit of the Tower of Babel, hovers over the land of Terra!

Chapter 256 Ursus: I'll laugh at anyone who goes to the Expo for a year

Ursus Empire, Saint-Germain, suburbs.

The current Emperor of Ursus, Fyodor Vladimirovich, has just finished a spring hunt with Duma Speaker Islam Witt.

Saint-Germain is a mobile city and shouldn't normally house real wild animals. The current Ursus Emperor, Fyodor, claims to practice frugality and has never revealed his hunting hobby. However, many nobles of Saint-Germain willingly raz their estates to the ground and transform them into the emperor's hunting grounds.

It's usually impossible to hide a leader's hobbies. Even if you don't say anything, those who depend on you will do their best to find out and then try every means to curry favor with them.

Perhaps for an emperor, it was just a hunting trip, not a war, so it wasn't considered a wasteful activity, but Fyodor's face still showed deep worry:

"Sir Witt, this hunting ground is quite nice, but it's best not to come here again next time."

As the de facto second-in-command of the Ursus Empire's Saint-Strong Fortress, Islam Witt, who held the title of "Balancer," bowed respectfully to accept the order:

"I understand."

“I didn’t actually mean to give you orders,” Fyodor sighed. “Hunting is one of my few hobbies, and I haven’t told anyone except my father. But Lord Witte, if I remember correctly, this hunting ground used to be the estate of the Marquis of Andro, didn’t it?”

“Your memory is excellent, Your Majesty. This is indeed the Marquis Andro’s estate.” Islam Vitti nodded in confirmation.

Fyodor then asked, "When did he decide to convert this place into a hunting ground?"

Islam Witt answered without hesitation: "Your Majesty, it was 22 years ago."

“22 years ago…” Fyodor’s expression trembled slightly, as if he had thought of something, and he let out a long sigh.

This year is 1094. If we turn back the clock 22 years, that year was 1072. In that year, the Ursus Empire was still led by the "Great Emperor" Vladimir Ivanovich, who had been forged in blood and fire during the War of the Four Emperors. The era of great expansion had not yet ended, and the golden age of Ursus continued. The benefits brought by the war propelled the wheels of high-speed warships forward, crushing all of Ursus's enemies and extracting the riches of milk and honey from their bones and blood.

Not a single person loyal to Ursus and the late emperor could have imagined that just one year later, their greatest emperor, and the only one in the history of the Ursus Empire to stand shoulder to shoulder with the founding emperor, would suddenly pass away in his palace, leaving so unexpectedly, without even leaving any decent last words.

And thus, an era will come to an end.

Islam Witt, of course, noticed the melancholy expression on the emperor's face. He assumed it was a sign of sadness as the emperor reminisced about the past and recalled his father, and offered words of comfort:

"Your Majesty, the era of the late emperor has passed. Now is your era. The empire still needs your guidance. Do not dwell too much on grief."

“Mourning? Is that how you see it?” Fyodor closed his eyes, pursed his lips, and then said, “Sir Witte, go back and arrange for people to investigate Marquis Andro. If necessary, you can send your inner guards to participate.”

"The late Emperor died in 1073, yet Marquis Andreu had already begun converting his estate in Saint-Jewel Castle into a hunting ground in 1072. Was this truly a preemptive measure to curry favor with me, or did he already know something and participate in something unforgivable? Lord Witte, I need you to investigate this matter!"

Islam Witt, who had been keeping his head down, paused slightly, couldn't help but raise his head, and finally met the emperor's gaze.

The tall, weary-looking Ursus man's eyes held an unprecedented coldness.

Don't you think it's that bad?

"No, Your Majesty, I am just worried."

"worry about what?"

"What if they actually find out something?" Islam Witt said with a wry smile.

As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed that the imposing "masculine aura" of the tall Ursus man in front of him vanished in an instant, and Fyodor returned to his tired old appearance and walked ahead.

"That's true, then let's be careful. At the very least, we shouldn't let him appear in front of me again. The same goes for this manor."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Islam Witt immediately nodded in agreement.

Fyodor said no more and left the hunting grounds first.

It wasn't that he didn't want to investigate the Marquis Andreo more thoroughly, but he simply couldn't.

This is because it involves a mystery that even he, the Emperor of Ursus, cannot easily access—the death of the late Emperor.

The late Emperor of the Ursus Empire, Fyodor's father, died in his palace on an ordinary night. Prior to this, although he had shown signs of illness, according to the doctor's diagnosis and treatment, he had gradually recovered and was far from being seriously ill enough to die suddenly. Furthermore, both the guards outside the palace that night and the Imperial Guard, responsible for protecting the Emperor of Ursus, remained tight-lipped about the events of that night, claiming they had neither heard nor seen any of the Emperor's voices or figure before his death, further shrouding the incident in an inescapable shadow.

This is a topic that absolutely cannot be touched.

Especially for Fyodor, the current emperor and the biggest beneficiary of the late emperor's death, if the late emperor's "cause of death" is indeed "suspicious," then he would face the most serious suspicion. And if he were to launch an official investigation into the late emperor's death, the vested interests involved would be enormous.

These interest groups are not only those who may have been truly involved in the late emperor's death, but also his current supporters. They are deeply intertwined and have complex relationships; to harm any one of them would be tantamount to breaking blood ties.

Therefore, out of consideration for his own interests and the stability of the political situation, he became the one who should least delve into this matter.

But as a child, and as an emperor, he couldn't help but wonder, "Will the instigator have no descendants?"

If there were indeed suspicious circumstances surrounding the late emperor's death, how could his safety as emperor be guaranteed? If he refused to accept certain arrangements made by the nobles and wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, would he also become the next emperor to die suddenly in his palace?

Therefore, he had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure. Even if he couldn't remove Marquis Andro, the suspected traitor, from the family register, he at least had to get him out of the center of power so that he wouldn't get in his way anymore.

Being an emperor was truly exhausting for him.

"Sometimes, I really envy the kings in 'Ers'. How can they command such a large following?"

Fyodor shook his head helplessly and brought up the Ursus language version of "The Chronicles of Erzley," which had just been released at Saint-Germain.

The emperors in the book truly embody the spirit of "As the emperor, my power is limitless!" Some are merely incarnations of gods on earth, while others, with the mindset of wild beasts, are already aiming for the heart of the sun.

“So that’s the book, Your Majesty,” Islam Witt laughed. “The author of this book, Ernst Shivaash, was the leader of Sherag, whose territory was less than one percent of Ursus, and whose administrative skills were less than one ten-thousandth of yours. He probably couldn’t imagine the hardships and difficulties you would face in ruling Ursus’ vast territory and tens of millions of people.”

"Hahaha, that's true!" Fyodor couldn't help but laugh.

Indeed, compared to Ursus, Sherag is just a slightly larger town, not even reaching the threshold of a mobile city. For a village chief to fantasize about ruling the world by centralizing the management of a village, his performance is quite impressive.

I bet he can't even comprehend in reality what it means for a country to rule over tens of millions of people.

"However, on another note, Secretary Witte, the Foreign Secretary brought me some interesting news today."

Fyodor paused for a moment, building suspense, and only after Islam Witt cooperated with a curious expression did he say with satisfaction,

"That Ernst Shivaish seems to be gathering all the nations of Terra to hold a world exposition and showcase their power."

Strength includes both military and cultural strength.

Fyodor couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head: "I bet he can't even invite one major country, do you believe me? What major country would be so bored as to attend a performance show hosted by a tiny country? Believe me, if any country actually went, I'd laugh at them for a whole year! It would be a real spectacle!"

Islam Witt's lips twitched.

Actually, the reason he made a point of taking time out of his busy schedule to accompany Fyodor on the hunt and relax was to subtly bring up the matter with him.

He actually preferred to send a delegation to participate.

Although he also felt that given the size of Khelag, a tiny country with virtually no international influence, no matter how grand the name of his World's Fair, it wouldn't attract the attention of any major powers, let alone invite them to participate, Islam Witt, adhering to the principle that it's always better to have one more friend than one more enemy, planned to send a few people along, just to join in the fun.

After all, Ursus has no shortage of cultural products. Ursus has a long history, which can be traced back to the Bear Breeders of the Eagle Empire. There are many antiques, famous paintings, and traditional crafts that have been passed down. You can easily pull out an "Ursus Easter egg" or an "Ursus nesting doll". Even if that's not enough, they have annexed many countries. They can borrow the cultural relics of those countries and open a large Ursus Museum, right?

As for military products, needless to say, just pull a retired cannon or infantry fighting vehicle from a warehouse, and it's a genuine war relic.

Moreover, Ursus doesn't lack manpower; they can just grab a couple of lazy bums from the government and send them over, which should be enough.

But since the emperor had already spoken, Islam Witte had no intention of provoking him. After a moment's hesitation, he chose to echo Fyodor's laughter:

"Your Majesty's insight is brilliant!"

Chapter 257 Talulah's Day

Ursus, tundra, ? ? ?, tundra guerrilla base.

Spring and winter in Ursus are not much different, especially on the tundra. With extreme temperature differences between day and night, the guerrillas' survival is the biggest problem.

Fortunately, with Talulah present, the guerrillas at least didn't have to worry about a fire source. The Originium Arts of the Drakian girls are mostly expressed in the form of "fire," and Talulah's flames are scorching and domineering, always able to warm everyone around her.

At this moment, Talulah would be extremely gratified by her act of inserting the Originium Shard herself. If she were not an Infected, she would have to rely on external equipment such as a staff to cast spells. However, the tundra is sparsely populated, so there is naturally no place to sell or maintain a staff.

"However, Talulah, you should still use Originium Arts in moderation. Using them too frequently can also have an impact on your health."

The gentle Elafia girl blinked as she treated Talulah's wound with simple herbs.

When Originium crystals develop to the point where they are visible on the skin, medical institutions would classify it as severe Oripathy. However, Talulah's case is rather unique. Perhaps due to Draco's exceptionally resilient constitution, she not only doesn't exhibit the feverish, almost explosive symptoms common to other Oripathy patients, but she also rarely experiences even the most common physical discomforts. For her, Oripathy doesn't seem like a terminal illness; rather, it has become a beneficial buff.

This also stems from her mixed bloodline of the Drak royal family and the true dragon bloodline.

This is an undeniable fact. Although people like Ernst and Levy might want to loudly proclaim the idea that "nobles and high-ranking officials are born with special privileges," to be realistic, the benefits of lineage on Terra are sometimes truly exaggerated. Some people are indeed born with a head start.

It's foreseeable that Talulah has many paths she could take. Back in Lungmen, she was Edward Atrias' only daughter, the strongest hybrid in Terra, possessing both the royal blood of the Victorian Empire and the true dragon blood of the Great Yan Empire. While the likelihood of using that bloodline was extremely slim, she did indeed hold the powerful claim of the Victorian Empire and the weak claim of the Great Yan Empire. If she were willing to submit to someone else, the Great Yan Emperor, for political reasons, might spare her life for another purpose—a puppet with such a unique identity could potentially accomplish far too many things.

Even after being abducted by Duke Koschei, she still had many choices. The easiest one, of course, was to accept Koschei's entire legacy. Although the Black Serpent was a liar and cunning, this avatar of Duke Koschei did indeed groom Talulah as his successor. While accepting this path would most likely result in her being replaced by Koschei's seed, becoming another incredibly powerful Black Serpent, frankly, the difficulty of that path wouldn't be greater than her current predicament.

Talulah undoubtedly chose the most difficult path. She was a challenger, a revolutionary who questioned the existing order and tried to resist all the labels, conspiracies, and even "fate" imposed upon her. For this reason alone, she is worthy of respect.

The person who first raises the torch is often not the one who reaches the finish line, but it is precisely because someone lit the torch that it can be passed on. The attempt to cross a river by feeling for stones is inherently unlikely to be correct every time, but to judge the significance of an attempt solely by right or wrong is a shallow form of arrogance.

Despite possessing innate bloodline advantages, she discarded the status and position that came with them, treating the abilities granted by her bloodline as mere tools rather than revering it as sacred. The Drak girl, however, still held onto hope for her future and that of her best friend. She whispered:

"It's alright, Alina. I'll burn a little more so everyone will be warmer."

"You..." The Elafia girl shook her head helplessly, wanting to say a few words of advice, but saw that Talulah had already run towards a village she frequented.

The tundra is sparsely populated. There is no internet, no logistics, no clean and spacious streets, and no dazzling neon lights. It is isolated from modern society. Only a few people who can't survive will huddle together for warmth here, and then continue to struggle to survive.

After joining forces with Patriot Bochokasti, the legendary Ursus general and now leader of the infected guerrilla group "Shield," Talulah also obtained several village addresses provided by "Shield." The guerrillas had to frequently relocate to avoid being hunted down by Ursus search parties, which prevented them from engaging in agricultural work. To obtain various necessities, they had to trade with these equally "unable to survive" tundra inhabitants.

As soon as Talulah entered the village, she smelled the aroma of bread. For someone who had spent many years navigating the tundra, the fact that the residents could make such fragrant bread could only mean one thing—they were in a good mood.