People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

The Duke of Windermere curled his lip.

"Your dad was much braver than you back in the day, I don't know who you inherited that from!"

Chapter 267 An Unusual Visitor from Yan Kingdom

"Your Holiness, it is a pleasure to see you here."

"You're too kind, Mr. Ernst."

After exchanging greetings, King Ivangelista XI still looked somewhat shaken.

He wasn't afraid of Ernst, of course. Ernst was a handsome and dashing snow leopard, and even if he didn't work in this field, he could definitely get a government job just based on his looks.

Why, as a member of the Shiva'ish family, isn't it also an option to just laze around and wait to die under SilverAsh's command?

The terrifying memory that Ivangelist XI could not forget was, of course, the incredibly bloody scene that had just occurred on the train.

The duel between the two Grand Dukes of Victoria was truly a bloody spectacle. The Duke of Windermere was at the pinnacle, wielding a thousand sharp blades, none more powerful than her slap, which was aimed directly at the Duke of Castle's face. Moreover, this slap was no ordinary slap; its force, angle, and timing were so precise that it was truly impossible to defend against.

Even though Duke Windermere had brought his most capable fighter, Grey Hat, and had also used other means to bring in Rita Scamanderros, the daughter of Earl of the White Wolf and codenamed "Horn," as well as Fiona Young, a member of the Stormtroopers and codenamed "Bagpipes," to help him out, he still couldn't completely stop Duke Windermere's fierce slap attack!

And this was under the condition that Duke Windermere intentionally restrained himself and was unable to go all out!

The Duke of Caesars was all about "madness." Knowing that she was no match for the Duke of Windermere, who was at his peak and could even take on the little cat Egg Roll in one-on-one, and that the Duke had no intention of reasoning with her, she decisively cooperated with her three guards and adopted the most terrifying attack method that a woman could imagine!

Taking advantage of Duke Windermere's charge, she endured several slaps to lure him into a cramped, cramped box, where she then used her most powerful weapon!

Put it on your lips!

Whether it's a dagger, a knife, a hidden blade, or even a hairpin, given Duke Windermere's vigilance, she would definitely have it confiscated the moment she took it out. But teeth are the only thing that absolutely cannot be taken away!

Even if the Duke of Windermere had a thousand abilities, unless he could knock out her teeth, she would always manage to take a bite!

The location of the bite is also crucial! Biting the face or the hand only treats the symptoms, not the root cause, and will only further enrage Duke Windermere, leading to a more ferocious attack! The only way to both damage Windermere and inflict a stun effect is to bite only one spot!

hair!

Thus, Windermere transformed into the Slap Master, while Castle became the Head-Biting God, pushing this "madness" to its climax! They fought all the way to the train stop, to the platform, and until the welcoming party in Sherag approached before finally separating.

Needless to say, this scene was witnessed by Ivangelist XI and Hermann's entourage, who followed behind them.

Actually, there was another person who almost drew back the curtains and witnessed that breathtaking scene, but unfortunately he stopped himself at the last moment, and also stopped his own promise to go home and get married after the war.

It's a pity... I mean, it's a cause for celebration!

King Evangelista XI certainly didn't have the guts to spread this news. When he saw the few blue strands of hair at the corner of Duke Custer's mouth, he even obediently and honestly avoided looking at them.

The Grand Duke was already terrifying enough, but a mad Grand Duke was even more terrifying. You can't touch Swire's ass!

Mostima, on the other hand, was much more optimistic than the worried Ivangelista XI.

Seeing Windermere causing trouble for Kaster, even though I didn't know the cause and effect, I was still happy!

Seeing the Duke of Caesar get slapped so hard, I laughed!

Seeing Duke Windermere accidentally get his hair bitten and rendered stiff, I laughed!

Seeing the two arguing endlessly, neither gaining the upper hand, and finally reluctantly getting off the bus together, made me laugh!

This is so much fun! Absolutely so much fun! So exciting!

Sure enough, as long as you follow Ernst, your mundane life will always be stirred up!

When you're in a good mood, your mind naturally becomes sharper, and Mostima even had the energy to joke around with Ernst:

"Ernst, now, Kjerag also has remarkable war relics!"

Ernst asked, somewhat puzzled, "What war remnants?"

Mostima laughed, "The site of the Dukes' Battle! In the presence of several important figures, in the private compartment of the Kjerag Snowfield Special Train, the two Victorian Grand Dukes—the Duke of Windermere and the Duke of Castle—fought here. The two sides fought back and forth, neither gaining the upper hand, and even drew blood!"

She shrugged.

"Isn't this a war relic?"

Before Ernst could answer, the Pope beside him turned pale, his eyes rolled back, and he nearly collapsed. Fortunately, the musketeers reacted quickly and caught him. They patted his back and helped him catch his breath before he finally recovered.

Mostima was immediately startled: "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, did I frighten you?"

“No, no,” King Ivangelista XI waved his hand. “It’s just altitude sickness.”

He replied, "I was laughing so hard I almost lost my breath, but I'm fine now."

Ernst: "......."

As expected of Lateran, they truly possess a fearless religious optimism that says, "Even if the sky falls and the earth collapses, people will still die happily."

I can’t learn it. I can’t learn it.

Ernst coughed lightly, bringing back the two angels who seemed to have embarked on a course in "hellish jokes," and Fiamma, who hadn't gotten the joke and was about to seriously frown and comment, "Kids, this isn't funny."

He asked, "Your Holiness, when will the delegations from Yan and Letania arrive?"

King Ivangelista XI replied, "The delegation from Letania is expected to arrive in the next day or two, while the delegation from Yan will arrive a little later. Their journey is quite long. However, I have received word that the envoy from Yan will be a high-ranking official in the court."

"A high-ranking official in the imperial court?"

Ernst raised an eyebrow.

Do you have any more specific information?

King Ivangelista XI paused for a moment, then replied:

"Ranked among the Three Dukes".

Ranked among the top three? !

As a Chinese at heart, Ernst certainly knew what the Three Dukes meant to an ancient Chinese court.

The Three Dukes and Nine Ministers were basically the highest aspirations of a subject, the ultimate limit of a minister's position. To go even further, one could obtain the Nine Bestowments, the authority to wield the imperial axe, the privilege of wearing a sword in the palace, the ability to enter the court without kneeling, and the privilege of addressing the emperor by his title rather than his given name. These were essentially the three essential elements of a rebellion, signifying a departure from the role of a "minister."

This news was indeed quite surprising to Ernst. Both the Duke of Victoria and the President of Colombia had some connection with Ernst, so their willingness to give him face and attend the exposition undoubtedly involved factors of personal relationships.

However, although Ernst was a "spiritually great Yan person," in Terra, the number of times he came into contact with Yan people was indeed very few!

The only relatively official contact occurred when Vina visited Lungmen and received a secret reception from Wei Yanwu. That visit cannot be described as successful or unsuccessful; it was merely an opportunity for Vina to gain some diplomatic experience within Ernst's acceptable margin of error.

Therefore, if the person from Yan Kingdom this time were Wei Yanwu, Ernst could understand, but one of the Three Dukes...

One of the three people standing at the pinnacle of power in the Great Yan Dynasty, what political signal does their arrival represent?

Is the Yan Kingdom about to "join the WTO"?

That would have a huge impact on the current situation in Terra!

Ernst's expression turned serious.

Regardless of the purpose of the important figures from Yan Kingdom's visit, whether they are benevolent or malevolent, it is beyond his control at this point. It would be better to proceed methodically, implementing all arrangements as planned, remaining steadfast in the face of any eventuality.

Let the winds blow from east, west, north, or south, I remain steadfast and unmoved.

Chapter 268 This punch was something I could throw whenever I wanted!

Shelag, Tukarim.

Grey Hat has become somewhat numb these past few days. What's with all this talk of the Queen's Voice of Letania, the Chief of Staff of the President's Office of Colombia, the Grand Knight of the Casimir Overseer, Russell, and the spokesperson for the Business Federation, Charner?

These people, though none of them hold the title of "national leader," are all figures who can shake the political landscape of Terra with a mere flick of their fingers!

Some might ask, why isn't Grand Knight Russell considered a national leader in the eyes of the Grey Hat?

Because, counterintuitively, in a country or organization, the nominal leader and the actual power holder are sometimes not the same person. Like in Ernst's previous life in Great Britain, the nominal leader was the King or Queen, while the actual leaders were Parliament and the Prime Minister. And if you dig deeper, the people who truly implement national policies, those who truly hold executive power, are actually the civil servants. Casimir is similar. Its nominal national leadership body is actually the National Assembly, but from its inception, the National Assembly was an ugly product of compromise between the emerging bourgeoisie and the feudal landed aristocracy, influenced by various political factions and essentially lacking autonomy.

Perhaps some have already noticed that the Shelag National Assembly and the unified government faced remarkably similar circumstances at their inception. Like Kazimir, Ernst initially faced immense influence and pressure from the Manjusaka, representing the conservative aristocracy, and the Kalan Trade, representing the emerging bourgeoisie. The Shelag government, lacking any real power at the time, and Ernst himself, as prime minister, faced the same predicament as the Speaker of the National Assembly: "If you don't obey, replace me; if you don't do it, someone else will," and even genuine threats to their lives.

However, Ernst eventually found a glimmer of hope in his desperate situation. With the help of Yeragand, he bypassed the three major families and the Manju Institute in a sufficiently public setting, directly establishing his prestige and making connections with the people of Sherag, thus escaping the fate of being a puppet government.

Unfortunately, every country has its own unique circumstances, and there is no single, universally applicable path. True wisdom lies in being pragmatic and realistic.

Kazimir lacked the strong religious atmosphere of Shelag and had no enlightened deity. Therefore, the Speaker of the National Assembly could not replicate Ernst's successful experience and past tactics. In addition, Kazimir was much larger than Shelag. The difference in size determined the difference in the difficulty of governance. After missing the initial opportunity, he had completely lost the chance to turn the tide.

Or rather, it's not just his chance to turn things around, but also Kazimir's chance to turn things around.

This country was the only one among the major Terran powers present, aside from Victoria, which everyone knew was now a "fallen camel," to send more than one representative. Its internal divisions and struggles were therefore quite evident.

Kazimierz is a dilapidated house; it only needs one person to kick it hard, and it will collapse.

Therefore, in the eyes of the Grey Hat, Russell wasn't exactly a leader of Qazimir, or even a shadow leader. After all, according to intelligence from his colleagues in Qazimir, in the current "1094 Qazimir Struggle" scenario, Russell's Supervisory Council couldn't be described as making great strides; it was at least suffering repeated defeats. They could barely maintain their influence, and as for expanding and defeating the Commercial Federation and the emerging capitalist aristocracy behind them, that was somewhat like the Khan of Tongliao marrying Yui Aragaki—a dream come true.

Grey Hat even felt that the fact that the Business Federation had only sent a spokesperson while the Supervisory Council had sent her personally suggested that they were "short of talent" and had no choice but to take matters into their own hands.

However, she will most likely find it difficult to achieve her goal, since most of the people present are older than her, and no one is obligated to "give her face".

"Oh no, actually it doesn't seem to be entirely true."

Having returned to Duke Kasper's side, the Poet, who had been very dutiful but was a little late in reminding Duke Kasper of Duke Windermere's existence, watched the Grand Knight turn and leave after his long conversation with the Duke. Suddenly, he felt that he might have underestimated the leader of a major political faction in Kazimir.

She came here not to pledge allegiance to the Duke of Custer, nor to seek his support for the Council of Justice, and she made no mention of the struggle between the Council of Justice and the Chamber of Commerce.

She's here to hand out invitations.

"Your Excellency Duke of Caster, the World's Fair is indeed interesting, but it lacks a certain thrill."

The war knight, though over fifty years old, was still full of energy. He smiled at the Duke of Cactus and made a suggestion that even made the Duke of Cactus raise an eyebrow.

"The 23rd Kazimierz Knights Tournament will begin soon. Would you be honored to attend?"

The Kazimir Equestrian Championship, also known as the Kazimir Major or Kazimir Grand Prix, is the highest-level equestrian tournament held every three years in Kazimir. It enjoys immense influence both domestically and internationally, with each Major serving as a major festival for Kazimir's tourism industry, attracting millions of tourists and generating hundreds of millions in tourism revenue.

From a national perspective, the popularity of this sport undoubtedly brings enormous benefits to Kazimir.

Its only drawback is that it is organized by a business federation.

"Hasn't Your Excellency the Grand Knight Commander consistently opposed knightly competitions, considering them an event that desecrates the sanctity and bloodshed of warriors?"

"I have never made such a statement, have I? Admittedly, the Knights' Games do have their flaws, but they are far from the seriousness that His Excellency the Duke describes."

The Grand Knight Commander replied with a smile.

"Therefore, the intervention of the Supervisory Council is necessary."

The Duke of Cactus immediately understood Russell's meaning.

Knightly competitions have become a trend, and those who defy it often meet a bad end. With its influence constantly being eroded by the Business Federation, the Supervisory Council is also seeking change.

One aspect of this change was getting involved in knightly competitions.

Since we can't destroy it, we at least can't let the Business Federation monopolize this pie!

Knights are a good thing; they can make money, divert public attention, enhance Kazimierz's national influence, and even "predetermine" the champion through rules and regulations. Its only flaw is that it doesn't include "me."

These Kuranta landlords finally realized where they went wrong. But, isn't it a little too late?

It doesn't matter, and it's none of my business.

The man in the grey top hat thought this to himself, and his duke gave his reply: "I will consider it."

In such situations, saying "I'll consider it" is actually a polite way of saying no.

The Duke of Caesar doesn't give face to just anyone. Ernst had the credentials, but Russell didn't. Frankly, for the Duke of Victoria, supporting the Chamber of Commerce directly was far more efficient than supporting Ernst.

Of course, the Duke of Caesar didn't really care about anyone; neither side was important to her.

She'll help whoever wins. If she could, she'd be more inclined to act on her instincts and cause trouble.

Russell offered no benefits, only empty words, and expected her to help? She only wanted to say one thing:

"Who the hell are you?"

After seeing off the Grand Knight Commander, Duke Caesar was just about to take a sip of tea to moisten his mouth when he heard the door open again.

"Dong dong!"

The knocking was loud, and the Duke of Caesar frowned, his already somewhat displeased mood worsening even further.

She waved her hand and said:

"Sir Bellingham, go open the door."

To everyone's surprise, the poet hesitated to act after receiving the order. Instead, he turned his head away, his lips pressed tightly together, seemingly unwilling.

"Your Grace, why don't you go and drive it yourself?"