People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Sometimes, he lamented, "No one else has reached this level of prime ministership." "I wish I could keep taxing people fifty years into the future." "I don't even have a small stove, boohoo~"

But after sighing, he still had to get back to work.

Who made me the "holy son" personally chosen by Jeragund? Who made me the one selected by the organization, supported by the people of Shelag, and the prime minister of Shelag? Who made me memorize those five words on the wall in my past life, until I died?

I'm no different from Enciodes. Now that I've obtained this power, I'm reluctant to give it up and I don't feel comfortable handing it over to anyone else.

Now, the opportunity to pay off the debt early has arisen.

Although the agreed repayment period was ten years, it didn't specify that repayment couldn't be made until ten years later. Since Christensen and Nastya were so eager to conduct the Sky City project experiment, and seemed to have plenty of money, Ernst simply granted their request.

Let them send the money so I can redeem the land myself, and then sublease it to them for ten years. Based on the current market price of land in Shelag, after deducting the ten-year period, Ernst will find a way to repay Christensen with the remaining money. He won't charge much; it's just to thank Christensen and Nast for their efforts in rebuilding Tukarim and to do them a favor.

Moreover, to be honest, Ernst was also quite curious about what the so-called Sky City would look like if it were actually built.

That's a spectacle that doesn't exist on Earth.

High-speed warships and the like don't feel much different from land-based battleships and aircraft carriers. Mobile cities, while impressive, are still within the realm of human science fiction imagination.

But the city in the sky...

Heavenly Court, Heavenly Palace, Paradise, the Jade Capital in the Sky, Twelve Towers and Five Cities?

That's not science fiction, that's fantasy.

Even in an era when humanity has been able to establish space stations in near-Earth orbit and station people there long-term, the use of the sky is still pitifully limited. We haven't even widely adopted mass-produced flying cars, let alone built a city in the sky.

The only thing Ernst could imagine that fit the concept of a "city in the sky" was the space station and star rings seen in "Stars".

Was that what Christensen and Nastie wanted to build? Ernst wasn't sure. But he knew that instead of questioning and denying it, it was better to try to believe it first.

The ancient Greeks viewed lightning as a whip lashed down by Zeus, but since then, electricity has become an energy source for every household. In a rapidly changing society, what is there that we cannot believe in?

When humans were still huddled in caves, did they ever imagine that one day they would build towering skyscrapers, reaching places where even Zeus's whip could not reach, and look down at the clouds?

Don't let your seemingly "long-term" but confined thinking within the "Earth" limit Terra.

This place possesses the magical Originium Arts, the incredible materials science, and the mainframe terminal capable of connecting us to the sacred Kara. Who knows, perhaps that pre-civilization, still shrouded in mystery, has become powerful enough to manipulate time and control space?

Terra, isn't that amazing?

"Mr. Ernst, what are you thinking about?"

A voice snapped Ernst out of his reverie. He looked up and saw that Christensen and Nastia were no longer there; instead, a lynx with short, light green hair was speaking in human language.

"Kal'tsit? When did she arrive?"

"I hadn't been there long when Hintraya knocked on the door but no one answered, so I came in by myself."

Kelsey said,

"Mr. Ernst was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't even notice there was another person in the room."

"I'm sorry." Ernst scratched his head apologetically. "What can I do for you, Dr. Kal'tsit?"

Kal'tsit said, "It's about the exhibits Rhodes Island will be showcasing at the expo."

Ernst blinked: "You've already made up your minds?"

He remembered that Kal'tsit said at the time that it still needed to be considered, but was it already done?

Kelsey nodded.

Ernst then said, "Then tell me, what type of exhibits do you want, and how many? I'll instruct Horhaya to arrange the exhibition area and display cases for you."

"Not many, only one."

"What is it?"

"I."

Ernst: "?"

Kal'tsit said earnestly, "I am the [Long-lived]."

“I can help by introducing the history behind each exhibit to every guest as an operator from Rhodes Island stationed in Kjerag. I don’t need you to pay me to hire me, but in exchange, I hope Mr. Ernst will allow me the right to move freely during the exhibition, make friends with foreign guests, and discuss business cooperation.”

"Ah...this."

Ernst was a bit stunned by this blow. It wasn't that he didn't know what an "immortal" was; as the name suggests, it was someone who had gained immortality for some reason.

He was just a little curious about where Kal'tsit got such confidence.

Introducing each exhibit and its historical story to every guest? That's no easy task!

It's important to know that the World Expo is a grand event that almost the entire Terran region participates in, except for a certain northern superpower. The number of exhibits submitted so far has exceeded a thousand, covering various aspects of military, political, and cultural issues, and spanning more than a thousand years!

Let alone immortals, even the great gods of Jeragund might not be able to recognize them all. The great gods of Jeragund are behemoths; what makes you, Kal'tsit, think you can outlive even a behemoth?

Perhaps sensing Ernst's questioning gaze, Kal'tsit, unusually, straightened her chest, making a firm and definitive statement:

"You don't need to worry that I'll deceive you. To be honest, I may be lacking in some areas, but only in this one—"

"I know everything!"

Chapter 282 Mark Max: Mr. Ernst, hello

omniscient?

Ernst couldn't understand where Kelsey got such confidence. He scoffed at anyone who claimed to know everything.

Because humans can't truly be "omniscient"—it's just a concept. Humans can't accomplish anything at the conceptual level. It's like wanting to be romantic; in the end, you can only try to evoke special feelings in the other person through various specific intentions. If they're not interested in you at all, then romance is out of the question.

But Ernst also knew that Kelsey didn't mean it that way; she probably just wanted to boast about her extensive experience and exceptional knowledge. Ernst believed that.

Although Kal'tsit may not seem like a big shot, she is a well-known figure in Terra's scientific community. Before Rhodes Island established a formal collaboration with Kel'tsit, it made its name through the research papers on Oripathy published by Kal'tsit in the Science Weekly.

A learned person may not be learned in every aspect, because the scale of life limits the depth of their learning. But a learned long-lived person... Ernst can't say, but since Kal'tsit seems so confident, it wouldn't hurt to let her give it a try.

After all, besides her, Sherag really didn't have any other capable and suitable candidates for the job.

Noxis Edwis could be a good candidate, but according to Enciodis, he seems to be ill.

Poor Liboli, he doesn't have the robust physique of our Felin Snow Leopard! He always lets us down when we need him. But it's better that he's sick, otherwise, if he were to go and act as a tour guide for those guests with that sour face, Ernst doesn't know if the guests would have any problems, but he'd probably be sick again the next day.

Having finalized the matter, Ernst instructed Raphsini to take Kal'tsit to collect the access passes for the exposition venue. He watched them leave, and not long after, the door was knocked on again.

"Hey, what's going on today? There are so many people this morning?"

Ernst raised an eyebrow.

He had actually anticipated the large crowd. With such a bombshell announcement at yesterday's opening ceremony, it would be strange if not many people were curious about the airship.

Especially for those major powers, aside from countries like Letania that only sent envoys, which might need to give an urgent report to their own countries before determining their course of action, Ernst would feel nervous and worried if the other countries that sent important figures, such as the two dukes of Casimir, Da Yan, and Victoria, did not come to him.

If no one applauds, how can you prove that the performance was good? If it's bad, he might as well bite a lighter.

The problem is, there are indeed a lot of people coming to see him. From last night to this morning, the Grand Tutor of the Great Yan Dynasty, the Duke of Victoria, and Kal'tsit of Rhodes Island have come. There are already three... well, two and a half big shots.

However, apart from the Duke of Caster, none of the three seemed to take the airship too seriously. And the Duke of Caster, for some well-known reasons, prioritized the airship over the suddenly emerging heir to the throne, Alexandra Vina Victoria.

Are airships really that unappealing? Am I outdated?

Ernst was thinking when the door opened again, and this time he answered:

"Please come in."

A familiar figure, "fat but not greasy," walked in through the door.

"Holhaya? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Holhaya: ".........."

Ernst asked, somewhat puzzled, "What's wrong?"

Holhaya's expression changed repeatedly, then shifted a few times, before she let out a long sigh, moved slightly to the side, and introduced herself:

"Ahem, BOSS, let me formally introduce you. This is the President of Colombia. He has something to discuss with you."

Ernst was taken aback and looked out through the space revealed by Horhaya, only to find the entrance completely empty.

He blinked, looked at Holhaya with a somewhat bewildered expression, then turned back, rubbed his eyes, and looked at the office door again as if to confirm.

Hmm, it's still completely empty?

"Is the President of Colombia perhaps Safra?"

Ernst knew that there was a branch of the Saffra race with an incredibly powerful talent: they could blend into their surroundings to achieve stealth and invisibility. Many countries employed them as spies, assassins, or professional paparazzi to gather dirt on high-ranking officials in other countries.

When he first learned about this race, he pondered it for a long time before finally realizing that it was just an enhanced version of the Chameleon.

Although I knew of the existence of this race, the number of Safras was extremely small, and Ernst had never actually seen one before. I never expected to see one today through the Colombian president. I forgot the beginning, I forgot the middle, and I forgot the end. In short, I was moved, tearful, and supportive.

"Ahem, no, Boss, the President is here."

Holhaya pursed her lips and pointed somewhat helplessly to a chubby chicken on the ground that was about the size of a head.

Calling it an edible Scottish round-faced fat chicken isn't quite accurate, since this "feathered beast" is more similar to the "pigeon" in Ernst's previous life. However, Ernst had never seen a pigeon with one leg and long horns, wearing a suit, a bow tie, and a gold medal almost half the size of its body, and even a pair of small round glasses perched on its beak, where it could barely be called the bridge of its nose.

Ernst stared in surprise at the peculiar feathered beast that Horhaya called "the President of Colombia," seemingly wondering if Horhaya was playing another Colombian prank on him. But the moment his gaze met Mark Max's, he suddenly noticed that the other man's clear, black-and-white eyes, like those of a screw, suddenly contracted and then widened.

Like, some kind of camera?

The Colombian president did not come in person, but instead sent his subordinates to bring this feathered robot so that they could meet him remotely.

But how did he do it? Terra doesn't have satellite communication technology. The Colombian capital, Max Columbia, is thousands of miles away from Sherag. It's impossible for a communication signal to cross the wilderness without any signal base stations or relay stations, eliminate the interference of Originium on the signal, and travel back and forth between the two places in real time!

If Colombia had this kind of technology, they would have defeated Victoria long ago!

While Ernst was wondering, Mark Max was also observing him.

His Excellency the President turned his gaze to the boy in front of him, scrutinizing and examining every detail of his body, down to every hair and every inch of skin.

But he gained nothing.

This is indeed the body of a Terran, without a doubt.

This made Mark Max somewhat suspicious.

Could it be that I'm just overthinking things? Did the Infinite Monkey Theory really create "an inevitable coincidence" that made a Terran think of something that was exactly the same as a classic human speech?

Unable to ascertain the specifics, Mark Max refrained from making a direct judgment. He knew that in the civilization where his father and creator, the great "Preservator"—Trevor Friston—had once resided, incredible genius was constantly emerging. The use of Originium was one of them.

Originium contains infinite possibilities, but the barbaric and backward Terrans only know how to use it as an energy fuel. Their understanding of Originium is still at the lowest level of matter, completely unaware of its enormous role in another realm.

The most basic point is that the so-called Originium Arts, which create those fancy spell forms and release them, are the warlock's consciousness, but the energy that constitutes the spell itself comes from Originium.

Where does the immense energy within Originium come from? Why can such energy be released and manipulated according to your thoughts with just a small "casting unit"? Why can it become wind simply by "wanting" it to?

Does Originium read minds?

Further speculation suggests that Originium might be reading "data from the soul."

Research on Originium was not fully completed until the end of the previous civilization. Even Trevor Friston did not know the specific progress of the research, what stage it had reached, or what results it had achieved, because it was the responsibility of another group of researchers.

"It's led by two very talented and young human researchers." That's all the information Mark Max got from his "father."

If that technology does eventually mature, it's not impossible for Originium to send a will from a thousand years ago to present-day Terra, and then revive that will through some special means.

Isn't the "Flame Demon Project" a perfect example?

As the President of Colombia, this AI, a righteous practitioner of the "Father" ideal, is not a "servant-type robot" who shows the utmost kindness to every seemingly human being. This is evident even in his unremarkable appearance. Even if someone is a remnant of a previous civilization, if they stand in his father's way, he will eliminate them without hesitation!

The reason why Ernst chose to support Vice President Wilson in helping Ernst during the "Flame Demon Project" was not only because Ernst had already convinced Wilson and he could easily go along with it and give his "suspected godfather" some harmless help, but also because the success of the "Flame Demon Project" showed him a possibility.

This would allow him to free his biological father, Trevor Friston, from the prison of endless time, and give him the possibility of fulfilling his filial duty.

Of course, this is just one possibility.

The reason he came to Shelag in person was to verify this possibility.

"President Mark Max?"

Ernst looked at Horhaia again to confirm, and after receiving a look from her that said, "I find it incredible too, but it really is him," he called out.

"first meet."

Should I extend my hand to shake his? Or should I stroke the horned beast's pigeon head? Or should I stroke his feathers?

Ernst hesitated for a moment, but Mark Max had already raised his head, his cold and authoritative voice echoing in the room, posing a strange question:

"Prime Minister Ernst, what are the axioms of civilization?"