People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

"Welcome, Speaker Ernst, please come in."

Ernst didn't hesitate either, putting his hands together in front of his chest and solemnly performing a traditional Sherag greeting to the Grand Elder.

This made the Elder's slightly furrowed brows relax again, and a smile appeared on his face. He nodded to the maid beside him and helped Ernst open the tightly closed gate of Manju Courtyard.

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

Manju Temple is a purely wooden structure with an antique interior filled with various Jeragand ritual items. In the center, on a soft cushion, sits an oval boulder carved with the mark of Jeragand. It is said to be a sacred stone left behind by Jeragand during his last manifestation, but whether this is true or not is unknown.

Enya had just learned from her maid, Ya'er, that her younger brother had gone up the mountain, and she immediately rushed from the Saintess Palace to the main hall of Manju Courtyard.

She adored her younger brother. When they were children, due to the unexpected death of their parents, Enciodes often had to shoulder the responsibilities of the eldest son and head of a declining family, managing the household outside and neglecting the relationships within the family. At these times, it was usually Ernst, the third brother, who stepped forward to act as a mediator in the family relationships.

When she was caught in a conspiracy and chosen as a candidate for the Saint of Kalan to complete the saint's ceremony, Enciodes chose to remain silent and let her sister undergo such a potentially life-threatening ordeal. Only Ernst stood up for her sister at the time and even had the first argument with Enciodes at home.

Although the matter ultimately ended with Ernst's defeat and Enya's participation in the Saintess selection due to Ensiodes's ruthless suppression, she had seen and remembered everything Ernst had done.

That's why she was so angry when she saw Ernst walk helplessly onto the podium representing the Speaker of the Parliament again today. She wanted nothing more than to rush down there and fight Enciodes, smashing his head with the bell!

Once again, for the sake of so-called "righteousness," he has pushed his own family members into such a position!

But she ultimately did not choose to do so. Life in the Manju Academy gradually matured her. Her maid, Ya'er, stopped her at the first opportunity. As it turned out, her younger brother was not stupid either. After standing on that false "high position," he was not blinded by the power he suddenly gained. Instead, he immediately realized that his foundation was as solid as a castle in the air and chose to show weakness and lie low while waiting.

Enya was pleased with Ernst's choice, but that's precisely why she was puzzled—what was Ernst doing up the mountain at this time?

She knew the Grand Elder's temperament better than anyone. He would never give the National Assembly, which wanted to take away the power of the Manju Academy, and Speaker Ernst a good look. Coming to the Manju Academy was just torture, wasn't it?

Could it be that he came looking for me?

Just like when he was put in this position and felt lonely and fearful, Ernst also wanted to find a supportive embrace.

Enya thought about it more and more and it seemed very likely. Her brother was only twenty-one years old, far from being capable of handling those insidious power struggles. Enya was, of course, happy to help her brother; she wasn't a cold-blooded person like Ensiodes!

With these thoughts in mind, she beat Ya'er to it and pushed open the side door. But the next second, she froze on the spot.

Ernst and the Grand Elder were indeed in the main hall of Manju Courtyard. However, unlike what she had imagined, where Ernst was rendered speechless by the Grand Elder's cold words, Ernst and the Grand Elder were sitting casually on either side of the table, looking very relaxed, with faint, amiable smiles on their faces. In front of them were cups of steaming tea and half-eaten snacks, and their conversation was lively and never stopped, resembling a scene of intergenerational intimacy and enjoying family time.

"Ernst?"

Enya called out Ernst's name, catching the boy's attention. He immediately stood up and waved to Enya:

"Sister Enya".

The Grand Elder noticed Enya's arrival. His previously relaxed expression immediately turned serious. He slowly stood up, looked at Enya, and questioned her:

"Holy Maiden, what brings you here? You should be reciting scriptures right now."

Enya's gaze shifted to Ernst, and the Grand Elder immediately understood her meaning, his tone becoming somewhat stern:

“Speaker Ernst is visiting the Manju House in his capacity as Speaker of the Sherag National Assembly, not as a member of the Shivaesh family. You have nothing to worry about.”

Enya looked a little aggrieved, and the look in her eyes as she looked at Ernst seemed to say: Didn't you come to see your sister?

Ernst immediately smoothed things over, saying, "Elder, Sister Enya, don't be angry. Elder, didn't you say that the Manju Academy's account books cannot be lent to outsiders without the Saintess's permission? You just finished speaking, and Sister Enya arrived just then. Isn't this also a revelation from Yeragand?"

Seeing that the Grand Elder's expression had softened slightly, Ernst immediately stepped forward, first giving Enya a standard bow, then subtly winking at her and saying:

“Praise be to Jeragand. Now, Enya, please.”

Enya pursed her lips, glanced at Ernst with some surprise, then nodded, greeted the Grand Elder, and turned to leave the hall.

No one noticed the seemingly ordinary black-haired maid waiting by the side door, whose eyes, too, flashed with surprise and curiosity as she looked at Ernst.

Chapter Four: Easy to Master

Walking through the corridor of Manju Academy, Enya seemed unable to suppress her curiosity, turning back to look at her younger brother every now and then.

"How did you do that? I thought the Grand Elder would make things difficult for you."

Ernst did not answer immediately, but instead glanced warily at the black-haired maid who was standing beside Enya, silent and seemingly trying to minimize her presence.

Ernst had never met her, but the way she looked at him gave him a strange sense of familiarity, just like the way his mother looked at him before he went out for a job interview before he time-traveled—a look of loving affection mixed with a hint of expectation.

There's nothing inherently wrong with this emotion, but it's quite unusual for such a maternal gaze to appear on a maid's face.

Seemingly sensing Ernst's unease, Enya glanced at Ya'er but didn't ask her to look away. Instead, she smiled and said:

“This is Ya’er, my head maid. She has lived in Manju Courtyard longer than I have. Don’t worry, she is a trustworthy person.”

As if echoing Enya's words, Enya, who had been looking thoughtful, put away her doubts and gave Ernst a humble smile.

"She doesn't seem like the head maid; she gives me the feeling of an elder."

Ernst made this judgment subconsciously, but didn't dwell on it too much. Since his sister said she was trustworthy, Ernst chose to believe her for the time being.

He shrugged and explained:

"It's very simple. The Grand Elder's thoughts are easy to understand. He opposes reform, but he can distinguish between primary and secondary issues."

Enya nodded knowingly: "So, you explained to him the main contradiction that Sherag is facing, and he agreed with great understanding?"

To everyone's surprise, Ernst rolled his eyes and denied it, saying, "No, I just told him that the person he's dealing with now is my brother, not me."

Enya was momentarily speechless, but quickly burst out laughing, her face beaming with smug delight.

"Hahaha, you're right, that guy should have been taught a lesson long ago."

After laughing for a while and feeling much better, Enya returned to the Saintess's Palace and sat back down in her chair. She then watched Ernst take his seat in the chair that Ya'er had brought before formally asking:

"The Grand Elder isn't someone who can be easily dismissed. He's been disliking that guy for a long time, but he just hasn't had a suitable excuse to make trouble. I originally thought that excuse would be you, but how did you convince him?"

The formation of the National Assembly and Ernst's rise to power were the result of compromises among all parties, which was no secret to anyone in Sherrag who knew even a little about politics.

Manju Institute disapproved of Enshiodis's continued activities under the official names of "Kalan" and "Shelag," because before the establishment of the Kalan Trade, Manju Institute was the only organization in Shelag that could represent the official head.

The Blantau and Perroch families, however, disapproved of the profits earned by the Kharlan trade, which operated under official guise, and instead channeled them all into the pockets of the Shivaish family. This led to a disparity in their power and a shift in the balance of power between them.

Their combined attack forced Enciodes to back down and relinquish the coveted "political entity for external communication in Shelag," a prize he had already secured. Enciodes, of course, retaliated.

Although he couldn't handle this whole mess by himself, he wouldn't allow it to fall into the mouths of the other two families or the Manju Academy. Since everyone was shouting "for Shelag," fine, let's follow the example of other countries and formally establish a government organization that everyone recognizes. This organization would be responsible for Shelag's foreign exchanges and official trade, while Kalan would only be responsible for liaison and private transactions. Wouldn't that be better?

This plan seems very fair. On the surface, it's just like a free trade treaty with "equal opportunity and equal benefits," and it seems to have no flaws.

But the problem is that this is actually an open conspiracy!

Throughout its millennia-long history, Sherag has remained isolated from the outside world. Its politics have essentially remained confined to the realm of family clans and powerful families. The most intense political struggles have amounted to nothing more than complaining to Jeragand about disobeying ancestral traditions and betraying the Gon family. As for external exchanges?

What foreign exchange? My great divine kingdom of Sherag has abundant resources and has no need for that stuff!

In this situation, if we really want to establish a modern government institution similar to those in foreign countries, where would we find those civilian personnel?

Is it the warriors of the Perroch family who are capable of mastering the skills of official document writing? Or is it the merchants of the Blantau family who are capable of managing large-scale trade? Or is it that the head of government is to be a religious figure from the Manjushri Monastery, whose financial reports and planning are completely incomprehensible, and who consults divination instead of the people's livelihood?

Clearly, the manpower still needs to be provided by the Shiva'esh family. In essence, it's just the original group from the Karan trade who have been transformed and are now disguised as government officials.

The Perroch family and the Blanto family were clearly aware of this as well, but the facts were what they were. They could force SilverAsh to spit out the meat, but they couldn't openly swallow it themselves. And the method of roasting meat proposed by Ensiodis was flawless. All they could do was choose "the cook who would cook the meat".

Just like how they sent Enya up the mountain to become a saint in order to sow discord within the Shivaesh family, this time they nominated Ernst from the Shivaesh family to play the role of cook.

But from any perspective, this whole plan is about the three major families dividing up the cake, and no one cares about the feelings of the original owner of this cake, namely, the Manju Academy.

Manju-in will surely retaliate.

"Therefore, I pointed out to the Grand Elder the target and method of revenge."

Ernst said calmly,

“My brother’s business dealings in Kalan are not very clean. When they were building the railway in Shelag, they clearly bought too much steel. I told the Grand Elder about this.”

"Steel?"

Enya silently repeated the word, still somewhat puzzled.

"I've never heard of this before, but what does that prove?"

"This means that brother lied to Manju-in and the Grand Elder, and he also lied to you, sister. Deception, that's enough."

Ernst said in a very serious tone,

"Politicians are most afraid of letting others know what they are doing, but they are also afraid of letting others know that they are not doing anything."

Enya nodded as if she understood, but soon a faint smile appeared on her face. She couldn't help but reach out and rub Ernst's head.

"You're so young, yet you're spouting all sorts of profound道理 (principles/truths) that I can't understand! Anyway, I'm just glad you're okay. If you have any difficulties, tell your sister, and I'll try my best to help you!"

As she spoke, she greeted Ya'er.

"You came here to get the account books from Manju Academy, right? Those things are kept in the Holy Record Hall. You and Ya'er can go together. I still have to finish today's sermon, otherwise the elders will nag me again."

.........

On the way to the Temple of the Holy Records.

The head maid, named Ya'er, walked in front, with Ernst following closely behind. The location of the Holy Records Temple was rather remote, and they did not encounter anyone along the way.

Halfway there, Ya'er curiously turned her head and asked as she walked:

"Speaker, there's something I'm curious about. Could you answer it for me?"

Ernst, who was admiring the vast and desolate view from the mountain peaks, turned around upon hearing this:

"What do you want to ask?"

Ya'er didn't mince words and spoke frankly:

"Regarding the steel matter you just discussed with the Holy Maiden, why was the Grand Elder angry about it?"

Ernst tilted his head, puzzled as to why Ya'er would have such a question.

"That's normal. Because the Manju Institute used to be the leading body of Sherag, and Karan Trade secretly hoarded steel under its control without the institute's knowledge, of course it would be angry. To give you an example, if the Holy Maiden asks you to go out and buy candy, and gives you money, but you secretly hide one piece of candy each time you buy it without telling her, wouldn't she be angry if she found out?"

Ya'er nodded thoughtfully. Ernst, however, paused, seemingly a little bored, then pursed his lips and muttered:

"To put it bluntly, it was just to satisfy the Grand Elder's sense of ownership. I, the current Prime Minister of Shelag, have to ask him, an old man left behind by the times, for help when I need something. This makes him feel very honored and gives him the illusion that I am not much of a threat to him. I just had a little control over his mentality, and that's about it."

Ya'er's face was filled with astonishment and disbelief, as if she had never heard of such a way of doing things before, and her worldview had been greatly shaken.

It took her a while to recover her senses before she spoke again:

"I have one last question."

Ernst was also a little bored, so he nodded and said, "Go ahead and ask."

Ya'er narrowed her eyes: "The fact that Karan Trade secretly hoarded steel is unknown to the Grand Elder, the Holy Maiden, the Council of the Three Races, and even Sherag has never heard of such a rumor. Ensiodes must have done it very discreetly. Speaker, where did you get this information from?"

Ernst paused for a moment, and Ya'er, noticing the footsteps behind her had stopped, turned around. As if it were an illusion, she only saw a fleeting, confident smile beneath Ernst's languid and weary expression:

"After all, I am the Speaker of Parliament and the Prime Minister, so I must have some channels of my own."

"Aren't you afraid of offending your brother? I heard from Enya that he's quite terrifying."

Ernst sighed helplessly and spread his hands. He knew all too well how formidable the Silver Boss was: "So what? I'm in this position for all of this, all for Sherag."

Chapter Five: Nosis, you'll regret this!

Shelag, headquarters of Karan Trade, office of Chairman Ensioudis Shivaesh.

The unremarkable cement brick building, with a sign for Carlan Trade hanging on the upper left, looks more like a shady hair salon in a Colombian alley than a large multinational corporation.

This is the headquarters of Kallan Trade in Kerala, and it is also the most modern building in all of Kerala.

Enciodes Shivaish, the chairman and founder of Karan Trade, works in an office on the top floor of this somewhat shabby three-story building, where an entire wall has been transformed into a floor-to-ceiling window.

After concluding the meeting of the three races, Enshiodis returned to his own territory. In his air-conditioned office, he took off his slightly bulky winter coat and sat down. Before he could even catch his breath, Liboli, with his black hair and red highlights, barged into the office.

“Noxis, you should knock first.” Enciodis reminded Noxis Edwis, who was his close friend, business partner, and competitor, with a hint of helplessness. “Your behavior has already caused quite a bit of controversy within the company. Many technicians think you’re a bit too ‘rude’.”

He never knocks before entering, and he bluntly berates even the slightest mistakes, going so far as to call frustrated researchers "unmotivated idiots" or "untalented good-for-nothings," instantly silencing any lively atmosphere. He perfectly hits everyone's sore spot and spoils the fun. Regardless of Nohis's intentions, these low-EQ behaviors have gradually transformed his reputation within the company from a "diligent and meticulous technical executive" to a "bitter and irritating boss who makes things difficult for his subordinates."

Strangely, Nohis seemed completely unaware of these matters. Or perhaps he knew, but didn't consider them anything worth caring about.

“I was rude to them because I didn’t want them to be rude to the data. I hoped the negative comments about me would come from questioning my work ability, but unfortunately they never do.”

Nohis answered as always, his confidence almost radiating arrogance, yet leaving no room for argument.

"I'm here to ask you about the results of the three-race meeting."

He said, and Ensiodis raised an eyebrow and asked in return: