People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

[To: Sergeant Prime Minister Ernst Siwaesh]

The first train line from the Shelag border crossing to Tukarim railway station has been completed, and His Excellency the Prime Minister is cordially invited to attend the opening ceremony. Karan Trade has also invited a representative of the Duke of Victoria Windermere and his daughter to this event.

My dear brother, you're too slow.

[Chairman of Karan Trading, your brother: Ensioddis Shivaesh.]

"A letter brimming with provocation."

Holhaia tossed her hair, revealing her small, fair ears. As she leaned forward to read the letter, her ear brushed lightly against Ernst's, and she whispered teasingly:

"Is this the boss's competitor in China?"

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

Ernst pursed his lips and nodded with some annoyance.

The purpose of Boss Yin sending himself such a letter couldn't be clearer.

Provocation! The fact that the Carlan Trade was able to invite a representative from a Grand Duke of Victoria, not the Sherrag government, while Ernst was still recruiting people to build the initial government framework, was a clear demonstration of their influence!

Just as he said, he was too fast, and I was too slow!

Ernst couldn't help but feel a little helpless. To be honest, if Boss Yin could work together with him, with the support of Karan Trading's connections and financial resources, his series of plans would undoubtedly be much easier.

But his older brother's stubborn personality really had the flavor of a domineering CEO in a female-oriented novel. Even if Ernst had to talk to him about life many times, he would never give up his own ideas and direction to cooperate with Ernst's approach, unless he was really defeated by Ernst in a fair and square manner.

Otherwise, he would prefer to maintain a cooperative relationship with Ernst while competing with him.

"But in some ways, isn't this a good thing?"

Holhaya reminded her,

"This at least helps us officially rule out one option."

Ernst nodded in agreement.

The Victorian Empire is currently the strongest nation on paper in Terra, and its Grand Dukes are all well-equipped with powerful armies. With the king hanged, there is a strong sense that "the emperor is whoever has the strongest army."

To be able to summon a duke to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of a train, even if he is just a representative sent by the duke, is already a remarkable achievement.

It's worth noting that on another timeline, the Duke of Godottin stood up Pope Ivangelist XI of Lateran from his invitation to convene a conference of all nations!

With such a network of connections, at least barring any unforeseen circumstances, Ernst should not need to consider the possibility of contacting Victoria.

Ernst sighed. He didn't know whether the information was important or not, but this was a small compensation he had gained from this provocation.

He looked at Vina and encouraged her:

"Go for it, Vina! This is the first time either of us has hosted a formal diplomatic envoy."

Vina seemed lost in thought, only snapping out of it upon hearing Ernst's voice. She hesitated before replying:

"Ah... okay."

She had just finished speaking when she pursed her lips again and said,

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, may I not attend this time?"

Ernst turned around in confusion: "Hmm? Why?"

“Because…” Vina stammered for a long time, unable to come up with a reason.

You can't exactly say that the Duke of Windermere was also involved in the hanging of his own father, can you?

The Aslan family's nine clans' uprising seemed to be planned and launched by the Londinium City Council and nobles, but everyone knew that without the tacit approval and observation of the other grand dukes, where would they have gotten the audacity to launch a rebellion on their own?

When Vina was young, she had seen a portrait of Duke Windermere in the palace and had a vague impression of her. She only remembered that she was a tall, serious-looking woman with an injured and blind eye, and she exuded a military aura.

She wasn't sure if the Duke of Windermere would recognize her.

If they recognize him, that would be troublesome. It might even implicate Sherag!

She hesitated for a long time, trying to find an excuse to avoid the reception. But she couldn't come up with a suitable reason at the moment.

Ernst, on the other hand, was completely bewildered. What? Duke Windermere knows you? Is he an old acquaintance?

Or is it that the home you, the runaway heiress of Lontinim, left was the Windermere family?

Wait a minute, this isn't the Duke of Windermere, just her representative. What, is this Duke of Windermere keeping a mistress out in the dark, without even trying to hide it from her family?

Or is it that the Windermere daughter is actually your arranged marriage partner? You ran away from the wedding, so you feel guilty?

That doesn't make sense. Ernst wasn't discriminating against those who dealt in oranges, but that's the Duke's daughter...

What kind of outrageous soap opera airs during prime time at 8 pm?

He shook his head, banishing all the wild guesses from his mind, reached out and patted Vina's shoulder, saying earnestly:

"Don't be afraid. Whatever your past with Duke Windermere, you are now my Foreign Minister in Kjerag. No one can do anything to you on Kjerag's territory!"

As if to allay Vina's concerns, Ernst patted his chest and promised:

"When I get back, I'll ask the great god Yeragand for a talisman for you. If you encounter any danger, just shout: 'Help me, great god Yeragand! Yeragand will protect you!'"

Vina couldn't help but chuckle, and half of the panic that had just risen and accumulated in her chest instantly dissipated:

"Does this work?"

“Of course, the great goddess Yeragand is incredibly powerful. She is a deity who could become my mother!”

Vina covered her mouth, smiled, and nodded.

Although she knew that Ernst was probably just using some local Kjerag superstition to comfort himself, she still felt very warm and happy.

He's right. Whatever Alexandrina went through in the past, it can't be changed.

Running away won't solve anything; the past will eventually catch up with you. Now that she has accepted the appointment as Foreign Secretary and taken on this responsibility, she will certainly have many opportunities to deal with Victoria in the future!

Instead of living in constant fear of that day that will eventually come, it's better to make the most of the present, at least with Ernst by your side!

Thinking this, she imitated Ernst's posture, clasped her hands together, bowed her head slightly, and made a praying gesture, her heart and mouth becoming one:

"Praise be to Jeragand, Gomen."

Chapter Forty-Six: The Windermere Family Affairs

June 1093 in the Terra calendar, Victoria, Duchy of Windermere, Liincarden.

The Duke of Windermere was a robust woman, which not only describes her tall and strong figure, but also succinctly summarizes her character and qualities.

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

As the Grand Duke of Windermere, stationed on the border between Victoria and Letania, the Duchy of Windermere's ducal capital differed greatly from those of other duchies. Built on the border, it stood in stark contrast to Letania's military fortresses, transforming the entire territory into a fortified stronghold, exuding an aura of "the emperor guarding the nation's gates." This generation's Duke of Windermere, Amphilis Windermere, herself spent more time in the command center at the front lines than in her own ducal bedroom, a true exemplar of martial prowess.

Even a Grand Duchess like her, who guarded the border and rarely participated in Victoria's political struggles, could not help but smell the increasingly strong scent of blood in Victoria.

That was the sweet smell emanating from the rotting flesh that had finally lost all control after the dukes had roughly torn away the scar that covered the king's festering sore. The smell was enough to drive any carrion vulture mad.

"Something big is going to happen in Victoria."

As Amphilis Windermere asserted, this conjecture has been officially confirmed today.

She received a secret letter from another Duke's messenger.

The letter, which traveled across mountains and rivers from the heart of Victoria's political vortex to reach her, the Grand Duke of the Frontier, said nothing, but informed Amphilis Windermere of one thing: the Grand Dukes of Victoria had decided to hold a secret ducal meeting in the capital, Londinium, from the end of 1093 to the beginning of 1094.

How ridiculous! As the Duke of Windermere, she had no idea when the meeting was decided or what it was supposed to discuss. This Grand Duchess, guarding the borders of the nation, was, barring any unforeseen circumstances, likely the last person to receive this letter.

It's even possible that the grand dukes who gathered in Lentinium, drawn by the scent of the place, had already made their decisions before informing her, and she was simply there to go through the formalities.

But could she not go?

No.

"There is no reason to give up resistance after being attacked in war. Since we have already lost the initiative, we should at least find out what the enemy's attack plan is."

Amphilis Windermere spoke slowly to her husband, who had married into her family.

“Kent, this is the task I must entrust to you. As the supreme commander of the Windermere border defenses, I cannot leave the command post without permission, but you have proven your ability to me. I will appoint you as my plenipotentiary representative to attend the Duke’s secret meeting in Lentinium, and Victoria will hear His Excellency Kent’s voice.”

Kent Windermere nodded. "Of course, it's my honor, my Duke. But what about Daphne?"

Upon hearing this name, even the stern and rigid expression of Amphilis Windermere melted like spring ice, turning into a pool of warm water. She pursed her lips, and with a touch of embarrassment and shyness, reached out to touch a strand of hair at her temple.

"I...I don't know how to take care of children."

“In that case, why not send her away temporarily?” Kent Windermere suggested with a slight smile. “The situation in Victoria is currently very volatile. We don’t know whether war or tomorrow will come first. Before I return, it is the best option to let Daphne leave this vortex for the time being.”

There was another layer of meaning in his words.

If the Duke's secret meeting was a trap, and if he ultimately did not return, it would mean that the Dukes of Victoria, who were currently restraining each other, had gone completely mad and could not even tolerate the existence of a neutral Duke of Windermere.

At that time, Daphne and Anferlis will certainly encounter danger.

His Duke knew very well that the woman with the name Amphilis Windermere was never so weak as to need her husband's protection. The only thing he needed to consider was the safety of their child, Defiance Windermere.

Anferis frowned slightly: "You want to send her away? What place is safer than the Duchy of Windermere, or my headquarters?"

“A safe place isn’t necessarily a hidden place,” Kent shook his head. “Precisely because nowhere is safer than your command post, everyone will assume that you and Daphne are staying there.”

"And the place I'm taking Daphne to is secluded enough."

Kent took an invitation from his pocket and handed it to Amphilis. It was sealed with the Kallan Trade logo wax, which resembled the marks of a beast's claws.

“Our friends in Kjerag sent us an invitation to attend the opening ceremony of Kjerag’s first train.”

“Sherrag?” Anferis picked up the envelope, opened it, and read it through. After confirming that the contents were exactly as Kent had said, she asked with slight doubt, “Is it secluded enough?”

Kent nodded: "The Shelag Mountains are surrounded by mountains at extremely high altitudes. The roads inside are winding and rugged, and there is no intercity network, no modern communication, and no modern transportation. People know each other and travel mainly on their own two feet and with pack animals. They believe in the Yelagand religion, and the people's consciousness is highly unified."

Amphilis immediately understood the deeper meaning in Kent's words.

Surrounded by mountains, at extremely high altitudes, and with rugged roads, the area is inevitably isolated from the outside world, with little external communication and scarce intelligence. The lack of intercity networks, modern communication, and transportation, coupled with the fact that people know each other, indicates that espionage within the area is extremely difficult. Even if intelligence is obtained, it is difficult to transmit it out of the mountains. Furthermore, the prevalence of the Jeragund religion and the high degree of unity among the populace suggest that the residents are extremely difficult to subvert.

Having fought against Letania her entire life, Amphilis knew very well that fanatics were far more troublesome than soldiers. She could repel wave after wave of Letanian Elector's army attacks, but it was difficult to pry open the mouths of even one or two Witch King fanatics and figure out what kind of trouble they were up to.

After a moment's thought, she nodded, choosing to trust Kent's judgment: "In that case, I'll leave this matter to you."

“Accept the invitation, take Defien with you to the opening ceremony, and then discuss with the leaders of Sherag that we can pay a certain price in exchange for Sherag’s secrecy and protection of Defien.”

Kent placed his left hand on his right chest, bowed slightly, gave his wife a standard curtsy, and replied with considerable charm:

"Yes, my lord."

At the end of June 1093, in the Duchy of Windermere, a car drove out of the command post and headed toward Shelag.

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

Chapter 47 Our Shelag National Defense adheres to the principle of voluntariness!

Shelag, Tukarim, government office building.

Ernst pulled the rusty key from his pocket, opened the office door, turned around, opened his arms, and solemnly introduced Holheimer behind him:

"Welcome to the Shelag Government Office!"

Holhaya smiled politely and waved her hand, "Thank you, boss. But could you take me to the office first? I need to familiarize myself with the work environment."

Ernst paused for a moment, then said, "This is it."

Holhaya laughed, giving her a look that said, "Boss, stop joking. Isn't this your home? Even if you want to do something intimate with me, you should at least wait until after get off work, right?"

Ernst paused for a moment, then replied with considerable skill, "I've always been a very dedicated person; my office is no different from my home."

Holhaia then realized Ernst wasn't joking, and her smile froze as she asked:

"Is this the Prime Minister's office?"

"No air conditioning, no computer, no communicator, no tea set or coffee machine, not even a small stove for heating?"

With each word she spoke, Ernst lowered his head further, until he could lower it no further, at which point Ernst suddenly realized what was happening.

Wait a minute, what am I afraid of?

This is Shelag's territory now. The Horhaiya people have all come in, which means they've boarded a pirate ship and entered a pirate's den. No matter how dissatisfied you are, you can't run away, can you?

Are you there? I'm now a representative of feudal theocracy, even worse than the evil capitalists. If you round it up, I'd be a high priest of voodoo in Sargon. I can't even afford a small stove for myself, and you're still picking on me. Do you have too much surplus value and want to be squeezed?