People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

"Hello, Ms. Holhaya?"

A gentle voice sounded from her side. Holhaya turned her head and saw that the maid, Changya'er, was slowly walking in from the side corridor next to the main hall. She had a bright rose in her hair, a commemorative medal of Kazimierz pinned to her chest, and a pair of old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses that she had somehow gotten her hands on.

She held an open book in her hands, and from the title on the side, Holhaya knew it was an introduction to mechanics.

The important figures at Manjushri Academy read this? Shouldn't you be reading the Epic of Jeragund?

Holhaya thought in surprise, then nodded to Ya'er:

"Hello. I'm here to look for a book."

"A book?" Ya'er blinked, closed the book "Introduction to Mechanics" in her hand, "I haven't finished reading it yet."

“Not this book.” Holhaya shook her head. “What I’m looking for is a book about history.”

"A history book?" Ya'er paused, then curiously looked the feathered serpent up and down, asking, "Was this also Ernst's order?"

"This is something he promised me," Holhaya said without changing her expression.

It wasn't exactly a lie; Ernst had indeed promised Holhaya that she could go to Manju Academy if she wanted to look up any information.

He wasn't worried at all about Horhaya seeing anything she shouldn't. After all, Sherag had neither a defense force nor any scandals or controversies. Even if it did, it was the Grand Elder's doing. If you wanted to talk to him, you could try jumping off the top of the Holy Mountain.

If you can't fly, then you'll probably be able to meet him without any problems.

Ya'er nodded and replied, "Then you can ask me directly."

"Ask you?" Horhaya tilted her head in confusion.

Ya'er puffed out her chest with great confidence: "Ask me. As the head lady-in-waiting of the Saintess of Yeragand, I have read all the historical books in the entire Sherag collection, and I know every detail in them like the back of my hand."

"You're just bragging, aren't you?" Horhaya said without giving her any face.

“Out-of-towners are so rude. I never lie.” Ya’er snorted coldly in dissatisfaction. “Fine, if you don’t believe me, just go straight along this road to the Holy Record Hall and turn at the end.”

Without giving Horhaiya any time to back out, Ya'er turned around, reopened the book in her hand, pushed up her glasses, and left the main hall.

A few beads of cold sweat, which shouldn't have been there, involuntarily trickled down her temples.

"Which page was I on again?"

Chapter 55 The Sherag Tax Conference

Shelag, Tukarim, Shelag Government Office Building (There might not be enough offices, so we might have to set up tents).

Hinterlea sat in the reception room facing the main entrance, holding a copy of "The Epic of Jeragund" and reading it intermittently.

Her job was as a receptionist, directing those who wanted to conduct business at the Kjerag government. This task sounded busy, but in reality, Hinterlea was surprisingly idle—so idle that she could even study the forbidden Originium Arts, a legendary art only civil servants could practice—Tax Alchemy!

As for why she has so much free time...

The glass door opened, and a voice rang out from in front of the information desk: "Hello, um..."

Without looking up, Hinterlea answered calmly and skillfully:

"Hello, Shelag government. This is a government office. For prayer and religious matters, please turn left and go up the holy mountain to find Manjushri Monastery. For job hunting, please turn right and find Kalan Trade. If you want to see the Holy Son, please fill out an application form, state your reason, and then queue up. For emergencies, please speak directly, and I will handle it."

"Ah..." The Zalak girl in front of the information desk looked confused. It took her a while to come to her senses before she asked, "So what do you do for a living?"

"I'll be responsible for telling you all of this."

It's a polite way of saying "kick the ball away".

Hinterlea closed the book, looked up at the girl in front of her with long, pine-cone-colored hair, and asked:

"Is there anything you need?"

"Ah, um, I'm Hurlus, Hurlus Brantau!" Hurlus finally came to her senses, realizing her identity and the purpose of her visit. She straightened her rather small chest and regained her usual confident demeanor. "I'm here to see Ernst!"

“Then fill out the form.” Hintria took a form out of the cabinet and handed it to Hugh Ruth. “After you fill it out, go home and wait for news. The Prime Minister’s secretary reviews applications once a week, and a messenger will come to tell you when it is approved.”

"?" Hugh Luce blinked, pouted and shook her head in dissatisfaction, "No, I never needed such a complicated process to see him before!"

Upon hearing this, Hintria glanced at Hurlus again and shook her head:

“That was before. Now, with so many projects underway in Shelag at the same time, Prime Minister Ernst is very busy.”

"But I have something very important to do."

Hugh Ruth insisted,

We absolutely have to tell Ernst!

Hinterlea shrugged. "That's what everyone says."

Important matters vary from person to person. For a farmer, losing the pack animals used for plowing his fields is a huge deal, affecting the harvest for the coming year. But if a locust plague occurs in another area and Ernst is needed to direct disaster relief efforts, Ernst will definitely prioritize going to the disaster site.

Is it that the harvest of that one household is unimportant? No, it's just that the government's inefficiency has led to this helpless choice.

Sherag doesn't even have a police department responsible for grassroots governance and public order. The government's flattened structure extends to the point where everyone is directly under the Prime Minister, Ernst. Even if Ernst were incredibly capable, he couldn't be in two places at once. Implementing an appointment-based meeting system is a necessary but unavoidable measure.

And Cintraya's existence is that threshold. This is also why her work is so leisurely.

After the call, most of the believers who wanted to come here to pray left, and the few who wanted to do something but couldn't find the place were shown the way. The remaining people who wanted to meet Ernst basically lost patience and went home unless they had something very important to say.

Hinterlea was completely unresponsive, displaying an Ernst-centric attitude, leaving Hugh Ruth at a loss for what to do.

Feeling wronged, she simply shouted:

"Ernst! Ernst, you come out here! I know you're in there. You've got the guts to send people to stop me, but you've got the guts to come out here!"

Her shout had such a powerful effect that it shook the ceiling of almost the entire Sherag government building, causing a layer of dust to fall off.

Vina, Lola, Nasti, Ensiodis, and even Joyce, who is usually quiet and efficient, all peeked out from their offices. Their expressions were so different that if Sherag didn't produce watermelons, they might have been able to put on a watermelon-eating speed show!

Ernst then rushed out of his office in a panic, grabbed Heather, and dragged the old lady into his office.

Ernst slapped his older brother, making Ensiodis drop his smirk, then looked at Hurlus and said with a wry smile:

"Grandma, what are you doing?"

"Hmph! If I hadn't called out, I wouldn't have seen you today!" Hugh Ruth snorted, her aggrieved face full of dissatisfaction. "I was worried about you, and now you're putting on airs!"

“This isn’t about putting on airs. If I were to spend all day receiving people who are praying and forgetful, how could I possibly do my job?”

Ernst explained helplessly, and decisively changed the subject before Hugh Ruth could speak.

"So, Hugh Ruth, grandma, what brings you here today? Is Yucatan not enough for you to bully?"

“I’ve never bullied him!” Hugh Ruth pouted and raised her eyebrows. “Besides, I’ve come to see you on important business.”

She coughed and said seriously, "My sister sent me. She wants to hold an impromptu meeting of the three clans."

"A meeting of the three races?" Ernst paused, looking at Ensiodes beside him. But Ensiodes immediately shook his head, indicating that he knew nothing about it.

So that was Miss Latatos Blantau's own decision?

Ernst frowned and pointed to SilverAsh beside him: "Shouldn't you have informed my brother about the three-race meeting? He's the head of the Shivaesh family."

The Three Clans Conference is traditionally the highest meeting of Sherag, attended by the heads of the three families of Brantau, Shivaesh, and Perroch, and presided over by the Holy Maiden of Manjusin or the Grand Elder. It is usually held once a year.

There was already an impromptu meeting of the three races this year, the one where the Blantau and Perroch families forced the Carlan Trade to relinquish its power and form a Sherag government, which was also the one where Ernst was elected prime minister and speaker.

If another meeting is held, there will be three meetings of the three ethnic groups this year, which is unprecedented in history.

Seemingly anticipating Ernst's response, Hewluth nodded with a smug look on her face.

“Of course we will invite Enshiodis as well. But my sister said that you are the main character of this three-race meeting, and you will definitely attend!”

"Oh?" Ernst raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What makes you say that?"

"Hmph~" Hurlus hummed a smug tune, slowly saying as if to whet the appetite, "Because my sister said that the purpose of this three-race meeting is to discuss the tax issues of the Sherag three-race territories."

Ernst slammed his hand on the desk and said righteously:

"It has nothing to do with taxes. How can such a traditional meeting where everyone gathers to discuss the future of Shelag be held without the participation of the Shelag government? I will definitely attend on time!"

Chapter 56 Latatos, no wonder you don't have a husband! (3500)

Ensiodis Shivaesh sat on the east side, with his confidant and close friend standing beside him, Nosis Edwis, the only son of the Edwis family, who was believed by many to be the mastermind behind the deaths of SilverAsh's parents.

For some reason, Ernst always sensed a hostility in his eyes. His face was as if Ernst owed him months' wages.

Aktos Perrochi took his seat on the west side. This burly Ursus man, whose entire being screamed "I'm the boss, the boss!", hadn't given anyone a friendly look since he entered the meeting room. Paired with Guro standing next to him, they were a perfect match—one unhappy, the other clueless. They could even switch places without much trouble.

Latatos Brantau took her seat in the north. As the convener of this tribal meeting, she warmly greeted each of the tribal chiefs who entered, attempting to ease the tense atmosphere that hadn't even begun. Unfortunately, her efforts were somewhat futile in the face of Ensiodis and Actos.

After all, one of them is too good at hiding his emotions, while the other is too bad at hiding his emotions.

After being given the cold shoulder when she greeted Ensiodis and the dismissive attitude when she greeted Actos, Latatos could only turn her gaze to Ernst Shivaesh, who was sitting on the north side.

She stepped forward and said warmly, "Ernst has grown up too. I still remember when you first became prime minister and gave your inaugural speech. It was a really memorable time."

"That didn't seem like it was more than a few months ago, did it?" Ernst retorted speechlessly. "You're not much older than me, so why are you acting like you held me when I was a child?"

Latatos smiled, but uttered words that instantly froze the atmosphere:

"Haha, there's nothing we can do about it. Who knew that Ernst, who grew up with us, would now be able to speak out against us at the Three Races Conference?"

Ernst paused, staring intently at the squirrel lady in front of him, known for her "balances." The image of the kind older sister who used to secretly take money from home to buy jerky for Hugh Ruth and himself when they were children gradually faded from his mind.

He sighed with a touch of sadness. People always grow up.

She, who carries the weight of the entire Blangau family and represents the interests of a faction, is not here to reminisce with me.

What she was planning was a negotiation, yet another "Blantau-style" check and balance.

"What are you two talking about?" Hugh Ruth's voice suddenly broke the somewhat awkward atmosphere between the two.

Latatos brought her companion instead of Yucatan, perhaps hoping that the second Miss Blantau would be a little more mature, but clearly, Hughlus had no such intention at all:

"Why are you chatting with Ernst all by yourself, sister?" She glanced at Ernst, then at Latatos, and then suggested, "Speaking of which, why don't you come to our house for dinner after the meeting? Yucatan hasn't seen you in a long time, and he misses you quite a bit."

"I think you're the one who's really missing Ernst!" Latatos rolled her eyes, mercilessly exposing her younger sister's little scheme. Her teasing expression seemed to revert to that of the somewhat precocious older sister.

Hughluth pouted, looking disgruntled, and whispered in Latatos's ear, "Who do you think it's for? It's all for you!"

"For me? You little brat, you actually have such thoughts?" Latatos looked at Hulus in surprise, but met her smiling, squinting eyes. She immediately realized something, and a blush flashed across her pale face, which quickly turned into an angry shout, "Get out of here! It's none of your business to worry about my affairs!"

"Tch!" Hugh Luce curled her lip in disdain, gave Ernst a "then it's settled" look, and turned to walk back to her seat opposite.

With her interruption, Latatos lost interest in probing Ernst. She nodded slightly, returned to her seat, and formally began to speak:

"Then, this meeting of the three races shall officially begin."

She glanced at the people present and said seriously, "I think you all know why I suddenly called this meeting of the three races. That's right, it's about tribute, or, to use a more modern term, it's about taxation."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Actos Perroche slammed his hand on the table and loudly proclaimed:

"What's there to discuss? If you ask me, Sherag has never had any tax problems! Our three great families, from ancient times to the present, have only ever paid tribute to the Manju Academy. Taxes? Never heard of them!"

He kept shaking his head as he spoke, looking like he wouldn't budge no matter what.

Seeing this, Latatos nodded and echoed his words:

“Actoros’s words were somewhat blunt, but it was the usual practice. In Sherag, the three major families only had the tradition of paying tribute to the Manju Academy every year.”

She changed the subject and looked at Enciodes again,

"But tradition aside, I've also inquired a little. In countries outside of Shelag, local governments have to pay taxes to the central government every year. Is that correct, Ensiodis?"

SilverAsh nodded: "That's right."

Latatos continued, “Blantau has always been a family that upholds tradition, but beyond upholding tradition, Blantau also reveres the oracle of the great god Yeragand. Since the great god Yeragand has already issued an oracle on the spot in the Holy Stone Square, approving Ernst’s actions and agreeing with Sherag’s reforms, then tradition can naturally be changed as well. Actos, don’t you agree?”

Actos Perroche's bearded face flickered with uncertainty for a moment, before he finally nodded in resignation:

"Of course, if it's an oracle from the great god Jeragand."

Leaving aside his stubborn conservatism, which was only inferior to that of the Grand Elder, Actos Perroche's piety toward Jeragund is equally undeniable.

Since Ernst could use the Jelagund brand, it's not surprising that Actos would accept the tax payment.

Things seemed to be progressing incredibly smoothly. The Brantau family was like Ernst's close confidant, helping him resolve the most troublesome issue, Actos, without even letting Ernst, the actual beneficiary, speak, and essentially finalizing the legality of the tax collection.

But was she really that kind?