People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

6 million is no small sum; he needs to talk to Joyce and ask her to come with him to the Kalan Trade Center.

It's not just Ernst who's in charge of developing Tukarim; it's Ensioudis's Kalan Trading Company that built this town before. They did such a terrible job with the planning, so Ernst has to come over and "demand an explanation," and maybe extort some money from them. Is he even human?

Watching Ernst's dashing departure, Nastie's lips slowly curved into a smile.

She was well aware of Sherag's dire financial situation, so from the beginning, she hadn't had high hopes for the deal. If it weren't for Christen's insistence, she might never have set foot on this land in her entire life.

But now, she's grateful she came here. She's met a leader with vision and has the opportunity to lead the planning and development of a town.

This is an invaluable experience!

Perhaps one day in the future, when she is able to build Kazdel in the sky as she wishes, her hometown will also resemble Sherag.

Chapter Sixty-Four: Horhaia: Proving Jeragand is the Feathered Serpent

Shelag, Kalan Peak, Manjushri Temple.

The vast collection of books in Sherag brought a long-lost sense of fulfillment to Horhaya's life.

It's not that the Melander Foundation in Columbia has few documents; in fact, in terms of the richness of its collection in various aspects, the Melander Foundation's collection could easily surpass the Sacred Relics Hall of the Shelag Manju Academy by several streets in Shenyang.

But the level of expertise that Sherag had in the Temple of Holy Records was simply too high!

Besides historical documents, the Melander Foundation also includes valuable scientific journals, famous literary masterpieces, and autobiographies of certain special figures. The Temple of the Holy Records in Sherag, however, does not have this problem.

Who, besides Jeragand, would dare to place their things in the Temple of the Holy Records?

Therefore, the materials that can be found in the Temple of the Holy Records are basically texts related to the history of Kjerag or the great god Jeragand. Because the Manjushri Temple has existed as the highest religious institution of Kjerag for a long time without any change of power, the documents are very well preserved.

For someone as devoted to history as Horhaiya, this temple was like the Garden of Eden from the Bible, but a plus-sized version filled with apple trees, making this little snake drool with desire.

Delicious, absolutely delicious!

I want to eat them all!

"what are you doing?"

Ya'er's voice sounded from behind. I don't know when, but this annoying head maid has entered the Holy Record Hall again.

Holhaya was getting impatient.

She hated being disturbed while reading, but for some reason, this head maid named Ya'er seemed to be genuinely enthusiastic about repeatedly pushing the boundaries of her bottom line. Every time she was engrossed in reading, getting excited, and almost immersed in that mythical era, Ya'er would silently appear behind her, waking her from her sweet dream like an alarm clock at eight o'clock on Monday morning.

If it weren't for her own identity and the existence of the proven Yeragand behemoth, Manju Academy, this religious holy site would have been unsuitable for taking action. Horhaia would have wanted to bind Ya'er to the bookshelf with tortoise shells, make her watch her read, and then gag her so she couldn't speak, thus achieving the "ultimate humiliation" for her!

"Just say something to get rid of her."

With that thought in mind, Horhaya answered without looking up:

"Reflecting on the commonalities between the great god Jeragund and the feathered serpent race."

Ya'er was taken aback: "Huh?"

Holhaya said calmly, "Oh, is that surprising?"

She began to argue: "It is known that the great god Yeragand has the ability to manipulate wind and snow to resist natural disasters. In ancient times, the feathered serpent also had the power to manipulate gales, reaching the level of natural disasters."

"It is also known that the great god Yeragand is described in the scriptures I have and most of the records of the Manjusaka as a giant serpent whose body spans the heavens and the earth, like a winding mountain range, whose open mouth can swallow and spit out the white clouds of the sky, and whose breath can freeze the wind and snow that never melts for ten thousand years. The feathered serpent was also depicted as a feathered giant serpent among the gods in ancient times, swallowing clouds and spitting out mist."

"It is also known that Jeragand and the most powerful feathered serpent have never appeared together."

"The argument is complete. The great god Yeragand could very well be an incarnation of a feathered serpent god whose strength and bloodline have reached the pinnacle."

Holhaia spoke with a serious expression, her previous casual demeanor vanishing. After speaking, she seemed to feel that uttering such nonsense in the Manju Courtyard was somewhat sacrilegious, and seeing the head maid's expression beginning to turn unpleasant, she changed her words:

"Of course, it's also possible that the most powerful feathered serpent is an avatar of Yeragand. These are all speculations, and direct evidence is still lacking."

To be honest, if Lola, Nast, or even Ernst were still here, they could all offer appropriate critiques of Horhyth's outrageous remarks. For example, they could argue that if she made such a point, she was a cripple and they could sell her a cane!

Don't believe me? Try walking around a bit, even if you're not sick! You'll get sick after just a couple of steps!

If this kind of argumentation results in points being deducted, it's not because the teacher is kind, but because the teacher's pen has run out of ink!

However, Ya'er clearly lacked the expertise in this area. For thousands of years, no Sherag had dared to boldly attempt to prove whether their own god was related to them by a distant bloodline. Therefore, faced with Horhaiya's "proof," Ya'er hesitated for a moment before finally retorting with a dark face:

"Impossible! Even if Jeragand is a snow leopard, he can't be a feathered serpent!"

Holhaia didn't like hearing that. She glanced at Ya'er, raised a finger, and shook it.

"You make judgments without understanding Jeragund."

"I......!"

Ya'er hesitated for a moment, and before she could speak, Horhaiya continued:

"Don't let my late arrival fool you. I've read nearly half of the history books about the great god Yeragand here. Give me some more time, and I can even compile and categorize each of them, along with a basic summary. Do you think you know more about Yeragand than I do?"

"you......!"

Ya'er gritted her teeth and it took her a long time to suppress the urge to teach this little snake a lesson.

She gave Horhaiya a deep look, said nothing, walked to the bookshelf, and very deliberately picked out a book, placing it in her lap. Then, right in front of Horhaiya, she swaggered away from the Holy Records Hall. As she left, her long, feathered tail swished twice on the ground, making two sharp cracking sounds, as if taunting Horhaiya.

Holhaia chuckled and shrugged, not paying much attention to the head maid's thoughts, and continued to lower her head to read the book in her hands.

........

A few minutes later, at Manju Academy, in the Temple of the Saintess.

After finishing her prayers, Enya looked at Ya'er, who was angrily pushing open the door, and asked curiously:

"What's wrong, Ya'er? Who made you angry?"

“The secretary Ernst hired.” Ya’er pursed her lips, placed the book she was holding on the table, but made no move to open it.

Clearly, this book wasn't for her to read, and Enya's bewildered expression also indicated that it wasn't for her to read either.

"Your brother's secretary? What happened?" Enya glanced at the ancient book that didn't even have a name and continued to ask.

“It’s nothing, she’s just a little tactless.” Ya’er didn’t mention Horhaiya’s blasphemous remarks. She knew that most of those words were just the little snake joking. But if others heard them and spread them, Horhaiya would probably be judged by the Sherag people.

As is well known, when the public is involved in a trial, the sentence usually starts at the death penalty.

“I went to her several times to try and find the books for her, since she had helped Ernst a lot,” Ya’er said. “But now I think I’ll pass.”

She pointed to the book on the table and said:

"I won't put the book back until she comes begging me!"

Of course, the great god Jeragand is very merciful. You don't need to apologize to "Yar." Just pray before the Jeragand Stone and say, "Great god Jeragand, please tell me where in Kjerag the books about the history of the feathered serpent race are kept," and I will mercifully tell you!

Ya'er thought to herself.

Enya smiled, stepped forward, and gently hugged her personal maid and best friend, saying:

"Alright, alright, don't be angry. Let's prepare for the New Year first."

"The grand prayer ceremony at Sacred Stone Square, the year-end harvest festival, and the final highlight—the Sacred Hunt—the burdens won't be buried with the Grand Elder. We still have a lot to do!"

Ya'er looked confused for a moment, then smiled and nodded:

"Yes, it's almost Chinese New Year."

For the behemoths, the concept of time is like the snow in Sherag in the eyes of ordinary people—it exists objectively, but they have little concept of it.

But Enya's reminder gave her a sense of reality as a "human being".

With the death of the Grand Elder and Enya's "correct" interpretation of the divine oracle at the Holy Stone Plaza trial, the power of the Manju Academy has naturally been transferred to the hands of this saintess.

And the obligations that come with rights naturally fall on her shoulders.

The traditional festivals of Sherag, such as the New Year, prayers, harvest festival, and holy hunt, which were previously planned by the Grand Elder, are now planned by the Temple of the Holy Maiden, represented by Enya.

As Enya's best friend and the head maid of the Holy Maiden Palace, "Ya'er" naturally had to get busy as well.

but.......

Looking at Enya who had turned away, a maternal smile appeared on Ya'er's lips.

She probably has more to prepare than Enya, the saintess.

Chapter 65 SilverAsh, you've blown up!

Shelag, Tukarim, Shelag Office Building (new building materials not yet arrived, foundation not yet laid, construction not yet started), Prime Minister's Office.

Ernst, holding a warm cup, gazed at the pristine white snow outside the window and sighed:

"It's almost Chinese New Year."

Shelag is not the same as the Great Yan Dynasty. The New Year celebration in Shelag refers to the New Year's Eve, not the Spring Festival of the Great Yan Dynasty. However, the New Year's Eve celebration in Shelag has many similarities with that of the Great Yan Dynasty.

For example, the Jeragand's Journey Festival, a kind of temple fair held annually by the three major families in their respective towns, is named after the legend of Jeragand's journey across the land of Sherag, bringing peace and tranquility to the Sherag people who followed him. There is also the Manju Academy's prayer meeting held on the first day of the new year in the Sacred Stone Square, where everyone prays to Jeragand, hoping that Jeragand will bless Sherag with good weather and peace in the coming year.

The harvest festival that follows is when each household will bring out a portion of their harvest for the year, no matter how much. Everyone gathers together, and if they bring out food, they cook it together and share it. If they bring out fur or animal bone carvings, they exchange these handicrafts with each other.

Incidentally, with the development of the times, this tradition of the harvest festival has also given rise to the meanings that most festivals with the tradition of "exchanging gifts" have.

Many Sherag people take this opportunity to give their tokens of affection, such as stone carvings inscribed with the words "forever together," as a subtle way of expressing their feelings.

This sacred stone is not a real sacred stone, but a handicraft sold by the Manju Institute at the Jeragand Relics Gathering. It is basically a product of finding a cliff, knocking down two stones of decent quality, grinding and carving them, and carving Jeragand patterns on it with a chisel. But the effect is basically the same as the so-called blessed peace locks that adults on Earth hang around their children's necks - whether it works or not depends entirely on your belief.

Besides that, the biggest highlight of the entire New Year was undoubtedly the Holy Hunting Ceremony held on the Holy Mountain, where the three major families gathered together.

The heads of the three major families and the saintess of the Manju Academy will participate in the hunt in the hunting grounds of the sacred mountain, Kalan Peak. Afterwards, a ceremony will be held in the Sacred Stone Square to demonstrate bravery and unite the people of Shelag.

The Perroch family offered Yeragand a wine made from grain, the Blantau family offered Yeragand fur products made from the hides of wild animals in the forest, and the Shivaish family offered tools crafted from minerals from the mountains.

The Manjushri representative, Yeragand, accepted the offerings and then presented them before the sacred stone of the Manjushri Temple, signifying the completion of the ceremony.

It may sound like a ritual with no real practical use, but it is a tradition that has been practiced in Sherag for thousands of years and holds great significance in the hearts of the Sherag people.

This year, in particular, is the first year that Manju Academy has "no Grand Elder" and the first year that Sherag has "a government," making the successful holding of this ceremony all the more symbolic.

"So will you be participating in that 'hunting' event?"

With Holhaya absent and Vina already on her way to Lungmen, Defien lingered in Ernst's office.

"You don't look like someone who would hunt."

“I am a civil official,” Ernst said proudly. “I really don’t know how. Besides, I wasn’t needed anyway. The Holy Hunt is for the three major families and the Holy Maiden. What qualifications do I have?”

"But aren't you... the Holy Son?" Daphne asked, puzzled.

Ernst's confident expression stiffened for a moment, but he still stubbornly said, "It's okay, it probably won't be my turn. Besides, even if it is, I can just go along with it. The beasts in the Holy Hunting Grounds aren't very dangerous, and with my sister and brother there, it'll be fine."

Defiance pursed her lips. Her intelligence agent instincts told her that sacred hunts always carried the potential for risks.

Especially Ernst's family: his brother is going as the patriarch of the Shivaish, his sister is going as the saintess of the Manjusin, and he himself is going as the chosen holy son of Yeragand. If anyone has any evil intentions, wouldn't they all be wiped out in one fell swoop?

I heard that Ernst has a younger sister, but she has Oripathy and is apparently receiving treatment elsewhere. Daphne has never seen her.

"Anyway, don't worry about those things. Or are you starting to worry about me?" Ernst patted Daphne's head to comfort her.

The kitten broke free from Ernst's large hand and gave him a look of contempt.

He didn't understand why Ernst was so confident.

Ernst laughed at him for not understanding Jeragund.

In fact, Ernst was more worried about what might happen to him during the Holy Hunt than about what kind of trouble Ensiodes might cause him during the ceremony after the Holy Hunt.

He knew his own brother best. His recent silence was a prelude to something big happening to Ernst, far more likely than him simply wanting to have a peaceful holiday.

Although the timeline of this world has clearly changed, Ernst still remembers his brother's "Snow Mountain Incident".

If Ensiodis really wanted to do something to seize power, he would definitely find a time when all three major families were gathered, Manjuin was present, he was present, and there were many witnesses who could prove his legitimacy.

Otherwise, he would not be able to win people's hearts.

At this point, the options in Kjerag were truly limited.

The ritual following the sacred hunt is one.

Ernst sighed. To be honest, he wanted to have a peaceful and happy New Year. But sometimes, a lowly public servant like himself had to have his energy exploited by despicable capitalists like Enciodes.

Now we have a legitimate reason to take advantage of him a few more times next year.

He looked at Defiance and asked:

"Speaking of which, Miss Deffin, how does the Duke of Windermere usually deal with those who want to seize power and rebel in your household?"

“My mother?” Defiance recalled for a moment, somewhat uncertain. “To be honest, my mother is very strict with her subordinates. I don’t think anyone would dare to rebel under her nose.”