People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

“I don’t know what kind of malfunction it has, nor do I know why it has malfunctioned in that way. In fact, I have never seen the full picture of the Deep Blue Tree, and I have no idea what happened to it, so how can I repair it?”

Ernst was speechless for a moment.

Kal'tsit's words made a lot of sense. Indeed, the [Deep Blue Tree] wasn't like a TV at home, where you could just tap it and it would be fine. How could you fix something like this if you didn't even know what was wrong with it? Besides, she'd never even seen one before.

But Ernst really wanted to ask Kelsey, "Since you know so much and speak so eloquently, how come you tell me you're all clouds?"

No, buddy, didn't you introduce yourself as an immortal who has lived on Terra for thousands, even tens of thousands of years and has connections to prehistoric civilizations? In all that time, didn't you ever try to take a look?

Could it be that you didn't go because the Deep Blue Tree is in the sea and you, cat, can't swim? Or was someone stopping you? Iberia, or that mysterious Agor?

That's not right. With thousands or tens of thousands of years, even if you were to learn to swim on the spot and scout out the location, you should have been able to slip away by now, right?

This doesn't make sense! What have you been doing all this time, Kal'tsit?!

Ernst suddenly regretted not thinking to ask the Preservator or the President about Kal'tsit's identity.

All I knew was that the Führer had invited Kal'tsit to be the "Vice President for life"—what a blunder, a huge blunder!

With a long sigh, Ernst looked at Kal'tsit, suppressing his urge to love his cat, and asked the person in question with a hint of exasperation.

"On another note, I've always been very curious."

"Kal'tsit, you know so much, what is your identity?"

"An immortal being related to a prehistoric civilization? That identity alone is not enough to let you know so many secrets about the prehistoric civilization's self-preservation plan at its end."

Kal'tsit remained silent for a long time after hearing this.

Ernst didn't urge her. He hoped Kelsey would think it over carefully and give him a satisfactory answer, even if it was fabricated, but at least it would bring him closer to the truth.

After a long silence, Kal'tsit finally spoke: Temple

"I am a treasure hunter."

"I am searching for the treasure that my creator spoke of, the one that can save everything."

"Forehead"

Ernst paused, about to say something, when Kal'tsit interrupted him: "Han..."

"That's enough for today, Mr. Ernst. Forget my last words: there's no treasure that can save everything. We'll have to rely on ourselves to overcome the crisis on Terra."

Ernst's open mouth slowly closed, and then a smile appeared on his face.

"Row."

Chapter 674 Unlocks a Brand New Experience - Old Cat's Companionship

Ernst gained a lot from his conversation with Kal'tsit. Most importantly, he learned about Kal'tsit's attitude.

The prehistoric civilization is indeed an insurmountable obstacle for Terra. Terra's civilization was born because of the prehistoric civilization and has gradually developed because of its legacy, continuing to this day. It can be said that all of Terra's problems, whether their root causes or their solutions, ultimately inevitably return to the prehistoric civilization.

The one who tied the knot must untie it; this is the principle at play.

But this does not mean that the efforts of the Terrans and the development of Terran civilization itself are unimportant.

There has never been a savior, nor a truly omniscient and omnipotent god. Even the behemoths who wield the rules have their own troubles. The great god Yeragand lamented that his statue's face was too fat, and the Year, Order, Evening, and their agents, along with the other Year beasts, worried about the unawakened true form of [Year]. And relying on prehistoric civilizations to solve these problems is useless.

Prehistoric civilizations were not saviors; on the contrary, they may have even played the role of destroyers.

Many people who think they can strengthen themselves by excavating the legacy of ancient civilizations overlook a very simple truth: ancient civilizations left behind their legacy not because they were so noble as to want to provide some free gift to future generations, but because they are dead and cannot use or enjoy it.

If they had a chance to revive, would the people of the prehistoric civilization, whose technological level far surpassed that of Terra, and whose moral bottom line had been tested by the apocalypse, really be so kind as to help the Terran civilization?

Stop telling me about cosmic fairy tales.

Ernst thinks it's highly unlikely.

Weak people cannot survive in the apocalypse.

Kal'tsit's attitude was remarkably similar to Ernst's.

Ultimately, Terra's problems must be solved by the Terrans themselves. The various ancient civilizations are merely tools and means to address these issues; the Adventists will not have a good end.

Having clarified this point and obtained general information about the [Deep Blue Tree] from Kal'tsit, the conversation had achieved a satisfactory result.

Kal'tsit can be trusted, although her identity is probably not as simple as she claims, and seems to be related to her identity as a "treasure". Judging from her behavior, she seems to have already made her own judgment.

In that case, let's continue the cooperation.

Ernst was also looking forward to what Kal'tsit would talk to him about after his trip to Letania.

It's probably mostly related to demons, right? [Sea Heir], [Demons], [Originium]. I've already mentioned the former, and Originium involves Prestis, so her story will face many problems; we might even have to play a guessing game. Therefore, the possibility of demons is probably the highest.

As for her self-proclaimed identity as a "treasure hunter," Ernst did not intend to reveal it to her immediately.

Firstly, he had important matters to attend to and didn't have time to chat with Kal'tsit in the office for several days, nor did he have time to wait for Kal'tsit, who might faint at any moment, to wake up again.

Secondly, well, didn't you yourself tell me not to say it?

"Mr. Ernst is packing his things. Is he going somewhere?"

Seeing Ernst deep in thought as he tidied up the documents and seals on the table, Kal'tsit asked him a question out of curiosity.

Ernst shouldn't have revealed the official itinerary of the head of the Sherrag government. However, considering Kelsey's recent candor with him, Ernst didn't mind answering her question, which wasn't particularly confidential:

"Go to Letania."

"Tridentme?"

"No, it's Shi Tongling. Elector Walner is interested in opening a trade route between Letania and Shelag and has invited me to meet with him in person."

It does sound like a serious matter, doesn't it?

Kelsey gave Ernst a suspicious look.

She was starting to doubt Ernst. It wasn't that she didn't trust Ernst as a person; after all, Ernst was quite sincere. Even after hearing the name Precys and meeting the [Preserver] of the previous civilization—a being who could potentially provide him with immense, even terrifying, help—he didn't try to hold back. Instead, he immediately returned to share his information. This level of information sharing was far better than those who talked about "trust, trust" but then kept secrets when faced with any problems!

What she didn't believe was what might happen to Ernst.

Ernst always manages to cause trouble when she's out and about. It started with ordinary Sarkaz, then the royal court, and now she's even bringing up things from prehistoric civilizations.

Even Kelsey couldn't say for sure what Ernst would encounter on his trip to Letania.

On the surface, everything seems fine in Letania. The waters may seem deep, but given Kal'tsit's understanding of Letania, the deepest level is the "lich." Now that Seraphim has already made connections with the lich, it seems there's nothing to worry about.

Can we really rest assured?

Seeing Kal'tsit's serious expression, and even her self-doubt, Ernst shrugged.

"Are you that worried? Why don't you come with me?"

"Uh-huh?"

San Kelsey subconsciously hummed in agreement, then realized what Ernst had said. Her eyes widened abruptly as she looked at Ernst. Her first words weren't a refusal, nor a question about where she was going, but rather a somewhat flattered inquiry:

"Can...is it okay?"

"What's not allowed?"

Ernst countered,

"If you want to go, I have many ways and reasons to bring you along. The simplest way is to say you're my business advisor. Anyway, this trip is to discuss business cooperation, so it's normal to bring a business advisor, right?"

It was just a reason anyway. Ernst hadn't decided who to bring along yet, so he just mentioned it casually.

Holhaya is preparing for surgery, Vina is staying home, and Hinterlaya is unusually busy lately due to the "Scherrag tourism boom" in Colombia. As for the others, they all have their own things to do, and Ernst can't spare any manpower for the time being.

To be honest, Latatos is the most suitable candidate, but the problem is that Latatos is in charge of Rhine Labs.

While the Scherrag trade route is important, Rheinlife and the construction of the new town of Ulanieburg are equally crucial. Both are major events concerning the future of Scherrag, and Ernst doesn't want either of them to have problems. Therefore, Latatos, whose business she is familiar with, absolutely cannot be let go.

After much deliberation without reaching a conclusion, Kal'tsit brought up the matter again, so Ernst casually mentioned it:

"That's up to you. Is everything alright with Lentinium?"

Upon hearing this, Kal'tsit looked somewhat embarrassed.

"I can't go back to Victoria for the time being."

Ernst was taken aback, then asked with interest, "Why?"

"I was speeding too much, didn't pay the fine, and was banned from entering the country."

Kal'tsit pursed her lips, her old face turning red.

This reason caught Ernst somewhat off guard.

But in a way, it's his fault. If he hadn't always caused such a big incident, forcing Kal'tsit to speed back every time, she wouldn't have left such an ugly record of "incorrigible" behavior in several duchies of Victoria!

But Kal'tsit could only silently mutter these words to herself, daring not to say them aloud.

After all, criticizing Ernst for this is not only petty, but also makes her seem like she's being coquettish.

She's so old, she's way past that age!

Moreover, she needed Ernst's help with this matter.

"I wanted to tell you about the ban, which will continue until next year."

Kal'tsit suppressed her embarrassment, forcing a smile that made her face flush, and asked...

"Could you please speak to the Duke of Caesar for me? Ask her to rescind my punishment. I can't really wait a year before returning to Londinium!"

“You can smuggle yourself in,” Ernst couldn’t help but laugh and tease.

Kelsey looked at Ernst with a wronged expression. She only stopped laughing and nodded in agreement when Ernst started to feel uneasy.

“I will write a letter to the Duke of Caesar.”

"Thank you." Kal'tsit bowed sincerely in thanks.

"So, are you going to Letania with me?" Ernst asked.

“I’ll go!” Kal’tsit nodded deeply. “I love being an advisor!”

She refused to believe that Ernst could encounter so many troubles if she went along with him personally!

Chapter 675 Not a robber, but a wanted criminal

Letania, the land of music, the home of art.

Everyone who comes here has many different fantasies about this place.

Some say it's a terrifying kingdom capable of giving birth to a tyrant like the Witch King, while others say it's a land of outstanding people and resources, where every Letanian possesses a meticulous nature, making it the most trustworthy country on earth.

Some even say that the underground drainage system of Letania, a mobile city, still contains oil paper packages left behind by the engineers who built the city!

But whether it's narrow-minded prejudice or excessive praise, for the vast majority of Thai people, especially those who love music, this place is a paradise they must visit at least once in their lifetime.

Ernst was also a music lover.

In his previous life, he was always bored and would often listen to music while slacking off in the office.

However, he listened to a wide variety of music—pop, rock, traditional Chinese music, instrumental music, he listened to everything. From stirring military anthems and marches of steel to tender love songs filled with lingering emotions, he had no dietary restrictions. He also didn't have any professional opinions on the quality of music. As long as the melody was catchy and the tune was good, even if the song was a well-known pop song, he could listen to it on repeat all day.

It's true. For a while, he listened to "Sunshine, Rainbow, Little White Horse" on repeat all day long. He would even hum it to himself when he went out to eat, so much so that his colleagues thought he had recently gone to Guangdong.

His taste, in Letania, would probably be considered low-class. Letanians have an almost obsessive rigor when it comes to music; they're not just interested in trendy genres like rap or rock, but even classic symphonies are subject to their scrutiny. It's said that centuries ago, many Letanian nobles were elevated from commoners to nobility simply because of their exceptional singing and musical instrument skills!

Of course, such a situation is almost non-existent now. With towering towers and the social hierarchy of Letania largely solidified, the last Letanian monarch capable of directly selecting assistants and promoting nobles from among the common people was Otto Dietmar Gustav von Utica, known as Herhunzoren, and honored as the Witch King!

The name is now taboo in Letania. Just mentioning it is considered a way to reminisce about that terrible era, a sin that can be punished for one's words.

Ernst didn't have a very good impression of Letania for these two reasons.

The former represents the extreme conservatism of Letania's social atmosphere, which is unwelcoming to outside cultures and may even exhibit xenophobia. The latter, on the other hand, can almost be described as a form of white terror.

“You did not live through the time of the Witch King, Mr. Ernst.”

Kelsey corrected Ernst's idea.

"Otherwise, you will understand that one taboo in life is better than countless taboos. White terror is better than blood terror."

"There is no such thing as a wise monarch forever. Towards the end of his reign, the Witch King had almost completely abandoned all the problems in the country of Letania. In the court, corrupt officials were in charge, and beasts were eating the food of the emperor. Corruption, embezzlement, and tyranny were rampant, not only among the electors, but throughout Letania!"

"His repressive policies only required domestic stability and did not need any dissenting voices. He closed the tower, refused all audiences, and rejected all memorials. In the first half of his life, he concentrated all the power in the entire Letania and became the most powerful emperor in the history of the empire. But in the end, he personally distributed all this power, giving local nobles even greater, even near-limitless, abilities than before."

"It was under these circumstances that the conflict was completely escalated."

Kal'tsit took a deep breath. In fact, Fremont should have been able to explain this topic more clearly.

The lich saw it very clearly: the good deeds the lich king did in the early stages did not mean he was exempt from responsibility for the terrible things he did in the later stages.

From the perspective of a pure ruler, combined with limited information, what one can see is that the witch king who attempted to centralize power ultimately died in the counterattack of the local separatist forces led by Grand Duke Leopold, and his life's achievements were ruined in an instant.

But why do so many ordinary people regard Grand Duke Leopold as the hero who tore through the gloom in the skies of Letania?