People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Her mind was filled with calculations of self-interest; she couldn't understand human emotions, nor did she respect the purity of music. Czerny even suspected that she didn't actually care about herself at all.

She always seemed to be acting against her will; those involved are often blinded, while bystanders see things clearly. In reality, it was only herself who was pushing her forward.

"Now, get out of my room."

Czerny said coldly,

"I'll take care of the performance myself; there's no need for you, an outsider, to interfere."

Gertrude's expression darkened slightly, but she still managed a forced smile and nodded, saying:

"That's good. Do you need me to accompany you?"

"I will take my music seriously."

Czerny turned around, his brow furrowed.

"Therefore, I will not allow people who do not take music seriously to accompany me."

Ergertrude nodded, said nothing more, and silently closed Czerny's door.

enough.

Si gave a self-deprecating laugh.

To be honest, she didn't place too much hope on Czerny.

She truly admired Czerny—his character, his will, and his music—so she invested heavily in him, promoted him, and helped him become a "comic artist who has gained some fame in Letania."

She did indeed once harbor the idea of ​​relying on Czerny to "defy fate".

Letania has this opportunity: if you have enough musical talent, or if you can find a talented but unpolished gem, and after polishing him, the brilliance he displays can also benefit you.

In Lu's plan, if Czerny were willing to play "Dawn and Dusk" more frequently, and to set aside his status and pointless dignity to curry favor with those important figures, he might now be a guest of honor at Trinitylme's.

And thus, she, the Countess of Viseheim, now had another path to take.

There's another path, one that's not the remnant of the Witch King.

Gertrude Strolo was a remnant of the Witch King, a very insignificant one among the thousands of remnants of the Witch King.

She said this from the bottom of her heart; she had never felt happy being a member of the Witch King's remnant.

But she had no choice.

The Stroro family is the family of the remnants of the Witch King's faction. Her lord, her lord's lord, and all those who have ascended to heaven above her are all remnants of the Witch King's faction. She has no choice but to be one.

The world won't give her many opportunities to blend in with the world. If she doesn't take the opportunity, plenty of others will. Her poor brothers, whom she killed with her own hands, are the best example.

She understood Czerny's insistence; these hothouse flowers were naively ridiculous. They believed that everything they had was earned through their own efforts, that a song created to commemorate a dead person could be known by Letania's high society in a short time, and that talent and hard work could replace everything.

She didn't dislike this kind of person. To be honest, if Czerny didn't have this spirit, this rare spirit that she had abandoned, she wouldn't have been so fond of him.

But the truth is always contradictory; she understood Czerny, but Czerny could never understand her. Just as a pure realist can understand the almost fantastical ideals of an idealist, a pure idealist finds it difficult to understand the compromises of a realist.

His repeated rejections effectively cut off another path for her.

He had already given Ernst tickets to that concert, and Ernst would be attending.

Gertrude had been hoping that if Czerny could move Ernst, there might be a sliver of a chance that she, who was mired in a quagmire, could use Ernst, who was now a hot commodity that everyone was vying for, to turn her life around and successfully clear her name!

The idea that a woman in the Yan Kingdom's harem gains status through her son is somewhat of a moral principle.

But now

We can't place all our hopes on Czerny. Just how serious is his so-called "taking his work seriously"? If he doesn't play music as powerful as "Dawn and Dusk," how can he move someone like Ernst, who's already at the top of Terra?

She had to find another way.

Returning to her temporary residence in Shitongling, Gertrude closed the door and dropped the letter she had prepared into the letterbox on the ankle of the feathered beast that was already waiting by the window.

Clearly, the planners had anticipated her predicament.

They still believe they have everything under control.

With a helpless sigh, Gertrude stared blankly at the feathered beast that had flapped its wings and flown away.

"Dawn and Dusk" is a lament by Czerny, a song of mourning for the dead.

What about the [Sounds of the Mortal World]?

The fragments left behind in the mortal world by Terra's greatest warlock—the Witch King—can their impact outweigh the death of a mortal?

Chapter 680 I Want My Daughter to Be Happy

Letania, Shitongling, the Tower of the Great Elector.

The nobles of Letania always liked to live in high towers, which were filled with the Letanians’ understanding of the world as “dark,” “gloomy,” and “melancholy.”

Yes, this is a stereotype that most Letanians have of Terra, but in reality, the towers have both symbolic significance and practical utility for the Letanians.

It is a powerful spell generator, a majestic fortress of power, and also serves the most traditional function of being "difficult to climb, so it can refuse meetings with many troublesome people."

Ernst deeply understood the latter.

The search result is: "二咎琳泀参午陆, 见施彤领选帝侯过程，提出一九九八一难".

Security checks were just the beginning. The tower where the Elector of Shitong lived had more than 30 floors, and there wasn't even a single elevator inside! Although there was a legend that "the great nobles and great sorcerers of Letania could live their whole lives in towers and never associate with the foolish people on the ground," Ernst really didn't expect that this kind of "non-contact" was like this.

Did you climb back by yourself?

If so, then listen to me, thank you, because you showed me with real cost how much it costs to be elected emperor! And, every time you look so tired and pale, it might not be as simple as just being "sick".

It could also be from being tired, or from being annoyed by the damn traditions.

When Ernst finally climbed to the thirty-third floor, panting, with the help of a waiter on each floor, and met the long-awaiting Elector himself, he saw deep helplessness in the other's eyes.

Damn it, I laughed in anger!

"Your Excellency, do you always have to climb such a tall building?"

Sitting down on the sofa, Ernst picked up the now-cold cup, took a sip of the tea he had prepared beforehand, and immediately grimaced at the bitter taste, muttering a somewhat resentful complaint.

Walner gave a wry smile and nodded slightly:

"This is the hardship that an elector must endure. I'm used to it."

Of course, he didn't finish his sentence.

As a newly elected marquis, he naturally enjoyed certain privileges. For instance, if he got tired of climbing, he could simply call for guards or maids to carry him up, or use magic to propel him upwards. It wasn't that strenuous.

As for why he didn't abolish this troublesome "rule" and install an elevator in the tower, Warner expressed his helplessness.

"Tradition".

In Letania, the power of tradition can even surpass that of imperial authority.

This is no joke. There are still some ignorant old scholars who think that the Twin Queens were able to defeat the Witch King because the Witch King's tower was built too low, allowing the Twin Queens to climb it too quickly. As a result, the "Demon King" was not prepared and faced the sudden "hero".

Such remarks are certainly heretical, but that doesn't stop them from finding a market among some people—yes, I'm talking about a group of so-called "remnants of the Witch King" who aren't very bright.

Ernst took a short breath and didn't continue complaining to Werner about their unreasonable architectural design. Instead, he went straight to the point and asked:

"Then, Lord Walner, since there are no more Six Ears here, can we have a frank discussion now?"

"What are your thoughts on the Shitongling-Shelag trade route plan? What is it you want to discuss with me by inviting me to Letania in person?"

There is no Liu Er here; there is no third person here.

Yes, Ernst noticed this situation as soon as he entered the room.

There were no sword-wielding imperial guards, no black-robed tower sorcerers, and not even a maidservant to serve tea or water in this room.

Everyone was kept out. The tea Ernst had just drunk was already cold, and the tea-making skills were terrible. Given the Letanians' almost obsessive pursuit of these formalities, unless the maid in charge of the tea wanted to challenge the bottom line of the Grand Election Lord with her entire clan, this was definitely not her doing.

It must have been the work of the Great Election Emperor himself.

This is not in accordance with diplomatic practice.

Ernst wasn't immune to private, closed-door conversations; in fact, he was frequently asked to do so. From the Duke of Victoria and the President of Columbia to doctors in Rhode Island and the mayor of Siesta, whether it was himself or others who asked him to, there were countless private conversations he didn't want outsiders to hear.

But at those times, they weren't discussing "serious matters"—it was either the situation in Londinium or the history of a pre-civilization.

But this time it's different.

The Business Initiative is a large-scale business plan involving both governments and with political implications.

Whether the Electoral Prince needs such a plan is unknown, but Ernst clearly needs "the opinions of professionals".

But when he came to visit, Werner made a special request to him: "Please come up alone."

This is why Kal'tsit didn't appear here with Ernst.

What are you planning?

Ernst asked curiously.

He came to Letania with a very clear purpose, but what should have been a simple matter became somewhat complicated after he actually arrived in Shitong territory. To the point that he was unsure whether Volner was "fishing" for him.

If it really is a "fishing" scheme, then Ernst is really going to be furious.

You're fishing for fish, but you've lost your mother!

Elector Warner clearly also sensed the ill intent in Ernst's words.

His expression was somewhat complicated, a mixture of apology, repentance, bitterness, and a little joy, making it rather unpleasant to look at.

He wasn't unaware of the source of Ernst's suspicion and anger; in fact, the situation had indeed taken him completely by surprise.

“I must admit and apologize to you, Prime Minister Ernst. The Business Road Project was indeed one of the reasons I lured you to St. Tong’s territory. My real purpose was not here; I had other plans.”

Werner spoke slowly, but suddenly changed the subject:

"Prime Minister Ernst, is there anything you wish to make amends for or protect?"

Ernst raised an eyebrow but didn't reply.

Of course, he has things he wants to protect, and he also has regrets that he hopes to make up for if given the chance.

Who doesn't have something like that?

But he wasn't sure what Elector Walner meant by suddenly bringing this up.

Seeing that Ernst only frowned but did not answer, Werner smiled and said to himself:

"I have."

"As you can probably guess, the person I want to compensate is Viviana."

"I owe that child so much."

As the ruling party, whose power was practically that of a local tyrant, Warner rarely said anything "from the heart," as that would make him seem "easy to understand," and thus be seen as frivolous and unreliable.

This was fatal for a high-ranking nobleman of Letania.

But this time, when Viviana's name was mentioned, he was so excited that he couldn't help but take a long breath.

A precursor to crying.

It is a way for humans to express "the most sincere emotions from the softest part of their hearts".

He was choking up, momentarily unable to catch his breath.

"I am not a good father."

“I have ruled this land for decades, and carried on the legacy of my father and elder brother for decades. Many times, I have been afraid. I am afraid that I have not done enough, and that one night when I go to sleep, I will see their eyes staring straight at me, questioning me.”

"But for decades, I have never dreamed of it once."

"Until I met Viviana."

Werner tilted his head back, his voice becoming somewhat hoarse.

"When she appeared at my bedside and looked at me with those violet eyes, I was afraid."

"It was then that I realized who the person I had never dared to look into, the person I owed so much to, the person I didn't even dare to recall in my dreams was."

Werner clutched his head, seemingly aggravated by intense emotions, and the Elector's face appeared even paler, yet his narration continued:

“Viviana, my child, she is so sensible, she didn’t even blame me for what I did, for ignoring her! But whenever her eyes look at me, I am condemned by the conscience I thought I had long since lost.”

"I want to make it up to her."

"But Prime Minister Ernst, to be honest, my time is running out."

He smiled to himself.

Time is the greatest enemy of all those in power. Time can change many things; it can make people forget their original intentions, distort a person's ambitions, drive the development of things, turn what was good in the past into what is bad in the future, and make those who were once supported be despised in the future. It can also destroy the core of those in power—life—in the most direct and intractable way.