People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

It is not a rumor that Shi Tong's time as the chosen emperor is running out, but a fact.

No powerful and healthy nobleman would allow someone to so openly announce his serious illness within his territory. This would disrupt social order, forcing those originally united under a single nobleman to seek alternative paths, leading to factional reorganization and social upheaval!

The reason he didn't stop it wasn't because he hadn't tried, but because he had reached a point where it was "unstoppable."

The truth will come out sooner or later!

Ensit stared at him intently for a long time before asking the question that perhaps Walner had been waiting for him to ask:

"So, you found me?"

"You want to use the Business Alliance Plan as a bargaining chip in exchange for my guarantee of Viviana's future safety?"

“I can agree to that.”

Ernst nodded.

Even if Werner hadn't said anything, he was willing to help Viviana within his means. Miss Candle Knight was kind, warm-hearted, and likable, and also passionate about charity, having donated a considerable amount of money to Sherag and the International Summit. Ernst didn't want to see her get caught up in Letania's political turmoil and become yet another pitiful victim.

But Werner shook his head.

How can we ensure Viviana's safety in the future?

Werner believed Ernst's assurances; this young prodigy had established his authority in Terra with countless "miracles."

Just when everyone thought that a young man from a remote mountain village wouldn't have any "good shows" to perform on Terra, he actually built his own stage little by little!

His promises were credible, and moreover, the huge political and commercial interests of the business plan bound the two together. Werner also believed that Ernst would do his utmost to protect Viviana.

But is protection alone enough?

For Ernst, that might be enough.

But for Warner, that wasn't enough.

He was too selfish. He wanted to make it up to his daughter, but all he wanted was for her to be safe for the rest of her life. This did not calm his restless conscience, nor did it make those eyes that haunted his mind disappear!

He wanted his daughter to be happy.

So, even though it might be offensive to say that, he still addressed Ernst:

"Prime Minister Ernst, I want to pass the throne to Viviana."

"I want you and Vivian Na to jointly manage all the affairs of Shi Tongling!"

"Hochberg wishes to arrange a marriage between you and me!"

Chapter 681 Father

Shelag, an unnamed mountain.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

A piercing scream rang out, startling Ling, who was sprawled on the stone table after a hangover, so much so that he jumped up on the spot. Even Gawain, who was standing next to him, jumped up with a "thud," dropping the [Chronology] scroll above his head onto the snow without a second thought, and hurriedly asked:

"Yeragand, what's wrong?"

This is his long-term meal ticket for stealing offerings, his biggest guarantee for leisurely sunbathing and wasting his days, and the biggest contributor to his ability to have someone take care of his children without him having to do anything. If you were to ask who cares about Yeragand the most, it would probably be Gawain, besides the Sherag people.

Yeragand suddenly let out a scream, startling him awake. He initially thought it was a side effect of [Sami] having Yeragand swallow the year's energy, but after observing the surroundings and finding no further thunder, rain, or other signs of the year's energy, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's wrong?"

It wasn't just him who had doubts; Nian, Ling, Xi, and [Shixu], who had rushed over and realized no one was picking them up and had to float up to avoid being stepped on, all turned their attention to this place.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Yeragand turned around, trembling, and looked at the people present with a face full of horror:

"Someone, someone is going to marry Ernst!"

Nian was slightly taken aback, her doubts deepening. Xi frowned, realizing things weren't so simple. Ling crossed his arms, a hint of hostility on his face. Gao Wen's anger rose, his malice growing, and he seemed to be plotting something. [Time Sequence], completely bewildered, couldn't help but ask:

"Isn't this a good thing?"

He was immediately met with a glare from everyone!

"I remember, Ernst, we're in Letania now, aren't we?"

Immediately following, a curious voice rang out, but it was not any of the three people who had been present, but rather [Sami] who had appeared out of nowhere.

Ling suddenly had a slight suspicion: [Sami] hadn't shown up just now, but suddenly reappeared. Was it simply because he couldn't resist coming out to watch the drama unfold?

Sami didn't notice Ling's gaze; she simply looked at Yeragand, waiting for an answer.

Ya'er nodded:

"In Letania."

"The people in this country are dishonest! That old man is actually forcing Ernst to get married!"

"I didn't even urge them!"

Ya'er's tone was somewhat intense; she was genuinely a little angry.

He didn't eavesdrop on purpose, but that's not the point. The point is that He simply couldn't accept what the old man was saying!

At first, He thought that although the old man was bad, he still had some remorse.

He was a kind-hearted person and didn't think as much as Ernst. He believed that it was a great virtue to admit one's mistakes and correct them. Although he had neglected his daughter in the past, now that she knew she had repented and wanted to make amends, it was not unreasonable to grant her some forgiveness depending on the circumstances.

At least, if that old man were a Sherag, let alone whether his daughter would forgive him, Yeragand certainly wouldn't sentence him to death outright.

His tearful appearance did indeed move the kind-hearted Jeragand.

He even felt that, if necessary, He could step in and help improve that person's health.

This was not difficult for the behemoth, especially after it had swallowed the Year Phase, which further enhanced its power; such a task was merely a matter of lifting a finger.

As for whether it will cause trouble, the behemoth has no taboos in its actions. As long as it doesn't admit it, who will know that it was it?

As a result, before he could even be moved by this "father who knows his mistakes and can correct them," the next second, Werner shattered the first impression he had just formed with his actions.

"For the sake of my daughter's happiness for the rest of her life, you should marry her!" What kind of talk is that!

Ernst was a Sheragian, one of His people, and Ya'er was equally concerned about Ernst's happiness. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so happy for days because Vina and Ernst had made some progress, and she even shaped the clouds in the Sherag sky into smiling faces and hearts.

For Werner, his daughter's happiness is important, but is Ernst's happiness unimportant? If "selfishness" can be considered a reason, then could Yeragand be a little selfish and treat this "threat of Ernst" as an enemy, freezing him into an ice pop?

After all, this is a major event that concerns Ernst's future life!

Moreover, even putting that aside, He was disgusted and disgusted by Warner's behavior.

Is it really something a responsible father would do to secretly arrange a marriage between Viviana and Ernst in private?

Did he really ask Viviana for her opinion?

Admittedly, from Jeragund's "God's perspective," He knew very well that Viviana had a good impression of Ernst, and He didn't dislike little Elafia either, but so what?

There are plenty of people in Scherrag who have feelings for Ernst, and not just Scherrag, but many people throughout Terra have feelings for Ernst.

Jeragand is not human. From His perspective as a colossus far superior to humans, given Ernst's current prestige, with a mere wave of his hand, those who come to him out of affection could fill every corner of Kjerag tomorrow!

Especially those Sarkaz, I don't know how they grew up like that. They clearly live a terrible life, but they all have big breasts, small waists, and round butts. They are even more exaggerated than Lola. If you didn't know, you would think that the people who suffer every day are the Sherag people!

Jeragand doesn't dislike them either, but does that mean all the Sarkaz are going to marry Ernst?

Viviana was thus confined to her father's palace without her knowledge, and was "given" to Ernst as a bargaining chip in a "transaction"!

Yes, it's a free gift!

If we follow Walner's account, the goods he traded were the goods from the trade route from Sherag to Ston, and Viviana was a bonus, an extraordinary bonus, a bonus that inherited the "Elector's title," a bonus of high authority.

He even thought it was a good deal, figuring that this would get Ernst to accept it, because the position of Elector of Letania was something many people coveted but could not obtain!

He didn't consider Viviana's feelings at all!

First, it did not consider whether Viviana was willing to accept the position of Elector.

As if they were of one mind, Ya'er and Ernst shared the same idea.

Ernst's expression was equally serious; there was no joy on his face, and his furrowed brows even carried a hint of resentment.

But his tone remained calm as he calmly countered with:

"Your Excellency Walner, do you really know Viviana?"

"Viviana was a knight and a poet."

“I don’t know her very well, but I think that as the Elector, you can see that as a daughter who dares to return to Shitong Territory at this time, regardless of all dangers and obstacles, to visit her seriously ill father, she is simply not qualified to accept that position. Her personality is also not suitable to be an Elector.”

Secondly, arranging this matter behind Viviana's back and directly through "elders' methods" would be a tremendous blow to Viviana's feelings.

From the very beginning, when Ernst heard Viviana's idea of ​​retiring and returning to Sherag with him, he made that assessment: she was an overly naive child.

She was naive in always mistaking others' ulterior motives for pure kindness. She mistook actions that benefited many, including herself, for acts of kindness done solely for her. Always selfless in her acts of kindness and always reckless in her pursuit of romance—that was Viviana.

Ernst didn't know what kind of love she was looking for, but if she was arranged to go like this, without considering Ernst's opinion or her own wishes, would she be happy even if Ernst agreed?

No, she would be trembling with fear. She would feel it was a threat, an arrangement, a tactic no different from the one that McKee, the spokesperson for the Rose Newspaper of the Business Federation, had used to curry favor with her—a tactic that was reasonable but dishonorable, feasible but despicable.

She didn't dislike McKee at first; no one feels threatened just because someone likes them! She disliked him, especially someone as kind as Viviana.

But she was also firm in rejecting McGee because she disliked McGee's methods.

Now, she is being asked to use such methods to "trade feelings" with Ernst, to become the kind of person she hates most who manipulates others and desecrates "love," "romance," and "poetry and distant places." How would she feel?

“Mr. Werner, if you really want to talk to me about this.”

Ernst said seriously,

“You should let Viviana sit here too.”

Even in arranged marriages, Ernst would not accept a situation where neither party is present, and the two sets of parents agree on a car and a house, or a dowry, and the matter is settled without prior consultation. Such a situation is not about love, nor can it even be considered a family; it is merely a farcical farce.

If "protection" is a valid reason for doing this, could Werner also use that reason to send Viviana directly to even more powerful figures?

His fundamental mistake lies in this: his motives were good from the beginning, but his execution was flawed. However, it wasn't entirely bad; he just happened to choose Ernst, someone Viviana also had feelings for, so the apparent malice was mitigated.

However, upon closer examination, given Werner's methods, Viviana might face a far more terrible fate.

She may indeed gain safety, but she will never find happiness, nor the "compensation" that Warner claims he wants to give Viviana.

Werner pursed his lips and couldn't help but ask again:

"What if I call Viviana?"

Ernst paused for a moment, then took a deep breath and said seriously:

"If she really sat here with Qi and personally expressed such a wish." (Three: Four → Two)

"I will formally refuse her."

Feelings are indeed selfish, and Ernst couldn't achieve perfection in not hurting anyone.

"I have someone I like. This is not something that can be compromised in negotiations."

Walner stood there, stunned.

This time, he was stunned for a long time.

He thought of the alley with the marigolds, of Viviana's mother, of parting and reunion, and of his final decision.

He was forced to marry a nobleman instead of Viviana's mother.

He's wrong, Enciodes is right.

He was indeed different from Ernst. At least, when faced with greater interests, more compelling reasons, and a situation where it was easier to say "I had no choice," Ernst did not choose to compromise.

He wanted to help Viviana fulfill "her wish," but like the arrogant nobleman before him, he was forcing someone who already had someone else in her heart to leave with regrets.

He almost ruined his daughter, whom he had finally reunited with, on the last stretch of his life's journey, destroying her last beautiful illusions about love, feelings, and "father."

These things are so precious on this land.

After a long while, he came to his senses, and a self-deprecating bitter smile was imprinted on his face, like a brand of a sinner, but one that he himself had branded.

"Prime Minister Ernst, you are right."

“I was just being presumptuous. I almost failed to be a good father even in these last moments of my life.”

"I will seriously rethink my actions."

"Before that, let's talk about the concert."

Ernst was momentarily taken aback: "A concert? But didn't you say..."

It is said that Shi Tongling never intended to hold any concerts.

Ernst's words were interrupted by Werner's head shake. Werner slightly raised his head, looking at the distant ceiling of the tower. The magical symbols on the dome formed the Hochberg family crest, appearing magnificent and dazzling, yet he only let out a long sigh: