People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Yes, Ernst knew that Haisi must have been sent by the Deep Sea Church!

Otherwise, could it be that there just happened to be a sea creature that bypassed the Iberian judge's eyes and eyes, crossed the punitive army's defenses, and led a group of bandits to this land some distance from Iberia, just to "accidentally" meet him and then launch an attack?

Even Susie the pig doesn't believe it!

Ernst is petty. If Wellington annoys him once, he'll hold a grudge for a long time; if Ivignad tricks him once, he'll nag about it for months; the Black Serpent wanted to attack him, and now that he's thrown the Grey Fighter away, the Deep Sea Church is directly targeting him. How can he possibly be friendly?

If I don't give you guys a real shock, you might not even know who's in charge of Terra right now!

Ernst smiled slightly and nodded to Talulah:

"you're right."

"We went to Iberia to fight against these things, and the deep-sea cultists who treat them as gods!"

"Don't worry, Iberia has three thousand Sea Heirs and countless Deep Sea Cultists. My existence is a thorn in their side. Talulah, you'll have a lot on your plate this time!"

After saying that, Ernst gestured for the excited Talulah to calm down, and then raised his hand to knock on the soundproof glass that separated the driver's seat from the back seat.

The driver on the other side of the window immediately stopped the car, opened the communication window, swallowed hard, and asked:

"Prime Minister Ernst, what is it?"

2. He was genuinely afraid that Ernst would complain to their superior, Mr. "Bridge Clip" Cliff. Then, those of them who had almost failed in their duty of protection would likely have to resign.

Resignation, which seems to be taking responsibility, might be the best outcome.

Fortunately, Ernst gave him a gentle smile, indicating that they didn't need to worry, and slowly said:

"It's nothing, don't be nervous."

"I just want someone from Black Steel International to deliver a letter to the World Summit."

The fact that the Deep Sea Church dared to directly assassinate Ernst shows they are no ordinary cult! We must strike hard!

Ernst didn't care whether they understood or not. The advantage of the system was that it wouldn't collapse because of the death of one person. Since they had done it, they should be prepared to eat Terra's big stick!

A combination of kindness and severity, kindness and severity. The kindness of establishing the World Summit was bestowed upon the Sarkaz who are scattered throughout Terra, so it's time to establish the severity as well!

Chapter 715 Once I bring the Punishment Army here, I'll send you all to heaven!

Carmen woke up to find the world had collapsed.

"What did you say?"

“Teacher, Prime Minister Ernst’s convoy lost contact two hours ago,” Dario replied.

"Ho-!"

Lost contact? How could you lose contact like that? Do you know how serious this is?

Ernst may have lost contact, but Iberia may have lost its future!

"What happened? Where are our people? Have we sent them?"

“The judge is on his way,” Dario said seriously. “Don’t be so nervous, teacher. Things might not be as bad as they seem.”

“Prime Minister Ernst has many ways to protect himself. He is also accompanied by mercenaries from Blacksteel International on this trip, so ordinary bandits can't hurt him. Even if something really happens, his route is not far from our Punishment Army's garrison, so he can be rescued immediately.”

"What if?" Carmen asked back with a serious expression.

Dario wanted to glare at Carmen, but since she was his teacher, and out of respect for his mentor, he remained silent for a moment before replying tactfully:

"If something really does happen, then Iberia might also face a similar fate."

Okay, that doesn't sound very tactful either.

But Dario really did his best. He attended the World Summit, gave a speech, and met Ernst and the political leaders of the Terran countries, where they had a very pleasant conversation.

He knew very well that if anything happened to Ernst, Iberia wouldn't just be slapping Ernst's backside, it would be slapping the face of the World Summit, the Terran nations, and especially the five permanent members of the Security Council!

Iberia is already in a difficult situation. It relies heavily on imports for its food, water, and daily necessities. If it were to completely offend the Terran countries, there would be no need for military action. If they cut off these supply lines, Iberia would soon face a famine.

Moreover, Dario knew that this ending was only the happiest possible outcome.

To be realistic, if something happens to Ernst, the first to come knocking on his door might not necessarily be the nations of Terra.

The Sherags, and the Sarkaz who had received Ernst's favor, those were the real stars.

Not to mention the colossal beast hidden in Sherag—Yeragand.

However, Dario also felt there was no need to be so afraid. After all, Iberia was already at its limit; whether it was a behemoth or a coalition army, they would crumble at the slightest touch. A person only has one life; surely one can't die a second time?

Upon hearing this, Carmen pondered for a moment, her face darkening, before decisively speaking: One

"Get ready, or just give me a vehicle. I want to go there in person right now."

Dario is right. Ernst's team is currently only out of contact, and the time they've been out of contact is not long, just about two hours.

Two hours is not a long time for normal communication in Terra. Considering the Iberian environment, this time is not even close to the danger zone.

Ernst may not have suffered any major mishaps yet.

But something must have happened to him, otherwise he wouldn't have lost contact with them for no reason.

This is their chance to shine.

This is both a crisis and an opportunity! Scherrag's current development far surpasses that of Iberia, and Ernst is no longer the prime minister of a small country who could be easily appeased with a few paltry gifts. Frankly speaking, there's not much Iberia has to offer Ernst. Even the "secret to immortality," theoretically what rulers crave most, has significant flaws and side effects, making it uncertain whether Prime Minister Ernst would approve.

But now, if they can offer help in times of need, that would be far better than any icing on the cake!

Carmen personally led the team so that they could provide immediate support if anything happened to Ernst, and if nothing happened to Ernst, he could openly say that he had come specifically to welcome the distinguished guest. Although it didn't really mean anything, it still showed his attitude.

Iberia is eager to improve.

"Should we notify the World Summit and Kjerag?"

"Dario asked."

Carmen frowned.

His first reaction, of course, was not to notify them.

Ernst's disappearance is no small matter. If it's a false alarm, that's fine, but if something unexpected really happened, then Iberia, as the one who invited him, will inevitably be implicated.

If possible, Carmen even hoped to keep the news under wraps. Even if things went wrong and Ernst really did something bad, it couldn't happen within their Iberian territory!

Let the people of Black Steel take the blame! Better to die for a friend than for myself! The court can provide all the help except for taking responsibility, such as lowering the flag to half-mast, raising the black flag, or revising the security regulations overnight.

Zero might seem heartless, but that's the reality. Iberia simply couldn't withstand that level of accountability.

But just as he was about to speak, he suddenly realized that since this had already happened, it seemed that they had no choice at all.

The people of Shelag know where their prime minister has gone, the World Summit knows what their interim secretary-general is doing, and Iberia has special documents left in Shelag. All the evidence suggests that this matter is related to Iberia.

No matter how wrong the court may be, someone still has to take responsibility.

One Black Steel International is clearly not enough.

So, what does it matter to you if I destroy you?

Therefore, he swallowed hard and forced himself to say:

There is absolutely no such document.

"We'll decide on everything after I get back."

Ernst is now like Schrödinger's snow leopard; something might happen, or nothing might happen. It could be a major incident, or it could just be a false alarm.

If the court is unsure and reports to the World Summit, it would be tantamount to self-destruction, as there's no leniency for confessing—they've really taken action! But if they don't report it, it would be tantamount to concealing the truth, making them even more suspected of colluding with outsiders to assassinate Ernst!

That single-minded approach has become blocked at both ends; what else can be done?

Let's pretend we don't know for now. Transportation and communication in Iberia are disrupted, so we haven't received any news yet.

I, Carmen, will go and "rescue" Ernst first. Once I see him, if all else fails, I'll even kneel down and kowtow to him, and he'll have to beg Ernst to let this matter go.

This certainly damaged his reputation, but compared to his personal reputation, his love for the country was clearly much deeper!

From the moment he changed his surname to Iberia, he was already prepared to dedicate everything to Iberia!

Dario received the instruction and nodded solemnly.

Carmen didn't waste any more words and turned to leave, but just as he was about to go, Dario suddenly spoke up:

"Teacher, please wait a moment."

Carmen turned around and looked at her student with some confusion.

Dario's face was somewhat gloomy, his lips were slightly pursed, as if he was struggling, but after a moment, it turned into a bit of ruthlessness.

He tilted his head back, straightened his back, looked at Carmen intently, and said seriously:

"Teacher, please grant me the authority to improvise."

Adaptability and expediency are key. This power, in its own right, can be immense or insignificant, depending on the trust the delegator has in the recipient.

Dario was Carmen's student, and after serving as Iberia's diplomat at the World Summit, he gradually became the de facto second-in-command of the Inquisition. His demand for the power to make decisions on the spot actually looked more like a power grab.

After all, given his current power and Carmen's trust in him, even without this authorization, he could already decide the daily operations of the court himself.

Carmen clearly understood this as well. He gave Dario a deep look, and the brief silence made the atmosphere in the room somewhat tense.

Dario gritted his teeth, about to explain:

“Teacher, I think there’s something wrong with this. Only the court and Scherrag’s side knew Prime Minister Ernst’s travel route, and we had already sent people to clear the roads in advance. Now this situation has occurred.”

"You don't need to say anything."

Carmen spoke up, interrupting Dario.

"I know what you want to say."

"There is a traitor in the courtroom."

As a Grand Judge who was already able to manage the daily affairs of the court, his request for Carmen's authorization and appointment could only be to touch upon the power that all leaders valued highly and regarded as their exclusive domain—the power of personnel appointment.

Dario began to doubt his colleagues in the courtroom. But he had no evidence, and speaking out about such matters could very well lead to two different outcomes.

If Carmen doesn't trust Dalio enough, it will be seen as "Dalio slandering his comrade" and "Dalio attempting to seize power," a situation no leader can tolerate, even if Dalio is his groomed successor.

Are there fewer and fewer examples of emperors fearing their crown princes?

Fortunately, Dalio's assessment of Carmen was correct, and Carmen trusted Dalio enough.

He nodded slightly, took out a seal bearing the Iberian coat of arms from his pocket, and handed it to Dario:

"I should have given you my hand cannon."

"But this line of work could be dangerous, and I need to ensure my combat capabilities are not restricted. So, let's use this as a temporary measure."

He patted Dario on the shoulder, speaking earnestly like a father who had left home:

"Go."

"When I return, I hope to see that the parasites in the courtroom have been completely eradicated!"

Dario nodded emphatically and gave Carmen a judge's salute.

Why a military salute?

Dario lowered his head and looked at the small seal in his hand.

Because this seal is not Carmen's personal seal. It belongs to the Punishing Army, the last and largest armed force preserved after the Great Tranquility of Iberia!

Carmen said nothing, yet she said everything.

At least, Dario understood.

When necessary, we can mobilize the punitive forces and warships to send those parasites, traitors, and scum from the deep sea to the heavens one by one!

Chapter 716 Jeragand is Evolving!

"How many waves have we encountered now?"

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Ernst asked with a slightly unnerving feeling.

Talulah gasped for breath and gave Ernst a wry smile:

“I didn’t count, but I remember I’ve burned seven Sealings to death.”

Seven Sea Guineas

Ernst fell silent for a moment.

Except for a few attacks in the middle that did not involve any Sea Sibs, each assassination operation involved a maximum of two Sea Sibs.

In other words, he has at least survived five assassination attempts.