People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

When others, or future generations, evaluate this action, won't they laugh at it as a foolish decision?

Therefore, Vina felt that there should be a better method and way of saying it than "sending troops".

She immediately thought of the "special military operation" of the Victoria Dukes' alliance. In order to save face for Victoria and to prevent excessive outside interference in the war in Lentinium, the Grand Dukes of Victoria adopted a unified narrative, referring to the war in Lentinium as the Lentinium Special Military Operation, in order to counter the terrorist activities of the Sarkaz extremist terrorists led by Therese in Lentinium.

Can we do it the same way this time?

Vina thought for a moment, then offered a suggestion that could be applied to other situations:

"I think this operation can be called 'counter-terrorism'!" (4, four)

"Oppose the terrorist activities of the Deep Sea Church terrorists in Iberia!"

“The World Summit should take the lead in forming an anti-terrorism force, selecting elite personnel. The number of personnel doesn’t need to be large. Spend a little money to accomplish great things. This will demonstrate the authority of the World Summit and truly solve the Iberian problem. What do you all think?”

The tin man watched with great interest as Vina spoke eloquently on the stage. If there were terrorist activities, then there would be counter-terrorism operations. This was reasonable, and even appropriate!

This descendant of Aslan is exceptionally intelligent! Ernst has taught a fine student!

He pressed the "agree" button on the table.

Viscount Walton also pressed the button. He had no objection to the result; in fact, this was exactly what the Duke of Caesar had originally intended.

It was because the Duke of Windermere had a bad temper and insisted on sending a high-speed warship to send all the assassins to their deaths that the Duke of Castle reluctantly agreed to the Allied Commander's somewhat "extravagant" idea.

Now that we've come full circle, he's naturally satisfied.

However, Vina is becoming more and more like her aunt. The situation in Victoria is constantly changing, shifting every day; who knows...

Forget it, why think so much?

He shook his head slightly and looked in the direction of Yan Kingdom.

Ning Ciqiu pressed the "agree" button and promised that Yan Guo would provide some experience in capturing terrorists.

It's useless. Which country here doesn't have some terrorists? Do we need Yan Guojiao?

All I can say is that my heart is with you.

Leitania abstained from the vote.

As for Ursus, who had remained silent until the final vote was overwhelmingly in favor, he also voted in favor.

It wasn't that he didn't want to speak; it was that after the previous speaker returned home, he was inexplicably detained by Speaker Witte! Now, at the World Summit, the new speaker hasn't arrived yet, and Speaker Witte's order is: "Don't fucking say a word!"

Therefore, the diplomats who remained chose to speak less and silently vote.

Vina tallied the votes, drafted a decision, and was about to announce it when the Lateran representative in the audience raised his hand again.

Mostima smiled and nodded to Vina, then made a suggestion:

"I apologize for taking up your time. I think we can involve other countries in this matter."

"After all, you see, counterterrorism is a cause for the entire Terran, right? It doesn't necessarily have to be just the permanent members of the Security Council contributing personnel and resources, does it? All countries can contribute some money, some personnel, and some technology. Everyone can feel involved, and we can also reduce some expenses. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

The tin man clapped his hands:

"pretty good idea."

He hadn't even thought of this before it was mentioned, and quickly said:

“Miss Mostima is right. The Summit of Nations is a summit of nations of Terra, not a summit of nations of our permanent members. Counter-terrorism is a cause of all Terra, how can it be without the collective wisdom and efforts of all nations of Terra?”

"I think this plan is perfectly feasible. What do you all think?"

The representatives of the four countries discussed it and, finding no problems, all nodded in agreement.

"Agreed." "Okay." "I have no objections."

The tin man spoke again:

"In that case, why don't we come up with a name for this counter-terrorism operation right here and now?"

"That way, when we announce this plan, we'll have a title."

The tin man thought for a moment and spoke first:

"Let me start by offering a suggestion. Iberia is a coastal country, and since this counter-terrorism operation will take place in Iberia, the sea should naturally be included. How about we call it—'Operation Gulf'?"

Chapter 721 Twin Moons, have you seen the reflection of Golden Iberia?

Iberia, Perdoni, Tribunal headquarters.

After days of travel and countless assassination attempts, Ernst felt a little unreal when he entered this room where even the floor was carpeted.

“Iberia is truly fraught with danger, Your Excellency Carmen.”

He murmured a sigh, not entirely in jest, but also with a touch of genuine sadness.

This was the first time he had truly experienced the side effects of fame and influence. And it wasn't the kind of side effect that made him feel constrained and required him to consider everything; rather, it was a direct, physical side effect without any fuss or unnecessary thought!

These Deep Sea Cultists are formidable. Ernst had thought that the assassination attempts he had suffered before even reaching Iberia were the end of it all. But even after he reunited with Carmen these past few days, the assassination attempts hadn't stopped.

The Deep Sea Cult truly lived up to their so-called "omnipresence." They had spies within the Punishment Army, corrupted traitors among the judges stationed throughout the land, and even their people were among those who welcomed the king's army with food and drink along the way.

Ernst was relatively cautious, having been eating food provided by the Blacksteel International mercenaries for the past few days. But Talulah and Carmen were different; one wanted to try something new, and the other had excessive confidence in her subordinates. And so...

Ernst hasn't done anything these past few days, and hasn't even had a proper conversation with Carmen. He's been busy watching Skadi and the others vomit and have diarrhea.

Carmen was indeed very embarrassed. This saint, whose hair and beard were all white and whose face was full of wrinkles, and whose life was forcibly prolonged by his secretary, now had a blush on his face, which had been sacred, majestic and inviolable in the courtroom for decades, as if he were a teenager.

The old man waved his hand, pouting at Ernst with a face full of pleading, "Don't mention it, don't mention it," and silently reached out to close the two doors of the office.

“Mr. Ernst, please rest assured, Perdoni is the safest city in Iberia, and the courthouse is the safest place in Perdoni. Here, absolutely nothing will be able to disturb our conversation!”

Ernst looked at him, but before he could nod, a terrible scream came from outside the door.

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah--!"

Carmen's expression, which had just begun to ease, immediately stiffened again. Seeing Ernst's strange gaze, he quickly said: 3

"This is the sound of an interrogation; it's not considered interference."

Then came some incomprehensible talk, about how the court was handling things, how a heavy hand must be dealt with the Deep Sea Cultists, and how traitors weren't human and there was no need to worry about human rights. The room was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Ernst didn't intentionally make things difficult for Carmen. Whether the Deep Sea Cultists are considered human can be judged flexibly. For example, we often say that soldiers don't kill women and children, but your wife isn't a child, and your child isn't a woman.

Ernst has no intention of interfering with the court proceedings for the time being, as long as they keep their voices under control.

He's a kind-hearted person and can't stand hearing these things.

As the screams outside gradually subsided, Ernst slowly spoke:

"Lord Carmen, I have witnessed the situation in Iberia."

"I can more or less guess why your country invited me here. Let's talk behind closed doors, and there's no need for us to hold back. Everything comes at a price."

"Since Iberia is a member of the World Summit, the World Summit will certainly provide assistance. However, I also sincerely hope that Iberia can fulfill its responsibilities as a member state."

What are the responsibilities of the member states of the World Summit?

In the simplest way, you can cooperate with the work of the World Summit. You can object, appeal, express your dissatisfaction with the resolution, and even openly contradict the five permanent members of the Security Council at the annual World Summit plenary session. That's all fine.

However, if the World Summit does arrange anything or wants to do something, the World Summit hopes that its member states will cooperate.

A system needs people within it to uphold its rules in order to function healthily. If the World Summit wants to exist for a long time and serve as the largest international political cooperation organization in Terra, contributing to Terra's peace and development, it must ensure that its internal structure is at least harmonious and functions smoothly.

"Guarantee" is a very domineering word. Unless absolutely necessary, 6 Ernst hopes that others will maintain their dignity and not let Wan Guofeng II help him maintain his dignity, let alone do anything like "If I achieve my lofty ambitions one day, I will dare to laugh at Gaddafi for not being a man!"

The World Summit can be noisy and chaotic, but if you treat it like a circus, then you are the real clown!

Carmen couldn't possibly be unaware of this, but he still asked the question knowingly:

"I wonder what the World Summit is going to do, and what Iberia needs to do?"

Ernst sighed almost imperceptibly.

He could tell that Carmen was burdened by something, that she still harbored a glimmer of hope, or rather, that she still possessed a sense of pride.

He's different from Dario. Dario has begun to shed his moral burdens and embrace a life of depravity, even at the cost of his dignity, to exchange money, supplies, and equipment to help Iberia win the Sea Siege. But Carmen is different.

Carmen still retains the pride of the Iberians from the Golden Age. As a nation that was once almost the closest to the throne of Terra's overlord, the former power of Iberia needs no further elaboration. As a descendant of that era, the shadow of that Golden Age in Carmen, though worn away by decades, still radiates a faint light.

Ernst knew very well that this light was the very reason and driving force that had urged him, the archbishop, to reorganize the state church, establish the Inquisition, reclaim lost territory, unite the remaining Iberian forces, and continue the struggle to this day. But, my lord, times have changed.

Iberia was on the verge of death. For a paralyzed patient, which was more beneficial to Iberia: forcing himself to stand up or lying down to receive treatment? Carmen, did he really not understand?

Ernst didn't want to say it that way, because it was too cruel and somewhat offensive, but perhaps Carmen was the one who supported Iberia to this day and the one who prevented Iberia from moving towards the future.

This old man, unknowingly, has become the biggest stumbling block on Iberia's path to development.

Without the International Summit, or any other divine intervention reminiscent of the "Agor Islanders' arrival," Iberia would likely have been drained of all its vitality under Carmen's policies over the next few years, then silently perished, clinging to its past illusions.

How heartbreaking!

Ernst really didn't want that to happen, so there were things he had to say, even if they weren't his to say.

"Your Excellency Carmen, the World Summit will send personnel to Iberia to cleanse the Deep Sea Cult. They will help Iberia detoxify and reconnect with this powerful force."

"The World Summit will also send a commissioner in the future to assess the situation in Iberia. Given the current situation in Iberia, I can assure you that Iberia can be ranked at the top, or even at the top, of the list of countries in urgent need of assistance."

"But all of this requires the permission and cooperation of the State Church. I'm going to tell you the truth now. Neither I nor the International Summit has the ability to allow Iberia to obtain all of this while fully guaranteeing Iberian sovereignty."

Ernst said solemnly,

“From now on, Iberia will not be able to maintain its past status. Your country needs to recognize this reality, and so do you.”

Ernst spoke very earnestly.

Iberia will not accept any troops or aid for nothing.

Even if she were to receive it for free, Carmen should understand this: free things are often the most expensive. Every gift of fate comes with a hidden price.

This price might be that the area around the military base would no longer be considered Iberian territory, but rather the site of the World Summit, and thus not under Iberian jurisdiction. Or it might require Iberia to exchange natural resources, market access, tariffs, and other factors for direct aid.

Ernst will try his best to secure a fair price for Iberia, but in any case, it is dishonorable, shameful, and goes against the wishes of Carmen, a golden-age Iberian.

To put it more bluntly, perhaps future Iberians will feel that Carmen was betraying her country by agreeing to these demands.

But as one of Ernst's favorite YouTubers said: "Just sell it! So many small countries want to sell, but they can't even get a good price!"

The biggest obstacle, in Ernst’s view, was perhaps getting Carmen to accept the fact that “Iberia is already a small country.”

As expected, Carmen fell silent. Ernst noticed his clenched fist; though he didn't speak, his grim expression clearly revealed his anger.

Ernst felt a little awkward; it made him feel like the villain.

If he hadn't truly acted with a clear conscience and done his best, he would probably have added the phrase "a wise man submits to circumstances" by now.

After a long silence, Carmen did not answer directly, but instead asked in return: Seven

"What if I don't agree?"

Ernst took a deep breath and replied earnestly:

"Iberia will agree."

He phrased it subtly, but he thought Carmen would understand.

This is in Iberia's interest, and Iberia will agree. If Carmen disagrees, then Iberia has more than just Carmen; someone else will eventually agree.

Ernst cannot back down; today's closed-door meeting is both a negotiation of terms and a notification.

Whether it's a critical illness notice or an ultimatum, it's up to Carmen to interpret it.

After all, the fundamental reason he came to Iberia was because of the [Sea Heir] and the [Deep Blue Tree]. As the country closest to the sea and dealing with the sea, Ernst had to make preparations in advance for Iberia.

Whether it's the unity of the World Summit or the opportunity to establish a World Summit base in Iberia through this event, these are all prerequisites for this preparation.

What he really needs to do is establish outposts targeting the ocean.

Ernst didn't know how confident the Terrans were in withstanding the offspring of the Blue Tree. But with this outpost, at least the Terrans would have a warning before the crisis truly erupted. And while the crisis was still ongoing, the existence of this outpost would give the Terrans a sense of protection and security.

This is enough.

As for why not simply turn the entire Iberia into an outpost—it wasn't that Ernst didn't want to, but after his trip, he had seen the situation firsthand, and frankly, Iberia didn't have the capability. Carmen was still alive, yet the Inquisition, the Punishment Army, and even the city's interior had been infiltrated to this extent. If the entire Iberia were turned into an outpost, would it be a final sentinel to warn the Hai Si, or a Ming Dynasty's Shanhaiguan Pass?

Ernst stared at Carmen, awaiting his reply.

He never denied the significance of Iberia's journey to where it is today, nor did he deny Carmen's contributions. However, in the face of impending doom and disaster, only responsibility matters. Iberia cannot bear this responsibility.

The vast and boundless lands of Terra are a burden he must bear on his shoulders!

Carmen smiled, a smile that was both relieved and melancholic.

Although it took some time and involved some shock and disbelief, he eventually understood Ernst's meaning and agreed with it.

2. There are some things he is not unaware of, nor does he not understand; it's just that he can no longer change them.