People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

A speech like [insert speech here] is indeed inspiring, but it's far too lengthy. Placed at a mobilization rally akin to a pre-battle address, it seems inappropriate and a waste of time. A simple, clear, and concise speech like this, on the other hand, is what truly "boosts morale"!

After all, the audience members came from all over the world, from all the countries of Terra. To put it bluntly, how many of them were really there for the sake of "the safety of Iberia"?

Everyone has their own agenda. All that passionate talk about defending the country—whose home are they protecting? Whose country are they defending? And who does it bring a sense of national honor?

Why not broaden your perspective? Stop talking about the civilized world and calling humanity scum. If you're going to aim for value, go for the biggest! Come and do this! Whether you want to test weapons, find human subjects, or simply vent Mr. Ernst's anger, it doesn't matter! As long as you're here, you're Terra heroes, humanity's saviors!

So, isn't this title tempting? ∠-《★牭【Eryuefeiqun:

It's okay if you're not tempted. I've already prepared the medals for you all. Who wouldn't want an extra honor on their chest? Right?

As for whether the traitors of the Deep Sea Church actually intended to invade all of Terra, what does that have to do with Ernst? If they want to, then Ernst's value is just right. If they don't want to, it doesn't matter, since they can't refute it anyway. They'll just throw mud at you. Do you even know what the right to speak is?

It's time for my World Summit to wield its propaganda stick.

Another benefit of doing this is that it can win back some ordinary Iberian people who might be leaning towards the Deep Sea Church.

The Iberian Tribunal has indeed fallen short in its work over the years. Many coastal cities have been abandoned and are beyond their jurisdiction. Some of these cities are still inhabited by Iberians who, lacking food, water, and resources, live in isolation. It's hard to say that they haven't received any help from the Deep Sea Church.

Ernst knew that these were choices made out of necessity to survive. They might have had goodwill toward the Deep Sea Church, but now that the royal army had arrived, it was time for them to wake up!

Iberia is black and white; in any case, the proposition of a "good deep-sea church" does not exist, nor should it exist. Therefore, the best way to deal with these misled people is to use propaganda to make them recognize the facts themselves.

Of course, if they really refuse to change their minds, insist on speaking up for the Deep Sea Church, and do things that isolate them from terrestrial civilizations, then there's nothing we can do. You are members of the Deep Sea Church, so we'll arrest you all and hang you all if necessary. There's no room for negotiation.

Who has time to spout nonsense like "Where was the court when I was about to die?" Why don't you say that if the Abyssal Cultists hadn't caused trouble, the Great Tranquility wouldn't have happened, and Iberia would still be a powerful nation?

People should not forget the past, but they should always live in the present and eventually move towards the future.

Ernst and Carmen have reached an agreement: those willing to repent and reform, including your past service under the Deep Sea Church, will be forgiven. If you ask, "Why is the Inquisition righteous while the Deep Sea Church is evil?" then you seem to have too much salt water in your brain; you need a hand cannon to open your eyes and clear your head.

The court didn't come back then, but it's here now. Sweeping away organized crime requires evidence, counter-terrorism only needs lists, and suppressing rebellions is even more powerful—it only needs coordinates. You want to be a rebel? Nobody's going to tolerate that.

The last sentence of the speech is a concrete manifestation of this guiding principle.

This sentence was not in Ernst's prepared speech. Carmen improvised it herself.

Now that he had decided to involve the Universal Summit in the fight against the Deep Sea Church, he wanted to maximize its power and use it effectively. He didn't want the members of the Universal Summit to have any reservations about the operation in Iberia.

Therefore, he offered these conditions.

It has to be said that this statement, which is almost equivalent to "Do whatever you want, I'll foot the bill," shocked not only Ernst, but even Talulah, who is usually straightforward and a bit of a ditz. Carmen's boldness is evident.

He couldn't possibly be unaware that these words were tantamount to granting the counter-terrorism forces "unlimited power," and the quality of the troops in the Terran countries was anyone's guess.

Especially that tone, it even has a bit of the Crusades feel to it—everything you've done, all the killing you've committed, is for God, and God will forgive you.

In Talulah's opinion, this might be a bit of an overreaction.

However, Carmen's attitude towards this was quite firm:

"To correct a wrong, one must go to extremes; in chaotic times, harsh measures are necessary!"

“Miss Talulah, you are Mr. Nine Ernst’s person, a Sherag person. You live in a paradise that I can’t even imagine, where there is no war, no hatred, no Deep Sea Cultists, no Sea Heirs, not even natural disasters. Growing up in such a paradise, you cannot understand the suffering of Iberia.”

“You might think the counter-terrorism forces are here to help remove Iberia’s festering sores. But Miss Talulah, it seems to me that you and Mr. Ernst are here to help Iberia amputate.”

Carmen, who sat down next to Ernst, sighed deeply.

Why did he hesitate several times regarding Ernst's proposal, and why did he once want to bring the military base completely under the surveillance of the Punishing Army? The reason lies here.

The situation in Iberia is dire. It's no exaggeration to say that even now, Carmen is not optimistic about whether the Deep Sea Church can be completely eradicated.

It wasn't some festering sore on the massive limbs of the Iberian giant; it was a tumor on the body of the paralyzed Iberian. Ernst's idea was good, but having lived in a safe country for two lifetimes, he found it difficult to truly empathize with Iberia's situation, and he also failed to realize that for the plan to be truly implemented, it would require far more extreme and ruthless measures than Ernst had anticipated!

Any hesitation, any soft-heartedness, any sense of moderation will prevent the plan from reaching a perfect ending.

Or rather, a perfect ending never existed from the start. Neither Vina nor Ernst considered this counter-terrorism operation a war, and neither wanted to use the word "deployment," but Carmen knew very well that Iberia was facing a war—a war against terrorism!

Since it is war, there will inevitably be injustices, tears, and sacrifices in the process. But there is no way around it. In a black-and-white environment, all the diodes that are forced to make choices must face these things!

Therefore, Carmen bore the infamy of being the "initiator of the war."

He actually had a full head of white hair, but Ernst could still see a hint of fatigue on the face of this centenarian.

He looked a few years older than when he first met Ernst.

Talulah also fell silent.

She wanted to raise a question, but a second before she could utter any words of questioning, Carmen's voice would echo in her mind.

She discovered that it was actually very easy to question Carmen, and it was also very easy to oppose Carmen.

Carmen never denied the potential consequences of these things. He was even well aware that this kind of diode would bring injustice, hatred, and trauma that would be indelible for years or even decades to come.

Just like the wound of an amputee, the wound can heal slowly, but the scar will remain permanently, and the amputated limb will be difficult to find again.

But Carmen made this choice knowing all of this.

A choice that even Talulah exclaimed was like a "diode"!

She looked at Ernst, wanting to hear his opinion, hoping to see him offer a rebuttal and then propose a better solution. After all, that's what he's always done; he's so smart, he can definitely do it.

But this time, Ernst could only sigh helplessly.

He racked his brains, hoping to come up with some other solution. After all, to some extent, he possessed the power of deus ex machina. If he was willing to make sacrifices, whether it was contacting Laurentina to reach out to Priscilla, or contacting the Führer to reach out to the President to reach out to the Preservator, they might actually be able to resolve this matter without requiring any further effort.

But if that were the case, it would have nothing to do with Iberia or the World Summit, and would contradict Ernst's purpose.

Ernst was good, but goodness has its limits. He came to Iberia with a purpose. He regrets that he cannot do what the Virgin Mary did—selflessly sacrifice herself to save a nation. And without resorting to these mechanical invocations, the current conclusion is the best and most appropriate.

Because that was Iberia's decision.

Ernst noticed Talulah's somewhat confused look. He turned to the side, gently patted Talulah's shoulder, and said nothing.

But Talulah saw what Ernst wanted to say in the look in his eyes when they met.

"This is the real extreme."

It's not a choice between one person and ten, but a choice between ideals and reality. It's not a choice between saving and not saving, but a choice between saving whom and abandoning whom.

Before arriving in Iberia, Ernst told Talulah that Iberia was black and white. Here, there was only justice and evil, no delicate gray in between.

But now, Ernst taught Talulah one thing in the simplest and most straightforward way:

See? This is justice.

The righteous eradication of the Deep Sea Cult, the righteous fight against terrorism, the righteous unity of all, and the victory over the powerful enemy.

Carmen's selfless act, the Inquisition's forbearance, and Terra's unity all embody Talulah's definition of all qualities of justice!

But even within this unparalleled justice, there is injustice. Those who were forced to give up, those who suffered losses in the process of seeking justice, those who endured unjust injustice—they don't simply disappear because you are acting in the name of justice. Rather, when you choose your side, you are prepared to bear the consequences.

If you can't understand, then Carmen is right in front of you.

You cannot deny Iberia because of these things, because Iberia is indeed on the side of justice.

So, even now, do you still stubbornly believe that justice is absolute?

Talulah was somewhat confused.

She is still processing what she has learned, but she will eventually come to an answer.

Chapter 734 [Preserver], Fire!

The Deep Sea Church has been having a tough time lately.

Initially, when the World Summit's counterterrorism base was officially established in Gran Fallow, they didn't take it seriously.

After all, others may not know what Iberia is like, but do they not? The land is devastated, the economy is in ruins, technology is disrupted, and culture is fragmented. The state religion of Iberia was once only a part of Iberia's glorious and splendid civilization, but what about now? The court that reorganized the state religion has almost become the entirety of Iberia.

What does Si have that can attract those foreigners? What can that stubborn old man Carmen offer to persuade those foreigners to help him fight the Deep Sea Church?

Lin should know that those foreigners don't even care much about their own countries when they are in dire straits, so why would they be willing to help you?

So, not many people really took them seriously. Even if the International Summit did establish some kind of "base" in Iberia, the Deep Sea Church's reaction was very limited—the bishops generally believed that it was just a show put on by the Terran nations after receiving benefits from Iberia.

Sanke and his Deep Sea Church aren't easily intimidated! You do your thing, I'll do mine. Let's keep to ourselves and do our own thing.

Of course, this time, the Deep Sea Bishop Quintus once again voiced his opposition—he felt that the World Summit should be voted on!

It wasn't that he had any foresight, thinking that the establishment of an anti-terrorism base at the World Summit was a preemptive strike to counter them. He simply believed that Iberia was the territory of their Deep Sea Church. Forget the World Summit; even if the Emperor himself came, he couldn't build a military base on their territory without the Deep Sea Church's permission!

You want to repair it? Sure. Either this military base needs to be overseen and staffed by members of our Deep Sea Church, or you can trade Skadi for it.

Oh, right, that's not enough. No matter which one it is, you all have to send Ernst's head to him as an apology to the Deep Sea Church. Be sincere in your attitude.

He was clearly still resentful about the repeated failures of the assassination attempts he had orchestrated.

This time, however, his colleagues weren't going to tolerate him. Although the Deep Sea Church was nominally independent, and those responsible for more distant areas might not even know each other, everyone clearly reached a consensus—Quentus was probably mentally unstable.

So this time, nobody paid him any attention. Quintus hadn't managed to win over any collaborators, and his own subordinates had already been purged in the recent self-purification of the court. Gloria had also stated that she wouldn't intervene again, so he could only return to his jurisdiction in a huff.

Salt Wind City.

This is an ordinary seaside city in Iberia, although it may not have been a seaside city before the Great Tranquility.

Unlike the other nations of Terra, Iberia, due to its coastal location facilitating transportation and relatively infrequent natural disasters, did not initially experience a surge in mobile urbanization. Most cities, like Saltwind, were fixed cities with drainage outlets and low-level docks capable of accommodating supplies for some ships.

Unfortunately, even though many years have passed since the Great Tranquility, Saltwind City has never seen a ship again.

This is the region Ernst described as "beyond the reach of the Judgment Court" in Iberia. It is also the area where the Deep Sea Church thrived and where faith flourished most.

Quintus's missionary methods here were also very simple. He did not preach doctrines, nor did he persuade people to become sea children, nor did he restore construction or develop civilization. He used "instinct".

He governed the city, doing nothing but occupying the former Iberian Lateran church atop the cliffs of the coast, and then overlooking the city's inhabitants.

We watch them attack each other because of hunger, cry out in pain because of illness, and become numb because of despair, and then we give them alms.

He will provide them with food, medicine, and faith. Of course, there will be a price to pay.

The group's food consists of the flesh and blood of the Terrorfish and the Sealings. Consuming too much of it will cause physical mutations, and their thinking will gradually synchronize with the group. The medicines are made from the flesh and blood of the Sealings; they are highly effective, but have the same side effects as the food. As for faith, it is naturally faith in the Deep Sea Church, in the Sealings, and in [The Firstborn].

He didn't need to preach a single doctrine; those who received his favor would naturally worship him and regard him as a god. As for those who would rather die than eat a single piece of his flesh, it didn't matter; he had already set rules for them.

Draw lots, offer sacrifice. One person is chosen to go to the beach on the night of high tide. Don't ask what will happen to him; just know that the next day, the beach will be filled with delicious food.

Some might ask, isn't the result of the lottery random? How can you guarantee that you'll be drawn from someone who doesn't believe?

The answer to the question of zero is easy—the voters decide nothing, the vote counters decide everything. Similarly, the person drawing lots decides nothing; after all, it's not like someone else can't take someone else's place, can't steal someone else's, or can't exchange lots.

Between the Deep Sea Cult members who have eaten their fill of sea creature meat and the ordinary people who are pale, thin, and malnourished, who can outdo whom?

As Lu slowly filters through the population, the city will soon become a paradise for Deepsea believers. There will be no possibility of rebellion whatsoever.

Quintus had always done it this way, using the same methods in the cities he had previously governed. While this method was much more brutal than that of his colleagues, it was highly efficient.

However, when he returned to Saltwind City this time, he found that some minor changes seemed to have occurred there.

Four cities are on fire.

The enormous, terrifying steel behemoth slowly swept across the sky, casting a shadow that seemed capable of obscuring the entire city. The light of magic shimmered and coalesced around it, then transformed into beams of light that shot towards the ground.

Sixth, clean, efficient, brutal, and unreasonable.

In Quintus's memory, nothing matched the steel behemoth soaring through the sky. Likewise, nothing possessed the power to bring down this fortress in the heavens.

"What is this?"

Quintus's cloudy eyes gradually cleared, and he caught sight of the striking, distinctive paint scheme on the massive steel behemoth.

A hollow five-pointed star pattern composed of countless polygons.

That's the coat of arms of Colombia!

"Columbia?"

Quintus murmured a few words, about to say something, when suddenly a broadcast from the fortress in the sky resounded throughout the entire city:

[To all residents of Saltwind City, No. 24: This is the Colombian branch of the Iberian Anti-Terrorist Force at the World Summit – the "Preserver" Space Helicopter. All residents who have not yet evacuated, please immediately proceed to the designated shelters in the western part of the city. We will launch another wave of attacks against the remaining ground forces in ten minutes. All residents who have not yet evacuated, please immediately proceed to the designated shelters in the western part of the city.]

[In case of special circumstances preventing you from reaching the West Zone shelter, please contact ground troops for assistance. Thank you for your cooperation.]

[Attention all Deepsea Church terrorists lurking in Saltwind City. You have five minutes to surrender. After five minutes, we will no longer accept any surrender requests.]

A series of businesslike words rang out and then ended, and before Quintus could even grasp their meaning, another furious roar erupted:

"You scum, you have five minutes to hand over the missing personnel of the ground troops that Colombia sent here yesterday, or Saltwind City won't be on the map tomorrow!"

"Sir, this is against the rules."

"I know, I won't bomb the West District 4. I've never played with such a cool super weapon in my life, and I'm not even allowed to yell louder?"

The following sentences were a question and answer in Colombian. The Iberians who had been trapped in Saltwind City their whole lives might not understand it, but Quintus was, after all, a cultured man who could become a bishop, so how could he not understand what they were saying?

Normally, he would have laughed at these people's overestimation of their abilities. "How could you possibly discern the infiltration techniques of my Deep Sea Church? If you're so capable, why don't you uproot the entire city!"

But now, looking at the Preserver hovering in the sky, Quintus swallowed hard.