People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

It's just a different name.

He didn't ask Carmen what happened afterward; he saw a look in Carmen's eyes that was almost identical to his own.

Those were eyes filled with extreme hatred for Hai Si, eyes that yearned to fight to the bitter end, eyes that burned themselves out.

He only needs to ask himself, if he were in that situation, what would he do? Then he will have all the answers.

On the Stutifaira, he did the same thing as Carmen.

Totalitarian rule, hate education, resource rationing, and the relentless, indiscriminate slaughter of the Sea Cultists and Deep Sea Believers who invade his "Iberia"!

Birds of a feather flock together; people of similar backgrounds are grouped together. Ultimately, they are all the same kind of people.

He suddenly understood why Carmen harbored such malice towards him.

"hehe."

Alfonso chuckled self-deprecatingly and didn't offer any further criticism.

"How is Iberia now?"

"Not bad."

Carmen replied. Alfonso's lack of questions relieved much of his psychological pressure.

Humans are not plants or trees, how can they be without feelings? Carmen was all alone, his companions had long since died in the Great Silence. Now, after a long separation, his old friend was right in front of him, but due to his status and beliefs, he could only treat him coldly, and there was even a possibility that he would take action at any time. He was not feeling good either.

It's just that his rationality is strong enough to suppress those emotional impulses, allowing him to maintain absolute calm.

"Thanks to the World Summit and Mr. Ernst, Iberia's economy and order are gradually recovering. We have also basically cleared the deep-sea cult strongholds along the coastline. The next step is to consolidate our rule and then turn our attention back to the sea."

Carmen's explanation was vague; it wasn't that he didn't want to elaborate, but rather that he didn't want Alfonso to know the truth.

How could he possibly say that the Saint, or rather the Inquisition, is an old ship that should have been decommissioned more than sixty years ago, yet remains the largest and most powerful warship in New Iberia?

Alfonso listened intently, eager to hear more, but looking at Carmen's tightly closed lips, a hint of sadness finally appeared in his eyes.

Carmen didn't intend to tell him.

Alfonso wasn't stupid; he knew what that meant.

He can't go back.

Iberia had no intention of accepting him. Otherwise, he could have returned to Iberia and seen everything. Carmen remained silent to preserve the last vestige of hope in his mind regarding the current state of Iberia.

They were both too old for Carmen to weave a beautiful lie, and Alfonso couldn't bear to listen to it either.

They can see right through it.

"If that's the case, what are you waiting for?"

Alfonso let out a long sigh, a relieved smile returning to his face. He opened his arms to Carmen, revealing his defenseless chest, his clothes tattered and less-than-presentable.

"Could it be that you can't bring yourself to do it, Saint Carmen?"

"Come on, kill me! Don't let your men, those young Iberians, see their leader (the captain) standing with a seaman, calling each other brothers and chatting happily!"

Carmen finally turned around and drew her sword. The two of them were silent for a moment.

It was because of the tip of this sword that it broke during the battle with Ulpian.

"Tsk tsk," Alfonso clicked his tongue, "How about I lend you one?"

He lifted the large, nicked sword in his hand, and Carmen shook her head:

"No, that's not what I meant."

“Alfonso, Iberia cannot tolerate you, that’s for sure. There can be no ‘good Haizi’ within the Inquisition. You understand the danger that would be better than I do.”

"But I can't kill you either."

Carmen turned her head to look at the slowly opening door to the power room. Ernst emerged with several deep-sea hunters, including Ulbian, who had just fought him to a standstill.

"He hasn't agreed yet."

Alfonso paused slightly, then looked at Ernst and grinned.

He originally thought he had thought highly of this kid, after all, the things he pulled out were really scary. Although he had never heard of his background, he might be some kind of folk master.

But now it seems he underestimated Ernst. Even Alfonso, who proclaimed himself a "saint" and was on par with the emperor of Iberia, had to defer to him. This was no ordinary expert!

"Is this kid so powerful?"

he asked.

Carmen nodded:

"He has given Iberia a second life."

"I can't repay this debt of gratitude by myself, you have to repay it too."

Chapter 757 Ya'er: It doesn't matter, I will take action!

Ernst needs to criticize this old comrade, Carmen.

Our transaction was very fair. The World Summit helped Iberia solve its immediate crisis and ensure its survival in the present. In return, Iberia had to pay for long-term benefits by choosing the path recommended by the World Summit from among countless development options.

It's a transaction between two willing parties. Talking about favors or gratitude is inappropriate, really inappropriate.

Sherag has only one sun, and that is the great god Jeragand! But the sun is high above, protecting all living beings and giving them warmth. Human affairs must still be done by humans themselves.

So, stop saying things like "I can't repay your kindness" in the future. People who don't know better might think he's about to shout "Go south!" the next second!

"As for Alfonso, is it certain that Iberia cannot accept his return home?"

Ernst looked at Carmen with some suspicion.

Actually, he felt that Carmen's standard was 8-3: [俉中转羶: It's a bit too rigid. Not letting Alfonso go back is also somewhat about protecting his own image.]

After all, Alfonso's problem is the typical type: he's nothing on the scale, but he's also incredibly heavy on the scale.

Iberia is a large country; there's no way Alfonso wouldn't have a place to stand. If Carmen wanted, she could easily chop off Alfonso's monstrous hand, dress him properly to cover the rest of his body, and take him back to "retire."

As for whether Alfonso will become completely transformed into a Deepsea Cultist or a Deepsea follower, Ernst isn't worried about that. Wouldn't Carmen consider that herself?

"Retirement" is just house arrest, isn't it? Given Carmen's status in Iberia, it would be easy for her to imprison a Sea Heir. Didn't she say it herself? When the Inquisition tests new members, they take them to the Inquisition's underground, where Sea Heirs who have been arrested and imprisoned by the Inquisition reside.

Alfonso was much more cooperative than the others.

However, on second thought, Ernst could roughly understand Carmen's concerns.

The Inquisition, while not entirely impenetrable, was certainly leaky on all sides. The Great Purge had significantly improved the Inquisition's cohesion, but the shortage of manpower was gradually becoming apparent. Ernst had recently mentioned to Carmen that if suitable candidates couldn't be found, they could recruit from the Punishment Army. Carmen had likely considered this as well.

If a large number of punitive troops were to enter the central court, Carmen's authority would inevitably be weakened.

They wouldn't be shaken, after all, Carmen was the ruler of Iberia for over sixty years and a saint who led the country out of its most critical moment. His prestige was enough to suppress all dissenting voices.

But the question is, what about the next generation?

Founding monarchs are often brilliant and ambitious, but what about the next generation?

As expected, Dario will undoubtedly succeed Carmen as the new leader. He has the ability, but his prestige is clearly insufficient. Most of the people he has favored are members of the Inquisition, not the Punishing Army. Introducing new forces into the Inquisition's power center requires time to ensure stability, even for Carmen; how much more so for Dario?

If we bring Alfonso back now, who can guarantee that this unstable factor won't erupt in the future?

Carmen is very old; the secret technique cannot extend her life indefinitely, and she is nearing the end of her life. But Alfonso...

He looks like he could live for several more decades!

They are friends, that's true, but a ruler like Carmen, who has reached the extreme of totalitarianism, has too many things to consider, too many things to guard against, and too many troubles to worry about, so she always seems to be all alone.

Moreover, he was a friend from sixty years ago. Sixty years had passed, and the other was embroiled in corruption. Perhaps after a few words, Carmen might personally believe Alfonso was trustworthy. But as the leader of a nation on the verge of collapse, if he could trust an uncontrollable destabilizing factor within his own borders, then he was unworthy of his position!

This is a rational judgment!

Carmen nodded solemnly:

"I am sure."

Perhaps one day in the future, after Iberia has rebuilt itself, the country will be able to accept Alfonso's return—if Alfonso is still alive then. But that's something Carmen can't promise right now.

Ernst nodded.

In that case, he certainly had places he could send Alfonso to.

Do you want to treat hysteria?

Are you against human experimentation?

Do you want to live like a real human being again?

After posing three soul-searching questions, Ernst pursed his lips upon seeing Alfonso nod solemnly:

"I have an opportunity here. But the probability is rather slim. The possibility of death is also very high."

"It's ok."

Alfonso shook his head.

“你说8的这些困难，5我这几十7年，哪个没见6过更吓6人的3。”44)2

On Terra, exploring the ocean is already a perilous undertaking. Not to mention the debuffs of shipwrecks, battles against sea monsters, depleted supplies, and disease.

His condition is even worse than that of a certain hardcore ruthless person who inevitably encounters shipwrecks on ocean voyages.

But he pulled through it all.

With superhuman courage, they sang a hymn to the golden age!

Now, how could he possibly back down out of fear when faced with an opportunity that he cherishes more than any gold or silver?

“In that case, I will help you contact Levi, Rhine Lab, and Kal'tsit.”

Ernst said seriously.

Levi is quite busy. His current tasks include Rhine Lab's work, the anti-oppression efforts at Deeppool, and Originium research. Now he has to add another one: research and reversal of the Seaborne.

Ernst was also worried that his old comrade wouldn't be able to handle it; after all, the human body wasn't as robust as the Terrans'. Kal'tsit could grunt and groan while diligently getting things done, but Levi might not be able to withstand that kind of stimulation.

Moreover, this matter involves a wide range of people, and he felt it was necessary to send Levy a few more helpers.

Rhine Labs is a given. Ernst thinks they would also be interested in biological issues like marine evolution—after all, it's a derivative of the previous civilization's survival plan, and the technological content is so high that even a little understanding of it would be enough for Rhine Labs to make a killing!

RheinLife is now considered one of Ernst's own people. They've set up factories in Kjerag, creating jobs and generating tax revenue. Ernst knows all about it, and he naturally wants to share the benefits.

Kelsey, on the other hand, was a subject of some hesitation for Ernst. The old lynx seemed to have always been resistant to the Terrans' research into pre-civilization artifacts, and Ernst recalled that she had repeatedly emphasized to him the dangers associated with these artifacts.

Is it dangerous? Yes, it is!

Prisus's Originium, Lo's Deep Blue Tree, and Eddard's Heaven's Pivot—each one is a genuine world-destroying force. One wrong move, and Terra would be gone. Only Trevor Friston's "Preserver" plan is somewhat safer, but upon closer inspection, if that plan succeeds, it's far more insane than the previous three!

That's releasing tens of thousands of fully-leveled humans from a previous civilization all at once!

The Terrans probably can't handle the work they've put in!

Therefore, Ernst was somewhat worried that if Kal'tsit were to participate in the research, whether she would agree or not was one thing, but if she did agree, would she shirk her duties or even cause trouble?

This is not impossible. Ernst did not believe that the extraterrestrial exploration data provided by Kelsey during the first Star-Picking Project was taken by her own flight.

That must have been preserved in some pre-existing civilization's ruins. She must have found the ruins beforehand and taken the things inside.

She's capable of taking the treasure directly, hiding it away so no one else can find out!

This woman is stubborn; she has her own ideas, and Ernst's attempts to persuade her were futile. She could easily agree verbally and then do it on her own. As long as she's not caught, it's not considered a crime.

Therefore, after much deliberation, Ernst, though he listed the name, did not intend to involve Kal'tsit directly.

When Levi and Rhine Life reach a bottleneck and there is really no other way, then try to find Kal'tsit.

Kal'tsit can be trusted, but should be used with caution.

"So, can we start sailing this ship now?"

Seeing that the two had reached an agreement, Carmen had only spoken halfway through her sentence when the deck beneath her feet suddenly began to shake.

Almost simultaneously, Laurentina and Skadi rushed forward together. One grabbed Ernst's clothes and hugged him protectively, while the other stood in front of Ernst and drew the greatsword from her back.

The two of them looked out at the ship's side simultaneously. The sea, which had been calm just moments before, was now churning with towering waves!

Ernst was about to ask what had happened, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he found that he couldn't make a sound.

Not only him, but also Carmen, gripping the mast with a solemn expression, Alfonso, roaring and brandishing his sword with a furious look, Laurentina, smiling with diamond-shaped pupils and a tender gaze, and Talulah, looking completely bewildered, fell to the ground and wrapped her tail around the railing. Apart from Gretia and Ulpian, who seemed to have sensed something, everyone was chattering away.

However, no sound came from the scene.

Tranquil, utterly tranquil.

Just like the almost solidified water vapor in the air before the rainy season storm in the rainforest, there was a damp atmosphere in the air.