People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

But this still doesn't diminish Nasti's god-like reputation in the Trimont civil engineering world!

Anmer's heart was pounding with excitement!

This isn't just meeting an idol, it's meeting a god!

She immediately replied, "I can! I'll do anything you ask, as long as I can cooperate with Ms. Nastya!"

Ernst and Hinterlea exchanged a glance and breathed a sigh of relief.

not bad.

The college student, although not a recent graduate, happened to be a civil engineering major. He was willing to condescend to be someone else's assistant, and only wanted a basic salary. He was much better than those arrogant PhDs who claimed they wanted to compete for the position of chief designer of Nasti.

What more can Ernst say about someone who perfectly fits the job requirements?

He stood up and extended his hand to Anmer:

"Welcome, Ms. Anmer. I hope we can work together happily in the future!"

PS: Mini-drama:

Anmer: Let me team up with Nastya, I can do anything!

Nasti: You little Libori, all you ever think about is yourself!

PS2: Damn it, I've done 260 pulls, where is Viviana?! Where is she?! I even got Typhon by mistake last night, I'm so angry!

Chapter 117 Next Stop, Dukedom of Wellington!

The job fair in Colombia has concluded successfully.

Ernst was very satisfied with Anmer's joining the team. Although this rare female civil engineering student was not very confident, as she said, her professional abilities were quite good.

At least Nasti's approval was obtained.

This means that when carrying out the urban redevelopment of Tukarim, Sherag's side will be able to send at least one more knowledgeable person.

As for Jeston, he was a pleasant surprise.

Ernst hadn't originally planned to start building his own armed force now. But Jeston's appearance made him move forward with his plans.

The reason is simple: Jeston is indeed a very promising talent. He knows how to adapt to different people, is flexible and adaptable, doesn't adhere to rigid rules, and has a considerable level of loyalty, knowing who his master is.

In addition to his strength, after all, he is a formidable person who can withstand three punches from Saria. With proper training, his potential might be even higher.

Having such a subordinate makes it much easier to handle troublesome matters that he himself is reluctant to deal with, even if it's not possible to immediately organize an armed force.

After a day of rest, Ernst decided to hitch a ride with Christensen's convoy and set off together.

He was preparing to head to the next stop on this recruitment trip—Victoria, while Christen and Nasti were to lead their teams directly to Shelag to begin site selection and preliminary construction for the Dome Research Station, and to start the Tukarim Old Town renovation project.

This was a massive undertaking, and Rhine Labs had invested a significant amount of manpower. The engineering department alone was practically entirely mobilized. The departure of Christen, the head of the department, also took with him many scientists who had researched the isolation layer.

During this period, the management of Rhine Lab was handed over to Saria, the defense chief whom Christen absolutely trusted. Muirsey and Yara would serve as her deputies, assisting Saria in her work to ensure the smooth operation of Rhine Lab.

Even so, the vast majority of people in Tremont had this thought:

It's fair to say that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Rhine Lab will likely remain in a dormant period for a considerable time, until Christen returns from Kjerag, or actually achieves something significant in Kjerag.

The scientists gathered in Trimont gradually turned their attention to the barrier layer above their heads. They were surprised to find that, in addition to the mysterious Originium, the barrier layer covering the sky above them was also shrouded in a thick veil, making it difficult to understand.

In the past, the barrier layer, which was considered "unknowable" due to the unreachable 6-kilometer distance between the sky and the earth and the barrier layer's property of repelling all aircraft, now seems not so distant in retrospect.

After all, the highest peak of Kjerag, which signed a research agreement with Rhine Life, is less than 500 meters away from the barrier layer.

This distance is probably less than a block in Tremont, so short that you can see the end at a glance. You could easily reach out and touch it, feel it, and even... pass through it!

No Terran person has ever not looked up at the stars, but in the past, looking up at the stars was meaningless for this land.

No one has ever questioned the rising and setting of the sun and moon, nor has anyone ever questioned the growth of all things. Because in the past, no one could stand at almost the same height as the sun and the two moons to touch and feel them.

Now, a lavish genius has abandoned Rhine Life's thriving development, signed an agreement with Kjerag, and gone to a distant country.

She's going to explore.

Go and put the great word "exploration" into practice, and put its true meaning into practice. Just like humanity's first attempt to control fire, its first attempt to establish a nation, and its first touch of "Originium."

Regardless of her final outcome, Tremont was holding his breath.

.............

In contrast to Tremont's pure scientist persona, Victoria remained an arrogant aristocrat.

Londinium has been occupied by the Sarkaz, a fact that the dukes unanimously deny. However, the living conditions of the people in Londinium are never for the dukes to define.

Ernst had already received a warning from the Duke of Windermere when he planned his trip to Victoria. Amphilis made it very clear in her letter:

"Anywhere is fine, just don't go to Lentinium."

Ernst naturally wouldn't risk offending them. Besides, he hadn't planned on going to that city in the first place.

As the prime minister of a country, he needs to follow diplomatic procedures when visiting another country's capital. So, if he were to go to Lentinium, whose approval would he need?

Should we burn paper money and ask King Draco in the underworld, or discuss it with Theresis?

Ernst didn't have the inherent "demon" dislike that Terrans have for the Sarkaz, but that didn't mean he liked them either.

Objectively speaking, regardless of the specific reasons that led to the Sarkaz becoming what they are today, the current Sarkaz are indeed generally of low quality, glorify violence, and are infected with Oripathy.

He can treat each individual differently, but when it comes to a group, he can only view it from the perspective of the most common people, which is also most in line with his interests.

The gist is: Do you like Surtr? Of course I do. Who doesn't like Osiris the Sky Dragon? She's one of the Three Egyptian Gods! Even though she's always been called a sword-wielding monster, honestly, even if she wasn't, wouldn't you still like her?

Anyway, Ernst liked it.

But if you ask him if he likes Sarkaz, he'll have to keep his distance.

A race whose hands are stained with blood, who has committed countless evils, who has been hated and expelled by various countries and ethnic groups since thousands of years ago, and who contains many heavyweight extremist KBFZs, and who may even hold high positions today (or may have held high positions from the very beginning), who is the first person that comes to mind when you hear the name of this race?

Haha, those who know, know.

Ernst could only say that the infamy left on the land by Sarkaz sub-races like Blood Demons and Carrion Eaters couldn't be erased by just one or two outcasts. If it were a game, he could let his values ​​follow his appearance, but if he were really transported to another world, Ernst couldn't afford the consequences of actually trying it.

"Where are we going? The Duchy of Windermere?"

After parting ways with Christensen's team, Ernst, along with Hinterlea and Jeston, embarked on the road to Victoria.

As for why Anmer wasn't brought along, it's because she returned to Shelag with Nastie first. That's how civil engineers are; once they put on that little red hat, any worldly holidays become irrelevant to them. Time is tight, tasks are heavy, they spend their whole lives toiling on construction sites, and they don't even get a chance for publicly funded trips—it's truly miserable.

Ernst shook his head in response to Hintelia's question.

“The Duke of Windermere is our friend. Even if we want to poach people, we can’t do it on his territory.”

“But aren’t we recruiting talent? Wouldn’t it be better to have the Duke’s network of connections?” Hinterlea asked, somewhat puzzled.

Ernst glanced at her and asked in return, "What if we recruit a spy for Duke Windermere?"

Hintraya suddenly realized, but was also somewhat incredulous: "No way, why would Duke Windermere do that..."

“What do you think? Even among allies, sending spies is a perfectly normal thing,” Ernst replied.

Even when Britain and France were both in NATO and fighting against the Soviet Union, they still sent spies into France.

A policy is a policy; Great Britain's policy has always been to confront France, and that has never changed. As for Russia, Russia is too strong; it cannot be confronted.

"Besides, what if we actually manage to recruit some talent?" Ernst rolled his eyes.

While the Duke of Windermere was unlikely to make any significant moves, Ernst could not be entirely certain of a politician's moral character.

What if the people he recruits are incredibly skilled, capable of taking on the strength of three high-speed warships? Will Windermere release them? Or will they be willing to take them at will?

Talking about money hurts relationships, and poaching talent hurts relationships even more. It's best to avoid doing these things if possible. You can't afford to offend our big spender, right? We've got billions in subsidies for Wen Duoduo, haven't we?

"Where are we going? The Duchy of Caster?"

Hinterlea looked at the map of Victoria in her hand and asked curiously.

Ernst shook his head again:

“That’s where my brother made his fortune. The Duke of Castle has a huge appetite and he has designs on Sherag. He’s also a sworn enemy of the Duke of Windermere. I’m too disgusted with her to even think about going to her territory. I don’t want to suddenly get poisoned for no reason one day.”

"So we need to choose a place that isn't a mortal enemy of the Duke of Windermere, doesn't have any desire for Kjerag, and preferably can annoy the Duke of Castle?"

"This is what Hinterlay concluded."

Ernst nodded.

Hinterlea: "So this place is?"

Ernst said slowly, “The Duchy of Wellington.”

Chapter 118 Love Bananas: How about I be the special envoy?

1094 was a year in which the turmoil intensified.

The Duke of Wellington's high-speed warship, HMS Gastrill.

Since the seven-year-long grand tour that began in 1091 and was known by the nobles as a “show of force,” the Duke of Wellington had never felt so exhilarated.

Londinium has fallen.

This was an indisputable fact, although both the Duke of Caesar and the Duke of Godottin had sent messengers who demanded strict secrecy and a unified narrative. But everyone knew that the more they did this, the more it indicated that the situation had, to some extent, exceeded their expectations.

The Duke of Wellington had no doubt that the woman, known for her cunning, would come up with a new plan in the near future to continue secretly pursuing her ambitions. But for now, the mere glimpse of the Duke of Castle's flustered state from the messenger was enough to bring him immense comfort.

As for a unified standard?

Looking at the messenger before him, who was forcing himself to appear neither humble nor arrogant, "Imperial Deathstroke" curled his lip in disdain and said coldly:

“Go back and tell Caster that I will not agree with this statement.”

“I won’t pretend to be blind like her, and he has no right to make me distort the facts about what Sarkaz did in Lentinium.”

Seeing the messenger's face grow increasingly pale, Wellington's disdain deepened.

"But you can also tell her. I will remain silent."

I will not comment on this unless someone asks me about it. Understand?

The messenger breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, his brow beaded with sweat.

Watching the messenger flee in a panic, the Duke of Wellington's lips curled into a cold smile.

Deception and silence are two different concepts. One is knowing the true information but passing on false information to others, while the other is simply not gossiping about the information to others who have not asked about it.

Even the Duke of Wellington needed a decent image. At least a decent image in the eyes of the Tara people.

He had watched Victoria reach this point, not to play another game of musical chairs with the Duke of Caesar and his Aslan vassals. To him, none of the Grand Dukes, including himself, could truly stop the atrocities against the Tara people after ascending the throne of Victoria.

Victoria's vast old interest groups, bound to that throne, had long been accustomed to sucking the blood of the Tara people. That powerful inertia could not be changed by any monarch coming to power.

Furthermore, once the Tara king ascends the throne of Victoria, his conquest of the Tara will become even more ruthless.

The Duke of Wellington, with Tara blood flowing through his veins, had had enough of hiding his lineage, operating within the Victorian order, and being restricted by it. He had also witnessed enough of the farces caused by the divided hearts and minds of a masterless Victoria.

He wants independence!

He wanted to build a true kingdom that belonged to Tara.

This is why, after the two sisters found him, he readily agreed to their joining, and even placed his confidants into that violent organization, transforming it from a disorganized "civilian resistance" into the so-called "ghost army."

“Your Grace.” Abrahina’s voice brought Wellington back from his thoughts, and Draco, burning with purple flames, slowly walked from behind the curtain to the front of the stage.

She overheard the conversation between Wellington and the messenger from the inner room, separated by a wall, and naturally learned the messenger's purpose.

Do you think the time is right?

Wellington shook his head: "It's still early."

Victoria is currently in disarray, but it hasn't truly reached the point of division. As long as the Grand Dukes can still sit together and discuss the future instead of drawing their swords against each other, that opportunity has not yet arrived.

Abrahman accepted the Duke of Wellington's suggestion with a smile, though she seemed rather impatient.

She took another letter from her bosom and handed it to the Duke of Wellington:

"Well then, before that, we also received a very interesting letter. Would you be interested in taking a look?"

"What letter?" The Duke of Wellington's gaze became more serious.

In his memory, the things that Abrahana called interesting were often not interesting to most people.