People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

He knew that Daphne was capable, and he had been passing on information about Sherag to Duke Windermere.

But it doesn't matter. Shelag isn't some Bhutan from Hearts of Iron, or a villager from Civilization VI, where you can just place a spy anywhere and "Eureka!" out nuclear fusion technology. You can steal it if you want.

Rather, the more backward Kerrig is, the more intelligence you can steal. The more intelligence you steal, the more billions you can give Kerrig. The more billions you give, the more Kerrig can develop. The more Kerrig develops, the more modern and advanced it becomes!

Therefore, the more backward Shelag is, the more advanced it is! Its current success is entirely due to the help of these top spies who ruthlessly persuaded their backers to generously spend their money!

"I'm more worried they won't steal it. For a small country to be able to choose the right side and gain more attention from a larger country is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Ernst shook his head, looking regretful.

"It's a pity that the Duke of Wellington doesn't have the same needs as the Duke of Windermere this time. I would be so happy if he sent one of his daughters or granddaughters as special envoys!"

Ernst was incredibly greedy for protection money. Especially these nobles of Victoria, each one of them was no less powerful than an oil tycoon. Ernst holding up one finger was his limit, but for them, asking for a hundred million was their bottom line!

"Yes, is that so?"

Jeston felt his traditional values ​​were being challenged countless times.

He deeply doubted whether he would be able to maintain his innocent and pure personality once he and Ernst had completed their journey and returned to Sherag.

He felt like he was about to become a... no, a degenerate.

Letting Jeston have some quiet time to contemplate life, Ernst lay on the sofa, half talking to himself and half addressing Hintria, saying:

"But then again, I feel like something's not quite right. Hinterlea, you must feel it too, right?"

Hinterlea gritted her teeth, sat down next to Ernst, hugged the fluffy tail to her chest, and then thoughtfully replied:

"You mean Special Envoy Abrahina?"

Ernst glanced at Hinterlea, then at the tail resting on his lap, and after a moment of silence, made a very difficult decision: to set aside personal gains and losses, and to disregard the fact that Hinterlea had taken advantage of him, in order to prioritize discussing matters of national importance.

He nodded in affirmation: "I noticed it as soon as I shook hands with her. Her hands were unusually cold, and her movements were very awkward and stiff, as if she had never done anything like this before."

"Moreover, it's already very strange that although she was the mastermind, it was the deputy envoy Ahmoni who kept speaking, claiming to be her assistant."

"But if that were all, it could be explained by the possibility that she might be a relative of the Duke of Wellington, or a favored junior whom he intended to use to gain experience. But Ahmoni's recent revelation negates that possibility."

Ernst pointed out:

"She said that Miss Abrahana volunteered for the task."

Hinterlea immediately expressed her doubts: "She doesn't seem like the type to volunteer. That girl looks like she was forced to do it."

"So there are only two possibilities."

Ernst Road,

“Either Miss Ahmoni is telling the truth, or Miss Abrahana is faking it. She's deliberately putting on this awkward and socially awkward act to gain our trust and lower our guard. But frankly, I think the benefits of doing so are minimal, and the Duke of Wellington's envoy has no reason to use such a degrading tactic against us.”

"Either Miss Ahmoni is lying. That's Miss Abrahana's true character. But as a deputy envoy, what need would she have to lie? And even if she was ordered to lie, her lie clearly contradicts the image Abrahana presents to us, which will undoubtedly deepen our suspicions. What benefit would that bring?"

"If what you're saying is true, then neither possibility seems to make sense?"

Hinterlea frowned. She didn't quite understand why Ernst had proposed two possibilities, and then dismissed them both on his own initiative.

Ernst smiled. "In my hometown, there's an old saying: 'When things seem unusual, there's always a mountain ghost involved!'"

He gently pulled his tail from Hinterlea's arms, walked to the entrance, took the hat from the coat rack, and smiled:

"As for what this 'Mountain Snow Demon' is, we'll probably have to ask Miss Abrahana herself."

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

“Yes, I am not Abrahana. Abrahana is my sister. I am just her shadow, Lavshini.”

Lavshini's tail swayed slowly, revealing her owner's somber mood.

Her unexpected candor caught Ernst off guard, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Seeing that the girl's eyes were about to burst with rage, Ernst could only offer some words of comfort:

"It's alright, Miss Raphsini is still very impressive even if she's not Miss Abrahina."

“I’ve never felt that I’m as good as my sister, and that’s not why I’m sad.” Lavshini pouted.

Ernst asked in confusion, "Then what is it for?"

“Because my sister wants to throw me into a place like Shelag!” Lavshini said.

What did Sherag do to you?!

We in Shelag have everything we need: bulls (Horn Peak), horses (Hinterlaya), and cattle and horses (Anmer). What gives you the right to look down on us in Shelag?

Suppressing a slight, albeit faint, sense of pride, Ernst asked:

Why did she let you take her place? And why did she send you to Shelag?

“I don’t know, she didn’t tell me,” Lavshini sighed.

As expected, Ernst didn't think he'd get any real inside information from Lafchini. Rather, knowing that the real Miss Abrahina was using a double was already his biggest takeaway from the trip.

Just to be on the safe side, Ernst asked one last question: "What is your relationship with your sister and the Duke of Wellington?"

“I can’t say,” Raphsini said.

Ernst sighed in disappointment.

As expected, Abrahim wouldn't send a naive and innocent girl as her stand-in. After all, it's unlikely that such a naive and innocent girl would exist in reality, answering every question without question.

However, the answer "I can't say" itself reveals quite a bit of information.

Hmm... I'll consult Vina, who's an expert on Victoria, when I get back.

With little hope, Ernst instructed Lavshini not to reveal that he had been there that night. Just as Ernst turned to leave, Ahmoni pushed open Lavshini's door.

She owns all the keys.

The girl, who looked like she was about to curse "trash" at any moment, sat on the sofa, looked at Lafshini opposite her, and asked:

Did you confess?

“I told you as you instructed that I wasn’t the older sister, but I didn’t reveal anything else,” Lavshini replied.

One of the two orders Abrahma left for Rafshini: obey Ahmoni.

Ahmoni nodded: "What did he say?"

“There was no reaction. It was as if they had already guessed it,” Lafsini said. “They asked about my and my sister’s relationship with the Duke of Wellington, and why they wanted me to take his place. I didn’t answer.”

You yourself don't know either.

Ahmoni smiled, it was unclear who she was specifically praising: "Well done."

"To have noticed the difference between Raphsini and Abrahina so quickly shows she's not mediocre. And to have the courage to take the initiative and break the deadlock when things seem to be at a standstill also shows courage."

"Let's repay Her Highness Abrahana and the Duke of Wellington; Ernst is worth the investment."

Chapter 122 Kester: What did I do to deserve this?

Victoria, Duchy of Caest, Duke of Caest's House.

The Duke of Caesar cultivated extensive connections, and his mansion was bustling with visitors from morning till night. Thanks to the Duke of Caesar's political acumen, the vast majority of these guests eventually became her allies.

On the porch where they were to meet the Duke of Caesar, two men in grey top hats were chatting idly.

"If you ask me, Godottin and the Duke of Normandy call themselves merchants, but in reality, the one who is most like a merchant is our Duke of Caesar."

"Moreover, our Duke of Caesar has never lost money on his investments! He has only made small wins, medium wins, and big wins!"

The man in the grey top hat, speaking with a Lentinium accent, boasted, while the other man, who looked travel-worn, didn't immediately agree. Instead, he unusually pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and then said indirectly:

"Yes, even if she encounters any problems, the Duke of Kester can solve them easily. That's her skill."

"Speaking of which, [Painter], shouldn't you be staying in the Duchy of Wellington? Why have you suddenly returned?"

Not grasping the deeper meaning in his colleague's words, the man in the grey top hat with a Lentinium accent casually inquired out of curiosity. The man in the grey top hat, codenamed "The Painter," clicked his tongue and replied in a rather somber tone:

"Isn't it something important to report? The Duke of Wellington has been making moves recently. And it's hard to say how big the impact will be."

"What do you mean?" The man in the grey top hat with a Lontinim accent cautiously leaned forward, wanting to hear some inside information.

But the painter shook his head, looking like he wanted to keep it a secret.

Helpless, the grey-hatted Londinim could only purse his lips, somewhat disappointed.

“We’re all serving the Duke of Caesar, what’s there to hide?”

Without answering his question, the painter stepped forward and followed the doorman into the Duke's lounge.

The Duke of Caesar reclined comfortably in his office chair, a fur coat wrapped around his body, dressed entirely in winter attire, with even a thick blanket draped over his legs. He held an unfamiliar book in his hands, engrossed in reading it.

The painter glanced at the book title and realized it wasn't one of the philosophical works or Victorian poetry that the Duke of Custer usually read, but rather a book called "The Chronicles of Erzley".

He couldn't see the author's name clearly, but he saw the words "Highly recommended by Governor Wei Yanwu of Longmen, a must-read science fiction novel of the year" on the book cover.

That's quite unusual. To be sent to monitor the Duke of Wellington, the Painter must be one of the higher-ranking members of the Grey Hats and have some knowledge of the Duke of Castle's taste in books.

But I've never heard of my Duke having a fondness for reading "science fiction."

Silently memorizing the book title, the painter bowed, made a gesture of respect, and coughed lightly.

"Your Majesty the Duke."

The Duke of Caesar reluctantly shifted his gaze from the pages of the book, glancing sideways at the [painter]:

“Monitoring the Duke of Wellington is no easy task, and I’m glad to see you back safely.”

The painter felt a warmth in his heart. But before he could even feel happy for a moment, the Duke of Caster immediately added,

"So I hope you can give me a good reason why you want to come back at this time and why you have to see me immediately."

The painter hurriedly lowered his head:

"Your Grace, there's been some big activity on Duke Wellington's side lately."

"Specifically?" Kester's voice remained flat.

[The Painter]: "Three days ago, Gastriel issued a Duke's decree, authorized by the Duke of Wellington, establishing diplomatic relations with Sherrag."

"Sherrag?" This time, the Duke of Caesar's voice was noticeably louder.

She straightened up, and a look of surprise appeared prominently on her face, where makeup could no longer conceal the wrinkles:

"Establish diplomatic relations with Sherag? The Duke of Wellington? Huh?"

To pose three questions and express three different emotions of surprise in a single sentence is no easy feat. But the Duke of Cassel did just that.

Is it possible for Shelag to establish diplomatic relations? When did that place even have diplomacy?

The Duke of Caesar remembered clearly that his relative, Viscount Walton, had reported to him about the study in Victoria by Ensiodis Shivaish, the patriarch of the Sheraghivaish family.

According to the description of the Shivaish family chief, Sherag should still be a backward, ignorant, and impoverished snow-covered tribe. Let alone a stable and legitimate government capable of establishing and maintaining diplomatic relations, expecting their governmental organization to rival that of Sargon's chieftain would be a gross overestimation.

The Duke of Castells had never paid much attention to Sherag. Besides the fact that the affairs of Lentinium and the power struggles in Victoria had taken up too much of her energy, a large part of the reason was that she thought the cost of vassalizing Sherag was too high. It would be better to provide some financial support first, and then, once they had developed, she could naturally go and reap the benefits as their "benefactor".

After all, every gift she gave to Ensiodes had a price tag attached to it.

But the current situation is clearly beyond his expectations.

Those people in the snow-capped mountains, for some unknown reason, did something big: they not only established a government, but also diplomatic relations.

But why wasn't I the first choice for this diplomatic relationship, or the Duchy of Caesar?

I was the one who arrived first, whether it was meeting Enshiodis or investing in Karan Trade, I was the one who came first!

She really put in a lot of effort in supporting Sherag! If she hadn't personally instructed him, how could Viscount Walton have helped Snow Leopard, who came from the snowy mountains and had no concept or experience in company management or the international market, to start a company from scratch and grow it into a big and strong enterprise?

Not to mention, it was she who instructed Viscount Walton to provide Ensiodoris with the initial capital for his business. Furthermore, even Ensiodoris's "Mountain Snow Ghost" unit, from equipment to training, was entirely handled by the Duke of Castle!

Ensiodis, did you do something wrong this time? Wasn't that a bit unfair?! Are you going through a rebellious phase, sneaking off to mess around with other men... no, messing around with diplomatic relations!

What? You're asking why the Duke of Castells thought Ensiodis was the leader of Sherag, and not someone else?

Nonsense. If it were you, would you think that Snow Leopard, who has the support of the Duke of Victoria, one of the most powerful among them, possesses abundant wealth, modern military power, and is himself an outstanding talent, would be no match for those in Sherag who, in the eyes of the Duke of Caesar, are nothing but a bunch of worthless scoundrels?

Have you ever played Hearts of Iron? Just A, move the mouse to select, then right-click to attack, and you've won!

In fact, Ensiodes was also aggrieved. Ernst was a genuine time traveler, but he was not some chosen one of Terra. Moreover, even if he were, the one who could summon meteorites was not on his side.

Getting back to the point, even if Ensioudis is indeed somewhat ungrateful, the Duke of Castells could accept it.

They are genuine "barbarians," and they don't understand etiquette, so it's understandable that they didn't reciprocate immediately.