People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

"Are you really alright?" Kroos was still somewhat incredulous.

But Kal'tsit had already taken a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the tension in her heart, quickly composed herself, and shook her head at her.

"It's alright, let's go inside. Don't leave Amiya alone inside for too long."

Kroos waved her hand:

"Oh, it's alright. Prime Minister Ernst and his secretary both seem quite amiable."

Kal'tsit frowned: "Secretary?"

As she spoke, she slowly walked into the room.

What came into view was a Drak dressed in a Victorian-style long maid outfit, gently swishing her tail, with a kind smile on her face, holding a tea tray in her hand, preparing tea for the four people who were about to sit down.

Kelsey: “?”

Kal'tsit's heart, which had just calmed down, suddenly started beating again. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her smooth, fair forehead and back, and her composed expression froze once more.

Okay, okay, this is how you play, right?

Ernst Shivaesh, you are indeed a master negotiator!

I'm impressed by the intensity of this!

Chapter 150 What illustrations will you collect next?

"Please sit down, Dr. Kal'tsit, Miss Amiya, and Miss Kroos."

Seeing Kal'tsit and Amiya, the main characters from the game, in real life for the first time, Ernst maintained the utmost goodwill and did not mind Kal'tsit's somewhat dawdling behavior and impolite stiff expression from the moment she entered.

Regardless of whether this was some kind of negotiation tactic by Kelsey, Ernst wanted to tell Kelsey that instead of resorting to underhanded tricks that were useless to him, it would be better to have an open and honest discussion.

Kal'tsit clearly knew this too, so after taking one last deep look at Raphsini who was waiting by her side, she took a deep breath and sat down opposite Ernst.

Now she had to admit that she had far underestimated Ernst Shivaesh's power. Her established methods of negotiation and pressure were proving ineffective against Ernst's direct and somewhat terrifying confrontation.

But she cannot give up easily; securing greater benefits for Rhodes Island remains her primary objective. She will absolutely not compromise on this!

Because if we make any more concessions, we really won't have anything to eat, it will be a matter of life and death!

The negotiations officially began, and Ernst spoke first:

"I am very pleased that Rhodes Island responded to my proposal after receiving my letter, and even sent three representatives to Kelago. There's Ms. Kal'tsit, renowned throughout the land for her medical papers; the CEO of Rhodes Island; the young but courageous Ms. Amiya; and this..."

"I am Kroos, the chief engineer of Rhodes Island and a computer science guru!"

Kroos proudly puffed out her chest.

She rarely appears in public, firstly because she has no interest in such social activities that affect her reputation, and secondly because of her race, the Sarkaz Blood Demons, whose reputation in this land is, if not universally condemned, certainly one of widespread hatred and dislike.

Therefore, even though she is an absolute outcast within her race, Kroos rarely introduces herself. Even when she does, she usually only mentions her position as an "engineer," without going into detail. This is because rashly revealing her race often brings unnecessary trouble and could even put negotiations at a disadvantage.

Ernst nodded in agreement.

Of course, he knew these three people. In fact, even those who only watched the game from the beginning would recognize them.

A riddle-solving character who constantly utters phrases like "this land," and who has a wildly popular "ex-wife literature" video written by a certain "I voted for Skadi" boss. A game's mascot, known for her donkey-themed jokes and the famous line "You can't rest yet!" during launch; she can cosplay the notorious Zhou Bapi (a notorious skinflint), but is actually a very cute little rabbit. And finally, a very simple and easy-to-understand identity—she's the face of the game's shop.

Ernst asked this question simply to confirm whether the three of them had been affected by the changes in the world line since his arrival.

Kroos's answer put Ernst at ease.

He gave a kind smile and nodded, saying:

"Then Chief Engineer Miss Kroos will surely get along well with Miss Nastie."

"Nasti?" Upon hearing this unfamiliar name, Kroos's expression clearly showed some confusion.

Ernst explained, “Nasti is the head of the Engineering Department at Rhine Life Sciences, and also the chief architect and engineer of the current Kerlagtukarim reconstruction project. Coincidentally, she is also a Sarkaz, a Sarkaz banshee. If you would like to meet her, I can help introduce you.”

Sarkaz Banshee?

Sherag actually has a Sarkaz banshee? The head of the Rhine Life Engineering Department is actually a Sarkaz banshee?

Before Kroos could recover from the bombardment of information, she suddenly realized another problem.

No, Ernst just said "also"?

Her expression immediately turned somewhat awkward: "Mr. Ernst knows who I am?"

“Aren’t you the Blood Demon?” Ernst replied matter-of-factly.

As the shop's mascot and the only character with an animated illustration at the time, Kroos was actually quite Ernst's type. If this vampire hadn't been so keen on giving the word "vampire" a modern twist and sustainably draining his wallet, and if YJ had been more frequent in updating the game during its initial release, Ernst might have played the game for a longer period.

But Ernst’s seemingly unintentional reply had already turned into a thunderbolt in Closure’s mind.

I don't think I've ever given a self-introduction as "Blood Demon" before, have I?

In negotiations, highlighting strengths and minimizing weaknesses is a common tactic, and Kroos is quite adept at concealing her true identity. However, she is also well aware that concealment is a last resort, and if what she has hidden is revealed, it will put her in an even more precarious situation than if she were to tell the truth.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Kroos's temple, and her smile became somewhat forced. She looked at Kal'tsit with pleading eyes while forcing a laugh, saying:

“Prime Minister Ernst, you are truly knowledgeable. You are right, if I have the opportunity, I must meet Miss Nastie.”

Kal'tsit also received Kroos's pleading look, and could only sigh silently before taking the initiative to change the subject:

"Thank you for your kind offer, Prime Minister Ernst, but let's talk about the cooperation first."

She reached out her hand, and Amiya proactively took out publicly available information about the Rhodes Island landship from her handbag and placed it on the table.

Kal'tsit pushed the data forward and said:

"Prime Minister Ernst, indeed as you said, based on my and Cloosir's assessment, even disregarding the space already used on Rhodes Island's main landship, the remaining space is more than capable of handling the transportation of a large amount of construction materials. It can undoubtedly meet Sherag's needs."

"However, Rhodes Island is, after all, a medical company. If we rashly get involved in the reconstruction of Tucarim, our progress in medical research and development will be greatly slowed down, and some patients who stay on the island for treatment may also be dissatisfied with such a schedule. Most importantly, as a neutral international medical company, contact with Sherag may force us to make some choices regarding our political stance, which may be detrimental to the future development of Rhodes Island."

"Therefore, Prime Minister Ernst, while Rhodes Island would very much like to grant your request and contribute our modest efforts to the future of the people of Sherag, we are a company and we also need to make a profit. So, could you please describe the compensation more clearly?"

Ernst nodded.

After all that talk and analysis of the pros and cons, Kal'tsit's ultimate goal can be summed up in three words: "to get more money."

It's alright. To be honest, compared to those politically charged issues, paying more money is just a minor inconvenience and not a big problem at all.

Well, the only downside is that Ernst didn't have any money to add.

Fortunately, he had prepared a contingency plan from the beginning. Just as Kal'tsit said, what he really needed to explain was not the "money" part of the reward, but the vague "market expansion" part.

Without offering an immediate explanation, Ernst brought up another matter that was about to unfold: "Dr. Kelsey, I have a secret for you. Sherag is about to receive a very special visitor."

Visitor?

Kal'tsit raised an eyebrow, already having a guess in mind. Ernst's next words confirmed her suspicions.

"The Duke of Windermere's envoy is already on his way to Shelag."

"If you are willing, I can, as Prime Minister of Shelag, invite you to the banquet to welcome the Duke of Windermere's special envoy, and give you the opportunity to have direct contact with the Duke of Windermere."

"This is my first reward."

Ernst paused for a moment,

"Of course, if you feel that contact with the Duke of Windermere might cause trouble, as you have said, forcing Rhodes Island to choose its own political stance, then Sherag is happy to do so. Kalan Trading can act as Rhodes Island's agent, selling Rhodes Island's products in the markets of the Duke of Windermere. Of course, compared to the former, after subsidizing the losses and reputation you have suffered in rebuilding Tukarim City, I will demand a fair share of the profits from this."

A reasonable proposal. Ernst even took a step back, implying that if Kelsey agreed, Ernst could provide financial subsidies to address the "declining reputation" issue Kelsey mentioned.

As for why only the Duchy of Windermere was mentioned, and not the Duchy of Wellington, the reason is quite simple.

Negotiations shouldn't involve revealing all your cards at once. Ernst needs a bargaining chip to raise the price.

Seemingly worried that Kal'tsit wouldn't believe him, Ernst was about to offer a promise: "Dr. Kal'tsit, rest assured, I wouldn't lie in such a situation..." when Kal'tsit shook her head, replying with absolute certainty:

"Of course I believe in Prime Minister Ernst's abilities."

Frankly, if someone had told Kal'tsit an hour ago that the prime minister of a small country was so confident that he could guarantee Rhodes Island would be recognized by a Grand Duke of Victoria, she would most likely have thought that person was insane.

But now, the heirs of the Victorian Aslan dynasty are here, and so are the heirs of the Victorian Drak dynasty. What's wrong with the heir to the Duchy of Windermere coming here and making an appearance before the Duke of Windermere?

People can play with Victoria and claim to be collecting illustrations in the office, so what is there to question?

Kal'tsit should be more concerned about what Ernst will collect next.

Oh no, Nasti is a banshee, could her next target be the Sarkaz Ten Courts?

Kal'tsit's hair stood on end, but the next second, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Oh, the Balrog is no longer available, so there's no way to collect them all. Never mind then.

Seeing Kelsey's conflicted expression, Ernst didn't immediately pressure her to make a choice. His time wasn't particularly urgent, and giving her ample time to think was a matter of etiquette. So he stood up.

"Dr. Kal'tsit, there's no need to rush to tell me the answer. You can take a walk around Kel'tsit first."

"Only by truly experiencing it can you appreciate the scenery of this city and the future of Shelag. It will not disappoint you."

"I can arrange a tour guide for you."

Chapter 151 Kal'tsit, Sweating Profusely

Gawain's time in Sherag was arguably the most relaxing period of his life.

Although beast lords do not age or die, they still have a sense of time. Things they liked in the past may no longer be liked after hundreds of years. Things they disliked in the past may become liked after centuries.

Before a certain penguin went to the West Coast to play his rock and rap, who would have guessed that he was actually a renowned classical music master from Letania?

He even had his own tower and servants. The Earl of Penguin's works remain relevant even today. And what's the result? Isn't he the same beast lord who now calls classical music "outdated music"?

Among the beast lords, the only ones who can consistently enjoy a single pastime for hundreds or even thousands of years are probably the wolf cubs of Syracuse.

As for Gao Wen, he believes he has found the true meaning of life.

Whether you prefer playing city-state cricket fighting in Sicily or Civilization in the Sargon rainforest, the ultimate goal in life is the same—to sleep!

Lions should nap, especially a male lion like Gawain, who should nap anytime, anywhere, and by any means necessary! Before, he had to take care of Vina to prevent the little one from losing her head like her father. Now, with a surrogate mother looking after her, Gawain is much more comfortable.

All he needs to do is eat and sleep, sleep and eat, maintain the lifestyle a lion should have, and then wait to gain weight.

"Is this your reason for stealing my offerings?"

Ya'er's smile was somewhat dangerous as she watched Gawain brazenly stuff the fruit offered on the altar and the cooked millet into his mouth.

But Gawain didn't care about Yeragand's little grumble at all; his skin was thicker than a city wall. Faced with Yeragand's questioning, he even had the leisure to raise his head and offer a few words of explanation:

"As everyone knows, I am the master of beasts, and I am the lion. And male lions have never hunted for themselves."

"Are you quite proud?"

A strangely shaped, eye-like floating object had appeared around Ya'er. But Gawain remained unfazed.

"Don't rush, Yeragand. You're not going to eat this food. It'll just be a waste for those people below."

Gawain lazily wiped his mouth.

"It would be better to let me have it; at least I can provide you with some information."

"You immortal beings are disgusting." Ya'er curled her lip, unusually uttering such aggressive words. "What information?"

“In terms of combat strength, I may not be as good as you, but when it comes to knowledge and experience, Yeragand, you are still too young for your tribe.” Gawain grinned, revealing his teeth. “You have no idea that a dangerous woman entered Sherag right in front of you.”

A dangerous woman? Entering Sherag? Or right in front of me?

Ya'er was stunned, and even stopped sweeping.

She frowned. "Who was it? When did they come in? Did they have any ill intentions towards Ernst? Did they contact him?"

"Look at you," Gao Wen chuckled. "How about you treat me to some more food?"

Ya'er's voice sounded somewhat dangerous:

"I may not be able to kill you, but I can freeze you, throw you into the lake, and reinforce it every week to make sure you never come out!"

Gawain's wide grin closed, and he took a step back in fear.

"No, no, there's no need for that, Jeragand."

He paused, then said directly,

"That woman's name is now Kal'tsit."

“Kal'tsit?” Ya'er raised an eyebrow. “That Rhodes Island guy who met with Ernst yesterday afternoon?”

Gawain's expression changed—if that lion's face could truly reveal any special expression—and his gaze toward Yeragand became somewhat strange.

"what happened?"