People in Terra, governing a weird little country

"Quarantine or body search?" Daphne asked, "I can guarantee that we don't have any weapons."

"No, no, no, young lady, you think too much." Mostima shook her head and said, "The ceremony is very simple."

She coughed lightly, adjusted her state, opened her arms, imitated the tone of Evangelista XI, and cheered:

"Welcome to Rutland!"

Chapter 218 Mostima: Almost Cut by a Knife to Protect My Family

Rutland is a good town, but a little bad.

The Pope is a good man, but a little bit evil.

In most of the written or visual works that Ernst has seen, the three terms "Pope", "Holy See" and "Church of God" are all associated with villains.

The Pope likes little boys, although I don't know if he likes the Japanese boy. The Vatican is feudal and reactionary, and indiscriminately opposes any progressive and open ideas. The entire sect of the God Church is bad. Even if there are one or two white lotuses in it, they will either be tortured and suppressed, or betray the God Church and set up another sect.

Especially in the many anime produced by Japanese players who are doing well, the character of the Pope basically has nothing to do with anyone, and being anti-Pope has even become a kind of political correctness for them to a certain extent.

This is really incredible. After all, according to the reality, Japan's superstition about religion is not inferior to that of the West in the Middle Ages, and it is even more so. Onmyoji and Onmyoji characters usually play the role of good people in their works, such as the 2.5-jo Satoru who said, "I'm sorry, I didn't let you have fun."

If we must comment on this strange and contradictory situation, Ernst can only say that he is "against others, but not against himself."

This is also a small manifestation of the fragile national self-esteem in our daily life, and also a kind of self-confidence.

But literary works are just works after all. In reality, religion is no less complex than the modern scientific system. It did play a positive and active role in the early days. It is no exaggeration to say that the major seminaries and schools of Scripture are one of the earliest birthplaces of modern science.

So, when Ernst received the invitation to go to the Lateran to meet with the Pope, he had mixed feelings.

On the one hand, Arknights exists as a game world, which makes him naturally feel a little resistant to the character with the identity card of "Pope". After all, driven by the cultural infiltration of Japan and the local xenophobia, the reputation of the Pope, a character that only Western Christians have, in our country is really not very good.

On the other hand, the Terra where Ernst is now is a real world. And the reputation of the Sakota race and the country of Lateran in this land...

All we can say is that some people are born among mules and horses and are treated like oxen and horses, while some people are born in Rome and drive BMWs every day.

The reputation is so good that there is no false reputation. The welfare benefits of Lateran people are also first-class. It is so good that as long as you stay in the city of Lateran, your expenses from birth to death are fully covered, and there is even someone who can help you fulfill your last wishes.

Otherwise, how can a dog be reborn in Rutland?

No matter what the identity of this person is, as long as he makes the people under him live a good life, he should at least not be a bad leader.

As for whether he is a good person, this idea is a bit extravagant, and Ernst said that we have to wait and see.

"Mr. Ernst, please wait here for a moment. You can eat whatever desserts are on the table. If you don't like them, you can tell the musketeer at the door and he will help you choose something new."

Leading Ernst through the marble corridor of the Papal Chamber and into this lounge that looked no different from an ordinary living room, Fiammetta spoke in a serious tone.

Perhaps thinking that Fiammetta's stiff expression was a bit too rigid, Mostima came close to Ernst and added in a low voice:

"I'll tell you a secret. There's a surprise in the fruit tart on the table."

Leaving Ernst with a meaningful wink, Mostima pushed Fiammetta out of the lounge. As they walked, Fiammetta continued to say:

"Well, Mr. Ernst, His Holiness the Pope is dealing with some matters right now and will be here soon..."

"Alright, alright, that's enough. There's nothing for us to do here anymore. Let's go!"

After being forcibly taken out of the room, Fiammetta finally couldn't help but break free from Mostima's hand. She looked at her friend who she couldn't understand and see through with some annoyance, and asked:

"What are you doing? I'm doing my job!"

But Mostima also frowned, and asked in a refusal to give in.

"Is that the expression someone would have when they're doing something serious, Miss Fiammetta?"

She took out her cell phone from her handbag, turned on the camera and pointed it at Fiammetta's face, then placed the photo in front of Fiammetta.

"You don't think that the receptionist with a sullen face can complete his mission by saying a few more words, do you? If the old man's distinguished guests were so easy to fool, the Duke of Victoria and the President of Colombia would not value him so much!"

Fiammetta stared at the photo on Mostima's phone in a daze.

She wanted to refute Mostima, but the fact was just as she said, Fiammetta's current condition was indeed not very good.

It is not physical discomfort, but the so-called "mental restlessness".

This kind of restlessness has been reflected on her face. Her brows are always furrowed intentionally or unintentionally, and even if it is unintentional, the corners of her mouth are always pursed. If the charlatan who practices the so-called "art of physiognomy" in Dayan were to see this face, it would be worth at least a hundred taels of blood.

Mostima was already trying his best to ease the atmosphere, not wanting Ernst to have any unnecessary speculation or doubts about Lateran because of Fiammetta's expression, which would affect the subsequent negotiations between the Pope and him. But the specific effect... Mostima was not optimistic.

As she wheeled Fiammetta out of the room, she had noticed the thoughtful look on Ernst's face.

I finally got a mission and met a guy who looked pretty nice. I hope I won't mess it up.

Mostima sighed in her heart. If the mission went wrong, she, as a messenger of all nations with a special status, would not receive any specific punishment. But it would not be easy to get involved in things related to Ernst again.

She really cared about this opportunity. Of course, it wasn't some girly girl who was infatuated with her, a "time stopper". The reason why she was interested in Ernst was very simple.

——She “smelled” something unusual on Ernst.

This unusual smell comes from the special thing about Mastema - the call of lock and key.

Although the behemoth in the staff did not make any comments on this, Mastema's intuition told her that Ernst, like her, was also the spokesperson of the behemoth and carried a part of the behemoth with him!

This was the real reason why she became interested in Ernst at Columbia, and the real explanation for what she called "Ernst's attitude towards the world is different from hers."

After experiencing the betrayal and becoming a fallen angel and obtaining the lock and key, Mastema's attitude towards the world is negative.

She doesn't mind interacting with anyone, and her playful attitude allows her to chat with many people, but without exception, they all have a warm smile on their faces but a cold smile on their faces. Even when dealing with her friend's sister who is still lying unconscious in the hospital, Mostima is used to interacting with her with the purpose of "rejection".

But Ernst is different. Although he is also the spokesperson of the behemoth, and is also a transcendent being that is not accepted by the tribe, Ernst actively integrates into this land, and even enjoys playing charades and political games with those leaders, without any awareness of becoming a "slave of fate (the behemoth)".

Mostima was very curious about Ernst's mentality. She tried to contact Ernst and test his mental state to see if she could break through his "disguise".

But....she didn't even get to do that.

Mostima still remembered when she first met Ernst. This terrifying man pierced through the mask she had carefully put on with just one sentence, hitting her sore spot so accurately that it almost made her speechless on the spot.

He asked at the time: "Ms. Mostima, can you smile?"

She had clearly never stopped smiling from beginning to end, so this request was really a bit puzzling.

Mostima, who had just reacted, felt a chill down his spine for some unknown reason. He could only resort to an "aggressive rebuttal" that even Fiammetta was dissatisfied with, forcing the topic into a clichéd direction in order to hastily repair his psychological defenses.

Fortunately, Fiammetta cooperated well, and fortunately Ernst did not kill him all.

The feeling of being so tense that one's defenses might be broken at any second was truly suffocating, desperate, and, well, unforgettable.

Mostima's stagnant mood finally began to stir up waves, and these waves were like a huge torrent.

She wanted to experience this feeling again, the feeling of walking on the edge of the tightrope, and not only that, she wanted to experience it the other way around, so that Ernst could experience it too.

My mask is so easy to take off? How about yours?

My time is long enough, and your month may only feel like a few hours to me, so the advantage is mine!

For the sake of this invisible contest between her and Ernst as the spokespersons of the giant beast, she didn't want anything to go wrong with the ticket mission that would open the communication channel between her and Ernst.

Mostima's eyes became unusually serious:

"So, what happened? Fiammetta?"

"What did your lovely junior say to you that caused you to react so strongly?"

Fiammetta bit her lip, feeling a little tangled:

"If I tell you, you have to promise to help me instead of hindering me!"

Mastema smiled and nodded:

"What are you talking about? I was expecting to win a thigh pillow as a reward for helping Miss Fiammetta. How could you bear to take it away?"

The innocent Liberi's face flushed red, and looking at Mostima's half-smile, he realized that she was teasing him on purpose, and he immediately became angry and reached out to pull out his gun.

However, at this moment, a greeting from not far away interrupted her anger.

Evangelista XI has arrived.

Fiammetta, who always regarded himself as a "serious person", didn't dare to make trouble in front of the Pope. He could only glare at Mostima angrily and quickly explain:

"Partia is promoting some disturbing ideas to me."

“She said that Lateran’s prosperity belonged only to Sakota and not to Liboli. Sakota never considered us as their own.”

"I asked her who taught her to say that. She refused to give me a direct answer."

"I only learned a code name from her - Pioneer."

Chapter 219: Vina: Can I help you try the taste?

Lateran, Papal Chamber, Lounge.

Looking at the steaming fruit tart on the table, Ernst swallowed.

Rutlan's desserts are famous throughout the land of Terra, and this is under the premise that Rutlan desserts almost never open chain stores to the outside world and only do take-out sales.

At the Duke of Castor's banquet, Ernst even heard the Duke of Castor share some useless trivia. For example, if you want to host a banquet for a Grand Duke of Victoria, what level should your banquet be? Among them was a description of the food.

- Red wine from Gaul, pack steaks from the East, fruit from Sargon, bands from Leithania, and desserts from Laterania.

The fact that Rutland desserts can be compared with these national treasures is enough to show the value of the product.

But Mostima's words before leaving: "There's a surprise in the fruit tart!" left him a little confused.

What kind of surprise can be called a surprise by Mostima?

Ernst couldn't guess, but judging from the way Fiammetta looked like she wanted to say something to remind him but was hastily pushed out the door by Mostima, the surprise might be a bit too big.

Is this some kind of dark cuisine? Has the dark cuisine world invaded?

With this in mind, although Ernst, as a staunch sweets lover, wanted to try what Lateran's [Special for the Pope's Palace] tasted like, he still barely suppressed his curiosity.

Since he didn't taste it, someone naturally tasted it for him.

Vina and Daphne were both real gluttons. Although they had lived a life of luxury when they were young, they had very few opportunities to eat Lateran desserts, and this was the only time they had a special treat from the Pope's Palace.

There's no way. It's not that it's difficult to get this with their previous family background, but who made them fall into poverty, live on the streets, and almost have to cosplay as Xiaoxiang next door to become Xiaowei in the customer service department. He comes from a strict military family and is a tough soldier. His parents at home don't like him.

After Fiammetta and Mostima left, the two of them were reserved in front of Ernst, intending to let him eat first. But after seeing Ernst's trance-like, steady appearance, the two of them, who had been arguing for several minutes, finally couldn't help but walk up.

"Ernst, don't you want to eat it?" Vina picked up a fruit tart of unknown flavor and put it into her mouth. An expression of satisfaction and happiness immediately appeared on her face.

Rutland's dessert craftsmanship is indeed well-deserved. This bite is sweet but not greasy, and the taste of fruit explodes in the mouth, making people want to eat more.

It's just that the taste is a bit weird. Vina has eaten quite a lot of fruits, but she couldn't figure out what kind of fruit this tasted like for a long time.

But she didn't care too much about it. There were so many fruits on the land of Terra, and Sargon's Oasis Orchard was the best high-end fruit supply market in Terra. Many new flavors and new varieties were introduced every year, so it was normal that she couldn't tell them apart.

Rather, it feels like opening a blind box. You never know what flavor the next fruit tart you eat will be!

But Daphne on the side was not so lucky. Seeing Vina move her mouth, she couldn't wait to pick up a fruit tart, took a bite with great anticipation, and then her expression was stunned.

Just when Ernst thought he was about to see some legendary magical two-dimensional scene that was so delicious that it would make his clothes burst, Dai Finn suddenly came to his senses, and threw the fruit tart in his hand on the table as if he had touched something dirty. He then took out a tissue to cover his mouth, pouted several times, and spit out what he had bitten.

After doing all this, tears welled up in her eyes and she cried out:

“This tastes like bitter melon!”

Ernst was in awe. Vina looked warily at the tenth fruit tart in her hand that she had not yet had time to eat?

Eat so fast!

Ernst was in awe X2.

Noticing Ernst's surprised look, Vina looked away a little embarrassedly, her face slightly reddened, and she handed the fruit tart in her hand to Ernst:

"Want to eat?"

"No, no." Ernst waved his hand quickly, "I don't like bitter melon either."

Vina glanced at Dafen, who came forward and looked like he had found the organization and was seeking comfort, and then said:

"It's okay, I can help you try the taste."

"Try the taste?"

Ernst was stunned. Before he could figure out how Vina could try it, he saw Vina take a small bite of the fruit tart in her hand and then said:

"This one tastes like honeydew melon. Do you want to try it?"

Ernst looked at the fruit tart with a tooth mark on it, then looked at Vina, whose face was flushed but who insisted on pretending to be serious: "I..."

"It tastes really good!" Vina continued, "Trust me."