People in Terra, governing a weird little country

It doesn't cost anything to try. As for whether it will work, I can only say that I can't say.

From his personal perspective, the fact that the Grand Duke of Kaster in Victoria wanted to poach the twin queens from Ludwig University in Leithania and invite Fremont, the scribe of the Sarkaz Lich King Court, to work in the school of the Dukedom of Kaster was already very abstract. There was a kind of beauty in the Grand Duke leading Tresis into the Royal City of Londinium.

But considering that the Grand Dukes did such an abstract thing, and Tereses actually agreed and really moved into Londinium, Ernst was reserved about the success rate of this matter.

Neither side is normal.

Duke of Caister curled her lips, obviously not very satisfied with Ernst's ambiguous answer. She turned sideways and raised her eyebrows at Ernst:

"This is not a good place to talk. Why don't you get in my car and we can talk somewhere else."

"Just think of it as a reminiscence."

What good things can I have to reminisce about the past with you? Ernst rolled his eyes in his heart. He and the Duke of Castor did not have any good memories worth recounting. If they really wanted to discuss it, it would probably not be a reminiscing, but a public trial.

But since the Duke of Castor had spoken, he must have something to say. Reminiscing about the past was just an excuse, and Ernst did not refuse.

"Then excuse me."

Chapter 423 Ernst: War? I think this is a special military operation.

Casimir, Grand Knight of Cavalelyaki, the private apartment of the Duke of Kaster.

The Grand Dukes of Victoria have never been shy about expanding their influence abroad. In addition to embassies, most of the capitals of countries such as Casimir, Ursus, and Leitania also have their own private residences. These places are used to meet private guests, vacation, or serve as temporary hiding places for "intelligence personnel". After all, no country dares to openly offend the Duke's face and search the private property of a Grand Duke.

Ursus is an exception. All crows in the world are black, and all bears in the world are straight. They are a bit stupid. If we really find some evidence for them, let alone searching, it is not impossible to just blow them up with cannons.

Of course, this almost arrogant style of behavior is naturally based on Ursus's strong military strength. In terms of economic development, Ursus may not be as good as Victoria, a duchy, but Ursus is very confident that as long as they launch an imperial attack, they can drive high-speed warships and war sorcerers to burn the land, plunder trade routes, capture cities, and destroy Victoria's economy.

Casimir obviously did not have the capital to be as arrogant as Ursus. Therefore, the Duke of Kaster's private residence was, to some extent, a very safe place.

"Even if a civil war breaks out between the Commerce Federation and the Supervisory Council in the city someday, my private residence will be the first place to be jointly protected by both sides."

Ernst could naturally sense how much confidence the Duke of Caister had in making such a bold statement.

At the same time, he also realized that the reason why Duke Caister said such words and called him here this time was probably to discuss some sensitive topics.

The Duke of Caister had no intention of avoiding the issue. He ordered Fiona to guard the door and not allow anyone to enter. He also asked Rita to close the door before speaking:

"The Dukes are preparing to siege Londinium."

Ernst nodded as expected, without much surprise.

He had heard about this news from Enthiotis, but the source of the news at that time was the Duke of Windermere, and now, the Duke of Caster has confirmed the authenticity of the news again.

Ernst's reaction was mediocre, which made Duke Kaster somewhat disappointed:

"You look like you've heard something from that woman in Windermere?"

"That's right. That woman has a daughter who stays by your side every day. You can't hear any pillow talk."

"Daifien is still underage."

Ernst frowned and interrupted the Duke of Caister.

"Also, although I did learn about this from the Duke of Windermere, it was not conveyed by Delphine. It was through other channels."

Ernst did not mention Enthiotis, because Enthiotis's business in the Dukedom of Caister and its sphere of influence was no less than that of the Duke of Windermere. If the Duke of Caister knew that he helped Windermere to be a mouthpiece, one wondered what she would think.

Women's hearts are as elusive as the sea, and the Duke is a top conspirator. The Kalan trade is the economic pillar of Kjerag. Even if it is out of avoidance of emotion and only for practical reasons, Ernst will not betray them.

Ernst had seen too many small countries that damaged their own economic pillars or even sold them directly to foreigners, and their fates.

Duke Caister raised his eyebrows, nodded thoughtfully, and after a moment's silence, he said:

"Actually, this matter has nothing to do with Kjerag. But I'd like to hear your opinion, Prime Minister Ernst."

"We can make a simple assumption now. Suppose your World Summit system has been established, and Victoria has joined it as a member. At this time, all the dukes, including me and Windermere who sent his underage daughter to you, have unanimously decided to raise an army to encircle and annihilate the Sarkaz mercenaries who are causing chaos in Londinium, the capital of our great empire. What will be the attitude of the World Summit and you?"

Ernst pursed his lips, but before he could answer, Duke of Caister interrupted him with more meaningful words:

"I hope you can think it over before you speak. This is a test Victoria is giving you."

Victoria gave me a test.

When Victoria, the most powerful country on earth, was about to launch an attack on the Sarkaz in its own country, it was very curious about how the [World Summit System], which emerged as an alternative to the Victorian hegemony system, would react at this time.

Ernst defined the World Summit as a platform for quarrels, allowing everyone to resolve disputes and ease conflicts by talking instead of fighting. Now, a dispute has arisen, and one party in the dispute is not within the World Summit system. At this time, what response should this order that claims to "encompass the entire Terra" make?

This is the test question Victoria gave to the World Summit.

Of course, just as the Duke of Castor said, this was also a test question for Ernst.

In addition to the perspective of the organizational system, she was also curious about Ernst's perspective, because, in her eyes, the value that Ernst, as the proposer and builder of this system, could bring was comparable to the value that this system that included Terra could bring.

Ernst seldom thought for so long.

There is nothing new under the sun. Many times, for many things on the land of Terra, Ernst can find similar problems based on his experience and learning from his previous life, and make adjustments and solutions.

But this is different, this is war.

Ernst had little contact with war, but in Terra, war was one of the main themes of civilization development. Just as Duke Kast said, the World Summit system would face such a test sooner or later.

It does provide a platform for resolving disputes and can indeed create a better environment for the development of Terra, but this does not mean that war will be eliminated.

Unstable factors like the Sarkaz, the three major crises of [Sea Si], [Demon], and [Originium] that may occur in the future, and many more conflicts that may break out at any time may all evolve into wars.

And this is where the Summit of Nations really needs to withstand pressure.

The Grand Dukes of Victoria besieged Londinium, which seemed to be a battle that was sure to win. But so what? Back then, the Gaul Empire declared war on Leitania, and the overwhelming offensive caused Leitania to lose several important mobile cities and four electoral regions in just four months. With such an amazing victory, how many people did not believe that the Gaul Empire, which held the hegemony of the core circle at that time, would win the final victory without even spending much effort?

But what was the result? We only need to look at any map of Terra published after 1031 to get a clear and self-evident answer.

How does the power of the Sarkaz compare to that of the Leitania?

Ernst felt that it was certainly not as good as this.

But how does Victoria's power compare to that of Gaul?

Ernst felt that it was not as good as this.

The development of science and technology has certainly brought about iterative innovations in military equipment. Theoretically, a high-speed warship from decades ago may not be able to withstand the impact of a modern high-speed warship. But at least, before technology develops to full AI command, the key to war is still "people".

The armies were not united, and were hesitant and scattered. The deterrent power brought by the Grand Duke's combined forces might sometimes be less than that of a single Duke's full effort.

Moreover, even if there is only a very small probability that Victoria suffered unexpected losses in this war, at this time, Ursus, which has been eyeing the core circle for a long time, Leitania, which was the first country to be declared war on in the Four-Nation War but was trampled under the feet of Victoria for decades after the war, Casimir who was unwilling to be lonely, and Colombia, which has a long-standing grudge, who can guarantee that this group of jackals and tigers will not rush in and devour the entire empire?

And this is where the effectiveness of the Summit of All Nations is tested.

How to limit it, how to turn this war into a limited war, how to ensure that there are no accidents, or to control the development of the situation after an accident occurs, how to ensure that at least things do not evolve to the worst point.

Frankly speaking, these are all issues that Victoria, who started the war, needs to consider. They used to have hegemony, so they naturally had to do their best to maintain it, and the subsequent problems brought about by these wars were naturally the costs they had to consider.

But at this moment, it is a hypothesis. The Duke of Castor is very bold and cunning. She handed this issue to the World Summit System that was to replace Victoria's hegemony, calling it a test.

As for this test, Ernst pondered for a long time and gave his answer.

"First, let's talk about the attitude of the World Summit on this matter."

"Your Excellency, the Duke of Caister, the World Summit recognizes Victoria's right to recover its legitimate territory. Londinium has always belonged to Victoria. If the Sarkaz illegally occupied it, Victoria would follow the legal process to recover it, even if it involves the use of force, which is reasonable and justified."

"But, Your Excellency the Duke, I hope that you and the other dukes can reach a consensus on this, that is, this recovery operation is not based on a [war] launched by one country against another."

"This is obvious. The Grand Duke is not a country, and the Sarkaz mercenaries entrenched in Londinium are not a country either. This is not another war between Victoria and Kazdel, nor is it another massacre and bullying of the demons by us. This is a just and legitimate special military operation aimed at counterattacking the Sarkaz extremists who have violated Victoria's legitimate sovereignty and persecuted Victoria's legitimate citizens."

Ernst held it in for a long time before he managed to spit out the word from his throat.

How should I put it? It feels a bit subtle. After all, the specific circumstances are different, and Ernst is just applying this term.

But unlike Ernst's slightly awkward expression, the moment Duke Kaster heard this word, his eyes lit up and he immediately became alert. He silently repeated the word several times, as if he wanted to savor the mystery in it, and a gratified smile appeared on his face:

"Special military operations, good, good, Ernst, I was right about you."

"It is indeed the right decision to ask you to come here today. If we start a war with this reason, countries like Ursus and Leitania will not be able to intervene under the pretext of conquering the demons. As long as nothing unexpected happens, this war will end quickly in the form of a limited war... Oh no, it should be said that the special military operation will end quickly and be a complete success."

Ernst rolled his eyes.

It seems that you asked me to come here to take advantage of my strategy for free?

Damn old woman, she has more tricks than honeycomb briquettes!

As for the accident mentioned by the Duke of Caster, it is of course very simple. As long as Victoria is not defeated on the front battlefield, or at least does not suffer too great losses, it will not be considered an accident.

Why did the Duke of Castor emphasize this? Because if Victoria really lost the war, then the excuses for the war would not matter. When people are extremely hungry and grabbing meat to eat, who cares whether they pray "I eat" first?

Seeing the satisfied expression on Duke Caister's face, Ernst sighed slightly and continued:

"Secondly, it's my personal opinion."

"I think the Sarkaz problem has been around for a long time. If Victoria, including the countries of Terra, want to completely solve this problem..."

"Then, at least, it is necessary for the Sarkaz to establish an independent country."

Chapter 424: Askalon: If only Your Highness were here!

Are Sarkaz bad guys?

This question is actually very general. The Sarkaz are a group of refugees. Their cultural level is low, their living standard is to sleep in the open air, and their economic level is extremely poor. If they have enough food and clothing, they will know etiquette, and if they have enough food and clothing, they will know honor and disgrace. Under such economic conditions, it is indeed a bit unreasonable to demand a high level of morality and civilization from the Sarkaz.

So, if you are asking if the Sarkaz are bad guys.

Then Ernst can say responsibly that the vast majority of Sarkaz are bad people in the social sense.

Not every Sarkaz would commit robbery and murder, but every Sarkaz would definitely be exposed to petty theft and extortion.

If the Sarkaz were convicted and sentenced according to Victorian criminal law, and all ten Sarkaz were sentenced to death by hanging, perhaps some would not deserve such a crime. But if only nine were hanged and one was let go, there would definitely be some that slipped through the net!

It can be said that they do not have the fate of Paradox players, but have committed the crimes of Paradox players.

But does this mean that the Sarkaz should be like this?

At least Ernst thinks so.

The ironic fact is actually in front of the Terrans, but most of them are unaware of it. Lateran, a country also founded by the ancient Sakaz, is known as the freest, most peaceful country with the highest moral standards and quality of life in Terra. Even Duke Caister, who was sitting on the sofa opposite Ernst, had to admit this fact.

As for solving the Sarkaz problem, the methods seem to be varied and diverse, but in fact, there are only two.

Either accept the Sarkaz as part of the existing international order, allow them to join other countries or establish an independent country, and help them become a normal country.

Or, eliminate them completely.

The latter is just right for the Terrans, but it seems a bit too extreme for Ernst. Moreover, with Terra's current level of science, can it really cleanse the entire race thoroughly, leaving no room for anyone, leaving no one behind?

Ernst remained skeptical. No, there was no need to even doubt it. Ernst was certain that this was impossible.

Because the Sarkaz are actually valuable to all countries on earth.

During the Four Kingdoms War, the Gallic Empire hired a large number of Kazdel's royal court sorcerers as a counter to the superiority of the Leithanian Originium sorcerers. During the Great Conquest Era, the Ursus army was full of Sarkaz. The most famous Heavy Wendigo Corps made great contributions to Ursus and still exists today, stationed in the north to fight against the evil demons in the wasteland. Even Victoria, the Duke of Caister himself, chose the Sarkaz mercenaries who had a bad reputation, were cheap, and did not stick to the pan when he was eradicating the Steam Knights.

The people of Terra have long been accustomed to using Sarkaz as swords and tools. As long as this interest exists, it is impossible for Tutu to wipe out the Sarkaz.

There will always be countries or forces that, for their own benefit, retain and hide some Sarkaz. They think they can control these Sarkaz, and maybe that's true, but this generation can do it, what about the next generation? What about the next ten generations?

The power changes brought about by the lifespan of the short-lived species will cause varying degrees of chaos, and chaos will lead to the decline of the country, the decline of strength, and internal disagreements, which will also become the ladder for the Sarkaz to rise. The Sarkaz live too long. Maybe you have been dead for several generations, and they are still dormant, waiting until you let down your guard, and then they will counterattack, which is really hard to guard against.

And at that time, what awaits the nations of the earth will be even bloodier revenge.

But sadly, just like the ancestors, the Sarkaz could not completely kill all their enemies. To completely and efficiently destroy a race is also a technical job to some extent. To complete this technical job, I am afraid we have to wait until the Star Age.

But it is obvious that under the current internal friction in Terra, hatred will continue to cycle and accumulate layer by layer, and it is impossible to cut the chain that locks the ending of [prosperity and unification].

Yes, this is the current reality of the countries on Terra and the Sarkaz.

Is there any solution to this situation.

Of course there is. In fact, Ernst holds one of the "final solutions" in his hand. He only needs to go to Rutland, put the recording in front of the host, and then press the confirmation button in the options. OK, wait a few minutes, and everything will be solved.

The hatred of the Sarkaz is gone, the hatred of the nations on earth is gone, and Ernst wins the Interstellar Peace Prize!

Why Interstellar? Because Terra doesn’t have it either!

Therefore, the only solution that is more rational and can be implemented in the modern era is the first one.

"I think the Sarkaz problem has a long history. It is difficult to trace its origins. It is impossible to find evidence to prove who is right and who is wrong. As the contemporary leaders of Terra, we should be more realistic."

"If we cannot completely destroy them, we should destroy the extremists, treat the friendly ones well, accept and win over the neutral ones, and normalize the Sarkaz and Kazdel. This is the reasonable approach."

Ernst never tried to stop Victoria from attacking Tresis. After all, Tresis was the representative of the extremists among the Sarkaz.

This evaluation is based on the standpoints of Kjerag and the Summit of Nations. From a God’s perspective, the Sarkaz have been oppressed by Tutu for thousands of years, and their revenge seems reasonable, but to Kjerag and the Summit of Nations, they are destroyers of the current social order.

No one can analyze a problem without any standpoint or perspective. A true rational person does not exist. Even if he exists, he would not be Ernst’s friend, but only his enemy.

Because Ernst wanted to stand on the side of Kjerag and the World Summit.