People in Terra, governing a weird little country

Being too superstitious about the use of force will turn it from a means to an end. This is why the Duke of Wellington had always been indifferent to the Summit of Nations.

But now, he finally wrote this letter to Ernst. This Grand Duke, who had made outstanding contributions and deserved to be proud of himself, did not bow to Ernst, but was finally willing to take a few steps down and look at Ernst as an equal.

But Ernst thought, was it him who left?

It was me who did it.

The Duke of Wellington's letter did not contain any specific information. It just described the situation in Londinium and tried to get Ernst to come up with some ideas. He also expressed some interest in Kjerag's behemoth and said, "When the battle in Londinium subsides, I might come to Kjerag to see the 'most powerful single-soldier combat capability on this land.'"

Ernst's reply to him was also very concise, with three main ideas: welcome friends, make an appointment in advance, and the great god Yelagund is not a weapon.

As for the battlefield of Londinium, Ernst chose to ignore it, neither commenting nor responding to his questions.

The Duke of Caster made a deal with him, so he could give some advice. The Duke of Windermere was his angel investor, so he was happy to give some advice. Who are you, the Duke of Wellington? Do you want to steal my gold coins too? Can you make a key for me? Three dollars for one, ten dollars for three keys, how many keys do you want?

Old Deng is really disrespectful to his elders. Last time, he instigated him to use Kjerag as a terrorist base, and after being rejected, he started to use cold violence. Ernst didn't even hear a private apology from him, but now he wants to expose the past. It's like an older relative slapping you in the face for no reason, and then scolding you for being rude for not calling him by his name. He really takes himself too seriously.

climb!

As for Abbrana's letter, it was more ambiguous. She seemed to be going to Londinium with the Duke of Wellington, but she only mentioned it briefly. What was more important was that she was concerned about what Lavishne was doing.

It was difficult for Ernst to answer this question. He couldn't just say, "Your sister, Lavishni, warms me up every day," right?

But it was not easy to lie, after all, Mandela and Ahmeni were both in Kjerag, especially Mandela, who was often in and out serving tea and water. Although she did not look very smart, Ernst was not sure whether this was the kitten pretending to be stupid.

After careful consideration, Ernst could only reply: "Everything is fine with Lavushini, don't worry." He called Lavushini over, handed the letter to her, asked her to add some words she wanted to say to her sister at the end, and then send it back.

A must-have tip for civil servants: The best response is no response.

As long as I don't say anything final, there is room for everything to turn around. Learn the virtues of Shuilong and leave yourself a way out in everything.

After greeting these people and replying to the letters, Ernst looked at the last two letters left.

One was from Colombia, signed by Mark Max.

This is incredible. His Excellency the President actually wrote to him personally!

How did he write it? Isn't he a one-legged feathered beast?

Ernst's mind flashed back to the last time Mark Max appeared in front of him. He imagined the man flapping his wings and hopping in the air while writing a letter.

Will you fall down?

So, could it be that he held the pen in his beak and wrote the letter one stroke at a time? It seems unlikely. And how ugly would it look if he wrote it this way?

Well, he should have found a ghostwriter like him. Vice President Wilson didn't expect that it was not only a bird stand, but also a pen stand.

Ernst opened the letter and saw that the content was not long. To sum it up, it was just one sentence:

"We agreed to come to Columbia, huh?"

When did I say I was going to Colombia?

Oh no, I think I really said it!

Ernst suddenly realized that Mark Max seemed to have personally invited him during the World Expo.

Mom!

It's not Ernst's fault. He just had a full schedule, was busy with work, had a tight schedule, and had a heavy workload. From Kjerag to Casimir, and then back to Kjerag, he basically never stopped. So many big and small things happened during that time that he was so busy that he forgot about going to Colombia.

Moreover, the secretary, Holhaiya, did not remind himself.

Oh, yes, he was out all this time, and even if Hol Haiya wanted to remind him, she couldn't. And he was busy these days since he came back, so he really couldn't spare the time.

Ernst rubbed his temples with a somewhat amused look and glanced at the calendar.

Calculating the date, it's about time for Levi and the others to set off.

Rhine Life will set up a branch in Kjerag, and this matter has been approved. Muerseth hosted the meeting through the manifold, and Ernst already knew about it. Ernst summoned Levi to come over just to discuss the matter of getting rid of the white-horned demon king Quesatusta, the troublemaker Sarkaz scourge.

When this matter is over, I can go back to Columbia with them and take advantage of Rhine Life's car and guards.

Save money again, folks!

And the last letter came from Rutland.

Holding the heavy letter with gilt edges and a red seal, Ernst was a little surprised.

Look, look, these are our Rutland brothers. We are so rich that even a mere letter is so grand!

Ernst deliberately left it for last so that he could fully experience this solemn feeling.

Using a wire cutter to open the envelope, making sure the gold edge was not damaged, Ernst took out the handwriting of Evangelista XI and a pure gold medal with the Lateran coat of arms, and couldn't help gritting his teeth.

Good, that's rich! I like it!

Just for this attitude, I promise to give you a string of thank-you phrases that I learned from watching live broadcasts in my previous life when I reply!

Ernst unfolded the letter and began to read:

[Dear Ernst Shivaash, in compliance with the will of the law, approved by the Lateran Vatican, and confirmed by all the cardinals of the Lateran, you are hereby canonized as a Lateran [Saint], and the [Saint Medal] is attached to this letter. Praise the law and guide the future of the Lateran...]

Ernst: “Huh?”

"Ho-!"

PS: The date is approaching, I hope I can hold on for two more days!

Chapter 505: Pick it up high and put it down gently

What's going on with Rutland?

This was Ernst's first thought after he calmed down from the stress.

Canonized saints, if Ernst remembered correctly, there should be only one saint in the Lateran.

Saint Evangelista XI, the contemporary Pope who inherited the name of the first saint who built the Lateran City, is an old friend of Ernst and one of the co-organizers of the upcoming Terra Summit of Nations.

In Ernst's impression of him, he was a moderate reformer. Compared with Andoan's somewhat radical ideas, he had a clearer understanding of the current situation in Lateran and understood better why the prosperity of Lateran could only be supplied to Lateran, or even only to Sakota itself.

He was not the kind of person who could not tell the difference between the important and the unimportant. He would understand what kind of trouble would be caused by giving Ernst the title of "saint" at this time.

After all, no non-Sakhota had ever been awarded the title of "saint" before. Ernst had no halo on his head, no wings of light behind him, could not use a gun, and had no way to empathize with the Sakotas. He had not even lived in Lateran for more than a month. It was somewhat undeserved for him to become a "saint". Moreover, would there be no one in Lateran who would object to bestowing the honorary title enjoyed by the leader of a country on a foreigner, especially a foreign leader?

If Ernst casually gave the title of "Saint" to Vina and Lavshini, then Aktos and many other Kjerag people would probably come to their door tomorrow to ask for punishment. Because this involves the most sincere and important faith in the hearts of Kjerag people.

But...it was Rutland who did this.

Given the level of abstraction of that group of Sakota, it doesn't seem impossible...

Ernst shook his head. Putting aside the fun-loving nature of the Sakota race, they were still quite normal when they were abnormal.

The current situation is definitely abnormal, so we must look at Sakota from a normal person's perspective!

Ernst wanted to promote the establishment of the Sarkaz nation. In addition to informing several Sarkaz in Kjerag, the first person to reveal the news to the outside world was not Duke Caister, but Evangelista XI of Lateran.

Firstly, they were the co-organizers of the World Summit. If Ernst wanted to propose such a motion at the first World Summit, he must have communicated with them in advance. Secondly, as everyone knows, Sakota and Sakaz have always had some conflicts.

Ernst was worried that Evangelista XI would fiercely oppose the proposal, so he was even prepared to negotiate and compromise. Unexpectedly, Evangelista XI spoke highly of the proposal and expressed his absolute support.

he agrees.

In his reply, Evangelista XI stated that he had traveled extensively when he was young, and at that time he was not yet the Pope of Sakta, but he had met a Sarkaz weaver. It was she who completely changed his view of the Sarkaz. Although he must now consider the overall attitude of the Lateran as the Pope, he personally would not object, and would try to persuade the cardinals under the Papal Office to vote in favor of Ernst's proposal at the World Summit.

He had agreed at the time, so why would he go back on his word without warning? Giving Ernst a title that, once announced to the public, would most likely be used by someone who had seized Londinium to provoke the Sarkaz's sensitive nerves?

So, after Ernst calmed down, he read the letter again.

[Dear Ernst Shivaash, in compliance with the will of the law, approved by the Lateran Vatican, and confirmed by all the cardinals of the Lateran, you are hereby canonized as a "Saint" of the Lateran, and the "Saint Medal" is attached to this letter. Praise the law, and guide the future of the Lateran... (a very long hymn)]

There was no change in the text, but Ernst still read out some information from it that he had not noticed before due to his shock.

"According to the will of the law?"

There is a supreme [Law] in Lateran, which Ernst knows. Rather than saying it is a law, it is more like a super weapon controller that is beyond Ernst's understanding.

With the help of the recording obtained from the Star Picking Project, Ernst can activate the law machine. With the most conservative estimate, it may really be able to "pick a star" and throw it down.

That was the sword of Damocles hanging over the entire Terra. In order to ensure that the recording would not be leaked and cause a catastrophe for Terra, Ernst locked the recording in a safe in his office that could not be detected by any machine!

And from what I heard, it seems that the machine has other functions besides executing the "extermination order"?

Ernst did not think that Evangelista XI would write such a useless sentence. Considering the supreme status of the Law in the Lateran, it was probably the only one that could force the Pope to do something that went against logic and the consensus between the two without any warning.

It's like if Yelagunde asked Ernst to take a third-year exam for her one day, Ernst would have to do it with his nose pinched.

She wouldn't really like that kind of thing, would she?

But even though he realized that the "Law" host might be behind the "canonization" incident, Ernst still couldn't understand why a machine would inexplicably cast such a curse on him?

It was going to rain. It should have rained when Ernst went to Lateran. Why wait until now?

Do you have the habit of refreshing data and making work arrangements on this host once a year?

Really not knowing what was going on in Lateran, Ernst shook his head and pressed the bell on the table.

Hol Haiya walked out of the cubicle, leaning against the door frame, her voice lazy and charming:

"Boss, is there anything I can help you with?"

Ernst asked:

"How long does it take to get from Lateran to Kjerag by Courier Post?"

"Courier station?" Hol Haiya raised an eyebrow in surprise. "If you go straight and at normal speed, it will take about 3-5 days. If it's on the way, it will take longer, maybe a week to half a month."

"But why did Lateran use the normal messenger station? Don't they have messengers from all nations to help deliver messages?"

Ernst's eyes lit up.

Yes, this is what made him feel very uncomfortable ever since he received the letter.

Because the Lateran messenger to Kjerag, Miss Mostima, who was supposed to be here, did not come. This letter took the normal courier route and went through more than three days of express delivery. It finally arrived in Kjerag on the morning of January 4th and was signed for by him.

Before this, Daphne, Gray Hat, the Duke of Wellington's envoy, employees and knights of the Casimir Business Union and the Supervisory Council had all visited Ernst in turn. Only Lateran, who could have arrived the fastest with the dedicated line of the Universal Messenger, fell behind.

There are only two possibilities for this situation. Either, Pope Evangelista XI finally ate too much sugar and suffered a stroke or Alzheimer's disease, and instead of using the free, efficient, and confidential Universal Courier System, he used the money he would have spent on snacks to send an expensive international courier.

Or, there is a reason why this letter cannot be seen by the Messenger of All Nations.

Ernst turned his head and looked at the extremely exaggerated gilded envelope and the wax seal with the Lateran papal pattern on it. He realized something and said again:

"Holhaiya, get me a copy of this morning's newspaper."

"Okay, which country do you want?" Holhaiya asked.

Newspapers are an important source of information, and sometimes the Prime Minister's residence is not necessarily better informed than the media chasing the news. Therefore, at Holhayya's suggestion, Ernst has always had the habit of subscribing to foreign newspapers.

"Victoria, the Duke of Caster."

Holhaiya handed over the newspaper. Ernst glanced at the page and confirmed that there was no headshot of himself. Then he breathed a sigh of relief, smiled and shook his head.

Actually, he underestimated Evangelista XI. His Holiness the Pope really had no way of disobeying the direct instructions of the Law. Since the order of canonization had been issued, he had to carry it out.

There are two types of executable things. One is to pick it up high and put it down gently, and the other is to weigh things that are only a few pounds if they are not weighed, but weigh thousands of pounds if they are weighed.

And Evangelista XI obviously chose the first option.

If they want to canonize someone, then they can canonize him. The law has ordered it, and even if Ernst refuses, they should still canonize him in the Lateran. But "canonization" and "public canonization" are two different things.

Only a few cardinals in the Vatican were informed of the matter, bypassing the Universal Messenger System that might expose information, and trying to block all news. Ernst, the "saint", was not expected to help Lateran take any responsibility, so he was not going to give him any power. To put it bluntly, he was just handed over a title.

This is completely different from the situation where the Cyclops asked Ernst to take over as the Lord of the Royal Court, because the Cyclops really wanted Ernst to lead them.

This is more like the lordship that Warden Casimir would give to Ernst. He just gives some money, and the rest is honor.

Of course, this behavior still has risks. If Ernst wants to make trouble and expose the matter of canonization, then this plan may run into problems.

But Ernst knew Evangelista XI, and Evangelista XI knew Ernst as well. Would Ernst be able to share the power of Lateran by exposing this matter? No, Lateran had never had a saint of a foreign race, just like most Sarkaz would never recognize a demon king of a foreign race. They would only question, question the papacy, question the law, question the faith, but would not obey. This would bring nothing but social unrest to Lateran.

The price was that Ernst would completely offend Evangelista XI. No one wanted to share power with others, not even Pope Lateran himself, who was famous for his tolerance and kindness. Evangelista XI might not offend the law, but it was easy to oppose Ernst.

It was enough for him to take the lead and cast a vote against it at the summit of all nations. No one would even think there was anything wrong with it, because there was a little friction between the Sarkaz and the Sakota, and he was actually following the will of the people. Ernst would lose an opportunity to "reconstruct Kazdel" and "bridge the great rift between Sakota and Sarkaz" at the same time.

Not worth the candle.

After sorting out his thoughts, there was only one question left. Why did the crazy Law suddenly give him the order to be "canonized", catching him and Evangelista XI off guard?

What happened?

Ernst was puzzled and could only shake his head.

I'm afraid he will have to have time to go to the Lateran himself and take a look at the situation of the law before he can come to a conclusion on this issue.

"What happened, Boss?"