I'm in Terra

The people of Ursus are enthusiastic. Ice and snow cannot extinguish the fire in their hearts. Even though the weather is getting colder, the vendors are still enthusiastically soliciting customers.

"This kind of vitality is something Luxembourg cannot have." Looking at the grand scene outside the window, Victoria, who was dressed in a suit, sighed softly.

As the lord of a city, the chairman naturally could not wear military uniform or casual clothes to such an important banquet (although many Ursus officers like to do so). Therefore, under the guidance of the assassin lady, Victoria went to a clothing store that specialized in receiving aristocrats and picked out a suit on the spot.

When the tall, strong and handsome young man put on a carefully tailored black and white suit, a picturesque and solemn beauty instantly captured everyone's heart.

Of course, Victor didn't neglect either one or the other. He not only bought himself a set of clothes, but also for the assassin lady and the two accompanying soldiers. Soon, a smart and lovely maid and two strong and powerful warriors also appeared in the fitting room. Just as Victor was about to bite the bullet and buy these gorgeous clothes, the assassin lady and the owner of the clothing store revealed intriguing smiles.

Looking at the snake pupils that flashed across the eyes of the charming proprietress, Victoria took out his wallet and put it back silently. It seemed that he didn't have to spend money this time.

"Since you've considered me, I won't charge you this time."

"It's my pleasure, ma'am."

Aside from this minor incident, the rest of the trip went uneventfully. A limousine and driver, rented from the Imperial Royal Hotel, safely transported the group to the banquet venue. Victoria's appearance also drew the attention of many of the nobles and men attending the banquet.

However, Victoria did not stay in the banquet hall for long. Instead, he followed the servant's instructions and walked through the crowd to a small box in the deepest part.

What came into view was a private room that was completely different from the luxurious banquet hall outside. Of course, this was not to say that this private room was not luxurious, but rather that its style was completely different from the luxurious atmosphere outside.

There was a luxurious yet low-key sofa, a thick black solid wood table, lifelike large animal specimens on the wall, and most importantly, two middle-aged men lying on the sofa with their eyes slightly sideways.

Sayyid Alsala, Chervan Hafq.

Facing the gazes of the two top leaders of the empire, Victoria smiled confidently, walked slowly to the sofa and sat down.

"Hello, both of you. I thought half an hour early was early enough, but I didn't expect you two to be even more enthusiastic than I thought."

"Of course." Chervin, who had gained a little weight but still looked muscular, raised his glass and toasted Victoria from afar. "Come to think of it, Akaski and I are old comrades who have fought side by side many times. Now things have changed, and in the blink of an eye, his youngest son is in power. It's really amazing."

"Don't worry about it. Life and death are determined by fate, and many things are predetermined." Victor picked up the empty wine glass beside him, filled it, and drank it all in one gulp. "Of course, there are some things that neither fate nor death can change. For example, the friendship between the Kalashnikov family and you, and my gratitude to you."

"Friendship? Hahahahaha, you're much more eloquent than that old-fashioned Akaski." Cherven laughed and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp. "Alright, Old Sai. Since everyone is here, why don't we get started?"

"You're the most impatient." Sayid shook his head helplessly and clapped his hands. Soon, several young maids came over with bottles of wine and eagerly served the three of them.

"My place isn't like the palace. There aren't so many messed-up rules. If little Victoria has any preferences or needs, just tell me. I can't say anything else. Saint Jun Castle is a place with some real power."

"Uncles?" Victoria looked at the young girl who took the initiative to get into his arms, chuckled and pinched the girl's cheek. "I'm new here and haven't seen much of the world. Just let the two uncles make the decision."

Sayid and Cherven exchanged a glance and nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, leave it to me! I guarantee you'll never want to leave!"

The next second, the girl next to everyone took action, and music that mixed elegance and vulgarity sounded in this small box at the same time.

Wine pool and meat forest: 23 Acting

"Huh - ha - you are worthy of being a young man, full of energy. If I were 20 years younger, I would compete with you to see who is taller." The dim and luxurious box was filled with low murmurs of desire.

"Aren't you two still in your prime? Isn't it a little early to start spouting old-man nagging?"

It was clearly a meeting between the empire's top powers, but the intertwining desires were more important than rationality. However, Victor was also a battle-hardened warrior, so this little test was nothing to him.

The real test has just begun.

"Ha, so comfortable. It turns out that I'm still happy to play here with Lao Sai. The stinky woman at home nags me all the time, and it's so annoying that I'm dying." With a roar, Cherven was the first to surrender. The two girls under him were obviously unable to bear the burden, and fainted on the ground with tears in the corners of their eyes.

The maids brought by Sayid were all virgins. The two girls serving Cherven wore glasses and had a distinct scholarly air.

It is obvious that this veteran general still likes reading in a sense, but his learning method is a little rough.

Sayid and Victoria, by contrast, were much more subdued. In Sayid's arms lay a young woman, barely a teenager, currently studying intensively under his guidance. If one ignored the vast age gap between them, they looked like a couple.

As for Victor, two exhausted girls lay beside him, and a third was about to lose consciousness. Considering the physical condition of the other two imperial humers, Victor did not force himself to endure and ended the battle at the right time.

"Huh~~ Fighting alongside these seniors is truly a unique experience. However, I'm quite curious about one thing. Where did Uncle Sayid find so many high-quality beauties?"

Hearing Victory's change of address, Sayid nodded in satisfaction. He then restrained the girl who was rising and falling on him, and ended the fight with the last one.

"These gifted individuals are all students from various universities in Saint Jun Castle. Some are noble ladies who have come here voluntarily to see the world. Others are from outside the city with sharp minds but limited financial resources. I have been supporting these needy students for a long time, helping them waive tuition, cover living expenses, and even provide them with job opportunities after graduation. Naturally, they are willing to return the favor and come here to do part-time work."

Victoria comforted the breathless girl in his arms and nodded thoughtfully, "I see. Targeted poverty alleviation, huh? That's a good idea. Maybe I can learn from it when I get back."

"Haha, if there's a chance, let's see the customs and people of Luxembourg." Cherven put on his coat and watched the girl beside him fill his glass. "By the way, speaking of Luxembourg. I remember that you, little Victory, cleared out all those petty nobles before the decisive battle with Rossia, right? What happened? Were they also involved in the rebellion?"

"That's not the case." Victoria was slightly startled, then he chuckled and pressed the girl's head in his arms.

"It's just that they didn't fulfill their noble duties when Rossiya first showed signs of trouble, so I forcibly took them under my control in a desperate situation. You two should have heard that Luxembourg was in dire straits at the time. I wanted to provide support but didn't have enough soldiers. In desperation, I had to control those inactive people and forcibly mobilize their soldiers."

Cherven nodded. "Well done! A general should be decisive and ruthless. They hold titles and control territories, so they should serve Ursus. Those who hesitate in battle deserve death."

"But then again, young Victoria, you can't do this a second time." Sayid smiled and continued, "Your Majesty may have been lenient the first time, considering the situation was urgent. But if you do it a second time, I'm afraid your military career will be over."

"Thank you for the reminder. I will definitely keep it in mind." Victoria raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Seeing Victoria's understanding, the two of them naturally drank a few cups together. After three rounds of drinking, when even the accompanying maids were drunk, Victoria also stated the purpose of his visit at the right time.

"Speaking of which, besides meeting His Majesty and visiting the two seniors, I also have a few urgent matters I'd like to seek help with."

"Oh? Urgent? Could anything be more urgent than these beauties and wine?" Cherwen asked back, hugging the two girls and looking a little intoxicated.

"Of course." Victoria smiled and raised his glass, half-pouring it into the mouth of the girl in his arms. "This matter concerns whether we can continue to enjoy ourselves comfortably in the future. Let's call it an urgent matter, right?"

"Oh? Tell me about it?" Said buried his head in the girl's chest with drunken eyes, but a barely perceptible gleam flashed in his eyes.

"I heard those nobles in the south have been making some moves. When I met with His Majesty this morning, I mentioned my desire to request funding from Parliament to restore Luxembourg's livelihood and retrain the army. But His Majesty and Speaker Witte brushed me off. As for the reason... the Imperial Southern Mirror's weapons research institute has been constantly requesting research funding, and it's even tied up all of Parliament's reserve funds."

Victoria smacked his lips, biting the girl in his arms with an angry look. "This is not a good thing. The Empire is in dire straits right now, and Congress isn't approving funds to restore people's livelihoods. Instead, it's supporting unnecessary weapons research. This isn't a good sign."

Cherven sighed. "We know about this. Sayid and I voted against it in Congress, but His Majesty and Speaker Witte both voted in favor, and Congress ultimately passed the proposal by a narrow margin. It's ridiculous that even a teenager, who has just reached adulthood, understands the stakes, yet His Majesty chose to go his own way. Developing the fertile south is understandable, but abandoning it is not an option..."

"Be careful with your words." Cherwen was halfway through his words when Sayid interrupted him, "Your Majesty and Speaker Witte may have their own considerations. We just need to do our own thing. Little Victoria, you took the initiative to bring this up. Do you want to..."

"Yes, I need your help." Victor nodded and gave a brief overview of Luxembourg's current situation without hiding anything. "If I want to restore Luxembourg's prosperity as quickly as possible, the best way is to obtain funding from Congress. Unfortunately, however... So, I'd like to ask for your help."

Wine and Meat: 24 Deals Done

"Victori, there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world." Sayid let go of the girl, put down his wine glass, and his words were no longer relaxed and casual:

"I think you should understand this. You know, those minor nobles were our pawns. Even if they weren't doing their job well, the right to dispose of them should be ours, not yours. Instead of pursuing the whereabouts of those nobles, we invited you back into our fold. Victoria, you should be grateful."

"I can't refute your argument." Victoria clasped his fingers together on his abdomen. "But you two should also understand that His Majesty's estrangement is inevitable. We each have our own difficult circumstances. If we don't unite in time, our future will only become increasingly difficult. Unity is our only way out."

Sayid smiled. "Very well, I can offer you my support. But since you advocate for unity, I still have several nobles under my command who lack suitable positions. I suppose you can help me solve this problem?"

"of course can!"

Sayid's words were merely angry, but he hadn't expected Victoria to agree to his request without a second thought. "As long as the people you send are talented enough to carry out my orders, I welcome the nobles of Saint Castle to work for me. But let me be frank: if the people you send are good-for-nothings, my place is too small to spare for such pigs."

Sayid frowned doubtfully: "Are you serious?"

"When a man speaks, he never jokes." Victoria nodded with a smile.

Sayid thought for a moment and then offered his terms: "Alright, I want three... no, two! As long as you give me the right to dispatch two territories, I will agree to help you."

But Victoria wasn't buying it. He smiled and raised his finger, responding firmly, "Only one. And it can't be my core industrial city. You can pick any other place, even those twin towns at the southeastern border."

"Sly kid." Sayid snorted, accepting the offer. "Tell me, what kind of assistance do you want?"

"A starting aid of 20 million, plus the Luxembourg caravan's privileged policies," Victoria said without hesitation, clearly having already thought of what he wanted. "I know the Ministry of Finance issues privileged passes to certain regions or chambers of commerce. I really need them right now."

Hearing Victory's outsized demands, Sayid's expression, which had just relaxed, froze. "How dare you ask for it! Twenty million rubles? You might as well give me the entire Ministry of Finance! And the privileged policies? That stuff needs Congressional approval!"

"No, it's 20 million Longmen coins." Victor smiled and held up a finger. "And it can't be transported through official funds; it has to be transported privately. But I can consider it an investment and give you a monthly dividend. As for the privileged policies... at least give my nominal caravan a share, right?"

"How much is the dividend?" Sayid was curious.

Victor extended his palm and gestured, "5%, five percent of Luxembourg's monthly fiscal revenue. Of course, we won't make any money this year due to the massive construction projects and the tax exemptions, but starting next year, we'll be bringing in at least a million rubles each month. It's not much, but it's a steady stream that will keep you going."

"A million a month? That's double my salary." Sayid sneered. "Never mind. It's better than nothing. I'll help you figure it out. But let me be clear: the privilege policy won't necessarily get past the Procuratorate's radar."

"Please take care of this." Victoria nodded, raised his glass to toast Sayid, and then turned to look at Chervin, who had been silent the whole time. "Mr. Chervin, would you like to help?"

"Alright, let's just give Akaski a favor." Cherven sighed. "Forget about the territory dispatch rights. I'm simply investing 20 million rubles. Just remember to give me a share of the dividends."

"It's a small matter." Victoria raised his glass again.

After discussing business and Victoria's personal agenda, the three of them relaxed considerably. They ate and drank in the company of a group of young women, discussing national affairs and policies, and occasionally singing songs. Only when the full moon shone brightly in the sky and the guests at the banquet had dispersed did Victoria put down his glass and stagger towards the two of them.

Seeing Victoria being helped into the sedan by the accompanying maid and sent away, the two imperial right-hand men finally got rid of the drunkenness on their faces and walked into the study with a calm expression.

"He's much more cunning than his father. Maybe the child of Shenminsheng can really be better?" Sayid took out two cigars, handed one to Cherven and took a few puffs.

"Come on, you're young but have a big appetite. But it's not bad, at least you know your identity and position." Cherwen took the cigar and tore the wrapper into pieces with one bite.

A moment later, two wisps of green smoke rose from the study.

"But he was right in at least one thing. His Majesty is indeed paying less and less attention to us. The files and plans we submit almost have to go through multiple rounds of review before they can be sent to Congress. In contrast, those nouveau riche in the south can apply for funds at will to do some meaningless things." Cherven took a light puff of his cigar and then exhaled the smoke heavily.

"Make some preparations ahead of time. We can't just rely on the younger generation." Sayid frowned. His cigar, which usually had a long aftertaste, was difficult to smoke today. "I have a feeling the coming days will be even more difficult. You might want to consider reorganizing your army."

"Reorganize the army? It's necessary to do that... I understand. I hope things won't develop to this point."

"Yes, I hope Your Majesty won't get carried away at such a young age. Whether it's Ursus or his throne, they ultimately rely on our support to survive."

"Forget it, that's it for today. I'm going back."

"Don't forget to reorganize the army. I will also contact the other legions."

Elsewhere, the staggering Victoria was supported by the assassin lady all the way into the room. It wasn't until the door closed that the drunken young man regained consciousness.

"These two old foxes are the kind of people who won't throw bait until they see fish. Even if it's urgent, they still want to make a fortune from me."

The assassin lady chuckled and helped Victoria untie his clothes. "At least the money and privileges are coming, right? Sayid is so eager to get the dispatching rights, I guess he wants to go back to his old ways and engage in border smuggling. But he wouldn't have thought that you, as the ruler of Luxembourg, would have already developed a smuggling route. He wants to open another route in the south, but it's much more difficult than you."

Victoria smiled slightly, picked up Miss Assassin and went into the bathroom: "None of this is important. What's important is that I have money now."

Wine Pool and Meat Forest: 25 Death of Alina

"Why, why is this happening?"

The gray snow was stained with red and black, the colors of life. But now, for Tallulah, they were the colors of despair.

"Is it... a small tower?" Alina, standing in the snow, was shaky. She could no longer see the scene in front of her, or even the face of the person in front of her.

But Alina knew that the person in front of her must be her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep the dried fruit for the children. I'm sorry I didn't want you to see me in this state."

The snow was still falling. Following Alina's dim gaze, Tallulah saw her cloth dress, which had long been stained black by blood, and the empty cuffs.

"Ah...Alina. Don't talk! Don't move! I'll stop the bleeding! I'll take you back to camp!"

"There's no more bleeding..." Alina stared at Tallulah's direction with her cloudy eyes, trying desperately to force a smile.

But unfortunately, she no longer had the strength, the strength to move, and the strength to smile.

"No! I'll take you to see a medic! I'll take you for a blood transfusion!!!" Tallulah rushed towards Alina like crazy and carried the staggering girl on her back.

But it wasn't until she carried the girl on her back that she realized how light and...cold the girl behind her was.

She couldn't make it back.

Tallulah carried the almost weightless girl on her back, yet her steps were heavier than ever. She didn't dare run, didn't dare exert force, didn't even dare breathe. She was terrified that even the slightest bump would send the girl behind her away forever.

The snow continued to fall, and Alina's pupils gradually blurred. Tallulah noticed the girl's heartbeat behind her slowing down, but she could do nothing to stop it. Anger burned in her heart, but she could only quicken her pace, hoping that the camp would get closer.

"Who did it? Who did it? Who on earth would do such a cruel thing?! Was it the patrol? Was it the villagers?! Or... or were they the infected people who were driven away???"

Listening to the girl's mumbling like a possessed person, Alina, who was about to fall into chaos, called out her name with all her might: "Tallulah!"

"!"

Tallulah was startled, then seemed to realize something and hugged Alina tightly: "I'm here, I'm always here, don't fall asleep, okay? Please, don't fall asleep."

"I won't tell you..."

"Why? Why! Can't I even avenge you?"

"Are you going to give up halfway for me? I won't accept that. You promised me not to hate anyone. You promised me that you would save the oppressed in this snowy land. You..."

"What did you say? What did you say! How could I do that? How could I possibly do that!!!"

The excited girl didn't notice the rocks at her feet. When Tallulah reacted, she felt waves of dizziness hitting her head.

Tallulah stumbled and fell awkwardly in the snow, while the girl behind her groaned and completely lost consciousness.

"Alina? Alina!!!"

Tallulah rolled and crawled to the girl's side, trying to carry her on her back again, but the girl's flat chest felt like needles pricking her.

Alina was dying, she was leaving her forever. And she could do nothing but roll around in the snow like a fool.