People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

The great wave of the times has already pushed people to this position. If Ernst doesn't want to do it, then naturally someone else will. Since that's the case, why not give it a try—[I am the wave].

Whatever's out there, who cares?

Yes, do it now, right here!

Ernst gave Kal'tsit a deep look, and in front of her, he took out the Jeragund Stone.

He hadn't originally planned to make such a big show of it; he just wanted to send someone to peek through the crack in the door when no one was looking. It was such a trivial matter that Yeragand wouldn't normally be worth Yeragand's special protection.

But things are different now. The situation has changed, and mobilizing all available combat power is the most necessary respect for any possible extraterrestrial objects.

On the last day, the day off was effectively over.

Ernst was urgently contacting all available combat forces to bolster emergency combat capabilities for tomorrow's "Star-Picking Operation." Kal'tsit stood beside him, making him feel rather complicated.

On one hand, emotionally, he was somewhat bothered by Kal'tsit's behavior, which followed Humphrey's "I'm not hiding anything, I just didn't tell you" approach. On the other hand, reason told him that blaming Kal'tsit was somewhat unreasonable. If she weren't in Sherag, he would have pushed forward the Star-Picking Operation anyway, and at that time, he would be completely in the dark and unaware of any unexpected events.

Kal'tsit did help, but the way she helped made people "rationally accept it, but emotionally uncomfortable." She's really a gem; Kelago has hit the jackpot!

At the summit of the Matterhorn, Christensen, on the rooftop of the Dome Laboratory, held a cup of hot cocoa in her hands. In this place, the closest Terra to the sky, she looked up and reached out her hand towards the dome.

Those hands, reddened by the cold wind, spread their fingers and instantly "grabbed" the stars before her eyes.

Once it's under our control, how can we escape?

Reaching for the stars, reaching for the stars, what do the stars really look like? Ernst said they are all like Terra, spheres and pieces of land. Is that true or false?

Tomorrow, we'll see.

Meanwhile, in Sherag, in Columbia, in Letania, Victoria, and Da Yan, many more people who already knew of the existence of airships and were curious about the "greater surprise" Ernst had mentioned were all turning their gazes toward the skies of Sherag.

Tonight, no one will sleep.

Chapter 324 We Decide to Go to the Moon!

Shelag, Mount Kalan, Holy Stone Square.

"nervous?"

Enya stood beside Ernst and asked in a low voice.

Before Ernst could answer, Ensioudis chuckled softly:

"Why is he nervous? He's used to it. Besides, this isn't the first time he's given a speech here."

Enya paused for a moment, then her eyebrows shot up and her eyes widened in anger:

"You're so talkative, so chatty, and always interrupting others. Did I ask you? Some people really have no self-awareness!"

After she finished speaking, her expression changed, and she comforted him again:

"It's alright, Ernst, it's all in the past. Don't be nervous, no one will judge you this time."

Ernst paused for a moment, glanced at Enya who was expressing her maternal instincts as an older sister, and then at Ensioudis, who had been inexplicably scolded and was pouting with a hint of grievance. He was both amused and exasperated.

He guessed that Ensiodis's first reaction was probably referring to his speech at the Holy Hunt ceremony.

That incident... or perhaps more accurately, the accident, caused Enciodes to completely abandon his plans for armed seizure of power and instead adopt the current model of mutual cooperation and peaceful competition. The reason why that accident became an accident... truly left a deep impression on Enciodes.

For Enya, the first thing that flashed through her mind was probably the scene of the Holy Stone Trial, Ernst's helpless position when he was forced to stand before the Holy Stone of Jeragund to prove his innocence, and Ensiodes's passive observation from the sidelines as she clashed with the Grand Elder.

Enya felt that her fate had changed at that moment. She was incredibly proud and gratified that she had mustered the courage to say "no" to the once arrogant Elder for the first time. After that, her personality became more confident. Before, she would only exchange pleasantries and sarcastic remarks with Ensiodes, but now she dared to curse directly.

It's really touching.

However, to say whether Ernst was nervous or not, he wasn't nervous at first, but now he was a little nervous.

The speech was held at Mount Karan, a decision made collectively. Kjerag has a long tradition of holding important events on the mountain, and Ernst didn't object. Moreover, the mountain is closer to the Matterhorn, offering a wider view and making it easier to observe the sky directly.

"Oh, the sky..."

Ernst's gaze was fixed on the azure sky above the Matterhorn.

Thanks to Gangmen, the weather today is sunny, the temperature is pleasant, and there is a gentle breeze. It's a rare good day in Sherag, perfectly meeting the requirements for starting the experiment.

The sky was no exception. Even though the Balrog Safar was already in position in the tower-shaped building below, and even though the experiment was theoretically about to begin in a moment, the sky did not respond at all.

The "danger" Kal'tsit spoke of seemed to have no existence.

At least for now, hidden behind a veil of obstruction, it has not yet revealed its fangs.

"Boom-"

As the bells rang, Ernst took a deep breath and walked onto the podium.

He was met with countless gazes. Ernst noticed the Duke of Windermere and Daphne nearby in the audience; the former nodded to him, while the latter gave him a thumbs-up with delight. Ernst also noticed the Duke of Kester, who was still holding his opium pipe, seemingly lost in thought. If it weren't for the gauze patch on her cheek, she might have looked even more dignified and elegant.

Also present were the Grand Tutor of Yan and Miss Ning, Herman and Ceylon of Siesta, Latatos, the Hughes family, Brother Xiong and Jeston who greeted Ernst with his hat off, the colleagues of the Sherag government and Levy, and even Joyce, who usually dislikes such occasions, was there. They were among the few people with seats.

However, some people's gaze is not so kind.

Abrahana stood in the corner, her eyes revealing undisguised aggression as she looked at Ernst. It was her "interest," and for her, a self-proclaimed predator, interest equaled aggression. Not far from her, Manfred and Ersula, uninvited but accompanying Hadley uninvited, also stared at Ernst, their eyes filled with more apprehension. Apprehension at the attention Ernst received, and apprehension at those who paid attention to Ernst.

In particular, almost everyone who saw him was initially surprised, and then walked away with disdain.

This reaction, this scene that resembled a rally, somewhat triggered the PTSD that runs in the Sarkaz bloodline.

As everyone knows, the Sarkaz bloodline is like the DNA of the anime world; anything can be etched into it.

Ernst even spotted the enigmatic figure that had only appeared once in the crowd... a bird's shadow.

The horned beast, who called himself the President of Colombia, landed on a lamppost, looking down at the scene. He seemed to be born out of place, even disliking standing with others. Whenever he appeared, he was either standing on someone else's shoulders or on a high place.

Is this some kind of habit? But why did it hop around on the ground when it met me?

Ernst couldn't understand, while Mark Max seemed to have sensed the gaze. His body remained motionless, but his head suddenly turned to look at Ernst, and his emotionless pupils mechanically contracted.

The scene was somewhat eerie, and Ernst immediately looked away, no longer glancing at him.

In contrast to these acquaintances, there were many more ordinary people from Shelag gathered around the perimeter of Sacred Stone Square.

They are members of the Sherag community, supporters of Ernst, and the foundation upon which the government functions. They are an indispensable part of the grassroots and naturally have the right to witness this grand event.

Although most of them were just there to see the foreigners getting together, as the saying goes, participation is key.

Having drawn all eyes to him, Ernst had already stepped onto the stage.

He walked as if a gentle breeze was supporting him, and when he stood still, an aura seemed to emanate from him. Behind him, there seemed to be a rainbow-like halo of light. In the sky, among the white clouds, a carefully tuned ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and enveloped Ernst, gilding him with a golden hue.

This scene was somewhat fantastical, creating a truly auspicious spectacle of "golden light descending from the sky and golden lotuses springing from the earth."

Ernst blushed.

He knew, of course, that this couldn't possibly be some divine intervention or the sun giving him special treatment.

Even if it were true, we only have one sun in Shelag, and that is the great god Jeragand!

But, where did you learn this method of adding special effects, which is like having a limited-time free resource library?

Ernst decided to have a good chat with the great Jeragand after this was over. Otherwise, he suspected that the great Jeragand might, on a whim, put up some big red rose light effects over the Kjerag train station, along with the words "Welcome to Kjerag!"

They're practically ready to have Ya'er dressed in a big, colorful floral-patterned Northeastern-style jacket and come out to hawk her wares.

The flavor is so authentic, it's almost too authentic!

"How about it?"

A soft greeting reached his ears, and Ernst immediately held his breath and replied in a low voice:

"grateful."

I won't say whether it's good or not, I'll just thank you first.

Yeragand's soft laughter reached her ears; clearly, she was satisfied—satisfied with the special effects she had worked so hard to create over the past three months, and also satisfied with Ernst's answer.

Thankfully, He doesn't use the internet, otherwise tomorrow a hilarious video would be trending on TerraCity: "After three months of hard work, I've completely mastered special effects!"

Wait a minute, why did you post this funny video in the knowledge section?

"Don't be nervous." Yeragand's voice seemed to whisper, and a faint breeze seemed to blow into Ernst's ear, giving him a slightly tingling sensation. "I'm here with you."

Ernst nodded slightly, stood in front of the podium, and opened his mouth.

"Greetings to the great god Jeragund."

"Your Excellencies Duke Victoria, Grand Tutor of Yan, Representatives of Independent City-States, Representatives of the Sherag Family, My Colleagues Who Have Dedicated Themselves to This Country, Delegations from Various Countries, Scientists, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:"

"I am deeply grateful to the people of Shelag and to the great god Jeragund for bestowing upon me the titles of Prime Minister and Son of God, which gives me the honor of speaking here. I assure you that my speech will be very concise."

“I’m very happy to be here, especially at this time.”

He raised his head; he knew the contents of his speech by heart. He scanned the audience below the stage, and everyone in his sight held their breath, listening intently to him.

“We meet in a country known for its God, purity, and religion, in a city renowned for its transformation, in a square themed around courage, perseverance, and reverence. And we need all three. Because we are in a time of change and challenge, a decade of intertwined hope and fear, an era of coexistence of knowledge and ignorance.”

“The more knowledge we acquire, the more ignorance we reveal.”

"This is also why I convened the World Expo and called on all of Terra to participate, share, and build our knowledge network together."

"And today, I will announce, promote, and let everyone witness the arrival of a new moment. This experiment, pioneered by Sherag and Colombian scientist Christensen, will be witnessed, marveled at, and developed by the entire land of Terra."

"This is Project Star-Picking!"

"Today, the Dome Research Station will pierce Terra's first spike into the outer world, sending the first Terran out of this land and into the stars! Let the first Terran see and record what the starry sky we take for granted, the eternal twin moons we sing praises to, and everything unknown and bewildering to us, truly look like beyond the isolation layer!"

Ernst paused appropriately, giving the audience enough time to process the information and enough silence to build up momentum for what was to come.

Silence is an art, especially in speeches. When you build up your energy before delivering a powerful and impassioned speech, it can be as awe-inspiring as an erupting volcano. This is exactly the effect Ernst wanted!

Ernst waited, until a murmur of discussion began to rise, before he suddenly spoke:

"I know that at this very moment, some people may have already started to raise questions."

"Why explore the outer world? Thanks to an elder, I call it space!"

Why do we explore space?

He paused abruptly, his questioning gaze sweeping across the room, before answering in a more earnest, resolute voice, tinged with sorrow and expectation.

"Because in space, there is no competition, prejudice, or national conflict!"

"Because in space, we all face the dangers of space equally."

"And because of space, it is worth conquering with all of Terra's might, and the opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again."

This is both an answer and yet another question.

Why is it that only space is free from prejudice, discrimination, and conflict?

Why is it only in outer space that there is danger that affects everyone equally, and where there is peace that is cherished yet constantly destroyed?

Why does all this only exist in space, and not on this earth? Not only is it absent, but it's filled with the opposite?

Compared to describing the beauty of peace, more people are actually more moved by the cruelty of war.

People born in peacetime cannot witness the cruelty of war, so they yearn for the glory and fame of war. People born in wartime have not experienced the beauty of peace, yet they yearn for that precious peace even more.

Appeals, even a hundred appeals, may not have any effect, but even a single successful appeal can spare a generation from suffering.

"But some people ask, why choose to go to the moon?"

"Why did I choose to make landing on the moon the core objective of the Star-Picking Project?"

Ernst chuckled softly.

People assumed he would recount the importance of the Twin Moons to Terra, just as Karan was to Sherag, something ancient and captivating.

A speech is essentially a process of asking and answering questions to convince more people of your answers.

This is certainly one solution.

But Ernst would never give such a lackluster answer.

Our ancestors, our predecessors, those who shone brightly in that era, have long since provided a more perfect, more powerful, more spirited, and more magnificent explanation!

That's a rhetorical question! That's contempt! That's scorn for such a narrow-minded perspective!

"Then they might ask, why do the Sherag people climb the highest peak?"

Ernst's gaze fell upon the Matterhorn.

Why did the Iberians set sail for the open ocean decades ago?

Why is Trimont University of Technology competing with Victoria National University?