People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Is it possible to not include performance in the World Summit and not compete for it?

The answer is impossible.

Because that's exactly what Ernst was trying to prevent! What will be shared at the International Science Research Sharing Conference after joining the World Summit?

Airship technology, the process of the Star-Picking Project, the technology of imitating firearms, and the optimization scheme for hand cannons.

While firearms and hand cannons are powerful, they can't affect the overall situation. But what about the achievements of airships and the Star-Picking Project?

These two areas are the most likely to lead to the kind of technological gap that the Grand Tutor is worried about, which could directly create a technological gap between the two countries!

Once a technological gap emerges, what's the point of talking about being a great power? How could anyone be bigger than my cannon?

Once the airships take to the skies, the mobile cities become indefensible, and even the capital city is in imminent danger!

He can't possibly be unaware of this principle! Similarly, insightful individuals and think tanks in other countries would also be able to analyze this possibility!

This is something that absolutely must be added. And it absolutely cannot be limited to simply joining a membership!

The Grand Tutor pondered for a long while, then raised his head and suddenly said:

"Ciqiu, draft a letter for me and send it to Sisuitai... no, send it to Yumen. Give it to Zuo Xuanliao!"

"The Great Yan has not appeared for hundreds of years. Now that things have come to this, we must fight for this position!"

Chapter 349 My darling, you're so smart I'm like a stranger!

Shelag, Tukarim, within the city.

After attending the press conference, the Duke of Windermere was taking a walk on the street with Daphne.

Although it was supposed to be a walk, Defiance knew very well that her mother's brow had never relaxed since they left the press conference, clearly indicating that she was worried about something.

What did Ernst and Ms. Holheimer say at the press conference?

During this period, Defein mostly stayed at the hotel and made fewer trips to Ernst's office. He was also less clear about Sherag's recent arrangements.

Although he didn't know why his mother always wanted to send him away, the soft-hearted Duke Windermere reluctantly agreed to her request to stay by his side for a while after she repeatedly pleaded with him.

Looking back now, Defion still feels a little regretful.

If she had visited Ernst a few more times, perhaps she could have answered her mother's question by now?

"Hmm... no, we can't expect Ernst to tell us everything."

Daphne shook her head and muttered something under her breath.

She is, after all, the daughter of the Duke of Windermere and the next heir to the duchy. It is only right and proper for her to help her mother, the Duke, with her questions. How could she expect Ernst to help her with everything?

He is my teacher, that's true, but if a teacher knew that his student was so useless, he wouldn't like such a bad student, right?

Defien clenched her small fist, made up her mind, and said:

"What is Your Grace worried about? Could you tell me so that Defiance can help me think of it as well?"

Duke Windermere paused slightly, looked at Daphne, and a noticeable smile appeared on his lips.

"Just call me Mom."

“But His Excellency the Duke must be thinking about official business!” Daphne insisted. “Ernst said that when working, it’s best to use titles!”

Duke Windermere couldn't help but chuckle, bending down to reach out and ruffle Daphne's hair.

"Alright, alright, then Daphne, you help your mother too... Duke, think about it, how much of this international summit of Ernst is beneficial and how much is detrimental to Victoria?"

As Duke Windermere walked, he briefly summarized the contents of the press conference, while also paying attention to Defiance's expression.

Noticing the thoughtful look on that little face, Duke Windermere nodded with satisfaction.

That's great! As expected of my daughter, she's already thinking for herself!

Some might think this is a bit too low a standard. But that's how the Duke of Windermere, as a mother, sees it.

As an elder who could make the decision that "he wanted his child to enjoy a peaceful childhood, so the political affairs of the duchy, etiquette education, and networking could be temporarily put aside," the Duke of Windermere did not actually have high expectations for Daphne.

He spent his childhood peacefully and happily, took over power steadily, and finally governed his territory in an ordinary way, guarding the frontier.

She didn't expect Daphne to achieve any great feats, after all, she herself, as one of the so-called "Double Blades of the Empire," hadn't really been able to protect the empire.

As for the idea of ​​coveting the throne of Lentinium, like the Duke of Caesar, or wanting to fight for that position for her daughter, she never had such thoughts.

If we were to evaluate her using the language of the Yan Kingdom, she would probably be the kind of person who only has the desire to control a region, but no ambition to conquer the world.

Compared to herself, who entrusted all the affairs of the duchy to her husband Kent and only used her brain when fighting, and even then, she was very satisfied with Daphne's initiative in volunteering and using her brain.

Indeed, it was the right decision to put Ernst in charge of teaching Defiance.

Perhaps Daphne, who is often by Ernst's side, will have a better understanding of Ernst's thoughts.

The Duke of Windermere's eyes were filled with anticipation as he awaited his daughter's answer, and Defiance did not disappoint him.

Her first words were not a simple answer, but a crucial question:

"Your Grace, is your question from Victoria's perspective or the perspective of the Duchy of Windermere?"

"Oh?" Duke Windermere raised an eyebrow with interest. "What if you stand from Victoria's perspective, or from the perspective of the Duchy of Windermere?"

Dai Feien coughed lightly, and although her speech quickened slightly due to nervousness, she still spoke clearly and eloquently:

"From the perspective of the Duchy of Windermere, the International Summit is actually not very beneficial to us."

"The Summit of Nations, as the name suggests, is a conference between nations. Whether it's us, the Duke of Caster, or even the Duke of Wellington, the 'Death Knell of the Empire,' we are all ultimately forces within Victoria. We have no right to participate in the Summit of Nations as a nation."

Duke Windermere nodded with a sudden realization, but immediately frowned again:

"Can't we attend the International Summit? Does that mean we won't be able to obtain the hidden achievements of the airship technology and the Star-Picking Project?"

She curled her lips,

"Am I really supposed to work with that Victoria foul-mouthed, well-known 'Kester'? Who knows what tricks she'll pull this time!"

“Ernst is really something. Windermere has treated her well, doesn’t he know our situation?”

Listening to her mother's complaints, Dai Feien could only smile helplessly.

Based on her understanding of Ernst, Ernst probably didn't "not know their situation," but rather "knew their situation all too well."

When Daphne was with Ernst, Ernst often mentioned the international order that emerged after the Four Kingdoms War, in the post-Four Emperors era, namely the Victorian hegemonic system, which centered on the core of Terra and on Victoria.

In this system, Victoria, as the victor of the Four Emperors War, exploits and controls all of Terra through military, political, and economic means. Possessing numerous enclaves, countless high-speed warships, and a number of "secret weapons," Victoria can maintain her superior position, ensuring that no nation can challenge her.

But in reality, has this system truly achieved the goals it was designed to achieve?

Less than fifty years after the Battle of the Four Emperors, the Lion King of Victoria was hanged, the royal family was purged, and the world capital of Londinium was left without a ruler. Victoria had effectively entered a period of division.

As the center of the entire Victorian hegemonic system, Victoria itself was experiencing a huge political crisis.

Meanwhile, challengers were never absent. Leaving aside the Yan Kingdom, the Ursus Empire's massive conquest severely damaged Victoria's international prestige. Victoria even deployed steam knights to fight back, but they were still defeated by the Ursus Empire's war behemoth—the heavily armored Wendigo Legion.

If it weren't for the sudden death of the former emperor of the Ursus Empire, which led to an internal power imbalance and a nationwide rebellion, Victoria's hegemony probably wouldn't have lasted until today.

Is there really any need for such a crumbling international system to exist?

In the past, Defiance would have answered without hesitation, "Yes!"

Because she was Victorian, the Duke's daughter, and one of the biggest beneficiaries of this system. The prosperity of the Duchy of Windermere was inextricably linked to it, so how could she, as a beneficiary, say that it was "unnecessary"?

But now, Daphne has to admit that she feels it's really unnecessary.

Or rather, it's not that it's unnecessary, but rather that this system simply cannot continue to exist.

The formal convening of the World Summit signifies the complete collapse of the old Victorian hegemonic order, which has been placed in its coffin. Once the World Summit system proves to be successfully implemented, it means the coffin can be closed and the nails driven in.

Note that the very convening of this summit marked the collapse of the old order. It was the beginning. Terra was not only populated by Ernst and Evangelista XI, but there were certainly many others who, through the International Summit, recognized the shifting international order—and quite a few of them!

At that point, Victoria would be unable to maintain this order no matter what.

Because this is "momentum"!

The trend is overwhelming and unstoppable!

If Victoria wanted to reverse this situation, it wasn't entirely without a way. The odds were 49, after all; ultimately, there was always one that could escape, something Ernst couldn't have predicted.

However, this might require Victoria to stand up and beat all the countries that try to break free from the Victorian order, until they are subdued.

If Victoria had that ability, would it have lost to Ursus back then? Not to mention, the current Victoria is a Pinduoduo version.

Defiance knew her Duchess was in a hurry, but all she could say was, "Don't worry."

This is because it is said from the perspective of the Duchy of Windermere.

“From Victoria’s perspective, this plan is actually entirely beneficial.”

Duke Windermere glanced at Daphne with some surprise, suddenly realizing that he was starting to lose track of his daughter's train of thought:

"How so?"

Defiance explained, "Your Grace, is Victoria the strongest nation on Earth?"

“Of course,” Duke Windermere answered decisively, without hesitation.

Every Victorian is aware that Victoria is the most powerful nation in terms of comprehensive national strength on Terra.

Indeed, in terms of military strength, Victoria may not be as good as Ursus, but although Ursus is large, it has vast, desolate lands and is far less prosperous than Victoria.

As for Yan, although it is wealthy, its central government is strong while its local areas are weak. Its capital city, Baizhao, is said to be no less than that of Lundinim, but its grain center, Dahuang City, is still far from being a mobile city.

Each Duke of Victoria had a fleet of high-speed warships consisting of dozens of high-speed warships. Once a mobile war broke out, they could harass the borders or launch surprise attacks from the wastelands, leaving Yan's central army with no choice but to defend itself.

Defiance nodded: "That's more like it."

"Victoria is the most powerful country. Other major powers may have to worry about how to secure a permanent seat on the Security Council at the World Summit. But only with Victoria, no matter the ranking, we are guaranteed a place!"

This is the foundation of a world superpower.

Even if I can no longer maintain my former status, I'm merely taking a slight step back. This is a privilege only Victoria can enjoy.

“Ernst has certainly considered this. Your Grace has nothing to worry about.”

Defiance smiled.

“All other countries are vying for seats from each other, while we have already secured seats and are just waiting to determine who will sit in them.”

"In other words, others choose countries, we choose people."

Duke Windermere seemed to realize something.

She understood what Dai Feien meant. But that didn't stop her from squatting down with a suspicious look on her face, reaching out and rubbing Dai Feien's cheek.

"Are you really my daughter?"

Daphne blushed with embarrassment at being caught off guard, but she couldn't shake off Windermere's large hand, and could only shyly call out:

"Your Grace! What are you doing!"

The Duke of Windermere sighed, half ashamed and half as pleased, "Defiance, you've become so unfamiliar."

Defiance pouted: "Stop joking, Mom!"

"Good good."

The Duke of Windermere said "good" three times, though it was unclear whether he was responding to Defiance or praising her.

She leaned in and kissed Daphne's burning cheek, then stood up and said:

"So, according to Definite's idea, what should we do now?"

"Ugh—it's all Mom's fault, she messed up my train of thought!"

Dai Feien gave a slightly disgruntled, coquettish reply, pondered for a moment, and then answered:

"Go find the Duke of Kester!"

"Although we only need to select people, selecting people is also a skill."

"Ernst's methods are forcing us in Victoria to unite as soon as possible. And since we need to unite, Mother, the problems between you and the Duke of Caesar must be resolved."

Duke Windermere hesitated: "Find Christa? Reconcile with that woman? Tsk, are you kidding me?"

"It doesn't necessarily mean reconciliation. It's just a chat. This day would come eventually, wouldn't it?"

Duke Windermere sighed softly, "Alright, I'll listen to my good daughter. I'll go see that woman once."

.........