People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

"No need, no need." Ernst turned his head away and pushed the bank card away.

The messenger gritted his teeth and forcefully stuffed the package in, saying, "Take it, take it, don't be polite with your brother!"

After Ernst declined three times, he reluctantly put the card into the drawer.

He looked up at the two men, still wanting to reach out his hand again, but seeing their expressions that said, "If you dare to reach out again, I'll fight you," he hesitated for a moment, then cut to the chase:

"You two...don't you have any identification?"

The Ursus Empire's envoy arrived suddenly. Sherag had not received any prior notice. The two went directly to Hinterlea, identified themselves, and requested a meeting.

Unfortunately, Ernst didn't recognize either of them, nor were they prominent figures like the Duke of Caesar or the Grand Tutor of Yan. Without identification or prior notification, Ernst couldn't simply accept them without permission.

He didn't want to end up like the British, staging a farce of welcoming the "Royal Uncle of Zanzibar" and then shouting "bunga, bunga!"

But this is a rather awkward situation. Generally speaking, you should be the one to light it up yourself. The fact that Ernst took the initiative to ask for it makes one seem suspicious.

To avoid embarrassment, Ernst waited a long time and gestured twice more, but clearly, the two didn't seem to understand.

At this point, Ernst was starting to seriously doubt whether these two were genuine Ursus envoys or counterfeit agents.

But ironically, the two of them still gave him money. Theoretically, in a scam, shouldn't it be the other way around – you're trying to freeload off me? You're willingly giving me money; isn't that a bit odd?

Out of politeness that he was indebted to the money, Ernst finally asked that question.

The two people opposite them were truly embarrassed this time.

They looked at each other and began to read each other's lips.

Do you have your identification?

"You're confused. We're Speaker Witt's men, at most intelligence personnel. Where would we get diplomatic credentials?"

"Aren't all Ursus diplomats top intelligence personnel?"

"That makes sense... but we don't actually have the certificate."

"How about I try my press pass?"

Ernst watched the two of them pursing their lips for a long time, almost kissing, and was completely baffled.

It's a pity he couldn't understand it, otherwise he wouldn't be able to help but sigh, "Damn it, even in a different place, the world is still a makeshift operation!"

Chapter 356 Kavaleria Major!

Ernst was ultimately unable to confirm their identities. But out of politeness, when Ernst left his office for his lunch break, he left a sheet of A4 paper on his desk that cost only two cents to print. On this A4 paper, some ink, rather unruly, spontaneously formed a Terra version of the United Nations declaration.

Of course, this is an excerpt. Terra and Ernst's hometown are very different, and the Manifesto is not like "We Choose to Go to the Moon," where much of the content can be used simply by changing the title. Therefore, Ernst has not yet completed the translation of the entire Manifesto.

Having read doujinshi his whole life, he never imagined that one day he would become a translation group member.

Of course, the excerpt of the manifesto left on the table had nothing to do with Ernst; it was just a small coincidence caused by the infinite monkey theory in reality.

Probability theory, isn't it amazing?

Of course, Ernst didn't send his two friends away. They had spent a considerable amount of money, and even if Ernst couldn't officially receive them or have a systematic discussion with them, he could still privately entertain the two guests and fulfill his duties as a host.

I called Enciodes. Since we're going to make money here, we should let our own brother make it.

Only after Enciodes himself came and took away the two unlicensed messengers who happened to have picked up the documents did Ernst feel relieved and boldly leave the office building via another route.

He also had an appointment at noon.

The person who invited him was also somewhat special; he was the Grand Knight Commander of the Kazimierz Overseer Council—Ioleta Russell.

The state institutions of Casimir are both old-fashioned and somewhat novel. The so-called Oversight Council is a combined council of knights, responsible for forming the government and exercising governing power.

The title of Grand Knight Commander is the administrative head of the Imperial Guard and also the title of the head of state of the Kazimierz nation. Moreover, the vast majority of members of the Imperial Guard hold dual identities as knights and government officials, making them "knightly nobles" in the original sense.

Ioleta Russell is the current Grand Knight Commander of Kazimierz.

In some ways, he was the most important guest among all those who came to Kjerag to attend the World's Fair.

The others, whether the Duke of Caster or the Duke of Windermere, though powerful and wealthy, possessing the strength to rival a nation as a duchy, were ultimately just one of many separatist regimes within Victoria. Ioleta Russell, however, was the de facto head of state in name only.

Of course, Colombian President Mark Max was an exception. He was not actually on the list of visiting diplomats, and he only appeared two or three times during the entire exposition, all to greet Ernst.

At other times, Colombia's negotiations with other countries were handled by their delegations. Ernst had also observed them closely but found nothing particularly unusual.

For Ernst, Ioleta Russell's invitation was both unexpected and perfectly logical.

After all, a large part of the reason why Ernst added the keyword "nominal head of state" to Russell's evaluation was that Kazimir had not only sent one group of people during this visit.

Just as Colombia was divided into a Colombian delegation and a Rhine Life delegation, the delegation from Kasimir was also divided into a national-level "Kashmir Commission delegation" and an organizational-level "Kashmir Business Federation (KCCC) delegation".

Moreover, unlike Colombia, where Rhine Life received widespread attention but countries still prioritized contacting Colombian government representatives, the number of visitors received by the Business Federation each day throughout the expo far exceeded that of the Supervisory Council.

This is enough to reflect a lot of problems.

Furthermore, Ernst had never been to Ursus, but he had certainly been to Casimir. From his own personal experience and the account of Hinterlaya, an honorary Casimirian, Ernst could clearly conclude that in Casimir, the Business Federation wielded far greater influence than the Overseer's Council.

The combined influence of their so-called supervisory council, knight association, and National Assembly government system is not as great as that of the shadow government, the Chamber of Commerce.

Ernst didn't know how Casimir had evolved into what it was today, but he could more or less guess Russell's predicament.

The predicament this person is facing is probably much more troublesome than what I faced back then.

Shelag, Tukarim, Shelag Grand Hotel, third floor restaurant private room.

When Ernst pushed open the door, Russell had been waiting for a long time.

This blonde Kazimierz woman was over sixty years old. As Kuranta was not an immortal being, the marks of time were clearly visible on her face. But even so, she still had a well-proportioned figure and a healthy posture, showing no signs of old age weight gain, giving people a sense of hidden strength.

Those light blue eyes were bright and full of goodwill and appreciation when they looked at Ernst.

The last time Ernst saw this look was when he and the Grand Tutor proposed the Behemoth Re-education Base; he had noticed a similar emotion in the Grand Tutor's eyes.

Whether it was feigned or just politeness, one shouldn't hit a smiling face, so Ernst politely apologized.

"Your Excellency, I apologize for keeping you waiting. There was an unexpected incident that caused the delay."

"It's nothing. It's only natural that Prime Minister Ernst would be busy these days. When I was your age, I was just stepping onto the battlefield, my legs trembling as I clashed swords with the Ursus people."

She smiled, seemingly with a touch of emotion.

"Compared to our time, Prime Minister Ernst was truly born in a peaceful and wonderful era."

Ernst smiled:

"Peace also needs to be maintained. I am very fortunate to be born in this era, and I am also very fortunate to have this opportunity to contribute my modest efforts to the peace of Terra."

“Prime Minister Ernst has done a very good job. Better than anything I expected before I came to Shelag,” Russell praised without reservation.

She genuinely believed this.

It's often said that seeing is believing, and Russell, having met countless people in his life, especially after becoming Grand Knight Commander, has seen far too many strange and unsavory characters. But those who truly deserve such praise are few and far between.

There are far too many charlatans, boastful scoundrels, and those who are all talk and no action. But Ernst, ever since Russell first took notice of this young man from Scherrager when he gave his first public humanitarian speech, until now, when she has personally witnessed this child who is old enough to be her grandson, has never disappointed her.

Her admiration was genuine. The moment Ernst walked into the room, she even felt a pang of regret—why wasn't he a Casimir?

He's achieved such success even within the confines of Sherag; if given better resources and a wider world, he might just become someone like the Knight King of Kazimierz.

If Ernst knew what he was thinking, he would most likely just smile wryly and choose to refuse.

Everyone's success requires the support of objective conditions; the idea that success can be achieved solely through hard work is a child's play. He is no exception.

Take himself as an example. If he hadn't won the battle and gained Yeragand's support, he would probably have had to wait until his next life to rely solely on seniority, accumulate wealth, and outlast his brother to take the throne.

Or, to be bolder, follow the example of Sima Xuanwang and try to outlive the snow leopard! Then secretly raise three thousand elite warriors, scatter them among the people, and gather them all in one day, with no one knowing where they came from!

But even if he had actually achieved that, Ernst would have missed far too many opportunities. For one thing, Laterand, who had long desired to convene the World Summit, would certainly have been working on it long ago. Scientists like Kristen, older than him and not immortal, would undoubtedly have given their all before she ran out of energy, and Ernst might not have been able to seize that opportunity.

And then there's Vina, the last crown princess. What would have happened to her if I hadn't met her in Victoria? What about Hintria and Joyce? Would they have joined Rhodes Island, or sought other paths?

When that time really comes, the only thing Ernst can really count on is Rhodes Island and Old Cat.

But the chances were slim. Kelsey's principles were actually very clear; even now, her collaboration with Ernst hadn't crossed that bottom line—no politics involved.

Transporting building materials, answering questions, earning extra money as a tour guide at the World's Fair, and serving as a consultant for the Star Project—these were either business activities or pioneering endeavors, and Kal'tsit was involved in them all. But Ernst had never seen her utter a single word to him about "Terra's heroes, only the snow leopard and the lynx!"

You may have countless opportunities to try, but success will only happen once or twice.

After exchanging pleasantries, Ernst took his seat at the table, looked at the Grand Knight Commander, and took the initiative to speak:

"Why did the Grand Knight Commander specifically request to speak with me in private?"

Ioleta Russell didn't hide anything either; she explained:

"Prime Minister Ernst, to be honest, I didn't come here to discuss the World Summit with you."

"The international summit is indeed tempting. I pondered it all night and can guess a bit of its profound implications. But for Kazimir, we have a more pressing problem."

Ernst raised an eyebrow: "What's the problem?"

"The 23rd Kazimierz Knights' Tournament is about to begin."

"Prime Minister Ernst, your World's Fair has given me a great inspiration. Since the Columbian Science and Technology Fair can be promoted and expanded into a summit that encompasses all nations and connects the world, why should the Knights' Competition be confined to the corner of Casimir?"

She paused, then extended an unexpected invitation to Ernst.

"We want to go big."

"We will oversee this Knights Tournament in the name of the Supervisory Council and send invitations to all nations and capitals in Terra."

"Sherrag is no exception."

Ernst paused, taken aback.

Good grief, what does this mean? I remember the Cavaliers Major was organized by the Business Federation, right? What, is the Supervisory Committee planning to get involved?

You're even extending invitations to all of Terra? Are you planning to host a "Kavaleliaki Major"?

written request for leave

It was my friend's birthday today, so I went out for dinner and had some drinks. I just got back, and my head is throbbing, so I'm taking a day off.

I hadn't originally planned to drink, but my friend brought out a bottle of aged Moutai, making it a bit hard to refuse. Plus, everyone was genuinely happy, so we had two glasses.

That was quite a bit of force.

Brothers, how can a grown man be ruined by alcohol and women? Starting tomorrow, we will abstain from alcohol!

I'm going to sleep now. Sorry, goodnight.

Chapter 357 No one understands knightly competition better than me

On the magical land of Terra, each nation possesses its own unique skills. Letania has the "Golden Melody," which unifies the nation through a super magical system; Victoria boasts the wondrous Drak-Aslan dual royal succession system and Terra's first Cataclysmic weapon; and Great Flame has countless unique skills: behemoths, sea creatures, demons, celestial masters, true dragons, and isolationism. It can be said that for every calamity that befalls Terra, Great Flame faces just as many troubles.

Among these magical kingdoms, Kazimierz is rather inconspicuous.

The rise of capitalism, the decline of feudalism, internal strife, and the pursuit of entertainment to the death—these labels, in other places, could easily fill a book titled "Kasimir at a Turning Point," but in Terra, they seem somewhat insufficient. And as for Grand Knight Russell, who led the existing government's Overwatch Council in the internal struggles of Kasimir, she certainly doesn't qualify for a book titled "She Changed Kasimir."

In fact, Ernst was initially puzzled as to how Russell and the Supervisory Council were being chased and beaten by the Business Federation in this game.

Yes, the capitalist order represented by the Business Federation is indeed stronger than the aristocratic republican system that currently governs Casimir, but this is Magical Terra, not Holy Terra, but Russell has an army at his disposal.

If you can't solve the business federation's system, why don't you just shut it down?

Kazimir seems a bit too urbanized. And you bunch of businessmen seem a bit too intellectual. Do you think my lance isn't sharp enough?

Having troops is tantamount to having the initiative. This is why great men say that the weapon of criticism cannot replace the criticism of weapons. Your ideas may be progressive, and progressive ideas certainly cannot be killed, but people can be killed. Not to mention, throughout history, there have been numerous instances where reactionaries, unable to win debates, resorted to violence. How can someone holding military power still manage to fight so poorly?

The Commercial Federation does not have a well-organized military force. Even if it had the Unarmored Alliance, if the Unarmored Alliance's combat strength could truly match that of the Knights of Conquest, then the ruling council would not be in power now.

Ernst was certainly not encouraging Russell to actually play Bobo's tunes; he was just very curious about it.

After a thorough discussion with Hintlaya and a personal meeting with Russell, where he learned that she wanted to involve the Supervisory Council in the field of knightly competitions, Ernst finally vaguely realized the mystery behind it.

In the power struggle between the Kazimierz Supervisory Council and the Commercial Federation, the Commercial Federation indeed made a brilliant move. That brilliant move was to launch the [Knight's Tournament].

Why is this considered a brilliant move?

"Knightly culture has always been the oldest, most enduring, and most distinctive traditional culture in Casimir. Even though neighboring countries such as Victoria and Letania have similar knightly systems, Casimir is still recognized as the homeland and birthplace of Terra knightly culture."

"This is why we cannot directly ban knightly competitions. They are deeply intertwined with our cultural traditions and are loved and cherished by the people. Even though we later realized that this entertainment-oriented approach to knightly games was tarnishing our knightly traditions and subtly diminishing the status of knights in the hearts of the people of Kazimierz, it was too late."

"We cannot oppose ourselves."

At this point, Russell let out a long sigh.