People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

"Idiot!" Shi Huaiya snorted, correcting her, "Of course we wouldn't casually investigate VIPs' information. That's something we shouldn't know!"

"We're just routinely checking which VIPs have checked into our hotel! This is so we can better ensure security. This is information we should be aware of."

The manager was a little confused: "But isn't it still the same? Once an investigation is conducted, won't we find out everything we should and shouldn't know?"

Shih Huai-ya rolled her eyes and asked in return:

“You’re right, but if we don’t know everything, how can we know what we should know and what we shouldn’t know?”

The manager opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

He felt something was off, but at the same time, he also felt that what Miss Swire said made a lot of sense. In the end, he could only nod.

"I understand, I understand. I'll go check right away."

A few minutes later, the list was sent to Swire's phone.

Swire smiled as he looked at Ernst Shivaesh's name displayed above.

Well, we finally caught him.

One day, she actually gained the superpower to eat the "blue pill" and punch the other side through the screen!

Although this superpower comes with a hefty price tag, it doesn't matter!

I'll be on-site tomorrow morning urging for more updates!

As Shih Huai-ya thought this, she looked out the window at the sun, which had risen sometime earlier, and blinked.

"Never mind, let's go this afternoon."

Chapter 380 Let's create a super IP!

Ernst looked somewhat embarrassed as he watched the little tiger excitedly asking questions about the next part of "The Chronicles of Erzley - The Legend of King Arthur".

Ernst was completely unprepared for Swire's sudden visit that afternoon.

He and Swire couldn't be said to be complete strangers; at the very least, they could be described as very familiar strangers.

After all, back then, the mascot meme "Don't train Swire, she's just a mascot" was quite popular. As a result, Swire, who had nothing to do with mascots in the game's storyline, got this nickname, which continued even after she became an alien.

It must be said that this nickname is indeed somewhat offensive, almost comparable to the "nipple trotter" meme that was popular back then. If it weren't for the later emergence of even more offensive nicknames and curses like "Fourth Master (Serving Night)," "Fifth Master," and "You're giving away a five-star male sorcerer in this event," the term "mascot" probably wouldn't have been deconstructed into a simple term of endearment so quickly.

However, to be honest, Ernst's knowledge of Swire was limited to this. And when she approached him and introduced herself, Ernst's first thought was—am I going to have to pay for this hotel room myself?

Fortunately, Swire quickly explained his purpose, otherwise Ernst would have really considered writing a short essay to denounce the hospitality of the Kazimierz people.

Russell stayed at the Grand Hotel Kjerag when he was in Kjerag, which was also funded by the Ernst government. Those who know about it know that the Grand Hotel Kjerag is one of the best in Kjerag; those who don't might think that Ernst made them stay in the Gulag as a form of revenge.

Even so, Ernst was still embarrassed.

He'd encountered requests for updates offline before. In the Duchy of Caesar, the Duke of Caesar had urged him once, and in Columbia, Miss Miloch had done so once. But one of these requests was merely symbolic, using the excuse of needing updates to chat about other things. The other simply found the book enjoyable and didn't have any particularly insightful or imaginative ideas.

Only when facing Swire did Ernst employ four awkward secrets: glancing sideways, scratching his face, slightly parting his lips, and being unable to speak!

He really didn't know how to answer the questions Miss Swire asked.

"Mr. Ernst, does the illustration you attached at the end of the story have any other meaning?"

“Other meanings?” Ernst was taken aback.

Can I tell you that it was actually my resentment from getting six Camlan War Mystic Codes in a single ten-pull?

Was that beam of light that descended from the sky a divine calling? Did the "to be continued" you wrote at the end have some deeper meaning?

“Uh…” Ernst’s lips twitched.

That light...it was so incredibly bright. Is it possible that it actually had no meaning?

Hmm, that doesn't seem quite right either.

You might not believe it, but I originally planned to write about a female Arthur.

After all, the image of Saber is indeed deeply ingrained in people's minds. Ernst had also considered it; since they were all legends that were hard to explain, King Arthur was also a legend on Earth, so he could make up whatever he wanted in Terra—it was all first-hand material anyway.

But in the end he didn't do it.

The reasons are complex. Partly, with Levy, a fellow Earthling, around, Ernst didn't dare go too far; writing a book directly about XP would have felt somewhat shameful, revealing his cyberbullying tendencies. And the other part...

When he first began writing the initial draft of the Arthurian legend, he did indeed write about a woman. But the next day, on his way to work, he encountered Vina.

Sometimes it's like that; if you don't pay attention, or don't have a point of reference, you might not even realize it exists. But once you notice something, it will linger in your mind and won't go away.

Ernst initially didn't feel anything, since Vina didn't usually speak Japanese. But after she wrote a Saber version of the Arthurian legend, he felt an urge to make her call him "master" as soon as he heard her speak.

In fact, he did just that.

When Vina, looking puzzled but still blushing, called out "master," Ernst felt quite pleased for a while, and had an urge to make her change her address and call him that from then on.

But he quickly realized what was happening.

its not right.

I am white-haired, and I am not a pure-blooded Nightmare (orc); I am mixed with other elements. I live in a secluded utopia (Sherrag). I am, in a way, Vina's teacher, who dropped out of prenatal education, and I have taught her quite a bit. Vina is also the crown princess of Victoria, a certain wicked and immoral person who brought the British Empire to another world, but she is currently living abroad and unable to inherit the throne.

Right, all right.

There are only two issues now. First, Vina is not the son of the Red Dragon, but a descendant of the lion Aslan. The Red Dragon Drak has been officially confirmed extinct, so unless Vina's father committed some unspeakable error, Vina shouldn't be considered the chosen Red Dragon of Britain. Second, Vina is missing a sword.

Whether or not it's a red dragon is easy to resolve; after all, it's at most a claim made by a deified monarch. As a descendant of Luga Sargus, the first emperor of Terra and the King of Kings, Vina, with the blood of Aslan, doesn't lack such things. But the Sword of the Chosen, capable of unleashing a beam of light, is still nowhere to be found for the time being.

As for me?

I...I think I'm Merlin?

Ah, this.

To ensure he wouldn't be kicked to death by a certain Fufu, Ernst decisively revised the script.

Child, you're overthinking it. King Arthur couldn't possibly be a girl!

"So, Mr. Ernst, is the Arthurian legend truly over?"

Shih Huai-ya asked expectantly.

This was also the question she was most curious about.

From the perspective of a legendary story, the Legend of King Arthur is indeed a perfect ending.

Although his ending may not be perfect, Ernst's work wasn't a fairy tale. What's important in an epic is its epic quality—a tapestry woven from laughter and tears, joy and sorrow, success and failure, rise and fall, glory and disgrace. And *The Legend of King Arthur* clearly achieves this.

The Water Margin is good because of the story of Cao Cao's surrender. Everyone knows that the Romance of the Three Kingdoms ended with the Jin Dynasty unifying the three kingdoms, but we are still moved by the loyalty in the "Memorial on Dispatching the Troops", admire Guan Yu's righteousness, are shocked by Cao Cao's treachery, and laugh at the King of Wu of Wei in Hefei.

Therefore, Ernst can undoubtedly say that it's over.

But at this moment, Ernst had some other ideas.

Is the brand "Ers" limited to just this?

Frankly speaking, Ernst's output is very low. As the Prime Minister of Sherrag, he has many things to do, and the energy he can allocate to writing is already limited. In the past, before the Universal Summit system was established, he could still spare some free time, but now, his schedule is full every day. The opportunity to stop and have sufficient time to think, recall, conceive, deliberate, and put pen to paper is really too rare.

But Ernst didn't want Ernst to abandon "Ers" halfway through, to abandon the project prematurely. The fact that the brand could attract a heiress from a business family like Swire showed that it had considerable potential. Rather than letting it "end" like this, it was better to give it, and "King Arthur (Ers)," a chance.

Let a drastically altered history appear, spread, and take root in Terra in another form, not just in books. Ernst can gain another brand with enormous potential—potential far exceeding that of Type-Moon from his previous life, approaching or even surpassing Pokémon, which also "constructs an alternate world," reaching the level of fantasy world paradigms like Dragon Quest. And his initial wish, or rather his selfish desire, is that the story of another "land" can also be remembered here by more people, even if they don't know what it is or what it means.

So Ernst shook his head.

"It's not over yet."

He looked at Swire and smiled:

"Ms. Swire, would you like to know what happens next?"

"If you want to know, I can slowly tell you the story about this IP."

Swire was taken aback, and her keen business sense immediately made her realize the implication in Ernst's words.

She hadn't expected to gain this much from the trip, but it just so happened to align with her thoughts.

She wanted to break away from the Swire family and make something of herself. And if *Ers* were to truly become a successful IP project, Swire's intuition told him its future was bright!

Even if her judgment was flawed, at least her grandfather, Adams Swire, should have been. This elderly man lying in his hospital bed had extremely high standards for judging commercial works, yet he still praised "Ers" highly, so Swire naturally had no reservations.

What, you're saying that trusting the older generation's judgment is also a way of relying on the family?

What does vision even matter? When it comes to investing, having vision is only the first step. The real key is having enough courage, enough capital to take the gamble, and the right timing and luck! Shih Huai-ya was taught this principle from a young age. Does that mean that just because she wants to make a name for herself, she has to abandon all the knowledge, skills, and habits she accumulated in her family?

Doing that is simply tearing apart a living, breathing person. Whether it will lead you to success is unknown, but it will certainly lead you to a state of mental breakdown!

Besides, Mr. Ernst's reputation is well-known and can be verified by everyone!

The new generation leader of Terra, his reputation speaks for itself. At the World's Fair, all nations except Ursus participated. At the World Games, Kazimierz readily accepted his proposals. At least for now, it seems that following him guarantees victory!

So what are you waiting for?

So, Miss Beatrice Swire straightened her expression, looked Ernst into his eyes, and said earnestly:

"Of course, I'd like to hear more!"

Chapter 381 The Ruthless and Hardcore Man Marna - The Invincible Family Hero!

"You mean Ernst and Lungmen's representative—Beatlex Swire—talked in the room all day?"

"When Miss Swire came out, she not only didn't look tired at all, but was radiant and full of energy, while Ernst looked like he had a dry mouth?"

Russell glanced at the spy standing in front of him, dressed in a Swire-Victoria Hotel waiter's uniform, summarized the information he had gathered, and then showed a surprised expression.

It wasn't that I was surprised by whether the intelligence was problematic, but rather by her identity as a spy.

This doesn't sound like intelligence; it sounds more like a headline from *The Wine Gazette*. Did you contribute to *The Wine Gazette* before you sided with the Business Federation?

Hmm—no, that's not quite right either. The Wine Gazette's headlines are more concise. Russell remembered seeing a copy of the Wine Gazette that Marner hadn't finished reading on the table when he visited the Linguang family before.

Russell was also puzzled as to why Marner liked to read such third-rate tabloids. Marner argued:

"It's just a way to pass the time during work breaks, why bother about what newspaper I'm reading?"

"If it can bring me some enjoyment during my fragmented time, then it's a good entertainment magazine. I don't care what's actually published in it."

But Russell always felt that this reason was not the whole story.

Why read wine news when you could be looking for entertainment? I bet you're just after the gossip.

However, Russell had to admit that the Wine Gazette wasn't entirely without merit. While its exaggerated headlines and false descriptions often misled readers, its publication speed was extremely fast.

How fast? For certain breaking news or urgent intelligence, Russell's intelligence agents might not even have sent the message back before it's already in the Wine Gazette. So fast that Russell had to subscribe to a special edition of the Wine Gazette when he subscribed to newspapers.

Timeliness is the most important element of intelligence. Without timeliness, even if the intelligence is true, it is meaningless. And as long as the intelligence is timely enough, even if it is wrong and requires trial and error, it is still better than nothing.

It is precisely because every reporter at Red Wine News adheres to the principle of seeking news when there is news, and even if there is no news, they will risk their lives to create a big story. This characteristic of being fast and truthful has enabled this tabloid, which should have been a third-rate gossip newspaper, to achieve its current position of occupying half of the Casimir newspaper industry.

If the meticulous and professional Rose Newspaper is Yukino Yukinoshita, then the Wine Newspaper is like the protagonist Sayu, who shaves and then picks up a high school girl!

Ragged pants, but some people like them, and because they're cheap, they have a market to some extent.

Unable to resist asking about the intelligence officer's background, Russell was relieved to learn that the officer was of impeccable revolutionary lineage, that his family owned only a few thousand acres of fertile land, and that his family had relied solely on farming and scholarship for generations.

It's not so much that I've let go, but rather that I've almost let go.

Because she dared not continue the investigation.

I just finished discussing with the representative of Yan State. This representative has a military background, served in the army in his early years, and now lives in Yumen, a key border town of Da Yan. He is a good friend of Zuo Xuanliao, the border general of Yumen.

They then discussed the matter with the representative of Lungmen, who was the eldest daughter of the Victoria Swire Group. At first glance, it seemed like there was no problem, but why would the representative of Lungmen be a Victoria?

It's because, as everyone knows, Adams Swire, the current head of the Swire family, is a close friend of a certain Governor Wei Yanwu who wishes to remain anonymous.

How close were they? The closest brothers are those who fought side by side and visited prostitutes together. Wei Yanwu was a pure-hearted war god, so he didn't have the chance for the latter, but Adams really did fight alongside Wei Yanwu.

Longmen was not previously managed by the Yan Kingdom.

The background of Shih Wwai-ya, a member of a powerful family sent by the patriarch of a large family who had worked with Wei Yan-wu on a "snake-catching operation," was already determined the moment she arrived in Kazimierz.

This has nothing to do with her own wishes. Until she truly achieves something beyond her father’s, people will always see her as “Adams’ granddaughter” and “the new generation of Swire”, not “Miss Beatrix”.

The shadow of reputation.

Swire was backed by Adams, and Adams was very likely backed by Wei Yanwu.

Russell was not from Yan, but coincidentally, she had an immersive experience of this situation where border generals colluded with the central government.

Aside from the Silver Spear Pegasus, which she directly led, she couldn't say for sure which other knightly orders in Kazimierz's Knights of Conquest had accepted bribes from the Commercial Federation, or which had already betrayed them.

Rather, it's more accurate to say, what items were never confiscated...?