People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

"That's why the solution to dispel the darkness is so appealing, and the process of protecting this beauty is so fraught with hardship."

"But I want to tell you that it's actually not difficult."

In front of everyone, Ernst raised his terminal and turned on his flashlight.

A soft light suddenly shone on Ernst's face and illuminated his surroundings.

What a faint ray of light it was! When it illuminated the venue, people were still immersed in the rising sun of [Near Light] released by Marner. Compared to that, Ernst's faint light emitted from his private terminal seemed utterly insignificant; after all, its limit was merely to illuminate itself and a tiny area outside itself.

But that's enough.

Ernst showed no sign of discouragement.

Because he has already shown everyone how to dispel the darkness around them.

A bright light appeared, followed by a second, a third...

With a capacity of tens of thousands, the largest equestrian stadium in Kasimir, during the most-watched sporting event, saw tens of thousands of people raise their devices and turn on their flashlights one after another.

They shone the light on themselves, they shone the light on others, they reaped the light from each other, and the suffocating darkness and loneliness of the Great Meltdown in the four cities was so easily broken at this moment.

A single, insignificant beam of light from a flashlight shining on each other connected two isolated islands in the vast ocean of modern society.

This was Ernst's purpose.

"The light of Kazimierz is not given by heroes."

"Knights rise from the ranks, just as you do; merchants rise from the marketplace, just as you do. You are the foundation of everything, the source of power for all things."

“My dear compatriots, this is the way to dispel the darkness.”

Ernst paused for a moment, then made his final declaration:

"As long as you raise the 'torch' in your hands, the whole of Kazimierz will be lit up for you!"

"Its daybreak!"

The next second, the darkness around Ernst receded like a tide.

Ernst turned around and subconsciously praised him:

"Well done, Viviana."

But the sudden burst of the lively music of "Great Knights" interrupted his voice.

“I didn’t do it, Mr. Ernst.”

Looking up at the sky, now illuminated again by neon lights, and at the large screen projecting the competition venue and the faces of the people in the center of the stage, Viviana's expression melted with happiness as she looked at Ernst, who wore a look of astonishment, as if he truly hadn't expected it.

She had never seen such a romantic scene.

Its daybreak.

"Yes, it's dawn."

P.S.: Another 5,000 words. It's truly dawn outside now. Writing 10,000 words a day is indeed a considerable challenge for an author, but thankfully, the ample word count ensures I can write the content I want, and readers can enjoy a satisfying read. The Kazimierz arc is now officially nearing its end. This part of the story is relatively the longest I've written, and I've tried many new writing techniques. The final grand scene is one I've been constantly conceiving and refining since the initial outline of the Kazimierz arc. I hope you're all satisfied.

After the wrap-up, it will be time for everyone to return to Shelag and rebuild the royal court! Stay tuned!

Chapter 451 The Terra International Human Rights Council is established!

What is the most expensive thing in Kasimir today?

A few days ago, some might have said it was a seat in the Business Federation, an opportunity to dine with the Candle Knights, or the investiture as Grand Knight Commander of the Supervisory Council.

The person who provided these answers never imagined that one day, all the "most expensive things in Kazimierz" he listed would be instantly and completely circulated online by one person in a single night. Furthermore, no one who knew the details considered this special treatment problematic; it was simply a matter of course, and his contribution was entirely deserving of such a reward!

His meritorious service in numerous battles deserves this reward!

Correspondingly, the top spot on the list of the most expensive items in Kazimierz has changed.

A small ticket stub, whose owner boasted about his experience to everyone he met after that night:

"I bought tickets to the World Games finals, and I listened to Ernst Shivaesh's speech. Look, my ticket stub is still here! I have to frame it and pass it down! When my descendants are no longer successful, this will be their capital to turn things around!"

Admittedly, Ernst, the speaker, was somewhat amused and exasperated by the behavior of people treating his tickets as antiques. This was certainly not his intention. "If you had told me earlier that a single ticket stub could fetch a sky-high price at auction, I would have become an official scalper long ago, doing nothing but printing as many tickets as I could."

Before long, Sherag will be able to become wealthy and live a comfortable life.

He had to admit that he was indeed far behind the merchants of Kazimierz in terms of finding business opportunities. But to some extent, the huge sales of a single ticket stub also demonstrated his current influence.

The Supervisory Commission and the Business Federation have already given up.

The incident, sealed in top-secret official files and named the "Four-City Meltdown," lasted a total of twenty-five minutes and caused direct economic losses to Kazimir amounting to one billion marks. This figure was already quite conservative. To make the leaders who received the reports feel better and prevent them from collapsing on the spot, and also to protect their hard-won jobs, the statisticians deliberately listed all the direct losses, indirect losses, subsequent impacts, and costs of quelling public opinion separately, creating more than a dozen reports in total. They placed the largest amount of direct losses at the top, which barely made the leaders who received the reports feel that the losses were gradually decreasing, thus providing them with a self-deceptive sense of comfort.

In reality, without a doubt, after removing the miracles of the sudden appearance of the god of statistics, the real number would be much higher!

But neither the Grand Knight Commander of the Supervisory Council, who was utterly devastated by losses, nor the directors of the Business Federation, who were so broke they had to take the bus to work, raised any objection to the figure. Instead, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, displaying an unusual tolerance and satisfaction, because they knew very well that this figure would have been even more unacceptable.

It was Ernst who helped them stop their losses in time!

His speech at the Pegasus Arena, which he himself titled "I Have a Dream," but which many Kazimierz also called "The Speech of Light," did indeed maintain order among the Kazimierz elite and foreign dignitaries gathered at the arena. His claim that the "Four-City Meltdown" was a "gift from Kazimierz to him and the World Games, highlighting the theme" was believed by some and not by others. But regardless of their belief, tell me, did it have any effect?

Russell's decision during the restart further strengthens the credibility of this claim.

No audience member will forget that scene: when Ernst said "It's dawn," the entire Grand Knights Territory "opened its eyes." His dazzling neon lights illuminated the sky, and bright spotlights, accompanied by the stirring theme music of "Grand Knights Territory" that resounded throughout the arena, shone on Ernst, making him the only protagonist on that stage!

This could certainly not be a coincidence, but in terms of public explanation, whether it was "pre-planned from the beginning, a performance to complement Ernst's speech" or "Russell's impromptu decision to cover up the truth" remains unknown, at least until the Kazimierz authorities declassify this part of the archives.

In recognition of Ernst's outstanding contributions, the Business Federation offered its own compensation.

They have made a significant investment in Shelag's infrastructure, healthcare, and tourism sectors. Several well-known companies in Kazimir will also be opening branches in Shelag soon. To demonstrate their sincerity, the vast majority of staff for these branches will be recruited and trained in Shelag, with the entire process funded by the companies themselves. Only the position of branch director will be filled by personnel parachuted in from Kazimir headquarters, adding a touch of Kazimir to make it clear that this is still a foreign-invested enterprise.

Because the “Four-City Meltdown” incident cannot be directly disclosed, these rewards will naturally be packaged as normal commercial investments and implemented in batches over the next four years. This is also a helpless move. The losses suffered by the Business Federation this time are too great, and it will take time to recover. After all, they are businessmen. They can’t just do what Corsica I of Gaul did when he aided Colombia’s independence and donated all their savings, can they?

You should still try to earn some money.

In fact, even without this unexpected incident, the Business Federation's investment in Kjerag was already in the works. Merchants, with their keen business sense, certainly recognized Kjerag's potential. A country situated at the intersection of Victoria, Casimir, and Colombia, it essentially controlled the throat of international trade. If it were willing to open up and resolve transportation and logistics issues, its future development would be limitless. However, in that case, the Business Federation probably wouldn't have offered such generous terms, but rather adopted some of the "journalists'" ideas, operating Kjerag as a commercial colony of Casimir.

But now.

The Business Federation wouldn't have such thoughts, unless they wanted to see Ernst reveal the "Four Cities Meltdown" in his memoirs.

Cooperation is a better solution.

Compared to the generosity of the Business Federation, the Supervisory Committee seemed rather stingy.

They bestowed an honorary title upon Ernst.

Without fiefdoms or servants, the traditional knightly nobility had long been swept into the dustbin of history in modern-day Kazimierz. The title of Lord Ernst he received was merely an honorary title that granted him numerous privileges, such as receiving invitations to banquets hosted by the Council of the Inspectors, being addressed as "Lord Ernst," and, if he wished, being able to bypass the "Kazimierz" threshold as a nobleman and offer opinions or cast a vote in legislative elections in the Council of the Inspectors and the National Assembly. In short, it was a rather useless honorary title.

Yes, of course. This title doesn't require Ernst to register a "Long Rider" in Casimir to maintain, and the Knights Guild certainly wouldn't dare to strip him of it.

Pretty stingy, right?

Because the Supervisory Council really couldn't offer anything. In terms of money, they certainly couldn't compete with the Merchants' Association; in terms of prestige, the knighthood they granted Ernst was already a historical precedent. Besides that, what else could the Supervisory Council offer?

When Russell asked Ernst this question, Ernst replied:

"Give me an answer."

This is the only thing the Supervisory Council can offer.

As the legitimate government of Kazimir, the biggest advantage of the Oversight Council over the Business Federation is that it can make decisions that represent the official stance of Kazimir.

While the social discussion and buzz surrounding "I Have a Dream" had not yet subsided, Ernst seized the opportunity to launch Hammer and the Terra International Human Rights Council.

This, of course, evoked some unpleasant memories for some people.

For example, the Duke of Caesar's plans in Lentinium were almost ruined because of Ernst's "humanitarian speech" to the Duke of Wellington.

Therefore, including her, the vast majority of the representatives from various countries who came to participate in this international Games chose to remain on the sidelines when faced with this proposal.

At this time, at Ernst's request, the Casimir Supervisory Council became the leader.

“Kasimir will support this proposal. If the nations of the land so disregard their people, then Kasimir is willing to be the one to stand out.”

“Kasimir, join the Terra International Human Rights Council.”

Ernst had heard this famous saying in his previous life: "A crowd is like a flock of pigeons; if one flies to the left, the rest will follow." The first bird to stick its neck out may often end up being shot, but after it does, countless others will follow that path.

The Oversight Council has clearly stated its position. Kazimir joined the Terra International Human Rights Council; Kazimir does not disregard any of his citizens. What about you?

Are you following Kazimir, or do you want Kazimir to become that "maverick" nation, just to prove that you are all so inhuman?

As it turns out, the vast majority of people still have a sense of shame.

We often say that the leaders of Terra are a group of anthropomorphic beings, but the difference between being anthropomorphic and being completely inhuman is that they still have to "imitate" and pretend.

Everyone wants to join the World Summit. If no one takes the lead in responding to the Human Rights Council's proposal, then everyone can think it's better to do nothing and remain inactive. But once one country chooses to respond, the rest will inevitably have to make a choice.

Not to mention that the country that responded was Kazimir, a country that is not small and (once) had the ability to compete for a place among the five permanent members of the Security Council.

Ernst and Hermer watched as the representatives exchanged bewildered glances. A few who could directly represent their respective countries chose to follow suit, while others hesitated.

Until the Duke of Caesar also took action.

She smiled at Ernst and then raised her hand.

The representatives from various countries breathed a sigh of relief and promised to report the matter to their leaders upon returning home, with a high probability that it would be approved.

Exciting news!

When Ernst pinned the medal for the President of the Terra International Human Rights Council—a medal with three arms clasped together in an alternating manner, symbolizing solidarity and mutual assistance—on Himer's chest, he could feel the heart pounding fiercely in the chest of this conscientious Liberi woman, and he could see the tears of emotion welling up in her eyes behind her thick glasses.

Congratulations! We'll be colleagues from now on. Please take good care of me.

"Well, Mr. Ernst, I also have a gift for you!"

Hemer said this, and took out a simple necklace from his dark green sweater.

The necklace was strung together with very ordinary black silk thread, with a small, encapsulated brown feather as a pendant.

The taciturn researcher Li Boli would entrust her feelings to the feathers she presented. It was an acknowledgment of Ernst, an expectation of the Terra International Human Rights Council, a hope for the future, and also a expression of her sincere heart.

Ernst paused, reaching out to take the feather, but saw Himer take a half-step back, then raise his hand and put the feather necklace around Ernst's neck.

"Thanks,"

She spoke softly, a serene and contented smile on her face.

"I hope Mr. Ernst will continue to take care of me in the future!"

Chapter 452 Tin Man: You call yourself a "reporter"?

Columbia, Mark Max, District of Columbia.

The four-city meltdown has ended, and the infected individuals who participated in the invasion of the Business Federation ultimately failed to leave the building's basement, which is good news for "the reporter."

For him, those infected people, if alive, posed a far greater threat than those who were dead.

As long as a person is alive, they can speak, utter things they shouldn't say, and slander people they shouldn't slander. As a "journalist" who is somewhat influenced by the spirit of Colombians, he looks down on Casimir, the inefficient Business Federation, and the corrupt and decadent Control Council. But he cannot look down on their interrogation methods, nor can he think too highly of the integrity of the infected.

Hoping they can keep the secret is like hoping Casimir will overtake Colombia tomorrow, but how is that possible?

In this great nation, there are no nobles, no knights, no rivals who hold each other back, and no officials who will boss you around. Everyone is a tiny cog in this enormous machine, following the guidance of the great central mastermind, the all-knowing and all-powerful President of Colombia, Mark Max. And Mark Max never makes a mistake, so they can keep moving forward, forward! Until they reach the summit!

Oh, this is the great Colombia, the only place on this land where dreams and careers can truly be realized!

Phew, I've gone a bit off-topic and spent too much time marveling at the greatness of Colombia.

However, doesn't this also prove the gap between Colombia and Casimir?

Those infected people had no chance of survival anyway, but they shouldn't have died outside the building. They should have died quietly in the wilderness, on their way to the post station to find what he called "the remaining payment left there." He didn't know why the Business Federation and the Supervisory Council had discovered his arrangements so quickly, but he felt it was probably related to that Sherag man who had been too active in Kazimierz.

Regardless of the truth, the fact is that after the infected were allowed to leave through a deal with the Business Federation, he had to initiate his own infiltration of the Oversight Council.

The infiltration was indeed very effective, but a chaotic battle ensued when a single Inspectorate Knight, enraged as the infected left, launched an attack.

Well... using the term "chaotic battle" is somewhat inaccurate. In fact, the Knights of the Overwatch Council, who already disliked the exhausted but still rebellious infected, simply carried out a simple "annihilation" operation.

Just like when they used to wipe out gangs and roaming infected criminals in the city.

The final result, naturally, was that none of the infected survived.

This level of infiltration is neither excessive nor insignificant. As an ambitious individual, "Journalist" has many similar contingency plans, not only within the Supervisory Council but also within the Business Federation and among the knights who fight on the frontier.

But he never succeeded in such an infiltration in Colombia.

The government of the District of Columbia... is airtight. The "journalist" dislikes using such a word, but so far he has indeed failed to establish even a single connection within the District government, let alone build a tight network of relationships to protect him.

But he was not discouraged by this. As a "runren" (a term used to describe someone who is kind and gentle), he knew how to comfort himself.

"Such integrity is what distinguishes Colombia from Casimir! It also proves that I've come to the right place."