People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Ernst gleaned far too many hidden messages from that single "ha."

For example, phrases like "Who are you?", "Who asked you?", "Lynx, shut up!", "Is it your turn to speak?", "You're not allowed to sit at the table to eat!", "You look like you're being cute when you're angry," and so on.

Ernst was pleasantly surprised to discover a new tradition of the Sarkaz.

Whether it's Ascalon or the Shapeshifter Cluster, you all seem to be talking about real damage.

Look how angry Kal'tsit is.

Ernst stood up, reached out and pressed Kal'tsit's shoulder, shaking his head slightly to stop her from summoning mon3tr in her haste.

He looked at the shapeshifter and asked in return:

"What are your terms?"

Hadley made this request on a condition: he wanted to live a stable life in Sherag. Ernst could agree, because Sherag had no shortage of people to live in; one more Hadley wouldn't make a difference, and one less wouldn't make a difference either. Besides, Hadley was quite a talented man.

What about shapeshifters?

The Shapeshifters are the royal court of the Sarkaz, and according to Kal'tsit, the Shapeshifter royal court, and indeed the Shapeshifter race, consists of only one person: the Shapeshifter Cluster.

This was the third Lord of the Court Ernst had encountered, following Logos and Fremont. And in some ways, it could be said that the Shapeshifter was the most influential Lord of the Court within his own race.

He's self-sufficient, has a household registration booklet with only one page, and speaks with absolute authority, his word is law. He has a small amount of influence in the Transformers' Royal Court.

Why would someone like that make such a request?

Ernst gazed at the shapeshifter's face, which could change in countless ways but was now uniform in every way, and said calmly;

"Hedley pledged his allegiance to me for the sake of life, Fremont cooperated with me for the sake of knowledge, the banshee Nasty sought the fusion of dreams and reality here, and the Balrog also found a place here where he could still shine and radiate light even after ten thousand years."

“There is no love or hate without a reason. Sherag gives what those who ask for it ask for, so they reciprocate in their own way. Our relationship is strengthened and grows in this process. And you, Shapeshifter?”

"What are you demanding from us?"

The shapeshifter paused for a moment, then replied:

"The meaning of life".

This is what they have been pursuing all this time.

As one of the few super-old Dane on this land, who has been living in the pupa since the Far Chasers era to the present day, the Shapeshifters have experienced everything Ernst mentioned.

A peaceful life, boundless knowledge, pursuing dreams or conforming to reality—aside from the Balrog's radiant glow, which the shapeshifter doesn't quite understand, everything else is merely a footnote in a chapter of his long life.

What they are pursuing now is nothing more than the meaning of life.

Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going? What is the meaning of our existence?

From the moment the divine beings, the "Overlords," descended from the heavens, war raged across Kazdel (this land), then the Outcasts made a pact with the original Originium, the Tikhontz became rootless to leave behind the seeds of civilization, and then the Originium made repairs, gradually transforming the Sarkaz and this land into their current form—the Shapeshifters have always had this feeling.

Their existence may have been just an accident.

The Far Exiles' contact with the first Originium was an accident, the Sarkaz's fusion with Originium was an accident, the birth of the Sarkaz was an accident, the rise of the Agor was an accident, the existence of the Terran kingdoms was an accident, and the progress of civilization to its present state was also an accident.

The strong find surprises everywhere, while the weak find unexpected events everywhere.

Yet, this fragile civilization has tenaciously sustained its inhabitants, who have pondered this question since ancient times, for countless centuries and millennia.

But they couldn't find the answer.

Therefore, in this Kazdel, a process that they saw as just another cycle, he chose to support Theresis.

Because Theresis is not a demon king, and his target is not the crown. What he wants to obtain is one of the original three Originium stones—[Anana], which is the power to redefine the entire Terra.

He is someone who is caught in a cycle, yet most likely to break it.

Therefore, the Shapeshifter Royal Court, which even the Sarkaz themselves had been isolating and ostracizing, would work for the Military Council and for Theresis.

However, there is more than one way for the Shapeshifter syndicate to disintegrate. Just because they work for Theresis does not mean they cannot listen to Seraphim's opinions. If necessary, they can even speak directly with Rhodes Island, even though Rhodes Island is, in essence, Theresis's enemy.

But that doesn't matter. They've learned a lot. They know very well that they haven't signed a contract of servitude with Theresis. They haven't even signed any "non-compete agreement" with Theresis. Working several jobs at the same time can only be considered part-time, not betrayal!

So they were very curious.

"Ernst, as a Sherag, what is the Sarkaz like in your eyes?"

"What are we, the Shapeshifter community, like in your eyes?"

"What is the Sarkaz civilization, the Terra civilization of today, like in your eyes?"

"In your eyes, how were we born? And how should we face our end? Extinction, or rebirth?"

Ernst blinked.

What are you saying?!

I don't understand!

To perish or to be reborn? Born of a mother!

He was truly exasperated by these old fogies from Terra. They'd start riddles at the drop of a hat, and start philosophical discussions when they didn't see eye to eye. Where did they all learn all this?

My top 3 regrets in life is that I didn't memorize all the philosophy books from my previous life before I transmigrated, so I could have used them to train you guys!

I can't answer that question.

Taking a deep breath, Ernst suppressed the urge to complain and shook his head.

"Then it seems that our cooperation is not possible."

"Not necessarily."

For the first time, the stiff expressions on the shapeshifter swarm's faces changed slightly. He smiled faintly, his gaze towards Ernst showing interest.

“We can see that you actually have an answer in your heart, but you just don’t want to answer us.”

"However, it's alright, we can also talk to you about more practical topics."

The shapeshifter swarm issued a provocation:

"Ernst, you wouldn't want us to look like you and do things that would damage your image, would you?"

Holy crap, they had that trick up their sleeve?

You're not going to go to Mygo, are you?

Ernst was shocked, and Kelsey was even more shocked!

She knew that the Shapeshifter had never stayed in Kazdel; his clones had long been scattered throughout Terra, acting as intelligence eyes and ears, gathering information from all over the continent.

He only ever kept this information to himself and never shared it with anyone else.

Kal'tsit never underestimated Theresis of Londinium, because she knew that with the Shapeshifter group joining the Military Council, Theresis's intelligence system would be many times stronger than imagined. His courage to confront the Victoria Grand Duke's allied forces, which was arguably the fastest warship fleet in the land, was definitely not reckless; there must be an ambush or trap behind him!

But now it seems that the intelligence gathered by the Shapeshifter swarm is, well, it's rather difficult to summarize precisely in the language of this land?

Of course, Kelsey can't summarize it, but Ernst can:

You eat a wide variety of things, huh? What kind of stuff are you studying? So up-to-date with the times!

But I have to say, you've got me figured out!

"So what do you want from me?"

Ernst crossed his arms, adopting a defensive stance in various ways.

The Shapeshifters' group said:

"Cyclops."

"Let the Cyclops prophesy for me."

"I want to know where my destination is."

Chapter 487 Viviana's Experiences in Sherag

Shelag, Tukarim, Square.

Viviana has been in Shelag for some time now.

Life in Sherag was indeed somewhat different from what she had imagined. Here, she didn't need to set an alarm clock early in the morning, nor would anyone call her terminal before dawn to urge her to get up and rush to various film sets. Here, not many people knew her, the Candle Knight, and she no longer needed to wear a mask to conceal her identity when walking down the street.

Although wearing a mask didn't seem to be very effective when we were in Kazimierz.

After news of her arrival in Kherlag spread, quite a few tourists did indeed stake out the streets of Tukarim, hoping to take a photo with her. Viviana didn't mind; she didn't particularly dislike fans. As a poet and a knight, being liked was an honor. Besides, in Kherlag, at least no wine tabloid would spread rumors that she had a "harem of three thousand beauties" just because she took a photo with a fan.

Unless the red wine is itching for a kick in the ass from Ernst with his pointed leather shoes.

Living here is very pleasant.

"In the end of the fairy tale, the prince and princess lived happily ever after, and under their rule, the country was stable and peaceful, and the people lived in peace and contentment."

"People who admire heroes often have endless fantasies about the happy life of princes and princesses. How many children will they have? What will they eat for breakfast every morning? Will they have a romantic candlelight dinner every night? But few people pay attention to, or are willing to pay attention to, the peaceful and stable country and the happy people."

“Aunt Russell, Ernst is right. Life in Sherag is indeed very different from what I imagined. Even the wealthiest and most developed cities here pale in comparison to the neon-lit streets of the Grand Knights. But I love it here. Because there are always sights I never tire of, sounds I never tire of, and a constant flow of change that doesn't feel superficial. Because…”

"Because I never envy the princesses in the palace towers, but I love the common people in the streets and alleys."

"The harvest festival in Kjerag is just around the corner. Viviana Drost sends her festive greetings to Aunt Ioleta Russell. Enclosed are the amulet and plush camel doll I bought in Kjerag. I hope you like them."

The elegant and graceful handwriting paused at a small period. Viviana carefully put the letter away, sealed it in an envelope, affixed a stamp, and dropped it into the mailbox at the Sherag post station, or rather, the post office Ernst called it.

By tomorrow at the latest, the messengers who have reached an agreement with Shelag will come to collect the letter and send it to various parts of Terra. It will take about three days at most for the Grand Knight Commander of Kazimir to receive her letter and hear her thoughts after living in Shelag for more than ten days.

This was indeed her true feeling, and she could assure her that Ernst had not given her a franc and asked her to write these things down.

She, on the other hand, has indeed spent a lot of time and money on opening camel-shaped blind boxes lately.

She desperately wanted the transparent crystal camel, but unfortunately, she couldn't get it through the draw. So persistent was she that she was even considering going directly to Ernst to ask him for some "insider information."

After all, the store manager of Camel Beast Blind Box is always spreading these kinds of insider information, saying which store has limited edition items in its stock today, but unfortunately she always arrives a step too late!

Hmm, it seems I really need to set an alarm for early morning, or ask Mr. Ernst to call me in the morning to wake me up!

With this thought in mind, Viviana smiled gently and took a photo with a Kazimierz fan who had mustered up the courage to come up. Then she noticed someone who was also being watched by the crowd.

In Kjerag, there are now three champions and five trophies.

Miss Mace occupied three seats by herself, Miss Margaret Nearl occupied one, and the remaining seat was occupied by Mr. Marner.

Mr. Marner's trophy was the champion's trophy for the International Games of the Games, and the organizing committee ultimately chose to award Mr. Marner the victory in that final match, to which Ernst had no objection.

Anyway, both Jeston and Marner have already naturalized in Sherag. Whoever wins or loses, the spoils will remain in the same pot. What's there to argue about? Rather, Ernst should thank Jeragund for his second-place finish.

At this moment, the person being surrounded is Miss Margaret.

Viviana actually admired Miss Margaret quite a bit, after all, Mr. Marner was indeed exceptionally strict.

During her time traveling from Rhodes Island to Sherag, Viviana witnessed firsthand the family conflicts between Marna and Margaret—it was practically a game of chess.

Marna counters Margaret, Margaret counters Maria, and Maria counters Marna!

In order to prove her ambition and determination to Marner, Margaret took the initiative to try to become a master of reverse attributes and extended a special training invitation to Mr. Marner.

Then she was beaten to the ground.

It's no exaggeration to say that without using Originium Arts, Margaret is no match for Marna. And with Originium Arts, Margaret is even less of a match for Marna.

There was no way around it. According to Marna, Margaret's parents left a long time ago. She and Maria were raised by him from a young age. Their sword skills, Originium Arts, combat experience, and so on were all passed down from him, their uncle. If even a master can't break a move, let alone a master in person.

Surprisingly, even after being defeated countless times, Margaret never gave up. She challenged again and again until the day Viviana left Rhodes Island, when it was said that she could hold her own against Marna for ten minutes without using Originium Arts.

What has motivated her to work so hard?

"I want to be the light that illuminates Casimir."

Margaret Nearl never shied away from her ideals.

When she first participated in the Special Championship, her goal was to win the title and change Kazimierz. But later, she discovered that the equestrian champion was nothing more than a pampered plaything in a capitalist society, and she could hardly resist Kazimierz's thriving capitalism. Exile was both a disgrace and a redemption for her.

Later, she joined the Apostles. Each of the Apostles had their own secrets. In the process of redeeming others, Margaret Nearl also tried to redeem herself. She still tried to become the light that illuminates others.

Now that she's joined Rhodes Island, she can still loudly answer Marner's questions about her path.

The moon's waning does not diminish its light, and a broken sword's brokenness does not diminish its strength.

Viviana deeply admired Margaret Nearl.

Those who dare to utter these words are like the protagonists in those legendary hymns, harboring the determination to reverse everything; they are extreme heroes, and such people are full of charm.

In the past, Viviana would have included Margaret in her poems. But the current Viviana no longer fully agrees with Margaret's ideals.

Because, as the person who was closest to the audience at that speech, she had wholeheartedly agreed with the person's assertions:

The light of Kazimierz is not given by heroes.