People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Elki nodded.

This land has never lacked talented people, so it's not surprising that one or two people like Kal'tsit occasionally appear, let alone someone like Ernst.

【Vortex of Emptiness】Why is it a vortex? Because it will entangle the fates of countless people. As the source of this disturbance, it's not surprising that the Cyclops wasn't the first to notice Ernst's peculiarity. Moreover, the Cyclops had actually known about Rhodes Island and Kal'tsit for a long time.

They were reclusive yet not closed-minded. Kazdel had experienced yet another civil war, and the new Demon Lord had died once again due to betrayal. They had foreseen this, and the existence of Rhodes Island naturally did not escape their notice.

While the Sarkaz were still anxiously awaiting the birth of their new Demon Lord, the Cyclopes were among the few who already knew that the Sarkaz possessed a race with a [Chimera] Demon Lord.

But so what? The Cyclops's gaze had long since left Kazdel and the Sarkaz, so their knowledge remained confined to their inner circle and wouldn't spread. And obviously, no ordinary Sarkaz could travel the long distance to Sami to inquire about such a thing from the Cyclops.

"What happened to Lady Kal'tsit?"

"She is not feeling well."

Ernst was telling the truth.

When she's not having an episode, Kal'tsit looks pretty much like a normal person.

But after the shapeshifter personally visited Ernst's office and discussed the "deal" with Ernst face to face, Kal'tsit fell seriously ill.

In Ernst's opinion, her health problems likely started much earlier, given that she repeatedly fainted in her office, making it difficult to call her "healthy and long-lived."

This time, however, Kal'tsit's illness was more serious.

Simply put, she has "morphogenetic syndrome".

The shapeshifters threatened her, telling her not to get involved in the Cyclops's prophetic ritual, or at least not until he had received the Cyclops's prophecy and learned a part of his own destiny. They asked Kal'tsit to stay away.

The Shapeshifter swarm was actually quite responsible. He knew very well that the Cyclops's foresight often foresaw tragedy, and this foresight specifically targeting him could very well foresee his death.

The Shapeshifter horde has long yearned for death, but Kal'tsit is, after all, him—the military council he now assists and the enemy of Theresis. To let Kal'tsit see his foresight is tantamount to aiding the enemy.

The shapeshifter syndicate's bottom line is clear: he can take on side jobs, but he won't betray them. If the Cyclops's foresight only reveals his death, that's fine; but if it directly exposes a fatal weakness he himself was unaware of, that would be troublesome.

Theresis had already had enough on his plate. While the Shapeshifter swarm had no intention of relieving him of his burdens, it at least didn't intend to put any more pressure on him.

The Shapeshifter swarm didn't actually say what would happen if Kal'tsit didn't back down, but Kal'tsit still agreed to the request. She knew very well the current state of Rhodes Island's defenses; if the Shapeshifter swarm were truly provoked and wanted to cause destruction on Rhodes Island, Rhodes Island's current rudimentary defense system would be completely ineffective, and the entire island would be turned upside down in less than half a day.

Ernst was willing to stand up for Kal'tsit, after all, he had invited Kal'tsit himself, and the way the shapeshifter group was acting was somewhat disrespectful to him.

But Kal'tsit said, "There's no need for that."

"You invited me to witness the Cyclops' ritual simply because you wanted to use my knowledge to answer some questions about the Cyclops' foresight, and to counteract and cleanse any potential demonic contamination."

"But the same thing that the group of shapeshifters around you can actually do."

The Shapeshifter Cluster is perhaps the only entity on Terra that can rival Kal'tsit in terms of lifespan. It can be said that if we disregard their status as creations of a previous civilization, the Shapeshifter Cluster understands what Kal'tsit knows, has witnessed the history that Kal'tsit has witnessed, and has some knowledge of the "Kal'tsit formula" for dealing with evil spirits that Kal'tsit possesses.

Kal'tsit was touched that Ernst had the heart to help her, but if it came to gambling on whether the Sarkaz, the most threatening, most humanoid yet least humanoid group in his eyes, would give up their private revenge, then Kal'tsit thought it was better to pass.

"If you wish, you can inform me of the results of your foresight afterward, and I will do my best to unravel the mysteries for you. During the experiment, I will also wait outside the government building to prevent any accidents. But as for my involvement, I will refrain from doing so."

Ernst had no choice but to accept Kelsey's demands.

So, there are actually only four people in the room right now.

Ernst, Typhon, Elchi, and the group of shapeshifters disguised as Raphsini, disguised as a small stove.

"So, Ms. Elchi, what are the facts and rituals you mentioned in your letter?"

Ernst asked curiously.

Two days ago, Ernst received a letter from Elki in Sami, which mentioned Elki's identity as a representative of the Cyclops royal court and the purpose of her trip—to verify a fact and hold a ceremony.

"What facts does the Cyclops royal court want to verify on me? And what ceremony will they hold?"

Faced with Ernst's question, Elchi smiled slightly and gave an answer that left Ernst somewhat puzzled:

“Mr. Ernst, from the moment I met you, the fact that I have been pursuing, and that all the Cyclopes have been pursuing, has been proven.”

"So fast?"

Ernst was stunned. He had only officially met with El Qi for about ten minutes, during which they had been chatting and he hadn't seen El Qi use any magic. What had he verified?

This verifies whether I really exist.

But Elki nodded, his voice somewhat unsteady and dreamy:

Sometimes, all it takes is one glance, just one look. And one more look...

"Cough cough!"

Typhon coughed twice, but it had no effect, so he reached out and pinched Elki's arm. Only then did Elki come to his senses and give Ernst an apologetic smile.

For some reason, Ernst always felt that Elki's smile, whether now or just now, was a bit like that of a madman.

Could I have guessed right? Are all Cyclopes really a bit freakish?

Indeed, being alone in a snow-covered cave, all you have to do every day, besides secretly spying on the fate of all of Terra with your foresight, is deal with demons that can drive you crazy, and you might even have to face the psychological pressure of the approaching doomsday threat. If you don't have some kind of mental problem after doing this day after day, year after year, it would be a problem to have.

Maybe we should have sent Kal'tsit; after all, she's a doctor...

Wait, did Elchi foresee my idea beforehand?

Somewhat horrified, Ernst stared at the Cyclops before him, only to see her suddenly stick out her tongue and lick her dry lips. Ernst was startled and involuntarily took a step back!

To avoid Elchi's strange gaze, Ernst had to forcefully try to change the subject:

"Um, Ms. Elchi, what did you see?"

"I've heard that Cyclops have the ability to foresee the future and know people's fates. To be honest, I'm very curious about that too."

What do you see in me?

Ernst straightened up.

Although Cyclops mostly foresees tragedy, the ability to predict the future has been revered since ancient times. Whether it's drawing lots, divination, consulting fortune tellers on the street, or engaging in cyber prophecy online, even though they have all been proven unreliable, people are still willing to try this enduring form of entertainment.

But Ernst has now encountered a true master of prophecy, a royal envoy. How could he not be curious?

What will my future look like?

Has the International Summit been established? Has Sherag risen to power? Has Terra's crisis been resolved?

Are the people I love doing well?

Although he knew he might not get a good, satisfactory answer, Ernst was mentally prepared.

Knowing about Bad End is not bad either; just consider it as collecting defeat CGs. In real life, there aren't many good opportunities like this where you can get CGs without any cost.

Ahem... I mean, we can learn from these experiences!

Elki looked at Ernst:

"Are you curious?"

Ernst nodded.

Elchi laughed, giving Ernst an answer he had never expected:

"I am also very curious."

“Mr. Ernst, foresight is nothing in you. You are the stage of unpredictable destiny, the wall of sighs at the end of foresight, the eternal vortex from which all destinies cannot escape. I see nothing in you.”

"Not only me, but the court of the Cyclopes that I represent has made hundreds of prophecies for you, but no matter who it is, no matter which one, all we see is nothingness."

To call it blank would be an oversimplification; nothingness is Ernst's true state in Elchi's eyes.

Because even a blank 0 is a number. Although 0 multiplied by any number equals 0, it is still a mathematical formula. Even a cyclops, peering into the future, could arrive at the answer of a fate ending in 0. But what about nothingness—how can you add, subtract, multiply, or divide something that doesn't exist with other observable data?

Unpredictable.

This is the famous Ernst uncertainty principle proposed by the Cyclops!

However, before Ernst could even recover from his astonishment, Elchi had already pulled a crown woven from jet-black thorns from his robes, stepped forward, stood before Ernst, and asked with a haughty yet reverent air:

"As for the ceremony, would you like to begin now?"

"Wh...what kind of ceremony?"

Elki, holding the crown in his hands, solemnly declared:

"By royal court tokens, all Cyclopes pledge allegiance to you, the one who shatters destiny."

Chapter 490 The Crown Cannot Prove Ernst's Value

The crown was pulled out, the title was chosen, the attitude was made clear, everything was ready. All that was missing was a line: "Prime Minister Ernst, it's getting cold, shall we put on another layer?"

Ernst was dumbfounded.

Hey girl... oh no, you might be older than me.

Sister, you can't joke like that! Our Shelag is a legitimate democratic government. I, En, was chosen by the people, appointed by the Three Races Conference, and trusted by the great god Yelagand to become the Prime Minister of Shelag. The responsibility of Shelag's "two capitals and thirteen provinces" rests on my shoulders. Please don't make things difficult for me!

In Kjerag, the fate of anyone who aspires to be emperor is crystal clear. Do you think the story of the "Snow Mountain Tyrant" isn't classic enough, or that the stone of Jeragund isn't hard enough?

Looking at the black thorn crown in Elchi's hand, Ernst silently took a step back.

He could never accept this crown.

If Ernst becomes the king of Sarkaz, even if he's not some kind of demon king, but the ruler of the royal court, then Ernst's good days are over.

Not only will his attempt to help the Sarkaz establish a nation be interpreted by those with ulterior motives as an expansionist act by the "Snow Leopard Demon King," but what about his work in Sherag? How will it proceed in the future?

How could he explain to Nasti, Emengard, Hedre, Mudrock, and the other Sarkaz that he had inexplicably become superior to them in their system? And how could he openly and legitimately abolish the Sarkaz shackles of the Royal Court system in Sherag and replace it with the governance method of the Sarkaz Residents' Committee?

Titles bring power, but also corresponding obligations. The most important thing in officialdom is to "think thrice: think of danger, think of change, think of retreat." Ernst certainly understood this principle, and he wouldn't be blinded by this sudden sugar-coated bullet.

Shelag is a republic, and it will always be a republic. Anyone who tries to become emperor in the republic will lose their head!

Even if he were to become the emperor of a foreign race!

So Ernst reached out and pushed back the crown that Elchi offered him:

"Take this back."

Elki was slightly taken aback, somewhat incredulous:

“Mr. Ernst... are you unwilling to accept the Cyclops's allegiance?”

Ernst shook his head:

“I can slowly explain the policies of Shelag to you and introduce the lifestyle of Shelag Sarkaz. You, and the other Cyclopes, if you are satisfied with this, can swear allegiance to me, to the Shelag government, and to this country, and become its subjects, but you don’t need to go through this crown. You have other options.”

"For example, joining the Sarkaz Residents' Committee."

"Sarkaz... Residents' Committee?"

Elki repeated the unfamiliar term.

This clearly touched upon a blind spot in the Cyclops' knowledge. After all, in Sami, people lived together in tribal communities, and the concept of residents' committees didn't exist.

If she had to say, the word reminded her of Theresis's "Kazdel Military Council".

Do you want us to fight for you?

Elki asked,

"If this is your wish, the Cyclops will agree."

Cyclopes were indeed weary of war, but that was because they knew that war would change nothing. They could foresee the outcome of war from the beginning, so naturally they wouldn't bother with something that yielded no benefit.

But if this war is Ernst's will, then the Cyclops will reconsider. Because Ernst's fate is uncertain, and everything he does is unpredictable, his war might bring different results.

For the sake of the "unpredictability" provided by Ernst, the Cyclops was willing to try anything, even if it meant trial and error.

But Ernst shook his head.

"The residents' committee will not be responsible for war. The residents' committee was established for peace."

Why did Ernst establish the Sarkaz Residents' Committee?

In the immediate sense, it was to unify the management of the Sarkaz who came to Shelag through Ernst's "Sarkaz Talent Introduction Program" and to ensure that their increasing numbers would not cause unrest or chaos.

Looking at the bigger picture, this is to cultivate Sarkaz's administrative talent for the future of Kazdelnia, preventing the newly established Sarkaz nation from following the same path as countless previous Kazdel nations. Because of a lack of talent, they had to select people from the royal court. However, selecting talent from the royal court inevitably led to a superficial change in the upper echelons of the new Kazdel, with the old factions of the royal court remaining unchanged. This would ultimately result in either a civil war with the question, "How can a country be governed well with these insects?" or an external war with the question, "Tata-ka, I'll drive out every single one of the nations of Terra!"

But from any perspective, Ernst established this institution for the purpose of peace and order.

“If that day ever comes and Kjerag faces war, it will be all the people of Kjerag who will step forward, including the Sarkaz, but certainly not just the Sarkaz,” Ernst said.

Elki opened his mouth slightly, looking at Ernst, seemingly lost in thought.

Meanwhile, "Lafshini," who had been standing in the corner of the room, stepped forward and stated in a detached tone what she had witnessed:

"Emissary of the Cyclops, take back your high priest's crown."