People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

She focused too much on the "next generation that needs a second option" and neglected the "generation that has already had to make a choice."

But Ramalyn didn't think it was Theresa's fault. After all, the person who promised to stand in Theresa's way and be her shield ultimately failed to keep his promise. Faced with overwhelming public opinion, he chose to conform and be swept along. He didn't die before Theresa.

He still has the audacity to invite the banshee to join his gathering of traitors.

Ramalyn swiftly and decisively killed the military council's messenger, leaving her warning on his corpse with a curse: the banshee will never stand by Therese's side!

Aifanil used the same reason to refuse Ramalen's power transfer for the second time. After Theresa's assassination, he chose to remain on Rhodes Island, guarding the successor to Theresa's will, the one named Amiya, or rather, the Chimera.

Lamaren had no choice but to agree to his request, as the child had grown up. So, the nominally legitimate Banshee Queen is currently staying at Rhodes Island under the alias of the elite operator Logos, while the actual Banshee Queen remains in Banshee Valley to continue managing its affairs, showing that even in retirement, she still cares.

Some time ago, when Aifanil returned to the valley, Ramalyn brought up the matter of handing over power for the third time. Logically speaking, after three resignations, the ceremony should be over, and Aifanil should take over the position.

To Ramalen's surprise, Aifanir not only refused the offer, but also boldly declared that the royal court system should be abolished!

He will sound the death knell for all royal courts, including the court of the banshee!

Your Majesty, why do you rebel?

It was only because Lamaren was so easygoing that she wasn't frightened by her son's shocking statement. She even offered a loving word of encouragement: "Alright, alright, our good son can do anything. Go ahead and be useless, go ahead and be useless. Just remember to become stronger and speak more quietly outside. After all, not every ruler of a royal court is as tolerant and magnanimous as your mother."

If you encounter the King of Carrion, remember to call him Uncle Niecilei. If you encounter Little Cat Egg Roll... cough cough, Blood Demon Lord, remember to slap him. If you encounter Theresis, remember to beat him to death.

Then, Ramalyn had to say goodbye to her ambitious eldest son once again and continue living the life of an empty-nest elderly woman.

Fortunately, this time she was smarter. Times are progressing, and the Banshee's Royal Court must also progress. She learned from the robots made by the other Terran kingdoms and also built a magic cart with Aifanir's aunts, brothers, and sisters. She, Aifanir's biological mother, personally cast a spell to specifically block Aifanir's detection spells. She sent it over to infiltrate his side. Although she couldn't broadcast it live, she could record Aifanir's daily life on Rhodes Island!

It can only be said that older people, to varying degrees, share this common interest.

With one sacred stone being broadcast live and another being recorded live in a small car, Lamaren and Jeragand must have a lot in common.

Today, a messenger from a female demon suddenly returned to the valley, bringing them a surprising message.

A lone royal court succubus, Nasti Runorei, suddenly contacted the royal court and sent a letter.

She invited Ramalyn to go to Sherag!

Before reading the letter: Lamarlene: "I'm not going."

After reading the letter: Ramalene: "When are we leaving? Does anyone else want to come along?"

Ahem, it's not that Lamaren's will wasn't strong enough, it's just that Nasti gave her a reason she couldn't refuse.

Aifanir is in Sherag now, and he won't be leaving for a long time.

She had been wanting to know for a long time how her child was doing outside—how was the food? Was he sleeping well? Was he being bullied at work? Had Kal'tsit sent him on another dangerous mission?

Recorded episodes are never as good as live ones, not to mention that the game doesn't have a video editing feature, so many of Aifanir's highlights will be missed!

Of course, Ramallen accepted the invitation not entirely because she wanted to see how Aphrodite worked.

"Kazdelnia? The Sky City of Sarkaz? Sarkaz...the founding of a nation?"

The great sirens of the valley blinked their crimson eyes. They recognized every word in the letter, and every plan seemed plausible. Nasti had indeed put her heart into it; she had used the most concise language to describe what she was doing and the help and support she had already received. The neat and beautiful incantation emitted a faint golden light, and the name "Ernst" was written in every sentence. Ramalen read it countless times before finally discerning the words between the lines: the entire letter was filled with the four words "Theresia!"

She lived a life of great achievements, from battlefields to kitchens. In her youth, she was one of the six heroes of Sarkaz, and in her later years, she became the Banshee Queen, guarding the valley and making Theresis dare not utter a word. Theoretically speaking, what kind of scene hadn't she seen?

"I've never seen anything like this before."

Lamaren said to the other great sirens,

“Our elusive sister seems to have prepared a tremendous surprise for us, in Theresis, and without any Sarkaz knowing about it.”

"Now that she has already wrapped this gift and extended an invitation to us, how can I resist opening this token of her affection?"

"Let's go, I haven't exercised in a long time. It would be nice to go and see Shelag."

Chapter 497 A Grand Gathering of Meat Pigeons!

Wilderness, scar market.

After Scareye's death, the Scar Market was filled with factions. His men, who killed him, thought that with the death of their mercenary king, they could rightfully inherit his vast fortune. Little did they know that their leader was nothing more than a king sitting on a throne made of gunpowder barrels, dictating the fate of the world.

The mercenary market is inherently rife with bloodshed, violence, and pure profit. The difference between allies and enemies is merely the amount of compensation. Once Scarface is dead, who cares whether you were one of Scarface's men?

So what if you are? Mercenaries are willing to assassinate even the Demon King for profit. They are innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. They have the resources left by Scarface and still want to remain the uncrowned kings of the mercenary market? It just shows that they haven't assessed their own worth.

These were the first to die. After that, Scar Market became what it is today, with taverns lining the streets, and no longer any so-called "king" to govern them. Order was solely in the hands of each mercenary broker qualified to operate there.

But today, as the owner of a long-established tavern in the scar market that has stood since the era of scars, Beifeng slowly closed the door of this once bustling, dilapidated house.

She's going to start a new life!

When North Wind first funded the Son of Earth and Stone to go to Shelag, he actually had some hesitation.

After all, Sherag's reputation is now too great. As a well-informed mercenary broker, she receives new information about Sherag almost daily through her various channels, and also gains a considerable number of new commissions.

For example, spying on Kjerag, trying to kidnap Aslan from Kjerag, or... asking Sarkaz mercenaries to assassinate Kjerag's prime minister, Ernst Shivaesh.

Many of these commissions involved exorbitant sums, and the more similar commissions appeared, the more suspicious Beifeng became.

She had seen far too many cases where a reputation was overstated and the reality fell short, and she knew all too well that this was the true norm on the land of Terra. The better Sherag was, the greater its fame, which meant more people were praising it; the more people praised it, the greater the likelihood that it was undeserving of its reputation; and the greater the likelihood that it was undeserving of its reputation, the worse it was.

Therefore, the better the Sherag, the worse the Sherag!

This may sound absurd, but it's not entirely a joke. After all, the standards by which the other nations judge a country's worth are naturally different from those of the Sarkaz.

Laterano, which completely prohibits the existence of Sarkaz within its borders, has been rated as the most livable country in Terra for countless years!

Despite his doubts, Beifeng did not immediately abandon this option.

Everyone needs something to look forward to. Sponsoring Mudrock's journey to Sherag wouldn't cost much money; it was negligible compared to the money she had saved up over her years as a mercenary broker. Besides, she had once been a member of the Carrion Eater's Court. The court was known for its kindness and generosity, and the monthly salary was quite substantial. She hadn't even touched that sum of money.

So she still sent Niyan to Shelag, treating him as a pawn. If Shelag lived up to its reputation, then she would consider it a good deed, a win-win deal between Niyan, who desperately needed food, and herself. If it didn't live up to its reputation, then Niyan was nothing more than a mercenary. She had seen too many mercenaries, and sacrificing a scout for the sake of her own happiness for the rest of her life was not a pity.

This is essential. Once the carrion eaters are engaged in war and no longer absorb life force, their bodies will quickly weaken. In other words, if they keep fighting, their lifespan can be comparable to that of the liches. But if they give up the war, their lifespan may only be enough to eat at the same table as the Wendigo, who become old at three or four hundred years old.

Therefore, if a scavenger wants to pursue a peaceful life in an unusual way, he must ensure that he lives in an absolutely peaceful and stable place, so that even if he weakens, he will not be spied on or harmed by the outside world.

Ideally, we could also open a slaughterhouse to replenish our vitality.

In retrospect, her decision was undoubtedly wise, as the returns from this investment have far exceeded her expectations.

Mudrock had written her no fewer than five letters in this period, and that was only after successfully reaching Scar Market; there were probably many more that failed to arrive along the way for various reasons. And all of these letters described the peace, stability, development, and prosperity of Sherag, and most importantly, its friendly attitude towards the Sarkaz.

"Honestly, Bathory, can you believe it?"

As Beifeng packed his belongings, he sighed to the old acquaintances who had come to say goodbye:

"There are actually places on this land that don't reject the Sarkaz. The mercenary I sent to Sherag built a few pack animal pens for the Sherag people and reinforced their houses. Surprisingly, she received gifts during their harvest festival and an award from their prime minister, and was elected as a member of some kind of [Sarkaz Residents' Committee]."

Leaning back in his chair, legs crossed, the white-haired Blood Demon raised an eyebrow, took a sip of the rare red wine from the North Wind Tavern—a vintage from a Gallic nobleman's cellar—which he might not have another chance to drink afterward, and asked curiously:

"What does that mean?"

"It's like you brought back a few blood slaves for your Blood Demon family, and then you gained the respect of all the Blood Demons, and even received rewards and commendations from your Blood Demon Lord, becoming a new generation of prince."

"puff!"

The blood demon called Bathory couldn't help but spit it out, followed by a burst of laughter:

"Your joke-telling skills are getting better and better, North Wind. If you ask me, you should go to the Military Council and liven things up. I heard that Londinium is as gloomy as a large cemetery right now!"

Beifeng raised his head, looked at the Blood Demon lady in her black lace dress, and asked in return:

Do you think I'm joking with you?

“Isn’t that right?” Bathory blinked.

The north wind simply watched her.

Bathory's smile vanished, replaced by a serious question:

"Are you serious?"

"Why pretend to be so surprised, Bathory? You canceled your planned trip from Clerbrasson (formerly Gaul, now part of Victoria, the tour location of the Scarlet Theatre Company) to Lentinium, and came here specifically to say goodbye. Is it because we are such good friends?"

Bei Feng laughed, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, his tone carrying a hint of provocation.

"You don't want to heed the call of your Blood Demon Lord. You want to come with me to Sherag, right?"

Bathory turned her head away, refusing to meet the north wind's gaze, and vehemently denied it:

"I...I didn't! Why would you think I had those kinds of thoughts?!"

"Alright, alright, if you want to, just say it out loud, otherwise how will I know?"

"I already said I didn't go there. I've never even heard of that place. Let whoever wants to go to Shelag go!"

"OK then."

The north wind shrugged, revealing a helpless expression.

"What a pity, I thought I could have someone to accompany me on the journey. After all, you dance quite well, and you might even be able to find a dance teacher job in Kjerag."

Bathory turned around, a hint of surprise on his face:

"real or fake?"

“Of course it’s true. After all, Hadley is now a teacher in Sherag. No matter how legendary he is, he’s still just a mercenary. You, on the other hand, are a noble member of the Blood Demon Court. In terms of etiquette, speech, knowledge, and even your alluring figure, what can Hadley possibly compare to you?”

"North Wind Path." Upon hearing this, Miss Blood Demon unconsciously puffed out her perfectly curvaceous chest.

Although the phrase "alluring figure" coming from the mouth of a scavenger feels somewhat eerie, like a compliment that you "taste good," it must be said that Bathory was quite pleased.

Unfortunately, before she could even rejoice over this high praise, the North Wind shrugged, cruelly interrupting her:

"What a pity, none of this matters to you anymore, does it?"

The north wind shouldered its backpack, lifted the suitcase it had somehow acquired, and offered its heartfelt wishes to Bathory.

"I hope the next time we meet, it won't be to see news of your death in the newspapers."

"But that's impossible. Carrion Eaters and Blood Demons are races that understand war, so they should know that even if a royal court can shine in other places, there won't be a special section to mourn us when we die on the battlefield."

“You died like an ant, Bathory.”

Bathory's expression darkened. North Wind ignored her hesitant look and left the temporarily closed tavern.

After stepping out the door, she began to count down in her mind.

"3, 2, 1."

"North wind!"

The call arrived as expected. North Wind stopped, glancing sideways at the Blood Demon Lady chasing after him. A blush of shyness flushed her flawless white face as she looked at North Wind somewhat bashfully, whispering:

"Take me one."

The North Wind chuckled softly: "Didn't you say you weren't going?"

Miss Blood Demon's face turned even redder:

"I changed my mind."

"You planned to go from the very beginning, didn't you?" Beifeng bluntly exposed. "I've been in the brokerage business for decades, even centuries. You're much easier to understand than those mercenaries."

Bathory paused for a moment, then realized what she meant: "You've been playing me all along?"

The north wind shrugged noncommittally:

"Alright, since you're leaving, hurry up and pack your things. I won't wait for you for long."

Bathory glared fiercely at the North Wind, gritting his teeth for a long time before finally squeezing out a sentence:

"Who needs you to wait for me! Half an hour, no, fifteen minutes is enough!"

After saying that, she didn't look at Bei Feng's smiling, pale gray eyes, but turned around and transformed into a cloud of blood mist, drifting away into the distance.

North Wind leisurely returned to his tavern.

She hadn't actually finished packing; she was just teasing the blood demon.

As for why they did this, we have to start with Mudstone's letter.

"The Sarkaz Residents' Council already includes banshees, liches, earth children, fire demons, and ordinary Sarkaz represented by Hedre."

"If you include me, there will be six."

In his letter, Mudstone said that what Prime Minister Ernst wanted to establish was not the Sarkaz royal court, but some kind of "modern bureaucratic system".

But Beifeng knew very well that even if it wasn't the royal court, the royal court race still had to exist.

The Sarkaz may not divide their royal courts by race, and may no longer have kings or queens, but races like the Carrion Eaters and Blood Demons are still Sarkaz. Ernst cannot eliminate them, nor can he expel them from the Sarkaz races that make up one-sixth of the main Sarkaz ethnic group and perhaps one-fifth or even one-quarter of the population.

Blood Demons and Carrion Eaters are now the main force of the Sarkaz, since other pure-blooded races are dying out.