People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

If Mudstone's description of Ernst's plans in the letter is correct, then his plan is indeed a grand blueprint, so grand that even she, who thought herself disheartened, couldn't help but feel her heart surge with excitement.

Heaven, nation-building, Sarkaz unity—it's already incredible if any one of these three words appears in the Sarkaz, but who knew that one day someone would actually realize them all in the Sarkaz?

Such a grand plan certainly cannot exclude Sarkaz such as Carrion Eaters and Blood Demons.

So, rather than letting Ernst rack his brains and grit his teeth trying to find a suitable blood demon representative, she might as well put in a little more effort and present Ernst with this gift. Consider it payment from this scavenger, who, wanting to escape the war and inevitably weakening, sought refuge in Sherag.

As for why Bathory was chosen...

Given her behavior just now, is there even a need to ask why?

She's so easy to understand. She's not stubborn, she's not short-tempered, she's flexible, she can be both domineering and cute... cough cough, that doesn't count.

In short, among the royal court's blood demons who practically suck the marrow from a person's bones, Bathory looked like a delicate and innocent beauty! So easy to manipulate, it would be a waste not to secretly trick her into joining the other blood demons on the battlefield of Victoria.

What? You think North Wind's assessment of Blood Demon is biased?

No, no, no, this is the personal assessment of their Scavenger Clan King, the current Grand Master of the Imperial Clan, Niezilei, of the Blood Demon King's Court, "The Red Monarch," Ducarre, at the Military Council meeting:

"Blood Demon Lord, you're just a little brother. You're not qualified to throw a tantrum in front of me."

Listen to this, listen to this tantrum! What does it mean to summarize precisely?

If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too. If the Blood Demon Lord is throwing a tantrum like a child, how normal can their royal court be?

So, in comparison, although Bathory's personality isn't exactly great either, and he's a bit awkward, the well-informed Northwind knows that there's a popular culture in the Terran kingdoms that's into this kind of thing!

There was no better choice than her.

After finally packing her things, the Scavenger Lady looked up at the clock and realized that only ten minutes had passed.

When she stepped outside for the second time, she was surprised to see Bathory panting heavily.

Upon seeing the north wind, Bathory's tension and unease vanished instantly. He breathed a sigh of relief and grumbled:

"I thought you were gone!"

North Wind was genuinely surprised: "You're so fast?"

Bathory lifted her overflowing handbag:

"That's all the wealth I have. Do you think every Sarkaz lives as well as you?"

"Even the Blood Demon Royal Court is short of provisions!"

Chapter 498 This Land at the End of 1094

December 31, 1094 (Terra calendar), evening. Sherag.

The joy of the harvest festival permeated cities and settlements large and small throughout the country. From the ribbons hanging on the Tukarim government building to the lanterns hanging in the homes of farmers in the Perroch territory, every Sherag person was celebrating the festival, celebrating the year's harvest, celebrating the year's good health, and celebrating the many positive changes that had taken place throughout the year.

At this very moment, people gather around the table, enjoying a sumptuous feast, giving thanks for Yeragand's year of protection, appreciating the fruits of their labor, and reuniting with their dearest loved ones.

It was at this moment that people unanimously turned on the radios they had just bought at home, waiting from those somewhat novel little square boxes for that magical sound to ring out.

That was Ernst's voice—steady, gentle, youthful, and full of power.

"Today is the end of the year 1094. I am your Prime Minister, Ernst Shivaish."

Sitting in the recording studio of the Shelag Radio building, Ernst's gaze was fixed on Vina, Holhaya, Hinterlaya, and all the executives of the Shelag government gathered outside the glass wall.

This is the last task he will complete this year, and it is also the best summary and conclusion of the work achievements of the Sherag government over the past year.

He spoke slowly, in the calmest tone, uttering those words that stirred the blood and filled the heart with hope:

"I am speaking to all the people of Kerrig through a format that is entirely new to Kerrig—a radio and television channel—to share with us all this wonderful fact: Kerrig has had another year of peace and stability."

"Here, I want to thank the great god Yelagand for his blessings, thank my colleagues in the Shelag government for their efforts, and thank all the people who have contributed to the development of Shelag. You are the present of Shelag, and you are creating the future of Shelag."

"Over the past year, Kjerag has faced many problems and challenges, but also achieved many goals and accomplishments. Through the joint efforts of all of us, our proud homeland has become the venue for the World Summit, our simple and honest people have achieved a higher standard of living, and our resilient civilization has tenaciously survived once again on this land."

"As the Prime Minister of Kjerag, as one of the initiators of the World Summit initiative, and as an ordinary Kjerag citizen, please allow me to express my sincerest gratitude to you all."

"Thank you."

Ernst paused briefly. His eyes reflected Vina clapping outside the glass wall, Holhaya smiling, Lola secretly wiping away tears, wanting to hug and comfort Lola but being pushed away by her, and Hinterlea, who was even more dejected after being deeply hurt. Everyone's expressions were different, but Ernst could see the pride and joy in their hearts.

They have something to be proud of.

Ernst didn't talk about GDP growth or the steady improvement of the economy, as most Sherag people wouldn't understand such things, and saying them on the harvest festival wouldn't be very humane.

He preferred to praise his colleagues more, because Ernst knew better than anyone how hard they had worked!

Sheraq's government has always been a makeshift operation. Even after rounds of recruitment and training, and while many departments are now able to function normally, there are still minor problems rather than major ones.

To be honest, even Ernst was surprised that such a government had managed to hold on until now. But beyond the surprise, Ernst was also more aware of the efforts each of them had made.

As a member of Aslan, Vina possessed both natural advantages and disadvantages in diplomacy. Due to the close relationship between several Dukes of Victoria and Ernst, many factions regarded Vina as a representative of "more than one will." Even so, Ernst never saw her discouraged in the face of speculation, conjecture, and apprehension about her identity. Based on this, her proposed "camel-beast diplomacy" greatly surprised Ernst.

Horhys suffered a demotion and pay cut after the Balrog incident, but she never neglected her work. Although she jokingly called herself a "poor soul with nowhere else to go," her daily work schedule, promptly submitted to Ernst, and the insightful annotations she left on every task, all reflected the Quetzalcoatl's intelligence and dedication. Ernst even went to Jeragund to inquire about Horhys's origins. Jeragund promised to share all her knowledge with her the next time she visited Manjusaka.

Hinterlea held what might be the lowest-ranking position in the government, yet arguably the most powerful behind the scenes. To some extent, she could decide who could see Ernst directly outside the normal appointment process, and who wasn't. Yet, she never abused this power. On the contrary, her diligence was often praised. As the first face of the Sherrag government to the world, she earned Ernst and the entire family the highest level of public approval.

There are many other people, Joyce, Jeston, Lola... Ernst is not omnipotent. He is not good at math, his combat skills are not high, he has no knowledge of engineering, and there are many things he cannot do. And it is they who fill these gaps.

Without them, Ernst couldn't have guaranteed the smooth operation of the Kjerag government; without them, Ernst and Rhine Lab might never have achieved their cooperation on the reconstruction of Tukarim; without them, Ernst's connection to this land would have been greatly diminished, and he might have been confined to this corner of the world until, exhausted and powerless, he could only silently watch fate return to its own course—Enciodes smoothly seized power, Nohis became the Speaker of Kjerag, and Jeragand was expelled from Kjerag…

In other words, this is a miracle they created together.

"But beyond the miracle, there are still challenges."

"The crises we face have never diminished, and the obstacles we have to overcome have never lessened, but fortunately, we have built bridges and ladders."

This is by no means alarmist or unfounded worry. At the end of 1094, this land was also fraught with danger, and compared to 1093, the number of dangers had only increased and the intensity had only increased.

Londinium of Victoria, the former heart of this vast empire, had stopped beating for a long time. Its bloated and massive body finally stopped its more than twenty years of internal conflict and decided to unite to give itself a cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

But as the old saying goes, an army without unity will only falter and fly in disarray. Ernst did not underestimate the Victorian Empire; its Grand Dukes, regardless of whether they resembled human beings or not, were at least powerful figures in their own right.

The Duke of Wellington, who tolled the death knell for the empire; the Duke of Windermere, who guarded the borders and could silence the weeping children of Letania; the Duke of Cactus, who forged a terrifying network of relationships beyond anyone's imagination with the absolute rationality of a purely political being; and the Duke of Godottin. These names alone would make even an entire nation think twice. But what if they were all together?

When gathered together, it's a pile of shit; when scattered, it's a sky full of stars!

After gaining a basic understanding of the Sarkaz royal court's fighting strength and learning about the Carrion's march and gathering around Londinium, Ernst no longer thought that Theresis was just a simple mercenary leader. After all, in response to the Carrion army's gathering, the various dukes conscripted soldiers within their territories, and the mobilization of their armies was much more ostentatious.

Ernst did not believe that Therese could be completely unaware of the Dukes' movements, given the sheer number of intelligence personnel he possessed, such as the Shapeshifter corps.

But he didn't react at all. That's very intriguing.

Ernst couldn't help but recall a rather famous joke from his past life: If someone doesn't run when they see you transform, then you probably have to run.

Ernst wasn't sure just how strong Theresis's trump card was that gave him the audacity to directly confront the Duke's army. He could only remain unchanged and hope that the Duke's coalition, riddled with internal conflicts, wouldn't break his own ribs with this "cardiopulmonary resuscitation" maneuver.

But Victoria's problems go far beyond that. Even setting aside the long-standing issue of infected individuals, the problem of Tara nationalism is becoming increasingly prominent.

Rafishini, who worked in Ernst's office, was a Tara Draco. Although she didn't often discuss this topic with Ernst, with Mandra, the talkative scapegoat, around, Ernst knew quite a bit about their problems.

In short, it boils down to this: Victoria, this alternate version of Great Britain, is indeed extremely inhuman when it comes to being inhuman.

Tara seeks independence, which makes the situation of Raphsini and her sister, Draco Abrahina, who is with the Duke of Wellington, very, very ambiguous.

Ernst could roughly guess what the Duke of Wellington's attitude was towards this project, given that he was a nobleman with Tara blood.

If he didn't support her, Abrahina would have been beheaded long ago. But if he were completely on Abrahina's side... then Raphsini wouldn't have been sent to him by Abrahina.

Sherag was an insurance policy, and the reason Lafsini came to Sherag was similar to the reason Kent Windermere sent Daphne to him in the first place.

Would a Grand Duke whose fundamental goal was "Tara independence" really contribute 100% to the battle to help Victoria retake the capital?

Ernst found it hard to convince himself to agree.

Victoria's problems are just a microcosm of the many problems plaguing this land.

To the south, thanks to the generous and selfless support of the nations of Terra, the Iberian coastline seems relatively calm recently, but Kal'tsit is not optimistic about how long this calm can last, and the opinion she conveyed to Ernst was not optimistic either.

To the north, in Ursus, Sami, and Colombia, more and more countries are making contact with, or intending to make contact with, the evil. Whether this is a sign of opening up new territory and paving the way forward, or a countdown to the end of the world, no one can say for sure.

As for why Kal'tsit calls the Originium buried deep in the earth the "Third Crisis," Ernst still knows very little. Kal'tsit remains tight-lipped about Originium, only offering vague warnings. Ernst firmly believes in the simple truth: open attacks are easy to defend against, but hidden arrows are hard to guard against. Threats that are out in the open can be addressed through brainstorming, but those that are all around us, constantly in contact with us, causing us to let our guard down, can cause irreversible damage if they betray us.

As Ascalon said, "Disastrous losses often stem from excessive trust."

And upwards.

The barrier severed Terra's connection to the universe. The only brief contact Ernst orchestrated—Project Starstruck—served as a warning to all who attempt to cross the line: what awaits outside the barrier may not be a sky full of stars.

Moreover, Ernst knew more.

The mainframe beneath Laterano sent him a signal for extermination. One or more of the so-called "pre-civilizations" who once resided on this land, harboring the belief that "human glory will live on forever," had created weapons capable of destroying the land, destroying Terra, and even destroying this galaxy.

Moreover, Ernst did not know whether this was the weapon's limit, nor did he know about its side effects.

After all, the current paradise on earth—Laterland—is built on a fragile balance maintained by such a terrifying "fulcrum." If the weapons in the sky are prepared for extinction, or to combat extinction, and the central control unit on earth operates these weapons, then what are the Sarkaz who obtained this central control unit and thus altered their own form?

Are they just ordinary, lucky Terra life forms?

Ernst didn't understand what kind of feeling Luo Ji's phobia of the stars was like before, but now he understands it to some extent.

The sky is full of twinkling stars, and you really can't tell which ones are truly shining stars and which ones are just destructive cannons reflecting light.

This was the known problem facing Ernst in Terra at the end of 1094.

Admittedly, the vast majority of these issues have absolutely nothing to do with Ernst or Scherrag. Many of them belong to other countries. If the sky falls, the taller ones will hold it up. Given Scherrag's level of development, it will probably take several hundred more years before it has the right to stand on equal footing with these "taller ones" in the inner circle. In other words, if Ernst relaxes a little, becomes a bit more optimistic, he may never have to face these troublesome problems in his life.

But can Ernst be placed there?

We can't set out even a little bit, family members.

The Ursus Chernobog crisis of 1096 was just the beginning; a torrent known as the "Original Plot" was rushing towards Ernst. Ernst wasn't the traditional protagonist from the transmigration novels he'd read in his previous life. He didn't have the means to save the world with a single click, but he did have the power to destroy it. His understanding of the Original Plot was also vague, and he had less than two years, at most, to react.

Is two years a long time? Many things, once they get into a dispute, can take decades to come up with an idea or implement a plan, let alone two years.

Even if the bridge of communication has been built, it still takes courage to cross it and shake hands with each other. Even if the ladder of development has been established, it still takes effort to climb it and catch up.

"So, fellow countrymen, on this New Year's Day, let us raise a toast! To yesterday! Yesterday's efforts, hard work, and sweat have all yielded fruitful results!"

Ernst raised his glass and toasted the people outside the glass wall. Vina and the others returned the toast.

Let us raise a toast to this moment! May the laughter, tears, and happiness of this day be shared between us!

At the Karan Trade Headquarters, in the residential area and hotel, in the Tukarim Embassy District, at the Manju Academy, Enshiodis and his two companions, along with Hedre and other Sarkaz, special envoys such as Defien, and Enya and Ya'er, all raised their glasses and clinked them together.

"Let's raise a glass to tomorrow! We will overcome the challenges, obstacles, and hardships of tomorrow! And then, we will gather together again and drink this cup to the brim!"

"And a salute to each and every one of us who lives bravely!"

Ernst tilted his head back and drank the glass of wine.

At this moment, Sherag was keeping him company.

Chapter 499 Tomb Raider Christensen Kicks Widow's Door

[Archival record: Year, unknown.]

[Please forgive me for not being able to record a specific time for this file. After several restarts, I cannot be certain whether my judgment of external time is still accurate.]

[Four million, seven hundred and sixty-four thousand six hundred and seventy-three days—theoretically, this number should be accurate. Our creations are indestructible; from the moment they were built, they were prepared to endure long periods of time. But now, if the theory is sound, these hibernation devices shouldn't have encountered any unforeseen accidents.]

Therefore, to avoid misleading visitors, I have decided not to include specific time information in this record. Only its content will be recorded.

Trimont, 100 kilometers to the northwest, 3000 meters underground.

In the cold, desolate cemetery, the Preserver, the Gravedigger, the machine called "the last fool in this universe" by the prophet, silently watches over his brethren who have entered into eternal peace.

His intelligence and emotions have been severely tested over tens of thousands of years. The repeated restarts not only destroyed the Preserver's sanity but also everything he cherished in this group of sarcophagi.

After repeated restarts, he may not have forgotten his mission, but his compatriots have forgotten how to awaken.

"Forgiveness" is a luxury. When the [Preserver] left his apology in his database, he was already unsure whether there was any life on this planet, in this universe, that was still worthy of his apology.

The observer, the lumberjack, the ultimate darkness—civilization has many descriptions of that catastrophe, but perhaps until the very last moment, they never truly understood what that so casually described thing that destroyed everything really was.

The Preservator can only record; Trevor Friston can only watch. He records this file in the hope that the embers of a civilization that has been extinguished may still remain, a trace of fire or remnant. They may have lost themselves, or they may no longer care about themselves, but this disqualified guardian must do his last bit of effort before things completely spiral out of control and collapse.

Especially now, even if it seems slim, ten thousand years later, he seems to have indeed glimpsed a wisp of illusory hope.

The signal from the sky was brief. After that, I gathered all the usable communication equipment in the entire stasis lab to try and listen for and receive signals from the universe. But to this day, nearly three months have passed, and my listening has yielded nothing.

But I've grown accustomed to disappointment. Trevor Friston is the most resilient man in the universe. I believe it's not an illusion, and I don't dream. androids don't dream of electric sheep.

Regardless of who reactivated the Heavenly Pivot a thousand years later, at least that person didn't issue an extermination order against Terra. The weapons of survival weren't aimed at the very object of survival, and Ed's resolve at the end, witnessed by all, was not betrayed.

Repeatedly emphasizing its identity and repeating its name is how the "Preservator" maintains its identity—it is its rationality. However, the unorthodox speculations, wishful thinking, and even expressions of personal "gratitude" found in the records reveal the human side of Trevor Friston—his emotions.

He was such an emotional person. In that pre-civilization era, when individualism was highly developed and physical contact and verbal communication had become extremely rare, he still maintained his family relationships like a retrogressor, raising his daughter with his wife.