People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

It was not the Victorians who took away these Sarkaz homes; the one who took away the homes of these Sarkaz who wanted a peaceful life was none other than Theresis himself, the nominal ruler of Kazdel.

Even if Theresis ultimately wins, this hatred will not disappear.

Ersula knew that feeling all too well; she grew up in the scar market, and she had never lacked that kind of person among the people she had met since childhood.

But she had no choice; she was a soldier and had to follow orders.

She walked toward the heart of the city, the furnace of dead souls.

A day later, the message came from the military council building in the center of the city, a building that had not been used to issuing orders for who knows how long, and within half a day, it swept through the entire Kazdel.

The tavern was packed to capacity, and people living in the city flocked to the streets. Some were shocked by the news, some were excited and wanted to drive Kazdel and smash the Duke's army right now, some planned to go and give the Duke's army a good thrashing—some looked sad and sighed deeply, and so on.

Ersula sat calmly in the meeting hall, accepting all opinions without complaint. Whether people pleaded, cursed, or questioned her rationally, she patiently answered them and told them the order given by Theresis:

"Kazdel will be the first fire to ignite this land. This is the decision made by General Theresis. He will also hold the front line in Lentinium and will not retreat a single step."

Yet sharp criticisms still make Ersula frown.

“I don’t care if he backs down! All I know is that this is our home! This is Kazdel! Theresis is nothing but a traitor. He killed the Demon King and now he wants to destroy Kazdel. He’s not on the Sarkaz’s side at all. He’s a true Victorian!”

"Some Sarkaz within the city shouted curses." Such analyses were gaining traction, seemingly poised to become the mainstream view.

After all, if we disregard the specific circumstances and simply describe Therese's actions out of context, then it would seem that everything he did was indeed helping Victoria.

Assassinating Theresia, killing the Demon King as a subject and cutting off the retreat of the moderate Sarkaz—although this was not uncommon in Sarkaz history, and war is a matter of life and death, Theresia did not show any mercy.

He accepted the Duke's commission, expending a large number of elite troops to help annihilate the Steam Knights without taking a penny—although the Sarkaz elite troops consumed were the same ones that Kazde had recruited back then. ](→ At the end of the civil war, the Babel Tower sent assassins to kill him (revealed in Chapter 14 of the main storyline, along with a female Hedley).

They seized control of Londinium, uniting the Victorian dukes who were each unwilling to submit to one another—although this was an agreement between the evil spirits of Babel and Theresis, who intended to use the Shards to summon the original Originium.

Taking Kazdel away and turning Sarkaz's homeland directly into a front line for enemy bombing—although this was a helpless move out of necessity, the failure of [Timeline] had far-reaching consequences, and the formation of the Duke's Alliance was earlier than Theresis had anticipated. Strictly speaking, this matter can be traced back to the Snow Leopard.

Judging solely from this selective interpretation, Theresis is far from being the Regent of Kazdel or the Grand General of the Military Council; he is simply a utterly immoral Victorian infiltrated within the Sarkaz! His actions have absolutely nothing to do with the simple and kind-hearted Sarkaz people, but rather are perfectly aligned with the despicable and shameless Victorians!

With so many such comments, Ersula had no choice but to come out and explain:

"This is a slander against General Theresis. General Theresis has never betrayed the Sarkaz!"

But such an explanation is destined to be weak; the Sarkaz, who have mastered journalism without instruction, will only believe what they see. Ersula, in particular, has no room for explanation.

why?

Because she was unaware of Theresis's plans.

Because she couldn't refute it either; all of Therese's rumors were true.

Even a senior editor from the Casimir Wine Gazette would be taken aback after seeing these news materials: "Wow, I don't need any artistic embellishment; just stating the facts is enough to generate such a sensation?"

Some military council officers who followed Ersula suggested that he arrest the rumor-mongers directly, but Ersula did not agree.

Arrest them? On what charges? Because they blurted out a bunch of obvious truths? Is this considered spreading rumors or leaking classified information?

Of course, the Sarkaz don't really need a reason to arrest people; Ursula is just more tolerant.

Ultimately, no matter what these people say, they cannot change Theresis's mind or the future of the city.

Let them vent. General Theresis had already spoken to her before he came:

"You will receive a lot of opposition, insults, ridicule and even attacks when you go there."

"But this decision was made by me, and that's why I don't need you to shoulder any burden for me. Let them come at me. You just need to ensure that my decision is implemented."

“Tell the Sarkaz that this is a decision made by their leader, Theresis! They don’t need to understand, they just need to obey!”

As Therese said, the arguments and discussions gradually subsided under the power of time, the greatest master of silencing.

Kazdel gradually became sparsely populated.

Aside from a few Sarkaz encouraged by the situation around Londinium and planning to fight alongside Theresis one last time, most Sarkaz began migrating westward. They were walking the same path that their former king, [Azure Fury] Quiron, had traversed ten thousand years ago. Only this time, it was the overlords of the gods who followed them, but this time, it was the Sarkaz themselves.

Ersula eventually returned to Londinium to report to Theresis, while also explaining a perplexing situation.

"General, quite a few Sarkaz are heading towards Kerrig. It's said that the owner of a historic tavern in Scar Market and a notoriously foolish blood nobleman from Kazdel have both gone to Kerrig, causing some Sarkaz to become curious about it."

Theresis, seated on the Iron Throne, listened to the report but remained silent for a long time.

Silent 粫九四零四→璐刺蝟4昺代/购。：，Persistent silence, a silence that makes each day feel like a year.

Ersula even doubted whether he should have brought up such rumors so rashly. After all, the exact number of Sarkaz heading to Kherag, and whether they were related to those two famous Sarkaz figures, were all uncertain. Reporting such gossip as a formality was inappropriate in the first place, and it only angered General Theresis, who was already in a bad mood. It was truly a mistake.

But unexpectedly, Theresis spoke up before Ersula apologized.

He closed his eyes, concealing the weariness in them, revealing nothing to the outside world. Then, perhaps it was just an illusion, Ersula saw that Therese's lips curved slightly upwards in a faint smile.

fleeting.

"I see."

He replied.

Chapter 535 Marna: I Have a Family to Support

Shelag, Tukarim, street.

Life is the days outside of work.

Sherag's life is peaceful, even though the situation on Terra is becoming increasingly tense and Sherag is not immune to all sorts of troubles. But the people of Sherag still manage to keep their lives relaxed enough.

Ernst enjoyed this feeling. Even though Vina and Lavshini always said he was too tired, it seemed like he was the only one in the whole of Sherag who didn't get any rest. He got up earlier than the Feathered Beasts and went to bed later than the Fanged Beasts, but to be honest, Ernst didn't feel that way.

He didn't feel particularly tired because he truly loved his job.

Compared to the tedious and boring process of writing drafts in his previous life, which few people were willing to read, at least in Sherag, everything he did was effective. A greedy person won't find the process of making money too boring, a power-hungry person won't feel that they've held power for too long, and people don't feel tired when doing what they love.

Ernst enjoyed this feeling. Farming is a love that is ingrained in every Chinese person, and Ernst was cultivating the country of Kjerag. How could Ernst feel bored watching it get better and better?

Besides, even when he was tired, Ernst had plenty of ways to rest.

Whether it's reading alone in the warm office, chatting with Holhaya, taking Hinterlea on a field trip, or visiting several diplomats stationed in Shelag with Vina, such as Defin and Ahmoni, even if everyone is busy and doesn't have time to go out with Ernst, Ernst can still go find Jeston at the meat processing plant in Actos, or rather, Latatos's clothing factory—who knows, he might even get a few cans of food or a new outfit for free.

This is not considered bribery, and no one would use this to test an official, unless Actos's cans were filled with gold pounds and Hugh Ruth's clothes were sewn with gold thread.

Ernst could go wherever he wanted, except for Joyce's Treasury and Lola's construction site.

why?

Because both places are really busy, and Joyce is not good at speaking, and he knows nothing about Lola's engineering, going there would only waste everyone's time and have no practical significance.

But this time, Ernst didn't call anyone. He wanted to walk alone for the first time in a long time, from Tukarim to Kalan Trade, and from Kalan Trade to Kalan Holy Mountain, and then to Manjushri Temple.

That's right, this was a "visiting relatives".

Liu Xinnian was too busy during that time, and Ernst didn't even have time to have a reunion dinner with Enshiodis, Enya and Enshia. It would be somewhat ironic to make up for it now. Moreover, without a "special occasion" as an excuse, Enya would most likely not be willing to have dinner with Enshiodis. In that case, he should visit them alone.

To avoid causing a crowd to gather due to his direct appearance, Ernst also took some disguises.

She put on a hat suitable for filming to cover her ears, then put on a long trench coat, barely hiding her tail under the coat, and finally put on a mask. Sunglasses were unnecessary; they would have looked too strange.

Tukarim's streets have seen a significant increase in shops compared to the New Year period, making the commercial streets even more bustling. There are many tourists coming and going, and since it's not yet lunchtime, the shops selling traditional Sherag clothing are where most tourists gather.

"Any product from Bulang Pottery is guaranteed to be of the highest quality," such sales pitches were heard one after another.

Clearly, the Sherag people's past productivity was insufficient to supply the massive demand for their traditional clothing and handicrafts. However, as people recognized the profits in this business, productivity began to shift, transitioning from family workshops to professional garment factories and assembly line production.

Among them, the Browntao family, which had accumulated the most production materials in the past, naturally became the industry leader. Now, the vast majority of clothing merchants purchase their goods from the Browntao textile factory, which brings the Browntao family rich profits. These profits are something that the three major families could only dream of even after dividing up taxes ten times and extorting money from the land under various pretexts.

The reason is simple: the difference in their base is too great. If you try to take advantage of the land, you can only take advantage of the land in Shelag at most. Even the land in Shelag has to be divided into three parts to take advantage of. The land of the Blanto family is mostly forest, and their people get the least among the three families. How much can they take advantage of?

But now, their base has become the entire Terra region. Everyone in Terra who is interested in Shelag and willing to travel to Shelag will become their potential customers. Not to mention, besides attracting investment and customers, Blangtao Home Textiles can also expand overseas in the future, which will truly open up vast possibilities.

Once they have accumulated enough capital, they will soon be able to venture into other fields. Ernst believes that if Latatos is in charge of Bronta Home Textiles, she will definitely be able to seize this opportunity.

However, Ernst doesn't know if Hurruce and Yucatan have such foresight, but even if they don't, it doesn't matter.

Even if they only get the first bite of an industry's pie, it's enough for them to sustain the previous generation. If Sherag really had a few more giants like Karan Trading, Ernst would have a real headache.

In that case, Ernst would probably have to risk offending his childhood sweetheart and personally push for the enactment of the Anti-Monopoly Law.

Of course, these are all possibilities that Ernst is considering. At least for the current business community in Sherag, their first priority is to get past the "Business Federation" hurdle.

Yes, shortly after the New Year, the business federation had already begun to enter the scene.

Although Ernst's policies prevented the Business Federation from using its high-quality, low-priced goods to undermine local businesses in Kjerag, this did not mean that Kjerag's businesses could rest easy.

Indeed, this was an unfair contest from the very beginning. Ernst's purely pro-Sherragé local protectionist policies could only barely bridge the vast gap between Sherragé's nascent local businesses and the already powerful business associations that even the Supervisory Council couldn't suppress. The real competition had to take place within the business world itself.

The most striking example is that across from any traditional clothing store owned by a local Sherag company that Ernst could see, there would always be a traditional clothing store owned by the Casimir Business Association.

The Casimirs are clever. They also get their goods from Brantao Textiles, and Brantao has no reason not to make money from it. But when the Casimirs sell their products, they can sell a few more Sheragfrons than local Sherag companies.

They can withstand these losses; they can use this price difference to erase the reputational advantage that local Shelag businesses have built up.

Ernst couldn't do much about it. After all, if a garment cost 200 francs to buy was sold by an ordinary individual for 250 francs, Ernst could prevent you from using better technology to open your own factory, reduce the cost to 150 francs, and then ship it to Kjerag to sell for 190 francs, thus dumping it. But if the Chamber of Commerce didn't hold a fair and bought from Branta, and sold it for only 240 francs, you could still make a profit even if you sold it for 10 francs less. This kind of price difference didn't constitute disrupting market order and was within the permissible range.

This means that local businesses in Shelag must unite and find a way to counter it.

In other words, this is something that needs to be considered by Ensioudis, the president of the "Sherragh Chamber of Commerce," the CEO of Karan Trading, and Ernst's good brother.

Ernst is now standing in front of the Kalan Trade Center.

It's worth mentioning that Ernst also saw an old acquaintance at the door.

The blond Pegasus had a folder tucked under his arm and a terminal in his hand, his fingers typing rapidly, clearly replying to someone's message, looking every bit like an office worker, which surprised Ernst.

He stepped forward and patted Marner on the shoulder:

"Mr. Marner, what's going on?"

Marner was startled and turned to look at Ernst. She paused for two seconds before recognizing Ernst, who was completely covered up, from his silver eyes, which were identical to Ensiodis's. She quickly said:

“Ensemble—Search, qUN: Mr. Te, what is this?”

He suddenly realized what he was saying, straightened his tie, and...

"As you can see, I joined Kalan Trading. I now work in the sales department."

Ernst raised an eyebrow and recalled:

"I remember Rhodes Island invited you to be an instructor, didn't they?"

Since returning from Kazimierz, Ernst had not seen Marna. He asked Kal'tsit and learned that Marna and Maria had stayed on the ship because they had met Margaret by chance. During this time, Marna did not want to eat and drink for free, so she became a temporary instructor in the training room of Rhodes Island.

He actually wanted to apply for a job in the logistics department and continue working as a salesman, but Margaret kept it from him and bragged about "my Uncle Marna" to Kal'tsit and Amiya, so much so that Amiya made the final decision to send Marna to the training room.

As expected, with Manna's abilities, she was more than qualified to be a trainer. In fact, when Manna took teaching seriously, she did have the talent to be a teacher. Amiya even gave Manna a well-paid long-term contract, hoping that Manna could stay on the island. In Ernst's words: This would not only enhance the combat power of Rhodes Island operators, but also allow her to reunite with her family. Why not?

"I refused."

Marner replied,

“Miss Amiya’s words are not without reason. Maria also wants to be with Margaret, but it will not benefit Margaret.”

"Since she has already chosen to walk her own path and found like-minded friends, rather than letting us, her family, become a burden to her, we should let her roam freely."

"Moreover, Rhodes Island's working hours and salary requirements don't match. The prospect of becoming an elite operator that Ms. Amiya painted is not as attractive as the prospect of me becoming a spokesperson that the Business Federation said is, so I chose to refuse."

Ernst was shocked:

"The Business Federation really invited you to be their spokesperson?"

Marner nodded without saying anything more.

Without a doubt, he refused. Otherwise, he wouldn't have appeared in Kjerag Continent seven times.

"But putting aside all those options, and analyzing Sherag's specific situation, joining Kalan Trade was undoubtedly a job that was both secure and promising. So I applied and got the job."

Marna had worked in Kazimierz for well over two and a half years, and was no longer an ordinary sales intern. He had once been promoted to a middle management position at a construction company, but some "accidents" occurred at work, forcing him to start all over again.

The money he received from the Business Federation was enough for him to live a good life in Shelag for the rest of his life. He didn't have any humorous thoughts like "This money was given by the Business Federation and the Supervisory Council, it's dirty and can't be used." But he knew that living off his savings would not be good for his child's education. For Maria's healthy growth, he had to be careful in everything he did and set a good example!

At this point, Marner let out a long sigh and gave Ernst a somewhat helpless look:

“I am not Mr. Ernst, I have a family to support.”

Ernst gave a thumbs-up in admiration.

Chapter 536 Ensiodis: Now that you mention it, I understand.

Shelag, Tukarim, Karan Trade Headquarters.

After inquiring whether Marner and Maria were settling into life in Sherag, Ernst didn't forget his business.

The meeting with Enciodes went smoothly, without the typical urban novel trope of a snobbish secretary blocking Ernst from entering, which left Ernst somewhat disappointed.

Another opportunity to raise taxes has been lost.

But that makes sense. Enshirinodis's close associates, including Enshirinodis himself, are all familiar with Ernst. Matthon and Weiss, the messenger, are both long-time servants of the Shivaesh family, so it's impossible they wouldn't recognize Ernst. The Nohis family are true Kjerag nobles, and before their decline, the Edwis family was a second-rate family, possessing the largest collection of books besides the Manjusaka.