People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

She believed in Kal'tsit's abilities. Since she and Rhodes Island were currently stationed in Kerrigan, and the shapeshifter had stated that Kal'tsit was right next to "Ernst Shivaish," she was certain that with her insight and perception, she could give her own assessment of Ernst.

She was curious about how her old friend would view Ernst.

However, before putting pen to paper, she pondered for a moment and did not use the name [Theresia].

The delicate handwriting outlines an ordinary identity, a microcosm of the millions of people on this land, a direct embodiment of the word "misery," the most malicious curse some people utter, and also her true reality.

[An ordinary Sarkaz infected person]

"Dear Dr. Kal'tsit, hello."

"The letter to you comes from a bewildered ordinary Sarkaz infected."

I have the following questions and would like to ask you for your help.

Chapter 542 We are always well protected by the strong among us.

Doing good deeds is not easy, and consistently doing good deeds is even more extremely difficult.

That's how personas are; once a "good person" persona is established, it's difficult to erase. And being limited by a "Mr. Nice Guy" persona can severely restrict how you do things.

It's a strange phenomenon that people are always happy to criticize good people who have done bad things, thereby negating everything they've done before and condemning them as hypocritical pretentious people. Yet, they also love to frantically whitewash bad people who have done a little good, pretending to be longtime fans, as if they want to show off their ability to "see through appearances to the essence" and make themselves superior.

Nine Ernst is now facing such a thorny problem.

Just three days ago, the number of Sarkaz arriving in Shelag suddenly increased.

In the past, the Sarkaz Residents' Committee would process only one or two entry applications a day, sometimes seven or eight, and even at its peak, it would only exceed ten.

Two or three days ago, as many as fifty Sarkaz came to the Immigration Bureau.

Forty or fifty! You should know that there are only about a hundred Sarkaz residents who have successfully entered Shelag and registered with the Sarkaz Residents' Committee. This is more than half again!

As the head of the Sarkaz Residents' Committee, Hedley naturally noticed the unusual number of people immediately.

The sheer number of people—three—is clearly illogical. It's worth noting that while Sherag has been recruiting top talent from the Sarkaz for quite some time, just as Ernst predicted, the number of Sarkaz actually choosing Sherag as their base is actually quite small.

After all, most of the radicals in the Sarkaz who wanted to move to another place and start fighting again were recruited by Theresis, who was a legitimate victor in the Kazdel Civil War. Whether you acknowledge it or not, even if the "Black Crown" didn't appear on his head, he was still the current "legitimate" one.

Fifthly, Theresis is indeed doing a great job. On the battlefield of Londinium, he has consistently maintained a record of winning with fewer troops. The Duke's coalition seems to be retreating step by step, while the Military Council is winning, winning, winning. It's like Qin Shi Huang eating peppercorns—he's won so many times he's numb!

The hope of "reviving Kazdel and becoming a superior being of Terra again" is right before our eyes. What ambitious person would choose to come to Sherag, a country that has nothing to do with the Sarkaz, and be an ordinary citizen?

As for the ordinary Sarkaz who lack ambition, even getting them to relocate is difficult. What? Is the mobile city of Kazdel not enough for them?

Moreover, most Sarkaz are in a state of wandering, living a life of freedom and adventure, with the earth as their bed and star pods as their blanket. If you ask me if I'm sleeping well, I'd say even the Watcher can't wake me up.

The vast majority of Sarkaz scattered throughout Terra will not leave the comfort zone they have worked so hard to build, let alone come to Sherag.

In addition, Ernst instructed Hedley to establish the following rules: [have a name] [be literate] [have a skill]. These requirements would basically exclude the vast majority of Sarkaz.

This has ensured that the Sarkaz who have settled in Shelag today are not many, but they are all genuine elites who can contribute their small share to the development of Shelag.

Now, with fifty people suddenly appearing, are they all going to meet these demanding requirements?

Hedley was not optimistic.

As he expected, things turned out the same way.

When he conducted a random check on some of these fifty people, the results were not perfect, but they were at least as good as sweaty soybeans.

You mention the city gate tower, and he replies with his hip bone and elbow. You ask him what his name is, and he replies, "You little rascal, you're my son." You chat with him about his special skills, and he says, "The horns on my head are my special skills."

That's not even the hardest part. The hardest part is that these Sarkaz heard rumors from who-knows-where, thinking that as long as they flattered Hedley and Ernst, they could easily get into Sherag.

The result was that Hedley gave them Prime Minister Koppenster's ideas:

"What Sheraq needs is peace and development. What Prime Minister Ernst hopes to see is that one day, there will be no more discrimination or oppression on these four lands, and people will live together in peace, pursuing a better tomorrow. A valley will rise, a mountain will descend, a rugged and winding road will become a smooth road, and holy light will be revealed, illuminating the world's tomorrow!"

The Sarkaz nodded seriously and showered them with praise:

"Lord Ernst is right! Wow, Lord Ernst is so kind! For Lord Ernst's sake, we will surely defeat all enemies and spread Lord Ernst's teachings throughout Terra, so that everyone will know of Lord Ernst's illustrious name!"

Since W started pestering Ernst, Hedley has had a long-awaited experience of playing the piano with a hunchback.

It's hard, the fist is hard.

No, we need peace, we need friendship, we need unity.

In short, these people clearly do not meet the requirements and should definitely not be allowed in.

Hedre resolutely refused these Sarkaz entry permits.

But if they hadn't refused, things would have been fine; as soon as they did, the Sarkaz immediately erupted in chaos.

What does this mean? You've asked, we've answered, and we've even praised Lord Ernst, so why won't you let us in?

Kazdel was taken away by Theresis of the ditch. So many of us traveled all the way to Kjerag, just because we heard that this place would take in homeless Sarkaz, but the gatekeepers won't let us in? What kind of logic is that?

Many people immediately turned their anger towards Hadley, since it was Hadley who had rejected them.

Some Sarkaz say that Hedre has become powerful and forgotten his suffering Sarkaz brothers, and that he is treacherous!

Some Sarkaz said that it must be because that treacherous minister, Hedley, hadn't received his kickback, which was why he wouldn't let them in. Otherwise, why were the wealthy Blood Demons and Carrion Eaters allowed in recently? Hedley must have taken half a million from them!

Some Sarkaz even started conspiracy theories, saying it was all Sherag's scheme to lure them, these unarmed Sarkaz, into the wilderness. They argued that since it was so close to Victoria, the Grand Duke's army might be lying in ambush nearby, waiting for them to gather so they could rush in, cut off their horns, and collect their reward! How pitiful!

To prevent this conspiracy from succeeding, everyone should go to Londinium to find Thereseus and Terra and let those damned liars feel the wrath of the Sarkaz!

This conspiracy theory is theoretically untenable. After all, if the Duke of Victoria's army were indeed lying in ambush near Shelag, the most nervous people would not be the Sarkaz, but Ernst.

Without considering international repercussions, and only considering whether Scherrag's current defensive capabilities can withstand the Grand Duke's army, Ernst believes it certainly can.

But war means burning money, and burning money means that Shelag's development will stagnate or even regress.

If the war were to spread to their homeland, Tukarim, the gateway to Shelag, would surely be reduced to ruins, and Ernst's efforts over the past two years would be almost entirely wiped out.

Not to mention the casualties and loss of talent, what if something happened to anyone in Ernst's government team?

Ernst couldn't afford that outcome.

He can build a simple house in Minecraft, cultivate a wheat field, and raise a bunch of chickens, pigs, cows, and sheep. If he gets annoyed by a naughty kid, he'll be irritated for days. This is even more true in real life.

If something like that really happens, Sarkaz won't even need to go to Theresis; Ernst himself will have to activate the extermination order!

Nature creates all things to nourish humankind, yet humankind has nothing to repay nature. Terra seems a bit too urbanized! Give me a thumbs up!

Of course, this scenario is theoretically impossible. After all, the Grand Duke's rallying of the coalition and launching a special military operation against the Sarkaz of Londinium were essentially aimed at seizing control of the international discourse and the chair of the World Summit. There's no reason for him to smash the chair himself.

What's outrageous is that this conspiracy theory has even become rampant.

After all, Sarkaz didn't consider things enough.

Hey, you know what I'm going to say.

That's right! Ernst considered many things!

Hedley, along with the Sherag defense forces—yes, the same group of musket-upgraded, officially commissioned soldiers led by Aktos Perroche—had already set up a cordon at the entrance to maintain order.

According to the latest data provided by the Sarkaz Residents' Committee, the number of Sarkaz people gathered outside Shelag over the past three days has reached 337. Of these 337 people, only 20 meet Ernst's entry requirements. Even if Ernst grants them the same privileges as Hadley, allowing them to bring their families, the number of people who can enter will be at most 60.

Moreover, this doesn't even take into account how many of these "family members" are genuine family members and how many are just temporarily assembled.

Not to mention, Ernst couldn't possibly open this channel to everyone.

Why does Hedley exist? It's because he made outstanding contributions to Sherag. He brought in Mudrock, the son of civil engineering. He was diligent and conscientious in his work, and he helped Ernst fill in a lot of gaps in his knowledge of the lower-level Sarkaz!

This is his reward!

If everyone can get this reward, then the reward will become cheap. Even if Hedley doesn't care, in the long run, who will be willing to work wholeheartedly for Ernst?

This is a tricky problem; Ernst had never encountered the same issue in his previous life—he wasn't at that level back then.

Fortunately, although he had never eaten pork, he had certainly seen pigs run, and he knew what this phenomenon could be summarized as.

"Refugee crisis".

Sitting in the conference room of his office cubicle, Ernst summoned all members of the Sherrag government team, including Joyce, but excluding Defense Minister Actos and Defense Secretary Jeston Williams, who were maintaining order at the cordon, and made a frank announcement:

"This is clearly a wave of refugees."

Seviena asked with some concern:

"What should we do? Evacuate them? But they don't seem like they'll cooperate."

Lu Huerhaiya licked her lips, looking like a seasoned veteran:

"This situation is actually quite common in Colombian history."

Ernst did not interrupt him, even though Columbia had a great sense of humor when talking about history.

Holheimia Road:

"If someone doesn't meet the immigration requirements, doesn't pay enough Colombian currency, and still tries to forcibly enter Colombia, the guards will only have one course of action against them."

She lifted her tail, slammed it on the conference table, and uttered a single word:

"kill!"

Yes, a solution very characteristic of Terra. It emphasizes a people-centered approach to problem-solving; without people, there is no foundation, and without foundation, there is no solution.

Would killing be useful?

Hey, you know what, it actually works.

The refugees who are fleeing are not meant to die. If someone were to possess them and create a map, it wouldn't be impossible for them to flee en masse and move to another place.

But Ernst couldn't bring himself to do it.

It's not because his moral standards are particularly high; the main reason is that he has to be a good person.

He can't be a traitor to Sarkaz and help them build a nation at the same time; that would be too darkly humorous.

Even if things ultimately have to end with a violent crackdown, he shouldn't be the one to do it.

Ideally, the Sarkaz would retreat on their own, but how to get them to retreat on their own is a huge problem.

After all, many people come here because of the name Ernst, that prestigious brand!

This is the price of fame.

The greater the power you enjoy, the greater the obligations you must bear. Similarly, the greater the fame and influence you gain through various means, the more you must bear the burden of those who are attracted by that fame and influence, hoping you will "uphold justice."

This is unavoidable, because reality is not a fairy tale; there is no such thing as enjoying without giving back.

Ernst recruited many talented Sarkaz individuals with generous treatment, and he was destined to face this challenge—the expectations of the ancient Sarkaz race.

Only by passing this hurdle can he truly have the foundation to rival Theresis, the current leader of the Sarkaz, and claim that he can bring a stable life to the Sarkaz.

But ultimately, is this "claimed right" truly something he should possess?

Ernst had long anticipated this day. He had also made preparations long ago.

It's time to sever ties with the Sarkaz. He is the Prime Minister of Kjerag, not the Demon King of Kazdel, much less the savior of the Sarkaz.

Moreover, there was never any savior or divine emperor.

The Sarkaz can only find happiness through their own efforts. All Ernst can do is give them that opportunity and offer some assistance from the sidelines in various ways.

So he took a deep breath. In his capacity as Prime Minister Sherag, he clarified the general policy:

"The provisional standards and management methods for resident registration upon entry into Shelagsaqaz Residents' Committee must be implemented."

"This is Shelag. My first priority is to ensure that the people of Shelag live in peace, happiness, and without disturbance. Otherwise, it would be my dereliction of duty."

“I hope you can understand this, He Dalei.”

Hadley, who was also present, nodded. It was a responsible statement, and he had no reason to refute it.

The Sarkaz never had much camaraderie or a sense of belonging to their own kind; they fought amongst themselves for far longer than the nations attacked them. Especially legendary mercenaries like Hadley, whose hands were stained with Sarkaz blood as numerous as the potatoes he'd eaten—by now, how could anyone possibly count them all?

When Horhaja was speaking, he even prepared himself for Ernst to accept Horhaja's proposal.

Prime Minister Ernst couldn't get his hands dirty, so he'd do it himself. Of course, he would voluntarily resign and bow in apology.

His position will naturally be filled by someone else.

Destroy something to forge the staircase, all for the sake of Kazdelnia's Vision III!

However, Ernst did not seem to intend to adopt, or rather, did not adopt the Holheimia scheme for the time being. Although Hedley was worried, he obeyed Ernst's decision.

"The standards will not be relaxed, much less abolished. Sarkaz that do not meet the standards will not be allowed to enter."

"understand!"

Ernst then looked at Vina:

"The situation of the Sarkaz gathering outside Shelag should not be concealed; it should be truthfully disclosed to the ambassadors of the Terran countries stationed in Shelag. However, for the time being, neither privately nor officially, any official response should be made."