People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Not to mention that it is difficult for the five major powers with power to fully agree on the level of international interests, the fact that they are expanding their spheres of influence and maintaining a balance of power is enough to ensure that Terra enjoys the most basic peace.

It's said that the five permanent members of the UN Security Council could conquer the world if they united, but this is like the Sarkaz uniting to challenge the earth, or a Demon Lord growing up to enslave all spirits—it's theoretically possible, but practically impossible. This is because it not only offers no benefit, but could even be harmful.

Larger territories are not always better; vast lands also mean enormous governance costs, especially in an environment like Terra. While the existence of mobile cities has protected Terran nations from natural disasters, it has also led to instability at the internal structural level of this super-large organization called a "nation."

To put it bluntly, some bold mobile city lords might drive their cities away tomorrow, whether to declare themselves kings or join their rivals. Due to the lack of long-distance and fast communication methods, the central government might not even know about it for a while before deciding whether to send troops to punish them and recover the lost territory.

On this point, Ursus and Ursus have much in common.

Ussus is plagued by frequent rebellions, and its mobile cities and army groups have a history of organized mutinies, such as the "Great Rebellion." Any political commentator or observer with a modicum of insight can easily point out just how high the cost of governing Ussus is and how acute its internal conflicts are.

In other words, the Ursus Emperor's room for maneuver was only granted because the nation's military strength was strong enough, the war benefits left by the previous emperor were still manageable, and the last major rebellion had indeed been suppressed, allowing various domestic factions to recuperate. Otherwise, no matter how determined Emperor Fyodor of Ursus was to implement reforms and innovate, he would be terminally ill and it would be too late for regrets.

There's nothing we can do; this is the inevitable trend, and it can't be changed by any one person's will.

Moreover, although Ernst's assessment of Victoria and Ursus was sharp, seemingly belittling both countries, these two countries are actually the only two that are considered to be "undisputed permanent members of the Security Council."

Despite a thousand and one problems, Victoria remains the former hegemon of Terra, and the Duke of Caesar, riding the wave of his "great victory in Windermere," attended the World Summit. Even though this great victory is questionable, and even though the Sarkaz problem in Londinium remains unresolved, no country dares to challenge Victoria for this seat.

"Victoria's representative, please come up."

Ernst placed the microphone on its stand and gave up his spot on the podium to the Duke of Caesar, who had come up on stage.

The Duke of Caesar nodded slightly to Ernst and gave the camera a gentle, humble, and impeccable smile.

Her image was projected onto a large screen behind her, with the coat of arms of Victoria displayed on both sides.

She had very little life experience, and she gave a genuine smile.

How long has she been waiting for this moment?

From childhood, I watched the Duke of Wellington dismantle the Lingons, pull out its keel, and declare on behalf of Victoria that the Gallic Empire had become an eternal part of history.

At that time, she felt only awe and fear.

Then came her youthful years, watching Frederick III the Conqueror buried in the royal cemetery, and witnessing her brother Alistair, because of his blond hair and lineage, being proclaimed as the new Victorian Emperor, crowned amidst a grand procession.

At that time, she only had the ambition that "a true man should be like this."

Then, as an adult, he took over the title of Duke of Caesar, gradually building an intelligence network and expanding his power, while defying the rumors that "Victoria only has one Grand Duke - the Duke of Wellington," in order to find support and assistance for his ambitions.

At that time, she felt only resentment and determination.

And now.

She orchestrated the Londinium riots, leading the mob to hang her own brother; she wove the chains of Wellington, trapping the aging general in his small territory and his medals with a web of nobles; and she pushed the Sarkaz into the city, removing the last obstacle to her ascension to the throne.

Her script was already written; if it weren't for Theresis, this Sarkaz, suddenly adding scenes for herself, she would probably be called "Her Majesty the Empress" by now.

But it's not bad as it is now.

"The representative of Victoria"—what a pleasant title that sounds!

Windermere was ultimately naive. She made so many arrangements, even placing her daughter next to Ernst to enjoy the breeze every day, but when it came to the final step, she backed out herself.

The Victoria she went to so much trouble to save didn't belong to her. She was, in a way, too "loyal."

When the Duke of Wellington received news of his assassination, Curtain was genuinely shocked. She was especially horrified when she tried to activate the spy Grey Hat, planted on the Duke of Wellington's HMS Gastrill, to gather intelligence, only to learn that all her informants had been eliminated in an instant.

She overestimated Wellington, but still underestimated the old man who had been lying low.

But so what? He still fell in the end. The situation on the battlefield was changing rapidly. He had remained silent, and the Duke of Caster could take it as him observing the situation. But when the Duke of Windermere won the battle, he still didn't say a word, which meant that he might really have encountered some problems.

Whether he is alive or not is hard to say, but at least, like the Duke of Stafford, he had no choice but to withdraw from the ducal power struggle due to "health reasons".

Godottin wasn't very ambitious and was already inclined towards her Caesar faction, so there's no need to elaborate.

In other words, she, Christine, is now, in a sense, the uncrowned queen of Victoria.

"Thank you, thank you to my colleagues, my fellow countrymen, and Secretary General Ernst for their trust in me and in Victoria."

Suppressing her inner excitement, she delivered her brief speech in as calm a tone as possible.

"Victoria will spare no effort, as one of the five trusted and entrusted permanent members of the Security Council, to uphold the authority of the Summit of Nations, ensure peace and development in Terra, and preserve the diverse civilizations of Terra."

"This is a promise I, Lord Castle, make on behalf of Victoria."

Ernst nodded slightly, raised his hand, and led the applause.

Applause also rang out from the audience. Even Vice President Wilson of Colombia, who was not on good terms with Victoria, and Defiance, who was not on good terms with the Duke of Caesar and had joined Victoria's delegation, applauded at this moment.

Personal grudges should not, at least not, have a decisive impact on a person's political stance.

Even though she was unwilling and resentful, since her mother had decided to give up her position to lead the Allied Forces and protect Victoria, she, as her daughter, could only accept this fact.

She certainly couldn't outmaneuver the Duke of Cassel, a political beast, but how old is she? And how old is she already? How much longer can she stand on this stage and deliver her outrageous pronouncements?

Ernst also comforted her and analyzed the situation with her: even if the Duke of Caesar obtained the position of Victoria's representative after the Londinium incident was settled, there would still be limited things she could do.

For the Grand Dukes, who were already divided, they suddenly had a common enemy. And the Duke of Castells wanted to reduce the power of the princes? Could she actually do it?

Even if she has the ability and skill, and she can take down others, can she really take down Duke Windermere?

At the time, Daphne didn't understand: "If the Duke of Custer had a chance to cause trouble, wouldn't Mother be the first to be targeted?"

But Ernst shook his head: "How can you be the first to bear the brunt? Can the Duke of Castells possibly touch a war hero who is high-ranking, powerful, has troops, fame, and prestige?"

In Ernst’s view, the Duke of Windermere’s move, though risky, was not bad.

Her political acumen is certainly inferior to that of the Duke of Caesar, and if she continues to hold on, she alone cannot withstand Caesar's massive faction. It would be better for her to relinquish this position and let the Duke of Caesar take over, so that the Duke of Caesar's faction can disintegrate on its own.

After all, it's a consensus that the Duke doesn't want anyone on his head, and it's common sense that the spoils can never be divided evenly.

Windermere herself could use the internal turmoil and reshuffling within Duke Caesar's faction to recuperate. And Duke Caesar simply couldn't touch her; she was the commander-in-chief of the allied forces, the overall commander of this special military operation, and the "Liberator of Londinium"!

Most importantly, she has troops and military power!

Before Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, the Yuan family had held high office for four generations, and their protégés and former officials were all over the country. But after Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, didn't the whole country attack him?

What was that phrase again? "Bones in a tomb!" Even if he became king, he would only be a skeleton king.

Unless the Duke of Caesar was a fool, she wouldn't choose to attack the Duke of Windermere first. Not only would she not dare to, she would also have to reward him with various incentives. If the Duke of Windermere were a little cunning, she could shamelessly ask for them several times—this is for me, this is for the Allied soldiers, this is for the families of fallen soldiers, this is for the resettlement subsidies for refugees.

Therefore, the Duke of Castle will likely be stuck here, and once she is stuck here, the possibility of her decline after reaching her peak will greatly increase. On the contrary, the Duke of Windermere's foresight might become a brilliant move to turn the tide in the future.

Although Daphne felt that her mother probably didn't think that much about it at all, it was Ernst who was overthinking things for her mother.

However, it doesn't matter. As long as she translates these words, digests them, and conveys them to her mother, it's the same as her mother thinking about them, isn't it?

Anyway, she had long considered Ernst as family, so why would she speak like a stranger?

At the World Summit, as mentioned earlier, people had no objection to the result.

The applause continued until the Duke of Custer stepped down from the podium and returned to his seat.

Until Ernst spoke again.

Until Ursus's representative, Islam Witt, stepped onto the stage.

There was total silence.

Islam Witt grinned awkwardly, a cold sweat already trickling down his back.

I should have had a shot of vodka before coming up here. This oppressive atmosphere is typical of Ursus!

Chapter 574 Ursus, in dire straits!

As the saying goes, fortunes change every thirty years, and the wheel of fortune turns.

Objectively speaking, the pressure from Ursus was indeed quite strong. Just now, when the Duke of Kester, the most immoral of the Victorian dukes, took the stage to speak, everyone had to give him some applause and encouragement. But when it was Ursus's representative's turn to take the stage, well, Ernst felt that if Mr. Witt tried a little harder, held on a little longer, and remained silent, he would soon hear boos from below.

This was somewhat difficult to keep up with, and even with En Wulu's composure, he couldn't help but chuckle a little at this moment.

Ironically, this was actually an unexpected yet perfectly logical outcome.

The representatives of various countries in Terra, the representatives of various forces, and the leaders of various organizations sitting below the stage at this moment almost encompass the vast area "from Ireland to the Khitan".

But if you want to find a few people among them who have absolutely no grudge against Ursus, Ernst has to say, hey, that's really not easy!

They've either been beaten up, are being beaten up now, or were planned to be beaten up before, but didn't because of some things, but still felt disgusted once.

Even Laterano, known as the good-natured people of Terra, with a good reputation among all nations, and whom even Ernst couldn't find much fault with, suffered a solid "Patriot's Iron Fist" from Ursus!

With such a bad reputation, where can they seek justice?

Looking for Ernst? Ernst couldn't do anything about it either! And to be honest, Ursus had even offended a tiny, newly formed nation like Sherag—they didn't attend the World's Fair or the World Games!

While the latter was partly due to the obstruction of Kazimir, Ursus's sworn enemy, the former—Ernst had sent an invitation to the World's Fair—also failed to attend, without even a reply.

Of course, this matter can be viewed as a minor or major issue. On a minor level, it could be explained as: perhaps something happened to the messenger on the way, the letter was lost, and the emperor didn't see it, so he didn't participate. But on a major level, this is blatant disrespect for Sherag.

Ernst didn't bring up this old story, not because he couldn't find out the messenger's whereabouts, but because there was no need.

My lord, times have changed. You used to ignore me, but now I've made you look down on me! -^】

Ernst could certainly exclude the Ursus Empire, but the cost of doing so would be too high. The Ursus Empire is vast, populous, and controls the best route to the Infi Icefield, holding the first line of defense against the demons. Excluding them would result in far more losses than gains, and would also needlessly draw hatred towards them, so it's unnecessary.

However, it's no exaggeration to say that Ursus fought across the entire Terra with the power of a single nation! It's obviously impossible for Ernst to use his own reputation to clear their name.

No applause, no applause. Ursus deserves it. This is a summit of nations. If you want to earn respect, you must first learn to respect others.

Islam Witt clearly understood this principle; he came here with no intention of saving face.

He said those things to Fyodor in the country, and given the palace's sieve-like infiltration, it could get out anytime soon. Even if Fyodor has pardoned him, there are still many in that palace who won't tolerate him.

Furthermore, while His Majesty Fyodor possesses the ambition, determination, and ability for reform, his weakness lies in his lack of ruthlessness. He may not be able to completely control the conservative old nobles who oppose the reforms. If the reforms in Ursus are to be implemented smoothly, a "de facto ruler," someone who plays the stern role, is inevitably needed.

After thinking it over, the only person who could be this speaker is him.

However, if he were to encounter that character, although his career might rise steadily, his reputation and aristocratic status would be half ruined.

So, for someone like him who is destined to be "half praised and half criticized" and "unforgivable by heaven and earth," what's the point of talking about face?

Why not use this face to exchange for Ursus's face, to repay His Majesty Fyodor's kindness?

"Distinguished colleagues, representatives, compatriots from all nations, and Your Excellency Secretary-General Ernst, I am the representative of the Ursus Empire attending this International Summit, and also the Speaker of the Ursus State Duma, Islam Witt."

Islam Witt began slowly, placing his hand on the cover of the Universal Summit Charter on the podium, raising his other hand solemnly, and said,

"I hereby swear an oath on behalf of the Ursus Empire by order of His Majesty the Emperor."

"The Ursus Empire will spare no effort, as one of the five trusted and entrusted permanent members of the Council, to uphold the authority of the Summit of Nations, ensure the peace and development of Terra, and preserve the diverse civilization of Terra."

He stared straight ahead at the direction directly opposite the podium, where the logo of the World Summit gleamed under the lights above the gate leading to the delegates from various countries, behind the fan-shaped seating area.

He knew that when the representative of the Ursus Empire said such things, the people below were undoubtedly listening to a joke. And a particularly nasty, hellish joke at that.

But it's okay, laugh if you want to.

Anyway, there are a lot of people today, so he can't see it.

He simply continued speaking:

"I believe that the nations of Terra, as well as all the representatives present, have a full understanding of the strength of the Ursus Empire, and a deep appreciation of how difficult the Ursus Empire's transformation from conqueror to guardian was, and what changes it will bring to the whole of Terra."

"But it is precisely because Ursus has this determination that we will never allow anyone to tarnish it."

"In this sacred hall, we swear that the Ursus Empire will be the most steadfast supporter and defender of the Universal Summit System. Ursus, we always keep our word!"

After speaking in a strong and resonant voice, Witte stepped off the podium, bowed to the delegates and Ernst, and then walked straight down the podium.

Ernst was somewhat surprised by this result.

Is Ursus linking its reputation to the World Summit?

The Ursus Empire's aggression and expansion have indeed created an extremely unfavorable diplomatic environment for them, but as Witt said, they have also very successfully demonstrated Ursus's military power to the entire land!

When people talk about art and music, they think of Letania; when they talk about yellow sand and ruins, they think of Sargon; when they talk about the sea and ruins, they think of Iberia today.

When discussing violence and war, Ursus inevitably comes to mind.

Given Ursus's arrogance and Witte's status, Ernst hadn't dared to hope that he would apologize here. Ernst would be grateful if Witte simply went through the motions without saying anything that would cause him to be pelted with rotten feathered beast eggs and tomatoes.

But he certainly didn't expect that Witt would tie Ursus to the World Summit in this way.

Ursus has a poor diplomatic environment, but people will always recognize the World Summit. Ursus's declaration of unconditional and absolute support for the World Summit system means that, as a permanent member, it has even ceded some power to the World Summit organization.

For example, when a resolution is passed by a large majority at the World Summit plenary session, Ursus cannot break its promise and use a veto. Similarly, if four votes are in favor during a vote by the World Summit Standing Committee, Ursus cannot act as a vetoing nation.

That is the power it relinquished.

In return, the World Summit naturally provided Ursus with diplomatic assistance and a certain degree of assurance.

Of course, Ernst always believed that making statements was free. Ursus hadn't written these things down in black and white, so he could just say it without anyone being able to criticize him if he went back on his word later.

But Ursus did say it in front of all the prominent figures in Terra. If he were to break it and defy the world by making a decision that did not conform to the "unconditional support for the World Summit system," he would certainly face backlash.

Ursus isn't a single superpower like the United States; it also has Victoria overhead and the mysteriously powerful Yan. There are no ideological battles or factional conflicts on the international stage, and Ursus doesn't have its own interest groups or belong to any particular camp. By doing this, it can completely alleviate its already dire diplomatic situation.