People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

"The Galawa Iron Shield truly lives up to its reputation as a genuine Victorian-style high-speed warship, achieving the ultimate in firepower. Coupled with the well-trained troops of Duke Windermere, this war can probably be ended very quickly once the right opportunity arises to enter the battlefield."

Duke Windermere nodded happily.

She knew, of course, that Ernst was flattering her, but nobody dislikes hearing compliments. And Ernst had indeed hit the nail on the head, hadn't he?

The firepower of the Galawa Iron Shield, and her army's self-proclaimed invincibility below Wellington and their one-for-one exchange rate above Wellington—these were her proudest assets as the Duke of Windermere. Being recognized by Ernst naturally made her feel as sweet as if she had eaten honey.

Of course, this is also because it was Ernst who said this.

"So, what do you think? Do you want it?"

Duke Windermere gestured to chair eight, indicating that Ernst should sit wherever he pleased, and then asked, "5~"

"If you want one, I can send you one."

"Consider it a thank you for taking care of Defiance for so long."

“I didn’t really give Daphne much guidance; she’s smart and precocious on her own.”

Ernst answered.

That's the truth. To be fair, he often travels for work and doesn't spend much time in Sherag. During that short time, he's busy with government affairs, investments, new city construction, the World Summit, and even the Sarkaz Residents' Committee. He doesn't have many opportunities to talk to Defien alone. How much Defien can learn from him depends entirely on her own abilities.

To be honest, Windermere should thank Vina more than Ernst. After all, Vina and Defiance had been friends for a long time, and even after their identities were revealed, their friendship remained unchanged. Most of the time, it was Vina who was leading Defiance forward.

But the Duke of Windermere seemed to take this as a sign of humility and politeness; she feigned anger, frowned, and waved her hand, saying:

“Excessive modesty is not good. Your talent is obvious to all, and we are very pleased that Defiance is increasingly able to share the burden with me and her father.”

After saying that, without waiting for Ernst's reply, she softened her brow and smiled:

"Alright, I know you're always worrying about this and that. If I give you a high-speed warship, you're worried about what those people in Kester will say. I won't force you to do anything more."

"Didn't the Elector of Ston in Letania open a trade route to Kjerag? The Duchy of Windermere could also open one. I'll start arranging this once things are settled in Lentinium, what do you say?"

Ernst opened his mouth, and after a long pause, nodded gratefully.

Jiu was flattered. After all the twists and turns, many people and things on this land have changed, including Ernst, whose vision has also broadened, whether actively or passively. But my dear Wen Duoduo, who received a 10 billion subsidy, has not changed at all!

While Ernst was still rejoicing, Duke Windermere suddenly asked out of the blue:

"How are things going between you and Defiance?"

Sienster was slightly taken aback:

"Defiance is only 14 years old"

"Aren't you only 23?"

"cough cough"

Ernst was momentarily speechless. What did he mean by "You're only 23"? That's a nine-year age difference!

Is this some kind of feudal society where women have to start talking about marriage and having children at the age of 14?

Oh, Victoria really seems to be a feudal society.

But Ernst wasn't a feudal lord. He could still bring himself to sleep with girls like Vina, who were his age (or even a little older), but little Defiance...

“Your Grace, this is illegal. Let’s respect her wishes after Defien comes of age.”

Ernst admitted that discussing "law" in front of one of Victoria's largest feudal landowners was indeed somewhat humorous. But he really couldn't say anything else.

After all, one is bound to be obligated to those who offer help, and Ernst had just received a gift he couldn't refuse. It would be too much to ask him to say anything harsh now.

Moreover, this led him astray, and he completely lost his train of thought. He didn't come here for a blind date!

Realizing what was happening, Ernst coughed twice, interrupting Duke Windermere who was about to say something, and quickly said:

"Ahem, Your Grace, is this the reason you came to see me?"

"Is there anything else important?" Windermere paused for a moment, then realized what he meant. "Oh, right, there are a few things I'd like to ask you."

She straightened her expression and asked:

Do you need help?

"Eh?"

Ernst was taken aback again.

It must be said that every word the Duke of Windermere uttered exceeded Ernst's expectations. Conversing with her left Ernst feeling completely lost and unable to follow her train of thought!

"Do I need help?" Dude, I put a red dragon in there, and you're not even worried? What's with asking me if I need help?

What are you planning? Are you planning a rebellion? Wait, no, it seems the Duke already rebelled. Are you trying to abandon the darkness and embrace the light? No, that's not right either.

Seeing that Ernst remained silent, Windermere added:

"Didn't you bring Vina to Londinium?"

She sighed, looking somewhat lost and dejected.

"To be honest, none of us dukes expected Victoria to be in such a state now."

When she sent Kent to the Duke's secret meeting in Lentinium in her place, she didn't realize that the purpose of that meeting was to sign a "pact that would kill the Steam Knights." Now that she thinks about it, if all the Steam Knights hadn't been sacrificed, Lentinium might not be in its current state.

Windermere was a soldier, and soldiers are generally very simple-minded; all they think about is serving their country.

She did not regret ignoring Alistair's death, for Alistair was indeed not fit to be a ruler. However, seeing Victoria's current state, she began to have some doubts about the belief that "dukes govern themselves, each fulfilling their duties, and Victoria prospers."

That crown, that throne, are there, and as long as they exist, ambitious people are destined to pursue them.

In that case, it would be better to have a symbolic mascot sitting on it.

To paraphrase what the Duke of Cactus said about Alistair: "At least while he was still alive, we could pretend that everything was fine."

Therefore, if possible, Windermere is now more inclined to put up a mascot.

Vina is quite good. She has learned about this girl's abilities from Defiance. She may not be able to solve Victoria's problem, but her status and her talents are enough to ensure that she can be a "useful mascot".

She only needs to sit there to make many people with ulterior motives give up on their own.

After all, that's the rule. Even the Duke of Castells, before Alistair's death, would never have dared to openly declare himself emperor. Even after Alistair's death, during the period when Aslan was nominally without an heir, she could only follow the rules step by step, accumulating prestige, seeking fame and fortune, and gradually moving towards the crown of Londinium.

Even so, her position was still illegitimate, so she still needed to find a way to eliminate the two staunch loyalists of the royal family, the Steam Knights and the Tower Knights, in order to remove the biggest objections.

That's the rule in Victoria.

Ernst understood what she meant.

To be honest, he really didn't expect the Duke of Windermere to react this way.

She didn't seem to have received any information about Talulah from within Londinium, so she treated Vina, whom she had brought along as a cover, as the "protagonist."

And she, as a grand duke, actually wanted to support an emperor.

This was the complete opposite of Ernst's initial assumption that the Grand Duke would be alarmed and angry about the news of the "heir to the throne" appearing in the city.

But upon closer reflection, it seems quite reasonable.

The famous philosopher Dio once said: Humans are like a flock of pigeons; if one person leads the way, they will fly in his direction.

This actually reflects a universal human expectation, in chaotic situations, of someone who can help them make decisions. In other words, the more chaotic a place is, the more people anticipate the emergence of "strongman politics"!

Democratic consultation and parliamentary politics serve as a mediator between various political parties and the interest groups behind them.

But that requires sufficient "order" as a foundation. If there is no environment where everyone can sit down and reconcile, then "a gun" is much more convincing than "a mouth".

History has proven this fact countless times, from Caesar to Octavian, and from Napoleon to Mustache.

The Duke of Windermere's underlying political nature—a soldier—made him yearn to maintain order through force. His mother, he desired a peaceful environment for her children. And the Duke, he desired the continuous growth of his power, a nation worthy of pride.

It's perfectly normal for her to think, "I can negotiate too, I can also support the monarchy."

Ernst pondered for a moment.

Knowing Duke Windermere's thoughts was one thing; whether or not to tell her his plans was another. After a moment's thought, Ernst chose to settle for second best and said:

“Your Grace, Vina is my woman, and she will not come to Victoria to become Empress.”

"But I believe that the person you want will appear. If nothing unexpected happens, you will receive relevant news as early as tonight or as late as tomorrow morning."

Duke Windermere raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips with interest:

"What did you do again, kid?"

Ernst solemnly stated:

"I will not harm you."

“Of course I believe that.” Windermere waved his hand. “Never mind, I won’t ask any more questions. We’ll know the news tomorrow, right?”

"Speaking of which, there's a meeting of the Dukes' alliance tomorrow morning, Ernst, would you like to come with me?"

Ernst wanted to say no, but that wasn't necessary.

After all, Duke Windermere knew nothing about Talulah, so his trip tonight was, in a sense, a wasted effort. Having traveled such a long distance, he needed to go back and rest to conserve his energy.

But after thinking for a moment, he suddenly nodded.

"if you can."

Only when you know yourself and the enemy can you fight without danger.

Victoria's problem wasn't just the seven military councils entrenched in the city. Victoria itself had no issues; if it didn't reveal any weaknesses, Theresis wouldn't find an opportunity.

Ernst had never met all the Grand Dukes of Victoria by name, so he couldn't claim to know them very well. Even the Duke of Windermere, whom he knew relatively well, had given him a "surprise" tonight.

Therefore, in order to avoid any problems with the plan later on, he really needed to see these people in person.

"Nothing is wrong."

Seeing that Ernst had agreed, Windermere waved his hand, and the matter was settled.

It was late at night, and dawn seemed a long way off.

Chapter 829 Kester's Sword Dance, Aimed at Abrahana

The Victorians have always been inclined to compromise.

For example, if you tell them that the situation in Lentinium is dire and that if they don't take action soon, they might suffer a crushing defeat, they'll just laugh at you for not understanding war or victory.

A war affects every aspect of life. You think I've suffered great losses, but that's only because you haven't seen enough. In reality, even if we lose this war, as long as we achieve our goals, suppress the enemy, and clear the path to future victory, then the loss is just that—a loss.

It's just a loss of face, but it's the face of the entire Victoria that's lost, not just me. Being the commander of the allied forces isn't my responsibility.

Are there any dukes who hold this view?

Perhaps they do, but Victorians are particularly good at disguising their thoughts, so even if they have such thoughts, they won't show it on their faces or in their actions.

Enthusiastic and polite, but when asked, they say they have no answer. They nod and promise, but then refuse to help.

But what if you tell them that if they don't pay up, then Londinium will raise a new emperor who will trample on their heads and shit on them!

Then they will be alarmed and will send people to mediate, expressing their willingness to cooperate.

This was the scene that Ernst witnessed at the Allied Conference.

When the Duke of Linwindermere spoke, the Grand Dukes of Victoria seemed to be listening very attentively.

Both Sir Ernst and Windermere could tell that people like "Little Duke" Eleanor—or rather, Emilia—were simply giving perfunctory nods.

Before Ernst arrived, he had also inquired about the backgrounds of these dukes. After the Duke of Normandy claimed to be "ill," Emilia had been acting as his representative in various diplomatic and social settings. However, unlike most of the rising stars considered to be heirs to the dukes, she unusually focused her social activities abroad.

This is actually a very unusual move by Lu, because small countries like Victoria and Shelag are different.

Jiu Ernst once saw a discussion that asked: Why do China and foreign countries always present two extremes when summarizing their experiences and contradictions in governing their countries?

The argument suggests that this was because ancient China held a dominant position for a long period, and in the eyes of our rulers, conflicts with foreign tribes never posed a threat to national security. Indeed, this was true; if the Central Plains dynasties functioned normally, even outside their peak, the power of foreign tribes was negligible. Therefore, generally, our leaders attributed the nation's decline internally. For example, they might blame the emperor's lack of benevolence or the prevalence of corrupt officials, firmly believing that reforming internal problems would automatically resolve external conflicts.

However, Western countries are different; the West has truly suffered from external conflicts.

From Attila the Hun to the Germanic migrations after the collapse of the Roman Empire, to the great conquests of the Arabs and the subsequent Mongol cavalry—the second Scourge of God—Western countries, even if they themselves have no problems or haven't yet had time to develop any, can still collapse under the influence of external conflicts.

Therefore, when they analyze conflicts, they tend to attribute them to external causes. They believe that if their country is failing, it's definitely not their problem; it must be caused by an external enemy! They believe that only by eliminating that threat can the internal situation improve!

While Victoria is not China, it has never been a small country like Sherag, where external conflicts pose a far greater threat than internal ones. Ernst had never seen a duke like Eleanor who focused not on the Duchy of Normandy or on Victoria's domestic affairs, but rather on external conflicts, especially those involving Columbia.

Incidentally, this is also why Ernst was always traveling for work.

The internal conflicts in Shelag are generally manageable as long as Shelag continues to develop.

Even if Ernst had done nothing, as long as Scherrag still had money and could still spend it, the conflict could have been largely suppressed. This is because Ernst implemented some institutional reforms, established a central government, and set up several relatively efficient administrative departments.

This is nothing unusual. The white-robed countries in the Gulf are still monarchies. They have money, and drones can be used to create divine images from the sky, and the people below don't object. Their stability is far higher than those countries that claim to have democratic systems.

It can only be said that each country has its own national conditions, and specific situations should be analyzed specifically. Being pragmatic is a great virtue. There is no best system, only the most suitable system.