“In short, my dear brother, you are now the first Speaker of Kjerag’s National Assembly.”
The tall man before him, clad in a black windproof cloak, made the declaration.
What followed was a sparse, perfunctory round of applause.
The heads of the Browntail family and the Paleroches family lazily brought their hands together, just enough to produce a sound that was awkward yet passably polite.
In contrast, seated on the other side of the triangular arrangement was their youngest sister, Ensia Silverash.
Bright and energetic, she winked enthusiastically at Ernest, clearly oblivious to the fact that the elder brother she admired had just pushed their second brother into what could only be described as a living hell.
Ernest Silverash pressed his lips together and finally turned his gaze toward the figure seated upon the sacred throne.
Representing the will of Kjeragandr, the Saintess, his elder sister, Enya Silverash.
Their eyes met midair, and unspoken emotions passed between them.
It was obvious that the Saintess was looking at him as well.
Her gaze carried both pity and anger.
To her, he was yet another sacrifice pushed forward by their brother Enciodes Silverash to satisfy his ambitions, just as she herself had once been forced into the role of Saintess.
Enciodes, however, seemed completely indifferent to Enya’s hostility.
He showed no intention of explaining himself.
Without question, this would only further erode the already fragile bond between them.
“What a cursed family…”
Ernest let out a silent sigh.
Other transmigrators ended up as princes in Victoria, knights in Kazimierz, or at the very least scraping by in Lungmen, getting into trouble alongside people like Ch’en and Penguin Logistics.
Only he had to draw the short straw and end up in the snowbound land of Kjerag.
That alone would have been manageable.
Though only a casual Arknights player who quit not long after launch, Ernest still retained some vague knowledge of Silverash and Kjerag’s story.
If nothing unexpected happened, all he had to do was lie low in Kjerag and wait for his brother Enciodes Silverash, also known as the boss Silverash, to rise to power.
Once his brother returned with Karlan Trade and launched the Snowcap Incident, taking control of everything, Ernest could simply rely on his Silverash identity to live out a peaceful life.
Maybe he could even spend some of his brother’s money enjoying himself.
However, that entire pleasant fantasy shattered the moment he heard that Kjerag was about to establish a National Assembly.
Clearly, this version of Terra had diverged far from anything he remembered, and the already limited game knowledge in his mind was now completely useless.
“Fortunately, I’m not entirely unprepared.”
After venting his frustration, Ernest gave Enciodes a firm look, stepped forward, and took his place at a podium that looked as though it had just been carved from raw timber, still carrying the faint scent of fresh varnish.
He began his first official speech of his new life:
“I would like to thank the Silverash family, the Browntail family, the Paleroches family, the Council of Elders of the Vine-Bead Court, Her Holiness the Saintess of Karlan, and the great Kjeragandr for their trust and support.
It is an honor to stand here today and, on behalf of all the people of Kjerag, serve as the first Speaker of the National Assembly and Prime Minister of this government.”
“In my view, the most pressing issue facing Kjerag today is the economy, followed by the military, and lastly religion.
As for how to address these challenges, I believe—”
Ernest took a slight breath, as if preparing himself.
Then, in rapid succession, he delivered a flood of well-structured rhetoric:
“We must reach new standards and attain new heights.
Through new measures and new development, we must create new breakthroughs.
To achieve this, we must value new methods, understand new circumstances, and accurately grasp new requirements.
Only then can we meet new expectations, navigate new relationships, apply new capabilities, present a new image, and rise to new levels.
New knowledge gives rise to new outcomes, and new practice yields new achievements.
We must fully recognize the importance of these efforts, understand their urgency, maintain conscious commitment, and take proactive initiative.
With a comprehensive and forward-looking perspective, we must grasp the spirit of the times and remain grounded in practice.
Above all, we must act with precision.
When facing strategic and long-term tasks, we must account for their complexity and difficulty, mobilize enthusiasm and creativity, and carry out our work with planning and keen awareness.
At the same time, we must not overlook the importance of standardization, proceduralization, and institutionalization.
Only under conditions of order, scientific management, knowledge, and professionalism can rejuvenation become normalized.
We must act with initiative and enthusiasm, with resilience and patience.
With sincerity and determination, guided by our devotion to Kjeragandr, we must uphold both resolve and impartiality.
We must cultivate awareness of the bigger picture, a sense of urgency, and responsibility, while emphasizing learning and self-improvement, ultimately fostering a strong sense of governance.
We must identify the proper starting points, entry points, and end goals.
Pay attention to focal points, integration points, and key points.
Emphasize priorities and areas of effort.
These are the foundations that support all our work.
Only in this way can we build a modern and powerful nation worthy of Kjeragandr’s approval.”
As his words fell, the crude assembly hall sank into an eerie silence.
The silence did not last long.
Within a few seconds, a burst of applause erupted, far louder than before, thunderous enough to startle even the guards of various tribes outside the hall.
Leading the applause were none other than Ratatos of the Browntail family and Arctosz of the Paleroches family, who had only moments ago been clapping perfunctorily at Ernest.
Were they moved by his earnest tone and philosophical speech?
Obviously not.
Ernest knew very well that their delight likely came from something else.
After hearing his speech, they were probably relieved to confirm that he was, without a doubt, a complete fool.
There was no helping it.
In a nation where religion and governance were intertwined, the Saintess, the religious leader, was the Silverash family’s eldest sister.
The economic backbone was the eldest brother.
And now, both the Prime Minister and Speaker of the Assembly were the third sibling.
This was no longer just influence over the court.
One could say Kjerag, from top to bottom, was essentially run by the Silverash family.
It was only thanks to Kjerag’s simple and honest people that things had not yet descended into outright exploitation.
In another country, this situation might have already led to ruthless and systematic plundering.
But Ernest had no intention of becoming that kind of parasite.
Even if this position had been forced upon him by his less-than-considerate elder brother, now that he sat in this chair and wore this title, he had to be a good man.
Or, at the very least, a competent politician.
To achieve that goal, he still had a long road ahead.
The first step was to appear weak.
On the surface, it seemed that all of Kjerag’s affairs were already in the hands of the Silverash family.
But Ernest understood the truth.
Did they truly hold power?
Only barely.
Setting aside the opportunistic Browntail family, who swayed between sides in pursuit of balance, the Paleroches family alone controlled a third of Kjerag’s territory and more than half its population.
They were also responsible for defending the nation and held military authority.
If he truly wanted to transform Kjerag into the ideal nation he envisioned, one with a highly developed economy, unified governance, social harmony, and widespread prosperity, there was still a long and arduous journey ahead.
At that moment, Ernest almost wished he could post online, asking for advice from the vast wisdom of the internet:
“On Terra, just became Prime Minister.
How do I govern a bizarre little country?”
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T/N: Hello everyone, I’m back with an interesting new story that I want to translate and share with you all.