In this crossover anime, many ruthless and powerful figures reside in my territory.

A few beads of cold sweat gradually appeared on Liszt's forehead, and his hand on the table twitched uncomfortably.

The conditions were excellent, and the fact that Epsilon was used as collateral indicated that Yuri had no intention of playing any tricks.

But he was really afraid that there were hidden dangers he couldn't see in such generous conditions.

Ten seconds later, Lister took a deep breath and looked directly into Yuri's eyes.

“Mr. Yuri, please speak plainly.”

"Are you planning to deeply bind Red Maple Territory to Epsilon?"

“Once I agree, all territories of Red Maple Territory will be completely dependent on Epsilon.”

"Such a great favor is not a good thing for me or my territory."

That's right, it's not all good.

Even if Epsilon remains true to its promise and has no intention of harming Lister, the people of Red Maple Territory will still be extremely curious about Epsilon's technology, and many may even hope to join Epsilon in the future.

This means that Lister's absolute authority in the territory will be challenged, and he may even need Epsilon's cooperation to implement important policies in the future.

It would be a disaster for those in power if all the industries in a territory were deeply controlled by others.

Yuri smiled easily upon hearing Lister's words.

“Mr. Lister, you should know what Epsilon’s full support means.”

Lister nodded cautiously.

Based on Yuri's previous behavior, he could determine that Yuri's timeline was during the two years he was infiltrating Epsilon.

Although Epsilon was not very powerful during its infiltration period, it still possessed a large city like Chicago, and could utilize some of the Soviet army's resources, not to mention that Rushdie was working for Epsilon.

Even if Epsilon were still in a weak period, its full support would bring about earth-shattering changes to Red Maple Territory.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for all the people of Red Maple Territory."

"Moreover, in this chaotic period in the United States of Ahmora, the speed of development is extremely important."

"The only thing that was sacrificed..."

Yuri leaned back in his chair with a relaxed posture, but the words he hadn't finished saying pierced Liszt's heart.

How could he not understand Yuri's meaning?

As long as Epsilon keeps his promise, the only thing he will have to sacrifice is his absolute power as lord; otherwise, everything will be better.

Yuri, is this your goal?

Contrary to what Liszt had imagined, Yuri's true purpose was indeed related to Liszt.

But his aim was not to weaken Lister's power.

Generally speaking, when the economy and technology of a territory are completely controlled by another, larger territory, the lord of the smaller territory will be at a complete disadvantage against the lord of the larger territory, and a master-servant relationship will emerge.

But Red Maple Ridge is different from Epsilon.

Even though Epsilon controls the economy and technology of Red Maple Territory, Lister possesses a power that Epsilon cannot ignore—Lister can overturn the table at any time, causing all their investments in this world to go down the drain.

Therefore, even if things change to this structure, Lister and Yuri will still maintain an equal cooperative relationship.

However, Epsilon's power within Red Maple Territory will be greatly enhanced afterward.

This will be a thorn, a thorn deeply embedded in the lord's heart.

What Yuri is doing now is to put this thorn in the side on a scale, along with the development of Red Maple Territory and the happiness of its people, and let Lister choose which is more important.

At that moment, Lister felt cold sweat running down his body, and his brain was working frantically.

He really couldn't see what the difference would be between agreeing and not agreeing in the future.

If they don't agree, then it will remain the same as it is now: let Epsilon simply help with the infrastructure of Red Maple Territory, and the development of the territory will be achieved through his and his people's joint efforts.

Epsilon agreed, and he took Red Maple Territory directly to the top. However, the price was that a large number of the territory's people would become close to Epsilon, the territory's development would become extremely dependent on Epsilon, and even his power would be limited.

Which side should I choose? Which side is better?

Just as Liszt hesitated, Yuri’s unique voice reached his ears.

“Mr. Lister, you once talked to me about your ideal state, didn’t you?”

What exactly do you want?

Lister's heart skipped a beat as he looked up and saw Yuri's expectant gaze.

Expectations? Or did he misjudge?

Suddenly, Liszt remembered a question that Yahiko had once asked him.

[Professor Liszt, you told me about the difference between benevolent rule and hegemonic rule. So how does one become a benevolent ruler? Is it simply about practicing benevolent governance? If benevolent rule is better than hegemonic rule, then why are most of the rulers you cited who practiced hegemonic rule and used the method of keeping the people ignorant?]

"Well... I've never been a leader of a country either. I'm just telling you the stories I know, so I can't really answer your question well."

[The benevolent way is to be close to the people, the tyrannical way is to keep the people ignorant; the benevolent way delegates power, the tyrannical way centralizes power... Becoming a ruler who practices the benevolent way is difficult, because it places high demands on both the lord and his subjects. Therefore, the choice depends on the actual circumstances.]

【Then, Professor Liszt, what if we set aside these differences and only discuss the ideal state?】

My ideal country... where the lord only needs to do a little to govern well, and the people are enlightened, truly seeing themselves as the masters of the nation.

Then everyone can enjoy relatively affluent material conditions, laugh genuinely every day, and live in harmony with each other with few conflicts.

That alone is difficult, isn't it?

Yes, it's difficult, so let's see how it goes first. You only know something after you've done it; theory without practice isn't enough.

My ideal world...

The thought of the people who had abandoned everything to follow him to the frontier to reclaim wasteland made Lister cover his eyes with his hands.

If their happiness can be guaranteed...

“Mr. Yuri, I can agree to your request, but you must agree to the following conditions.”

Lister calmed himself down and looked Yuri in the eye again.

"The people of Red Maple Territory have always lived in a backward era, and too rapid development will make them feel out of touch."

“I think Epsilon understands this better than I do, so I hope you will take this into account when considering development.”

"besides."

"Unless I deem them to be heinous criminals, even enemies cannot be subjected to live experiments."

"Except in extremely special circumstances, inhumane weapons such as poison gas and genetic weapons are strictly prohibited."

Yuri stroked his beard.

“Mr. Lister, if you want to live better in this chaotic world, or even unify the territory, you will have to use some methods.”

"Do you think that only we Epsilons in my world use inhumane weapons?"

"The Allied and Soviet forces were merely hiding..."

"I know!"

Lister stood up, his voice booming.

"But I also believe that the bottom line should not be easily broken, and the people's faith should not be broken."

Yuri paused for a moment, then spoke again.

"That's something only the victor can say."

"Of course I know, so..."

Sincerity was evident in Liszt's eyes.

"I am truly grateful to have met you all, which has allowed me to avoid crossing any lines."

Yuri looked up and gave Lister a deep look, momentarily forgetting what he wanted to say.

"Mr. Yuri, let's end our conversation here."

"I've agreed to in-depth cooperation, but a formal treaty still needs to be drafted."

"Please prepare it, sir."

As Liszt turned to leave, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“Mr. Yuri, I once heard a saying.”

"You will rise to power by this, and you will surely perish by this."

This time, Liszt walked straight out of the room.

Yuri watched his departing figure, and three seconds later, a smile curved his lips.

"So you're even reminding me of the drawbacks of recklessly using mind control...?"

"So inexperienced and young."

But he was very satisfied, and even thought back to a long time ago when he was still ignorant and naive.

And through this exchange, he confirmed one thing.

“Mr. Lister, your thinking is not something that this world can cultivate.”

"The principle of moderation in this is quite obvious."

“An alien from another world… I had my doubts from the beginning about why you were chosen by the world’s will.”

"It seems there's no need to doubt it anymore."

Yuri stood up, put his hands behind his back, and gazed into the distance.

“Mr. Lister, your future may be deeply intertwined with the future of Epsilon.”

"It seems I need to adjust my plans. It would be good to have that person come over."

Your radiant spirit can be our strength.

Chapter 75 Lister Needs to Relax

After leaving Yuri's villa, Lister felt completely exhausted and weak.

too tired.