Today's first update: Chapter 3153! 1/4!
Acting Tortoise Lord did not equal the official Tortoise Lord. That was beyond doubt.
The so-called Acting Tortoise Lord merely exercised the Tortoise Lord's authority on a temporary basis during the power vacuum after the current Tortoise Lord stepped down for some reason and before a new Tortoise Lord emerged through a formal succession struggle.
This role was usually seen as that of a firefighter. After all, such a vast race could not go a single day without a leader.
Yet throughout the Black Tortoise Race's long history, there existed a phenomenon that seemed somewhat strange at first glance, but made perfect sense upon reflection—
That was, every Tortoise Crown Prince who became Acting Tortoise Lord would, so long as no major mishap occurred during his temporary tenure—including but not limited to being impeached and removed, dying unexpectedly, or being replaced by someone else—ultimately shed the word "Acting" from his title once his temporary term ended and the formal succession battle began anew, becoming the rightful Tortoise Lord!
There had never been an exception!
On the surface, this phenomenon seemed contrary to reason. Why did "Acting" almost amount to "awaiting confirmation"?
Yet the logic behind it was crystal clear: anyone selected to become Acting Tortoise Lord in a crisis was already a representative figure put forward after bargaining and compromise among all factions.
Though he did not need the absolute advantage required in a normal succession struggle, anyone seeking to rise quickly, like Erh now, still needed the voting support of more than half the Princes and Marquises.
And from the moment those Princes and Marquises elevated him to the Acting Tortoise Lord's throne, their forces became a tightly bound community of shared interests with him.
Leaving aside how many tangible benefits he