Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Page 163

On his way back to the princess's residence, Ronan encountered an unexpected person.

“Isa, what are you doing here?” Ronan asked.

“Can’t I be here?” Isabel retorted.

Ronan didn't want to beat around the bush, "Get to the point."

"The Security Bureau has recruited quite a few magicians. When do you plan to officially begin training them?" Isabel got straight to the point.

“In a few days,” Ronan replied, then asked, “Are you planning to get involved?”

Isabel crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm curious how you're going to train them. As far as I know, you only have experience in anti-revolutionary work and don't have much experience in intelligence work. You're not going to tell me that the job of this security bureau is to arrest people who curse the king and cause trouble when they're drunk, are you?"

“It seems you didn’t ask Dinia,” Ronan said. “This training isn’t about training their skills. In fact, the mages who will be recruited by the Security Bureau are basically all wet-and-dry workers; their professional skills don’t need any training. Isa, you need to understand one thing: if an intelligence agency doesn’t have some guiding principles, it will quickly become corrupt and out of control.”

"Guiding ideology? You're not planning to bring people into the church, are you?" Isabel was completely bewildered.

"How many magicians are truly religious?" Ronan countered.

Isabel was starting to get impatient. "So what kind of guiding ideology are you going to come up with?"

“Respect,” Ronan replied with just one word.

Isabel was utterly bewildered. Respect? Can respect even be considered a concept?

Ronan further stated, "Respect this country, respect this society, respect everyone who respects this country and society, and treat this respect as a belief."

“Why not be loyal to the monarch and love the country?” Isabel countered.

"Why should I be loyal to the monarch? Because she pays my salary? Being a spy isn't just about working hard, it's about risking your life, even selling your soul. Can a salary solve that? As for the country, that's even more absurd. I really can't think of anything to love about this country. At least, as a magician, I can't think of anything."

Ronan asked a series of questions.

Isabel had no way to refute it.

Ronan continued, "If the Security Bureau is to become a true weapon of the nation, it needs those who, at certain times, put the collective interest above their own. But clearly, such mages are extremely rare. Very few mages are willing to serve others, let alone risk their lives. Even most of those in the mage corps who came from the Igis orphanage are the same. Ultimately, it's because mages themselves don't respect this country or this society."

"Ha, then what makes you think these magicians will respect the country and society?" Isabel retorted.

Ronan sighed softly, "Few people are willing to take the initiative to respect others, but everyone hopes that others will respect them. At the very least, others should not have the ability to disrespect them."

"What do you mean?"

Chapter 372 Respect, having been notified, even bad things can be good things.

Ronan replied calmly, "It means that vanity and fear are human weaknesses, especially for magicians, and these two points should be exploited."

"They need to understand that if they respect this country and society, they will naturally earn the respect of others, even magicians."

"And if they do not respect this country and society, then in the future a group of people who will be able to disrespect them will emerge."

"Respecting the country and society is respecting yourself. This is the lesson we want to teach them in this training."

In the last sentence, Ronan emphasized each word, stressing it deeply.

Isabel thought she understood completely. "I thought you were going to come up with some fascinating ideas, but it turns out it's just the same old trick of coercion and enticement."

“People with dark hearts see everything as dark. The point is not that I coerced or bribed them, but that I taught these people, who originally lacked respect for everything except power, to respect it,” Ronan said. “Guiding principles must be grounded in reality and address the most pressing issues.”

He did dream of liberating the world's minds and indulging in the Soviet-style bureaucracy, but the problem was that even capitalism was still in its embryonic stage, only at its primary stage, namely agricultural capitalism.

It's not a problem of taking too big a step and getting hurt; it's a problem of not being able to take that step at all.

"Ha, you just have a point." Isabel said, as if to say, "Fine, I can't argue with you anymore."

Ronan looked at Isabel with a hint of surprise. "You've changed quite a bit. In the past, you wouldn't have admitted defeat so easily, not even verbally."

“If you lose everything, you’ll get used to admitting defeat.” Isabel’s helplessness held a hint of resentment, but she smiled again. “Let’s not talk about this anymore. How about coming to my house for a while?”

"Huh?" Ronan was stunned.

Seeing Ronan's expression, Isabel couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, your wife knows about this. I was discussing something with her before she came to see you."

"What's the matter?" Ronan asked curiously.

“We’ll talk about it when we get to my house,” Isabel said, turning around and walking straight ahead.

Ronan followed, and the two walked together until they arrived at a house by the river. It couldn't be called a villa because it didn't even have a yard, but it was located by the river in a good location. It had three floors and occupied a considerable area of ​​about 100 square meters.

Upon entering, the interior decoration, while not luxurious, was certainly not bad either; such a well-located house is not cheap in the capital.

"Didn't you run out of money?" Ronan asked.

“Others chipped in to buy it for me,” Isabel replied proudly.

She had helped many poor people, many of whom lived a good life, and some even became rich. Although most of these people were afraid of being known after she was demoted to commoners and even made attacks on her to distance themselves from her, there were still some people, especially those who were just getting by, who remembered her kindness and pooled their money to buy her this house.

As she spoke, Isabel sat on the stool by the door. Only then did Ronan notice that under her long skirt, she wore flesh-colored stockings close to her skin tone, covered by a pair of light gray socks, and round-toed leather shoes. Surprisingly, she had a fresh and artistic air about her.

Isabelle then changed into slippers, which were made of three layers: crocheted wool on the outside, cork on the sole, leather, and rubber, and then nailed together.

These slippers were also invented by Ronan. Although they have been copied by various workshops, only manufacturers in Shin-Hai City can supply the vulcanized rubber soles that provide a slight elasticity and create a comfortable feel.

The natural rubber in New Sea City is mostly imported from the Belial colonies in the New World, and the rest comes from a place in the western part of the Southern Continent, roughly the same place as Ivory Coast in Ronan's original timeline, an old French colony, where the world line is closed.

The rubber there was brought over by Ronan, and it's only just starting to take shape. In the future, it will become the main supplier of rubber to the Kingdom of Fas.

"Is it pretty?" Isabelle suddenly asked.

“To say it’s not good-looking would be a lie,” Ronan replied.

Isabelle's legs are somewhere between Alice's and Ambrina's, a little more fleshy than Alice's but a little less fleshy than Ambrina's.

Isabel didn't ask any more questions. She walked into the living room and sat down. "To answer your previous question, I discussed with Ambrina how to deal with Marianna's matter."

Marianna is the third princess. She is seven years younger than Ambrina and five years younger than Isabelle. She is now fifteen years old and of marriageable age.

“What I mean is to marry her off abroad. Ambrina plans to let her choose one from among the great nobles in the country,” Isabel continued.

Before Ronan could express his opinion, Isabel sighed, "Only Ambrina was lucky enough to be able to choose for herself, but even that choice wasn't entirely free, as you know very well."

Ronan simply smiled; he was well aware of this.

If he hadn't won King Lucien's favor through his exceptional abilities, provided Ambrina with such great assistance, and even killed Ambrina's two cousins ​​as a pledge of loyalty, then no matter how much Ambrina liked him, it wouldn't have mattered.

"Actually, it's the same all over the world. When a farmer looks for a son-in-law, he still has to find someone who can do the work, right?" Ronan replied half-jokingly.

“I was just making a comment, and I’m telling you this because I want to hear your opinion on Marianne’s marriage,” Isabelle said.

Ronan shrugged. "I've never even met her, how can I give my opinion?"

“Then you’d better not see him,” Isabel said.

"Hmm?" Ronan asked, puzzled.

“She’s got something wrong with her head,” Isabel explained. “She didn’t inherit our family’s summoning magic; she’s a shapeshifter, she can turn into an eagle. She thinks she’s the eagle Krish from the mythology, you get it?”

Ronan was speechless.

Isabel also looked helpless. "In short, it's best not to have contact with mentally ill people like this. Never mind, let's not talk about this anymore. Let Ambrina worry about this. I came to you mainly because of something more important."

"Speak," Ronan gestured for him to speak.

“I don’t approve of your current approach. Yes, you’ve got all sorts of nobles, bureaucrats from different factions, church influence, and magicians all under your thumb, but where is our base of support?” Isabel questioned.

"So that's it," Ronan smiled. "It's simple. Once the country's economy improves, there will be more resources, which will be invested in the construction of the magic academy. At that time, many magicians from commoner backgrounds will emerge, and these commoner magicians will be our base. Everything we're doing now is for two reasons: first, to build the economy, and second, to gain more control over the distribution of wealth."

"So, in other words, we'll have to keep walking a tightrope for the next few years?"

"That's just how it is, but it's also a good thing," Ronan replied. Ambrina not having a team was both a bad thing and a good thing.

Chapter 373 Good Things and Bad Things, Surprises and Unexpected People

Ambrina lacked her own faction, just like her father Lucien had done, and was unable to place her long-time confidants and close associates in various departments to seize power, which was undoubtedly a bad thing.

Even though Ronan pioneered a new path and united limited forces to establish the Ministry of the Interior, he still needed to forge alliances among various interest groups to get things done.

However, the so-called core group mostly consists of representatives of different interest groups, and a few are people with extremely stubborn self-ambitions. Ambrina's lack of such people means that she does not need to consider the position of any party, which is a good thing.

There is no one to rely on, which means there is no need to consider balancing the interests of one's own people.

It also makes it easier to build a new base.

Isabel nodded. She had to admit that although Ronan often did unexpected things, these things were never impulsive or isolated incidents, but rather interconnected and linked together.

Ronan is like an enigmatic chess player, always making unexpected moves. You either have to find a way to deal with these strange moves, or you can ignore them and play your own game. But whether you deal with them or ignore them, as the game progresses, you will eventually find that these strange moves have connected to form a major trend, a trend that is impossible to resist.

That's how Isabelle lost. She published two books, returned home but not to the capital, and suddenly entered Rennes City. With a series of inexplicable actions, without spending any money or moving any troops, she could only obediently admit defeat in this battle for the throne.

If she could turn back time, she would want to go back to the year Ronan came to the capital. After watching that stage play, she would never let Ronan leave again.

Ronan looked at Isabel, who was lost in thought, and asked, "Are you alright?"

Isabel snapped out of her reverie. "It's good that you've thought about it. Oh, and there's something else I need to tell you. Faith has left. She's probably on her way back to Wieland right now."

"What's going on?" Ronan was genuinely shocked.

“Villa and Weyland are about to go to war, but they are still in the preparation stage. The formal declaration of war may not be until next year. At that time, Villa’s fleet will set sail to invade Weyland. With Weyland’s naval power, it will probably be difficult for them to resist.” Isabel explained the situation. The kingdom will know this information soon.

"Ha, they really know how to pick their timing," Ronan remarked.

The current king's father-in-law, Lucien, is in critical condition and can barely get out of bed. It would be a miracle if he could even survive the New Year. The war will likely begin when Ambrina has just ascended the throne and has no time to spare.

Isabel, having some experience in the military field, made some judgments: "At that time, we will probably have to send troops to Villa to create some pressure, lest Villa destroy Weyland and then occupy the coast and install a puppet regime."

Ronan, however, said, "Why bother with Villa? Let's launch a direct surprise attack on the Empire of Will and seize the Rhineland."

Isabel was momentarily caught off guard by Ronan's abrupt shifts in thought, and could only tease him, "You don't actually want to become a real Marquis of Rhine, do you?"

"Do you think I have such a narrow vision? Don't forget, our dilapidated country is short of coal, but the western part of the Empire of Will is full of coal. This war is not really about occupying territory, but about forcing them to sign an agreement to supply coal at a low price. At the moment when Villa is on an expedition to Weyland, the Empire of Will will definitely not expect us to suddenly attack. We will give them a surprise then."

To truly enter a new era, a coal and iron conglomerate is indispensable.

This battle was bound to happen sooner or later, so we might as well take advantage of this opportunity.

“I see, that’s good,” Isabel said, but she still had some doubts. “But if Willand loses, it will be troublesome.”

“Villa won’t last long. Its domestic manufacturing industry has collapsed, while the naval power of Weyland will only grow stronger,” Ronan said.

"Why?" Isabelle was puzzled.

“Because there is plenty of high-quality timber in the northern part of the New World,” Ronan replied.

The era of steam-powered ironclad warships was still a long way off. Large wooden sailing ships were the core of the navy, and building such ships required timber from cold regions. In this respect, the disgusting island nation of Wieland had an unparalleled advantage.

At that moment, Isabel understood completely.

"Is there anything else you want to say?" Ronan asked.

“There really is.” Isabel said, standing up. “I’ll introduce you to someone.”

Ronan followed Isabel to the second floor.

Then, Ronan met someone who was both familiar and unfamiliar: Alice's sister, Gloria.

After many years, Golan has grown up a lot. Her eyes are still almost exactly the same as Alice's. Alice likes to have a cold face, so her eyes often convey a sense of aloofness and indifference. Golan is different. She likes to laugh, but her eyes convey a sense of arrogance and eccentricity.

Besides that, Grand is a little taller than Alice, about 165 cm, and her front and back are also slightly more prominent.

Before Ronan could even greet her, Golan rushed over and hugged him tightly, leaving Ronan somewhat flustered.

"Why are you here?" Ronan was genuinely surprised. "Also, you're all grown up now, don't act like this."

Grand replied, "I could have graduated from the advanced magic academy a long time ago. I'm here to join the Security Bureau, of course."

At the Elementary Magic Academy, one can graduate as long as they become a novice mage. At the Advanced Magic Academy, one can graduate as long as they reach the rank of a regular mage. Since Grandan was already a rank 2 mage two years ago, she could have graduated long ago.

“Your sister would never agree to that,” Ronan said.

"What's the use of her not agreeing?" Grandan didn't care about her sister Alice's attitude at all. "Anyway, as long as you agree, brother, that's enough." Grandan had called Ronan her brother since she was a child. In her eyes, her father, who had sought death, was extremely foolish, and her mother, who had abandoned them, was like an enemy. Only Ronan, who taught her, raised her, and doted on her, was her true family. Her sister? She could only be considered half a sister.

Ronan smiled. "Unfortunately, I won't agree either."

However, Golan was not discouraged, as if she had expected it. "If you don't agree, even if I want to go through the normal procedures, it won't work. So I can only try to find some connections."

"Oh, you have connections?" Ronan was curious about who could provide her with this kind of help.

“Of course it’s me,” Isabel’s voice came from behind.

Although he had already guessed it, Ronan was still somewhat surprised. "When did it start?"

“Just before your wedding,” Grand replied. “I contacted her myself. To be honest, I’ve always been curious about Princess Isabel, and I became even more curious after she was suddenly demoted to a commoner.”

“You’re really bold. If your sister found out, she’d be furious,” Ronan sighed. Alice was already Ambrina’s best friend.

“That’s wonderful,” Golan said happily.

Ronan pressed his hand to his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "You haven't changed at all in your way of picking on your sister."