Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Page 275

Ronan had actually been powered up three times already. The first time was when he took drugs at the Gardener Tyr's Ruins of the Sea Flute and was strengthened. The second time was when he obtained the equipment on the nameless island in the alternate dimension of the "Otherworldly People" and temporarily increased his magic power limit. The third time was a few years ago when he was equipped with the left arm of the Holy Son, and his magic power increased by a lot.

Even so, Ronan is still a little short of reaching the level six cap. Dinia has retired in recent years, so there's not much magic power left to gain from her. He can only rely on a method that all mages can use: meditation. In addition to accelerating the recovery of magic power, meditation can also increase the magic power cap by a very small amount.

Not long ago, Ronan finally met the target.

He had thought that he would encounter some choice on this journey and then activate the Book of Destiny, but he didn't expect to come back to life so quickly.

"In the yellow sands of the world, one sees a lost city, where ten thousand golden-armored warriors roam freely."

"A lone peak covered in white snow, gazing upon those destined for new life, a lone warrior facing ten thousand enemies."

These two sentences are on the left and right sides of the Book of Destiny.

Basically, if you choose to enter Seris from the Western Regions, after advancing, you will be able to wield a vast number of shields, swords, and armor. If you choose to enter Seris from the Southern Snowy Plateau, then advancing to level six will focus on strengthening yourself.

Choosing the former means Ronan will undoubtedly be able to arm a small army in the future, and may even be able to form an army on its own without any people. With the magic armor, the magic-breaking sword, and the floating shield, it is no exaggeration to say that it would be easy to quickly annihilate an army composed of novice mages. If it were wartime, Ronan would definitely choose this option.

But now that Ronan is planning to go on a trip, even if he encounters an enemy, it will definitely be a very strong single enemy, so single-target enhancement is more suitable.

Ronan didn't spend much time considering his options and chose the right side.

Soon, sixth-tier magic arrived.

The magical abilities from before are still there.

Ronan's manifested sword is still a piercing attack that ignores magical defense membranes. The attack has both physical and magical attributes, and can be amplified to expand the attack range, which can extend up to five meters. After a successful attack, it causes the opponent to suffer continuous blood loss and magic drain. Apart from piercing and breaking magic, the other abilities can only be effective when Ronan himself uses them.

The shield has the effect of reflecting regular magic of level 5 and below. When in the floating shield state, it consumes less magic power. The effect is limited to the user.

The armor's original magic defense is enhanced, allowing it to absorb magic power from magic attacks it receives and life force from wounded enemies. However, it is also limited to use by the user.

The sixth tier truly lives up to its reputation as the second qualitative leap. With attacks that pierce, bleed, and drain magic, as well as flight movement and defense reflection, Ronan's defensive capabilities are enhanced by magic and life-draining sustain. Moreover, Ronan himself has a long health bar and a long stamina bar, making him a bit like a well-rounded warrior.

In short, Ronan is awesome.

Chapter 625 Some made progress, some stagnated; the spaceship is now in position.

In April, there was still a month before Ambrina would pass the throne to her son, Lucien II.

Ronan and his group began preparing for their upcoming trip.

At fifty-two years old, Ronan, who had just broken through to the sixth rank, hadn't changed much in appearance. However, he had grown a short beard and his hair had grown to medium length, making him look much more mature and giving him the air of an older man. But as his strength improved, he actually became younger in that area.

At fifty-three years old, Dinia's strength was still at the sixth rank, and her appearance had not changed at all. She still had that face that seemed unreal at first glance, her breasts were still so big, her buttocks were still so perky, her waist was still so thin, and her legs were still so long.

The two of them are truly immortal.

Ambrina is forty-four years old, but looks like she's in her twenties. She has a lot of hair, fair skin, and a sweet and charming demeanor. Last year, she reached the fourth rank, which enhanced her magic and gave her an additional ability: in space, she can use her own magic to launch attacks without any countermeasures or backlash.

Elena is forty-six years old. Although she didn't use the Crystal Water Skull skeleton, she originally possessed cyborg blood and underwent two enhancements. In reality, she is eternally youthful, just like the android Kate Pierre, still a stunning blonde beauty with a touch of wildness. However, this can only last for two hundred years. Within those two hundred years, she must complete the magic liquefaction immortality method, otherwise she will enter a death countdown like Kate. Elena's magic has now reached the fifth tier, without much change. Her healing power has increased, allowing her to heal anyone without limitation.

Alice is forty-five years old. She possesses a crystal skull skeleton and still retains the appearance of a restrained, aloof young woman with a hint of disdain in her eyes. However, her non-prescription glasses diminish much of her girlish charm, and perhaps due to her long tenure in the surveillance position, her demeanor has become increasingly serious and dignified, making one all the more eager to tear away her facade and force her to submit and beg for mercy. Alice is at the third tier, second to last in strength among Ronan's women.

Agustina, the same age as Dinia, is fifty-three. Years have passed, yet her strength remains at the fifth rank. If she hadn't met Ronan, she would likely have remained there forever. She still looks like she's in her thirties, with a strong and fit physique. Ronan wondered if it was just his imagination, but her hips seemed bigger, her legs thicker, her abs more defined, and she looked increasingly powerful.

Isabel, at forty-two, also had a skeletal transplant. Two years younger than Ambrina, she looked three or four years older than her sister. However, she naturally looked more mature than Ambrina, possessing a strikingly beautiful, almost aggressive, appearance. Yet, in bed, she still didn't like to take the initiative. Her strength hadn't improved much, remaining at the fourth rank. However, her spatial summoning magic, when used on someone without special abilities, could instantly cause even fifth or sixth-rank individuals to lose a portion of their body.

Ashley could never learn the art of immortality. A few years ago, she underwent a skeletal transplant. Now, at forty-five, her skin and figure are still excellent, but she exudes a mature, sophisticated aura. She's also the one with the most varied movements. Ashley's magic has improved again, reaching the fifth tier. Her magic remains the type Ronan can't understand. Now, she can transform into a shadow, moving across any surface. There are practically no places she can't enter. In her shadow state, she's essentially in another dimension, unaffected by the outside world. She can emerge from the shadows at any time and even bring others into them. Her only weakness might be her lack of powerful offensive capabilities.

Golan, who calls herself a genius, is already forty-three. She's studied for years but hasn't mastered the art of immortality, which has even stagnated her strength, leaving her still at the fourth rank. Two years ago, Ronan could only provide her with a skeleton. She looks to be twenty-six or twenty-seven now, much older than her sister. However, in the last year or two, she's started working hard again, no longer so carefree, except during that time.

Zhao Yingqi, twenty-two years old, is the lowest-ranking female magician in Ronan, at Tier 2. However, the tactical value of her magic is second to none; after all, "Time Delete" is incredibly powerful. Ronan directly transplanted her skeleton, ensuring that no matter what happens to her body in the future, he can find a way to save her. At this point, only one crystal skull skeleton remains of the original crystal skull skeleton obtained in the New World.

Over the years, Ronan gradually discovered that Zhao Yingqi was a somewhat contradictory person. She had her own set of ladylike rules to regulate her words and actions. It wasn't a pretense; she genuinely felt that she should act this way. However, there was another self inside her who was somewhat unconventional, a little mischievous, and vain. Therefore, Ronan said that she was a contradictory person.

However, this contradiction is also what makes Zhao Yingqi so endearing. When it comes to that kind of thing, she is usually reserved, yet serious. She will cry if she is hurt too much, but she will also feel secretly pleased.

Aside from the women of Ronan, there were two other people on this trip.

One is Ronan's daughter, Astrid. If we're talking about geniuses, this freak is the real genius. At twenty, she's already at the fifth rank, and she's an elemental mage. Elemental mages rely purely on their own effort and comprehension; they can't be "cheated." Moreover, she's mastered the art of immortality. Astrid's combat strength is also among the top tier in the group. She's proficient in all four elements and possesses the same racial talent as Elena. She's already secured her place among the world's top powerhouses.

The other one is Caterpillar, who is the driver.

She created a spaceship, but it was truly beyond words. It could only "recharge" for a whole day after flying for an hour, and after flying at full speed for an hour, it had to stop. Then, this thing would automatically absorb magic to replenish itself.

Fortunately, Ronan and his group were traveling, not rushing, and the spaceship had advanced technologies like shrinking, folding, and stealth capabilities; otherwise, it would have been a complete waste.

The spaceship wasn't large. When deployed normally, it was 15 meters long, 4 meters wide at its widest point, and about 4 meters high at its maximum. Overall, it didn't look like a ship but more like a submarine. However, its internal space was much larger than that of a submarine. This thing was a product of the combination of magic and advanced technology, and it didn't have a space-consuming power system and operating system.

It's not exactly spacious, given that it's only so big, with just two living rooms.

Ambrina, Alice, Isabelle, Ashley, and Gloria shared one room, while Dinia, Elena, Agustina, Zhao Yingqi, and Astrid shared another. Ronan slept on the floor of the warehouse, and Kate slept directly in the driver's cab.

After touring the room, we tested the flight and then checked out the shrinking, folding, and stealth effects.

That concludes the preparations for transportation.

After that, it was time to pack her luggage. There was no need to worry about food and water; Ambrina could handle it all by herself.

Ronan's own luggage was nothing special; as a man, he wasn't particularly particular about it. But the women were a different story. Ronan's women were considered relatively unfussy among aristocratic women, but they still had a lot of clothes, shoes, socks, accessories, various daily necessities, and cosmetics. Deciding what to bring and what not to bring was a difficult decision.

Women going out is always a hassle, and this seems to be the same in any era and any world.

"However, this is not something I need to worry about."

Chapter 626 Slap in the Face, A Gift for the Son, Information Cocoon

The statement "I don't need to worry about this" was quickly proven wrong by reality.

Everyone, even his daughter Astrid, came to Ronan, and almost everyone followed the same routine: they would bring a huge pile of things, then pull out two items that Ronan could barely tell the difference between, and ask, "Should I take this or this?"

How the hell should I know? I think there's no difference at all. Can't you choose for yourself? That's what Ronan was thinking. However, he wouldn't say it like that, nor would he give a straightforward answer like "yes." Over the years, countless beatings had taught him a lesson: being evasive with women on this kind of issue would have serious consequences.

Ronan seemed to have done a serious analysis before randomly choosing one.

As a result, he was still beaten and scolded, and everyone gave the same reason: Ronan was dishonest.

This made Ronan seriously suspect that these women just wanted an excuse to beat him up and yell at him.

Fortunately, Ronan's women were reasonable; once they had finished beating and scolding him, they let it go.

As April drew to a close, Ambrina was about to pass the throne.

At this time, Ronan went to the palace to see his son, Lucien the Younger.

Ronan taught his son a few things that Ronan, an engineering student, had memorized at the beginning of his transmigration to avoid forgetting, but had never used.

The main ingredients are smallpox vaccination, allicin, concrete, yellow gunpowder, and petroleum.

"Concrete, smallpox vaccination, and allicin can be produced. The kingdom's central cities are expanding and there is demand. Cattle and horses are prone to disease when they gather together and need treatment. There's no need to rush the other two. We feel that the military situation is a bit tight, so we'll bring out gunpowder. When we feel the time is right, we'll start preparing to use petroleum."

"Besides these, there's a bunch of other miscellaneous things. You can look at them occasionally for reference, and use them if you think they're useful. In short, you have to understand that productivity can't solve the social problems caused by distribution, but it can cover them up. I'm giving you this notebook. Let me reiterate, don't try to do everything indiscriminately. These things aren't for you to use to enhance national strength or please the people, but to deal with crises and shift the blame."

Ronan said he wasn't keen on pursuing technology unless absolutely necessary.

Moreover, climbing up the technological ladder was difficult back then, but things are different now. After more than twenty years of accumulation and years of work on popularizing education, we have both money and manpower, so climbing up is now feasible. Another reason is that, in Ronan's view, an eager pursuit of technological advancement would bring entirely new and more difficult social problems than ever before. For example, the kingdom has now embarked on the path of industrialization, and every year, no, every day, it encounters problems that cannot be solved by relying on past experience.

“Father, you really are…” Lucien was shocked. He never expected that his father had hidden so many things.

Ronan put his shoulder on his son's shoulder, who was now only slightly shorter than him. "Work hard, not for me and your mother, but for yourself and for your children."

Lucien is quite capable; Verma already has three children, two boys and a girl.

Besides Verma's legitimate children, Lucien and the other court secretaries had a total of nine children.

If Ronan and Ambrina hadn't left behind a lot of property, allowing Lucien's secretaries and lovers to find people to hold shares and manage it on their behalf, enabling Lucien to live a life of luxury and comfort, he wouldn't have been able to support his family, let alone his children, with his meager salary as king.

"That's enough. Don't have any more children like that in the future," Ronan added.

“But, they…” Lucien wanted to say that he wanted to wear a condom, but the women wouldn’t allow it. Even if he insisted, those women would use all sorts of methods, making it impossible to guard against them.

"You're so bad at dealing with women," Ronan said helplessly. "Look at your sister, five boyfriends, all of them like dogs. One she can't even touch, and she's willing to give herself to someone else even though she knows they're seeing other men. The other four aren't much better. Can't you learn from her?"

Ronan never imagined that his daughter Ina's desire to be in a relationship would be expressed in this way.

If you say she's outrageous, she doesn't seem to be messing around. She's far better than those aristocratic socialites. She just had a few more boyfriends at the same time.

In Ina's words, talking to one person at a time is too inefficient and can easily become tedious over time, making it easy to only see the other person's shortcomings. Talking to five people at a time is less likely to be boring, and with comparisons, it is easier to see the other person's strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses.

"Just like you, Father, I've heard that even the most beautiful woman can become tiresome for a man after a while, but you always have a different one, so it doesn't happen. I'm doing this for my boyfriend's sake. But once I've made my choice, I will definitely remain faithful." These were Ina's exact words.

Back to the present.

“I’ll follow her example? Impossible.” Lucien’s biggest dislike was for his younger sister, who was born just a little after him.

"I've said what I needed to say. I have some things to discuss with your brother. I'll be leaving now." Ronan took his leave, departing from the palace and heading to what was formerly the Marquis's residence, now the Duke's residence.

The youngest son, Louis, is already fifteen years old and will marry Princess Wieland next year.

Upon seeing Ronan, Louis looked around again, not noticing his mother, Ambrina. A hint of disappointment flashed across his face, but he quickly put on a friendly smile and asked, "Father, can't you wait until after my wedding before you leave?"

“Your mother has been waiting for this for so many years. If this is delayed because of you, then there will probably be things that will keep delaying her in the future,” Ronan said.

“Sigh.” Louis sighed. “I heard that princess is a year older than me and holds a first-rank position. What am I going to do?”

Louis did not inherit the Freigo family's magic tradition and is still only a novice mage. He may only reach the second rank at most in his life, making him a complete novice. His future wife, the princess of Weyland, although not particularly talented, has at least inherited summoning magic.

"Heh, aren't you quite good at seducing women? Princesses, generally speaking, are quite naive."

Ronan said.

"Huh? Dad, don't try to fool me, you're so naive?" Louis genuinely didn't believe it. Wasn't his mother, Ambrina, a princess? She might seem a bit silly at times, but when it came to getting things done, she was ruthless. As for his aunt, Isabella, well, let's not even mention her—a former head of the secret service.

“You’re trapped in an information cocoon. Your mother and your aunt are exceptions,” Ronan said.

"Alright," Louis said with an expression that said, "I'll take your word for it this time."

“However, if you want to improve your strength so you don’t lose your backbone in front of your wife, there’s a way,” Ronan said. This was the real reason he came to see his youngest son.

Louis's eyes lit up immediately, and he asked eagerly, "What method?"

Ronan took a deep breath and explained the method of magic transfer to his youngest son. First, a certain degree of physical modification was required, then the soul, or the magic base, was tampered with, and finally, the magic of another person was transferred to him.

Upon hearing this, Louis was immediately frightened. "Oh no, will I turn into some kind of monster?"

Ronan laughed and said, "How could that be? You're overthinking it."

Chapter 627 A Reminder to My Children, Goodbye, France

“The technology is already quite mature, and there have been successful examples before. Camille’s magic was transplanted,” Ronan said. As the current Secretary of the Inner Court, Louis often saw Camille and was quite familiar with her.

After saying that, Ronan added meaningfully, "Remember to have a good talk with Mr. Noah."

At first, Louis was somewhat confused, but in an instant, he understood. Ronan wanted him to befriend Noah, the kingdom's strongest physician, the "Suturing Master." Louis just didn't understand what qualifications he had. He was merely a prince with a hollow dukedom. However, since his father had sent him, Noah must have some needs that required his help. If he could do well, he might very well take over a faction and, to some extent, have the power to say "no."

Seeing that his youngest son didn't ask any unnecessary questions or try to pry, Ronan nodded with satisfaction. "In these matters, you are more perceptive and cautious than your brother. I hope you can always maintain that. However, there are some things I still have to say. After your son is born, you will have to find a way to get rid of this duke title on your head. Anyone who tries to prevent you from taking it off is trying to harm you, understand?"

"Understood," Louis replied readily.

Ronan said nothing more and left.

Next stop, Ina.

When Ronan found Ina, she was having afternoon tea with her third sycophant at a private estate overlooking the river that was not open to the public. The third sycophant was Edward, the son of a wealthy businessman. He was a fifth-generation rich kid, an old-timer, and was excellent in appearance and ability. He was also a good person, and his manners were more like those of aristocrats than those of nobles. The only problem was that he had poor eyesight.

After Ronan drafted the "Law" and Ambrina promulgated it came into effect, marrying a princess wouldn't bring much benefit to this rich young man. Ronan had also investigated him and found that he was genuinely infatuated with Ina and completely devoted to her. One could only say that he was truly blind.

"Dad?" Ina's first reaction upon seeing Ronan was surprise.

Edward, the third rich kid and sycophant, paused for a moment when he saw Ronan. "Hello, Sir." The title of Marquis of Rhine had been abolished, and Ronan was no longer the Marquis of Rhine. He did not hold any official position at the moment, but he was still a lord, so it was appropriate to address him as Sir.

“Hello, Vincent, may I speak to her for a moment?” Ronan responded and pleaded, Vincent being the other woman’s surname.

Edward, the third sycophant, got up, pulled up a chair for Ronan, arranged the seating, nodded in acknowledgment, and then left.

"Old man, I'm on a date," Ina complained, sounding somewhat annoyed.

Ronan sat down. "Dad's leaving, don't you feel any regret at all?"

Ina waved her hands and spoke in Chinese, “If it’s going to rain, it’s going to rain; if a mother wants to remarry, I’m reluctant to leave. Can you not leave?” She really couldn’t learn nice words, but she could learn idle chatter very easily.

“I’m here to tell you to be more serious from now on, stop messing around, and learn how to run a business properly. I’m planning to transfer some assets to your name,” Ronan said to his daughter, Ina.

"Oh, then I'll take you under my wing, hee hee. But you can't say I'm just messing around. I get free food and drinks, and I can expand my network." Ina said, as if she was making perfect sense.

"Aren't you afraid that people will turn their love into hatred?" Ronan asked.

“That just shows how narrow-minded he is. Feelings are feelings, and business is business,” Ina said.

Ronan sighed. "Then, do as you please."

"Huh?" Ina was startled; she hadn't expected her father, Ronan, to react so calmly.

“Oh, what?” Ronan said. “Do you expect me to lecture you? You’re all grown up now, and besides, you’re a magician of fate, destined to be a restless person.”

Ina smiled happily, "Of course, when I feel that making money is no longer interesting, I'll travel abroad."

"Alright, that's enough for now, I'm leaving." Ronan said goodbye and departed.