Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Page 467

Chapter 1082 Heading South: Trouble Arises, Cyberpunk in the Steam Age

Ronan and Mrs. Zhao had a meal in the village.

A stew of potatoes, onions, large chunks of fish, seasoned with pepper and salt, and simmered with milk; a bowl of barley and oat porridge; and then several large pieces of venison, seared to a medium-rare state and sprinkled with salt. That's it.

What about cows and sheep? Cows are for working, and sheep are for shearing, not for eating.

As for pork, forget it. Ronan would rather eat venison with its bloody smell than pork that isn't properly bled here.

Ronan didn't care; his stomach had long been Westernized. Even though Madam Zhao had traveled the world with Ronan for twenty years, she still couldn't quite accept it. How could a rich young lady from Seris possibly eat this?

Madam Zhao drank the porridge and ate a few bites of fish. She was very unfriendly, but the villagers who were entertaining them were still all smiles.

After all, Madam Zhao paid the money.

Ronan was actually a little surprised by the money, because the village was really remote, but they actually accepted the silver coins given by Madam Zhao. The silver coins she gave were French silver coins, exquisitely minted, but only 60% silver, and they were marked with a value. In other words, they were not silver, but a kind of credit currency. If it was not used to buy things in the "market", it would be worth nothing.

This small village in the far north actually has connections with the outside market, and it's not just about bartering.

After finishing the meal, I left.

On his continued journey south, Ronan learned what had happened.

People were logging here, and the timber was transported by river to the port, and then from the port to the south, and then to the paper mill.

There's a river that leads directly to the harbor? Originally, there wasn't one, but some superhumans organized themselves to dig an artificial canal.

Over a hundred years ago, those with extraordinary abilities wouldn't have done such a thing, because being a producer was beneath their dignity. They could enjoy enough luxury without participating in any production activities, and even if they did, it wouldn't bring them enough benefits.

Things are different now. The number of superhumans has increased, the market has grown, and there are ample opportunities to be drawn in, with the latter being the key factor.

A hundred years ago, even a dignified seventh-rank Victor couldn't get many people to respond to his requests, but now, without anyone even mentioning it, people are taking the initiative to do it.

Ultimately, it is self-interest that moves people's hearts.

After heading south, Ronan and Madam Zhao found a caravan going to Ross, gave them some money, and went with them to Ross.

Over the past few years, Mrs. Zhao has managed to learn Finnish, but not Russian, as has Ronan. Although most people in Russia speak French, Ronan wants to travel and explore as he goes. Therefore, a translator is necessary.

After crossing the sea by boat, Ronan and his companion followed the caravan to the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, which, in Ronan's original timeline, belonged to Estonia.

In this world, this place used to belong to Sweden, but now it belongs to the Ross Empire.

"Damn it, what are those white-shoeed guys up to now?" one of the caravan members cursed as he looked at the swarms of soldiers surrounding the port.

Although the Mongol westward expansion did not exist in this world.

However, that first-ever large-scale talent-granting experiment turned countless grassland people led by Han Chinese who fled north into monsters that were neither human nor ghost. After a massacre in West Asia, they were gradually swallowed up by the river of history. However, the very few who survived and received the talent still had an impact on Ross.

Therefore, in this world, Westerners do not consider the Rus' people to be their own kind, but rather as white-skinned, barbaric bastards as described by the Seres.

"I heard there's some kind of revolution going on," someone interjected.

Then someone couldn't help but burst into mocking laughter, "Haha, are you crazy? St. Petersburg is just to the south."

At this time, the capital of the Rus' Empire was not in Moscow further south, but in St. Petersburg, a hub for land and sea transportation on the Baltic Sea.

Ronan and Mrs. Zhao ignored all of this and simply followed someone they had already agreed on a price to find a local translator and guide, preparing to head south to the capital of the Rus' Empire.

The translator was a middle-aged man with well-groomed hair and beard. He was an extraordinary being, not yet in his proper position. Judging from his tone of voice, he was probably still a nobleman. His clothes, though clean and tidy without any damage, were obviously old, as were his boots, which looked new but had clearly had their soles replaced many times.

This means that he was living a very ordinary life.

Of course, if he were doing well, he wouldn't need to take on this kind of job.

The caravan members weren't fools; some of them were superhumans, and they naturally knew that Ronan and Madam Zhao were superhumans.

Ronan merely restrained himself, not completely concealed his aura, because he didn't have time to do things that a hundred years ago, even a dignified seventh-tier Victor would beg and plead for, and few people would be willing to respond. Now, without anyone mentioning it, people would take the initiative to do it. Ultimately, it is the interests that move people's hearts.

After heading south, Ronan and Madam Zhao found a caravan going to Ross, gave them some money, and went with them to Ross.

Over the past few years, Mrs. Zhao has managed to learn Finnish, but not Russian. Ronan doesn't know it either. Although most people in Russia speak French, Ronan just wants to travel and see what's going on.

Therefore, a translator is needed.

After crossing the sea by boat, Ronan and his companion followed the caravan to the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, which, in Ronan's original timeline, belonged to Estonia.

In this world, this place used to belong to Sweden, but now it belongs to the Ross Empire.

"Damn it, what are those white-shoeed guys up to now?" one of the caravan members cursed as he looked at the swarms of soldiers surrounding the port.

Although the Mongol westward expansion did not exist in this world.

However, that first-ever large-scale talent-granting experiment turned countless grassland people led by Han Chinese who fled north into monsters that were neither human nor ghost. After a massacre in West Asia, they were gradually swallowed up by the river of history. However, the very few who survived and received the talent still had an impact on Ross.

Therefore, in this world, Westerners do not consider the Rus' people to be their own kind, but rather as white-skinned, barbaric bastards as described by the Seres.

"I heard there's some kind of revolution going on," someone interjected.

Then someone couldn't help but burst into mocking laughter, "Haha, are you crazy? St. Petersburg is just to the south."

At this time, the capital of the Rus' Empire was not in Moscow further south, but in St. Petersburg, a hub for land and sea transportation on the Baltic Sea.

Ronan and Mrs. Zhao ignored all of this and simply followed someone they had already agreed on a price to find a local translator and guide, preparing to head south to the capital of the Rus' Empire.

The translator was a middle-aged man with well-groomed hair and beard. He was an extraordinary being, not yet in his proper position. Judging from his tone of voice, he was probably still a nobleman. His clothes, though clean and tidy without any damage, were obviously old, as were his boots, which looked new but had clearly had their soles replaced many times.

This means that he was living a very ordinary life.

Of course, if he were doing well, he wouldn't need to take on this kind of job.

The caravan members weren't fools; some of them were superhumans, and they naturally knew that Ronan and Madam Zhao were superhumans.

Ronan merely concealed his presence, not completely hiding it, because he had neither the time nor the interest to play the game of pretending to be weak while actually being strong.

And these two superhumans, who speak French and seem to have some status, entered the country in an unorthodox way, insisting on walking slowly to Ross. Who would believe they didn't have some ulterior motive?

Therefore, this translation work is risky, and most people can't do it.

Heading south, it wasn't long before the translator started talking, introducing the surroundings like a tour guide. When they arrived at a place, he said it should have been his place.

“That Ronan who deserves to go to hell—oh, I’m not talking about you, sir, you know, that Ronan,” the translator continued rambling. “This guy invented some kind of talent-granting technique. I was supposed to be the only one of my father’s sons with natural talent, but he gave others artificial talents. That illegitimate son of his sister-in-law was a complete parasite in the study, and in the end, he became the heir. You have no idea how difficult it is for someone like me, below the rank of official, who doesn’t want to install artificial systems or prosthetics, to find a decent job these days.”

Madam Zhao's face looked rather unpleasant.

Ronan, however, didn't seem to care. "Does Ross also have cybernetic implants?"

Artificial magic systems and magical prosthetics were originally technologies from another timeline, which were initially impossible to implement in this world because even "plastic surgery" was not possible in this world.

However, after a long period of research, Canaan, Falek, and Wenjin deciphered some of the mysteries.

The soul and the body is an extremely ancient subject, and others cannot study it because there are simply no research samples available.

With the "soul transfer technique" (which alters the body through soul transfer) and the "spirit transformation" technique (which alters the soul through the body) as prerequisites, the rudimentary technology of mounting magical devices on a person was finally developed.

The still-in-progress technology was passed down to Ronan and his group for their children, and then they fell into a deep sleep.

Those few individuals with some technical talent each developed different techniques, which have become widely known today. However, the talent of the extraordinary is itself a kind of "congenital mental illness," or more academically speaking, the soul that carries consciousness and magic is inherently unstable. When such a person is fitted with an artificial magic device, the "mental illness" will be reactivated, and if too many are fitted, the condition may worsen and recur continuously.

Installing this thing is a risky thing.

But what does risk matter when it comes to power?

"It's safe, of course it's safe, it's just that the technique is poor and it's easy to lose control, otherwise I would have gone to the 'safe' place long ago," the translator said, smoking a cigarette.

Chapter 1083 The Russians of this world, this is so "Roman", is this all there is to revolution?

The Rus' Empire and the Tsarist Russia of the original Ronan timeline are similar, and can be described as an extreme religious state.

People here like to use surnames like "ski". A thousand years ago, nobles among the Rus' people had their own surnames.

Just like in Ronan's original timeline, the original rulers of the Rus' people came from Northern Europe.

Later, when the church came, the clergy adopted "So-and-so Church" or "So-and-so-ski" as their surname. People in the Rus' with given names, i.e., nobles, adopted "So-and-so," and eventually, everyone used "ski." As for "Fu," in a middle name it indicates someone's son, and also has the meaning of lord, similar to "Vich." In a surname or given name, it indicates male.

This extremely religious country is culturally divided.

Ross's upper echelons are all about showroom culture. Basically, a bunch of "French experts" have learned various Western cultures there and then reinterpreted them, creating their own work and showcasing it to the world. Just looking at it that way, it's really quite impressive, even comparable to those in the West.

Because the virtue of this world is not good, we can only use the refined method, otherwise we would have to make some refined virtue.

As for the majority of the population of Ross, who were mostly illiterate serfs, their culture was based on "holy fool culture," which can be directly interpreted as a culture of sacred folly. To elaborate, it would be something like "holding a fanatical, all-or-nothing attitude, ignoring suffering to make sacrifices, at any cost, whether human lives or morality, in order to achieve a collective redemption that abandons worldly gains."

Key words: all or nothing, at any cost, collective redemption.

Those who do not understand this cannot understand Ross, nor can they know why Westerners do not recognize them as their compatriots, and why the Seres regard them as barbarians.

The Rus' lacks the "civic culture" that has been consistent since the origin of Western maritime civilization, as well as the "doctrine of the mean" that has existed since the birth of Seres agricultural civilization; it is unique.

This is Ross, a country with a grotesque ugliness of division, distortion, and ignorance, yet also with a restless, brutal, and sacred beauty.

“Gentlemen, wait for me. I’ll go in and have someone inform the manor,” said Morales Rolfski, the translator Ronan had hired, before running off excitedly.

At this moment, Ronan finally understood why this guy hadn't taken the opportunity to raise the price before; he just wanted to bring Ronan and Mrs. Zhao to his house as guests, so that he could save face.

After all, Ronan was French, while Mrs. Zhao was Seres.

The nobles of the Ross are all skilled in magic. As for the Seris, the Seris had given the Ross a severe beating decades ago, making them realize that the era of fighting solely with the power of superhumans was over.

Soon, Moros returned, panting, and then arrogantly led the way for Ronan and Madam Zhao.

Ronan just found this guy rather funny.

Madam Zhao felt that Moros was a bit unreliable, because he was out of breath after running just a few steps. Even if he was just a non-orthodox superhuman, he shouldn't be like this. It was obvious that he had been neglecting his studies for many years.

But it doesn't matter, I'm just here to freeload a meal anyway.

Moros's father was an earl, which sounds impressive, but there are plenty of dukes and earls in Ross, so it's not a big deal. Besides, such hereditary nobles in Ross don't necessarily have power, because hereditary nobles are not necessarily government officials or military leaders. This old man was one of those who might not have power; he was merely a landed noble, and nowadays, most landed nobles are no longer influential.

In Rus', the real power lay with the so-called "Thirteen Grand Dukes," who were thirteen ducal families. Although they were hereditary nobles, they were not landed nobles, but rather equivalent to the "Senate."

The emperor was not a hereditary ruler, but was selected from these thirteen families. The selection method was very simple and brutal, but fair and beyond reproach: each family sent one person, and the one with the higher rank was elected. If the ranks were the same, they would compete, and the winner would become emperor. The term of office would not exceed twenty years. Although called emperor, he was more like the sole "ruler".

Anyway, on the surface it looks very "Roman".

However, in the eyes of some other countries, this election method is simply primitive and mindless, because it is highly likely to elect a leader who is incapable of governing, but whose military prowess makes it inconvenient for the government to sideline him and exercise power on his behalf.

But the Rus' people believe in this, what can be done?

In fact, according to Moros on the road, the current emperor is a bookworm, an artist, and a tyrant, but he is also quite capable in combat. He is a fifth-tier fighter who rose to power through sheer strength in a martial arts competition.

Enter the manor.

Ronan and Mrs. Zhao met Moros's father. Ronan had sensed Moros's disgust and fear of his father from Moros's words, but seeing the old man in person was a surprise.

The old man did not appear majestic or imposing, nor did he possess any sinister or ruthless qualities. He was tall but somewhat restrained, like a sick tiger that had been starving for a long time in the dead of winter. His left eye was unfocused, and the left corner of his mouth was slightly crooked, as if he were senile and about to drool. Only his right eye resembled the eye of a fierce tiger.

His aura was at the fifth level, yet it was fleeting and weak.

The old man, with his speech still unclear, welcomed Ronan and Madam Zhao, and then instructed the servants to receive the two.

Dinner was plentiful, with plenty of meat, but the cooking quality was just so-so.

The western part of Ross is not a harsh, cold place; it is possible to farm, and the harvest is not bad, but the agricultural products are very limited.

Also present at the dinner were Moros' two younger brothers and a younger sister who was only ten years old and unmarried.

The young third brother of Moros, judging from his gait and posture, looked like a well-trained soldier. He kept talking about the state of the country, but kept holding back. It was clear that he was eager to say something, but he couldn't speak because of Ronan and Madam Zhao, two guests of unknown origin.

After the meal, bored Ronan used his invisibility spell to eavesdrop on the family. The third son, Andrei, immediately tried to persuade his count father to join the revolution.

The old man didn't speak. Moros, who had been talking like a limp in front of Ronan, was now completely wooden. Only the second brother, Ilya, chuckled. "I remembered something funny that I saw in the world a while ago. There was a revolution in a certain place, and the serfs were no longer serfs. They sent people down to collect grain."

"Why are you taking so much? When I was a serf, they even left me some food."

"It's a loan, not a receipt, comrade. The revolution needs your support."

"Can I refuse to lend it?"

"I think you're a rich peasant, aren't you?"

"How did I become a rich peasant?"

"I think you're against the revolution. Just wait, justice will judge you."

After saying that, the second brother, Ilya, gave a cold laugh.

"That's pure fabrication and slander," the third brother, Andrei, said angrily.

"It is indeed something I made up, but that system of classifying people by status doesn't bring fairness and justice, and it wouldn't be much different from what we have now. It's just that capital has been nationalized and controlled by the new bureaucrats. Capital is power, and power is capital. Capital oppression is like me punching you and giving you a reward, while power exploitation is like me hitting you and you having to praise me for hitting you well. Of course, the two are inseparable; it just depends on who the protagonist is."

"This..." The third brother was speechless for a moment.

Chapter 1084 Revolution is Good! Thirteen Families, Little Flowers in the Bloodbath

The third brother, Andrei, did not fully participate in the revolution, but he came into contact with many people. As a superhuman and an intellectual, he was actually confused and puzzled by the actions of some people. After his second brother said that, he was a little overwhelmed.