Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Terri tried to stand up and stop her grandfather, but Rauka grabbed her and shook his head, signaling her not to lose her temper.

“Alright.” Ronan nodded; the Haidi people would certainly know better what had happened.

Dinya sat up straight, ready to listen carefully to the other party explain the cause and effect of the matter.

"It all started more than four hundred years ago, when a traitor emerged from among us..."

Chapter Twenty-Five: Hometown? Civil War? Traitor?

"A traitor?" Ronan asked curiously.

"Let's not talk about that now," said the old man Treka, adding that the matter would not be discussed further.

Then, the old man Treca's next sentence confused Ronan. The old man was talking about more than four hundred years ago, when the Haidi people, although they had declined, still had more than two million people.

Ronan would never believe that.

According to records, more than four hundred years ago, the activity range of the Haidi people was roughly the current seven special cities, plus Pro City east of White Star City and Dok City north of Wright City. Combined, it was no more than half the size of a state, less than one-tenth of the current territory of the kingdom, with a population of two million.

It's not that the kingdom's territory, which is only one-tenth the size of the land, can't support two million people, but rather that with the agricultural level of four hundred years ago, this amount of land would absolutely not be enough to support so many people.

Moreover, four hundred years ago, during the previous dynasty, the entire kingdom had only five or six million people, and it was a typical feudal system where lords of all ranks ruled independently, and the vassals of vassals were not the same as my vassals.

If the Haidi people numbered two million, and they conscripted seventy or eighty thousand into their army, wouldn't they be able to crush all the major lords?

Anyway, if the Haidi people had two million people four hundred years ago, history would have had a series of Haiwang I, II, III, IV, V, and VI.

However, the truth is that the kingdom's records about the Haidi people are basically just one sentence: a group of backward tribes who occupy a few unimportant ports on the coast, mainly making a living by fishing, and it is a losing business to collect taxes from them.

Before Ronan could raise any questions, the old man Treca said something even more surprising.

More than a thousand years ago, at the height of the Haidi civilization, there were four million people.

Fortunately, Ronan had encountered Indians boasting in the internet age, and four million was nothing compared to hundreds of millions.

“Sigh, let’s start from over a thousand years ago.” Treca saw through Ronan’s thoughts, sighed, and began his story.

More than a thousand years ago, during the most prosperous and glorious period of the Haidi people's civilization, they possessed a variety of magical high-yield crops, as well as their own magical machines that could be driven by the magic of resonance stones.

This is why they were able to support a huge population and at one point defeat the empire centered on what is now the Vena region.

After defeating the Empire, the Haidi people split into two factions: one advocating for expansion northward, and the other advocating for remaining in the area.

To be honest, Ronan understood the former faction very well. The people who occupied the core territory of the present kingdom were not even feudal, just a bunch of barbarians. If the Haidi people were really as strong as the old man Treca said, they could have defeated the empire at that time.

Killing those barbarians is easier than killing chickens.

But what kind of strategy is advocating for staying in the south? Even someone with a century-old family history of cerebral thrombosis wouldn't do that.

Treka continued.

What followed was a civil war, not a typical civil war aimed at subjugating the other side, but a civil war aimed at completely eliminating the other side and its supporters.

Ultimately, the faction advocating for staying won.

Hearing this, even Dinia was shocked. Could the hawks really not beat the doves?

Over the decades, the city collapsed, machinery was destroyed, farmland was abandoned, and the population plummeted to only a few hundred thousand. Most importantly, most of the priests were killed or wounded. All the priests who supported the northward march were killed, leaving only a few hundred priests who supported the retreat.

Ronan thought nothing more surprising could happen, but he was wrong.

What followed was even more bizarre: the remaining hundreds of dove priests secretly ran away back to their hometown. Not only that, they also destroyed the main city at sea, making it impossible for those who came after them to find their way home, and they took the basic teaching materials with them.

The knowledge left behind was all very profound, and the remaining Haidi people could not even understand it, let alone learn it.

This directly led to the decline of the Haidi civilization.

Later on, let alone the magical mech 'Phantom Melody' that Ronan and Dinia had just faced, they couldn't even build some simple machines that existed in the records. They couldn't even build resonance stones anymore and could only use the old ones.

Two hundred years later, about eight hundred years ago, the Seadiers found a ruin in the sea that could open the way home, which was the temple-like ruin on the small hill where Ronan and Dinia had dived down.

However, by this time, the Haidi people no longer wanted to go home.

Although they have declined, those who witnessed the glorious era are long gone. The idea of ​​how wonderful their homeland is sounds like a myth or legend. Most people don't even believe that their ancestors created a glorious civilization. More importantly, the Haidi people still have high-yield crops and can use resonance magic, allowing them to live a leisurely life.

They were much better off than the northerners who were beginning to enter the feudal era at the same time.

A century seems to pass in the blink of an eye, and four hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye. According to the old man Treka, the seeds of those high-yield crops were contaminated by the overuse of the Resonance Stone, and two million Haidi people were plunged into a food crisis.

Ronan had only one idea: stockpile guns, not food. Everywhere is a granary. While the Resonance Stone is still usable, he should either head north or south and just plunder.

However, the Haidi people really do have a different way of thinking.

They decided to destroy most of the resonance stones, then take the resonance stones and the key to open the passage and bring everyone home in batches.

“Unexpectedly, a traitor appeared among us. He was the high priest at the time. He handed over a batch of resonance stones and a crucial key to a swindler, causing us to lose hope of returning home. Four hundred years have passed like this, and now, apart from the priest, most of our people no longer know that our homeland exists.”

"When Ares came to us, he boasted about how good his fraudulent ancestor was to the Haidi people, but I felt no anger, only an overwhelming joy."

Treka continued his story, and as he spoke, he laughed.

"We can finally go home." As he said this, the old man's smile vanished, and he sighed deeply, gazing at the sky. "But..."

"But this place doesn't seem like the hometown described in your historical records at all, does it?"

Ronan spoke for the old man Treca, saying what he wanted to say.

The place they were in now looked like a developed civilization after a cataclysmic apocalypse. As far as the eye could see, there were either desolate and bleak roads or dilapidated high-rise buildings that made people feel extremely depressed. It was almost like a ghost town.

"Perhaps the high priest from four hundred years ago was not a traitor."

“Even the priests from a thousand years ago did not intend to abandon us.”

"They knew all along that their so-called beautiful and prosperous hometown simply did not exist."

"I just want my people to forget everything, integrate into your world, and continue living."

The old man sighed.

Ronan was speechless for a moment. After a long while, he finally spoke, "It's all in the past. Now that the dream is over, let's go back."

“No, we can’t go back now. We haven’t gotten the truth yet,” Treka said firmly.

Ronan sighed, "It's been a thousand years."

"We still need to find them!" Dinya's voice interrupted forcefully.

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Truth, the Conflict, and the Bad Things Were All Done by the Subordinates.

The old man Treca neither agreed nor refused Dinia's statement, only saying that they had already sent people to investigate and did not need Dinia and Ronan's help.

Dinia wanted to say something more, but Ronan stopped her with a look and called her aside.

Ronan and Dinia left the area temporarily.

Soon, the two encountered more Haidi people. In the open space in front of several large factory-like buildings, they lit bonfires with vines, weeds, and branches of low trees. More than a thousand people gathered in groups around dozens of bonfires.

At this moment, many Haidi people were making a fuss, including women and young men, because they found that the situation was completely different from what had been agreed upon. This so-called "hometown" not only had nothing there, but also exuded an atmosphere of deathly stillness.

Meanwhile, the Haidi people's "Tuku" are trying their best to appease and comfort these loud troublemakers, urging them to calm down and trust the priests and the chief.

The photo library is like a community-level manager for Haidi people, handling all sorts of miscellaneous little things.

The current scene is like dozens of pots of water boiling wildly, the lids are about to be blown off, and one or two people are frantically trying to press the lids down. As for turning off the heat, that's simply impossible.

Ronan led Dinia on a walk until they reached a secluded spot.

"Why did you call me here?" Dinia asked.

Ronan lowered his voice, "Madam, I just want to tell you that the old man lied. To be precise, he didn't tell the whole truth."

“Based on that,” Dinia said.

"How long was I unconscious?" Ronan didn't answer directly, but asked a question instead.

Dinia thought for a moment and replied, "About fifteen minutes."

"In just a quarter of an hour, the high-ranking members of the Haidi people calmed down and even sent people to investigate. Moreover, the people who went to investigate agreed so easily."

“Look at the grassroots managers of the Haidi people. They are not only not leading the riots, but they are also calming the people down.”

"What does this mean? It means that at the very least, the priests and chiefs of the Haidi people in Baixing City already knew that their so-called hometown was just this place. That old man was only pretending to come here when he sensed something was wrong."

Ronan offered his reasoning.

It's a very simple logic: if the Haidi people really didn't expect this situation at all, within fifteen minutes, let alone the organizers temporarily calming down, the higher-ups themselves should be thanking their lucky stars for not causing chaos.

Dinia pondered for a moment and realized that Ronan's words made sense, so she asked, "So what do you think we should do next?"

“What do you think, madam, if I said we should have them take us back?” Ronan said.

“This is not a good suggestion,” Dinia said, “You said it yourself, the priests of the Seapipes knew about the situation here from the beginning, at least part of it. If that’s the case, there must be a reason why they insisted on coming.”

Ronan smiled helplessly. He knew that Dinya didn't want to go back now; she was determined to find out the truth.

“Then let’s wait here for the Seadiers’ scouting team to return,” Ronan said.

"Can't we go by ourselves?" Dinia retorted.

“They know the general direction and route, but we don’t.” Ronan said, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration, “I understand, that’s how it is.”

"What have you figured out?" Dinia asked urgently.

Ronan laughed. "Although I still don't understand why the Haidi people had a civil war a thousand years ago, and why the conservative priests did something so self-destructive after the war, I know what the Haidi people were here for four hundred years ago, and for now."

“Really, I couldn’t even figure out such a simple question right away,” Ronan said. “They have two objectives. First, they want to retrieve those basic teaching materials, so the twenty or thirty priests in White Star City alone are not enough. Second, they want to take away those magical high-yield crops, so the priests alone are not enough; they need the power of the people.”

“They have no home for a long time, but they can rebuild one.”

Ronan revealed the truth.

At that moment, Dinia understood why the Seapipes had come here.

She was immediately caught in a dilemma. As an official of the kingdom, a noblewoman, and someone who had received great favors from the king, she should find a way to get the Haidi people to hand over these things.

But as for herself, she didn't want to do that.

“Madam, if we do this properly, it will be a great achievement,” Ronan said. “With your strength and my meager wisdom, if the Haidi people can find their basic teaching materials and high-yield crops, they will certainly be willing to share them.”

"You're so eager to make a name for yourself?" Dinia questioned.

“This is all thanks to you, Madam. I was just a small executor.” Ronan once again adopted the posture befitting a public servant. “I believe that Miss Yvette’s initial suggestion that you start with the smuggling case in White Star City, and then bring up the issues in other cities, was to illustrate the necessity of unified management of the seven special cities, and then to recommend that the seven special cities be merged into a special zone, with you serving as the head of this experimental special zone.”

"If we obtain that high-yield crop and related technology, and emphasize the importance of the Haidi people, facilitating the merger of the seven special cities would be far more feasible than your original plan."

Ronan proceeded to paint a rosy picture of Dinia's future.

Dinia sneered indifferently, "And then I'll be the new generation's demon leader who exploits and oppresses the Haidi people?"

“You are naturally great, righteous, and correct; the bad things are all done by us subordinates,” Ronan joked, then became serious. “Madam, I still maintain that possessing something coveted but lacking the power to do so is tantamount to courting death. Rather than having those morally bankrupt scoundrels force freedom upon them, it is better for kind and benevolent people like you to exercise moderate despotism.”

"I'm not going to talk anymore. You're tired. Go and rest."

After Dinia finished speaking, she snapped her fingers, and a bunch of mushrooms sprouted from the ground to form a bed. With another wave of her hand, another mushroom bed appeared not far away.

We set off from the outskirts of Wright City at midnight, arrived in White Star City at noon, rested for a while in the afternoon, had dinner, then raided Fat Pierre's manor, and headed straight for Conch Bay to chase the Seapiper people at sea, followed by another battle.

Not only did I not sleep all day, but I also spent almost the entire day on the road.

Even though Ronan was a proper magician, he was quite exhausted.

“Yes, ma’am,” Ronan replied, but instead of lying down, he went to the side and gathered a pile of dry grass and branches to start a fire. “Although we won’t get sick in our wet clothes, it will be more comfortable to dry off.”

However, Ronan's magical ability to use sticks to start a fire was completely ineffective; he couldn't produce a spark even after half a day.

Dinia smiled slightly, "I'll do it. You obviously don't have much experience."

In contrast to Ronan, Dinia, with her extensive experience in field combat, quickly and successfully started a fire. Ronan then took the fire starter, built a fire on the side, stripped naked, and began to warm himself by the fire.

On the other side, Dinya also began to take off her clothes and shoes.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Light, Opportunity, Even at the Risk of Death

Seeing that Ronan had his back to them, Dinia smiled with satisfaction.

From her angle, she could spot Ronan the moment he turned to peek.

First, there's the white slip dress on top, which looks like a fitted women's shirt with the lower half extended and a skirt added.

After removing the slip dress, Dinia was left with only a bodysuit-style top, which was essentially a bodysuit and high-waisted briefs connected together, covering and restricting her entire body.

Her lower body was covered only by pantyhose; the white high-waisted boxer briefs appeared grayish-white through the slightly sheer black pantyhose, while the pattern on the underpants had a hazy feel.

If viewed from behind, the whiteness of the boxer shorts covering the crotch area is clearly visible, because Dinya's crotch is so prominent and her hind legs are quite fleshy, making the pantyhose appear semi-transparent.

As she untied the straps of her bra and pulled it down, her large, plump, and perky breasts popped out. Dinya breathed a sigh of relief, feeling her breathing become easier. This bra was custom-made; otherwise, if she wore one that would fit a normal, thin person, she would be suffocating from the tightness.

Then Dinia sat down, first taking off her long boots, and slowly freeing her feet, which were covered in black stockings, from the boots.