Yes, Madam Prime Minister

"How can there be a map in a place where no one has ever been?" Nadi retorted.

“Then at least you should know what a so-called temple looks like,” Frederick added.

"do not know."

Chapter Seventy-One: Eating and Drinking, Abnormalities, Provocation

It sounds ridiculous. Without a map or knowing what the destination is, a group of people just risked everything to come here.

But upon closer reflection, this makes perfect sense. The Haidi people who know this place can't get in, and others simply can't get here on their own. Naturally, they don't have a map. As for what the temple looks like, if it's not described in the Haidi people's historical records, how could they possibly know what the temple looks like?

"Damn it, this isn't what we agreed on," Frederick couldn't help but lose his temper.

"Someone told you beforehand that there was a map, so do you know what the temple looks like?" Nadi retorted, her cool voice carrying a hint of disdain.

"Alright, calm down, let's not talk about this nonsense now," John, the middle-aged man, said, trying to calm things down.

Ronan had figured it out: the old Heidi man with the half-mask, the silent, puppet-like blonde maid, and the woman wearing a headscarf, who was probably from a tribe in the northern part of the Southern Continent, were all a group from the beginning. As for Frederick the big-nosed Fass man and John the middle-aged Weyland man, they were the ones who joined at the last minute.

At this point, Ronan intervened in the conversation, saying, "Gentlemen, our rations and food are limited. I think we shouldn't waste any more time here."

"Food? Water?" Frederick asked Ronan with the same look he had for someone with intellectual disabilities.

Nearby are animals like white deer that aren't afraid of people, and looking further away, you can see a lake.

Ronan, however, looked rather helpless at the idiot, saying, "I'm not going to eat any of the animals or drink any of the water here until the food and water I brought with me run out."

“Agreed,” Nadi agreed. Although the place was peaceful and serene, and even the air was so fresh, she would never let her guard down.

"If we eat and drink normally, the food and water we brought will last us for three days. If we are frugal, it should last us for a week without any problems."

"That's what John, the middle-aged man, said."

His so-called thrift is not simply about eating and drinking less, but about using magic as a substitute for energy consumption and a means to maintain normal bodily functions.

In fact, once people in this world become magicians, their physical structure is no longer that of a simple animal.

To give a smaller example, it's absolutely impossible for a person to run 100 meters in under five seconds. This isn't because of insufficient energy supply, but simply because the structure of the human body is inherently incapable of such a feat. However, this is not a difficult task for a second-tier mage. On a larger scale, many things are theoretically impossible for a flesh-and-blood body composed of cells, but a mage is no longer merely a flesh-and-blood being.

Take Alice, the weakest one present, for example. Her arms look thin and soft to the touch, with no muscle to be felt, yet she can kill a bull with a single punch without using magic.

This is the magician, a peculiar creature whose appearance is that of flesh and blood, but which is not.

John, the middle-aged man, continued to explain his plan, “My suggestion is that we pair up and climb to the top of that small hill over there, and look down at the valley from above. If we’re lucky, we might see some man-made structures. If we don’t see anything, at least we can get a preliminary idea of ​​the size of the valley. If it’s not that big, then we can continue exploring as a group. If it’s that big, then we can split up.”

This plan, like his personality, was conventional and unremarkable, but it also had no obvious flaws.

"Okay, let's climb that mountain first."

Ronan agreed.

The group began climbing the mountain. The summit of the highest mountain in the vicinity was only about two hundred meters above the small plain where they were.

It doesn't look like it's very high, and it won't take much time, but that's not actually the case.

Because there were no mountain paths, and the gentle slopes were covered with various branches and thorns, he had to clear a path as he went, and it was very difficult to walk. Every now and then there was a pit, or a sharp rock and a mud pit, which caused Ronan's pants to be torn in several places.

Several women's skirts were snagged every few steps, but there was no need to worry about their pantyhose. Whether it was black pantyhose made from the black silk spun by the rusty iron sea spiders of the Mediterranean, fleshy stockings from Venaya, or white silk from the far north, they were all magical creations. They could automatically absorb magic power or actively attach themselves to form a magical protective film, which tree thorns and brambles could not break through at all.

Unfortunately, all three types of pantyhose are toxic to men, so virtually no men wear them.

Gentle slopes are difficult, but steep slopes are even more troublesome. Some are extremely steep, requiring the use of both hands and feet, along with magic applied to the hands to use as hooks, in order to climb upwards.

Therefore, the entire process of climbing to the summit took the group several hours.

"Looks like we're not so lucky."

"That's what John, the middle-aged man, said."

Standing here, you can see the entire valley in one view. Looking around, you can see that the valley is surrounded by a thick forest.

The valley is basically a circular valley, with only two gaps: the one they came in from and the other end directly opposite.

There was no sign of any man-made structures in the valley, but the pointer was indeed pointing here. If the pointer was not wrong, then it basically meant that the so-called temple was not built in the valley or on the mountain. Either some kind of mechanism needed to be triggered for the temple to appear, or the temple was underground and they had to find an underground entrance.

Since they had no information, they had no choice but to conduct a thorough search.

This valley is quite large; if we don't split up, a week won't be enough.

“That’s strange,” Ronan suddenly said.

"What's strange about that?" Frederick asked. Ever since Ronan arrogantly ordered him to get some snacks but then refused to eat his tampered cake, Frederick had been at odds with Ronan and would question everything Ronan said.

Ronan pointed to the sky and said, "Look at the sky."

Frederick looked up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly, the sky was blue and the clouds were white. What was strange about it?

The middle-aged man also looked up at the sky, and immediately realized that something was wrong.

Ronan could tell from the middle-aged man's expression that he had realized it. "Oh, as expected, experienced elders are wiser. Young people are still lacking."

"What do you mean?" Frederick asked in an unfriendly tone. The young man Ronan was referring to was clearly him.

"He's not very observant when it comes to serious matters, but he's quite perceptive about these kinds of things," Ronan mocked again. The other team wasn't a united one, and if he didn't cause some trouble, he wouldn't be Ronan. Ideally, this guy would get angry and take action, so he could defend himself and test the other's magic first.

"Enough, and Mr. Ronan, stop this provocation." Nadi, the woman wearing a headscarf, finally showed a flicker of emotion on her usually expressionless face. "Don't go too far."

“Captain, watch your attitude. The ‘hostage’ is in my hands.”

Ronan said, clutching the keys, his tone resembling that of a kidnapper.

Is Chapter 72 wrong? Low-level, based on suspicion.

Nadi turned her face away, said nothing more, and released magic power from her feet, sending a stone flying.

John, the middle-aged man, looked at Ronan. He had thought Ronan was just a bureaucrat who became secretary-general through bloodline and only knew how to play some minor power games. He thought that Ronan was able to resolve the incident between Ares and the Haidi people by currying favor with the number one female mage on the continent. But now it seemed that it was not that simple. This young man had very keen observation skills.

He was the first to notice something was wrong.

The problem is the sun. When they arrived at the old city ruins via the sea bubble, it should have been night, but when they landed on the island, it was broad daylight. Now, almost seven or eight hours later, it's still broad daylight with the sun high in the sky.

There's something wrong with the sun here.

Not only that, Ronan also noticed problems within his own team and kept provoking Frederick and even Nadia, trying to create a legitimate opportunity to test them.

John mentally organized his thoughts, preparing to explain the anomaly to Frederick, who was still confused. However, at that very moment, the sky suddenly darkened, and upon closer inspection, the sun had shifted its position, setting in the west.

Ronan couldn't help but show a hint of surprise. Had he made a mistake?

As darkness fell, the group decided it was best to continue their activities.

Ronan turned to Nadi and asked, "Captain, shall we set up camp here to rest, or decide after we descend the mountain?"

“We’re going down the mountain. If something happens at the summit, we have no way back,” Nadi declared.

The group went straight down the mountain, and by the time they reached the foot of the mountain, it was already completely dark.

Logically speaking, it shouldn't take this long for the sun to rise high in the sky to set.

However, now is not the time to study this issue; the only problem we need to consider now is finding the so-called temple.

After a brief discussion, the group found a spot on the edge of a hillside to set up camp. Of course, they didn't use tents, but rather cut down some tree trunks to build a frame, and added some large leaves to make a roof to shelter them from the wind and rain. That's how a simple triangular tent for the outdoors was completed.

The plan was to eat and drink well first, then get a good night's sleep to recharge, and the next day, set off separately to search for the temple in the valley.

The dinner was simple: dry biscuits with some meat sauce, no water, just wine in a leather sac.

After drinking, Frederick felt the urge to urinate, so he went to do so midway through the night.

After the meal, seeing that the middle-aged man John got up to urinate, Luo also got up and followed him.

The two walked to a distance.

"Wow, Mr. John, to be able to pee so far at your age is just like a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy," Ronan praised from the side.

“This is perfectly normal for a magician,” John replied.

“Is that so? It seems I was mistaken. I thought you were a chaste priest,” Ronan said.

“Have you ever seen a priest like me with these pagans?” John retorted.

After urinating, Ronan pulled up his pants and replied, "Never seen that. The priests I've seen are far more skilled than you. They curse heretics during the day and preach to them in bed at night. They're people who have reserved beds in hell, no, in heaven."

John frowned, wanting to retort, but he swallowed his words. "There are indeed quite a few parasites in the church."

The two returned to the camp, and Ronan went straight to Ambrina and the others, whispering a few words to them.

Frederick looked at John, who was walking towards him, and asked, "What did he say to you?"

“It’s just some trivial matter, you don’t need to know,” John replied, not wanting to mention Ronan’s wanton slander of the priest.

“I advise you not to have any ideas. He is a Phos, and you are a Weyland,” Frederick said.

“Ha.” John, feeling uneasy about being suspected, gave a cold laugh. “I should be the one advising you not to have any ideas, because he is a Phos person just like you.”

After saying that, John walked to the side, not wanting to talk to Frederick anymore.

Soon, Ambrina came to Nadi and said she wanted to take a bath. Before Nadi could speak, Ronan said no, saying that this was an unknown area and they couldn't just go into the water.

Then Ambrina said, "Then let's not go into the water. Let's just wash our faces and feet by the lake, and wipe ourselves with some water. It's very hot in the submarine, and we've been traveling all day. If we don't wash, we'll start to smell."

Nadi was silent for a moment, then agreed to Ambrina's request, and was then pulled and dragged by Elena toward the lake.

Only three men remained in the camp.

“Brother Frederick, were you hired by that old man?” Ronan asked.

“No,” Frederick denied immediately.

"It seems he plans to share some of what he wants with you after he gets what he wants. I'm curious how you'll ensure your own interests," Ronan asked again.

"That's none of your business," Frederick said dismissively. "Trying to extract information with such a low-level rhetoric?"

Ronan just smiled. "You should have read the intelligence about me, so you should know that I know much more about the Haidi people and their civilization than you do. Think about it, I didn't put up any resistance at all, and I came here with you so easily. Moreover, I have the key that you need. Are you sure I won't be the one to get everything?"

"It's ridiculous. Only he knows how to start that submarine, how to get through the sea bubble, and only he can get us out of here."

Frederick scoffed.

Ronan showed no anger on his face. "If you, Mr. John, join me, we can form an overwhelming force. They only have two first-tier mages on their side. They can't resist at all. Under the threat of death, would he dare not take us away? Even if he doesn't want to, what about the two pilots? Besides, I have a few Seapipers on my side."

Frederick burst into laughter. "Hahaha, such a low-level attempt to win me over is nothing but provocation. Do you think I can't see through it?"

"It seems we can't reach an agreement."

After saying that, Ronan left, seemingly pretending to be indifferent, but in reality, he really didn't care.

How could he possibly expect to successfully sow discord between the other side with just a few words? It was merely a casual sowing of seeds of doubt.

The old Heidi man has four regular mages, while Ronan has three. Ambrina has little combat power, but Ronan is a second-tier mage, so theoretically the old Heidi man's side is slightly stronger.

However, if one of the old Heidi's men were to defect to Ronan's side, Ronan's side would gain an absolute advantage.

If it succeeds, killing will be easier; if it fails, killing will be more troublesome.

At this moment, middle-aged John and Frederick sat quietly by the fire.

In John's eyes, Frederick appears to be a very emotional young man who is willing to do anything for that blonde maid, but he is actually very greedy and would definitely betray him if the price were higher.

In Frederick's eyes, John appeared to be a respectable priest, attracted by the vision described by the old man from the sea, but in reality, he was full of calculations. Such a person would not hesitate to betray without hesitation once he determined that the benefits of betrayal would be greater.

This was a mutual understanding that the two had already formed. Ronan's words were not planting a seed, but rather watering the flower.

Chapter Seventy-Three: Feet, Probing, Amnesia

At the lakeside, four women first tested the temperature of the lake water with their hands and found that the water was not cold at all, but rather slightly warm.

Nadi spread a large rectangular blanket she had brought on the grass by the lake. The blanket had a very ornate pattern, with different yarns weaving different purple, white and yellow backgrounds, and it was covered with gold and red floral embroidery.

Elena was a little embarrassed to step on it. How expensive must this thing be? Her young master Ronan couldn't afford it even with half a year's salary. Alice also noticed that it was expensive, but she thought that this woman's identity was not simple. With the income of an ordinary first-level mage, she could not afford such a luxury.

Ambrina didn't seem to mind. She was indeed a frugal person and rarely spent money on expensive things, but the problem was that many of her things were free, such as the carpet in her room, which was certainly no worse than the blanket in front of her.

Isn't a carpet meant to be stepped on?

Ambrina took off her champagne-colored ankle boots and put them aside. The boots, which were once glossy, had now completely lost their shine and were covered in scratches.

However, she didn't pay attention to these things. She stepped onto the carpet and sat down, massaging her feet to relax. As a proper mage, her feet didn't hurt, but it was the first time in her life that she had walked such a long distance on her own two feet, so she was inevitably a little unaccustomed to it.

Beside her, Nadi also took off her ankle boots. She was wearing a pair of camel skin ankle boots. Camel skin is thick and is usually used by herders to make bowls and pots, but in fact, after being thinned, camel skin is softer than cowhide and tougher than sheepskin, making it very comfortable to wear as boots.

Nadi was wearing flesh-colored pantyhose, which Alice and Elena immediately recognized as flesh-colored pantyhose made of Venaya golden-spotted silkworm silk.

However, what really caught people's attention was that Nadi's toenails were painted with red nail polish, which appeared as a hazy red under the flesh-colored stockings.

Four women sat in a row, each with different feet.

Nadi's feet are slender and long. Under the cover of flesh-colored stockings, the natural skin of her smooth instep is faintly visible. Her toes are slightly long and slender, and they are arranged neatly from the big to the little toe to form a diagonal line. Combined with red nail polish, they look especially sexy.