Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Ronan sat down at the small bar, and Dinia went to get two bottles of fifteen-year-old cherry brandy from the North, a wine that was produced in small quantities and had no reputation. She also brought over a plate of dried fish slices.

Dried fish slices are a local specialty snack to enjoy with drinks. The main ingredient is Mediterranean cod, which is caught, sliced, marinated, dried, and then baked. The flesh of this fish is very tender, and after this processing, the outside is dry, fragrant, and slightly crispy, while the inside has a meat floss-like texture. It is very salty and is perfect for pairing with slightly sweet fruit wine.

Dinia had already taken off her olive-green military-style long overcoat and was now wearing only a white dress with blue floral patterns. This blue floral pattern was not the blue floral pattern of Seris, but rather a second-line blue floral pattern that came from the east, similar to the color of the blue floral pattern from Ronan's original timeline.

She changed her shoes to cotton and linen slippers for indoor use this season. Today, Dinya wore thin gray silk stockings, which blended with the white and blue floral long skirt, giving her an elegant and graceful look.

After downing a drink, Ronan opened up, "Dinia, I've always had a question for you: why do you want to bring about change in this country? With your abilities, you could live a very comfortable life no matter what this country is like. On the contrary, I think you should have realized what the most important thing about being a mayor is: patience. Going up further will be even more difficult."

Dinia simply took a sip of her drink. "And what about you? If you hadn't gotten involved in my mess, you could have lived a good life. With your abilities and the strength of a proper mage, you could still be very rich."

“I guess this is fate. I chose to get involved when I first met you, and then I got more and more involved and couldn’t get out,” Ronan sighed, taking a sip of his drink.

If Ronan were given another chance, he would, of course, still choose to participate, even more deeply. However, there would be one change: he would never approach Ambrina. Having traveled through more than ten years, Ronan believed he had never lost control of anything, but it was with this princess that he lost his initiative.

“I awakened at the age of five, but I didn’t enter the second stage until I was eight. That year, a friend of mine committed suicide because she was facing elimination after ranking last in several tests. She was just an eight-year-old girl.”

"The pressure at the Egis Orphanage is immense not only academically, where students are not allowed to fall behind in academic or magic subjects, but also in other aspects of life."

“Besides the top-ranked students, everyone else has to recite words of loyalty to His Majesty and the country every morning, noon and night. The teachers will also constantly emphasize that there are still many people in the country who don’t even have black bread to eat. Every bite of white bread we eat is someone else’s life. Every time we use training equipment, we are wasting someone else’s blood. Those who fall behind are all murderers.”

“After she committed suicide, several girls came to me, hoping that I could help them escape, because only top students like me could go out occasionally.”

"That was when I faced a choice. The Book of Destiny appeared, and I chose to refuse it, which gave me the ability to turn other things into mushrooms."

"The matter was left unresolved, as if nothing had ever happened."

"I entered the third stage when I was twelve years old. At that time, the second son of the late king had just passed away, and my teacher and I had just returned to the capital after the exchange meeting when we were attacked."

Chapter 154 Her Past, Shocking News, I Will Definitely Return

At this point, Dinia downed her drink in one gulp, tore off a large piece of dried fish, chewed it a few times, and swallowed it.

"When the attack came, the teacher stood in front of me and told me to leave quickly."

"At that time, I had two choices: run or stay and fight together. I chose to stay."

"But the teacher still died, without leaving a single last word."

“But I know that she always wanted to change this country and change this orphanage.”

"A few years later, when I was about to leave the orphanage, I received an invitation from the mage guild. I faced a choice once again, and I chose to join. Then I reached the fourth tier and gained the ability to cast spells using any mushroom within my domain."

"A few years later, during that war, the regimental commander was wounded just before the battle, and I, someone with little experience, was elected as the acting regimental commander."

“I don’t know anything about fighting. All I know is that the Weylanders are the biggest threat. They come from the sea, so I thought about taking out their supply ships along the coast.”

"Many people know what happened next, but there are also some things that many people don't know."

"We captured many soldiers and officers from Weyland along the way, as well as some nobles, soldiers and civilians from the western part of the kingdom who surrendered and led the way, and even some priests. We cannot take them with us, but if we release them, it will expose our whereabouts. The decision is in my hands."

"I ordered them all to be executed."

"Then, I gained the ability to reincarnate from mushrooms created by spells."

"At first, my dream was to die, the dream of many living people. Later, I had the same dream as them."

Dinia told Ronan everything about the turning point in her life.

Ronan raised his glass, "To the dead and the living."

"To the dead and to the living," Dinia repeated, clinking glasses with Ronan.

Everything is contained in the wine.

After finishing her drink, Dinia let out a long sigh. "I've had a bad feeling lately."

Ronan tore off a piece of fish, chewed it in small bites, and looked at Dinia, asking, "What's wrong?"

"I've realized I can't live without you. When you're around, nothing seems difficult, but when you're not, I find it really troublesome, and this is just the beginning."

“I think I’ll need you even more in the future,” Dinia sighed.

Ronan smiled and said, "What's wrong with that? We're friends who've been through thick and thin together. As long as you can climb up the ladder, I'd be your secretary for life."

"Are you familiar with the Secretary-General's Advisory System?" Dinia asked.

“How could I not know that?” Ronan said.

The Secretary-General Advisory System, nominally, involves convening secretaries-general from various regions to attend meetings at the central government to participate in political discussions, but in reality, this is not the case.

This story begins with His Majesty Oran, the founder of the dynasty three hundred years ago.

The position of Secretary General originated during his reign. As is well known, Oranz required the lords of various regions to go to the capital for two years every two years. When they were not in their fiefdoms, the Secretary General would handle the administrative affairs of their fiefdoms on their behalf.

When lords were in their fiefdoms, the duties of the secretary-general became to monitor the lords. This is when the system of secretary-general consultation began. The king would summon the secretaries-general to the central government, ostensibly to listen to their advice, but more importantly, to have them report on the situation of each lord.

However, around the time of the War of the Two Kings a century ago, Lawrence took power and reversed course, rendering the system practically defunct. Now, it's just a formality for the state secretaries to attend a meeting, and not even regularly. It's practically just a public-funded trip to the capital every few years for the state secretaries.

“This time is different. This time, the city-level secretary-general is also going, and it will last for a month.”

Dinia said.

"Huh?" Ronan was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth.

But Dinia's next statement was even more astonishing: "Among young people under the age of thirty, there will be a few who can stay in the central departments for long-term study."

“Oh, I have no such idea,” Ronan said with a look of disinterest. “Hopefully, others won’t think I have that interest.”

The position of secretary-general at the municipal level is quite high. He is considered the third most important person in a city, after the mayor, the speaker of the council, and the secretary-general.

Most municipal secretaries-general are over thirty-five years old. However, this was a semi-feudal, semi-civilian era. As long as you came from a good family and were capable, it was not difficult to rise through the ranks quickly. Therefore, there were quite a few people who became municipal secretaries-general in their twenties.

These people are probably very interested in staying in the central departments, and may even see Ronan as a rival, or even a thorn in their side.

"When I get there, I'll join in and pretend to be a mute if there's something to do. If there's nothing to do, I'll just play around. Once a month is up, I'll rush back as fast as I can."

Ronan added another sentence.

“If there’s a chance, don’t worry about me,” Dinia said.

Ronan waved his hand. "It's not because I'm worried about you, but because I'm thinking about myself. I like being with you. Well, what's the point of working with a bunch of old bald guys? Uh, I think I said that before."

Dinia rested her chin on one hand and toyed with her wine glass in the other, lightly touching Ronan's blurry reflection in the wine as if she were touching Ronan himself. "Heh, don't you mind me causing you trouble and creating problems?"

“Beauty is enough to overshadow everything,” Ronan replied.

Dinia frowned and emphasized, "I'm serious."

“Isn’t this proper?” Ronan retorted.

“I think it’s unserious, and it is unserious.” Dinia’s voice rose an octave.

“Alright, alright, you’re in charge. Let’s get serious then,” Ronan said. “Here, I’m an irreplaceable confidant. But elsewhere, what am I? Talent? That requires opportunity. When you become prime minister someday, I’ll try to get a chief secretary position.”

"It's just a paid trip. Don't worry, I won't leave you."

No sooner had Ronan finished speaking than the sole of Dinia's slipper was imprinted firmly on Ronan's calf.

"You left me?" Dinia stared at Ronan, emphasizing the word "you".

Ronan rubbed his calf that had been kicked. "Okay, I should hug your leg and cry out, 'Please don't abandon me!'"

"I'll tear that mouth of yours apart one day." Dinia was also helpless; she was really no match for Ronan when it came to arguing.

After a period of silence, when they had drunk enough, Ronan spoke again, "After I leave, if there are any problems with Alice, suspend her from her duties."

"Not Elena?" Dinia countered.

"Elena, don't let her blonde, silly, barbarian appearance fool you. She's actually cunning and ruthless. The more dirty tricks someone plays, the less likely they are to be outmaneuvered by her. On the other hand, Alice has some inexplicable sense of justice and compassion. She's not worried about bureaucrats and landlords, but she's afraid that she won't be able to handle certain troublemakers."

"I've said everything I needed to say, I'm leaving now."

Ronan got up and left, preparing to go home.

Watching Ronan's departing figure, Dinia sighed. In the end, she didn't tell Ronan that this meeting of the Secretary General's Council was very likely a rehearsal for the King to choose a husband for Ambrina.

Let fate decide everything.

Chapter 155 The Ranks, the Magic, the Undercurrents

Five days after Dinia informed Ronan, an official letter arrived at the New Sea City Hall. Ronan, the secretary-general, was required to arrive in the capital within twenty days of receiving the letter.

There weren't any particularly significant projects planned for the foreseeable future, and Ronan already knew about it, so he completed the handover in just two days.

During his absence, the blind man will temporarily assist Yvette in Ronan's work—just work, not official authority.

Ronan set off on the third day after receiving the letter.

In those days, the main means of transportation were horses and boats, and it would take ten days to half a month to travel to a slightly farther place.

It takes about ten to twelve days to get from the capital to Xinhai City, and about thirteen to fifteen days to get from here to the capital.

Fortunately, the creator of this world was someone who wasn't good at geography and liked to add his own ideas, so the southern part of the Kingdom of Phos had fewer mountains and more rivers than the southern part of Ronan's previous life's Gallic territory. Otherwise, it might have taken twenty days to cross two more mountains to reach the capital.

Finally, Ronan took fourteen days to reach the capital.

The capital city of Paris is located and has a similar layout to Paris in France, with a river running through both of them.

However, Paristo was in much better condition than Paris in the 16th century.

Firstly, during the War of the Two Kings a century ago, many nobles in the city fled with their servants. After the rise of the mortgage slave magicians, the entire city underwent a redevelopment and renovation.

Secondly, the royal family of the Golden Eagle Dynasty, the Freigo family, are people of the old imperial spirit, and their ancestral love of cleanliness is evident in the fact that the capital city has a well-developed sewer system and many large bathhouses.

After Ronan presented his identification at the southern city gate, a man soon came from the next room and told Ronan that he would be in charge of receiving him.

Following the host, Ronan arrived at the cathedral entrance.

The Paristo St. Olcott Cathedral was started more than four hundred years ago at the height of the previous dynasty and was built intermittently for more than a hundred years. The dynasty was over and it was still not finished.

It was finally completed by Oran, the founding monarch of the Golden Eagle Dynasty, who also named it, as he himself was an Orcott, that is, an apologist.

The cathedral itself occupies a vast area, and the entire complex is very magnificent. The tallest tower in the center is 136 meters high, far exceeding the surrounding buildings. Compared to this "tall, rich, and handsome" cathedral, the royal palace on the opposite bank of the river can only be considered "short, poor, and ugly." Ronan had visited the cathedral once eight years ago for the investiture ceremony, and seeing it again now still evokes a sense of awe.

The gate was very spacious, and there were more than a dozen empty carriages parked not far from the entrance, but this did not affect entry or exit at all.

The host brought Ronan here not to worship, but to arrange accommodation.

Although the Seven Saints Cult is also a monotheistic religion, it is much more secular than the Cross Church of another world. Therefore, in addition to its two core businesses of collecting rent and teaching magic, it also has many other businesses, such as pawning and lending, brewing and selling wine, making and treating medicine, and providing accommodation and catering.

Church-run "hotels" are generally not in good condition and have many rules, such as having to attend services on time, eating communion in the morning, cleaning their own rooms, doing their own laundry, and volunteering on holidays.

"Can I not stay here?" Ronan asked the person in charge of reception.

“Of course, no problem.” The receptionist spoke with a perfect Wangdu accent, as if afraid people wouldn’t know he was a local. “However, you still need to pay for accommodation and meals, because the rooms and food have already been prepared in advance.”

"How much?" Ronan asked.

"Sixty silver dragons." The receptionist casually quoted the price, then emphasized, "I personally did not take even a single copper coin from this."

Ronan was taken aback. Chloe and Lutas, the two maids, only earned four silver dragons a month, which was already considered a high salary.

He would need sixty silver dragons to stay in this place for a month, which is equivalent to the monthly salary of fifteen maids.

Although he didn't care about money, he had to admit that the church was truly corrupt.

Ronan asked the receptionist, "Are there any hotels in the capital that are reasonably priced, decent in terms of facilities, and in a relatively quiet environment?"

The person in charge extended a hand.

"How much?" Ronan asked directly.

Seeing that Ronan was very perceptive and instantly understood his meaning, the receptionist smiled slightly, "Just two silver dragons."

It costs two silver dragons just to introduce a road; these prices are outrageous.

Ronan knew that if he asked a local in the capital for directions, he could get it done for a mere 1.5 taels of silver at most, but if he refused the person's extortion, he would definitely be in trouble.

He didn't want to get involved in such a small trouble, so he gave two silver dragons.

“I know a place where many adults like you live.” The receptionist beamed after receiving the money, even addressing the man as “adult”. “There are carriages here, but you will have to pay the fare yourself.”

Looking at the empty carriages, Ronan immediately understood. The organization in charge of this matter had known from the beginning that no one would stay in the church's hostel.

There is collusion between the organization's officials and the church. The organization saves trouble, and the church makes money. It's a win-win situation.

Meanwhile, the lowly soldiers and coachmen who were responsible for guiding the way colluded with each other and made a small profit, making it a win-win situation.

They've won so much they're practically mad.

No wonder so many people want reform; Ronan is starting to think about it too.

Leading Ronan to a carriage in the middle, the person in charge asked Ronan to wait a moment, then ran to a nearby stall and bought two small pancakes. He took one for himself and handed one to Ronan, saying, "It's free."

The pancake was only the size of a palm, and instead of meat, it was topped with bits of offal. It was quite oily and salty, making it a commoner's food. Even so, given the prices in the capital, one pancake was definitely less than a copper flintlock musket.

You should know that one copper flintlock gun could buy three long baguettes in Xinhai City, as long as an arm, and without so much reinforcing material, the kind that wouldn't kill someone with one blow.