Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Unfortunately, it was too late. Most of the guards had already rushed to the lakeside, but the enemy had a water magic mage who turned the already muddy edge of the pool into a swampy mess, making it difficult for the approaching guards to move.

The assassins led by the water mage were imbued with magic, but their mobility was not severely impaired.

Ronan had to charge out of the smoke and fire wall all by himself, shield in hand.

At that moment, the two men who had been disguised as woodcutters rushed over.

"Get out of the way." Ronan rushed towards the man on the left, swung his round shield, and the flying shield blocked the dart thrown by the man on the right, smashing the man's Adam's apple.

Before the man on the left could react, Ronan was already close, his fist, encased in magical gauntlets, had pierced through his abdomen, and then he kicked him away.

Ronan immediately charged straight at the person who had just cast a fire spell from a distance.

There were two mages on the other side, and although he also had two on his side, he was the only one capable of fighting.

The person who unleashed the fire magic was undoubtedly the strongest among them.

Ronan knew very well that the best way to break the deadlock was to capture the leader first, and it had to be done quickly, because he was clearly at a disadvantage, being attacked from both sides, and the longer it dragged on, the worse it would be.

As for Ambrina, she has a certain ability to protect herself, so there's no need to worry about her in the short term.

The opponent unleashed a fireball at Ronan, not intending to give him a chance to get close. Ronan's shield had already returned, and instead of slowing down, he increased his speed by raising his shield to disperse the fireball. However, the fireball ultimately slowed his advance, and the momentary delay allowed the opponent to create more distance. Ronan continued to charge towards the opponent, and in the midst of his rapid movement, he flicked his wrist, sending his longsword flying through the air like a high-speed spinning disc as it hurtled towards the opponent.

The opponent continued to unleash fireballs to hinder Ronan, but the spinning longsword had already reached his side and rear. At the critical moment, flames rose from the opponent's body, and the flame armor blocked the attack.

An elemental mage is first-tier if they can cast spells, second-tier if they can enhance themselves with elements, and fourth-tier is characterized by elemental magic armor that provides both physical and magical defense.

Ronan's sword is a penetrating attack. If he himself wielded the sword and stabbed the opponent, even with elemental armor, the opponent would be seriously injured. However, the power of the whirling sword was a bit lacking, and it failed to inflict enough damage to disable the opponent's mobility.

Having missed his first strike, Ronan was still confident of defeating his opponent, but he couldn't finish the job quickly enough. Unable to eliminate his opponent in a short time, he had no choice but to retreat and try to get Ambrina out of trouble.

Dinia said, "It's our turn."

"Boss, are you planning to be recruited by the government?" Yvette asked excitedly.

Agustina was immediately displeased. "Third brother, have you ruined your brain by reading just two lousy books? Can you shut up? Amnesty, amnesty my foot! Sooner or later we'll storm the palace and seize that crippled king's throne."

Yvette turned her face away. "I'm too lazy to waste my breath on a one-eyed lunatic like you."

“Yvette, shoot that fire mage,” Dinia said.

Yvette obeyed the command and fired three arrows at the fire mage in quick succession.

Faced with the sudden arrows, the fire mage paid no attention. With a wave of his hand, a fiery crescent slash deflected the arrows that flew in front of him. The three arrows that were blasted apart suddenly turned into mushrooms.

The next instant, one of the mushrooms suddenly transformed into a white-haired woman.

Just as the fire mage was about to launch an attack on Dinia in mid-air, Dinia grabbed two mushrooms and threw them to his side and behind him before disappearing again.

The fire mage realized the problem and immediately burned the two mushrooms to ashes with maximum firepower. However, he did not expect that a mushroom had already grown in front of his current location long before the arrows arrived.

All of the previous attacks were just feints.

Chapter 224 The Princess is Gone, That's So Ronan, I'll Be the Princess

puff!

Dinia's hands and forearms, covered in a layer of mushroom armor, pierced through the flame armor and went straight into the opponent's chest. Then, she spread her fingers, grabbed the heart, and with a sudden burst of force, the heart exploded, bursting open like a thick ball filled with blood.

With a swift and clean motion, Dinia pulled out her arm, blew away the mushroom-like protective layer that had been burned to black ash, and her fair and smooth arm reappeared.

Immediately, the fire mage collapsed to the ground, his eyes open and face down. He died before he could even make a sound of struggle, with blood still gushing out, turning the grass beneath him into a pool of blood.

On the other side, Ronan, who had retreated, managed to stabilize the situation, but he never expected that the water mage and his men were actually suicide soldiers, charging recklessly. The guard knights, all novice mages, were now all dead. Only the coachman of the cargo wagon and four ordinary guards survived.

With the help of his reckless subordinates, the water mage killed the "princess" directly.

The water mage completed his mission but realized the fire mage had been killed. While considering whether to retreat, he was momentarily distracted and had his head sliced ​​off by Ronan's spinning sword.

The remaining three assassins rushed forward, but Ronan swung his sword and killed them all.

In the distance, the crossbowmen lying in ambush in the grass, after witnessing the fire mage being killed, scattered and fled for their lives without hesitation. They were not suicide soldiers, but people who were paid to do things, so their lives were of utmost importance.

Agustina, Yvette, and Canaan gave chase, killing most of them instantly, leaving only two survivors.

At that moment, Dinia passed through the wall of fire and walked towards Ronan.

Ronan was stunned for a moment when he saw Dinia, then scrambled towards the "princess's" body and began to wail, "Your Highness, Your Highness, you can't die! Oh God, my Highness! My Princess!"

Ambrina, dressed in her attendant's uniform, was dumbfounded. Wasn't she still alive and well?

Dinia recognized Ambrina at a glance, but she didn't recognize the corpse dressed as a princess; it was probably a maid.

When she saw Ronan's appearance again, wailing as if his mother had died, she almost burst out laughing.

No problem, that's so Ronan.

Agustina and Canaan were leading two survivors on their way. Yvette went first to overturn the wagon loaded with goods and carefully checked the valuables.

However, much of the carriage was burned, leaving nothing of value. The only money was a box of silver coins and a few gold coins, not even enough to buy the luxurious carriage in the middle. There was also a large chest full of clothes and shoes.

Yvette walked over. "Boss, they're too poor."

At the same time, Ambrina covered her mouth and sobbed, after all, it was her best maid who had died because of her.

If Dinia were truly a master thief in this world, she would have already taken the loot and left, but she isn't.

She didn't want to leave like this, so she went over and grabbed Ronan. "Where's the money? You called this dead woman 'Your Highness,' she's a princess, right? How come you're all so poor?"

Ronan knew very well that this woman with snow-white hair tinged with light gold had just instantly killed that fourth-tier elemental mage, and he couldn't afford to offend her. So he wiped away his tears and said, "Heroine, we really have no money. She's just the youngest daughter of a duke, sent to marry the chief of a wretched tribe in the north. As you can see, this is all we have. Is this the proper treatment for a princess? We really have no money."

“You’re quite capable. Your ransom must be very high,” Dinia said with a wicked grin, having quickly adapted to the role of the bandit leader.

Ronan immediately changed his tune, "Rich, rich!"

"Huh?" Dinia questioned angrily.

“Yes, that’s right. My purpose this time is partly to escort the princess, and partly to take a job in a free city-state. The princess was originally supposed to stay there, then take a sum of money as dowry before sailing north. Although the princess is gone, her maid is still here. She was the princess’s personal maid and knows her very well. Besides, very few people have seen the princess, so she can easily impersonate her. You come with us to the free city-state, and we can make a fortune together. Wouldn’t that make us rich? You’re so capable, we would never dare to have any bad intentions.”

Ronan, as expected of Ronan, came up with an enticing plan in just a few words.

"Heh." Dinia sneered. You, Ronan, wouldn't dare to have any bad intentions? Who are you kidding?

Dinia released Ronan. "How about I become the princess?"

“Your overall demeanor is perfectly fine, it’s just your hair…” Ronan hesitated before continuing.

Dinia reached up and ran her hand through her hair, which had turned black. "Now?"

“Perfect, absolutely perfect, you are the princess herself,” Ronan said obsequiously.

"Sigh, you are something else," Dinia murmured.

Ronan found it strange. He didn't recognize the white-haired woman at all, but she seemed to know him. It didn't make sense. Judging from her accent, she was from the north, while Ronan was from the south, near the sea.

The old journey ends here, and a new journey begins.

Dinia and her companions retrieved the horses of the guard knights. Afterward, Dinia and her group changed clothes and formed a completely new team. Dinia was the princess who had been married off to a distant land, Ronan was still himself, Ambrina was the princess's maid, Agustina and her two companions were the princess's guards, and the others had been silenced.

On the way, Dinia's fragmented memories continued to be pieced together and reassembled in her mind, and through Ronan's narration, she gained a general understanding of the world.

The power system is similar to that of the original world, but there are no similarities in other aspects. This continent is very large, about the same size as the entire Western Continent. It has a coastline to the east and south, and the western part is the Western Regions covered with yellow sand. There are no other continents across the sea.

This continent was once home to a unified, colossal empire, but that empire has since fallen apart.

Currently, the largest country in the south is the Kingdom, the core area of ​​the Kingdom is in the southeast, and the southwest and north of the river are areas ruled by vassals who are nominally subordinate to the Kingdom and appointed governors.

Further north lies the union of sixteen free city-states. These city-states share the same origin as the people of the Southern Kingdom. While nominally independent, they maintain close and complex relationships with both the Northern Empire and the Southern Kingdom. The easternmost city-state, bordering the sea, is the most important center for north-south trade and their first destination on this journey.

The Northern Empire occupies the north and has a vast territory. The west is for grazing and the east is for farming. Although it is called an empire, it is actually a state established by nomadic peoples. The so-called emperor is more like the leader of an alliance who uses military force to unite various tribes. And now this leader is old.

The princess was originally to marry the leader of a large tribe within the empire. Her dowry was not wealth, but herself, because this princess knew how to build an altar and how to use the altar to perform the Heavenly Oath Magic. This dowry was far more valuable than any wealth.

For the next seven or eight days, the group relied on the princess's name to freeload off the food and drinks. At this point, they were only three kilometers away from the south gate of their destination, Haijin City.

"Let's go into the city."

Chapter 225 The Iron-Willed Baron Must Enter Through the Front Gate; She's Just a Female Bandit

Haijin City is located at the confluence of the North and South Canals, which is why it became an important transit point for trade between the North and South.

Like most cities in the world, it is divided into an inner city and an outer city. The outer city consists of some villages and towns along the river, including a salt field and several stone quarries. The inner city is surrounded by three walls, and in the middle of the city is a three-way river that flows directly into the sea.

The three-forked river running through the middle divides Haijin City into two parts, north and south. The northern part is governed by the Lovac Empire, established by the steppe people, while the southern part is governed by the Senia Kingdom, established by a branch of the royal family of the collapsed Seri Empire.

“But Haijin City is not actually two forces, there are at least four,” Ronan said. “First is the north. One is the commander sent by the Lovaz Empire and his two thousand troops led by two centurions. The other is the Limo people. The Limo people are the true natives of this land. More than three hundred years ago, they were conquered by the Seri Empire. A few decades ago, the Seri Empire collapsed, and they made a comeback, but they were quickly defeated by the rising Lovaz Empire.”

"To the south, on one side is the mayor appointed by the kingdom, which is the position I will soon assume. On the other side is Baron Gete, one of the sixteen city-states. His grandfather was originally a very capable general in the Seri Empire. After the country collapsed due to internal strife, he did not go south to defend the king, but led his elite troops here. Later, after the establishment of the Senia Kingdom, he accepted the title. The Gete family has controlled the trade market in the south of Haijin City for decades. The current baron is the fourth generation. It can be said that the baron is a permanent figure, while the county magistrates come and go."

"That's the situation."

On the eve of their arrival in the city, Ronan recounted everything he knew about Dinia.

Soon, Dinia and her group arrived at the south gate of Haijin City, but the gate was tightly closed.

Right next to the main gate, a lower side gate was open, and there were drums and horns being played beside it.

"Welcome, Princess! Welcome, Mayor!" they shouted, beating drums as they went.

Ronan and Dinah both stopped their horses at the same time.

The main entrance is closed; instead, a side entrance will be provided.

Dinia turned to Ronan and said, "Looks like money isn't so easy to make, Mr. Mayor. They're not giving us any face."

“Making money isn’t about saving face, is it, Your Highness?” Ronan replied.

Dinia asked, "Are you going in through the side door?"

“If Your Highness says I can come in, I will; if you say I can’t, I’ll never come in,” Ronan replied.

“Then let’s go through the main gate,” Dinia said, riding her horse straight toward the main gate.

They hadn't gone far when a man in a magnificent silk robe rode a white horse and slowly stopped Digna Ronan and his entourage. "I'm sorry, Princess and Mayor, the main road behind the South Gate is under construction and it's really inconvenient. The South Gate is now closed. Please use the side gate."

"It doesn't matter, I can dismount when the time comes," Dinia replied coldly.

The man pointed with his riding crop toward the south gate, showing no respect whatsoever. "Princess, because of road repairs, a lot of stones have been piled up behind the south gate, blocking it and making it impossible to open."

"No way?" Dinia asked.

"There's nothing I can do," the man said frankly.

“I said I have a way.” After saying that, Dinia ignored the man and rode her horse toward the south gate.

Ronan and the others followed immediately.

Upon arriving at the south entrance, the drumming and horn sounds ceased, and everyone looked at the princess with curiosity.

With a wave of her hand, Dinia conjured a giant red arm made of countless mushrooms at the entrance. She clenched her fist in one hand, and the giant red arm clenched its fist as well. With a swing of the fist, a loud bang was heard, and a large hole was smashed open in the massive, thick city gate. As if to make the performance more convincing, there was indeed a pile of stones behind the gate.

Another punch, smashing through the large hole, sent the rocks behind it flying.

At this moment, Dinia turned around and looked at the man in the silk robe on the white horse. "Well, I told you I had a way. By the way, take good care of our horses, or you'll pay with your life."

Dinia patted the head of the horse Ronan was riding beside him. "Mayor, dismount and take up your post in Haijin City."

After saying that, Dinia dismounted and walked toward the south gate that had been blasted open.

She hadn't felt so free and unrestrained in a long time. After becoming a hero of the kingdom, she felt very stifled, and after becoming mayor, she felt even more stifled. The last time she could do whatever she wanted was when she was eighteen years old and led a group of mages to break through enemy lines and twist off the heads of the traitorous collaborators.

That bandit leader really made the right choice.

Dinia and her group walked into the city. On a tall building in the distance along the main road, a man with meticulously combed hair, who looked to be only in his early thirties, witnessed the entire scene of the South Gate being forcibly broken down from the outside. "Wow, so domineering. Does the Southern Kingdom have a princess like this?"

“No matter how domineering he is, he won’t stay for long. Sooner or later he’ll be causing trouble for those barbarians. Master, the one we really need to deal with is that mayor,” the butler said.

“This mayor is probably not easy to deal with,” Baron Gates said, stroking his beard.

The male butler chuckled, "That's quite something, a 30/70 split."

“37? You’re paying for it?” Baron Gates said, kicking the butler to the ground. “Let’s start negotiating from 19. If we can’t reach an agreement, then we’ll talk again.”

After saying that, Baron Gates left.

Here, a few people came over to greet us and show us the way.

Dinia directly refused the other party's request to take her to a place specifically for foreign guests. "I don't stay at the foreign affairs office. Am I an outsider? I am Princess Senia, the territory of my kingdom. I stay at the mayor's residence. Show me the way."

Finally, Dinia and Ronan's group all checked into the mayor's residence.

Dinya and her friends simply tossed their luggage aside and went out to buy clothes and shoes. As for money, they were practically princesses; why would they need to pay? They'd just put it on the tab.

Inside the mayor's residence, Ambrina and Ronan were in a room, alone.

"Ronan, what are we going to do?" Ambrina said with a worried expression.

Ronan casually comforted Ambrina, "Isn't this good too? You don't want to marry someone from the North anyway, so she'll go there for you in a few days."