Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Finally, there are the collages. To others, these might just be pictures that have been cut up and reassembled, but to Ronan, they are not pictures, but words.

These words form a paragraph.

"A simple numerical code is hidden in the order of the photos. Write the code on the wardrobe with a pen. The mystery of the origin of this world and a small achievement are given to the visitors who cannot meet."

After reading this passage, Ronan began to examine the photographs again.

After counting, there were ten photos in total. Ronan picked up a pen from the pen holder next to him and tried to draw on the transparent board, finding that it could leave ink marks.

Next, Ronan tried numbering the photos from youngest to oldest, quickly completing the numbering, and then listed a series of numbers in order from left to right and top to bottom.

"3061274598." Ronan silently recited the number and memorized it.

Then, he picked up a pen and wrote the string of numbers directly on the wardrobe.

Soon, the wardrobe came to life—not that it actually came to life, but it looked like it did.

The wardrobe's outer door twisted and tangled, then a drawer sprouted out—it sprouted, not opened automatically.

Nadia, who had been watching Ronan intently ever since he started writing numbers on the transparent board, immediately rushed forward. However, she hesitated to reach into the drawer, fearing it might trigger unforeseen complications. Instead, she called out to Frederick and John, who were busy with their own tasks. Upon hearing Nadia's call, the two immediately rushed in.

Both of them stared at the contents of the drawer, but dared not take anything.

Ronan stepped forward and took everything out of the room.

There were four items in total. The first was a book with a leather cover, written in a script that Ronan couldn't understand. However, he remembered that the original Seven Saints Church scriptures were written in this script. The second was a white jar, exactly the same as the jar that Ronan obtained on the ninth underground level of the obelisk to preserve the seed. The third was a black jar, the same shape as the white jar, only the color was different. The fourth was a transparent container that looked like a test tube, containing an unknown liquid.

“Give me the black jar,” Nadi said.

“Give me the book, I’m not the enemy,” John said.

“Ronan, trust me, give me that pipe, quick.” Frederick seemed like a different person, his tone unusually gentle.

Ronan smiled. "In that case, I have a suggestion. You two kill this woman, and I'll give you the book and the syringe. Then we'll take the pointer out and figure out how to get that old man to lead us out."

After speaking, Ronan was waiting for the other party's answer when he suddenly felt a strange magical force rushing towards him.

In a flash, Ronan threw everything at Ambrina and shouted urgently, "Put everything away!"

Ambrina didn't know what was going on, but she followed Ronan's instructions without hesitation.

Chapter 78 A formidable foe, seen through, ultimately a battle.

Ambrina opened the door and sucked all four items into her own alternate dimension. Almost as soon as she put everything in, her eyes suddenly went out of focus.

The moment the door closed, Ambrina stood frozen in place like a puppet, no longer moving.

"Such a quick reaction, Mr. Ronan." His voice preceded his arrival.

“I’ve just been on guard against you,” Ronan replied.

As soon as the words were spoken, a few unhurried footsteps approached. When the footsteps stopped, the blonde maid who had been pushing the wheelchair appeared in everyone's sight.

Unlike the previous person who had a blank stare, stiff movements, and seemed to be controlled, she now moved without any hesitation. With each step, a powerful pressure filled the entire room, and the magic became frenzied, giving everyone the illusion that everything around them was trembling. Unable to withstand the pressure, Alice knelt down on one knee.

Only two people remained unmoved: Ronan, who had already reached the third rank, and Ambrina, who was clearly under the control of the other party.

"Impressive, fourth-tier magic power level."

Ronan appeared to be speaking calmly, but in reality, he had entered a full battle-ready state.

The blonde woman opposite him undoubtedly possessed fourth-tier magic power, meaning her magic power was at least twice that of Ronan. The reason for saying "at least" is that the level of magic power varies depending on the user of different spells, but fate magic is the least powerful, so her magic power was at least twice that of Ronan's.

As for her magic rank, that's impossible to know, because the amount of magic power and magic rank are not necessarily related. For example, Dinia is a fifth-rank mage, but her abnormal amount of magic power cannot be measured by constants.

The blonde woman beckoned with her finger, and Ambrina stepped to her side. "Do you understand the situation now, Mr. Ronan?"

“Then you can try to control her and use her magic to take the thing out. Please go ahead.” Ronan maintained his smile.

The blonde woman's expression hardened. "As expected, you saw through me."

She can control others, but this requires a significant power difference and the other party being unprepared.

So her first target was Ambrina, but unfortunately Ronan anticipated this the moment he noticed her.

She can even control others to cast their own magic, but to control others to cast spells, she must enter a state where her soul temporarily resides in the other person's body. In that case, her own strength will drop drastically, and her mobility will become very poor.

If she were to control Ambrina to cast a spell to retrieve those four items, Ronan would not hesitate to kill her true form during the process.

Clearly, Ronan had also considered this, so he handed the item to Ambrina, putting her in a difficult situation.

“Then let’s change the terms. From now on, obey my orders, or I’ll kill her immediately.” With that, the blonde woman pointed at Ambrina.

“Kill her, and you’ll never get those four things again,” Ronan said.

The blonde woman remained calm. "This woman is no ordinary person. If she dies, your career will likely come to an end, and your life might even be in danger."

"At worst, I can just run away. The only losses I'll suffer are money and official positions. But if she dies, all your past efforts will be wasted."

Ronan said he didn't care.

"You think I wouldn't dare kill her?" the blonde woman retorted with a sneer.

"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and kill him. If you're any slower, you're a bitch," Ronan said in an extremely provocative manner.

"Hahaha, trying to provoke me?" After the blonde woman finished laughing, she wiped her face, and her original eighteen or nineteen-year-old face, which still had a hint of immaturity, disappeared. In its place was a mature and beautiful face in her thirties. "Elena, it's been a long time."

“Aunt Astrid?” Elena was dumbfounded. She never expected to see that face again, and she never expected that after almost ten years, her aunt hadn’t aged at all.

The blonde woman, Astrid, looked at Elena and said, "Elena, the descendant of the moon goddess can regain the power of the gods by drinking that substance. With the power of the gods, the restoration of our clan's glory will no longer be a dream, and you will also gain happiness as a result."

“I’m doing fine, you don’t need to worry about me,” Elena said coldly.

“For a descendant of God to willingly serve such a hypocritical and heartless man, I think you are seriously ill,” Astrid said.

Hearing the other party insult Ronan, Elena was instantly enraged. "Pah, you're the one who's sick, brain-dead. Calling you 'aunt' is giving you face. You rotten chicken's bitch." Before she finished speaking, Elena drew her black twin swords from her waist. "I'm going to turn your skull into a chamber pot."

"Looks like it wasn't a pleasant reunion," Ronan chuckled, turning his gaze to Frederick and John. "Which side are you two on?"

John took the saint's pendant from his pouch, hung it around his neck, and stood on Ronan's side. "God's grace endures forever, and evil gods will not be tolerated."

"Looks like there's no hope for my stuff, but this trip has been quite fruitful. Goodbye, everyone." With that, Frederick vanished as if he had evaporated into thin air.

Ronan observed the reactions of the others, even the blonde woman seemed somewhat surprised; clearly, she hadn't expected this to happen either. It had to be said, this guy had kept it well hidden.

With Frederick gone, the situation in the room became clear.

“Reverend John, Miss Nadi is in your care. Elena, protect Alice and Ambrina.”

Ronan quickly explained the mission, then grabbed his sword and shield, preparing to face the blonde woman, Astrid.

At the same time, the other party also released magic, or rather, had already released magic long ago.

Just like Dinia said, a mage's battle often begins before the battle even starts.

In the blink of an eye, the ground had turned into quicksand, and the insteps of Ronan and the others were submerged in the quicksand. Pulling their feet out, they would step on them lightly, only to find another pit. They could not move quickly at all, which was obviously very disadvantageous for a melee mage like Ronan.

This is completely different from the blonde woman's magic; needless to say, this is Nadi's magic.

"It seems that a meticulous battle plan was devised in advance based on my intelligence. Unfortunately, the more meticulous the plan, the less likely it is to be affected by unexpected events."

Ronan thought to himself.

While it may be called an accident, it wasn't a matter of chance or luck, but rather the fate that Ronan himself chose.

If he hadn't chosen the left side when he was born at the second level, none of the subsequent events would have happened; at the very least, he wouldn't have gone to the ninth underground level of the obelisk.

Without his experience on the nine underground levels of the obelisk, he wouldn't have been able to ascend to the third level after arriving here.

If he hadn't chosen the left side when he was born in the third stage, he might still be facing a tough battle.

"bring it on."

Ronan maneuvered the shield to his feet, and he could move it freely. Now, the shield was no longer a shield, but a skateboard for him to glide across the quicksand.

"Come."

Astrid responded by drawing the twin swords she carried on her back.

Like Ronan, this magician who manipulates others is also a melee mage when it comes to fighting.

Chapter 79: Defeated, but capable of winning, at peak condition

The rapidly flying shield kicked up a cloud of dust, and in an instant, the longsword collided with the feet. The longsword, constructed of pure magic, and the feet, imbued with magic, created a violent magical shockwave upon impact, filling the small bedroom with dust.

Ronan, with his single sword, pressed down on Astrid's twin swords, forcing her out of the bedroom.

The battlefield has moved to the living room.

Finally, just when Ronan could no longer make any progress...

The next instant, Ronan flew backward like a cannonball, crashing straight into the wall, leaving a huge dent and spiderweb-like cracks.

Strong, really strong. Ronan slashed down from above, and his opponent blocked it with both swords. Then, even though he couldn't swing his swords much, he managed to forcefully send Ronan and his sword flying.

It can only be said that, as expected of the Pavis clan, their physical bodies are naturally superior to those of ordinary humans. They are also magicians, and with the superb martial arts skills honed since childhood, Astrid is superior to him in both pure strength and swordsmanship.

Ronan looked somewhat disheveled, but he wasn't actually injured. This was largely thanks to the rich experience Elena had accumulated over the years by fighting him with dual swords countless times.

However, Ronan did not come away empty-handed from this defeat. At least he could tell from the fact that her physical strength was only slightly stronger than his that she was only a third-tier mage. If she were a fourth-tier mage, Ronan would probably not have just made a dent, but would have been embedded in the wall.

Ronan was certain they could win.

On the other side, Nadi and John's battle quickly reached a stalemate. Nadi's magic summoned and manipulated quicksand, making it both offensive and defensive. John's magic was similar to a small-scale, all-around, invisible shield, with extremely strong defense but slightly weaker offense. Neither side could inflict any substantial damage on the other, and they could only trade blows.

As for Alice and Elena, Alice, who was unable to participate in the battle, subdued the controlled but inactive Ambrina by grappling. To avoid any surprises, she even gagged Ambrina.

Elena, on the other hand, was on high alert, ready for any possible attack that might come their way.

“It seems you’ve lost,” said the blonde woman, Astrid. “I’ll give you a chance. Surrender with Elena and pledge your allegiance to me. With your abilities…”

“You’re not qualified,” Ronan interrupted her directly. “I don’t even want to hear your empty promises.”

Ronan's interruption enraged Astrid, who rushed over. Unfortunately, even with the influence of the quicksand, her speed was greatly reduced. Ronan steadily parried her left-hand vertical slash with his sword, while simultaneously maneuvering his shield to block her right-hand horizontal slash.

Astrid flashed a triumphant smile, and in an instant, her other sword changed from a horizontal slash to a downward thrust, heading straight for Ronan's leg.

However, this was the opportunity Ronan had been waiting for. An opening appeared in the opponent's center, and the sturdy longsword instantly disintegrated into the Viper Whip Sword. The tip of the sword flashed like a vicious snake's head, striking Astrid's heart.

If we're not as strong as the opponent, then we can only rely on tactics.

In that instant, Astrid chose to retreat, quickly stepping back and crossing her twin swords to block Ronan's Viper Whip Sword thrust.

Astrid looked at Ronan, "That's right. If you had waited until my sword pierced you and then attacked suddenly, I might have already been hit. It's a pity you're unwilling to pay the price."

“I never intended to stab you; it was just a further test of your strength.” After Ronan finished speaking, he turned to the side and said, “Priest John, please protect my little maid and Miss Ambrina. Elena, please hold her by one hand.”

“To hold her off while protecting two others, you have at most three minutes.” John’s voice remained serious and rigid. He wasn’t truly on Ronan’s side. After personally encountering Ronan, this priest of the heretical Church of Saints had already mentally labeled Ronan as a dangerous individual who could potentially corrupt the saint.

But at this moment, stopping Astrid, this heretic, is a higher priority.

“No problem, young master,” Elena replied.

"Dream on." Astrid turned to face Ronan, her twin swords one in front of the other, her eyes filled with disdain. Elena couldn't possibly hold her back with just one hand.

However, in the next scene, Elena's outfit has completely changed. She wears tight-fitting black boots, soft-look black stockings, white shorts that fit her body perfectly, and a one-piece white bodysuit. Her athletic figure and proud curves are perfectly outlined. Her head is also covered by a white full-coverage helmet, with only her eyes covered by red strip goggles.

The next moment, Elena moved. As a first-tier mage, even with the armor's enhancement, she was still far from being a match for Astrid, but she was enough to accomplish the task of holding back one of Astrid's hands and one of her swords.

On the other side, Ronan wielded his whip-like longsword, launching relentless thrusts from tricky angles.

The swords clashed, sparks flew, magic surged, and waves of dust rose.

As time passed, scattered bloodstains began to appear on Astrid's body, and blood continued to seep out, turning her white clothes into many blood-red plum blossoms.

While being held back by Elena, even though her swordsmanship was superb and her physical strength and magic power were above those of an average third-tier mage, she was still inevitably hit. Once Ronan's attack hit her, the accompanying piercing attack would directly penetrate the magic defense layer she had covered herself, causing direct damage to her body.

“It seems you’ve lost.” Ronan returned her words verbatim.

Astrid maintained her steady fighting stance. "Two minutes have already passed. What difference would it make if your attacks continued for another minute?"

She did suffer some injuries, but they were far from serious. In another minute, she would only have a few more wounds, and there was no life-threatening danger.

A minute later, John will be at a disadvantage and unable to perfectly defend against Nadi's attacks.

At that point, Elena had to switch roles to deal with Nadi, and the situation became one-on-one between Ronan and her again, with her hands freed up once more.

She didn't think that Ronan could beat her just because she was slightly injured.

“Elena, get ready. In one minute, you go deal with the woman wearing the headscarf. John, you just guard the other side.”

Ronan said.

Just as Astrid had thought, Ronan couldn't seriously injure her in one minute, and they had to switch people after one minute, otherwise Alice would be in danger.

Time ticked by, and when the minute was up, Elena immediately retreated and changed direction to attack Nadi, who was standing to the side.

Nadi was prepared and manipulated the sand to block the attack, but unfortunately she was only a first-level mage, and could not control much sand, nor did she have enough power to suppress Elena.