Yes, Madam Prime Minister

But being ignorant is not the same as being stupid.

Ronan didn't believe that the Haidi people would willingly run off with Ales to a foreign land to become dogs.

But the truth is they are indeed in cahoots with Allais, and Ronan still has no clue about it.

At this moment, Dinia stood up, pointed at the fat Pierre, and said, "You can leave now."

Pierre was stunned. If he had been asked to leave earlier, he would have run away without looking back. But now he didn't want to leave because it was clear that they were going to discuss how to deal with Mayor Ares. This was his only chance to redeem himself. If he missed it, he would definitely be accused of aiding and abetting treason by a royal official.

“I…” Pierre was about to say that he was still useful, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a bunch of mushrooms quickly sprouted from the ground, twisted and intertwined and transformed into a giant hand, grabbing Pierre like a human hand grabbing an egg, and throwing him directly outside the door.

With a bang, the giant mushroom hand slammed the door shut.

"Yvette, what do you think we should do next?"

Dinia consulted her advisor Yvette, who wasn't without ideas but simply habitually sought their opinions.

“Of course, we should arrest him,” Yvette said without hesitation. “Obtain Ares, and everything will be clear.”

“We can’t do that,” Ronan immediately objected.

Yvette stared at Ronan without saying a word.

Ronan still had a smile on his face. "I'm doing this for your sake, Madam. You know, you came to White Star City as a tourist. What right does a tourist have to arrest an official? If you do this, it will be illegal. The position of mayor may not be important to you, but once you have this stain, it will be very difficult for you to get to that level."

Ronan's words were for Dinya's sake, but also for his own.

If they arrest him directly, his cunning strategist will have to take the blame.

"Didn't we already arrest them and even take the law into our own hands?" Agustina was a little confused. They'd already done it, couldn't they just do it again?

"Who said we arrested anyone? We came to this manor for refuge because we were attacked by an assassination attempt. The closure of this villa was purely for security reasons." Ronan's basic skills in distorting the truth were still solid. "As for vigilante justice, that didn't exist at all. It was all something Mr. Pierre did in a fit of emotion. We happened to help Mr. Pierre, and he was deeply moved, repented, and then told us about the mayor and his gang's despicable deeds."

Agustina was completely impressed; he could make such a reasonable argument out of nothing.

However, she didn't like Ronan's air of complete control, so she asked, "Uh, what did the security guard who fainted at the gate say?"

“A suspected spy colluding with the assassins,” Ronan replied. He could come up with nine different answers to this question without even having to think about it.

"So, what do you suggest we do next?"

"Dinia asked."

“Let’s stick to our strategy and wait,” Ronan said. “By now, the mayor and his men should know that we have Pierre under control, and he can’t possibly remain inactive. For now, we don’t need to pay attention to Mayor Alles. Let’s go directly to the Haidi people’s settlement in White Star City. The Haidi people are his important bargaining chip. No matter what he does next, he can’t get around the Haidi people.”

"can."

Dinia nodded.

“I suggest that Miss Orion, Elena and Alice find a place to hide first, while Miss Senora, and you, madam, and I will go to the Heidi people’s settlement.”

Ronan then offered another suggestion.

Alice's combat ability is insufficient, and Elena and her advisor Yvette are not yet at the level of proper mages, so they cannot withstand the muskets. A fierce conflict may occur next, so it would be best for the three of them to avoid it for the time being.

Dinia looked at Yvette.

“I have no objection,” Yvette could only say, but she was unwilling to be relegated to a useless position. “This maid must be your capable assistant, right?”

“Yes,” Ronan replied.

“Then let her take me to Wright City, gather the people from the Wright City Fisheries Conservation Office, and take control of the Wright City Seapiper people. Do you think that’s feasible?” Yvette suggested.

The Fisheries Protection Department is a special agency established only in seven special cities. In reality, it is an armed force responsible for monitoring and managing the Haidi people. Its members are all people like Ronan, whose ancestors had grudges against the Haidi people and the locals who have lived and multiplied here for hundreds of years. They are directly controlled by people like Ronan, who are called local civil servants of the kingdom, but are actually representatives of local forces.

“Okay,” Ronan agreed. “Alice, you should listen to her.”

"Okay," Alice replied indifferently.

The people at the Wright City Fisheries Conservation Office all knew Alice, and she could relay orders on Ronan's behalf.

"Alright, let's each set off."

Dinia made the final decision.

Without further ado, the group split into two groups: Ronan and Dinia headed to the Heidi people's settlement in White Star City, while Yvette, with Ronan's two maids, rushed back to Wright City.

Meanwhile, on the other side, at the mayor's residence.

Just as Ronan had predicted, Mayor Allais already knew about Pierre's situation. After all, at that time, only the villa in the seaside estate was sealed off. The servants living in the other houses noticed the abnormality and naturally ran away immediately. Pierre's confidant, of course, ran to the mayor to report the situation as soon as possible.

"Ales, what do we do now?" Secretary General Barr asked, pacing back and forth.

He had just been in his room discussing with the mayor who to arrest, how to satisfy Dinia, and how to ensure his own exoneration, when he suddenly heard this news.

Pierre, that fat man, must have confessed everything he knew. Although Pierre didn't know exactly what they were doing, the fact that they were smuggling copper was enough to warrant their arrest.

"What ruthless tactics," Ares said, sitting down in his chair with a teacup in hand. "It was my carelessness; I didn't expect them to launch such a surprise attack."

"Is this the time to talk about this?" Secretary General Barr complained. "If you can't come up with a solution, I'll have to excuse myself."

"Don't worry." Ares calmly took a sip of black tea. "She's going to the city of Rops in the east to bring people over to arrest her. It will take at least three days."

"Seven Saints above, did you drink tea into your brain? She needs to call in reinforcements to capture people? It's easier for her to kill than for you to drink tea, and even the fleet can't stop her."

"You're right, but did she come to arrest us?"

Chapter Fifteen: Running Away, Turning Against Each Other, Someone Blocking the Way

Ares's words momentarily stunned Barr. A few seconds later, Barr seemed to remember something and let out a sigh of relief.

Ares put down his teacup. "If she really wanted to forcibly take you and me, she should have done so by now, but the fact is she didn't."

“In the end, she was also a loser.” Ares poured Baal a cup of tea in an orderly manner and continued as he handed it to him, “Three years ago, when she was the princess’s private magic tutor, she beat up the head of the royal capital’s security bureau over a trivial matter, breaking his arms and legs. A group of guards also experienced what it’s like to be a mushroom culture medium. Afterwards, she was severely reprimanded by the king and went to work as a teacher at a magic school.”

"This time, she finally managed to get this position, and she wanted to handle a big case to take the opportunity to officially obtain an official position. For this reason, she even found an aide to help her avoid being found fault with the case handling process."

"So it's normal for her to be cautious."

Ares said those words only to appease Baal; he didn't really mean it.

The special envoy is a temporary position granted by the king, and the authority is not clearly defined. For someone like Dinia with a strong enough backing, what's wrong with her doing something outrageous?

As a special envoy, so what if she turns White Star City into a mushroom-like place?

The surname Egis means "backbone." People who came out of the Royal Egis Orphanage all had this surname, which means that the king is the backer. He is not afraid of your sharpness, but he is afraid that you are not ruthless enough in killing people.

People in this remote little town of Bal probably don't understand this.

In Ares's view, Dinia and his group had probably already realized something. "If that bearded man is smart enough, he should target the Haidi people," Ares thought to himself.

"Ahem." Baal coughed unhappily; this bastard was still daydreaming. "We don't have much time left."

"The arrest of those involved in smuggling sea spiders will proceed as planned. Meanwhile, you need to dispose of all evidence related to our copper smuggling within two days," Ares said. "As for me, I'll go to the Seapiper people to make arrangements. Three days later, we'll disappear right under their noses. Who would have thought we could reach Venaya in a flash?"

As he walked out, he said, "Time is of the essence. I'm going to the Haidi people now. You stay here and handle the problems in White Star City."

As he quickly walked out of the mansion, Allais took a deep breath.

In less than a day, he was forced into this situation.

As Ales walked along the road, he felt that the familiar road was unusually quiet, and he became wary. However, after only a few steps, just as he stepped into an intersection, two groups of people suddenly emerged from both sides of the corner and instantly surrounded him.

Al-Las recognized several of these people; they were from the Fisheries Conservation Department.

At this point, Allais understood what was going on and stood motionless in the middle.

A moment later, Secretary General Barr slowly walked over from behind and into the crowd. He said to Alles, "Being dragged into this mess by you was my greed, and being deceived by you was my lack of caution. But Alles, you are too arrogant. Do you think I don't know anything? Do you think you can fool me with your distracted speech and forced composure?"

Ares sighed. "So?"

“Tell me where you hid the gold coins and what the Seapipes want, and I’ll spare your life,” Baal said.

"Ha." Allais chuckled. "Let me go? You just want to kill me and pin all the blame on me. I've already come up with the story: Mr. Barr, who is concerned about justice, discovered the mayor's conspiracy, but Mayor Allais resisted and was shot dead in the chaos."

Ares took a deep breath, his face full of disdain. "You not only want to kill me, but you also want to take the money and those things. You're the arrogant one, Baal."

“Even if you don’t tell me, it’s only a matter of time before I find where you’re hiding. White Star City is my territory.” As he spoke, Baal raised his hand, and the people in the front row raised their muskets.

Ares still wearing a somewhat mocking smile. "That bearded man next to Dinia is no ordinary person. You think you can really get away with killing me?"

Baal crossed his arms over his chest, looking completely in control. Now that things had come to this, he wasn't afraid to be blunt. "So, I need the gold coins I earn from smuggling copper ingots, and I need that thing that is so important to the Haidi people. I will take your place. You forced me to do this."

"Alright, we've dragged this out long enough."

As soon as Ares finished speaking, he clasped his hands together, and a red circle suddenly appeared on the ground. Immediately afterward, a red beam of light rose up from beneath his feet, enveloping his entire body while releasing a violent force that blasted everyone away.

Everyone instinctively raised their hands to protect their faces from the impact. After the shockwave dissipated, when they opened their eyes again, a knight who was over three meters tall and wore enormous full-body armor, wielding a spear in one hand and a giant axe in the other, appeared where Ares had been standing.

Baal stood there dumbfounded. He never expected that Ares would be a full-fledged mage. Was this a transformation magic of fate? No, Ares had taken quite some time to prepare. This was a summoning magic of ritual magic, one of the three great magics.

Moreover, it is a second-tier unit, capable of fusing itself with its summoned creatures.

"This is the fundamental difference between true nobles like me and you."

Ares sneered.

Ritual magic requires sacrifice or bloodline limit. Elemental magic that releases fireballs or ice spikes requires sacrifice, while his type of summoning requires generational inheritance and training.

"Fire!" Baal ordered.

However, the musket shots that hit the massive armored knight produced nothing more than a loud bang and a puff of white smoke; they couldn't even create a dent.

The massive five-meter-long spear swept across the front ranks, instantly sending blood and flesh flying. Seeing the horrific deaths of their comrades, Baal's remaining men lost all will to resist and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Only the old man, Barr, was left standing there, dumbfounded.

"Old friend, I'll spare your life since you've been quite dedicated these past two years."

After saying that, Allais quickly left.

He can't waste any more time.

Given the current situation, the only option is to immediately initiate the plan and evacuate White Star City with the Seapipers.

Although this would certainly not allow them to take away too many Seapipers, it was the only option at the moment.

"He should be able to hold them off for a while." With that thought in mind, Ares disappeared into the night.

When he learned that Dinia had arrived, Alles had already prepared for the worst. Long before the banquet began, he had arranged for people to be on the only way to the Heidi people's settlement.

Just as Ares broke through Baal's encirclement and rushed towards the Seapiper ruins on the outskirts of town,

Meanwhile, Ronan, Dinia, and Agustina also encountered their enemies.

The other person was just one person, who stepped out of the shadows into the moonlight, and a face gradually became clear. It was the mayor's meticulously combed male butler.

"You three, we meet again."

Chapter Sixteen: Close Combat, Don't Embarrass Yourself, Are You Really a Tier Two?

Despite the warm greeting, Dinia didn't say a word and simply raised her hand to release the magic, but no mushrooms grew on the butler's body.

"Lord Crimson Sea, it seems your magic is not working." The butler spoke defiantly in a calm tone as he methodically put on white gloves.

Agustina burst out laughing, "Haha, you're provoking the captain. Even God can't save you now."

Dinia rolled her eyes at her. "Tina, show respect to God."

“Yes, Commander.” Agustina stood up straight and replied.

“Madam, why don’t I do it? You can go first,” Ronan said.

Dinia glanced at Ronan, then at the butler, before turning her gaze back to Ronan. "The other party should be a 'mutated' form of 'Heavenly Oath,' immune to magic that affects him. He's at the second tier, just like you, but he should have been at the second tier for a while now. He seems to be the type who excels in melee combat."

One of the three great magics, the Heavenly Oath, requires swearing an oath to the gods to obtain; breaking the oath will result in a powerful backlash.

After listening to Dinia's story, Ronan remained relaxed. "Coincidentally, I'm also good at close combat."

Dinia clenched her fist, ready to strike. Even if her magic couldn't directly affect her opponent, so what? She generally avoided close combat because it was too inefficient, not because she was incapable of it.

Dinia had just raised her hand when Agustina gently poked her arm with her little finger and said with a grin, "Captain, a woman who doesn't give men a chance to shine will be disliked."

“Boring,” Dinia said, but then loosened her fist and looked at Ronan. “See you at the fishing port, don’t embarrass yourself.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ronan replied with a slightly flippant tone.

On the other side, the butler realized that Dinia was leaving and immediately started the engine.

"Don't even think about leaving."

The butler took a step, his figure as swift as an arrow, and in the next second he was in front of Dinia. He swung his arm wildly like a curved crescent, but he missed.

When he sensed Dinia's presence again, Dinia had already brought Agustina to the sky, with a giant mushroom hand beneath their feet.

Dinia and Agustina jumped from the mushroom hand onto the rooftop terrace. Agustina turned back, gave Ronan a thumbs-up, and shouted, "Good job!" Then, the two quickly disappeared into the night.

Ronan was right beside him, and the butler didn't dare turn around to chase after them, exposing his back to the enemy. He could only watch as Dinya and the other man walked away.