Yes, Madam Prime Minister

This is elemental magic combining water and earth, and its intention is clear: to trap Ronan.

But Ronan's shield floated in the air. Ronan grabbed the shield with both hands, and the shield took off, lifting him off the ground. Then Ronan flipped over and stepped onto the shield, which was flying like a skateboard.

"Two people." Ronan's senses immediately detected two people. The one in the upper left room was the elemental mage who intended to control him, while he didn't know who the person in the corner of the right room was.

Ronan's flying sword hurtled straight at the elemental mage, aiming to eliminate the control-type mage first.

Ronan hadn't expected that his flying sword would be blocked by three consecutive walls of mud and earth, and that his opponent would retreat immediately after blocking the attack without any hesitation.

"wrong!"

Ronan suddenly realized something was wrong.

He discovered some strange debris that had penetrated his magical armor and adhered to his skin. Although it didn't cause any harm, something was definitely wrong.

Then, the tips of his left fingers began to turn black, and upon closer inspection, the blackened areas also had strange dark red patterns.

And this darkness is spreading little by little.

Gunpowder bombs, magic bombs, and even elemental magic are all decoys, designed to create an opportunity for this voodoo-like thing, which is actually the opponent's killing move.

If Ronan were just a normal fourth-tier mage, we could only stall him temporarily while searching for a solution. But he is not a normal person; he has a more convenient and faster solution.

"Tch, boring." Ronan picked up his sword and chopped off all five fingers on his left hand.

Instantly, five streams of blood spurted out and splashed everywhere. Then, red mycelium began to sprout wildly from the neatly severed finger, and flesh, bone, and skin grew back at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In the blink of an eye, Ronan's finger was completely healed.

Chapter 202 Dead Men, Fools, They've Come Back in a Roundabout Way

The fastest way to detoxify is, of course, to remove the poisoning site directly.

Just then, Ronan suddenly lost his senses of the elemental mage. His speed couldn't be that fast. If he were that fast, he wouldn't have needed to block Ronan's flying sword; he could have just dodged it. But he completely disappeared, which meant one thing.

That damn Freigo family, they're practically all about spatial magic!

Ronan originally intended to leave her alive, and he was confident in leaving her alive—not in himself, but in Dinya, who was extremely fast and had a strong ability to capture people.

But now, we can no longer consider keeping them alive.

The flying sword hurtled towards another person. The man who was about to be teleported away was pierced by the sword. He struggled to get up, his face contorted in a ferocious expression as he tried to make a sound but could not. He staggered a few steps out of the door, looked at Ronan in horror, and then fell face down to the ground with a thud. Blood gushed from his neck and flowed all over the ground, quickly forming a pool of blood.

Just then, a giant mushroom sprouted from the ground, and Dinia simply peeled it open and crawled out.

Looking at the corpse, Dinia had already guessed what had happened and couldn't help but ask, "How did you kill him?"

“There’s one more person who has completely disappeared, don’t you think?” Ronan countered.

Dinia instantly understood that this spatial teleportation ability was not unique, but at this moment, she could only think of those two counts.

With a soft sigh, Dinia kicked the corpse over, turning it face up. The corpse had brownish-yellow skin and a wrinkled face, making it impossible to tell its exact age. However, judging from the tattoos on its arms, the necklace around its neck, and the strange braided hairstyle on its head, it was undoubtedly an indigenous person, and not someone who lived in the area of ​​the Governor's Mansion. This was because the indigenous people in the Governor's Mansion's jurisdiction had been forced to change their customs, with the rule that if they kept their hair, they would lose their heads.

Moreover, the person who could attack Ronan must be a priest or shaman among the indigenous people, and there are no such special talents in the governor's jurisdiction.

"It's a pity there are no witnesses now," Dinia said with a hint of regret.

“Even with witnesses and physical evidence, it’s meaningless,” Ronan said. “If the two of them don’t confess, there’s nothing we can do. On this land, we’re not dealing with them legally, but reasonably, giving the locals a reason to accept it. Right now, the dead are more useful than the living.”

Before long, Counts Henry and Louis arrived with their men. Upon seeing the corpse, their expressions changed instantly.

Ronan shook his head inwardly. Louis and Henry—you could throw a brick anywhere in the capital and you'd hit three people with those names. And the cunning and superficial skills of these two counts were just as common as their names.

"Mr. Artes, are you alright?" Louis, the second son, feigned concern.

"Mr. Artes, what's going on?" the eldest brother, Henry, asked, trying to remain calm.

Ronan deliberately raised his hand to show the two of them, "I'm fine. There were two people involved just now. One was a magician, but he's already run away. The other was a native sorcerer who had mastered evil magic. I was hit by his spell, but luckily I reacted quickly and cut off my own finger."

As he spoke, Ronan picked up a finger that was rotting very quickly from the ground. "Look, this is mine. Fortunately, I have Governor Aegis's magic, so I can regenerate."

Henry and Louis's faces darkened; the second step of their plan had failed.

A month ago, after Henry and Louis held secret discussions, their advisors met.

These two think tanks, who used to be rivals when they served under their fathers, are now more likely to reach a consensus as they serve different masters.

The first consensus they reached was that their count, if not mentally ill, was certainly not brainless.

They actually wanted to kill Ronan.

The second prince was among the best of his peers in both intelligence and magical skill. His talent was unparalleled, and his demeanor was unmatched. Even on his last day before his death, he was still smiling as he studied his illness. If it weren't for the results he achieved in the very short time after the onset of his illness, His Majesty the current king would have died long ago.

How could such a person have given birth to two such useless children?

Of course, no one said this outright.

However, they couldn't completely dismiss their Earl's ideas, otherwise they might have to find a factory job.

Therefore, they made some modifications to the two counts' ideas.

The assassination attempt was still necessary, but the purpose was not to kill Ronan, but to poison him with voodoo. Then, the assassin would promise to send someone to find an antidote for him. Using this excuse, Ronan could be temporarily "sealed away," and the assassination could also be used to make some demands through tribes that could provide an antidote.

This is just the beginning; the real highlight is yet to come.

Next, the two earls would stay in the city where the governor's mansion was located, citing the possibility of assassination on their way back and the resulting safety concerns. They would then send troops to monitor the governor's mansion's every move.

With the two counts mobilizing their troops, it's inevitable that there will be unrest in Weyland to the north and Villa to the south.

What exactly will happen remains to be seen.

No one can predict everything, and trying to predict other people's actions and then make plans is not a reliable strategy. Their opinion is to wait for changes and act when the opportunity arises.

Ideally, we should force Dinia to make a mistake, making her slink back to her homeland and return everything to normal. If that's not feasible, then we'll have to collude with foreign powers.

But from beginning to end, they never considered that Ronan had regenerative abilities.

“Well, I think we should disband the pilgrimage team for now,” Henry said, at which point he was at a loss for what to do.

Louis quickly agreed, "I think so too. Gentlemen, let's go to the banquet first. The governor's mansion has already made arrangements."

“No problem, but I need to change my clothes first,” Ronan agreed.

Since Ronan agreed, Dinia had no objections.

Despite the setbacks, the banquet finally began.

It wasn't a large buffet, but a small indoor banquet. Besides Ronan and Dinah, the guests included several high-ranking officials from the Governor's Palace, as well as Counts Henry and Louis.

At the beginning of the banquet, several important officials from the Governor's Office denounced the soldiers of the pilgrimage team. Then they went on to berate the indigenous people for a long time. After that, they said that the assassins were definitely not from the Governor's Office's jurisdiction, and that the security in the Governor's Office's jurisdiction was very good. Then they added that although it was very good, they must spend money to improve the security situation.

Throughout the entire process, there was no mention of finding the mastermind behind the murder.

Clearly, they lack the courage to catch the mastermind behind the assassination, but they certainly have the audacity to make money under the guise of an assassination attempt.

It has to be said that there's nothing new under the sun; bureaucrats are all the same wherever they go.

“I think this assassination attempt is probably aimed at the two earls. Let the two earls handle this themselves,” Ronan said.

Several officials in the governor's office were taken aback. They weren't stupid; they could see things clearly, but they really hadn't expected Ronan's attitude to be like this.

Upon hearing this, Henry's cold expression turned to surprise. He then forced himself to remain calm and quickly said, "Is that so? Then I think we can't go back."

Chapter 203 I'll Fight My Own Way, the Church Elementary School, the Principal is a Good Person

Louis immediately nodded in agreement, "Then I won't go back either."

The two hadn't expected that, after going around in circles, their plan would still succeed. They managed to stay and had a reason to call in troops to protect them.

Ronan immediately guessed more from their behavior. However, these two were clearly not the ones giving advice; the real adversary was still lurking in the shadows.

But what's the big deal?

Ronan had no intention of engaging in a battle of wits with these people from the start; he simply let them fight their own battles.

He never intended to stay at the Governor's Mansion or stay by Dinia's side to play along with this group of people. This wasn't his home turf. He could act so freely in Xinhai City because it was his home turf. He was the head of the administrative officers and was in cahoots with the head of the political officers. He could mobilize a large amount of manpower and resources, so naturally he could play the game of power politics.

Here, he was completely fighting on foreign soil, and the people in the governor's mansion might not listen to him and Dinia anytime soon.

Playing power games is just asking for trouble.

Therefore, he chose to mobilize the "masses" and take the initiative.

When you're the host, strategy is the metronome; when you're the guest, revolution is the ultimate weapon. It's that simple.

"Oh, then that's settled." Ronan even seemed quite pleased with himself, adding in agreement.

Dinia watched from the side, certain that Ronan was planning something, but she didn't know it.

Soon, the banquet entered a phase of great enjoyment for both hosts and guests. Fine wine, meat, game, and seafood were served one dish after another, with servants distributing them to everyone. If you couldn't finish it, you could simply throw it away if you didn't want to eat it.

Music and dance were performed together; if it weren't for Dinya being there, there would probably have been an even more spectacular "folk song and dance" performance.

The banquet, which lasted from noon until dark, has finally come to an end.

After the banquet, Ronan rested for a day.

The following day, Ronan left the city of Cardina, where the governor’s residence was located, and arranged for his men to split into three groups.

Ronan and three temporary workers, on their first journey, headed to the church school. His purpose was simple: Ronan wanted to take over the school and start classes. If the church refused, Ronan would produce a school operating license he had obtained from the kingdom's archbishop—the kind with his signature on it.

If they still don't agree, then Ronan will have no choice but to declare that the church schools are in arrears with taxes and resort to violent tax collection.

The second group consisted of old man Raven and the young officers and soldiers he brought with him to the mines and factories to select workers. Once the selection was complete, training would naturally begin.

To be honest, miners and laborers are actually a good source of recruits.

The third group, led by Elena and Alice, consisted of the Haidi people, craftsmen, workers, and talented individuals from several gangs, along with a few novice mages, to acquire land and build farms and factories.

There was no other way; even though Ronan was rich, he couldn't just spend money without earning any. Generating revenue was essential.

What? All the good land has been seized? The landlord is dead, so the land will be available to them, won't it?

Elena can kill a few more people, Alice can take some shots from the shadows, and they'll have everything they need.

Go to the governor to seek justice? Then we might not even know who is truly innocent.

It didn't take long for Ronan to arrive at the church school outside the city. Although it was called a primary school, the students here were not young at all. The youngest was ten years old and the oldest was sixteen. The classes were not divided by age, but by grades. There were three grades in total. Each grade was one year. If you passed the exam, you could move up to the next grade. After completing four grades, you would receive a graduation certificate.

Students are required to pay tuition for four years upon enrollment. Loans are available, but only to law-abiding citizens. Students who drop out midway through the semester will not receive a refund, and those who fail exams and have to repeat a year will be charged extra.

Basically, only the sons of the colonists' good dogs, or rather, their law-abiding citizens, were eligible to go to school.

In the first year, there is only one course, which is French, covering listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

In the second year, two new courses were added: the canon and arithmetic. Of course, the canon was a revised version; most of the mystical and rambling parts of the first half were retained, while most of the second half was deleted. This was because the second half contained records of the words and deeds of the Son of God and the other six saints. These records contained not only theological and philosophical ideas but also practical insights into politics, economics, and military affairs. It was precisely because of these practical insights that the Church of the Seven Saints became a somewhat secular, alternative monotheistic religion. It was also because of these practical insights that, even with the arrival of the new era and the expropriation of the church's original lands by the kings of various countries, they remained the largest and wealthiest organization on the entire continent.

This is a total calculation. In fact, the church has split into many branches and is not as strong as it was at its peak hundreds of years ago.

Starting from the third year, two more courses will be added: agricultural technology and handicrafts.

Simple, superficial technical knowledge contains absolutely no principles of natural science.

The colonists would never let the natives know the reasons behind things, and they even withheld some of the information.

In the fourth year, no more courses were added, but some loyalty education was added. In reality, it was to show these people how kind they were to the colonists and how good they were to their dogs, while those who did not behave well as dogs and slaves were so lowly, lazy, disgusting, and hopeless.

These indigenous people, who had attended church schools for several years, would be considered highly educated within their own ethnic groups.

It is only natural for "high-level intellectuals" to look down on laborers. They would never regard these slaves as their own compatriots. On the contrary, they would try every means to enslave and trample on these people to prove that they are "human" as noble as the colonizers, not beasts.

Ronan arrived at the school and found the principal, an assistant to the district bishop. He told him his purpose, and the principal kindly said that Ronan could stay for a few days instead of telling him to get lost.

Left with no other option, Ronan produced the school's operating license issued by the archbishop.

The principal looked at it for a long time before finally speaking, "Mr. Artes, you can find another place to run the school. If you need help, you can come to me."

Ronan chuckled. If he planned to stay in the colony for ten or eight years, he would naturally recruit a group of children as young as a few years old and start teaching them from scratch.

But he didn't have the time; he had to pick up the ready-made ones, and they had to be third-year students. The lower-year students were too poor, and the fourth-year students were already seasoned "traitors" with "convert fanaticism," beyond saving.

“Master, I also have another identity, which is a tax liaison officer. If you don’t agree, I may stay here for a few more days to investigate in detail whether there are any tax issues here.”

Ronan said it casually.

The principal's eyelid twitched. "Church-run primary schools are tax-exempt, Mr. Artes."

"Really? So the plantations, ranches, tanneries, and slaves here are also tax-free?" Ronan laughed. This dilapidated church school was more than just a school; it had also encroached on large tracts of land and paid no taxes whatsoever. It was just like the church from hundreds of years ago.

The principal gripped the seven-star cross, took a deep breath, and smiled. "It is truly an honor for our school that Mr. Artes can come to our school to hold a training course. It is a rare blessing for those children in their lives."

"The principal is such a reasonable and kind person."

Ronan smiled and extended his hand in a friendly gesture to shake hands with him.

Chapter 204 This makes sense, this is interesting, this is called intelligence gathering?

The other three went off to wander around, while Ronan audited a third-grade arithmetic class.