My wife is an immortal black snake.

Page 149

"It's this company's name and signboard—what... Umbrella Security Company? I've heard of that name..."

"Ah ha ha..."

That makes sense; Lady Therese planned to return to Kazdel after her army came to hand over the reins. During her temporary stay in Duke Koschke, she would occasionally come to chat with Yang Hao about matters related to [development]...

In summary, they had a very pleasant conversation, became good friends, and even exchanged contact information. Naturally, Yang Hao mentioned the previously shelved "Umbrella Research Lab" as a joke—but unexpectedly, the Regent seemed to take it seriously.

Ah... well, never mind, she won't be able to research anything without research facilities anyway. Yang Hao blinked dryly, chuckled awkwardly, thinking that it would be more important to come up with an explanation for his wife first.

He racked his brains, but in the end, none of his explanations worked—because his wife said that R'lyeh also had to take action after the Sarkaz mercenaries arrived.

"Sonia and the others? Ah, I've already assigned them their mission—they'll conserve their strength during the war of attrition and defensive battles, and then, according to our plan, unleash their full power in the future, after joining forces with His Majesty the Emperor's main force, during the attack on the city of the Duke of Nikolai. Also, the deep-sea hunters from Kos village need to find some time to bring over the items and trade goods I need..."

"I see? Hmm... I understand. Besides that, when do you plan to infiltrate the cities of Kazimir, regarding the creed?"

"Wait until they start fighting. And Theresa hasn't even been discharged from the hospital yet."

"...It seems my husband still can't forget the Kuranta people's butts."

"Haha, but my favorite person is still you, my dear wife..."

He chuckled dryly and rubbed the tail of the recently jealous Koschei. While they were having their usual marital conversation, the Duchy of Koschei had already begun to provide the refugees with jobs within their capabilities, so that the vast majority of able-bodied refugees could earn food through labor, according to their plan.

Chapter 73

8 month 2 day.

The day after the Duchy of Kosiché began accepting refugees on a large scale.

Therese's Sarkaz mercenaries, leading a caravan, finally arrived at the Duchy of Koschei after a long journey. Their arrival caused panic among the refugees who had not yet entered the city and the city's residents, but they quickly calmed down after being reassured by the police and soldiers of the Duchy of Koschei and understanding that these Sarkaz mercenaries were hired by the two dukes to participate in the war against Duke Nikolai.

Then he resumed his normal life and work, only occasionally casting curious glances at the Sarkaz mercenaries who had settled in the Duchy of Kosichä.

"...In short—we accept the mercenaries, and you accept the resources and investment. It's a good deal, Ms. Therese."

"Happy transaction, Mr. Yang Hao."

Because Koschich was too busy to come out of the audience hall to say goodbye, in short—it was Yang Hao with his guards who were going to the caravan in Kazdel to see Lady Therese off.

As he saw her off, Ms. Therese seemed somewhat pleased. Of course, she might also be happy that she had finally secured an investment from a powerful force—but that didn't matter. Her happiness was what mattered, at least that's what Yang Hao thought.

But then again...

"Your soldiers are just as I thought—they look well-trained, but they simply don't have comparable equipment."

Yang Hao glanced at the Sarkaz mercenaries not far away and remarked with a sigh. Those Sarkaz mercenaries all looked burly and strong, many bearing scars from brutal battles—

Unfortunately, their equipment was simply too poor.

Many Sarkaz mercenaries possess not only masks, coats, and trousers, but also other items.

It could be a greatsword or other weapon left to them by their ancestors for countless generations.

Has Kazdel fallen to such a wretched state? Yang Hao sighed. Looking at Kazdel now, who would have thought that they once possessed an advanced Originium industry?

Sigh, that's just how it is when a nation is weak. So, to prevent my Ursus from becoming like that, it needs to become the world's number one militarily, and then rule the entire Terra family with absolute power.

He was deep in thought, and when faced with Yang Hao's感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of mixed emotions, including admiration and reflection), Therese's smile suddenly turned awkward: after all, apart from the Kazdel Royal Court's troops, the most elite mercenaries she could muster were... that was about it.

She would never mobilize her royal court troops, after all, who knows when her sister might cause trouble? Besides, my troops look so poorly equipped, why don't you send me some Ursus military equipment?

Since we've already started investing, what's wrong with investing more? Of course, Therese was just thinking about it. She knew what she could ask for and what she couldn't—especially since she hadn't yet produced any results.

"After all, Kazdel is such an impoverished place right now. If Ursus could provide some industrial support, perhaps we could provide you with more excellent mercenaries."

"But the problem is that we're already having enough trouble with our own civil war—sigh, by the way, Ms. Therese, are you going to use the resources we exchanged with you to launch a massive construction project once you get back?"

"I suppose so. While these resources can't change the whole of Kazdel, they can be used to run my company and try to improve the most basic aspects of people's lives first—I plan to follow the policies of your territory. Of course, I will make slight modifications based on our Sarkaz customs and traditions."

“I’m really looking forward to seeing what you can do—if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask me.”

"I don't want to disturb you while you're busy."

"Just don't come looking for me at midnight. Haha, that's all—I'm going back now. I hope you can bring me something surprising and something to look forward to next time you come."

As the man, who had been laughing heartily while tapping his cane, left with his guards, Therese watched his retreating figure, and as he walked away, the smile on her face gradually faded.

"...He was a very good man. What a pity."

She sighed. Her recent interactions with that man had given her the illusion of a teacher-student relationship... But after careful consideration and reading the information gathered by the absolutionists, she was surprised to discover that the man was actually younger than her—perhaps even under 30.

Where did such a young man acquire such a wealth of knowledge and corresponding theories? Therese couldn't figure out why, but she did understand that besides feeling happy about helping this man, she felt mostly regret.

It's a pity this man was already married, and even more a pity that he ended up immigrating to Ursus from Colombia instead of Kazdel—of course, I also know very well that Kazdel is such a remote and impoverished place that no one would come here except for those who have nowhere else to turn.

So, what a pity. If this man weren't already married, Therese wouldn't mind having a political marriage with such a capable man and then suppressing her sister.

After all, this man is not a person who values ​​tradition. He doesn't care what the "inheritance" rooted in a country's tradition means to the tradition itself. This man's mind is full of "practicality". If tradition would prevent "practicality", he would do everything he can to eradicate the tradition.

Therese appreciated this. After all, it was incredibly efficient—if she had the choice, and the ability to do so, she would also choose to eradicate all those current "traditions" that only hinder the nation and the country. So she genuinely admired it.

But beyond admiration... there was also a sense of fear.

Therese felt that Yang Hao was some kind of monster. A monster who pursued efficiency while simultaneously praying for the well-being of his own people. When he talked about Colombia, about Casimir, about Lateran—when he talked about all outsiders—he revealed very little emotion. His face wore a formulaic smile, devoid of anger, contempt, fear, or even joy. This man, so cold to outsiders, considered himself their father, believing he should educate and raise his "sons," then give them a free and happy land.

This concept naturally creates victims and beneficiaries. The beneficiaries are undoubtedly Ursus and all the people he rules. But for that man, are all the victims simply categorized as "outsiders"?

What should I do to prevent Kazdel from becoming one of the victims?

"...Can't I be an 'outsider'...?"

She muttered to herself, frowning as she pondered... Finally, she found a breakthrough.

Since this man has begun to subtly guide me on how to do things best, I should just go along with him.

Start by establishing a formal teacher-student relationship... Once you've mastered his knowledge, methods, and administrative skills, then solidify that relationship.

In this way, Kazdel wouldn't become a victim sacrificed in the future, nor would he be seen as an "outsider." But if he did this, something would ultimately have to be sacrificed...

"Your Highness."

The pardoner, wearing a golden mask, walked over and stood behind Therese.

"Prepare to take the goods back with you—and incidentally, consider this group of Sarkaz mercenaries as a legion that will be stationed in Ursus for a long time."

"But...?"

"That's it. Putting aside the upcoming war, I think many soldiers, after witnessing the Koschei Duchy's attention to the Sarkaz and the Infected, will no longer want to return to Kazdel. Rather than obstructing them and causing discontent among the soldiers while damaging the relationships we've worked so hard to build, we should treat them as a welcoming gift. Moreover, with the presence of those Sarkaz who have joined the Koschei Duchy, we can continue to establish stable commercial relationships."

"Yes."

Now, sacrificing these elite mercenaries—or is it really a sacrifice? Compared to the treatment of ordinary infected people in the Dukedom of Koschke, the best treatment Kazdel receives is like a chicken rib—tasteless and a pity to throw away.

But let's assume this was a sacrifice for now—this step sacrificed some Sarkaz mercenaries, but what will be sacrificed next?

She frowned, but finally shook her head.

...... ......

After leaving Ms. Therese's side.

After inspecting the area where the Sarkaz mercenaries were gathered—the location of the Sarkaz settlement under construction—and noting that a new passage had been planned to connect it directly to the infected settlement, Yang Hao stretched and muttered in front of his guards that he should go find Sonia to rest for a while.

After all, his recent work has truly exhausted him, both physically and mentally. He has business to do during the day, business to do at night, and he also has to take care of his child at noon. Life is so difficult for a man who has already started a family and established a career.

But it didn't matter—the happiness of starting a family and building a career filled Yang Hao with satisfaction. However, on the other hand, although he didn't dislike Hela, having his own biological children would be even better if possible...

Imagine how lively it would be if a few puppet children and a few normal children all gathered together! I just wonder how many children of different races would call Koschie, who changes bodies all the time, "Mom"?

Just thinking about that scene made Yang Hao find it quite amusing.

"But sir, if we connect the Sarkaz settlement area with the infected area..."

"No problem. The vast majority of Sarkaz are infected, so it's fine to allow them to move freely in and out of infected areas and interact with the residents there. Besides, we're not directly connecting the infected areas to the Sarkaz areas—there are still checkpoints between them. And all Sarkaz who aren't infected can move around normally in our city."

"But what about the citizens..."

"It's alright, it's alright. Your adults have almost resolved the economic crisis, so getting the people in the territory to accept the Sarkaz and the Infected shouldn't be a problem. By the way, I remember Mr. Napoleon saying that you guys are quite good at brewing wine, huh?"

"Yes. After we finish our work, we help out at the winery. But lately the grape quality has really been..."

"Sigh, there's not much land in Ursus suitable for growing high-quality grapes, and it would be a waste to have the agricultural districts produce grapes... Things should be much better when we have the opportunity to conduct business exchanges with Casimir or other grape-producing regions. That's all for now—after you take me to the headquarters in R'lyeh, you can go back first. Remember not to tell Monica I'm there."

"Yes."

Then again.

Whether it was a strange sense of guilt or the feeling that too much contact between Monica and Sonia would inevitably lead to conflict [one a mother who wanted to raise Yang Hao into a useless person, the other a maid who wanted to raise Yang Hao without making him useless], in short, Yang Hao was actually too afraid to seek warmth from his mother Sonia when Monica was with him.

But this opportunity is perfect. Sigh, it's been a long time since I've gone out alone with Sonia's mother, and I haven't introduced her to Hela's existence. And speaking of which, I still have to go to the House of Lamentations today to pay the price, right?

He shook his head, realizing that the more girls around him, the more time he felt pressed for, and that he might need to learn how to manage his time—but only after the war was over.

And so, Yang Hao, shaking his head and swaying, led his guards toward R'lyeh's headquarters. On the way, the benevolent ruler paid close attention to the situation in the refugee camps they passed. Noticing that the situation there was quite stable, though the number of houses was limited, he used [Puppet Stage] to arrange the next steps and left with satisfaction.

As he passed through the infected area, he made a point of observing the situation from a distance—the infected's love for the Duchy of Koschche had recently grown increasingly strong, to the point that if Yang Hao gave the word, they would spontaneously form an army to defend their homeland. They truly considered the Duchy of Koschche their own home.

Good things, all good things—but then again, we'll still have to manage the Ursus Empire after the civil war... It's true that we can manage a small territory very well right now.

When you come to manage an entire empire, a vast and corrupt one, infiltrated by the tangled interests of various nobles, capitalists, and warlords, and even burdened by the deep pit left to Catherine's father...

Can I manage this well?

He felt immense pressure—and then decided that he would snuggle in Sonia's arms and let off some steam.

Chapter 74

I don't know why—

Kosiché felt himself becoming increasingly irritable.

"Aunt Koschke! What is this?"

"...This is your father's favorite caviar. Also, I'm your father's wife, shouldn't you call me—"

"Aunt Koschchez~ What's this now~"

On the one hand, it's because recently there's been a living doll in the family that she knows nothing about, or even who the maker is, and who inexplicably recognizes her husband as her father—after all, to be honest, it's just a little surprising, a little surprising, and then a little angry, and it's not a big deal.

But since you call my husband your father, isn't it perfectly reasonable for you to call me your mother?

Why won't this little brat bark?!

Kosich's lips twitched as he watched Hela wandering around his palace, barely eating, and he felt a deep sense of despair.

Under her watchful gaze, Hela, engrossed in her play, was not wearing her original clothes. Considering that her clothes might get dirty, the skillful head maid Monica had several outfits custom-made for Hela within two days—the gorgeous dress she was wearing now was one such example.

But then again, what was Monica saying again? Ah—she said that although Hela doesn't seem to have the physiological behaviors that normal humans have, she has everything that a living being should have. And since she can eat, doesn't that mean that this "living doll" actually has a physical structure no different from a human?

What incredible skill it must have taken to create such a doll! If only we could find out who made it, Kosiché would definitely...

...It seemed there was nothing she could do? Thinking this, Koschche sighed heavily. After several attempts to pat the bed to get the wandering Hela to come back for dinner, she looked at the head maid, Monica, standing nearby with pleading eyes:

"Monica—!"

"...Sigh, Lord Koschche, given your current level of patience with children...to be honest, I'm actually somewhat glad that you had Hela as an early acquaintance before you and Lord Yang Hao truly had a child..."

Head Maid Monica looked at Koschei with a strange expression. She used to think that Lord Koschei, as an immortal being, should be omnipotent—but now she understood that there were still many things Lord Koschei simply didn't know how to do.

Take raising children, for example. Koschke had absolutely no idea how to raise children. For a mischievous child like Hela, the best way to educate her wasn't to let her run wild, but rather to manage her appropriately!

What kind of mother would sit on the bed like this, not knowing what to do as soon as the man of the house leaves? Sigh!

Monica sighed heavily, but she obediently accepted Lord Kosch's order—that the child could only glare helplessly, neither hitting nor scolding. She skillfully appeared behind the running Hela, and amidst Hela's wailing laughter, slipped her arm under Hela's armpits and returned carrying the naughty child.

She gently placed Hela on the bed, saying in a calm and gentle tone things like, "If you don't eat properly, Daddy will be angry," while demonstrating for Lord Koschei—and then Monica found, to her dismay, that Lord Koschei didn't seem to have any intention of learning at all.

"...Lord Cosiche?"

After Hela blinked her heterochromatic eyes blankly and then ate her meal properly, Monica sat down next to Lady Koschche and said to her earnestly:

"Even if it's for the sake of your future children with Lord Yang Hao—at least, shouldn't they learn something?"

"...Monica, you can take care of her for me, right?" Kosich's lips twitched, not wanting to voice his worry that his husband's attention would shift after having a daughter. "Besides, Monica...you know, I'm an immortal who's lived for over a thousand years...if my darling knew I couldn't even take care of a child properly..."

"You've already swallowed your pride and fought with a child who hasn't even been weaned for a man, so why are you still worried about something as shameful as this?"

"...Monica, I've already explained it to you—it was my darling who came to me, not me trying to steal him..." Kosich's lips twitched. He noticed that Monica had become increasingly fond of using that little bat as a metaphor ever since she learned about Margarita's situation. "And—is stealing a man the same as taking care of a child?"

"Personally, I think it's all about 'face,' and they're all essentially the same thing?"

"Ugh..."

Why do I always have the illusion that my head maid is smarter than me?