My wife is an immortal black snake.

Chapter 39

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch—I feel like my arm is going to be ruined..."

"Shut up! That arrow only caused a superficial wound; the penetrating wound in your abdomen is the real danger... Bear with it, we need to cut the arrow's string and pull it out from the front..."

After placing the weakened Theresa in a seat, Mars had Lily administer physical anesthesia to Theresa while she remained unconscious, and then began to ponder Theresa's wounds.

She had two wounds, one was an arrow wound on her left arm—the arrow, made of ribs, had only grazed her left arm and almost tore off a large chunk of flesh—but seeing that there seemed to be some kind of infection there, Mars didn't hesitate to use the vodka he had taken from the corpse to spray Theresa's wound with it.

"Awoooooo?!!!!!"

With this spray, accompanied by inexplicably appearing steam and a hissing sound, Teresa, who was still unconscious, let out a pig-like scream and was miraculously awakened by the pain.

"Just regular disinfection, you'll need to do one on your abdomen later too... Hiss, but then again, thankfully the drag crossbow itself isn't very lethal, and it doesn't have any terrifying barbed arrows, otherwise Theresa, your right kidney would be gone."

"I...I...I...I feel like I'm about to die?!"

“You’re still in good spirits, so you’re alright.” Mars shrugged and continued to pour some vodka on Theresa’s abdominal wound. She found that the strange thing that had happened before didn’t happen there—it seemed that Theresa’s wound on her left arm had indeed been infected with something like the flesh puppets? But oh well, since the alcohol was effective, then there should be no need to worry now.

Well, to be honest, it's not that we shouldn't worry. But if Theresa really were to transform into a monster on the ship, it would be more practical to throw her overboard as soon as possible—sigh, if that really happens, Theresa, don't blame me, I'm forced to do it too~

After all, they haven't even squeezed all your assets out of you yet, and they're already throwing you overboard. Who would be happy about that, right?

"Lily—help me."

“I already cut the ropes at both ends, you can just slowly pull it out.”

"Wait—let me do it—Aww!!!"

Theresa let out another bloodcurdling scream, then fainted from the pain. Lily held her body down, while Mars, with a serious expression, slowly pulled the ropes still attached to Theresa's body from their shortest point.

The rope was still intact, thanks to its good fortune. Otherwise, given Mars's rough action of pulling the rope out, Theresa's internal organs would probably have been severely damaged.

But she was lucky. So after pulling out the rope, stuffing cotton wool into the hole, and giving Theresa an injection to relieve the pain so she could get some sleep instead of being woken up in pain halfway through, Mars took over command of the scene from Theresa—and her immediate priority was to quickly get the last landship moving toward the Duchy of Koschei, and then find sufficiently advanced medical aid to save Theresa's life.

"So, did our boss arrange any backup for us on the way?" After Lily and the other exhausted women carried Theresa to a safe place to rest, Mars bypassed the somewhat bewildered group of refugees on the deck and went into the control tower to ask Paul, "And what about the food situation for those refugees... well, we don't mind going hungry for a few days, but there are so many of them. If we don't get supplies along the way..."

People driven to hunger are capable of any terrible thing, and what's worse, while the number of refugees on the landship isn't large, it's not insignificant either—especially since Serpent Scale and Creed traveled light, having sacrificed many personal belongings to carry more weapons. Even their clean rations and water are only enough for one day.

If she hadn't encountered her boss's supply convoy on the road, Mars would have had no choice but to abandon some of the refugees. Fortunately, Paul brought her good news:

"The Lord has already arranged for Gauls to meet us halfway across the border, and there are also plenty of medical supplies—if nothing unexpected happens, we should be able to hold out until then."

"Well, I hope so. I'm going to arrange things with the refugees—there's one more thing."

"Please speak?" Paul blinked and nodded to Mars.

"I remember the pastries at the Gaulish tavern in Lille are pretty good. How about you treat me to one when we get back?"

"..."

"Huh? This is boring~"

She pursed her lips, then turned and left.

Meanwhile, Serpent Scale Paul just stood there, blinking blankly. Watching Mars leave, her tail swishing as she walked, he suddenly understood why Lord Yang Hao loved flattery so much...

......

The mission of Serpent Scale and Creed ended with some close calls. Duke Nikolai, unable to use naval cannons to bombard the core of the landships due to the city's defenses being crippled, could only furiously order the landships within his territory to pursue the four captured vessels. However, this was pointless—the nearest army would need half a day to catch up with the stolen ships. And in that half-day, Serpent Scale and his forces might simply retreat and disappear into the wilderness, vanishing without a trace.

So at 6:20 a.m., the Duchy of Nikolai returned to calm. They abandoned their pursuit of Serpent Scales and the Creed and began to thoroughly purge any possible rebels within their duchy. In haste, they had to prepare for the war to come.

Meanwhile, at Saint-Germain Castle...

When Yang Hao received the message that the operation was over, and saw for himself that no one from Snake Scale and Creed had died on the puppet stage, and that the most seriously injured person was only Theresa, he breathed a sigh of relief and began to plan his reward for Theresa.

He knew how serious Teresa's injuries were, and he knew she had been tempted by the enemy... but it didn't matter, as long as she remained loyal.

“A reward…” he murmured, and as he relaxed, he realized that he had been hugged by Sonia's mother again without realizing it. “And Sonia?”

"Ok?"

"No...did I wake you up?"

"I guess so," Sonia said gently behind him, and Yang Hao could feel her stroking his head. "If you're tired, why don't you sleep a little longer? I'll wake you up at the right time."

"Um..."

Feeling the soft, bouncy flesh pressing against his back, Yang Hao nodded awkwardly and then slowly closed his eyes.

Last night was truly an eventful night. He had just returned victorious from His Majesty the Emperor, only to be pursued by Sonia's mother and suffer a crushing defeat... He really couldn't handle this kind of situation.

There wasn't a single drop left, and Sonia had to confirm it before letting him go—what kind of loving mother is this! This is like a wolf in sheep's clothing, who can resist?

He closed his eyes, smiling bitterly, still not forgetting that he would die even more after returning.

-------------Chapter Dividing Line---------------

8:30 a.m. on November 11th.

When Yang Hao awoke to the gentle, whistling calls of Sonia's mother, he discovered that she had somehow regained control over his secrets.

She seemed to pay close attention to men's normal morning physiological phenomena, and Yang Hao calmly discovered that he seemed to have been sexually assaulted by Sonia's mother without his knowledge.

"I really don't have a single drop left..."

The man who was wailing and crying was quickly taken into Sonia's arms and given a tender hug. Sonia was like a loving mother who knew her child inside and out. She knew everything about Yang Hao, not only how many drops he had now, but also when he would regain his virility and when he would begin to recover. Under Sonia's gentle and maternal care, Yang Hao's body would probably become thinner day by day, right?

Fortunately, Sonia's mother knew she had to take good care of Mr. Yang Hao. So after playing with him for a few minutes and licking those things clean, Sonia's mother went to the bathroom to clean herself, leaving Yang Hao alone on the bed, pondering what to do about his future.

Here we have to briefly mention Yang Hao's "victories" with various women—leaving aside Margarita for now, the only one he has ever beaten is His Majesty the Emperor, then he is barely on par with Koschie, the head maid Monica is lenient with him but can still beat him to a pulp if she's really frustrated, and what about Mother Sonia?

...It's no exaggeration to say that the Deep Sea Hunter's body is truly wondrous. He experienced for the first time a power that seemed to squeeze every last drop of blood from his body. In a sense, if Sonia hadn't known that Yang Hao's physical strength was only so-so, he probably wouldn't have been able to leave that bathroom alive last night.

So Mr. Yang Hao, you really need to think of a way! Yang Hao racked his brains, searching the [Puppet Stage] for anything that could improve his physical abilities. In the end, he realized that only [Ascension] remained as his path...

I never expected to have those old desires again, and it wasn't because I wouldn't live much longer, but because I might die in my bed if I didn't ascend soon...

This is really——

"Mr. Yang Hao? Aren't you going to take a shower?"

"Ah—I'll go right now..."

Yang Hao's melancholy thoughts were interrupted by Sonia's mother's call, who had already finished bathing. Watching her dry her hair and gently prepare his change of clothes, Yang Hao blinked, banishing his melancholy to who-knows-where—he quickly went into the bathroom, washing himself while pondering what to do next.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the empire's civil war will soon erupt. At the latest, a week from now, the Sherlock Holmes nightclub, knowing it has no way out, will preemptively launch its doomed civil war before His Majesty the Emperor can slowly grind his flesh with a dull knife.

I'll still have to deal with things at Saint-Germain Castle then. Before I go home, I at least have to help His Majesty—help Catherine select suitable candidates for the new council.

More importantly, after obtaining the position in the Ursus Empire, he also needs to make some adjustments to the Ursus Empire's economy and then use the stimulus of the civil war to boost the economy.

This isn't surprising; after all, war is the biggest consumer—if Yang Hao wins the war, he can change the politics and economy of Ursus through it. So... is this all his work is going to do next? Hmm...

It seems there isn't, it seems there is... but all in all, let's leave it at that for now.

He quickly took a shower, changed his clothes, and returned to his room. With Sonia's help, he put on his boots, picked up his cane, and began to head towards His Majesty the Emperor's private dining room, ready for his usual conversation.

But then again——

"Speaking of which, Sonia... why did you suddenly barge in yesterday...?" Yang Hao was still incredibly confused by Sonia's impulsiveness last night—Sonia shouldn't be the impulsive type, right? Why did she suddenly barge in last night? It's really so strange...

Faced with Yang Hao's question, Sonia, who was following behind him, simply smiled. In front of a large crowd and strangers, this gentle mother did nothing to embarrass Yang Hao. She simply smiled, shook her head, and softly replied:

"If you're referring to what happened before? I'm just worried that His Majesty will snatch you away from me. My dear child."

"...Forehead."

So your way of preventing me from being taken away is to squeeze every last drop out of me? Even Koschke isn't this extreme...

Yang Hao nodded bitterly, thinking that Sonia might do something even more terrible after she met Margarita... He sighed softly, tapped the ground with his cane, and soon they arrived at His Majesty the Emperor's private dining room.

After knocking, I pushed the door open and entered. There, His Majesty the Emperor was having breakfast. For some reason, His Majesty seemed unwell today, which was quite strange.

Good morning, Yang Hao.

"Good morning, Your Majesty...Empress Catherine."

"hehe."

She smiled and didn't say much. She simply gestured for Yang Hao and Sonia to sit down, and then she ate her breakfast while discussing important matters with Yang Hao.

Some important matters concerning today's official medal awarding ceremony.

"It means..."

"Yes, although I will announce you as the Speaker of the real Imperial Diet, for the sake of stability, I will not completely abolish the current Imperial Diet—it will be limited to 20 people, and these 20 elected members will not have any power. All they can do is submit the content they have discussed to the real Diet, and then decide whether to adopt it under our joint review. That's all."

"Oh... in that case, they won't pose any threat anymore... then wouldn't this council be..."

“I call it the ‘Lower House,’ which, as the name suggests, is below and has no power whatsoever—but it’s just right for maintaining the facade of popular support and the traditions of the Ursus Empire before dictating the government.”

In summary, after Yang Hao burned down the parliament, the Imperial Parliament, which originally had several hundred members and real power, no longer existed.

Her Majesty Catherine planned to build a 20-person... completely powerless "lower house" on the fire site to "listen to the will of the people." This lower house couldn't possibly have any power; in Yang Hao's understanding, hoping for its authority was less realistic than hoping His Majesty the Emperor would actually win the bid someday.

Therefore, Yang Hao did not object to it at all—after all, an ornament can stabilize people's hearts, enhance cohesion, and attract ignorant fools to work hard for it. Great, very good, there is nothing better than this, isn't there?

So he simply agreed. Meanwhile, Ms. Sonia, who had tried to understand, just lowered her head in bewilderment—it seems politics is still too difficult for this mother.

"Then comes the matter of the investiture ceremony... Because you will be receiving the titles of Imperial Speaker, Duke, and King simultaneously, this investiture ceremony will be broadcast throughout the Ursus Empire using a special communicator—some remote areas may not receive the news for more than ten days, and some areas may be completely cut off from communication due to the upcoming civil war, but in any case, your noble legitimacy will be established within the Ursus Empire. At that time, you will be a legitimate noble, possessing all the privileges of a noble while also having your own responsibilities."

"If I may ask, do I need to live here every day?"

Yang Hao chuckled dryly and held out his hand, taking a piece of bread. Hearing this, Lady Sonia slowly raised her head, giving His Majesty the Emperor a dangerous look.

Facing the gazes of the two, especially the dangerous one from Lady Sonia, His Majesty the Emperor merely gave a strange, alluring smile: "No, of course not. I know you have your own life and work, so I won't be like those noble ladies who think about love all day and night, waiting for you to come over. Don't worry, I'll let you know in advance when I need you—but if you could stay at the palace for a few more days, I would be happy too."

"Forehead..."

He said it directly to Sonia's face... Yang Hao lowered his head, pretending to eat breakfast, but actually he was secretly watching Sonia's situation.

But whether it was his luck or his misfortune, Sonia's mother didn't show him any particularly frightening expression.

"Everything should go smoothly from now on, right?" He shuddered, genuinely hoping for the best.

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

11:7 AM on July 11th.

The audience hall of the Duke's Palace in the Duchy of Kosice.

The esteemed Duke of Kosiché finished his day's work early. After arranging the docking location for the approaching landships, providing necessary supplies, and gathering various resources such as doctors, the famished Feline cat, though ravenous, eagerly yet with feigned composure and elegance, returned to her bedchamber. After frolicking on the bed for a while, she rolled over, clutching her husband's pillow, and snapped her fingers, signaling Monica to come out for a moment.

"Yes? Sir?"

Monica stepped out of the mirror as always. In her hands was Lord Koschche's lunch for today.

"Help me get that thing out—if I'm not mistaken, today should be the day my dear is to be awarded the medal. He must have burned down the council to get the Serpent Scales to act. Judging by the timing, Her Majesty Catherine should be officially awarding him the medal by now."

The kitten's tail twitched restlessly, whether it was happy for her husband's success or happy that he could finally come home, it was hard to tell.

Having been trying to understand Lord Kosch's feelings for over ten days, Head Maid Monica simply smiled, set out the food, and left.

After she left, Duke Kosicherry ate his lunch while waiting for Monica's return. A short while later, Monica returned—holding a strange communicator in her hand. She placed the communicator on the corner of the table, activated it using Originium Arts, and said with some confusion:

"Lord Kosichert, can this thing really receive broadcasts from Saint-Germain?"

"Of course. This is a specially made communicator that can directly contact Saint-Germain Castle—even His Majesty the Emperor doesn't use such things often, partly because it's troublesome to maintain, and partly because it's too expensive."

"Too expensive?"

"It cost more than the communicator I gave to that baby who was still breastfeeding—and it costs the same amount every time it's used."

"I understand."

In short, this Originium communication device can receive communications from His Majesty the Emperor over long distances and receive some extremely important messages—but even the wealthy Emperor cannot use this device frequently because it is far too expensive.

Kosichrie had calculated that if her duchy were to use this device, the entire territory would likely go bankrupt after the tenth use. But she also believed that if Her Majesty Catherine truly valued her beloved husband, she would certainly use it to broadcast the awarding ceremony.

So she patiently sat on the edge of the bed and waited... After a while, a crackling sound came from the communicator, gradually becoming clearer from the noise, and soon—

"...First, let us observe a moment of silence for the victims of the fire at the Imperial Diet on July 10."

Her Majesty Catherine's voice came through clearly.

“What a pretentious fellow,” Kosichrie chuckled. Together with the equally smiling maid, they waited for the communication to resume.

......

After a few minutes of Her Majesty Catherine's vehement rebuke of the "traitors" for their pointless rhetoric, the time finally came for the awarding ceremony.

Accompanied by Her Majesty Catherine's strangely gentle tone... at this moment, a bad premonition suddenly arose. Duke Koschche heard the following: