My wife is an immortal black snake.

Page 91

At least one thing is certain: His Majesty's court is full of Ursus people, isn't it?

Just as Yang Hao was having a headache over this, an event list popped up in front of him at the right time:

[Event: The Deep Sea Hunter's Request]

The chieftain of one of the deep-sea hunter tribes, Ms. Sonia, stated that their desired reward is to obtain you—literally, they want to obtain you.

Of course, who knows why they do this? Maybe they simply want to eat your flesh, maybe they simply want your child, or maybe it's simply... that their community has encountered a problem that they have no choice but to do this to solve.

In short, make the most of it.

This is the best chance in the world to acquire an army of monsters.

'Am I really that charming?!'

...Looking at the information in the event list.

Yang Hao raised his head and opened his mouth to the silent Ms. Sonia.

Chapter 194

"I'm sorry... I need to clarify your reasons for this. Why did you make this request?"

Looking at Ms. Sonia and the other deep-sea hunters behind her who were nervously watching their exchange, Yang Hao spoke seriously, his cane tapping slowly on the ground.

This is something that absolutely needs to be clarified. Yang Hao thought to himself, whether it's because this matter concerns whether he can leave the room alive tomorrow morning, or whether it concerns things in the future, he has to find out the truth.

"Do I need to give all the reasons?" Ms. Sonia wasn't intimidated by Yang Hao's question; her expression remained completely unchanged—just plain indifference, or rather, blandness. "Or perhaps you only need to hear a few reasons, Master Puppeteer?"

Moreover, this term "puppet master" was also one that Yang Hao was paying attention to... because if he remembered correctly, the "puppet master" was both the end and the beginning of his path to ascension as a mortal. How did she know that? No... just knowing the term wasn't a big deal.

How did she become so certain...? Precise prophetic abilities? That must be it.

“All the reasons, I need to know all the reasons why you need me.” He nodded, deep in thought, as he answered.

......

Subsequently, Ms. Sonia explained to Yang Hao, in an unexpectedly calm manner, all the reasons why she wanted to do this, without any concealment.

"That is to say..."

"Yes. My people are on the verge of extinction. Although it is not yet time for extinction, at most ten years, my people will decline because of their resistance against the deep sea."

"Resisting the deep sea?"

"To be precise, it's a monster from the ocean. And those sounds... the sounds of the sea."

Ms. Sonia explained that she wanted Yang Hao because her race was on the verge of extinction—a decade that seemed like an eternity for short-lived races, but a mere instant for long-lived races. Once this countdown ended, her race would perish. This was part of her prophecy.

Furthermore, Sonia's prophecy also involved the existence of a powerful inland nation—Gaul. According to her, while Gaul existed, the Deepsea Hunters, though living a miserable life, were at least passable. However, when Gaul got into trouble for some reason and was ultimately "purged," the Deepsea Hunters inexplicably suffered hardships they shouldn't have had to bear.

Perhaps it was the influence of that contract—but the Agers didn't sign their names on the Gallic Empire's contract. In other words, either the contract's contents were related to them, or the entity that signed the contract with the Gauls was of great interest to them. In any case, because of that contract, the Agers had been pushed to the brink, forced to either stand still and wait for death, or jump off in search of a glimmer of hope.

Deep-sea hunters are divided into many groups. Although they are as close as sisters and connected by blood, the different beliefs of the different groups led some deep-sea hunters to passively wait for death, while others chose to seek a glimmer of hope.

Sonia is the one who chooses to seek a glimmer of hope. The Deepsea Hunter might be able to abandon her duties and live inland, but before that, she must find someone known as the "Puppeteer."

In her prophecy, a great being known as the "Puppet Master" possesses the ability to control his people like puppets. He can not only reunite a divided populace but also subtly alter their thoughts. He can reunite the currently fragmented Deepsea Hunters, who strive for survival under the leadership of a single voice.

Hearing her speak like that, Yang Hao's expression grew increasingly strange. For no other reason than that Sonia's prophecy had actually foreseen many of his abilities—whether it was reuniting a divided people [referring to certain traits], subtly changing their thinking [referring to national policies and resolutions], or controlling puppets [referring to direct micromanagement], Sonia had guessed them all correctly.

In some ways, her prophetic abilities are much stronger than Margarita's... But then again, are you really doing this simply to ensure the survival of your species?

Faced with Yang Hao's questioning gaze, Ms. Sonia remained silent for a moment before shaking her head:

"No, of course it's not just that. I also hope to use the Puppeteer's abilities to free our clan from this fate—I don't want the children of Deepsea Hunters to be born with the responsibility of defending against the deep sea. They should have the same opportunities as normal children, to enjoy the sunshine and play freely in the streets."

"So, it's not just about survival, but also about development?"

"Yes. And for their future."

Sonia nodded and said she had given all her reasons. Now it was up to you whether you were willing to accept them.

Faced with Sonia's words, Yang Hao frowned and began another round of thinking...

[Event: The Future and Crisis of Deepsea Hunters]

Sonia is the chieftain of one of the groups of deep-sea hunters. She hopes to find a way out for her group and for the entire deep-sea hunter community, and also hopes to free the deep-sea hunters from their suffering—this path is destined to be difficult, because not only the ocean itself, but even the inland people may not want to see this scene.

Fortunately, you have the ability to gradually improve the prejudice of inlanders against deep-sea hunters, and in some ways, doing so is much simpler than granting infected people normal human rights.

What is your reply? Please consider it carefully.

friendly reminder:

The string you need is right on the coast.

'...So what's there to consider?'

...

It has to be said that what's right in front of Yang Hao is a highly coveted prize that he absolutely must acquire.

The powerful humanoid siege unit he had been dreaming of was right in front of him.

The prototype of his long-conceived fourth secret force, distinct from the Templars, the Creed, and the Serpent Scales, was now before him. Moreover, this squad already possessed a mature captain and warriors, and in the future, it could even bring her race into the fold.

This deep-sea hunter, like Koschei, likes to speak directly and without any subtlety—but Yang Hao likes people who speak directly!

Most importantly, they possess their own method for obtaining the [String] necessary for becoming immortals, and it seems that only deep-sea hunters can hunt marine creatures to obtain ascension materials, as well as a large amount of [Luxury Resources].

You know, whale oil and the like... would fetch a really good price if it were inland. And frankly, the coastal areas are just too rich in resources... Yang Hao can't possibly let the deep-sea hunters occupy such prime locations just to defend against deep-sea attacks; he's definitely going to develop the coastal regions...

So what are you hesitating for?! Shouldn't you just agree right away?!

It really won't work.

“I’m sorry… I can’t leave with you, but I think we can have a win-win partnership.”

"...A win-win...cooperation?"

"That's it..."

Yang Hao definitely cannot leave the Dukedom of Kosiché to check on the situation along the coast right now. Moreover, considering that the Ursus Empire is about to engage in a thrilling and intense civil war, Yang Hao cannot leave Ursus at this time.

So after much deliberation, he could only come up with the suggestion of cooperating with the Deepsea Hunters in the Koschche territory. And this wasn't just empty talk—because Yang Hao's Puppet Stage had already proven that even if someone wasn't physically present in the target territory, they could still monitor the situation and even intervene at any time!

Take Margarita as an example—Yang Hao can now clearly see that she has already run to the city of Minos and is training with her teacher! If he wanted, he could use his political points to do some trivial things at any time: such as the city lord of Minos suddenly having a whim, remembering that he is a true Ursus citizen and wanting to take the city back, or the prime minister of Minos suddenly receiving a diplomatic insult from somewhere for no reason...

He can interfere remotely in matters concerning places he has never been to, as long as he can control—or rather, if those who trust him have ever been to those places.

“...I understand.” Listening to Yang Hao’s explanation, Ms. Sonia nodded and smiled, indicating that she was willing to accept the agreement if that was the case. “Then, what do you need us to do, Puppeteer?”

"...First and foremost, I'm not a puppeteer. I have a name; just call me Yang Hao, or Mr. Yang Hao. Secondly, and this is the first thing. I need you to establish a special department for relatively dangerous combat operations, with insurance and a salary. Is that alright?"

Is this one of the exchanges?

"Yes."

“Then I am willing to accept, Puppet... no, Lord Yang Hao.”

Ms. Sonia is a straightforward deep-sea hunter. Perhaps the coastal environment means that telling riddles only leads to bad results—which is why Yang Hao quite enjoys talking to her.

And so, the atmosphere between them gradually eased. After confirming that all the deep-sea hunters had no objections, Yang Hao bestowed upon them the name "R'lyeh" and provided them with a new noble building near the Duke's mansion as their base—one of the few houses the Gauls hadn't demolished during the previous purge. There was no embezzled money left inside, making it perfect as a base for the new department.

Sonia also pledged her loyalty and that of her people to Yang Hao. The instant she did so, she felt an invisible thread connecting each of them—Sonia felt a surge of joy and relief, while Yang Hao stared blankly at the Deep Sea Hunters' interface, wondering if he had taken on an extremely difficult task...

Settlement: The Village of Deep-Sea Hunters

Location: Northeast coastal area

Current population: 627

Main race and group: Agorians, Deepsea Hunters

Specialties: Biological materials from deep-sea monsters, coastal specialties, edible seaweed, and some other deep-sea treasures.

Special marker: liquidation.

Without knowing the circumstances, perhaps the curse was transferred, or perhaps a traitor signed the contract in place of his people... In any case, all the deep-sea hunters have been marked, and if they do nothing, they will face an unprecedented purge—a purge more thorough than the fall of the Gallic Empire.

Special effect: Resistance

The villages along the coast are not only the homes of the Deepsea Hunters, but also the front line against deep-sea invasions. The retreat of each Deepsea Hunter village means the ocean will advance inland a few years later—but conversely, this can be used to your advantage if you need to build a special terrain for a naval base.

Special Reward: Deepsea Hunter

Every so often, the village of deep-sea hunters produces elite deep-sea hunter combat units. They excel against giant units, possess unique physical attributes, and wield bizarre weapons. Each deep-sea hunter has an average bravery of 10-30 during the initial training phase, which rises to 60-70 after completing their formal training and their first battle.

In contrast, the average bravery stat of Ursus' regular army soldiers is 5. The higher the bravery stat, the stronger the individual soldier's ability. A bravery stat above 100 means that the unit cannot be killed by regular troops, and at worst, can escape.

As they age, some deep-sea hunters who are lucky enough to live past 40 years old will have a combat power of over 100 bravery points. In this case, they will become the chieftain or leader of their tribe.

Some older deep-sea hunters even possess a terrifying 200 points of bravery, but the longer they live, the more irritable they become. Those older deep-sea hunters may not obey your orders—what do you intend to do?

Special national policies: None at the moment

Special Resolution: Immigration,...

Special events: None at the moment...

......

...]

Hot potato.

This was Yang Hao's first assessment of the Deep Sea Hunter.

You have to swallow the whole banana to enjoy its delicious flavor.

It may taste delicious, but it could cause you to suffocate and die; biting it in half makes it less tasty.

This is Yang Hao's second assessment of the Deep Sea Hunter.

"In short... by now, you should have felt it, right?"

"Yes."

"But to give you the most direct sense of reassurance—how about now?"

"...Are you really ordering us to go and rest first?"

“That’s right. You need to be well-rested before you can work. Tomorrow is your rest day to adjust to your new home. You’ll officially start work the day after tomorrow. I’ll also discuss the matter of your clan being ‘purged’ with you then… Alright, that’s all for now. Go and rest.”

"Yes."

Watching Sonia lead her compatriots, some excited, some confused, and some frightened, leave the banquet hall.

Yang Hao took a deep breath, thinking that the only problem left today was...

How can I explain this to my wife so that I can live to see the dawn of the next day?

Chapter 195

...

Tonight, Yang Hao returned to his palace only after having a hearty and nutritious dinner.

Along the way, the maid appeared in the mirror in front of him and silently followed him.

When we were halfway there...

“Lady Koschei isn’t angry with you. She just really hates those deep-sea hunters,” Monica suddenly said. “After all, even I can’t understand… how they could make such a request in public…”

“Well, I understand Koschei’s thinking, so I know she won’t be angry—she’ll definitely vent this pent-up resentment in another way…and I can understand why the Deepsea Hunters are so straightforward. I just talked to them and we agreed that they had to do this because their species is on the verge of extinction.”

"Then, sir, you?"

“I agreed, but in a win-win situation—I don’t need to go there to control their territory, so why not?”

"So, you'll be staying home, right?"

"Yes."

He nodded, and as they passed through the courtyard, he and Monica sat down on a bench to rest for a while. It was 10:10 p.m., still some time before their usual bathing time—so he decided to wait a bit and prepare himself mentally before starting.

Monica, sitting next to him, breathed a sigh of relief after receiving Yang Hao's affirmative answer. She didn't want Lord Yang Hao and Lord Koschche to be separated, not only because it was the best outcome in reality, but also because she had her own selfish reasons.

She silently turned to look at him. Because she had become a reflection in the mirror, she could no longer find her image anywhere with reflective properties. This caused Monica a lot of trouble. The most direct problem was that she wasn't sure if her clothes and appearance were perfect. Every time, she needed a long time to groom herself, to the point that she even needed to constantly watch for the gazes of Lord Yang Hao and Lord Koschche to be sure of her appearance.

Now she only trusts the opinions of those she believes in.