My wife is an immortal black snake.

Page 245

...

Yang Hao, his student, and Princess Theresa exchanged speechless glances.

After a long while, the man, who was already extremely tired and had not been genuinely happy that Margarita had found some favorable factors for him, sighed heavily.

He thought to himself, no matter what, Kazdel absolutely could not be destroyed—if Kazdel were truly destroyed, not only would Ursus and Kazimir lose a deep defensive line against the psionic entities invading from the ruins of the Gallic Empire, but he would also lose the security company he had built up, a vassal state, and a source of future population...

So no matter what, he cannot allow Kazdel to be destroyed—but Ursus doesn't have the resources to wage a war right now either.

so...

"Your Highness Theresa, it is with great regret that we in Ursus are unable to support you." Under the gaze of the two ladies, Mr. Yang Hao calmly shook his head and said.

"Mr. Yang Hao, please tell me, what do we need to give in order for you to be willing to help us?"

But neither Theresa nor Theresis intended to give up. The Demon King frowned, gritted his teeth, and thought that no matter the cost, as long as Kazdel could be saved...

But she was disappointed—

"Ursus must not get involved in this under any circumstances." Yang Hao's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads. But...

Was it Therese's imagination? She noticed that her teacher was emphasizing the word "Ursus".

"But—" However, her sister, who was already starting to panic, didn't notice this small detail. Or rather, she did notice it, but she mistakenly thought it was the other party's tone of voice to refuse: perhaps because she couldn't use her diplomatically convenient ability to read minds on Yang Hao, she couldn't be sure what Yang Hao was thinking.

“I said, Ursus must not get involved in this matter under any circumstances.” Faced with Theresa’s urgency and seeing the thoughtful Theresa, Yang Hao simply repeated himself with a stern face. “Ursus cannot intervene in this incident. This time, it’s up to you. Understand?”

Mr. Yang Hao looked at his student, while Therese looked at her teacher nervously.

After a moment, she realized it.

"...I see."

Therese nodded, patted her sister's shoulder, and whispered something in her ear, indicating that she should leave the matter to her.

"Well... teacher, I hope to have a private meeting with you tonight."

"can."

"...That's settled then. Ursus won't interfere with our Kazdel's internal timeline, but I'd like to confirm... Ursus's cargo and tourists should be able to enter Kazdel as usual, right?"

"of course."

"...Um."

Therese nodded. Beside her, Theresa hesitated, swallowing back the words that were about to escape her lips: "Where did these Ursus tourists come from?"

She realized something—but more than that, she realized that her sister was planning to make some great sacrifice...?

...

And so, the meeting ended abruptly.

Ursus cannot afford to get too entangled with Kazdel on this matter. However, this does not mean that Ursus's private caravans and tourists cannot, out of impulse, help the Sarkaz overcome their difficulties.

Finally, Theresa understood what Yang Hao meant... Unable to "read Yang Hao's mind," she regained her composure after a period of confusion and decided to entrust the matter entirely to her sister, the sister who was about to make a major sacrifice.

Therefore... when the time came to 10:20 PM.

Yang Hao's troops haven't returned yet; they're still in Kazdel's palace, where they'll rest tonight.

Meanwhile, in the secret chamber that Margarita prophesied.

Sitting on the sofa in the airtight room, Yang Hao looked at Therese, who was dressed beautifully. He covered his face, peeking through his fingers at the list of prophecies Margarita had predicted in Therese's hand. He sighed heavily, thinking that the toughest things were yet to come.

Chapter 169

"...Therese."

"teacher."

"...Sigh. Let's get straight to the point. First, report to me on the current situation in Kazdel, the number of potential enemies you've estimated, and the approximate number of the [Demon Vengeance Faction] members who have already infiltrated Kazdel."

"Yes, please wait a moment."

Therese's outfit tonight is quite special.

Although I had already heard Margarita's prophecy, as expected, Therese's outfit today was still a refreshing and beautiful one.

Whether it's the white, fitted gown that was carefully chosen to match her hair and eye color, the matching cherry blossom-colored jewelry as the main decorative element, or even the thin coat that looks almost transparent...

...Is this Kazdel's evening gown? Yang Hao blinked, thinking that perhaps he could order a few for Margarita and Ms. Northumbery in the future? But then again...I wonder if Margarita is having any wild thoughts right now?

After all, besides Ms. Northumber waiting outside, only Monica's mother was probably secretly observing this private meeting from the mirror world, right? Hmm... Margarita shouldn't be overthinking things, she should be.

While Yang Hao was lost in thought, on the other side, although Therese's expression remained calm, her inner world was in complete turmoil.

She understood why her teacher didn't want Ursus to get involved in Kazdel's chaos, and she also understood why her teacher was using hints to allow Kazdel to obtain support from outside Ursus... But indeed, if Kazdel wanted to get through this crisis peacefully... it would have to give up more and get more support from Ursus in order to survive this enemy's infiltration and sabotage.

(So ​​I have to wear this long dress... ugh... this traditional Sarkaz wedding dress... sigh. I never thought I'd have to wear it on an occasion like this...) Therese muttered to herself, (But if it can help Kazdel rise and avoid destruction, what's a little sacrifice? But the question is, if it's just me, will my [teacher] be satisfied?)

Therese had done her homework... Although her teacher appeared refined and cultured, his private life was extremely chaotic.

The sheer number of women around her with whom she had already had sexual relations was enough to prove that her teacher was a lecherous man with principles... Could I alone really satisfy his current appetite? Therese genuinely doubted this, especially after learning that Theresa was also his possession.

And speaking of which, I wonder if Theresa's advisor, that Lady Kal'tsit, has been targeted... Sigh. If she has, it might actually help Kazdel secure more funding given their current relationship; if not, it'll be a real headache...

...well!

Therese sighed inwardly. Noticing that her teacher, though staring at her clothes, seemed uninterested, her lips twitched. She lowered her head, pondering that her figure was undeniably attractive to men, and decided to start with work.

...

She began to explain to Yang Hao the intelligence that Kazdel had gathered after the afternoon meeting.

The intelligence was more detailed than before. First, they identified the enemies of the "Demon-Hate Faction"—Victoria, Colombia, and Letania—as well as supporters from these three countries. Kazdel's primary enemies were the Demon-Hate Faction radicals supported by these three countries, and the "professionals" they had sent out. These "professionals" were disguised as mercenaries, scholars, and even archaeologists.

“Because they have international and [legal status] protection, we can’t arrest or kill them without solid evidence—if we did, it would give them a pretext to declare war directly,” Therese said with a wry smile. “Combined with our current problem of insufficient security in Kazdel… they certainly found quite a few opportunities today. Not only the poisoning, kidnapping, and instigation of chaos mentioned in the previous meeting, they even considered causing a [diplomatic incident] that would lead to our severing of diplomatic ties with Ursus… but we stopped them.”

"Actually, it doesn't matter if they do that. My decision is not something that can be canceled by a simple diplomatic incident."

"Does that mean you, teacher, actually have more power than that emperor?"

"...She is the mother of my child."

"Oh..."

Although she had guessed it before, hearing him actually say it now still put Therese's a huge weight off her heart.

Relaxing, she began to explain Kazdel's biggest problem: they simply had no way to prevent the "professionals" from meeting with the radicals. Even if they could, they would need evidence.

But—that's exactly what Mr. Yang Hao needs.

"In other words, as long as my [tourists] come, you can't stop us from harming other [professionals] without [evidence], right?"

"...Even if there is evidence, we will pretend we didn't see it."

"That's fine then. Neither Ursus nor Kazimir will send a single soldier or provide any official commercial aid to Kazdel, but we won't stop civilian tourists from bringing their goods to enjoy the Sarkaz's company. Perfect timing, one of my troops should be on its way... I need them to disguise themselves..."

"...Thank you very much."

"No need for verbal thanks. You know this isn't free."

Seeing her teacher sitting on the sofa, looking troubled and deep in thought, Therese thought to herself, "Now there's a possibility that things on Kazdel's side can be resolved. The rest depends on their efforts..."

But that won't do. Therese needs to secure more guarantees for Kazdel, guarantees that Ursus will immediately include Kazdel in the [Protected Area] after this incident...

This will require a great deal of effort. Therese looked down at the list in her hand, a list documenting the artifacts and other valuable items related to the Gallo-Israel Empire that her explorers had found during this period through archaeological research or other means...

...

These are not enough.

So she looked down at the clothes she was wearing.

Perfect timing! This place is deserted, airtight, and has excellent sound insulation...

But... Therese, Therese, this might be an opportunity, but the risks are far too great.

She restrained her impulse and decided to try to persuade him verbally first...

Chapter 170

......

all in all.

Therese began a difficult negotiation with her teacher.

She had originally intended to use her list of items related to the Gallo Empire to gain more support from Yang Hao. However, whether he had personally reviewed them or someone had leaked this little secret known only to Therese, her teacher showed little interest, stating that he needed nothing except technology, culture, and maps—perhaps he was somewhat interested in antiques, but he wouldn't offer much in terms of price.

This seemingly prophetic situation put Therese in a difficult position: if she only considered these three important things, then Therese could only offer very little—even if she included the entire Kazdel region.

"...Then, please take a look at this list."

She handed over the list, anxiously wondering what she should do next.

After receiving the list, Yang Hao carefully reviewed it. The list was indeed similar to Margarita's prediction, with no significant changes. So, after confirming what he wanted, he returned it to Therese.

He already had the price in mind, so he smiled and said:

"Based on the existing situation, there may be more mainland tourists in Ursus. Among them, there may be some businessmen, and there may also be some standard instructors, and they will bring some outdated goods that Ursus no longer needs."

"...Thank you. But teacher, could you have more?"

"Of course, we can have more—but only if you survive this round of covert attacks from the enemy. At this time, Ursus will not risk another war with other countries by intervening in Kazdel's affairs. At least not on the surface."

"...Then, I'd like to propose a different approach—after Kazdel proves its worth this time, will Ursus...no, will the Duchy of Kosichear be willing to guarantee Kazdel's independence?"

"...oh?"

"It's not just about ensuring independence. I also hope to gain support for technological research—and that won't be free; I know what Kazdel will have to give up."

This can be considered a consensus reached between Therese and her sister: Kazdel is absolutely incapable of single-handedly resisting the conspiracies and blockades of several surrounding countries. Rather than stubbornly resisting, it would be more practical to become a vassal of Ursus—at least as a vassal, Kazdel would have a few decades to breathe, prepare for the impending catastrophe, and prepare for its future rise.

That being said, making Ursus her overlord is probably out of the question—because Ursus cannot intervene in the current affairs of Kazdel, nor in the future. This is true both in terms of international repercussions and business considerations. Therefore... Therese's goal isn't simply to have Ursus directly intervene.

What she wanted was for the Duchy of Koschche to step in—just an independent guarantee from a duke of Ursus. Although this would make Kazdel look ridiculous on the international stage, it would not only avoid putting Ursus in the public eye and affecting it, but more importantly, it would ensure that Kazdel would indeed have a guarantee of safety.

Why do we say this? The reason is simple: although the current Duchy of Koschei is just a duchy, it is actually the "second capital" of the entire Ursus Empire. Moreover, St. Arthur's Castle is right next door, so calling it the capital of the Ursus Empire wouldn't be entirely wrong.

In this situation, although it's only the independent protection of a "Duke," it's enough to make those evil spirits more vigilant and less blatant infiltrations of Kazdel. After all, the Ursus Empire doesn't want a war, but that doesn't mean its Duke can't. If the Duke really loses his temper, and everyone ends up fighting to the death in Kazdel for no benefit, it's better to just leave Kazdel alone.

This also applies to the Demon-Hate Faction. The radicals of the Demon-Hate Faction want to destroy Kazdel... but in this situation, causing chaos in the Kazdel region might actually give Kazdel an opportunity to develop by scavenging resources. Therefore, in that case, the Demon-Hate Faction's disruptions will have to be carried out covertly.

Once it reaches the stage of "resolving things privately," it will be Kazdel's domain after acquiring the Duchy of Koschie. Although the Sarkaz mercenaries won't return for at least two months, for Theresis, that will be the time to properly clean up those cockroaches hiding in the shadows, that bunch of trash...

...

But this premise is.

How can I get the teacher to agree to this proposal?

She looked nervously at her teacher, who was deep in thought.

"...I am willing to be the [representative] you need to go to the Duchy of Kosiché."

"Ah, this..."

Although the teacher looked surprised, his tone suggested he wasn't inclined to accept it. His eyes darted around; clearly, wasn't just me enough?

No matter what, I am the CEO of Kazdel Umbrella Security Company, and I am of noble blood... Just how great are your ambitions?! How deep are your desires?! How many nobles of such high status do you need to satisfy your needs?!

Can your body really handle it?!

Therese gritted her teeth, thinking, "If I'm not enough on my own..."

"...In addition, some of my personal absolutioners will also be traveling with me. But don't worry, they will follow your orders."

"Huh? Oh... Therese, what are you talking about...?"

Therese noticed her teacher's expression had turned astonished: "What? That's all?" She could almost hear the man's disappointed murmur. "Even with the absolutionist's help, I can't satisfy you, can't get you to agree to that proposal?!"

Is it possible...

Suddenly, Therese had a terrible thought...

Row.

Since you want a woman of higher status...

...