My wife is an immortal black snake.

Page 139

"Then we'll have to wait until we leave the woods before we start hiking, right? Sigh, but I guess Sanae is practically the king of this forest, so we shouldn't worry about you, right? We should."

So Ms. Norsen decided to take all the supplies from Sanae's back after leaving the forest, and then release Sanae into the forest, taking her out when she was ready to leave—after all, Sanae is now the most powerful mutated rock crab Ms. Norsen has ever seen, and her carapace is so thick that even the cannons of a land-based ship might not be able to penetrate it... so leaving her here should be fine, right?

Although Ms. Norsen still had some concerns, at 9:40 a.m., when the two of them were about to leave the woods, they jumped off Sanae's back, packed all their luggage, and stood there watching Sanae walk briskly back into the depths of the woods until she disappeared from sight.

They then left the woods at the edge of Kazdel and, after reaching a dirt road, began to move toward what appeared to be a village in the distance.

"Teacher, the situation here... is very strange."

Margarita frowned as she watched the smoke rising from the village chimneys in the distance. She noticed something strange about the place... It seemed like everyone was still living their lives, but the air was thick with the smell of spice.

A pungent smell of war.

“Of course it’s strange. After all, Kazdel is a region where several countries have banned the construction of mobile cities. As Sarkaz, we are among the most discriminated against outsiders, second only to the Infected.” Ms. Northumen sighed, puffing on her cigar. “I hate those who discriminate against us—but the problem is that we Sarkaz are susceptible to Oripathy, and this kind of discrimination is simply impossible for us to completely resolve… But the good thing is, sometimes we don’t necessarily need to deal with that kind of thing. And speaking of which, Margarita, you’re lucky to have met an ordinary man who doesn’t discriminate against you outside of Gaul…”

"Eh...? Actually, the place I used to live with my parents... anywhere..."

“I know. That’s why I said you’re lucky.”

Lady Northumbria stroked Margarita's hair as she gazed at the distant village. Unconsciously, she recalled her days living in foreign countries after the fall of Gaul.

Although that period was short, the discrimination against the Sarkaz people by outsiders left her stunned and very uncomfortable.

She was furious about it then, but now? She simply ignored it. After all, infected people and Sarkaz are discriminated against everywhere. Presumably, the person Margarita likes wouldn't discriminate against Sarkaz, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't discriminate against infected people, right?

Where in the world can you find such a good thing? Sigh, I should never have come to Kazdel. What if Margarita accidentally gets Oripathy in Kazdel?

Ms. Norson felt she might have... underestimated the situation. But what could she do now that she was already here?

So she patted Margarita on the back of the head, and under the bewildered gaze of the little blood demon, Lady Northrend pursed her lips, indicating that they should go to the village first and then figure out what to do in the town of Kazdel.

......

10:20 am.

They arrived at this small village on the border of the Kazdel region. Not only Sarkaz people, but also Letanians and Rembitos lived there.

Most of the people living here have Originium crystals growing on their bodies; they are all infected. They gather together and chat about the various messages brought from afar by messengers and caravans.

Lady Northrend sat with Margarita in a corner near the crowd. She listened to their conversation while pondering the situation in Kazdel. She frowned when she heard the residents say that the two royal sisters had been clashing frequently lately. And when she heard that the Dukedom of Koschei in Ursus seemed to be a city that treated the Infected well, she smiled dismissively. Just as she was concluding that she could only glean information about potential infighting within the royal family, she suddenly remembered that the man Margarita liked was now, apparently, a duke in the Dukedom of Koschei in Ursus.

Ok?

She blinked, her feelings toward the man shifting slightly—it all depended on the facts.

Chapter 50

While Lady Northumen was taking Margarita around to gather information and find a place to rest and take refuge, not far away, another round of royal debate broke out in the Kazdel court.

Although it is only a region, it has its own ruler. Although the ruler of Kazdel is a being known as the "Demon King," the Demon King is merely the "King of the Demons," not something terrifying—at least not now, when the Sarkaz people are discriminated against, oppressed, and don't even have a single city.

So what are the Kazdel royals arguing about?

“Theresia! I’ve already said it, there’s nothing wrong with you wanting to solve the problem of the Sarkaz’s survival on this land—but if you’re doing this with empty ideals and no understanding of reality, then I can only oppose your approach!”

"Then what should we do, sister? Are we going to repeat the mistakes of our ancestors, instilling fear in outsiders through war, only to be united and resisted by them again, ending up in the same predicament? The derogatory term 'demon'... What we should do is put aside the discrimination against us by outsiders and prove through our actions that we Sarkaz are not the monsters and demons of legend! What you're thinking... launching wars against outsiders will only make our situation even more difficult!"

"Then tell me, where will we get the resources needed to make the Sarkaz stronger? Where will we get the resources to remove the discrimination from our lives? Kazdel is a poor, remote place that might not even be able to develop. How can we develop if we don't fight for resources from the outside world? Are you hoping for Letania, Rembiton, Yan Kingdom, or Ursus will take pity on us and give us resources? Don't be ridiculous. They'd love for us to be stuck in this small place forever, being discriminated against! We have to fight our way out, get resources to develop our power. And without power, where will we get our voice? Or are you just believing what those Lateran birdmen are saying?"

"...But this should not be a reason to directly launch a war against other countries."

"But at least it's more realistic than your ideal."

They were arguing about Kazdel—or more precisely, the Sarkaz.

The current Demon Lord Theresa is a young woman who hopes to eliminate discrimination against the Sarkaz through peaceful means and find a way to solve their survival problems on this land—at least given the Sarkaz's longevity. She is resourceful, an idealist, a powerful warrior, and an enlightened and gentle ruler. But unfortunately, her ideals are an unattainable dream for the Sarkaz.

Although her power as a Demon Lord allowed her to gain the support of the Sarkaz... her sister, the Regent Therese, won the hearts of the other half of the Sarkaz with a more pragmatic iron fist and reality.

Should we choose idealism or reality? Should we eliminate discrimination peacefully in a society where Sarkaz have been discriminated against for centuries, or acquire resources through war?

Should we resolve the issue of survival peacefully or through violence?

An idealistic demon lord and an iron-fisted regent had another argument today, which ended badly once again—both were fed up with each other. Theresa planned to establish an organization to test the feasibility of her ideals, while Theresa intended to seek any opportunity to develop the Kazdel region.

But Kazdel was just too poor, far too poor. Although the Sarkaz could produce powerful warriors, even the most skilled cook cannot cook without rice. Kazdel was a region that might not even be able to produce suitable armor for soldiers, a region severely lacking in resources, where almost all Sarkaz born there could not receive education or medical care, a remote and impoverished area whose economy was even worse than that of a single town in Letania.

Even if Therese wanted to peacefully develop her society through farming, she couldn't find any possibility of doing so. That's why she thought her sister was incredibly foolish—if she couldn't even guarantee her own strength, what good would it do if she miraculously escaped the stigma of being called a "demon"? The next "demon," the next "sick man of Sarkaz," would still follow. Without the strength of Kazdel as a guarantee, what difference was there between their so-called ideals and paper windows?

They're all things that break easily with a poke and turn to ash with a burn.

"call..."

After returning to her bedroom, Therese began to worry about the work ahead.

As she had said before, she was a proponent of war. She knew that Kazdel was a wasteland with no resources to develop, so she knew that the best way for the Sarkaz to become strong, and also the most practical way, setting aside the radical fantasies of science fiction, was to conserve their strength and then launch a limited war to acquire resources.

Even if she knew what to do, Therese wouldn't mind using external help if possible. She knew when to back down, but she couldn't accept always having to. And regardless of whether her sister's idea was effective, one thing was certain: following her sister's plan... at least the Sarkaz's fists wouldn't be strong enough.

"I need to take care of my work here immediately."

She muttered something to herself and found her smartphone in a hidden spot on her bedside table in her bedroom.

how to say?

It was a strange device... She wasn't quite sure when it had appeared in front of Ziji. But she was certain that this thing that had suddenly appeared in front of her must have some kind of ingenious use.

Furthermore, after obtaining certain information from the contents of the phone using her connections and spies, Therese concluded that it should be a phone used to contact a duke of a duchy in Ursus.

In other words, this might be someone's charity. Or it might be someone wanting to have some fun—that was Therese's initial thought, but after delving deeper into the intelligence, learning about what happened in that duchy, and the ensuing Ursus civil war, she realized that it wasn't charity, but an investment.

Yes. That's right, it's an investment—perhaps Therese could obtain the resources she needs from the duke of that territory by lending mercenaries to support him. However, this investment is not stable, because she doesn't know if her sister has received something similar.

So, should we use it?

She glanced at the smartphone hidden in the secret compartment of the bedside table. She frowned, thought for a long time, and finally picked it up.

"At least, I can figure out the pricing details first."

She said she decided to send a text message later to ask.

Meanwhile, Yang Hao, who was on a date with his wife, suddenly sneezed, causing Koschich in his arms and the head maid behind him to look at him with concern.

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

According to Ms. Northumb's understanding, the current Kazdel royal family—how should I put it—

It's a rather special... entity, isn't it? Could it be considered one?

After all, if Lady Northumen remembered correctly, the Kazdel region seemed to have been marked by Gaul before the current Regent of the Kazdel Royal Family and the Demon Lord were even born. Lady Northumen didn't quite recall what that mark was for... but she did know one thing: if that mark was similar to the one used to purge Gaul... then they probably wouldn't be able to stay in Kazdel for very long. They should leave as quickly as possible.

It doesn't matter if Margarita never grows up. People have to live to grow—Ms. Northumbers knew this perfectly well.

"So, teacher—"

“Let’s rest here today, and starting tomorrow I’ll show you around Sarkaz society and find an ancient tribe in Kazdel to teach you how to use your abilities, okay?”

"Yes..."

About 5 kilometers away from the village, in a hilly area, in a safe and secluded, newly established camp.

Lady Northumberna plans to rest for the day and let Margarita adjust to the desolate air of Kazdel. After some time, she intends to take Margarita to find the Sarkaz people whose bloodlines are ancient enough to obtain their help so that Margarita can freely use her [prophecy] abilities.

However, Ms. Norsen knew this was a risky situation, so she never expected it to end quickly from the start—since things had come to this, why rush it? Wouldn't it be better to take it slow? Anyway, Little Blood Demon, your man won't keep messing around with other girls in front of you, so there's no need to rush.

She was relaxed, and naturally, this relaxed expression appeared on Margarita's face as well, who had always trusted her. The two sat against the wall of the makeshift wooden camp, and as they sat, Ms. Northumen suddenly remembered that they hadn't unpacked their luggage yet.

So she planned to unpack her luggage first, then eat something, and then take a good afternoon nap—but then again…

"Margarita? This phone really isn't yours?"

"No, Master... um, Miss Koschke gave it to me and I've kept it safe... here it is."

"That's strange. When did this phone come out? Could it be something that belonged to Wang Jireng from before?"

Ms. Northumber rummaged through her luggage, staring blankly at the extra smartphone. She had absolutely no idea what it was for... but oh well, since she'd already brought it, she might as well keep it with her.

Is the battery really okay? She casually shook the phone and, finding that it seemed to be able to power on normally, she left it alone.

......

After unpacking and having a good meal, Ms. Northon, sprawled on a blanket, cigar in hand, asked her still-naive student a question:

"Speaking of which, Margarita... have you thought about what kind of life you want to live in the future?"

"Huh? Hmm... Yes, I have thought about it before... But why is the teacher asking this?"

"It's nothing, it's just that sometimes even an old person like me feels confused—we'll live a long, long time... after a certain point, the various pleasures of the world will bring us less and less stimulation, and in the end, apart from drinking blood and sleeping, life seems as bland as water, basically unable to stir up any waves."

"So? You mean that if you live a long time, you won't feel happy anymore?" Margarita blinked, stopping her work on the pulley crossbow with its pulleys removed. She turned to look at Lady Northon, somewhat confused. "Hmm... I'm not really sure about that... but Miss Kosichear has lived for over a thousand years, and she still retains her passion, doesn't she? You mean—the passion that makes Ursus strong?"

"It's normal for that shameless old snake to have such thoughts. But the question is, Margarita, do you have similar thoughts?"

"Hmm... I really want to say yes, but when I think about it carefully, the future I envision is all very mundane, isn't it?"

“It’s normal for daily life to be mundane, but what I’m concerned about is, Margarita, can you stand that kind of mundane life?”

"Hmm, it's okay... because that's the kind of simple life I've always longed for, you know?"

She smiled shyly and rubbed her cheeks. She liked a simple life... as long as she was with him, she would enjoy whatever life was like.

Of course, Margarita didn't deny that this might be naivety stemming from her immaturity—but well... what else can she do if she doesn't try?

Instead of worrying now about whether that kind of life will be too mundane, it's better to speed things up first... and have that kind of life first.

"That would be best."

Faced with the shy and timid Margarita, Ms. Northumen simply sighed, puffing on her cigar. She had lived too long; it seemed that nothing in life could now offer her any unexpected excitement.

Ah, Margarita's arrival is one of them. Although taking care of orphans of her own kind initially annoyed her, Margarita's obedience made her feel much better.

So what about the rest? Ms. Norsen really didn't know... She seemed to have seen everything, except for those heinous crimes and those affairs between men and women [the self-awareness of a single old blood demon], what scene hadn't she seen?

So—never mind. I'll think about my future after I've trained Margarita properly.

If all else fails, you can find a coffin lid to cover yourself with and sleep soundly for over ten years.

She spat out the cigar she was holding, looked at the sky, and closed her eyes.

Chapter 51

...

Do not know why.

Yang Hao had a very ominous premonition.

"Phew... taking a walk with you really does make me feel better."

"Haha—so please tell me when you're in a bad mood, okay? Otherwise, I'll just bring you out here, okay?"

"Hehe. Then you should be prepared to be bedridden that night."

"Forehead..."

This wasn't an ominous premonition arising from Monica and Koschich's subtle threats after their playful banter—after all, how should I put it? Yang Hao had already been completely drained by Monica and Koschich; no matter how much they threatened him, could they possibly scoop out another drop of water from a well that had already run dry? Impossible—

so...

What exactly is this ominous premonition?

It wasn't a threat from his wife, and it didn't seem to concern his life. This ominous premonition was like a nail stuck in his testicles, causing him both a sharp pain and utter confusion.

Has Her Majesty Catherine suddenly had some idea?

Or is Sonia's mother planning to come see me tonight?

Or perhaps... someone is planning to drug me?

What's going on? What's happening? Invincible Puppet Stage, can you give me a straight answer? It can't be that Miss Elegy is also trying to harm me, right?

He scratched his head in confusion, then carried his wife back to the audience hall to continue working. He sat down in his seat, holding his wife's hand, and while looking around the audience hall, he also browsed through his [Puppet Stage] interface.

He indeed found nothing strange. The national policies on the puppet stage continued as normal, and the scientific research was indeed progressing slowly.

If I had to pinpoint anything odd about it—it seems like he has an extra clickable area? Hmm?

[The Sarkaz Mercenaries of Kazdel]...Hmm?

uh-huh?

Not using political points? Instead, they're exchanging territory resources?

Yang Hao frowned, thinking that although this was not exactly a windfall, the fact that it could be connected to the Kazdel people inexplicably... wow, there's definitely something fishy going on!

After all, mercenaries aren't just about exchanging resources for soldiers to help one's side in a civil war. More importantly, Yang Hao can use this "connection" to conduct a great deal of diplomatic maneuvering—for example, turning domestic sales into exports, increasing international diplomatic reputation, and investing in future interests for his own faction by supporting the Kazdel people.