My wife is an immortal black snake.

Page 51

“No, not at all. Today is quite peaceful. Apart from the nobles from other territories wanting to sign trade agreements with us to jointly combat the economic crisis, there's nothing else to do in terms of politics.” Kosiché shook his head, gesturing for Monica to bring over drinks. “I haven't accepted their proposal yet, since it would mean that if the economic crisis in their territories worsens, our territory would also bear the risk.”

"Huh? I thought you, with your heart set on Ursus, would sign the contract without hesitation?"

"Instead of trusting an incompetent outsider, why don't I wait until my husband's plan succeeds before promoting your method throughout Ursus?"

"That's true. But by the way, what about Koschicchi..."

"Take a look at that document; I'd like to get your advice."

That was a trade agreement with other noble territories that had been temporarily shelved. It already had the names of five other nobles, large and small, signed, and was just waiting for Kosiché to either reject or agree...

Since getting married, Kosiché has never made any decisions unilaterally regarding important matters in her own territory. She believes that the best approach is to communicate well with her husband, understand his thoughts, and seek his advice—and this has indeed proven to be the case.

Her husband is more capable than her, and besides, doesn't joint governance mean that both husband and wife govern together? If she continues to act arbitrarily, what difference will there be between her and the past?

So now, Kosice watched with a smile as her husband intently studied the document. She hadn't expected that what she had been anticipating would arrive so soon—working alongside him in the audience hall.

.....

On the other hand, after carefully studying the trade agreement, Yang Hao also came to a similar conclusion to Kosiché: that is, just don't sign it.

In short, the trade agreement was a mechanism of "sharing the good times and the bad." If the Duchy of Kosiché could overcome the economic crisis after the agreement was signed, naturally, the other noble territories would also be able to escape the economic crisis. Conversely, if the economic crisis was more severe in one city, the other signatory nobles would also bear the same risk.

Of course, it's not impossible for other nobles to solve their own economic crisis and then lead other nobles to solve their own economic crisis—but looking into Yang Hao's eyes, who can truly believe that those nobles, who might be paid to do menial tasks, have the ability to solve an economic crisis?

I'm not afraid of facing god-like opponents, but I'm terrified of facing pig-like enemies. Even if these pigs just stay at home, it's better than them driving their teammates crazy with their various antics. So Yang Hao has made his decision.

“Forget it, this contract will only expose us to greater risks.” He handed the trade agreement back to Kosiché, then took the iced drink from Monica, who was carrying a tray. “We’ll figure out how to resolve this economic crisis in our territory—and besides, Kosiché…”

"Ok?"

"Can I sleep on the sofa tonight?"

"No."

She smiled and refused, then squeezed Yang Hao's hand hard, leaned in and whispered in his ear, "You can sleep, but don't even think about sleeping on the sofa."

...

Hearing this, Yang Hao nodded with a melancholy expression while drinking his beverage, but that was a different story altogether. Originally, he had intended to use the pretext of doing serious business to lower Kosichev's guard so that he could sleep on the sofa that night.

It seems that this is impossible. He sighed, and then? Then poor Yang Hao could only think about his training plan while watching what kind of work his dear wife had to handle every day.

How should I put it? From what she said, it seems to be a very tedious task?

[Event: Ordinary work]

The first time you work with your wife in the audience hall, you notice that although her daily work is very important, it sounds extremely tedious—whether it's highly homogenized yet very important political affairs, or other work, it's all very tedious.

You're relieved that you don't have to do such tedious things—but then again, you should make the most of this peaceful time.

'Focusing on preliminary preparations for reforms affecting people's livelihoods.'

Focus on the preliminary preparations for the overall reform.

'Let's take care of Duke Nikolai first.'

Well... no matter how tedious the work is, there's nothing I can do about it. If my wife were the kind of person who would neglect her work and just want to enjoy herself, maybe I wouldn't be here in the first place?

As he listened to his wife's explanation, he smiled and nodded. Putting aside the sudden, unexpected event, he suddenly had an idea:

However, reporting the news through newspapers is too slow in terms of both speed and impact. By this calculation, the people of the Duchy of Kosice will likely have already completed two five-year plans before supporting the war against the Duchy of Nikolai – this is far too slow.

How about we... after finishing the first round of social reforms, specifically send one of Duke Nikolai's nobles over? Once they do something that [affects the city], wouldn't we have a legitimate reason to declare ourselves sworn enemies, and an excuse to prepare for war? Besides, we haven't found any major evidence of Duke Nikolai's cannibalism yet. If we let them cause trouble first, then if the Ursus Emperor sends in questions, my wife can use that excuse to explain herself, right?

"Yang Hao?"

"No, it's nothing—wow, this is only the second time you've called me by my name since we got married."

"...You're focusing on this? Sigh...If you want to hear it, I'll call out. But what were you thinking about just now?"

"that is--"

Yang Hao was eager to explain his plans and ideas to Kosiché, but just as he was about to do so, a waiter came in from outside and said that an imperial scholar from Saint-Jun Castle had arrived and was requesting an audience with the two of them.

Chapter 115

The Wendigo scholar Grovazel had found it very strange ever since he received an invitation from the Duchy of Kosiché in the heart of the Ursus Empire, namely Saint-Junburg, and a request for him to become their researcher there.

After all, there are many capable scholars in the Ursus Empire, and he cannot be considered the most intelligent scholar in the empire. Why did the Duke of Koschche invite him instead of other scholars?

He didn't understand what was going on, but he decided to come and see. After saying goodbye to his father and gathering his belongings, he joined a caravan from Saint-Germain to other cities, eventually arriving at the Duchy of Kosiché.

Grovazel was filled with curiosity about the duchy—a megacity pieced together from four mobile cities. After truly entering the city at the border checkpoint, he curiously surveyed his surroundings, then became captivated by the economic crisis sweeping across Ursus and the entire Duchy of Kosichear.

"This city is pretty much like any other city. Saint-Germain is only slightly better off than other cities because it's the heart of the Empire." Grovazel, carrying his briefcase full of research materials and books, muttered as he surveyed the unemployed people around him. "It's a city that's starving. But then again? Why does this city seem to have a vitality that's absent elsewhere?"

Grovazel bought a newspaper on the street with a coin, and through the newspaper, he believed he had figured out why the people in the Duchy of Kosice were a little more vibrant than those in the territories of other nobles.

It turns out that the city had just purged a group of despicable nobles! Their vile deeds were documented in the newspapers, making Grovazel utterly disgusted. Furthermore, the nobles' mansions were reduced to ruins due to the fierce fighting, and the cleanup naturally required workers, thus temporarily alleviating the pressure of unemployment caused by the economic crisis.

Furthermore, Grovazel also read in the newspapers about the local government: the government was undertaking a three-month reform program to address the economic crisis, with the first step expected to be completed in June. At that time, having completed a certain degree of reform, the government would attempt to mitigate the unemployment impact of the economic crisis and restore the sluggish economy to its previous level. Until then, unemployed citizens would receive temporary relief.

—Although it is unknown whether the local government will be able to come up with measures to improve economic conditions in three months, at least the duke of the city has not abandoned his people and is still working hard for them.

“However, I heard that the previous Duke of Kosiché was assassinated not long ago…” Grovazel folded the newspaper into a square and stuffed it into his briefcase. “It seems the new duke is a good lord. But he approached me, does he want me to do something about this territory?”

Grovazel knew he was just an ordinary scholar, and he was not proud of his abilities, as they were not particularly outstanding in the Empire. He was well aware of this.

But no matter how hard he racked his brains, it was to no avail—because he was not that nobleman, and naturally did not understand why that nobleman had invited him over.

In short, let's go and take a look! With this in mind, the Wendigo scholar got into a taxi and, after telling the driver his destination, sat quietly and waited for the moment he would arrive.

Then, it was exactly 9 a.m.

The Wendigo scholar arrived at his destination on time. Looking at the enormous Duke's mansion in front of him, Grovazel marveled at the absurd wealth disparity in every city within the Empire. He then told the staff in the Duke's mansion's office area that he had come at their invitation and hoped to meet the owner of the mansion immediately.

The staff member immediately went up to report, and soon Grovazel was granted access to the audience chamber. He followed the staff member's instructions and, halfway there, underwent a thorough check at a security door—it seemed that since the assassination attempt, the new Duke of Kosice was very concerned about the security of the ducal palace.

However, on the other hand, I've heard that the new Duke of Kosice has a husband, but I don't know if that's true or not...

"You can go now," the prosecutor said as Grovazel was lost in thought. "Leave your briefcase here; pick it up when you come out."

“I understand.” Grovazel frowned, looked at his briefcase, and sighed. “Please keep it safe. It contains a lot of my hard work.”

"Don't worry."

Although he'd heard that, Großwazel only truly relaxed after watching him stuff the briefcase into a heavy safe and lock it. He continued to follow the staff's directions, and soon he arrived at his destination—the entrance to the audience hall.

As he approached the audience chamber, Großwazel became somewhat nervous. He first asked the staff to wait a moment, then tidied his attire. After making sure his clothes were neat and his face was free of the grease from the bread he had brought with him that day, he took a deep breath.

"Please take me inside."

"Okay, come with me."

Großwazel was prepared to face one distinguished duke. But he was not prepared to face two dukes at the same time.

So, when Großwazel entered the audience hall and noticed that there were actually two thrones, and that both thrones were occupied by a couple who looked very harmonious, he was dumbfounded.

Who exactly is the Duke of Kosice? Let me think—

Before he could even introduce himself, the man sitting on the throne got straight to the point, leaving him dumbfounded once again.

“Mr. Grovazel, Wendigo scholar—it’s kind of you to come all the way from Saint-Jean-Claude alone. According to protocol, we should be the ones to send someone to meet you,” the gentleman said with a smile, his left hand held onto the armrest by the woman, seemingly wanting to remove it but unable to. “Let’s get straight to the point—would you be interested in working for us? We’ll offer appropriate compensation and a suitable position. Of course, you don’t need to decide now; you can inspect the facilities here and consider it for a few days before giving us your answer.”

"—" Grovazel was about to say something.

But when he realized that the nobleman who should succeed to the Duke of Kosiché was a woman rather than a man, he was dumbfounded for the third time: Could it be that the silent, smiling man next door was the Duke of Kosiché?

Chapter 116

Grovazel was quite certain that the news he had read in the newspapers confirmed that the successor to the assassinated Duke Koschei was indeed a Felin woman. Her grey hair and blue eyes were exactly as described in the newspapers, but the question was... why did this Duke Koschei seem less like the actual ruler of the territory, and more like the man beside him?

But then he thought again, that didn't make sense. What lord who actually controlled the territory would be unable to lift his head from the throne with his wife's hands clasped on the armrests? So Grovazel quickly relaxed: he guessed that although the gentleman was the husband of the Duke of Kosice, he probably didn't have much status in the family, and his actual control over the territory was probably just that of a figurehead.

Even though he thought he understood this, Grovazel didn't show any disrespect or contempt. He simply displayed the courtesy befitting an imperial scholar, inquiring of the gentleman:

"Sir—"

“He is my husband, please treat him as a duke of equal rank to me,” Duke Kosiché corrected with a smile. “Besides, Mr. Grovazel, my husband is not a native Ursus, so please do not take it to heart if he says anything that would confuse Ursus people.”

"Oh, isn't that unnecessary..."

Watching the couple's interaction, Grovazel became convinced that his guess was partly correct—at least that they were a married couple.

But is this Duke of Kosiché actually a married woman? This seems to be the first time in historical records... I wonder what this gentleman will do when the next Duke of Kosiché takes office.

“I understand.” Grovazel nodded, though he had thought about it a lot. “Excuse me… what is your name?”

"Just call me Yang Hao. Don't listen to what my wife says. Call me Mr. Yang Hao." The man, who was still complaining to his wife, turned around and smiled. "Do you have any questions?"

"...Mr. Yang Hao, actually, it's like this—I'm puzzled as to why you invited me here. I'm not the most brilliant scholar in the Empire, and I don't believe my field of study can meet your needs."

“Ah, you mean this?” Mr. Yang Hao nodded. “Regarding these two questions—let’s go one at a time. The first question is because my maid happens to know your name, and our territory needs the assistance of researchers or scholars in the upcoming reforms, so I invited you here. Hmm, in my wife’s name.”

"...I understand, about the question of my abilities..." So that's how it is? And then again, this Duke of Kosiché is not only the first Duke of Kosiché to be married, but their relationship is also so good?

"Please rest assured about that. It doesn't matter what subject you study, even if it's poetry—you are just the first scholar we have invited. We will invite more scholars in the future. After all, everyone has their own expertise, and you will always find the place that best suits you, won't you?"

"You're right." So more scholars will be invited later? Grovazel breathed a sigh of relief. After all, if he were the only scholar here, he was worried about whether he could handle the workload.

After clarifying the two issues, Großwald said he needed to see the research site in person before making a decision. Yang Hao, on the other hand, had a waiter outside lead him to his future office. He stretched and, in the audience hall where only he, Koschche, and Monica remained, muttered that things would basically calm down from here on out.

"How is Grovazel?" Kosiché asked. She could tell that Grovazel was a decent Imperial scholar, but what about his specific abilities? Although she knew that Yang Hao only needed him to activate something called the [Research Slot], Kosiché wanted this Wendigo scholar to have some practical abilities if possible.

"Well, I guess it counts. Although he's just an ordinary scientist, he's at least a scholar who can bring some humanistic benefits."

"Next time you say that, you'd better explain what you mean. I'm not confident I can figure it out from your few words."

"Yes, yes, yes... To put it simply, that's it—"

With Yang Hao's explanation, Koschke finally understood what was going on—simply put, in Yang Hao's [Puppet Stage] ranking system, Großwazel was a Level 2 scientist and a Level 5 scholar. In a ranking system with only 5 levels, he wasn't considered an excellent scientist, but he was definitely one of the top scholars.

For the Duchy of Kosiché, which currently needs reform, scholars are more valuable than scientists. Furthermore, once the research slots are unlocked, Mr. Grovazel's research abilities will also be honed. Considering his Wendigo status, Yang Hao can, in a sense, look forward to the day when Mr. Grovazel becomes a Level 5 scientist decades from now.

“I understand. So what are your plans next?” After carefully listening to Yang Hao’s explanation and having Monica make notes on some key points with a pen and paper, Kosichelle asked. “If I remember correctly, something should have popped up in front of you right now… um? National policy? Resolution? Or event?”

"This is a decision—ah, Monica? You don't need to hide anymore. You're someone we trust, so there's nothing wrong with listening."

"...yes."

Moreover, after formally meeting with Mr. Grovazel, a resolution popped up in front of Yang Hao, a resolution to appoint Grovazel as the leader of the research team of the Duchy of Kosiché.

[Resolution: No time to lose (100 political points)]

Mr. Grovazel's arrival will unlock a research slot that has been locked in our territory for a long time! Even if there's only one, it's better than nothing.

Effect: By appointing Mr. Großwazel as our first researcher leader, we can see that he is an academic who can provide speed and humanistic bonuses to our administrative center reforms, while also conducting some basic research.

remember!

Please stop researching space technology for 2555 in 1042, okay?

'So, you mean I can just ask you for it directly?'

...

After ignoring the minor details and the usual jokes from the [Puppet Stage], Yang Hao shared the remaining important information with Kosichrie. She frowned, carefully understanding what the [bonuses] were all about, and then sincerely remarked:

“You truly are my husband. Although I already understood why that immortal being in Colombia was unwilling to let you leave the country, after hearing what you said, I’m even more glad you came.”

"Don't mention that K, I'll chop her up sooner or later... But by the way, after dealing with the Gauls and the little pony in Casimir, I need to go out for a bit."

"Ok?"

"It's that little house, you know—the one that can produce all sorts of amazing gadgets. I've calculated the time, it should be about time to go."

"I understand. But you should be able to get in there from the Duke's mansion, right?"

"Going back later isn't out of the question... but then again, Koschche, is there anything you've been wanting lately?"

To be honest, after Kosiché's confession and understanding, Yang Hao no longer had high expectations for the immortality items in the House of Elegy.

He cheerfully planned to take it one step at a time. Having given up on the idea of ​​quick and easy immortality, he decided that if he could get something Koschitch might like there, he would give it to her as a gift.

So, what did Koschke say?

She simply looked down at her stomach in confusion, and after hesitating for a moment, she revealed a smile that even Monica, standing beside her, felt sorry for Yang Hao:

"How about we bring our young heir with us?"

"..."

"Hehe, just kidding. We can't have children at a time like this—but I am indeed considering an heir. Ursus or Falcon, which do you prefer?"

Does it refer to the next body?