My wife is an immortal black snake.

Page 124

However, Yang Hao didn't bring many Templar Knights and Deepsea Hunters... Although the Templar Knights were all elite Gallic warriors, they were still just mortals. In other words, if Yang Hao wanted to reduce casualties, the best option was to have the Deepsea Hunters as the main force to quickly raid the two target points and empty them of their loot.

So... here I am, having found a solution for you, Ms. Sonia...? Now, can you let go?

"Eh?"

Under Yang Hao's expectant gaze, Ms. Sonia, her face flushed, blinked and finally let go of her hands.

Once freed, Yang Hao immediately climbed off her, panting and wiping the sweat from his brow. He sat on the edge of the bed, gesturing for Ms. Sonia to sit up as well, and then began explaining the general procedure to her, who was still quite confused...

"In short! Tomorrow's raid on the merchant guild's warehouse and the noble mansion both require you and your juniors as the main force. You Deepsea Hunters are formidable warriors on land, capable of taking on a hundred men each. No matter how powerful the Templar Knights are, they are still just mortals..."

"So...? Mr. Yang Hao, you mean you want us to be the main force... to reduce the casualties of the Templars?"

She blinked, swayed, and then suddenly realized—but isn't this... are you really drunk? Why is your mind still so sharp?

Yang Hao was starting to doubt if he had guessed something wrong... but seeing that Ms. Sonia seemed inclined to hug him again, he quickly explained:

"Yes, that's it! You'll be the main force, the Templars will provide support, and I'll control things remotely from inside the palace. At most, the Emperor's guards will have to handle the aftermath... See? Isn't that great? Sonia, you'll have something to do too..."

"But—in that case...what about your safety?"

"what..."

Yang Hao was stunned for a moment, and then realized that he really didn't seem to have left any people to protect him... if he were to stay in the palace.

But forget it. Since staying in the palace would only distract Sonia and the others, I might as well go there with them and take charge on-site.

In this way, the Templar Knights, acting as his assistants, can properly protect his safety, Lady Sonia and her juniors can concentrate on their own tasks, and he can personally handle on-site communication with the inner guards... Wouldn't it be wonderful to have all three working together?

So after making a few changes, Ms. Sonia relaxed. Still slightly tipsy, she smiled and tilted her head to indicate that she would follow Yang Hao's instructions. Then? She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, seemingly unable to get up anytime soon.

"...Sigh, you must have had a hard time sleeping on the chair all this time. Just rest here." Looking at Sonia, who was showing a different side of herself for the first time because of drinking, Yang Hao could only shake his head with a wry smile. He helped her take off her boots and then tried to straighten her body. He felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. "But I'll rest too... The big one is on its way tomorrow."

He didn't rest in bed. After thinking it over, he decided that sleeping on the sofa or a chair would be more suitable for him tonight.

He turned off the room lights, then grabbed a blanket and groped his way to the comfortable sofa that Sonia couldn't enjoy due to her physical condition. He lay down, closed his eyes, and soon lost consciousness, falling into a deep sleep.

Just after Yang Hao fell into a deep sleep, Ms. Sonia, who was still drunk but conscious, secretly sat up from the bed.

With her night vision, she watched Yang Hao, who was fast asleep in the dark, for a while. After confirming that he was really asleep, she got out of bed and, with unsteady steps due to the effects of alcohol, walked to Yang Hao's side. She gently picked him up, blanket and all, and slowly placed him on the bed.

"...Please get some rest," she muttered softly. "Sleeping on the sofa isn't really a good idea."

...After gently kissing Yang Hao's cheek, the still slightly drunk Ms. Sonia sat back in her chair and began to rest.

Chapter 19

7 month 8 day.

Since that awkward night, Yang Hao was honestly a little unsure how to face Ms. Sonia...

This was especially true after he noticed he'd been moved from the sofa to the bed without his knowledge. He roughly knew that Ms. Sonia must have moved him there after she sobered up the night before, but this subtle, motherly gesture, so gradual that he hadn't even realized it himself, was indeed...

That's fantastic! But as fantastic as it is, we really can't let Ms. Sonia drink alcohol anymore...

Thinking of this, he sighed heavily. His Majesty the Emperor, who was having breakfast with him, was clearly puzzled by his sigh:

"What's wrong with you?"

"No, no, nothing..."

Yang Hao glanced at Sonia, who was eating breakfast nonchalantly beside him, and finally shook his head with a dry laugh, indicating that nothing had happened.

"That would be best. By the way, my private engineering team is already on standby at the palace. You can have them renovate the Imperial Council at any time, but you must leave me a copy of the renovated map, understand?"

"Ah—I'll definitely keep the topographic map, but if it's for renovations, I should come back at night."

"night?"

"On the one hand, it's for secrecy; on the other hand, it's because this afternoon I'm going to buy ordinary combustibles and smoke materials and plan their locations, and I also need to obtain the most important high-energy stones and spirits."

"I can understand combustibles and smoke, but high-energy stones and spirits?"

"Yes, it was the information given to me by that bar owner... But let me ask first, there's an Originium contamination treatment team here at Saint-Germain, right?"

"That's natural."

Her Majesty Catherine did not notice Yang Hao's unusual behavior, nor did she realize that Lady Sonia was looking at him with an unprecedented fervor and maternal gaze. She simply stuffed the last bite of toast into her mouth, sighed, and indicated that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, she would likely be working in the audience hall that afternoon.

She explained that this was a recent misfortune—on the one hand, she still had to handle the daily political affairs of the Ursus Empire, and on the other hand, Columbia had recently brought her a "non-aggression pact" for some reason.

“I did not sign that contract. After all, if what you said, Mr. Yang Hao, is true and you can indeed provide me with evidence, I cannot let those bastards who sent diplomats to insult our Ursus Empire get away with it.”

"Insult? Um... what's going on here?"

"It happened a few months ago—a Colombian diplomat walked into my court and humiliated our great empire in front of everyone. I originally planned to fight Colombia directly across the Kasimir River, but considering the economic crisis and the Kasimir River, whose stance was still unclear, I simply returned the insult."

"I see... Then it's best not to sign this treaty."

"Yes."

The conversation between Yang Hao and Her Majesty Catherine was as natural as casual conversation between acquaintances about when to go weed the yard, and that was certainly true if we disregarded the content.

In a sense, however, this could be seen as Her Majesty Catherine preparing for her future life? Of course, that's what she thought; whether Yang Hao thought the same is another matter...

...After a while, after having breakfast, Her Majesty Catherine went to the audience hall to handle state affairs, while Yang Hao also prepared to take his guards to the merchant guild to buy and store basic fuels and smoke materials for future use.

He felt something was off as he left the house...

"Sonia...?"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"No...nothing."

He felt that Sonia's gaze towards him had become strange, almost like a mother looking at her child... Was it because of what happened last night? Yang Hao was incredibly conflicted, wanting to salvage something, but found himself powerless to do anything about it.

Sigh... if things continue like this, then so be it. It's just...

"Sonia, let's not drink alcohol when we're around in the future, shall we?"

"Hmm? I feel pretty good. Besides, sir, you didn't do anything, did you?"

"hiss..."

...It seems the plan to get Sonia to stop drinking has completely failed.

And speaking of which, why do you remember last night's events so clearly? Normally, wouldn't people who drink alcohol... have some memory confusion?

And since you remember yesterday's events so clearly, doesn't that mean you know perfectly well that you struck first? You can't blame me for that...

He chuckled twice, and just as he was about to say something to Ms. Sonia behind him, he felt himself being hugged from behind by her.

...Just like last night, it was an embrace brimming with maternal warmth and tenderness that he simply couldn't resist. Yang Hao could feel two soft yet firm mounds staring at his back... He could even feel the supple edge of his bra pressing against his shoulders, and a hand, without him noticing, was stroking his hair...

...ah?

Yang Hao was stunned by the sudden situation for a while, and even forgot to break free from Ms. Sonia's side.

Since he made no attempt to break free, Ms. Sonia, who was embracing him from behind, simply stroked Yang Hao's hair, who was slightly taller than her, and murmured softly:

"Don't worry, Mr. Yang Hao, I know what I did yesterday—but it was alright. I'll take care of you. You don't need to worry about me, okay?"

"this..."

"Hehe, you're like a naive child who likes to think about so many things... But sometimes thinking too much only makes things worse. So don't worry, just know that I won't betray you."

"But..."

"Please rest assured, Mr. Yang Hao."

"...Fine."

Sonia's mother truly resembled a doting mother. At that moment, Yang Hao's mind was filled with this thought. It wasn't just the way she stroked his hair like she was caring for her child; it was more... Yang Hao realized what Sonia had always lacked.

She lacks someone who understands her, and for her, does being willing to understand her mean that I become someone with a closer relationship with her?

He was somewhat amused and exasperated, but in the end he patted Sonia's hands, signaling his doting mother to put her hands down.

Chapter 20

Under Sonia's mother's protection, Yang Hao, along with the Templar Knights and other young Deepsea Hunters, safely carried the Crimson Gold to the interior of the Grand Merchant Guild, the closest to the palace, where they conducted a pleasant transaction with the person in charge.

He purchased a large quantity of cheap fuel and cheap, low-quality fabric that would produce massive amounts of smoke when burned. However, the detailed pricing still needed to be discussed—so the current situation was that the Gauls and the younger deep-sea hunters were on guard outside, while Sonia and Yang Hao were arguing with the person in charge in the office.

But this is fine too. After all, it's not easy for the younger Templars and Deepsea Hunters to go in... so they plan to use this short break to relax.

The Templar Knights' relaxation was simple and easy to understand—they only needed to stand at ease against the wall. As for the younger Deepsea Hunters, the four of them gathered in a secluded spot in front of the office door, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings while whispering in hushed tones that every Gaul could hear.

"Has Sonia, the clan matriarch, been... lately?"

"Yes... I've noticed that too. Ms. Sonia has been spending a lot of time with Lord Yang Hao lately..."

"She's never been this close to us before, has she? She's never been this friendly with Aunt Rabbi either..."

"Have you found someone you like? Probably. But I heard that Lord Yang Hao is married..."

"But no matter what, Mother Sonia is still..."

Shh! Be quiet!

The younger members of the Deep Sea Hunters noticed that their clan matriarch seemed to be acting strangely. However, they couldn't figure out what was wrong with her... so, helplessly, they could only guess that perhaps something significant had happened between Lady Sonia and Lord Yang Hao?

They guessed part of it correctly. But the other part was even more exciting because they hadn't guessed it at all.

Meanwhile, the Templars, with their keen hearing, also overheard the children's whispers. At first, they thought it was none of their business, but then they realized it might not be a good sign.

The Templars were generally aware of their boss's chaotic interpersonal relationships, which had now become even more chaotic... Didn't this mean that one day their boss might not die a violent death, but rather at the hands of some unknown mistress?

What should I do?

The Templars exchanged glances, and even through their helmets, they could see the helplessness in their companions' eyes—but it seemed there was really nothing they could do? So they could only continue like this, helplessly.

They could only hope that the adults were alright, and their hope caused Yang Hao to suddenly groan in his office.

"Ah Qiu—!... Ouch, sorry. I might have caught a bit of a cold yesterday."

Yang Hao sneezed and took the handkerchief offered by the person in charge to wipe his nose. He wasn't quite sure what had caused the sudden sneeze, while Ms. Sonia behind him blinked after hearing the words "caught a cold," seemingly troubled.

"Really? Then regarding our transaction..."

"That's settled then. Can you get it to... this underground warehouse by tonight? Ah, I require everything to be packed, sorted, and labeled accordingly."

"Okay, then your prepayment..."

"We'll pay in full upfront."

"Thank you for coming! We will have everything ready by 6 p.m. tonight!"

Is it fair to say that all businessmen share the same money-grubbing attitude? When it was still in the "prepayment" stage, the manager's smile was just a generic, industrial smile, but when Yang Hao said full payment was required, the smile turned into a genuine, heartfelt joy. Yang Hao didn't mean to despise them; he was simply struck by how, under the influence of capital, the vast majority of people indeed become money-grubbing.

However, this is also a harsh reality... After all, no matter where you are, you can't live comfortably without money.

He rubbed his nose, then shook hands with the beaming manager to conclude the transaction. He then left the office with Ms. Sonia and joined the guards outside.

After a brief exchange with his guards, he led them to a hotel relatively close to the two targets they were to attack that evening. Yang Hao tossed several pieces of gold to the hotel manager, essentially booking the entire second floor, before assigning tasks to his guards for the afternoon.

"Roughly speaking, Ms. Sonia, a group of Templars, and I will go to... the vicinity of the noble mansion to conduct reconnaissance. Then the remaining juniors and Templars will go to the merchant guild to conduct reconnaissance. My mission is simple: find a breakthrough and an escape point, find the location where they might hide goods, record them all, and then I can come back."

"Hidden location, breakthrough point, storage point—that's what it means?"

“Yes.” Yang Hao nodded in response to the Templar captain’s question. “If possible, try to find as many valuable items as possible—since we’re already here, let’s take back any high-value items we can, besides the target items. Sigh, the territory’s funds are a bit tight anyway… But if all else fails, we can just bring back the high-energy stones and strong liquor.”

“But I have a problem – we don’t have the capacity to carry heavy cargo. If there’s too much cargo, not to mention the manpower required for security, we might not be able to bring back the required amount.”

However, Yang Hao's task posed a challenge for the Templar Knights: no matter how strong and robust they were, they were still just ordinary mortals. They might be able to move around easily while wearing equipment weighing over 100 kilograms, but that didn't mean they could quickly carry heavy cargo out by hand.

This... I know my task is very demanding, but isn't it a bit too much? In a physical sense?

The Templar Knights were troubled by this, and then they saw Yang Hao point a strange finger at the quiet, low-ranking Deep Sea Hunters:

"Youngsters, how heavy can you lift?"

"Eh?"

Faced with Yang Hao's question, the deep-sea hunter he pointed at blinked dryly. Then, under the astonished gazes of the Templar Knights, she easily lifted a two-person-high, solid stone sculpture in the hotel's second-floor lobby with one hand.