The Survival Rules of NPCs

Chapter 140 The Fabricated Identity....

"You're foolish! Where are the Duke's reinforcements?"

Inside a castle, a Silver Fox Knight centurion, who had been captured and imprisoned, was being angrily berated by his father.

At this moment, his collarbone was cruelly locked, and his breath was weak. He guessed that his beautiful mount and his men would not have a good end either. He originally thought that these barbarians still knew the rules, but he really did not expect that this would be the end!

"The Duke doesn't care about us at all!" the centurion gritted his teeth. "We applied to return to reinforce the area a month ago, but he wouldn't allow it. We've lost countless men because of that wretched forest, and even Lord Gelster..."

The old man in the dungeon's pupils contracted upon hearing this. Lord Gelster was in trouble? All because of that legend in the forest?

Many of their elders knew the legend of the forest outside Holy Stone City. Over the years, many nobles had coveted the things inside, but all of them suffered heavy losses and got nothing. How could Duke Raven, such a rational person, be so bewitched?

They actually went so far as to draw on the elite troops from the border, and even Lord Gelster was lost in the process?

Is this a case of disregarding the consequences?

"Then you shouldn't have surrendered... You should have sent the message back immediately!" The old man sighed deeply.

The centurion lowered his head, he hadn't expected this outcome either. He hadn't anticipated the Southern Barbarians' forces being so abundant, controlling the castles of nobles across the land so quickly. Given Silver Fox's mobility, even if they were surrounded, they would have had a high probability of breaking out.

But because his family members were all threatened with the executioner's knife, he ultimately led the way in surrendering.

Thinking that the loss of the border this time was entirely the Duke's fault, and that these prisoners were all forced into it, and that the Silver Fox Legion was expensive to build, the Empire would definitely spend money to ransom them, and that their families would be safe. Even if the Empire lost some land, they could at least protect their families and themselves.

But as soon as they entered the city, seeing the densely packed number of demons inside the castle and the mass graves filled with bones, they immediately realized their mistake.

These southern barbarians have gone mad! They actually used such a large-scale human sacrifice to summon so many demons. They didn't come to simply invade, nor were they here to occupy some fertile land. They... came to destroy the Beth Empire!

If it's a war of this magnitude, then it's virtually impossible for these elite legions to be redeemed.

"Jack, Evan, Peter, did they all surrender with you?" The old man's voice was low and deep, seemingly carrying a hint of expectation.

The man lowered his head and gritted his teeth, not daring to look his father in the eye.

The old man was so angry that he convulsed. If his body hadn't been restrained, he would have strangled his stupid son with the iron chain that was locking his collarbone!

Elite legions are usually drawn from the sons of lords like these. On the grasslands, especially near the borders, lords often have sons in their castles who cannot inherit the title, and the best path for these descendants is...

Join the army.

From a young age, children receive martial arts and physical training, including various horsemanship and archery skills. While the military may seem fair, ordinary civilians don't have the resources to train their children. Even if they did, they might not be able to obtain samurai qualifications upon adulthood, making it a wasted investment. Therefore, soldiers in elite units are typically born into noble families.

The Silver Fox Legion has been a long-term investment for their family, with the most outstanding descendants and the most expensive resources invested. Anyone who can join the legion holds a status in the family that is no lower than that of the sons who can inherit titles, because those sons may earn another title for their family at any time, or even lead the family to a higher level.

Such examples are common in the Beth Empire. He was originally very pleased that his son could become a centurion, which made his status in the castle higher than that of Lord Mason. But now, his stupid son actually led a group of elite soldiers to surrender to these southern barbarians without hesitation. He is simply a sinner to the family!

If the family were to perish, these high-caliber descendants who survived would be the sparks that ignite the family's future. But now, his own foolish son has personally extinguished that hope!

Feeling his father's anger, the centurion lowered his head and dared not speak. He was filled with remorse. At that time, he had no choice but to worry about his family members, including his parents, children, wife, and brothers and sisters. He was not the only one who thought this way. Ten centurions and thousands of Silver Fox Knights all thought the same way!

Their birth represents family honor and carries family pride. Their loyalty to their family is above that of the empire. This is why the Duke was able to overpower the royal family with the support of the lord.

He felt that it was definitely not a centurion like himself who would surrender. This was probably a scheme by those southern barbarians. They seemed to know very well about the relationship between the lord families of the Beth Empire and the local elite legions. This was a setup, a trap, from the very beginning.

Now... trapped in the trap, he has no hope of escaping!

I should indeed be more cautious, at least... think things through more.

Now... it's too late to say anything!

Just as the father and son were in despair, a very abrupt voice appeared beside them.

"Viscount Franklin?"

Both of them looked in horror toward the source of the sound, which was someone who had appeared without warning. Neither of them had seen how the other had entered.

This is the fortress's dungeon. Each dungeon is an elaborately crafted cage, capable of holding berserker warriors of level 30 or higher. Such sturdy cells, yet someone can enter silently. There can only be one explanation: a high-level superhuman with stealth abilities!

Imperial reinforcements?

At this thought, their previously despairing hearts began to beat again.

"I am Franklin, and who are you?" The centurion lowered his voice, afraid that something outside might hear the commotion.

"A step too late..."

A beautiful face appeared before the two men, who were taken aback. A female knight in knight's armor? How did she get in?

"Second Division of Imperial Intelligence... You can call me Kaylan, or you can call me by my nickname: Wang Gou Dan..."

The name sounds rather strange in Bass.

"Imperial Intelligence Division Two?" The centurion was excited, but his father seemed much calmer, and said in a low voice, "Sir, are you saying that the Imperial Family has taken notice of the situation here? And will they send troops to reinforce us?"

The centurion was taken aback. Why would his father ask such a question? Other people's undercover agents have already arrived here; there must be reinforcements coming from behind.

His father's next words made his heart sink.

"If I'm not mistaken, this time... you didn't provide any support, did you?"

Wang Gou Dan was taken aback and looked at the other person curiously: "Why would you say that?"

"Because I know all too well what a bunch of useless good-for-nothings those nobles in the capital are..."

"..." The old man took a deep breath and closed his eyes: "That is the domain of the anti-war faction. They will never take the initiative to prepare for war. Although the Duke made a mistake this time, putting the situation on the defensive, I do not believe that the capital is more wise than the Duke and could have known about the situation here in advance and made arrangements."

"So I'm guessing that your so-called Intelligence Division Two only has the right to gather intelligence, but in reality, it doesn't have the authority to mobilize troops, right?"

"You are a wise elder..." Wang Gou Dan sighed, "Just as you said, the capital... is not..."

Trust the results of our investigation!

It was like a pillow being delivered just when you're sleepy. According to Mr. Bright's plan, the role they were to play was that of diligent intelligence agents sent from the capital, elite and excellent intelligence personnel, but they encountered setbacks at every turn.

"We discovered three months ago that the Southern Witch Alliance was planning a major operation and reported it to the Emperor immediately. However, our intelligence was questioned by those nobles, who believed we were exaggerating and were a group of instigators seeking military merit. Even though we obtained a lot of substantial evidence, they remained unmoved..."

77

Wang Gou Dan made a disappointed face.

"If it weren't for those corrupt old fogies, Daws Pass wouldn't have fallen so easily!"

The old man nodded: "Then why didn't you try to contact His Excellency the Duke? Because you're working for the royal family?"

"We contacted His Majesty the Duke!" Wang Gou Dan exclaimed excitedly. "Mr. Bright personally went to the Duke for help, but that wise man is now obsessed, disregarding everything for that forest!"

"Mr. Bright?" The old man squinted, it was the first time he had heard this name.

Upon hearing this, the centurion gritted his teeth and said, "The Duke is no longer the Duke he once was!"

"So what are you planning to do?" the old man asked curiously. "You've taken this risk to come here; you can't just be here to tell us about intelligence organizations like yours, can you? What is your purpose?"