The Survival Rules of NPCs

"I apologize for visiting so late at night."

Eliza bowed gracefully, while Yu Nu Wu Gua behind her adjusted her glasses and followed suit, her expression calm but her heart churning with emotion.

In Milandil, a viscount is not considered a very noble person, but even so, he is not someone of my level who can come into contact with him. Now that he has come to this Holy Stone City, he is only in contact with the city lord's wife and a local judge. In his previous life, he would have been the wife of a county magistrate and the president of a court.

I worked like a slave to that tutor for twenty hours a day at the academy, and I never even came into contact with someone of the baron level. Sure enough... I chose the right path. It's more useful than working hard for many years!

"Madam, you're too kind. You should rest well while you're pregnant," said old Osric. He wasn't that old, only in his early sixties, but his hair was completely white and his face looked very haggard. The work of the court of justice really does age you.

After inviting Lady Eliza to sit down, Osric had the finest tea and pastries served before saying, "A late visit from Madam must have something important to discuss?"

Eliza took a sip of the black tea and immediately recognized it as the premium tea popular in the capital, a very expensive and high-quality tea. Serving such fine tea to a guest was a clear departure from her previous nonchalant attitude.

It seems the intelligence was accurate.

Thinking of this, Eliza didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "I will set off after dawn to go to Milandil to compete for the title of successor. But as you know, this road is not easy. The Holy Stone City now has mines, and their value is far greater than before. Many viscounts and nobles with backgrounds are eyeing this place. I think it will be difficult to successfully inherit the title. I will need some strong support."

Osric nodded upon hearing this. In fact, he had guessed the other party's intentions as soon as they arrived, but whether or not to participate still required careful consideration.

If Lady were still alive, he probably wouldn't have been very interested. He would have just waited to retire peacefully, returned to the capital to help take care of his grandchildren, and that would have been his life. He just didn't expect that such an accident would happen when he was about to retire.

He was trembling with fear the day Lady was killed. He kept a low profile because he didn't want to be noticed. Based on his intuition over the years, he knew that something was wrong in Holy Stone City. Now, the situation seemed to have been turned around and returned to normal, but in reality, undercurrents were surging.

Lady had come with a mission and was highly regarded by her superiors, so he had to give way to her. Now that Lady was dead, her superiors knew nothing about the situation here and desperately needed someone knowledgeable about the situation to act as their eyes. He had a chance to win the trust of the central leadership, but he hesitated about whether to get involved in this undercurrent.

Because his children lack connections, they haven't been assigned jobs yet. If he takes a chance, he might be able to help them at this crucial moment. But if he ends up like Lady because of this mess, then his children might be completely hopeless.

"Your Excellency, you are just like me. No matter how much you suffer, you have to fight for your child, right?" Eliza said, stroking her belly.

Osric's hand trembled, and the scalding tea spilled onto his hand, but he immediately recovered, put down the teacup, and wiped it with a tissue without expression. He said indifferently, "I didn't expect Lady Eliza, an outsider, to have such accurate intelligence. Only Lord Allen knows a little about my family situation; even the old city lord doesn't know."

"If you're determined, you can always find out," Eliza said with a smile.

Osric laughed upon hearing this: "That makes sense."

He doesn't mind others asking about him; choosing to ask is a sign that they truly value him.

"Since we've come this far, let's not waste each other's time and speak frankly." Osric's aged hands were clasped together. "If you want my help, what can you offer me, madam?"

"If you're willing to help me, you'll be my strongest ally. With our help, the Court of Judgments will certainly rise above the Prosecutor's Office, and your status in Holy Stone City will absolutely not be inferior to that of Lord Allen back then!"

"Is that so?" Osric chuckled. "Lord Allen holds the true secrets of Holy Stone City. Can Lady Eliza give them to me?"

Eliza was taken aback, while the Rain Woman beside her adjusted her glasses and said, "Lord Osric is an official dispatched by the Imperial Central Government. Although his stance must be on the side of the Imperial High Command, he does not necessarily have to follow Lord Lady's path."

Before Lady Eliza could react, Osric looked at her with interest and asked, "And who is this young lady?"

"This is my legal advisor, and also the defense lawyer who will be going to Milandill to fight for my title."

"Oh?" Osric was somewhat surprised. He knew very well which lawyers were famous on Rose Avenue, but in his opinion, those lawyers couldn't handle such a big case. Having other options meant that Mrs. Eliza had connections through different channels, which was a good thing. It was just that this lawyer seemed a bit young.

"You just said that we don't necessarily have to follow Lord Lady's path. Could you elaborate?" Osric asked with a smile.

Yu Nu Wu Gua glanced at Eliza, who nodded slightly. Yu Nu Wu Gua then said, "Lord Lady was instructed by the Imperial Central Government to investigate the secrets of Holy Stone City. Lord Lady's extreme approach is to directly seize Holy Stone City for the Empire. You don't need to do that. Proving your worth to those above doesn't have to be so extreme. Becoming an important figure in Holy Stone City and demonstrating your ability to win over the future city lord to the Empire's side is also a viable path, isn't it?"

"For example, some very good businesses favor the Empire, or even provide exclusive private business channels for some important figures. These are all legitimate channels, safer, and don't necessarily put you at odds with Lord Lady in Holy Stone City. Aren't they better than Lord Lady's methods?"

Mrs. Eliza nodded slightly, seemingly confirming her meaning, but inwardly she felt ashamed; she hadn't considered any of this at all, this little girl...

Osric smiled and nodded. This was indeed a relatively safe approach. He wasn't a prosecutor with extraordinary abilities like Lady, so he couldn't be that assertive. Nor did he have Lady's ambitious personality, wanting to completely take over Holy Stone City for the Empire. He preferred to take the traditional approach, maintaining a balance between the Empire's judicial power and local power. In the capital, he did have some connections, and if he could contribute some benefits, he could facilitate this.

"What benefits are you referring to, Madam?" Osric asked directly. "If you want someone powerful in the Empire to work for me and continue serving as the presiding judge here, the benefits you offer can't be too small. What can Madam Eliza offer?"

Before Eliza could speak, Rain Woman blurted out, "A new mineral vein."

Eliza was somewhat stunned by these words, while Osric's pupils contracted: "Is Mrs. Eliza sure?"

Eliza quickly regained her composure and nodded, saying, "It's certain that Mr. Bright guarantees this, but the remaining forces of the Heart of the Forest must be wiped out, otherwise the development of new mines will definitely be threatened."

"If you can operate a new mine, bypassing official procedures and giving priority to companies from the Empire for mining, then that benefit is certainly enough for the Empire to help you. I'll write to the capital right now!"

Osric stood up and looked at the sky: "It's almost dawn. If you're really planning to set off today, you're pregnant, so you should take care of yourself."

"There's no other way," Eliza said with a wry smile. "Time is of the essence."

"Good!" Osric's eyes flashed with admiration. He hadn't realized before that this woman was someone special. Her judgment, decision-making, and decisive personality were all far superior to that good-for-nothing Martin. It was a real pity. If Martin hadn't died, perhaps this woman could have completely stabilized the situation.

"Please wait a moment. I need to write a letter to the people in the capital. This is something my child has to handle personally."

"Thank you for your hard work, sir."

After Osric got up and left, Eliza glanced at Yu Nu Wugua, who was sipping her tea with her head down, and whispered, "A new mine? Did Mr. Bright tell you about it?"

"No..." Yu Nu Wu Gua shook her head: "I made it up. Holy Stone City started out because of its mines. If they want to impress the nobles in the capital, this is the only thing they can offer."

Why do you think there will be new mineral deposits?

"After I came here, I learned about former prosecutor Lord Lady's original plan. His risky actions meant that Holy Stone City must have a secret. Holy Stone City started by discovering mineral veins, and it's not surprising that there is more than one mineral vein. It also makes it easier to gain people's trust."

"I see..." Eliza nodded. "What if there isn't one?"

"That's something that happens after you get the title of viscount."

Eliza: "......."

This woman, who looks like a quiet, bookish type, seems to have more cunning methods than some seasoned politicians. Right now, he's short-handed, and if this girl were willing to work for him...

"Your resume shows you haven't graduated yet, right?"

"Yes, madam."

"Would you be interested in coming to Holy Stone City after graduation?"

"It's a great honor, Madam!" Yu Nu Wu Gua's eyes lit up. After five years of struggle, God had finally opened a window for her, and a rather large one at that...

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After news of Peter's arrest and the exposure of the spy in the north reached the north, Duke Jackdaw had not yet taken any action, but the player community in the north had already obtained a lot of black market missions!

[Holy Stone City? Oh my god, so we're finally going south on a mission?]

It looks like war might be brewing. Is something big finally about to happen?

[What does this have to do with us? A bunch of undocumented immigrants, yet they seem to care about the affairs of the empire?]

[You don't know anything! Chaos creates opportunities. I've already received word that many tribes are recruiting, and in some places they're not even asking about identities. Some players have already obtained Imperial soldier status!]

[Upstairs, that's called being cannon fodder for the empire!]

[Anyone near Holy Stone City? Can you share some information? What's the situation there? Is it easy to get in?]

[It's infuriating. It seems the entire city is under lockdown now. The only way in is through the path at the edge of the forest, disguised as a refugee, but the city gates are closed, and Holy Stone City isn't accepting any new refugees.]

What should we do now?

But I heard someone went inside.

Wow, who's this awesome?

[Our top-ranked player in the North Region: Sweet Rice Dumpling!]