Ark, I became an NPC in the online game

There are quite a few immortals on this continent, Sakota and Sarkaz are the best examples. His qualifications are still too shallow, and it is easy for the immortals to see through his true intentions.

But by the time he is over a hundred years old, "Ark" will probably have gone bankrupt, so he needs to force himself to participate in such a social environment, let the environment change him, and let the environment make him successful.

At least for now, Xia Yuan has left an impression on many viscounts and barons with his handsome appearance and extraordinary conversation. This is also due to his rich experience. No matter what topic the other party throws out, Xia Yuan can catch it steadily and give multiple feedback.

Jian noticed the boss's progress bit by bit. His previous negotiations with the adventurers made him more like a businessman, but now he was like a "family head".

Being warm and not slick, being able to act serious and also being able to joke, maybe this is Xia Yuan's talent, or maybe this is Xia Yuan's original character? Mace held the champagne and smiled.

As expected, the boss’s race is Sakota.

Because the vast majority of Sakota seem to be like this.

"Mr. Xia Yuan, welcome to the banquet hosted by Earl Bolton. On behalf of Earl Bolton, I toast to you."

The crowd made way for a path, and a middle-aged man in a classic suit walked up with a smile. He stood straight with a warm smile on his face. "Let me introduce myself. I'm the Earl of Warwick, a good friend of the Earl of Bolton."

Unlike many people who toasted to Jian first, Earl Warwick looked for Xia Yuan first. He did not hear Jian's previous conversation and directly guessed that Xia Yuan was the preferred one among the two adults.

"No, no, this is also my first time to attend a banquet that makes people feel comfortable and elegant. I am lucky to be able to attend the banquet of Earl Bolton and meet you all."

"Haha, Mr. Xia Yuan, you don't sound like a scientist at all."

"Scientists want to apply for funding, but they have to sell their research topics, right?"

The corners of Earl Warwick's mouth curled up, and he seemed to be in a very happy mood. His wine glass gently clinked with Xia Yuan's, then he slightly raised it to signal the mace beside Xia Yuan, and then drank it all in one gulp.

Xia Yuan also drank the wine in the glass. The two smiled at each other, and Earl Warwick then strolled away.

Xia Yuan lowered his eyes, still with a smile in his eyes, as he greeted the endless stream of young men and women.

After a while, the surging crowd finally dispersed. Xia Yuan brought Mandela to the buffet table and gently stroked the back of her hand, "Thank you for your hard work, Mandela."

"It's not hard. It's a great experience to be able to listen to the nobles' words with Brother Xia Yuan and Sister Jian."

A faint smile appeared on Mandela's face. Seeing this, Xia Yuan rubbed her head and said, "Okay, go eat something and find Sister Jian later. I may have something else to do."

"Got it. I won't let you worry."

Although Mandela was sensible, she was only a fourteen-year-old girl. She had just been talking to two adults and was a little hungry. Seeing that her brother Xia Yuan allowed her to eat, she immediately prepared to eat... But before taking action, Mandela noticed her own thoughts. In this banquet full of nobles and their children, was it inappropriate to behave like this?

You can't expose yourself, nor can you expose Brother Xia Yuan.

Thinking of this, Mandela's movements became more graceful. She quietly looked at the other noble children with her dark golden eyes, imitating their movements and eating methods, and soon learned them well.

"Isn't that Earl of Warwick, the spiritual leader of the Tara people? What is he doing here?"

"I don't know. Isn't he the Earl of Oak Forest County? Why did he suddenly appear in Londinium?"

“Haha, I guess he sneaked in.”

The nobles' whispers did not escape Xia Yuan's ears, and he heard a familiar name.

Xia Yuan and Jian looked at each other. Jian came to a place not far from Mandela and continued to communicate with several noble children, while Xia Yuan was looking for his target.

He stopped in front of Earl Bolton and toasted him with a glass of wine. Earl Bolton happily clinked glasses and drank it all. After a few drinks, Earl Bolton quickly returned to the lounge for a short rest. At this time, some performers with traditional musical instruments walked into the hall and started the night performance.

Victoria also absorbed the musical culture of Leithania, where traditional musical instruments are very popular, just like Casimir's knightly competitive culture. Each culture has its own uniqueness and fans.

Xia Yuan walked around and then headed towards the lounge. The guards standing there looked at him for a few times and then let him go. At this dinner, Xia Yuan had already attracted the attention of many nobles, most of which were positive. He didn't want to lose his job for blocking them.

Coming to a wooden door, Xia Yuan knocked gently.

"Please come in."

Pushing open the door, there is a spacious lounge. Even in this season, the fireplace in the lounge is still burning, providing some insignificant warmth while the windows are open.

"It turns out to be Lord Xia Yuan."

Earl Bolton stood behind the table, looking up at the starry sky outside the window, with a pipe in his mouth, puffing out smoke. When he saw Xia Yuan, he just smiled, as if he was not surprised that Xia Yuan was here.

"excuse me."

Xia Yuan bowed with a gentle smile on his face. He slowly walked to Earl Bolton and looked up at the starry sky with him.

"Earl Bolton's territory is in the north, where it is extremely cold all year round and there are many dangerous wild animals. It is difficult for the residents to make a living and for the guards to perform their regular duties. For this reason, Earl Bolton has raised food and supplies many times, which is really admirable."

"Hahaha, no, no, I just did everything a lord should do." Earl Bolton laughed, he narrowed his eyes, waiting for Xia Yuan's next words.

He knew that Xia Yuan came this time because he had his eyes on a certain resource in his hands, otherwise he would not have flattered him so diligently. No noble in the position of earl was a fool.

Xia Yuan extended his right hand into his coat pocket - since the bodyguards had already searched him when he entered, Earl Bolton did not say anything. He took out a small display screen, and after Xia Yuan turned it on, the picture inside was displayed.

......

Mandela swallowed the food in her mouth like a lady and smiled at the girls beside her. Her name at this time was Mandela Lanshem, and she was Xia Yuan's sister. The girls beside her were young children of nobles. Some of the older ones were already adults, while the youngest were only about ten years old.

It can be said that the young Mandela took some effort to squeeze into this small circle. Those noble children would judge her by her dress, and would also test her with words and actions. So far, Mandela has done a good job.

She waved to her friends and said something to Sister Jian. The atmosphere here was rather depressing, so Mandela also wanted to go out for some fresh air while taking the opportunity to go to the bathroom.

It was just that the manor was too big and Mandela got lost. Although she was not a directionally challenged person, she still forgot where she entered such a huge manor.

Looking out the window, the busiest place is the center, but she wouldn't necessarily go out through the window, right?

At this moment, she heard a movement behind her and turned around reflexively. She looked sharply in the direction of the sound. She was not carrying any weapons at this moment, not even her most personal Originium Staff. If she encountered any danger here, Sister Mace might not be able to save her...

Thinking of the physical skills that Senomi practiced every day, Mandela gritted her teeth slightly, her eyes gradually became dangerous, and she looked towards the corner where the sound came from.

There was no subsequent sound. Mandela took a few steps forward and came to the corner. She leaned over and found that there was a staircase here. There was warm light downstairs, but it was pitch black upstairs. There was nothing there, as if the count did not open this door during the dinner.

There are always a few places in the manor where there are no people. Apart from the waiters and maids who clean regularly, even the master himself will not go there... Those places are most likely the resting places for the maids. After all, they are a bit far from the main building.

However, Mandela, who was always observant, found something on the ground that was worth her attention. It was two strands of hair.

One has long blonde hair, and the other has long light blonde hair. They don't look like they belong to the same person because the lengths are different.

Mandela narrowed her eyes and looked upstairs like a kitten, her cat tail swaying uneasily behind her. Who was spying on her just now? Did she accidentally enter someone's "territory"?

She suppressed her fear, picked up two long strands of hair that would not attract attention, and then left quickly.

She wants to go to the bathroom.

......

"Did she see us?"

"...Sister, it seems not."

"...Is that so? That's good."

In the attic, two dark figures were leaning against the wall, talking to each other.

"If you sneak out like this, the teacher will be angry." said the younger one.

"...No, Ravshini." The older one hesitated, then said calmly, "Teacher openly attended Earl Bolton's dinner, and Earl Bolton is related to the Londinium Arsenal. Don't you think it's a bit strange?"

"Do you want to listen to your teacher for the rest of your life?" the older one said calmly, with a hint of instruction in his tone.

"Sister, do you think the teacher is lying?" the young girl asked calmly in a low voice.

The older one was indifferent. She lowered her head slightly to the ground in the dark shadow. "Rafushini, you don't understand yet. You just need to follow my steps."

The younger man pursed his lips, nodded gently and said "hmm".

The older one stood up and pulled the younger one up, "At least, I have seen part of the teacher's character and his desires, and now, I want to know what he is planning."

The older man's mouth curved into a twisted arc. "Follow me, Ravshini."

"understood."

The two of them moved forward in the darkness. In the dark world, they quickly adapted to the surrounding environment and were able to grope forward without lights. Their main goal was the roof of the main building. They could hear all the news they wanted to hear in the ventilation duct.

This is the resting place for the maids, and at this moment the maids are still busy downstairs. There is no one here, which makes it much easier for the two to sneak around.

The older people had heard their teacher talk about the huge manor of Earl Bolton, and when they sneaked in quietly, they also found out their current location.

After passing an intersection, the older person bent down and was about to enter the vent, then she let out an unpleasant sound. It was not the first time that she felt her tail was too fat.

But you still have to listen, it just takes a little more time and steps.

......

"Mr. Xia Yuan, this is..."

"This is the drone I developed. The Columbian military and the Pioneer Association are very satisfied with this research." Xia Yuan showed a mature smile on his face, and he said softly, "I think this research can meet all people's needs in terms of convenience and reconnaissance. Earl Bolton, what do you think?"

Lord Bolton burst into laughter. He scratched his upturned beard and narrowed his eyes. "Sir Xia Yuan, what you need is not something from the military factory, right?"

"Lord Bolton is a man of few words."

Xia Yuan smiled and said, "I am very happy to discuss the details of cooperation with you, sir, including price, delivery cycle and possible customization requirements. I believe that our cooperation will be mutually beneficial and long-lasting."

"Haha, Mr. Xia Yuan, I still like this side of you more than the scientist."

Chapter 115 I and my city-breaking spear come from——

The transaction was a give-and-take, but since Xia Yuan had just arrived in Londinium and was an outsider, it was natural that he would suffer some losses when doing business with the nobles in the city.

Of course, there is a saying that goes, you can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a lamb. At present, the ranger has been eliminated in his mind. He has a better prototype drone. He should not make too much money by exchanging the eliminated goods for resources.

Xia Yuan promised to provide a group of hunters to the Earl Bolton in front of him. In addition, these hunters were equipped with different modules, some of which were extremely lethal, and some could also be used by warlocks, which was a good thing for the security or expansion of the territory.

Of course, before coming here, Xia Yuan also did his homework about Earl Bolton. This middle-aged man has only one young child. If he wants to pass on his title, he has to lay a foundation or maintain the foundation. The ambitious Earl Bolton chose the former, so Xia Yuan generously chose to provide Earl Bolton with crossbows, spells and other lethal modules.

He had completed his part of giving, and as for what he wanted, there was bound to be some verbal sparring.

Xia Yuan didn't want much. He only had two conditions. One was the blueprints of the city-breaking spears and shield cannons inside the military factory, and the other was to recruit a few apprentices inside the military factory to work for him.

"You are very brave, Lord Xia Yuan. You should know that these two blueprints belong to the weapons and equipment of the Victorian military. Even I cannot get my hands on them." Earl Bolton narrowed his eyes. "This is... treason."

Xia Yuan curled his lips in his heart. He had watched a lot of Victorian plots in his previous life. Not to mention the barons, viscounts and earls, even the dukes were fighting each other, which almost disrupted the entire Victoria. It was really difficult to hold on.

The nobles did not work together, and Londinium was occupied by the invited outsider Teresis, and there was also fighting among the Tara people. The nobles retreated to their own territories or took up arms and went to the battlefield, investing their lives on the most valuable goals.

"Sir Xia Yuan, have you heard of the Storm Commandos?"

Xia Yuan knew it in his heart, but he still shook his head out of respect for the other party.

Lord Bolton leaned back on the sofa, his mouth curled up as he took a puff of his pipe, feeling pleased that he had the upper hand in the conversation. "The Storm Commando is a special forces unit established by the Victorian Parliament. Its predecessor was the Victorian Exemplary Army. Its main responsibility is to carry out special missions directly assigned by the Parliament. Its activities are spread all over Victoria, including various Victorian enclaves... I believe that Lord Xia Yuan can hear the importance of the Storm Commando to Victoria."

"And the shield cannon and city-breaking spear that Lord Xia Yuan needs are both equipment of the Storm Commando."

Xia Yuan smiled, "I'm only interested in these two drawings. Of course, I'm only interested in them from a scientific researcher's perspective. Our company is currently developing a new type of mecha. If we know the internal principles of these two pieces of equipment, our research progress will increase rapidly."

"...Mecha?" Earl Bolton uttered an unfamiliar word.

Xia Yuan smiled again, he took out the portable terminal and clicked on the second video. In the video, one could see the experimenter wearing a white and gold metal that made people feel cold, advancing slowly and silently. On his arm, one could see a weapon shaped like a baton. Under the acceleration of jet power, the experimenter wearing the mecha could punch the wall continuously, and with just a simple circle, a hole was created in the concrete wall.

"...This is." Earl Bolton opened his eyes wide.

Xia Yuan raised a finger to cover his mouth, "This is a test subject of the Colombian military. I believe we will be able to see them on the battlefield soon."

"Of course, I can also develop a simplified version of the mecha for Earl Bolton, one that won't arouse suspicion from the Columbian military."

Lord Bolton puffed out smoke again, using the smoke to cover up the gaffe on his face. He slowly closed his eyes, and he needed a moment to weigh the pros and cons.

After a cup of tea, he opened his eyes again.

"I'll give you the blueprints and the apprentices, but I can only give them to three of you." Earl Bolton said indifferently, "You can get the ranger, but I need the simplified version of the mecha when I trade."

He held up three fingers, "I want three sets."

There are three adjutants in Earl Bolton's territory, and giving them mechas will be like adding wings to a tiger.

Obviously, no one will believe those illusory promises. What they want to see most is always the real thing, something that is set in stone, not a promise that can be broken at any time and anywhere.

Xia Yuan remained calm and kept that elegant smile. She just argued verbally, "Before the transaction, I need to obtain the blueprints of the city-breaking spear... At the same time, I need to borrow the workshop of the military factory to build the three mechas that His Excellency the Earl needs. If His Excellency the Earl does not mind, the apprentice can be assigned to me in advance, so that the production speed will be much faster."

Lord Bolton nodded slightly, "Okay."

Xia Yuan stretched out his hand, and Earl Bolton chuckled and shook hands with Xia Yuan.

“As a researcher, if you ever get tired of or disappointed with the scientific community in Columbia, you can always come to me.”

"Thank you for your generosity, Your Excellency."

Xia Yuan bowed and then left quickly.

Earl Bolton withdrew his gaze. The other party's deal seemed to be aggressive, but in fact he had already anticipated it. The earls and viscounts attending the dinner were all eyeing the resources of the military factory in his hands, hoping to get their young people into the military factory to be small leaders.

Of course, the Arsenal is not ruled by Earl Bolton alone. There are several dukes above him. However, the nobles in Londinium cannot ask for help from the duke. After all, the duke is not allowed to enter Londinium.

The blueprints were a minor issue for him. The blueprints inside the Arsenal were more confidential than these two weapons. It was no secret that the Storm Commandos died on the battlefield and their weapons were picked up by hostile forces for research and development. As for apprentices... What Londinium never lacked was people. If the Arsenal wanted to recruit apprentices, I wonder how many young children in Highbury would rush to sign up.