Ark, I became an NPC in the online game

Xia Yuan said calmly, without any hostility in his tone, but he lifted up his coat and saw two revolvers hanging on his thighs.

"We just came to take a look at this unknown tomb."

The woman with long golden hair took a few steps forward. She was wearing clothes that matched her family's appearance. Under the umbrella, her face showed a faint smile that could be interpreted as a smile of compassion. She slowly approached the mausoleum, revealing a pair of stunning, deep green eyes.

Her long tail hung and swayed behind her.

Vaifan? Xia Yuan frowned slightly. He could guess the other person's race from his body, but why didn't he feel that the other person had a very solid body like Saria?

Saria and Xia Yuan talked about the characteristics of the Vaifan race, which included but were not limited to first-class strength and endurance, and strong physical tolerance. In terms of physical fitness alone, they are definitely one of the best among all races. As long as you get close to the Vaifan race, you can vaguely feel the fighting spirit in them.

"Were you also at Lord Bolton's party?"

"Haha, I just witnessed a boring farce."

The blonde smiled faintly, "We snuck in uninvited because we were curious about what the teacher said at the dinner."

Xia Yuan looked at her silently.

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself."

She had a polite smile on her face and performed the etiquette like an aristocrat. Even on such a rainy day, her movements did not look awkward at all and seemed full of courtesy.

"My name is Abrana, and it's a pleasure to meet you all... One is Master Xia Yuan, a scientist from Columbia, Master Black Knight, a triple crown knight from Casimir, and this lovely young lady."

Abrana smiled like a lady, "You...are from Tara?"

Mandela nodded calmly, without any confusion in her eyes, looking straight at Abrana, "I am from Tara."

"Where do you think the future of the people of Tara lies?"

"The Tara people are not tools or weapons, and they are not in the hands of the ambitious." Mandela said calmly, "The future of the Tara people lies only in the hands of the Tara people themselves."

"In the hands of the Tara themselves, not Drake?"

Draco was once the king of the Tara people. Now he and Aslan share the right to inherit the royal family, but the throne has been vacant for a long time and no king has come.

"Brother Xia Yuan once said that a king is not honored by blood, but by blood because of the king."

Mandela explained seriously.

Abrana said "oh" and looked at Xia Yuan curiously. She admitted that at this moment, Xia Yuan aroused her curiosity.

"Would you mind sharing your views on the king with me?"

Chapter 121: The King's Theory

"Want to talk here?"

"Of course not. Please follow me."

Abrana nodded slightly to Xia Yuan and her three companions, then walked out of the cemetery with an umbrella in hand.

Xia Yuan stared at Abbrana's back, "Mace, can you sense whether the other party is hostile?"

Mace shook his head. "Compared to physical skills, they seem to be better at Originium skills. Even if they want to fight, it won't cause much trouble."

"Ah."

Xia Yuan rubbed Mandela's wet black shoulder-length hair and said, "You should take a shower when you return to the hotel. It would be bad if you catch a cold."

Mandela looked at the backs of Abrana and the other person, her eyes thoughtful, but when she heard Xia Yuan's instructions, she still responded sweetly.

A group of four people walked into a cafe. Abrana told the owner that they wanted a private space for conversation, so they were very considerately taken to a room on the second floor.

As for Mandela's words, Xia Yuan asked her to go back to the hotel alone. It was not suitable for her to be in such a conversation environment. The two of them had also observed Mandela at the banquet in Londinium before. In order to prevent the worst possibility from happening, Xia Yuan asked her to go back to the hotel to wash up for safety reasons.

Xia Yuan was somewhat wary of these two women who appeared inexplicably in the tomb, but Jian also said that even if they were hostile, he was still wearing mechanical armor and had a mace behind him, so he was not completely defenseless.

Of course, Xia Yuan did not feel any hostility from the two people. It was as if they met by chance on the street. After chatting for a few sentences, they felt that they had a lot in common. Then they invited each other to go to the teahouse to chat in detail, which had a bit of the traditional flavor of the Yan country.

"Mr. Xia Yuan... is it appropriate to call you that?" Abrana smiled sweetly after sitting down. There was a hint of warmth and joy in her green eyes. Her red lips moved slightly. "Why do I feel a hint of alienation from you, Mr. Xia Yuan? Is there any misunderstanding?"

"Rather than being distant, I think it should be called politeness when meeting for the first time."

Xia Yuan placed his hands on the table, crossed his fingers, and leaned forward slightly. At this moment, he took over the other party's right to speak, "What's more, Miss Abrana, the uniform you are wearing reminds me of aristocrats, which forces me to use the etiquette of aristocrats."

"But I'm not a noble."

Abrana's eyes rolled slightly, "How about you treat me as... um, the girl who lives next door?"

"Okay." Xia Yuan nodded, and looked at the silent girl with long blond hair and blue eyes. From her appearance, she looked more like Abbrana's sister. "This is."

"My name is Lavshini... Please give me your guidance, Master Xia Yuan."

Compared to her older sister Abrana who is eloquent, her younger sister Lavishne appears to be very quiet. The two sisters, one active and one quiet, are quite compatible with each other.

The coffee ordered by the four people was served on the table. Xia Yuan took a sip of coffee, frowned slightly, and added a spoonful of sugar to it.

"You have questions about the King of Victoria?"

"Yes... Your Excellency Xia Yuan, who said that a king is not honored by blood, but blood is honored by the king, really makes me very curious." Abrana showed a charming smile on her face, "My two sisters have had contact with the aristocratic circle, and we are very curious about these things and affairs of the upper class."

Xia Yuan smiled. As someone who had come into contact with Lavishini in his previous life, he naturally knew some of their stories. However, neither Abrana nor Lavishini had yet embarked on their own paths. "Then let's start with Victoria's current situation."

He started his lecture like a teacher, just like when good friends in the dormitory in college used to chat about World War and Zheng Jian at night. This feeling came back to Xia Yuan again.

"Victoria has many complex factors. For a country to be established and to be able to continue, it must rely on several factors first."

"First, it is a political faction within a country. Victoria has a fixed number of dukes, but there are too many earls, viscounts, and barons. Every year, some even privately introduce new barons to be assigned to their own factions. The division of territories has caused the nobles to gather together and become difficult to manage, making it difficult to manage the entire Victoria from the center."

Abrana hummed. She had also heard such statements from Earl Warwick. Ravshini was also listening attentively.

"Under such circumstances, if an external force invades or attacks Victoria, the nobles may work together to fight the enemy in the short term. However, once the war is prolonged, problems such as material supply will gradually surface, and the noble alliance that cannot be fair will collapse."

To explain it in a simpler way, it is like the warlords in the Three Kingdoms who were fighting for power. Everyone shouted slogans loudly, but only a few people were willing to work hard. The vast majority of people stayed behind to save their own supplies and materials, and they were also very stingy when distributing food. If the princes did not work together, how could they succeed in the crusade? How could they defeat me who was humiliated?

"Then we talked about the leadership of a king." Xia Yuan narrowed his eyes. "Leadership is a rather vague concept. To put it simply, it means being able to unite the people of a country, listen to public opinion, understand the people's needs, and take action to meet those needs."

"You can use the upright kingly way to lead the people, or you can use deep hatred to lead the people. The real choice lies in the leader, in the heart of the king."

Abrana raised her hand when she heard this, just like a student listening to a teacher's lecture, "Sir Xia Yuan, if you were the king, which path would you choose?"

Xia Yuan was not surprised by her question. He answered calmly, "First of all, we must understand that ruling a country is not just a matter of power, but also a responsibility and mission. Although using hatred may achieve some results in the short term, it will lead to many negative consequences in the long run."

"Why?" Abrana asked curiously.

Xia Yuan smiled, "Do you know the Witch King?"

Abrana pursed her lips slightly when she heard this.

"Some leaders in history may have gained short-term rule through hatred and terror, but such a way of ruling is often unstable. This will lead to social division and disharmony, and the contradictions between the people will become deeper and deeper. Secondly, such a way of ruling will generate strong opposition and may eventually cause the leader to lose power. This is the case with the Witch King. You can say that he does not care about the people and that he loves the country of Leithania, but you cannot deny that during his later years, the people of Leithania lived in dire straits."

"People always have to learn to think from other people's perspectives. We are just lucky to be who we are now. I am lucky. In this land of suffering, my identity is Sakota. At the same time, I was born in the holy city of Lateran. In this land of suffering, there are also people who are unfortunate. Some have become infected people in Ursus, and some have become Tara people in Victoria."

When Rafshini heard the word "Tara people", she looked at Xia Yuan deeply, and after a moment she withdrew her gaze.

"So...why did Lord Xia Yuan choose the upright path of the king?" asked Abrana.

"The way of the king can build a stable and harmonious society and allow the people to live a peaceful life. Through fair and honest governance, the respect and support of the people can be gained, thereby enhancing the legitimacy of the leader. Most importantly, the upright way of the king can lay the foundation for the sustainable development of the country and attract the respect and trust of people from other countries."

"There are many countries and forces on the land of Terra, and the reputation of a country also affects the people under its rule."

Mace glanced at Xia Yuan secretly. Is the boss hinting at the Sarkaz? He must be right?

“A true leader defines himself not by holding grudges and seeking revenge, but by shaping the future through building and uniting.”

Abrana breathed a sigh of relief, and her eyes were filled with even more curiosity. "Sir Xia Yuan, please continue."

"We talked about Victoria's leadership before. Now let's talk about the economic system. Victoria is an industrial powerhouse. The amount of input and output each year is astonishing. But why are there so many Victorians living in slums? Is it because there are not enough opportunities to make money or not enough workstations?"

"This brings us back to the first point I just made. The nobles have mixed forces. Opening a factory is a game for them. They compete with other nobles, and there is also the ultimate division of interests... How can we govern Victoria well with such insects?"

Xia Yuan silently added in his heart that this also helped him. After all, if there were not so many noble forces, he would not be able to get the city-breaking spears and shield cannons for this trip, and he could not even recruit apprentices.

"In terms of culture and education, to be honest, Victoria has done very well. This can be seen from the astonishing number of apprentices in the arsenal. Victoria has done a very good job in inheriting industrialization. Of course, this also includes at least thousands of schools of all sizes in Londinium."

"Diplomatic tactics, this has to do with what I just mentioned, whether to follow the upright way or the crooked way. The good or bad reputation also determines how other countries view the leader."

Abrana drank up the coffee in the cup, she remained calm. She needed a while to digest what Xia Yuan had just said. At the same time, she was comparing and analyzing what Xia Yuan said with what Earl Warwick said.

"Sir Xia Yuan, I have doubts about the nobles around the king. Do all those disobedient nobles need to be eliminated?"

Xia Yuan looked at her strangely. Why did this person suddenly become so violent and start shouting for killing?

"When you don't have enough status and power, any threat to you can be eliminated, but conversely, you can also use them to help you." Xia Yuan said lightly, "There is an old saying in Yan State, 'The friendship between gentlemen is as light as water, and the friendship between villains is as sweet as honey'. Villains are more dependent on the king. Loyal ministers are all gentlemen, and their interpersonal relationships are as light as water, keeping a certain distance. But villains are not like loyal ministers, they will do their best to meet all the needs of the king."

"These people have many handles on them and cannot withstand investigation. Therefore, compared with loyal ministers, villains need to gain the king's trust. Once the king loses trust, they can be brought down by just digging up any crime. People with handles on them are like others holding their little braids, and they are generally more obedient."

Of course, there is one thing Xia Yuan did not say, which is that kings usually use these villains to do some dirty things that cannot be seen in public.

Next, Abrana continued to discuss Victoria's governance and how to become a king. Ravshini remained silent, her lively eyes lingering on Xia Yuan from time to time, sometimes looking at her quietly, and more often staring at her openly.

"...I gained a lot from this detailed discussion. It was even more exciting than the literature lecture at Victoria University." Abrana finished her coffee, glanced at the sky outside the window, and bowed on the chair. "Mr. Xia Yuan... No, please allow me to call you teacher. Your insights are unique, which I have never heard or understood before... I don't know how many days you will stay in Oak Forest County. If you have time, I would like to listen to your lectures every day."

Xia Yuan did not refuse. He took the opportunity when Abbrana stood up to do a reconnaissance and took a look at the favorability between the two of them.

[Abbrana's relationship with you: (18/100)]

[The relationship between Ravshini and you: (30/100)]

At least there is no hostility between the two of them at the moment, and their favorability towards each other is positive, so there shouldn't be any twists and turns.

After the two sisters left, Xia Yuan and Jian also left the cafe. The rain outside had stopped long ago. Jian followed Xia Yuan closely. She glanced at Xia Yuan and said, "Boss, where did you learn so much knowledge? If I hadn't known you before, I would have thought you were the Taifu of Yan Country."

"Exaggerated."

Xia Yuan smiled. Even though he had left the imperial capital of Londinium, he still felt being watched when he was chatting just now... He even wondered if he was too tired recently. He always had the illusion that someone was watching him.

Especially when talking about the King's Theory just now, Xia Yuan clearly felt the feeling of being watched... It should not be Lavshini's gaze.

"No...it's better not to pass on knowledge like the art of governing a country." Mace's face became slightly serious and he changed the subject. "Abrana and Ravshini don't seem to have any hostility towards you, boss, but maybe someone will want to get close to you because of this and tie you tightly to their warship."

Xia Yuan hummed, "I just think they are interesting, I won't tell anyone else."

"More than that, Mandela must be hungry. What should we bring back to eat?"

"Forget the Victorian cuisine, Boss. I'm almost vomiting."

"Then Yan Guocai."

"it is good."

......

Abrana and Ravshini put on their hoods and walked on the street at night. Abrana turned sideways and glanced at Ravshini, who was occasionally confused. She smiled slightly and said, "Are you shocked?"

"Hmm..." Lafshini was still thinking about Xia Yuan's words and actions, and she nodded softly when she heard that.

"Me too...it would be great if Xia Yuan was really our teacher."

Abrana smiled softly, "Compared to this impostor, both his knowledge and appearance are very much to my liking."

Chapter 122 Abbrana's Plan

The number of nobles in Oak Forest County gradually increased, and most of them were barons, a noble title with the least value. For the barons, they did not have their own territories, and their only way to make money was to participate in large and small projects set up by greater nobles, trying to get a piece of the pie.

Even in this situation, the barons and nobles who were Tara people still had to pay a considerable amount of taxes. It had nothing to do with the projects they were involved in or the progress. As Tara people, they had to pay. This was the rule set by the Victorian nobles. As the defeated Tara people naturally had to bear all of this.

Xia Yuan observed that these Tara nobles lived in the Victoria district, less than a few blocks away from the hotel where he was currently staying. As Tara people, they seemed to have no interest in the Tara people of Oak Forest County. During their time in Oak Forest County, no one stopped at the street entrance where the Tara people lived.

It seemed as if no one knew about the tragedy that happened in Oak Forest County. Mandela was the only one who visited the grave these days. She swept the fallen leaves in front of the tombstone with a broom, sprinkled clean water in front of the tombstone with a watering can, and wiped the surface of the tombstone with a linen cloth, trying to erase the traces of weathering.

The tombstone is like the current Tara people. The wounds have always existed and are constantly bleeding. These wounds are only licked by the common people of Tara themselves. The Tara nobles, who are also Tara people, have not expressed any opinions or views on this, and they are even too lazy to look at their compatriots.

They indulged in sensual pleasures every day, pouring their enthusiasm and happiness into one dance and cocktail party after another, getting drunk every day. Compared with a gathering and negotiation for nobles, they behaved in a very ugly way and twisted their bodies to their heart's content at the banquet. Perhaps only in this way could they temporarily forget that they were Tara people.

"It's really ironic, teacher."

Abrana was standing next to Xia Yuan, holding a parasol in her hand, and next to them stood Lavishini. This combination of three was quite common.

After making sure that the two women had no hostility towards him, Xia Yuan asked Jian to look after Mandela. In the past two days, Mandela stayed in the cemetery alone until late at night. Although Xia Yuan was curious about what she was doing, Mandela was already a mature girl, and Xia Yuan did not want to control her all the time. He had to respect Mandela's independence.

It would be better to let your elder sister, Jian, take care of this matter.

Instead of staying in Oak Forest County, they left the town and went to a nearby Victorian spot where residents liked to go on a picnic.

"Are you talking about the nobles of Tara?"

"He said he was the role model and representative of the Tara people, but at the same time he used alcohol to numb himself."

Xia Yuan leaned on the tree stump, glanced at the blueprints he was working on, and added, "For the nobles of Tara, this is unavoidable. They have long been accustomed to being enslaved and have been kneeling for too long. It is obviously impossible for them to truly stand up."

"What about a war?" Abrana whispered.