Chapter 322 The Hidden Truth
“You know what? This game really doesn’t have any identical NPCs. Even the ones who are supposed to be brothers just look similar. The developers put a lot of effort into this,” Baylon remarked.
“Louis plans to keep this game running for over 15 years. If the foundation isn’t solid, how’s it supposed to grow? Besides, it’s a VR MMO–standards are higher,” Kendrick said dismissively.
Bored with the small talk, Kendrick waved at the violin player.
“Stop playing for a sec. Tell us about this Emily. How’d she end up in jail?”
The room fell silent. The woman hesitated, then shook her head. “I can’t talk about that. Madam forbids it.”
“Come on, she already spilled the beans herself. Why can’t you?” Kendrick tossed a bag of credits onto the table and tilted his chin. “See this? It’s yours if you talk.”
Freya glanced at the pile–about a hundred credits, likely half a year’s earnings for a person like her.
Money in this game wasn’t worthless. As for them, maybe they didn’t even see so many credits before. These may only appear in the big cities.
“Wow, you’re really used to throwing money around, Freya muttered. Even in–game, she was frugal.
The woman wavered, then finally spoke./
“During the Courtesan Queen competition, Emily and Floramora’s Rose were the favorites. They tied in votes, but the city lord’s third son, Marcus Walker, took a liking to Rose. He crowned her the Courtesan Queen and paid ten and credits for her… first night.
“And then? Marcus died? Emily became a suspect?” Freya guessed.
“What? No. Rose died that night, and Marcus was so shocked he started raving. The city lord arrested everyone present, including Emily since she was next door,” the woman corrected.
“Oh. That’s… surprisingly logical,” Freya said dryly. She’d expected something more dramatic.
“Logical? The city lord still hasn’t found the killer, and it’s been days,” Baylon leaned forward,
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Chapter 322 The Hidden Truth
suddenly interested. “How long has it been?”
“Ten days. Emily was our star performer. Madam’s frantic, but no one dares defy the city lord’s orders to release her.
“No one’s even tried to get updates?” Kendrick pressed.
“After the city lord’s decree? Anyone who asks questions gets punished.”
Freya stayed quiet, letting the other two take over.
My imagination is too wild–better leave this to the reasonable ones.
Once they’d grilled the woman enough, Baylon dismissed the performers. Alone again, the two men buzzed with theories while Freya half–listened.
“That city lord’s hiding something. A murder involving his son, and he hasn’t solved it in ten days? Plus, the madam’s too scared to ask questions? And those weird rules? Definitely shady,” Baylon declared.
Kendrick rolled his eyes. “No kidding. The question is, what do we do next? VR MMOs suck for this too much freedom, no clear direction.”
–
“Let’s scout the lord’s manor tonight. Sneaking in’ll be fun,” Baylon said without hesitation.
“Sure, why not? We’ve got nothing to lose.” Kendrick stood up, ready to leave.
Freya stared.
These two had tagged along with me, yet now they acted like they’d stumbled onto an epic quest. Their enthusiasm was almost comical.
“Hold on. At least pack the food. We paid for it, and who knows how long this’ll take? I’m not eating those bland rations again if I get hungry halfway,” she snapped.
9/3
+10:04 Mon 30 Jun
Chapter 323 Caught in the Act
