Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Showdown_1

”This is Paul’s home. Life wasn’t exactly good, but their family of four was complete until bandits broke in. The husband and two children were hacked to death by the bandits, and the wife was violated in front of their corpses before being taken away.”

”Over there, a bomb hit that house and collapsed it, burying everyone underneath. By the time they were dug out, the bodies were unrecognizable.”

”And over there...” Susan trailed off, gesturing to another ruin.

Several days of recovery had finally given the captain the ability to get up and walk.

But now, after suffering several days of inner torment, he had wasted away. His once robust frame rapidly withered, his head wound still wrapped in bandages. His full beard had been shaved off, leaving behind a pale face, and his mental state was extremely haggard.

Susan walked with the captain through Hamlet, pointing to the ruins and recounting what had happened there.

She was responsible for taking care of the survivors; these were the true stories she had heard from them.

Others were things she had witnessed while participating in the town’s reconstruction.

The captain leaned on a wooden stick, gazing at those places. Indelible scenes replayed in his mind, impossible for him to shake off.

Flames, wails, slaughter...

He tried to adapt, but no matter what, he couldn’t let go of it all; he simply could not forgive himself.

Or rather, the townsfolk slaughtered under the butcher’s knife couldn’t forgive him.

The soldiers he had led to their doom couldn’t forgive him.

Susan saw the captain’s faraway look and knew he had fallen into those memories again.

For the past few days, he had awakened from nightmares nearly every night, his screams so loud she could hear them from afar.

He still hadn’t broken free from it. Even though she followed the Lord’s orders to speak to him daily about the bandits’ vile acts, it failed to spark his anger, instead making him more listless.

A passing townsman approached. ”My Lord requests our presence at the church; he has something to say.”

”Alright, I understand,” the captain replied, his voice barely a whisper.

He instinctively stepped aside to avoid the townsman, lowering his head, not daring to make eye contact.

This reaction made the townsman glance at him curiously, but he said nothing more and ran off to notify others.

Susan watched his reaction and sighed. ”Lift your head. Life must go on. Do you plan to live like this for the rest of your life?”

The captain was pulled from his daze by her words and reluctantly managed to lift his head. He listened to Susan’s reprimand without any desire to argue, but soon fell silent and lowered his head again.

Susan had initially felt some pity for his ordeal, but seeing him so dejected now also sparked a fury in her—a resentment that he wasn’t living up to what he should be.

”Who here hasn’t been hurt by the bandits? You, a grown man, are weaker than even a woman like me!”

”’I...” The captain started, but trailed off. He was suffering greatly from unspoken hardships; he couldn’t bear to face these townsfolk, terrified of his identity being recognized.

Susan, realizing she might have been too harsh, quickly softened her tone.

”Let’s go.”

In the church’s main hall, all the original religious decorations had been removed, leaving only a simple, austere hall and rows of benches.

In this era, even town churches were built to be very spacious, easily accommodating several hundred people.

Everyone sat closely packed on the long benches, with some standing. They were all discussing amongst themselves, curious about what announcement Lord Lance had summoned them to hear.

Just then, soldiers carrying spears jogged to the church entrance. The troop neatly parted into two rows, and Lance appeared between them, walking towards the church, flanked by the fully armed Reynard and Balistan.

Lance was no longer in his usual plain clothes but wore a full suit of armor, making him look incredibly imposing.

”I have an announcement,” Lance said, not intending to waste time. He glanced at the crowd and continued, ”The bandits have regrouped and are heading towards Hamlet.”

As soon as this news was released, the crowd erupted. Panic visibly spread among them, and a clamor arose.

”Quiet!” a squad leader shouted. Then, all the soldiers simultaneously slammed the butts of their spears heavily on the ground, producing a dull thud.

It had to be said, this display indeed intimidated the townspeople, quickly quieting them down.

”There’s no need to worry,” Lance declared. ”I will personally lead the troops to resist the bandits and will not allow such a tragedy to happen again. As long as you stay here, you will be safe. They’ll have to step over my dead body to get to you.”

Saying this, he turned to the soldiers and began his pre-battle rally.

”Behind us are our families and friends! We have nowhere left to retreat! Now, take up your weapons and follow me! Let’s make those bandits pay the blood debt they owe with their lives!”

”Blood for blood!” Andrew was the first to raise his spear and shout, followed by the other soldiers, their cries merging into a massive wave of sound.

The townspeople, already shaken, felt inexplicably reassured upon seeing this. The fear instilled by the bandits gradually dissipated, dispelled by the Lord’s confident presence.

Had anyone else said this, no matter how well, they wouldn’t have felt this way. They trusted Lance because the Lord had fulfilled all his promises: they now had money in their hands and bread to eat.

Of course, there were also the high-spirited troops and, in their eyes, the formidable figures of Reynard and Balistan.

It was because the facts were laid bare before them that they chose to believe in their Lord. Without a foundation in reality, mere words were nothing but castles in the air.

Lance disliked excessive talk, as it would dampen everyone’s spirits. He directly tasked Susan with managing things here and appointed a few others to help her maintain order.

In truth, all they needed to do was lock the doors. Bandits without cannons posed no real threat to them inside.

Before leaving, Lance glanced at the captain but said nothing more and departed with his troops.

Someone feigning remorse couldn’t become so haggard so quickly; that wasn’t something one could fake.

After Lance left, the church doors were sealed. Susan had no time for the captain; she began organizing everyone to settle down.

Although they believed in their Lord, the pain from the bandits’ previous raid had not easily faded, and a heavy atmosphere spread through the hall.

Silence didn’t alleviate the tension; it merely buried the anxiety deeper in their hearts.

Seeing the crowd’s despondent mood, Susan knew she had to do something to reinforce their confidence in the Lord and help them pass this difficult time more quickly.

Remembering what the Lord had told her, she stood among the people and began to speak about the recent changes.

Susan wasn’t skilled in eloquent speech. She simply used the most simple, heartfelt words to describe how the Lord’s arrival had brought hope to her when she was in despair.