Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 329: Chapter 239: Still Many Good People_2

”What does Your Excellency mean by that?”

”The obstacles you’ve faced in your investigation are because the police force has just been established, and the people don’t recognize you. Consequently, your deterrent effect is even weaker than that of a foreman. Moreover, the leaders of the construction team have direct control over them. Since the function of the police force hasn’t been made apparent, they think concealing the truth is no big deal.”

Lance paused, a strange smile on his face, like a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

”I will not intervene in this case. You will handle it yourself. Once it’s over, they’ll understand what the police force is.”

Simply put, much like with Grendel, he wanted to build momentum for William and the police force, establishing the kind of authority a coercive institution should possess. The price would be paid by those who were caught; they would become sacrificial lambs to solidify William’s authority. As for whether the punishment was justifiable, that was irrelevant to Lance. For now, those people had no grounds to blame him. It was their mistake in the first place, and secondly, William was the one handling the matter.

As his territory grew, it was impractical for Lance to deal with everything personally. It had to be clear that he was the Lord, the one controlling the overall situation from behind the scenes, not someone who stood out in front and made public appearances.

”If this case is thoroughly investigated, nearly four hundred people will be implicated. Isn’t that too great a shock for the town? Won’t it cause opposition from the townsfolk?” William voiced his concern. More than two hundred of the people who stormed the police station were among those implicated. If they proceeded this way, it might indeed cause turmoil.

”Is your baton just for show?”

But those individuals were clearly not within his considerations. If they dared to storm the police station today, what they might do tomorrow was unthinkable. A heavy hand was essential! Lance had to show them who the true master of Hamlet Town was. Some things are theirs only if I give them; if I don’t, they cannot take them.

”Go. Investigate thoroughly. Do not overlook any vermin, but also do not wrong any innocent person. Speak with evidence, not with confessions forced through violence.”

Lance signed an investigation order, granting him the authority.

Some things need to be restricted from the very beginning; otherwise, once started, they can easily spiral out of control. One must remember, people of this era have no concept of ’quality’ or ’morality’.

”Yes!”

William took the investigation order and departed. Stepping outside and looking up at the sky, he couldn’t help but let out a deep breath.

Indeed, if I had remained cooped up in that remote little town, I would never have understood what true justice was.

He strode out. If he had held any reservations before, now, with the Lord’s tacit approval, he was ready to take significant action!

***

”You all should know the situation by now. Go and pack your things.”

In the government building, Tiffany looked at the group of people standing before her and shook her head with a sigh of resignation. Most of their family members were implicated in the case, and Tiffany, following orders, was dismissing all those who worked in the government system.

As for what would happen to them once they walked out that door—whether they would be arrested or something else—she didn’t know; it wasn’t within her scope of work.

A job in Hamlet Town’s government system was definitely well-compensated and relatively less demanding, but now, all of that was irrelevant to them. Having lost their jobs here and with a mark on their records, their chances of finding good work in the future were essentially nonexistent.

There were those who felt wronged, those who were anxious, and those who were terrified. For them, it felt as though the sky had suddenly fallen. Some knew about their family members’ actions and had even provided help; they feared being arrested the moment they stepped outside. But many more were unaware and had not participated. We’ve done nothing wrong, so why is this happening to us? they wondered.

Some wanted to plead for mercy, but Tiffany had no sympathy to offer them in this matter.

”You have no one else to blame for this. Hasn’t the Lord been good enough to you?”

In the end, all they could do was leave. As soon as they stepped out of the main entrance, they were taken away by the police force for investigation regarding what they knew.

Those who were not affected by this wave of dismissals had mixed expressions upon witnessing this scene. It had to be said that the incident served as a powerful deterrent to others. Many planned to go home and warn their families to avoid being dragged into similar trouble.

In Hamlet Town, within a commoner’s house, a middle-aged woman’s brow was furrowed with worry. Her family was better off than most. Although the journey as refugees had been arduous, they hadn’t lost any members. Later, because her husband was a craftsman, the entire family had been able to settle in Hamlet, and her son had even been selected to join the army.

But this morning, her husband had been taken away for investigation and had not yet returned. This situation, reminding her of recent events, made her increasingly uneasy.

Finally, the door opened. However, it wasn’t her husband who returned, but her son, who was supposed to be in the army.

”Why are you back?”

But the woman quickly realized her son must have rushed back after hearing the news about his father. With no one else to rely on, she couldn’t help but pin her hopes on her son.

”Your father was taken away by those people from the police force. You have to quickly find a way to rescue him.”

”How can I rescue him?” The young man looked very surprised upon hearing this, seemingly unable to comprehend why his mother would say such a thing.

Parents often harbor an inexplicable sense of superiority over their children, never permitting them to question.

”Aren’t you in the army? What are you afraid of the sheriff for? If you go rescue your father, would they dare to stop you?”

Traditional, outdated feudal thinking was deeply ingrained in the woman’s mind. In her understanding, the army was more powerful than the sheriff; committing a crime wasn’t to be feared as long as one had strong connections.

However, the young man’s time in the army wasn’t just spent training; he also attended classes in the evening. After being exposed to the Lord’s ideology, their ways of thinking were no longer on the same level.

Thus, upon hearing her words, the young man was stunned. His expression shifted multiple times before he finally spoke.

”I’ve been dismissed from the army.”

After saying this, the young man slowly exhaled, feeling his entire body go limp.

Hearing her son’s words, the woman was taken aback. Panic unconsciously crept into her expression as she pressed him urgently, ”How could this happen? Was it because you didn’t work hard enough? Are the family benefits gone?”

At these words, the young man nearly had a stroke. His fists clenched, veins bulging.

He had originally been unsure how to face his family, nor had he understood why he was implicated. Now, he finally understood why he had been dismissed. At this moment, his heart was filled with a sense of grievance that finally erupted.

”All my assessments in the army were ’excellent’! I was on track to join the Lord’s Honor Guard and fight for Hamlet! But it’s all because of you! It’s because of your offenses that I was dismissed from the army! All my efforts have been wasted...”

He hadn’t shed a tear even when wounded in fierce battles with enemies, yet now, he couldn’t stop himself from wailing. Everything he had was destroyed. From a glorious warrior, he had lost everything, including the privilege of standing by the Lord’s side.

The woman was also stunned. She realized her son had changed, and her last pillar of support had crumbled.

”No... God has abandoned our family...”

”To hell with God!” the young man roared. ”It’s clearly you who betrayed Hamlet! You betrayed the Lord and took everything from me!”

With that, the young man stormed out. He would rather sleep on the streets than stay in this house a moment longer.

The woman stared at the open door, slowly sinking into regret.

”What a sin we’ve committed...”

Similar scenes played out repeatedly in Hamlet: people were continuously dismissed, taken away, and investigated...

The turmoil did not subside with Lance’s return; on the contrary, it intensified.

Lance, however, was indifferent. This great purge would bring rebirth to Hamlet. What he needed now was to seize this opportunity to abolish the rudimentary and decaying system, allowing more capable individuals to fill the vacant positions.

This cleansing was long overdue...

In this small town of no more than two thousand people, nearly four hundred were implicated—that was almost one in every five. In truth, however, only a little over two hundred people had committed serious crimes. Only five faced the death penalty; most were sentenced to hard labor in the wilderness. As for the implicated family members, although included in the count, they weren’t sentenced to hard labor; they were merely stripped of their jobs.