Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 409: Chapter 273: Destiny? I Never Believed in Fate_4

Who goes?

I shall...

The middle-aged man slowly opened his eyes to find himself alone in the room. He quickly reviewed the recent events. Not long ago, the Council of Fate had suddenly discovered that a lost evil object had appeared in the Northern Borderlands of the Empire on another continent. As a member of the council, it was his duty to confirm its presence and retrieve the object to prevent further disasters.

Soon, the middle-aged man stood on the docks of the Holy City, boarding a merchant ship bound for the Empire.

「...」

An army marched along an old road, moving forward in silence within a specific formation, with about a dozen Cavalry scattered on the periphery for reconnaissance.

Even though Lance didn’t believe in Amanda’s divination, he ultimately altered his tactics.

He abandoned the plan to split his forces and set aside the encampment as a target. Instead, he chose to concentrate his superior numbers for an all-out attack on the town, planning to adjust further actions based on the battle’s development.

Compared to the encampment, the town’s location was indeed more critical. It could sever the Ascension Sect’s communication and supply lines with the outside world and also allow them to recover a stretch of the road the sect had built. This would later serve as a springboard for sending troops to Ovando.

Moreover, as long as he didn’t divide his forces, he could monitor the entire battle. His soldiers would gain a morale boost, and he was confident he could crush the Old Ancestor’s schemes even if they encountered a trap.

Even if they couldn’t win, they could use the terrain to execute an orderly retreat. If scattered in the wilderness, regrouping would be very difficult.

Most importantly, a town serving as a transport hub would undoubtedly possess a large amount of supplies. He would be very pleased as long as he could steal the Old Ancestor’s offerings, regardless of what they were.

Even if all the Heretics in the encampment fled, he wouldn’t consider it a loss. He was aiming for a steady victory; his previous haste in developing the wilderness had already taught him a bitter lesson.

Of course, he didn’t tell anyone about the divination, as he wasn’t the type to believe in such things.

So, his explanation to others was that splitting forces might alert the enemy prematurely. It was better to secure the biggest prize first; that way, even if the camp was lost, they wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.

The others naturally didn’t understand why the Lord had suddenly changed tactics, but these were not their concerns. They simply needed to execute his orders loyally.

”The town is just ahead,” Geralt said, guiding Lance like a pathfinder, though his demeanor seemed somewhat off.

Lance halted the army. ”I’ll scout ahead with Geralt first,” he announced. ”You all rest as planned and recover your strength.” Then, he and Geralt rode ahead.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Geralt; he simply had to personally scout the town’s terrain to formulate further offensive tactics.

This was his first time leading an army to attack a town. He had to be cautious and aim for a decisive victory, as even a minor setback could damage his authority.

”Are you dissatisfied with me for not rescuing those refugees?” Lance asked directly, addressing a hidden conflict between them.

Geralt wanted to rescue the refugees being taken to the encampment, but clearly, Lance’s current choice meant, to a certain extent, abandoning those people.

Upon hearing this, Geralt fell silent for a moment. He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt, but there was indeed a sense of helplessness. However, he wouldn’t blame Lance, merely sighing.

”I understand the Lord’s reasoning,” Geralt said. ”Attacking the town indeed offers a greater reward. If attacking the encampment inadvertently alerted the town, it would cause even greater trouble.”

Geralt wasn’t a child; he was well aware that, in the grand scheme of things, those refugees held little significance.

In his long life, he had faced many difficult choices, and regret was an ever-present companion.

”If we confirm the town is indeed an evil cult stronghold, based on its intelligence value, I’ll raise your mission reward to thirty Gold Coins. As for that encampment, whether they’ve fled or not, I’ll give you ten Gold Coins.”

Lance knew what Geralt needed right now. Heart-to-heart talks were useless; money spoke louder. Forty Gold Coins was a substantial sum, especially since there had been no battles or expenses incurred so far.

”This way, Lord!” Sure enough, after hearing this, Geralt’s spirits lifted quickly.

Only children talk about morality; adults negotiate interests.