Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 495: Chapter 313: Happy Cooperation_2

Her choosing him was somewhat surprising to Lance, giving him a sense of being recognized.

Amanda believed she understood Tamara very well. She knew Tamara was still struggling with past events and desperately wanted to prove herself. This return, with the Elders’ support, was the opportunity Tamara had long craved. But why would she give up this chance now? What was she thinking? This made Amanda waver as well. She knew that with her teacher’s personality, if she failed her mission, she likely wouldn’t be trusted or given important roles even if she returned. She might even face suspicion of leaking information and be ostracized. Perhaps staying was a good choice for her too. The path back was unclear, but that man’s—Lance’s—attitude was very clear.

Tamara made her stance clear, while Amanda remained silent and observant. Their attitudes delivered a severe blow to the old crone.

Are you not Romani? Weren’t you nurtured by the organization? What about loyalty? How could you be swayed to another’s side after only a few days here?

Initially, at the Elders’ Council, she had confidently stated she would resolve this matter and bring back Tamara, who possessed special talents. But now, it was a complete defeat... Was the organization truly so fragile?

Indeed, it was absurd. She herself was an Elder, high above in the organization, enjoying tributes from below. Meanwhile, of these two, one had been hunted by the organization for years, and the other undertook the most exhausting and grueling tasks, only to be doubted by their own people—who could withstand that?

”I think you’ve misunderstood something,” Lance began. ”This isn’t an adversarial situation; choosing one doesn’t mean rejecting the other. You are my friends here; does returning mean our friendship ends? We can still be friends, and Hamlet will still welcome you. The Elder is right; no matter what, you are Romani. That’s an unchangeable fact. Now that the misunderstanding is resolved, why dwell on such a simple matter? You can return openly and do what you love.”

Lance continued, turning to the old crone with a smile. ”Surely the organization won’t obstruct your return, right, Elder?”

Lance’s words broke the strange atmosphere, and everyone finally reacted.

The binary, black-and-white thinking had confined their vision, making them forget that the world doesn’t just consist of confrontation but also cooperation and normal communication.

Even the old crone began to realize this. She had always treated him as an enemy, engaging in adversarial communication. But was it possible that there was no need for them to be adversaries? This reminded her of their first interaction. His attitude had indeed been very good; he hadn’t used the two women as hostages, nor had he leveraged his formidable personal strength to make a point. Instead, it was her arrogance that had made her look down on him, misinterpreting his friendly gesture as a warning. If not for her foolish attack, perhaps the organization wouldn’t have suffered such severe losses.

Until just now, the old crone had believed the two of them were coerced into making this choice. But now, it seemed it wasn’t coercion, but simply his personal charisma. Because now, even she was won over. Her loss was not unjust... If her previous concessions were due to being overpowered, this time it was truly willing submission. Before this man, all schemes and intrigues seemed useless. He just stood there, open and upright.

Tamara, it should be recalled, had previously discussed with Lance what she wanted in return for going back. Since things had reached this point, she laid out her terms.

”If you want me to return, it’s simple,” Tamara stated. ”You must replenish the resources I’m lacking, and I also want access to the other Sacred Object. I will prove I was not wrong!”

Upon hearing these demands, the old crone couldn’t help but look at Lance. These conditions had been mentioned during their first interaction, which at the time she had considered a provocation.

But what was her choice now?

”Very well, I agree to your terms...” the old crone replied.

Soon, the decision about the two women’s future was made. The old crone agreed readily. She had originally thought it would take a significant price to bring them back, but now there was hardly any cost. Because they were both Romani, it was as if an investment had returned to her own pocket.

But she was still puzzled. This man couldn’t possibly want nothing in return, could he? Otherwise, why would he have made those three demands at the beginning?

”Go and prepare yourselves,” Lance said. ”I still have some things to discuss with the Elder.”

Tamara and Amanda quickly left, and the room fell silent once again.

Lance was no mere do-gooder; his actions always had a purpose, one that was only now becoming apparent. Sending the two women back was like building two bridges between himself and the Romani. As Tamara and Amanda grew within the organization, this relationship would become even more solid. He didn’t prioritize immediate benefits, focusing instead on long-term gains. That was why Lance intended to use his influence to help them clear away obstacles.

So what if the old crone knew about their relationship? If she returned and retaliated against the two women, she would only be pushing them further towards him, and Lance would gladly accept them. If they were secretly eliminated, Lance would have an excuse. Sometimes, the dead were more useful than the living. In other words, no matter what, the moment the old crone appeared here willing to negotiate, she had already lost, walking straight into a meticulously prepared trap.

”What do you want?” the old crone asked.

”It’s simple,” Lance replied. ”Your Romani are about to withdraw from the Empire. I’ll take what you can’t carry away, and I also want a detailed map of the Empire’s territory.”

”How did you know we were leaving?”

The old crone was surprised. She had only shared this information with the person in charge, and it was a very recent decision. It couldn’t possibly be...

Fortunately, Lance immediately explained his reasoning, preventing her suspicion from growing.

”The situation in the Empire is becoming increasingly chaotic. I don’t believe you would choose to stay.”

The Romani’s tendency to flee was well-known. Their style didn’t even need to be guessed—would they stay and join the war instead of fleeing? That wasn’t their way. Therefore, everything they couldn’t take with them—whether resources or networks—would be of great assistance to Lance.

”Of course, I’ll pay you,” Lance added.

Lance wasn’t trying to oppress or exploit them; he was proposing a transaction, as they would likely cooperate in the future. The offer of Gold Coins helped the old crone sense Lance’s goodwill. Exchanging things they were already planning to abandon for money—there was no reason to refuse.

The two then discussed the details of this matter and soon reached an agreement.

”It’s a pleasure doing business with you. I hope our first collaboration doesn’t lead to any more misunderstandings,” Lance said, offering his hand to the old crone.

The old crone extended her hand. ”Of course. We value this collaboration greatly; that is why I am here.”

Lance certainly didn’t believe her platitudes but nodded in agreement anyway.

”Alright, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way,” Lance said. ”Make yourselves at home, but do not disrupt Hamlet’s order. I will only say this once.”

Just as Lance stood up to leave, the old crone furrowed her brow, hesitating for a moment before speaking.

”Why?”

”Why what?” Lance paused, then quickly understood. ”Are you asking why I chose to resolve this matter peacefully?”

”With your strength, you shouldn’t have to endure such... indignity,” the old crone said, her expression strange, yet she still uttered the word.

”Otherwise?” Lance smiled, seemingly unconcerned. ”Kill you over this incident? Then go to war with the Romani?”

”Yes, I could indeed do that. I have the strength, and I don’t fear war. But what would be the point? Infighting among humans is meaningless, much like the war currently raging in the Empire. Regardless of who wins or loses, all the costs are passed on to ordinary people. If I were to wage war against you over such a trifle, the ones fighting on the battlefield wouldn’t be you, nor I. It would be those townspeople, ordinary Romani. They might be laughing with their families today, but tomorrow they could die on the battlefield. All for your so-called ’indignity’?”

The old crone contemplated Lance’s words and fell silent. She had witnessed the cruelty of war firsthand on her journey.

”Believe it or not, I’ve said it before: my enemies are not humans. But if anyone insists on standing against me, Hamlet will never fear war.”