Our Family Has Fallen

”Hahaha, a bunch of trash!”

Alvin was entitled to laugh. Thanks to their armor, they had suffered no severe casualties during the night attack by the Heretics; it was the Barbarians who had lost a few men. His schadenfreude was undisguised. It seemed he still harbored a grudge over being outmaneuvered, especially for the loss of the Eagle Flock. After all, once Alvin understood the situation, he knew this force was the private army his father had left him to conquer Hamlet. The loss of the Eagle Flock, an excellent scouting team, pained him immensely.

However, the Baron’s expression grew even more solemn when he heard this, for he had noticed something else. Their cavalry unit of fifty men made quite a racket, so it wasn’t strange that the Heretics could find them. But the Barbarian troops were very agile; the fact that even they were found by those fiends showed just how rampant the Heretics in Hamlet truly were.

The Baron’s concern was that if previously they only needed to clear out some local hardliners to control the territory, now they faced another enemy—one far more troublesome than the local authorities. The Baron’s perspective on the problem was now quite similar to Alvin’s; indeed, they both viewed Hamlet as their own.

”It’s strange...” the Baron pondered his words. ”These Heretics’ activities are usually very clandestine. They wouldn’t easily commit such acts. Even if they wanted to cause a slaughter, they would target ordinary people, not a fully armed military force like ours. Wouldn’t they?”

The Baron knew the Earl had never given up on the land of Hamlet. The Earl had always ordered infiltrations and investigations in secret, preparing for the day he could better control the region. There were rampant bandits and outlaws, and various evil and strange monsters, but no news of Heretics. So why, upon their arrival today, did a band of Heretics suddenly attack them?

Of course, they couldn’t understand. Initially, the Sect of Ascension’s strategy for the surrounding areas involved sending Preachers to covertly convert people into followers. They pursued a sustainable harvest, hiding in the shadows. Even when they caused slaughter, they would use many disguises—like brigands, outlaw Witches, and the like—fearing to draw the Church’s attention.

But Lance’s arrival had shattered the surface calm. He waged war without restraint, annihilating large numbers of Heretics. Moreover, the situation was chaotic. Even if the Church discovered them, it didn’t matter because many heretical sects had emerged. When the time came, simply pushing some followers forward could quell any unrest. The Sect of Ascension could no longer maintain its facade. It simply let loose the slaughter, aiming to create as many corpses as possible. Recently, not only refugees but also some villages and towns had been attacked. No reason was needed, only Ascension!

However, none of this mattered to the Baron. The existence of Heretics was what was important to him. Seeing that Alvin still hadn’t grasped the situation, he felt compelled to add, ”These Heretics are so brazen. Could it be that the ruler of this place has already become one of them? Is it with their support that they dare so blatantly attack anyone entering Hamlet?”

Alvin was startled at this suggestion but quickly caught on, chiming in, ”You’re right! Hamlet has been occupied by Heretics. We cannot allow this to happen! We must rescue those poor ordinary people and free them from the Heretics’ rule.”

There couldn’t be a better reason. Under the Church’s influence, nothing was more righteous than striking down Heretics. It wasn’t just the Barbarian invasion; Heretics were also running rampant. The more chaotic Hamlet became, the more it suited their interests, because disorder made it easier for them to maneuver. As for how the war they initiated would affect the ordinary people living there, it was hard to say. They would be lucky not to be mistaken for Heretics and beheaded.

”Master, do you think we can make our move now?” Alvin asked. In his view, now that Heretics were involved, the Barbarians had lost their original usefulness. Of course, the ideal action would be to attack the wounded Barbarians immediately and eliminate them all. They couldn’t be allowed to escape.

”No, they are still useful.” The Baron, however, did not quite agree and slowly shook his head.

”Why?” Alvin frowned, somewhat dissatisfied that his master always seemed to want to spare those people. He needed a battle to prove himself; simply put, he wanted to regain some face.

”To be honest, I’m no match for that Barbarian leader,” the Baron said. ”They are still pursuing some unknown objective and are wary of losses, so they dare not confront us head-on. But if we push them too hard, they might abandon their mission and turn on us. Then we would have to face those terrifying Wilderness Hunters and a Champion blessed by the Barbarian Evil God.”

The Baron made no attempt to conceal it, directly admitting he couldn’t defeat Warwolf. The reason he was a Baron, and not merely a Knight, was his formidable strength. He was a powerful expert who could be called a Master. Now, in his prime, his strength hadn’t waned. It could be said that barely a handful of people in all of Bastia were stronger than him. More importantly, it wasn’t just his individual prowess that was significant. He was a commander, and his experience in warfare was his most precious asset.

Just how powerful was Warwolf, whom the Baron himself admitted was his superior? Following his master’s words, Alvin couldn’t help but recall that massive, hairy figure wielding a long-handled battle axe... When they had first faced the cavalry charge, that man had swung his battle axe, cutting down three fully armored cavalrymen. Afterwards, he alone led his troops to tear through their blockade, reversing a situation of certain death.

Alvin was very confident in his own strength. This was evident when he faced the night attack without donning armor, simply grabbing his longsword to cut down Heretics. But recalling that man’s performance on the battlefield, his restless heart calmed somewhat.

He couldn’t win. He really couldn’t win...

Noticing the change in Alvin, the Baron couldn’t help but smile inwardly, though he didn’t show it. On the contrary, he began to encourage him, ”Of course, in war, forget a Champion; even Legendary warriors can die if caught in a well-prepared army formation. So, we might have a chance to kill him.”

The Baron wasn’t lying. Surrounded by thousands of soldiers, facing countless longbows and heavy crossbows, even the strongest individual would face a dead end. But the enemy isn’t a stationary target. What would be the cost of pinning down a Legendary warrior?

”I estimate that by sacrificing thirty elite cavalry, we could surround and kill him,” the Baron continued. ”Just give the order, and I will personally lead the men. We will kill him, even if it means fighting to the death.”

”No, absolutely not!” Alvin had been keen to hear a strategy, but he immediately and vehemently rejected this one. His father had left him only these fifty cavalrymen. Losing thirty of them, plus a Baron? What would that mean? If he lost so many against these Barbarians, he could forget about controlling Hamlet. He might as well go home to his mother.

The Baron had clearly anticipated Alvin’s reaction; otherwise, he wouldn’t have said such a thing. It was more of a warning. It wasn’t that they couldn’t win. Rather, forcing a battle would lead to excessive losses, and a commander shouldn’t make such rash decisions. The Baron was teaching him, but it was uncertain how much Alvin would grasp.

”So, we just let them run wild?” Alvin asked, still reluctant. Understanding the disparity in strength was one thing; accepting reality was another. Clearly, he still hadn’t let it go.

Alvin’s reaction also disappointed the Baron somewhat. He’s still young, after all. He won’t learn his lesson without suffering a significant loss. But now, the Baron could only briefly outline the next steps. ”That Barbarian is strong, but he’s only one person. The emergence of Heretics has already shown that Hamlet is not as simple as we thought. We need him to continue stirring up trouble and expose more enemies. Let them take the casualties; they’ll be our best vanguard.”

In the end, Alvin agreed with his master’s idea. For now, they wouldn’t move against that Barbarian. Instead, they would continue to drive them off, using those fellows to scout ahead. If they could draw out and deplete more Heretics, all the better.

Alvin turned to the scout. ”You! Keep your eyes on those Barbarians. If you lose them again, I won’t spare you!”

Their conversation wasn’t secretive; they spoke openly beside the Heretics’ corpses. The woman had overheard most of it. When Alvin suddenly addressed her, she snapped back to attention. She was used to being ordered around and said nothing, merely turning and quietly departing.