Our Family Has Fallen

”But this time, the Lord himself designed them, did you know that?”

When this news broke, the crowd instantly grew agitated, discussing it animatedly.

”Holy shit, really? Who told you that?”

”Who knows what it looks like?”

”It’s designed by the Lord; it must be great!”

No one objected to this claim. Anything from the Lord was considered good, and anyone who dared to say otherwise was asking for a beating.

This wasn’t due to oppressive governance but rather their deep-seated trust in the Lord, as always.

After all, no other noble treated them like human beings instead of livestock.

While they were discussing the uniforms, shouts suddenly came from outside.

”Captain! A lumberjack found a white wolf in the forest! It’s severely injured and lying on the ground, but still breathing. He’s asking what we should do.”

A white wolf? Such fur color isn’t common.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately remembered something. The Lord’s white wolf had gone missing before, and they had been instructed to keep an eye out during patrols.

Since decisions concerning the Lord’s affairs were beyond their authority, the camp leader, without much hesitation, quickly dispatched a squad of ten men.

”First squad, stay here. Second squad, follow me to take a look. Third and fourth squads, continue patrolling as usual. An injury indicates the presence of wild beasts or enemies. Everyone, arm yourselves and be careful!” he ordered.

”Yes, sir!”

The entire camp sprang into action because of this news.

It wasn’t just because the white wolf belonged to the Lord that they attached so much importance to it. As they’d discussed, such a severely injured wolf indicated that stronger beasts or enemies were nearby, which could potentially invade the farms and affect production and daily life.

Protecting the safety of the farms was their duty.

Once outside, they found the lumberjack who had discovered the white wolf. As they hurried along, he began to explain, ”This morning...”

Acting swiftly, the camp leader led the second squad quickly into the forest. There, they found the white wolf, barely breathing and struggling to move.

The soldiers, having fought beasts before, knew that such severe injuries would have killed wild boars or Savage Bears. Yet, the white wolf before them was still alive—undoubtedly a testament to it being the Lord’s wolf.

”That’s right, I’ve seen the white wolf before; this is the one,” confirmed one of the soldiers. Many of them had accompanied the Lord in exterminating bandits and Heretics, so they could recognize it.

”You, ride back and report this. Say that the Lord’s white wolf has possibly been found but is badly injured. Ask how they want to proceed.”

”Yes, sir!” The man accepted the order and rode out quickly, galloping towards the town.

「Inside Hamlet Town.」

Although the Lord placed great trust in her, Grendel didn’t dare to slacken in the slightest. She was already busy at her station by daybreak.

Generally, these matters were handled in the administrative building, which had been refurbished from the Mercenary Guild hall and was equipped with a specially designed office for the Governor.

However, the Lord disliked working in the administrative building, uttering odd phrases like, ”Work? Impossible. I’ll never work in this lifetime.”

Instead, he preferred to handle administrative affairs in his own estate, saying it felt ”like coming home” and was more comfortable.

So, this office had been vacated, providing the perfect opportunity for her to take over.

The system established by the Lord, though still somewhat rudimentary, represented efficiency and executive power for a small place like Hamlet.

The issues that reached her desk were generally quite mundane. Apart from basic reports and approvals, there were no significant matters until the news about the discovery of the white wolf arrived.

”Have that soldier come see me,” Grendel immediately ordered.

The soldier had hurried back on horseback. He hadn’t even sat down after submitting his report when he was called.

But these weren’t conscripted serf soldiers; this amount of exertion barely counted as a warm-up in their training. His brief report on the situation plunged Grendel into silence.

Her thoughts aligned with the others’. Regardless of whether the wolf is the Lord’s pet, such severe injuries also indicate that enemies are near the farms.

Grendel knew there was something strange about the lands of Hamlet, and this discovery made her more vigilant.

She knew the Lord had only returned from the Beast Lair yesterday, and Boudica had told her about the hardships of that journey. Not wanting to wake him over a trifle, Grendel decided to check the situation herself first.

”Let’s go. I’ll go with you to take a look.”

Grendel couldn’t ride a horse, but Lance had specifically prepared a carriage for her. It was the one that had belonged to the young noble who rushed over, hoping to reap benefits after the Witch was defeated.

As long as one is useful, one can certainly feel the Lord’s meticulous care.

By the time Grendel arrived at the farm, the white wolf had already been taken into the barracks.

At first glance, not a single patch of its fur seemed intact as it lay on the cart. Although it had received some rudimentary treatment, its frail state made it look as if it could die at any moment.

Despite its drastically changed appearance, Grendel recognized it as the Lord’s white wolf, Wang Cai.

This was why she was so surprised.

Its bloodline purity is high enough to be considered an Extraordinary creature. Typical wild beasts couldn’t possibly be its match; even the vicious beasts of the Mountains would find it a challenge. What could have injured it so severely?

With this thought, Grendel moved closer for a careful look. However, when she saw Wang Cai’s wounds and felt the power lingering on them, an uncontrollable surge of emotion overcame her.

This power… Could it be that the Evil Wolf actually pursued us here?

Grendel was a physician from the Mountains. She had seen all sorts of injuries and witnessed battlefields bloodier than this; it was nearly impossible for her to be frightened by the sight of wounds or illness.

She reacted this way because she recognized what had caused the injuries.

The strange power lingering in the wounds… it belongs to the Wolf God, the one I have a blood feud with!

Fortunately, she too had endured many hardships and quickly regained her composure.

Didn’t the Warwolf suffer heavy losses when it tried to cross the Mountains? If my will hadn’t been strong, how could I, alone, have escaped the Mountains while being pursued by the Warwolf?

Besides, she had been influenced by the Lord recently. Her heart no longer felt as adrift as before. With a newfound inner strength, her ability to withstand pressure had naturally increased; she wouldn’t collapse emotionally over this.

Only then did Grendel begin to ponder what happened after Wang Cai escaped. As a physician from the Mountains, she knew a great deal about the various tribes.

After a moment’s thought, she understood. The Fang Tribe was probably coveting Wang Cai’s bloodline, which is why they pursued him here. It wasn’t because of me. This is all just a coincidence. The key to this matter is Wang Cai… Having interacted with Lance, I know he’s fiercely protective of his own. If Wang Cai dies at the hands of the Fang Tribe, the enmity between Lance and them will only deepen. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about him not helping me get revenge. At the same time, if Wang Cai dies, whatever plans the Fang Tribe has will be shattered. I’d be very interested in thwarting those fiends’ plans.

At this thought, Grendel’s gaze towards Wang Cai turned somewhat unsettling.

I wouldn’t even need to do anything. If I just delay a little longer, it will die on its own.

After much hesitation, Grendel abandoned this idea. She pulled a Potion vial from her pocket and handed it over.

”Feed this to him.”

It’s not that I’m kind. But if Wang Cai dies here, Lance’s protectiveness might backfire on me. With Lance’s abilities, he would certainly figure things out. I don’t want to create friction between us, whether for the sake of revenge or for other reasons…

The Deerhead Tribe’s Potions were so effective even the Warwolf praised them. A soldier helped administer it, and within seconds, Wang Cai’s condition began to improve. Though there were no external signs, its breathing had stabilized.

In the end, she chose to trust that Lance would keep his promise to her. She then turned to the camp leader and issued commands.

”Immediately send someone to notify Reynard that traces of Barbarian Tribes have appeared nearby! Also, have Sheriff William come to assist with the search. Halt all work on the periphery for now and pull everyone back.”

Grendel’s abilities were beyond question. Once she made a decision, she acted decisively, without any hesitation.

But just then, a distant, ambiguous howl suddenly pierced the air.

Upon hearing it, Grendel’s face turned instantly pale. Heavy anxiety, even panic, surfaced, but she suppressed it all in an instant, her expression hardening as she altered her previous command.

”It’s too late! The enemy has discovered us! Immediately withdraw everyone from the farm!”

She paused for a moment before uttering the final words.

”Light the wolf smoke signals…”