Our Family Has Fallen

The tragedy that had befallen Tamara had already taught him a lesson.

Similar was the case with Nun Junia, who had been misled by the Church for so long that she had now become delusional.

”For me, really?” Mary looked at the flower with a longing expression. She hadn’t felt it before, but once the flower was taken away, an emptiness bloomed inside her, an irritable mood, as if she desperately wanted to snatch it back.

Lance smiled and handed the flower to her. ”Take it. It was always yours.”

But as he handed it over, Lance grabbed her small hand that was holding the flower and warned her solemnly, ”Remember to be the master of your power, do not submit to it. Use your power for the right things, just like I used my power to drive off the enemy and save you, understand?”

Mary, truth be told, couldn’t quite grasp the deeper meaning of his words, but she nodded in agreement anyway.

”Mary understands.”

Only after hearing her response did Lance let go, the seriousness on his face slowly fading, but he still reminded her, ”However, from now on you must remember that this item is very important to you. It’s a gift from your brother and me. You cannot give it to anyone else, understand?”

”Understood! It’s a promise between Brother Lance and me.” Mary took the flower and carefully placed it in her pocket, a relaxed smile finally gracing her lips, a smile that not even her tear-stained, kitten-like face could hide.

”You’re quite the clever little thing,” Lance said with a laugh as he reached out and tousled Mary’s blonde hair.

But Wang Cai appeared out of nowhere, its spiritually-formed wolf eyes fixed on Mary. It didn’t like Lance petting someone else’s head; that was a privilege only it enjoyed.

The appearance of Wang Cai plunged Mary directly into fright, and she instinctively cried out, ”Wolf!”

Intense emotions seemed to trigger her power, and a strange aura appeared to emanate from her.

”Don’t be scared. I’m here; nothing can hurt you.” Lance, realizing what was happening, immediately reached out to steady the panicked Mary, quickly explaining, ”Calm down. It’s not a wolf, it’s a dog. It won’t hurt anyone.”

As he spoke, Lance scooped up Wang Cai with one hand, tucking its head under his arm and pretending to pat it a few times; even a Spiritual Body like Wang Cai couldn’t escape.

”Popping up suddenly and scaring others, you’re looking for trouble, aren’t you? Even in this form, you still can’t give me peace of mind.”

What could Wang Cai do?

It endured a beating for no reason. Though it felt no pain, an aggrieved expression still appeared on its face.

Seeing this, Mary’s agitated emotions began to stabilize a bit, and the dangerous aura permeating the air gradually dissipated.

She still can’t control her power, it seems. It releases during intense emotional fluctuations. Lance thought. However, the fact that she could see Wang Cai showed that this awakened talent of hers, which seemingly came with its own ’equipment,’ was truly extraordinary.

Lance also observed her condition. If she really can’t control it, that would be problematic. Fortunately, this farce ended with Wang Cai being the unlucky one.

Just the sight of a wolf-like creature frightened her so much. It’s clear this incident had a severe impact on her.

”Mary, don’t be afraid. Let me show you a magic trick.”

With that, Lance lifted his hand and performed a series of flashy moves, then reached into the air and, like a magician, produced a few malt candies in his hand.

Children are easily attracted by flashy displays, and sure enough, his actions immediately caught Mary’s attention. As a farmer’s child, she had never even heard of candy, let alone seen it.

”Here, Mary has been good today. This is your reward.” Lance fed her one directly.

Hardship is never worthy of praise, Lance thought, but I still want to show them that after suffering, there can be sweet hope.

As the sweet taste hit her taste buds, a sensation she had never experienced before instantly cleared away any remaining fear Mary had. In this era, devoid of rich foods and sweets, nothing could satisfy the senses more than fat and sugar.

”May I save some for my mom and brother?” Mary held the few pieces of candy in her hands, looking up at Lance with hopeful eyes.

”Once they’re given to you, they’re yours to do with as you please,” Lance said with a smile, adding, ”and by the way, when your brother wakes up, tell him I really admire his bravery. Nothing can knock down Hamlet’s People.”

”Thank you, Brother Lance!” Mary was so happy she nearly jumped with joy.

Grendel stood by, watching this scene with a somewhat strange expression. It was hard to imagine that a Noble Lord from the Empire would have the patience to coddle a child. What was even more outlandish was that it had actually worked. A few short sentences had turned the little girl’s tears into laughter. Watching their interaction, the barriers that lay between them seemed to dissolve. Then again, coming from him, it wasn’t so strange...

After briefly comforting them, Lance left the room to let them rest properly.

Just as Grendel caught up, she heard Lance’s voice.

”You’re mistaken. It’s not just one of them; both children have awakened Supernatural Power. It’s just that the boy’s injuries are so severe and his Life Force so depleted that it’s not apparent.”

Lance’s inspiration was exceptionally strong; moreover, he had personally healed the child named Tom, so he could naturally sense things others might miss.

It was just a momentary burst, and the situation was so dire that I must have overlooked it... Grendel, thinking Lance was pointing out her mistake, instinctively started to explain.

”No! You did very well!” But at this moment, Lance abruptly halted his steps, turned to look at Grendel, and interrupted her.

”Ah?” Grendel was also a bit out of sync with his pace.

”You had the chance to escape amid the chaos. Why did you go back?”

Grendel was clearly aware that Warwolf was coming. Her earlier reaction had revealed her fear of him. Yet at that moment, instead of fleeing, she chose to intercept, holding out until he arrived. That took more than ordinary courage.

”At the moment I realized Warwolf was coming, I did think of running away,” Grendel admitted, knowing it was best to be honest with Lance; any attempt to deceive him would only bring trouble. ”I had a carriage. If I had pretended not to know and left first with Wang Cai, no one could have blamed me.”

”But I knew that leaving might displease you, and the heavy losses to the farm would weaken Hamlet’s strength, affecting the revenge plan.”

”I guessed then that Warwolf’s target was either me or Wang Cai, so I intended to use the carriage to lead him away with Wang Cai. At that point, I still had no intention of confronting him directly.”

”But he came too quickly. By the time I drove the carriage out of the camp, the wolf pack had already swarmed in, and many people hadn’t managed to retreat in time.”

”The forward scouting wolves were no more than a thousand yards from Warwolf. I realized then it was too late. I should have abandoned those outside, returned to the farm, and organized a defense to use our flesh and blood to stop Warwolf’s invasion.”

”But at that moment, those soldiers charged against the retreating crowd to fight the white wolves. Simultaneously, a wave of Supernatural Power awakening surged from ahead. I knew I absolutely couldn’t turn back then; I had to save them. I had no choice but to step forward.”

A critical point Grendel didn’t mention was that those soldiers rushing against the tide to meet the wolf pack instantly reminded her of her own tribe. They had done the same back then, facing Warwolf to buy her time, and then...

When she charged forward in the carriage, she was prepared to risk her life. And indeed, if Lance had arrived any later, she probably would have been killed.

Lance pondered for a moment before speaking. ”I don’t like to coerce others. My only requirement for everyone is that they bear the responsibilities commensurate with the benefits they enjoy. If you encounter a situation beyond your capabilities, just do your best. I won’t blame anyone.”

”As you said, if you had chosen to leave then, I wouldn’t have held it against you, because I know how much pressure Warwolf put on you, and I know he was completely beyond your capabilities.”

”But there’s a difference between retreating and deserting. It would be hard for me to trust someone who...”