Our Family Has Fallen

They did not voice an opinion, as it was the Lord’s question to answer, and naturally, the decision rested with him.

Lance could see the man’s fierce determination to change his current situation. He liked ambitious people; it meant they were willing to work.

However, overly enthusiastic people often possessed a strong utilitarian drive. Such individuals were difficult to read; one had to rely on real-world experience to discern their true nature.

”What is your name?”

”Bonaparte.”

On hearing this name, Lance couldn’t help but ponder. ”That doesn’t sound like a name commonly found in the Empire. Where are you from?”

”I am a serf who fled Parretos to avoid taxes and came to the Empire. Then, when the Empire suffered disasters, I continued my flight and ended up here.”

Lance knew Parretos was in the Knight’s Country, west of the Empire. He had heard that taxes there were as high as ninety percent, frequently prompting serfs to flee.

”Good! I’ve taken note of you, Bonaparte,” Lance said, nodding at the young man who was not very tall, but he didn’t agree immediately.

”Joining the army has conditions. I can pardon you and promise not to let your identity be an obstacle, but whether you can join depends on whether you can pass the military recruitment tests.”

He’s clearly too clever. This attempt to use the military as a stepping stone irks me somewhat.

If you achieve merits, I can’t simply refuse you. So, I’ll give you a chance. Whether you can seize it or not is up to you.

With that said, he turned to his companion.

”And you?”

This man lacked Bonaparte’s audacity. He merely asked for a pardon to shed his criminal status. He could then be transferred to another farm to work for a year before becoming a regular worker.

Lance’s pardon extended not just to the individual but to their entire family. In addition to this, he also gave them a monetary reward, though it certainly wasn’t as much as the gold coin Barin had received.

After sending these two away, Lance then turned his attention to another pair from a different camp.

These two were also in a somewhat special situation. They were Hamlet locals who had later abused their positions for personal gain. They were few in number among the criminals and were ostracized due to their status and the nature of their offenses. Otherwise, the Heretics wouldn’t have considered them potential recruits.

”I remember you. You have a...”

Back then, to quickly gain control of Hamlet, he had familiarized himself with practically everyone in town. Thus, he could now accurately recall the family circumstances of these two men.

”I believed in you, which is why I entrusted this to you...”

Lance seemed to have much more to say, but ultimately, he didn’t continue. He just waved his hand, his tone softening.

”You two, go home.”

”My Lord!” Hearing this, the two men instantly broke down in tears. They couldn’t help but fall to their knees, prostrating themselves on the ground as they wept and cried out.

Reynard and Balistan had accompanied Lance all this way. The current exchange seemed to transport them back to their first days in Hamlet. It had only been half a year, yet it felt strangely distant.

Witnessing this, both Reynard and Balistan were deeply moved.

”Alright, alright, go on. Your families are waiting for you. Make sure to live a good life from now on.”

Lance did not say much more. Merit was merit, and transgressions were transgressions. They had made a mistake, so they were punished; they had performed a meritorious deed, so they were rewarded.

After those two had left, Lance began to make arrangements.

The breach needed to be filled as quickly as possible, and the outpost’s defenses had to be strengthened, all of which required considerable labor.

Lance decided to first bring over the two groups of Heretics. He would have them perform hard labor, and once their usefulness was exhausted, he would send them to the sanatorium, thus making full use of them.

There was no question of their compliance. The camp guards knew how to handle such individuals. They would be shackled, starved for a few days, and flogged. Even Heretics would eventually submit. After all, these people had infiltrated with ordinary human physiques; they wouldn’t find being beaten pleasurable.

After generally addressing the matters in the wilderness development area, Lance let out a long breath. He remained silent for a few seconds before speaking.

”Let’s go. We’ll take them home.”

Reynard and the others knew the Lord was referring to the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives.

All able-bodied soldiers at the outpost came out to see off their comrades—the very men with whom they had shared breakfast, laughter, and conversation just that morning...

The bodies on the wagons had been tended to, their appearance made as dignified and less gory as possible. They were covered with hemp cloth to hide their wounds, looking as if they were merely asleep.

”Let’s go. I’ll take you home!”

The Lord did not ride his horse. Instead, he personally drove the lead wagon, escorted by Cavalry. The procession was exceptionally solemn.

The convoy proceeded slowly...

Cavalry rode ahead, clearing any potential obstacles and also carrying the news forward.

Soon, the two farms along the route learned what had transpired: the outpost had endured a fierce attack by Heretics but had ultimately held its ground, and the Lord was now escorting the soldiers who had fallen in battle.

The reaction from the farms was not vocal, but rather one of stunned silence. More accurately, it was shock bordering on disbelief—why would a Noble Lord do such a thing?

As the convoy passed, some people placed wildflowers, common in the wilderness, beside the fallen soldiers.

Lance noted this. It was a spontaneous gesture, as there would have been no time to organize such a thing.

These people developing the wilderness were no strangers to Heretics. Indeed, in the early days, tragedies had occurred due to Hamlet’s insufficient strength.

The situation only eased as Hamlet’s strength increased, more soldiers were deployed to the area, and the outpost was recaptured.

It was precisely because they had encountered them that these people understood just how terrifying the Heretics were.