Our Family Has Fallen

She really didn’t need to show any kindness to these people. They might possess Extraordinary Talent and have received organizational training, but the fact that they were let out was enough to prove their abilities were mediocre. The truly capable were held within the organization or, like her, led crucial places like Totnes. Those who could only lead a wandering group of a hundred-odd people were a joke in her eyes.

After being reprimanded, those people also felt somewhat guilty. Did they really not understand why they were being targeted?

In fact, they knew. Amanda had even warned them many times before that Hamlet was different from other towns.

But these people were accustomed to deceiving and cheating. They also knew there wouldn’t be a second chance, so they planned to make a quick profit before leaving. This led them to condone the actions of those they brought along.

Another reason was Lance’s deliberate indulgence. He hadn’t taken strong measures against them, which only fed their arrogance.

These Romani people thought Lance was being cautious because of a deal with the organization, but in reality, he just wanted to catch them all in one fell swoop.

The woman’s words finally made the people realize their situation. Although some of them were nearly fifty or sixty years old, they still submitted. After all, Transcendents were judged solely by strength, not age.

But just as they were discussing what to do, someone rushed in hurriedly to report.

”My Lady, they have come knocking!”

This slightly panicked statement also represented the attitudes of the others. The women who had been sitting and gossiping just moments before suddenly felt the pressure.

”How is that possible? Weren’t the sheriffs searching the town just now?”

”How long has it been? Do they have that many people?”

”Damn it, where is Amanda? She ran off at a time like this?”

One could say they hadn’t anticipated the sheriffs’ actions to be so swift. They also complained about Amanda, completely forgetting how they had treated her before, only to think of her now in their time of need. It was truly laughable.

But soon, an instinctual feeling arose within them—to flee.

”What should we do now?”

”Should we leave this place?”

”Let’s escape quickly.”

The woman looked at their disorganized behavior, her expression growing even more troubled. She had her reasons for looking down on these people.

”Shut up!”

The woman’s rebuke made everyone calm down. They couldn’t help but look at her, as if she were their backbone.

”What are you afraid of? With so many of us here, what can they do? If things really escalate, I’d like to see how they plan to clean up this mess!”

The woman displayed a commanding presence, instantly subduing the others.

She would never agree to them fleeing; after all, she came here to seize power.

In fact, her understanding was somewhat different from Amanda’s. She didn’t care about the so-called position of responsibility; she had to firmly control Totnes’s channels. That was why she had come to meet her new ’boss.’

Amanda’s concessions had bolstered her ambition, so she didn’t mind showcasing herself in this situation.

Her identity and authority had easily allowed her to take over the position Amanda once held, as was evident from the others’ reactions just moments before.

She had deliberately waited for their panic to fester. Then, at the right moment, she would step forward to demonstrate her leadership.

She wasn’t truly foolish; on the contrary, she was quite intelligent. She only dared to act this way because she had seen through the surface of the situation.

She had realized that the sheriffs’ actions were directed only at the offenders and did not affect ordinary Romani people.

Furthermore, during the incident at the square, no military presence was seen—only sheriffs.

Their actions hadn’t involved direct violence. They merely arrested those who had committed crimes. This indicated the incident had a clear cause and hadn’t spread.

It also suggested the other party had no intention of escalating the situation, which gave her room to maneuver.

Soon, she would only need to force them to back down temporarily. Once she had dealt with this matter, Amanda’s position would be permanently eliminated, and news of her actions would spread among the Romani people and the organization.

As for the consequences, she didn’t care at all. She wasn’t the one in charge; Amanda would be the one to inherit the thorny situation.

If Amanda took a hard stance and caused a confrontation by not handing over the people, she would be in the wrong. If she surrendered and handed them over, she would also be in the wrong. Meanwhile, I myself will be on a ship back to Totnes.

”Come on! Follow me out,” the woman said with great confidence. This is going to be my stage to shine.

The two Guards also followed, their attitude clearly showing how much they trusted their mistress to handle these matters.

They had come from Totnes; dealing with these backcountry bumpkins should be a piece of cake, right?

Their inexplicable and strong confidence influenced the Romani leaders, who also followed her out, ready for a confrontation.

William had already brought his men over. As the woman walked out, she immediately saw resistance forming.

Seeing that the sheriffs were not using direct violence only confirmed her speculation. Therefore, she boldly stepped forward and even began to scold them.

”This is our Romani camp! What are you doing here? Leave at once!”

It had to be said, her stance provided a sense of reliance for the Romani. Most of the tribe members’ gazes didn’t even fall on their own leaders but were focused on her instead.

The woman reveled in this sensation. Power intoxicated her.