Our Family Has Fallen

Lance stepped into the port area. The district bustled not only with construction projects but also with merchant ships loading, unloading, and tallying cargo. Goods purchased from various places were unloaded, and then the ships were filled with products from Hamlet—mostly agricultural and sideline products. Even with several farms supplying Totnes, for a gigantic city with a population in the hundreds of thousands, possibly even a million, there was always a shortage.

Lance spent money on various tools that were difficult to produce in Hamlet, including substantial amounts of metals and gunpowder. However, what was shipped back were just ordinary agricultural and sideline products. Exchanging agricultural products for industrial goods meant a significant price difference, a burden he had to bear.

Lance called it the growing pains of development. He just didn’t know how long this pain would last…

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the docks, Lance saw the Romani boarding their uniquely shaped ships. Five hundred Romani had already caused considerable trouble for Hamlet. Although Lance had intentionally used them to make an example and establish his authority, they were ultimately a hassle. This was just the first batch. The Romani from the eastern and northeastern parts of the Empire would probably number two or three thousand, which meant several more waves to come. However, with these precedents, they should be a bit more obedient. Otherwise, Lance did not mind levying a fine.

Watching the Romani continuously board the ships, Lance soon realized something was amiss: the ships certainly employed the Romani’s space-expanding techniques. Supernatural Organizations that had survived and developed in this world for so many years certainly possessed valuable assets, like the Spiritual Network and this type of spatial technology. Lance was somewhat envious, but now was not the time.

Soon enough, the Romani ships were loaded. Carrying their kin, they departed Hamlet, leaving only a lone figure standing on the dock.

”Well? Are you thinking of going with them?” Lance’s voice interrupted Amanda’s reverie. She turned her head to see him standing beside her.

”I’ve been to Totnes,” Amanda said. ”Indeed, it’s prosperous, but it felt to me like an obese old man who can only lie in bed, his body covered in festering wounds, concealed with perfume and luxurious clothing, emitting an odor of decay.”

Lance listened but didn’t seem to mind her assessment. Instead, he shared his own understanding of Totnes. ”That’s quite normal. Given the productive capacity of this era, that land simply cannot sustain so many people. Therefore, Totnes is fated to be a malformed city. Moreover, with development, the network of relations among the Nobility has formed and solidified over the years. Feudal tendencies have deeply infiltrated Totnes. When any slight move can affect various aspects, it becomes more conservative and exclusionary. This is a developmental bottleneck that no one can avoid. It’s like a patient who has lost the ability to take care of themselves. Sometimes, it’s not that the brain doesn’t want to survive, but rather that the slightest movement causes pain throughout the body. If you don’t have the heart to cut out the diseased parts, you might still be able to move your fingers at first. Gradually, as the disease worsens, all you can do is lie in bed waiting for death.”

To some extent, both recognized Totnes’s predicament. However, Amanda perceived it only through the city’s atmosphere and expressed her disdain. Lance, however, elucidated the underlying reasons, dissecting why Totnes had reached such a state.

Prosperity inevitably leads to decline—a law true even in modern times, let alone under the productive conditions of a feudal era.

This was the answer Lance gave from a historical perspective. Presumably, Hamlet must have fallen into decay at the hands of their ancestors like this too…

Amanda pondered for a moment before she couldn’t resist asking, ”What do you think will happen to Totnes?”

”Who knows?” Lance replied with a smile, showing no intention of continuing the topic. Instead, he commented, ”Everything is but a scene in history. Sometimes, thinking too much can be tiresome. If it were possible, I’d rather know nothing and live a happy life.”

With that, Lance lost interest and turned to walk back.

Amanda didn’t know why, but the moment she heard his words, an inexplicable tremor ran through her heart. It was her innate talent, warning her as if she had stumbled into something terrifying.

But this time, she did not flee; instead, she chose to follow him.

”Is it really a good idea to leak that information?” Amanda asked.

”With the development and opening up of Hamlet, it’s bound to come out eventually,” Lance replied.

”Then why announce that Hamlet can cure leprosy, a divine punishment? Such news might attract the attention of the Church, right?”

Amanda was puzzled about one thing: why did Lance add that part?

”Because Hamlet must make a name for itself,” Lance explained. ”Overcoming leprosy—a plague that has not been successfully dealt with for thousands of years—will make Hamlet’s name echo throughout the world, and talents related to medical care will converge here.”

Hamlet’s reappearance in the world had to be distinguished from its past. However, they had nothing truly impressive to showcase, and Lance didn’t want to reveal his formidable strength. Thus, the medical field became an excellent entry point. It wouldn’t have a strong offensive nature, but the topic would be broadly disseminated. It would also attract many medical talents, stimulating Hamlet’s local economy and promoting the development of medical care in Hamlet.

Relying solely on Paracelsus was asking a bit much of her. Lance saw her working overtime every day, exhausted to the point of collapse, which truly pained his heart.