Our Family Has Fallen

But now that a famine had broken out within the city, even the price of food had become unaffordable for the common folk, let alone these luxuries.

However, there were still people in the city who could afford such things, and one could easily guess who they were.

Moreover, among the convoy’s cargo was a cartload of refined salt. Just by labeling it as exclusive to the Nobility and imported from Totnes, its price could surpass that of half the entire convoy’s goods.

Not to mention that refined salt indeed lacked the bitter taste, significantly enhancing the flavor of food.

But what was more important to the target audience was prestige, and there were those who were willing to pay for these.

The convoy gradually merged into the manor, and Vick made his way directly into the room.

”Good news, the Lord has approved your plan. He said you have free rein to proceed boldly.”

Vick placed the cargo registration list on the table, then took out a letter from his person, sealed it, and pushed it over. ”This is the reply from your family.”

After doing all this, Vick casually sprawled onto a nearby chair and let out a long sigh, completely relaxing.

His face did not hide his exhaustion, as he had undertaken a special task for this trip.

His haste was due to the plan they had discussed; they needed the Lord’s approval to continue, and Walter in Ovando was waiting for that confirmation, which was why Vick had to rush back.

But he couldn’t help but speak up after sitting for just a moment.

”You have no idea how much Hamlet has changed. It’s only been half a month, and the town has lots of new and interesting things. That newly built public bath...”

Vick was just as enthusiastic when talking about Hamlet, his words carrying a touch of pride.

Meanwhile, Walter picked up the envelope and began to read. The situation at home was very good. He could sense from the text that his children had all found things they liked. His wife, however, worried about his safety and had mentioned it a few times.

But it was precisely this that reassured Walter, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

”...You don’t know about the tavern’s new chilled beer. On a scorching day, one bottle makes you feel like you’re going to take off.”

Walter carefully stowed away the letter and, hearing Vick speak of these things, couldn’t help but tease,

”You sure had a good break, kid, but it’s tough on me working to death over here.”

When it came to serious matters, Vick grew serious and asked, ”By the way, how have things been in the city during the days I was away?”

”Not good.” Walter’s smile quickly faded. ”Many people in the city have already starved to death. There were also several uprisings. Although they were ultimately suppressed, the blood on the streets still hasn’t been cleaned up.”

”What’s more troublesome is that nobody knows where those bodies have gone. Logically, with so many corpses, there should be traces of them being disposed of, but I couldn’t find any.”

”Moreover, more and more people are disappearing in the city. I can’t say for sure what the situation is; I’ve only instructed our men to be careful.”

Hearing this, Vick’s expression became even more grave, and he involuntarily straightened up from his slouched position.

When he left, the situation in the city was not yet so dire. It had only been a few days; how could things have deteriorated to this extent?

Especially since he had just returned from Hamlet, contrasting the two felt like being instantly dragged from Heaven to Hell, causing him to blurt out a question.

”If order has already collapsed to such an extent even before the war has begun, what are those Bureaucrats in the city doing?”

Hearing this, Walter broke out into an uncharacteristic laugh, his tone sarcastic.

”Hahaha! Haven’t they always been busy eating?”

The two had been partners for some time now, and Vick was no longer the naïve person he once was; he naturally understood what Walter meant.

In fact, this level of chaos was utterly inconsequential to those people; rather, it presented the perfect opportunity for them to harvest others’ lifelong savings, greedily stripping them to the bone.

Now that they were feasting, with oil dripping from their mouths, how could they possibly stop?

Vick seemed to understand just how despicable those men were, as he had once been one of their victims.

However, this only served to highlight the greatness of their Lord, as well as the beauty of Hamlet.

”What are the merchant guilds up to? They won’t stop either, will they?”

”Yes, about that,” Walter nodded in agreement. ”I was just about to bring it up.”

”It’s basically impossible to supply the front lines with food from Ovando now. The granaries of the surrounding farms have been emptied, and the autumn harvest is still a month away. Yet, these people need more and more food.”

”In order to find more food, Gene is preparing to take the lead in reopening other trade routes, intending to supply the front with food from the entire Hamlet Region. For this, they’re poaching our people to spy on the caravan situation.”

Due to the war, many bandits had entered Hamlet’s territory. Their looting and plundering greatly increased the survival pressure on trading groups, both large and small.

The smaller caravans couldn’t withstand the pressure, and a large number collapsed. It was Walter who then took them over, obtaining their channels and trade routes in the process.

As for the larger caravans, unwilling to endure the endless attacks any longer, they gave up on delving further into Hamlet’s other towns and villages, choosing instead to supply from Ovando’s closer towns and farms.

Even so, Walter and Vick launched several actions, disguising themselves as bandits to rob these caravans, reinforcing the belief that ”bandits roamed freely outside.”

It could be said that within Ovando City, only their group currently had the ability to travel to and from the Hamlet Region. Walter even made sure to spread rumors that his own Walter Trading Group was often attacked and suffered heavy losses, using this as an excuse to raise prices.

At the same time, he used this pretext to recruit more people, but fewer always returned. This concealed the fact that they were supplying Hamlet and deepened the other trading groups’ incorrect impressions.

It had to be said that Walter was indeed very cunning. He had plundered so many resources and people, yet barely anyone had noticed.

But now that the surrounding food supplies had been depleted, prices had been driven up again.

Business is all about profit, and in the face of huge benefits, there is nothing they would not dare to do.

Now, Gene was precisely eyeing this opportunity, and obviously, they also knew where the food in Walter’s hands came from.

”Hmph! Such wild ambitions. Doesn’t he fear any accidents?”

Vick’s face hardened. Hamlet was not a place Gene could enter or leave as he pleased.

The Walter Trading Group’s freedom to come and go was thanks to several operations by the Hamlet Cavalry, which had cleared out major bandit lairs and hideouts.

There were also the channels and routes accumulated earlier, and finally, there was a Guard formed from a core of Hamlet’s retired soldiers.

Even so, they often encountered problems, as could be seen from the bloodstains on Vick’s clothing, showing how difficult the journey was.

What did Gene have?

”There’s something you might not actually know. Gene indeed gambled correctly. The front line held and wasn’t breached by the Rebels. And while his efforts to transport food to the front were for money, he caught the eye of an important figure and was knighted for it.”

”Although Gene was a Knight purely in name, without any Fief or real authority—and everyone knew it was a title bought with money—it didn’t prevent him from truly getting a leg up. Naturally, he had to work even harder.”

Walter spoke with a touch of emotion. Sometimes it wasn’t about how powerful you were; more so, the situation creates heroes.

If society were stable, Gene, a mere merchant, would likely have been spurned for trying to associate with Nobility. But now, seizing the moment, he not only made a fortune but also snagged an honorary title.

And Gene’s family would also benefit from this opportunity; it was not impossible that they could rise beyond this small place called Ovando.

”So, we’re going to hit him hard?” Vick looked towards Walter, nodding, his face devoid of any hesitation.

Just as before, Vick, masquerading as a bandit, had already robbed those merchant groups of significant goods, and many people had fallen to his blade.

He served only the interests of Hamlet; other people were outside his consideration.

That’s just how this world is...