Our Family Has Fallen

This revelation caught Margaret off guard, thinking she had been well-hidden, leaving her stunned and speechless.

”Sit down, no need to be nervous,” Lance gestured for her to sit and speak, breaking the odd atmosphere.

”You know?” Margaret snapped out of it, speaking with a wary tone.

”Wrong,” Lance corrected her small mistake, ”everyone knows you’re Baron Lawrence’s daughter.”

”Ah! This...” Margaret could only react this way in the end.

So she thought she hid it well, but in reality, she was already exposed.

”Then why don’t you arrest me?”

”Why would I arrest you?”

”Obviously because I’m Lawrence’s daughter.”

”What does that have to do with me?”

”...” This sentence left Margaret speechless, instinctively retorting in the next second, ”But you captured my father!”

”That’s because he led the Order of Knights to invade Hamlet and we defeated him, that’s why he was captured. You didn’t lead anyone to invade, why would I arrest you?”

”That seems right...” Margaret felt something was amiss, but couldn’t pinpoint it.

”Sit down,” Lance gestured towards the chair again, this time Margaret sat down in a daze.

Seeing her manner, Lance couldn’t help but smile and proactively changed the topic, ”How do you feel about coming to Hamlet?”

”Uh... it’s a strange feeling...”

Lance laughed upon hearing this, directly pointing out a key aspect, ”Is it because you’re not accustomed to not smelling that fermenting manure odor?”

Indeed, Margaret suddenly realized that there was no such smell, no wonder when walking the streets earlier she felt something was missing.

It turned out to be the absence of waste everywhere and the stench from its fermentation, unavoidable even in Bastia’s most bustling main streets, yet not present in this small town.

Simultaneously, Margaret couldn’t help but survey her surroundings; even her castle was not free from such a smell, yet here, not a whiff in this small house?

”Who knew toilets could be so impactful?”

”Oh, you know about this?”

”Aunt told us about these things, and...”

Margaret brought up unique aspects of Hamlet, inevitably mentioning her arrest for carrying a gun on the street.

Lance didn’t mind giving her some guidance on this matter.

”The existence of rules is never to protect the weak, but rather to safeguard society as a whole.

For example, when Lawrence was still around, you were the Baroness, but now that Lawrence is captured, you’ve directly lost your Sanctuary, flipping from powerful to weak, nearly dying several times along the way. Do you like this free environment?”

Margaret fell into thought, clearly viewing the issue from another perspective.

Susan viewed it from an ordinary person’s standpoint, while Lance clearly explained from a ruler’s point of view why such rules needed to exist.

Lance was somewhat disdainful of those so-called Social Darwinians, as you can’t remain forever powerful, and there’s always someone stronger than you.

The result of falling into such a trap is endless hatred and warfare, reality has shown these outcomes through various historical periods.

Seeing the consequences yet continuing in this manner, what purpose does history serve?

So in Hamlet, Lance pushed for collectivism, emphasizing unity, order, and stability.

Currently, most work in Hamlet is provided by the Lord, with a planned economy and labor under strong leadership, showcasing a robust Life Force in this unpolluted structure.

Few are actually on the payroll, most people exchange labor for food, and an identity and farmland they’ll own in 1~3 years.

Only soldiers, sheriffs, government officials, craftsmen, and researchers earn a defined salary, while most others fill scattered dangerous jobs driven by profit.

For example, during the initial wilderness development, many died, and terror spread, making people unwilling to go, even if all the labor reform convicts were brought over, there was still a labor shortage.

Ultimately, it was offering them daily pay that convinced people to participate, as no money, no life gamble!

After capturing the outpost, things stabilized a lot, with received refugees deployed to development easing the labor shortage and opening up opportunities.

But these refugees received no pay; their efforts in development aimed more at being well-fed and dreaming of the future.

Lance arranged for them to have jobs, ensuring they were well-fed, well-clothed, in a secure place, maintaining a stable environment through rules.

Otherwise, accepting so many refugees yet letting them go unrestrictedly, Hamlet might have already turned into the Old Ancestor’s blood bag.

But these were clearly not topics to discuss with Margaret.

”So why are you looking for me?”

Lance’s words finally reminded Margaret of her reason for coming here, and she couldn’t help blurting out, ”I want to know about my father’s situation.”

Lance didn’t rush to answer, instead posing an intriguing question.

”Assuming your identity wasn’t exposed, how would you ask about Lawrence’s situation without revealing who you are?”

She now dared to speak up because her identity was revealed, but what if it wasn’t?

Margaret didn’t quite understand Lance’s intention but straightforwardly shared what she prepared earlier.

”Then I’d say I’m one of the Baron’s people, here to negotiate a ransom.”

”With those words, you’ve already exposed yourself,” Lance chuckled, shaking his head slowly, really too young.

At this age, looking like this, arriving in Hamlet this way, who would believe those words?

Even without Lance pointing it out, she sensed the underestimation and had quite a temper, you know!

”What will it take for you to release my father?” Margaret’s direct nature didn’t relish games, coming straight to the point.

”That’s another topic. Currently, we’re discussing your desire to know about Lawrence’s situation,” Lance, his smile now a bit playful, ”I could arrange for you two to meet, but how would you convince me?”

”I have money!” Margaret pulled a purse from her waist, the jingling sound of Gold Coining sweetly, ”There are twenty-three Gold Coins here.”

Lance couldn’t help but break into laughter, revealing her trump card right at the start, a bit of cunning could trick her down to her last garment.

Furthermore, this money is barely a fraction of Lawrence’s asking price, for a direct child of a powerful Baron, is this all you’ve got?

”For a nobility, that’s all you bring?”

”I left in such haste... But this is a lot already!” Margaret embarrassedly insisted on making a point.

In reality, it was her stash of private savings, most of which was now here.

Even though she was a baroness, the territory’s funds didn’t pass through her hands, and previous life needs were easily met without worrying about money.

Only after falling to this point did she realize the importance of money.

However, Margaret wasn’t foolish and knew where the money was.

”As long as you release my father, I can have him pay you.”

Upon hearing this, Lance couldn’t keep a straight face; milking Lawrence for every cent, now even locked up, she starts exploiting the old man for Gold Coins.

”Alright, alright,” Lance held back his laughter, fearing more talk would kill him with amusement, badgering the simple-minded was wrong, clearly stating his terms.

”I can arrange for you to see Lawrence, but I want to know why you left the territory, got hunted by the Eagle Flock, and ended up among the refugees like this?”

Truth be told, Lance was curious why Margaret appeared among the refugees.

Discussing this, even the straightforward Margaret couldn’t help but sink into conflict, seemingly reluctant to bring it up.