Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Reorganizing Military Affairs_1

Dawn tore through the darkness, bringing light back to Hamlet.

At this moment, on the training ground, Lance stood on a high platform, flanked by Reynard and Balistan. Looking at the several teams of men standing below, Lance and his companions wore displeased expressions. These men had forgotten most of what they had been taught in just two days. Even their stances became sloppy after only a short while, with just a few performing slightly better. But these were already considered the better ones; at least they had arrived early for training, adhering to the management requirements he had set.

However, another group was still missing even though the assembly time had arrived. This was a blatant disregard for his authority.

”No need to wait any longer! Line up for roll call now!” Seeing that the time was up, Lance issued the command with a cold expression. The men below began to move, filling in the gaps, which made the formation look slightly more presentable.

The roll call proceeded: ”One... two... thirty-nine.”

Out of fifty men, only thirty-nine had shown up. It was no wonder Lance looked so cold.

”Vick, George, Andrew! You three, step forward.”

”Present!” each of the three replied.

”Each of you will lead a team of four. Go and drag those absentees back to me.”

”Yes, My Lord!” the three replied.

The formation parted, and three teams marched out, leaving only Lance and his two companions on the platform.

”My Lord, shouldn’t we go and supervise them?” Reynard asked, slightly worried if these men were up to the task.

”They’ll bring them back. Even if it were eleven pigs, they’d manage to round them up, let alone eleven men,” Lance replied, unconcerned. He wanted to see how Vick, George, and Andrew would handle it.

Vick was the first to return, bringing four absentees with him; they had apparently run back willingly once found. Upon seeing Lance and his two companions, the absentees’ already flustered expressions turned deathly pale. They stood there, completely at a loss. Lance didn’t need to ask; he knew Vick had simply woken them and ordered them back, choosing the most straightforward method.

Andrew returned next. The four men he brought back were marched directly before the high platform. Their faces showed various injuries; they had clearly been beaten. It was obvious who had laid hands on them. Andrew had a large frame and broad hands. This wasn’t apparent when he was on the brink of starvation, but now, after days of sufficient food including meat, his muscles had started to recover, making him appear taller and more robust than the average man. He was the strongest in the entire training camp, and his training results were also better than others. His father had been a hunter in the town and also owned farmland. The family had lived quite well until his father was conscripted by the town mayor, died in battle, and his mother was subsequently killed by bandits. His hatred for the bandits had made him aggressive and fueled a burning desire for strength.

He could be useful, but he needs to be kept on a tight rein.

While Lance was pondering this, George, the last of the three, returned with three more men in tow. These men hadn’t been beaten, but they were escorted back under guard. One could only wonder what the townspeople who saw them being marched through the streets must have thought. George came from a fisherman’s family. Though he had escaped the bandits, he later fell victim to oppression by the Ship Boss. His parents starved to death, and he himself was only saved by the porridge Lance distributed. George was taciturn and not as quick-witted as Vick, but his strengths lay in his obedience and willingness to endure hardship. Moreover, he followed Lance’s orders to the letter, diligently completing any task entrusted to him. Lance was also willing to invest resources in him; George had endured the training entirely because Lance had covertly used ’Bless’ to strengthen him.

It doesn’t matter if you’re not strong; I can always spend resources to build you up. But obedience is paramount. If you’re not obedient, then no matter how strong you are, you’re useless to me—worse, you become a liability...

Now that everyone was assembled, Lance turned his attention to the eleven tardy men.

”Why didn’t you attend morning training? Do you think the rules I’ve established are mere suggestions?” Lance no longer needed to shout to project his authority. A single sentence, spoken in a normal tone, was enough to make these men so frightened they could barely stand straight.

”My Lord, I was late because of a family emergency.”

”My Lord, it won’t happen again!”

”...”

Most of them began to make excuses or plead for mercy, creating a chaotic scene.

”Don’t think for a moment I don’t know what you’ve been up to! I’ve treated you well—is this how you repay me?” Lance snapped, his gaze sweeping over them, instantly quelling the commotion. ”This was a test—a test to see if you have what it takes to become true soldiers. I know exactly what each of you has been doing these past two days. Slackers and deceivers have no place in my army!”

Having said this, Lance turned to George. ”What should be done with those who violate military orders?”

”’Military orders are as unshakeable as mountains. Violators shall be beheaded!’” George replied without a flicker of hesitation. It was clear he had thoroughly memorized the military regulations Lance had made him learn.

Hearing this, the eleven men were stunned. Some grew so weak-kneed they could barely stand, and a few even burst into tears, wailing and begging for mercy. Lance gazed down at them from the platform, his eyes sweeping over them. He felt a faint sense of regret. He had actually hoped someone would step out of line, giving him an opportunity to make an example of them and solidify his authority. But these men didn’t even dare to resist, which left him rather exasperated.

In truth, these men had witnessed it all. They had seen their Lord eliminate the once-untouchable town mayor and farm owners. The tyrannical mercenaries and guards had either vanished or been enslaved. Not to mention how he had saved their lives by distributing grain for three days, how he had decisively stabilized the situation and rapidly restored order, how he had thrashed them all on the training field, and then demonstrated an almost terrifying speed in meeting training requirements himself. Their Lord’s hand was in all these events. Thus, in their hearts, he was perceived as omnipotent. When he appeared, not a single person dared to defy him, not even Andrew.

Lance finally fixed his gaze on one individual. ”Do you know what you’ve done?”

The man Lance singled out instantly became the focus of everyone’s attention. He hastily tried to explain himself. ”My Lord! It wasn’t me! I didn’t do anything!”

”Hmph! Abusing your new status to defraud and oppress commoners, extorting their valuables—did you really think I wouldn’t find out?”

”George, seize the criminal.”

”Yes, My Lord!” George replied without hesitation. He called two men standing behind him, and they charged forward. No matter how much the man struggled, he was no match for the three of them and was quickly subdued and forced to kneel.

”’In the army, anyone who dares to exploit their position for personal gain, thereby damaging the army’s prestige—’” Lance deliberately drew out his words, pausing dramatically before uttering the final judgment.

”Behead!”

The word had barely left Lance’s lips when George, in full view of everyone, swung his sword and lopped off the man’s head. They had rarely seen blood during their training, so this scene naturally shocked them. Their gazes towards George now held an added trace of fear.

”’As for the rest of you—’” Lance again drew out his words. This terrified the remaining latecomers, and a fresh wave of wails and pleas erupted from them.

”I don’t want to die!”