Our Family Has Fallen

Chapter 91: Chapter 91: Justifying Oneself with Proper Terms_1

Susan was stunned for a moment. At first, she thought the army had been completely annihilated. It took her brain two seconds to reboot before she turned to Dismas with a look of surprise, seeking confirmation.

”What did you just say? The Lord annihilated those bandits?”

Many shared a similar reaction; even the captain was somewhat astonished. He had anticipated they would be fine, merely expecting the bandits to be driven back to their old route. He hadn’t imagined they would be utterly annihilated.

How did this Lord manage that?

The man was even more agitated than the others. His reaction was more violent than before, as if his own father had died, not the bandits. He seemed to have even forgotten the pain in his hands, struggling furiously.

”Impossible! This absolutely cannot be! You must be lying to me.”

”What’s going on here?” Dismas’s hand was already on the hilt of his sword.

”This man has gone mad, he suddenly just...”

Susan briefly explained the situation. When she mentioned that it was the captain who had taken action, Dismas’s expression also shifted, his gaze faintly falling on the captain.

”Everyone, rest assured, the bandits have been eradicated by us. No matter how much I say, it’s better for you to see it for yourselves.” With that one sentence, Dismas clarified the situation, then turned his gaze to the man. ”As for you...”

If it hadn’t been for Lance forbidding him from killing at will, Dismas might have already slit his throat with a single stroke.

”Hmph! Take him before the Lord to await judgment.”

Dismas waved his hand and turned to leave, walking out without a backward glance, his discontent palpable.

My Lord fought valiantly on the front lines, yet these people dared to doubt him! Absolute scoundrels! They must be struck with an iron fist!

Susan and the others failed to notice Dismas’s attitude, as everyone was so shocked by the news, hastening to follow him out.

As they walked, they saw no signs of bandit looting on the streets; it was exactly as it had been when they left earlier.

That fellow wouldn’t stop screaming, loudly proclaiming his conspiracy theory.

”I get it now! There were no bandits at all! It was all a sham by that man! He tricked us into thinking the bandits had come, then tricked us again saying they had been driven off! So the next time the bandits really come, we’ll be used as cannon fodder...”

But now, hardly anyone paid him any mind. As they drew closer, a strong smell of blood permeated the town air.

Beneath their feet, blood had converged, flowing like a small stream along the street.

Looking up and following the trail of blood, they soon saw the gruesome battlefield.

One by one, strangers in chaotic attire lay on the ground.

Some corpses were relatively intact, merely bearing several puncture wounds.

Most corpses, however, presented a horrifying sight.

Some had been cleaved in two from the chest, their exposed hearts, no longer beating, clearly visible.

Some were bisected at the waist, their intestines and organs spilling out, emitting an intense stench.

Some had been decapitated, their unblinking eyes wide with shock and terror.

Some had their heads split open, revealing an empty cavity, their brains long since trampled into a bloody pulp, now stuck to an unknown foot.

As far as the eye could see, the entire street was almost choked with corpses, leaving no room to even step.

When had anyone ever seen such a scene?

At that moment, most of their faces turned very pale. Those who didn’t vomit outright already possessed superior mental fortitude.

As for the stubborn man, the sight terrified him so much he collapsed limply to the ground. If he hadn’t been supported by others, he would have surely fallen.

”Why are you so slow?”

Lance Hamlet’s voice rang out, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

They saw many soldiers by the side of the street, either sitting or lying down. Amidst these people, they soon found Lord Hamlet.

One could see his armor covered in marks from various weapons, hardly a single spot intact. More frightening were the bloodstains covering him, almost dyeing his entire person.

It was hard to imagine what kind of battle could have caused this, and how Lord Hamlet had managed to survive such combat.

”My Lord, we encountered a slight problem,” Dismas stepped forward and explained.

Lance also looked at the captain, rather puzzled, but his gaze quickly shifted to the man.

”Bring him to me,” Lance said, gesturing with his hand.

Two men pushed the man forward, forcing him to kneel before the Lord.

”I remember you. It seems you also want to join your son, don’t you?” Lance said slowly, looking at the man.

A single glance from him sent a wave of bloodlust washing over the man, making him feel as if he were drowning in a sea of corpses and mountains of blood.

He no longer had the courage to be stubborn now!

”No... My Lord! I didn’t...”

There were only a few people in town, and Lance remembered almost all of them. This man was the father of the recruit Lance had ordered executed for embezzlement while abusing his post.

It was somewhat comical; this fellow was a gambling addict. The only reason he survived the first wave of bandit invasions was that he was at the casino at the time.

It was highly probable his son had developed crooked ideas due to this father’s problematic influence.

But none of that mattered to Lance anymore.

”Acting as a bandit informant and spreading rumors, endangering the safety of Hamlet. Execution.”

Lance gestured dismissively. Dismas, who had been restraining himself for a long time, immediately acted with vicious efficiency.

He drew the Short Sword from his waist and swiftly slit the man’s throat.

The man struggled on the ground, convulsing helplessly until he died.

Lance paid this no mind, instead turning to look at the townspeople.

”Do any of you have objections?”

”No! None at all!”

The townspeople shook their heads frantically. He’s already killed the man; what could we possibly say to that?

Those who had doubted the Lord just a moment ago became even more frightened by this display.

Fortunately, Lance had no intention of escalating the situation and instead announced another matter.

”Yes, you’ve seen it for yourselves. The bandits who were entrenched on the old road have been completely wiped out by me. You no longer have to worry about bandits.”

Right!

Everyone suddenly realized what they truly needed to focus on.

The bandits had truly been annihilated by the Lord! Hamlet would no longer have to fear bandit raids!

Joy spread swiftly. As people looked at the gore again, they saw it through a different lens. They no longer felt fear, but rather a kind of ecstatic triumph.

”We’ve won!”

”I knew those bandits could never be a match for our Lord!”

”Long live Lord Hamlet! Long live Hamlet!”

All sorts of praises and eulogies arose, bordering on fanatical adoration—a stark contrast to the doubt and indecision that had plagued them only moments before.

Lance also entered a peculiar state. After he announced the victory, a line of text suddenly flashed on his status panel—

[You have completely conquered the people, irrespective of your identity]

Then, the [Heir] trait that was there before disappeared, replaced by a new one.

[Lord]: You are the sole master of this land; your will is unquestionable.

Lance directed his consciousness towards the panel.

「...」

Name: Lance Hamlet

Occupation: Otherworldly Retainer

Level: Brave

Equipment: [Collector’s Gift][Family Crest Ring]

Ability: [Sacrifice][Bless][Flesh Reconstruction]

Traits: [Sanctuary][Ancient Bloodline][Innate Talent][Wolf Spirit Guard][Collector’s Gaze][Lord]

「...」

The displayed level changed from [Apprentice] to [Brave].

[Lord] replaced [Heir]. The meaning was clear: he had thoroughly secured control of Hamlet, not merely by relying on his tenuous noble bloodline.