Our Family Has Fallen

No one wanted to provoke that group of ”madmen.” By the time she came to her senses, she realized Lance had already left, so she could only hurry to follow.

As soon as she stepped out, she heard Lance’s voice. Opposite him stood an exceptionally tall person.

”Barin! Do you remember me?”

Lance sized up the almost two-meter-tall giant in front of him, who was as muscular as a bear. This motherfucker is thirteen?

If Mary and Tom’s awakenings were purely civilian, then Barin had to have some trace of an Extraordinary Bloodline; otherwise, he wouldn’t exhibit such abnormalities. Lance still had some impression of him; even when skinny, Barin’s frame was extremely conspicuous. Back then, Barin hadn’t even known who his father was. He had always relied on his mother, carrying her on his back as they escaped to safety.

”Of course, I remember. If it hadn’t been for the Lord, my mother and I would have starved to death,” Barin said, somewhat excitedly, his voice deep and somber.

”You did very well this time!” Lance looked at the honest Barin, praising him greatly. ”I heard how you saved everyone from the wolves’ mouths and even fought the enemy. Are you feeling better now?”

”I’m okay now.” Barin raised his hand to pat the wound on his chest. He had thought he was going to die when the axe came down, but to his surprise, he was fine.

Actually, Lance knew this even better. Another person with such an injury would have died long ago, yet Barin had managed to hold on until he arrived. Furthermore, after the Flesh Reconstruction, his condition rapidly improved. He easily recovered from his grave injuries, now possessing a life force several times more vigorous than an average person.

”You’ve done very well. What reward would you like?” Lance didn’t bother with fancy words; he believed in rewarding merit.

”I broke the logging crew’s axe...” Barin took out the broken axe, which he had even remembered to pick up in that situation.

”Hahaha! Don’t worry about that. You damaged it fighting the enemy; no one will trouble you for it.”

The sight of his massive frame looking so aggrieved made Lance unsure whether to laugh or cry. You can crush a wolf with one hand, why are you still worrying about this?

But Barin’s words did remind Lance of something. He waved a hand and took out the Beheader Great Axe from the Exhibition Room.

”Not only will no one ask you for compensation, but I’m also going to give you an even better axe.”

As he spoke, Lance tossed the Beheader over. ”Catch.”

Barin caught the axe easily with one hand. His eyes filled with adoration as he gazed at the Beheader, still seemingly in disbelief at the sudden gift, before looking up at Lance.

”My Lord, is this really for me?”

”What? You don’t trust my word?”

”Thank you, My Lord!”

Barin looked like a child who had just received a new toy, swinging it a few times to display his extraordinary strength.

”The Lumber Axe from before was too light; this one is just right.”

To think that such a heavy, long-handled weapon, usually unmanageable for most, was something Barin could wield one-handed. It was no wonder he could hold off a Warwolf for a short period with such innate strength. Working as a lumberjack had also taught him how to use an axe, so in his hands, it was indeed a perfect choice.

But watching him, Lance’s desire to foster talent was stirred. Leaving him to develop on his own here might waste such a gift.

”How is your mother’s health? Has it been improving lately?”

In fact, Barin’s real reason for not joining the army was his mother’s health. After enduring the hardships of their escape, her condition had gotten progressively worse. He had given up the chance to enlist in order to care for her, as she was confined to her bed. Otherwise, Lance would have specially recruited him much earlier.

”Her condition is getting worse; she can’t get out of bed anymore.” Mentioning this made Barin’s mood plummet immediately, his candid honesty clear in his expression.

Lance understood as well. Barin’s mother was just an ordinary country woman. Her health had likely been depleted from giving birth to him; it was already fortunate she hadn’t died from complications during childbirth. As a single mother who had raised Barin alone, on top of surviving a harrowing escape, her body had suffered immensely. Lance also felt powerless against her declining condition, which was like watching life drain away through a funnel. His healing abilities were limited to the Flesh, not the fundamental life essence. To let her continue living like this was, in fact, a form of torture.

”Take good care of your mother. When I’m done with these matters, I’ll visit her and tell her in person that her son has become someone to be proud of.”

Lance took out a Gold Coin and handed it over. ”Here, buy some meat for the old lady.”

”No, My Lord, I...” Barin, already overjoyed with his new axe, was about to refuse but was cut off.

”Take it! The axe is my personal reward for you, and this Gold Coin is Hamlet’s reward. Rewarding based on merit is the rule. Are you saying that Hamlet can’t even manage to give out rewards now?”

The Gold Coin, resting in Barin’s palm, looked about the size of a fingernail. He had never seen a Gold Coin before in his life, but he knew what it represented.

He didn’t think he had done anything extraordinary. My Lord had said they should help each other; wasn’t it only right to save his comrades when they encountered enemies?

But both the new axe and this Gold Coin resonated deeply with him; he had never felt such joy.

Barin hurried back, wanting to tell his mother this news, while Lance went to meet Tom and Mary’s mother.

She was a woman who appeared to be in her thirties, but the harsh rural life made her look older than she was. In fact, she was only twenty-five years old, and in this era, that already made her the mother of two children. Getting married and having children in adolescence was commonplace in an era where the average lifespan barely reached forty. Lance wasn’t preoccupied with such details.

”My Lord... my children, they...”

Upon seeing Lance, the woman was visibly panicked. The tear-stains on her face showed she had been crying, clearly because her two children had not yet returned.

”Don’t be afraid. Tom and Mary are both fine. They were rescued and brought here, which is why they couldn’t return home immediately. Once they wake up, you can take them home,” Lance briefly explained, soothing her concerns.

”Thank you, My Lord! Thank you, My Lord!” As expected, upon hearing this, an uncontrollable smile spread across the woman’s face. She bowed deeply to Lance in gratitude and would have knelt if he hadn’t stopped her.

”Alright, alright. I called you here because there’s another matter.”

At these words, the woman froze. She feared her children might have offended the Lord through some mischief; her dread of the nobility was etched into her very soul.

”My... My Lord, please don’t blame the children. They don’t know anything. It’s all my fault...”

”Stop, stop, stop!” Lance frowned at this. Can’t these people just talk properly?

Lance had no desire to beat around the bush and directly clarified matters.

”I see great potential in the two children and would like them to attend school in town. I called you here to ask if you’re willing to move to town.”

The woman was taken aback, and before she could respond, Lance added, ”I will cover the school expenses. We will also arrange a new job for you in town, and your family’s status will be officially upgraded ahead of schedule.”

The woman seemed stunned by this sudden boon, yet she quickly seized the rare opportunity.

”I am willing! I am willing!”

”Good. Go back and pack your things. Someone will come to take you to town,” Lance added with a nod.

Although Lance had not used any forceful measures on Mary and Tom, it was vital to keep such unstable elements firmly under control. He had to intervene in their development. If they grew misguided, it wouldn’t just be a loss; they could become a ticking time bomb.

Lance hadn’t called her over to discuss the matter, but to inform her. He was merely extending her the courtesy of asking. In reality, whether she was willing or not wouldn’t change the outcome.

Fortunately, the woman was sensible and didn’t cause any further complications.

The woman was soon sent away. At that moment, the soldiers who had been dispatched to clear the battlefield came back to report.

”Report, My Lord! There’s a woman named Amanda. She says she has important information and wishes to see you,” said the soldier, adding, ”I saw a very strange Barbarian tied up near her.”