Our Family Has Fallen

A fleet navigated the sea. Several cargo vessels formed its core, while three swift ships patrolled the perimeter, serving as lookouts and escorts. Should danger arise, they were to notify the cargo ships and engage any enemies.

”Land! Hamlet is in sight!”

The lookout perched atop the mast shouted ceaselessly to those below. Soon, a stir went through the crew as cheer after cheer spread the news.

This wasn’t just because they could return home, but also because sailing in the summer was truly a torment.

The deck was like a frying pan. The scorching sun could bake a person dry, and no amount of water could alleviate the thirst.

Entering the cabin was like being stuffed into a steamer, filled with a mixture of sweat, the stench of feet, and various other strange smells.

Among these sailors, a young man stood at the bow, gazing at the azure sea and sky. He was dressed in plain sailor’s attire, a headband wrapped around his hair, his exposed skin tanned to a bronze hue. Full of vigor, he was none other than Little John, who had set out with the ship to gain experience.

Traveling was the best way to temper a person, and just one month had wrought a stark change in his demeanor. He had shed all traces of his previous ordinariness, now radiating youthful vitality.

This journey hadn’t included a long stopover in Totnes, but their route had passed through several cities or other large towns, where they took time for resupply and trade.

This trade route was previously rarely used due to Pirates. However, if enough Gold Coins were offered, some merchants would still take the risk for profit.

And this voyage had indeed attracted quite a few people keen to do business with Hamlet, as evidenced by the variety of cargo ships in the fleet.

Moreover, traveling together meant that even if they encountered Pirates, they stood a good chance of escaping. As the old saying went, you only had to outrun the others.

Yet, one ship in the fleet stood out as particularly unique, its style unlike that of standard vessels. Little John knew only that it was a Romani ship; he knew little else, though it seemed they had some dealings with the Lord.

”We should be reaching Hamlet shortly, and then you’ll meet My Lord,” Little John said, turning to a man standing beside him whose attire differed from the Empire’s standard.

Little John was worldly enough to recognize the man as a Levantine, from across the sea.

The middle-aged man had a white turban wrapped around his head. His face was gaunt and lined, and he sported a mustache and a goatee.

He wore a lavish robe adorned with intricate jewelry. A leather pouch hung from his belt, to which several leather scrolls were tied. At his waist hung a Dagger with a curved blade, engraved with intricate patterns—clearly no ordinary weapon.

The man may have seemed thin, but Little John dared not underestimate him.

Soon after the fleet arrived in Totnes, this man had approached them. He somehow knew they were from Hamlet and wanted to accompany them back.

Initially, they had certainly been unwilling, but after witnessing the Levantine’s power, they acquiesced.

He had accurately predicted an attack on the fleet and helped them resolve some difficulties. Although his methods were strange, the person in charge had no choice but to agree to his request.

Even more bizarrely, this man seemed able to guide the fleet to avoid Pirates, as they hadn’t encountered any during the entire journey.

Whether it was his doing or not, the one in charge treated him with great importance, even arranging a private room for him on the ship.

Few merchants didn’t understand the value of adaptability.

They were not yet near Hamlet, but the middle-aged man’s deep gaze was already fixed in that direction as if he sensed something. His expression grew grave. He brought his hands together in a peculiar gesture, closed his eyes, and began to mutter.

I feel it... this is the place.

Such an evil land, an Abyss enveloped in despair.

That power... has it grown stronger?

Little John listened to his cryptic mutterings without showing any surprise. The man had always spoken this way, saying things others couldn’t understand.

But that didn’t mean he agreed with what the man said.

What did he mean by ’evil land’? What ’Abyss enveloped in despair’?

If this were before My Lord arrived, he might have agreed, but now it was utterly impossible!

He, too, had visited prosperous places like Totnes, yet even they had their ’evil’ areas, such as the Outer City and the outlying farms.

On the contrary, under My Lord’s leadership, Hamlet was thriving. Its citizens lived in peace and contentment, their customs simple and honest...

As time passed, the land before them gradually grew larger, and the small harbor of Hamlet came into view.

The sailors cheered, celebrating this safe journey.

Not every voyage was like this one, free from storms and raids by Pirates—it was truly a blessing from the sea.

”I can hardly recognize this harbor,” Little John remarked from the bow, marveling at the buildings ahead.

When they had left, it was a run-down port suitable only for fishing boats, where even larger vessels struggled to dock.

Now, just one month later, it was transformed and expanded. The sight of unfinished construction and bustling workers clearly indicated that the development was ongoing.