Our Family Has Fallen

”We’re here to arrest the criminals on the list, and as this is Hamlet, we have the right to enter and search.”

However, William and the other sheriffs showed little reaction to the woman’s appearance. They continued to organize the encirclement of the camp. With the Lord at their side, no one could impose pressure on them.

But this evident disregard seemed to provoke the woman further. Her tone and demeanor became even more assertive as she stepped forward, trying to intimidate William.

”Do you really think you can bully the Romani people?!”

Two guards flanked her, and several other leaders, now bound to war chariots, were forced to the front. Their combined presence was indeed imposing. But the issue was that William fundamentally didn’t fall for such tactics. His obsession with justice wasn’t something that could be easily deterred by mere pressure; on the contrary, the criminals’ arrogance only spurred his conviction.

These aren’t ordinary criminals, he thought. Decisive action is required!

”Anyone who dares to obstruct the law or shelter criminals is our enemy!” William declared.

Fergus, as if sensing his master’s mood, lunged forward, snarling ferociously at the Romani people and baring his teeth. The leash strained taut, the chain groaning under the tension—if William hadn’t been holding him back, Fergus might have already charged and bitten someone.

The sudden frenzy from Fergus startled the Romani, and the sheriffs’ continued, orderly advance of their encirclement further underscored their unyielding attitude.

This made the woman feel a loss of face; she hadn’t anticipated the opposition would be so unyielding. Shouldn’t they consider the cooperation between me and their Lord?

However, the situation had escalated to a point where she felt she could no longer back down easily.

”This area was allocated to our Romani people by your Lord. Don’t you care about our cooperation?” the woman demanded, though she still didn’t dare to provoke a direct conflict. If a fight ensued, she would be held responsible, so she invoked the Lord’s authority.

”Since when did this become yours?” Lance interjected, somewhat annoyed. ”Besides, what’s your status? You’re not qualified to discuss these matters.” How had a temporary camp, set up for easier management, become something I supposedly allocated to you? Respect is conditional. When shown respect, you are addressed as Master; without it, you’re merely a body to be collected.

”Enough talk,” Lance continued, his voice carrying a hint of impatience. ”If you want to fight, then let’s fight. If not, step aside and don’t block the way. I want to get off work and go home for dinner.”

The sheriffs wore no standard uniforms, and the woman had never seen Lance before. Moreover, he lacked the distinct emission of Spiritual Essence typical of a Transcendent. He wasn’t positioned at the front but among the other sheriffs. Coupled with the lazy drawl in his comment about ”finishing work,” she naturally mistook him for an arrogant sheriff.

”Who are you?” one of the woman’s guards snapped, stepping forward. ”What right do you have to speak here? How dare you speak to...”

The two guards had been with the woman for a long time. Naturally sensing their mistress had been offended, they glared at Lance. The one who spoke, a woman, shouted arrogantly, hoping to cow the sheriffs.

But before she could finish, a figure charged at her.

Trained as she was, the guard reacted instantly. With a dancer’s suppleness, she twisted her body, dodging the punch aimed at her face. Simultaneously, her hands went to her waist for her dagger, her body coiling to strike. But she hadn’t expected her assailant to be so fast. Even though she’d dodged the initial punch, the next second another fist solidly struck her abdomen.

The heavy blow to her vulnerable abdomen made the guard arch backward violently, like a shrimp dropped into boiling water. Excruciating pain instantly robbed her of bodily control, halting her intended counterattack.

However, the assailant didn’t pause. She reached out, grabbed the guard’s neck, and pulled her back.

”Who do you think you are, talking to my boss like that?” Boudica snarled, seizing the guard by the neck and lifting her, bringing them face-to-face. Evidently, Boudica was the only one present who would dare launch such a sudden assault.

But the fight wasn’t over. There were two guards. While one was incapacitated, the other had already drawn a dagger and charged at Boudica. Her agile stance showed she was skilled.

But this level of skill was far from a match for Boudica.

Boudica showed no fear of the other guard’s attack. The next moment was even more astonishing: she lifted the still-reeling guard with both hands and hurled her at the charging attacker.

The second guard was clearly stunned for a moment, hesitating between catching her comrade and continuing her attack. Even though she quickly decided to dodge and press her assault, that brief pause sealed her defeat, for Boudica was already in motion.

Using her thrown comrade as a momentary screen, Boudica closed the distance to her opponent in an instant. The second guard now experienced what her comrade had just felt. Before her dagger could swing, Boudica’s fist flew out. A wave of helpless fear washed over the guard, but the next second, numbness swallowed all sensation.

Boudica closed in and delivered another punch, this one to the head. The devastating, penetrating force of her berserk strength slammed into her foe, who collapsed, stiff and silent, without a sound.

Meanwhile, the guard who had been thrown crashed to the ground, letting out a cry of pain. Her writhing limbs and contorted face clearly showed her agony.

In a single exchange, both guards were down. If Boudica hadn’t remembered her orders not to kill, she might have torn these two little Sprouts limb from limb.

But Boudica still wasn’t satisfied. Her gaze swept over the remaining Romani, as if selecting her next target. She was clearly worked up, her expression still somewhat ferocious, her breathing heavy.

Only Lance knew she was currently testing the Berserk Pendant, a piece of Extraordinary Equipment from a family treasure chest found via a secret entrance within the Beast Lair.

(Berserk Pendant: +3 Speed, +15% Damage, +15% Stress Damage, -5 Accuracy, -10% Virtue)

Under the pendant’s influence, Boudica’s attack speed and power had increased, but it also made her easily agitated and highly unstable when frenzied. The guards’ earlier taunts directed at Lance had clearly enraged her, but fortunately, she hadn’t completely lost control.

The Romani leaders witnessing this couldn’t help but be terrified. They were Spellcasters; at this distance, they were easy targets for her one-punch takedowns.

The Romani woman’s attention, however, was not on Boudica. It was fixed on Lance, her expression grave. She had considered acting just now, but in that instant, she had felt an immense pressure. Meeting his cold gaze made her inexplicably nervous; her instincts screamed that if she moved, disaster would follow.

”He is the Lord.”

Seeing her hesitation, one of the nearby Romani leaders couldn’t help but whisper a reminder. ”We’ve been here for a few days; we’ve seen him before.”

Indeed!

Upon hearing this, the woman’s composure almost shattered, but she managed to keep her expression rigidly fixed, preventing it from crumbling entirely. She had her own channels and backers. Although she didn’t know the details, she was aware that the failure of the Empire’s Spiritual Network in the imperial region was related to him, as was the return of that genius. Yet, her organization hadn’t turned against him. Instead, they had sent an Elder to discuss cooperation. All these things were enough to demonstrate this man’s special nature, which astonished her all the more.

Originally, she could have sent anyone to Hamlet. But she had come personally, not only to see Amanda but also to get a look at this Lord, to assess the situation, and to see if she could forge a connection. However, her several attempts to meet him had been thwarted; she had been stopped at the door each time. She could sense his rejection, and a trace of dissatisfaction had begun to fester in her heart.

Yet, at this moment, that dissatisfaction vanished. Merely locking eyes with him was enough to feel such pressure. She now understood why even an Elder had to come personally.

Actually, Lance’s reason for not seeing her was simple: this woman had tried to intimidate Amanda the moment she arrived. But Amanda was his subordinate, after all. This wasn’t just a slap in Amanda’s face; it was a direct slap in his own! Lance had heard about the discord between Amanda and this Romani leader. Since he had chosen Amanda, he had to consider her feelings. Bypassing Amanda to meet other Romani, especially someone who had just undermined her, would send Amanda the wrong message and make her feel insecure.