Our Family Has Fallen

Bastia, Eagle Flock headquarters.

In the end, the Eagle Tribe Leader, fearing the Earl’s orders, did nothing to Laura. Of course, it was also possible they had simply forgotten about her.

Regardless, Laura was released from the cell after that night. Or perhaps, more accurately, no one had cared about her in the first place.

Laura had no family. Since everyone in the Eagle Flock was a warrior, her parents were always away on missions. She had only faint memories of them from her early childhood.

Her parents might have died in a war, perhaps even at the hands of the Mountain Barbarian Tribe, their bodies never recovered.

But who cared? In the Eagle Flock, death was common. The wars of earlier years had been incessant and fierce. Although the conflict with the Barbarian Tribes had subsided, minor skirmishes still frequently erupted at the borders.

In these times, living past thirty was already quite an achievement.

There were many children like her. After their parents died, they were sent to training camps to grow up.

Only when they turned fourteen did they begin participating in various missions to earn payment. Because of her outstanding performance, Laura was allotted a single room within the headquarters.

The room was the size of a hotel room and not permanent. To continue residing there, one had to complete missions and prove their worth, or it would be reclaimed.

Only there could she find a bit of peace, her last semblance of safety.

After several days of recuperation, Laura gradually recovered. The wound on her waist had healed, leaving only a scab that had not completely fallen off.

The medical treatment had been effective; otherwise, an infected wound would not have healed so easily. But it was foreseeable that an ugly scar would accompany her for life.

Yet, considering she had survived an encounter with the Earl, she felt tremendously fortunate.

Even she didn’t know how she had managed it at the time. Merely thinking about it now made her shudder; the idea of going through it again was impossible.

But that nightmarish experience was over…

Finally, today, she stepped out of her room again.

She was still cloaked in that green robe, hiding her face beneath the shadow of the hood. Only her eyes, cold and sharp like an eagle’s, were visible when she looked up.

She was never a lively and cheerful person, and after all she had been through, she seemed even more somber, exuding an aura that warned others to keep their distance.

Although the few days of rest had stabilized her mood considerably, her leaving the room today was not so much stepping out of the gloom as it was the pressure to survive.

Her wounds were nearly healed, so she went to the headquarters hall to see if there were any missions available.

She had no choice; the days of recuperation had nearly depleted her savings.

She needed to eat better, as only meat could help her wounds heal faster, and the wounds also required fresh bandages.

She had tried to claim the reward for the mission before.

Even though the mission was a failure, she had brought back information and should have been entitled to some payment.

Unfortunately, she received nothing. It was unclear whether the Earl hadn’t given it or if the Eagle Tribe Leader had intercepted it. All she got was ridicule and humiliation.

What could she do about it? She could only slink away dejectedly and retreat to her dark lair to lick her wounds.

But now, she could no longer afford to rest; she was truly out of money.

She needed to take on missions to earn payment to sustain her life, or else she would lose her single room.

”None? How could there be none?” Laura stood before the counter, facing a woman about her own age.

Most of the Eagle Flock’s missions were distributed here. Backed by the Earl, they received respectable tasks from Bastia City Hall. They also had long-term cooperation with the military, which was much better than working with Barbarian Mercenaries.

”There are no tasks suitable for you. Go back and wait for notification,” the receptionist said, her tone casual, or rather, dismissive.

”Please, check again for me. I really need a mission,” Laura implored.

”I said there are none. Can’t you understand?” the receptionist refuted bluntly, curling her lip in open disdain.

”But…”

”Nobody wants to partner with a failure, and nobody will trust a deserter,” the receptionist cut Laura off sharply, gesturing impatiently. ”Move along, don’t block others.”

Her voice, raised in pitch, attracted the attention of those nearby. It seemed they recognized Laura, as they began to gossip, their glances filled with derision as they pointed and gestured.

The words spoken were sharp and piercing, heavy with humiliation.

How could Laura not realize she was being targeted? Yet, she could only suppress her rage.

Because what they said was true: no one welcomed those who failed missions or ran away.

Most of the Eagle Flock’s missions were scouting and sentry duties alongside the army, or tracking enemy movements.

These missions offered generous rewards but generally required a squad. Previously, her skills would have easily earned her a spot.

But after these recent events, her ’excellent’ record had been completely rewritten.

A ten-person squad, nine dead teammates, a captured Order of Knights, and yet she had fled back alone.

No one could know if she’d run away again if she joined their team. Simply put, it was hard for her to regain anyone’s trust.