Our Family Has Fallen

But the problem was that even though the squad was wiped out, it wasn’t because she had run away. Later, she even launched a solo sneak attack on the Fang Tribe’s team to get her revenge. The mission’s failure wasn’t her fault either. She still couldn’t fathom why a fully armed Order of Knights could be captured on such a large scale.

But could she argue? No, she couldn’t... These matters weren’t simple enough to be explained in a few words, and the Earl had also warned her. What more could Laura say? Faced with their malice, she could only clutch her slightly tattered green robe tighter, hide within it, and turn to leave.

When the receptionist saw Laura’s dejected figure, a sense of satisfaction immediately spread across her face. Her smug expression might have led an uninformed observer to believe there was some deep-seated hatred between her and Laura. But to be precise, there was a connection: they were both second-generation members of the Eagle Flock, born after the surrender. They were of the Barbarian Tribes, yet born in Bastia, and had grown up together as children.

Laura’s talent was indeed exceptional. During the Eagle Flock’s training camps, she stood out remarkably, essentially dominating the other children. One who doesn’t provoke envy is a mediocrity, and this saying was exemplified in Laura. If she hadn’t displayed such talent, girls like her would have been married off very young due to the intervention of their superiors. The receptionist, around Laura’s age, was already a mother of two and wasn’t faring well, as she wasn’t a combat unit.

Now that Laura’s halo had shattered, these ordinary people, who had once trembled beneath it, could mock her and satisfy their own emotional needs. It was like the kid next door who was always held up as an example to put you down; then, one day, you discover they aren’t doing so well after all, bringing a touch of schadenfreude. The pressures of real life somewhat necessitate an outlet—not directed at anyone in particular, yet, in a way, at everyone.

In the harsh Mountains, where conditions were arduous, such sentiments likely wouldn’t exist; after all, the stronger their fellow tribe members, the better their own chances of survival. However, the survival pressure in the Empire wasn’t as intense. Once basic survival was assured, focus shifted towards ”living,” but the problem was their actual lives weren’t good. This fostered other emotions, like envy. Clearly, they had been corrupted by the Empire.

The Eagle Flock’s current situation was indeed somewhat twisted. They had abruptly transitioned from a Barbarian Tribe into the Earl’s private military. Many customs and traditions from their tribal days were retained, but practices that were viable in the harsh environment of the Mountains were illogical here. For instance, in tribal times, resources were managed centrally. Applied to the Eagle Flock, this meant missions were monopolized, and the earnings from these missions were controlled by those in charge. This was why the Eagle Tribe Leader could arbitrarily withhold Laura’s mission rewards.

The rewards for those missions appeared high, but in reality, a large portion had to be turned over to the Eagle Flock, leaving individuals with little. This was very common among Barbarian Mercenaries, as they undertook missions to earn money primarily to support their tribes back in the Mountains. But the Eagle Flock was no longer in the harsh environment of the Mountains, so why did they still enforce such rules?

There was an explanation, of course. When they first defected, the Empire distrusted them, and other Barbarian Tribes wanted to eliminate them as traitors. Adopting such methods to consolidate their collective strength and improve their chances of survival was understandable at the time. But times had changed. The Eagle Flock had successfully established themselves, yet they too had been corrupted by the Empire’s feudal system.

If the first generation of the Eagle Flock fought under harsh conditions, contributing everything, even their lives, to ensure their survival in Bastia, then these ordinary second-generation members were no longer fighting for the tribe’s overall survival. Instead, they had become enforcers for the Eagle Tribe Leader, tools for the profit of a select few.

To be honest, the Eagle Flock nowadays resembled a Gang more than an army. Its management was rife with chaos and disorder. They hadn’t learned anything positive; even the admirable qualities of the tribes were lost. The only thing they had mastered was the oppression characteristic of the Feudal Nobility.

However, for the Earl, a Feudal Noble himself, this wasn’t a major concern. He only needed the Eagle Flock to be obedient; their methods were unimportant. Strictly speaking, the Eagle Tribe Leader’s complete Imperialization was even better, as it signified integration into the Empire. Whether this integration was genuine was another matter—the question was, didn’t they at least look the part?

Over time, barely anyone cared about Laura’s incident; after all, sources of amusement have a limited lifespan. So, once she blended into the crowd, everyone’s attention shifted to other interesting events unfolding in the hall.

Most of the Eagle Flock’s missions were highly intense, and the pressure of fighting on the front lines was immense. Thus, whenever a mission concluded and they returned to their station to rest, the Eagle Flock members always enjoyed creating some new form of entertainment.

A woman with a curvaceous figure, dressed in a pristine, form-fitting white miniskirt, was brought into the hall. However, her bound hands, the crude burlap sack over her head, and her faint whimpering sounds made it immediately clear that she had likely not come voluntarily.

”Boss! I found some prime goods,” an Eagle Flock member announced, brimming with pride as he shoved the woman forward. The push caused her to stumble and fall to the ground, her white skirt instantly stained with dust. Yet, neither the surrounding Eagle Flock members nor the Eagle Tribe Leader, seated in the place of honor, did anything but erupt in unrestrained laughter and jeers.

”Take it off and let’s see!”

”Hurry up, unveil her!”

The sack was yanked from the woman’s head, revealing beautiful, glossy black hair and a lovely face. However, her eyes were already red and swollen from crying, tears streaming down her cheeks. As soon as she was unveiled, she frantically scanned the unfamiliar surroundings, but her gaze quickly locked onto the Eagle Tribe Leader in front, and she began to plead tearfully.

”...Please, I beg you...let me go...” Her voice was already hoarse, making it difficult to understand much more. However, her tear-streaked, pitiful appearance only seemed to further excite the onlookers, who let out inhuman shrieks. Such a figure and such looks undoubtedly thrilled the men in the hall.

But the Eagle Tribe Leader, seated above, showed little reaction, his eyes barely visible in the shadows that enveloped him.

Most members of the Barbarian Tribes had red hair, while Imperial People typically had hair in a spectrum from black to brown to blonde, with the colors becoming progressively lighter. However, there was one very distinct characteristic: within the Empire, the Nobility almost exclusively had black hair and black eyes, as their marriages prioritized the continuation of their bloodlines. Only those with black hair and black eyes were considered true Nobility, and only this combination was seen as pure Imperial blood.

This woman... her delicate features, lustrous black hair, her dark pupils... no matter how you looked at her, she didn’t seem like a commoner, the Eagle Tribe Leader mused.

His subordinates, who specialized in such acquisitions, naturally knew what their boss was thinking and quickly explained, ”Don’t worry, Boss. We snatched her from some merchants. They specially groomed this woman; there won’t be any issues at all.”

Upon hearing this, the Eagle Tribe Leader abruptly lifted his head, revealing an inhuman visage. He no longer resembled a human but rather an owl, even having feathers on his face.

”HEH HEH.” Accompanying his horrific appearance was a lecherous, greasy smile.

They were, after all, Barbarian Tribes; nothing pleased them more than toying with a pure-blooded Imperial Person.

The already terrifying scene, now compounded by the leader’s grotesque and inhuman face, instantly petrified the woman. She instinctively darted her eyes around, searching for any chance of escape...

Laura, who was passing by, also noticed this scene but didn’t find it particularly strange.

The Eagle Tribe Leader had some peculiar tastes and frequently had women abducted for his pleasure. No one knew exactly what transpired, but none of the captured women were ever seen a second time. At least, I’ve never seen one, Laura thought.

Normally, such a scene would be all too familiar, yet Laura found herself stopping in her tracks, a strange emotion stirring within her.

In the past, when she had seen women dragged in like this, she had sat aside, laughing along with the others. She hadn’t quite understood, only knowing that if everyone was laughing, it must be amusing. But just recently, she had been the one pinned down in the hall, enduring humiliation. Only then did she truly comprehend the feeling of having the roles of tormentor and victim reversed.

It wasn’t fun at all...