Our Family Has Fallen

Laura was somewhat speechless. How could she sleep at such a time?

”Hey! Wake up.”

Margaret woke up instantly, her hand instinctively gripping the musket she was holding. She relaxed slightly only when she saw the pair of eyes in the shadow, but she soon asked that question again.

”Why did you save me?”

”What’s wrong with her?” Instead of answering, Laura shifted her gaze to the woman.

Now Margaret explained somewhat awkwardly, ”I don’t know. She just fainted by herself, probably because the wound at the back of her head hasn’t healed.”

Laura was well aware. She had simply avoided answering the question by interrupting and immediately changing the subject, asking Margaret instead, ”You want to go to Hamlet, don’t you?”

”How do you know?” Margaret was surprised. How could this mysterious person seem to know everything?

The time Margaret fled coincided with the news of Baron Lawrence’s capture, and if she remembered correctly, that guy Alvin was her fiancé. Whether she wanted to save someone or pay a ransom, she couldn’t bypass that place. So, it wasn’t hard for Laura to guess that her destination was Hamlet.

Of course, for Laura, Margaret’s only destination could be Hamlet. If Margaret didn’t agree, Laura would have no choice but to take her head; she would tie her up and drag her there if she had to.

Fortunately, Margaret’s answer hadn’t reached that extent yet.

”At dawn tomorrow, the Earl’s delegation will depart for the negotiations, and at the same time, they’ll take away the refugees outside the city. This is the best opportunity. The Eagle Flock won’t be able to spot you among so many people, and I’ll take care of you as part of the team.”

Originally, Margaret’s plan was to blend into the city, then disguise herself as one of the Barbarian Mercenaries and find a merchant caravan headed for Hamlet. Those merchants, greedy for profit, would surely set out once they knew of Hamlet’s wealth. But now she had to admit that what the other party suggested, mingling among the refugees, was even more suitable.

”How are we going to get out of the city? I bet it’s under martial law out there.”

”You put on her clothes and leave with me.” Laura glanced at the woman who hadn’t woken up, having already made a decision.

”And what about her?” Margaret, not understanding, instinctively asked another question.

Then Laura said something outrageous: ”I don’t know her either.”

Aren’t you companions? What on earth happened? Margaret began to doubt whether the person before her was the same one from before.

”I just rescued her from the hands of the Eagle Flock, so I don’t know who she is.” Laura herself felt that her explanation was too preposterous, so she quickly added a clarification.

Margaret finally understood and couldn’t help feeling righteous indignation. ”Humph! I’ve also heard about those Eagle Flock scoundrels committing acts of rape and plunder with the Earl’s backing. If I ever come across them, I’d shoot them dead for sure! Poor thing, lucky she met you. Without you rescuing her, she’d be another victim...”

Laura mostly carried out assassination missions. Although she had never committed such acts herself, she had observed them a few times. She hadn’t minded before, but now listening to Margaret ramble on made her somewhat uneasy. This wasn’t praise; it was a killing blow.

”Stop talking. I can’t do anything for her in this state. Let’s hurry and leave,” Laura urged, lowering her head to use the shadows to hide her discomfort.

”No, we can’t just abandon her.” Margaret wasn’t joking. Leaving someone behind was against her principles. She couldn’t do such a thing.

Looking at the woman’s condition, she immediately had an idea. ”The two of us could pretend to be part of the Eagle Flock, and use her as a corpse...”

Margaret’s idea was simple: the two of them would carry the woman as if she were a corpse, since those guarding the gates wouldn’t dare to stop them.

Laura, not wanting to cause more trouble, fell silent for a moment as she looked at the woman who had fainted.

From this, one could tell that Margaret was a person who loathed evil, filled with a sense of justice, and not just in words but also ready to take action. By comparison, Laura seemed gloomy and vile.

But was it really that simple to sum up the two? Everything Margaret enjoyed at will was something Laura could never have in her entire life. One grew up surrounded by endless love, indulging in various delicacies, living in a castle, sleeping in a soft bed. And the other? Laura barely even saw her parents, let alone received affection. In the training camp, she faced nothing but endless drills, ate slop that was no better than swill, lived in a dormitory as cramped as a birdcage, and slept on cold wooden planks.

Margaret’s affluent life made her optimistic and strong, with the energy to pursue justice, while Laura had struggled with all her might just to survive to this day. It was laughable to pursue moral satisfaction without breaking free from the pressures of survival.

”Fine.”

Laura didn’t know if it was out of soft-heartedness or thinking that two were better than one, but she actually agreed.

Margaret and the woman exchanged clothes; Margaret put on the mask and draped herself in the green robe. Meanwhile, Laura found a piece of fabric nearby and casually wrapped the unconscious woman in it. Then, the two of them carried the woman, who appeared to be a body, away—one at the head and the other at the feet.

The city gates were closed at night, with soldiers on guard. Ordinary people couldn’t get out if they wanted to. Even those who weren’t ordinary had to obtain the Earl’s order to open the gates at night. But Laura didn’t plan to go through the main gates; she intended to use a smaller side gate.

During the years of intense warfare with the Barbarian Tribes, the defense might have been strict. However, these years had been peaceful, with only minor skirmishes at the borders, if any. The prolonged peace had long dulled the alertness of the city defense force. It wasn’t just about standing guard; half of the watch on duty were fast asleep, while the other half, though awake, were slacking off, boasting, and shooting the breeze.

Even though Laura’s group didn’t conceal their actions at all, it was not until they entered the illumination of the fire basin that they startled the guards.

”Who the hell...” a city defense soldier started, his cursing habitual from often dealing with commoners. But his speech halted when he saw the green robes and shadow-covered faces. His mouth twitched, and he managed a forced smile to cover his embarrassment, though unease was evident in his eyes.

Dammit, how could I be so unlucky as to encounter these guys...

The city defense force and the Eagle Flock had no hierarchical relationship, but the soldiers certainly did not want to provoke these madmen. Nobody wanted to be suddenly taken out by a hidden arrow from these lunatics.

”Open the gate. We’re going out,” Laura said indifferently, unbothered by their reaction.

”Yes, yes, yes.” The city defense soldiers’ attitude was completely different from how they treated civilians. They cooperated readily and opened the small gate. As for what Laura and the others were up to, the soldiers didn’t care. The sight of the body-like bundle they carried said it all—it wasn’t anything good.

Margaret, with her mask on, couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. We’re finally getting out...

But just then, a voice suddenly came from behind: ”Wait a minute!”

The city defense soldiers, also a bit confused, looked toward the source of the voice. Another person, dressed similarly, emerged. He was masked and cloaked in a black robe adorned with feathers—unmistakably a member of the Eagle Flock. Then a Night Hawk landed on his shoulder, its eyes shining yellow like small flashlights, staring at Laura and her companions.

”Why are you leaving the city?”

”I don’t need to tell you,” Laura remarked with a glance, her coldness conveying her toughness. ”And you have no right to ask.”

This member of the Eagle Flock wasn’t the one they had been pursuing earlier. He must have been assigned to watch near the city gates. It was a classic case of a loose exterior but a tight interior. Hidden sentries around the periphery formed the true guard. The Earl’s tolerance of the gatekeepers’ sloth was meant to lull the enemy into complacency.

”There’s a special situation tonight. I need to check,” the member insisted.

”If there’s an issue, go find the boss. This is a task he gave me,” Laura retorted defiantly, not slowing her pace.

Laura’s tug also snapped Margaret back to attention, and she continued to move forward. But that member of the Eagle Flock, being on a mission, wouldn’t just let them pass so easily. He impolitely reached out to pull away the shabby fabric wrapping the unconscious woman.

RIP!

The woman’s upper body tumbled out from within...