Our Family Has Fallen

Lance conducted business in a fair manner, precisely using this opportunity to clear out obsolete junk equipment.

Lawrence was stunned for a moment, then looked at the soldiers in the distance, all equipped with muskets, and said nothing more. He distributed spears to those who were not injured and began to prepare to leave.

Without knight equipment and horses, they all became spearmen.

What were they when they arrived?

One was an Order of Knights, fully armed with horses for each man, and the other was a convoy of dozens of carriages and hundreds of people.

Now, to leave in such a state is nothing short of laughable...

What problems they might encounter was of no concern to Lance; if they couldn’t return, then these two weren’t worthy of being chess pieces in his and the Earl’s game, not even eligible for the board.

However, Lance, upon his departure, encountered an issue as Margaret came to him.

”So you don’t want to go to Totnes?” Lance scrutinized Margaret in front of him and retorted, ”Then where do you want to go?”

The transaction between Lance and the crafty old Lawrence wasn’t disclosed to many, at least not to Margaret, who only knew the compensation was settled, and Lawrence would be released with the captives.

Lance didn’t manage the aftermath, thinking Lawrence had already discussed it with her. Now, it seemed she just casually agreed with Lawrence to go to Totnes, only to change her mind as soon as he left.

Lawrence also didn’t expect his usually honest daughter to deceive him. What had driven a righteous person to make such a decision?

Anyway, Lance certainly wasn’t going to admit it was related to him—young people rebelling is quite normal.

”I want to stay.” Margaret’s face was earnest.

”Hamlet is not a good place; it’s dangerous here.”

”That’s why I want to stay. I want to fight for humanity like you!” Margaret said, holding her musket with a fearless expression.

Lance realized something was amiss; initially, he asked Susan to tell them stories to inform them about the situation in Hamlet.

Similarly, rebuking those Bastia soldiers earlier was to create a positive contrast in perception.

What is ”creating”? Simply put, it’s marketing rhetoric, and Lance had many shady dealings in secret.

Seeing Margaret’s fanatical demeanor, had she become enamored after hearing the stories?

Lance couldn’t help but suspect this possibility, as she has always been so righteous—such people are idealistic.

”It’s your freedom, I have no right to interfere, but you should think about how to sustain yourself and ensure your safety. I said this place is chaotic; there are many dangers outside the town.”

Lance understood that rebellious young people shouldn’t be preached to.

If Lance tried to lecture her into going to Totnes, it might invoke resentment; better to guide her slowly.

Indeed, mentioning these subjects seemed to leave Margaret a bit lost. What could she do?

”If you have no direction, I suggest you take the sheriff’s exam first.” Lance grinned; finding her something to do would be easy-peasy.

”What is that?” Margaret was intrigued.

”Hamlet is different from the outside...”

The Empire’s feudal system among the nobility meant there was no unified legal system, and without clearly defined authority, the responsibilities were unclear, so many sheriffs were privately appointed.

The scope of their authority depended entirely on local circumstances, but one thing was certain: they could only manage commoners, not the nobility, the Church, or those with some power.

Lack of clarity of duties and oversight yet having some power inevitably led to corruption and abuse.

To the populace, they were seen as official gangs; to the nobility, they were just a paper to wipe messes.

The sheriff in Hamlet was given clear authority and responsibilities by Lance, still a means of maintaining stability but at least trying to solve problems instead of silencing whistleblowers.

This meant there’s a higher requirement for the quality of sheriffs, and candidates needed to be vetted unless they had special skills for direct recruitment.

This vetting involved written tests, physical tests, and interviews, with all parts needing to be passed to become a sheriff.

Given the lucrative rewards, anyone capable wanted to try, as entering meant a leap to prosperity and honor.

Similar to the sheriff’s position, civil service roles required examination and any current employees needed continual learning, assessed every quarter.

If one didn’t pass, their benefits wouldn’t increase, while passing assessments meant improved benefits and promotion priority.

Hamlet’s people were indeed lucky; even in an otherworldly realm, civil service exams had performance assessments.

”First, take the theory exam. Whether or not you become a sheriff is secondary, but passing means you have the capability.”

Listening to Lance’s detailed explanation, Margaret understood, but her response was immediate and decisive.

”Are you talking about the security management regulations? I’ve studied them.” Margaret said, raising her gun, ”Otherwise, how could I carry a gun?”

This statement was ambiguous, but combined with Margaret’s tone, Lance felt something was off.

She wasn’t saying she merely glanced over it; she could remember it all.

That was something Lance had cobbled together, and he had photographic memory, which allowed him to spout any part spontaneously. Yet Margaret could indeed recite it.

Crap!

A prodigy...

Lance initially thought the exam could trap her, but unexpectedly, unlike the brilliant Boudica, Margaret wasn’t that kind of genius despite also being a redhead.

He also forgot she previously had a mishap with her gun being confiscated, and now that she got it back, she had surely studied.

The clown was me!

But it was reasonable; as a top member of Bastia, Lawrence would surely have invested well in his only daughter’s education.

Lance compared her with ordinary people who might not even write their names and were still being taught to read—this was inconsiderate.

Her theory was flawless, and as for her physical ability, she was trained, undoubtedly superior to the average person.

”Then what do you want to do by staying?”

”I want to fight for Hamlet!” Margaret gripped her musket, guilt showing on her face, ”To atone for the harm my father caused Hamlet.”

She was in the crowd earlier, hearing about what her father had done. It hurt her, who was upright by nature, deeply, causing her father’s image of justice and greatness to become flawed.

Lance didn’t know this, or he would certainly add:

[See, I told you it wasn’t me corrupting her. It’s Lawrence, the father, whose words and actions didn’t align, leading her astray.]

Lance was lost in thought, but Margaret suddenly blurted out:

”I want to enlist and join Hamlet’s army.”

”No, no, that’s not a joke.” Lance was startled by her words and hastily shook his head in refusal.

”I’m not joking!” Margaret frowned, ”I know the enemy Hamlet is facing is the heretics. I also know how dangerous it is, so I’m even more determined to stay.”

”Lawrence told you this?” Lance guessed Lawrence wanted his daughter to stay away from Hamlet, so he informed her of some things.

But surprisingly, Margaret, such a person, chose to stay after learning about Hamlet’s difficulties.

Such a spirit reminded Lance of certain idealists, always so naïve, yet earnest in action.

In front of them, someone of Lance’s unscrupulous nature couldn’t help but feel diminished.

But this didn’t mean Lance backed down. On the contrary, he directly refused.

”Currently, the army only recruits men. You don’t meet the criteria, and I can’t make an exception just for you.”

”Boudica and Amanda joined the fight. Why can’t I?”

”...” Lance began to say something but suddenly realized.

Goodness, have you been investigating all this for the past few days?