Our Family Has Fallen

Lance walked straight into the detached cottage allocated to William due to his need to keep dogs.

As soon as he approached, he heard barking. Upon entering, he saw Fergus, who had been frolicking in the yard, run to a corner. The dog, previously very enthusiastic, inexplicably seemed to fear his arrival, leaving Lance somewhat embarrassed.

He did bear some responsibility. He had brought Wang Cai to William, hoping he could train the dog. Unexpectedly, aside from Lance himself, the beast wouldn't obey anyone and had even bitten Fergus.

Now Fergus seemed a bit afraid of him.

"My Lord!" William emerged from the house, immediately looking around for the white wolf.

"Wang Cai didn't come," Lance said with a teasing smile. "You're a dog trainer. Why would you be afraid of that thing?"

William was frustrated but couldn't express it. If he encountered a real wild wolf, although it would be difficult, he was confident he could tame it. Even if gentle methods failed, a couple of whacks with a stick would usually make it submit. But that white wolf had bitten him after just two hits. Fergus, unwilling to submit, had tried to fight it but was no match for the white wolf either.

His reputation as a dog trainer was completely ruined.

"Alright, let's not talk about that today." Lance patted his shoulder, signaling familiarity. "Hamlet needs you now."

On the training field, Boudica was thrashing a recruit with her bare hands. She was now in charge of teaching the new soldiers hand-to-hand combat.

Initially, the recruits looked down on this instructor. Being both a woman and from the Barbarian Tribes touched on their inexplicable pride. However, Boudica quickly gained their respect in the way she knew best.

She started by laying down a challenge: anyone willing to take her on and win could rest during her lessons.

Many were eager to try, but all they got was a beating. Had Lance not told her to hold back, they might have suffered more than just bruises and scrapes.

Boudica, using her Barbarian Combat Skills, defeated dozens who dared to challenge her. Veteran soldiers also tried, but they too were soundly beaten; even when they attacked her in succession, they couldn't win.

In just a few days, she had bested over five hundred men, shattering their fragile pride and making them all completely submit.

They understood that those who became instructors definitely possessed significant skills.

Reynard and the others enjoyed the show but were equally amazed by the woman's strength.

But soon, a message called the instructors away from the training field—the Lord had summoned them.

When they arrived at the hall, they found both William and Paracelsus present.

These two were not involved in military construction and training, so their interaction with others had only been superficial.

"There's trouble!"

As soon as everyone arrived, Lance spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.

"I have told you all before who our enemy is. Now, they are no longer giving us time to develop. They are lurking in the wilderness, steadily approaching Hamlet."

Lance delivered his opening remarks, instantly setting a serious tone for the meeting.

He didn't like to give long speeches, so he went straight to the point, explaining what he had discovered before stating the purpose of the meeting today.

"I'm going to lead a team into the wilderness for reconnaissance," Lance said, naming his team directly. "Paracelsus, William, Boudica, and myself will go. The rest will stay behind to continue training and maintain the operations of Hamlet."

"This is too dangerous. Let me go into the wilderness instead of you, My Lord."

"My Lord, Hamlet needs you. It's better if I go."

"I'm familiar with the wilderness. Leave this matter to me."

...

Lance showed little reaction to their pleas to go in his stead, simply explaining, "Infections begin at the wound. Only I can provide immediate treatment to prevent infection. Otherwise, with our current medical capabilities, if an infection sets in, even I won't be able to save the victim."

Everyone was aware of their Lord's abilities and thus understood.

"Training the military is also a vital task," Lance continued. "Moreover, once I leave, the defense of Hamlet will be in your hands. You must shoulder this responsibility. I don't want to return to find any problems."

"Yes!" the group answered in unison.

What if the Old Ancestor took advantage of my absence to launch a sneak attack? That had been my worry before leaving.

Therefore, watchtowers needed to be built north of the collective farms and labor farms. The new recruits must train outside regularly. The Cavalry must patrol back and forth between the farms, keeping an eye out for signal fires to guard against unexpected enemy approaches.

He concisely outlined the tasks for the military and instructed them on key points. Having relayed all necessary instructions, Lance saw no reason to keep them any longer.

"Alright, we don't have much time. Evil grows stronger every minute, and we must be faster than them. Reynard, stay behind; you'll come with me to the workshop. The rest of you, go and prepare."

After the others had left, Lance took out a long wooden box and addressed Reynard.

"Leaving your family in such dire circumstances last time was indeed a lapse in my judgment. I noticed that your sword was seriously damaged in the fight to protect the convoy. Consider this sword my apology."

Using the word "apology" rather than "compensation" brought their relationship closer.

Reynard was surprised the Lord still remembered that incident and even more taken aback that the Lord presented such humility. He was momentarily overwhelmed by the consideration.