Our Family Has Fallen

These people wanted to get a major pirate to attack Hamlet according to their words, and a lot of compensation was agreed upon.

However, fortunately for them, they never intended to pay, those pirates were destined to become their stepping stones to return to Hamlet.

Can’t defeat the Lord but can’t defeat the pirates?

More and more sailors were recalled, some began processing their departure documents, making quite a show.

And their actions were placed on Lance’s desk.

"What do you think these people plan to play?"

Lance indicated with a smile, in the hall were decision-making elites and advisors including Baldwin, a few heroes had also returned from the front lines after a long absence.

"They can’t really leave, the group of people gathered by the Mercenary Guild hasn’t dispersed yet."

"Those merchant ship goods aren’t sold to us, they lose more by taking them back."

"Good, it seems we’re all aware these guys aren’t trustworthy." Lance was quite pleased that no one was fooled, but the main problem needed to be addressed.

"But what do they plan to do?"

"I reckon just charging in and wiping them out would be fine, right?" Boudica nonchalantly tossed out a sentence, everyone knew those guys were up to something, yet they were still dawdling here, her big axe was already eager.

"The game is more fun when played by the rules." Lance shook his head with a smile, his unhurried demeanor was indeed like playing a game.

Amanda knew her chance to perform had come, took out her deck and performed operations, divining the danger about to face Hamlet.

"To the east." Amanda cut to the chase, her fingertip pinched a card.

"To the east of Hamlet is the sea, could it be a Fishmen invasion?"

"So many people gathering at the port, are they planning to seize the docks?"

"There’s nothing at the port to construct a defense line with..."

Various analyses and guesses, but Lance said nothing, Fishmen weren’t possible; the Deep Divers were all taken down in one pot, even if a few slipped through the net, the fishermen over there could take them out.

Instead, the things behind the Deep Divers needed some caution.

As for seizing the docks, it was impossible, doing so had no meaning.

Lance inclined towards Supernatural Power aspects, like the Association of Healers stirring up a plague, those mercenaries turning into zombies causing a biohazard outbreak, then they would be isolated on the ships from the land, able to rely on those resources...

Lance rambled to himself, then turned to look at the Mystical Scholar.

"What do you say, Alhazred? Any unusual spiritual fluctuations?"

Although Alhazred gained power through that strange ritual sacrificing his apprentice, he also seized the Void Demons’ power to step into the champion.

But that power was problematic, constantly trying to devour his soul, taking over his body as a beacon connecting the void.

Due to these interferences, Alhazred’s strength was also weakened, he had to focus most of his energy on resisting the void.

However, Lance’s Bless could allow him temporary respite from the prying, and the Purification Coral in his hand could suppress anomalies.

And in this state, don’t underestimate the power of a Champion Mystical Scholar.

Since the Lord had spoken, Alhazred, who sat meditating with closed eyes, raised the Skull Candleholder high to communicate destiny under Supernatural Power.

Very soon Alhazred calmed the spell, opened his eyes, and spoke a simple sentence.

"A large pirate fleet is approaching at sea."

Everyone then reacted, and Lance suddenly remembered something.

Right, almost forgot about the pirates in Hamlet.

Because it had been too long without contact, these things were directly ignored, just like a normal person wouldn’t care about fish and shrimp in the sea.

Indeed, those pirates infamous in the human world were no different from rotten fish and shrimp to Lance.

"How did those people know about the pirate news beforehand?"

"Do you even need to ask? Surely they’ve connections with the pirates, perhaps they are the pirates."

"Gather the navy, coastal cannons are available, just need a few more artillery teams..."

Now that the enemy was known, everyone began to prepare to respond, and just at this moment, an abrupt sentence rang out.

"Does our navy have combat prowess?"

Lance asked but no one could answer him.

In reality, Lance knew the situation clearly.

After the last Fishmen invasion, training was strengthened, personnel were supplemented, expanded from two hundred to over three hundred, and these people endured that brutal battle, certainly increasing their resolve several notches.

But due to the recent almost non-stop escort missions, actually running transportation, if you said it was training, okay, it was still navigating, training some sailors.

However, these task escort missions were very state-consuming, now most people were on leave, probably only over a hundred were on duty.

Some newcomers, due to running ships, neglected training, combined with just returning to rest, if you really said there was combat prowess, it was hard to say.

But Lance didn’t care, naval construction wasn’t simple, true combat prowess would show when cannons were on the ships, now just playing slow, grooming personnel.

"Business as usual, just assign some people to keep an eye on the port, as for those pirates, someone will handle them."

The Lord made a decision, others, though puzzled, didn’t say much.

Taking this chance, Lance briefly explained to everyone the future work direction of Hamlet, and answered some of their questions.

The meeting ended, everyone went their separate ways, and Lance was waiting.

Waiting for the night to fall...

Why were those people so sure the pirates would invade Hamlet at this time?

This matter had actually been reported to several high-level forces back in Totnes, knowing that to open up Hamlet a disturbance had to be stirred up locally, so a meeting was held deciding on this matter.

Now these people were just the executors of the plan, whether Lance met them or whether Hamlet chose to open up, they were going to act.

This somewhat resembled how the ancestors controlled Hamlet, arranging various attacks to cripple it whenever progress was made, anyone who became the Lord was just a puppet.

And now on the vast ocean, a massive fleet appeared, at least thirty or forty of varying sizes.

They hoisted no flags, no identifiable style, it was clear there was no formation, each went their own way appearing disorganized.

Anyone making a living at sea knew these were ferocious pirates.

Modern audiences influenced by some works might think of pirates not as frightening, even viewing them as freedom, adventure, and romance.

But the reality was if encountered, your ship better be faster than theirs, otherwise once caught, what awaited you was a bloody slaughter.

The survivors would be dragged to Shipwreck Bay, possibly becoming slaves laboring at the docks until dying one day, possibly converted into pirates controlled by rampant killings, or possibly turning into fish feed.

If someone with some status, with some money, would be kidnapped awaiting ransom, whether survival was possible after payment depended on luck.

If female, it was even worse, these guys hardly saw women in their daily lives...

Just like the secret gathering said, ever since Black Jack disappeared, the once united fleet broke apart, the stronger around Hamlet’s sea was Redbeard.

Not because Redbeard was the strongest, but as the trade route declined, this area became a barren sea, pirates had to make a living too, with no merchant ships to plunder, they naturally shifted to other bustling areas.

Pirates typically acted independently not gathering just because of numbers, doing so would be meaningless.

This related to their work, they needed to spread out to control more sea lanes, encounter more merchant ships, gathering would be inefficient, unable to feed everyone.

Only under some special circumstances would a large gathering occur, such as now, with a clear objective, a target to satiate them.

These guys were like wolves on the sea, ready to tear Hamlet apart and feast on it like fat meat.