Our Family Has Fallen

However, this contraption is meant for lifting cargo, using it to lift people is certainly not comfortable, plus it’s a fixed pulley, lacking ease of effort, so Lance needed to find someone to redesign and modify it.

The modification of this device is left to those coming after, their task is to attack.

The second person brought up was Audrey, it was clear her face was somewhat pale, but she forced herself to ignore the discomfort in front of Lance.

Then came Amanda, she was in much better condition, letting Audrey go first was obviously a precaution.

Audrey didn’t care at all, instead her gaze was on the surroundings.

At first glance, one could see the back of the old manor not far away, ancient and marked by time, which seemed to remind her of her own luxurious estate...

Lance was like an old donkey grinding away, continuously pulling people up, more and more people climbed over, they began to use those items to construct more temporary hoists.

A few large beams served as the base, connected into a whole with pre-drilled metal plates, then buried in pits on the ground.

On the other side, all the excavated dirt and rocks were packed into sacks, then piled up as counterweight.

When the base was completed, the other prefabricated parts were assembled, and a simple new hoist appeared.

Hamlet’s expertise in civil engineering was vividly displayed then, why didn’t Lance take them to the front lines, instead spending money on professional sappers?

That’s the value, and also logistics and medical care, all these can greatly enhance the combat ability and morale of the army.

"Boss, boss! Is it done?"

Boudica was recovering quickly, carrying her axe and musket as she hurried over, urging them on.

"You, come turn this." Lance straightforwardly roped Boudica in to handle the winch, with her strength, it wouldn’t be wasted.

"Oh~" Though a little disappointed, Boudica didn’t complain; a winch that required two people to turn, she managed on her own, and not slowly either.

More and more soldiers were hoisted up, along with some building materials and weaponry.

After some research, Lance completed the task assignments, watching as the soldiers took over, he gathered his squad again.

"Let’s go, now it’s our turn."

"Alright!" The grinding Boudica immediately cheered upon hearing, handed the winch to others, picked up her weapon and rushed to Lance’s side.

Audrey was listening nearby, but was increasingly puzzled, why such importance placed on a rundown estate, coming from the cliffside, deploying so many elite warriors merely for defense.

Undoubtedly, her curiosity was piqued, and when the Lord summoned, she joined the team without hesitation.

Amanda instinctively wanted to draw cards for divination again, but seeing that man, she gave up the thought and followed with a smile.

Along with the squad came a group of soldiers too, they came to receive the Lord’s orders and conduct reconnaissance.

Weeds concealed their tracks, until they approached the old manor via the path, there wasn’t much movement.

But Lance sensed something, his flaring nostrils captured numerous scents from the air.

Indeed, reality differed from the game; in the game, besieging the manor required clearing the surroundings, but now Lance took shortcuts, avoiding the hard ruins, naturally leading to situations deviating from plans.

Luckily he brought over hundreds of soldiers, sending merely one squad would be foolish, unable to ascertain wiping out those guys.

"There’s signs of human activity."

Turning around past the entrance, Audrey broke the silence, explaining with great immersion, "An abandoned place should be overgrown like the rear, yet here..."

"Who wouldn’t notice that." Amanda retorted, annoyed that this tomb robber was stealing the spotlight.

"Enough, save the games for later, this isn’t a place for fooling around."

Lance felt Amanda’s hostility; if it were ordinary times, he would’ve watched for kicks, but now the task had commenced, internal conflict was unacceptable.

Amanda said nothing; though annoyed, the Lord’s authority was respected, she focused more attention on observing the surroundings.

As Audrey mentioned, the old manor’s rear was barren, but the front showed signs of human activity, and not few.

"Because this is the Ascension Sect’s headquarters, it’d be abnormal if there weren’t people here."

Lance’s gaze shifted to the manor, similar to countless noble estates, the manor was expansive, situated independently away from urban noise, perched atop the cliff overlooking the sea.

They were now at what once was the backyard, but long neglected, vegetation had overtaken, amidst the stones, desolation prevailed.

His focus wasn’t on the manor itself, but on where surrounding terrain suited defensive installations.

"Commander!"

"Here!"

"Deploy soldiers, our goal is to fortify positions, besiege this building, and secure here..."

Lance wouldn’t allow soldiers to engage in the manor against those creatures, the naval soldiers were too inexperienced for the intensity of indoor combat against cultists.

Furthermore, contact with those things would corrupt the soul; Lance disliked meaningless sacrifices, and for confidentiality too.

Yet, they could assist externally, preventing enemy surges from attacking the manor, as the Ascension Sect certainly wouldn’t easily give up, these cultists knowing their home was raided, would surely return.

Likewise, not a single enemy inside the manor was allowed to escape, Lance aimed for complete annihilation, erasing any trace of their existence.

Strategic objectives clarified it as a siege, for which Lance specially transferred several defensive battle-expert veterans from the second brigade [Iron Wall] to lead.

The weapons prepared for them weren’t merely ordinary, but grenades and Incendiary Bottles, alongside some unassigned, test-phase weaponry.

In firepower aspect, beyond bayoneted muskets, they brought in cannons; Lance had brought them from the display room, otherwise even he couldn’t have carried them up.

And plenty of healing potions, bandages, antidotes, a variety of logistical supplies, and medics; even if wounded, they wouldn’t face death, as long as they held on until he returned.

Though many naval soldiers had experienced mere ordinary combat, relying on heavy firepower could clinch the defense.

When the battle ended, they would be seasoned veterans.

Lance explained briefly, as they began deploying soldiers, soon preparing to call for action.

Lance raised his hand to deploy those gear and cannons at the designated spots, having specifically organized the display room beforehand, loading more equipment.

Now was the time to unleash them, freeing space to store the ancestor’s scandal.

Crates of supplies appeared out of thin air, surprising Audrey, but she said nothing, knowing something of it, though never finding similar gear herself, she could only envy.

Lance swiftly reviewed, ensuring the plan had no issues, finally steeling himself to confront his longstanding fear.

"Let’s act, their arrival will certainly alarm those cultists, it’s best we strike first."

"I’ve thought it should’ve commenced long ago!" Boudica awaited this, her face wearing a grim smile.

Audrey was clueless, never hearing about Ascension Sect matters, since arrival, topics always revolved around the ruins.

Yet she had her merits to survive thus far, not knowing why she felt unease, sadly she had no choice but to follow.

Amanda lagged slightly behind, already clutching a whip, her gaze lingered on Audrey briefly, suppressing emotions as she caught up.

Lance had prepared for so long, the real battle was finally beginning.