Our Family Has Fallen

"Yeah, it’s dark."

Lance followed Baldwin’s gaze outside, darkness engulfed the land, not knowing how long he had spent this time.

Initially, it seemed fine, until he stepped outside and got the relevant intel from the soldiers stationed there.

Raising his head once more to look at the dark curtain, Lance suddenly realized that he too was affected by the dungeon, or else, how could he not perceive the evil enveloping Hamlet?

But there was no time to dwell on this now. Lance quickly gathered his team and instructed them to retreat to the small pier by the cliff.

Given the current situation, there’s no need to defend the old mansion. If any problems arise, it won’t hold up. Lance was worried about the soldiers being corrupted by the leaked power, which would be troublesome later.

The area by the cliff is smaller, and merely setting up a few braziers would illuminate the defense line, with their back to the sea. Any problem would only need defense from one side since their people are below the sea cliff as well.

Their task is to safeguard the pier’s elevator, even if other areas face issues, Lance can always charge forward.

After hurriedly arranging these, Lance took his people by boat back to Hamlet.

This time, he did not act as secretly as before; instead, he purposely rode a tall steed down Hamlet’s main street. He didn’t even tidy his somewhat disheveled appearance but presented a spirited posture.

During his time on the boat, he had already contacted Grendel via the Messenger, understanding what had happened outside after he unravelled the ritual of the saints and activated the Iron Crown.

Undoubtedly, this is the power left from the great catastrophe of yesteryears, yet without a million lives as sacrifices, it thankfully didn’t cause exaggerated casualties; this was the sole good news.

Though it’s calmed, the existence of the dark curtain isolated not only the sun but also the hope of the people.

What Lance needs to do is to bring hope to them.

To tell them the Lord hasn’t abandoned them; instead, the Lord is fighting on the front line, keeping the more terrifying enemies at bay.

Indeed, the restless populace calmed, and the people sincerely welcomed him. It was only after making a round did he return to the Lord’s Mansion.

In the hall, a group of high-level officials had already gathered, they were summoned back in advance.

"Many of you don’t know what’s happening, so let me explain. After breaking into the old mansion occupied by the evil cult, we found a hidden passage they concealed.

Inside, we discovered the ritual they constructed to awaken the Evil God. This time, I led people down and directly disrupted part of it, resulting in the leakage of the ritual’s power, leading to the current situation."

Lance had no intention of hiding anything; knowing certain things can help them respond better. Understanding their concerns, he offered a comforting word.

"Don’t worry, I’ve sabotaged part of the ritual, and the Evil God’s power is also restricted. Just give me a bit more time to completely dismantle the ritual, and Hamlet’s situation will be resolved."

Everyone who could enter here today is absolutely loyal; upon receiving Lance’s explanation, they merely nodded, having always prepared to confront the Evil God, hence their reaction was not too drastic.

What they needed more was the Lord’s guidance on how to proceed next.

"Expand the meeting, let others join as well."

Lance made arrangements with the group, then called in more people like Amanda, Boudica, and Tadiff, those not involved in the military and governance.

Repeated words just said, explaining the reason for the dark curtain, though more summarized this time, offering a definition.

"The war between us and the evil cult has reached its final, most crucial phase. These desperate counterattacks can’t scare me."

Upon these words, everyone fell into silence; only those who entered the dungeon realized the situation was far from simple.

Though hearts wavered, Lance didn’t rush; instead, he opened his mouth to signal.

"I know what everyone is worried about, the gates of Hamlet are wide open, what comes in can go out; everyone has their difficulties, arriving here has been enough."

This undoubtedly told them, if they wish to leave, he wouldn’t stop them. Now was not like the early days with only a few people, whether more or less wouldn’t alter his plan.

Moreover, they aren’t involved in other aspects; the departure of non-core members doesn’t significantly impact.

Many here know Hamlet’s past, but have little concept of the Evil God, and hence have not been concerned much.

Until the dark curtain enveloped the entire Hamlet, truth be told, such power made them incapable of mustering the resolve to resist.

Initially, when the dark curtain first enveloped, they hadn’t reacted immediately; the more they thought, the more terrifying it seemed.

However, none really wanted to leave, even Tadiff the Bounty Hunter.

After all, there are few places like Hamlet in this world, and it’s impossible to find nobles like Lance.

Whether seeking redemption, escaping the past, or pursuing fame and fortune, these people would unite around him.

This unexpected situation threw Lance’s plan off-track, forcing him to continue resource allocation into the dungeon, and at the fastest possible pace.

Yet he remained confident, smiling and offering a comforting sentence to everyone.

"The dark curtain is merely a herald of daylight, no need to worry."

These words calmed everyone’s emotional turmoil, relieved the majority of the pressure; as long as the Lord stands there, even doing nothing, he can fill them with confidence.𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦