our family is gone

Chapter 502
Compared to the chaos outside, Hamlet under Lance's rule still maintains a good security environment even after dark.

It's not as if they never close their doors at night or pick up things on the street, but at least there are no barbarians who suddenly appear to attack at night, and no thieves or thieves dare to show their faces.

This is all thanks to the sentries who stick to their posts and the peace officers who patrol throughout the night.

Of course, there is the most important person, it is he who dispels the ignorance of the night.

From then on, the coming of night no longer means chaos and fear for Hamlet's people, but a return to a life of entertainment and rest from the day's work.

What changed all this was the arrival of Lord Lance, and order had taken root in the hearts of the people.

And our lord waited until dark today to find someone, the long-silent Junia, the nun favored by the Holy Light.

Junia herself was exiled by the church. She fell into Lance's hands and was left easily. He even used the damaged [Saint's Torch] collected by Tamara to fool her into a daze. On weekdays, I just prayed in my room and didn't cause any trouble to Lance.

Junia, Geralt, and Tardif are considered mercenaries. Lance is not responsible for their lives. Unless they are called for a mission, there is no restriction on their movements.

However, they all made a lot of money from Lance, so Junia didn't need to be as embarrassed as before, and even rented a single-family house.

It's just that it's not in the central area near the square where everyone else is, but on the edge.

Because she is used to spending most of her day praying, and also engaging in rituals from time to time. If she lives alone, it will affect other people, and even hotels are unwilling to accept her for a long time.

In fact, the root cause is the erosion of the power of his lord by divine authority. Lance opened up the people's wisdom, suppressed religion and even changed the church. Junia was somewhat implicated.

However, it is a convenience to live here without anyone caring about her prayers.

"How's it going? Have you had any problems in your life recently?" Lance's eyes fell on the steel torch in her hand, with a playful look on his face.

Because he could feel that the aura of this thing seemed to be a little stronger than last time.

What is the power of faith?Or is it simply the watering of spirituality that restores it?

"No, I'm fine here."

Junia has basically no material needs. A piece of bread and a glass of water are enough for her a day.

What really matters to her is her spiritual needs, and this is what Hamlet satisfies.

First, the existence of the cult gave her a clear enemy, and second, the saint's torch would one day be restored.

I have to say that she is the most truly religious person that Lance has ever seen. Even if Lance doesn't like the restrictions of religion on people, he still respects ruthless people like her.

"Blow out the candles and show you something fun." Lance came to her mysteriously, which was a bit strange.

Although Junia was confused, she blew out the candles and showed considerable trust in Lance.

Then the next second a fire lit up in the room that had just fallen into darkness, and it was only then that Junia discovered that the lord was holding a torch with an equally strange shape.

"This is not a church thing."

By the firelight, Junia recognized at a glance that this piece of equipment did not come from the church.

"Of course, I got this from a transcendent person. This is not an ordinary torch. As long as you mobilize your power and input it, it will ignite automatically. No fire is needed..."

Lance introduced, then handed the torch to Junia, "Of course it will go out if it stops."

As soon as these words were spoken, the flame on the torch slowly extinguished, and the room fell into darkness again.

It wasn't until Lance's instruction that the torch also inspired flames in Junia that the nun who had a devout faith in the holy flame couldn't help but froze, staring at the flame without knowing what she was thinking.

Lance also had many thoughts about this. He came to Junia to verify one thing, and now it has been confirmed.

Because he had tried it with other extraordinary beings before, and they had all been successfully ignited.

That is, this thing is not like those equipments that have many restrictions on other people, but a universal and extraordinary prop that can stimulate the power above as long as you can use it.

This means that various so-called magical arts that control flames are not unique to the church.

"Is the lord telling me that the holy flame is just a kind of extraordinary power?"

Junia's words directly brought Lance's attention back.

"I have just started researching extraordinary powers. It will be a long process to decipher the secrets and then use these powers to benefit mankind.

But light and fire can be seen everywhere. Even under the heavy pressure of the church, there are still extraordinary people who can control flames.

Isn't he more capable of playing with fire than your pastor?Why did he become a heretic?Those of you who only know how to burn firewood are bishops?

It is you sisters who have been guarding the sacred flame at that altar for more than ten years!In just one sentence, he denies your achievements that you have worked hard for half a lifetime, puts your sisters to death, and exiles you. Why should he? "

Lance didn't mean to attack her faith directly, he just laid out the facts.

Neither flame nor holy light is the property of the church. A group of guys who steal nature for their own benefit is not a belief at all, but a business.

Lance had no pressure to rip off their glossy coats.

More importantly, you, Junia, can’t beat me, so I’m not afraid of your impatience.

"I can't tell...I can't tell!"

Junia seemed frightened when she heard this, as if the torch in her hand was the devil's temptation. The rising firelight reflected the scene of hell, and she was so frightened that she threw it away.

The fire of the maintenance torch that lost its power quickly extinguished, and the surrounding darkness eroded at a speed visible to the naked eye.

But before the torch fell to the ground and was completely extinguished, it was caught by a big hand in mid-air, and then the fire suddenly surged several times to dispel the darkness again.

Junia saw Lance's figure holding a torch in the light of the fire, and his resolute and steady face dispelled her fear.

As long as he is here, there will be no chaos.

Lance waved the torch to light the candle, so that the light source in the room was no longer restricted, and then slowly spoke.

"The technology mastered by the church could have benefited the people, but it has become a prison for human beings, only for the selfish interests of the monopoly family. It is sad and ridiculous.

They hold torches in their hands and are not even willing to light lamps for humans. They only want to fill the church with candles. They are of no use to humans, so they are of no use to me. "

Lance didn't stay with Junia for too long, he just asked her to test this prop and at the same time knock on the heavy shackles that imprisoned her.

Without liberating her, it would be difficult for Lance to use her to break through the source of the church's ability. There must be a reason why the church's monopoly has not been cracked for so many years.

After coming out, Lance hesitated for a moment, but still walked towards the nursing home.Having suppressed the matter about Bastia for so long, Lawrence relented and the refugees had finished digesting it. Now it was time to meet the fat man. No, he should be the pyromancer.

It's just that compared to Bastia's bad things, he is more interested in the identity of this extraordinary person and his abilities.

The attraction of extraordinary power to human beings is like the attraction of candlelight to moths. Even if they know it is dangerous, they can't help but fly up...

The sanatorium built by the ancestor is airtight and may not be able to treat diseases, but it is absolutely fine as a prison.

There are many people imprisoned inside, but no one can escape from this dark sanatorium, not even extraordinary people.

Because the inspiration of most extraordinary people is just like that, their abilities are more reflected in their equipment due to talent limitations.

When an extraordinary person loses his equipment, it is like a snow leopard losing its innocence and becoming just like an ordinary person.

Even Amanda and Tamara, two people with far more inspiration than ordinary people, have stayed in it. Although the two of them did not dare to escape because they were frightened by Lance, it is enough to show its effect.

The door lock was unlocked, and Lance walked in holding a candlestick. The candlelight illuminated the fat man lying on the bed like a dead pig.

Being fat does not mean that you can starve. On the contrary, your huge body is consumed faster and your body is more accustomed to being full, so hunger will be more intense in the same way.

Now that he has been starved for three days, he has long been unconscious. If it weren't for the heaving and heaving of his chest and abdomen, he would have thought he was a corpse.

"Let's eat~"

Lance shouted, and the guy woke up immediately.

But his strength was gone, and his fat body turned out of bed, but he couldn't help but reach out and call for help.

"Quick...save me..."

Looking at the unconscious fat man at his feet, Lance shook his head with a smile, raised his hand and threw out a piece of black bread.

Normally the fat man would not even look at it, but now he looked like a hungry wolf with his eyes glowing green when he saw flesh and blood.

The powerless body generated a force out of thin air and pushed him to pick up the black bread and gnaw on it.

Although the staple food eaten by ordinary Hamlet people is not the kind of soft white bread, it is also the normal kind of bread. It has a meaty taste every one or two days, but most of it is fish. If you want to eat other things, you can spend your own money. purchase.

But don't forget that there are many reform-through-labor prisoners in Hamlet. Their food is not very good, and their food is controlled, and the development area is the farthest, so black bread that can be stored for a period of time is the best.

Lance was kind after all. Although it was made of coarse grains, at least there was no sawdust or bark, but it was not hard enough to withstand the chops of knives and axes. It could still be chewed raw.

Soon, the fat man had eaten the black bread. But if he ate the dry and hard bread like this, wouldn't he be afraid of choking to death?
Lance dangled a bottle of water in front of him.

The fat man didn't hesitate too much. He grabbed the water bottle and drank it in big gulps.

After eating and drinking, he sat on the ground, looking very strange.

The hatred was gone, or it was hidden deeper, and there was only hunger and thirst. It was obvious that what he had just now was not enough.

Lance looked at his slimmer face and smiled: "I've been busy with official duties these days, so I've delayed you a bit. I'm really sorry."

As soon as he said this, the fat man wanted to smash the water bottle into his face, but fear made him bury his hatred deeply and remain silent.

"I also prepared a sumptuous dinner, but unfortunately I can only eat roasted chicken, grilled fish and white bread."

Originally, the little food aroused his hunger, but when he heard this, he couldn't help but speak quickly.

"What do you want to do?"

"You won't forget why the count asked you to come, right?" Lance teased with a smile, "Didn't he tell you to negotiate a ransom besides asking you to massacre refugees, plant spies, and collect intelligence?"

"I don't know about massacres or spies. I'm only responsible for negotiating ransoms." The fat man immediately cut him off when he saw what was going on.

"It doesn't matter, let's talk about the ransom." Lance has always been indifferent.

"Thirty gold coins per person." The fat man tried.

"It seems you're still too full~" Lance sneered, turned around and left without talking nonsense.

"Hey wait! You're bargaining!" The fat man became anxious when he saw it. Damn it, you didn't even give him a chance to bargain.

"Count Bastia must have told you the lowest price, you tell me." Lance emphasized with a cold face, "Don't joke with me, it's not that I can't afford it, it's that you can't afford it."

"One hundred and one, Baron Lawrence and Master Alvin can improve a little more." The fat man still agreed. After all, he was not the one who paid the money. If there is anything else, we can wait until we get back.

Lance pondered for a moment and then waved his hand, "I don't want money for 45 knights, three thousand each for two nobles."

"Ah! The knight doesn't want money?" The fat man was shocked, and even his hunger was suppressed.

He was already ready for Lance Lion to open his mouth, but he didn't expect to just let it go?

He had never heard of such a situation in all his years as a businessman.

Is he afraid that the Bastia army will come and kill him?

"I haven't even finished telling you what the hell your name is?" Lance glanced at the fat man and added.

"But you killed 300 of my people, and each of them received ten gold coins. Here are three thousand, and there are countless wounded who need to add one thousand. The total ransom is ten thousand."

In fact, there is no room for negotiation on this.

Lance originally wanted to raise the ransom and make a severe cut, so that he could induce Count Bastia to beat him and help him clear out the villages and towns controlled by the Ascension Sect.

When the time comes to fight back, you will have a good reputation. The initiative is in Lance's hands. Where to fight and how to fight is not Bastia's final decision.

But now Laura of the Eagles inexplicably rebelled and brought him Margaret, thus taking control of Lawrence.

The situation was different. Lawrence's defection meant that Lance could reach into Bastia, so Lance had to pay attention to his reputation and not hurt the roots just to cut a round of leeks.

Because these knights will definitely spread the news when they go back. If they handle it well, they can leave some reputation and make it easier to take over Bastia in the future.

Here, I directly released those knights, and then promoted that I had tried my best to treat them, and then emphasized that they invaded Hamlet and massacred 300 people, causing countless casualties.

Sometimes the dead are more useful than the living. When people are dead, it just depends on what they say?As for the Count, what if he knew those were cultists?Anyway, it's all to muddy the waters.

Whoever controls the two major battlefields of propaganda and public opinion has an advantage, and he cannot allow the count to occupy them.

(End of this chapter)