our family is gone

Chapter 7 Situation
Then the bandits did not leave after the robbing, but entrenched on the old road and often blocked the road to rob. After the business road was cut off, the price of the town soared, and food shortages led to famine.

What's more, the mayor's sudden levy of security tax made ordinary people even worse. Some free people were forced to sell themselves to farmers in order to survive.

"Where's your lord? Isn't there a militia in such a big town?"

"I don't know where the aristocrat has gone. There is a militia, but when the bandits came, most of them died. If they didn't die, they ran away. There are only a few left..."

Speaking of which, the clerk's expression became cautious, and after looking around to make sure there was no one around, he said in a low voice: "The rest of them will become the kind of sheriff just now. If you encounter customers, you'd better stay away."

Lance understood what he meant. In order to resist the bandits, the mayor still summoned a lot of mercenaries. After the war, these mercenaries and the surviving militiamen became sheriffs.

In fact, they are the mayor's thugs who control the town. These people are more hateful than bandits when they do evil in the town.

"Where's the church?"

"Hey~" the clerk laughed, "After the bandits retreated, the church and the mercenary guild left the town. Now the church and the guild are empty."

Leonard's expression changed a little when he heard this, and a look of disappointment could not help but appear on that resolute face, but he didn't say much.

The situation in the town is not optimistic. One is the farmer who has a large number of serfs occupying the farm manor, and he holds most of the grain in the town.The second is the mayor of the security regiment formed by mercenaries and gangsters.

Normally, you should first find the housekeeper and confirm your identity first.

It's just that Lance understands that this will definitely alarm the mayor. There are only three of us, and the strong dragon will not overwhelm the local snake, and he will have to restrict him at that time...

"What about that woman?"

Lance continued to question the weird man just now, and the clerk also showed a helpless expression at this time.

"Hey~ It's not because of the banditry. Originally, her family of three was pretty good, but when the bandits beat her, her husband and son died, leaving her alive alone.

I don’t know if she’s crazy. I heard that she dragged a seriously injured veteran out of the ruins and brought him home for treatment. The pastor asked for money to save people. In order to raise money, she sold the veteran’s equipment, but she didn’t expect She was robbed by those mercenaries, and they tortured her for a whole night before being thrown out of the street. At this time, the priest who could perform divine spells had already left with the church, and now she was completely insane.

Relying on picking up the garbage left by those mercenaries, I helped her save a little gill viscera for her to survive. "

"Veteran?" Lance noticed the words in the clerk's mouth.

"Yes, that mercenary used to be a soldier. When the bandits attacked, he was the only one who stood up and led us to resist the bandits. However, judging from the situation at the time, he was also seriously injured, and he may have died long ago."

Both Disma and Leonard were quite moved when they heard this story.

"This is yours." Lance tossed the copper coin over and then took out another copper coin and threw it at the clerk.

"Another pound of brown bread to take away."

The clerk seemed to realize what Lance meant, but didn't say much, just shook his head and went backstage.

"I'm going to take a look. What do you two say?" Lance knew that he had no fighting power. Most of the pistols on his waist were used as a deterrent, and he had to be accompanied by someone to walk in the town.

"Holy light protects me." Leonard put on the helmet.

"Then I'm sure I'm fine." Disma drank the last bit of beer in one gulp.

When Lance walked out of the tavern, he saw the woman crouching at the door, and approached him proactively.

Obviously she wanted to get closer just now, but she didn't know why her expression twisted and she looked terrified, her body tightened and she hugged herself tightly, not daring to look up at Lance again.

Lance didn't make much movement, just squatted down and slowly handed over the black bread wrapped in paper.

"Don't be afraid, we won't hurt you, take it and eat it."

The woman looked up at the bag, and then slowly met Lance's eyes. Seeing the smile on his face, she froze for a moment, but quickly realized that she grabbed the bag and fled away.

"Leave like this?" Disma frowned and asked to stop him, but Lance raised his hand to stop him.

"This land is full of poor people. It seems that the corruption has already begun. Our task is very difficult~"

After speaking, Lance started to follow. Only Disma still asked a question in confusion.

"Lord, why are we doing this?"

"We are all foreigners, and the locals don't know us at all. If we want to gain a foothold here, we need to have a bond with the locals, and the only mercenary who is willing to protect civilians in the war is for us It is of great value.”

Originally, Lance was still having a headache about how to enter this small town, but after hearing the woman's story, he finally had a plan.

His idea is very simple, he just wants to borrow the veteran's reputation among civilians, but he has to see the specific situation on the spot before making a decision.

The three of them hung behind the woman and came to a private house and watched her rush in.

It can be seen that the situation of the woman's family was not bad, otherwise there would be no such a single mudstone structure house, but it is a pity that a sudden war destroyed everything.

The door was not locked, and it was just gently closed, but as soon as he got close to the house, he could smell a faint stench. Thinking of what the clerk said, he even suspected that the mercenary was dead at this time, because the rotting corpse out of taste.

Looking at the other two, it seems that they think so too, but even those who have come here have no intention of leaving directly.

"It's just the beginning. If this person who can't adapt is not suitable to stay here."

Lance took the lead in pushing the door and entering, but the stench suddenly became a hundred times stronger after passing through the door. It broke into the nasal cavity and made Lance, who had just eaten, feel a little nauseous.

But he also saw what was actually going on inside the house.

The woman slit her wrist, allowing the blood to drip into the mouth of the man lying on the bed.

However, the sudden intrusion of the three of Lance alarmed the woman, and she fell to the ground with a strange cry, but soon stood up again and held up the iron plate as a threat.

"Leave my house quickly!"

"Don't be afraid, we are not those mercenaries." Lance left a word, and then approached the woman directly.

Seeing Lance approaching, the woman really went crazy and raised the iron plate to smash it. How could Leonard look at it, but was stopped by Lance raising his hand when he was about to move forward, and turned to open his arms towards the woman.

"If you want to fight, just fight. I have an unshirkable responsibility for you to become like this."

(End of this chapter)