Our family is in decline

"You guys can rest later, I'll keep watch." Lance habitually takes care of everything. It doesn't matter to him whether he sleeps or not, but he can spare time to sort out more books and teaching materials.

The school is still a primitive one, with only two subjects: literacy and arithmetic. There is much that needs to be improved.

But just such an ordinary sentence made Junia shed tears for some reason.

"This...isn't it~" Lance didn't expect this scene and was stunned for a moment.

Fortunately, although Junia's emotions were intense, she quickly calmed down, and after she told her own experience, several other people also understood why she was like this.

It's very simple. She has been alone since she left the monastery. Even if she stayed overnight in the local church, the priests did not welcome her very much. They only let her stay because she could use magic to create holy water.

It is common for a person to stay overnight in the wild, but it is not a pleasant feeling. You will be awakened at any time, sometimes by a gust of wind, and sometimes by wild wolves, poisonous snakes, rats, or hostile robbers and bandits.

That kind of mental pressure would make anyone else collapse, and it was only the support of her devout faith that got her all the way here.

But now that there was a stable camp, first she had a full meal, and then she heard someone keeping vigil. The sharp contrast between the feeling of being surrounded by security and the past made her unable to hold back tears for a while.

No one, no one had ever been so kind to her, and now she felt so happy.

Geralt fell into silent contemplation after hearing this. He had felt this way when he went out, but it had been so long ago that he even forgot how he came here.

"Isn't this normal?" Lance looked at them and said with a smile, "You know we are companions."

Lance's words about what companions should be said directly hit the hearts of several people.

To a certain extent, all of them are lonely.

Boudica was expelled from the tribe and was alone. Even after coming to Hamlet, it was still difficult to integrate.

As for Junia, no one in the world has cared about her so much since those nuns and sisters were executed because of her.

Because of his status as a demon hunter, Geralt has difficulty integrating into humans most of the time.

Even Lance himself is actually lonely. He has secrets that he cannot tell others and need to be buried in his heart.

The word "companion" linked them together, and this seemingly weak relationship left a profound impact on several people's hearts.

"What are you going to do next, Lord? What can I do?" Geralt asked, and he recognized this man.

He originally planned to complete this task, get the money and leave this strange place of right and wrong, but now he feels that he needs to stay to help the lord fight against the cult.

Anyway, he was wandering around without any destination, but now he was needed here and his companions needed him.

Lance was a little surprised when he heard his statement. To be honest, everyone could feel Geralt being wary of him in the second half of the journey. Even the words at the entrance of the cave didn't have much fluctuation.

To be honest, he already understood that Geralt, a seasoned adventurer, didn't have much hope, but he didn't expect to let go at this time.

In fact, what he said just now really didn't have any utilitarian intentions, it was just real rules.

Lance comes from a lower-class background, so he naturally understands that if you want people to hang out with you, you must arrange the treatment well. The first thing he did after taking over Hamlet was to improve the treatment and improve the rules.

He had said the words he just said to Disma and Boudicca, but now it was Geralt's turn, and it was not because of the two of them that they were being treated specially.

I can only say that sincerity is the real thing. What can move people is not any bells and whistles. Sometimes all it takes is an unintentional word or a small action.

"It is our duty to eradicate the evil cult!" Junia's tone became passionate, and she felt confident after eating enough.

In fact, she didn't have anywhere to go, and she owed so much to Hamlet and the lord, so staying here might not be a bad choice, not to mention that as she said, other things could be put aside first, and the cult must die.

Lance just smiled after hearing this, and then briefly told them about Hamlet's situation.

"We have lost too many places. The entire Hamlet has been dismantled by the cult, and it is difficult to organize effective forces..."

Geralt and Junia were actually the kind of thugs who were not very keen on judging the battle situation, so Lance had no choice but to talk about his plan.

"The Ascension Sect has occupied the ruins of the old city and built a dungeon under my family's old house to perform their evil rituals. So we just need to kill them, return to the old house, kill the cultists, and seal the dungeon."

"Can't we destroy the ritual?"

Lance could only sigh and explain: "It's impossible, because the ritual is connected to Hamlet and even the world. Unless we want to destroy the world, we can only re-seal it."

Geralt's resolute face was full of worry when he heard this. An evil ritual that cannot be destroyed means that this is an endless battle.

"We have to believe in the wisdom of future generations. We just need to do our best. Who can say for sure what will happen in the future? What if they have a way, don't you think?" Lance comforted him with a smile, and he Don't you know that this is something that can't be solved, but this is the only way it can be done now.

"Why do you care so much? Come on, one shark, one shark, shark shark!" Boudica didn't care. Her concept was very simple. Just kill all the enemies and that would be it.

Lance smiled and said nothing, and continued to tell the story about Hamlet, answering the questions for Geralt and the two...

Hamlet, training camp.

After packing up, we came back. Fortunately, we had the assistance of the captured convoy, and the wounded did not affect the march. We quickly returned to the town through the old road before dark.

Leonard and Barton also rushed back and learned about the situation on the battlefield from Disma and the others.

It was very straightforward. Under the leadership of the lord, most of the cultists were wiped out. Even because of the enemy's stupid decision, two people were seriously injured and some were slightly injured. The town was taken over without killing anyone.

Leonard has fought too many wars, and he doesn't care so much about the wins and losses. He cares more about the twisted sacrificial rituals they talked about about those cults, treating people as food and making bacon for storage.

But Barton felt indescribably aggrieved when he heard that they fought hard to win. He also wanted to kill the enemy to repay the lord and contribute his own strength to Hamlet.

But it is a pity that our artillery regiment is short of manpower. It has not even built a frame, and there are only three artillery pieces, so it is difficult to play a big role.

He knew that it would be useless to pull out such an artillery regiment, so he could only secretly regret it...

This is undoubtedly a victory, but fighting is not a good thing. Even if the enemy is heinous, the bloody killing will also increase the pressure on the soldiers.

The general way for the army to vent their anger is to burn, kill and loot to satisfy the soldiers' madness and transfer the pressure to ordinary people. In the end, it is the ordinary people who are injured.

This is not only the unspoken rule of the army under the aristocratic system, but also the army of the church. Even if their "god" takes the blame for them, there is no moral burden at all.

But once the evil in human nature is unleashed, even devout crusaders fall into madness.

As for people like Leonard who insist on self-awareness, they are definitely heretics who are not "pious" enough.

But they are as bad as they are. Hamlet's army emphasizes military discipline, and Lance will never allow them to do those things.

To release their stress, there is nothing more practical than a celebration banquet and material rewards.

Lance has already arranged this, and when the army comes back, all kinds of materials will be transferred to the training camp immediately.

Barrels of beer, bags of wheat flour, fresh seafood, and fattened livestock on the farm.

But at this time, looking at the shining sharp knife, the big fat pig seemed to realize that he was not coming to serve the meal, but that he was the meal. He immediately broke free from the butcher's control and rushed out with a fierce scream.

The scurrying fat pig couldn't be stopped by several people and even knocked over a soldier. That man immediately became everyone's laughing stock. However, I had never suffered such a loss when fighting a cultist. This immediately aroused the competitiveness of those soldiers. Heart, began to chase and intercept the fat pig.

"Catch it!"

"Don't let it get away!"

"..."

Several people rushed forward, some scratched the ears, some pulled the tail, and three or two people swooped down to control the pig.

"Hahaha!"

"Caught! Caught!"

"Quick, quick! Boil the water!"

The fat pig that was caught roared hard and screamed, and at the same time it kept struggling, and its short legs drew streaks of mud on the ground.

For a while, those noisy soldiers made the surrounding female workers who came to organize the banquet talk. In fact, even though the church was suppressing them, their ideas were still very open.

"You see, those young men are really strong. They are much stronger than that soft-footed shrimp of mine."

"Hahaha, why are you blushing?"

"Listen to my aunt's advice. Finding a husband in the military is much better than anything else."

"That's right, it's easier than digging for food in the fields. To put it bluntly, the lord will take care of you even if something goes wrong."

Some of the girls on the side were encouraged by some wedding banter. Now Hamlet's young men are the most popular among the young soldiers, because the preferential treatment for military families is true.

The girls couldn't help but focus on the fighting soldiers, and their eyes would jump back as soon as they touched the muscular body. However, the women around them didn't care anymore, and just kept telling jokes to each other.

"That means I'm married, otherwise I'll find someone else."

"You, one may not be enough, I need two."

"Hahaha……"

Those women's wolf-like jokes made those unexperienced girls blush on their faces, but they also began to look forward to their future life.

They had seen too many tragedies along the way when they became refugees and fled their homes. Now they are content with a peaceful and peaceful life with good food and clothing.

All this is given by the lord.

Praise the lord...

This farce also alarmed Leonard and others who were reviewing the game. When they picked up the guy and rushed out, they discovered that it was a pig.

The strict military discipline made the soldiers immediately restrain their playful spirit when they saw the adults coming out. If they hadn't wanted to suppress the pig, they would have got up and shouted a report.

"Damn it!" Disma cursed in a low voice before putting down the musket in his hand.

Barristan and the others also had serious expressions. Playing and joking was prohibited in the army. In the past, they would have been severely punished and given additional training. However, they had just won a battle today, and they had to take a breath even if they were hanged.

"Okay, okay."

Leonard waved his hand to signal them to relax, "Go and inform everyone that the awards ceremony is about to begin."

"yes!"

Several soldiers, as if they had received amnesty, quickly dragged the fat pig back.

What is an awards ceremony?

Lance is very clear that he wants to build an iron army. In addition to meeting the material conditions, he also needs to give them spiritual incentives, which are the so-called honor and glory, and strengthen their own recognition and sense of belonging.

Lance had presided over it several times before, which was to commend soldiers who had outstanding performance and fought bravely in battle. They were awarded awards in front of the entire army, and they also had autographed certificates.

There is no way, the town does not yet have the productivity to produce exquisite medals, and Lance does not have the ability to design medals. Speaking of which, there is not even a flag representing Hamlet.

This dilapidated town faces many difficulties if it wants to revive.

Lance doesn't need to do everything by himself now, and he doesn't need to award this small battle personally. When the foundation is accumulated enough, he no longer needs to put down his arrogance, but has to put it up, so that when the merits of those soldiers are enough, it can be reflected High specification.

Now he only needs to prepare some signed blank certificates and fill in the names of those who pass. Just now, several people in the room were finalizing the list of winners.

Soon all the personnel were gathered together. On the playground of the training camp, the soldiers all stood at attention neatly, like a javelin, showing a strong difference from the playfulness just now.

At this time, they were all looking at the platform in front of them, waiting to see if their names were on it.

On the stage, Disma and the others didn't talk nonsense. They directly announced the names of the winning soldiers, announcing their achievements and reasons for winning.

"Gavin killed ten enemies..."

"Gall's support responded quickly..."

Some of those who performed outstandingly during combat were also announced with merit awards. Although there were no certificates of merit, according to regulations, they would receive no less bonuses, and they would also have priority for promotion.

Everyone whose name was mentioned came up with their heads held high, almost with ecstasy written on their faces.

The final highlight is naturally the two soldiers who dragged the enemy and caused serious injuries. They must be recorded with first-class merit. They fought for it with their lives. They are still lying on the hospital bed and can only be received by their teammates.

As for the whole team that discovered the tunnel, they will be recorded as a collective third-class meritorious service.

Many soldiers standing below looked at the people on the stage with envy, and they couldn't help but feel motivated. They would also compete for this award next time.