Our Family Has Fallen-Chapter 668 - 398: Aftermath_1
At the Sheriff’s Office, Lance visited William and his dog, Fergus, to get a systematic understanding of yesterday’s situation. Since becoming Sheriff, William had also been acting as the Police Chief, shouldering responsibility for the town’s public safety.
"We still have too few deputies," William said, "and we don’t have many effective methods."
"After this battle, I expect some soldiers will be retiring. We can see if they wish to join us then." Lance’s gaze settled on Fergus, who was inseparable from William, and he suddenly had an idea. Training dogs is William’s primary skill, after all, so why not utilize his real expertise? "Could we train a pack of hounds to assist in law enforcement? Whether for tracking, search and rescue, or pursuit..."
Lance stayed and discussed with William for quite a while, offering a critical suggestion for the development of the Sheriff’s Office. However, they faced a problem: there wasn’t even a second dog in town, let alone one with a hunting dog bloodline. These selectively bred hounds usually appeared in the Nobility’s hunting games, and only nobles had the means to keep them. Fergus, however, was a particularly exceptional hound, and it would be difficult to find another as outstanding.
"I’ll handle this," Lance said. "The world is vast; we can surely buy a few good hounds." He planned to buy them directly from Totnes. As long as one had money, there was nothing that couldn’t be bought in Totnes. They didn’t just sell dogs; they even sold people, who might sometimes be a hundred times cheaper than a purebred hound.
"You and Fergus will have to work hard these next few days." Lance took out a bottle of Potion and handed it to him. "Drink this; it will grant you miraculous strength." As the town expanded and developed, William’s responsibilities were bound to increase. In this world, without strength, everything else was out of the question. Although William was a bit puzzled, his loyalty was absolute. He took the Potion and drank it without much hesitation.
"This is very precious." Lance smiled at him and seized the opportunity to use Flesh Reconstruction to heal his hidden injuries. He then used Bless and Strengthening on his constitution to help him reach the Elite rank.
Unlike Dismas and the others, William hadn’t endured life-or-death struggles or clawed his way back from the brink of death, so he didn’t have too many underlying issues. However, simply being alive constantly depleted one’s bodily functions, and various issues would burden the body. These accumulated as hidden injuries, which everyone possessed to some degree; the only difference was their severity. William, being in his thirties, still had a few. He felt the fatigue in his body rapidly retreat. His limbs felt light, his mind clear, as if he had suddenly returned to his youth, bringing a sense of complete rejuvenation. What miraculous power!
"This one’s for Fergus; he deserves a reward." Lance didn’t stop there, producing a second Potion. William was an unusual man. He was indifferent to money and fame, valuing justice above his own life. Aside from that, another interesting trait of his was that he valued Fergus highly. Winning William’s favor was simple: praise Fergus and show the dog respect. And Fergus the hound demonstrated remarkable intelligence, to the point of seeming almost human. When given the Potion, it tilted its head back and drank, seemingly sensing the benefits. It then approached Lance and nuzzled against him ingratiatingly. Lance naturally stroked its head. "Good boy."
Lance waited for a while, seeing deputies arriving for their shift and those who had been on duty since the previous night. After offering them some words of praise and encouragement, he left.
Reynard was at the outpost supervising the repair work on its fortifications. He was also there to relieve Balistan and the other injured soldiers, bringing them back to recuperate.
Lance met them at the barracks, where he also saw Dismas. It seemed Dismas hadn’t gone out to relax the previous night but had chosen to remain there instead. Although the town had weathered the crisis, it had actually suffered a severe impact. Around a hundred soldiers were injured or sick, and assimilating the acquired resources would take time. Dismas had clearly remained at the barracks out of concern that problems might arise.
"Get some proper rest. I can handle things here." Lance raised his hand to Dismas’s shoulder, activating his upgraded Flesh Reconstruction to clear the residual hidden injuries from his body. Lance had already enhanced Dismas’s panel stats during the Holy Blood Ceremony. He had crossed the Elite threshold early on, and his strength had increased further after his body underwent a complete transformation. Dismas possessed the awareness of a Master, honed through countless brushes with death. Even if he truly encountered these so-called Masters, he wouldn’t necessarily lose. A musket shot didn’t discriminate; if you couldn’t withstand it, you died. But he wasn’t like Reynard and Balistan, those self-disciplined types who trained regularly. In his leisure time, he frequented either taverns or brothels. He had only recently been banned from the casinos for cheating; otherwise, he would have been a regular there too. To this day, he was still squandering his talent to some extent. Consequently, his constitution had not yet reached the strength indicated by his panel stats. However, to cross the Master threshold, Dismas still needed more Spiritual Essence. Lance currently didn’t dare to squander it recklessly, so this was as far as he could help him for now.
"This is all I can help you with for now. Your potential is far greater than this; don’t squander yourself any longer." Lance gave him this pointer, knowing that his current strength was insufficient for the path ahead. Whether Dismas understood his words wasn’t important. Ultimately, as one of the founding veterans, he had made significant contributions to Hamlet, and Lance still held some affection for these men.
