Our Family Has Fallen-Chapter 701 - 414: The Purity of Justice_2

The foreign sailors and merchant captains were all curious about the recent events in this town. Through asking questions and idle chatter, they came to understand what the sheriff was up to.

For a moment, they too were relieved they had only indulged in eating, drinking, and merrymaking these past two days without causing any trouble. The worst offense had been drunken brawls, which merely resulted in being taken to the station by the sheriff and detained until they sobered up, with no further consequences.

However, for the merchants, the implications ran deeper. They found the security environment here to be genuinely good. To their surprise, during their long stay, no one had ever approached them with outstretched hands for a bribe.

This shocked the merchants significantly, as even in a bustling place like Totnes, getting things done involved being exploited at every level.

On the docks, there were foremen monopolizing the longshoremen, fishing bosses controlling the fishermen, and gangs of various stripes. With these, at least paying them money could get things done.

The regular institutions that managed the warehouses, ship berths, and… all sorts of affairs, had a far more unsightly greed. Sometimes, giving them money didn't get the job done—just a modicum of power would open their gaping maws of corruption.

Yet here, they were reminded of Hamlet's rules before disembarking: if anyone solicited a bribe, they could report it.

Initially, they had thought these were just empty words, but since disembarking, everything had proceeded smoothly. Nobody had asked them for money or tried to obstruct them.

Even when they attempted to establish a rapport with some individuals, those people would dodge them as if the money offered was not currency but poison.

At that moment, they realized that the words they heard upon disembarking were not mere lip service but indeed real!

For the merchants, the meaning of this was self-evident. Hamlet's status had been elevated in their hearts, its attractiveness reinforced.

What's more, the Lord here was wealthy and generous. Once the goods passed inspection, payments were settled on the spot with those shimmering Gold Coins – the greatest lure of all.

It was foreseeable that upon their return to Totnes, they would spread the tales of Hamlet and its generous Lord within their circles.

*(Legend +1)*

Everyone was watching the excitement. The Romani people were continuously being captured and brought back to the police station, to the extent that there was hardly enough room to hold them all.

"Hahaha! Serves them right." A sailor in the tavern couldn't help but laugh at the sight, clearly holding a grudge against the Romani people.

"Barkeep, fetch me a bottle of ice-cold beer. This is the perfect time to enjoy myself."

As he spoke, he slapped a copper coin down on the bar.

Just then, a sheriff walked into the tavern and called out.

"Is Gill here? Gill of the Dick Ship?"

"S-sir, I'm here." The sailor who had been laughing moments ago couldn't laugh now, appearing somewhat fearful. He hadn't expected to become the subject of the spectacle himself and hastened to defend himself, "I haven't committed any crime."

"I'm not here to arrest you," the sheriff said. "I came to inform you that your case will be judged tonight, and you'll need to be in court to testify."

The sheriff handed him a piece of paper, adding, "This is the summons. After the case concludes, the money you were swindled out of will be recovered."

Upon hearing this, Gill suddenly grew zealous, never having expected the possibility of getting his money back.

Long live Hamlet!

"Prepare yourself and remember to be present," the sheriff advised, not overly concerned as he had more people to notify.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Gill nodded vigorously, taking the summons with an excitement he couldn't contain.

After the sheriff left, the other patrons in the tavern, driven by curiosity, crowded around to see the summons in Gill's hand. Most could not read, but a few understood enough to confirm it was authentic.

Their earlier attitude towards the actions against the Romani had been one of mere spectators. However, when the matter directly involved them, a strange sensation emerged.

Criminals would be judged, and they could actually receive fair treatment here.

In simple terms, somebody was there to stand up for them!

This kind of treatment was unheard of even in Totnes, where the sheriffs lacked such enforcement power. There were too many criminals, and only those with some clout might stir them to action.

If ordinary people encountered theft, fraud, or swindling, nobody cared about them. In most cases, they could only resign themselves to their bad luck, let alone recouping their losses.

In the Central City District, the limited police force just maintained security in the rich areas, and gang presence still dominated most other places, not to mention that the management of the Outer City was outright controlled by the Gang.

Yet in Hamlet, they had never encountered any Gangs, not even any hooligans or riffraff.

News about the public trial quickly spread, and everybody was somewhat curious, waiting for tonight's judgment.

Summer nights always came a bit later. Normally, after finishing work and dinner, people would come to the square to enjoy the cool breeze, listen to simple lectures, hear about Hamlet's development progress, and listen to the Lord's speeches being relayed and publicized.

But today everyone knew there was going to be a show, so they came early after dinner. The crowd surged, filled not just with townspeople but also with outsiders, sailors, and some Romani among them.

The sailors casually mingled with the townspeople, while the Romani gathered uneasily together in one corner.

They were curious, but more than that, they wanted to see the situation of their leaders who, after being caught, had vanished without a trace, which made them a bit panicked.

Nobody cared about them, though. The murmurs began even before the start, discussing the vile acts of the Romani since their arrival in Hamlet, causing such disorder and nuisance.

Soon, the time was nearly up. Lance appeared on the usual lecturing platform, taking his seat in the central position, with a Clerk at his side responsible for taking notes. Thus, a simple courtroom was established.

"Court is now in session!" Lance shouted.

The first person to take the stand was a surprise: it was Boudica.

The three criminals were also brought up by the sheriff. Unrestrained other than being handcuffed, they stood directly opposite Boudica.

"Let me briefly describe the case..."

There was no such thing as a loudspeaker in this era, so they had to rely on shouting.

The case was simple: it involved those people setting a trap to induce Boudica to damage something, and then demanding she pay for it—a classic street vendor scam.

"Does the plaintiff have any objections?" Lance looked at Boudica, signaling her to speak.

"That thing was already broken when it got to me!" Boudica spoke on cue, following Lance's earlier instructions, after the explanation was finished.

"What about you, defendant?"

"She's the one who broke it! That was an antique we dug out from the ruins..."

The Romani certainly couldn't admit the truth. The matter had been glossed over before, and they still held out hope, so they babbled on and on.

But Lance wasn't afraid at all.

"Bring up the witnesses and physical evidence."

Then, three people were brought forward. They all testified to having suffered similar scams.

The physical evidence was, naturally, similar props confiscated by the sheriff from their stall. When directly compared to the ones held by other victims, the issue became obvious.

"All bought from the same supplier, huh~" Lance couldn't help but quip as he looked at the items.

In the face of evidence, those guys had nothing to say. They hung their heads, avoiding the gazes from the crowd.

The audience, witnessing this scene, naturally started murmuring, and some who had been scammed even started cursing.

Lance quickly passed judgment, ending the case: the money was to be returned, and they also had to pay a fine.

Now, the victims recouped their losses, criminals were punished, Hamlet received the fines, and the audience got a lesson while enjoying the drama—everyone was happy.

Lance didn't know a hammer from a gavel, but he knew what ordinary people needed. They didn't need some high-and-mighty bastard toying with the law and enjoying the privileges that power brings—they needed someone who could truly stand up for them.