Chapter 971: Chapter 548: One Man Guards the Pass

Lance knew he couldn’t panic, so he took a deep breath to steady his emotions.

"Immediately organize a rescue team. I’ll have the medical team return right away; spare no effort to save people!" Saying this, Lance realized he had overlooked something and added.

"Are you alright?"

"I’m fine. Actually, there aren’t many injured because the Church came..."

Grendel briefly explained the situation with The Church Duo, also expressing her concerns.

"I feel there’s a certain motive behind their rescue. Should we care?"

Lance naturally understood what Grendel meant. How could the Church’s aid come without a motive? Do they really act as great benefactors?

No amount of Gold Coin can open the church doors, let alone have a Priest perform Divine Arts for healing.

If all clergy were like Junia, Martin’s martyrdom wouldn’t have happened.

But Lance didn’t intend to take action; instead, he advised.

"They’ve saved so many people and amassed considerable prestige; rashly acting against them is foolish. We should let them be, ignore what they’re doing, and even show Hamlet’s goodwill." Lance’s expression seemed strange, muttering, "Hamlet’s heretics cleared, yet some are hard to eliminate..."

Grendel understood that Lance wanted to use this opportunity to see how many devout followers were still hidden in Hamlet.

"Aren’t you afraid they’ll cause trouble? The town can’t afford any major upheavals right now."

"Humph! I’m just afraid they won’t make a fuss." Lance sneered, "After taking the wilderness, we’ll need more manpower for development."

Grendel had no objection, knowing she just needed to execute clear orders and take care of the current mess.

"At this moment, they shouldn’t take the public opinion high ground; you should quickly mitigate impacts, push Baldwin to share their accolades.

This is a collective victory; praise those militia and Navy on the front lines, offer condolences to the families of the deceased, go..."

Lance noted the outpost behind him awakening; no time for slow conversations, he quickly outlined the approach.

"I’ll need two more days to fully handle the wilderness; you must control the town’s radicals, avoid giving those people excuses, and wait until I return to discuss further."

"I’ll manage the town’s affairs, don’t worry." Sensing a change in Lance’s tone, Grendel stopped speaking further and agreed.

But before hanging up, Grendel seemed to remember something, quickly adding.

"Amanda is still in a coma, likely overdrafted on Spiritual Essence. Although her condition is stable, it’s hard to say."

Lance seemed a bit surprised but didn’t say more, only nodding slightly to indicate understanding.

Their brief exchange concluded, Lance contemplated the encroaching darkness as torches rose behind him.

The Church’s appearance wasn’t unexpected; his interactions with the outside world already prepared him for dealings with the Church.

Logically, the plot should’ve seen them ignored initially, but the current situation was indeed unexpected for him.

Their appearance reversed defeat, stabilized defenses, and quickly amassed great prestige, shattering the absolute leadership Lance established in Hamlet.

He couldn’t act; Baldwin was severely injured, Amanda unconscious, and Grendel alone couldn’t contend with The Church Duo. More importantly, it’s a prestige issue; they can’t contradict themselves, but must play along with a smile.

While defending against the old ancestor’s home invasion, he didn’t expect the Church to infiltrate.

Lance seemingly decided to change his tactical layout, needing a profound and meaningful alibi for not being in Hamlet.

For this, he reluctantly fetched and donned a set of ordinary Full Body Armor, carrying his helmet down from the high wall.

At this time, the outpost personnel were already mobilized, excluding the severely wounded; even the medical staff had emerged.

Lance, clutching the helmet, began his deployment, instructing them not to engage directly in battle, but remain vigilant for potential heretics, firing from the high walls, and forbidding close combat without his orders.

Under ordinary circumstances, Lance wouldn’t waste words, simply act.

But now, he reiterated Hamlet’s daunting threat from heretics, advocating the necessity of this operation.

He also emphasized the danger faced by the outpost, intensely heightening the atmosphere.

"The outpost is the front line army’s safeguard; we must defend it resolutely." Lance raised his Longsword and roared, "Hamlet Must Win!"

The people there responded with deafening shouts.

"Hamlet Must Win!"

Margaret, hearing this, couldn’t help but feel partly moved, but Lance’s next statement left her stunned.

"Open the gates."

Shouldn’t they hold firm behind high walls to exhaust the enemy?

Why were the gates being opened?

"With the heretics gathering superior forces, if they split into squads for attacks, how would we defend?"

Facing the advancing Margaret, Lance explained before she could speak, donning his helmet, his slightly muffled voice echoed.

"Execute the order, soldiers; no one cares who you are on the battlefield. I hope my people teach you what a sniper is."