Lance immediately began to inspect the area. As an archaeologist, he naturally had some knowledge of architectural mechanisms and quickly found the hidden compartment. It was concealed behind a stone slab beneath the desk.
Under normal circumstances, only by sitting in that position could one notice it. It seemed the hall was merely a storage room; the real treasures were here.
Lance carefully checked to make sure there were no traps before he slowly opened the compartment, only to find a locked tin chest inside.
Puzzled, he tried to pull out the chest but found it immovable. This left him no choice but to unlock it directly.
He did have the keys—the ones left by the mayor. Using them one by one, he quickly managed to open it. However, as soon as the chest was opened, Lance was completely stunned.
Gold Coins! It was all Gold Coins!
Even under the dim candlelight, they still gleamed with a dazzling luster.
Forgetting all else, Lance could hardly wait to count the Gold Coins in the chest.
The huge box of copper coins in the storeroom would probably be worth only twenty or thirty Gold Coins. Here, however, he counted out 115.
This fortune translated to 27,600 copper coins, enough to fill three large crate-like boxes.
And that wasn't all—the chest not only contained Gold Coins but also deerskin pouches. These were filled with Yellow Crystal, Jadeite, agate, and jade, as well as rubies, sapphires, and gold jewelry.
His expertise allowed him to identify all these items as antiques, with an estimated value of tens of thousands of Gold Coins.
Gold Coins, not mere copper coins! A fortune too vast to fit in a large chest!
Clearly, these had come from his ancestors' estate; only Nobility would possess such items.
Lance also found a thick pile of land deeds in the chest. Upon flipping through them, he discovered that most parts of the town had been in the mayor's hands.
But now, they were his.
There was no doubt this was a huge sum of money, more than he had ever encountered in either his past or present life. His heart pounded relentlessly, and it took a long time for him to calm down. Yet, this discovery also brought anxiety. He feared losing it all, constantly feeling as if someone was about to steal his money. He wished he could carry the chest with him; perhaps his heart was already bound to the Gold Coins.
At that moment, a knock on the door came, nearly scaring him to death. Thankfully, it was Susan's voice.
"My Lord, everyone has arrived," she said.
"I will be right there," he responded.
Lance quickly tidied up before heading outside.
Everyone in the dining room had arrived, but they were all waiting for him before starting the meal.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, he discussed the next day's plan with everyone. Dismas and Reynard raised no objections. However, the old soldier, while not exhibiting the same fear as the squad leader, still had his doubts.
"I feel this isn't a good idea; the risk is too high," he said.
For five people to overcome fifty Guards was difficult enough, let alone the additional hundred-plus Serfs. Such an irrational, suicidal attack brought back some unwelcome memories. A seasoned Commander should not make such decisions.
Lance didn't resort to using his status to pressure them into carrying out the mission just because of the old soldier's doubts; that was a childish tactic.
Instead, he shared the intelligence he had gathered and, based on that information, pointed out the problems the farm was facing.
"First, the farm has expanded too rapidly during this period; its area has increased by more than tenfold. This has resulted in a significant distance between the farmhouse where the farm owner lives and the dwellings of the Serfs.
Among the Guards, twenty manage the Serfs. Given their efficiency, it would be very difficult for them to respond in less than half a day. Therefore, the number of enemies we truly face is not large; they are only those within the farmhouse.
Another current advantage is David's excessive assertiveness, which has caused dissatisfaction among some of the Guards. We can exploit their internal conflicts to divide them, further alleviating our pressure.
As long as we don't give them too much reaction time, we'll only need to face one or two squads of Guards when we invade the farmhouse. In terms of equipment, we have two Crossbows and two handguns. In terms of strength, I also believe you are all stronger than those Guards, who aren't even up to mercenary standards.
Once we find the farm owner and David and eliminate them, the rest will find it difficult to organize any effective resistance."
Lance spoke eloquently. He highlighted the farm's current situation, analyzed the rationality of the action plan, and advocated for special operations that leveraged their strengths while exploiting enemy weaknesses.
Although the plan was risky, the potential rewards proportional to the risk were outrageously high. If it could be executed, all fighting would be confined to the farmhouse without damaging other structures. Afterward, he would acquire a complete farm.
Lance was eager to attack the farm not only because he wanted to control the majority of the town's grain supply, but also because this David was no ordinary man. He had taken control of the farm's Guards in just ten days. Given a bit more time, he would likely gain complete control over the entire farm, making it even more difficult to seize.
Lance's words moved the old soldier. In his long military career, he had seldom encountered such a perilous battle. He wasn't afraid of death, but out of concern for safety, he still offered a reminder to Lance.
"Then this mission can be carried out by just us, My Lord. You don't have to participate personally; the danger is simply too great."
"No, no, no," Lance chuckled, shaking his head. "There are some things I can't explain to you just yet, but I will be the core of this operation."
As he spoke, his gaze swept towards Dismas and Reynard, adding, "Moreover, members of the Hamlet Family are always on the front line of battle."
Lance's real trump card for daring to attack the farm with just five men was his special abilities.
"Sacrifice" could remove corpses and replenish offerings.
"Bless" could be used on them, and they would never tire.
"Flesh Reconstruction" could heal any injury; as long as it wasn't instantaneous death, he could snatch people back from Death's grasp.
Noticing Lance's gaze, Dismas felt an inexplicable sense of mission, an unprecedented feeling. He straightened up, adopting a very serious demeanor.
Fighting evil in darkness, keeping secrets from the world... Just thinking about it gave Dismas goosebumps. It was the epitome of a man's romance.
The old soldier looked puzzled. He followed Lance's gaze towards the other two, but they also appeared secretive, showing no intention of explaining.
"Some truths require a very heavy price to be known," Lance said. "If you survive this operation and still want to know, I will tell you."
Of course, Lance noticed the old soldier's curiosity, but he didn't intend to tell him directly. Some things were best left unsaid, allowing the other party to take the initiative. That made it more interesting.
He despised two things the most: people who spoke in riddles, and not being allowed to be the one speaking in riddles...