After breakfast, Lübeck headed straight for the security forces' headquarters. As soon as Trudy saw him arrive, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. She then gestured for him to step into her office for a detailed discussion.
Once Lübeck entered, Trudy casually closed the door behind him and hurried toward the wall map, speaking as she walked.
“The night you set sail, they did indeed move—fighting over the estate.” She pointed at the map.
“Combat occurred at these locations.”
“Were there casualties among our security forces?” Lübeck asked urgently.
“None. They asked for it, so we gave it to them. When someone knocked, someone opened the door. Once they'd settled the fight, we cleaned up and made the arrests.”
“Heh,” Lübeck chuckled at Trudi's words, then added to lighten the mood,
“You're making God's job a lot easier.”
“Hahaha,” Trudi laughed too,
“This time, the opposing Schmidt and Bauer clans suffered heavy losses. Besides those killed or wounded, the rest were captured. Counting their relatives, friends, and neighbors with shared interests, there shouldn't be any more feuds like this for a long time.”
“Yes, let's hope people learn from this and live in peace,” Lübeck replied. Yet he knew full well the frailties of human nature. Unless the social structure changed, new generations would inevitably spark fresh conflicts in twenty years—though he couldn't predict what form they might take. But such matters weren't for the military officer to discuss now, so he left it at that.
“This rebellion—” Lübeck paused the moment the word escaped his lips. He had intended to ask who organized the uprising, but if it were classified as rebellion, those implicated would surely face hanging. He hesitated at the thought of taking another's life.
“Oh, I've already submitted the details to the judge. It's just waiting for sentencing and execution,” Trudi blurted out before Lübeck could finish his question.
Leaving the constabulary headquarters, Lübeck pondered throughout the carriage change whether to commute the death sentence for the condemned criminals—perhaps sparing their lives and imposing life imprisonment instead. Yet he knew well those who had instigated the rebellion: they hadn't reached this point overnight. Over years, they had gradually expanded their power by relentlessly oppressing others.
Yet in this sanctuary he had spent years building, he refused to witness bloodshed—even when carried out according to law. A lingering guilt weighed on Lübeck's conscience. He had deliberately escalated the conflict to ensure the land's stability, resolving it almost once and for all. Though the use of force was their own choice, Lübeck could never fully absolve himself in his heart.
Yet Lübeck understood clearly: sentencing them to life imprisonment risked leaving loose ends among their still-free associates within the Sanctuary. Prison breaks and uprisings could erupt at any moment, reviving the severed threads of their power.
Perhaps sending them back to Europe on Earth? Lübeck considered this solution, yet he remained uncertain of its impact on temporal causality—especially for so many individuals. Reflecting on his own reluctance to confront his mother for fear of such consequences, he felt a pang of injustice. Why should they receive such preferential treatment?
Lost in thought, he found the carriage had already reached City Hall. As he stepped through the entrance, City Hall Secretary Miller greeted him with a broad smile.
“Work going smoothly?” Lübeck asked with a smile.
“Smoother than ever,” Miller replied. Both men laughed heartily, though a flicker of concern crossed Lübeck's mind. Was it time to begin reining in public authority?
At the midday working lunch, Miller recounted everything that had transpired during Lü Beck's absence. The once-dominant Schmidt and Bauer families had been weakened, and their remaining followers no longer dared openly defy law enforcement or oppress others. It was as if a malignant tumor had been excised from society's organic body—the resources it had consumed were finally returning to the healthy cells.
“Ah, it feels so good when everything goes smoothly,” Lübeck mused, gazing at the midday sunlight streaming through the window. Spring was in full swing, and sowing would begin soon.
“On a day like this, the whole world seems refreshed.”
“Indeed. With the Schmidt family's influence gone, supporting those troublesome neighbors, Georg will finally get back the land they seized,” Ursula said cheerfully across the table to Lübeck.
“Yes, we have a duty to uphold social justice here.” Lübeck nodded in agreement.
After lunch, Lübeck pulled Miller back to his office to gain a detailed understanding of the civil impact of the rebellion suppression operation. Miller produced the casualty statistics, showing them to Lübeck while explaining,
“See, these lists are for the Schmidt family, these are for the Bauer family, and the rest are accomplices from both sides.”
Lübeck glanced at them and couldn't help but sigh,
“My, the casualties are heavy on both sides.”
Miller smiled and explained,
“No, the Schmidt family initially had the upper hand—they had more men. But when the security squad moved to arrest them, they resisted with weapons. Their casualties were mainly incurred during the confrontation with the security squad.”
“Oh,” Lübeck nodded in understanding, though inwardly he chuckled. The Schmidt clan must have assumed they were facing the old security squad—unaware he'd equipped them with breech-loading rifles and reinforced both manpower and tactical deployment this time.
“So, have the masterminds behind both sides been identified?” Lübeck pressed.
“Yes. Both clan leaders have been identified and arrested.”
“Hmm,” Lübeck nodded, thinking they had finally uprooted the threat, eliminating a long-standing隐患 for lasting peace in the Sanctuary.
“Ah, but there's one tricky problem,” Miller said, his expression turning troubled as he looked at Lü Beck.
“Ha ha, what could possibly trouble you? Just speak freely,” Lü Beck asked with a smile.
“In this clash between the two families, many died. On the Bauer side, there's a widow named Doris, left with two children and no one to take them in.”
“Oh, no relatives to help?”
“None. She wants to remarry, but no one will take her two daughters—both young girls, three and five years old. They can only eat, not work.”
“I see,” Lübeck acknowledged, inwardly wondering if this might fall on his shoulders.
“Captain, you see, spring plowing is coming soon. After that, no one's sure if their winter grain will last. Most families simply can't take in these two children. Could you perhaps adopt them?” Miller finished, smiling broadly at Lübeck.
Lübeck smiled back, but quickly waved his hands in refusal.
“No, absolutely not. I orchestrated this rebellion suppression operation. Now that the husband is dead, if I take their children, how could I possibly live here if word got out? It's out of the question.”
“Oh dear, if you won't take them, Doris won't find another husband with the children. That would be three lives ruined,” Miller seemed troubled too.
"Why don't you ask another family? I absolutely cannot do this."
“Alright then, I'll keep looking. Sigh, actually, her husband was killed by Schmidt's men—it has nothing to do with you,” Miller persisted in his matchmaking.
"No, no. This kind of thing sounds good in theory but looks bad in practice. Who knows what people will think? Alright, don't bring this up again. I truly can't agree to it."
“Very well,” Miller replied softly, saying no more.
Stepping out of the town hall, Lübeck wiped the sweat from his brow. Why should I take what others won't? Better get home quickly.
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