'SEE YOU MORNING' 085 The Guardian of Lübeck

After breakfast, Lübeck headed straight for the garrison of the security forces. Trudy caught sight of him and curled the corners of her mouth into a slight smile, then gestured for him to come into her office for a private talk.
Once Lübeck stepped inside, Trudy closed the door casually and walked quickly toward the map hanging on the wall as she spoke.
“They made their move the very night you set sail, fighting over land properties.” She pointed at the map.
“Battles broke out at all these locations.”
“Did any of our security officers get hurt?” Lübeck asked anxiously.
“No casualties. We let them fight it out; we opened the door whenever someone came knocking. Once they settled their scores, we moved in and arrested everyone.”
“Haha,” Lübeck laughed at her words. “Even the Almighty gets an easy ride with your approach.”
“Hahaha,” Trudy laughed heartily.
“The two rival families, Schmidt and Bauer, suffered heavy losses this time. Many were killed or wounded, and the rest were taken into custody. Including their relatives, friends and neighbors who shared common interests, there will not be such violent clashes for a long time to come.”
“You’re right. I hope everyone will learn a lesson and live in peace.” Though Lübeck said this, he knew all too well the flaws of human nature. Without restructuring the society, conflicts would inevitably emerge again among the younger generation twenty years later, albeit in different forms. He saw no need to bring this up to the officer for the time being.
“This rebellion…” Lübeck paused halfway through the sentence. He had intended to ask who the masterminds behind the unrest were. Yet if the acts were defined as rebellion, all involved would face the gallows. He hesitated at the thought of taking so many lives.
“I have submitted all the details to the judge. We are just waiting for the verdict and execution.” Trudy spoke frankly, answering his unspoken question fully.
On his way out and while riding in the carriage he had taken, Lübeck kept pondering whether to commute the condemned men’s death sentences, replacing execution with life imprisonment. He knew well that those who had stirred up the trouble had not fallen into ruin overnight. For years, they had bullied others ceaselessly to expand their power.
This was Zufluchtsland, a land he had built with his own hands, and he abhorred bloodshed, even when justice was being served. A twinge of guilt lingered in his heart. To secure long-term stability here, he had intentionally intensified the conflicts before resolving them once and for all. Though the use of force had been their own choice, he could never fully clear his conscience.
Still, he understood the risks. If they were sentenced to life in prison, their allies still at large across Zufluchtsland would pose a grave threat. Jailbreaks and riots could break out at any moment, allowing their broken power to revive.
He wondered if sending them back to Europe on Earth would be a solution. But he dared not act lightly, uncertain what impact moving such a large group would have on the timeline and causality. He had not even dared to meet his own mother for fear of such consequences, and the thought filled him with a sense of unfairness. Why should these people receive such special treatment?
Lost in his thoughts, he soon arrived at the town hall. As he walked through the entrance, he was greeted warmly by Müller, the town hall secretary.
“Work going well?” Lübeck asked with a smile.
“Could not be better.” The two laughed together. Even so, a flicker of concern crossed Lübeck’s mind. Perhaps it was time to start imposing restrictions on public authority.
Over the working lunch at noon, Müller recounted everything that had happened during Lübeck’s absence. The dominant power of the Schmidt and Bauer families had been severely weakened. Their remaining members no longer dared to defy the law or oppress others openly. A malignant tumor plaguing the society had been removed, and the resources they had hoarded now returned to normal circulation.
“It feels wonderful to see everything running smoothly,” Lübeck sighed, gazing at the bright midday sunlight streaming through the window. Spring was in full swing, and sowing would begin before long.
“What a fine day. The whole world feels fresh and clean.”
“Indeed. Without the Schmidt family backing up those troublemakers, Georg will finally get back the land that was seized from him,” Ursula said cheerfully from across the table.
“We have a duty to uphold fairness and justice here,” Lübeck replied and nodded at her.
After lunch, Lübeck took Müller back to his office to learn the full extent of the unrest’s impact on ordinary people. Müller took out a casualty list and explained it to him as they looked it over.
“These are members of the Schmidt family, these belong to the Bauer family, and the rest are their accomplices.”
Lübeck scanned the list and sighed. “The casualties on both sides are quite heavy.”
Müller smiled and shook his head. “Originally, the Schmidt family had the upper hand with greater numbers. But they resisted arrest with weapons when our men moved in. Most of their losses came from the confrontation with the security forces.”
“I see.” Lübeck nodded in understanding, secretly amused. The Schmidts must have thought they were dealing with the same old security team. They had no idea he had equipped the forces with breech-loading firearms, increased manpower and revised battle tactics.
“Have we identified the planners and ringleaders of the clashes?” Lübeck continued his questions.
“We have. The heads of both families were named by the suspects and have been arrested.”
“Good.” Lübeck nodded, relieved that the root of the trouble had been eliminated, securing long-term peace for Zufluchtsland.
“There is just one tricky problem,” Müller said, looking troubled as he turned to Lübeck.
“Haha, what could trouble you? Speak your mind,” Lübeck said with a laugh.
“So many lives were lost in the fighting between the two families. A widow named Doris from the Bauer family is left with two young girls and has nowhere to turn.”
“Has she no relatives to take her in?”
“None. She wants to remarry, but no one is willing to take her two daughters. They are still little, only three and five years old. They cannot work yet and only add to the household expenses.”
“I see.” Lübeck fell silent, thinking to himself that this was not a matter he should be saddled with.
“Captain, spring farming is just around the corner, and no family can be sure they will have enough food to get through the coming winter. Ordinary households simply cannot afford to raise two extra children. Would you consider taking them in?” Müller asked, looking at Lübeck with a hopeful smile.
Lübeck laughed and waved his hands to refuse.
“No way, absolutely not. I was the one who ordered the crackdown. If I take these children after their father was killed, what would people say about me? I could never hold my head up around here after that.”
“But if you refuse, Doris will never find a new husband, and three lives will be at stake,” Müller urged, looking genuinely worried.
“Please ask other people instead. I cannot do this.”
“Very well, I will try to find someone else.” Müller sighed. “For what it is worth, her husband was killed by men from the Schmidt side. This has nothing to do with you.”
“I know, but rumors spread fast. People will make up their own minds. Let us not talk about this any longer. My answer is final.”
“Understood,” Müller replied softly and dropped the subject.
Stepping out of the town hall, Lübeck wiped the sweat from his forehead. Why should he take in children that no one else wanted? He just wanted to head home as soon as possible.