Alyssia sat on the wall as she sat on Ghost who had curled its body to make a comfortable seat for her while Alfred met with the group of people.
It was as if she was a ruler who calmly watched as her subjects did their duties as she lazily sat on her throne.
Ghost seemed to be pleased that she was being of use to her master and started grinning to herself as she flicked her tongue.
Alfred met with the leader of the large group and was about to speak but was quickly interrupted by a harsh voice. "Who are you people? Where is Leno?! He has not handed over his tribute so you should call him out quickly or else you will all suffer greatly today!"
Right from the start, the man at the front showed his rude attitude and hostility towards Alfred but Alfred remained calm as he spoke. "He is no longer here and we are the rightful owners of this land and castle. I hope that you will be respectful and talk calmly so that we can not turn to hostilities right away."
Right after, the man frowned and glared at Alfred. "So you mean that our deal cannot he upheld? Where is he then? Did he run away or is he dead?"
Alfred shook his head. "I do not know what type of transaction or alliance you may have had between you but that is his and your business so it does not involve me or the others now occupying this land. Leno is now dead after we came to claim the land after rightfully purchasing the land deed and arriving here only to be attacked by him resulting in our resistance. Only some of his crew members are alive so if you wish to seek revenge on those people, we can hand them over as a sign of goodwill but that is all we can offer you."
He calmly explained the situation that their battle was won upon being attacked by Leno with his crew and full abilities to deter them from thinking that Leno had simply let his guard down and was killed in his sleep or something similar.
If they were lead to believe that was the case, they would be less likely to attack recklessly since Alfred had told them that his group were not easy targets for them and even the Flintlock Pirates had suffered at the hands of Alyssia alone once they gained information from the captives.
He remained firm as he stated the terms of handing over the captives since they were of no use to them but no previous deals made by the previous group occupying the land were valid anymore.
If the group were angry about the result then they should take their anger out on the captives and leave the land before both sides become hostile with each other.
Just as the man was about to shout at Alfred again after hearing of Leno's death and the loss of his deal being upheld, another man walked to his side and whispered something in his ear. "They are making a show of force and it would hurt us if we were to confront them without knowing their true abilities. First we must follow what they wish so we can gain further information on them and then we can come up with a plan of attack."
He quickly calmed the rate in his heart and put on a fake smile. "Of course, please arrange it."
Alfred did not year the whispers but he could detect the subtle differences in the mans facial expression so as an experienced businessman, he smiled and ordered the others. "Bring out the captives and hand them over. I am sorry but we are new here and are busy with transforming the castle and land to suit our needs so I am afraid that we cannot entertain guests at the moment. I hope that after our deal is done, you can leave our land so that our people can feel at ease."
He was telling them as kindly as possible that they should back off and that they have no hope of entering the walls anytime soon.
A vein looked like it was about to pop on the man's forehead but the person by his side whispered in his ear once again. "Hold it in and be patient, this may just be a tactic to make us leave and show off their power. Whether it is a bluff or not, we will know soon so do not make any rash movements."
Rather than the man at the front, the other person seemed to be the one that really called the shots within the group as the man seemed obedient to him and followed his words even if there did seem to be a big difference in build and strength between them.
Alfred noticed the situation very quickly as he observed them and not long afterwards, the captives were brought out and handed over to the group. "Our deal is done, thank you for your cooperation. Farewell."
He bowed slightly as he held his ground with the others which showed that they did not intend to back off first and that the group should leave.
If they showed any weakness like turning their back on the enemy then they may be attacked so they did not back down until the group left with the captives.
After they had left, Alfred calmly said. "Carrot and Tristan, track and monitor their movements while the rest of you can return within the castle walls."
Carrot and Tristan were the best choices for monitoring the activities of the group since their detection and stealth based skills were just as high as Alyssia who had been trained within the Night Guards of Zou so they could track them while remaining hidden.
Carrot grinned as she saluted. "Leave it to me!"
Tristan calmly shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I have no choice. See you soon."
The two carefully approached the forest area and jumped up high on the trees after checking that nobody was around.
They quickly moved through the trees as they kept their distance from the group while following their trail that was left behind.
As Tristan saw the many footprints in the dirt all leading the way she thought to herself. 'It seems that these people are amateurs if they cannot even cover their tracks. Sigh…"